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InterviewsPaulo Paes

Jay Tracy

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Around Edmond, Shop Edmond, My Home, Metro Flavor, Metro Vibe, Metro Events!

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Sherri Hultner

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Chris Hultner

contributorsMelissa Cox

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

V. 5, ISSUE 01, January 2013

03

Around Edmond

By Sherri Hultner

As I write this. I am without words, knowing a community

in Connecticut, just like ours here in Edmond, has lost some

of it’s sweetest members.

Please take this month to think about how, as just one

person, you can make a difference in this world. There is a

movement on social media sending people off to do 26 good

deeds in 26 days.

This is sweet, but what if we all did this daily, 365 times a

year? I, most likely like you, am just worn out from all of the

aggresiveness that our culture has come to accept, but more

than not, has come to expect and is often celebrated, in our

personal lives, in business, within the government, etc.

Personally, I believe it’s just not necessary to show people

how badly you can act, and I would much rather see and live in

a community that does what they do well without the negative

rhetoric or words. This has to be a subject of conversation

because our sweetest members of the community are watching

everything we do, everything we say and absorbing how we

treat others. This is one small part of the problem that we can

individually fix ourselves.

I believe if we all take personal responsibility daily, this

could be the start of the most profound social change.

We have come together with some of the most amazing

contributors and advertisers in the metro. The people who

write for this magazine and the business owners who advertise

are some of the most supportive, positive, creative, smart and

funny people I know in this community, and we have more to

introduce you to, in the coming months.

Support each other in this time of national grieving, enjoy

the connections we all have as a community and lets all start

this year with such a positive mindset that we decide to help

lift up all who are around us and remove the negativity from

our daily lives. If this happened more often than not, Edmond

would be almost perfect.

Thanks for reading, I hope all of you had a peaceful

Christmas with friends and family. We are excited about all

of the stories of fantastic people in the area we’ll be bringing

this year, and we are starting with Mason Harvey, our first

ever Edmond Active Magazine Person of the Year. This 12

1/2 year old is one of the most amazing people we’ve met and

seen in a long while. He has something to teach all of us, and

his character is simply outstanding.

Please follow us at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest

at @EdmondActive, and online at EdmondActive.com. We

have over 18,000 local and metro residents following and we

try our best on a daily basis to provide relavant community

oriented information.

Happy New Year!

04

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My Fitness

06

Resolutions are synonymous with the New Year. This year, as every year, the ever-so-popular “I’m going to get healthier” resolution will be declared by the masses. How can you avoid being in the majority that abandon this resolution by February when most resolutions are forgotten? Create a game plan. Get organized. Prepare.

Whether physical activity is a new venture or you are a seasoned gym rat, making the resolution to spend hours in the gym everyday is likely unrealistic for you. Going from zero to sixty could increase the chance of injury, as well as zap your motivation. A better way to approach your workout schedule is to make a resolution to exercise three or four times a week. If you are just entering the world of health and fitness, begin slow by walking or riding a bike for 15-20 minutes. Once shorter windows of activity become a habit and you start to reap the benefits, it’s easier to progress to the next level.

Organizing your workout routine is essential to the success of your program. While any kind of exercise offers tremendous benefits to your health, different modes of exercise focus on certain aspects. While making your game plan, you can choose to concentrate on one type of exercise or combine them to add variety and broaden the benefits you want to achieve. Aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, strengthens the heart and increases endurance. Flexibility exercise helps to prevent injury and

increase range of motion in the joints. This can be done through daily stretching or Yoga. Strength training, also known as resistance training, builds muscle and bone mass, helps to boost your metabolism, and plays a role is disease prevention. No matter which type of exercise you choose to tackle, it’s important to make exercise a priority. Even the busiest of us can find time to devote ten minutes to get moving.

If weight loss is your resolution, have a realistic and healthy goal of one to two pounds lost per week. Reject the quick-fix diet, which can prevent you from getting essential nutrients. Instead, view weight loss as a lifestyle that includes calorie control and regular exercise.

Another factor to consider when developing your workout game plan is how you are going to keep it going. One great way to do this is to record your progress. An exercise journal can become your visual proof of how far you’ve come from where you began. Also, get inspired! Read articles and blogs about others who have been in your shoes. Look at images of people who are healthy and fit to motivate you to move your body. Pinterest offers a wide variety of health and fitness bulletin boards to spark inspiration.

Stay focused and don’t be discouraged with obstacles!

