“The bicycle shop is gone. Bummer. I’m sad about that because I was dreaming of this $800 model I was going to ask my family to buy me when I finished my doctorate degree…”
These were my thoughts as I ordered my iced latte from Coffee Slingers. “Have you visited the new antique store that took the place of the bike shop yet?” I asked the barista.
“No,” she replied. “I can’t believe I haven’t just WALKED over there…it looks awesome through the window. Have YOU visited Rawhide yet?”
“Uh….” I hesitated. “Um, is that the store with that cool sign a couple of doors down?”
“Yeah,” she answered. “If there’s any store you need to check out around here, it’s that one. AND ‘Shop Good.’ Have you tried that? You really need to check it out too!”
Okay. I could tell I’d been living under a rock for a while. So I went a couple of doors down. I love baristas. They tell it like it is. If there’s any store you need to check out around 10th and Broadway, it IS “Rawhide.” Here’s why…
“Western Culture” oozes from this place. As soon as you enter the front door, you breathe in sophistication and the trendiest designer interiors, clothing and accessories to be found when it comes to looking good, “western style.” Their handbag selection is out of this world. Suffice it to say, between the handbags and a few other accessories, I have plenty of lovelies for this particular post. However, we’ll have to visit them again to highlight their furniture. I want to sit in it again, close my eyes, and dream of my log cabin by a small southeastern Oklahoma lake. It’s in my head, and the furniture helps those dreams become vivid.
“Rawhide’s” owner, Angie Bailey, moved her store downtown OKC this past year after starting her business in Norman, Oklahoma. She has an eye for design, couldn’t find what she wanted in Oklahoma, and decided to respond to that need by creating a store she would frequent. I’m glad she did. Let’s look at a few of her handbags. Much of her inventory is the high-end Moulin Rouge, hand-crafted with sterling silver,real stones, and “feel it once, twice, and get caught petting it because it’s so soft” cowhide. Here are a few you’ll find as you peruse the aisles…
But if handbags aren’t your thing, check out the commemorative boots they carry through a unique partnership with the Oklahoma Western Heritage Museum, especially made for the 2010 anniversary. When they’re gone, they’re gone!
And finally, if you’ve been wanting your Christmas stockings to have just a bit more flair, a little western speciality je ne se qua, look no further. For around $100, you can crank up your Christmas decor with these…
Like them? Boy, I do. I wanted to take the whole lot home with me! So…although we began a “thrifty” discussion with you on Monday, we’re happy to talk svelte and style as well. And you’ll definitely find both at “Rawhide.” (This link has a NewsOK video so you can see a bit more of the store).
Hope I see you there!
[kelly]