The Life Aquatic

This summer in Beijing, Olympic swimmers will don the futuristic, drag-reducing Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit—and so can you. The Meadowbrook Swim Shop (5700 Cottonworth Ave.; 410-433-8300; mbrook.com/proshop.htm) will stock the high-tech pool togs starting this August. All season long they’ll carry their usual array of natatory equipment for competitive swimmers and poolside loungers alike—from anti-fog drops and swim caps to goggles and sunblock. Tucked inside Mount Washington’s Meadowbrook Aquatic Center, the shop, which is open to the public, has been around since 1994, when Meadowbrook co-owner Patricia Stephens would peddle suits from her trunk during summer swim meets. These days, Meadowbrook is a supplier to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, where Olympians Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff have trained. So not only can you belly-flop where greatness has swum, but also wear their gear. Open Mon–Fri 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–4 p.m., and Sun 12 p.m.–4 p.m.

—Charles A. Hohman



Buzz Bin

Whether you’re hosting a soiree for friends or decorating your new pad, Federal Hill’s Funky Beehive (906 S. Charles St.; 410-685-HIVE) might add just the right spunk. Owned by husband-and-wife team Kara Hanson and Oscar Fontana, the shop is named for the eponymous Baltimore hairdo and premised on Hanson’s philosophy that “life’s too short not to have fun.” It contains a variety of whimsical and sometimes sassy kitchen gadgets, cocktail accoutrements, and wall art, plus eco-aware items like reusable grocery bags and herbs that grow in biodegradable pots. Plus, the Beehive boasts the added attraction of the couple’s friendly golden retriever, Oky. Go to www.funkybeehive.com for spring hours.

—Marianne Amoss



Sweet Ts

Outgrown your old Sex Pistols T-shirt but aren’t ready to part with it yet? Give it to your newborn! Shannon Delanoy of Sweet Pepita clothing custom-makes long- and short-sleeved T-shirts from organic and recycled materials for tots up to size 4T. Send in your old (freshly washed) shirt, choose from colors like avocado or arctic blue for the sleeves and trim, and Delanoy will hand-sew your very own hipster baby creation. Browse her website (sweetpepita.etsy.com) for pre-made, thrift-store-chic designs, like T-shirts with a screen-printed image of the late PBS painting guru Bob Ross and his “happy trees” or the modern idiom “Don’t hate the playa, hate the game.” Also for sale: pixie hats for infants, bibs, and color-block scarves for adults. The line is named after Delanoy’s daughter, Alice Antonella Pepita, and inspired by the fashion rights of babies. “When Pepita was born, we got an onslaught of pink clothing,” Delanoy says. “It was like we lived in a bubble-gum world. If you meet my daughter, she’s not that girl. We felt she should be able to wear blue and green.” Also available at Red Tree (921 W. 36th St.) and Bediboo (4321 Harford Rd.).

—Rebecca Messner



Pottery Barn

Attention pot throwers: The Park Heights branch of Mount Washington-based Baltimore Clayworks has a new home. In January, the community-minded potters, who first opened their satellite studio in Mondawmin Mall five years ago, packed up their wheels and kilns and moved into the brand-new Pimlico Road Arts and Community Center (4330 Pimlico Rd.). There, Clayworks teachers and visiting artists—including Syracuse University professor David MacDonald, one of the best-known contemporary African American ceramicists—will run clay classes for area seniors and youth ages 6 and up. For $5 per person, special Saturday workshops in May and June will give kids and adults a chance to make Mother’s Day vases (May 10) or animal masks (June 21). For information on registration for summer classes, call 410-578-1919 or go to www.baltimoreclayworks.org.

—David Dudley



Shagadelic

Annapolis duo Stefanie DiBenedetto and Alli Oliver have taken the concept behind those canvas bags you always mean to take to the grocery store, and created something they hope will become a permanent fixture on your shoulder: the Shagbag—a lightweight, reusable bag made of sturdy Tyvek that folds up small enough to fit in your pocket. You can get a Shagbag with “green” written across it in rainbow letters, but most are decorated with such things as pink flip-flops or the oh-so-cool winged “flygirl.” Each Shagbag is recyclable with your #2 plastic, costs $14, and, if used properly, will save you and the planet the trouble of dealing with hundreds of plastic grocery bags every year. And about that risqué name? “I didn’t want to call them ‘Envirosacks,’” says DiBenedetto. “These are for someone more fashion conscious.” Go to www.shopshagbags.com.

—Greg Hanscom



Seal of Approval

If someone says you need an energy audit, relax: This has nothing to do with either the Internal Revenue Service or the Church of Scientology. An energy audit is a sort of eco-check-up for your house, and the new Maryland Home Performance with Energy Star program, sponsored by the Maryland Energy Administration, is encouraging Free State homeowners to tighten up their dwellings with an eye on achieving Governor Martin O’Malley’s goal of cutting electricity consumption by 15 percent by 2015. The program provides a list of trained and certified contractors and consultants, who can scour your home from basement to attic and provide a customized game plan of renovations to improve your home’s energy performance. “In every single home we’ve been in we’ve found hidden energy leaks,” says Peter Van Buren, a partner in the Baltimore-based environmental consulting company Terra Logos, which is participating in the program. The homeowner pays for both the audit and the recommended work, but the benefits can be substantial: cleaner air inside your home, a reduced ozone impact, smaller energy bills, and increased resale value. For more information and to find a list of certified contractors, go to www.mdhomeperformance.org.

—R.M.





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