Hey, It's Christmas!

Does anybody else get burned out on Christmas music every year? Since they've started playing Christmas tunes everywhere you go starting in October, by the time December rolls around I'm kind of a bah, humbug towards any cheery carol about this season. But! fear not fellow grinches... last year I came about a free christmas album download that puts me right back in the Christmas spirit, and good news! This year they've come out with a Volume 2. Hey, It's Christmas! includes artists such as "Moon in the Morning" and "The Oceanauts".. and even some LOCAL bands, such as "Local Lokal" and a couple others, are featured on this years volume two! After all, we do love supporting our Okies 'round here.

get volume 1 and 2 here.

2011 Keep It Local OK Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas has just snuck up on me this year!
Earlier Keep It Local posted this handy little gift guide for all you local shoppers. It's such a treat!
I thought I would pass it along to you. What better way to support the community, get really great unique gifts, AND avoid long lines and ridiculous Christmas shopping crowds, than to buy local?! You've heard me sing this song before, I know I know.. Let's just get to the shopping, shall we?

Open publication - Free publishing - More buy local

Another notable goodie to add as a stocking stuffer is next year's Keep It Local card! The one you have now will expire when 2011 does. Use this card to get awesome discounts when you use it at local businesses.

(photo by DNA galleries on instagram)

12 weeks & a Happy Thanksgivin' to ya!

The past 12 weeks have been a lot more tame than horror stories I've heard have been, thankfully. Minimal morning sickness, lots of sleeping. As I mentioned before, I've pretty much been in hibernation the entire time. With the first trimester coming to an end (already!?.. oh yeah, I slept through it) I've started getting some headaches and being a little light headed, but that just means my body is working extra hard for my little plum.. just like it should be. I can't wait for my next doctors appointment. Hearing that little heartbeat is the best part of the month. A close second is waking up every morning, and examining my growing belly. Keep growing little plum. There are so many people who are anxious to meet you!

BIG NEWS!

That's right, we've got a sweet darlin' of our own on the way!

This is my excuse for being out of touch for so long. I've been literally hibernating since I found out. Getting lots of rest for my growing bump. 

I've always loved reading family blogs like Bleubird Vintage and Rockstar Diaries, and was completely inspired and in love as they documented their pregnancies. Little did I know how soon I would be following their sweet footsteps, with a little added spin of my own. 

I can't wait to document this part of our lives and add in some of the local goodies that come with this part of our journey as well! 

--Stay tuned--

Enter to win a pair of wooden sunglasses by Tumblweeds!

JUST thought you should all know that Beca of Tumbleweeds is giving away a pair of THE coolest sunnies from her shop, and you guys need to go ENTER HER GIVEAWAY HERE. It'd be so silly not to. 

She and her hubs will work with you to fully customize your own pair if you win. That's so rad. 

So long sweet summer--

Today is the first day this year I've been able to sit outside, (while skipping class) and wear a cardigan. I can tell you that all I want in the world right now is a pumpkin spice latte and a piece of pumpkin loaf.
Consider that added on my list of things to bake this week.

I was reading Andrew and Carissa's blog and they've had a few guest posting their summer commemorations. What a great way to say "so long sweet summer" and 'hello' to a much anticipated Autumn...

Here's my summer commemoration.

What are you going to miss about summer? What are you looking forward to this Autumn?
I can't wait to see what fun events are happening locally here this Autumn. If anybody has an inside scoop- please share!

If you're interested in more personal entries feel free to check out my personal blog. No big deal.

Giveaway Winner!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered, and spread the word! Hopefully there will be more giveaways in the future! If you didn't win today, be sure and show up at Collected Thread today and tomorrow, where there will be plenty more to be won!


Stela, email me with your details and I'll pass them along to Lindsay! 

