LYRIC LEAK: AV THE GREAT

 Article by Harlin Anderson, Photos by Will Milne 

We recently ventured out on a school night to catch the hardest working entertainer in Denton, Chris “AV the Great” Avant, doing his thing. It had been too long since we checked out the thriving, local hip hop scene, and the raucous energy radiating throughout the venue made us feel like fools for staying away so long. Avant’s undeniable talents, and the passion he brings to his trade, are sure to keep us coming back again and again and again to see what AV the Great has in store for Denton – not to mention the world. 

AV, how would you describe your flow? 

AV: I wrote this the other day, and I think it best describes my style: "Is he Gangsta rap, street rap, trap rap, or concious?? Why I gotta choose one? I like having options!"

What's the current state of hip hop in Denton? 

It's as strong as it's ever been. Gold mine if you're looking into investing in entertainment. The artists are together. We just have to get the public to stop feeling like if I listen to this DFW artist, then I can't listen to this DFW Artist. That’s the dumbest shit ever. Like, you listen to all of these other musicians from New York, Miami, Cali, ATL, Louisiana, but you act as though you can't listen to more than one rapper from your own city. That is dumb as hell. 

How have you honed your craft over the years? 

The premise is the same, but the confidence has grown and made my delivery better. At some point in time, I just said IDGAF what nobody says or thinks about my music. I’m talking about my life and the things that affect me – not what is politically correct or the trend in pop culture.

What comes first - the rhymes or the music?

Both. There is no preferred method. With “9th Grade”, I found the beat first, then I wrote the 1st verse, free-styled the hook, the 2nd verse then came out, and then I wrote the third verse.

You mention “Brenda’s baby” at the end of “9th Grade.” Is that a Tupac reference?

Yep.

“...putting this city on the map permanently in the Hip Hop world, and becoming The Greatest artist to ever come out of this area”
— AV on his plans for the future

Who are your musical influences? 

Erykah Badu, Tupac, Jay Z, Nas, Temptations, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Scarface, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers, Billy Joel, Al Green, Luther Vandross, Jodeci, UGK...a lot, I guess.

“9th Grade” is a cautionary tale spiked with anger and passion. Why is it so important for a song like this to be heard? 

“9th Grade” is all facts. People relate to facts, and everybody relates to High School. It puts the older listener in a reminiscent state, a deep emotional drift to the past, and it puts the current student in either a trance of "I feel what he is saying, this is happening now at my school" – or "I know what to look out for.” A song like this allows me to connect with the audience because when you hear it, you know I'm not lying. It's not really angry it's just emotion. 

Would you call yourself an entertainer or an educator?

I’d call myself a hip hop ARTIST.

Tell us some artists that we might not have heard of - but should definitely check out? 

My whole Trunk Pop Team is coming, and Shaheed Flow is a kid at Denton High School who has a lot of drive and ambition. 

What's next for AV? 

New album in 2014, bringing bigger and better shows to Denton, more videos, more money, and a nationwide presence. Helping as many people as I can, putting this city on the map permanently in the Hip Hop world, and becoming The Greatest artist to ever come out of this area – that’s that's the overall goal.

AV the Great is a man with a plan. His recent track record of success – he was one of the highlights of this year’s Rock Lottery, and his video for “9th Grade” racked up over 20,000 views in the first week – suggests his master plan has a damn good shot at becoming reality. Don’t  sleep on this one, Dentonites. Get out to the club, and watch AV the Great blow the doors off the joint. You’re next chance isn't far off. AV is playing all the time - keep an eye on the Den10 for his next local show. Be there or regret it for the next 365 days. 

9th Grade by AV the Great

Who woulda thought. 

Back in 9th grade. 

Zerry be back in jail

He caught a double fault

Niggas that I grew up with is smoking wet

Kinda sad they used to be college prospects

Yeah, my Cousin Zerry almost got killed

In the pen this is real saying how it is

Over skrill and some bullshit

Niggas really dying and this game is bullshit

Yeah, they treat us like projects

Throw em in the hole and see if they make it out

That’s why they call it projects

That’s why niggas scream when he make it out

 

Bitch I come from a good family

We did dirty deeds but still we a good family

Granny raised me right

I know what’s wrong

But still I had to make mistakes to become my own

Man, no hating in this mufucker

I pray for everybody in this mufucker

No telling when he gonna judge us in the mufucker

Who woulda thought I’d have a family in this mufucker

 

