January 2016 Oklahoma Magazine

THE BEST OF THE BEST 2016 VOTING NOW AT WWW.OKMAG.COM! JANUARY 2016

Oklahoma Wedding Special Issue: 19TH ANNUAL

Bridal beauty, wedding planning and more.

OKLAHOMANS

of the Year

FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CHANGING THE SOONER STATE FOR THE BETTER.

Living For Giving OKLAHOMA FOUNDATIONS MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT.

THE

OKLAHOMA

WEDDING SHOW SATURDAY, JANUARY 16 10 A.M.-4 P.M. EXPO SQUARE CENTRAL PARK HALL

FINANCING | CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT | SUCCESSION PLANNING

The Power To Persevere

Business decisions are seldom simple. The regulatory environment, the economy and other factors combine to make running an organization more complex than ever. Our goal isn’t to sell you products – it’s to help you make the best possible decisions for your company. Welcome to Bank of Oklahoma, a part of BOK Financial, a top 25 U.S.-based bank .* EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS

GET CUSTOM SOLUTIONS

IMPROVE CASH FLOW

We have industry experts who can help you put together and execute a strategy to expand your business, buy real estate for your operation, or acquire another firm.

We provide local decision making and personal service with access to state of the art business solutions tailored for your organization.

Many banks loan money to businesses, but few provide a full suite of cash management solutions for companies of all sizes.

www.bankofoklahoma.com

© 2016 Bank of Oklahoma, a division of BOKF, NA. Member FDIC. BOKF, NA is a subsidiary of BOK Financial Corporation. * BOK Financial is among the top 25 largest U.S.-based commercial bank holding companies in the U.S. based on total assets, according to SNL Financial as of 12/31/14.

Features January

2016 Oklahoma Magazine Vol. XXX, No. 1

46 Oklahomans of the Year

What do a CEO, Miss USA, an American Indian chief and a community activist have in common? In 2015, each had a positive impact on the Sooner State. We take a look at four individuals who are changing Oklahoma for the better.

42

52 Living For Giving

We all know that Oklahoma has philanthropic residents, but we also are home to numerous foundations, both large and small. In this feature, we take a look at some of the large foundations whose funds are positively impacting the state.

Back To Health

The holidays came and went, and now, in the New Year, we discuss ways to make our bodies and minds healthier and happier. Oklahoma physicians, dietitians and physiologists weigh in on health, nutrition and fitness issues that can help us have the healthiest year yet.

Want some more?

Visit us online.

MORE GREAT ARTICLES: Read

THE BEST OF THE BEST 2016 VOTING NOW AT WWW.OKMAG.COM! JANUARY 2016

January 2016

expanded articles and stories that don’t appear in the print edition.

Oklahoma Wedding Special Issue: 19TH ANNUAL

Bridal beauty, wedding planning and more.

OKLAHOMANS

of the Year FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CHANGING THE SOONER STATE FOR THE BETTER.

Living For Giving OKLAHOMA FOUNDATIONS MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT.

SPECIAL SECTION 71 Oklahoma Wedding

THE

OKLAHOMA

WEDDING SHOW SATURDAY, JANUARY 16 10 A.M.-4 P.M. EXPO SQUARE CENTRAL PARK HALL

2

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE’S WEDDING ISSUE HAS ALL THE BASES COVERED WHEN IT COMES TO BRIDAL BEAUTY, WEDDING PLANNING AND MORE.

PHOTO BY NATHAN HARMON. jan cover 2016.indd 3

ON THE COVER:

12/16/15 4:25 PM

MORE PHOTOS:

View expanded Scene, Fashion, Taste and Entertainment galleries.

MORE EVENTS: The online calendar of events includes even more great Oklahoma events.

Below, three young nursing students sit atop the

network of six hospitals, urgent care centers,

old St. John’s Hospital. Only a few years after its

physician clinics and laboratories have sprung

construction, this building housed these bright

from that very red-brick hospital. In 2016,

faces, poised for a future of unlimited possibility.

St. John Health System celebrates its first 90

In the coming years, they would be joined by

years of service. We humbly celebrate our roots

countless others, becoming a beacon of medical

and foundation, and proudly look to the future.

excellence and compassionate care. Today, a

One with no limits and unlimited potential.

To learn more, log on to stjohnhealthsystem.com

WE’VE COME

SO FA R

YET WE’VE STAYED

St. John Nurses, circa 1930s.

Departments 13 The State

American Indian artist Matthew Bearden has joined the controversial mascot fray with provocative works that show the absurdity of sports teams continuing to have American Indian mascots.

16 17 18 20

Culture Sport The Insider Oklahoma Business

13

ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA

23 Life & Style

You can never have too much help when it comes to sticking with New Year’s resolutions. Experts weigh in on how not to become a statistic this New Year.

26 32 36 38 40

Living Space Style Destination Your Health Scene

59 Taste

The Drake, a new Oklahoma City hotspot located in the city’s Uptown 23rd District, offers the fresh tastes of the sea in a landlocked city.

62 63

On Wheels Local Flavor

26

65 Entertainment

Legendary artist and performer Janet Jackson returns to the BOK Center in support of her latest album, Unbreakable.

66 69

Calendar of Events In Tulsa/In OKC

59 4

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

65

12 ANNUAL HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPO TH

SATURDAY, JANUARY 16 | 9 A.M. TO 1 P.M. | FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

JOIN FOR FREE. Valid January 16, 2016.

Health Zone features and services:

Whatever you have promised yourself to

• 70,000 square-foot fitness facility

• Massage services

do this year—trim down, tone up, eat healthier,

• Full schedule of classes

• Weight loss and life balance classes

• Premier cardio, weight training

• Locker rooms with steam room,

Join us on Saturday, January 16 from 9 a.m.

•

• Parents’ night out

to 1 p.m. and sample everything the

•

Health Zone at Saint Francis has to offer.

•

exercise more—now is the time to get started.

The event is free and open to the public

•

and will include fitness classes, cooking

•

classes, free health screenings and wellness

•

education with Warren Clinic physicians.

•

Healthcare for life.

5353 East 68th Street South | Tulsa, OK 74136 saintfrancis.com/healthzone | 918-494-1671

and strength equipment A dedicated Pilates equipment studio Two indoor saltwater pools Year-round swimming lessons Boot camp, suspension training and CrossFit Indoor cycling Zumba, barre and yoga Basketball and racquetball

sauna and towel service

• Annual kids’ triathlon • Cooking classes for kids and adults • Kids Zone activity center • Indoor walking track • Grab-and-go deli with smoothies,

wraps and sandwiches

• Summer programs for kids and teens

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA PRESIDENT AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR DANIEL SCHUMAN

OKLAHOMA

PUBLISHER AND FOUNDER VIDA K. SCHUMAN MANAGING EDITOR JAMI MATTOX ASSOCIATE EDITOR LAURIE GOODALE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT NEHEMIAH ISRAEL

Birds iN Art

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS JOHN WOOLEY, TARA MALONE, MEGAN MORGAN GRAPHICS MANAGER MARK ALLEN GRAPHIC DESIGNER BEN ALBRECHT DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST JAMES AVERY

November 22, 2015 – February 7, 2016

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS NATALIE GREEN, BRENT FUCHS, CHRIS HUMPHREY, NATHAN HARMON, SCOTT MILLER, DAN MORGAN, BRANDON SCOTT, DAVID COBB

Exhibition organized by the Leigh Yawkey Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin.

CONTACT US ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: ADVERTISING@OKMAG.COM EVENTS AND CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS: EVENTS@OKMAG.COM QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT CONTENT: EDITOR@OKMAG.COM ALL OTHER INQUIRIES: MAIL@OKMAG.COM

Exhibition season Title Sponsor is the Sherman E. Smith Family Foundation. Support also provided by Mervin Bovaird Foundation. TU is an EEO/AA Institution.

gilcrease.utulsa.edu

A little piece of Tuscany in Tulsa.

11/24/15 1:37 PM

Photo by Bradford Martens Photography

21720 Gilcrease.indd 1

Whether you invite 5 or 500 guests, prefer simple or extravagant, the Philbrook wedding team will guide you as you plan an unforgettable day in an extraordinary place. With multiple settings, indoors and out, Philbrook Weddings enable each couple’s individual style to shine through.

21715 Philbrook.indd 1

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

Oklahoma Magazine is published monthly by Schuman Publishing Company P.O. Box 14204 • Tulsa, OK 74159-1204 918.744.6205 • FAX: 918.748.5772 mail@okmag.com www.okmag.com Subscriptions are $18 for 12 issues.

Mail checks to Oklahoma Magazine P.O. Box 14204 Tulsa, OK 74159-1204 Copyright © 2016 by Schuman Publishing Company.

Oklahoma Wedding, The Best of the Best, 40 Under 40, Single in the City, Great Companies To Work For and Oklahomans of the Year are registered trademarks of Schuman Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Reproduction without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

All photographs, articles, materials and design elements in Oklahoma Magazine and on okmag.com are protected by applicable copyright and trademark laws, and are owned by Schuman Publishing Company or third party providers.

Reproduction, copying, or redistribution without the express written permission of Schuman Publishing Company is strictly prohibited.

All requests for permission and reprints must be made in writing to Oklahoma Magazine, c/o Reprint Services, P.O. Box 14204, Tulsa, OK 74159-1204.

Advertising claims and the views expressed in the magazine by writers or artists do not necessarily represent those of Oklahoma Magazine, Schuman TM Publishing Company, or its affiliates.

2013

Member

IN

OKC

IN

TULSA

11/20/15 11:20 AM

440 0 UNDER

™

TM

BE THE BEST. LAHOMA K O

the

BEST of the BEST 2016

MA

GAZINE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

W

Vote now for Oklahoma Magazine’’s The Best of the Best!!!

hat do you want to do? Quit smoking? Get in shape? Drop a few pounds? Be an overall better person?

You’re not alone. According to information from The History Channel, 45 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, the most popular being losing weight, getting organized and saving more money. Most who make those resolutions work toward them through the first four weeks of the year, but by six months, more than half have abandoned their goals.

New Year’s resolutions are tricky. It’s tempting to take the opportunity to transform ourselves, to kick those bad habits and adopt new ones. However, that idealism can set us up for failure. In this issue, we hear from experts about ways to ensure success with New Year’s resolutions. From keeping realistic expectations to keeping the drive alive, we discuss ways to improve your chances of improving yourself.

Also in this issue: The holidays regularly bring droves of newly engaged men and women to the bridal marketplace. Oklahoma Magazine seeks to make that marketplace more manageable with the annual Oklahoma Wedding special section. With everything from gowns and flowers to cakes and catering ideas, we bring the latest trends in the wedding industry into one handy issue.

This also coincides with the Oklahoma Wedding Show, Oklahoma Magazine’s annual expo of premier wedding vendors who can make your big day the best day of your life. Join us on Jan. 16 at the Expo Square Central Park Hall in Tulsa for this day of fashion, cake tasting and Q&A sessions with wedding experts.

Jami Mattox Managing Editor

BY CASTING A BALLOT, YOU HAVE A VOICE IN THE YEAR’S MOST ANTICIPATED ISSUE.

VISIT OKMAG.COM

TO VOTE For Advertising opportunities emAil Advertising@okmAg.com cAll 918.744.6205

OKLAHOMA

8

TBOB 1/2v.indd 1

OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

12/9/15 5:00 PM

A NATIONAL REPUTATION FOR EXCELLENCE As one of the nation’s most comprehensive organ transplant centers, INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute (NZTI) is well-known for its expertise in handling the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and pancreas. More than 3,500 of these organs have been transplanted in 25+ years at Oklahoma’s largest multi-organ transplant facility.

With their considerable experience in working with major organs, it’s no surprise that NZTI provides far more than transplant services:

Liver and pancreatic cancer surgery • Advanced Heart Failure Program • Ventricular assist devices and total artificial hearts • Intestinal Rehabilitation Program • Pulmonary hypertension management •

Hepatology (management of cirrhosis, end stage liver disease, tumors and metabolic liver disease) • Advanced gastroenterology • Pediatric gastroenterology/hepatology • Interventional ERCP & endoscopic ultrasonography • Oklahoma's only life-saving ECMO program •

Patients from all over the region are traveling to NZTI for transplant care and beyond.

To see why, visit integristransplant.com.

integristransplant.com (800)991-3349

OKMAG.COM

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

Are you getting married in 2016? Join us at The Oklahoma Wedding Show on Saturday, Jan. 16 and drop by OKMAG.COM for web- Red exclusive photo galleries featuring the latest trends in bridal gowns Ribbon and bridesmaid dresses from fashion’s top designers includingGala Vera Wang, Naeem Kahn, Reem Acra and more. Also at OKMAG. COM, visit the set of our bridal photo shoot with behind-thescenes video.

The Insider

John Wooley follows up on the story told in one of his first columns for this publication.

S TAY CONNECTED

What’s HOT At

OK

Please save the date for Red Ribbon Gala Tulsa CARES benefitting TulsaRed CARES. Ribbon Honoringtakes Patricia Chernicky Gala 2016 place SatEvent Chairmen, Ryan Jude Tanner and Jay Krottinger urday,February Feb. 27.27,Oklahoma 2016 Business Center MagazineCox sits down with Visit redribbongala.org for more details. gala chairmen Jay Krottinger and Ryan Jude Tanner for a video interview to find out what we can expect from one of Tulsa’s premier charity events.

THERE IS

STILL TIME to nominate your friends and colleagues. We will be accepting nominations through Jan. 31. 40 under 40’s class of 2016 looks to be the most impressive yet! Be sure to pick up the April issue to see who made the cut.

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

Advertising opportunities available. Contact advertising@okmag.com Call 918.744.6205

10

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

OKLAHOMA

Vaginal Health

Dr. Melanie R. Blackstock, M.D. 6465 South Yale Ave. Suite 310 918.236.3064 www.monalisatulsa.com

Look who’s talking about it.

“It” can be vaginal dryness, itching or burning, and it happens to a majority of women after menopause. Now there’s something you can do about it that is clinically proven to bring long-lasting relief. With the MonaLisa Touch laser treatment, vaginal health is restored due to new collagen, elastin and vascularization. This quick, in-office treatment requires no anesthesia and results in virtually no downtime. Thousands of women have been successfully treated since 2008—and now, millions more don’t have to suffer. That’s something to talk about.

Dr. Blackstock and her staff cordially invite you to attend an open house on Tuesday, January 12th. Please RSVP by calling our office at 918.236.3064. This is a great way to learn about the Mona Lisa Touch.

MonaLisa Touch is a trademark of DEKA M.E.L.A. Srl – Calenzano - Italy.

©2015 Cynosure, Inc.

Jane Elterman Lung cancer patient at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® and LUNG FORCE Hero

THE SIGNS OF LUNG CANCER

As dangerous as lung cancer can be, it is treatable and survivable. MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER ARE ALIVE TODAY.4 Your best chances of successfully fighting lung cancer start with early detection.

To learn more about lung cancer screening, visit LUNGCANCERSCREENINGSAVESLIVES.ORG. WARNING SIGNS If you experience any of the following symptoms, see your doctor right away:

A COUGH THAT DOESN’T GO AWAY, OR COUGHING UP BLOOD

What every woman should know about

LUNG CANCER Yes, lung cancer.

Many women are concerned about breast cancer. But did you know: LUNG CANCER IS THE CANCER KILLER OF WOMEN1

#1

LUNG CANCER KILLS ALMOST AS MANY WOMEN AS ANY OTHER CANCER2

2X

IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED Education is empowering, so learn about your type and stage of lung cancer and the latest treatment options. Find a team of experts with whom you feel comfortable, one that will take the time to answer all of your questions and explain the alternatives. And don’t delay.

LET’S STOP LUNG CANCER! #ShareYourVoice. To donate or learn more, visit LUNGFORCE.ORG.

LUNG CANCER HAS INCREASED AMONG WOMEN SINCE 1978 3

98%

While women are more likely to develop breast cancer, lung cancer is far more dangerous. It can strike anyone, at any age, even if they have never smoked.

CTCA is proud to support LUNG FORCE by the American Lung Association.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) is a national network of five hospitals that offer an integrative approach to care that combines advancements in genomic testing and precision cancer treatment, surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, with nutritional counseling, naturopathic medicine, mind-body therapy and spiritual support to enhance quality of life while reducing side effects both during and after treatment. Consistently rated among U.S. hospitals that deliver the highest quality of care and patient experience, CTCA® provides patients and their families with comprehensive information about their treatment options and encourages their active participation in treatment decisions. Learn more at cancercenter.com or call 800-333-CTCA. References: 1. cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/women.htm 2. lungforce.org/womens-lung-health-barometer-infographic

UNEXPLAINED RECURRING SHORTNESS INFECTIONS SUCH OF BREATH OR AS BRONCHITIS WHEEZING OR PNEUMONIA

3. U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute: SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1973-2011 4. lung.org/lung-disease/lung-cancer/resources/facts-figures/lung-cancer-fact-sheet.html

Atlanta Chicago Philadelphia Phoenix Tulsa

© 2015 Rising Tide

The State

ALL THINGS OKLAHOMA

ARTIST MATTHEW BEARDEN IS KNOWN FOR HIS REALISM ART AS WELL AS FOR HIS CONTROVERSIAL FOOTBALL HELMET WORKS. PHOTOS BY BRANDON SCOTT.

Standing Up For Heritage

A

A Tulsa artist enters the controversial mascot fray using his artistic interpretation of football helmets.

rtist Matthew Bearden, typically known for his ultra-realistic portrayals of American Indian subjects, entered the mascot controversy in a roundabout way. During a conversation with his wife, he hit on a visual

example of why many American Indians find sports team mascots based on American Indians so offensive. But it wasn’t just something he could say. It was something he could do.

And he did. It kicked off a yearlong effort to artistically make a point using the oddest medium of all: football helmets.

“Last fall I was talking to my wife, Tammy, about the mascot controversy and the [Washington] Redskins. Obviously, a lot of my peers in the Native American art business have strong feelings about it. It’s not just political correctness. A lot of it is distasteful.

It’s insensitive. A lot of it’s ignorant. It would JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

13

The State

be like Notre Dame, a Catholic school, putting the pope, wearing one of his mitre hats, on their helmets. They’d never do that, and she said, ‘Okay, I get it now,’” he says.

The 46-year-old member of the Citizen Potowatami Nation purposefully approached his topic with a non-judgmental, inoffensive method. He prefers making the simple point, letting the context drive it home.

“I could have gone full-throttle with in-your-face, insensitive material in my first show. That’s not what I wanted to do. It turns people off. You’re not going to reach anybody if you go that route. I threw in some humorous pieces, too,” he says.

His first piece was a helmet featuring George Washington with a mohawk, mimicking the pen-and-ink style of political cartoons of the 18th century. At a glance, it looked like an Indian chief, perhaps a more respectable mascot for Washington’s NFL team than the existing “Redskin.”

“Your eye’s already been trained, for a lot of these mascots, to see Native Americans,” he says. “It’s something I noticed while working on that piece. Just glancing at it, your mind’s telling you that’s an Indian chief. But when you really look at it, that’s not what it is.”

Bearden debuted his first collection of helmets at the Tulsa Artists’ Coalition in an April exhibit entitled Sacred Mascots. The

BEARDEN BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO USED FOOTBALL HELMETS BY UTILIZING THEM TO ILLUSTRATE THE PROBLEM WITH AMERICAN INDIAN MASCOTS.

exhibit was well-received, and Bearden realized he’d hit on a quiet way of making a strong point about the offensiveness of American Indian sports mascots. But he knew he’d really hit the mark when displaying some of the helmets at an art festival.

“The first show I had the pope helmet at, I was approached by a gentleman, and I could tell he was bristling a little bit. He thought it was a statement about Catholicism. It wasn’t.

HAPPENING

CALLING ALL

CHOCOLATE LOVERS

Oklahomans are invited to let their chocolate cravings run wild at the Firehouse Art Center’s annual, award-winning Chocolate Festival, scheduled for Jan. 30 at the Marriott Conference Center and Hotel at the NCED in Norman. The festival will feature thousands of chocolate-inspired samples from more than 30 Oklahoma City area businesses. The event draws thousands of visitors annually, has been featured in Southern Living and Bon Appetit magazines and is ranked third among food festivals in the United States by the Food Network. A $25 regular session ticket buys you a choice of 10 chocolate samples. Purchase a $45 premiere ticket to participate in a one-hour tasting session that includes your choice of 15 chocolate samples, a complimentary drink and a to-go container for your leftovers.

Also included in the activities will be a free children’s art area and demonstrations by the center’s faculty. The Chocolate Festival is the Center’s biggest fundraiser; the proceeds of which will support their art education programs.

Please contact the Firehouse Art Center with questions at 405.329.4523.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

Good Mother Lizard

A new study provides the most detailed reconstruction of dinosaur life history ever published and recounts the life of Maiasaura peeblesorum, the “good mother lizard,” that lived 76 million years ago in Montana. The fossil bone microstructure of 50 Maiasaura tibiae were studied to determine information about the growth rate, metabolism, age at death, sexual maturity, skeletal maturity and length of time for a species to reach adult size. Holly Woodward Ballard, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, led the research as part of her doctoral thesis in paleontology at Montana State University. She is one of four co-authors of the study recently published in Paleobiology, the quarterly journal of the Paleontological Society. The study kicks off The Maiasaura Life History Project, which seeks to learn as much as possible about Maiasaura and its environment.

It was just an example. We had a talk about it. If he was offended, maybe he’ll get some perspective on why Native Americans are offended by things like that. It wasn’t an offensive image. It was just the pope with his hat on, not doing anything. But the guy was a little upset about it,” says Bearden.

Bearden is a full-time artist and often exhibits his traditional work, acrylics on canvas, at Oklahoma City’s Kasum Contemporary Fine Art Gallery. He sells a number of commissioned pieces.

“I’m going to do some more helmets. I’ve got a ton of helmets out there in the garage that I’ve been given by other coaches, and I’ve got some other ideas for some pieces to do,” he says. “I did one piece with the white devil on it. It’s just a bald white man with some horns on his head. I grew up in Osage County. At Fairfax they had the red devils.

