Eklectica Holid-ectrica

Yes, I made that title up. So this one is for my local homies. Looking for somewhere uber chic to pick up something uber sleek?

Cheri's Eklectica in downtown St. Pete on 2nd Ave & Beach Drive remains one of my all time favorite places EVER to pick up that little (sometimes lots of) something quirky. Can we be really honest here for just a minute? Holiday gift giving is just as much a reflection on you and your taste as it is of the person you are buying for. So make yourself look interesting and savvy this holiday season with a purchase from Cherie's.

Local art, artisan jewelry, indie-label books, fun vintage-spirited toys you can't find at Walmart...all for the taking.

So make the sojourn downtown. Grab lunch while you are there. Cherie's is worth the trip.

Holidaze on Ice

Well, I fear I have been far too remiss in my entries these days. The queen of cool has been moving (to somewhere not so "cool".) I am still in "Tampa" city limits, but let's be honest, Countryway is no urban denizen. However, I have a cool job and will keep the inside of my block rancher as hip as I can possibly stand. Anyway, I'm back and so on to the entry.

What to listen to for the holidays and still be cool? I mean, yes, classics are always acceptable this time of year, but Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis are not the poster children (or, um, seniors) for an indie holiday fiesta. Alas, there are ways to enjoy Christmas tune-age and remain chic.

Download the following:

-Christmas Remixed, Volume 1 & 2
-The Reindeer Room, Volumes 1 thru 3

These two series are all you need to remain fashionable and hip and both will guarantee you one cool Christmas. So push play. Mix. Shake. Pour. And enjoy.

Happy Trailers

Check out http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/

Usually I try to avoid promoting promotion. But this is one friekin' cool website and movie trailer. I've never seen one done like this before. When you go there you'll know what I mean.

Danny Boyle is awesome. If you haven't seen his other stuff, do so. And this looks like one of his crown jewels. Not only does the movie look great, but it makes my cool list for the awesome sneak peek factor.

Check it out and be inspired!

The Air I Breathe

Rent "The Air I Breathe".

This flick has all the makings of one cool movie: interesting ensemble cast; surprising performances (like an unexpectedly subtle and not overly annoying one by Brendan Fraser); strong writing with multiple lives all touching each other in surprising ways; dark storytelling and art direction; and one killer soundtrack.

The ending may tie up into too neat of a bow for some, but I still consider it one of the better movies I've seen. A great Friday night movie to settle in with after the kiddies go to bed. It's only 90 minutes, so it goes quick.

Plus I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for Kevin Bacon, so I give anything a chance that he's in. This happens to be really good.

Fabulous fabrics

www.melinamade.com


Looking for something to give your tired old place some punch? Try some authentic 50's fabrics from Melina Made. Use them to create a valance - or swag if you will. Order some Atomic Burst throw pillows to add just enough space age to your love song of an abode. A tad pricey but worth it for just a touch here an there! A pillow here, a curtain there, then sit back and wait for Frankie, Annette and Gidget to show up.

All Songs Considered

www.npr.org

No matter what your political leanings, NPR is worth visiting for the music alone. Their "All Songs Considered" program is outstanding. You can download the podcast, go online and hear samples or just read articles about really thoughtful quality music that is just waiting for you to listen to it.

So forgo the news portion if you must, but visit www.npr.org for great music and insight into the bands that create it. And they are so lonely. So lonely. They want you to go hear them sing. So go!

Pandora's Beat Box

www.pandora.com


Oh My God this is the coolest freikin' music site ever!

It's free. You plug in what band or song you like and it creates a playlist for you that rocks! I have 'My Morning Jacket' as my model for now. Give it a try.

You'll hear old favorites and discover new gems. It's like every day has a kick-ass soundtrack now. And who couldn't use that, especially with the drudgery of office life assaulting our sense daily.

Pandora - open up that box and let if FLY!!!!

Utility Belts

I have one friend who insists on the fanny pack tradition. He claims it's "too easy not to use" and he's "frankly too old to care if it's hip or not". OK, I'll give him that. So Dwight, here ya go. A hip accessory worth strapping on.

Designer Victoria Chan uses reclaimed leather to craft a hip bag featuring bold stitching and hardware to make one strong statement. Plus, they can be transformed into a clutch or shoulder bag.

Check out nomaddicts.net

It's finally hip to be square again.

Pitch Perfect

With the Phillies dominating the World Series recently, I've still got baseball on my mind. What better gift for your Phillie-phile (or any other baseball junkie you know) than a cool baseball with custom artwork on it?

Ironically, Philadelphia based Emily Wolfson hand paints real baseballs to your liking. I personally dig the crossword puzzle. But check out the site to root for your favorite.

www.unforgettaballs.com

Second Helpings

Dishware can be so boring. What's the fun in picking up some sterile pieces from Target or Crate and Barrel? I mean where's the fun in that?

