A PUBLICATION OF EDMOND LIFE & LEISURE
Letter from the Publisher
WELCOME TO EDMOND AT HOME
Fall in Edmond is a fun time of year but also a busy one. Our community is full of activities and events that make it a wonderful time to live in these parts, as they say. Our newspaper will turn 25 years old next year and we have seen and reported on so many changes in our community. The best of the changes has been fantastic for our community and enhanced the quality of life in Edmond. This in turn increases your home value which for most of us is the largest asset we own. There is no doubt that we have it good here in Edmond.
Fall in Edmond is no different than other parts of America in that the largest controversy this time of year is whether you are a pumpkin spice flavor type or not. Arguments can break out over the subject. I encourage you to go local when ordering these items when eating out because remember the national brands are made with chemicals. These scientists need to be able to taste anything, break it down into its component flavors, and then identify the chemicals responsible for those tastes. I can promise you that our friends at Twisted Tree Bakery do not use chemicals in anything prepared with pumpkin spice.
For many years, we have published Edmond’s hometown newspaper that is locally owned and operated. As a publication for the real estate market, we have produced this quarterly magazine called At Home in Edmond for the last 20 years. Our staff has now taken that magazine and expanded the coverage, made it broader in subject matter and kept it a pure Edmond perspective that only a locally owned and operated media company can provide.
Cost of living, health care, housing, public safety, public art, schools, parks and events and festivals in Edmond propel our community into several “top 10” lists. We have issues in Edmond but at the end of the day, folks that live here are happy about their choice of where to raise their families. Disagreements are fine but they should always be with civility folks.
I must thank our staff from advertising, production and the newsroom for all their hard work. Creating anything can be difficult especially when you put out a weekly newspaper and have all the deadlines that go with it. Our staff has risen to the challenge and worked so extremely hard to produce a quality magazine that Edmond can enjoy. We also thank our many loyal advertisers and welcome the new advertisers for their support.
PUBLISHER
Ray Hibbard
EDITOR
Deanne Marcella
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Erika Williams Rose Drebes
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Deanne Marcella
ADVERTISING
Alexx Reger
Advertising Director
For information on advertising in At Home in Edmond, call 405-340-3311
READER SERVICES 107 South Broadway Edmond OK 73034 Phone 405-340-3311 Fax 405-340-3384
WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA
edmondlifeandleisure.com @edmondlifeandleisure
Ray Hibbard
Publisher Edmond Life & Leisure
Classic holiday films the whole family can enjoy
Celebrants owe the joy of the holiday season to various components. Decor and gift-giving go a long way toward making December a joyous time of year. Holiday films also do their part to make the season so special.
Many people have their own favorite holiday films, and the following are some that can engage viewers who are young or simply young at heart.
“A Christmas Story”
Released in 1983, this warmly nostalgic, humorous film is a perennial favorite among families. It follows the story of Ralphie, who has his heart set on a very specific Christmas present: a Red Rider BB gun. Amidst wintry exploits and family drama, the true spirit of Christmas manages to shine through in this beloved film. Some of the subject matter can be off-color, and there are some bullying scenes. So this is a movie best watched with children who are mature enough to make it through without being scared.
“Little Women”
Based on the Louisa May Alcott
novel of the same name, the 1994 telling of this classic follows the March sisters, who confront financial difficulties, romance and family tragedies in mid-nineteenth century Massachusetts. While it’s not a traditional Christmas movie, the importance of spending time with family around Christmastime is a core theme in this coming-of-age tale.
“Klaus”
Perhaps not as well-known as other animated holiday flicks, “Klaus,” released in 2019, has a personality all its own. Postman Jesper, who is not making the grade at the postal academy, is sent to work in a frozen town in the North, where he discovers a reclusive toy maker named Klaus. The unlikely duo ultimately team up to make and deliver toys and bring smiles to children’s faces.
“Meet Me In St. Louis”
Starring the irreplaceable Judy Garland, this movie musical focuses on four sisters who are awaiting the 1904 World’s Fair in their hometown, but learn that their father has accepted a new job and the family must move to New York beforehand.
A Christmas miracle occurs and all is right in the end. Garland sings a memorable version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” in the film, solidifying this as a holiday classic.
