Maker Monday - Tiny Details

Photo from Core77
[Charles] Sometimes it's the small details that make all the difference. These light up numbers don't look like much when they are in use, but taken apart they have a really beautiful and timeless look. I love the idea that these were made by engineers years ago and they took the time to not only think of their function but also their form.

Here's a link to the Core77 article...

Friday Forecast - Museum Free Day Tomorrow!

[Charles] Tomorrow it is supposed to rain, if you live in Tampa and believe in 60% chances of rain which isn't very committal anyway but whatever. So instead of having a yard sale or going for a run on the beach, why don't you check out that museum you haven't forked over the cash for yet?Most museums these days run in the $15 range for tickets so we're talking $30 savings easy. How does it work? Just head over to the Smithsonian's website and find your museum of interest. Type in some details about yourself and decline all those helpful ads they want to send you and 30 seconds later you'll have a printable flyer in your little inbox. So, if you haven't checked out the new Tampa Museum of Art because "it's too small" or "there's too many greek pots" or whatever, now's your no obligation chance. I am finally going to try and cross that bridge to the St. Pete side of our little bay and check out the Museum of Fine Arts there. I've heard it's really nice, but I'm too cheap to drive over there and drop the coin on it. Here's the link to check out your local options. H/T to Recreating Tampa for the kind words about our shop (lord rest her soul) and the reminder about this event. In Tampa you've got the Ybor History Museum, The Museum of Photographic Arts, The Plant Museum, and the Scarfone Gallery at UT in addition to the TMA so why not take your rainy day on the inside? Insider tip, I know the TMA has a fantastic cafe with gelato on the ground floor. Have a great weekend!

Oh yeah and if you've still got some energy to burn after that, you should really check out Los Amigos Invisibles over at the Crowbar on Saturday. This Venezuelan group is known for a super danceable show that should be a great time. Don't plan to lean on the rail and sip beer at this one.

Treehugger Tuesday: US Pledges $50M for Cookstoves

Photo from Adriana Lukas on Flickr

[Charles] In the news today there was a subject that we've talked about a little here on the TSM blog. Let's hope that this money is used wisely. Inefficient cookstoves are in use in millions of homes around the world where families and children are exposed to toxic soot that causes shortened lifespans to the users and environmental damage for the area. The research going into the area of efficient cookstoves is helping to cause less fuel to be used and to generate less soot in the process. Most homes in places like Ethiopia in the picture use an open fire to cook food and boil water. The women and children are most often the wood carriers and their bent backs show the strain of this daily job. Rapid deforestation which leads to erosion and floods is just one of the environmental problems from this practice. The recent NASA study discussed in Treehugger today also talks about soot and its effects on glacier melting and cloud formation. Check it out if you'd like more info. This is definitely something that needs more research and testing. It is one thing to spend money to build a better stove but it is still an uphill battle to have them accept it and use it.

Maker Monday - Nightwood

Photos from Nightwoodny.com
[Charles] Strange and beautiful mixes of old wood and fabric are incorporated into Nightwood's collections. This dreamy mix of pieces takes salvage and leaves it rough enough to appreciate where it came from and to show how cool it can be to let it all hang out - if you're a coffee table. Check em out. I like it a lot. From NYC of course...

Nightwood's site is definitely worth checking out.

Friday Music Forecast: So much music!

[Charles] This weekend has lots of good musical options for you. The best deal has to be WMNF's birthday bash for an awesome array of bands at the Ritz Ybor. Read on to hear the whole forecast:

Friday night: If you just want to walk in Seminole Heights then you have a few choices...

My top pic tonight is a band of young musicians called The Sun Society - a four piece band led by a pair of sisters with one on keys and the other on bass. They sound to me a little like Florence and the Machine with a really strong Regina Spektorish vocal. They start at 9 pm so forecast is... 90% that this show will be the best show you've seen by people young enough to be your kids that doesn't suck in some Jonas Brothers/Miley Cyrus kind of way.

Also, check out Ted Lukas and the Misled over at Ella's tonight if you want something rockin with your award-winning Best New Restaurant dinner!

If you're up for a drive then you couldn't do much better than heading to Skipper's to see Paul Thorn tonight in a solo acoustic show. I've heard his live stuff on the radio and he is hilarious and quite a rocker. Also, Rebekah Pulley and Ronnie Elliott are opening so ya know it's good.

