Budget Blinds Offers A Variety Of Styles and Expert-Only Service

Adriane & Mike Wonderlin will be opening a new Budget Blinds showroom in a few months at the KRATE container park in The Grove off S.R. 54. (Photos courtesy of Adriane Wonderlin)

Considering the amount of time you have probably spent looking longingly out your windows the past few weeks while quarantined, have you noticed that maybe your window treatments aren’t as attractive as they could be? Do your drapes look a little outdated? Do your shutters need to be modernized? Is there too much sun coming in and driving up those electricity bills?

Budget Blinds can solve all of those problems, and more.

Lexington Oaks residents Mike and Adriane Wonderlin are owners of the Budget Blinds franchises in Greater Tampa, Brandon and Lakeland. North Tampa has the nearest showroom, which is located on W. Fletcher Ave. near I-275, two exits south of Wesley Chapel’s S.R. 56 exit. The Wonderlins have a second showroom in Riverview, which serves their customers in the Brandon and Lakeland ares.

However, Wesley Chapel residents will have even easier access to the almost unlimited selection at Budget Blinds in a few months. The Wonderlins have already signed a lease for another showroom at the upcoming container park called KRATE by Gold Box at The Grove.

“Wesley Chapel, Land O’Lakes, Lutz, that whole area is still growing like crazy,” Mike says. “That’s why we decided to open a third showroom.”

Mike and Adriane have owned the local Budget Blinds franchises for two years. In January of 2019, they expanded by purchasing the Lakeland territory.

The current showroom in Tampa has been open since 2013.

Budget Blinds was founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, and has more than 1,100 franchises in the U.S. and Canada. The Wonderlins’ franchise has been named the company’s Franchise of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and finished second in 2019.

While Adriane says some of their customers know exactly what they want, many don’t, due to the countless design and style combinations available. That’s where Budget Blinds comes in and offers service that few others can match.

“I didn’t know what I needed, I just knew I wanted some blinds that my two large dogs wouldn’t destroy,” says Tara LeBlanc, whose Palm Cove home in Wesley Chapel has glass sliders in the back that receive a lot of sunlight. “I called Budget Blinds and they sent a consultant who was very nice, showed us a bunch of samples, went over the warranty and came up with the solution. Now, I have blinds that go up and down horizontally, they don’t get in the way of the doggie door and it’s actually pretty cool.”

LeBlanc adds that she also will be having solar shades installed. She said she has wanted to do her back windows for years, but thought it would be too expensive. But, she says she gave Budget Blinds a budget, and discovered it wasn’t nearly as pricey as she thought.

Whether it’s shutters or drapes or anything in between, Budget Blinds has what you need.

The Wonderlins have a staff of 27 consultants and have added an operational management team to its staff — installation manager Bill Tumelty, a U.S. Army veteran, and administrative manager Kristi Cicollelo. 

Tumelty is one of a few military veterans who work for the Wonderlins.

“It was really important to us to find someone that was in the service,” says Mike, whose company partners with Homes For Our Troops by doing the window treatments for wounded veterans.

Additionally, Budget Blinds hired a drapery consultant, Terri Williams, who specializes in soft treatments such as drapery panels, Roman shades, and pillows.

Whether you’re looking for improved aesthetics or smarter energy consumption — or, like many customers, a little bit of both — Budget Blinds can steer you in the right direction. And, don’t let the coronavirus pandemic slow you down — Budget Blinds has adapted and offers “no-contact” service.

“We are here to help you with your next home renovation project,” Mike says. “But the well-being and safety of our customers is always our top priority. We’re continuing to follow all guidelines and updates suggested by the CDC and local departments of public health. We are currently operating under a no-contact consultation procedure for sales and installation appointments due to the coronavirus.”

It might be a good time to find a deal as well, while helping a locally-owned business.

“Shopping local has never been more important,” Mike says. “Our vendors have offered some additional discounts to help us due to Covid-19, and we’ll be passing those savings along to our customers.”