“The Santa Clause”
This Disney film came out in 1994 and remains a family favorite. When divorced dad Scott (Tim Allen) accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, he magically becomes the next Santa. He must learn to cope with the ways the transformation to the man in red interrupts his normal life, eventually giving over to the magic of Christmas.
“Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas”
Though this 1977 Jim Henson production is a television special and not a full-length feature film, Generation X likely remembers the heartfelt tale of a poor otter family who sacrifice prized possessions to have what’s needed to enter a talent contest. The goal is to win the prize money to buy special Christmas presents. Audiences get to enjoy narration by Kermit the Frog.
Films are a popular component that help to make the holiday season so special.
Holidaydecorating ideas
The holidays often involve purchasing gifts for close friends and loved ones as well as making a delicious meal the entire family will love. But nothing sets the holiday scene and overall mood more so than beautiful decorations. Many people leave no room un-
touched for the holidays, meaning color schemes or trinkets may carry through from top to bottom. Decking the halls this season can be made even easier with some of these handy ideas.
Holiday timeline
If you keep holiday photo cards each year, put them in chronological order and hang them from a piece of garland from the mantel or drape on a staircase banister. This can be a fun way to see how your own children or other members of the family have grown.
Make mini evergreen displays
Clip your favorite pieces of evergreen and push the stems into floral foam. Display in small vases or other containers and place in groupings to emulate an evergreen forest.
Plan the outside
Exterior illumination and other exterior decorations share the holiday spirit with others. Take a photo of the house and map out where you want lights and decorations to go. Then with your “map” in hand, you can more readily purchase supplies and start decorating.
Go for a specific natural color scheme
If you desire an overall holiday feel but aren’t interested in Santa figurines or kitschy elements, decorating with color in mind can be key. It’s easy to tie things together with some natural elements in your desired palette. For example, white, gold and green may look beautiful. Put boxwood clippings and white amaryllis flowers together. Pine cones, twigs and holly pieces also can add touches to mantels, doorways and table centerpieces.
Ornaments elsewhere
Who says ornaments only have to go on a tree? Display antique or favorite ornaments by hanging them from beautiful ribbons throughout the home. Holiday decorating gets a hand from some creative ideas. Always follow safety precautions, especially when using candles, hanging lights and plugging in multiple items to electric sockets. With ingenuity and safety in mind, holiday decorations can be extra special.
Front Door Flowers Edmond locals provide a gorgeous welcome
By Erika Willams
Many of us take pride in the exteriors of our homes, but changing plants and décor for every season can be a tiring and daunting task. Creating an inviting and aesthetically pleasing porch arrangement requires time and effort that many just don’t have. Thankfully, Front Door Flowers, a local business that specializes in curating plants for outdoor spaces, can help you decorate your porch all year long. Front Door Flowers offers many services for those looking to enhance their porches, pools, and other exterior spaces. They create drop in plant arrangements that customers can have delivered and installed into their already purchased pots. Custom planting services are available for those who want or need something more specialized than the pre-determined drop-in options. These options allow
customers to come home to a beautifully decorated porch year-round.
Front Door Flowers was founded by Melissa Miller and Erin Carey in 2020. The idea took shape when gardening became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. As many struggled to find plants during the surge, Melissa began sourcing plants and driving around and delivering them to friends.
“During COVID, it was really hard to get plants. Gardening took a huge surge during COVID. Everybody was home, everybody was planting. When I was trying to do pots for people, I realized I couldn’t get the things that I could normally get. And so, when I found plants that I liked, I just bought a ton of them. I started taking my truck around to all of my friends’ houses,” said Melissa.
From there, Melissa enlisted Erin to help her run the business side of
things. Melissa previously owned a landscaping company, and Erin ran payroll for that, so it was natural for her to join Melissa on this business venture.
Front Door Flowers offers customers appropriate florals and décor for each season. During the fall season, Front Door Flowers offers several options that feature pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, and mums.
“Our pumpkins are something special that we do, where we have four different pumpkin packages that we offer to people. They can purchase them online, and we take the pumpkins, clean them, load them in our truck or trailer, and take them to their house,” said Erin. “We can either just deliver them to their front porch, or for a fee, we can also design them. People usually do have us fill their containers with drop ins or mums as
Melissa added, “When you do pumpkins, it’s nice to add some sort of a flower option in with it and you get a very nice-looking fall front porch, they’re gorgeous.”
