For a direct link to the video with Todd at American Stage, click here.
For a direct link to the video with Paul at The Palladium, click here.
For a direct link to the video with Marina at ARTpool Gallery, click here.
I also continued my walk down Central Avenue and Beach Drive making sure to say hello to local business owners and employees. Here are a few more that I met!
Red Cloud Indian Arts.
Savory Spice Shop.
Karen at Plain Jane has only been open 3 weeks. Welcome to St. Pete, Karen!
Thanks to Photographer Chuck Vosburgh at The Morean Arts Center for my Andy Warhol-style portrait!
Once again, I have spent the past week out and about in my hometown of St. Petersburg promotingThe 33rd Annual Antiquarian Book Fair happeningMarch 14 - 16th at the historic Coliseum. It was with absolute joy that I was able to meet up with my best friend from Boca Ciega High School (who is now the new Deputy Mayor of St. Petersburg), to talk about our love for St. Petersburg (we are both fifth-generation natives), the importance of libraries and reading (hence meeting up at The Mirror Lake Public Library), and of course, uniting the community in literacy! Thank you, Kanika!
For a direct link to my interview with St. Pete. Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin, click here.
I also continued my walk down Central Avenue and Beach Drive making sure to say hello to local business owners and employees. Here are a few that I met!
Love the cubans at Bodega!
Support local art at The Florida Craftsman Gallery!
With Mark Ferguson at Ferg's Sports Bar - a must before and after Rays games!
I can always find an assortment of Rooibos Tea at Hooker Tea!
It has been a busy week promoting The 33rd Annual Antiquarian Book Fair happeningMarch 14 - 16th at the historic Coliseum. In addition to putting up book fair posters and visiting local businesses in downtown St. Petersburg, I have also had the opportunity to interview some of my favorite people in the community to learn more about them and their favorite books growing up, all with my mission to unite Tampa Bay in literacy and a love of reading! Thanks to Ray Hinst at Haslam's bookstore, Rodney Kite-Powell at the Tampa Bay History Center, and Lori Clapp at Schakolad Chocolate Factory - please visit them and show them your support!
For a direct link to my interview with Ray at Haslam's, click here.
For a direct link to my interview with Rodney at the Tampa Bay History Center, click here.
For a direct link to my interview with Lori at Schakolad Chocolate Factory, click here.
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!If there is one thing I love more than flowers & chocolates, it is The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair! It has books, supports libraries, and it was the place where I sold my very first literary purse back in 2012. I am so honored that this year they have asked me to be their official spokesperson to help promote literacy throughout Tampa Bay.
Incorporating this year’s 'Pages of Wonder' theme celebrating the enduring charm and influence of
children’s literature, I will utilize the weeks leading up to the fair to unite the
community thru interviews with local book lovers and appearances at some of my favorite hot spots, which will then be incorporated into a series of online videos.
The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair is the oldest and largest fair of its kind in the Southeastern United
States and features more than one hundred specialized dealers from all over the
country.Visitors will find books
of every age and about every conceivable topic, with additional materials
including maps, prints, postcards, ephemera, autographs and other paper
collectibles. And if things couldn't get any better, I will also have a booth where my literary fashions and accessories at StandUpLibrarianDesigns.com will be available for all of you!
The fair runs from March 14 - 16th at the historic Coliseum located at 535 Fourth Avenue North in downtown St. Petersburg with ticket
sales benefiting the St Petersburg Public Library. Money going to a library? Jeez, this thing keeps getting better and better!
*For a direct link to "The Power of TOOLS" video, click here.
To honor the incredible women that come out to my Do-It HERSELF workshops at The Home Depot, I created my first non-literary parody music video called "The Power of TOOLS" - mashing up power tools with one of my favorite 80's songs. I am constantly amazed at the power of WOMEN!!! We really can do anything with the right instruction and encouragement and I thank each and every one of you for reminding me of that every third Thursday of the month when we come together at the workshop to learn a new home improvement skill. I also want to thank The Home Depot for allowing a creative and comical person like myself to still find a useful purpose in an environment where most of the time I am not exactly an expert. Hosting these Do-It HERSELF workshops has truly become the highlight of my time spent in the orange apron!
I have included the lyrics of the song in this post because that is what is most important in this video, not my cute tool outfits (even though I loved making them.) This song is called "The Power of Tools" but more importantly, it is about the "Power of YOU." Anything is possible ladies, so as they say on those orange buckets...Let's Do This!
“The Power of TOOLS”
by Meredith Myers
The POWER of TOOLS
Is a curious thing
Make one MAN weep,
Make another WOMAN sing
SAND a DOOR
TILE a FLOOR
More than DRILLING
That's the power of TOOLS
TOUGH like HAMMERS,
ROUGH like SAWS
Stronger and harder
Than HOMER'S dreams
Make a bad project good
Make a wrong one right
Power TOOLS
Might keep you up all night
(Chorus 1)
Use a ROLLAR
To PAINT that FRAME
Might need a PLUNGER
To clear that DRAIN
It's strong and it's sudden
And it's cool sometimes
You might just save some TIME
That's the power of TOOLS
I love POWER TOOLS
First time you try it,
It might make you mad
Next time you use it
It will make you glad
But you'll be good, LADY
When you've found
POWER TOOLS
Make the world go' round
(Chorus 2)
Use a ROLLAR
To PAINT that FRAME
Might need a PLUNGER
To clear that DRAIN
It's strong and it's sudden
And it's cool sometimes
You might just save some TIME
Some say WHAT I WEAR is really WEIRD
Yeah, but I don't care
But you'll know what to do
Thanks to my WORKSHOPS here
And with a little help from above
You feel the power of TOOLS
Feel the power of TOOLS
Want to feel it?