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade 

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who would a thought

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

 

People getting money

People getting locked

Homies smoking rocks

Hoes on the clock

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

 

Who woulda thought

Back in 7th grade

Uncle Kev when to the pen

Back again

I was nineteen when he seat me

Going in the wrong direction so he tried to reach me

I told him, hey I got kicked out of college

Cops wilding on me cuz I was speaking knowledge

Much later

I got them pills

I got that dro

I got skills

 

Then the nigga got on probation

And he was standing there with that look just waiting

The look said enough

Ever since I been eating instrumentals

Good stuff

Good luck

It’s a war zone

DFW, yeah it’s a warzone 

Who woulda thought 

Back in 9th grade

I’d lose my Aunt Jean and my Uncle James

 

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade 

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who would a thought

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

Back in 9th grade

 

People getting money

People getting locked

Homies smoking rocks

Hoes on the clock

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

 

Who woulda thought

Black president

2011 and the rich still getting rich

Politician is a politician

Real niggas stand up and stay out of prison

Give my dawg a gang/game

When he come home

Stay away from him

This block more than lukewarm

Hug your girl

Kiss your kids

Look at a map

And lets plan how we gonna take this bitch

Smoke in the chest 

Screaming fuck stress

Look around the club

We all want success

9th grade 

This shit’s crazy

Who would thought we still ain't found Brenda’s baby

 

 

AV The Great on Facebook

10 THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2014

Have y'all accidentally written 2013 on a piece of paper yet? We just did. Oops. We'll eventually get it stuck in our heads that it is 2014 now. We kind of have to because there's a lot of stuff going down this year. We took a moment and typed out the ten things we're most excited about happening this year. Check it out below and let us know what you're excited about in the comments!

Rendering of the new Hypnotic Donuts store on Hickory St. 

Rendering of the new Hypnotic Donuts store on Hickory St. 

  • Hypnotic Donuts and Cultivar Coffee - yeah, we know we keep yammering on about this one, but we're just excited about having a reason to walk down that portion of Hickory St. or a spot to eat some chicken biscuits past midnight on the square. 

 

  • New albums from Seryn (and a documentary), Doug Burr, The Eli Young Band, Robert Gomez and lots more will be pumping through our earbuds this year.

 

  • Empty Storefronts Filled - We're super excited to see what fills the space of the recently-closed Gerhard's, Burguesa, Pizza Inn, and Grip. Lots of potential there in what some may call "cursed" spaces, but we think that it's a possibility that we just have yet to see a business that meets the needs of these exact spots. We definitely don't need another "Vape" shop (how many of those do you think opened in Denton in 2013? Eight?). 

 

  • The Hive opening up it's doors, changing into something else, or an as-of-yet unknown third option. We dunno. @35Denton says it's still a thing and the new paint on the front is pretty, so that's definitely something. 

 

  • New businesses on the square including the two-story NV Cupcakes/Sprocket's combo store we've heard rumors of and possibly filling up a growler at West Oak Coffee Bar when they open up on the square beside McBride's sometime in 2014.

 

what we didcafe herrera.jpg
  • Cafe Herrera finally opening. Ever since we've been able to see through their windows at night (creepy enough for ya?), we've been craving Mexican food. 

 

  • Whole Foods - We'll once again make the Denton "County" argument and be happy that 2014 will see a Whole Foods opening up in Highland Village. While we'd rather it be a little closer (maybe Central Market will open up in an old Denton Piggly Wiggly someday), we'll take what we can get. We already have lots of wonderful healthy grocer options in town (read: Natural Grocers, The Cupboard, etc...), but it's always nice to have options for more super fancy cheese. 

 

  • Food Trucks again. The Austin St. Food Truck Park behind East Side Social Club plans to open their 'doors' this March. They will have five to seven different trucks parked there on a daily basis. With Denton's newest truck, The Waffle Wagon, set to start selling soon, and rumors of the late, great Wyld Taters resurrecting, too, we think 2014 will be a banner year for food trucks in Denton. 

 

  • New Mayor - Love him or hate him, Mayor Burroughs terms out this year and we'll have to elect a brand, spankin' new mayor. We're hoping this race starts to heat up this next month. Maybe Eli Gemini will move back? 