Budget Blinds offers a complete line of window coverings.

Blinds come in vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutter options range from real wood (in painted or stained) and also composite shutters that don’t fade or warp.

If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar and graphic, not to mention a variety of panels, valances and drapes.

Budget Blinds has recently renewed a partnership with Mirasol Shutters, which has been around since 1991 and offers shutters made right here in Florida (customers can have them installed in as little as 7 days, with express shipping).

Mirasol Shutters feature a number of different collections depending on your needs (including arched window treatments), and are made of a 100-percent recyclable composite core that mimics the look and texture of natural wood but isn’t susceptible to the same moisture, UV damage or dents and chips as wood.

While you can find window treatments at a variety of big box stores, having a consultant visit your home and make suggestions is a touch those bigger stores rarely offer. Budget Blinds can find the right style and product to match your bedding, walls and floors. 

“Our niche in the market is somewhere between a big box store and calling a decorator,” says Adriane. “Our design consultants don’t just go out and give a quote; they actually help design (your window treatments).”

And, Budget Blinds’ warranties are better, too. “You can buy the same exact line at Home Depot,” Mike says, “but you won’t get the same warranty.”

Budget Blinds only uses experts in the window treatment industry, and never uses independent contractors. Budget Blinds installers are employees, and Tumelty insures that every installation is done with the company’s commitment to quality.

Budget Blinds also is a leader in the “smart” products line, which allows you to open your drapes or raise your blinds from the comfort of your couch or bed by using your smart phone or devices like Alexa and Google Home.

In 2016, Budget Blinds began offering a “Smart Homes by Budget Blinds” partnership with the smart home company Lutron. The Tampa-area franchise was one of just 15 locations to pioneer the concept, introducing smart shades, lighting and thermostat controls for its customers.

That’s a big deal in neighborhoods such as Estancia,The Ridge, and Esplanade, where homeowners have nice conservation views, and people don’t want to have to go behind the couch to pull the cord to open or close their window treatments.

“There’s a big push for motorization and automation,” Mike says. “In five years, that’s all you’re going to see.”

Automation even allows you to set times for the drapes or blinds to open and close. Scheduled correctly, you can be awakened in the morning by natural sunlight as your blackout shades gradually rise, or change the ambiance of your whole home after the sun has set, all with the press of a button or a voice command.

Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa is located at 1208 W. Fletcher Ave. The showroom hours are Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sat. To schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, call (813) 968-5050. For more info, visit BudgetBlinds.com/NorthTampa.

Wildcats Eyeing Postseason Success

(l.-r.) Mia Nicholson, Ariana Rivera-Heppenstall, Kayla Grant and Emari Lewis have led the Wildcats to a 15-2 record this season. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

Stopping the Wesley Chapel High (WCH) girls basketball team is no small feat.

Oh sure, maybe you can slow down senior forward Kayla Grant, the reigning Sunshine Athletic Conference Player of the Year. But, what about sharpshooting sophomore guard Emari Lewis?

And maybe, just maybe, Lewis is having a bad night with her jumper. But then, what about all-around ace Ariana Rivera-Heppenstall?

And, say you manage to throw Rivera-Heppenstall off her game, what are you going to do about slasher Mia Nicholson?

If you can’t stop them all, and you probably can’t, then you’ll have to pick your poison, because the Wildcats have combined an uncanny amount of balance with a high-octane attack and stifling man-to-man defense to form what is currently Pasco County’s best girls basketball team.

“We all contribute,” says Nicholson, a junior forward. “When River Ridge double-teamed Kayla, I stepped up. When other teams try to target one person, someone always steps in. You can’t really do that with our team. Most teams don’t have enough good players to guard all of us.”

So far this season, Wesley Chapel is 19-3, with their only losses coming to a team from Missouri, Eustis High and Brooks DeBartolo in Hillsborough County. In Pasco County, the Wildcats are unbeaten. 