Brooklyn-based Sarah Cihat solves the dilemma for us all. Vintage finds from thrift shops are transformed via silkscreen and reglazing for one-of-a-kind, fabuloso delicioso dining.

With 'being green' being so chic these days, nothing says 3 R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) like redressing old plates. And nothing says cool like supporting artists handcrafting nifty platters to make mealtime one neat treat.

www.sarahcihat.com

Surf's Up

Rent "Surfwise".

It's an amazing documenary about the Paskowitz family who grew up in the 60's in a van down by the river, actually more like the ocean. A family of 2 parents and 9 kids decided to live off the grid in a beat up camper, spending their days together - really together - since they all lived in like one big car. They'd surf and laugh and talk and surf and not much else.

The movie tracks them all as adults and how they've found success and failure due to their unusual upbringing. While I don't agree that not giving your child a strong education is a wise thing, you kind of get sucked in to the endearing , love-is-all-you-need" aura these guys give off. By the end of it, Greg and I were looking at Airstreams. Then I remembered how much I love my MacBook Pro and my Burt's Bees and Redken products and my pillow top mattress and well, we scratched that.

Anyway, it's cool movie. And it makes you realize how much the world has changed in just 40 years. You could almost get away with living in a van on the beach back then.

Great music, nice art direction and a solid documentary style featuring showing both the black, white and gray of all its stars.

Fall for Scarves

I tend to avoid uber trendy things, like the poncho fiasco a few falls ago that lasted about 3 weeks. But the scarf trend has me intrigued.

It began last fall and has held thru to this season and I'm officially buying in.

Versatile not only in fabric - heavy for your northerners or lightweight cotton for us southern belles - but also in style. Worn around a jacket, with a dress as a wrap, on the head for a chic bad hair day, or tied at the neck loosely with a tee to punch up a casual day, scarves are the bomb.

But they must be muted in color - no crazy Cat In The Hatness please - and somewhere towards skinny vs. big, fluffy and wide. You also want them to be nice and long. But not too crazy long like those weird skinny disasters from the Gap last year that trailed behind you on the street so you got home with gum and bugs on your person! Throw in a metallic thread and you're all set.

Scarves for fall, it's wrapture!

Foxy Music

The Fleet Foxes: echoey, stirring, mellow and moving. I'm digging these guys. The quintet describe their music as "baroque harmonic pop jams".

The Seattle sound has become quite savvy.

Check em out.

Ladies Love Cool Jams

An entry for what doesn't happen nearly enough in music today: a major shout out to cool music with women rockin' on the front lines:

CSS is a delightful little electro pop pleasure from Brazil. The "Donkey" album is a blast, specifically "Rat is Dead".

Charmparticles have some kick ass tunage. But also a great website, charmparticles.com. They are the kind of gals I want to hop on a bus with and be their behind-the-scenes friend who doesn't have to work at it, but shares in their glory. Like drinking with them on their tour bus or going to a bar after a show and being all legit "cuz I know the band".

Dressy Bessy has been around a few years, but never disappoint.

Oldie but goodies include My Bloody Valentine who recently reunited and toured again; Lush who's "Sweetness and Light" will forever be one of my top 5 song picks of all time; and Liz Phair who is so obvious, she's barely worth mentioning, but I will because you are NOT cool if you don't own Exile in Guyville. It's just a simple as that.

We need more cool chick bands. There's plenty more I have not mentioned, but the guys can't keep getting all the glory. Girls are made for more than video characters!

Speaking of Beer...

My list of some top hops:

Brooklyn lager
Brooklyn IPA
Stoudts American Ale
Flying Dog Tire Biter Ale
Anchor Steam
Liberty Ale
Inepdendence Ale
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
and of course....
Stella Artois, otherwise known as "Stella!!!"


Disclaimer:
This blog does not support the abuse of alcohol, only the drinking of it.

OTH, WOB, NWB, TBBC and More Acronyms for an IPA

So I'm giving a little shout out to my local Tampa Bay residents and listing the coolest places I've found recently for a frosty brew beyond your basic Coors Light.

For those of you not living in TB, make sure you put these on your tourist roster when you visit.

First up, Oldsmar Tap House. While not technically in Tampa, it's close enough. Breathing new life into a sleepy strip in "downtown Oldsmar" which is really just one street, lies the OTH. Known for it's extensive microbrew and unique international beer selection, this little watering hole has live music, good chatter and a series of challenging metal chain puzzles on the wall - the kind you try to take the loop off of two rings. A seemingly impossible task, yet someone in the lovable D&D/beer geek crowd always manages victory. The last time I was there, we heard an old-fashioned Florida cracker band playing a gas tank and banjos while sipping beer drawn from a tap that featured a canister of fresh hops. Located on St. Pete Drive by historic library in Oldsmar.

