At the beginning of every year, we set some time aside for planning our goals and discussing our hopes and dreams for Retro Den. In past years, we've met for a few hours at a local restaurant or coffee shop, but this year we decided to get away for our yearly planning session.

This year, we treated ourselves and stayed at the beautiful Sharpe House bed and breakfast in Checotah, OK, the steerwrestling capital of the world, located just an hour southeast of Tulsa. We had followed the restoration of the 110+ year old home via our wonderful, long-time customer Renza Sharpe. We loved hearing about the renovation of her grandparents' home and couldn't wait to experience it first hand.

We weren't disappointed. This house dating back to the 19th century is not only beautiful, but full of character and history. About a hundred years ago, the home was a boarding house for single female teachers and Ms. Carolyn McCluskey (Renza's great grandmother) rented a room. The home officially came into the Sharpe family in 1931 and in 2015 Renza's parents, Logan and Donna, began restoring the home, updating it with modern conveniences while maintaining its original structure and charm. Also, several of Carolyn's antique furniture pieces still grace the home.

We enjoyed exploring the old home's nooks and crannies and couldn't get enough of the fireplace details or the antiques passed down from generations past. We also enjoyed the large, modern shower, coffee bar and remote controlled fireplaces. The perfect mix of old and new! Also, Checotah gets four thumbs up from us Ashleys for antique shopping and yummy diner food.

Oh, Sharpe House. What a special place to spend time. Thank you, Sharpe family for welcoming us into your home. We'll be back!