You’ve got the blue devils. So I thought I’d do a white devil.”

Bearden graduated from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah in 1987. After that, he studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, N.M. He’s a regular at Oklahoma City’s Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival and the Cherokee Heritage Centers Trail of Tears art show.

Bearden’s work will be on display in the East Gallery of the Oklahoma State Capitol later this year. One of his pieces is currently on display at The Fondazione Giorgio Cini Cultural Center in Venice as part of an art collection sponsored by Luciano Benetton. The Imago Mundi collection features almost 7,000 works by indigenous artists from 40 countries.

Bearden has no plans to give up football helmets anytime soon. It’s too much fun for a football fan with a serious creative bent, he says.

“We’ll see where it goes. It’s a very small niche,” he notes. “Who wants to buy a painted football helmet? I’m a big football fan, and it’s been fun painting on them. I don’t know. Like I said, I’ve got a lot more helmets to paint on whenever I get around to it.”

PAUL FAIRCHILD

OKLAHOMA CITY’S SECRET LIFE

Come take part in The Secret Life of the City, an art exhibition of the Invited Artists Gallery in the Oklahoma City Underground, a series of pedestrian tunnels that connect several downtown buildings.

Eight Oklahoman artists have created one piece of art the size of a small billboard. The exhibition incorporates “street art,” one of the secrets of the city, by these talented individuals who work in a variety of media, including graphic design.

Each artist is working in digital media, employing any techniques she or he desires, which will be translated to a PDF format, printed and applied as wheat paste installation on 48-by-96-inch panels. The eight featured artists include Erin DeMoss, Paul Mays, Jason Pawley, Kathleen Shannon, Stephanie Shilling, Sam Washburn, Kris Kanaly and Dylan Bradway. The exhibition is curated by Romy Owens, who recently curated OKC125 and The Elaborate Collaborate.

EAGLES IN OKLAHOMA

No, not the famed musical group!

Grab your binoculars and come to the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Vian for a tour featuring nesting southern bald eagles on Jan. 23 and 30. View our national bird via the refuge’s webcam, and then board a 25-person tour bus to visit two nesting sites, as well as other points of interest where eagles are frequently spotted. Two scopes will be provided for an up close look. After spending the morning at the refuge, make your way to Tenkiller State Park’s Driftwood Nature Center for more eagles and a multitude of loons, including the common loon, the red-throated loon, the pacific loon and the yellow-billed loon.

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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The State

CULTURE

Vinyl Revival

A Tulsa coffee shop is giving vinyl fans the chance to share their collection and celebrate the resurgence of records.

T

he retro renaissance has older generations dusting off their albums and millennials flipping through LPs at record stores instead of browsing iTunes.

At Chimera Café, this resurgence has become weekly entertainment.

Dillon Hargrave worked as a DJ for about four years before he decided to pursue other interests. Around that time, the owner of Chimera asked him to plan an event to be held on Sunday afternoons. Hargrave knew that his

equipment would soon be sitting in storage, so he and co-founder Phillip Condley found a way to put it to good use.

“I kind of started playing around with the idea of doing an only vinyl event,” he says. “I knew as soon as we started talking about that, that I didn’t have the collection to keep that up, to keep it fresh on a weekly basis. Then we decided to start looking at getting people of the community to bring their records out.”

Hargrave eventually decided that each Sunday a new guest would bring in their personal collection to play for the crowd from noon to 4 p.m. Soon after, Vinyl Brunch started filling the cafe with that vintage sound.

“Most of them don’t have any DJ experience, and in general, they are usually pretty anxious about the process,” he says. “I’ll talk them through it, give them tips and tricks, DJ EVAN THOMAS SPINS kind of hold their ONE OF THE COMMUNITY’S hand a little bit right FAVORITE VINYL RECORDS at the beginning, and AT CHIMERA CAFE. PHOTO BY JAMES AVERY. then they just get to play their records

HAPPENING

Got Earthquake Insurance?

According to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, our very own Sooner State appears to be the new earthquake capital of the world. In 2015, the Center for Investigative Reporting revealed that Oklahoma had three times as many earthquakes as California in 2014. Gov. Mary Fallin acknowledged there is a direct correlation between increased seismic activity and disposal wells. Scientists say it’s not hydraulic fracking that’s causing the earthquakes. They say that it’s the method used to dispose of the millions of gallons of wastewater created as a result of fracking. The wastewater gets injected into deep underground wells and, in some cases, the fluids can seep into faults and unleash quakes. With the jump in the number of earthquakes, the corporation has ordered several wells to reduce the amount injected.

16

OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

that they bring to the people at the restaurant.”

After the first year, the demand to be a guest DJ was so great that Hargrave decided to split the time in half and book two people each week.

Now, more people get the opportunity to share their music, and Hargrave ensures that all guests have complete freedom over their playlist.

“It’s been a big deal for me to make it completely open format for the guests, not having any kind of rules or restrictions on what they can play and letting them just be able to express themselves through their own collections,” he says.

Even so, most guests try to tailor their selections to the audience.

“Sometimes people have more extreme or eclectic tastes than the general public really enjoys, but for the most part, everyone keeps it pretty middle-of-the-road,” Hargrave says.

“Even if they do have extreme record collections, they try to play things that they know the people will want to hear.”

The DJs may aim to please, but brunch attendees are sure to hear a wide variety of music.

“We had a father-son duo – one of my friends who got me into DJing is a record collector and his dad has a radio show on the local NPR affiliate KWGS,” he says. “He does western swing, and his son collects mostly modern dance music. They actually got together and did a joint set where there were sections that were western swing from his dad’s collection and sections of it were from the son’s collection.”

That show inspired a Muskogee man, who goes by the name Chicago Jim, to return as a guest DJ. His unique taste in music has proven popular with the Sunday crowd.

“He really focuses on obscure and rare covers,” says Hargrave. “He’s getting to share his record collection that he has collected for the last 50 some years for the first time, and he

KEEP IT DAPPER

Whether it’s a night out, a special occasion or simply going to the office, bow ties are a statement maker for men of all ages. Luckily, several local artisans are crafting bow ties that support the local economy and keep it chic. Two Guys Bow Ties, a Tulsa-based company recently featured on ABC’s Shark Tank, crafts bow ties from wood and fabric.

The ties have been popular in the Tulsa market for several years, and they are now enjoying the national spotlight.

Taylor Hanna, founder of The Clad Stache, handcrafts bow ties using vintage fabric, creating unique, one-of-a-kind ties.

Look for Two Guys Bow Ties online at www.woodenbowties. com. The Clad Stache products can be found at www. thecladstache.com.–Laurie Goodale

BOW TIE

BY TWO GUYS BOW TIE.

really gets a joy out of that. That was really cool for me to know that he’s made that investment to come here, to bring his collection and share it with people that he’s never been able to do before in this way.”

Vinyl Brunch has motivated people to start their own collection in hopes of someday getting a spot as a guest DJ. This ever-growing interest in vinyl has directed business back to the brickand-mortar stores that digital music drove people away from. Though digital music is still the top seller, local shops like Holy Mountain, Starship Records and Tapes and Blue Moon Discs have earned a loyal following. Vinyl Fest is also getting attention from record collectors in Tulsa. At Vinyl Fest, people can listen to live music, purchase records and enjoy the company of fellow enthusiasts.

“Throughout most of my life things have been getting smaller – specifically music. It started with CDs when I first started collecting music, then it went to digital,” Hargrave says. “I think having records, having something you can really display and hold and you can feel, it creates a real sense of a hobby and creates a sense of being a collector and having a pride in something that you don’t get with a digital format.”

BETH WEESE

COUPLE ENJOYS A GAME OF PICKLEBALL. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

SP ORT

A

In A Pickle

A hybrid sport gains popularity in Oklahoma.

game invented to keep the kids out of the adults’ hair on a rainy day in Bainbridge Island, Wash., has grown into a popular national sport with estimates of 2.46 million people participating in it.

Pickleball has nothing to do with those canned specialties but everything to do with having fun.

A paddle sport that combines some elements of ping pong, badminton and tennis, pickleball has grown into a national pastime for people of all ages.

“The popularity came less than five years ago when large numbers of baby boomers reached the retirement age of 65,” says Vicky Noakes, the Oklahoma City ambassador for the USA Pickleball Association (USAPA). “It spread in the retirement communities because it was easy on the joints and bones, keeps everyone active and is extremely social.”

The USAPA, a good starting point for learning about the game and places to play in Oklahoma, lists 20 locations with courts in Oklahoma, including Ponca City, Stillwater, Edmond and Yukon, along with smaller cities like Pryor and Grove.

A few theories abound on how the sport got its name, but the common one is that it was named after Joel

Pritchard’s dog Pickles. Pritchard, along with Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, invented the game over the course of one summer in 1965.

Noakes says that the name itself probably is a bit of a drawback for the sport.

“Someone has to be very secure with themselves to try a game called pickleball,” she says.

The game is played on a court similar to that for badminton, with a 36-inch net, a seven-foot non-volley zone and a ball similar to a wiffle ball.

Blake Weichbrodt, director of rehabilitation and fitness at Total Health in Stillwater, calls pickleball “highly-addictive” and adds, “There are reasons people have a passion for it. One, it’s a fairly easy game to play, and variations of skill level are so great that you can find someone to play with. It’s a lot easier than tennis – it’s hard to find tennis players in your same competition range.

And in pickleball, there’s more variety in the skills levels. The notas-good and pretty good can play with the very good.

“Two, it gives people, especially an aging population, the opportunity to exercise without feeling like going out to exercise,” he adds. “We have people playing literally for four to six hours, but most people play for an hour minimum.”

Total Health, a community-based fitness facility, associated with Stillwater Medical Center, has three groups who play the sport.

“The morning group is entry level, moderately competitive, with encouraging and lighthearted play,” says Weichbrodt. “The evening group is a little more competitive and expects more out of each other.

The noon group is highly competitive, and there are a lot more grunts and groans.”

Noakes, a teacher and coach at U.S. Grant High School in Oklahoma City for 27 years, loves spreading the knowledge of pickleball.

“I love teaching the game to new players,” she says. “Plus, there’s the competition, the challenge of learning and improving in a sport and gaining new friends that I would have never met except for pickleball.”

Tulsa County Parks Director Richard Bales doesn’t play the sport, but he says some of his staff do.

“It is easy on your body, the court size is small and you can play several games in an hour,” Bales says.

Like Total Health, the Parks department has plans to build more pickleball courts.

“Age does not matter, skill level does not matter,” says Bales. “All you need is a willingness to learn.”

SHAUN PERKINS

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

17

The State

JOHN WOOLEY HAS BEEN WRITING FOR OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE FOR 9 YEARS.

THE INSIDER

FILE PHOTO

Number 100 Brings Us Back To Claremore John Wooley follows up on the story told in one of his first columns for this publication.

W

ith all thanks to Vida and Dan Schuman, respectively publisher/founder and president/editorial director of Oklahoma Magazine, I wrote my first two entries for what would become this column in mid-April 2007. One was about the 1940s exploitation film made around Lawton’s annual outdoor Easter pageant, Prince of Peace; the other dealt with playwright and author Lynn Riggs, Claremore’s second-favorite son and the small, out-of-the-way memorial that housed his artifacts. Both pieces foreshadowed what most of my next 98 Oklahoma Magazine columns would concern themselves with: celebrations of Oklahoma people, primarily our writers, musicians and other artists, some of whom were undeservedly (and occasionally deservedly) obscure, all of whom richly merited some ink.

Looking back on that paragraph, I see that I’ve “buried the lead,” to use a newspaper term I first heard during my 23 years at the Tulsa World. What I should’ve noted in the

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

first sentence is that this is my 100th Insider column. I’m happy and honored to have been able to stick around in these pages for this long, which amounts to a stretch of more than eight years. I also realize No. 100 is the kind of milestone that requires some sort of special approach.

I knew it was coming, of course. So a few months ago, I began corresponding with my managing editor, Jami Mattox, regarding what to do about it. We tossed around the idea of taking a look back at what I thought were some of my best efforts, with Jami professing a special liking for my pieces about folk artist Ed Galloway and his Foyil Totem Pole (column No. 32, June 2010), my first movie love, Susan Gordon (No. 53, March 2012), and the 1930s mini-scandal involving Oklahoma actress Rochelle Hudson (No. 90, March 2015).

Since those are three of my own favorites, I applaud her good taste.

(I have to add, humbly digging my toe into the carpet, that the Susan Gordon story took first place in the magazine-column category at the 2013 Oklahoma Society of Professional

Journalists Awards.)

Finally, though, I decided to write something that tied into my very first appearance as an Oklahoma Magazine regular. I figured I’d do a nice closing-the-circle story, going back to column No. 1 to remind us of where Lynn Riggs’ memorabilia was then, and where it is now. The only little hitch in this plan came along when I double-checked my memory – an increasingly good idea for baby-boomers in general, and me in particular – and found out that the Riggs piece was actually my second column, running in the June 2007 issue, following the one on Prince of Peace by two months.

However, as my old mentor Ken Jackson used to tell me, sometimes you don’t want to let facts get in the way of a good story – and, truth to tell, both columns were written within the same few days. So, in the interest of full disclosure, this piece actually ties back into my second published Insider column, titled “Living in Will’s Shadow.” I wrote it about the one-room museum in Claremore’s former town library that was dedicated to Lynn Riggs, the playwright, screenwriter and poet best known for Green Grow the Lilacs, upon which Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II based their record-busting musical Oklahoma!

At the time, the Lynn Riggs Memorial, as it was called, had bounced around. Opening in 1963 in the Claremore Chamber of Commerce office building, it later moved to the Will Rogers’ Library – the city’s public library – and then to Rogers State College (now Rogers State University) before returning to the library – or, more correctly, to the place where the library had been.

“Back when I was mayor, the library building became vacant because they built a new library,” explains Claremore’s Tom Pool. “This was in the late ‘90s. We asked the Rogers County Historical Society at the time if they’d like to have the building for a museum, but they were doing so many other things at that time that they couldn’t do it. So we moved the Claremore Fire Department administration over there, and they used it until about 2009 or 2010. Then the firemen moved out and built their own facility. We took possession of it about five years ago.”

The “we” he refers to is a group that was interested in establishing a Claremore Museum of History. Once the firemen left, Pool and the others approached the Claremore City Council about letting them have the building for that purpose. The councilors agreed to the deal, and after years of work, the all-volunteer Claremore Museum of History board, with Pool as chairman, had the new place up and running.

All this time, Riggs’s artifacts remained in the same place, housed in the building that the Claremore Museum group was busy refurbish-

Visit OKmag.com to view a web-exclusive interview with John Wooley, as well as a publication archive of his stories that have been featured in Oklahoma Magazine. ing. When I’d visited the museum for my 2007 column, Claremore Fire Marshal Jerry Ragsdale had unlocked the room for me. A few years later, after the firemen were gone, a person interested in seeing the material would’ve had to run down someone with a key.

All of that, however, has now changed. The impressive new Claremore Museum of History features a generous section devoted to Riggs and his work, with much of the material from the old location newly arranged in glass cases, standing beside one of the fringe-topped surreys from the Broadway production of Oklahoma! and underneath a blown-up photo captioned, “The Southwest’s most important 20th Century playwright memorialized his hometown of Claremore and early Oklahoma through his writings.” (The museum also sells copies of two Riggs poetry books, The Iron Dish and This Book, This Hill, These People, as well as a Christmas-tree ornament picturing the surrey, which comes with an information sheet about Riggs and his work.)

“It is really a great exhibit,” Pool notes. “It’s much better than it was over in that little room, because it was so crowded.”

Favorite son Will Rogers has long had his own well-known memorial and museum in Claremore; now, the town’s second-favorite son has his own hometown place to shine – as does favorite daughter Patti Page, her memorabilia displayed next to the Riggs exhibit. Other parts of the Claremore Historical Museum are devoted to the bygone days of the city itself, including its Indian Territory beginnings and its years as a world-famous site for radium-water baths.

When I visited recently, the place had two personable and well-informed docents, Fern Millikin McCoy and Susan Hammett Krackov, on hand to answer questions. As we talked, I mentioned to them my special interest in one of Riggs’ two dozen plays, More Sky. It’s a four-act based on Plato’s writings about the fictional continent of Atlantis whose only production, as far as I can ascertain, was staged at Northwestern University by Riggs himself in the summer of ‘34. I’ve been intrigued

by More Sky ever since running across a photo from it in the old Lynn Riggs Memorial, back when I was researching that second column. I hope that somewhere between now and No. 200, I’ll be able to report that the play has been resurrected and produced, perhaps as a fundraising effort between the museum and the Rogers State University drama department. Stay tuned.

JOHN WOOLEY

THE LAWTON STORY DEBUTED IN LAWTON AND FORT SILL THEATERS IN APRIL 1949.

The Claremore Museum of History, at 121 N. Weenonah St. in Claremore, is open every Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. For more information, call 918.923.6490.

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The State

DOWNTOWN TULSA.

OKLAHOMA BUSINESS

Reasons Behind The Rankings

Oklahoma’s cities continue to solidify their places as great destinations to live, work and play.

I

t’s refreshing to see Oklahoma’s leading cities ranked favorably on national comparisons instead of those criticizing waistlines and other pejorative pronouncements. In recent years, there has been an optimistic mosaic of upbeat titles for both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Rankings include Most Livable City, Best Place to Live and Relocate; high marks for Young Entrepreneurs, Shortest Commute and Young People Getting a Job. These accolades are from entities like Kiplinger’s, Forbes, the U.S. Census, Fiscal Times, Relocate America: Apartment Guide and more.

But what do these rankings mean in terms of Oklahoma City and Tulsa making the region more attractive for start-up businesses and expanding existing businesses? Are municipalities and chambers of commerce utilizing these brag-worthy aspects to deepen pocketbooks and make our shiny state shinier?

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

Leaders seem to take these rankings to heart. Oklahoma City might not have landed on the 2013 Most Livable Cities List in Outside magazine if not for the shame stimulus of being voted one of 2009’s Fattest Cities in Men’s Fitness magazine’s rankings. Since then, Oklahoma City responded with youth fitness programs, a 70-mile-and-growing trail system and a greatly enlarged farmer’s market.

Such proactive measures are many and growing. Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, says Tulsa’s incredibly low cost of doing business led to ranking No. 1 for unemployment insurance rates and No. 7 in corporate taxes by Site Selection Group in 2015. When asked why Oklahoma’s positive exposure is increasing, Neal attributes it to great things in Tulsa which are increasingly starting and growing.

“With over $1 billion invested in downtown Tulsa over the past eight years – and

numerous large projects on the horizon – the creation of public spaces like the Guthrie Green in the Brady District; and construction underway on Tulsa’s new 60-acre public park, A Gathering Place for Tulsa, our region is gaining exposure in its ability to attract and retain the young talent that will be vital to business success in the future,” says Neal.

He also mentions Tulsa’s increased collaboration among community leaders and organizations in building a cohesive entrepreneurial landscape and continued public/private partnerships propelling big ideas.

One such “big idea” is the 36 Degrees North work space, a sort of boot camp for entrepreneurs that was recently praised

by President Barack Obama. The soon-toopen, 12,000-square-foot space will feature private offices to rent, classrooms and shared workspaces in Tulsa, says Dustin Curzon, executive director of the organization. The

idea is to make it easier for business owners to split space, pool ideas and share childcare resources. The project is a public/private partnership.

Tulsa’s appeal is also enhanced by what Neal describes as “a skilled existing workforce and a cooperative system of education entities – from K-12 to career tech to higher education – that are aligned in a mission to ensure business and industry have the skilled talent they need for success both now and in the future.”

Roy Williams, president and CEO of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, is thrilled with the praises Oklahoma City has earned, especially those centered on workforce quality.

“Success in economic development today is centered on talent – talent already in your region and the ability to attract and retain talent in your region,” says Williams. “Today’s talent wants to work, play and learn wherever it is they choose to live. So these type of accolades are important to talent. National rankings help us significantly when we are talking to soon-to-be-graduated college students, as well as when we are talking to employee prospects of existing companies. We have garnered national attention as being one of the best cities to find a job, as well as one of the best cities for millennials. Kiplinger also ranked Oklahoma City the No. 1 place to start a business in 2015. Since we have ranked very positive nationally it tends to be a surprise to our audience and a real asset we can expose.”

The Oklahoma City Chamber continues to use national rankings to promote Oklahoma

worldwide, such as in an early 2015 World Service Business segment on the British Broadcast Corporation to depict the Oklahoma brand as one of diversity and strength with a low cost of living and doing business, and a multitude of recreational, cultural, arts, education and living opportunities, “and the openness and welcoming spirit of our people,” says Williams.

When Dan Maloney left New York City a few years ago to move Tailwind, his visual marketing software platform business, to headquarter in Oklahoma City, he knew of some of the obvious perks. But there have also been many intangible but key factors which have caused his business to thrive and swell to its current roster of 20 employees serving 50,000 brands worldwide.

“In the early days, it was very helpful to be located in Oklahoma City because [cost of living] is just so much more affordable,” says Maloney. “And we were able to start hiring faster because it is less expensive to get great quality employees here on a reasonable salary. We’ve also been helped a lot by the Chamber because being a member introduced us locally and really helped us to feel at home and build a local network. It is really these intangible benefits such as openness to networking and business people actually helping each other that gave us a really big boost early on, and it felt like home here in a matter of months instead of years.”

Williams says Oklahoma is the original home of the start-up.

“We have been a place for start-ups since the Land Run of 1889,” says Williams. “All

of our major corporate headquarters were local start-ups – like Devon, Chesapeake, Sandridge, Love’s, Sonic, Hobby Lobby, Express Employment and American Fidelity.

Unlike many places, it is very easy to start a business here. Permits, licensing, regulatory environment and access to capital – all are conducive to starting a new business. There are also several organizations to help support entrepreneurs including OCAST, i2E, Oklahoma Small Business Development Centers and 1 Million Cups.”

Neal, Williams and other city and state leaders say it is no accident that the perception of Oklahoma is becoming more positive all the time.