World of Beer is much more raucous and closest to home so a natural pick for the Mullen household. Exposed brick, flat screens galore, live music and floor to ceiling fridges full of beer makes WOB a top spot for the well-coiffed mingling with casual sports fans that love a nice Tire Biter. Located at Westchase Village 2, Linebaugh Ave.

New World Brewery is one of those hangouts that makes me feel like I'm back up north in a "real" city because of it's Ybor locale. But the expansive outdoor patio reminds you that you are in balmy FLA. Probably the hippest of the joints listed here, NWB is known for it's live music scene and uber hipster crowd. Not the Gucci/Armani/Ocean Drive wannabes you see at Bay Street, but the good hipster kind - the indie rock kids and aging Gen Xers who aren't ready to give up their cool cards and love their IPAs.

For some true local flavor, wander down the street to Tampa Bay Brew Company. Also in Ybor yet slightly tamer, the TBBC makes their own beer. And most of it actually really good! I still prefer their old location to the new Centro spot, but I give their brewing props nonetheless.

So pull up a stool and have a cab number handy. Those rich yummy beers pack a powerful punch.

Forecast: Always Sunny!

Watch "Always Sunny in Philadelphia"

For those of you not yet schooled in the only one true comedic hour that lives in your television set each Thursday at 10PM on FX, start watching now.

OK, you don't have time you say. Nonsense, you can add it to your queue, Tivo it or what have you. But if you really want to be cool, then pull up a stool to be part of the most offbeat, black comedy, strange hilarious awesomeness that is Paddy's Pub.

I debate with my husband each week on who's the best. I still stand by Mac. Greg calls Charlie. But Dee and Dennis also rock.

Any show that has the guts to create story lines that involve smoking crack to get on welfare for easy money or charging money to let people see a pee stain of the Virgin Mary is, well, da bomb in my book!

Some tend to think I'm partial since it's a Philly show and all. Perhaps it just means I get the title a little more than most. Some think we Philadelphians are known for having a gloomier outlook on life. To that I say we too look at the world through rose colored glasses, we're just not blind to its thorns.

Too Cool or Not Too Cool...

I'm not sure that I'm buying in to the fossil fuel inspired trends for fall. Oil-slick black fabrics, glossy satins, lustrous silks, and patent leathers hit the runways hard recently. That's all fine and good for the martini-imbibing, starvation crowd of fashion houses, but please - let us picture how this will apply to the masses.

Is it edgy or is it tawdry early 80's redux?

The Pirate Who Liked to Read

My friends, do yourselves a favor and read - if not the entire series than at least one of - Gideon Dafoe's "Pirates in an Adventure With..."

I have read ..."With Ahab" and "with the Scientist". Both gems. These are quick reads, and worth the sacrifice of the latest "Hills" or "Real Housewives" episodes.

Mr. Dafoe fashions his pirate characters after sassy, clueless, rogue types that are both ahead of their time and swarthy creatures all at once. You will be laughing so hard you'll be crying. In "Ahab", the author has them sailing to Vegas to become performers to help raise money for a new ship. No mind that Vegas is not actually near a body of water.

It's not so much the plots themselves, but the language and dialogue that will have you in stitches.

None of the pirates have actual names. They are called "Pirate with the Scarf" "the Albino Pirate" and "The Pirate with the Wooden Leg".

My personal favorite is the Pirate Captain who fancies glazed hams and his glossy beard. Never a buccaneer there was.

Read at least one. These pirates are so cool they put Jack Sparrow to shame, then flick his eye patch back on his face and beat him with their wooden legs!

Engulfed and In Love

My amour for David Sedaris continues to deepen with his latest "When You Are Engulfed in Flames."

A standard for any hipster's library, the Sedaris series never disappoints. I will say however, that compared to "Corduroy", which I enjoyed but felt was more on the sentimental side, he's back in his snarkiest of forms in "Flames".

My favorite of this collection is "That's Amore", a tale of Helen, a woman so bitter crotchety and hardened, that she's absolutely lovable in her repulsiveness. She's a member of a group of old timers who's slowly passing on and at some point, they just won't make 'em like her anymore. Cigarette in one hand, whiskey glass in the other, cursing their last days on earth.

It's hard to think people like her grew up in a time without blogs, red states and blue states, and "No Smoking" signs. Not that I'm saying that's bad necessarily. It's just sad in a way that those characters with a very pointed/cut-thru-the-bull view of the world will soon be extinct.

She reminds me of my grandmother who's charms I never fully appreciated 'til it was almost too late. She always scared me with her rough smoker's voice and gruff language when I was little. But as I got older, I got her more.

She wore a house coat and curlers, smoked Luckies - no filters, and cursed like a sailor. She also made us pull over once lost in NYC to pick up a 6-pack so at least she could drink while we were driving around lost.

Anyway, David makes me laugh, cry and think in every book I read of his. He's someone I want to be friends with, yet would never want to know because God only knows what I'd end up reading about myself.

