I can’t believe I’ve lived in Florida my whole life and just visited Sarasota for the first time.
The downtown was a cool mix of 1920’s Mediterranean – mid-century modern – and chic new buildings. It was really easy to walk around the entire downtown and the beaches and other sites were a very short drive away.
We were there in late August when Ringling was out and all the snow birds were still up north so it was pretty dead but the up side to that is we didn’t have to wait for anything and we didn’t really need reservations to anywhere. But it was 1,000 degrees so we ended up spending a lot of time in the water. I definitely want to go back to see some of the other sites and spend more time exploring when it’s more pleasant.
You can tell there’s a large retirement community there – every block has an Italian, steak or old school seafood restaurant and a lot of the shops downtown were well lets say – mature. I’m assuming there’s more diverse shopping nearby because it’s an upscale area so there must be a Jcrew somewhere. But they have lots of new exciting restaurant options too. Farm to table – locally grown – and interesting prepared. I think the young people are slowly infiltrating the place.
Because this is their slow season they weren’t open most of the time we were there – the only opportunity we had to eat there was for Brunch. Which was really good but I’d love to go back when we can try their dinner menu.
Right next to Louies Modern there was a little coffee place that shared an open air lounge area with Louies they had great coffee and a little a/c area to enjoy it. But during months with nice weather the open air lounge area would be awesome to hang out in. I imagine in the evenings it doubles as a bar area for Louies.
The main restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, we met friends there for drinks and the waitress overheard us say it was our anniversary so she brought over a cheese tray with marcona almonds, honeycomb, dried and fresh fruit and crackers. My drink was Hendricks gin with ice cubes made of 3 different juices, mango, passion fruit, and rose water with a lily. You drink it slowly so the ice cubes slowly melt and mix with the gin.
Their breakfast had everything you can imagine only house made with local ingredients. Perfect service.
For dinner we had coffee rubbed steak with a house made steak sauce, pork belly Panini with peanut butter and banana (not usually on the dinner menu but I wasn’t very hungry so the waitress offered the lunch menu – the Ritz is cool like that) – dessert was chocolate mousse and a couple of skinny mochas.
Their homemade molasses bread baked in a can and served with fresh butter and sea salt
Some places we didn’t get to eat but want to try next time…
It was right at the edge of downtown so we were able to walk everywhere – even though it was crazy hot we just sucked it up. But if you went in November it would be lovely walking weather. To get to St. Armands or the Beach Club on Lido Key it was a quick right out the driveway and over the bridge – about a 5 min drive. We rode bikes to a beautiful waterfront neighborhood with complimentary bikes (paddle boards and kayaks were available too). This Ritz was exactly what I expect in a Ritz so accommodating and great at making you feel special. Everyone asks your name and remembers it the next time you see them. Like you’ve been visiting there for years. They find you chairs by the pool, adjust your umbrella, cover your chairs in towels, bring you an ice bucket with water and wait on you hand and foot. We drank cucumber, gin and St Germain in the pool and Modelo’s over looking the beach at the Beach Club.
My only complaint is that they need a separate smaller pool without kids. Rich kids can be obnoxious. Their parents pay no attention to them and no matter what corner of the pool we tried to hide in one of them was constantly splashing by us or almost jumping on our heads even though I was shooting my best stink eye at them.
The Ritz has private residences at both locations but at the Beach Club it’s just private. The hotel guests get to use the pool, access to the beach, the tiki bar, and the pool side restaurant. Same amazing service. Every evening they have a sunset party with bongos at the tiki bar on the beach. The bartenders were so hospitable – every time they made someone a frozen drink they would give samples from what was left over in the blender.
