Denton Life is Pretty Darn Good

The sun came out and the weather warmed up to just right this afternoon. I decided it was time for me to get out so I headed over to Downtown Denton. Clearly I have had my head in the sand for far too long because there was much to do, see, and impulse buy.

First stop was Sleeping Lizzards just off the square. Everyone who has ever lived in Denton knows Sleeping Lizzards is a fabulous collection of jewelry, clothes, and just fun stuff. I absolutely love the typewriter key jewelry by co-owner Beth Klein. A fun new addition at the store is the button making station. You can make your own buttons for $1 and there is an ample supply of cool books and magazines to cut up and incorporate in your very own creation. Express yourself and go make a button. Plus, there are some supercute, floaty summer dresses on sale right now.

Next  I dropped in to A Creative Art Studio on Oak Street. It is a fun mix of works by regional and local artists. I love the cast resin Buddhas by Denton artist and educator Jennifer Leigh Jones and the paintings by Mariko Frost Kostreva. I will have to start saving up so I can take the class in mosaic making taught by owner Robin Huttash. There are so many interesting classes on offer right now. I will definitely have to head back over there for First Friday to see the Big Rig Dance Collective. Check out the events page here for more information.

A relatively new addition to the area is the Howe Unique Boutique. You can find their facebook page here. They have a varied collection of gift and housewares that includes work by local and regional artists. They have some great greeting cards and really cute locally made handbags. I am bummed I missed the Vintage Pinup Themed photoshoot; that looks like fun. I will be following their facebook feed so I can go to the next one!

I popped in to The Courthouse Collection to see what's new. There were some cute flip flops that caught my eye but then I walked through to the back and was utterly surprised by the Country Kitchen City Cooks shop. There were so many tempting treats on offer back there! I splurged on a bag of Super Graham Crunch coffee beans (hopefully the coffee goodness will motivate me to get my bum out of bed in the morning). This will be my go-to place next time I need a sophisticated Texas themed gift. There were Texas made candies, jelly, honey, salsa, pasta and lots more so look out ya'all. Be nice to me and I might send you a present.

I always thought the UNT on the Square was just some conference space that the school took over but then I went inside. Guess what? They have art in there. On exhibit right now are paintings by Elaine Pawlowicz. The space is lovely and a pleasant surprise. I am thrilled that there is an actual art gallery on the square. What a brilliant move by the Art Department at UNT.

My favorite find by far was 2nd Street. You can follow them on facebook here. It took me two years to make time to visit and I feel like I have been missing out. Inside you will find a fabulous collection of clothes, shoes, and other tchochkes. The merchandise is a blend of new, recycled and vintage; all of it cool (but not inaccessibly so). I bough an awesome doormat made out of recycled flip-flops and had a great time chatting with the owner. She is really wonderful and an ardent supporter of local musicians.

I have been suffering from city envy lately but I am over it. There is so much going on right here in my hometown. The food is good. The drinks are affordable. The people are friendly. The weather is nice. I am glad I live in Denton; life is pretty darn good.