While the holiday season descend upon Tulsa, Oklahoma, like every other part of the country, if the football team is doing well, they may barely notice the leaves turning color and the temperature dropping. Forgive the out-of-state relatives if they take you for a Boomer Sooner fan-or send them some fruit cake as a means of getting even. But when you get some time to pull yourself away from the television, radio and local sports authority; you will want to know what your options are for getting shopping down.

Holiday decorations are not just for Halloween, but there are plenty of decorations made to celebtrate Christmas, Kwanza, Chanukah, and if you have a crazy Scottish neighbor, you might even see a kilt appear for St. Andrew’s Day. So when the football is over and you need to get out of the house and get the shopping done, what are your options?

Tulsa, Oklahoma residents definitely live out of driving distance for the Mall of America, so it is probably good to rule that out. While online stores like eBay, Amazon.com, and Overstock offer great opportunities and deals to buy Christmas gifts for everyone, they are not the best place to find actual Christmas and holiday decorations. So what does Tulsa, Oklahoma have to offer?

First, let’s skip over the obvious choices. It is likely, everyone reading this knows they can go shop at Wal Mart, Kohls and Target to get just about anything they want or need, especially if it is a Super Wal mart, and the same can be said about Target and Super Target. In addition, you do not go online to find out about the mall that is just a few miles from you. So here are some resources in Tulsa, Oklahoma that are worth checking out:

Collectibles, Gifts and Novelties

Looking for a new cookie jar or relish container? One of these spots has what you are looking for — at least we believe they will.

1. Becky’s Hallmark Shop 11109 E 41st St # B. Tulsa, OK. (918) 628-1766
2. Collectible Toys 14002 E 21st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 234-4806
3. Collector’s Choice Racing 9216 E Admiral Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 835-5855
4. Cookie Jars Of Tulsa 122 S Lewis Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 582-0245
5. Cornerstone Memories Inc 102 S 1st St. Jenks, OK. (918) 298-5962
6. Emporium 4265 Southwest Blvd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 445-9201
7. Fancy That 206 S Main St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 258-7499
8. Fast Thred’s 2122 S Memorial Dr. Tulsa, OK. (918) 664-3287
9. Glow Collectibles 1210 E 41st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 743-5858
10. Heartfelt Collections 4980 E 105th St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 299-9986
11. I-44 Antiques & Collectibles 5147 S Peoria Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 712-2222
12. Karen’s Classic & Collectible 701 S Main St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 259-9057
13. Pat’s Hallmark 1105 E Kenosha St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 251-3116
14. Perfect Touch 4932 E 91st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 496-8118
15. Postman Hallmark 6324 E Admiral Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 838-0573
16. Rathbone’s Flair Collectibles 211 E Main St. Jenks, OK. (918) 299-2349
17. Sooner Stamps & Watkins 4612 E 31st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 749-5897
18. Weldon’s Collectibles 5026 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-3613
19. White Bear Antiques & Teddy 1301 E 15th St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 592-1914
20. Williams Cottage 6216 S 72nd East Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 492-7125

We found these locations using Best of Tulsa Yellow Pages.

Crafts and Craft Supplies

Crafts and Craft supplies stores in Tulsa, Oklahoma are an abundant source of decorations, decoration ideas, and everything in between to really get you rolling for the holidays. Between all the Hobby Lobby, Mardels and Michael’s Arts and Crafts locations, we know you can find something to fancy up your home or office.

1. Crafters Market 9120 E 31st St # C. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-0512
2. Heart To Heart Crafters Mall 114 W Dallas St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 251-5484
3. Mel’s Country Crafts Sand Springs, OK. 74063
4. OKHandmade Art, Gifts and Crafts Sand Springs 918-629-4785
5. Picket Fence 1000 N Elm Pl. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 258-2969
6. Quilted Bear 14002 E 21st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 438-4555
7. Sarah’s Arts & Crafts Designs 12640 E 31st Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 610-5142
8. Something Unique 110 E Main St. Jenks, OK. (918) 299-3322
9. Sullivan, Wayne 123 E Main St. Jenks, OK. (918) 299-0931
10. Airway Variety Store 8888 E Admiral Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 838-1901
11. Challenger N-Scale Hobbies 2230 E 56th Pl. Tulsa, OK. (918) 749-1634
12. Garden Ridge 11015 E 51st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 660-0543
13. Hobby Lobby 720 W New Orleans St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 455-3710
14. Hobby Lobby 8929 S Memorial Dr # 370. Tulsa, OK. (918) 250-5135
15. Hobby Lobby Creative Ctr 5130 S Harvard Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 749-8736
16. Hobby Lobby Creative Ctr 11205 E 31st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 664-7064
17. Jo Ann Fabrics & Crafts 5117 S Peoria Ave. Tulsa, OK. (918) 744-7621
18. Mavis Craft Shop 118 W Dallas St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 251-9799
19. Michael’s Arts & Crafts Inc 3116 S Garnett Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-8867
20. Michael’s Arts & Crafts Inc 8309 E 68th St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 254-2187
21. Rock Creek Emporium 2257 W Washington St. Broken Arrow, OK. (918) 451-5008
22. Silver Needle 6022 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 493-1136
23. Tandy Leather Co 5010 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 622-3996