New Year’s ResolutionsMelissa Cox, M.S. (The Shape Project)

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Metro Flavor

08

One of our favorite local restaurants is Lotsa Noodles (2410 W. Memorial, south of the Kilpatrick by Lowes). I’m a huge pasta fan and Lotsa Noodles has every kind of pasta dish you can imagine. But pasta isn’t the only thing they do at Lotsa Noodles. They also make great pizzas, salads and sandwiches. I recommend the Angel Hair Primavera, and Sherri always gets the Mac N Cheese.

Paulo Paes, owner of Lotsa Noodles can always be found roaming the dining room and kitchen, overseeing all the food prep and talking with customers. He is very hands-on with everything that goes on at Lotsa Noodles.

This year Lotsa Noodles turns six-years old. It’s a milestone for any small business to make it past the five year hump, but Paulo and his creation are looking good, forging into the future.

We sat down with Paulo to talk about business and how things are going at Lotsa Noodles, and to see what’s in store for the next six years.

Lotsa Noodles Turns 6

Congratulations, Paulo. Lotsa Noodles is Six years old.Six years old, yes.Usually, for businesses, the hump is around five years; most

businesses start with a five year plan. How would you say your business handled the first five years?

We went through some crises. It’s kind of hard, but still, we’re able to be open. Hopefully now we’ll be able to start growing.

Did your first five years accomplish what you wanted them to accomplish?

Yes they did, you know. We are stable. We have regular customers that come in two or three times a week. Our base is good.

What has been the toughest part?Being small business owners, locally. It’s hard to buy and get

the prices right. Being in one store is very tough. It’d be different if I had five or six stores, you know.

Isn’t being independent more rewarding than if, say, you bought a franchise?

Yes. The money you save on food – if you’re a franchise or if you buy cheaper, you have to pay franchise fees, so I think maybe as an independent it’s less rough.

Do you plan on opening more stores?I’m trying to, but it’s very hard to find a location where you

could just come in and do it, besides building from scratch. I’m looking for somewhere that used to be something, and then I can move in, you know?

Something prebuilt, that was a restaurant, that has all the facilities in place.

Yes. To do everything from scratch, it’s going to be too hard for me. I have another plan: start franchising. I need to find some investors.

That’s a good plan. How many changes have you made to your menu?

My menu is so big now. I’ll put it this way: every time I’m tired of eating something, I’ll make something different.

And then put it on the menu?Yes (laughs).How many menu items are there now?I don’t even know.I think last time I counted it was around 65.Yeah, with all the salads, appetizers and everything, it’s about

65 to 70.What would you say is your most popular item?The pasta. Macaroni and cheese, Pad Thai and the fettuccine

alfredo. They are amazingly good, I think.So, you have some big changes coming up in your personal

life as well.Yeah. We’re going to have a baby!How excited are you?It’s good, after five years of trying. The doctors said we

couldn’t, and it happened.

I know you guys tried different things with doctors. In the end, did it turn out that it was what the doctors were doing, or did it just happen?

No, we went to see different doctors, we saw doctors in Brazil, and they pushed us to a different treatment. Our doctor, he didn’t believe it. We tried in vitro twice. It didn’t work. The doctors in Brazil said that there was no reason to do in vitro. Our problem was a blood match, so they took blood from me, they made a vaccine, like a flu shot, and then after her antibodies didn’t kill me, we tried again, and we were able to have a baby.

Wow. That’s a pretty radical treatment.The doctors here, they don’t believe in that, but in Brazil, you

do everything that they tell you to do, if there’s hope that it could work.

How did you come up with the idea for Lotsa Noodles?Well, I was working here when it was Nothing But Noodles,

and we had an opportunity to buy, and I had a bigger vision – to do differently than what Nothing But Noodles was. I changed all the recipes, and even though we sometimes have the same dishes – because everyone has a fettuccine alfredo, our fettuccine alfredo is upgraded from what Nothing But Noodles used to be. So we bring the quality up a little bit, and try to keep it at a high level. We try to be different from fast food, you know? We get you your food fast, but we aim for better quality food.

Do you get all of your vegetables and supplies locally?As much as I can. There’s a local company, MIO, Made in

Oklahoma, we try to get as much as we can from them, but sometimes they cannot provide everything that I need. We have to buy from different companies to get everything together.

So where do you come up with the ideas for most of your dishes?

Experimentation. When I go to different places, I’ll eat something to see if I like it, and it’s very easy for me to get home and put that dish together. I try to make it with a unique taste. I never follow a recipe. Lotsa Noodles recipes are the same every day, but when I start doing a new dish, if I see a recipe somewhere, I never follow it. I work according to my own tastes.

Do you test things here or at home, or do you have a test kitchen?

