Friday, September 11, 2009

City Escapes - Oklahoma City, and a Giveaway

Today's City Escape post is by one of the most fashionable and stylish couples in the blog world. Jeremy and Kathleen from Jeremy and Kathleen and J&K: what we wear put together a fabulous tour of their incredible cultural city through their eyes. Take a look for your self, I still can't get over the spectacular modern home. Who would have thought, Oklahoma was home to so many different styles of Architecture.... and yes guys, you're definitely cool. I'm definitely sold on this City and I can't wait to visit one day. Now, could you transport a home just like yours to Miami for me to live in.


I hope you'll enjoy this virtual tour of Oklahoma City!



Thanks Yansy for choosing Oklahoma City as one of your City Escape features. I am approaching this article not as a tourist guide highlighting the typical "go-to" places but what I love about OKC on a very personal level.

First off, I love Oklahoma City. I grew up in the suburbs just south of Oklahoma City and had this preconceived notion that OKC was kind of dirty and lacked refinement. But after graduating college I landed an art director/design job at an advertising agency in historical Bricktown, the heart of OKC, and I quickly realized that Oklahoma City has a lot of culture and character to offer. I was still making a 30 minute (1 hour in rush hour traffic) commute both ways from the suburbs. I eventually left the safety net of the suburbs and moved to a duplex in an urban historical neighborhood 3 minutes from my job. It took living in OKC to really appreciate the pulse of this city.

So here are little pieces of OKC that I have fallen in love with:


OKC Farmers Market
{Insert farmers market pic}
Every Sunday my husband and I hit up the Oklahoma City Farmers Market for locally grown and imported produce. There are a few stands open every day of the week - even in the winter. This building holds events year round such as the Girly Show {Link to:http://www.thegirlieshow.net/about.php}, a yearly art show event featuring badass female artists from around OKC.


Buildings with Character
I think it's the buildings that don't get a lot of attention - that are peppered throughout a city - that really make up a city landscape. Here are some of my favorites.


201 E Main
This building is located down the block from my office and in the early morning light the colors just POP.


Vacuum Repair Shop
I adore this Hoover shop. Everything from the beat up signage to the boarded up door ooze personality - the kind of character you don't get from new-builds. Buildings like this make me nostalgic for an era I never experienced.


Import Wholesale Supermarket
I think this storefront, that could be considered an eyesore, is just fabulous. It is a vibrant little patch in the middle of the crazy quilt that is 23rd street in OKC.

Bricktown
Mercantile Building, Bricktown
This rainy-day shot was captured of my office (an old warehouse built in 1919) located in Bricktown, OKC. Just a decade ago this area of town was considered seedy and dangerous but with the help of a few development projects and businesses like the one I work at moving into this area it has been revitalized.


Graffiti
I know landlords probably hate it but I love graffiti. We don't have the most refined graffiti artists here in Oklahoma City - but this tag definitely caught my eye. This kind of "I was here" statement is not found in the 'burbs and I think it definitely has it's place in a real city.


The Boulevard Cafeteria
My dad takes me to lunch here about once a week and it is one of my favorite places in Oklahoma City - and would you look at that signage!?

Oklahoma City is Home
Oklahoma City houses some modern homes (see we're cool!) and historical mansions - full of character and life.
The place I call home.
I plan on traveling the world but will always be happy to settle back down in the roots of my home in Oklahoma City.

I hope you enjoyed my little slice of Oklahoma City life!

Kathleen
jeremyandkathleen.blogspot.com

Thanks again, Yansy!

Thanks again guys for your lovely tour. When I find myself in your city, I will be calling you guys for some delish vegetarian dishes.
______________________________________________________

I promised you a giveaway and I shall deliver. It took me a while to come up with something that you wonderful ladies can enjoy as well as find useful. One of you lucky ladies will have the chance to win a set of four fabulous placemats by Simply Envogue, a set of four napkins by the Premium Hotel Collection and a milk glass dish from my private collection. I put this giveaway together in the spirit of the coming up holidays. The winner will be chosen by random.org. For a chance to enter twice, write a post on your blog with a link to this post and make sure to let me know, I will then allow you to enter a second time. Good Luck to all of you, the winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 15th.


