Clogtown - The Smallest Museum In St. Paul

"This museum is for the beloved public."

I love that. And I love this little - truly, The Smallest Museum In St. Paul! - museum made out of an old fire-hose case outside of the Workhorse Coffee Bar on University Avenue in St. Paul. A few years back I did a story for Thrillist about the tiniest places in Los Angeles ... and this darling museum would have fit right in.

I was doing my little coffee break exploration of the Twin Cities, and decided to cross the river to see what new coffee stuff was happening over there. While the coffee was good, and the staff was super friendly and cool at Workhorse, I was mostly charmed by the creative museum (established with funding from The Knight Foundation in 2014!) just outside their door.

Artists submit their work and a panel decides on who gets what month, AND the artists get paid! THAT is how you support your local artists. July's featured artist is Sheila Smith (who also happens to be the Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and Chair of Creative Minnesota - so she might have been a ringer!) and her exhibit of Weird State Capitol Souvenirs. The reception for Smith will be held at Workhorse on July 27 from 12-2 pm, where visitors can draw their own weird state capital souvenir and add it to the collection. *The garters were my favorite.

This is just the kind of thing that makes me happy that I came from the Twin Cities, and also what always makes me happy to be back in them. Creativity. Fun. Whimsy. Art. Inclusiveness. Kindness. And the kind of place that does things for "the beloved public".

Love.

The Smallest Museum In St.Paul/Workhorse Coffee Bar
2399 University Avenue West
St. Paul, Minnesota 55114
www.smallestmuseumstpaul.com

The Doors Of Venice

It's no wonder the band, The Doors, came up with their name in Venice. They were talking about The Doors Of Perception (by Aldous Huxley), but they could just as easily have been talking about the actual Doors in Venice. Just about every block has a house with some kind of a cool door, and that's one of the things that I've always loved about our little beach community - its creativity!

This one is tucked away on a dead end street near the beach, and I just love its little painted plants and sense of whimsy ... by someone called Luis P. Door. Adorable.

One of the few new homes following this fun precedent is on Rialto, and has a kind of desert oasis vibe ...

Then there's the one that looks like a gateway to a Balinese paradise ...

This little entryway in the Oakwood neighborhood made my day one day ...

And you have to have the Mosaic House in any conversation about doors ...

Though just a random sample of the cool doors around Venice, there are probably enough to make a cool book - just another of my million ideas that I hope to make happen one day. I hope that more homeowners will join in, as it's such an easy way to welcome people in a fun way! I also recently learned about embroidery on screens, so let's hope soon every door and window in Venice is a good time to look at.

 I love the famous quote from Joseph Campbell ...

Follow your bliss and the Universe will open doors where there were only walls. 

Feel free to send me shots of the doors you love - or your own when you follow your bliss and finish it!

Flamingos Are Fun

One of my favorite things about Venice is the whimsy that you can find around just about every corner. People being creative, eclectic ... FUN. That's why we all rail against the BUBs (Big Ugly Boxes) going up all over, because that's not who we want to be. Boring. Never. So, though this flamingo fence has been up for ages at this house in the canals, I especially enjoy it now.

A flamingo fence. Why not? I love it. Further on along my walk, I went by the great yard of Gena Lindenbaum on Pacific and 24th, and saw not only another flamingo in the yard, but a bunch more knitted branches and little gnome friends, making it even more whimsical than when I first chanced upon it last Summer.

Thank you to all of the fun people still doing their part to make Venice the creative vortex that it's always been. It is noticed, and very appreciated. Love you, Venice!

The Colorful House

For years there has been a great house on Rialto Avenue that could almost have been Frida and Diego's place. Every wall was painted a different color, every surface spoke of whimsy and fun. I walked by the other morning to find it halfway torn down, and looking so sad.


I never knew the people that lived there, I have no idea why they sold or chose to tear down this great house, but I hope they know it will be missed. I hope the new thing that goes there can rise to their level of unique character, their level of Venice, and not turn it into another terrible, no personality, white square box. Please.

It reminded me of a kids poem called "Me And My Colorful House", by Kimo Duo ...

The entrance to my house is colorful

To greet anyone who comes;

Still grows that willow tree.

Who will come after me, I do not know, 

He will feel sorrowful though -

For those here ... in the past.

To the previous owners ... Thank you for all the years of day brightening! I hope you bring your fun to your next home.

Knitted Branches Of A Community

My birthday was on Monday, and I was pretty slow to rise after festivities the night before (THANK YOU, all my friends at Hatchet Hall!). My head hurt, thanks to very generous friends plying me with very generous drinks (with flowers in them!). When you feel like that, it starts you thinking too, not always in the most positive light. It was not the way I'd pictured my day going, but it was my birthday, so I had to rally.

Each year on my birthday, I have to - have to - immerse myself in a natural body of water for a little dose of rebirth. It can be a lake, river, swimming hole, or the sea, but it just has to be. With that in mind, and knowing that a dip in the ocean always helps with these kinds of mornings, I set off for Playa De Los Amigos, on a perfect blue sky afternoon. Ok, late afternoon.

Several things aligned. My friends at the French Market knew it was my birthday, and hooked me up with the perfect mocha to get my head straight. My friend, Lacey, was also up for a dip, and in fact offered to pick me up so I didn't even have to drag myself there under my own power. Then, if you can imagine, we found a perfect parking spot right on Pacific, right near our spot. Butterflies flitted around us like it was an old Disney movie, perfectly charming.

Then, we crossed (Ok, jay walked) the street to find THIS oasis of pure fun and happiness ... an entire yard with its tree branches dressed up in colorful knitted outfits! We'd already been saying it was a magical day, and then just total icing on my birthday cake of a day.

Some cool people on 24th Avenue get HIGH praise for this colorful creation, that for me, instantly became a metaphor about community. About Venice. About how we're all knitted into this place together. About keeping things fun, interesting, unique, and yes, magical.

A post up the street got in on the action too, and by now, my spirits were so lifted that the dash into the ocean was immediate, and also an absolutely instant reward and remedy. We all know that saltwater is the cure for everything (sweat, tears, and the sea - Emerson), and on this day, nothing was more true. I was BACK! It was perfectly awesome.

As I floated on my back in the warm water, I let the sun warm my body and my friends and town and knitted yarn trees warm my heart. I reflected on the past year's joys and aches and looked forward to my new year's opportunities to knock and examine the ideas I have up my sleeves ... and knew that I'm definitely on the right path ... one with beautiful, fanciful trees!

*And Happy Venice Birthday today to Jenny Everhart!