On our bike ride we visited a couple of the historic neighborhoods in Sarasota. I started to read a coffee table book as I was waiting in the lobby, I didn’t get to finish it but the history of Sarasota is pretty interesting – Google it or look it up on Wikipedia. There’s a historic downtown that leads to an area called Burns Court that is a cool collection of shops now. That leads you to the Orange and Osprey Ave neighborhoods where there are waterfront homes. Turn west off of Osprey Ave onto Lincoln Drive. The 1 block oak lined drive that ends in a cul-de-sac has a park in the median. All the homes are new but built in historical styles and just really well done. Architecture and landscaping.
Turn west onto Bay Point Drive off of Orange Ave. and at the end of the drive you’ll see this beautiful mansion that overlooks the bay. The second photo is the backyard. If you look carefully you can see deck chairs on the roof we think there was a pool up there. What a dream, it reminded me of the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom and if know me you know that’s a compliment.
Most of the other homes in the area were just big. No character at all but this one was amazing.
Some places we didn’t get to see partly because of time and partly because as I already mentioned – it was a 1,000 degrees. So next time we visit it will be cooler and we’ll go see these sites…
Ca d’Zan the Venetian inspired home of the Ringlings
There are also a ton of theaters and an opera in downtown Sarasota.
A friend whose daughter went to Ringling stays at the Lido Beach Resort right on the beach with it’s own tiki bar. Great option for next time. Can’t wait.
What an awesome city Nashville is. It’s a refined southern city that loves music and art with just the right amount of country and even then it’s a funky kind of country. When you have art you have creative people and where you have creative people you have amazing shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. Creative people make amazing things not just art to look at but art you listen to and literally consume.
Support Art in your own town, even if you don’t “get” art I bet you “get” good food, artisanal beers, bakeries, markets, and homegrown music.
Let’s Start with Breakfast
The Barista Parlor has 2 locations the original in East Nashville and the new location in the Gulch both are awesome and they take their coffee very seriously (they don’t have decaf) and the mocha’s are made from shaved local artisanal 70% dark chocolate. It’s slightly bitter but so smooth. They have breakfast sandwiches and pastries from scratch – like buttermilk biscuits with sage sausage peach jam and eggs or country ham with chili infused maple. Peach granola. Skillet cornbread with cheddar eggs sausage and honey drizzle.
I think just about every restaurant in Nashville does brunch – they take if very seriously. We went to The Tavern in Mid-town they have a long wait time every Sunday but honestly I wasn’t that impressed. It was fine but it felt like a chain and the food was just fine and in Nashville don’t ever settle for fine. The white trash hash was a keeper – tater tots with cheese bacon and green onions.
Another awesome breakfast (or lunch) place was Biscuit Love also in the Gulch. They have biscuit donuts filled with blueberries and topped with lemon custard. Nashville’s famous hot chicken and biscuits with homemade pickles and everything is from scratch.
Breakfast Lunch or Dinner
Didn’t get a chance to try The Southern but it’s on the list for next time. It’s right downtown it has everything from house made granola to a hillbilly wrap with greens, black-eyed peas, chow-chow, eggs, cheddar and pulled pork – What?!
We did hit Pinewood Social I can’t imagine going to Nashville and not going there at least once. Located in SoBro They have a bowling alley they salvaged and an outside area that overlooks the river and has bocce ball and little cozy pools that you have to make a reservation for – plus a super cool airstream they serve delicious snacks from. The bar is run by the Patterson House a really cool speakeasy in Mid-town, the coffee is by Crema which is just a few blocks from Pinewood and the menu was created by a former Catbird Seat chef (have not been there yet – tough to get a reservation). The menu at Pinewood is ever-changing and always amazing. Various bruschetta, peaches with burrata, and bacon wrapped meatloaf with mac and cheese.
Fidos in the Belmont Village near Vanderbilt. Really cute area that feels like a small college town right in Nashville. The main street is 21st Ave and there are tons of cute shops, restaurants, and coffee shops there. Fidos is a great breakfast or lunch spot. Craft beers and homemade everything – lots of comfort food.
It’s Dinner Time!