I do it here, because I spend more time here than at home, but I do it at home, too. Like I just did an amazing dressing at home, and everyone sent me a tweet saying, “You have to bring the dressing to the restaurant!” I’m going to make it an option for salads. I just like throwing things together, and it works pretty well, you know?

What’s your vision for the next six years?Well, I hope we grow, you know? I want to have four or five

stores in Oklahoma City, one on each side of town. And then I want to go out of the state. That’s my dream.

Metro Flavor

09

10

Person Of The Year

2013Edmond Active Person of the Year:Mason Harvey

This year there have been so many people, in and around Edmond, that have struck me as amazing in their personal lives, business lives and doing great things throughout Edmond and the surrounding communities.

For our inaugural Person of the Year award, one person resonates with me with our mantra of covering people in and around Edmond who are active personally within the community, physically active, who inspire others in the community, and who show character even when no one is looking.

In June, we wrote a story about Mason Harvey and his battle with bullying and with his weight. Mason decided to take things into his own hands and lost 85+ lbs between the 6th and 7th grades, which also took care of the bullying, without the thought of how hard a task this may be, and with the help of his family.

This is an amazing feat for such a young person, except he didn t stop with himself. He spent his summer speaking to and inspiring other kids and adults all across the metro and the country, walking up and down his own street with a bullhorn telling people to come out and take a walk with he and his family. He is physically trying to move people to better themselves no matter how hard it is or how long it takes. The amount of people he has inspired is immeasurable.

The example he sets for every one of us, his shared inspiration to so many, his shared enthusiasm, his mission to physically get out and get people involved in life, and as well, the personal will this 12 year old shares with all of us, regardless of our age, is constant and contagious. For this and all we ve seen him accomplish in inspiring so many others to get up, get active and connected with their communities more than makes him our 2013 Edmond Active Person of the Year. It inspires us to join in.

Congratulations, Mason, keep your mission up!

Person Of The Year

11

Life Happens

12

Hello, 2013. Let’s Dance!

By now you’ve had plenty of time to make your New Year’s resolutions, and possibly even already break them. If you’re still going strong - by now you’ve made amends with the helliptical, set up a savings account, put your cigarettes out, hit up a church service, and maybe even enrolled in school. Congratulations, you’re on your way to a brand new you! The possibilities are endless, 2013 is your year, CARPE DIEM!

But, wait. What if you get sick? And tired? What if all this change isn’t as fun as it first sounded? What if your work out buddy quits, and your tires need replaced, and the kids suck up all your energy, and your husband doesn’t meet your needs, and you actually have to study, and 24hrs just doesn’t cut it? What if it’s freaking hard?

Remember your WHY.Whether it’s a brand new year or a random Tuesday, DO NOT FORGET YOUR

WHY!!! This is everything, party people. At the end of your motivation, your WHY will get you over the humps and through the woods to the destination of your change desired. Dream your dreams and chart your goals, but do not, I repeat - do NOT rely on your butterflies to make it happen. Know what else won’t make it happen? Your husband. or your best friend. Your pastor, your sister, your boyfriend, your kids - they are all human. News flash: humans disappoint. It’s not good, it’s not bad, it’s just a fact.

So, what are we left with?All YOU, baby. It’s all you.You have to care. You have to care enough about getting to California to stop shopping

your hourly earnings away and save. You have to care enough about living long, full years full of energy and strength to get your tail to the gym. YOU have to care enough about your kiddos’ spirit to stop yelling... enough about your life purpose to stay in school... enough about your skin and breathing ability to quit smoking... enough about your marriage to forgive... enough about God to show up on Sunday morning.

No, not going to church doesn’t mean you don’t love God and yelling at your kids doesn’t mean you don’t love them. But don’t get it twisted, if you want anything different than what you’ve already got from this life, it’s not going to grow on a tree from happy thoughts and good intentions. To get more, we have to give more.

Here’s the deal: CHANGE BECAUSE YOU CARE.One of the greatest things I’ve learned in life is this: knowledge is not power.

Application of knowledge is power. To get more, give more. Know better --> DO better ---> LIVE BETTER.

Stacey Johnson, MAMFT, LMFT candidate, LPC candidate, trophy wifey & momma to many. www.thoughtsswirling.com

Hi guys! I’m Stacey Johnson, and it is my privilege and honor to begin a new journey with you as a part of the Edmond Active team! A little about me: I’m part originally from Dallas, Texas and 1/2 from the small town of Childress, Texas. I moved to Oklahoma almost 15 years ago during a bout with cancer, and the cancer lost. Yes, I’m Texas born & bred, I have fallen hard in love with the 405. My husband and I are newlyweds and have a beautifully blended family with our 5 kids, and always counting. I’m into foster care, dance, red wine, summer, hot heels, downtown living, Ray Lamontagne, purple, and the sexiest man alive, my husband. Thanks for trekking with me, I look forward to growing through life’s highs & lows with you! LIFE HAPPENS! Let’s go ahead and make the most of it!