Hmmm
(Guitar solo)
(Chorus 3)
Use a ROLLAR
To PAINT that FRAME
Might need a PLUNGER
To clear that DRAIN
I’m TOUGHER than DIAMONDS
And STRONGER than STEEL
You won't feel nothin'
Till you feel
You feel the POWER?
Just the power of TOOLS
That's the POWER,
That's the power of YOU
YOU feel the power of TOOLS
I feel the power of TOOLS
I SEE the POWER in YOU
Thanks to all of my wonderful workshop ladies at Home Depot store #6304.
It seems only appropriate
that I was sick as 2013 merged into 2014.For too many years, I have been obsessed with the symbology of dates and
committing to holiday traditions that often my plans and resolutions got in the
way of me actually enjoying anything.
This holiday season (and
for the first time in my life), I was sick for the weeks leading up to
Christmas and into the New Year.It was a real wake-up call to the things that are most important.Family?Yes.Eggnog?No.Today is the first day that my head is
actually clear enough for me to write and perhaps attempt to go to the
gym.I also said that on Monday
but I chickened out.
As a result of being
under the weather for such an extended period of time, I had to learn to let go
of some of the plans I had made so I could instead lay in bed and do absolutely
nothing.Often out of boredom and
a deep need to not let people down, I would down a few Dayquil and try to show
up for a friend, a family member, or commit to a work obligation, but as a
result, I would be back in bed the next day feeling worse, the sickness cycle
starting all over once again.It
was then that I realized I wasn’t going to be able to please everyone.I would have to accept the fact that I
was defeated by health conditions that were beyond my control and would simply
have to allow the virus to take its course, however long that would take.
It was after I embraced
this weakness that I then allowed myself to sleep till one in the afternoon and
do nothing but watch movies and drink tea.Aside from an occasional coughing attack, laziness was
actually pretty fun!I soon began
using ‘being sick’ as a reason to not work hard or be responsible.I quickly traded in my fabulous clothes
for one set of flannel pajamas that I would wear 24/7, along with a hairstyle
that rats would consider moving into.I found that in giving in to my ailments, I had given up on who I was in
the process.
That is why today I am
writing and going to the gym.There are days to give yourself time to rest and heal, but there are
also days when you need to get off your ass and start living again. My wish for 2014 is for
all of us to simply live each day to our full potential with or without resolutions or plans. A plan is a good guide to establish a path or a sense of direction but often it is what you do without the plan that really counts.
Eating blackeye peas and painting the left eye of my Japanese Daruma Doll for luck in 2014. OK, so I'm still a little superstitious...
Just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (and Happy Holidays to those who don't celebrate it.) I am celebrating the invention of DayQuil and Chloraseptic spray because I have the flu and apparently have given it as a gift to the rest of my family! Oh well, even as we sit around the table tonight and tomorrow coughing and blowing our noses, I am still glad that once a year we can come together to honor our family traditions and the love we have for each other. I hope that you and your family & friends are not only healthy but use this time to spend it not on expensive gifts but on the time you have together. Life is too short not to tell that person you love them even when they have Kleenex stuffed up their nose and resemble the Heat Miser from "The Year Without Santa Claus."
This month's Home Depot Do-It HERSELF workshop will be all about POWER TOOLS!!! We will use various power tools including a drill press, sander, and nail gun to then make easy birdhouse ornaments (bird not included.) This will mostly be an active workshop of everybody trying out the power tools and assembling the pieces of the ornament so come ready to participate and once again, be artistic with paint!
In order to prepare the art materials and food & beverage for everyone, please RSVP here (*making sure to sign up for the Seminole store for mine if you are local.) We will also have giveaways, refreshments, and plenty of time for you to ask our experts about any of your current home improvement projects or gift ideas.Remember, this is absolutely FREE!! And just a heads up that there will be no DIH workshop in December but we will be back on in January.
Hope to see you there but if not, have a happier holiday...with POWER TOOLS!!!
Operating a Drill Press to make holes in the birdhouse ornament.
Making ornaments is easy with the right power tools and instruction!
The finished product after using a combination of Behr & Martha Stewart textured paints! (bird not included)
My holiday-themed DIH workshop display at the store. Power tools make great gifts...for EVERYONE!
The front door on wheels that I helped build & paint so we could go Trick or Treating in the store!