“For the last two decades, Oklahoma City has spent significant dollars to build tremendous infrastructure facilities and leveraging those facilities for private investment,” says Williams. “As a result we have diversified our economy, grown our economic strength and maintained a low cost of living. As well, we are a community based on start-up companies and that momentum is now multiplying. The trends we have developed have become the envy of communities across the nation – all leading to the numerous positive rankings. Oklahoma City is also one of the few markets in the country that weathered the recent recession well, leading the nation in low unemployment for several years.

Even with the recent decrease in oil prices, Oklahoma City’s unemployment rate is well under the national average.”

TRACY LEGRAND

DOWNTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY.

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Life & Style

A M A P TO L I V I N G W E L L

LOCAL EXPERTS CAN GIVE THE BEST ADVICE ON HOW TO STAY ON TRACK FOR YOUR NEW YEAR’S GOALS.

Resolve For Success

Take tips from local experts on how to stick to those New Year’s resolutions.

O

ne of the most common ways to celebrate the birth of a new year is to make a resolution, likely a close second to waiting for the midnight countdown itself. New Year’s resolutions are a tradition that can be linked all the way back to the Babylonian and Roman civilizations. Historically connected to religious vows, resolutions today encompass a variety of areas, whether related to diet, exercise, finances, meeting new people or learning new things. The passing of yet another year causes many to reflect upon ourselves, shifting thoughts internally, asking where we are and where we want to be.

It’s often easy to highlight those areas we’d like to improve; and the new year seems like as fitting a time as any to begin to make a change. Plus, the whole idea of a new start in the new year makes us feel bet-

ter about indulging over the holiday season.

Even with the best intentions, resolutions are hard to stick to, most ending before they even really begin. So we spoke to a few local experts to help us understand reasons we might not succeed in our new goal and ways to help us stick to those resolutions this time.

Serial Resolvers Take Note

Why haven’t your resolutions worked in the past? Well, the reason for that is likely very simple. Change is hard.

“Changes are hard for us because we are naturally driven to satisfy our lusts,” says Dr. Britta Ostermeyer, a physician with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. It is quite easy for us to identify areas that need improvement, yet actually achieving that goal is quite a different story.

“It is easy at the end of the year to look back and see things we wish we could change or improve in ourselves,” agrees Dr. Lauren Kenney Garabelli with Mercy Clinic Primary Care in Edmond. “When the New Year starts, our motivation to make those changes often dwindles as the realities and stressors of everyday life overtake us.”

“Changing our behavior requires control and reason over longings,” adds Ostermeyer.

“While we realize the great need for these changes, it is very hard to actually do them.”

And, the more difficult the change, the more motivation is required to achieve and sustain the new desired habit.

“The most common reason why people fail is because they set their goals too high and too unrealistic,” says Ostermeyer.

In this fast-paced world, we want big results now.

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

23

Life & Style

“We like quick fixes,” says Dr. Sarah Killian, attending physician at St. John Health System.

“Often, the rewards in making lifestyle changes come slowly and are difficult to appreciate on a day to day basis,” agrees Garabelli. “We get overwhelmed and often lose sight of our goals.”

Part of the tradition of making a resolution is society’s acceptance of failing at a New Year’s resolution. So, our resolve to succeed can quickly fade, and often does fail with very little thought or guilt.

“We don’t keep each other accountable or even think about them after the first few days or weeks of the new year,” says Killian.

How do you beat the odds and stick to your resolution? All the experts agree that your best chance of success lies in your resolution itself.

“When you are setting goals, be realistic,” says Killian. “The changes that last are small changes that we make habits.”

“Don’t set out to do too many changes all at once,” adds Garabelli. “You are far more likely to be successful if you pick one thing to work on at a time.”

Your goal should be three important things: realistic, specific and measurable.

“For example, instead of picking something really broad like losing weight, try to make a more specific goal of replacing one soft drink a day with water or going for a walk for 30 minutes, three to five times per week,” says Garabelli.

Killian also suggests making your goal a positive one. Instead of, “don’t eat junk” or “don’t complain,” resolve to eat healthier foods or say “thank you” more often. It’s much easier to do than to not do.

Once you’ve set yourself up with an attainable objective, Garabelli suggests enlisting a team for support.

“You are more likely to be successful if you have someone else to help hold you accountable and make the changes as well,” says Garabelli.

Ostermeyer recommends removing as much temptation as possible.

“If you want to stop eating ice cream, then do not buy ice cream. If you are trying to quit smoking, then do not hang out in places where cigarettes are around,” she says. “Set yourself up for less failure. Reduce the motivation and willpower needed to hit your goal.”

When armed with these tips and a manageable resolution, we are all more likely to keep our resolution of sticking to our resolution.

LINDSAY CUOMO

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

GUIDE

TECH THAT CAN HELP

Sticking to New Year’s resolutions can be tricky. Sure, the first couple of weeks are easy, with that goal still in your mind. But what happens toward the end of January, and into the following months? Most of us will default back to old habits. Luckily, the answer to success may be as close as your smart phone. Five free apps and websites can help you keep your eye on the prize, no matter what your resolution is.

Level

For some, the New Year is a chance to get a hold on finances and begin to save more. Level syncs with bank accounts and lets you know how much disposable income you can spend each day. Though it doesn’t have the high functionality of some other personal finance apps, it provides all info in an easy-to-read format.

Pact

Keep yourself accountable for gym days with Pact, an app that allows you to track activity and food goals. Deposit money along with your pledges, and watch your balance grow as you meet your goals. Members who fail to meet theirs pay up to the successful members.

Plant Nanny

Give your water intake a boost with Plant Nanny, an app that tracks your water consumption via a small plant. Drinking too much water? Your plant will become soggy. Not enough? The plant gets sick and, eventually, dies. No one wants to see that little plant with Xs over its eyes!

SuperTracker

Lots of apps and websites help users track food and calories, but often they come at a price. Developed by the USDA, SuperTracker allows users to track food intake and exercise for a clear picture of health decisions made over a day or extended period of time. Set goals, connect with others who share a common goal and, most importantly, get healthy. Visit www.supertracker. usda.gov to set up a free account.

Take A Break!

Do you need to learn to relax and decompress? Take A Break! offers several meditation sessions, lasting from five to 20 minutes, to help users relax and rejuvenate the mind and body. – Jami Mattox

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Life & Style

LEFT: ALL FURNITURE IN THE CONDO IS NEW TO THE HOMEOWNERS. THE FOCAL POINT OF THE LIVING ROOM, THE ECO-FRIENDLY FIREPLACE WAS CUSTOM-DESIGNED FOR THE CONDO AND FACED IN MARBLE.

L I V I N G S PA C E

Living in the City

A Tulsa couple purchases a piece of history and transforms it into an entertainment haven.

Photography by Jenifer Jordan

L

ee and Mary Levinson purchased a penthouse condo in Aloft Hotel in downtown Tulsa with entertaining in mind. Already living in a traditional home full of antiques and classic style, the couple envisioned owning a condo to allow them to house friends and family visiting the city.

The site of the Aloft Hotel was the former Tulsa City Hall building. The building, which has historical preservation status, was renovated and opened as Aloft in 2013.

Along with many rooms and suites, the top floor houses condos that are owned.

The couple hired Bailey Austin, principal of Austin Bean Design Studio in Tulsa, to bring personality and panache to the space.

“When we came on, the condo was a totally bare shell,” says Austin.

The Levinsons had visions of turning the two-bedroom, two-bath condo into an elegant space that reflected the vitality and

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JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

27

Life & Style THE WATERFALL-EDGE OF THE KITCHEN ISLAND GIVES THE SPACE A POLISHED LOOK FROM ANY ANGLE IN THE CONDO. BELOW: A NEUTRAL COLOR PALETTE ALLOWS THE RICHNESS OF THE WOODS AND NATURAL MATERIAL FOUND THROUGHOUT THE CONDO TO SHINE.

sophistication of downtown Tulsa.

“They wanted it to feel metropolitan and definitely to tune in to that new and exciting feel for downtown Tulsa,” says Austin.

She designed the living area with views in mind. The corner windows show vistas of the Arkansas River and of south Tulsa.

Vein-cut travertine tile from Tile Stone Distributors was laid in the living area to add texture to the space. Two new chairs form a conversation area next to the window that provides the views. New, custom furniture fills the space. The eco-friendly fireplace runs on butane. Midwest Marble created the fireplace surround.

Austin says the most challenging aspect of the design was installing the large pieces of marble.

“We had to fit them in the elevator, which required us taking out the elevator ceiling so that they would fit,” she says.

The color palette throughout the condo was kept neutral. This allows the richness of the woods and other natural materials used

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

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Life & Style

to stand out. Austin also added pops of yellow throughout the house for a playful feel.

Because of the historical nature of the building that houses Aloft Hotel and the Levinsons’ condo, Austin says the windows could not be replaced or updated. To remedy the need for double-pane windows, Austin installed automated shades from Design Resources in Oklahoma City to help keep the sun, glare and drafts at bay and to keep the space as energy efficient as possible. Trim work in the living area and throughout the home was done by Craig’s Custom Woodworks.

The kitchen was designed with company and guests in mind.

“The whole premise of the apartment was for entertaining,” says Austin. “The kitchen is a great set-up for catering.”

The kitchen cabinetry was crafted by Sullivan’s Custom Cabinets. The large island features a waterfall edge to make the kitchen feel finished from any point in the open floor plan. Upscale appliances are from Hahn Appliances.

The master bedroom reflects the condo’s location. Austin describes the upscale luxury of the bed linens and furnishings as providing a “hotel feel.”

The master bathroom features a standalone tub, which is a showcase feature of the room. High-end fixtures are from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery.

Though this downtown condo is not a year-round home, the couple enjoys using it as an urban retreat and for hosting guests and dignitaries.

JAMI MATTOX

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

TOP LEFT: KITCHEN FIXTURES WERE PROCURED FROM FERGUSON BATH, KITCHEN & LIGHTING GALLERY. TOP CENTER: POPS OF YELLOW THROUGHOUT THE CONDO ADD PLAYFULNESS TO THE DECOR. TOP RIGHT: LARGE WINDOWS PROVIDE EXPANSIVE VIEWS OF TULSA. BELOW LEFT: MODERN TOUCHES REFLECT THE CONDO’S HIP, DOWNTOWN TULSA LOCATION. TRIM WORK FOUND THROUGHOUT THE HOME WAS DONE

BY CRAIG’S CUSTOM WOODWORKS.

What will the next 20 bring?

NIVERSARY

th ANNIVERSARY

March 2016 will mark a significant milestone for Oklahoma Magazine, one that we are extremely proud of and have worked very hard to achieve.

It’s our 20-year anniversary and we intend to celebrate with a special anniversary issue of our publication.

Don’t miss out on being part of the celebration. Call now for special advertising opportunities for the March issue!

The publisher and staff of Oklahoma Magazine would like to thank our advertisers, readers and the people throughout our great state who, with their diverse talents and cultures, have allowed us to bring their stories to life each and every month.

We look forward to your continued support in the coming years, and can’t wait to see what the next 20 will bring!

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Life & Style

ACCESSORIES

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CUTLINE

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

MICHAEL STARS CROTCHET INFINITY SCARF, $64, BALLIETS.

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Get Comfy

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Forget the high heels and strappy dress, and slip into a thick sweater and boyfriend jeans.

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PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

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JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Life & Style

NEST, BEADED FRINGE TURQUOISE NECKLACE, $350, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE.

STYLE

Last Resort

The chic in-between season is here. Whether you’re vacationing on your private island or stranded in the city, the latest collection of resort wear has something for everyone.

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DEREK LAM 10 CROSBY TAPESTRY BLOUSE, $350, BALLIETS.

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NEST, TURQUOISE HAMMERED DROP EARRINGS, $95, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE. LOEFFLER RANDALL GLADIATOR SANDALS, $375, BALLIETS.

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CAROLINA HERRERA FLUTTER DRESS, $2,290, ABERSONS.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

Life & Style

FISHING BOATS ARE GATHERED IN THE FISHING VILLAGE OF CYCLADES ON SANTORINI.

D E S T I N AT I O N

See Beautiful Santorini

S

Travel writer Gina Michalopulos Kingsley takes her family to Santorini to explore her country of heritage.

antorini is a legendary Greek island that defines everything you think about an island in the Aegean Sea. It’s great for singles, couples and honeymooners, yet there’s much to do for families. It is the most photographed island of Greece (if not the most photographed island in the world). Its historic volcanic eruption more than 3,500 years ago has created the breathtaking caldera views. The healing hot springs have a tinge of yellow water containing the sulphur that is considered therapeutic for swimming.

Santorini’s specialty excursions include exploring the active volcano, swimming in hot springs, riding donkeys, parasailing, exploring wineries and museums and scuba diving.

Akrotiri museum (a buried settlement) is a thrilling archeological site. Santorini is also known for its pumice stones, which are great souvenirs.

Santorini is considered “touristy,” but locals still live there. Near our villa, we met a local man named Artemios. We visited with him while he cleaned green beans under his pergola. I conversed with him in Greek and translated it to my family. I was drawn to this elderly man because I fondly remembered cleaning green beans outside under our pergola with my grandfather when I was a young girl.

He spoke to us on the importance of family and told us his philosophy: “A man without children is like a tree without branches.”

Santorini at night is a whole other experience. I recommend tak

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

ing a siesta so that you can conserve your energy for walking around the port town to shop and dine. We liked staying in Imeroviglio for our villa location. Its cliffside, breath-taking views make you realize how perfect it must have been for an historic pirate look-out point.

Walking down to Fira (also called Thira), is a good way to get exercise and avoid parking hassles. The Imerovigli or Oia (pronounced “eeya” or “Ya”) views are worth it and a nice break from the city center. Driving up to Oia could take 20 minutes, and that’s

best enjoyed at sunset. Our villa was called Irinis Villas, and we were so pleased with it, we stayed there on two trips.

Make an evening out of Oia; take your sunset family pictures, eat dinner and stroll through the boutiques. I have been to Santorini four times, and I know I’ll return. There is a world-famous sunset in Oia. People gather around dusk to watch it live and capture it on film.

In the village of Oia, we went to a terrace cafe for dessert just to take in the caldera view. The boys were asked by some local boys to form a team to play soccer in the plaza by the church. It was so charming to watch this interaction. The local boys take charge and yell passionately as our GreekAmerican sons were passively engaged, polite but still into it and having fun. Other tourists watched this game and took pictures of our boys playing with the dogs in the path. Our sons were lying on the ground playing with the stray dogs, oblivious to the world.

We saw a couple far out on a promontory getting dinner served to them. We saw a group of people assembling to watch the famous sunset. The sun was still shining on the side of a church, and we posed for a family shot.

We drove back to Fira and had dinner at Naoussa Restaurant, which was recommended to us.

Do we love Santorini? “Oia, oia, oia!”

A COLORFUL DISPLAY OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND PLANTS AT A SHOP IN THIRA. BELOW RIGHT: SUNSET IN OIA. BELOW LEFT: THE BELL TOWER AT IMEROVIGLI ON SANTORINI.

GINA MICHALOPULOS KINGSLEY

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Life & Style YO U R H E A L T H

M

What’s In Them?

Vitamins and supplements can be a tricky business.

any people have had a desire to get healthier, which leads them to the vitamin aisle at the grocery store or the local health food store. There, the sheer magnitude of the selection promptly overwhelms and intimidates the shopper. So what should the average consumer know about the need for dietary supplements?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration defines a dietary supplement as “a product taken by mouth that contains a ‘dietary ingredient’ intended to supplement the diet.” “’Dietary supplements’ is the umbrella

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

phrase that includes vitamins, minerals, botanicals and amino acids,” says Rene’ Norman, RD/LD, registered and licensed dietitian at Bailey Bariatrics in Owasso.

But when are these supplements necessary? According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, it is best to have a discussion with a doctor to determine what nutrients may be lacking from the average diet.

The best way to get necessary vitamins and minerals is through the food we eat, but the FDA recommends creating a “vitamin strategy” – a plan for how to meet the recommended intake for vital vitamins and

minerals.

“As a dietitian, I prefer that people get their nutrients through food first and supplement if needed,” says Norman.

She also points out that many nutrients have been added to the food supply to help prevent deficiencies. For example, “many breads, pastas, rice and cereals are fortified with iron, thiamin (B1), niacin (B2), riboflavin (B3) and folic acid,” she says.

But there are times when diet supplementation becomes necessary, and the first step in determining this is to talk with a doctor.

“People should ask their doctors if certain supplements are right for them. The best

way to do this is to keep a diary of what you are eating so that your doctor can help you assess if there are any nutrients you are missing out on,” recommends Dr. Ashley Hildebrand, In His Image Family Medicine Residency, Family Medical Care at St. John Clinic.

A doctor might recommend diet supplementation for certain groups of people. These can include pregnant and nursing women, adults over the age of 50, people with certain health problems and people who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet.

Once the decision has been made to supplement the diet, it is important to be aware of dosage requirements and upper limits, potential interactions with other medications and possible side effects.

Always follow the dosage instructions with any product, as it is possible to get too much of a good thing in some cases.

“If you eat a well-balanced diet but continue to take vitamins and are not watchful about the recommended daily allowance taken in, you could end up over-supplemented and in unsafe territory,” cautions Hildebrand.

It is also important to know that supplements can interact negatively with some prescription and over-the-counter medications.

This is another good reason to check with your doctor before starting any new supplemental nutrition.

“When it comes to supplements and drug interactions, it comes down to making sure your physician and pharmacist know everything that you are taking in,” says Hildebrand.

KNOW WHAT YOU’RE TAKING

Not all brands of dietary supplements are created equal. Because of the way supplements are regulated, the ingredients don’t have to be verified in the amounts stated on the labels. It is important for the consumer to do research on the specific brand of supplement he or she is considering.

“Because vitamins, minerals and supplements are not regulated by the federal government, there may be inconsistencies in what is advertised and what is actually in the product,” says Hildebrand.

Fortunately, third-party organizations make this research easier.

Independent testing organizations like the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention and NSF International put distinctive marks on products they have reviewed.

For a fee, consumers can gain access to ConsumerLabs.com and the results of the tests this organization performs on products to determine if the product actually contains what is listed on the label, suggests Norman. The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements also offers more information, she adds.

Though these products are not regulated by the FDA, there are rules governing how they are labeled and marketed and the promises made on packaging.

“Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), companies that make and distribute dietary supplements cannot market these products if the products are adulterated and misbranded. If there is a question about a product, the FDA is responsible for taking action against the product,” says Norman.

Many people are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need through the food that they eat. But when that isn’t the case, the use of dietary supplements can help meet those requirements. It is important to work with a doctor to determine the need for these supplements, as well as to ensure they are improving overall health and producing desired results.

BONNIE RUCKER

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Life & Style

Scene JIM HALSEY, WILLIAM ROSS, SHAREN JESTER TURNEY, STEADMAN UPHAM, KEVIN DURANT, BILL HANCOCK AND MIKE LARSEN, OKLAHOMA HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY.

HAL COLLINS, SARAH HAERTL AND TOM NEFF, GO RED FOR WOMEN CIRCLE OF RED & RED TIE SOCIETY HOLIDAY PARTY.

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DR. FRANK SHAW, MARY SHAW, KATIE PETRIKIN AND RON PETRIKIN. PEGGY V. HELMERICH DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR SERIES.

DANIEL NADER, JANE ELTERMAN AND JEREMY HUGHEY, LUNG FORCE MOVEMENT KICK-OFF, AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION.

ADAM PALUKA AND LEANNE TAYLOR, 2016 PINK STILETTO JAN. 30 AT RENAISSANCE TULSA HOTEL & CONVENTION CENTER, SUSAN G. KOMEN TULSA.

DR. JANE ATKINSON, AUTHOR RICK ATKINSON, KIM JOHNSON AND EARL JOHNSON, PEGGY V. HELMERICH DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR SERIES.

JENNIFER RADER, MAGGIE BROCKSCHMIDT, CHIP OPPENHEIM AND BREEHANNAH YOUNG, ONCE UPON A DREAM, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SCHOOL OF DANCE.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

PEGGY HELMERICH AND PAT WOODRUM, PEGGY V. HELMERICH DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR SERIES.

ELIZABETH BROWN, LAURA BAKER MANTOOTH, ANN SHANNON CASSIDY, CATHY MOORE AND SARA WOMBLE DALE, PEGGY V. HELMERICH DISTINGUISHED AUTHOR SERIES.

C H E R O K E E N AT I O N P R I N C I PA L C H I E F BILL JOHN BAKER

Principal Chief Bill John Baker

Under Chief Baker’s leadership, Cherokee Nation and its businesses have an annual $1.55 billion dollar impact on Oklahoma’s economy and help support more than15,600 jobs. With record investments in tribal health care and housing, as well as education and infrastructure that benefit all Oklahomans, Cherokee Nation is building a brighter future for the next seven generations.

CONGRATULATIONS, CHIEF BAKER.

Back To

Health

By Rebecca Fast

The holidays are done, the cookies, cakes and pies eaten.

NOW’S THE TIME that we resolve to take better care

of our bodies in the New Year.

Manage Sweet Cravings

Do you have a sweet tooth? It sounds innocent enough. Unfortunately, the hard truth is that consuming too much sugar wreaks havoc on health. Learning how to significantly reduce the sweet stuff in your diet can help you potentially avoid a variety of chronic health problems.

For many people, the struggle with sugar results from overwhelming cravings and the feeling of being addicted. It’s not surprising then to learn that our love of sugar is partially innate.

“We are born with a natural preference for sweet taste,” says Dianne Brown, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center in Oklahoma City. “Our first food is mother’s milk, which has a natural sugar in it (lactose), or infant formula, which is processed to be similar to mother’s milk. Lactose is not as sweet

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

as other sugars, but if we did not like some sweetness, we might have starved to death. We can look at our ‘sweet tooth’ as a survival mechanism at first.”

While there is debate about whether or not sugar is clinically addictive, there’s growing evidence that individuals can develop a dependency on it.

