The best things Axios Tampa Bay reporters bought in 2024
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Dell's external DVD drive. Photo: Yacob Reyes/Axios
The Axios Tampa Bay team is sharing some last-minute gift ideas from our favorite purchases this year. Check back later this week for more.
Dell's external DVD drive
👋 Yacob here. I'm not the only writer in my family, but I am the youngest.
The backstory: Dad wrote an album twenty years ago. The disc featured 19 tracks of worship music imbued with rock, rap and Latin influences.
- I even featured on the bonus track — though my older brother, who had a stronger grasp of language in 2004, carried the song.
The problem: The world went digital, and I wanted to find an easier way to listen than the boombox in my parents' garage.
The solution: Dell's external DVD drive. It's slimmer and lighter than a boombox, and you can digitize the content of any disc in five minutes.
- It's a nifty device and one that can help bridge the gap between generations.
The bottom line: Let's crack open the vault this month and free all the memories and songs burned onto CDs, waiting to be released.
A big, comfy couch
👋 Kathryn here. Look, this is more of a gift to yourself, but I know from going through it this year how tough it is to find a good couch — especially one that matches your style.
State of play: After a search of many, many months, West Elm's Haven 2-Piece Bumper Chaise Sectional seemed to tick all the boxes:
- elegant and streamlined
- a zillion color options (including this beautiful blue, called Petrol)
- stain-resistant velvet (good for kitty claws)
- sooooo comfortable (there's a showroom in Hyde Park Village!)
- a long-enough chaise for Winston, at 6'2", to stretch out on.
The price ($3,613 total, including white-glove shipping) was also reasonable for a true investment piece like a daily-use sectional.
- My search led me to several seemingly comparable sofas going for $5,000 or more.
The latest: We've had it for about six weeks, and we still love it. It's still as comfy as day one, and the cushions have held their shape — I took the photo above yesterday!
The one downside: Our cat Rose loves it, too, and her gray fur is really visible. We anticipated that might be an issue and still feel the color was worth it for, you know, the vibes.
⚡️ Lightning round
Massage, cupping and alignment sessions with Hannah at Happy Health Structural Therapy in St. Pete. Kathryn started seeing her after a back injury, and each session feels like she's treating her aches and pains little by little.
This quirky, comfy cat tapestry jacket.
This rechargeable mushroom lamp. Great for camping and puzzling!