Must See TV

The following is my list of top movies you must rent - and view in full - to consider yourself truly cool. Some pix are obvious, some perhaps not. But if you want a crash course in cool movies, this is it. These are in no particular order, because it's too hard to rank them as they are cool and great in very different ways.

Amelie
Ma Vie En Rose
Krzysztof Kieslowski's trilogy: Red, White and Blue (3 different movies but I'm counting as one)
Cinema Paradiso
Donnie Darko
American Beauty
The Cook, The Wife, the Thief and His lover
Virgin Suicides
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
The Third Man
Mommy Dearest (made for TV but still counts in my book)
Smoke & Blue in The Face (I'll count as one, they are sort of sequels)
The Out of Towners - the original with Jack Lemmon
The Station Agent
Pan's Labyrinth
Oh Brother Where Art Thou
Raising Arizona
and anything by John Hughes

Get your queues filled now people! Any thoughts on additions?

World Music

What do you get when you take Michael Stipe, Speech (that guy from Arrested Development), 2 British DJ's, a Mac laptop and an airplane? 1 Giant Leap.

While not brand spanking new, this collection makes my forever cool list not only because the music itself is a fascinating blend of world beat, rap, mystical lyrics and basically some jammin' tunes, but also because of how it was conceived and produced.

Two guys took a laptop, a map, and an airplane then traveled all over the world to places fairly secluded, like deep into the jungles of Africa and high up to the mountain tops of Tibet. And without a plan would seek out the village's musicians/singers. They would lay down beats, or singing or spoken word or native instrumentation, then go to another country and do the same thing. At the end, they put all of it together in various forms to make one song.

So for example, "The Way You Dream" has Michael Stipe singing with a woman from India, drum beats from Africa and so on. And the song wasn't written as one. And they didn't record in studio at the same time. And it all goes together in one kick ass tune.

They had no budget and would just ask for donations along the way and just pick their next stop randomly.

A brave, big undertaking. The goal was to show that the world is truly connected through music and that we as a race are all so similar despite our vast differences. That together, our disparate voices and sounds all harmonize with each other to create a united voice.

1 Giant Leap is not only an album worth hearing but also a documentary worth seeing. Buying it is recommended since that is the only way these guys made any money off the gig. If nothing else, you gotta admire these lads for their spontaneity.

1 Giant Leap truly is "world music".

Plastic Fantastic

See "Lars and the Real Girl.

"When you hear about a movie that involves a delusional guy and a plastic sex doll, there are certain expectations that come to mind. Like it will be creepy and pornographic. Or it will be zany Zucker Brothers style - perhaps even starring Jim Carrey. But in the hands of a smart screenplay writer, a gifted director and the amazing Ryan Gosling, "Lars and the Real Girl" is a thoughtful, touching, funny, sentimental and - dare I say -the feel good movie of the year.

Other than "The Notebook", which I refuse to watch, I have see every Ryan Gosling flick. And I am nothing short of completely enamored by him. He is one of the most gifted actors of our time, if not ever.

The only downside to "Lars" is that Greg and I find it hard to believe a town with such heart exists anywhere. Perhaps we are just too cynical. But the fact that this place and those people existing in someone's mind, if nowhere else, is truly inspiring.

Ph*#k You!

While I've wooed about Woot, I'm not partial to them by any means. I like to divvy up shout outs to multiple "cool tee" finds. This one was brought to my attention by a co-worker. Thanks Steve! Mule Design may or may not be tied to a subliminal Democratic message - which is just fine by me.

Regardless of your political leanings, you will find something in here to make you laugh. Philly pholks get a bad rap for their toughness. But I personally would never trade a day I spent among the "F" notes and subway stench. Without them, my life would be the equivalent of a Federal pretzel without the salt - boring and tasteless with no grit.

http://store.muledesign.com/shirts/philly.php

New Kids on the Rock

The Black Keys indeed rock. They are an indie band out of Akron, Ohio that is super fantastico. Their music has a new indie-sound edge but its soul is unmistakably Zeppelin-esque, reminiscent of those late 70s burnout bands we all have a soft spot in our hearts for.

My favorite album of theirs is "Thickfreakness", but any others will do if you are in the mood to relive your black light poster days and jam out a bit.

The coolest part of this band is that they always record in a dusty basement, old rubber factory or somewhere that lends to the dull-razor enivron their music conjures up. Even though they just recorded in a real studio for the first, time, they managed to keep their sound raw. Read more about them at www.theblackkeys.com/bio.

New Zealand...Cool!

Every once in a while a show comes along that makes me equally laugh and equally mad. "The Flight of the Concords" makes me laugh 'til I'm crying and fills me with envy as writer because I'll never be that good.

Brilliant writing and an even more clever concept, the series follows two New Zealand immigrants living in New York who are trying to make their 2-man band a success. Jermaine and Brett are so dry and so naive that it makes them almost as lovable as they are hilarious. What I love about this series is that there is no violence, no bad language and yet it's still a total stitch - rare in today's comedy landscape.

