By M.Sebastian Araujo

Spring like most Great Ladies is taking her Time.The day after what hopefully was the last Winter Storm,the frigid North wind is still blowing down Commercial Street. The sun was out, trying it best to warm the early bulbs that dot the gardens around town, and warm the souls of the local charecters already sitting on the creaky benches infromt of Town Hall. Even the weathered clapboard on the buildings is heaving a sigh of relief.My old boneshaker of a bike seems to be feeling a case of the Spring Giddies,it’s rusty chain telling me Winter must be at an End! Peadling along the Street,looking for some inspiration amid the kerfuffle of shops opening and closing some new some old.The anticipation of things to come,and work to be done.Ptown like many places faces the challenges of Modern life.Big Business and other not too savory ideas,come and go. I find that individually owned businees still far out number the ones from across the Bridge as we say here on Olde Cape Cod.

Luckily! “Kiss & Make Up ” is a True Ptown success story. Begining as a small shop in the East End,it has grown into a larger new space and it is now a cosmetic retail experience for men and women. It offers an assortment of top innovative brands with an emphasis on eco-friendly, vegan and animal cruelty free product lines.Owner Christine Gero Horovitz and Staff offer a Full range of services to make you and your life a more beautiful experience.Even Paddington the Shop Mascot will make sure your feeling Beautiful! Christine has been helping people be more beautiful for many years and is a true Ptown Master at the Art of Beauty. Part of her mission is to help those who sometimes cannot help themselves.She founded “The Steven Horowitz Fund ” in memory of her Husband, to help people with substance abuse issues through the sale of Custom Designed Color Lipsticks. She has gotten some of the Luminaries of the Provincetown Theatre and “Drag Scene” to choose a color and give their Name and Lips to the campain. Luminaries such as Ryan Landry,Olive Another,Penny Champagne and many,many more STARS! Who could NOT resist buying the same lipstick worn by Dina Martina!

Find out more here; http://www.kissandmakeupptown.com/

After getting some lipbalm for my chapped lips, wrapping a scarf around my neck and setting my cap back to its jaunty pose,I headed over to the RED DOTStudio located at # 30 Conwell Street.This is a real great placein which to get just about anythng you might need to make Your Summer Rental or Ptown Home as “Gay as Balloons”. Artist /Owner Richard LaCasse has curated an amazing melange of vintage and upcycledhome goods. Anytime you pop in, you just might catch him hard at it making one of his Famous “Assembled Art Pieces”.This Queen really knows his stuff , after a long Carrer over the Bridge he is now doing what he loves best. Creating Art and Selling beautiful cool things.Museum Quality Finds at Tag Sale Prices! Open anytime you see the flag flying.Stop by and find out why everyone is talking about this Ptown Treasure Trove of Amazing Finds!.

My last foray on this Sunny Day is the Museum with the Best Collection of Ptown Art any where in the World PAAM. I am especially intrigued to see the Annual Members Open Show aptly titled “Fresh”. Here one will find new and innovative works from Museum Members that have not been shown or have available for Sale before.The exhbit is Huge with a vast array of media ,subject mattersand pricepoints. Everything from Photgraphy to Sculptured Dolls, this annual event is one of my favorties because not only are you in a World Class Museum,but you are looking at World Class Art,that you can buy.What an idea!!How often have you secretly wanted to hang the Mona Lisa on your livingroom wall and not only could you not get near it at that French place,but who could afford it? Even I couldn’t resist a certain painting by a certain Artist! Get out the red dots,I am ready to buy .These amazing pieces of Art will go fast so make sure you pop in sometime soon! Find out more about the Exhibit and Museum here; https://www.paam.org/

In this fast paced world of change and change and more change,I am truly glad that while Provincetown too has also changed,Art,Beauty and Commerce are all still thriving and survivng amid the flurry of moods swings that hit Commercial Street often this time of the year. My hat is off to you the independantly owned and operated business here in town .Not an easy task in this .com world.Glad to know some of you are still there and growing and thriving because of the uniqueness and determination in this place I call Home Provincetown….

Happy Spring!