BOOT CAMP LOCATIONS:Mitch ParkHafer Park

& 9 other metro locations

Contact Melissa Cox at 405-496-5891

www.shapeproject.comEmail: shapeproject@cox.net

twitter: @theshapeprojectfacebook:

www.facebook.com/TheShapeProject

Phone: 348-2442Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

101 East Hurd, Suite F (1/2way between Blvd. and Broadway)

Helping Familes In Need At Christmas

Hope For The Holidays

Charity Event

Yvonne Spurlin knows all to well what it feels like to fall on hard times during the holidays. Back in 1993, both Yvonne and her husband were laid off and had no way to provide Christmas for their four children. But it was through the generosity and goodnes of other people that allowed them to have Christmas that year. From that experience they vowed to return the gesture and help others once they were the position to do so. That’s what spawned their charity, Hope For The City / Hope For The Holidays.

We caught up with Yvonne during a fundraiser at Paint Your Art Out to find out more about Hope For The Holidays.

“We provide Christmas for families who have hit hard times,” says Yvonne. “We started doing this in 2006 and it’s been very successful. We started with $50.00 and a plan. That quickly turned into $14,000.00 and we were able to provide Christmas to 10 single Mom’s and 23 children. We have continued doing it ever since.”

If you would like to help Hope For The City / Hope For The Holidays by donating, you can do so at their website,www.buildingforlife.us

My Home

14

My Home

15

This month saw a flurry of us just too busy to craft or even

think about any home DIY projects. I decided to slow down and

give my effort to one last Pinterest project for the year and share

with you ideas on how to make it your own!

This particular year, I really wanted to personalize our décor

for the mantle, instead of just throwing up what I already had

around the clock on the wall. As well, I wanted to have something

that I could leave up through January, after the Christmas décor

had been put away.

With that, here is what I came up with. It’s personal, not perfect,

and I LOVED how it turned out. It turns out that I am no artist,

but love this because it didn’t have to be perfect and is a warm

reminder of the holidays during January. You can create whatever

message you want, and even create a sign that you can leave up

year round. It was very easy, really fun and I can see a Fourth of

July sign project coming in my future!

The list of items only came to a total cost of $50 because we used

reclaimed wood from our old gate that we replaced this summer. I

purchased the brushes, stencils and acrylic paint all inexpensively

at Hobby Lobby. The lettering was all done freehand to add the

personal touch I was looking for. In upcoming issues, we will

be working with Allison, the owner of Refunk My Junk, and we

couldn’t be more excited to share her wisdom with you!

How To Keep The Magic Of ChristmasOn Your Mantle Through January

Edmond Style

16

Put your best foot forward this winter with these leather pointed toe flats from the Edmond White House Black Market. For $59, these flats are super stylish & mid price, the quality is high and the fit is true to size. These can also be worn year round, which makes them a great value in my book. Online at www.WHBM.com or visit the store at 15th & Bryant in Spring Creek.

Edmond Style

17

Stay cozy this winter while you work with Simply Twisted’s hand made (and gorgeous) new scarves and Mud Pie’s tech gloves, which are the perfect match in mild winter weather or during a snowstorm. Both are comfortable and very lightweight and mid priced. Great for 3 of 4 seasons! You can find these two items at I’m Just Sayin’ Gifts at the Crossroads Center at Waterloo & Broadway in Edmond. Shop online at www.IJSGifts.com and select in store pick up or shipping to your home.

Visit Shapeproject.com to sign up for January classes that begin January 3rd! This is an amazing opportunity to kick your New Year’s Resolutions into high gear, and it includes unlimited attendance to any of their 11 metro locations!

For more information, go to Shapeproject.com or call 405-496-5891.

Arcadian Inn offers gift certificates for the holidays, and would make a wonderful gift for your better half for a relaxing getaway after the holidays or for Valentine’s Day!

Be sure to visit the Arcadian Gift Shop for unique and beautiful gifts for the upcoming holidays, as it is conviently located at 1st and University. To book a reservation, visit ArcadianInn.com or call 405-348-6347.

We offer affordable & stylish accents, re-styled furniture, fun jewelry, unique decor & gifts for every room and every taste!