The best part of this series is that the characters randomly break out in to videos. The art direction and lyrics of these videos are dead on spooftastic.

Add it to your queue immediately. The best character is the band manager who takes roll call at each meeting with only 3 attendees. These Kiwis all have serious self-esteem issues against Australia. Another theme for plenty of comedic fodder. Take note of the New Zealand travel posters in the background: "New Zealand. Don't expect too much and you'll love it." "New Zealand. Not part of Australia."

Their self assigned rap names say it all: Rhymnoceros & Hiphopotomus.

http://www.hbo.com/conchords/

Summer Cruisin

As summer winds down for much of the country, unlike here in Tampa where we have about 2 more months of sick heat, I am reminded of my favorite summer past time in my late high school and college years. Driving around, either alone or with one of my girls, blasting rap music.

Keep in mind the rap I speak of here is the rap of years past. The rap that wasn't so offensively bad. The rap whose lyrics ranged from serious political impact, like Public Enemy, to the levity of eating pizza on South Street, like Will Smith's "Summertime".

Rap in the 80's and early 90's was still a genre that you could fully embrace and still have self-respect. I still stand by my statement that the best wedding gift I received was the Def Jam box set from my favorite rap cruising buddy, Vee.

So without any further audieu, my list of the best classic rap tunes to carry you and your mobile through 'til the weather chills, the windows go up, and the heat goes on.


"Fight the Power", Public Enemy
"No Sleep 'til Brooklyn" Beastie Boys
"Daddy's Little Girl" Nikki D
"Boomin' System" LL Cool J
"Around the Way Girl" LL Cool J
"Back Seat" LL Cool J
"Pop Goes the Weasel" 3rd Bass
"Paid in Full" Eric B and Rakim
"New Jack Hustler" Ice T
"Dana Dane" Cinderfella
"The Message" Grand master Flash
and drumroll...I still know all the lyrics to the 8-minute beauty...
"Beat Street" Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel.


There are many many more old school delights, but time is limited and so are summer's lat dog days. So go my peeps and get your groove on with your bad selves.

Bugs and Sealife

Rent "Junebug" and "The Squid and the Whale."

"Junebug" is an endearing and disturbing tale all weaved together, and one of those movies that I couldn't tell if I really liked or disliked it. But after a few weeks of letting it sink in, I've decide it is cool worthy if only because I keep thinking about it. The naive sister in law is by far my favorite character. She's go to so much heart and yet is so aggravating because of her dim wit that you almost hate her for it in the end, but somehow you just can't. You'll know what I mean when you watch it.

As for "The Squid and the Whale", it was one of those films that keeps you on edge because it seems as if any minute, it could go really creepy/weird, but yet doesn't. It's a basic and raw tale about the decay of a New York family. I have always loved Jeff Daniels, even in "Dumb and Dumber". So he adds a nice depth to it. Again a movie where you don't know if you love or hate the characters, but I tend to fall for those "gray" folks.

Both of these movies had a very strong sense of place. I think it's fascinating how some directors and writers can pull off "setting as character" so flawlessly. I envy it. I wanted to move to New York and also made me glad I never moved to North Carolina.

What a Woot!

For those of you who love the thrill of the chase, you'll love Woot. There are several different kinds of Woot. Shirt Woot, Wine Woot, plain old regular Woot.

http//www.woot.com

It's a website/blog that offers one product a day at a ridiculously cheap price. The best part for me is how they handle the product descriptions, or catalog writing if you will. It takes J Peterman's ground-breaking catalog approach from the mid 80's and rips it up, stuffs it back in "the box" and mocks it like the lameness that it is.

As for Shirt Woot, if you are a graphic tee junkie, this indeed is the place for you. A fresh design daily. From a different artist daily. And anyone can enter their own design too. All non-sweatshop produced in America. Which of course is top of mind right now as I watched the almost no female cast in the opening ceremonies of Bejing (which I found fascinating yet disturbing all at once.)

http://www.shirt.woot.com

So give a woot and don't pollute the fashion world with crappy T-shirts anymore!

Curses!

Surely a sign that I'm getting old, or perhaps it's my suburbia like environ these days, but I don't necessarily value profanity the way I used to. So take my next tip with a fucking huge grain of salt.

Holy Fuck rocks the show. Do I wish their name didn't smack of effort to be "cool"? Yes. But despite their ill-chosen namesake, this band is one of my new faves. Sometimes aggressive, sometimes ethereal, I love the way they treat lyrics as secondary and focus on the msuic. Sometimes you don't even know what they are saying or even if it is real words. But no matter, it's great shit nonetheless.

Their album, Holy F**K is well worth the small chunk of change to buy the whole damn thing.

The irreverence reminds me of an old fave, the Inspiral Carpets and the T-shirt I owned once with a cow head on it that read 'Cool As Fuck". I wore it often.

