#the high was 21c today so it was perfect to go out for a little hike

[twogriffons]

my beautiful girlies

[tsgnorthwestarkansas]

We love that when you shop local at Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry, most likely you’ll begin your experience being greeted by Ben Blakeman and his canine companion Mulligan. 

Up Close & Personal with Ben Blakeman of Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry Ben Blakeman, of Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry in Rogers, is a second generation fine jeweler who grew up in Fayetteville and Rogers while his father, Don Blakeman, grew a small jewelry shop (opened with just $5,000) into one of the region’s most trusted fine jewelers with a team of 10 employees that also just happens to be the official jeweler of the Razorbacks and has come to be known as the place “Where Arkansas Gets Engaged.”

We recently had the chance to speak with Ben, between his trips visiting with diamond cutters and working closely with loyal customers in the shop, and learn all about how he decided to follow in the family business and what he loves most about serving the Northwest Arkansas area he calls home. Here’s a snippet of our conversation. . . 

What is the story of the moment you first realized your love for jewelry?

It is the family business, so I’ve been surrounded by it ever since I was a toddler. But I distinctly remember when I was in high school, my first job was working at a T-shirt kiosk in the mall. Even then, I would walk by the jewelry store in the mall on my break, just checking it out. I had that interest in the jewelry business I couldn’t shake. After a few years working at the T-shirt kiosk, I started selling David Yurman for my dad at Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry. I’ll never forget my first customer there. She still shops with us today. It was so cool how much it meant to her to have her very first piece of David Yurman Jewelry.

Is there a higher purpose you serve through your passion and business?

I realized really early on working with my dad at the store that whether it’s a birthday, graduation, or anniversary, no matter what the milestone, we had the opportunity to interact with customers at a celebratory moment. That’s pretty unique in the retail world, if you think of what we buy on a day-to-day basis, there’s generally not that level of excitement around your purchases. There’s also not that level of engagement, confidence and trust that you have with your jeweler in other areas of retail. I really love the interactions with customers at these milestone moments, and the friendships and connections the business has made over the years.

Above and below: The freshly remodeled Rolex corner at Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry store is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, trying on an ample array of watches and meeting with Ben or one of his team of watch experts to select the perfect investment timepiece.

When did you decide to go into business for yourself? Why?

I officially joined the family business nine years ago. Growing up, we talked about me becoming a part of the Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry team when I was ready, but when I graduated from The University of Arkansas I took a great job working with Anheuser Busch. I was just about to enroll in their sales program when my dad approached me to ask me to join him instead. I had seen from that short period of time in the corporate world that there were some aspects of the work that didn’t align with my hopes and dreams, or the example my dad had set. I could see how truly caring, transparent, honest and kind my dad always was with his customers and the whole Blakeman’s team, and that was an example I wanted to carry on.

My parents’ main goal starting this business was to have a nice place for everyone to come and work and provide not only for their own family but also to provide for their team members’ families. That was a huge message that I took from their work from a very early age, and it’s something I keep at the heart of what I do today. It all came together at that point when my dad and I talked, when I had the decision to either be a salesman for Anheuser Busch or come home and join the team with my dad. Obviously, you know what I chose.

Ben loves to share his extensive knowledge of diamonds with clients while helping them to find the “perfect” ring.

What is your earliest success story in the business?

My first big diamond sale was actually to my best friend! Even though we were best friends, he made me earn it. I had to sell him on what he was buying and the value he was getting, and that was a big lesson for me. The pressure was really high because I knew him, I knew the woman he was proposing to, and I really wanted to make sure he got the best value and that she loved the ring.

What is a little known fact about you?

My wife, Molly, makes fun of me all the time because I’m not handy at all. When I replace a lightbulb we celebrate but still, if I wasn’t working in the jewelry business my dream is to work on a farm. My wife doesn’t think that I’d be able to handle it so my goal is to prove it to her by buying a cow to take care of, to show her I’m cut out for the farm life. Maybe by retirement she’ll be convinced.

We always want to know how our TSG members live local. What are some of your favorite ways to live locally here in NWA?

Molly and I live in Rogers with our rescue terrier mix Mulligan. She works in PR and communications at Walmart, so we spend a lot of time in Bentonville. She absolutely loves the Bentonville Farmers Market, which is where I actually proposed to her. Being a jeweler, I really had to work hard to keep an element of surprise in that moment so I spent a long time asking very nonchalantly what she thought of rings I was looking at for “work.”

We got married at 21C Museum Hotel Bentonville, and recently had a staycation there. It’s a really special place to us. We had our first date at Table Mesa, and we also love to go to Las Palmas Downtown Mexican Restaurant and our under-the-radar go-to spot is La Petite Bistro. Of course, we’re gearing up for the fall where we’ll be cheering on the Razorbacks every weekend! (We’re the official jeweler of the Arkansas Razorbacks after all!)

That’s so fun! Do you do work with other organizations within the community?

We’ve partnered for years and years donating hundreds of pieces of jewelry to be auctioned off for different charitable organizations in the region, but we work mainly with Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House and Mercy Hospital. We just donated a really amazing trip that includes a behind-the-scenes diamond cutting experience in New York for Mercy and another experience to take guests to a diamond mine in Canada to see how they source through the rough, to benefit Arkansas Children’s. I’m really excited about those experiences and all the money they raised for the hospitals, too.

The exterior of Rogers-based Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry store exudes major curb appeal. The shop’s interior was recently remodeled by interior designer Melissa Haynes of MH Design in Fayetteville.