Melissa and Erin know that keeping plants alive during the unpredictable Oklahoma winters can be a challenge, but they’ve found a way to keep customers happy even through the cold months.
“For our winter pots, we use artificial greenery, but you would never know it’s artificial. This way your pots look perfect all through the whole winter, and you’re not just sitting there with like an ugly half-dead-looking thing.” Said Melissa, “They’re actually gorgeous. We do a lot of window boxes and front porch pots for winter.”
In addition to providing porch planter services, Melissa and Erin also operate a greenhouse that opens seasonally where patrons can buy plants, flowers, and pottery. There is even a front door set up at the greenhouse where Front Door Flowers employees can help customers bring their vision to life as they’re making decisions on what to purchase.
During the fall, the green house also operates as a pumpkin patch.
Said Melissa, “It’s kind of a one stop shop for people because they can get all their fall flowers and all their fall pumpkins. We have some fun things for kids to do out at the greenhouse when they come visit.”
“We have so many of the specialty pumpkins, and I mean, not to toot our own horn, but I think our prices are very competitive, and it’s a much better shopping
experience than the grocery store,” added Erin.
Outside of specialty plants, Erin and Melissa source most of their plants locally from Guthrie Greenhouse or Red Dirt Plants. The plants they can’t source locally they get from states with environments similar to Oklahoma so that they are already climatized to the environment.
Melissa, an Edmond native, sees Front Door Flowers as more than a business. She believes it is a unique way to give back to her community.
“We live locally, and we employ a bunch of local Edmond moms. We’re kind of like a mom-run business. It’s fun and a great way to engage the community,” said Melissa. “I mean, that’s actually a side benefit. We didn’t really anticipate that.”
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the work they do and making people feel like they’re at home before they even go inside.
“It just brings me so much joy. I think the biggest thing is when people can drive up to their house after a long day of work, see their front porch with the pumpkins and the flowers and the mums designed especially for them with colors that they like, and it just brings them happiness. It’s just like, ‘Okay, this is my place, I can come home and relax and be with my family now,’” said Melissa.
For more information or to become a Front Door Flowers client, visit frontdoorflowersokc.com or reach out with a call or text at 405-888-9070.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Owners Melissa and Erin provide a stress free beautiful welcome to your home.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Drop Ins create instant curb appeal! Plants are in fiber pots and come in a variety of sizes including custom.
Shop local for the holidays and beyond
Various components come together to make the holiday season a festive time of year. There is a lot to get done in a short amount of time during the holiday season, and part of that includes shopping for all of the family members and friends on your shopping list. Shopping can be a complicated process that involves identifying which stores will be the best places to shop. Local retailers make the perfect place to shop for holiday items.
According to the American Express Business Economic Impact Study, more than two-thirds of every dollar spent with a local business stays in the community. Indeed, shopping local benefits consumer and community alike. The following are some of the many perks to shopping locally throughout the holiday season.
• Personalized attention: Small businesses are known for their personalized customer service and owners and staff are often lauded for taking the time to interact and learn about their customers, a dynamic that is impossible at larger retailers.
• Meet and interact with people: Shopping in-person at local stores, you’ll see faces from your community and become better known in the local area.
• Shorter lines: Local stores are bound to have smaller crowds and thus shorter lines. That translates to less stress and hassle when it comes to getting in and out with holiday gifts.
• Smaller carbon footprint: Pollution, traffic congestion,
habitat loss, and resource depletion may not occur on the same levels when shopping locally compared to patronizing big box stores. That’s because local retailers tend to create or source their products locally, whereas many big box stores secure their goods overseas.
• Easier parking: This goes handin-hand with smaller crowds, as shopping locally does not typically require driving up and down endless aisles at malls or standalone retail stores in an effort to find a parking spot. Local retailers in town may have on-street parking or closed lots that are convenient to shoppers.
• Small batch shopping experience: Consumers can secure items in small businesses that are not carbon copies of those found across the country at major retail chains. When seeking a unique, thoughtful gift, shopping locally is the way to go.
Shopping locally this holiday season provides an array of benefits to consumers, and helps to solidify a strong Main Street in communities.