[CLOSED] Happy 3 year anniversary GIVEAWAY! from Collected Thread

It's true! Collected Thread's 3rd birthday is this week! Can you believe it?? Collected Thread is a favorite little shop of mine, owned by my friend Lindsay and her husband Adam. It's full of treasures handmade, local, and always and forever lovely. Today's giveaway is an adorable purple sweater clip by Gleeful Peacock, from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I have a pair of mustard ones myself. This accessory is a MUST for cardigan season.

To enter, Simply:

** subscribe to the blog. All you need is a Google account. 

**Then leave a comment on this post. Make sure to leave your contact info and wish Collected Thread a happy birthday!

Make sure to tell your friends! If you leave a seperate comment with a link proving you've spread the word  in some form, I'll count it as an extra entry, doubling your chances! 

The giveaway closes this Friday- Sep. 9th at 10:00 am! I'll announce the winner that day, which I'll select with a random number generator. 

 

ALSO

This Friday is the 2nd Friday of the month! This means LIVE! on the Plaza! In Celebration of the birthday- collected thread will be hosting a great bash! with TONS more giveaways throughout the night, cupcakes by Cuppies and Joe, and all the fun you could need for a family night on the Plaza. 

Can't make it Friday? Events continue on throughout Saturday where Evoke will be catering coffee. So stop by to stock up on goodies. 

Tessa Raven art.

This little lady is amazing. She's been rocking the colorful hair and her fantastic artist streak since I've known her- and I honestly think she was between the ages of 10 and 13..  just a wee little one. She's grown up so much since then and I'm so proud to call her a friend of mine. Tessa has always always known exactly who she is, and that's something I truly admire about her. Apart from her being completely amazing as a person, she's very much skilled as a visual artist here in OKC. Visit her website to read more about one of the youngest most talented, big hearted ladies of our city.. and brace yourself to be blown away by her mad skills.

Can anyone guess who the hunk in the blue is? :) I knew immediately.... my heart like a kick drum... literally. 
Visit Tessa's website and etsy for more of her fantastic art.

In other unrelated news: A very special store in OKC is having their 3rd birthday next month, and in honor there'll be a preeeettty fantastic little giveaway here on the blog. More info on that later- but make sure you're subscribed so you can enter when the time comes. Spread the word little birds. 

I heart Oklahoma necklace

How adorable is this necklace? I found it while ransacking the pioneer woman's 'Home and Garden' section of her blog. I'm not obsessed with her, okay? (I am)


Not from Oklahoma? no problem. neither is the etsy owner... Order your necklace in whatever state it is that you love. Not from the states? You're still in the good.

Montana? 

Africa?

You name it. I'm a big believer in support and pride of where you came from. So sport and support bloggers! Home is where the heart is. 

**added to my wishlist

Truche Handmade Accessories & Creations

Audrey Eclectic

On the old blog, I did an entire interview with Heather of Audrey Eclectic, and even hosted a giveaway for one of her prints.  It was fantastic. I wish that I could've saved it and just transferred it over to this blog. Man, I've taken some losses since losing all of my photos.

Still, Heather is one of my favorite local artists. All of her work is so nostalgic. I just had to re-post some of her work in this new post. She's done some beautiful new things lately! (One piece of work which, I myself bought.)

Check out some of her lovely ladies of a bygone era.

                

I think I love these paintings so much because they remind me of spending time with my grandma when I was younger. I grew up on Anne of Green Gables, and Jane Austen movies. It's still an interest that my grandma and I share. The ladies of that era will always have special place in my heart.

Visit her blog or click on the Audrey Eclectic sidebar button I have to the left. You'll love being kept up to date. She's a wonderful person. 

rag-tag

I couldn't wait to show you the amazing work of  a sweet girl, and new friend, Tiffani. All of her beautiful dresses are handmade from salvaged vintage materials. She completely repurposes and transforms things into adorable outfits.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1.Dancing Mushroom Dress 2.Retro Striped Bikini 3.Floral Cotton Dress *MTO*

Visit her etsy shop and check out her collection of made to order dresses, vintage inspired swimsuits, and skirts. so lovely. Custom inquiries are welcome. 