Saturday night: 85% chance of your head exploding by the diverse group of musicians that WMNF has amassed at the Ritz. Paul Thorn with his full band. Suenalo jamming out and the Hip Abduction which packed the Orpheum at Heatwave will be great. The band you should be watching for is Sleepy Vikings. They sprung from the break up of one of my previous favorite rockers Giddy Up Helicopter. Check em out before they hit it big and you can't see em here any more. Hit the link below to check em out on Paste.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2010/08/live-at-paste-sleepy-vikings.html

Also, if you're in Ybor, sneak over to New World Brewery and check out a really cool florida band that reminds a little of the Avett Brothers - Greenland is Melting - this is definitely the "Nicole's Pic" of the weekend so don't miss out!

Sunday's forecast includes a 50% chance of sleeping in late and needing something a little light to keep you going through the day like the Independent's bluegrass Sunday School for Sinners from 4:30 to 7:30. If you didn't overdo it on Saturday then you should probably grab some barbecue or chicken and waffles at Ella's and check out blues rocker Kaleigh Baker.

How's that? Pretty awesome right?! No excuses folks so have some fun out there and congratulate all those Best of the Bay winners!

Here's your homework to get you going for the weekend...

Tampa Street Market at Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay

Love this photo from Clark at the Loafies

[Charles] We purposefully avoided campaigning this year for BOTB for lots of reasons but when I got in today, I had to know the outcome. I'm curious right? Well apparently we got the most votes for eco-friendly store but they didn't give us the award because we are closed. Fair enough. Actually it's really cool that they even mentioned us because they didn't have to. I kind of always felt like we operated our little corner of the world in the shadow of much more interesting developments as far as the published world of Tampa was concerned. So much to my surprise, as I'm reading along the rest of the winners and newsmakers, I come across a little note titled "Saddest Loss to Seminole Heights". I almost went right past it before I saw "Tampa Street Market". Then I read on, and it was good, really good. It was like they finally got it. Not cheesy and they actually even mentioned our little blog. All I can say is thanks. It really does mean a lot to us. Oh yeah and I've always wanted to say this - "They like us, they really like us!?"

The text here:

Tampa Street Market owners Amy and Charles Haynie embody the best
qualities of Seminole Heights: They look to the future while
respecting the past; they have an eye for cool trends without
compromising warmth and rustic comfort; they give back to their ‘hood
and to the planet with salvaged and refurbished furniture painted with
low VOC paints or pieces built from salvaged and sustainable
materials. Their furniture and gift store at Florida and Osborne
specialized in eco-friendly, fair trade and local products, and was
open for 3 1/2 years with a brief hiatus in 2008, and, sadly, closed
at the end of last month. But examples of the Haynies’ work live on in
the community, including metal tabletops and fixtures at Ella’s Folk
Art Cafe and a bench featured in a 2008 exhibition at the Tampa Museum
of Art. And the couple maintain a cool, artsy-community-minded blog at
tampastreetmarket.blogspot.com.

Tuesday Treehugger: Sign-O-Bike Turn Signal Belt?

Today's featured Treehugger article concerns this invention from the bike safety obsessed and creative geniuses from California company Sign-O-Bike. This thing fits on your waist and has light up turn signals with batteries that will apparently last "3-4 years" according to them (unless you leave your blinker on). It looks like a great idea and with the daily news in Tampa reporting accident after accident involving bicyclists and cars, I definitely am looking for more visibility. It does remind me a bit of Hulk Hogan's champion ship belt though and hopefully it can do double duty this year for my costume...

Here's the Treehugger link to the full article on visibility devices.

Also, the local bike blog - Bicycle Stories which had an insider's view of a bike accident involving a fellow rider this week.

Friday's Forecast - Weekend Music Planner

Well here you go - I got nothing better to do than try and talk you into seeing some live music this weekend. Don't miss out kids. I'll post some links and stop rambling on...

Friday - El Ten Eleven at Orpheum - Forecast 30% chance I'll actually get out to Ybor and go

Saturday - Legendary JC's at Skipper's - Forecast 90% chance of smoking funk and blues

Sunday - Cristabel and the Jons @ Ella's - Forecast 75% chance of tasty barbecue and beer accompaniment