What a GRAND Grand Opening!

Sat., Feb. 28: It poured! All day! 

Despite the rainy weather, it was an incredible launch party! So much happened that day--live music, Tiki carving, killer Mai Tais and that guy from the latest Tim Burton movie...

Under a drizzling gray sky, I couldn't stop smiling all the way to the shop that morning. I knew it was going to be a good day! 

We have the nicest neighbors, for one thing. Mia from Ready Set Yo, located in the shopping center across the street, provided a complimentary coffee bar for our guests.

My sister, who drove across the state just for our Grand Opening, arrived with a BIG SURPRISE...MY MOM! 

Harpist John McColley set up under a sparking chandelier on the Patina Maison side. Beautiful music and a perfect setting!

A crazy dude with a chainsaw turned this...

...into this! Thanks for the shop-warming present, SurfSoulTiki Jeff Chouinard!



Since we couldn't set up our afternoon entertainment outside, we just moved a few things around and Voila'! House band...IN THE HOUSE!

We served bubbly & nibbles at the sales counter...and once the afternoon band cranked up (a rockin' 3-piece version of UNRB playing an energetic mix of ska, jazz and rock covers), the Mai Tai Bar got cranking too...We emptied a lot of rum bottles and I spanked a lot of mint!

At the end of the day, a tall mysterious gentleman came in and asked if I still had a particular chalkware statue of a jungle girl. Since she had been tucked away, waiting for a little touch-up, I immediately knew who HE was! 

His assistant had come in the day before, scouting random pieces for her boss, who happened to be the SET DECORATOR on the latest TIM BURTON movie, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, which had been filming in our area. The assistant spotted my exotic little gal hiding in the corner and took some photos of potential decor options.

So--He came in to claim her...and many other cool pieces (including a vintage rattan lamp & table, some antique books...) that I hope show up in the final version when it comes out next spring! This is the only pic I could find of my sweet Jungle Girl (above) and a tiny rickshaw that had just come into the shop a few days earlier. If they don't end up on the cutting room floor, maybe that will be Roadside Attraction's little connection to Hollywood!

Anyway--We just want to say a gigantic THANKS to everyone who came out in the rain to make our Grand Opening the best event EVER!!!

Mahalo & Cheers!
The Tipsy Gypsy & Tiki Dave

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

Sippin' Saturday, April 11--sample a recipe from one of Beachbum Berry's tiki cocktail books and get 20% off cocktail goods & gadgets, vintage glassware, etc...



3rd Thursday, April 16, 6-8 p.m.: Roadside Attraction + Patina Maison will be open till 8 p.m. for Sunset Shopping, refreshments, PLUS a Meet & Greet with MYSTERY AUTHOR Carol Perry, celebrating the release of her 2nd WITCH CITY installment, Tails, You Lose. (Our buddy shops, Julie's Cottage & Emporium 2, will also be open late on 3rd Thursdays. Stop by and visit them too, located at 13128 Indian Rocks Rd, across from Anona Methodist.)

GRAND OPENING SATURDAY!

Talk about flying by the seat of one's pants!

We've been so busy working out the kinks since we opened quietly a few weeks ago, I almost forgot to mention that we're throwing a big party this Saturday! Stop by from 10 to 5 on Feb 28 and join us for all kinds of fun!

In the morning, harpist John McColley will be playing in Patina Maison's space. We'll have coffee and sweets, too. And bubbly...lots of bubbly! A 3-piece version of St Pete-based reggae-ska-jazz band UNRB will play from 1-4 out front, weather permitting.

Tropiki's Peter Janus will do a little Tiki carving at 11 a.m.

Shopping and shenanigans all day!

Our regular shop hours are Tues-Sat, 10 - 5. If you can't make it out Saturday, do come by some other time and say hi. We think you'll like our new space!

13836 Walsingham Rd, in the Hammock Hardware plaza.
(Just east of the intersection with Indian Rocks Rd, across from the Neighborhood Walmart & McDonald's)

Cheers!
The Tipsy Gypsy & Tiki Dave

Love is in the Air...

...and the Certificate of Occupancy will be posted on our wall soon...we hope.

When asked "ARE YOU EVER GOING TO OPEN???" we answer that, after a month of waiting for answers, we're (still) trying to get through the City inspection, etc..., and everyone makes the same comment that the City DOES have a reputation of being "difficult to work with."

Well...yes and no. Our situation turned out to be a little more complicated and it took lots of discussions inside their putty-colored bureaucratic cubicles--I mean it's not every day that two such fabulous businesses-to-be stroll through the doors of the permit department, right? (You may recall in our last post I mentioned Jennifer Kapper's Patina Maison is Roadside's "Siamese twin" in the new location.)

Long story short...to satisfy The Man...we formed a partnership to become "one business" so we could stay in that space...which we love--when you see it, you'll understand, it's quite perfect!...There was NO QUESTION--we were NOT going to close up the wall between our shops and WE WERE NOT GOING TO MOVE. No sir. 

So we got married. 

We are now... "Roadside Attraction / Patina Maison" in the eyes of the City of Largo and the State of Florida. Has a nice ring to it, huh?

That doesn't really change anything that you all have to worry about...the new shopping experience we're creating is going to be as awesome as ever! 

But in case you were wondering what was up...

Love & Tikis,
The Tipsy Gypsy