Our Location: 917 E Danforth Rd, Ed-mond (Across from Ted’s Cafe Escondido) and you can call us at 405-340-8869

Paint Your Art Out is offering a great holiday special for the entire month of December. When you buy 4 gift certificates you get one free. Stop in or call 405-513-5333 to order.

With artist lead sessions, absolutey anyone can be an artist! Visit PaintYourArtOut.net for their current calendar of paintings and to register online! Located at 10 S. Broadway right in the heart of Downtown Edmond! Visit PaintYourArtOut.net to register and follow them at Facebook at PaintYourArtOut!

MILLIES TABLE CATERING & MoreMillies is your Hot Meals To Go

headquarters Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays! Meals include single serving entree, vegatable, starch and a roll!

Give Millie a call at 330-9156 by 2 pm and your meal will be ready to go between 5 & 6pm! Located at 1333 W. Danforth Rd in Edmond! For more information, visit her website at www.MilliesTable.com

FUNKY MONKEY

For Funky, Trendy, Fun Clothing for everyone in family, stop in to Funky Monkey at 14101 N. May Avenue Ste 113! Save every Monday with FB Tote Day and while shopping online at FunkeyMonkeyClothes.com!

With designer clothing by Flowers by Zoe, Juicy & True Religion and 7 for All Mankind for Men & Boys, there’s something for everyone with amazing sales going on! Open Monday through Saturdays from 10 to 6 pm! Be sure to follow along at Facebook and at Twitter at @Funky__Monkey

Shop Edmond

18

I’m Just Sayin’ Gifts and More carries candles, home accessories and decor, housewares, handbags & jewelry, and infants & toddler accessories, as well as full selection of fantastic for upscale, fun and unique gifts!!! You can also find amazing items from talented local artisans. Store hours are Monday - Friday 10:00a.m. - 7:00p.m. and Saturday 11:00a.m. - 6:00p.m.

You can shop online at www.IJSGifts.com for instore pick up or have your items shipped!

Located at Waterloo and Broadway, in Edmond, at the Crossroads Center!

Whether you are looking for unique beer and wine selections for your upcoming holiday events, or if your are new to selecting wines, the employees at Edmond Wine Shop are ready to help with the most knowledgable staff in the metro!

Be sure to follow them at Twitter & Facebook @EdmondWineShop!

Located on 15th & Boulevard and open Mon– Sat. till 9 pm!

You can call in an order at 405-341-3122.

Located on Memorial just south of the AMC Theaters Quail Springs Mall, Lotsa Noodles is a great place to stop with your family for a casual & fun dining experience.

From their Kids Eat Free Mondays to the deliciously diverse menu of asian, american, italian choices, along with pizza, sandwiches, salads & soup at terrific prices, Lotsa Noodles will become a family favorite!

They also have catering available for your party or corporate needs! Their food is freshly prepared and they have anything from pasta, sandwiches, salads ~ You’ll love the casual atmosphere!

You can follow Lotsa Noodles at Facebook & Twitter @LotsaNoodles for daily upates & specials!

Stop by Sweet Peace to see the amazing selection of candy bouquets or arrange your own custom bouquet. Great for corporate gift giving! To inquire about your company’s gift giving needs this holiday, call Patty at 405-341-9400.

Sweet Peace is now located on the SW Corner of Santa Fe & 15th, across Santa Fe from Crest Grocery Store, and is open Tues - Wed: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Thurs - Fri: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm and Sat: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Follow Sweet Peace at Facebook & Twitter or call 405-341-9400 to place your gift order!

Enjoy a cozy retreat in the country at any one of the 5 cozy cottages at Aaron’s Gate Country Cottages located in Guthrie, just a few minutes north of Edmond. Located on a beautiful wooded 10 acre property, you can relax with the outdoor jacuzzi’s or just relax indoors in front of the cozy fireplaces and with a massage spa package, a candlelit breakfast and more. To book a reservation, visit Aaronsgate.com or call 405-282-0613.

Cupcakes to go go is Edmond’s only locally owned and operated cupcake bakery featuring a drive thru and mobile cupcake van.

The store is open Monday through Saturday from 11am-7pm and is located in Edmond at 2524 W. Edmond Road. For events and catering, call (405) 330-2190 or email them at orders@cupcakestogogo.com. They can help you with custom orders, deliveries and catering.

Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter at @cupcakestogogo for daily specials and more info!

Shop Edmond

19

Metro Flavor

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Let Edmond Wine Shop help you with a little “Me” time after your busy holiday season. Located at 1520 S. Boulevard. Open Mon-Sat till 9 pm.

