We could (and sometimes do) spend hours scrolling through @gold_dust_home on Instagram, just to feel that dreamy, sunny, color-saturated vibe — the only reason we don't go to the store and hang out in the actual environment is that we'd leave with massive credit card debt. If you have a better grip on your impulse buying but the same craving for hand-painted Mexican stoneware, multi-colored enameled spatterware, quilted textile wall hangings, Liberty-print playing cards, vegetable-dyed linen aprons, candles shaped like corncobs, marbleized paper journals, lamps made out of baguettes, neon-hued Acapulco chairs ... uh, if you have the same yen for this stuff that we do but can keep a somewhat better grasp on your wallet, by all means visit. We'll be over here scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. (1309 Lang Ave., golddusthome.com)
Robert Louis Stevenson once said, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." We have some incredible seed starters in our region, activists and dedicated citizen scientists who cultivate our ecosystem by creating one steward at a time. Check out the incredible team Seed the Stars, right here in Orange County. Seed the Stars recommends "star" plants like the Florida Grove Pepper, Seminole Pumpkins or Florida Broadleaf Mustard Seeds — heat-tolerant, drought-resistant and edible. The founders share, "We like to think that our work inspires the creativity in others to grow their own healthy food, even if they only have a small, urban space." Plant a seed, grow your dreams.
Golden Hour Wine in Baldwin Park is the loveliest natural wine shop and bar owned by the loveliest oenophile, Heather Lavine. With a couple of questions, Lavine's wine wisdom steers patrons in new and appreciated directions of tasting. Bringing a pack of cards to the shop, sitting and chatting with friends over a glass of wine and a game of 31 while watching the dogs of the neighborhood, has been a favorite pastime of the last year.
1560 Lake Baldwin Lane, goldenhour.wine
A perfect stop on a browsing afternoon in Winter Park's Central Park area, Writer's Block has a grand collection of books and they are constantly adding new releases and popular titles to their shelves. All bookstores have a magical energy, and Writer's Block exudes it with ease. They also stock a fun collection of goodies that are only tangentially book-related: coin pouches, stationery, greeting cards, magnets, you name it. There are tons of ways to lose yourself in this independently owned bookstore, so be sure you leave with a special something.
316 N. Park Ave., Winter Park writersblockbookstore.com
From a certain Orlando Weekly photographer we won't name: "If my middle school friends found out I sold my Nine Inch Nails T-shirts from '94 and the take-home was enough to put toward a used lens, they'd say that's a 'terrible lie' and maybe I should consider ditching freelance and going back to corporate work. But I don't know if I can find 'happiness in slavery' in that world again. Maybe I'm 'broken,' unable to be 'fixed,' but 'kinda I want to' sometimes? But I have been 'down in it' for a few years. I'm sure I'll 'wish' I had those shirts back at some point, but 'that's what I get.' They're 'something I can never have' back. It kinda 'hurt' to sell them. Regardless of my 'downward spiral,' Foundation is a 'warm place' to drop in. It's in College Park. 'Closer' than you think." Whew.
2529 Edgewater Drive, foundationrecordsfl.com
This is a very competitive category, with so much abandoned retail space in Central Florida, but Fashion Square is easily the most photogenic of them all with its weedy parking lots, chain-link-fenced demolition site, leak-stained cavernous interior emptiness and general air of vanished grandeur. (Plus a creepy clown ride, because you gotta have a creepy clown ride.) A few non-retail businesses seem to be clinging to life, but between the lone jewelry kiosk and Macy's there's an eerie post-apocalyptic calm. While Italian artists and architects had the magnificent Roman ruins to jumpstart the Renaissance, we get dead malls — so let's make the most of them before an overpriced Baldwin Park expansion district kicks in. We're taking alternative conversion proposals. Anyone for a grow house collective? (Corner of Colonial and Maguire, orlandofashionsquare.com)
Want to get your fruit snack on? Consider planting some native edible fruit trees. Nick's Edibles — a public Facebook group run by Nick Finan — is a trustworthy and exciting fruit tree nursery and venture, and Nick will happily help you with any questions you may have regarding fruit trees. Try out the local Hog Plum Trees, or perhaps one of the many unusual delicious varieties of mangoes which grow well here in sunny Florida. (Trust us, until you've eaten a truly ripe mango off the tree, as opposed to those pale-fleshed footballs they sell in grocery stores, you have not actually eaten a mango.) The Nick's Edibles Facebook group is also full of members of the area's brimming rare fruit tree societies. Ask a question there and we are willing to bet you'll get several responses within minutes, and possibly some invitations to go on over and check out their backyard trees.
4035 Hickory Tree Road, St. Cloud, 407-406-8939
First, a confession: Unlike the editors (and probably many readers) of Orlando Weekly, I'm a proud member of Gen Z, so I didn't grow up with vinyl. I fell in love with record stores after watching Empire Records for the first time, and Park Ave is the closest thing I can compare to that magical on-screen location. Not only do they have a vast collection of vinyl, CDs, books, games and other novelty items that will guarantee you find something unique upon every visit, they also host festive fan events, listening parties and Record Store Day celebrations each year (complete with awesome vendors and giveaways!). The staff is the coolest you'll ever meet and always has the best taste when choosing which albums to play as you browse through their extensive collection. [Editor's note: so wholesome, we gotta love it.]
2916 Corrine Drive, parkavecds.com
With over 100,000 different commodities ranging from books to CDs to records to posters to artwork to any other type of vintage goodie you can think of, Maya Books & Music has something for everyone. We love this place for its comfortable yet mysterious ambience, with its many rooms and nooks, distinctive poster-lined walls, eccentric hanging decor and wooden staircase leading up to a second-floor loft. Truly an eclectic gem in the heart of downtown Sanford and a must-stop for any vintage lovers or just anyone looking to grab a new gently loved treasure.
204 E. First St., Sanford, instagram.com/maya_books_and_music