A Little Slow on the Uptake

I sincerely hate it when I find a really cool shop in Duluth and I ask the owner "So, how long have you been open?" Expecting, of course, to hear "Two months" or the like. My sincere wish for Tinderbox, a shop that opened in a crappy location kiddy corner from the casino in the last part of 2007, was that it would grow and flourish and find a better location. Well, recently I drove by and it looked out of business. It made me sad because I loved the eclectic, hipster style and the cool designs that the shop set forth in it's handmade merchandise from local artisans.

Within an hour of thinking they had closed, I picked up a copy of the Transistor and learned that they had moved to Canal Park above Hell's Kitchen. They moved into a little corner of Peasantworks, a studio type store in a great space with funky merchandise. I had the day off today and I walked into Peasantworks and was loving it and then I asked the question, "How long have you been here?"

"Two years," was the reply. It makes me feel guilty. I constantly bemoan the mall and its gigantic life sucking ability to turn us all into automatons. Then, when a really cool place opens up, it takes me two years to learn about it.

Sigh.

So I'm doing my penance. Tinderbox and Peasantworks do not have websites but Nikki, the owner of Tinderbox does have a blog. She's still growing her business but I think it is a good fit as Peasantworks has the same feel.

So, take your non-tourist butts to Canal Park, have a tasty buffalo burger at Hell's Kitchen, get a delicious smelling candle at Peasantworks, and check out the work of local crafty people at Tinderbox. It will make you smile. Especially if, as it did today, the SUN is shining!