Word Play

Bored? Think you can't do anything interesting with a block of text without a handy dandy art director? Oh how wrong you are!

Create your own word clouds at www.wordle.net.

I chose a favorite passage of mine from Lesley Gore's "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows" cuz that's just the kind of day I'm having!

There's pretty much no productive value to this exercise whatsoever. But it is a nice break from the tedious work you do in front that ole monitor o' yours. If you are itching in the middle of some kind of monthly budget crunch or are just surfing for something different, play away.

This very cool java program puts regular Joes and Janes in the designer seat. And is another example of how fun design in general has become so much more accessible to all of us. Say what you will about the pitfalls of a computer age, but personally, I just don't know how my father spent a majority of his working life looking at blinking yellow letters and numbers on a bulky blank screen. I wonder what word clouds he would have made in 1982.

Embrace Your Inner Village Person

Ok all you homophobes out there, it's time to let down your guard and have some fun. The newest listening pleasure I recommend is a streaming radio station through Itunes known as "DeeGay". You can find it under the "International" genre listing. Billed as the "first Italian gay station on the web", it's one big disco ball of fun. Plus you can learn a new language!

So while I sit in my office trapped in the drone of reports and assigning tasks to my team, I am experiencing my own private mental getaway in a Tuscan nightclub on a Saturday night where lights are flashing and sweaty bodies far more attractive than mine are pulsating to the beat with drinks in hand. See, just now, I did a jello shot!

While it may not be everyone's cup of iced green chai tea latte so early in the morning, today it is befitting of giving me just the amount of gay club buzz I need.

Old Soul, New Vibe

Amos Lee is one cool cat. This is old hat for those in the know, but if you are a late comer to the Lee party like me, then you will thoroughly enjoy discovering his mellow vibe accented by insightful lyrics and an old Motown spirit. I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Lee live Saturday evening at the State Theater in St. Pete. An old building with as much character as those who play on and enjoy the stage - the perfect venue for a guy who fancies plaid Kangos, rocks soulful acoustic stylings and has a voice to rival Marvin Gaye.

I own all three of his studio albums and had low expectations as his material is on the quiet side. I feared a night of boredom. However, great friends, a wine soaked pre-game, dancing with Greg and an amazing live show made it a night to remember. Surprisingly, he brought a lot of energy to the music live and well, go see him if you can. But otherwise, at least download his stuff. I can't even say which, cuz it's all good.

When romance is on tap, there's no better backdrop. Oh and did I mention he's from Philly? When I grew up there, all we had was The Hooters. Sucks...

The C'art of Shopping

Read "A La Cart" by Hillary Carlip.

When I see things like this I'm at once filled with joy and envy. Joy that someone takes the time to notice the little things in life, so much so that they reincarnate them. And envious that I don't make the time to follow through on all the stupid, quirky ideas I've had that could have been something had I just done something with them.

Hillary Carlip began collecting found grocery shopping lists. Then built characters around them, creating entire stories around each list's author. Simple, yet genius. Fun and funny. And most definitely cool.

For those of you have "don't really read much anymore," here's one to get you back in the habit.

Props to Hillary, one cool chick who one day, many years ago found one little list, written by one little person who started one little idea (and never even knew it!) And now today, Ms. Carlip has her readers examining life's mundane tasks in an artful, intriguing way.

For more on her story...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93022254

Stuff Your Ears

To bulk up my music offerings, as has been requested, I have decide to let this entry jam for itself. A simple list of some cool ass tuneage:

Sebadoh, Bubble and Scrape - oldie but greatie

The Wombats

M Ward - If you thought no one could outdo "Let's Dance" by David Bowie, you were wrong!

Frou Frou

Ganga Gang Dance

Dirty Projectors

When you're done all that, I'll give ya more. Go explore my peeps. And turn off Clear Channel!!!!!

Camp Crusty for Local Yokels

Attention all Tampa Bay area coolsters! Very cool event happening this weekend in downtown St. Pete. My favorite mixed use art-and-all-things-cool space, Studio@620, is hosting a 'Summer Camp' weekend.

Looking for something to beat the heat? Why not not take in an exciting tale of love and honor?Like that of the all girl rock band "The Kelly Affair" traveling to LA for fame and fortune in "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls."

Studio 620

My love for camp knows no bounds. Now I just need a babysitter!

P.S. There is a door prize for those who got my 'rocker chick' reference in the image posted!

Spectacular Cymbals

My choice selects for today's hungry listeners...

Yeasayer's "All Hours Cymbals"

MGMT's "Oracular Spectacular"

Neither heavy nor somber, both of these bands play somewhere in the middle and do a fantastic job of making you want to scream because they are so f-ing awesome! These albums spit in the face of anyone saying no good music is being made today.

Both play with voice and sound. MGMT's "Electrical Feel" is reminiscent of Mick Jagger's falsetto "Emotional Rescue." The entire Yeasayer album blends smooth pop, indie, acoustic, world music, electronica and a bit of experimental and makes it all totally palatable.