Grant, Rivera-Heppenstall, Nicholson and Lewis are all averaging double figures in points and at least 2.5 assists per game. Grant is averaging nearly 12 rebounds per game, while the other three average more than 4 rpg each.

No one is surprised. The Wildcats are coming off a 22-3 season in 2018-19, and added Nicholson in the offseason. 

A former Weightman Middle School player, Nicholson attended Land O’Lakes High her first two years, and averaged 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds last year before transferring to WCH.

“I expected this,” Grant says, without flinching. “We didn’t lose anyone from last year’s team and we also got Mia. We needed one more piece, and she filled it.”

It was a big piece for head coach Peter Livingston, who took over a struggling program in 2014-15 when he was the only person to apply for the job. The former Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) junior varsity coach lost his first game to his former team 77-17, and one couldn’t have blamed him for changing his mind about taking the job at halftime, when the ‘Cats trailed 52-3.

“I wanted to be a head coach, and I came here to build the program, and I was determined to do that,” says Livingston, adding that he never did get discouraged.

He went 7-17 each of his first two seasons, then had a short-lived breakthrough with a 15-9 season in 2016-17, as Grant and Rivera-Heppenstall showed up as freshmen.

But, Grant left the following season for Brooks Debartolo, and Rivera-Heppenstall missed the season with a knee injury, as the Wildcats plunged to a 6-17 record.

For 2018-19, however, Livingston proved to be not only be a good coach, but a fortunate one as well. Grant and Rivera-Heppenstall returned to his program, Lewis enrolled as a freshman, and the Wildcats were back in business with a 22-3 season, including a Class 6A-District 8 championship.

The Wildcats lost 59-58 to Crystal River in the first round of the State playoffs.

With Nicholson added to the mix this season, the sky may be the limit. They will likely head into the district tournament in a little more than a week as the top seed.

“We want to go to States,” says Lewis. “We have a lot of talent on this team, and we’ve got more heart this year. When we’re playing as a team and playing together, we are tough to stop.” 

The Kilted Axe Prepping For January Opening

When it came to opening a new business in Wesley Chapel, Michael and Alicia Esenwein (photo) could have taken a nice, safe route.

Maybe a nice little coffee shop, a cozy family restaurant, or even a charming retail hot spot.

But no. 

They chose
axe throwing?

“It’s kind of a weird story,” Mike says. “It wasn’t ever really a long-range plan
I’m not sure anyone ever plans (something like this).”

Once you talk to Seven Oaks residents Mike and Alecia, though, the story of The Kilted Axe — which will be a combination of a hip bar and hangout for axe-throwing enthusiasts when it opens on Saturday, January 18, 5 p.m., in The Grove — actually makes perfect sense.

After all, this is a couple that three years ago sold everything they owned — except for a Christmas tree Alicia says she couldn’t get rid of — and, with three young kids in tow, traveled the world for 18 months, with stops in Indonesia, Thailand, Italy and Costa Rica.

So naturally, the Esenweins’ adventurous spirit would lead to owning an axe-throwing business.

“We were living in North Carolina temporarily, and were looking for something to do and there were like 10 locations on the east coast there that had axe throwing,” Mike says. “Most of it was in barns, or a rugged setting, but there was one place in Wilmington that was upscale and had a bar and a restaurant. We just loved it. It was a cool place to hang out.”

It wasn’t until a few years after returning from North Carolina, after running some successful Under Armour flag football leagues as well as doing a little teaching — Mike was an online computer science professor for the University of Virginia and American Public University — that Alicia became restless.

“I want to do something,” she told Mike, and soon the idea for The Kilted Axe had flowered. It had been, after all, the one thing she had been asked about most by friends when they returned from North Carolina, thanks to some of her Facebook pictures.

They passively started looking at barns and warehouses for a site, but were also looking to buy a house, so they decided to put the business idea on hold until 2020.

