Look What Tasha Did Today

Growing up, my parents used this refrigerator magnet affixed to a clothes pin to showcase the A+ papers and "artwork" I'd bring home from school. The magnet looked like a teddy bear holding a sign that said, "Look what TASHA did today," with the letters of my name handwritten probably by one of my parents, or maybe by the dude manning the personalized magnet stand at Silver Dollar City.

There are no refrigerator magnets in the blogosphere, so I'll just post pictures of what I did today right here.


I didn't make the shirt, of course. But, I did dig it out of a giant pile of clothing at Tulsa's inaugural Swap-O-Rama-Rama this afternoon at The Collective (11th and Harvard):

...and milled around the room for half an hour trying to decide what to do with it.


Swap-O-Rama-Rama was an afternoon-long, giant clothing swap and series of DIY workshops on how to remake unwanted clothing into rad new ensembles. Getting in was simple: lug in a bag of your gently used, unwanted clothing. A host of talent was on-hand to teach swappers how to transform those used duds into unique, handmade garments.

The core of the swap was, of course, the gigantic pile of free clothing. There were shirts, skirts, sweaters and pants - even a pair of biking shorts and a retro bathing suit. What remained at the end of the swap went to Youth Services of Tulsa for homeless teens.

Whoops! Pit stop. Had to have a sit to enjoy some of the yummy coffee and muffins available at The Collective. That place is so cool, by the way. A coffeehouse, a cafe, a concert venue AND a bar? Right next to a college campus? Brilliant idea alert.


There were a few instruction stations at the Swap for inspiration, to help people like me get started.

You know - people who get distracted very easily by sparkly things:


And sexy little 40's-inspired dresses (both handcrafted by Weather & Noise):

Ultimately, I decided I was meant to spray paint something.

I made the entire room smell like a chemical wasteland, but I had a great time. In fact, it was one of the best times I've had around town in a long, long time. I got to chat with some of the members of Tulsa Craft Mafia (hosts of the Swap) and their cool friends; I met a few friends in person who I'd previously known only on Twitter or via this blog; and I walked away with a sack full of sweaters I plan to salvage for yarn and a cute little pink tanktop to wear to family reunions to convince them all I have finally flipped my lid.

Either that, or I've suddenly gone really clumsy with my paper dolls. At any rate, Swap-O-Rama-Rama made me feel like one of the hip kids. I really like feeling like a hip kid.

I heard the TCM plans to give the Swap another go next year. Check back here for a date/time/location, because I will definitely be a repeat offender of the ready-made clothing establishment.

Hello, Inspiration! It's Swap-O-Rama-Rama

Got a pile of underwhelming threads crowding up prime real estate in your closet? Mark your calendars for March 21, the date of Tulsa's first Swap-O-Rama-Rama, a celebration of reusing and recycling clothing the crafty way! 

The event, hosted by Tulsa Craft Mafia at The Collective, will be an afternoon-long giant clothing swap and series of DIY workshops on how to remake unwanted clothing into rad new ensembles. A host of talent will be brought together to teach festival goers how to transform new/used duds into unique, handmade garments. Six DIY stations and several local designers will be on hand for sewing help and modification tricks, silk screening, stenciling and original designing. 

The core of the swap will be, of course, the gigantic piles of free clothing! There will be pants, shirts, skirts, sweaters and more (oh, my!), which will be the collective total of each guest's donated clothes. Feel free to clean out those closets, let go of what's no longer inspiring and take home as much clothing as you can carry. What remains will go to Youth Services Tulsa for homeless teens. 

At 8 p.m., the designs that came off the sewing machines during the day will come to life during a participant-modeled fashion show. Local music acts Tops of Trees and Low Litas will rock out the rest of the evening, when food, coffee and beer will be available for purchase from the folks at The Collective.  

Wondering what to bring? Visit the Swap-O-Rama-Rama Web site to get the low-down. Still have questions? Get in touch with Christine Crowe, the mind behind Indie Emporium and a founding member of Tulsa Craft Mafia, at christine@indieemporium.com.

WHAT: Swap-O-Rama-Rama

WHEN: March 21, 1-6 p.m.

WHERE: The Collective, 3148 E. 11th St. (across from TU stadium)

COST: A bag of clothes for donation or $5

Thanks to the ladies of Tulsa Craft Mafia for putting together hip community events like Swap-O-Rama-Rama and Indie Emporium. T-Town would be much less feisty without you. 