“Some researchers propose that foods rich in sugar can promote addictive-like behavior and neuronal changes in certain situations,” says Brown. “These high-sugar foods may become ‘addictive’ if consumed in a restrictive/binge-like pattern.”

The American Heart Association currently recommends that women have no more than 100 calories per day, or about six teaspoons, of sugar, and men have no more than 150 calories per day, or about nine teaspoons.

“This is down from the average intake of 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily,” says Brown. “A safe range means most of us need

to cut our sugar consumption to about 10 percent of our total calories.”

To reduce sugar in your diet, Brown suggests cutting out soft drinks and fruit juices, limiting desserts and sweets and being conscious of dressings, sauces and low-fat or reduced fat food, because the lower amount of fat can be replaced with added sugar. She also notes that to find hidden added sugars, you need to carefully read the nutrition label information.

Lori Manning, a registered and licensed dietitian with Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City, recommends a gradual decrease in sugar intake as an effective long-term strategy for limiting sugars. Her tips to tame a sweet tooth include relying on fruit to naturally sweeten foods like oatmeal, cereal and muffins, and choosing fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit without added sugar. She also suggests cutting in half the amount of sugar, syrup and honey you typically add to items like coffee, tea, cereal and pancakes.

Manning adds that when it comes to beverages, water is the best choice.

For some people, a reduction of sugar in their diet may lead to an experience of sugar withdrawal.

“Symptoms and hurdles of sugar withdrawal could include physical symptoms, but more likely are emotional symptoms,” says Manning.

She encourages clients to eat a piece of fruit between meals to help minimize sugar cravings.

“When individuals use food (i.e. sweets) to deal with stress, anxiety or boredom, it is helpful to find other tools that can replace food. Examples include walking, talking, taking a bath and having a comforting cup of tea,” says Manning. “In my opinion, sugar addiction is typically the individual’s way of numbing and soothing a negative emo-

tion. As dietitians, we coach clients to develop a healthy relationship with food and avoiding using it to manage emotions.”

Stressed Out

Are you stressed? Do you often feel overwhelmed, anxious or irritable?

If so, you’re not alone. According to the “Stress in America” survey conducted annually by the American Psychological Association, Americans “continue to report stress at levels higher than what they believe is healthy, struggle to achieve their health and lifestyle goals and manage stress in ineffective ways.”

The survey also reported that 75 percent of Americans experienced at least one symptom of stress within the past month, and one in five Americans said they never engage in an activity to help relieve or manage their stress.

“People experience stress every day in different ways,” says Dr. Matthew Meyer, medical director of Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital. “The triggers of stress vary by individual and by circumstances.

For some it might be time pressure or the challenge of meeting expectations, while for others it could be managing a chronic health problem.”

The most commonly reported sources of stress include money, work, the economy, family responsibilities and personal health concerns. Meyer shares that human beings will always feel a certain degree of stress.

“It’s a part of our daily lives,” he says. “We dream of a circumstance where we will be free of stress, but the phenomenon of being stress-free is rare, if not imaginary. For instance, we take vacations to relieve stress, but a vacation has its own level of stress as well.”

Emotional indicators of stress can include being easily agitated, regularly feeling overwhelmed, anxious or sad and finding it difficult to relax.

“Feeling stress is about being out of balance internally. It’s when what is demanded of you exceeds your capabilities or is beyond what you perceive to be your ability to accomplish the task or cope with the situation,” says Meyer. “While being overstressed isn’t a diagnosable condition, it can contribute

to the development of other illnesses, such as high blood pressure, excessive eating, insomnia and potentially full episodes of clinical depression.”

He explains that achieving a healthy balance of stress in life is the process of aligning outward expectations with our internal resources.

“To manage stress, it’s important to focus on structure and selfcare. Structure in our lives helps us reduce stress by developing a routine. For example, we use calendars to plan our day and create a more predictable schedule,” he says.

“When you’re feeling out of balance and overwhelmed, there are several healthy options to help you wind down. These include exercising, yoga and meditation, as well as having a regular sleep schedule. What’s most important is to have a daily routine that fits you and helps you manage stress in a healthy way.”

Train At Any Age

Not many of us are destined for a career in powerlifting, but all of us can benefit from resistance training. As defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), resistance training, often referred to as strength training, is a physical activity designed to improve muscular fitness by exercising a muscle or muscle group against external resistance.

There are various ways to incorporate resistance training into your workout. Options include traditional free weights and dumbbells, weight machines, resistance bands, medicine balls and even using your own body weight or items around your house, such as soup cans or milk jugs filled with sand.

Dr. Matthew O’Brien, an associate professor and clinical education coordinator for the Oklahoma State University Athletic Training Program, explains that resistance training builds muscle strength, but also increases bone health and bone density.

“We know women begin to lose bone density as they age, which can be the early JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

43

stages of osteoporosis,” says O’Brien. “It’s why it is especially important for women in their 20s and 30s to include resistance training as part of their workout. Women can potentially reduce bone loss through resistance training.”

Other benefits of increased musculoskeletal health may include lowering body fat and blood pressure and improving flexibility and coordination.

The ACSM recommends a minimum of two non-consecutive days of strength training each week, with one set of eight to 12 repetitions for healthy adults or 10 to 15 repetitions for older and frail individuals. In addition, eight to 10 exercises should target the major muscle groups.

“As with anything, moderation is essential when working on increasing your strength,” says O’Brien. “Your muscle needs its own balance of activity and rest, so alternating days of resistance training is beneficial. If you begin to experience excessive soreness, muscle strain or fatigue, you may be overstressing your muscles and need to take a step back.”

He emphasizes the importance of making a commitment to health and making a daily decision to choose to exercise. He also suggests speaking with a doctor before starting a new exercise program.

“Anytime you begin any fitness routine, check with your physician first to make sure you are able to begin cardiovascular exercise and that there are no metabolic or orthopedic issues that would affect your health or performance,” says O’Brien. “It’s never too late to begin exercising and increasing muscle strength. It’s not about just strength training or cardiovascular exercise, it’s about being healthy. It doesn’t matter what you look like, it matters how you feel.”

Different Fats

If you want to lose weight, get fit and in-

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

crease your overall health, you will want to limit the amount of fat in your diet. But not all fat is created equal. There is good fat and bad fat, and you need to know the difference to achieve your health goals.

Natalie Sanders, an outpatient dietitian at St. John Medical Center, shares that the main categories of fats are saturated, trans and unsaturated fat, which are usually categorized as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.

“The categorization depends on the saturation of hydrogen atoms and the type of bonds in the structure,” says Sanders.

“Saturated fats are generally solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.”

While nearly all foods will contain a variety of fats, examples of those with higher amounts of saturated fat includes fatty beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin and dairy products like cream, butter and cheese.

Fried foods and baked goods can also be culprits. Trans fats can be found in items like doughnuts, biscuits, cookies, crackers, frozen pizza and stick margarines.

“Generally speaking, decreasing saturated fats and eliminating trans fats from the diet is ideal for heart health,” says Sanders. “Trans fats can be found on the nutrition facts label but also in the ingredient list. Look for any ingredients that use the term ‘hydrogenated,’ like partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Avoid these types of fats.”

She explains that to support heart health through healthy fat choices, the objective should be to limit the amount of saturated fats, eliminate trans fats and increase monoand polyunsaturated fats.

“Improving the ratio of unsaturated to saturated is ideal – having much more unsaturated than saturated fat,” says Sanders.

“Increasing mono and polyunsaturated fats can help reduce inflammation in the body, as well as increase HDL, or ‘good cholesterol.’

Decreasing saturated fat intake can help decrease LDL, or ‘bad cholesterol.’”

Typical plant-based liquid oils high in monounsaturated fats include olive, canola, peanut, safflower and sesame oil. Those high in polyunsaturated fat include soybean, corn and sunflower oil. Polyunsaturated fat can also be found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and trout.

“Some sources of healthy fats are avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil. Ground flaxseed is an easy way to increase healthy fats by adding one to two tablespoons to yogurt, oatmeal or your morning smoothie,”

says Sanders, adding that it’s easy to add avocado to a sandwich or salad. “Unsalted nuts make a wonderful snack throughout the day. Remember to keep your portion sizes small, as foods that are high in fat are also high in calories. Servings should be close to one to two ounces per serving.”

Quality vs. Quantity

When it comes to exercise, there seems to be an ongoing debate about quality versus quantity. Does a short, intense workout trump a long, steady routine? The answer is: it depends. Standard recommendations

suggest adults achieve 150 minutes of exercise a week. How you spend those minutes depends on your personal goals.

Thomas Guhr, health educator for the Oklahoma Heart Institute Weight Loss and Wellness Center, provides the following examples.

“If a person is training to run a half marathon, their activity will consist of both high intensity and endurance exercises that will typically go beyond the recommended 150 minutes per week,” says Guhr. “Or, if a person is actively working toward losing weight, their activity will consist of mostly aerobic exercises, those that use oxygen, such as walking, biking, swimming, etc.

Aerobic exercises are the most effective at burning excess calories.”

He explains that if you look at quality as the benefit received from exercise and quantity as the amount of exercise being done, then both go hand-in-hand.

“Physical activity is a big-time commitment for most people, and honestly that’s where people fizzle out. It’s that age old saying: ‘I just don’t have time,’” says Guhr.

“Again, we come back to goals, because this

will play a big role in what you are trying to accomplish, but for most of America’s population, any quantity of time spent in the gym or outdoors doing some type of physical activity is quality time that your body is thanking you for.”

To help start and sustain an exercise program, Guhr emphasizes the importance of setting goals and varying your routine.

“Telling yourself that you should start exercising is a promise to yourself, not a plan for yourself,” he says. “Set goals and write them down. Make sure that your goals are something short term that you can see. A goal set too far in the future may eventually seem unattainable.

An example of a short-term goal might be to lose five pounds or run a half-mile without stopping. Once you achieve your goal, set another.”

He adds that if you keep it interesting, you’re more likely to stick with it – and that it’s all about committing to a change.

“I read a quote the other day that said, ‘Great things never came from comfort zones.’ This is so true,” says Guhr. “If you are comfortable with life and how things are going, then that’s the way it’ll stay, but if you will push yourself outside of where you are comfortable, great things will happen. By making small changes in a positive way, whether it’s to start exercising or start eating better, you can develop a new set of skills that will have you leading a much healthier and happier life.”

One Journey Ends, Another Begins Significant and rapid weight loss produces dramatic results. The hit television show, The Biggest Loser, is based on showing the mental, physical and emotional journey of extreme weight loss.

Simply put, losing weight is hard, and unfortunately, challenges don’t disappear once you’ve reached your goal. Instead, it can be the beginning of a new chapter with its own struggles as well as triumphs.

Dr. JoeBob Kirk is the bariatric medical director at Bailey Bariatrics at BaileyMedical Center in Owasso. His medical practice focuses on providing pre- and post-surgery medical care for bariatric surgery patients and the long-term management of bariatric patients who prefer non-surgical

weight loss.

“Anytime a person experiences a positive life-changing event, there is the initial euphoria over the successes it brings,” says Kirk. “The issues lie within the fact that this initial ‘high’ will diminish and that hard work every day to continue this success becomes the reality. The individual patient’s commitment to remain successful will dictate their efforts.”

For many, this new reality can create a fear of sliding back into old habits.

“One of the most difficult concepts for those patients and providers who are not involved in the ‘world of bariatrics’ is the tremendous impact fear of ‘going back’ has on the post bariatric surgery patient,” says Kirk. “Any hint of weight gain is not seen as a mere few pounds gained, but is viewed as an express trip back to before. This fear can be devastating in some patients who were not adequately prepared for the effort required post-surgery.”

Ann Walton, director of St. John Siegfried Health Club, shares that everyone will inevitably encounter plateaus when the scale refuses to budge. She says that it’s during these times that a person has to review their routine as well as consider how the “big three” – age, activity and calorie intake – could be affecting their weight loss.

“Who wouldn’t love to live life traveling down the road of least resistance? However, when you take on the task of losing weight, the first thing you need to put under the microscope is your lifestyle,” says Walton.

“Here lie all the bad habits that have now

become a weekly or even daily occurrence. Success will be determined by reevaluating your current lifestyle and where you make the changes.”

While losing weight and keeping it off takes daily diligence, the physical benefits are worth the effort. Extra pounds are extra baggage.

“A good comparison is imagining a normal-size person trekking up a mountain, carrying a backpack with 20 to 100 pounds of supplies.

Knees and back are suffering from the added weight. Posture collapses, and breathing becomes labored,” says Walton. “But, once rid of the backpack, posture becomes upright, relieving back discomfort.

Inflammation of the knees subsides, and breathing becomes easier and freer. Realizing you have been carrying a heavy backpack for a long time puts into perspective how hard [weight] is on the body.”

For bariatric surgery patients, Kirk says individuals may experience acute benefits for possibly a year after their surgery – including areas of major concern like the improvement or resolution of diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea. Patients also normally gain more energy and health. He also notes that often the difference for a bariatric patient who struggles after surgery is the support provided by those around them.

“Everyone will stumble or have less than hoped for success at least once following surgery. How that patient gets up and gets back on the horse can be determined by the encouragement and support of those who participate in this patient’s journey,” says Kirk. “The emphasis is that bariatric surgery is a tool, not a magic bullet. A patient must continue to play by the rules, do the things asked of them and utilize the new skills they have been given.”

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Oklahoman of the

Year

Olivia Jordan

In July 2015, 26-year-old Olivia Jordan made history when she was named Miss USA. The Oklahoma native is the first Miss Oklahoma USA to claim the crown.

“It was the most surreal feeling,” Jordan recalls of hearing her name called as the winner. “I’ve been dreaming of this for so long. To hear [my name called], I’ve been pinching myself ever since because it’s so incredible to have all my dreams come true in one second.”

Jordan, who currently resides in New York, is a Tulsa native and Bishop Kelley graduate. She graduated from Boston University in 2011, then moved to the West Coast to pursue modeling and acting. She has competed in national pageants, but none as high-profile as Miss USA. “The people in Oklahoma are what make it a special place,” Jordan says. “Growing up in Tulsa, I was surrounded by a community in which people are incredibly kind and generous. That really defines Tulsa in a lot of ways. That helped me be in a good mental place to pursue these goals, a job that is about helping people. Coming from a community that shares those values and morals is important.”

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Jordan has utilized her position to further awareness and research of breast and ovarian cancers, causes that are close to the Miss USA organization as well as to Jordan. “[Breast and ovarian cancers] are a woman’s cause,” Jordan says. “It’s important to rally behind that.”

Jordan has also been an advocate for Alzheimer’s research. She has served as emcee for the Tulsa Memory Gala and Oklahoma City Memory Gala, annual fundraisers for the Alzheimer’s Association. In a trip back to Oklahoma in September, Jordan used her title to bring messages of confidence and being nice to others to Tulsa school students and visited little patients at The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center. She topped off her trip with a fundraiser at Norman’s Riverwind Casino to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

In addition to her goodwill visits and messages of hope, confidence and body positivity, Jordan spent the last half of 2015 readying for the Miss Universe 2015 pageant, which was held Dec. 20 in Las Vegas. She certainly made Oklahoma proud. – Jami Mattox

PHOTO COURTESY MISS UNIVERSE ORGANIZATION.

2015 was a shaky year for Oklahomans.

Oil prices plummeted, scandals broke and earthquakes kept us on our toes.

But for four Oklahomans, the year brought triumphs, accomplishments and titles.

ns

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Innovation is enigmatic, but you know it when you see it. As president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Dr. Stephen Prescott is a major player in the effort to transform Oklahoma City into an innovation district. He’s charged with roping in the best and brightest medical researchers from around the world in the hopes of contributing to and capturing a synergy that will ignite new ideas, fuel new ways of thinking and, ultimately, lead to new ways of doing things – things that save lives.

“The idea behind such a district is to create an environment where people will interact. Those people will be drawn from different disciplines. For example, my own field would be biotechnology, but the district should have people interested in other types of endeavors, including other types of scientists, like those that will be at the GE Oil & Gas Technology Center. I also think it’d be wonderful to have companies interested in design and marketing in there, because, again, that helps everybody’s creativity and spurs innovation,” he says.

During his 10-year tenure at OMRF, Prescott has overseen the largest expansion in the nonprofit’s 70-year history. Raising more than $100 million, Prescott’s made it possible to recruit dozens of new scientists.

He’s currently focused on bringing in new recruits for OMRF’s heart disease, arthritis and aging programs. He’s also made it possible for the organization to build its research tower. Crowned by 18 wind turbines, it’s home to the world’s largest rooftop wind farm.

Innovation is key to OMRF’s mission; the organization makes it possible for more people to live longer, healthier lives. OMRF is tackling old problems – heart disease, stroke, cancer, severe arthritis and neurological illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s– with new ways of thinking. And it’s paying off. Medications discovered and developed at OMRF have made their ways into every clinic and hospital around the world.

The organization saw some big wins in 2015. One of OMRF’s scientists sequenced the genes responsible for a variety of devastating birth defects. Eradicating the defects will be another problem altogether, but at least now scientists and doctors know where to start. The scientists in the aging project turned out some critical studies of Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

OMRF’s future plans include aggressive recruiting. Prescott stresses, however, that with the Oklahoman economy functioning less than optimally, the organization’s being prudent with its efforts. Historically, though, the organization has found that it gets an exponential return on innovation when more people are added to the mix. And, while most people outside the state may not grow up with Oklahoma on their wish list of places to live, once they visit, they tend to like it.

“Scientists are actually very pragmatic people,” Prescott says.

“They’re not ivory tower types. That caricature is incorrect. They’re looking for circumstances in which they can be successful. What we have to offer is that this is a great opportunity for success.”

Space is cheaper in Oklahoma than in larger cities and older, more established universities. This gives OMRF the opportunity to offer potential recruits larger, better stocked laboratories. In other words, bigger playgrounds with more and better toys. And who doesn’t love toys? And more toys combined with more colleagues equals more innovation and more success.

OMRF will continue to grow. It will continue to innovate. And it will see more success. That’s the vision that was presented to Prescott when he was recruited, and it’s the path he’s sticking to. Innovation is where he does his best work.

“At a certain time in your life, you realize that you have some skills more than others. Mine are where there are new challenges. That’s when I function best. I need a place with a vision that we’re going to do things differently and grow and expand. It’s a perfect fit,” he says. – Paul Fairchild

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PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

Dr. Stephen Prescott

Double Wedding Ring Quilt, 1940. Pieced cotton plain weave top, cotton plain weave back and binding; quilted. Gift of the Pilgrim / Roy Collection, 2014.1945. Photograph © 2015 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

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The Cherokee Nation is thriving, and Chief Bill John Baker is a big reason why.

He was elected to a second term in 2015 as leader of one of the largest nations in the United States. It was also a year that saw great strides in cultural preservation and outreach to members.

“When I was running for [re-election], we traveled to Cherokees all over northeast Oklahoma, throughout the state and to California, Texas and Kansas. One of the recurring requests was that, ‘We know the nation is doing great things, but we don’t know enough about it.

We don’t get all the news, and things are taking place that we don’t know about,’” says Baker. “We charged our communications department to be open and transparent but to proactively reach out to our citizenry, to keep them engaged and informed of the things the nation was doing and accomplishing. Anidisco, our before quarterly magazine, goes out to 320,000 citizens.

We changed our transperancy acts so every citizen, has a free subscription to our newspaper.”

Another achievement is Osiyo TV, a monthly, 30-minute newsmagazine series that focuses on the culture and stories of the Cherokee people. It can be viewed on some local channels, on PBS and online.

“Osiyo TV was an immediate success because not only does it feature individual Cherokees who are extraordinary individuals, but it has language, culture, history in it,” says Baker. “It hits on all cylinders so that once a month [viewers] get a new version of Osiyo that is educational, enlightening and brings people current events of the Cherokee Nation in a personal way.”

Baker believes it ought to be the goal of every government to keep their citizenry up-to-date and educated on issues affecting them.

“I took an oath to promote culture, history and language of the people,” says Baker. “It’s part of that obligation that we found a modern, interesting way to fulfill that oath.”

The year 2015 also saw several goals achieved in the field of health care. The Cherokee Nation opened a 28,000-square-foot healthcare clinic in Ochelata and doubled the size of the Cherokee Nation Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell and the Redbird Smith Health Center in Sallisaw. The nation also opened a 48,000-square-foot clinic in Jay. “We’ve been approved for a joint venture to build 450,000 square feet of health care space in Tahlequah, which will bring in more than $60 million a year for more healthcare providers,” says Baker of future plans to expand healthcare service. “I hope to not only have the best healthcare system in Indian Country, but to have the best healthcare system in the state of Oklahoma.”

Other economic ventures, like building housing for citizens, developing shopping and restaurant sites and bringing manufacturing to northeast Oklahoma has expanded job opportunities within the Cherokee Nation.

More Cherokee students are in college on scholarships than ever before. In 2015, Baker says the Nation increased its economic impact by $1.55 billion.

At the heart of the growth is Baker’s vision of connecting with and providing opportunities to his Nation’s citizens. – Jami Mattox

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

PHOTO BY BRANDON SCOTT.

Bill John Baker

PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

Marq Lewis

While he sat in a Tulsa restaurant on the night of the shooting death of Eric Harris, Marq Lewis thought long and hard about organizing protests. There was, again, another unarmed black man laying in the Tulsa streets, this time shot by a reserve sheriff deputy. But these protests, he felt, were jobs for community leaders. At the time, he didn’t know he was that community leader.

“I got phone calls from my people. They were saying that we needed to start protesting. I said, ‘No, no, no, let community leaders do it.’ They kept calling. Finally, someone asked me, ‘When was the last time national media was in Tulsa?’ It clicked with me, and we had protests up and running within 24 hours,” he says.

Over the next few months, those protests grew in size and number. They also grew in scope as Lewis’s grassroots organization, We the People Oklahoma, unearthed evidence of widespread corruption in Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz’s department and peeled back the layers of a culture that made the shooting possible.

Unlike Ferguson, Mo., and other cities that experienced similar incidents, Tulsa didn’t explode in violence. Civic leaders and protestors credit Lewis for that. His positive message, a mix of peaceful protest with firm demands for change, set the tone for rallies and marches across the city.

