misosouper, a shopping blog

Remember that big news I hinted at a couple of weeks ago?

Thanks to the fanaticism of my readers and the Orlando community, Misosouper won the Orlando Sentinel’s 2009 Orbbie for “Best Pop Culture Blog.” Because I’m a homer for my town, this award is a big deal, and I am thrilled to be in the esteemed company of all the winners, which include Cake Wrecks, The Daily City, and Dis Unplugged.

As Misosouper heads into its third year (!), I am honored to still be shopping and blogging.  Not to get all sentimental on you, but I’m misting all over my keyboard.

Dear Readers,

Last year, I stood in an aqua taffeta dress sniffling in my wilted daisies, while another Orlando blog waltzed away with the big prize.  I won’t stand for being just a bridesmaid this year; I’m going all bridezilla on your asses for you to help me vote Misosouper best blog in Orlando.  Small potatoes, you might say.  But for us, this is big french fries; if we win, we get a big banner on the Orlando Sentinel’s site, $ from Target, and bragging rights for an entire year.

Misosouper is up for Best Overall Blog, Best Pop Culture Blog, and Best Unclassified Blog (?!), so you can vote for us daily in any or all (preferably all) of these categories.  You have to register to vote, but if you’re a fellow Orlandoan, you should be registered at the Orlando Sentinel anyway, because you’re just that kind of informed citizen.

If we win, I’ll get drunk with you at the party.  Promise.

Love,

Me

An adorably masochistic piece from Cragmire, an Orlando artist who works at the very worthy United Arts of Central Florida (an organization greasing the wheels of our local cultural scene) and co-founded INterLude Films, producers of the classic Ninjas vs. Pirates (pirates, ftw).

Granted, what’s local for me probably isn’t local for you; but the Orlando-area shop Luxe & Liberty is deserving of your attention, even if you have to order online instead of popping in to pick out a few choice gifts.  Organized around goods made in America, L&L stocks lines both little and big, from neighborhood artisans to well-known names like Calphalon, Amenity Home, and Pangea Organics.  (See?  I told you they were good.)

Here are my picks:

1.  Skinny Fish Artisan Stationary–produced in small batches by artist Shawn Laughlin; 2.  Leather Photo Album, in prismatic colors; 3.  Kalender Platter, trimmed in platinum and gold; 4.  Herb Bowl with Mezzaluna Chopper–one of those tools you didn’t even know you needed; 5.  Endangered Parrots of the World Chess Set–prohibitively expensive, outrageously fun; 6.  Crocus Rocks Glasses with 22K Accents–hello, hostess; 7.  Chiller Pitcher with Lid–a closed carafe that will keep al fresco flies out; 8.  Chick Chair; 9.  Balustrade Napkins–round and round the table they go; 10.  Aptos Collection Pebble Pendant; 11.  Amber Dard Hunter Rose Thermometer & Clock–outdoor temperature gauges are so underrated; 12.  Teco Art Pottery Orb Vase–lovely lines, from an exactingly reproduced historical collection.

Hurry!  Go!  Misosouper readers can enter LUXE09 at checkout to receive 20% off their first purchase.

When I was 20, I went through an entire year in which I wore nothing but very tight, very graphic (think artistic, not “Florida Girls Squeeze Them Better”) t-shirts.  I preferred shirts with drawings of big hands, or abstract explosions, or women’s faces.

While wearing said t-shirts–my favorite look was a little tee with trousers, which made me an accidental Victoria Beckham?–we frequented a downtown Orlando bar called Chillers, which was like a giant alcoholic slushie machine dispensing neon drinks for the low, low price of $1.  (I even took my grandmother there once.  Hey, 80-year-old women appreciate the land-locked beach buzz too.)

These days, I make my own drunk slushies, thanks to 7-11 and the flask of vodka stashed in my glove compartment.  And thanks to the ironically named t-shirt company Chillers, I wear the slightly more grown-up, limited-edition version of lady-face while I’m at it.