 

  • Hickory St.'s Revamp - It's possible that We Denton Do It used the term "back-in angled parking" at least a dozen times in 2013. We'll probably do it more this year when the plans to make some adjustments (more info in this past post) to Hickory St. actually happen.

 

 

 

So that's what we got! What are you excited about in 2014? 

 

WHAT WE DID: JANUARY 6TH

Instagram apparently hates us now, y'all. They won't let us see all of the lovely photos you tagged #WDDI with for some reason. We can only see the ones you took over the weekend or tweeted when you 'grammed 'em. Our apologies, but that means this week's edition of What We Did is a tad on the lean side. That said, it's still packed with all sorts of goodness from the past week. After all, a week with both a big game for our requisite home team and a new year springing forth has to be represented visually. Our New Year's resolution is to bring you more content and get our friend Gabe to open up a barbeque food truck because we're hungry. Howsabout it, Gabe? 

We hung out at Rubber Gloves for Av the Great's New Year's Eve Party. Here's AV above. We'll have a Lyric Leak column featuring the prince of southeast Denton later on this week. 

We hung out at Rubber Gloves for Av the Great's New Year's Eve Party. Here's AV above. We'll have a Lyric Leak column featuring the prince of southeast Denton later on this week. 

More of AV. 

More of AV. 

av the great.jpg
We also trekked over to the Heart of Dallas bowl game to watch UNT take down UNLV. 

We also trekked over to the Heart of Dallas bowl game to watch UNT take down UNLV. 

IMG_0370.JPG
IMG_0385.JPG
The ladies at The DIME Store brewed up some mulled wine for First Friday last week. Have you stopped by and written your resolution on their wall yet? 

The ladies at The DIME Store brewed up some mulled wine for First Friday last week. Have you stopped by and written your resolution on their wall yet? 

Kendall Bales and lots of other Dentonites checked out the game, too. 

Kendall Bales and lots of other Dentonites checked out the game, too. 

Christopher Walker rang in the new year window side at Paschall's. We think that's a pretty decent way to start 2014. 

Christopher Walker rang in the new year window side at Paschall's. We think that's a pretty decent way to start 2014. 

Big Mike's, Denton's only 24 hour coffee shop, is open again and ready to serve Denton's nocturnal. Photo by Autumn Espinoza. 

Big Mike's, Denton's only 24 hour coffee shop, is open again and ready to serve Denton's nocturnal. Photo by Autumn Espinoza. 

The view from LSA's roof top bar on NYE! 

The view from LSA's roof top bar on NYE! 

Whoa, y'all. Banter now has honest-to-goodness crepes made by an actual Frenchman now. While we haven't been there in a while, we could go out on a limb and say these are better than the crepes they're crepe-ing out at Cups and Crepes (another one o…

Whoa, y'all. Banter now has honest-to-goodness crepes made by an actual Frenchman now. While we haven't been there in a while, we could go out on a limb and say these are better than the crepes they're crepe-ing out at Cups and Crepes (another one of our resolutions for 2014 was to say the word "crepe" four times in the same sentence. Check.). Above is a simple butter and sugar crepe that was good enough to get us to make plans to come back next week. Both savory and sweet crepes are available at Banter until 2pm daily. 

@wekeepexploring got some stickerage up at The Abbey Underground this weekend. 

@wekeepexploring got some stickerage up at The Abbey Underground this weekend. 

Michelle Bradley shared her baked French toast, but didn't let us know what beans she was brewing. 

Michelle Bradley shared her baked French toast, but didn't let us know what beans she was brewing. 

Let's all go get a cucumber jalepeno margarita at Mulberry St. Cantina and pretend that it's not 13 degrees outside. That looks pretty good. Photo by Todd Spigener. 

Let's all go get a cucumber jalepeno margarita at Mulberry St. Cantina and pretend that it's not 13 degrees outside. That looks pretty good. Photo by Todd Spigener. 

Spiderweb Salon put on another great showcase last week at Dan's. Here's a shot from Bess Whitby of Forever and Everest.

Spiderweb Salon put on another great showcase last week at Dan's. Here's a shot from Bess Whitby of Forever and Everest.

This week instead of taco pictures, we're featuring cat pictures. Search #CatsofDenton on Instagram sometime. You won't be disappointed. Above is a photo by Nathan Williams of Sunday Print Shop. 