By Rose Drebes
Edmond Seafood is celebrating its second anniversary with increased sales.
“We are looking forward to fall and winter holidays which leads us back to King Cake season, lent and crawfish season again,” Ben Deakle, who owns the company with his wife, Renee, said.
The couple is selling fresh seafood, native to where they were raised in small towns on the Gulf Coast of southern Alabama.
“Like most people in those parts, fishing, shrimping and crabbing started as a hobby and eventually became a side hustle to fuel my pastimes,” Ben said. “My wife, raised on Dauphin Island surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile Bay, had her own close ties to the water and came up like every other island kid working in bait shops and local restaurants.
“When we met and built our own family, the things we did to make money as teenagers became our hobbies as adults. We bought a house, bought a boat and raised our kids just north of the island where we could conveniently spend all of our free time boating, fishing and immersing ourselves in the unique and fruitful ecosystems.”
Ben said he loves the challenge of sourcing and bringing in new southern
EdmondcelebratesSeafood two years of business
and Cajun products to compliment the variety of fish, shellfish, rabbit, frog legs, alligator etc.,” Ben said. “It’s always fun to see customers get excited to see that I have products that they can usually only find from the Deep South.
“I still bring fresh shucked oysters from my sister’s shop, S&S Oyster
House also shrimp and crab meat from that area. In the fall I hope to find more North Pacific seafood.”
He currently rotates weeks in his reefer (freezer) van between a trip to Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana one week and a trip to Shreveport the next week.
The goal for the future is to open the rest of the building to bring in more
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products and produce and eventually have a small grab and go kitchen. Edmond Seafood is located at the corner of Boulevard and Danforth.
Edmond Seafood also offers large group crawfish and shrimp boils off-site. They are priced per person with a minimum amount. The dinners also include several sides such as jambalaya, red beans and rice with sausage, bread pudding and fried catfish.
“We have been blessed by our previous business (Paint Your Art Out) and Edmond Seafood to have met so many people and be a small part of the community since moving here from Alabama 17 years ago,” Ben said.
‘Puerto Rican eggnog ’ could be a hit for the holidays
Tradition reigns supreme during the holiday season. Putting up Christmas trees, stringing lights, singing carols, and filling stockings with trinkets are just a few of the season’s many cherished traditions. However, amid the typical holiday hustle and bustle, there also are traditions that are unique to various cultures and ethnicities — particularly those pertaining to foods and beverages. From minced pies in England to kutia in Ukraine to spiced hot chocolate in Peru, many different foods and beverages are savored this time of year around the world.
Individuals of Puerto Rican descent might enjoy whipping up batches of coquito around the holidays. Coquito, which means “small coconut,” is made in batches with recipes passed down through families. It is similar to traditional eggnog, but Puerto Ricans will tell you it’s even better. The beverage is served throughout Navidad, or starting after Thanksgiving and ending in mid-January with the celebration of Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián.
Those interested in making homemade coquito can follow this “Traditional Coquito” recipe, courtesy of
Traditional Coquito
1 can of condensed milk
1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of cream of coconut (most Puerto Ricans prefer Coco López)
1⁄2 cup white rum (preferably Don Q or Bacardí)
1⁄2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (add more to taste)
In a blender, add evaporated milk, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, rum, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Blend on high until mixture is well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mixture into glass bottles and chill in the refrigerator until cold. To serve, pour coquito into small serving glasses and garnish with ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick.
Note: This is traditional Coquito. Individuals can experiment with different flavors, like chocolate, guava or even mango coquito if they desire.
Discover Puerto Rico
“Winter forms our character and brings out our best.”
-Tim Allen
From Sketch to Living Space
a designer’s creative background shapes stunning home design
By Erika Willams
Around Edmond, Brent Gibson is known for the beautiful homes he’s designed across the state. He’s designed homes for everyone from Mike Gundy to the late Toby Keith, but what many may not know is that he’s a self-taught home designer with a background in art.
Before settling in Edmond and starting Brent Gibson Classic Home Design, he was an art major at Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
“I was an art major. I worked in college at different places, but I kind of developed my own technique and my watercolor paintings. I started painting and got really proficient in it, so I did a lot of art shows, and I sold a lot of work,” said Brent.