Stop by Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry (3202 South Pinnacle Hills Parkway, Rogers, AR) to visit Ben and his dad, Don, who still comes into the store three days a week, and discover what’s new, what are some of their favorite finds and jewelry designs or to chat about how you plan to celebrate your next milestone with something shiny and gorgeous to wear.

[urbanadventureleague]

Portland is a rather large city. Its 640,000 denizens occupy an area of 145 square miles. So there’s a lot of area. For many people, “far out” Portland is the part of the city east of I-205, a vast swath of postwar suburbia. But I spend a lot of time out that way. For me, “far out Portland” is another swath of postwar suburbia at the opposite end of town. I’m talking deep SW.

How would I define “deep” SW? Well, it’s for one not the close in SW of downtown and the area hugging the Willamette River. Nor is it the tony hills above it. Nope, it’s the area beyond all that. As a dyed-in-the-wool eastsider, I have little reason to go out that way. Granted, there are a few areas of note like Hillsdale and Multnomah Village. But while a SW’er may argue otherwise, there’s not much there that couldn’t easily be found on the east side. The major reason I venture out this way is because my dentist is out here (Garden Home). But every once in awhile, I find the urge to come out this way and explore. What better time to do so than the Coffeeneuring Challenge? If anything, it means a longer ride. And a day like Tuesday October 24, with possibly the last time we’d see 70F/21C until 2018, was a perfect opportunity to explore.

And now there is a Five Points Coffee Roasters out in as deep of SW as you can get. Yes, the coffee shop owned by my former roommate Chris. I visited the original SE Division location during Coffeeneuring 2015. Since then, he added two more locations: one in Johns Landing on SW Macadam (which I have been to before, but not on a Coffeeneuring Challenge) and the newest one (added this year) on SW Capitol Highway in the West Portland Park neighborhood, a half mile down the road from Portland Community College’s Sylvania campus (and also from the city/county line.) It’s a 12 1/2 mile from my house, and it’s beautiful, so…ride time!

The first part of the ride was familiar territory, bombing down N Vancouver Ave to the Broadway Bridge and across the Willamette. Broadway through downtown has a bike lane, but it’s less than pleasant (Don’t get right hooked! Watch out for the clueless student walking into the bike lane!) Then it was the climb over the West Hills. Besides picking a route more suited for mountain goats over this small mountain range, bicyclists (and most cars) are funneled onto two primary routes: Barbur Blvd, which has a more gradual slope but is busier (State Route 99W) and features disappearing bike lanes where you most need it, or Terwilliger Blvd, a more scenic route (planned by the Olmsteads) with less traffic (but still more than you want) and steeper grades. I opted for Terwilliger. Besides, the big-leaf maples were showing off their colors.

From Terwilliger, I turned towards SW Capitol Highway. This road passes through Hillsdale and Multnomah Village. This part is fairly okay as bike riding goes. But after that, the shoulder/bike lane disappears, and the road becomes windy and hilly and narrow, with fast moving traffic. I was hugging the fog line, dodging speeding cars and shrubbery and branches that jutted out from the sides. This is the stereotype we eastsiders have of biking in this neck of the woods. I find it amazing that there are folks who regularly cycle commute out this way, but they are indeed out here (yet not in the same numbers of the east side.) I wondered to myself if I ended up in this part of town first rather than SE,* would I have become the cyclist I am today?

Finally I arrived at Five Points, in a strip mall a bit south of where Capitol Hwy crosses I-5. Chris was there to greet me. I got a lovely mocha and a blueberry muffin (baked by them!) and chatted with Chris for a few hours about the coffee biz in Portland plus our lives.

Before I knew it, it was 5 PM. I had grander hopes of getting here earlier and doing a more in-depth exploration of this far flung area (this marked the first time I’d been in this neighborhood, ever), but as I left, I could feel the chill in the air as the sun moved behind trees. Still, I wanted to do something out this way. So I headed for Nansen Summit, a small butte and high point (about 1,000 feet) just about a mile from the coffee shop. The last bit of the climb was steep, but I appreciated bringing the Bantam. (Y’see, I did entertain the notion of “underbiking” and ride the Raleigh Superbe out this way, but I figured with the hilliness of this area the lowest geared and best braking bike would be the most appropriate tool.) Nanset Summit would provide a 360 degree view of the Coast Range, west side suburbs, downtown, and all the snow capped volcanoes, if it wasn’t for some pesky McMansions and trees. So I had to squint between it all to take in the view. It was worth it, though.

From there, it was all down. With the sound of squealing brakes, I headed first towards Tryon Creek but then north again towards Hillsdale. While much of the outer SW I had just passed through was “gridded” to some degree, this area featured more meandering roads. It resembled to a degree the semi-rural areas of Connecticut I spent some of my younger years in, though the houses in CT were set back further from the road. I made a quick pit stop to the “beer window” at Moonshrimp Brewing, since it was (luckily) only open on Tuesdays. (Gluten free, too!) I did stumble across a few gravel streets and sneak paths, a definite bonus.

I wrapped up my deep SW biking adventure at Sasquatch Brewing in Hillsdale. The combination of a couple beers plus mac and cheese and a pumpkin spice goat cheese cheesecake did me in, and I decided to take the bus the rest of the way home. Hey, it was late and I had already done 20 miles, so still an accomplishment!

So yes, I need to get out to deep SW again sometime soon. There are still more roads that need to be explored. But I am thankful that I don’t have to bike out that way regularly…

*During my first month in town, I did live in SW, though it was Kings Heights, close to Burnside and west of downtown. Since then, I have not lived west of the Willamette.

Coffeeneuring 2017, Ride 3: To Deep SW, Tues 24 Oct Portland is a rather large city. Its 640,000 denizens occupy an area of 145 square miles. So there's a lot of area.