Marek Alaine loves Oklahoma.

I'm just saying... but how CUTE are is this Oklahoma pillow by Marek Alaine? So perfect. Don't worry, I already have one in mustard and grey to match my living room. What a stunner. Marek also knits like a beast. I'd show you photos of those, but I'll wait til you're over the 40-something day heat streak of 100+ temps. (plus she's using me as a model, and I want to be super vain and post photos of myself in her cutesy knitwear) so hold your horses for those. (or go get a sneak peek at her etsy store. where you can also pick yourself up a little OK pillow. *you need it*)

A little birdie told me that you might just be seeing this gorgeous stuff in collected thread soon. I don't know...it's not official, but birds are pretty reliable resources, and you know at Collected Thread they'll sell out real quick. You better buy yours while you can. 

Cinnamon Rolls

Obviously, I could never create something so amazingly perfect on my own. But I must say, I'm very proud of the cinnamon rolls I made a couple weeks back. They were perfect, and EVERYBODY loved them. Thank you Pioneer Woman, for your AMAZING recipe. My life is changed.

Get the recipe here. 

The Pioneer Woman, Miss Ree Drummond, is from Oklahoma. Did you know that? I'm proud.

Oh yeah. They turned out pretty alright. 

LIVE! at the Plaza

                                   Plaza District '11 | Part 1. from christopher hunt on Vimeo.


Hey friends, I know I've been out of sorts this summer- hopping from one little town to the next. With the blog url change, I lost a lot of followers, which is okay. I very much appreciate the 14 of you that tagged along. Fresh starts are great, and I'm happy you're with me on this new leg of my "loving Oklahoma" journey. (that's not an official name, I just do) If you have friends you know would like this blog, please pass it along!

That being said- I want to see all of you local lovers out at LIVE! tomorrow. Check out the video above for some background info about LIVE! and what a night on the Plaza looks like.

Special happenings this Friday that you'll want to be sure not to miss:

** Dunk Tank & "Dunk Dialing Contest" - Dunk your friends and submit photos of your experience to have a chance to win a $50 gift card to Saints Pub, $100 in VW gear, or cool stuff from The Spy FM details
** Dan Bibb Skate video premier in front of Warpaint @ 10:00 *TDS pt. 6**
** Society Launch Party (music, art, BMX demos, food, & more) more info

** The Society after Party (& local talent Jabee's birthday party)
** and of course open houses from all of the local shops, live music around every corner, and art shows galore! 

G.W. Exotic Animal Park.

Here are a few photos of a local non profit, my friend Tristan and I,  visited in Winnewood, Oklahoma this week for his birthday. SUCH a great program that rescues exotic animals. They're completely faith based, and only exist due to the generous donations of the public. Their water bill alone is $4,000 per month. Can you even imagine how much it takes for all the other care these amazing animals require? If you'd like to know more about donations or sponsoring an animal, head over to their website and get the details. But first check out the adventures of the day! I absolutely recommend this for anyone. Especially all you Okies out there. It's just a short day trip!

enjoy!

(I think this more than makes up for the past few Caturday posts I've missed, how bout you?? )

Brianna Gaither

Just a little local love for you this lovely afternoon.


By the way- I've noticed my updates aren't showing up on the blogger dashboard- So it looks like I haven't updated in WEEKS... (not that i've updated much). But ever since I changed my URL this has been a problem. If anyone has a fix for it, please email me. :) In the mean time... sit back and enjoy this lovely video by the very talented Oklahoma Sweetheart, Brianna Gaither.




Stream the entire album here.
Read her sweet little blog here.

