Seven-year-old Mack Thompson walked upstairs to his bedroom, not knowing of the surprise inside. It was his birthday, the day of the big reveal – months of covert planning come to fruition. Conspiring secretly with interior designer Ivy Pierce,…
2020 is in the past. 2021 is here. No matter the current state of things, I think we can all agree that toasting to a new year is wholeheartedly needed. While you may be tempted to just pop…
For Sara Cowan, art and the creative process are about more than just creating something beautiful. While that is true of the result, her passion for creating art and helping others experience it makes the material all the more…
Willis Washington grew up in Oklahoma City’s North Highland neighborhood, just a short distance from a privately owned center called the Santa Fe Fitness & Racquet Club. Washington said he recalls the place, but never thought much about it…
Speaking of the Conklin Crescent fountain pen, Mark Twain said in an endorsement: “I prefer it because it is a profanity saver; it cannot roll off the desk.” The famously irascible Twain – who else could think of saving…
Thomas Upshaw’s job is to pair cocktails with the extraordinary food at Grey Sweater. For a bartender, this is either the greatest or scariest (or both) job ever. Chef Andrew Black’s tasting menu concept in Deep Deuce continues to…
Pete Holloway has been in the restaurant business for 44 years. In 2020, the original Cafe 501 in Edmond turned 25. The Classen Curve location turned 10. “I’ve been up for parole twice, and they said, ‘No,’” Holloway says with…
It’s January, a time to re-examine those promises we make every year to try to eat better. Rather than attempting to figure out what the newest “superfood” is – a marketing, not nutrition, term – we decided to ask…
While working on a master’s degree in 1974, Bob Blackburn made an minor, yet significant, decision to peruse the research collections at the Oklahoma Historical Society for an article he was writing. Blackburn, now the agency’s director, recalls…
It’s January. First of all, Happy New Year and, if I may say so, good riddance to 2020! We’ve been hunkered down for 10 months now, and although vaccines are being distributed and given, we’re still experiencing challenges brought…
So long, 2020. Let’s greet the new year with a fresh look. Heavy, dramatic makeup holds little appeal these days, and neither does a bare face. What’s enticing is a softer approach that focuses on dewy, luminous cheeks that…
If Kindall Donahue closes her eyes and smells hints of vanilla and almonds permeating her kitchen, she pictures herself in another place and time. “I’ve made these cookies since I was a little girl, as long as I can…
One of my favorite indulgences is afternoon tea. Known also by the name “high tea,” this small meal, usually in the mid-afternoon and accompanied by savory and sweet small bites, seems like an ultimate luxury. It is the…
Having studied marketing and management at Oklahoma State University, Paige Beal has carved out a niche for herself in the gift market with Norman’s iconic Tulips, a home and gift store located in Campus Corner. With a down-to-earth, genuine…
In the pantheon of Christmas candies, the candy cane stands above the rest for the honor of symbolizing the season – that elongated breath mint that does double duty as an ornament or window decoration. At the risk of…
Nearly two decades after graduating from University of Oklahoma, moving to Los Angeles and going on to appear in series such as Fresh Off the Boat, Two and a Half Men and Mad Men, actress-producer Rachel Cannon, saw a…
Between tariffs on Scotch and prices in the secondary (resell) Bourbon market, gifting whiskey is more expensive than ever, but the traditional spirit – particularly perfect for winter – is still a strong category, be it bourbon, rye, American…
Five days after he was sworn into office, on Jan. 25, 2017, President Donald Trump issued two executive orders that limited immigration from seven countries and codified his promise to build a massive wall along the United States’ southern…
There are three ways people usually discover The Chicken Shack: Someone tells them about it; they drive past it; they ask, “Where can I find gizzards?” Located along Route 66 in Luther, Eddy Gochenour’s fried chicken and beer…
The leaves have fallen from the trees and Oklahoma's less-than-subtle breezes are signaling the onset of winter. Instead of riding out the season binging sitcoms under a blanket, now more than ever is a great time to celebrate the…
Human trafficking happens every day in the 405. Sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Adults and children. Women, girls, men, non-binary folks. Right here, by the hundreds. People are sold for sex or trapped in involuntary servitude – a sterilized…
Five days after he was sworn into office, on Jan. 25, 2017, President Donald Trump issued two executive orders that limited immigration from seven countries and codified his promise to build a massive wall along the United States’ southern…
Holidays for many of us are going to look and feel different this year. Small family gatherings, if any at all, and video get-togethers may be the new normal, at least temporarily. What hasn’t changed is the desire to…
A stay at new bed and breakfast The Monastery at Forest Park is a way of coming into close contact with a remarkable past. Once home to Oklahoma oilman and politician Robert S. Kerr, the nearly century-old property at…