Metro Flavor

21

Lotsa Noodles has the best Mac N Cheese in the Metro. Hands down. Serving Asian, American & Italian Pastas, soups & sandwhiches, salads and desserts. And with Kids Eat Free Mondays from 3-9 pm, you can eat out with the family in a contemporary atmosphere for even on a budget! Located on Memorial, just south of the Quail Springs AMC Theaters.

Edmond People

22

If you’ve ever done a painting session at Paint Your Art Out (10 S. Broadway) then you’ve experienced the talents of Jay Tracy. During the day, Jay works in the Design Department at the OKC Zoo, but most nights he can be found guiding scores of would be painters through the world of brushes, strokes and colors at Paint Your Art Out.

But more than that, Jay’s quick wit and dry sense of humor makes the sessions even more enjoyable and far less intimidating. He makes painting fun, as it should be, and he is one of the reasons Paint Your Art Out has become so popular.

Together with the owners Renee and Ben Deakle, they have made Paint Your Art Out in to one of those “must try” businesses. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked. It’s an evening out, like no other.

Artist Extraordinaire:Jay Tracy

Edmond People

23

What’s your official title at Paint Your Art Out?Lead Artist, Master Extraordinaire. (Laughs) I’m just the lead artist.And how did you get involved with Paint Your Art Out?I met Ben and Renee when they first opened it, through my cousin.

They live in the same neighborhood and they’re good friends. They’d lived here for a while and were talking about opening up a business like this, and Renee was looking for some sort of artist or someone who could come in and lead sessions like this. My cousin said, “You need to meet my cousin Jay, he’s the graphic designer at the Oklahoma City Zoo and he has an art degree,” and so we kind of hooked up, and I’ve been with them since the beginning.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a temporary position?I’ve been here since they started, and it’s kind of a permanent thing. I’m

up here almost as much as I’m at my full-time job, and I stay pretty busy.How do you like it?I love it. I love to be able to teach people who have never painted before

how to paint. Different techniques with how to use our brushes, and how to apply the paint, and they leave with a great piece that they’re proud of, and they keep coming back, because they get hooked on that – being able to create their own artwork for their homes or for other people for gifts – and that’s the part I really enjoy.

Do you feel a lot of pressure?No, because we don’t focus on being so critical and by the book on

everything. We’re here just to have fun, we put on a relaxed atmosphere, show them how to do each step of each painting. We keep it relaxed for them. I don’t ever get stressed about if they’ve never painted before because they’re going to learn something, even if it’s by accident. I don’t find that it’s stressful on my part because I like to interact with them, have fun, make them feel at ease, even if they’ve never painted before they can still do it.

Some of the paintings you do are pretty intricate.Yeah, some of my stuff, it gets down to a lot of details and steps, but

what we’re about here, and my work ethic in painting is to try to create something that isn’t just going to be created in a couple of minutes. It’s going to be something that, yeah there are a lot of steps, but in the end it’s going to come together and turn out fantastic. I don’t focus on the intricate part of it, it’s just about the final product.

What is the most important thing that people take away from a session at Paint Your Art Out?

The experience. A lot of them that have never painted do come in here, and they’re stressed, worried that they’re not going to be able to do it, or they’re going to get behind, but we focus mainly on making sure they have a good time and leave with a piece of artwork they’re proud of. By doing that, they’re going to come back and tell their friends, and after they come back a couple of times, you start making friends with them, and you start making a fun little tight-knit circle.

Has anyone’s painting skills surprise you?Yeah, there are a lot of people that come in here that haven’t ever painted

– well, they say they’ve never painted – and they’ll blow your mind. Some just have the ability, right off the bat. You know, they’ve never done it before, never knew they could, but yeah, some of them are shocking when they say they’ve only painted the walls in their house, and never a piece of artwork, and theirs looks as good as mine does.

What’s your personal art history?I started painting, just doodling around with paint and a brush around

four or five years old, nothing serious. My dad is an artist, and he started off as a pinstriper, a sign painter, and started professionally painting with my mom – they opened their own art business in 1968. I grew up around it; my dad taught me everything. I started professionally showing at art shows at around 15, and did some out-of-state art shows, and then, right after the 1995 bombing, they had a memorial, and I did an art show to help build it. I knew in high school, once I finished, what I was going to do with my career, so that when I went to college I knew I was going to pursue

an art career. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha. A couple of days after I graduated college, I started with the Department of Tourism as a graphic designer. I moved on after a couple of years to the OKC Zoo. I’ve been there since 2003.