This week instead of taco pictures, we're featuring cat pictures. Search #CatsofDenton on Instagram sometime. You won't be disappointed. Above is a photo by Nathan Williams of Sunday Print Shop. 

Shaina Sheaff either threw her cat in the trash or purchased a bag of cat food with some sort of a three-dimensional cat on the package. Either way, kudos. Wait - if you threw your cat away, we take our kudos back. That's not cool, Shaina!

Shaina Sheaff either threw her cat in the trash or purchased a bag of cat food with some sort of a three-dimensional cat on the package. Either way, kudos. Wait - if you threw your cat away, we take our kudos back. That's not cool, Shaina!

 Another Brutal Juice reunion rocked Dan's this past weekend. Photo by Denton, Dallas and Beyond.

 Another Brutal Juice reunion rocked Dan's this past weekend. Photo by Denton, Dallas and Beyond.

CROWDFUNDING: A LOOK BACK AT 2013

money1.jpg

Last year we took a look at several Denton locals that took the leap of faith and put their plans in your hands with crowdfunding campaigns. Some were successful, some are still hard at work raisin additional funds through other means, and some didn't work out super well. Whichever it may be, we wanted to check back in and see where a few of them are now. Read on to see what your hard earned dollars and support helped with.  

Splash Park 

The Denton splash park efforts were seemingly everywhere this summer. One of the biggest fundraising efforts though was their Indiegogo campaign that started back in August. Of the $100,000 they were asking for, they've raised just over $6,000. However, through all of their efforts they've gotten the attention of the city and the parks department. Apparently the group behind the efforts has plans for more fundraisers in the spring as weather heats up and we are quickly reminded why a splash park would be a great addition to our city's landscape. They are also looking into neighborhood empowerment grants and a few other options for raising money. They are working on putting together a website, getting t-shirts printed and collecting more in-kind donations to help spur on the effort. It's good to know that there may still be a day in the not-so-far-off future we may just have a splash park to add to our cooling down strategies in the heat of the summer. 

 

Soma Massage 

Soma, a local massage company owned by neighborhood powerhouse Amber Briggle started an Indiegogo campaign to help expand her business. She had outgrown the space in her home and was ready to relocate to an office, hire a few more staff and watch her small business grow beyond the four walls it had previously been in. After her campaigning she was able to move that business into a new address, just a mile away from home. She has also doubled her staff, hiring four therapists, a part time office admin, and a web guy. Way to go local business! 

 

Robert Gomez, Earth Underfoot

Talented local musician Robert Gomez asked for funds through Kickstarter to help record his fourth album. After a successful campaign, he recorded the album "Earth Underfoot" in September at Redwood Recording Studios in Denton, TX. A few days ago the album was mixed and hopefully will be released soon. We can't wait to hear it Rob. If you want to follow the progress of the project, updates are posted regularly on his artist page here. 

 

Explorium Children's Science  

Explorium Denton is a proposed interactive children's science museum for our city. A place where our kid's minds can be expanded and challenged with a range of interactive exhibits. The campaign is being led by Anyah Martinez, a local mom who is incredibly active in the Denton community. The campaign hasn't raised the funds it needs, but since it's through GoFundMe there is no end date. Anyah is working on making more promo videos in hopes to get the support of potential donors in the future. We're hoping to see more action on this project as we believe that an interactive science museum for our kids would be a pretty cool thing. 

 

Rabbit Hole Brewing 

Local brewers Rabbit Hole launched a campaign to help fund their beer brewing efforts. Never a city to turn down more alcohol, especially craft beer, we weren't surprised when they exceeded their fundraising goals. They recently launched their first two beers at Oak Street Draft House and East Side Social Clube. They Mike Modano's 561 Kolsch and the Rapture Brown Ale. They are now available at 20 different locations across the Metroplex and have more on the way. 

 

Bookish Coffee  

2013 was an exciting year for Bookish. After reaching their goals on Kickstarter, they were able to purchase a 12 kilo roaster, thats four times larger than the one they had been roasting on. Since then owner Clay Rozell has been learning and tweaking roast profiles with the new roaster, trying to extract the best flavor from the beans. Because of his new production capabilities he is better able to leverage his position with other companies to get his product onto more shelves. Right now he is working with Natural Grocers to get Bookish into more stores around the metroplex and he is working hard to get into a few other grocery stores in the area. Alongside being available in more stores, he is stocking beans in Big Mike's coffee rotation and into the Cyber Cafe in the UNT library. The growth of Bookish hasn't only been great for Bookish, it's also allowed them to give back to the Denton community a good bit. They were awarded the "Top Adopter Best Adopter in 2013" by the Denton Independent School District and Chamber of Commerce. They are also committed to supporting the Denton Area Younglife and their mission in Denton. According to Clay they success of the Kickstarter campaign really gave Bookish the boost it neeaded to become a more viable business and a bigger part of the community. 