“Sometimes you have to lay down narratives of acceptance and come in peace. When we look at many great warriors over the last century, we see that their accomplishments were done in peace. Dr. King did it in peace. A lot of people, they’ve done that nonviolently, and they’ve gotten their message across. Mother Theresa did it in peace. They appealed to the humanity of people,” he says.

Tulsa is the “adopted home” of the 40-year-old videographer and photographer. After a job relocation from the East Coast, the company he worked for downsized.

He was given a choice: move to Denver or be laid off. He decided to stick with Tulsa, wasting no time learning its history, culture and politics.

Lewis credits his grandmother and his father for his deeply ingrained sense of social justice. His disabled grandmother successfully lobbied the federal government for handicapped access to her apartment building.

His father, a pastor, was regularly involved in pushes for justice. In high school he was introduced to the works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other purveyors of civil disobedience. Altogether, these influences left a groove in his soul – and his mind – that could only be satisfied with explicitly peaceful searches for justice.

The efforts of Lewis and We the People culminated in the resignation of Glanz in September. Other policy changes will be put in place to change the culture in the sheriff’s department and put an end to more needless shooting deaths.

“This is a depressed city,” says Lewis. “People have lost hope. We’re trying to re-energize that. There’s a lot of pressure involved with getting people to believe in you, getting them to understand they can make a difference, almost like the mantra of our president, ‘Yes, we can.’

You’re changing the mentality because people have been beaten down here. The challenge has always been to get them to believe in something that will happen for not just their community, but all of the community.” – Paul Fairchild JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Living For Giving Oklahoma is one of the most charitable states in the nation; here are a few of its rock-star givers.

By Tara Malone

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

A

nyone who has ever lost his or her home or loved one to a tornado can tell you that Oklahoma may not be a wealthy state, but what residents may lack in luxury, they make up for in generosity. In times of extreme need or disaster, it’s not uncommon for charities to request that Okies actually stop dropping off donations. Nurturing others is just part of our nature.

The average Oklahoman gives anywhere from four to six percent of his income to charity each year, placing Oklahoma in the top 10 most philanthropic states in the nation. Oklahoma City alone ranks as the country’s seventh most generous metropolitan area – and these rankings are based on the donations of private individuals alone. They don’t account for the foundations that give millions of dollars every year to provide better lives for people locally and abroad. Oklahoma is home to many of these foundations; here are some of the state’s top philanthropic organizations.

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation Almost everyone in the Tulsa area knows someone who has been touched by the dedication of the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, though the organization’s generosity extends far beyond Oklahoma.

Although the Zarrows have passed away, their vision of providing for those in need lives on in their foundation, which provides grants to fight homelessness, reduce hunger and support other basic needs. The foundation is a crusader in ensuring equitable access to mental health, health care and social services

for veterans and the disadvantaged in Oklahoma and Israel. This year alone, the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation has given approximately $27 million in financial support of these missions.

Education was also a top priority for the Zarrows during their lifetimes; in recognition of this, their foundation is an unstinting benefactor of Tulsa Public Schools and founded the Zarrow International School, a Spanishlanguage immersion elementary school, in the city. To train the future generation of those

dedicated to pursuing social justice for others, the foundation also recently established the Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work – complete with a brand-new building – at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

“The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation reflects the faith, vision and values that guided our founders, Anne and Henry Zarrow, who believed in building communities where marginalized populations are empowered and inspired to improve their lives,” says Bill Major, executive director of the foundation.

Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation This home-grown global foundation, whose founders recently gave their names to the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa campus, is committed to improving education across the United States, strengthening ties to Israel and enhancing the quality of life for residents of the Tulsa area, especially for the young. Ongoing investments in Tulsa are aimed at enhancing public education for K-12 students, with an emphasis on providing development for teachers and addressing the crucial need for STEM

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education. The foundation also aggressively supports interventions for the reduction of child abuse and neglect, while offering leadership opportunities for area youth.

“We each share a fundamental responsibility to enhance the quality of life in our communities,” says Lynn Schusterman, founder and co-chair of the foundation. “By providing Tulsa’s youth with opportunities to enrich their academic achievement and develop into self-sustaining individuals, we hope they will

contribute their time and talents to strengthening our community for future generations.”

In addition to its educational mission, the Schusterman Foundation is committed to implementing inclusion practices for the equality of all groups, with particular emphasis on the LGBTQ community. The organization is working to foster the next generation of Jewish leadership by providing opportunities for young Jewish people to become engaged with their culture, their community and Israel.

Communities Foundation of Oklahoma The Communities Foundation of Oklahoma has only one mission: make life better in our state.

Initially focusing on the needs of citizens in rural Oklahoma when the foundation was created in 1992, during the past two decades, the organization has funded charities with such diverse missions as improving education, developing arts and culture, protecting the environment and the welfare of animals, providing health care for citizens and fulfilling basic necessities like food and shelter for those in need.

With this flexibility in mind, the foundation works with several sets of advisors who, in turn, recommend 501(c)(3) organizations as recipients of funding. Nearly any sort of charitable organization in Oklahoma is eligible for one of the foundation’s more than 850 funds. Types of funding include permanent and designated endowment funds, as well as an endowment matching program; scholarship funds to provide educational support; field of interest funds for various charitable endeavors; funds to address region-specific needs and more. In

FY2015, the Communities Foundation awarded nearly $13 million in philanthropic aid.

“At its core, philanthropy is about loving humankind,” says Mary Jenkins, chairman of the board for the organization. “Oklahomans embody this spirit each and every day in countless ways. The collective generosity of every resident consistently places Oklahoma near the top of lists, such as The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s ‘How States Stack Up in Generosity.’

Oklahoma is more than just okay. Our benevolence makes us awesome.”

causes. Over the years, the trust has focused on providing grants to capital projects and other endeavors that have widespread impacts on their local communities. Contributions in these areas are particularly evident in the Tulsa area, where the trust has supported initiatives for health care, research and development, parks, public schools and museums.

“Our grandfather [Walter Helmerich II] and father established a deep desire years ago to impact Oklahomans in a positive way by investing in education, the arts and efforts to help the less fortunate,” says Hans Helmerich. “My brothers and I consider it a privilege to continue in that tradition today.”

foundation has focused giving in areas that enhance education, health and human services and communities. Particular areas of funding interest include early childhood education, criminal justice and mental health. Its subsidiary foundation, the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, is dedicated to funding journalism (especially investigative reporting) endeavors nationally. In 2015 alone, Inasmuch contributed more than $19 million in charitable donations.

“Edith Kinney Gaylord realized the importance of philanthropy to a thriving community and often gave anonymously during her life,” says Bob Ross, president and CEO of Inasmuch.

“She founded the Inasmuch Foundation to continue her legacy of helping those most in need and bettering communities and neighborhoods in Oklahoma. Her dedication to philanthropy is an example I hope all Oklahomans will follow.”

Helmerich Trust Founded in 1965 by Walter Helmerich III and his wife, former Hollywood star Peggy Dow Helmerich, the Helmerich Trust’s impact on the state of Oklahoma can be seen in every corner. The interests of the trust are wideranging, from education and science to culture and spirituality. In FY2014 the organization donated more than $5 million to philanthropic

Inasmuch Foundation The Inasmuch Foundation was created in 1982

by Edith Kinney Gaylord, one of the first female reporters for the Associated Press and daughter of Oklahoma news scion E.K. Gaylord.

The name of the organization was inspired by Jesus’s words in the Gospel of Saint Matthew: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me.”

In the three decades since its inception, the

Oklahoma City Community Foundation Focused in the metro area, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation works with donors to create and provide stewardship of endowments to benefit the local community. The foundation administers the largest independent scholarship program in the state, annually awarding more than 700 scholar-

ships. Since 1997, scholarship award funds have totaled $15.6 million. Other endeavors include grants for education, arts and cultural organizations, social services, health care, community and neighborhood initiatives, and services for senior citizens. Altogether, OCCF donated a total of $26.8 million to more than

1,000 local organizations in FY2015.

“The Oklahoma City Community Foundation was founded to provide a way for individuals to make charitable gifts in an easy and efficient way,” says Director of Communications Cathy Nestlen. “Encouraging donors to help others is why we exist.”

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST

What are some things to keep in mind to living a good life?

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2. Make saving an ongoing priority. Regular contributions to savings in various forms can help you weather potential financial hiccups or storms that may arise, not to mention their importance for the day your working and earning life comes to a close.

3. Stay covered. Insurance is a product we all should have, yet hope we never have to use. Your insurance needs will change over time, making it especially important to periodically review your coverage levels 4. Establish a solid plan. Change can be scary, but it also is what keeps life interesting and exciting.

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PHYSICAL THERAPY My shoulders have been sore from outdoor chores. Can physical therapy help me?

Shoulder pain this time of year is a common occurrence. Certain injuries, such as an inflamed bursa or rotator cuff irritation, can arise from overuse of the shoulders TIM MINNICK, PT due to raking leaves, cleaning out gutters, shoveling snow or ice and other seasonal tasks. Shoulder pain can start out very innocently, then over time can cause you to avoid certain movements or daily activities and could let a more serious injury go untreated. You can come directly to physical therapy for an evaluation or if you are referred to physical therapy by a doctor, your physical therapist will address these very treatable conditions. Strengthening exercises, stretches and other modalities can be performed to decrease pain, inflammation and to help recover the range of motion in your shoulders. Don’t let seasonal outdoor chores lead to long-term avoidable shoulder pain.

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Views expressed in the Professionals do not necessarily represent the views of Oklahoma Magazine, Schuman Publishing Co. or its affiliates.

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HOSPICE CARE

LEGAL SERVICES

During the holidays my parents were discussing completing an Advance Directive and we are interested in doing this as well.

Can you explain how they work?

What is the difference between a legal separation and a divorce?

The primary difference is that when two parties are legally separated they remain married while a divorce is dissolution of the marriage. In both, assets may be divided, alimony may BRAD BEASLEY be awarded, custody of and visitation rights to children determined and financial obligations assigned to the parties. However, once a decree of legal separation is entered, the separate assets of one spouse are not subject to being attached to satisfy the debts of the other spouse. Both parties are prohibited from marrying anyone else while legally separated. Parties that are legally separated may live separately or continue to live in the same residence. Legal separations are often utilized to protect the assets of one party, and when the parties have not decided to finally dissolve their marriage.

There are two main types of Advance Medical Directives: a living will and a medical power of attorney. A “living will” allows you to document your AVA HANCOCK wishes concerning medical treatments at the end of life. Before it goes into effect, two physicians must certify you are unable to make medical decisions and have a medical condition covered by the state’s living will law.

A medical power of attorney allows you to appoint a person you trust as your healthcare agent, who is authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf.

Before a medical power of attorney goes into effect a person’s physician must conclude that they are unable to make their own medical decisions.

Grace Hospice can provide you more information about Medical Directives and other related topics. Please call 918744-7223 or visit www.gracehospice.com.

“Grace Hospice: Caring for patients and families in Northeastern Oklahoma for more than 15 years” Ava Hancock Grace Hospice of Oklahoma 6400 South Lewis, Suite 1000 Tulsa, OK 74136 918.744.7223 www.gracehospice.com

Bradley K. Beasley Boesche McDermott LLP 110 W. 7th St., Suite 900 Tulsa, OK 74119 918.858.1735 (Direct Dial) 918.583.1777 telephone 918.592.5809 facsimile

MEN’S STYLE CONSULTANT

DEVELOPMENTAL OPTOMETRIST

I have a pretty good wardrobe when it comes to business dress, but I never have the right things to wear when it comes to everything else. What should I be wearing?

How do I prevent yearly increase in nearsightedness?

The understanding of rapid increase in nearsightedness, also known as myopia, over time has been heavily researched in the past couple of decades. We now have a better understanding that these “yearly” MEGAN changes in glasses and contact (KIRKPATRICK) FORD, OD lenses are not only genetically linked but environmentally related, which can be controllable. These yearly changes are correlated to an increase in near task demand and peripheral vision defocus, which encourages the nearsightedness to increase with time and potentially not stabilize until the individual’s mid20s. In the past couple of years, research has determined a few techniques to control nearsighted progression; therefore, a cessation in the predictable “yearly change.”

The following techniques have been proven by research to decrease or eliminate yearly changes in the younger population: An addition of a bifocal to the glasses, multifocal contact lenses, corneal-reshaping contact lenses, or the use of eye focusing penalization drops.

Megan (Kirkpatrick) Ford, OD South Tulsa Vision Development Center 8988- D1 S Sheridan Tulsa, OK 74133 918.992.2343 www.tulsavisiondevelopment.com

A majority of men – young and old – are unaware of a “social wardrobe.”

Men typically have what it takes to get through a week of work, but when it comes to events outside of the office, they aren't as confident or prepared. Socially, every guy needs a solid navy or black suit, a tan or navy performance blazer (sports coat), a pair or two of higher-quality, dark-colored jeans, a structured pair of khakis and a variety of check, stripe and solid dress shirts and polos. Now don't stress; it takes time to build a “core” wardrobe, and if you chose quality with a classic look, it will last. Shoes truly are the most evaluated elements of a man's wardrobe. Choose three pairs, one in each color black, brown and English tan. Your belt should always match your shoes. Finally, when in doubt, go with the best fit, not necessarily the most expensive. From high end to off the rack, you make the clothing, the clothing doesn't make you.

AUTUMN POHL

Autumn Pohl Independent Style Consultant J.Hilburn Men’s Clothier 918.407.4024 www.autumnpohl.jhilburn.com Autumn.pohl@jhilburnpartner.com

PERSONAL TRAINER Why can’t I lose weight as fast as I did during the first month of my diet?

Scientifically, in order to lose one pound of fat (3,500 calories), your food intake must be 3,500 calories less than your usual calorie expenditure. The first two weeks of a reJOHN JACKSON duced calorie diet, up to 70 percent of the initial weight loss is in the form of water. As your body burns its most accessible fuel – the glycogen stored in the muscles – it releases three or four grams of glycogen. For the first two weeks of a low-calorie diet, you may lose three or more pounds per week. This is a dramatic amount of weight loss, but it isn't until about two weeks into your reduced-calorie diet that your body starts burning fat. Fat contains more calories per pound than glycogen, meaning it takes longer to lose fat. After the first couple of weeks into your diet, it is crucial that you exercise. This is because your body will start to convert protein from lean tissue into energy, actually burning up muscles for energy.

Exercise will keep your muscle mass from diminishing, furthermore a nutrient rich food program will keep you healthy and energized.

John Jackson, Personal Trainer St. John Siegfried Health Club 1819 E. 19th St., Tulsa, OK 74104 918.902.4028 jljackson70@hotmail.com

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR Can adults have ADHD, or is it a childhood disorder?

Absolutely adults can experience ADHD. Often the symptoms may appear somewhat different and may be more difficult to identify, as adults do not always attend school so they are not as obvious as low grades or AMY KESNER, interrupting class. Often adults assume PHD, LPC, LADC forgetting or lack of attention could be related to aging and therefore do not get appropriately screened. A mental health professional can complete a screening for symptoms and diagnosis of adult ADHD. There are a variety of treatments for adult ADHD including therapy, to incorporating some behavior modification interventions, ways to improve concentration, identifying foods and lifestyle that may exacerbate symptoms, as well as the possible need for medication. All interventions should be tailored to each individual's needs.

Only a medical doctor can prescribe medication, but a mental health professional may help you identify if you do have ADHD and assist in recommending some additional treatment options.

Amy Kesner Keystone Counseling & Therapeutic Services 5500 S. Lewis, Suite 5505, Tulsa, OK 74105 918.691.2226 www.amykesner.com dramykesner@gmail.com JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Taste

F O O D, D R I N K A N D O T H E R P L E A S U R E S

THE DRAKE INTRODUCES OKLAHOMA CITY TO SIX VARIETIES OF FRESH OYSTERS. PHOTOS BY BRENT FUCHS.

The Swanky Place For Seafood

N

The Drake marries coastal tastes with Oklahoma City concepts.

ew to Oklahoma City and located in the heart of the Uptown 23rd District, one can’t miss the bright blue lights of The Drake, a new seafood restaurant. Owned by A Good Egg Dining Group, who has ownership of many successful Oklahoma City restaurants, including Cheever’s Cafe, Tucker’s Onion Burgers and Kitchen No. 324, The Drake does not disappoint.

The Drake provides a family-style dining experience, where customers can choose from two or three items and share them as a group.

This, combined with freshly caught seafood,

makes The Drake an Oklahoma City gem.

“A Good Egg Dining Group really tries to fill the holes when it comes to providing Oklahoma City with different types of restaurants, one of those being fresh seafood,” says The Drake General Manager Jon Clark. “We get new seafood deliveries five times a week.

The fish is caught and farmed in a way that is sustainable to the population of fish that you are eating. What is served on your plate was most likely swimming in the ocean not even 24 to 48 hours ago.”

The freshness is obvious. The calamari and lobster roll, The Drake’s most popular dish, tastes like it could have been ordered

at a restaurant straight off of the coast – it’s enough to make any customer forget that they are in landlocked Oklahoma City.

Another big hit are the oysters. The Drake offers six varieties of fresh oysters every day for customers to try. Because oysters are so new to the city, Clark says that they cannot determine which ones in particular are the most popular, because customers always come in and try new ones.

“When we first started, we would have been happy going through 300 to 400 oysters a day, but when we first opened we were going through over 1,000 oysters a day,” says Clark.

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Taste

Not only is the food delicious, but the the atmosphere is simply unforgettable. The Mad Men era décor is combined with the blue waves of the sea.

“Everything was designed to look like waves. We have ‘scallops’ coming from our ceiling that are supposed to resemble waves, and if you actually look at our booths from above they resemble waves as well,” Clark says.

The Drake has only been serving customers since August 2015, but its success has caught on. The Drake tries its hardest to make room for walk-ins, but reservations are definitely recommended, especially on busy weekends.

The Drake provides a flawless experience to any seafood lover. Whether it’s for lunch or dinner, The Drake offers something that Oklahoma City has been asking about for years and, in looks and taste, it doesn’t disappoint. 519 NW 23rd St., #111, Oklahoma City. www.thedrakeokc.com

THE DRAKE’S DECOR IS MEANT TO EVOKE THE FEELING OF THE OCEAN; WHEN VIEWED FROM ABOVE, THE PATTERN AND SHAPE OF THE BOOTHS RESEMBLE WAVES.

JANELLE ARCHER

TRADITIONAL BREAKFAST SERVED WITH UNIQUE GRAVY FLAVORS. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

GOOD GRAVY! DINER

Located on Western Avenue in Oklahoma City is Good Gravy! Diner, a hole-in-the-wall diner that is every breakfast and brunch lover’s dream.

However, unlike most breakfast diners, Good Gravy! has something that makes them stand out apart from the rest – 47 different types of gravy. From typical gravies like brown, cream or sausage, to more creative flavors like jalapeno on ham, bacon burger and even chocolate, Good Gravy! has the widest selection of gravy available to pair with any breakfast dish. From stacks of pancakes to eggs served in just about every style, Good Gravy! serves classic breakfast dishes with a twist. For those who can’t decide on just one type of gravy to go with their meal, Good Gravy! serves a specialty dish, the Biscuits and Gravy Sampler. Unlike typical biscuits and gravy, Good Gravy!’s sampler includes two fresh biscuits served with up to four different kinds of gravy. The diner prepares home-cooked meals just like grandma used to make. 8014 N. Western, Oklahoma City. 405.761.8886 – Janelle Archer

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

MY FIT FOODS

My Fit Foods on Cherry Street and at 106th and Memorial in Tulsa, specializes in healthy living through healthy eating. When you first enter the storefront, you are immediately faced with a wall of glass cases filled with colorful photos showing the meals held within. The refrigerated breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks are all part of the company’s goal to create good eating habits through meal planning and portion control. To fulfill the breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-dinner healthy eating model, which promotes eating every three hours, My Fit Foods offers a 21 Day Challenge. The Challenge begins with a one-on-one consultation with the on-site nutrition coach to discuss personal weight loss or fitness goals, as well as food preferences. Then, a customized breakfastto-dinner meal plan is made to carry the participant through the 21-day period. Breakfast tacos, ninja tenderloin and miso chicken lettuce wraps are among the vast selection of food options that can be ordered online or picked up in-store. Seafood, pasta and vegetarian selections are always available, and no preservatives are ever used. Beyond take-out or eat-in meals, My Fit Foods’ two Tulsa locations also offer supplements and cold-pressed juices to help you along in your journey toward a healthy, fit lifestyle. 1601 East 15th Cherry Street, Tulsa, 918.592.1620 and 7890 E 106th Pl. S., Tulsa, 918.550.8025. www.fitfoods.com. – Mary Beth MY FIT FOODS OFFERS DIET CONSULTATIONS TO CREATE GOOD EATING HABITS. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

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Taste

THE CHICKEN AND WAFFLES ARE A FAVORITE ON WEDNESDAYS AT THE BA CURBSIDE CAFÉ.

PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

ON WHEELS

Meals on the Go

The Broken Arrow school district finds an innovative way to help feed its high school students.

L

uanne Goodacre and her Child Nutrition Department team have some exciting things going on at Broken Arrow High School. Aside from providing meals for 3,600 students every day from traditional lunch lines and free-standing carts, the team has added a food truck into the mix. The idea to add the BA Curbside Cafe as part of the lunch service stemmed from the overwhelming popularity of local food trucks, the success of food trucks on many college campuses and the “hip” factor that they could potentially add to school lunches.

And while fun food is a benefit of the truck, it is not the primary purpose. Having an extra source from which to serve food, ideally, helps to keep kids on campus during lunch hours as well as providing another outlet for serving during the two lunch periods the school currently has.

The truck offers two to three rotating daily options. Monday’s Dog Days Frito chili pie and Wednesday’s chicken and waffles have both been big hits among students.

