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etsy.com
Michelle Lyman, owner of High Point’s From Art to Zebras, knows a thing or two about helping others create art. She also knows how to find it. Etsy, an Internet marketplace for handmade goods, features more than 100,000 sellers from around the globe. “I love scrolling through all the various arts and crafts that you can’t find anywhere else,” Lyman says. “They are great inspiration and even better gifts.”

READ

The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain
Ryan Rubio is a firm believer that if you want to be a good writer, you’ve got to do a lot of reading. Lately, the Cemetery Blues author has been doing just that, picking up a collection of short stories from literary icon Mark Twain. Although most of the stories were written in the mid-to-late 19th century, Rubio says the commentary is still relevant today. ”The writing is sharp, clever, and often hilarious.”

SEE

Harold and Maude
“I just saw Harold and Maude for the first time in a long time, and it really took on a different meaning this time,” says Sticks & Stones owner Neil Reitzel. The 1971 cult film is a dark comedy about a morbid man named Harold who drifts away from the life his detached mother prescribes him as he develops a friendship with a 79-year-old anarchist named Maude. The film is No. 45 on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Funniest Movies of all time. “The humor is really dry,” Reitzel says. “But it taught me a lot of things about life the second time around.” Recommended by Neil Reitzel, page 30.

HEAR

Aimee Mann
Janet Blevins, executive director of Natural Touch School of Massage Therapy, suggests going to see singer/songwriter Aimee Mann in concert at the Carolina Theatre on September 6. Aimee Mann used to perform with the group Til Tuesday and has since gone solo, producing a number of CDs. “I really like her music and I enjoy supporting independent artists,” Blevins explains. For information, go to carolinatheatre.com.

GIVE

Greensboro Children’s Museum
Local New York Times best-selling author John Hart doesn’t just sit on the board of directors for the Greensboro Children’s Museum — he frequently plays there, too. Hart, who brings his daughters to the museum so that they simultaneously play and learn, says it’s a nonprofit worth supporting. “This is a fabulous resource for local families, with big plans for the future,” Hart notes. “We’re lucky to have it, and it is only getting better.”