Valentine's Day Round-Up

Want to do something fun and hip with your sweetie on Valentine's Day? Dinner and a movie just not going to cut it? You're my kind of people.

In my opinion, the whole dinner-and-a-movie date is pretty much the worst ever. I mean, think about it. You're stabbing and masticating and otherwise pre-digesting in front of someone you're supposed to try to impress at some corporate food-serving establishment, and then you go sit in a dark box for two hours, saying not one word to each other while you try to guess if it's the right time to start making out.

Now? No? Okay. How about now?

No, thanks. Me and mine prefer Valentine's Day plans a little more, well, off the beaten path. We like to look for fun and romantic things to actually do together.

Everything going on in the name of love in T-Town this weekend that's listed below beats the pants off of the formulaic V-Day date. You won't even need a crowbar to free your shoes from the gelatinous ooze on the floor of some 3,798-screen movie complex. And indigestion from those "house special" empanadas, which you're pretty sure you saw in the freezer section next to the Totino's last week at the Wal Marts? Fuhgetaboutit.

If you like food and wine, head to Stone Bluff Cellars in the beautiful hills near Haskell for their Valentine Weekend Lunch Sweetheart Special. The lunch, which costs $25 for two, includes a half Stone Bluff club sandwich, a cup of Chef Mikael's savory soup and a decadent dessert. The special runs 11 a.m.-3 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday and 1-3 p.m. Sunday. If you want to make it a party of four couples or more, call (918) 482-5655 to make reservations.

Love to cook, but don't want to spend the evening at your place? Make reservations for the Valentine's Day weekend cooking class with Chef Sean at Cowboy Sharkies, just north of 61st and Memorial. The setting should be intimate enough, since seating at the class is limited to 20. The class, which runs $30 per person, begins at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday night. Call (918) 280-9000 to get set up.

Always wanted to be part of one of those idyllic love scenes on a big, frozen pond, skating along in the arms of your sweetheart as the icy wind gives you an earache? Pine no more. Head to Skate Date at BOK Center. The event, which marks the first time Tulsans will skate on the arena's 17,000-square-foot frozen floor, will be held 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday inside the BOK Center. Concession stands will be open, and long-stem roses and photos will be available in the lobby. Skaters pay $9 (kids and those with their own skates pay $5). After everyone's bum is thoroughly bruised, head outside for a 15-minute horse-and-carriage ride through the streets of downtown Tulsa. Rides are available 5-10 p.m. and cost $25 for a group of four, or $20 for a couple.

Have a wild kind of love? Good for you. Now call 669-6634 for your reservation to Tulsa Zoo's "Wild at Heart" Valentine's Day event. Woo her (or him!) with a decadent evening with fine cuisine and cocktails provided by Taste of the Wild Catering, and take a spin on the dance floor. After, enjoy a twilight train ride. If you're feeling really wild, look for the special presentations by zookeepers on the finer points of love and lust in the animal kingdom. The seduction - yours, not the animals' (I hope) - begins at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow night. There is limited space, so call ASAP.

Nothing says love like profuse sweating and rapid heart palpitations - at least, for all you lovey-dovey Tulsa runners out there. Start the day by heading down to Veteran's Park at 21st and Boulder for the 2009 Sweetheart 5K and 10K Runs. There's still time to register, so visit the Fleet Feet Sports Web site to learn more and sign up.

Calling all you lovers who like to play dress-up! Head to the Valentine's Masquerade Ball at The Collective. Get in the doors for $5 (just $3 with a mask or costume - mask-making supplies will be available at the party, so no worries if you couldn't dig one up beforehand) and see DJ Baby Ruthless (Dallas, TX) and local favorites Skeeter, Nutter, Frequency and Emmanuel Rivers. The party starts at 8 p.m. and benefits the American Heart Association.

UPDATE, Feb. 13//Just found another wine event! This one, at Whispering Vines Vineyards and Winery in west Tulsa, involves a murder mystery, with a wine tasting before. The show, which costs about $60 per person and includes dinner, starts at seven. Call (918) 447-0808 to beg for reservations, since my bet is there are only a few seats left.

And Tasha said: Let the lovin' begin.