Butchertown Hall in Germantown, apparently Nashville’s first suburb. Beautifully restored little Victorian homes, old brick warehouses converted to apartments and restaurants, and cute little shops. We had the trinity (brisket, ribs, and sausage) with pickles and tortillas, a creamy slightly spicy cheese dip with sausage, tomato salad and roasted brussels spouts.
Rolf and Daughters another great place in Germantown, just a few blocks from Butchertown Hall. Great dining experience. I wish I could remember our waitress’ name because she was awesome. The menu has a lot of crazy items so I had to ask a lot of questions and not only was she not rushed or annoyed she was happy to explain everything in great detail and give her recommendations. Really laid back vibe. If I lived there I’d be there all the time. We had agretti, a grain that looks like pine needles that only grows in the Mediterranean but a local farmer figured out how to grow it for them. Sauteed with benny seeds it was so good! Pig head – meh. it was kind of gross. Just bits and pieces of the jowls ears etc. Was not a fan. Little beignets stuffed with cheese and herbs. Would love to go again.
Who wants a Snack?
In the same neighborhood as Fidos on 21st Ave is Hot and Cold a coffee shop with fresh popsicles and flavored shaved ice. I had strawberry topped with fresh strawberries, cucumber, and mint and these little marshmallowie things. Carly had mango and matcha topped with fresh mango and cereal. Crazy. Crazy good!
Oh and there are other things to do besides eat…
The Sounds AAA Baseball Team play in Nashville. Really nice stadium with (sorry I know this is more food) the best ballpark food I’ve ever eaten. Corn and jalapeno fritters, nachos with pulled pork and pickled veggies, hot dogs with spicy peach ketchup just to name what I can remember. The game was fun too with lots of entertainment in between innings and a beautiful sunset over the stadium.
There are historic sites and museums:
Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, Antique Archaeology Nashville, Belle Meade Plantation, Belmont Mansion, Bicentennial Capital Mall State Park (with a really great farmers market and restaurants), Tennessee State Museum, the Parthenon at Centennial Park and tons of historic tours.
There are too many cultural sites to name, galleries, museums, theaters, and music halls.
There are distilleries, brewing companies, vineyards and wineries.
Check out the website Visit Music City to see the very long list of attractions. Scroll to the top of the page and you’ll see a link Nashville Neighborhoods – great way to understand where everything is. At the top there are also links for events, tours, sports, food, shopping, everything.
If you want to try to stay somewhere in the middle aim for mid-town but everything is pretty spread out. We used Uber a lot and most of the trips for 4 people were $5. Can’t beat Uber!
Just Outside the City…
Lieper’s Fork is a tiny town about 20 minutes outside of Nashville. The entire shopping and eating portion of the town is about 2 blocks of a country road but it’s really worth it. The shops are far from a Cracker Barrel, no kitschy country knickknacks here. Beautiful galleries and antiques. Like at Serenite Maison, the David Arms gallery, and one of my favorites The Copper Fox Gallery
The food it pure farm to table. Joe’s Farm Store and Café has produce and homemade items up front and a café with amazing bread baskets, sandwiches, salad plates, and desserts in the back. As soon as you pull into this little downtown and get out of your car you’ll smell Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant – the BBQ is amazing and so are all the typical homemade country cooking sides you get with it. This little store is an unassuming country store with a bunch of mismatched tables scattered about and a little stage in the corner. But the music is apparently famous and so are some of the musicians that stop by to jam with whoever happens to be on stage. It’s a really great place to spend a Sunday afternoon. Check out their website to see the events they have scheduled.
Just north of Nashville about an hour on your way to Kentucky is Clarksville, we stopped by Miss Lucille’s Marketplace and Café. Again, great home-made food with a twist and the booth’s have a nice mix of unique homemade items and antiques. They just added a coffee shop as well. Do not leave there without having the brisket sliders on pretzel rolls or the loaded potato salad. Crazy good.
I helped my daughter-in-law and son with their wedding 3 years ago, before I started my blog. Since I have so many photos from the lovely day I thought I’d go ahead and post it.