I am having a blast planning and executing the Do-It HERSELF Workshops at my Home Depot, I just can't believe a month has gone by already!!! Anyway, this Thursday, October 17th from 6:30 - 8pm, we will be learning Front Entrance Updates (like how to install a lock and other door accessories), then we will use that door to Trick or Treat DIH-style throughout the store to gather the materials for a fun and easy art project to decorate your front door for the fall holiday season.I thought this would be a great way to get to know the store and have a little fun in the process.I mean, why should the kids have all the fun this Halloween?!?
In order to prepare enough art materials and food & beverage for everyone, please RSVP here (*making sure to sign up for the Seminole store for mine, otherwise you can attend your local Home Depot, although not every store is doing what I am doing...OK, most aren't.) We will also have giveaways, treats, and plenty of time for you to ask our experts about any of your current home improvement projects.Remember, this is YOUR workshop - it is absolutely FREE - so please join in on the fun!
I hope to see you there!
The Do-It HERSELF Workshop/Seminole: A FREE, FUN & FABULOUS Way to Home Improvement!
This month, we will be making these wood pumpkins, ghosts & Frankensteins out of 4x4s, all for FREE!
“Once
upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…”
I
can't believe it has been a year since I decided to honor Edgar Allan Poe with
a rock n' roll tribute by mashing up his Raven poem with "Hard to
Handle" by The Black Crowes (to see blog post, click here.) I have performed it numerous times over
the past year and it remains my favorite of all of my literary parody songs.
When I look back, I can't believe how far I have come not only as a
performer but also as a designer/stylist. I now have an Edgar Allan
Poe/Raven print fabric that I have made into an entirely new Raven outfit that
far surpasses the one I wore in the video. I still wear the original
wings and play my styled-up librarian purse guitar, but there is something
really exciting about wearing an entire outfit that I made myself. I am
also so thrilled that people have fallen in love with my Poe/Raven line of
wristlet purses and cosmetic bags.Just the other week, I had a customer request the Raven print in the
larger style purse with the bamboo handles and it looks even more
incredible!So for a limited time,
I will offer that purse for sale as well.
“Presently
my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer…”
As
I spend less time on stage performing and more time writing my book that I am
determined to finish by the end of the year, I am reminded of how some of us
really do get better with age and experience, while others allow failures or
heartbreaks to stump their growth. Perhaps I am focused on age right now
because I am approaching a certain number in a couple of weeks that I just
don't believe - even when I look at my birth certificate! I am far too
young in my heart to be that old! When I look in the mirror or at my life
on the pages that I write, I am so happy that I have been able to overcome the
failures and mistakes I have made with courage and bravery, not fear and anger.
While some women see wrinkles, I see battle scars.I am a survivor, if nothing else.
“Open
here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter…”
Thanks to the tragically sad, real life story of Edgar
Allan Poe, who died in 1849, alone at the age 40, penniless, talented beyond belief, and
perhaps as a result of alcoholism and drug abuse, I now choose to live my life
completely sober without striving for money, fame, or the applause of my
peers.Instead I just choose to
LIVE. One day at a time. To the fullest.Wherever that journey takes me. Nevermore, will I
regret that I am not more than what I am at this very moment. I am enough because I am still here, moving
forward, taking hits as they come, and that is what matters most to me.As I honor Mr. Poe today, I hope he is
finally at peace, leaving the demons he once fought on those fabulous poetic
pages.
Today
marks my 6-month anniversary of being the unofficial librarian at The Home Depot! It's funny how just wanting a part-time job with health benefits
(and men!!!), has resulted in me basically being a librarian with power tools!
From taking my book fabric and sewing it onto my orange
apron to helping customers find information in the store to doing arts &
crafts at the Kids Workshops, I have come to realize that once again, a
librarian doesn't always have to work at a library to make a difference!
Plus, I am so grateful to my management, co-workers and customers for
absolutely embracing me and my creative personality - because the truth is, not
everybody can handle a funny redhead wearing an outfit made entirely out of
tools!
Thursday, September 19th / 6:30 – 8 pm
Installing Tile – Wall & Floor
*Giveaways *Refreshments*Projects *Experts
A FREE, FUN & FABULOUS Way To Home Improvement!
This
week, I am proud to announce that I will begin hosting the monthly Do-It HERSELF workshop, where I will have yet another incredible opportunity to use
all of my talents in design, information sciences, public relations/marketing, and comedy
– so if you thought I was funny in the library, wait till you see me with
hardware and tools! This month, we
will learn How to Install a Tile Backsplash and Tile Floor, plus I will have a
fun art project for using that leftover tile. We will also have
giveaways, refreshments, and plenty of time with our experts about any of your
home improvement projects. So if you are in the Tampa Bay area, please
join in on the fun! If you aren’t, you can still go to your local Home
Depot and participate there and just like those library events, it is FREE!!! Please
sign up here(making sure to sign up for the Seminole store - zip code 33772 for mine, or you can put in your zip code for your local Home Depot to attend that one.)
"When Homer's Away, the LADIES Will Play..."
Working Kids Workshops with Will.
With HD Southern Division President Ann-Marie Campbell.
In my outfits, I am often called the Flo (Progressive commercials) of The Home Depot!