She's Crafty

I just figured out a new way to give y'all links to the cool stuff I'm dishing up. An astute colleague of mine shared her skillz of the internets and so now you'll have easier linkage. (Props Sarah!)

For today's pleasure, check out Etsy.

Great for all things handmade and customized. This site runs the gamut from awesome accessories to kick ass kids gear. They are all about crafts and making stuff from hand, hence the "handmade."

So quit your Target & Walmart shopping and shop for something different - and something NOT made by tween Chinese girls who have to sleep on cots with their fingers bleeding at the end of their 18 hour shift.

Postcards from Paradigm

With Wifi infecting the globe and everyone toting around some kind of pocket PC or iphone these days, you wonder why postcards even exist anymore. This little gem of a site found a great reason to keep this tidy yet fun form of communication around. An art project/voyeur community of sorts, 'postsecret' is a collection of postcards sent in from strangers who divulge a secret on them. 

http://postsecret.blogspot.com

The project delivers three things: (1) a study in how very differently and creatively each of us, as humans, choose to express ourselves visually and (2) the idea that very few words can deliver a powerful message - sometimes an entire life story and (3) how oddly, we're all very much the same. Despite how different our secrets are, they are at the same time very similar.

So next time you pass a Spencer's in the mall or a cheesey gift shop on a trip, remember, there is a perfectly good use for the beefcake guy in a speedo on the beach telling you "the weather's here. Wish you were great!"

Room to Groove

I considered starting this entry off with "tired of looking at beige on beige?" But clearly my fellow coolkeepers have color on the walls, no?

Well, if you haven't jumped on this bandwagon that left the barn about a decade ago, it's time to do so. In addition to color, you can add zest to a bare space without the hassle of wallpaper glue, stencils, sponges and other such nonsense.

www.whatisblik.com

My office walls are dancing with the colors of "Eames Crosspatch" boxes. Be careful before stickin' em down tho. The bubbles are a bitch to fix.

Also, for general decor products and ideas, consider cb2, Crate and Barrel's younger sister who lives in a funky warehouse loft downtown (instead of a proper colonial in the burbs.)

www.cb2.com

Happy homing, my little pigeons!

Have Bag, Will Travel

One of the things that is so cool about being me is that I have a pipeline to cool stuff in many cities. Call me cosmopolitan, but I indeed have a national - even global - cool view. 

My sister-in-law source in CO has alerted me to a must have for this coming fall (thanks Leeanne!). Look no further for next season's "it" bag.

www.tutelahandbags.com

Here at Keep Your Cool, we believe that despite what tired fashion hags from Vogue, Elle and other traditional rags try to sell you, a great bag does not require a famous designer name with a $500 price tag. In fact, it is rather uninspired to sport a sack with D&G or Fendi graffit'd all about. It shows little effort.

One of the blessings of the internet is to allow access to a plethora of chic choices for us fashion-forward folks, especially any of us sequestered in unhip locales. That plus, when you buy from a place like Tutela, you are supporting cool entrepreneurship, and two smart women out west trying to make a go of it.

So when thinking of bagging your next bag, go west! Or at least go to the internet.

Wildlife, Mythical Figures and Death

Summer's here and it's time for...movies! Since our options in theaters currently include summer blockbusters where Ed Norton and Tim Roth embarrass themselves turning green and grunting, I recommend updating your Netflix queue and sitting out the theater all together. Besides, who wants to deal with fat teens texting and awkward first dates all around you?

My must-see list of the summer includes some older and some newer bad all different genres.

First, "Eagle vs. Shark". This film is brilliant. It features the funny Australian guy from those short-lived Outback commercials where he sat by his lonesome in Outback, wore funny glasses and mastered self-deprecation. It's an 80's period piece and art directed as such to perfection. It's a quirky love story and you will be laughing hysterically, cringing for the characters and then wanting to reach through the screen to hug them all - not in that order.

Next up is "Pan's Labyrinth". It's dark. Very dark. But you won't find a richer aesthetic and a better produced fantasy movie blended with reality. This one's subtitled people so break out your smarty pants before watching. 

Finally, there's "Death at a Funeral." "Four Weddings and a Funeral"'s funnier, cleverer cousin. British and brilliant. Lighthearted yet smartly written and an absolute stitch. The leads in this are from a favorite BBC series of Greg and I - "MI5" (aka "Spooks" in England. Another thing to add to your must see list if your a TV-series-followin' kind of chap!)

Hollywood is hurtin'. And if you count on major theater releases to keep you entertained - and cool - then you know why. Indie films all the way people. Don't be afraid. They don't always make you think harder or make your read or make you cry. But they will make you much, much cooler:)

 

Rain Rain Stay

It's rare in Florida to feel a sense of gloom from the weather. Long spells of gray and rain are rare. But we've been under a big ass cloud for several days now and to be honest, I rather enjoy the quiet reclusiveness it begs for.