 

 

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW: PHOTOS

As we continue to take a glance back at all that happened in 2013, one thing we can't ignore is the fact that we have a bunch of talented photographers running around to capturing some incredible moments. That, plus we eat too much. As we were scanning back through posts from the past year, we couldn't help but be caught by some of the great photos that were taken and shared with us. If you ask us, a post full of big pretty photos is one of our favorite kind. We figured you'd dig it too. 

MUSIC

From our 35 Denton coverage. Photo by Dave Koen. 

From our 35 Denton coverage. Photo by Dave Koen. 

Sarah Jaffe playing city councilman Kevin Roden's living room. 

Sarah Jaffe playing city councilman Kevin Roden's living room. 

Bad Sports. Photo by Dave Koen.

Bad Sports. Photo by Dave Koen.

Brutal Juice

Brutal Juice

Thurston Moore of Chelsea Light Moving at 35 Denton

Thurston Moore of Chelsea Light Moving at 35 Denton

Jenny Seman of Shiny Around the Edges playing a Spiderweb Salon showcase at J and J's Pizza. 

Jenny Seman of Shiny Around the Edges playing a Spiderweb Salon showcase at J and J's Pizza. 

Hares on the Mountain at Canned fest. 

Hares on the Mountain at Canned fest. 

FOOD

Rusty Nuts at The Irish Boozer. 

Rusty Nuts at The Irish Boozer. 

Nachos etc... from La Sabrocita

Nachos etc... from La Sabrocita

We baked some French toast during an ice storm once in 2013. 

We baked some French toast during an ice storm once in 2013. 

Coffee at Yogurt Fusion

Coffee at Yogurt Fusion

Some Armadillo Ales beers at Canned. 

Some Armadillo Ales beers at Canned. 

A sliced sandwich from From Tha Heart BBQ.

A sliced sandwich from From Tha Heart BBQ.

From our coverage of Lucky Star Pies back in February of last year. 

From our coverage of Lucky Star Pies back in February of last year. 

PEOPLE

Bartender and mustache-haver Thomas Paessler enjoying a "pink pearl." 

Bartender and mustache-haver Thomas Paessler enjoying a "pink pearl." 

Mandy Hampton

Mandy Hampton

Artist Anna Conner. Photo by Courtney Marie.

Artist Anna Conner. Photo by Courtney Marie.

Shelley Cristner and Rachel Aughtry, co-owners of The Dime Store. Photo by Dave Koen.

Shelley Cristner and Rachel Aughtry, co-owners of The Dime Store. Photo by Dave Koen.

Conner Wallace and Courtney Marie of Spiderweb Salon. 

Conner Wallace and Courtney Marie of Spiderweb Salon. 

From that time we threw an Election Party. Photo by Amelia McBride. 

From that time we threw an Election Party. Photo by Amelia McBride. 

Tex Bosley. 

Tex Bosley. 

MISCELLANEOUS

2013 was a big year for signage stuff. 

2013 was a big year for signage stuff. 

East Side Social Club's 89 (and counting) beers on tap made us happy in 2013. 

East Side Social Club's 89 (and counting) beers on tap made us happy in 2013. 

From our Coffee Wars post back in November. Photo by Becky Gates. 

From our Coffee Wars post back in November. Photo by Becky Gates. 

The original Subway sign that made people mad and isn't all that different from the new Subway sign. 

The original Subway sign that made people mad and isn't all that different from the new Subway sign. 

The men's room at Paschall's from our Jive Five on local public restrooms. 

The men's room at Paschall's from our Jive Five on local public restrooms. 

A photo from Lauren Apel from our interview with her back in February. 

A photo from Lauren Apel from our interview with her back in February. 

A portrait from Shaina Sheaff from our interview with her in December. 

A portrait from Shaina Sheaff from our interview with her in December. 