First thing I would tell any bride/groom (or yourself if you’re the bride/groom) to do is get magazines and research the hell out of Pinterest. You need to get an idea of the style of wedding you want. I love the trend of having a personal wedding that really speaks to who the happy couple are instead of the standard church / banquet hall weddings. You’re wedding should look like you. You shouldn’t fit into some boring mold of what a wedding is supposed to look like (for the last century anyways because I’m sure weddings were a lot different a couple of hundred years ago). If you don’t have a specific style already picked out then think about your family heritage or a place you and your soon to be spouse traveled or always wanted to travel to. Think about what you do in your spare time. All the things that make you you then start there. Google those ideas, search them on Pinterest and make a little notebook of what you want.
Now that you have the notebook, start to whittle down the ideas into one idea. Maybe you like bohemian and beach and Paris. You’ll either need to combine some of those themes or eliminate some. You can do a bohemian Parisian theme or a bohemian beach theme. Once it’s narrowed down to a specific theme, STICK TO THAT THEME. You’re going to see ideas you love when you’re searching the web. Just keep telling yourself – that’s not my theme. Stay focused or you’ll have a thousand things going on and you won’t be able to decide on anything.
Once you have your theme pick a location that best suites that theme. Don’t get hung up on where weddings usually are. My son was married in a bar, and it was beautiful. Pick a place that already has the vibe of your theme – less decorating which means less money and less time.
If you want it to feel like the woods, find a place in the woods, etc. Don’t try to recreate the feel just find it. Real is always better. And cheaper. Use someone’s beach house or their garden, public gardens, cool bars, old garages. If it’s going to be exposed to the elements though keep that in mind. Don’t have a wedding in an old barn with no heating or a/c in the middle of the winter or summer. And always always always plan for rain. You can plan for a tent and if there’s 0% chance of rain a couple of days before the wedding – I mean 0% chance then cancel the tent. And if it does rain, just go with it. There’s nothing you can do about it. Trust me people will remember your wedding for a long time. You also need to pay attention to how many people you’ll be inviting. Don’t pick a place that holds 500 and you’ll only have 100 it will look bare. And obviously don’t pick a place that holds 100 and invite 500. Duh.
So once you have the location picked out, and booked. You’ve paid attention to the time of year, weather, and head count. Planned for the additional things you might need like tables, chairs, tents, fans, heaters, lighting. All the basic stuff you need. Then you need to think about the food and bar.
Where will it be. Buffet or sit down. Open bar or cash bar (do what ever you want stop worrying about rules. If you can’t afford an open bar don’t have one) My sister bought liquor over the year prior to her wedding and stock piled a bar. At my sons wedding we had 2 signature drinks, beer and wine. Because it was at a bar we started with a small amount and just added beer and wine to the tub as we needed it. Which meant no waste at the end. I know most places like Total Wine will let you return stuff if it’s unopened of course.
With the food and bar location and particulars worked out you can figure out the tables and seating for the reception and the wedding if it’s in a place where you can choose were the seating goes. I was recently at a wedding where the ceremony was in the woods they set up an alter type area in the front between 2 trees and had beautiful natural edge benches the groom and his friends made. There were enough benches to make it look like the setting for a wedding but not enough for everyone to sit. Which was fine because the ceremony was only about 10 min long. It was awesome. The standing guests just gathered around the sitting guests it worked perfectly and they didn’t end up with 100 benches after only using them for 10 min.
Once you have the table situation worked out you’ll be able to figure out how many tables and what you can afford to do regarding centerpieces for each. If it’s only a few you can go a little more crazy. If it’s 24 tables you need to really think about what you’re using. 24 things will add up really quickly. We used containers we already had, tin cans, jars, my daughter-in-law’s family friend made candles using halved oranges, we used orange leaves, and just used large bunches of flowers instead of having individual arrangements made. We used fabric swatches for table clothes and borrowed candlesticks. Just figure out what you want 1 table to look like then times it by the number of tables you have. Then make a list of what you can borrow and who you borrowed if from so you can return it. I highly recommend tape with their name on it on the bottom. And then list what you need to buy. Craft stores and places like Save on Crafts online are awesome for getting moss, stones, dried flower petals. We had a friend slice some logs for us instead of buying them. The stump with their initials I have in my garden still.