Born in Guymon, Brent specialized in painting scenes from rural life in western Oklahoma. Brent describes the settings in his paintings as serene. One painting he shared depicts a lone farmhouse covered in fresh white snow, another features a cowboy on a horse crossing a winter creek with a calf in tow. One of his favorites portrays a beautiful autumn day with several wild turkeys crossing the Canadian River.
“I did a lot of Western Oklahoma scenes, you know, cattle, horses, farms, houses, still life. They’re just really pretty, pretty scenes, things like that. I’ve got some beautiful wild turkey paintings on the rivers. I’ve got a cowboy with a calf on a creek and all kinds of stuff. I did, probably, you know, hundreds of paintings.”
Brent had been working as a draftsman for a construction company in Weatherford while pursuing art in his spare time. In 1987, the economy took a downturn. Brent gave up painting and moved to Colorado and began working as a home builder before moving to Edmond in 1990 to start his own business. Today, Brent has been working to find and buy his paintings as a collection for his children.
“I’ve actually purchased a lot of my work back and I have it so my kids can have it someday. I have a big collection of my paintings, of what I’ve done. They’re really some pretty nice pieces,” said Brent. “Some of them were ‘best of shows’ and award-winning paintings. So, I’ve got a lot of
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PHOTO PROVIDED
Brent Gibson of Brent Gibson Classic Home Design
PHOTOS BY ERIKA WILLIAMS Home design and watercolor paintings are among Gibson’s many talents.
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these paintings, and I have a studio in my house where I have them all framed up in my house and throughout the house. I’ve also got some here at my office.”
Brent has had many of his paintings scanned and printed. He enjoys sharing those prints with his clients and friends.
“I do a lot of prints, and I give a lot of these out to people. I’ll give them our friends to put up in their new homes. It’s really fun to share my work,” said Brent.
Brent speaks fondly of his work, but he has no plans to pick up a paintbrush again any time soon.
“I’m done. You know, I did it. Now, I’ve got to go to do something new,” said Brent.
Today, Brent flexes his artistic muscle through his home design.
“I never dreamed I’d be doing houses someday. You know, it’s just a different form of expression. I still draw a lot of things by hand, my sketches. So, I have a big art background, and it enables me to do what I do today. I never thought that was going to happen, but it did,” said Brent.
PHOTOS BY ERIKA WILLIAMS
Brent Gibson’s landscape and wildlife artwork is proudly displayed in his office and his home.
Visit a local favorite this fall Storybook Forest at Arcadia Lake
By Rose Drebes
Once upon a time comes alive for visitors to Edmond’s annual Storybook Forest.
Located within Arcadia Lake’s Spring Creek Park, Storybook Forest is an annual attraction and Edmond tradition. This year’s Storybook Forest is set for Oct. 23-30, 5:30-8:30 p.m. The cost is $15 for children and $5 for adults.
“Kids and their parents are invited to walk through the not-so-scary Storybook Forest to collect candy from storybook characters and see wonderful storybook scenes,” organizers said.
During Storybook Forest, Arcadia Lake is dotted with life-sized storybook scenes, each capturing such timeless tales as Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Storybook Forest is an interac-
tive adventure and is designed to be both educational and entertaining. This immersive experience transports guests into the pages of their favorite childhood stories. Costumed characters from favorite fables greet children and tell their timeless tales.
The path is illuminated by twinkling lights, creating a magical ambiance that adds to the wonder of the experience.
After basking in the experience of the trail, kids and their parents are invited to gather around the campfire to cook hot dogs, roast marshmallows or warm up with some hot chocolate while listening while children’s books are read.
Guests can also enjoy a hayride and a game area for the kids.
Storybook Forest is an ideal outing
for families, school groups or anyone who enjoys the magic of fairy tales.
Organizers said 40 volunteers are needed each evening to make Storybook Forest a reality. Those who ae interested should call (405) 216-7470.
Storybook Forest takes place in Arcadia Lake’s Spring Creek Park located 2.5 miles east of I-35 on 15th Street in Edmond.
The event is cash only. All tickets must be purchased in advance.
Storybook Forest is organized by Edmond Parks and Recreation.
For more information, visit edmondok.gov.