From this year's coffin races at the Day of the Dead festival. Photo by Kimberly Flanagan. 

From this year's coffin races at the Day of the Dead festival. Photo by Kimberly Flanagan. 

UNT Football had us actually attending games this year. 

UNT Football had us actually attending games this year. 

WHAT WE DID: DECEMBER 30TH

It's Monday already? That was quick. Seems like we just wrote this post yesterday, but it's already been seven days. Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas last week. By the looks of your photos, you certainly did. This week, we're going to try and highlight some of the best of what Denton had to offer in 2013 in a couple of different ways. The last few days of 2013 are bound to be exciting, too. - don't get us wrong. We're gonna head on over to Rubber Gloves Tuesday evening to catch us some AV the Great and Fabdeuce and we're already excited about seeing all of the photos you guys throw #WDDI on next week! See ya then!

Let's start off this week's What We Did with our new favorite Monday morning game, Guess the Graffiti. Here's a piece of graffiti we shot late last week somewhere in town. We can't really tell what it is, what it says, or even if it's offensive. It'…

Let's start off this week's What We Did with our new favorite Monday morning game, Guess the Graffiti. Here's a piece of graffiti we shot late last week somewhere in town. We can't really tell what it is, what it says, or even if it's offensive. It's certainly not the best piece of graffiti we've seen and we doubt it will even be here by next week, but either way, can you tell us where in town you can find this graffiti? 

Last week was Christmas, of course. We loved seeing all of the photos of your trees and decor. Here's one from Shaina Sheaff. 

Last week was Christmas, of course. We loved seeing all of the photos of your trees and decor. Here's one from Shaina Sheaff. 

Paschall's always just looks a little Christmas-y to us, but a tree always helps, too. 

Paschall's always just looks a little Christmas-y to us, but a tree always helps, too. 

The trees at the top of the steps of the courthouse always make for a good backdrop. Photo by Haley Caulfield. 

The trees at the top of the steps of the courthouse always make for a good backdrop. Photo by Haley Caulfield. 

We aren't the only ones who like to hit up Paschall's in the winter. On a side note, when did they start serving moscow mules in copper mugs again? We heard they stopped a while back due to theft, but we're happy to see them back! Photo by Hale…

We aren't the only ones who like to hit up Paschall's in the winter. On a side note, when did they start serving moscow mules in copper mugs again? We heard they stopped a while back due to theft, but we're happy to see them back! Photo by Haley Caulfield. 

We had a Tears for Fears and scotch break. The week between Christmas and New Year's always needs such a break. 

We had a Tears for Fears and scotch break. The week between Christmas and New Year's always needs such a break. 

Work in Progress, local teen guitar prodigy Justin Weed's band, played down in Ft. Worth last week. How have we not interviewed this kid yet? We need to get on that. Photo by @DruCruz32. More info on Justin Weed here. 

Work in Progress, local teen guitar prodigy Justin Weed's band, played down in Ft. Worth last week. How have we not interviewed this kid yet? We need to get on that. Photo by @DruCruz32. More info on Justin Weed here. 

Growing up in Denton has its perks. Drum lessons at Ghost Note on the square are just one of 'em. Photo by @HollyinTexas. 

Growing up in Denton has its perks. Drum lessons at Ghost Note on the square are just one of 'em. Photo by @HollyinTexas. 

Requisite food photo for the week. Here are some delicious cookies from photographer Shaina Sheaff. 

Requisite food photo for the week. Here are some delicious cookies from photographer Shaina Sheaff. 

We still haven't had the time to make it down to Nathan Williams' Sunday Print Shop yet. We want to, though! Have y'all? If so, what'd you think? Did you get one of those #WDDI shirts they were making? More here. 

We still haven't had the time to make it down to Nathan Williams' Sunday Print Shop yet. We want to, though! Have y'all? If so, what'd you think? Did you get one of those #WDDI shirts they were making? More here. 

WHAT WE DID: DECEMBER 23RD

T-minus two days until Christmas. We really do hope y'all have a good one. We're gonna lay low for a few days and celebrate with our family and friends. If you're in town during Christmas and feeling generous, there are many places you can lend a helping hand by volunteering or making a donation. In the meantime, this past week has been a good one. Instagram says you guys had a great time. We drank a few gallons of coffee, ate a bunch of La Sabrocita, and went to a lot of meetings. Y'all apparently hula-hooped at Big Mike's and watched cats kiss each other. We love y'all so much. Thanks for hashtagging #WDDI and we look forward to seeing your Christmas photos next week. Until then, Merry Christmas, everybody. 

