Preserving the Past with Abandoned Atlas
For many, abandoned buildings are eerie relics of the past, but for Emily Cowan and Michael Schwarz of the Abandoned Atlas Foundation, they represent a rich history worth documenting and sometimes saving. Originally founded in 2009 as Abandoned OK by Cody Cooper and Justin Moore, the project shifted ownership in 2019 when Schwarz and Cowan…
Read More >
Every Hat Tells a Story
Edmond mom Taryn Rogers, an advertising professional and business owner, wears many hats—literally. Her company, Wild Spade Hat Bar, specializes in custom, hand-shaped cowboy and wide-brim hats. And it’s taking the state by stylish storm. As Taryn transitioned from full-time advertising executive to stay-at-home mom, she quickly realized she needed an outlet that would allow…
Read More >
Uncommon Art: Josh Brooks
Josh Brooks didn’t go looking for artistic acclaim. Instead, it walked right into his Edmond shop when a representative of Uncommon Ground, Edmond’s upcoming sculpture park, asked for his collaboration. “We started talking about projects for the park, and I was given the freedom to develop an idea for 12 sculptures in total,” Josh said,…
Read More >
One-of-a-Kind Thunder Threads
What NBA legends are to basketball, Kendall Ross is to knitting. Her mastery of the craft is elite, and what she creates – needles in hand – has deservingly drawn a crowd. This season, Kendall’s handcrafted work has found a surprising home in the heart of Oklahoma City Thunder fandom. Through a collaboration with the…
Read More >
Hope, Healing, and Horses
Founded in 2020, Willow Ranch was born out of a mother’s grief, a daughter’s legacy, and their shared love of horses. A licensed counselor since 2015, Christa Malcolm established the nonprofit in memory of her daughter Jessica, who was lost to cancer in 2011. “Jessica and I shared a love of horses,” Christa explains. “I…
Read More >
Whack, Thump, Bump with Twister City
On the outside, Edmond’s Arctic Ice Edge arena appears calm. But inside, it is a high-energy combination of “athletic excellence and hard-hitting action” – at least during derby season. That’s just how Twister City Roller Derby rolls. The Oklahoma City league offers competitive and recreational teams. While the three recreational teams play against each other,…
Read More >
Homesteading
Melissa Garcia has already welcomed one million members, with another ten thousand waiting to get in the door – of her Facebook group that is. Inside this digital hot spot, Melissa teaches members how to homestead from their sprawling acreages, cramped apartments, and everywhere in between. Melissa’s journey as an online entrepreneur began over a…
Read More >
Severed Sacredness
“It’s Jessie. She’s hurt. She’s hurt real bad.” These are the words that interrupted Lisa Boone’s patio lunch in 2009. They interrupted her entire life. On the other end of the phone, her son went on to explain that Lisa’s 15-year-old daughter Jessie had skied into the base of an Aspen tree while on a…
Read More >
A Well-Adjusted Giraffe
A giraffe walks into a chiropractor’s office… It sounds like the opening line of a joke, and that’s not exactly how it happened, but it is true that Joren Whitley, doctor of chiropractic, treats a variety of unusual clientele at his Edmond clinic, Oklahoma Chiropractic. His growing animal practice began with a pivotal encounter at…
Read More >
