4/25/14

Taste of South Tampa - Funday Sunday

Disclaimer: I received 2 tickets to this event, hosted by the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce, in exchange for promotion and an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Two weeks ago The Dude and I attended our first Taste of South Tampa event. The weather was perfect and Hyde Park Village was festive, but not too crowded, on a relaxing Sunday. The streets of this outdoor boutique shopping area were closed. Instead of cars, 40 local food and beverage vendors were sharing their creations with the happy and hungry people milling about.

Grimaldi's Coal Brick Oven Pizzeria

Knowing there was a lot to take in, we paced ourselves. All sizes of snacks were available, from small plates & shot-glass-sized samples to giant sandwiches and full bottles of beer/soda . By tasting a nibble here and there, we enjoyed trying new items and old favorites. This probably sounds frivolous, but by the looks of some overstuffed folks at the end, we were glad we did.

Fruitwood Standup Market / Timpano Chophouse

The vendors were super friendly. We had as much fun watching them prepare the dishes as we did eating them. Fruitwood Market was showing off their salad skills with their signature 68$ Chopped Salad. (Have to admit I broke my "just nibble" rule here and ate the whole serving; it was simply too tasty to stop.) Meanwhile the guys at Timpano Chophouse were flashing their mussels (sorry, couldn't resist).


Our top favorites of the day were Anaar Bar & Grill's kabuli palow (braised lamb with basmati rice, carrots and raisins, top left cup with fork in it), Inside The Box's chicken & waffle sandwich (too rich and fried for me but very popular with my son) and Rollin' Oats Quinoa Falafel with Tzatziki .


The best part of this foodie fest was that it was family friendly. It seems like too many food/drink events have a minimum age of 21. Not only were kids welcome here, they had their own Kids Zone to burn off some energy. It included a Tampa Bay Buccaneers obstacle course and Tampa Bay Rays pitching area. Nearby booths had mini-golf, as well as ball & beanbag toss games. They were giving away lots of promotional goodies too (footballs, frisbees, sunglasses, etc.) These were a big hit with the The Dude! We also had fun spinning the prize wheel at the Post Apartment's booth where I won a Starbucks gift card.


It was a hot day, perfect for the dozen or so flavors of iced teas from China Mist. We were glad they had full-sized self serve cups too, no tiny sample glasses there! My favorite was their unsweetened peach tea. I also enjoyed Two Henry's and Brown's beer samples as well as a sip of Marion Mule from DrinkLocalBooze.com. I had been looking forward to trying Florida Cane Vodka. Unfortunately, it was added to a lemonade & had a slight artificial taste that didn't work for me. I'm going to guess it was the mixer that added the odd flavor. 

The dude received some playing cards from the nice folks at Yelp

A grand day really was had by all! Before arriving we had wondered if the party would be too crowded or the food and drink only meh. We were both pleasantly surprised and are already looking forward to the 10th annual Taste of South Tampa next spring! 

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

Our day ended with stop at the toy store for some LEGO. Then there was time (and apparently just enough room) to try "one more bite". I love the way these Minecraft guys are eyeing this oversized meatball from Anthony's. What do you think: Do they look hungry or are they thinking "OOF. I can't believe I ate the whole thing"? 

For a list of all participating vendors, as well as other info on the next Taste of South Tampa visit:

4/24/14

We Have A Winner!

Congratulations to Sky E! 

Sky is the lucky winner of a $25 gift certificate to Artsnark.Etsy.com



Many thanks to those who entered and shared this random drawing. Be sure to pop back next Thursday for a new giveaway announcement.

4/23/14

What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 255


Inspiral-ational (work in progress)

Just enough time for a quick scribble-n-post on this busy What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday. Work and family have been full tilt lately so there have not been nearly enough hours to play in the studio (or to blog). Tonight I needed a bit of "art therapy" & enjoyed pulling out this older piece and adding some spark. My rainbow hued take on a nautilus shell is embellished with wire words of inspiration. Some markers and watercolor pencils are giving it a little more pop. I'm thinking a layer of acrylics and gloss may be called for. It still needs a bit of work, but I do love the colors!

Are you enjoying some creative time? Want to see what other folks around the world are working on? Be sure to pop over to WOYWDW's home base, the Stamping-Ground blog, and check out this weekly blog hop.

By the way, if you are reading this before 1 a.m. (EST) on 4/24 be sure to visit this link and enter the random drawing for a $25 gift certificate to my online shop, Artsnark.etsy.com. The winner will be announced here tomorrow.

Time to run - need to squeeze in a few more colors before duty calls. Wishing you a creative day!


4/15/14

Year In A Garden Instagram project ends today

The Year in a Garden Instagram project started on a whim and finishes today. I wanted to play with my new phone and hoped to spend some more time outside. It has literally been an eye-opening experience, teaching me to actually see what is right in front of me (& not look past the "little things" that make each day great. (For more photos from this series visit http://instagram.com/artsnark).