We stopped by Yogurt Fusion & Coffee to check out their new coffee setup and were mighty impressed. Expect to see hear more about the shop and their thoughts on coffee in a future Coffee Wars column. In the meantime, stop by sometime and enjoy a…

We stopped by Yogurt Fusion & Coffee to check out their new coffee setup and were mighty impressed. Expect to see hear more about the shop and their thoughts on coffee in a future Coffee Wars column. In the meantime, stop by sometime and enjoy a pourover of some of the best beans in the nation. 

Some of the beans behind the counter at Yogurt Fusion and Coffee. 

Some of the beans behind the counter at Yogurt Fusion and Coffee. 

Aside from the caffeine, we also learned that Yogurt Fusion & Coffee actually makes their yogurt in-house. 

Aside from the caffeine, we also learned that Yogurt Fusion & Coffee actually makes their yogurt in-house. 

White wine and roses at Banter. Photo by @autumnlynn10. 

White wine and roses at Banter. Photo by @autumnlynn10. 

A bunch of folks got lowercase "d" "Denton tattoos" at a tattoo party. Now we're thinking we might need some WDDI temporary tattoos. Photo by Camille Green. 

A bunch of folks got lowercase "d" "Denton tattoos" at a tattoo party. Now we're thinking we might need some WDDI temporary tattoos. Photo by Camille Green. 

Denton got some badass sunsets last week. This was just one of 'em. Photo by Jessica Hume. 

Denton got some badass sunsets last week. This was just one of 'em. Photo by Jessica Hume. 

Shaina Sheaff is always good at finding excellent photo ops in town. Can y'all guess where this is? 

Shaina Sheaff is always good at finding excellent photo ops in town. Can y'all guess where this is? 

Video above by @janglypangolin. 

Peter Cuomo drew an awesome owl on a chalkboard for reasons unknown. 

Peter Cuomo drew an awesome owl on a chalkboard for reasons unknown. 

Here's @Natalieohhhh in front of The DIME Store's Christmas chalk Christmas tree. Photo by Bryce Olcon. 

Here's @Natalieohhhh in front of The DIME Store's Christmas chalk Christmas tree. Photo by Bryce Olcon. 

The building beside East Side Social Club that was scheduled to be demolished was torn down this past weekend. This is currently the view at ESSC. Soon it will be an excellent food truck park. 

The building beside East Side Social Club that was scheduled to be demolished was torn down this past weekend. This is currently the view at ESSC. Soon it will be an excellent food truck park. 

If you want to feel like you're drinking whiskey or beer in a futuristic dystopia, hurry over to ESSC before they clear all of the destruction away!

If you want to feel like you're drinking whiskey or beer in a futuristic dystopia, hurry over to ESSC before they clear all of the destruction away!

Some leftover icey courthouse shots from Icemageddon courtesy of @autumnlynn10. 

Some leftover icey courthouse shots from Icemageddon courtesy of @autumnlynn10. 

Billiards and friends from @drcruz32. 

Billiards and friends from @drcruz32. 

Some goodies at Mulberry St. Cantina shindig. Have you tried any of their 12 drinks of Christmas yet? If so, what did you think? Photo by Mary Jane Raymond. 

Some goodies at Mulberry St. Cantina shindig. Have you tried any of their 12 drinks of Christmas yet? If so, what did you think? Photo by Mary Jane Raymond. 

Kitty love photo by @drcruz32. #catsofdenton, y'all. 

Kitty love photo by @drcruz32. #catsofdenton, y'all. 

Nachos and tacos at La Sabrocita on Dallas Dr. Hungry yet? 

Nachos and tacos at La Sabrocita on Dallas Dr. Hungry yet? 

Civic duty makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

Civic duty makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

The binders for the 2014 Citizens Bond Advisory Committee are ginormous this year, y'all. 

The binders for the 2014 Citizens Bond Advisory Committee are ginormous this year, y'all. 

Ninja Turtle ornaments from Todd Spigener. 

Ninja Turtle ornaments from Todd Spigener. 

