cool stuff, weird things

So I may have mentioned before that I have work for sale at a shop here in Nashville, formerly known as the Crystal Dragon it is now known as Cool Stuff, Weird Things (new website coming soon) a name which conveniently came pre-painted on the side of the building! Located in an older (and some like myself would say charming) shopping district, this shop is a great source for funky stuff, affordable finer thrift and art. (if you're an artist, stop by the shop with some work and see what shakes out) You can't miss the fiberglass Elvi (Elvises?) that flank the door as you drive down Charlotte and that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the strange and unusual you can find here. Vintage & antique furniture, home decor, art, kitschy collectibles, garden decor, vintage clothing and so much funky stuff I would wear out the keyboard on my laptop listing it all, you get the point. Just check out the pics below to see what I am talking about.


The large birdbath & the companion urns are not for sale, but it is a welcoming little vignette as you walk in.















There are several of these round, tiered tables FULL of treasures like cookie jar cottages and Godzilla!

















A vintage chalk piggy bank (although it is spelled "pigy bank" on the pig's belly) carnival prize makes me grin every time I see it. And that golden nekkid lady is sure to class up your joint should you decide to adopt her.












A wood & metal glider swing makes a comfy spot to sit back and admire Elvis #1.

Matched set of vintage lawn furniture with a beautiful spade leaf design is sure to please, but I am more intrigued by the cardboard Bluto peeking out from behind it.


Cool Stuff, Weird Things is located at:
4900 Charlotte Avenue
on the corner of 49th & Charlotte
Nashville, TN 37209
If there is no parking to be had on the street, feel free to park across the street at the park, there is always plenty of room and there's a crosswalk with a traffic light right at the corner they're on.

Hey, you should join their Facebook fan page!

I won!!!

I won first place and have the plaque and vinyl banner to prove it! Thanks to everyone who voted for me, I was as shocked as anyone could be that I got first place. My friend Jeff Bertrand got 3rd, he is a stellar artist and as I told him, "I look forward to getting my ass kicked" by him next year. My friend Jon won the Biggest Geek superlative and my friend Ramb0 Samb0 of the Nashville Roller Girls won 1st for Most Athletic, beating out The TN Titans AND Nashville Predators TEAMS. Like all of them, combined, PROFESSSIONAL athletes could not hold a candle to the hard-hitting, fast-skating, ridiculous work-out regimen having phenom that is Ramb0. I could go on and on about all my groovy friends that won (like Blackbird Tattoo & Gallery taking home 3rd after only being open for 2 months and the Piper family cementing their food legacy on the east side with a couple of 1st place wins) but I will spare you. The Yazoo brew was especially delicious due to its ice-cold free-ness and the buffet was a bit of a let down after last year's spread, but still delicious. In a bit of redneck, beeriness I shouted out the window as we were leaving the tourist are of downtown, "I'm number one! Wooooo!" and was pleased to get a chorus of random "Wooo's!" in response. It was a good night.

OK, I didn't make this, but I wish I had!

These are from the fine ladies at The Junk Gypsy Co. who are a little bit country, a little bit rock-n-roll deep in the heart of Texas. They bring cowboy, Mexican and bohemian/gypsy aesthetics together into a shop that makes me flip my lid every time I go there.





Check out these jugs here.














and these bowls here.















Oh & while you're at it check these & these out, too. You know, just go through the whole site, it is chock full of stuff that I want, that I need, that I MUST HAVE!!! And you'll love it, too! These ladies truly uphold the meretricious lifestyle!

When it rains, it pours! Luckily I like to play in the rain!

I have been invited to the Toast of Music City awards banquet which means I have placed in the top 3! Thanks to everyone who voted for me for Best Local Visual Artist, I am thrilled to place for the 2nd year in a row! I will update everyone with the final results. (and likely a review of the tasty buffet and free local brew)

I have a featured project!

I meant to post this when it was fresh (and I was closer to the top of the page) but I am a featured project on the Junkmarket Style website. Mine is the posting that is currently second from the bottom. This is the finished product of those tea tin lamps I posted while in progress a month or 2 ago. I still haven't wired their table top counter parts, for I am lazy. (or some might say working 4 jobs, very busy)For those of you that have not seen the website/magazine it is a wealth of projects for recycling, reinventing and reimagining flea market finds and out & out junk. I like the website a lot because it invites reader contributions so you get some great ideas, get to see beautiful things and a lot of people just post the awesome junk that they have discovered.