Gentrification

Those of you who are familiar with the plaza district, know exactly what it's about. Those of you who don't- in the simplest of words- It's a community of people who love Oklahoma City, restoration, & local artists and talent. People who love seeing these locals excel and further themselves. It's a place that was run down and hopeless, and quite frankly- scary, in my opinion. Now it's a place where everyone is welcome. A place that's become strong in community and family. A place people believe in. I just wanted to share a few words that Amanda Bradway of DNA Galleries shared this afternoon on the subject of Gentrification, in response to the tagging of her beautiful shop, where she and her husband sell locally made clothes, jewelry and art from a variety of locals..including their own art.

"First off God bless the person who did this because I think it's time we had a conversation about the meaning of gentrification since it seems to be a constant elephant in the room and will continue to be as downtown progesses. Let me tell you what I believe "gentriFICATION" isnt. It isnt the desire to not want to see prostitutes and drug dealers doing their thing outside your door. Its not the deisire to want customers who appreciate art instead of having crack addicts and drunks come in asking you for change. It's not the desire to want your friends to be safe walking out your front door because one of them came up on one with a gun one time. I love my neighborhood with my whole heart. Not because it's a "cool" up and coming arts spot because it wasnt when we moved here 3 years ago. I remember sitting at endless Plaza District Association meetings going "What are we going to be?" "Who else is going to want to take a chance down here" while we watched many prospective tenants take a look and leave. What I love is that we get to meet people in the neighborhoods and elsewhere and show them what art in OK is and inspire the people that come in to keep doing what theyre doing and that they CAN make a living with their art. I love the tamale lady that comes in on Saturday, I love the friendly family at the corner store, I love the respect that Im shown by the staff at the dollar store if a guy makes comments when I walk in. There have been so many people who come into the store from the neighborhoods and those who have moved away who said they never came down here and in fact made it a point to avoid our area altogether. All of the businesses that were staples of the district, Guatemalan Imports, Dollar store (best in OKC), Mattress Factory (good friends of ours with an amazing family) and Friendly Foods are all still thriving and re vamping their own properties and purchasing more We bought a house down here to put our money where our mouth is and step outside the box of comfortable suburban living. (Not to mention we couldnt afford other areas :) ) I love conversations with our neighbors over the fences on all sides, beautifying our little corner with gardens and listening to the music from the families across the street every night when they come home from their soccer games. I love having neighbors who watch each others back and keep each other up to date on crime so we can have a safe and happy place to live. I love our Neighborhood association in Tenn Penn that I just joined and the fact that we are working to get signage, sidewalks, lighting to make our community safer and to fight language barriers to get the community together for cookouts and stuff. We still have a long way to go though. I would like to work in my yard without being mistaken for a prostitute, but even that has only happened once this year which is a dramatic change.... So anyway, if anyone would like to explain or elaborate I'd like to hear because gentrification is NOT something I would like to ever see in our area.    And Thank you Lindsay Zodrow and Kristen Vails for trying to clean up the damage before we could see it. You are the most amazing neighbors and friends :)"


If nothing else, this shows you exactly what kind of a community we have here. I'm so proud to be (even if a very small) part of this neighborhood and the people who support them. God bless the gentle spirits and hope filled hearts of Oklahoma City. We'd be a black hole without you.




2011 LIVE on the Plaza from PlazaDistrict OKC on Vimeo.

Sara Sara Cupcakes

I always see other bloggers talking about Sprinkles cupcakes? We don't have Sprinkles here in Oklahoma City, but I gather that it's a chain, so you probably wouldn't see it featured on my blog anyway. Here in Oklahoma City, we go local and we go homemade. Sara Sara Cupcakes is just one of our cute little local cupcake shops that we love to indulge in, with two locations in Edmond and Midtown.

These cakes are actually pretty large. Instead of cupcakes, my friends and I like to call them mini cakes. Inside the house of Sara Sara everything is pristine and white, with little pink accent flowers on every table. Don't forget to grab a frosted mug for the milk bar. Strawberry, Plain or Chocolate milk is always better when your mug is frosted.

In other news, I am officially moved back home and out of the hotel. It was so nice to sleep in my own bed last night. Blogging will be easier to maintain now that i'm home.