I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and make some time to explore your city!



P.S If you are interested in participating in The City Escapes Series, please send me an email.


xo,

Yansy

26 comments:

blushing rose said...

Love you OKC post. We have family all over in OK & OKC. Lovely place to visit. Have a great weekend. TTFN ~Marydon

Its So Very Cheri said...

Hey girl. Love all the city tours.

Ok-I have you down on the list. I have several people so I may have to do a weekly feature but keep all of them in a button to view for a longer period of time. Let me know when you get settled.

Let me get all the details figured out-you know tonight when I wake up in the middle of the night, and I will give everyone a plan.

Cheri

###### said...

count me in..

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Yansy,

I loved your Oklahoma post and thank you for sharing this lovely place with us. The City tours are great to see a little glimpse of your part of the world. Thank you.

Enjoy your weekend
Hugs
Carolyn

MMW said...

Yansy - I LOVE the bright green and yellow of the import grocery store. How fun to see the pop of colour in the city. LOVE IT.

Also, thanks for the great giveaway. All the goods look scrumptious. Perfect for complementing autumn decor.

Have a great weekend.

Anonymous said...

Love the post!! PLease count me in for the giveaway!! Hope you are having a GREAT weekend :-)

Janell @ House of Fifty said...

Beautiful linens for Fall! Please enter ME!
Thanks!! Janell

Maureen Stevens said...

Pick me! Pick me! I love yellow & brown! :)And the city escape series is fabulous! It's always an eye-opener to know more about the culture of a city:)

L.Duncan@Home23DuncanBoys said...

Hey lady,

I was going to enter last night, but I would have been comment #3 and I've never seen the first few #'s win! Hope I win!

Thanks for your fead back on the closet space

Lynette said...

Saw your comment at AnNicole's blog and enjoyed your OKC post and thought your giveaway looked great. Count me in -

My daughter and I have to move soon too and can sympathize with the packing and more packing and more packing - good luck to you!

Oh and - Happy Anniversary and Congrats on Post 100 - I just reached my 100th not to long ago!

Rebecca Corvese said...

The post on Oklahoma was fun... I love the pics of the real Oklahoma and not just pretty buildings. It shows the character of the city. Your giveaway items are very nice! I'm sure they will make anyone's table a lot prettier!

Decor To Adore said...

I have been to OK city a few times and loved the feel of it. I hope you had a wonderful anniversary.

Great giveaway. Thank you so much for visiting me.

Rebecca said...

I like the city tours!! I've never been to OKC and those are photos you would never see anywhere else except from someone who lives there so thats such a cool way to see the city!

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

OHHHKlaHOMA where the wind...

Now I am singing the song...

Lovely place in the world!

Haven and Home said...

What a fun series you are doing! I would love new placemats and napkins!

bananas. said...

well i'll be honest...i have never said "i want to go to oklahoma city" but now i kinda want to. i too love graffiti. it's interesting to see it in so many parts of the US. what a cool city.

Carrie said...

What a nice tablescape! I'd love to enter the giveaway!

P.S.- I'm also having a giveaway if you'd like to enter:

http://makinglemonadeblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/happy-freeday-bling-from-scribeofclio.html

it jobs said...

It’s a very nice escape destination. I’ve never been to Oklahoma.

Global city condo said...

It’s a very beautiful place.

Kath' said...

I love love love giveaways. I have them all the time also. I am a follower and love your blog. Come and join me for my giveaway also at www.lilbitoldlilbitnew.com
Kath' at dublsot@comcast.net

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WOW it impressed me, I really didn't know that Oklahoma had been so import in the past, but is great you always learn something new.

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