The Dude at the Yelp booth
On another note, The Dude and I had tons of fun last Sunday at the 9th annual Taste of South Tampa. We have photos and thoughts to share soon. I'm (as usual) burning the midnight oil in order to have a piece ready for group show. So, tune in later this week to check out our day at the foodie festival.
Wallflower
And if you haven't registered for my latest giveaway, please do. Entries are low and there are several ways to put your name in the hat. On 4/24 one lucky reader gets a $25 gift certificate to my online art shop Artsnark.Etsy.com. I'm also having a sale until May 1st, so if the winner cashes their prize in before then, they can get an even better bargain. Click for details and to enter this random drawing.

4/12/14

Year in A Garden Final Countdown

Day 361
Where did the time go?
I can't believe my 365 Days In A Garden project
is almost at an end.

Day 359
What started as a whim has turned into a bit of a passion. (Obsession?) There have even been a couple of nights that I've stepped outside with iphone & a flashlight when I realized the day had almost passed me by.)

day 357
This project has been great fun, making me notice lots of little things (including critters) I would have walked right by otherwise.

Day 355
I'm sure I'll keep going after the photo-year is up. It is just too much fun!

Speaking of fun, tomorrow is the Taste of South Tampa, a family friendly foodie fest. Tickets are still available for this afternoon event (click here). If you are not attending you can still follow along with the fun tomorrow

I'll also be sharing on Twitter https://twitter.com/ArtsnarkTampa and Instagram http://instagram.com/artsnark. I'll also post a recap of this tasty time here next week.

On a final note: I keep forgetting to promote my latest random drawing! On 4/24 one lucky reader gets a $25 gift certificate to my online art shop Artsnark.Etsy.com. I'm also having a sale until May 1st, so if the winner cashes their prize in before then, they can get an even better bargain. Click here for several ways to enter this random drawing.

4/3/14

Win $25 worth of artwork from Artsnark.Etsy.com


Red's Walk

Hey, Hey! 
It is time for a new Thursday Giveaway!

I'm spring cleaning my online art shop, Artsnark.Etsy.com and looking to clear off some virtual shelf space.


Peacock Masquerade

In addition to the 20% off Everthing Sale (through 4/31), I've decided to give a $25 gift certificate to one random Artsnark blog reader. 

Enter the random drawing before 1 a.m. (EST) on 4/24 and that lucky winner could be you! To make things even more interesting, there are several ways to enter. Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Blue Dryad (with frame)

We have a winner!


Congratulations, Lindsey S.!
You are the lucky winner of 2 tickets to the Tastes of South Tampa on 4/13.

A hearty thank you to The South Tampa Chamber of Commerce for sponsoring this fun giveaway and the TOST event. 

And many thanks to all who entered this random drawing. Not a winner? There is still time to purchase tickets by clicking here. Looking for more chances to win free stuff? Pop back later today to check out a new prize announcement for Thursday Giveaways!

4/2/14

What's On Your Workdesk Wed. #252



Is it Friday yet? It has been one of "those" weeks and I'm finally getting in some scribble time. Yay! There is no better therapy than creative play.

Art journaling has been super vogue lately (and there are some beauties out there).  However, I find doodling assorted body parts far more relaxing. Tonight I'm playing with Pitt Pens on a paper mâché mask. When it is done I'll give it a hit of gloss spray so the colors will really pop. I am feeling the need to pyro-up some mannequin hands again soon. Having wood-burner withdrawals, I think.

Can you believe it is already Workdesk Wednesday #252 over at the WOYWDW blog hop? Click here to share your space and see what other creative folks are up to today.

By the way, should you pop by here before midnight EST today (& can be in Tampa, FL on 4/13) make sure to enter tomorrow's random drawing for 2 all inclusive tickets to the Taste of South Tampa foodie fest. Click here for details.

4/1/14

April Photo-a-Day Challenge


The Tampa Bay Bloggers have issued a fun photography challenge this month. Each day has a cheery prompt to inspire your creative side. Everyone is invited to play along! Simply take a photo that matches the day's challenge and post it to instagram. Be sure to tag your pictures with #AprilPics and #TBB so that other folks playing along can find them. Also, search these tags to see what other shutterbugs are sharing. And you can find the TBB team instagram page here.

It was a busy day and I almost forgot to post a pic for day #1 - doh! I was making a salad when these happy little veggies reminded me. So, here's a peek at my phone and my contribution to today's "Smile" challenge.  


While we are playing with our food, just a reminder that you could be the lucky winner of 2 tickets to the 4/13 Taste of South Tampa! This family friendly event will be held in the Hyde Park neighborhood, with lots of local restaurants, wineries & breweries sharing samples of their tasty treats. You get to nibble your way down the street, chat with fellow foodies and enjoy the entertainment. You can even vote on your favorite vendors once you have enjoyed their offerings. There will also be kid and pet zones, so you can bring the whole family!

But you can't win if you don't enter! Click here for more info and to enter this week's random drawing. Good Luck!