A trip to The Grove, however, changed everything. Remembering it as a moribund center lacking zip, they drove by when they heard developer Mark Gold had bought it.

Gold, the high-charged developer with a big vision for his property, happened to be standing outside. They chatted. And Gold, who has axe-throwing places at some of his other properties, insisted they start their business as soon as possible.

“Most people wouldn’t rent a space like this for axe throwing,” Mike says. “They want restaurants. Mark knows, though. He loved the idea.”

After meeting some of the other business owners who had already signed leases with Gold, they were sold.

Axe throwing is a trendy, growing sport. The International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) says there are more than 6,000 league members in more than 100 cities and six countries. It is a staple in lumberjack competitions and has been televised on ESPN.

Mike and Alicia compare it to throwing darts; it’s just a matter of getting the technique down. 

The Kilted Axe will have three throwing lanes, all safely fenced in and manned by “Axeperts” there to help.

There also will be a lounge and balcony to hang out and have a few drinks or host an event. “Kind of like an old school pool hall feel,” Mike says.

And, because you have to be wondering — yes, mixing beer, wine and axe throwing can be safe.

“If you show up intoxicated and ready to throw axes, well, guess what? It’s not going to happen,” Mike says.

There will be men’s and women’s leagues, co-ed leagues, and even events for kids. Mike and Alicia have three kids — Jason, 14; Hailey, 12, and Hannah, who is 4. They all think axe throwing is pretty cool.

Alicia says she can’t wait for The Kilted Axe to open. Any fear that they were rushing into a crazy idea dissolved when they posted the news on Facebook, which lit up with enthusiasm. 

More than 3,700 people say they are interested in attending opening night. Almost 300 say they are going for sure. A dozen or so people have signed up for leagues, a few nights are already booked for corporate events, and it’s one of the more buzzworthy new places set to open in Wesley Chapel.

“It was a crazy response,” Alicia says. “We’re anxious. Believe me, we’re anxious!”

For more information, visit TheKiltedAxe.com, or search for “Kilted Axe” on Facebook.

Korean Church Continues To Grow

Pastor Rev. Dr. Sueng Lin Baik says his stewardship over the thriving Tampa Korean United Methodist Church on County Line Rd. has been a blessing. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

In an age when many churches are seeing declining numbers, the Tampa Korean United Methodist Church (UMC) on County Line Rd. in Wesley Chapel continues to flourish.

Since outgrowing its previous location in Tampa and electing to take over the space previously occupied by the Crossroads Community Church in 2014, the Tampa Korean UMC has grown from 150 members to more than 400.

That growth led to a $1.5-million expansion last year — a debt paid in full by a fund-raising campaign — and more expansion could be on the way.

“We are still growing,” says Pastor Rev. Dr. Sueng Lin Baik, the church’s Pastor since 2010.

The secret to the church’s success, he says, is providing a spiritual home to New Tampa and Wesley Chapel’s Korean community, as well as opening the doors to others with English-language services as well.

“I am blessed to be able to serve a church that continues to grow,” says Pastor Baik.

While there are traditional Korean services every day at 5:30 a.m., a typical Sunday sees the parking lot slowly fill with eager churchgoers.

They will tell you to come, sit down, and enjoy some bibimbap after church services are over at noon. 

Pastor Baik and his staff have successfully gone back to an old time concept — ecclesia — which simply means a gathering of people. Whether or not groups of people gather at the newly expanded activity wing for interesting and meaningful fun things to do, or if they meet in private homes for singing, eating, praying and study, church activities are accomplished on a week-long basis.

This has the effect of doing what churches like to say they are in the business of doing — serving the needs of people in times of crisis or offering due congratulations for achievement. Having an early-warning system built in, with groups such as this, makes the church seem like far more than just a place of worship.

With this powerful degree of unity built in, along come the two major components Korean people have traditionally loved most — food and music.

For centuries, Koreans back in their homeland have fallen back on wonderfully prepared food and the sanctity of song, no matter the hard times. The local Korean community has core values here in Florida.