Both my son’s wedding and the recent wedding I went to enlisted the help of friends and family. For everything. The caterer at the last wedding (a friend of the couple) was mowing the field the morning of set up. All of the couples friends and family that weren’t in the wedding were there helping set up. It made it so special to have people you care about helping pull everything together. At my sons wedding we prepared everything, even the food, set everything up. Whike they were getting pictures we put the food out. When it was over we cleaned up. The only thing I would say is a must to pay for is someone to work as waiters during the event. To refill the platters and clean up the tables and make sure the bar is full. $100 a person and you won’t have to worry about it the rest of the evening. Spending a little extra money on an event planner just to help the day of is a really great idea. They will keep everything organized and flowing according to plan so you can enjoy yourself. My favorite it Courtney Ford Events!
When you set up the buffet line use things you already have and buy what’s missing. Think about lighting. You want the table to have lots of levels and make it crowded everything should be close together. Measure how big the buffet table(s) will be then lay everything out on your floor at home in the same square feet. Put a sticky note on each platter to make sure you have everything covered. Be sure to leave space for the napkins, plates, silverware if it’s not on the tables already. That way you only haul exactly what you need to the reception location for set up instead of taking a bunch of stuff because you aren’t sure what you’ll need. Plan it ahead of time you don’t want to be messing around the day of.
Get creative on the wedding dress, groom’s clothes, and the groom’s men and bride’s maids too. We made the wedding dress from a beautiful corset she bought online, tulle and ribbon. We added the tulle around the top of the corset and made a skirt from it. Then added antique style rhinestone buttons along the bottom. We used a ribbon to hide where the corset and skirt met. She used the lining of an old dress for the lining under the skirt. Then she made a necklace using old brooches and attached them to an inexpensive pearl necklace.
My son wore a suit from Jcrew that he could use again instead of a tux he had to rent that wouldn’t fit very well or buy and never use again. And for his brother the best man we just didn’t buy the jacket so the groom would stand out. The bride’s maids wore dresses that were similar but not matching. The bride found antique off white style she liked for each of her sisters. And everyone except the bride wore sneakers.
For the cakes we found toppers that worked with the theme but I have to say I’m still a fan of the old school bride and groom or groom and groom or bride and bride as a cake topper. Especially if you have your grandparents or find an antique one.
we used candles
a mini nest from the craft store and an small peach (we wanted an apricot but they weren’t in season yet – improvise)
and butterflies also from the craft store. The top cake has a daisy wreath around it from the florist and all 3 cakes are on logs we had a friend cut.
Placed in a corner with birdbaths that were at the bar and a table from my house. (it’s a unique bar it’s the garden area of an architectural antique store).
We used tables from my house and borrowed suitcases from a friend for the sign in table and a chandiler my daughter-in-law had for the “alter” area.
We set up a special bride and groom table instead of the long table with the whole wedding party. We used frames on the food table to explain what everything was and at their table as a place card. We had a vase on the table for the bride to put her bouquet so it worked double duty as an arrangement.
The bar was set up on a counter next to the old bathtub in the garden. The tub was filled with ice, beer and wine. The signature drinks, cups, and some bar snacks were set up on the counter. Be sure to note what’s in your signature drinks so kids don’t drink the wrong thing. We had frames with the drink’s name and ingredients next to each dispenser/pitcher. You can also use boards you’ve spray painted with chalk board paint and framed. And boards covered in burlap or any fabric or even moss then frame them and tack a menu or note in the center.
