Above photo: Misty Howell, owner of dayglodiva, seeks out ‘80s and ‘90s clothing to create one of a kind pieces to sell at pop-up markets around Florida. Brianna Rodriguez | The Crow’s Nest
By Whitney Elfstrom
Upcycling is a recurring theme at the Night’s Exchange, where beer drinkers and creative thinkers gather at Green Bench Brewing Co. and St. Pete Indie Market on the fourth Friday of every month.
Local businesses showcase their handcrafted and upcycled goods, which are created by using discarded material to produce something of higher, more creative quality.
This month, the market partnered with the Florida Folk Scene to provide music for the shoppers.
String lights cascaded down in a warm glow throughout the Green Bench beer garden. Shoppers wandered in and out of the booths that circled the garden as Drew Disparte of the Florida Folk Scene serenaded them with a cover of Manchester Orchestra’s “The Alien.”
As a city known for its local artists, St. Petersburg residents packed themselves into the brewery to peruse the market with craft beers in hand.
Handmade jewelry, acid washed denim and soy candles in recycled beer bottles were just a few items showcased in the 27 vendor tents.
Among the vendors was Lesley Arroyo of Fernweh Designs. Her table was lined with intricate jewelry: from tiny silver bracelets that read “Girlboss Life” to oversized collar necklaces with dangling quartz on either end.
She designs and hand cuts all of her jewelry.
Arroyo found her way to jewelry-making in 2015 after attending a jewelry class in Austin, Texas, where she said she learned the basics.
“I fell in love with using my hands,” Arroyo said.
Her jewelry has quite the range of pricing, starting at $15 and going up to $70, but according to Arroyo, the average price of a piece rests around $40. Statement jewelry is her favorite to make because “the bigger the better.”
A few tables over from the Arroyo were Heather and Scott Ware of Warehouse Candle, who specialize in candle making. The married duo split the work: She picks the scents, and he creates the holders.
The couple took on the business three years ago at Heather’s recommendation. She got the idea after attending a wedding in Charleston, South Carolina.
All of their candles are soy-based, and the majority of the scents are created with essential oils and then poured into recycled beer bottles or cans.
According to Heather, she “has the easy part” of the equation. She bases scents off of what she likes and what customers suggest.
For example, customers begged for a coconut scent, so she created “Parrot Head,” which gives off island vibes. Heather also said she does her best to match the scent of the candle to its recycled bottle, “but it doesn’t always work out that way.”
Scott, on the other hand, handles the labor side. He cuts all of the bottles and cans “very carefully” with a scouring tool and then sands down the bottles.
The team accepts recyclable donations at their brick and mortar location, Tampa Alternative Collective in Oldsmar, or at any of the Indie Markets around the Tampa Bay area. The company offers over 25 scents in two sizes that range in price from $10 to $22.
Where there are beer loving hipsters, ‘90s inspired clothing is often close by.
Misty Howell, 43, stood decked out in denim over an acid-washed dress shirt – two of her best sellers at her business dayglodiva.
What began as an Etsy store, has turned into a full-time popup job. After spending 10 years abroad in Europe, Howell came back to the states and realized her resume was lacking. In a quest to figure out what to do, she turned to thrifting.
Howell began thrifting at 16 and said she always enjoyed it and figured she had a knack for it, so she decided to turn it into a business.
“This is my resume,” Howell said, pointing at the rows of clothing. “You see my resume. It’s right here.”
She upcyles her clothing by acid washing shirts and jean jackets as well as cutting the crop tops and jean shorts. While she said she loves to thrift for ‘60s and ‘70s clothing, ‘80s and ‘90s items are “what people want to buy – it’s what sells.”
Her favorite part of her job is tie-dying. “I like [messing] around with bleach,” Howell said. The acid wash look gives her clothes the “one of a kind” quality that she strives for.
Howell makes her way out to the Indie Market whenever she can. She travels with them around Florida to Tampa, Gainesville and St. Petersburg.
“Anything they do, I do,” she said.