Additional Shoppes of Interest

There are plenty of locations to start looking for holiday decorations in and around Tulsa, Oklahoma. You really just have to get out there, make a few stops and find what suits your desires best. We know of a few pretty decent locations to get some decorations for the upcoming holidays, so we thought we would share.

1. Pottery Barn at Utica Square 1864 Utica Sq. Tulsa, OK. (918) 743-1512
2. Pier 1 Imports at Utica Square 1926 Utica Sq. Tulsa, OK. (918) 742-1100
3. Pier 1 Imports 5255 S Sheridan Rd. Tulsa, OK. (918) 663-5546
4. Pier 1 Imports 9018 N 121st East Ave #500. Owasso, OK. (918) 272-4152
5. Garden Ridge 11015 E 51st St. Tulsa, OK. (918) 660-0543
6. Seasonal Concepts 10303 East 71st. Tulsa, OK. (918) 252-3396

Too Lazy to Light Up Your House

For many of you, storing, pulling out the lights, setting them up and making sure they stay lit for the holidays is a pain in the touche. If this is true, you could always check out Tulsa Christmas Lights, who will come out, get you setup with something beautiful and handle all the work for you!

The footnotes

There are plenty of resources in online yellow pages, super pages, white pages, and everything in between. We suggest you spend some time surfing around to find exactly what you are looking for. The absolute best place to get started is the wonderful Google, who can help you find local brick and mortar store locations and their online websites to help you find out if they have what you are looking for. Just in case you are new or visiting and not sure where the local Wal Marts and Target stores are, check out Yahoo! Search which we have linked up to outline their locations.

One Million Miles! That’s correct, Tulsa’s been challenged by the mayor to walk, run, bike, even swim 1,000,000 miles.

Mayor Taylor says from the site, “It’s not just about weight loss. It’s about being active for life! I challenge everyone in Tulsa to make fitness and health a top priority in their lives.”

So basically, by making ourselves healthier; we’re happier and the city looks good in the process. Tulsa’s notorious for being an obese city. In 2005, we were ranked 22nd in the Top 25 Fattest Cities. The then Tulsa Mayor LaFortune took this information and challenged Tulsa to get healthier. It worked and in a recent study Tulsa is now 13th Fittest Cities. That’s impressive, but its not enough.

When our state’s most favorite foods consist of barbecue, fried “anything”, cornbread, etc…its no wonder why we’re fat! So get of your duff, get out in the city and get some exercise. Its good for you, good for your health, and good for our city to try to become more fit.

This September, Tulsa will play host to the USPSA 2008 National Handgun Championships. This contest will be home to all the best shooters in the nation. More than 600 competitors are expected to compete in this years championships from 43 states and 11 countries.

The USPSA is the United States Practical Shooting Association and is the organization behind the sport of “practical shooting” or as its also known, the “run-and-gun” style of shooting sports.

This competition tests shooters ability to use their firearm in a real, obstacle-laden environment to find out who’s the best in the nation. Probably near 100 of these competitors will move on to Bali, Indonesia to compete in the World Shoot XV, giving the United States the largest group of competitors of any country.

For any further information about the USPSA, visit their website or call them at (360) 855-2245.

Tulsa, Oklahoma has seen an increase in its demand for downtown Urban living options. Personally, having lived in Tribune Lofts for quite some time and realizing all the pro(s) and con(s) to downtown Urban living, I can help offer a bit of insight. Downtown Tulsa has some extremely beautiful architecture, but you definitely have to get out and about to enjoy it. A neighbor of mine and I used to ride our bikes around downtown to the various locations we would visit. I know this is true for many downtown neighbors and especially those being able to live, work, and play downtown.