How does it work here? What’s the process?We just have a handful of paintings that we do here for sessions that

are not sketched. Everything else is hand-sketched. Usually when a guest comes here to paint, they’ll have a canvas on their easel, it will be sketched, and it will look just like mine up front. And then I’ll walk them step by step: background, foreground, and then the subject that we’re painting.

How many people do you think you’ve instructed?Too many. I don’t know. Goodness, there are some patrons that come

back that have painted a piece more than once, you know – they want to come back because they have family that is in town for the weekend or the holidays, so, who knows?

Do people come in and paint the same paintings over and over?Yep. Oh yeah. We have some very, very, very good friends now, that

we’ve made – there’s a lady in particular that comes in here, and she’s never painted a piece before, and she’ll paint it with me, and she’ll always say, “Oh well that was fun! I’m going to come back, and I’m going to paint next time and I’ll know what to do next.” And the thing is, the more that they do that, they learn the process of how to use the paintbrush, things like that. We don’t instruct on how to use stuff, we simply lead them through the steps. After they’ve been here two or three times, they start to pick it up, and eventually over time, you start to see progression from where they’ve started to where they are now, how they’ve built up their own techniques.

Has anyone branched out and started to do their own work?There are a lot of people that come in here who have been painting

with us since we’ve opened that, you know, if they don’t have time to sign up for a class, or if it’s sold out or there’s nothing available, there’re a lot of them that will paint from home. You can tell that they have been practicing, because the next time they come in, their piece that they’re doing at the correct time is better than the one they did before.

It’s kind of inspirational, that they do keep coming back. I like to inspire people to paint and to explore this kind of medium, this kind of art outlet, because I grew up in it my entire life, and it’s all that I know, and I appreciate it so much from my parents and what they brought me up with. To inspire somebody to be able to go home after they’ve never painted before and pick up a brush and canvas and really try to create something. It’s another outlet that they can explore. We have a lot of people that do paint outside of here that will bring pieces in and want me to critique them, and it’s always fun but hard to do, because you don’t want to hurt their feelings. But when they’re interested in something like that, it makes you want to do more and teach more.

Do you come up with all of the paintings?No, I don’t come up with all of them. I come up with my paintings, and

then, if there’s someone that comes in and says, “well, why don’t you all paint such-and-such,” then we’ll come up with a painting, and usually I’ll do some research on it, and come up with a design and put it out there on social media to get a response to see if they’re interested.

Is there anything you think people should know about Paint Your Art Out?

It is a great place to come experience a new craft that you don’t know you were ever good at, if you were ever a good artist; it’s a great place to bring family, date night, couples night. We like to have a good time here. It’s not a party place, but more of a creative party place, I guess you could say. And what I really enjoy the most about this is, since we’ve started – in 2009, I think is when we started – we’ve been making so many friends and acquaintances that keep coming back, and then you develop this relationship with them. And then you find somebody that has never been here before, their friends have been here, and it’s full circle.

Edmond For The Holidays

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Edmond Electric Parade Of Lights Kicks Off Christmas

Edmond For The Holidays

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Edmond For The Holidays

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Edmond For The Holidays

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My Yard

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JANUARYIt’s the beginning of the year-make a

plan. Sit down and look around your lawn and gardens and make a list of things you feel good about, things that need some improvement, and some drastic changes you would like to make this year.

JANUARY TIPS & TO DO LIST*In Oklahoma we can have several days

in January that are rather warm, but that doesn’t mean winter is over. If your spring blooming bulbs start to sprout early cover over the new sprouts with more mulch.

*Dormant spray your fruit and dogwood trees.

* Prune your sapping trees like maples, elms, and birches while they are dormant. This will prevent pest and disease issues during the growing season.

*Soil test your lawn. And spot spray post-emergent on winter weeds on days warmer than 55 degrees for best effectiveness. Most, not all, of the over the counter herbicides on the market kill only plants that are showing living green growth, thus making your dormant turf grasses ‘immune’ to their effects. This is the case in Bermuda and zoysia turf grasses but not in fescue, so don’t spot

spray in your lawn if you have fescue turf grass.

*This is the best time of year to take in your mowing and lawn power tools to have yearly maintenance done on them like blade sharpening, oil and filter changes. By servicing your equipment properly you will experience fewer break down in the growing season and this time of year you can expect very little wait time on getting your tools in and out of the shop. This is also a good time to sharpen and oil your hand tools at home.

FEBRUARYAt the beginning of this month, start

to evaluate your vegetable garden plans, ideas, and varieties. Look at what worked well for you last year and what didn’t. Come up with a plan and research strategies to combat diseases and pests that were an issue last year.