Made-to-order paninis, Taco Tuesdays and Thursdays, and grilled cheese days are not far behind. Profits from the sale of meals at the food truck, go back into the Child Nutrition Department to maintain equipment, improve eating areas and fund ideas like the addition of a food truck. The menu

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

items are still evolving, and the Child Nutrition Department is keeping a close eye on the popularity of various offerings. If all of the school’s options seem too good to be healthy, think again – each and every meal meets the USDA’s strict nutrition guidelines for school lunches. Requirements for minimum and maximum calorie counts, sodium limits, food group components, whole grain content and minimum protein or protein equivalent content must be (and are) addressed by every lunch served at Broken Arrow High School.

Not only are these standards important to maintain student health, but they are also important because meeting those standards ensures federal funding for the school’s food

CURBSIDE CAFE’S TRUCK PROVIDES FOOD OPTIONS FOR BROKEN ARROW STUDENTS. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

service programs. One of those programs is the Summer Food Service Program, which provides free meals to any child between the ages of one and 18 during the months of June and July when students are out of school and consequently away from a reliable source of nutrition. Generally, the Summer Food Service Program is available from fixed locations, such as schools or community centers, which are sometimes out of reach for students during the summer. The Child Nutrition Department plans on using its new food truck to take balanced nutrition directly to children during the summer months so that they are not forced to travel a long distance, or at all, to receive a meal.

MARY BETH EDE

MARKETPLACE

ADULT CUSTARDS ARE AVAILABLEIN SEVERAL FLAVORS AT HOPBUNZ. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

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HopBunz

best. year. yet.

While the name HopBunz conjures images of beer and burgers, those who are in the know will think of grown-up custard milkshakes. With four permanent flavors and a flavor of the month, HopBunz has a flavor to satisfy your particular craving. The two most popular shakes are, unsurprisingly, Oatmeal Cookie (vanilla custard, Irish crème, butterscotch and cinnamon liquors and oatmeal cookies) and Bourbon and Caramel (vanilla custard, Jim Beam bourbon and caramel sauce). Strawberry Mudslide and Mint Chocolate round out the regular offerings, while some of the 21716 Salt Yoga.indd 1 past monthly flavors have been Drunkin’ Pumpkin (vanilla custard, pumpkin, spices and Captain Morgan rum) for the month of October and Caramel Apple (vanilla custard, caramel sauce, Apple Pucker, silver rum and sour apple mix) to celebrate September. Have a different flavor combination in mind? That’s no problem: HopBunz will make a custom made-to-order shake for you with or without alcohol. Who knows? Your creation could become a flavor of the month. 3330 S. Peoria Ave., Tulsa.

Lawrence & Crane www.hopbunz.com – Mary Beth Ede ANCHOR DOWN SERVES UNIQUE HOT DOGS AND CORN DOGS WITH A VARIETY OF BEVERAGES. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

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If you’re driving down Second Street in downtown Oklahoma City, you can’t miss the new, beautifully geometric OK Sea building. Practically a work of art, the big, red building can’t be ignored. One might ask, “What could possibly be located here?” Welcome to Anchor Down.Anchor Down is an Oklahoma City bar that serves up a lot more than just drinks.

This one-of-a-kind spot serves a one-of-a-kind menu of specialty corn dogs. Not only does Anchor Down have a wide array of beers on tap and even a large selection of Jello shots, but it also serves multiple types of corn dogs to go with whatever you feel like drinking. If you’re feeling traditional, Anchor Down’s Roger Dog is a traditional corn dog that is dipped in batter and garnished with mustard. The Bird Dog is a chicken sausage dog dipped in Anchor Down’s own batter. For the vegetarian or vegan crowd, there is the Guard Dog, a vegan roast dog dipped in vegan masa butter, or the Cheese Dog, a delicious dog for any cheese lover, filled with Tillamook smoked cheddar.Paired with the wide array of craft beers, Anchor Down’s corn dogs are the perfect addition to any evening. 30 NE Second St., Oklahoma City. www.anchordownokc.com – Janelle Archer

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Entertainment

G R E AT T H I N G S TO D O I N O K L A H O M A

Unbreakable, Unstoppable

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIVENATION

T

In the world of pop, Janet Jackson still reigns supreme.

he current state of original artistry in the music industry has been missing a special element: Janet Jackson. A true musical vanguard, Jackson has easily distanced herself from her famous siblings, carving out a career that’s both inspirational and influential. For three decades, Jackson has been at the forefront of the pop and R&B world. After a 10-year hiatus from the industry, the music icon surprised fans and her contemporaries with the announcement of her 11th studio album, Unbreakable, earlier this summer With the help of her last name, Jackson propelled onto the entertainment scene in the 1970s television show, The Jacksons and hit ‘80s shows like Good Times and Fame. She

would define herself as one of the best-selling artists in history thanks to hit albums like Rhythm Nation, Janet and 20 Y.O. Following the release of her third studio album, Control, Jackson’s career reached crossover success in popular music. The album peaked at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, selling more than 14 million copies worldwide. The album spawned four top five singles: “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “When I Think of You” and “Let’s Wait Awhile.”

The proof of her success became notable when Jackson accepted six Billboard Awards and three Grammy nominations, most notably her nomination for Album of the Year in 1987.

In 1993, Jackson made her film debut in

Poetic Justice. While critics raved her beguiling performance as the main character, Justice, her ballad “Again,” which was written for the film, received a Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.

Other movie appearances for Jackson include The Nutty Professor II, Why Did I Get Married and For Colored Girls.

Currently in the midst of her seventh world concert tour to promote her new album, which includes 88 stops in North America, the woman who has shaped today’s current pop scene is as unbreakable and talented as ever.

On Jan. 27, witness how unstoppable Janet Jackson is when she performs at the BOK Center. Tickets begin at $35. For more information, visit www.bokcenter.com.

NEHEMIAH ISRAEL

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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PERFORMANCES • IN CONCERT • SPORTS • FAMILY • ART • CHARITABLE EVENTS • COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

PHOTO BY NATHON HARMON

Entertainment

Calendar

PERFORMANCES A Masterpiece ‚ A Surprise Jan. 9 Pianist Stephen Hough performs classics from Tchaikovsky and Dvorak. www.okcciviccenter.com

Kraig Parker Jan. 10 Everyone’s favorite Elvis impersonator will grace the stage. www.winstarworldcasino.com Jersey Boys Jan. 12-17 This Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning musical

Madeon

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

The Oklahoma Wedding Show There are so many details that go into planning the wedding of your dreams. For all your wedding needs, Oklahoma Magazine presents The Oklahoma Wedding Show. This elegant event brings Oklahoma’s elite bridal retailers, bakers, florists, photographers and caterers under one roof for all wedding needs. And what would a bridal show be without a bridal fashion show? The show will feature bridal gowns from Green Country’s top bridal retailers, which will spotlight the latest bridal trends and designs from local boutiques. Have questions about seasonal floral arrangements, venues or dress fittings? Experts will be on hand to answer questions.

Also, enjoy one-on-one consultations with photographers, caterers, bakers, travel planners, entertainers, lighting designers and more, with free sample of there work . Guests will also have the opportunity to win one of many prizes totaling more than $12,000 - including a pearl set by Mikimoto from Bruce G. Weber - during the show.

With two runway shows, couples will find plenty to do from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Oklahoma Wedding Show dazzles on Jan. 16 at the Central Park Hall, located at the Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St., in Tulsa. For more information, visit www.oklahomawedding. com or call 918.744.6205

tells the story of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons. This is a true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. www.okcciviccenter.com Sara Sant’Ambrogio-Chopin on the Cello Jan. 14 Enjoy an evening of Sara Sant’Ambrogio, a founding member of the Naumburg Award-winning Eroica Trio and a Grammy Award-winning cellist, as she returns to the Armstrong stage in an all-Chopin recital. www.armstrongauditorium.org Frank Caliendo Jan. 14 The comedian provides Tulsa a night filled with laughter at the Tulsa Hard Rock Casino. www. hardrockcasinotulsa.com A Chorus Line Jan. 15-24 One of the longest running shows in Broadway history comes to Tulsa for the first time in more than a decade. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, this extraordinary musical tells the story of the struggles and triumphs of life on Broadway. www.tulsapac.com TSOClassics:DreamsAndRevolution Jan. 16 Principal Guest Conductor Daniel Hege conducts Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, featuring Tulsa Symphony’s Principal Clarinetist David Carter. www. tulsapac.com Piano & Friends Jan. 19 Features talented musicians playing popular songs on classical instruments. www.brightmusic. org Marvel Universe Live! Jan. 21-24 Marvel Universe Live! will put fans right in the middle of one of the most electrifying battles between good and evil ever conceived. www.bokcenter.com

Cinderella‚ Moscow Festival Ballet Jan. 25 The Moscow Festival Ballet brings the fairy tale of Cinderella to life with lavish sets and gorgeous, authentic costumes from the Bolshoi era. www.armstrongauditorium.org The Sleeping Beauty‚ Moscow Festival Ballet Jan. 26 Widely regarded as Tchaikovsky’s finest ballet score, The Sleeping Beauty has become one of the most beloved and famous ballets. Join us as the Moscow Festival Ballet performs thismasterpieceofclassicalrepertoire. www. armstrongauditorium.org Do You Hear the People Sing Jan. 29-30 Alain Boubil and Claude-Michel Schonberg’s multifaceted concert work comes together in one unforgettable evening. www.okcciviccenter.com Junior League presents Speaker in the City Jan. 31 The Junior League of Oklahoma City welcomes Jillian Michaels as the first speaker for its Speaker in the City event. www.okcciviccenter.com

IN CONCERT Hangover Ball 2016 Jan. 1 www. cainsballroom.com Rob Thomas Jan. 2 www.winstarworldcasino.com Casey Donahew Band Jan. 2 www. riverwind.com Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots Jan. 8 www.cainsballroom.com Samantha Crain and Will Johnson Jan. 8 www.bluedoorokc.com Travis Ledoyt Jan. 9 www.riverwind. com Creed Bratton Jan. 13 www.thevanguardtulsa.com CoreySmith Jan.14 www.cainsballroom. com Madonna Jan. 14 www.bokcenter. com Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Jan. 15 www. winstarworldcasino.com Derek Reed ’s Bir thdayPalooz a!

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OKMEA All-State Concerts Jan. 22-23 Presented by the Oklahoma Music Educators Association. www.tulsapac. com Signature Classics: Barber, Bernstein and Boyer Jan. 23 The collaboration weaves West Side Story, On The Town and Adagio for Strings with stories from Ellis Island’s immigrants in a multimedia performance. www.tulsacc.edu

Jan. 16 www.thevanguardtulsa.com Aaron Watson Jan. 16 www.diamondballroom.net Eric Paslay Jan. 16 www.riverwind. com Johnny Mathis: 60th Anniversary Concert Tour Jan. 16 www.winstarworldcasino. com The Expendables Jan. 19 w w w.

I N CO NC E RT

cainsballroom.com Charlie Wilson Jan. 22 www.winstarworldcasino.com Tank Featuring Ginuwine Jan. 23 www. riverwind.com Dave Mason Jan. 26 www.thevanguardtulsa.com Badfish, A Tribute to Sublime Jan. 26 www.cainsballroom.com Old Dominion Jan. 27 www.cainsballroom.com Janet Jackson Jan. 27 www.bokcenter. com Lynyrd Skynyrd Jan. 29 www.winstarworldcasino.com Randy Rogers Band Jan. 29 www. riverwind.com Shooter Jennings Jan. 29 www. diamondballroom.net WarofKings Jan.29 www.grandresortok. com Red Dirt Round-Up Jan. 29 www. bokcenter.com

OKC Thunder www.nba.com/thunder. com v. Sacramento Jan. 4 Jan. 6 v. Memphis Jan. 13 v. Dallas Jan. 17 v. Miami Jan. 20 v. Charlotte Jan. 29 v. Houston OKC Blue www.oklahomacity.dleague. nba.com/ v. Texas Jan. 12 Jan. 22 v. Los Angeles Jan. 23 v. Bakersfield Jan. 25 v. Los Angeles v. Rio Grande Valley Jan. 28 Tulsa Oilers www.tulsaoilers.com v. Missouri Jan. 5 Jan. 9 v. Wichita Jan. 26 v. Allen Jan. 30 v. Allen OU Men’s Basketball www.soonersports. com v. Iowa State Jan. 2 Jan. 4 v. Kansas State Jan. 13 v. West Virginia Jan. 26 v. Texas Tech OSU Men’s Basketball www.okstate. com v. TCU Jan. 2 Jan. 5 v. Baylor Jan. 9 v. West Virginia Jan. 13 v. OU Jan. 19 v. Kansas Jan. 23 v. Kansas State Jan. 27 v. Baylor TulsaMen’sBasketball www.tulsahurricane. com v. ECU Jan. 5 Jan. 14 v. UCONN Jan. 24 v. UCF Jan. 30 v. Houston ORU Men’s Basketball www.oruathletics. com v. South Dakota Jan. 3 v. North Dakota State Jan. 9 Jan. 23 v. Omaha Jan. 28 v. IPFW O U Wo m e n ’s B a s ke t b a l l www.soonersports.com v. Kansas State Jan. 10 Jan. 20 v. Texas Tech Jan. 27 v. West Virginia OSU Women’s Basketball www.okstate. com v. Texas Jan. 9 Jan. 16 v. OU Jan. 20 v. Iowa State Jan. 30 v. TCU Tu l s a W o m e n ’s B a s k e t b a l l www.tulsahurricane.com v. SMU Jan. 1 Jan. 13 v. Cincinnati Jan. 16 v. Tulane Jan. 23 v. Memphis Jan. 27 v. UCONN ORUWomen’sBasketball www.oruathletics. com v. South Dakota Jan. 8 Jan. 15 v. IUPUI Jan. 17 v. Western Illinois Jan. 24 v. Omaha Monster Jam Jan. 2 Head to Monster

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOK CENTER

SPORTS

Madonna Who rules the pop world?

None other than the incomparable Beyoncé Giselle KnowlesCarter. But before the “711” singer became the queen of the charts, Madonna wore the crown. Songs such as “Like a Virgin,” “Like a Prayer” and “Vogue” catapulted Madonna’s popularity in the 1980s and secured her title as the Queen of Pop. Today, over the span of her illustrious more-than-threedecade career, Madonna has stood her ground against stars like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and many more.

While the Queen of Pop has managed to sustain her music career, she has also stayed in the news for not only her music, but for controversy. While the world postponed and cancelled events following the tragic terrorist attacks in Paris, Madonna told her audience in Stockholm, Sweden, “Why should I allow them to stop me – to stop us – from enjoying freedom?” Although controversial, Madonna has always been dedicated to making music and creating visually, enticing performances.

Jan. 14, Madonna brings her Rebel Heart tour to Tulsa’s BOK Center. For more information, visit www.bokcenter.com.

history and revival, in a fun new exhibition at Gilcrease Museum. www.gilcrease. utulsa.edu The Jerome M. Westheimer, Sr. & Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair: James Surls Thru Jan. 3 View Surls‚ investigation of the natural world through his sculptures made from wood, steel and bronze. www.ou.edu/ fjjma Painted Journeys: The Art of John Mix Stanley Thru Jan. 3 Explore John Mix Stanley’s‚ artwork depicting the American West. www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu Enter The Matrix: Indigenous Printmakers Thru Jan. 3 This exhibit explores how printmaking has become a matrix for cultural and artistic exchange, the

Old Dominion

critical sites of engagement and key figures. www.ou.edu/fjjma Bert Seabourn: American Expressionist Thru Jan. 9 After being an illustrator, graphic designer and art director for a major Oklahoma energy company for 23 years, Seabourn became a full-time painter and has since received many high honors for his work. His art is on display at the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. www.oklahomahof. com ArtNow Jan. 11-22 An annual exhibition and ar t sale showcases works f r o m O k l a h o m a’s t o p a r t i s t s . www.oklahomacontemporary.com In Living Color Thru Jan. 17 Works by Pop artist and influential printmaker Andy

The Expendables

Jam in Tulsa for an exciting day of rip-roaring fun at the BOK Center. Monster Jam is a family-friendly experience starring the biggest performers on four wheels. www. bokcenter.com Tulsa Shootout Thru Jan. 2 The Tulsa Shootout is the largest micro sprint racing event in the country. With up to 1,000 participants, it promises to be an exciting four days of fierce competition. www. tulsashootout.com High Performance Expo Jan. 1-Jan. 3 Come to the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds and get your motor running at the High Performance Expo. Created with the engine enthusiast in mind, this expo is jam packed with all things horse power. www.raceshow.net Chili Bowl Thru Jan. 16 Held at Expo Square each year for 30 years, these

races attract more than 200 drivers from around the world. www.chilibowl.com Special Olympics Winter Games Jan. 14-16 Athletes take their marks at the sports meet at the University of Oklahoma and other locations. The Olympic-style event hosts thousands of athletes hoping to medal and go to world competition. www.sook.org PBR Jan. 22-24 The toughest sport on dirt returns to Oklahoma City for the PBR Express Employment Professionals Oklahoma City Invitational. w w w. chesapeakearena.com

ART Native American Bolo Ties: Vintage and Contemporary Artistry Thru Jan. 3 Explore the world of bolo ties, the uniquely Western sartorial adornment’s

JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Special Olympics Games According to the University of Missouri Health Systems, competitive sports can be beneficial to the development of the mind, body and heart. Competitive sports can be especially beneficial for people with special needs. Founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics Games brings athletes from across the state of Oklahoma to put their skills to the test by competing for the coveted prize of the gold medal. Special Olympics are a yearround program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with special needs. The organization offers 16 competitive sports, including alpine skiing/cross country skiing, aquatics, basketball, bocce, bowling, equestrian, flag football and many more. Athletes who participate in the Special Olympics remain physically active while increasing their self-esteem and self-confidence. Oklahoma’s first Special Olympic event was held at the University of Tulsa in 1969. The 2016 Oklahoma Special Olympics Winter Games will be held Jan. 1416 in Norman on the University of Oklahoma campus. Every two years the world transcends the boundaries of geography, nationality, politics, philosophy, gender, age, culture and religion to come together for the largest sporting and humanitarian event on the planet. For more information, visit www.sook.org

Warhol are the centerpiece of this exhibition, including portraits of Marilyn Monroe and other celebrities, the electric chair, camouflage patterning, flowers, sunsets and more. www.philbrook.org InEx: ETA Collective Thru Jan. 24 InExconsists of seven Tulsa artists who work in a broad range of materials and artistic styles. InEx, contributing artists explore

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COMMUNITY

PHOTO COURTESY SPECIAL OLYMPICS OKLAHOM

Entertainment

challenge at Holland Hall School. www. hollandhall.org Chocolate Festival Jan. 30 The 34th annual fundraiser for the Firehouse Art Center holds a sweet promise at the NCED Hotel and Conference Center in Norman. www.normanfirehouse.com A Taste of Tulsa Jan. 31 Tulsa’s finest restaurants bring their best to the Cox Business Center along with exciting auction packages, live music and dancing. bbbsok.org Price Tower Gala Jan. 31 Join the fun at this fundraiser event for Bartlesville’s celebrated landmark, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright . www.pricetower.org

SPORTS

their internal views on place, and translate their experience of place into visual art. www.ahhatulsa.org TU Core Connections- Jan. 8-Jan.28 This exhibit features original clay pieces of 23 UniversityofTulsa students. www.livingarts. org Havisham Jan. 8-28 Havisham is an exploration of the subconscious through

Bobby Bones

the psychological technique of contextualizing thoughts, emotion and impulses into a setting that makes more sense to us. www.livingarts.org Birds in Art Thru Feb. 7 Artists from around the world find inspiration from birds, their artworks on display within this exhibit. www.gilcrease.utulsa.edu Identity & Inspiration Thru Feb. 12 For this exhibit, eight artists have each created a piece of art the size of a small billboard, which will be on display at the Invited Artists Gallery in the Underground. www. facebook.com/OKCsecretlife Barbizon and Beyond Thru Feb. 28 This exhibition features paintings and prints that reflect the distinctive character of a wide range of landscapes. www.philbrook. org Doel Reed: Interludes Thru March 27 Discover more than 20 paintings, drawings and prints by Oklahoma printmaker Doel Reed. www.philbrook.org Revision: Contemporary Navajo Weavings from the Pam Parrish Collection Thru May 8 This exhibition showcases 22 of the more than 60 major weavings donated to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum over the past three years by PamParrish. www.nationalcowboymuseum. org Off the Wall Thru June 5 Discover Thomas Breeze Marcus’ larger-than-life murals and paintings in this Philbrook Downtown exhibit. www.philbrook.org

CHARITY OKC Fight Night Jan. 14 Get ready to rumble at the 10th anniversary of the OKC Charity Fight Night with special guest host, Evander Holyfield. In addition, enjoy a night of live and silent auctions, professional boxing matches and professional MMA matches. www.okcfightnight.com Snowflake Gala Jan. 22 This elegant event celebrates the accomplishments of donors and volunteers for the annual

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Tulsa Crystal Ball Dec. 31 A New Year’s Eve masquerade party at the IDL Ballroom in downtown Tulsa. www.idlballroom. com New Year’s Eve Winter White Party Dec. 31 A sophisticated dinner at Oklahoma City’s The Boom Boom Room, New Year’s Eve style. www.theboomokc.com Brady Theater New Year’s Eve Party Dec. 31 Enjoy live performances at the third annual event at the historic Brady Theater. www.bradytheater.com Opening Night Dec. 31 Bring in the New Year in downtown Oklahoma City with live music, dancing, theater and fireworks. www. artscouncilokc.com New Year’s Eve Yoga Dec. 31 Parties not your thing? Ring in the New Year peacefully with Inner Peace Yoga. www. innerpeaceyogatulsa.com Adele Wolf’s Variety Show Dec. 31 An alternative New Year’s Eve party featuring belly dancing, burlesque and aerial and cabaret performances to celebrate dance through the decades. www.oklahomacontemporary.com New Year’s Crawl Dec. 31 The Blue Ox dining group hosts a crawl in downtown Tulsa’s Blue Dome District, featuring food, drinks, shuttle rides and a mechanical

Badfish

United Way of Central Oklahoma fundraising campaign. www.unitedwayokc.org Toyland Ball Jan. 23 This black tie gala, with a whimsical theme, offers an elegant evening of dinner and dancing, with a live auction. The Toyland Ball is responsible for raising 16 percent of the Parent Child Center of Tulsa’s total operating budget. www.toylandball.org Bishop Kelley Trivia Night Jan. 23 Teams of trivia buffs battle at Bishop Kelley High School to support the school’s programs. www.bishopkelley.org Boots and Ball Gowns Gala Jan. 23 The Western-themed gala celebrates Infant Crisis Services’ work helping mothers in need and their children with a fun fundraising night at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. www.infantcrisis. org Holland Hall Trivia Night Jan. 30 Sharpen your game and focus for this annual trivia

bull. www.blueoxdining.com Noon Year’s Eve Party Dec. 31 For the kids, the Tulsa Children’s Museum hosts a miniature version of New Year’s Eve for t h e l i t t l e o n e s i n y o u r l i f e . www.tulsachildrensmuseum.org 14th Annual New Year’s Eve Sobriety Powwow Dec. 31 A night of traditional American Indian dancing at the Cox Business Center. www.coxcentertulsa. com NYE Olive Drop Dec. 31 Bartlesville’s annual NYE celebration, hosted by the Price Tower Arts Center. www.pricetower. org NewYear’sEveBallDropontheSquare Dec. 31 Head to Pawnee for the Courthouse Square Ball Drop. Bring out your family and friends to start the new year with a huge party complete with live music and fireworks. www.cityofpawnee.com First Day Hike at Lake Wister State

To see more events happening around Oklahoma, go to

IN

OKC

Navajo Weavings From The Pam Parrish Collection

Feeling a little artsy? The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum showcases 22 Navajo weavings from the Pam Parrish Collection. A selection of reproduced photographs from the Dickinson Research Center will also be on display. The exhibit also includes a paintings from the Arthur and Shifra Silberman Native American Art Collection depicting various aspects of Navajo culture.