“Music is my life,” says Susan, a Zion Choir member.

“I don’t have a musical background,” says Hyun-su Kim. “I sing because God gave me a second chance and I can sing in service to God.”

Sonia, a powerhouse of a first soprano, also says she loves to sing: “It’s a Korean thing.”

The Zion Choir can beautifully render tunes as moving as “Give Thanks” to modern compositions of Christian music rife with zesty harmonies and fancy piano keyboarding.

At church, they sing in Korean. If they were performing elsewhere, it would be in English. It matters little which language they employ when it comes to their precious music.

This notion of singing heavenly tunes for Korean-Americans is likely a product of that “Korean thing” of adoration of music and lifting one’s voice to heaven in song. Indeed, Koreans adapted with enthusiasm to the general style of American worship and this has changed the fabric of that formerly heavily Confucian nation.

Now, churches of every denomination are everywhere in South Korea, including Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, Pentecostal, and the more traditional Catholic, Baptist and Methodist. Of course, in Florida they are here as well, with a Korean slant but dogmatically identical, no matter the country.

So, a kind of reverse missionary work has happened. It’s common for visiting pastors from many places and countries to come to church and have a chance to preach. Visitors from Korea who come to Tampa will likely reserve a Sunday date for a church service here if they prefer the liberal principles of this Protestant faith.

Hundreds of bowls of delicious Korean fare are prepared every Sunday morning for Tampa Korean United Methodist Church churchgoers to enjoy afterwards. (Photo: John C. Cotey)

Thus, there are three prime reasons for the church’s expansion: Unity, fellowship, and service. 

The Tampa Korean UMC Church faithful are perfectly willing to commit time a day ahead and go into the church kitchen to cook and prepare for the next day’s post-service fellowship. 

Jun-sung Kim is the man in charge of what is often a prodigious weekly project of buying and getting the proper ingredients, making sure the team is in place, and firing up the kitchen stoves to cook food in mass quantities. 

“We love the fellowship,” Kim says. “This past Sunday, we served 270 people, but in winter it will probably go up to 300 or more.”

This food is carefully prepared and approximates Korean food served in restaurants. For those in the know, specialties that the congregants regularly feast on after church include japchae (glass noodle stir fry), ssambap (rice lettuce wraps), bulgogi (grilled beef), bibimbap (a bowl that combined rice, seasoned vegetables, meat, egg and a variety of other toppings) and galbitang (beef short rib soup).

The traditional Korean side dishes will be there too, like kimchi, rice and pickled radish. And, listeners may hear a congregant slide from one language to another at any time.

“People here come from all over,” says Pastor Baik. Common places of origin for congregants are from anywhere in South Korea, as well as California, Illinois and New York state. Many personal backgrounds were in Buddhism. Some of the older congregants were born in North Korea before there was a North Korea.

This past summer, the church hosted a large contingent of Christians who made it out of the repressive North Korean state. These people have had a much harder time learning English, due to the educational restrictions and liabilities of the North. But, they love the notion of religious freedom and were amazed at the size of the fellowship hall at TKUMC and the graciousness of the congregants.

“It’s my job to get a kind of synergy here,” Pastor Baik says. By that, he is referring to the tricky and seemingly neverending task of melding older and newer approaches to the Bible’s meaning, along with the use of music and singing, which is so generationally oriented.

Pastor Erik Sue is a player in getting this synergy going with an English-only service. He tends to serve the younger crowd and caters to their urge to do upbeat Christian music in English that employs a “band-style” approach. 

So, what can you expect if you show up for a service at Tampa Korean United Methodist Church?

You will have contact with folks who go back and forth between two complex languages without missing a beat. You may have your name mentioned and a song sung your way by the congregation, led by Pastor Baik. And, best of all, you are immediately ushered post-service into the gigantic fellowship hall with a plateful of superb Korean vittles, where you can chat and chew to your heart’s delight.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.