Bon Iver's "For Emma Forever" is the perfect soundtrack to sitting on your patio during a dark afternoon with thunder rumbling in the distance. Way on the quiet side, it's a haunting album that seems as though it was produced in an empty church. The hollowness adds to it's stripped down moodiness.

Other rainy day favorites include Sigur Ros and Yo La Tengo.

Music for the minors

So I probably should wait 'til further on to start in on kid stuff already, but I'm so taken by the new CDs I just bought that I must share now. 

It our duty as savvy hipster parents to raise our kids with some sensibility for music that does NOT involve the Jonas Brothers. And selfishly, I don't want to listen to crap while toting her ass around town.

While it's true most kids music is totally uninspired and obnoxious, there is a wealth of cool music for kids that is fairly untapped. 

The series "For the Kids" is a must. Any band that can pull off a song about poop going in the potty and have it be really, really a genuinely great song, well, they are just the shit. On "For the Kids 3" Over the Rhine is just one of many brilliant musical artists that pull off kid's music with such sophistication that you are not embarrassed at all by singing about lint, puppies and the letter "L".

All three CDs in the series are fantastic. In addition, there is a "Jazz for Kids" compilation that features Louis Prima crooning about the banana man, way before he was so un-PC-ly cast as the monkey king in Jungle book. It warms my heart to hear Hazel sing about the Muffin Man with Ella's velvet voice. 

A final note, there is a show on now called Gabba Gabba. I love it for it's trippy British club style. (I want that guy's fuzzy hat.) The music is reminiscent of Cibo Matto and electronica combined. It's got such a bizarre, almost Tokyo youth yet London lounge like aesthetic, that while you are watching it (with your kid of course!), you are slightly tempted to drop a tab of E. But then you realize that you have to go do laundry, take the kid to the park, and do some work online so you choose an Odwalla instead.

Numerology

Cloud Cult's "The Meaning of 8" has you pondering not only about that answer, but also about the meaning of why bands like Papa Roach and Creed are allowed to be called musicians. 

Ethereal, thoughtful and rockin' all at once, this album is a great backdrop for filling out timesheets and filing expense reports. It lets you do your work without making you feel like your soul is hollow. If you don't have access to itunes at work (or some kind of electronic music player), get it now!

Also my list of recommends for today: anything by Neko Case.

 

News travels

My first logging of coolness. So check 'em out. www.theshirtproject.com.

These really smart news junkies were so disheartened with the continual decline in newspaper readership, they thought why not take hot or important news stories and make them into graphic tees? That way you can "read all about it" on someone's shirt instead of being visually assaulted by messages like "I did your girlfriend." So now news travels maybe not fast, but certainly different.

In addition to being way hip, this is such a great example of how we as a  collective continue to find new ways to push ideas and keep communications creative. And while you may argue that this somehow cheapens true journalism by not conveying a full and objective story, at least it's getting news in front of people who may not otherwise even know there was a crisis involving Burmese monks.

Also, a tip to make anything you wear (including purses or even shoes) more interesting. Vintage button application! Let's call it the "bedazzler's" younger, hipper sibling. Michael's has bags of vintage buttons found on the floor room of old clothing factories. I just bought my first bag. None of them match. But that's kind of the point.

I'm thinking of clustering some on the corner of a tee shirt (perhaps one about the recent oil crisis), or onto a cheap thrift shop bag I just picked up.  Now I just need to learn how to sew.

Inauguration

This is for the Gen X-er out there who woke up one day in her late 30's, looked in the mirror (age spotted face and heavy hips), and realized she had no idea what happened to her former self. The self that knew all the cool bands - including which indie label they were on. The self that knew where to find a fabulous outfit - not from a mall. The self that heard from a friend about a hot artist doing some cool shit. The self that knew a great place for kick ass beers on tap. The self that was young, carefree, and had the time to stay up on all things "cool."

Careers, bank accounts, wives, husbands, divorces, kids, dogs and everything else got in the way. And now look at ya. You got no idea that there is anything decent to listen to other than lame ass faux alternative bands like Linkin' Park and NickleBlink311whatever the fuck. And the only "funky" fashion you're finding is at a place called Forever 21. And honey, you ain't 21 anymore.

This site is your key to freedom. You may want just a taste of cool, so you feel like all is not lost. Or you may be full on ready to live cool again. Either way, you'll find what you need here. Music, movies, media, politics, fashion, culture and - of course - drinkin'...I'll do my best to bring it to you byte sized. 

Times have changes since our days of  making sure you knew which gate to meet your friends at for the show or you were screwed. Perhaps it's made the next generation lazy and less responsible, but regardless of your take on technology, it's here to stay. You can either embrace it or not. I've chosen to use it to - in the face of tee-ball games, bath time and boring-ass meetings - somehow keep us cool.