Thunder vs. Mavericks

Beginning in the early 20th century, the Red River Rivalry has become an imprint in the culture of Oklahoma. Traditionally, the competition is between the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas.

But now, the rivalry has reached the level of professional basketball, with a hardwood battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks. After a grand playoff series in 2011, these two teams have never looked at each other the same. At the last rivalry game, the Thunder defensively locked the Mavericks down in a 114-117 victory.

In the game, Thunder Point Guard Russell Westbrook had 5 steals, 31 points and 11 assists. The fierce rivalry game tips-off Jan. 13 at 7 p.m.

PHOTO BY LAYNE MURDOCH/NBAE, COURTESY OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

expert advice on any home-related product or service. www.oklahomacityhomeshow. com OKC RV & Boat Show Thru Jan. 17 This show features RVs, boats, kayaks, sailboats and more. Browse booths and meet with vendors about all types of outdoor travel and leisure products and services. www. okcrvandboatshow.com International Finals Rodeo Thru Jan. 17 The annual International Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City features the top 15 cowboys and cowgirls from across the U.S. and three Canadian provinces as they compete for world championship titles in seven standard rodeo events. www. iprarodeo.com Dr. Martin Luther King Parade-Tulsa Jan. 18 Tulsa hosts one of the largest MLK paradesintheUnitedStatestocommemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The MLK Parade is a celebration invites everyone in the community and surrounding areas is invited to participate. This year’s theme is One Race: The Human Race. www. mlktulsa.org Dr. Martin Luther King Parade-OKC Jan. 18 A strong show of unity is needed this year to demonstrate the significance of this holiday for the entire Oklahoma City community. www.okcmlk.org It’s All About Birds! Jan. 30 Enjoy the exciting live bird presentation, It’s All About Birds! from the George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center, offered in conjunction with special exhibition Birds in Art. Trained birds will fly from the stage over the audience in this inspiring educational show for families and adults of all ages. www. suttoncenter.org Downtown In December Thru Feb. 1 Experience the thrill of outdoor ice skating, exhilarating snow tubing down the nation’s largest man-made slope, free water taxi excursions on the magically lit Bricktown Canal, free museum Sundays, beautifully-lit areas and plenty of holiday cheer. www.downtownindecember. com

COURTESY OF NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MU SEUM.

IN

OKMAG.COM

TULSA

Submissions to the calendar must be received two months in advance for consideration. Add events online at

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Park Jan. 1 Meet at the Ward’s Landing Pavilion for an easy, quarter- to half-mile hike on the Lone Star Nature Trail. www. travelok.com Land Run OKC Antique Show Jan. 2-3 More than 70 vendors will be present with everything from antiques, collectibles and furniture to jewelry, art, books and records. www.heritageeventcompany. com Oklahoma City Auto Racers Auction & Swap Meet Jan. 2 Vendors fill the Oklahoma Expo Hall with merchandise, parts and other hard-to-find items perfect for completing your car project. www. raceshow.net Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink Thru Jan. 3 Enjoy holiday ice skating in Mitch Park at the Edmond Outdoor Ice Rink. www. edmondoutdooricerink.com Oklahoma Winter Quilt Show Jan. 7-9 The quilt show includes numerous vendors, seminars, demonstrations, workshops, make-and-take-it projects, stage presentations, a quilt contest and more. www.qscexpos.com KNID Agrifest Jan. 8-9 Northwest Oklahoma’s largest farm show provides informative seminars and demonstrations as well as vendor booths, activities and more. www.knid.com Second Saturday Walking Tour Jan. 9 Take a fun and educational walking tour through downtown Tulsa the second Saturday of each month with the Tulsa F o u n d a t i o n fo r A rc h i te c t u re . wwwtulsaarchitecture.com Dr. Martin Luther King Soul Food CookOff Jan. 16 Travel to Muskogee for the Dr. Martin Luther King Soul Food Cook-Off and feast on delicious soul food dishes like sweet potato pie, collard greens, homemade yeast rolls, black-eyed peas and hot water cornbread. 918.684.6363 Ultimate Eagle Watch Jan. 16 Travel to nothern Oklahoma’s Kaw City, located around Kaw Lake, for guided eagle viewing tours. www.kawlake.com OklahomaWeddingShow Jan.16 Wedding dreams are reality at Oklahoma Magazine’s annualOklahomaWeddingShow.Soon-to-be brides will meet with top vendors in bridal apparel, floral design, event planning, catering and representatives from venues and accomodations. www.okmag.com Winterfest Thru Jan. 17 Downtown Tulsa is transformed into a festive wonderland during Winterfest. Bring friends and family together for holiday festivities and share the joyful spirit of the season. www. bokcenter.com OklahomaCityHome&GardenShow Thru Jan. 17 Held at Oklahoma’s State Fair Park, the Oklahoma City Home & Garden Show is a convenient destination to gain

OKMAG.COM/CALENDAR

Corey Smith

Marvel Universe Live

Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Loki, Captain America, Wolverine and Black Widow are just some of the characters that are expected to appear in Marvel Universe Live! That’s right! Marvel comics come to life in a live show with theatrical stunts. Fans will be put in the middle of the electrifying battles between good and evil. The story is centered on the battle over the source of ultimate power, known as the “Cosmic Cube.” You will be amazed as your favorite Marvel superhero’s powers come to life with cutting-edge special effects, pyrotechnics and martial arts. Catch the battle Jan. 21 and 24 at the BOK Center.

What’s the Tea?

Looking for a quaint place to have some tea with friends? Victoria’s Tea Room provides a stylish lavish setting to get together with girlfriends and sip tea while connecting over the latest gossip. The menu features delightful desserts, soups and salads. As you walk through the doors, you’ll enter a realm of pure opulence.

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LOVE IN

BLOOM Saturday JANUARY 16 10AM TO 4PM

Expo Square • Central Park Hall • Tulsa

Find everything your heart desires at

THE OKLAHOMA WEDDING SHOW presented by Oklahoma Magazine The state’s premier wedding show features vendors waiting to help make your big day a dream come true. Enjoy one-on-one meetings with photographers, caterers, bakers and more. Find the perfect dress, venue and entertainment options, all under one roof. Take advantage of this great opportunity to win prizes, view the latest bridal designs, chat with experts and sample some of the best cakes and catering in the region.

• • • • •

Everything you need to plan your big day in one place!

More than $12,000 in prize giveaways Bridal fashion shows Green Country’s top wedding vendors Cake and catering tastings 10 a.m.

Doors open 11:30 a.m. Bridal Runway Show 2 p.m.

Bridal Runway Show

OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA

918.744.6205 • advertising@okmag.com

OklahomaWedding.com

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma Wedding 72

#NoFilter 80

Ring in a New Marriage 82

The Big Place for the Big Day 84

Special Delivery 86

The Gift

88

Clutch Performance 90

Shades of Class 93

Designer Gowns 98

Love In Bloom 102

The Sweetest Day 106

Finger Lickin’ Good 108

Honeymoon In Paradise 110

Wedding Service Directory JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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#NoFilter

When the bride radiates, there’s no need for fuss. Lots of lace, a bit of sparkle and all class – these looks will complement any bride’s beauty.

Oklahoma Wedding

Photography by Nathan Harmon. Makeup by Starla Ward, Stunning by Starla and Rachel NewtonSchwartzkopf. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Models courtesy Brink Model Management and Linda Layman Agency. Flower bouquets courtesy Toni’s Flowers & Gifts.

Three-quarter-length sleeve lace trumpet gown, $1,350, and accessories, David’s Bridal. Ring, Bruce G. Weber Precious Jewels. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Starla Ward, Stunning by Starla.

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Ball Gown with beaded bodice and sweetheart illusion neckline, $3,574.88, and accessories, Alyssa’s Bridal & Tuxedo. Cake, Merritt’s Bakery. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon, Makeup by Starla Ward, Stunning by Starla.

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Oklahoma Wedding

Alfred Angelo ice blue column dress with lace overlay, $749, Alfred Angelo.

Alberto Makali feather shoulder wrap and Alexis Bittar Lucite earrings, Saks Fifth Avenue. Ring, Bruce G. Weber Precious Jewels. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Rachel NewtonSchwartzkopf.

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Alyssa’s Exclusive trumpet gown with lace overlay and beading on bodice and sleeve, $3,574.88, and accessories, Alyssa’s Bridal & Tuxedo. Ring, Bruce G. Weber Precious Jewels. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Starla Ward, Stunning by Starla.

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Oklahoma Wedding

Oleg Cassini organza veiled lace gown, $1,650, and accessories, David’s Bridal. Ring, Bruce G. Weber Precious Jewels. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Rachel Newton-Schwartzkopf.

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Oleg Cassini scalloped chiffon cape wedding dress, $1,450, www. davidsbridal.com. Ring, Bruce G. Weber Precious Jewels. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Starla Ward, Stunning by Starla.

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Oklahoma Wedding

Alfred Angelo soft net gown with illusion yoke and sweetheart neckline, $1,249, Alfred Angelo. Ring, Bruce G. Weber Precious Jewels. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Starla Ward, Stunning by Starla.

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BEAUT Y

The Best ‘Do for the Day’ Up or down, tousled or sculpted, the right wedding ‘do is dependent upon the bride’s personality and dress. Bridal stylist Shawna Burroughs, who works at Jara Herron Salon, offers her insight on some of the top bridal styles and what to keep in mind when planning styles for the big day.

“The most universal hairstyle for brides is the ‘half up,’ says Burroughs.

“This style gives the illusion of being down, but allows the bride the freedom to move throughout the night without losing volume. It is a great style for elongating the neck.”

“A sleek ‘chignon’ is a beautiful option for a more classic bride who likes structure and sophistication,” says Burroughs.

“This style is great for opening up the shoulders and collar bone.”

“The ‘bridal blowout’ offers unlimited style options ranging from a couture style with volume and bounce to a more sleek, vintage-inspired look.”

“The ‘tousled updo’ is romantic, soft and effortless,” says Burroughs. “A great choice for an outdoor wedding or a bride with naturally curly hair.”

Sottero Midgley sweetheart neckline ball gown, Bridal Palace. Accessories, Alyssa’s Bridal & Tuxedo. Hair by Shawna Burroughs, Jara Herron Salon. Makeup by Rachel Newton-Schwartzkopf.

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RINGS

Ring in a New

1.

Marriage

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n the past, tradition ruled the custom of marriage, from engagement to the “I dos.” But today more than ever, brides and grooms are shirking the norms and having a wedding how they want it. And that includes the ring. Engagement and wedding bands are now no longer territory for a traditional, cushion-cut diamond. Rings may house sapphires, emeralds, colored diamonds, or no stones at all.

Solid gold band are being replaced with those sporting color and pattern. So think outside the box when considering what rings will mark your relationship.

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Oklahoma Wedding

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1 A. JAFFE 18K WHITE GOLD MOUNTING WITH FOUR-PRONG KITE-SET CZ CENTER AND EURO SHANK, $5,500. BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, TULSA. 2 CHRISTOPHER DESIGNS 10.03CT GREEN TOURMALINE CENTER SURROUNDED BY 0.88CT DIAMONDS. CALL FOR PRICING. BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, TULSA. 3 CHRISTIAN BAUER PALLADIUM 7.5 MM. CALL FOR PRICING. BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, TULSA. 4 CHRISTIAN BAUER 14K WHITE GOLD, 6.0 MM. CALL FOR PRICING. BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, TULSA. 5 CHRISTIAN BAUER PLATINUM AND 18K ROSE GOLD 6.5 MM. CALL FOR PRICING. BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, TULSA. 6 CHRISTIAN BAUER 18K WHITE GOLD 6.5 MM. CALL FOR PRICING. BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, TULSA. 7 HENRI DAUSSI CUSHION CUT FANCY YELLOW DIAMOND CENTER SURROUNDED BY ROUND PAVE DIAMONDS IN 18K WHITE GOLD, $17,095. MOODY’S JEWELRY, TULSA. 8 SUPREME JEWELRY HEART-SHAPED LIGHT BLUE SAPPHIRE CENTER SURROUNDED BY ROUND WHITE DIAMONDS IN 18K WHITE GOLD. CALL FOR PRICING. MOODY’S JEWELRY, TULSA. 9 CHRISTOPHER DESIGNS 7.31CT AQUA CENTER SURROUNDED BY 1.83CT DIAMONDS. CALL FOR PRICING. BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, TULSA. 10 CHARLES KRYPELL PRECIOUS PASTEL COLLECTION PEAR SHAPED YELLOW DIAMOND CENTER SURROUNDED BY ROUND AND PEAR SHAPED WHITE DIAMONDS IN 18K YELLOW GOLD AND PLATINUM, $75,000. MOODY’S JEWELRY, TULSA. 11 VARRAGIOWHITE AND ROSE GOLD ENGAGEMENT INSIGNIA . CALL FOR PRICING. B.C. CLARK JEWELERS, OKLAHOMA CITY. 12 TUNGSTENAIR MEN’S WEDDING BAND COLLECTION. CALL FOR PRICING. B.C. CLARK JEWELERS, OKLAHOMA CITY. 13 MEGAN THORNE 18K YELLOW GOLD PICTURE FRAME . CALL FOR PRICING. B.C. CLARK JEWELERS, OKLAHOMA CITY. 14 MEGAN THORNE ROSE CUT DIAMOND 18K YELLOW GOLD BUTTERCUP PETAL . CALL FOR PRICING. B.C. CLARK JEWELERS, OKLAHOMA CITY.

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IMAGES COURTESY BRUCE G. WEBER PRECIOUS JEWELS, MOODY’S JEWELRY AND B.C. CLARK JEWELERS.

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Perfect MoMents Are MAde

Here.

1700 Utica Square, Tulsa • 918-749-1700 • 800-749-1771 • brucegweber.com

VENUE

The Big Place for the Big Day

Oklahoma Wedding

W

hen planning the biggest – and likely the most expensive – day of your life, you can’t afford to miss any information. Since the wedding venue is the biggest piece of the puzzle, we’ve asked three area wedding and event planners to weigh in on what questions need to be asked to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting.

Talmadge Powell of Talmadge Powell Creative, Joe Mathis of J.A. Mathis and Lynn Wheatley of Lasting Impressions have a combined 57 years’ worth of experience in the wedding industry. When it comes to finding the perfect venue, they are the experts.

“I think one of the most important things is to make sure the venue represents the couple,” says Mathis. “It’s really an extension of their home and their family style.”

Mathis advises taking pictures of the venues you visit so you will be better able to remember what you liked and didn’t like about the venue.

It’s okay to visit the venue multiple times to make sure you haven’t changed your mind, he adds. Be sure to visit the venue during the same time of year you plan to get married. Some venues may look drastically different in various weather situations.

Powell emphasizes considering the space offered by each venue.

“A venue that is too big or too small can make or break an event,” he says.

Instead of trying to mentally picture exactly what your space will look like on your big day, feel free to take measurements.

While you’re planning the layout of your venue, be sure to leave room for the bouquet toss, cake cutting and a space for gifts. Additionally, Powell advises checking out the “backstage” space: Is there enough room in the dressing rooms, kitchen, bathrooms and parking areas?

Much like Powell, Wheatley is most concerned with the space of the venue.

“While it’s a bummer to think about bad things while planning your wedding, it’s important to consider fire codes. The number of people allowed in a space, who is in charge, where guests should

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safely exit … as a host, you ultimately bear the responsibility.”

Of course, those aren’t the only things to consider when viewing a potential venue. Mathis advises to look at non-traditional venues.

“Hotels and churches have long been a popular venue,” he says, “[but] in recent years, wedding-specific venues have popped up.”

Instead of limiting your scope to the traditional venues, it may be worthwhile to look into museums, parks, homes and historic buildings to make sure your venue really reflects your style. Whatever you choose, be sure to ask if the venue can accommodate the rest of your wedding needs. Some venues may require you to use in-house vendors or may not be child-friendly.

Once you find a venue you love that is available on the day you want, half the battle is won. The other half is considering what else may impact your wedding: how many other events the venue may have that day, if any other weddings are occurring in the area or if the area is scheduled for construction.

“It’s important to check local area events,” Powell says. “Local runs, sporting events, downtown concerts, festivals and sporting schedules can all potentially impact your event.”

Finally, it’s important to consider the cost.

“Typically, venue costs should not exceed eight-10 percent of your overall budget,” says Wheatley. “If you plan far enough ahead, you should have plenty of options for venues.”

Instead of waiting to be surprised with the total of your bill just days before the wedding, ask the venue for a written proposal while you’re still searching for the right space. Be sure to ask them to go over any hidden fees and costs; insurance, recycling, cake-cutting and last-minute changes for an outside wedding are common ways to acquire extra fees.

The one thing all of our wedding planners agree on? Hiring a planner to help you navigate, negotiating all of the details for your big day. After all, it makes it easier to choose a venue if you aren’t trying to remember all of the little things and can focus on the overall image instead.

KARA STEWART

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Be smart about booking a venue for the wedding day to ensure a no-hassle wedding.

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I N V I TAT I O N S

Special Delivery

Sending the invitations should be stress-free; follow the guidelines below to ensure that the process is as smooth as possible.

A

ccording to etiquette expert Emily Post, sending out wedding invitations can be made much simpler by keeping a few tips in mind.

Oklahoma Wedding

• Allow plenty of time to address, assemble and mail invitations.

• Order extra envelopes in case of mistakes.

• Consider the reply address you will want to use. Guest responses and gifts are likely to be sent to the return address on the outer envelope. If guests should reply to a different address, use it for the reply card envelope or list it below the RSVP line on the invitation.

• Organize the master guest list in a useful form.

• Make sure your addressing and/or assembly area is clean, and wash your hands before you begin.

How to Address the Envelopes

• Double check the spelling of your guests’ names before addressing the envelopes.

• Invitations should always be addressed to both members of a married couple. If children are invited but are not receiving a separate invitation, their names may be written on a line below their parents’ names on the inner envelope.

• An invitation to an unmarried couple residing at the same address is addressed with both names connected by “and.” Use one or two lines, depending on length.–Jami Mattox

IMAGES COURTESY WEDDING PAPER DIVAS.

Source: www.emilypost.com

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Oklahoma Wedding

WEDDING REGISTRY

The Gift

Helpful tips of etiquette for buying that all important wedding gift.

W

eddings can be a lot of fun, but when it comes to gifting, guests can find themselves stressing out over the dos and don’ts, not to mention investing a sizable sum in the happy couple by the time the actual “I dos” have taken place. With wedding season right around the corner, we’ve done our research when it comes to wedding gift etiquette and have come up with the following advice, thanks to helpful websites like Theknot.com.

Is a wedding gift mandatory?

While no one is going to get arrested by the wedding police if they don’t provide a gift, it is traditional etiquette that people who are invited to a wedding bring one, even if they can’t make it to the ceremony. That being said, it has also been written that a card or note will suffice in the event that you receive an invitation from someone to whom you aren’t close, or to whose ceremony you will be unlikely to attend. Basically, the choice is yours.

To shop or not to shop from the registry?

It’s always a safe bet to choose a gift from the couple’s registry – you can’t possibly buy a gift they won’t like. You’re not, however, obligated to do so. It’s perfectly acceptable to purchase off-registry if you know something else the couple would like. It is also fine to write out a check as a gift. Many brides and grooms actually prefer it, and in some cultures, money is actually more commonly expected. One thing is for sure: what you give should be a personal choice.

How does one navigate a registry?

Many retailers make shopping more convenient by allowing guests to access registries online, or just head to the store to purchase in person.

Don’t know where the couple has registered? Try a search of their names on some common registry sites. It is also acceptable to call the bride or groom, members of the wedding party or even the couple’s parents.

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What are some new trends in registries?

Some experts note a trend of couples opting for modern twists on traditional wedding gifts. Companies like IDOFoundation.org allow guests to make a donation to the couple’s favorite charity, and some couples have honeymoon registries set up where different elements can be given such as a night at a hotel, limo service, dinner or an evening of drinks. Where a gift of cash is concerned, websites like Tendr allow you to send a monetary gift with a credit card.

How much to spend?