FEBRUARY TIPS & TO DO LIST*It is a very traditional practice to save

fireplace ash to turn into your soil for alkaline soil loving plants. I start saving mine in February because if I start any earlier I have an over abundance.

*Prune your summer blooming shrubs

This is the time of year that people develop master plans for their lives. Whether it is health and fitness or a bucket list of activities and goals, we all try to organize and get “our acts together” to improve things around us. It’s hard to count how many times thru the holiday season at a gathering or party where someone asked “When do you over seed your fescue?” “How much mulch should I really be putting down?” “Why does my neighbors vegetable garden produce so much more than mine?” or one of the favorites “How do I get my Sweet Gum Maple tree to stop dropping the sweet gums on the ground?” These are all good questions with many variables affecting them. So I am using the spirit of the season to calendarize this year for the lawn and garden to educate and inspire. The January issue will detail to do lists and tips for January thru March to help ensure all season success.

PlanYourGardeningCalendarBy Heather Popowsky

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and trees now, but keep those shears away from any spring blooming species because they have already formed their buds for this spring and you will be robbing yourself of this year’s show of blooms.

*If you haven’t already now is the time to divide perennials. It is safe to do this until they show signs of new growth or “waking up” this season.

*February 15 as a traditional rule is the time to start the seeding indoors of your fruits and veggies that you will plant later on in the season. With that said going over the vegetable garden with a tiller for the first time of the season is a good idea at this time.

*Any trees that didn’t get a good fertilizer put down on them in the late fall should be fed now. This is especially true for Bermuda turf lawns, so that the nutrients of the fertilizer meant for your trees pass thru the root system of the turf.

*Pruning again is generally best when a tree is dormant. So if you haven’t, do it now.

*Certain varieties of vegetables can be planted in the month of February in Oklahoma.

MARCHSpring is almost here! There is an

abundance of garden clean up and clean out that happens in March. From scalping your lawn to cutting down fountain grasses and pruning down crape myrtles, so really consider at the beginning of this month how you can use, recycle, or compost these materials instead of putting them in a black trash bag that is headed to the city dump.

MARCH TIPS & TO DO LIST*Resist the urge of remove the mulch

in your beds protecting you plants all at once, instead pull it off gradually as bulbs and perennials show new growth.

*Cut down the fountain and ornamental grasses and crape myrtles to the desired height.

*Prune rose bushes and treat for early signs of blackspot.

*As your bulbs plants bloom and pass remove and cut back the spent blooms and leave the green leafy foliage so the plant will absorb nutrients from the sun for next season.

*March 1 is the time to fertilize your fescue turf! This is also the second best time of year to overseed your fescue.

An unknown author once said, “Plant carrots in January and you will never have to eat carrots.” The success of your garden this year can be greatly attributed to planning, proper timing, and a few words of advice.

The advice above has been accumulated from my education in the field of horticulture to the almost decade of owning a sucessful landscaping business in the state of Oklahoma. Due to space and the purpose of this article I couldn’t elaborate on all the tips I gave and couldn’t fit all the advice I have for each month. So I encourage you to find me on facebook under Neighborhood Gardener or on Twitter @gardenchica for questions about this article and further information on monthly tips and to do lists items. Look for me here soon to review April-June.

By Heather PopowskyBA in Psychology and minor Horticulture, Owner of Neighborhood Gardener, Garden Writer, Author and On Air voice of Garden Minute on TheSpyFM, Master Gardener, Facebook-Neighborhood Gardener, Twitter @gardenchica

January 20134-6Annual Eagle WatchBegin at the Arcadia Lake Park Office, 9000 E. 2nd Street (located approx. 3.5 miles east of I-35 on Route 66) to receive information about where the Eagles can be found. 7:30am - 4:30pm @ Arcadia LakePrice: $3/Vehicle

4-6S&S USTRC Super Bowl Team RopingLocation: Lazy E Arena, Guthrie

12-13Kicker ArenaCrossLocation: Lazy E Arena, Guthrie

15-16Simon Bucking Stock SaleLazy E Arena, Guthrie

18-20Lazy E Tri K Winter Barrel BlastLazy E Arena, Guthrie

22“All Brahms Concert”7:30pm @ UCO Jazz Lab

28Cinderella: Russian National Ballet Theatre7:30pm @ Armstrong AuditoriumPrice: $42-$94

29Russian National Ballet Theatre: Romeo & Juliet and Chopiniana7:30pm @ Armstrong AuditoriumPrice: $42-$94

29Emily Butterfield, flute7:30pm @ UCO Jazz Lab

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