This article is going to be a part of a series, outlining some living areas and options in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Getting Around in Downtown Tulsa

Honestly, migrating from place to place in downtown is pretty simple these days. Unlike the past, downtown has been restructuring its streets allowing for more two-directional lanes (i.e. Boston Avenue). This has been a bit confusing to get used to driving, because most of the roadways were single direction until recently. The roads are always pretty clean though. There is enough space on the shoulders (near the curb) to ride your bike and not become a nuisance to any traffic. Most of the sidewalks are large and wide, allowing for both foot traffic and pedestrians on their bicycles.

The scenery in downtown Tulsa is more nice than not. If you ever have a chance to just stand in the middle of Boston Avenue, pick a direction (north or south), and you will understand the feeling I’m describing. The visibility is wonderful downtown. On one end you have Boston Avenue Church, which seems to just flow from the grass in which it sits, on the other end you have the BOKTower, which is definitely a sight to see. It is one of the tallest buildings in Oklahoma and seems to vanish into the sky on a cloudy evening.

Lining both sides of the street are various buildings: Atlas Life, Kennedy Tower, Mid Continent Tower, Thompson Building, PhilTower, and many more (I don’t know their names off-hand). The sidewalks and streets are usually pretty clutter free as their are a number of garbage containers along the walk-ways to allow pedestrians and commuters to throw away their garbage in route to their destinations. Tulsa and its citizens definitely appreciate the clean paths.

Vision 2025 promised a ton of downtown development to exist and there has been quote a bit, but I am not sure about $22M worth. However, if you’re looking for downtown living options in Tulsa, Oklahoma — let’s find something.

The Tribune Lofts in Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tribune Lofts at Main And Archer, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Some details about Tribune Lofts located at Main and Archer. The Tribune Builder itself is pretty dated, but is a great environment for Urban living in Tulsa. The building is near Caz’s (both bar and restaurant), Spaghetti Warehouse, Mexicali Cafe, Lola’s, Gypsy Coffee House, and numerous other locations up and down the North side of downtown. There are more locations on the South side of the tracks as you enter the downtown corridor: Arnies, McNellies, 1974, Dirty’s, and various other locations in the Blue Dome district.

The building was built back in the early 1900s and has a bit of history within it. The building has gone under renovations since its addition to the Downtown Tulsa Urban Living list in my head. My residence had concrete floors, spacious and generous areas for living, and an offset bedroom with three walk in closets. If you know me, you can appreciate me having three closets! The bathroom was large, with a spa/garden style shower/tub with a large vanity and storage area. The toilet, vanity, and sink for visitors was split off the main bathroom area. It was a nice feature that allowed guests to not see that I brush my teeth in the shower.

The units are lined with large windows (5′ x 8′). I had seven in all in my apartment. I was able to leave the shades open and rarely ever need any additional light in the day time hours. The evening brought a mysteriously anticipated and comfortable light and sound combination. It took some getting used to but the trains rolling through sent a resonated sound through the building and you definitely could not miss it. The lights outside shined in through the shades and foot traffic at the bar locations always made for an interesting evening to sit in the window seal and laugh at people.

Basement storage, roof access, elevator, and clean halls made Tribune a beautiful place to live. Parking is in abundance and there is a bit of lawn and greenery around the building to give any pets a small place to play.

More randomness about Urban living in Tulsa

Living downtown has some limitations. The closest grocery store I was able to find was AlbertsonsFood Pyramid at 15th and Lewis. It is located on the North-East corner and has a few other stores around it that make it a bit convenient to visit. Walgreens, Blockbuster, Office Depot, and some small liquor / wine store. Essentially, I was able to tend to a few errands while in the area. There is also Wild Oats on 41st and Peoria, near Brookside. Between the two locations you can definitely find about anything you need. Also by the Wild Oats is another AlbertsonsFood Pyramid.

Google map of downtown living

Other than grocery items, I tend to do most of my shopping online.. so it worked for me.

Additional Urban Living Locations

Mayo 420 | www.mayo420.com
Phil Tower | www.philtower.com
Central Park Condos | www.cptulsa.com
Uptown Renaissance Apartments and Tribune Loftswww.argtulsa.com
The Village at Central Park | www.thevillagebuilders.com

There are many projects currently under development in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma — when finished we should have even more possible living options in Tulsa. We’ll keep you in tuned to what’s going on.

Article Photograph: Tonight Tulsa, next-day the world.. by Justin Shattuck