According to TheKnot.com, what you choose to spend on a wedding gift depends on how well you know the couple and your personal budget. In general, expect to spend $50-$150. If the couple has registered for an item that’s outside your budget, go in with some other guests. If you’re heading to a destination or an out-of-town wedding, it’s okay to spend less on the gift due to the expense of travel, but you should still give something.

How many gifts do you have to buy?

Members of the wedding party, family members and close friends are often invited to numerous celebrations in addition to the actual wedding. Do you have to buy a separate gift for each affair that you are invited to? Bridal showers are technically a gift-giving party and one should not show up empty-handed (unless it has been declared a gift-less shower); but bringing a gift to the shower does not excuse you from a wedding gift where etiquette is concerned. The easiest solution is to split a gift-giving budget among showers, engagement parties and the wedding. Figure out how much you can afford to put into a gift. Then, Theknot.com recommends the following allocation: 20 percent on the engagement gift, 20 percent on the bridal shower and 60 percent on the wedding gift.

Last but not least, don’t wait a year after the wedding to send a gift. Guests should plan to gift the bride and groom before or at the wedding – or, at most, within two months of the wedding. Theknot. com recommends not bringing a gift to the wedding; have it shipped straight to the couple. – Laurie Goodale

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Oklahoma Wedding

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From

Contemporary to

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BRIDESMAIDS

Shades Of Class

These bridesmaid dresses put a spin on the traditional classic look.

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016

JENNY YOO

KELLY FAETANINI JENNY YOO

Oklahoma Wedding

After selecting the wedding dress of your dreams, the next step is ensuring that your girlfriends look almost as stunning as you! The bride should always choose her gown first in order to make sure the bridesmaids dresses fall in line with the overall design and style of the chosen wedding gown. From traditional church weddings to casual weddings on the beach, the 2016 spring/summer line-up is classic and will have your bridesmaids covered – beautifully!

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Now Booking Weddings for 2016 in the Rustic, Industrial Charm of Renaissance Square or The Timeless Elegance of The Campbell Ballroom Located on Historic Route 66 and The National Register of Historic Places www.thecampbellhotel.com | 918-744-5500 | 2636 E 11th St, Tulsa

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016 KELLY FAETANIN

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

J. MENDEL

LELA ROSE

MARCHESA

MARCHESA

NAEEM KHAN

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Bare Shoulders

NAEEM KHAN

LELA ROSE

NAEEM KHAN

J. MENDEL

Oklahoma Wedding

An Angelic Touch

J. MENDEL

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

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REEM ACRA

NAEEM KHAN

LELA ROSE

Mermaid Mischief

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CAROLINA HERRERA

J. MENDEL

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Just an Illusion

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OKLAHOMA MAGAZINE | JANUARY 2016 NAEEM KHAN

NAEEM KHAN

NAEEM KHAN

VERA WANG

NAEEM KHAN

LELA ROSE

NAEEM KHAN

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The Rebel

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VERA WANG

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Oklahoma Wedding

She Loves Details

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PURE ENGLISH

MARCHESA

NAEEM KHAN

CAROLINA HERRERA

J. MENDEL

In a Fairytale

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VERA WANG

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The Drama Queen

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FLOWERS

Love In Bloom

Oklahoma Wedding

Flowers say it best.

LAVENDAR SCABIOSA QUEEN ANNE LACE, VIBURNUM, PINK AND YELLOW ROSES. TONI’S FOWERS & GIFTS, TULSA.

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YELLOW CYMBIDIUM AND ORANGE MOKARA ORCHIDS. TONI’S FLOWERS & GIFTS, TULSA

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Oklahoma Wedding

YELLOW ROSE, BITTER SWEET CALLA LILY AND TROPICAL MONSTENA LEAVES. THE GARDEN TRUG AND PETAL PUSHERS, TULSA.

SOFT WHITES: HYDRANGEA, RANUNCULUS, TULIPS, ESKIMO AND SPRAY ROSES. THE GARDEN TRUG AND PETAL PUSHERS, TULSA.

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ASPIDISTRA LEAVES, LILY GRASS STUDDED WITH PEARLS, SILVER EUCALYPTUS, DOUBLE ROSE LILIES. MARY MURRAY FLOWERS, TULSA.

ANTIQUE GREEN HYDRANGEAS, PINK GARDEN ROSES, WHITE ALSTROMERIA. MARY MURRAY FLOWERS, TULSA.

ROSES, CALLA LILIES, PINCUSHION PROTEA, BROOMCORN, TRACHELIUM. VERN’S PROPS AND FLOWERS/J.A. MATHIS, TULSA.

CALLA LILIES, LIZIANTHUS, ROSES, SCABIOSA, QUEEN ANNE’S LACE, DUSTY MILLER, BRUNIA. VERN’S PROPS AND FLOWERS/J.A. MATHIS, TULSA.

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Oklahoma Wedding

CAKES

The Sweetest Day

Cakes set the mood for the reception. No matter the theme, a perfect cake provides a great ending to the big day.

CLASSIC FOUR-TIERED LAYER CAKE WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. MERRITT’S BAKERY, TULSA. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

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NONTRADITIONAL TIERED CAKE WITH FROSTING AND SUGAR ART. MERRITT’S BAKERY, TULSA. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

SQUARE CHOCOLATE TIERED CAKE WITH EDIBLE DECORATIONS. ROSEBEARY’S DESIGNS IN BAKING, OKLAHOMA CITY. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

A TRADITIONAL FRENCH CROQUEMBOUCHE, CREAM PUFFS HELD TOGETHER WITH SPUN SUGAR. BROWN EGG BAKERY, OKLAHOMA CITY. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

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TIERED CAKE WITH SUGAR FLOWERS, SUGAR LACE AND SUGAR RIBBON DETAIL. ROSEBEARY’S DESIGNS IN BAKING, OKLAHOMA CITY.

Oklahoma Wedding

PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

TIERED CAKE WITH SUGAR FLOWER AND STAMPED BASE. ALL THINGS CAKE, TULSA. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

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TRADITIONAL TIERED WEDDING CAKE WITH ICING DETAIL AND SUGAR FLOWERS. ALL THINGS CAKE, TULSA. PHOTO BY NATALIE GREEN.

ARTISTIC SQUARE TIERED CAKE WITH ABSTRACT PATTERN AND A SUGAR FLOWER. BROWN EGG BAKERY, OKLAHOMA CITY. PHOTO BY BRENT FUCHS.

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DRAGONMOON TEA COMPANY, TULSA BAKED CHOCOLATE PUDDING. TOMATO-PARMESAN SOUP SHOOTERS.

IN THE RAW, TULSA CHO CHO BEEF SKEWERS TOPPED WITH PEANUTS AND AVOCADO DRIZZLE.

Oklahoma Wedding

C AT E R I N G

Finger Lickin’ Good Who says good food has to be fancy? When planning a wedding reception or engagement party, consider going utensil-free.

AILA’S CATERING, EVENTS, TULSA PERSONAL CLASS SHRIMP COCKTAIL AND ULTIMATE 2X BAKED POTATO MEAL.

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MCNELLIE’S, TULSA CHICKEN AND BEEF SLIDERS.

STONEHORSE CAFÉ, TULSA SHRIMP REMOULADE TART, CRAB CAKES AND CREME BRULE TARTELETTE.

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ANDOLINI’S PIZZERIA, TULSA CAPRESE ANTIPASTO SKEWERS AND ATHENIAN PIZZA. .

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KEO RESTAURANT, TULSA SPRING ROLLS AND COCONUT CHICKEN SKEWERS WITH PEANUT SAUCE.

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H O N E YM O O N

Honeymoon in Paradise

Oklahoma Wedding

No destination is off-limits when it comes to planning the perfect honeymoon.

REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES

H

oneymoons are the icing on the wedding cake. They are the reward for all the hard work put into planning a wedding and an exciting start to marriage. So why not do it right? Luxurious honeymoon getaways abound all over the world. Find an excursion that ďŹ ts your individual style and interests, from the beach and boating to diving, golf, wine tasting, history, archaeology and horseback riding.

Republic of Seychelles

Oberoi Mauritius is the recommended luxury hotel at the Republic of Seychelles. You can expect Mauritian treatments and diverse cuisine that includes Euro, Asian and Creole styles. Chartering your own boat is a memorable way to tour the environment and get a different perspective of the island. Being on the water and experiencing the marine life while having the freedom to explore the shoreline from unobstructed views engages the senses.

Anguilla

Cape Juluca in Maundays Bay has Moorish-style architecture and seaside villas. If you want to incorporate some golf into your honeymoon, try the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa in Rendezvous Bay. These Mediterranean-style, whitewashed villas have spas and a Greg Norman Signature Design Championship Golf Course.

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ANGUILLA

East Coast Wine Trail

Stonington Vineyards in Connecticut offers wine tastings and tours and also provides a vineyard wedding venue. A fall foliage honeymoon train ride is a romantic way to see the east coast. Wine tasting tours and cooking classes are relaxing and informative ways for a newly married couple to bond.

EAST COAST WINE TRAIL

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Alvear Palace is located in the chic Recoleta neighborhood. Get tickets to a dinner and tango show. Experience the famed Argentine barbecue and visit Eva Peron’s memorial if you want to add in some history and culture. 9 de Julio Avenue is the widest boulevard in the world.

Spend time on this boulevard to experience how Argentina is the “Paris of South America.”

Have the evening to look forward to the Argentine nightlife.

Hawaii

HAWAII

Lanai is the formerly private island known as the “pineapple island.” Total relaxation is perfect for honeymooners, and the perfect thing about the Four Seasons Lanai is that there are two locations you can shuttle back and forth to – Manele Bay on the beach or the Koehle Lodge in the mountains. Both are part of the Four Seasons hotel. You can interchange activities between the two facilities and enjoy yoga on the beach, scuba diving and watching spinner dolphins and humpback whales at the Manele Bay location. Golf, horseback riding, archery, sporting clay and off-roading are just some of the activities offered at Koehle Lodge location.

CROATIA

Mustique

Croatia

History and archaeology lovers would enjoy a honeymoon in Croatia. Not only are there beautiful beaches and exotic cuisine, but there are also cultural sightseeing spots for the couples who need an itinerary for their day. Three areas to consider are Dubrovnik, Istria and the Dalmatian coast. A great honeymoon memory to look back on could be taking a sea kayak and snorkeling in Dubrovnik and going to the medieval hilltop towns in Istria. If you’re not cruising there, stay at the Villa Dubrovnik along the Dalmatian coast and take advantage of the Vaporetto boat service, which provides accessible exploration to the Old City. Spa treatment for two on a private and secluded beach is part of the charm.

MUSTIQUE

The Cotton House is a 17-bedroom boutique hotel that offers suites with private pools. Horseback riding, tennis and spa indulgences are activities to build into your day when you’re not relaxing on Mustique’s stunning beach. The Veranda restaurant’s menu offers local favorites like suckling pig roasted with local spices and baked dark chocolate crumble for dessert. The seafood selection is succulent, too.

These seven destinations give you choices all around the world depending on which continent you prefer. Whether you are foodies, athletes or beach lovers, these resorts provide a full package of activities.

Paradise awaits on your honeymoon.

GINA MICHALOPULOS KINGSLEY

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Wedding Service Directory Bridal, Formal Attire Alfred Angelo Bridal Enjoy the ultimate bridal consultation at our Alfred Angelo signature stores.

Choose from any of our collections based on your wedding style, task and budget.

8802-C E. 71st Street, Tulsa. 918.307.0355. wwwalfredangelo.com Al’s Formal Wear Al’s Formal Wear offers men’s formal wear and the best wedding photography, videography and D.J. services. 7028 S. Memorial Drive, Tulsa. 918.250.1441.

Alyssa’s Bridal & Tuxedos A full-service salon offering an outstanding selection of gowns and services. With strong emphasis on quality and selection, romance and sophistication, our gowns are sure to fulfill every bride’s wedding dream.

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6808 S. Memorial Drive, Suite 356, Tulsa.

918.250.1991. www.alyssas.com David’s Bridal More than 300 locations nationwide. Beautiful dresses, smart prices, amazing colors. Fabulous new styles, including one that’s uniquely you. 877.921.BRIDE. www.davidsbridal.com

Cakes Merritt’s Bakery Tulsa’s finest cakes, pastries, cookies, cupcakes and more. 3202 E. 15th Street, Tulsa.

918.747.2301; 2832 E. 101st Street, Jenks.

918.296.9000; 4930 W. Kenosha, Broken Arrow. 918.250.1607. www.merrittsbakery.com

Catering 2 Pops Catering The best BBQ and boneless chicken catering for under $10 per person. Quality, on time service, “best food ever.” 6008 S. Memorial Drive, Tulsa. 918.516.8277.

Aila’s Catering/Events We provide superior quality ingredients and stunning displays with each and every menu created for weddings, corporate events, family gatherings or intimate dinners. 4900 W. 71st Street, Tulsa. 918.859.8786.

Andolini’s Pizzeria Andolini’s catering can please any crowd

or budget. Pasta, pizza, salad, cocktail hour appetizers and more! Contact us for a complimentary tasting. Email us at catering@ andopizza.com. 1552 E. 15th Street, Tulsa.

918.728.6111.

Aunt Pittypat’s Catering For more than 20 years, Aunt Pittypat’s has been Oklahoma City’s most trusted caterer for attention to detail and commitment to quality food and service. Specializing in formal and casual weddings and reception dinners. 1515 N. Portland, Oklahoma City. 405-942-4000. www.auntpittypatscatering.com Celebrity Restaurant For nearly 50 years, Celebrity Restaurant has been a Tulsa favorite for its award-winning menu and fine dining experience. 3109 S. Yale Avenue, Tulsa. 918.743.1800. www. celebritytulsa.com Ludger’s Catering & Events Ludger’s Catering and Events is happy to offer a variety of services including delicious menu options, service, bar and bartending, rentals, décor and centerpieces.

6120 E. 32nd Place, Tulsa. 918.744.9988.

Ted’s Café Escondido From rehearsal dinners to receptions, we can do it all! Check us out for information about our catering and banquet room services.

3202 W. Kenosha Street, Broken Arrow.

918.254.8337.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS HUMPHREY PHOTOGRAPHER .

Oklahoma Wedding

2016

Entertainment Zach Downing Wedding & Party DJ Wedding entertainment expert and master of ceremonies. Sixteen years of personal experience for premier clients. 918.382.7278 or 405.310.9189. www.zachdowning.com

Event Planners J.A. Mathis Company J.A. Mathis Company is a full-service event management and design company. With experience and excellence, we’ll partner with you to make your corporate or social event a success. For parties, conferences and more, trust the pros at J.A. Mathis Company.

6130 S. Maplewood Avenue, Suite A, Tulsa.

918.298.7055. www.jamathis.com

Florists and Décor The Garden Trug and Petal Pushers All wedding flowers, bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, centerpieces, arches, votives, rental items, candelabras, vase stands and great ideas.

Plus a full garden center. 3009 E. 101st Street, Tulsa. 918.528.3828. thegardentrug.com Toni’s Flowers & Gifts Complimentary consultation by appointment. Toni’s serves all of your wedding needs. 3549 S. Harvard Avenue, Tulsa.

918.742.9027. www.tonisflowersgifts.com Whole Foods Market Whole Foods Market is a natural and organic grocery store featuring foods that are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats.

1401 E. 41st Street, Tulsa. 918.712.7555; 9136 S. Yale Avenue, Tulsa. 918.879.0493; 6001 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City.

405.879.3500. www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Health, Beauty and Wellness Rodan + Fields Skin Care Get radiant skin for your special day. Four regimens to treat dark spots, acne, sensitive and aging skin developed by doctors you can trust. Sixty-day money back guarantee.

918.704.5899. www.kimelise.myrandf.com Sky Fitness & Wellbeing Sky Fitness & Wellbeing is a full-service fitness facility located in Tulsa. Enjoy weight loss boot camp, yoga, group fitness and state-of-the-art equipment all in one luxurious location. 4103 S. Yale Avenue and 10121 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa.

918.641.5501. www.sky-fit.com Tulsa Surgical Arts The cosmetic surgeons of Tulsa Surgical

Arts offer the most rewarding cosmetic surgery procedures and latest techniques to enhance your natural beauty. 7322 E. 91st Street. 918.392.7900.

beautiful, country setting on the farm. 9353 W. 500 Road, Pryor. 918.697.1498. www. moorefarmsrusticweddings.com

Utica Square Skin Care Offering medical skin care and a variety of services and therapies to help you look and feel your best. 2111 S. Atlanta Place, Tulsa.

918.712.3223.

Noah’s Event Venue Noah’s is a classically beautiful event venue that was built with you in mind. Noah’s provides all of the event essentials for your special day. 12710 E. State Farm Boulevard, Tulsa. 918.760.3931.

Hotels and Venues 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa The 1886 Crescent Hotel is an elegant and unique venue, providing beautiful ceremony and reception space, full-service catering and spa services and luxurious accommodations. 75 Prospect Avenue, Eureka Springs, Ark. 479.363.6321.

Campbell Hotel, Event Center & Spa Boutique hotel with two spacious event centers. Located on historic Route 66 in the heart of Tulsa. Catering available through Maxxwells Restaurant. 2636 E. 11th Street, Tulsa. 918.744.5500.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa We set the stage for romance and memories: 75,000 square feet of event space, 450 hotel rooms, 18-hole golf course, a variety of dining options and more! 777 W. Cherokee Street, Catoosa. 918.384.7931. www. hardrockcasinotulsa.com Holiday Inn Tulsa City Center The full-service Holiday Inn Tulsa City Center can accommodate every bride’s needs from out-of-town guests, rehearsal dinner and reception needs. Book today! 17 W. 7th Street, Tulsa. 918.585.5898. www. holidayinn.com Marriott Tulsa Hotel Southern Hills Marriott provides many different wedding package options, outstanding catering capabilities, on-site event planners, free parking and ideal accommodations for out-of-town guests. 1902 E. 71st Street South, Tulsa.

918.493.7000.

Meadowlake Ranch Rustic setting with waterfalls, spring-fed lakes, old growth forests, covered bridges, lighted arbors, fire pits and more. Indoor or outdoor ceremonies and receptions. Capacity is 250. 3450 S. 137th West Avenue, Sand Springs. 918.494.6000.

Moore Farms Rustic Weddings Whether it’s a lovely ceremony in our outdoor, nature-inspired landscape, hosting an indoor reception in our rustic barn, family reunions or private parties, your celebration will be an enchanting event that brings together friends and family in a

Oklahomans for Equality 621 E. 4th Street, Tulsa. 918.743.4287. www.okeq.org ONEOK Field-Tulsa Drillers ONEOK Field is the perfect venue for your next wedding, reception or rehearsal dinner.

Nestled in downtown Tulsa, ONEOK Field offers stunning views from its meeting and event spaces. 201 N. Elgin Avenue, Tulsa.

918.574.8308. www.oneokfieldevents.com Sparrow A truly uncommon place to gather for any special occasion, complete with luxury bride and groom suites and state-of-the-art caterer’s kitchen. 5305 S. Hartford, Stillwater.

405.334.2723.

White House Mansion Charming, historic mansion on 10 acres of land. Easy access to highway, flexible catering options, ample parking – the hidden treasure of Tulsa. 2015 Best of Weddings award. 1 W. 81st Street, Tulsa. 918.313.008. www.whitehousemansiontulsa.com

Jewelers Bruce G. Weber Precious Jewels Bruce G. Weber represents the finest, most renowned brands of designer jewelry and watches available in the world today, with competitive “meet or beat” prices and personalized sales and service. 1700 Utica Square, Tulsa. 918.749.1700. www. brucegweber.com

Lighting Empire Lighting Design & Sound Lighting and sound design for clients who want to enhance each event with professional lighting and sound, pin spots, monograms, bistro, table and room lighting, ceremony sound systems and expanded room sound.

918.382.7278 or 405.310.9189. www.tulsaparty.com or www.okcparty.com OMNI Lighting, Inc. Full production for any event: lighting, bistro lights, monogram on the dance floor, curtains, sound systems, video and chandeliers. 1333 E. Fourth Street, Tulsa. 918-5836464. www.omnilighting.com JANUARY 2016 | WWW.OKMAG.COM

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Oklahoma Wedding

Photography

Rentals and Supply

Chris Humphrey Photographer “Taking care of my brides, helping to make this day amazing, and getting notes like, ‘The photos are stunning!’ that’s what I love.”–Chris Humphrey. 12324 E. 86th Street North, Suite 250, Tulsa. 918.625.4630. www.chrishumphreyphotographer.com

ABCO Rents Complete wedding and party rental for rehearsal, ceremony and reception needs.

2033 E. 11th Street, Tulsa. 918.583.6557 or 918.584.1030. www.abcoparty.com

Photo Booth

Warren Place Travel Won Best of the Best at the recent Sandals Resort’s Star Awards. Endorsed by Butch Stewart, chairman and founder of Sandals and Beaches. 6100 S. Yale Avenue, Suite 100P, Tulsa. 918.492.4724

Duet Photo & Video Booth Providing GIF, slow-motion and still digital memories for guests at all events.

918.382.7278 or 405.310.9189. www.tulsaparty.com or www.okcparty.com

Registry Williams-Sonoma With more than 50 years of experience in the kitchen, Williams-Sonoma has perfected the art of cooking and celebrating special occasions by providing the finest cooking equipment, tools, recipes and foods available. 2016 Utica Square, Tulsa.

918.742.5252. www.williams-sonoma.com

families have trusted Captain Video Productions with their memories since 1985. 1429 N. Umbrella Avenue, Broken Arrow. 918.622.4441. wwwcaptainvideoinc.com

Travel

Tuxedos Al’s Formal Wear Men’s formal wear and the best wedding photography, videography and DJ services. 7028 S. Memorial Drive, Tulsa. 918.250.1441.

Videography Captain Video Productions Offering multiple HD camera coverage and stedicam that discreetly captures your event. Tulsa

nothing transforms a night like

empire event lighting and design

...and you

918.382.7278 • TulsaParty.com 405.310.9181 • OKCParty.com Karlisch Photography, Inc. 21742 Zach Downing.indd 1

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