Hi! I’m Rebecca Slaton Angell aka “BEX”
I co-owned a successful decorative painting business and training studio for over 20 years until my first husband was diagnosed with lung cancer. In a short period of time, I became a breadwinner, caregiver, and handy DIY’er. Writing a blog helped me share universal experiences while exploring deeply personal challenges. Sadly, Bruce Slaton died June 2019. I then quit my profession, fixed up a house, and moved from Dallas to Kansas City-right when the pandemic started.
A year later, encouraged by my sister and niece, I found myself on a dating site texting with an interesting guy. After our first date, he suggested we had chemistry. He was right. Lots of it! Another year later, I married this amazing man, beginning a new exciting chapter in my life as Bex Angell.
Today, I am a full-time home renovator working on our house flips. My style is quirky elegance, visual harmony, and comfortable function. As a story driven artist, I seek out unusual objects, with histories, real or mythical, to create unique spaces ready for tales.
Writing is my other passion. Fatefully, my husband, Bill Angell is also an avid writer. My little stories tend to be whimsical, a bit funny and usually end happy. What can I say? I’m an optimist at heart. Just look at how my life turned out.
Hello There! I’m Bill Angell
There is nothing quite like the adrenaline drip of feeding people for money - you and your team crafting hundreds of discrete experiences from the chaos following the clang of the dinner bell. My long and challenging love affair with restaurants began 30 years ago, and I’ve lead them in almost every role and capacity. The dining room floor is my stage, the kitchen my laboratory. Breaking bread is the most essential gift of hospitality, and it transports me.
My journey includes navigating two previous marriages. Both bestowed numerous lessons and countless gifts, the most significant being my daughter Sage. She coaxed and coached me into giving love one more try. Yes. I’m the guy who wooed Rebecca with food, music and a good game of scrabble. A year after we met, she decided I could adore her until death do us part.
Today I am a manager at Kona Grill in Kansas City. While providing exceptional guest experiences is a top priority, I also value my time mentoring younger staff and helping them grow professionally. At home, I am the primary cook, interpreting family recipes, particularly those i learned at my mother’s knee. Understanding ingredients, honoring process and enhancing presentation are a passion. So are games that follow a meal. Darts. Ping-pong. Trivia. Crosswords. The social enjoyment almost trumps my competitive nature. Almost.
My long-hidden passion is writing. I’ve been creating stories since high school with no clear path for sharing them. Now I have married a blogger and to my delight, she invited me to contribute, as an honest critic and fellow essayist. And I thought her accepting my cats was big…
My writing reveals a man in his 50’s, a perspective not often shared in blogs. My voice is honest, deeply personal and at times unflattering. Bex says it is brave. What can I say? Look at how my life turned out.