Startup Weekend Denton is giving away a Chromecast for sharing their status that you can register for early bird tickets for their event until Christmas. Check out their Facebook page or their Twitter. #SWDenton

Startup Weekend Denton is giving away a Chromecast for sharing their status that you can register for early bird tickets for their event until Christmas. Check out their Facebook page or their Twitter. #SWDenton

DIME FEATURED SELLER: ANNA TOVAR

Interview by DIME, Photography by Matt McElligot and Anna Tovar 

annaportblog1.jpg

This month, DIME sat down with Anna Tovar to chat about her playful, whimsical, and 
oh-so-sweet line of prints. Not only are her calligraphy prints totally adorable, she is too!  Read on to to learn more about this talented gal.

First of all, we love that you work under the moniker “Anna Tovar | Fine Artist”. It gives you the option to continually learn and work with new mediums. What is your all time favorite medium?

Oh, man! That’s really hard for me to pin point. My gut instinct is to say that oil paint is my all-time favorite, even though I don’t use it very often anymore. It’s my first love, and the real reason I gathered the courage to pursue art as a career. I went to UNT to study art, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in. It wasn’t until I took my first Drawing and Painting class that I fell in love with oils. I later took a couple of watercolor classes that also had my heart skipping beats, which makes it very hard for me to declare a favorite. 

 

annaportblog7.jpg

Your Etsy shop was originally heavy on the watercolor illustrations, but is now 
largely filled with sweet and quirky calligraphy prints. How did you go about 
making this change in your line? 

I really enjoy change! I like to challenge myself by learning new mediums/crafts on a pretty regular basis. Some I just dabble in for a bit and some stick. Calligraphy stuck. I think it’s because I am still naturally coming up with new ideas, and inspiration is readily available and applicable. It’s not something that I have to force, so as long as I am coming up with fresh and new ideas, I will be creating new calligraphy pieces!

How do you decide what phrases you want to use on new calligraphy prints?
I keep a sketchbook that I write down all of the ideas and inspirations that float into my brain. The list gets pretty long, so every 2-3 months I’ll look over my design ideas as well as all of the quotes that I’ve collected, and see which ones match up the best. 

Anyone who’s seen your work or your Etsy shop can immediately tell you have a great eye for design. In fact, we heard from a little birdy that a room in your house was recently featured on Apartment Therapy. What was that like?

Great! I am really into interior design, so having my son’s room featured was pretty fantastic (and validating)!

 

 

IMG_0454.jpg

As you have a lot of your own art in your home, several pieces were highlighted in 
Apartment Therapy’s feature. What has that done for your brand?
From what I can tell, not only did it give me greater exposure to a wider range of audience, but it also gave me more credibility. I think my brand instantly became more trustworthy in terms of quality, which has been a tremendous blessing. I wasn’t really anticipating any effects on my business, so that was just an added bonus!

grow_1.jpg

What kind of work are you hoping to add to your line in the new year? 

I have more ideas than I can realistically produce! I’m going to start experimenting with 
combining calligraphy and watercolor. I love both mediums, so it only seems natural to combine the two. I also just came out with a new style of calligraphy with my “grow where you’re planted” piece. I don’t feel like I’m done with that yet, so I will be working on some more variations of that, as well!

How did you become involved with DIME?

I’ve been participating in the DIME shows for several years now. I started out selling oil 
paintings and hand-made journals, and with each show I would introduce a new product. I benefited greatly from being in those first few shows since I was able to get immediate feedback from customers in that face-to-face environment. That is a big part of what helped shape where I am today. Rachel and Shelley were able to witness first-hand the evolution of my brand, so when it came time to open the shop, I was one of the vendors that they contacted. I am so incredibly grateful for their encouragement and support!

Do you have any advice for aspiring Etsy sellers or other local makers?

Done is better than perfect. If you are waiting for the perfect time, the perfect photos, the perfect anything, you will never get started. I believe that it’s better to just get started and get your name out there, and tweak things as you go. There is a lot to learn, and it can become overwhelming if you feel like you have to learn all of it before you open your shop. You can learn as you go!

 

You can shop Anna's beautiful work here, here and here. 

GLAD_8_2.jpg

The DIME Store is a shop and artist collective in downtown Denton that features art, craft, and vintage from 40+ local makers. Rachel Aughtry and Shelley Christner act as the "curators and purveyors" of the shop. When they're not at DIME, you'll find them behind their sewing machines or enjoying a margarita at The Greenhouse.