"I'm not from Oklahoma!"
I used to need everyone to know that about me. I was hyper-aware of the stigma surrounding this state. I didn't want to be associated in any way with the terms "hick," "okie," "red state" or "right-wing." The thing is, I knew that less than 1% of the people I came in contact with here actually fit that description. In fact, it took me a long time before I would admit that I liked living here and that the people in Oklahoma are pretty wonderful.
I come from all over and have sampled what it's like to live in many parts of the United States. I went to high school in Oklahoma and I relied on the idea that since my family lived here, I was forced to be here during high school. Almost as soon as I graduated, I booked it to California. It was pretty there, but expensive. People were rude and the traffic was a nightmare. I eventually ended up moving back to Oklahoma for family reasons and have been here ever since.
It was never in my purview to become an Oklahoma fashion blogger. I am a fashion blogger that happens to live in Oklahoma. When I stopped being arrogant about the place I lived and accepted it for what it was: a Midwestern city that's on the rise with talented residents and a burgeoning art and music scene - I decided that I loved it here. I love Heritage Hills with its historic homes and sycamore-lined streets. I love the exposed brick buildings that dot Midtown. I love the run-down section of 23rd street that houses some very strange, but very cool stores. I love Western, the Plaza District, the Paseo and Crown Heights. I can't imagine living without Mr. Pho, Golden Phoenix, Cafe Antigua, Big Truck Tacos, Iguana, Cuppies and Joe or Sala Thai. I love the south side thrift stores. I love the unique shopping boutiques that carry products by incredible local talent (I'm thinking DNA Galleries, Collected Thread, Shop Good, Blue 7, etc). We don't have anything like 5th Avenue in Manhattan, but I love the high-end shopping that we do have like Gretta Sloane, Marcy & Abbey's, Balliet's, Route 66 and Gordon Stuart. Out-of-towners become green with envy when they see my amazing jewelry collection that has been amassed at the local thrift stores and antique stores. The local music scene is exploding with amazing bands out there like The Non, Sherree Chamberlain and Pretty Black Chains. There are great museums and parks here (and tons of parking!). I even love Norman and Guthrie and Tulsa. I love how cheap it is to live here and how friendly everyone is.
I am continually impressed with the level of talent that comes from this state. We boast the origins of people like Megan Mulally, Brad Pitt, Carrie Underwood, James Marsden and Woody Guthrie. We've got The Flaming Lips and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Our Governor is a Democrat. One of our House members is openly gay (Al McAffrey). We're not all backwards and thick and filled with right-wing vitriol like the rest of the country assumes. I really wish people thought more positively about this state.
There are people that are working hard to elevate Oklahoma on the national stage. I am doing what I can to bring about a passionate fashion scene here and I know there are hundreds of amazing people that are striving for the same goal. I am still not an Oklahoma fashion blogger, but if you see a lot of posts about things that are going on here locally, that's because I believe in getting involved with my community.
That being said, one of my favorite monthly events, LIVE on the Plaza is going on this coming Friday (May 14th) starting at 7pm. I am partnering with the awesome local shopping search engine site Allioppe to take candid style shots of the event. Allioppe is hosting a Shoppe Crawl (like a pub crawl, but you'll be getting drunk on fashion instead of booze). From Plaza District's post:
"Velvet Monkey Vintage, Collected Thread, DNA Galleries, Shop Good, Curious and Curiouser, Bad Granny’s Bazaar, Warpaint Clothing Company and Juju Gallery.Pick up a shopper card. Have each store stamp it. Throw it in the Allioppe raffle to win cool prizes like tickets to Lyric Theater’s Pump Boys and Dinettes a clutch from Collected Thread, gift certificates to Velvet Monkey. The Shoppe Crawl booth will be located outside Coffy’s Cafe."
Come out, get your picture taken, win some amazing prizes and get your shopper card stamped. It's an awesome way to spend Friday night!
3 comments:
Beautifully written, Grace. I'm from here (well, way down south, which was even worse at the time), and left long ago with no intentions of returning. Not only did I find my way back, I brought a charming foreigner along to further expand OK's amazing gene pool. ;) We both love our lives here - our big shabby home in the 'hood; the artful friendships we've cultivated; the scene that's somehow both laid-back yet vibrantly alive at the same time; the easy peace of not having to kill ourselves just to pay the bills. I also appreciate that in many ways Oklahoma is the epitome of diversity. I have warm, gracious friends of every imaginable persuasion - religious, political, cultural, social - and we all manage to live together despite our differences, understanding for the most part, how rich we are for experiencing others' perspectives.
I love visiting other places, but have come to know what my dad used to mean when he said, "there's nothing quite like coming home."
Andrew, what's the cross street? I want to go to Moon!!!
Moon is about two blocks east of Pennsylvania, next to the Blockbuster.
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