The food was all home made. We figured 1.5 of each item per guest. I picked things that could be made ahead of time and frozen then thawed or heated the day of. Things that are good at room temperature. Fortunately for us we live about 4 blocks from the venue and had a neighbor that wasn’t home so we could us her fridge. But you could definitely rent a freezer/fridge and store it in your garage the week before the wedding. Have family members help make the food. Just keep everything in disposable aluminum trays. They make great containers for leftovers too to give to people.
Notice the lamps from home, not only for light but it gave height to the table. The hamper in the corner that we used as a garbage can. The topiaries and urns all from my house. The urn in the middle we just used a bunch of cut greenery instead of a formal arrangement – much cheaper. The table cloths are actually white king sized sheets. My favorite trick. I have a bunch in different colors. So much cheaper then large table cloths. Use lots of different serving trays and containers but be sure they all go together. I used white, wood, and metal. If you don’t have a lot of platters borrow from friends. Just be picky. You want it to all go together and look catered not like a pot luck. Depending on your theme just look at the kind of dishes and platters they use on Pinterest for the style wedding you’re going for then gather that style from friends. Don’t be afraid to throw in a wild card either. Like if you have all very rustic pieces and add a beautiful cut glass bowl. It just makes things interesting.
For the flowers we took a picture of the exact bouquet she wanted to the florist to recreate. The bride’s maids had tin buckets full of dried flower petals we bought online at Save on Crafts. They scattered them as they walked.
We had the small daisy wreath made for the cake and the rest were all just bunches of flowers and greenery. We picked everything up from the florist in buckets full of water and then the day of the wedding we just cut and placed everything in the containers. So much cheaper and it looked beautiful. For amazing floral designs whether you’re just going to get the bride’s bouquet or arrangements for all the tables I love Julia’s Floral Design!
When they left we had a cool garden pot filled with sand and stuck sparklers in it everyone grabbed a sparkler and lit it as they walked through the gates and jumped on their bikes (decked out with hydrangeas in the basket and used as decoration during the event) and rode off (we live 4 blocks away so they rode back to the house but you could have a car stashed a block away to ride to as well. With someone there waiting to collect the bikes.
When it was all over we cleaned up and went home.
For the photos. First, pick the right photographer, we used Jenna Alexander and as you can see the photos were beautiful! They need to take beautiful photos that capture the feel of your wedding and really make it look even better then it was. Check out Jenna’s and my daughter-in-laws’ website Carly Robertson Photography to see what I mean. Have your photographer take photos before the wedding in a location(s) you love. Photos of each of you getting ready especially with the bride’s maids, groom’s men and mothers or fathers. At the wedding plan in advance what you want photos of – the couple with each set of parents, the couple with the wedding party etc. Write it down and give it to the photographer so it all goes quickly. There’s nothing more annoying then waiting hours for the wedding party to arrive. Also, serve at least appetizers or snacks and open the bar for everyone while they wait. But trust me. The photos you’ll love the most will be the candid shots the photographer takes not the posed ones. So don’t go crazy with combos of family the day of the wedding. Get one with just your immediate family, one with both parents, one with the wedding party and one with the whole family. That will be fine. Trust me. My favorite photo from my wedding you can’t even see our faces.
Or my dress which is a good thing because it was the most ridiculous 1986 princess dress ever. But I was 20 and it was 1986.
What I could have done if only Pinterest and the internet had been around then!
My idea of the holidays is Yule. I’m 3/4 German and 1/4 Scottish so I love Celtic and Germanic traditions. Bringing evergreens into the house and using as many natural elements as I can. I also like to use what I already have. If I have something pretty I don’t want it to sit in the cupboard I want it to be out where I can see it.
This year I used The Magnolia Company for all my garlands, wreath’s and the mini pine trees. I laid the garland along the top of a hutch and the fireplace mantels, along the railing of the front porch and draped them over the backs of my wicker swing and wicker couch. It was really easy – just lay or hang the garland then add some ribbon or a bow.
The Outside
Wreaths hanging in the 2nd floor windows with ribbon and over the lights on the garage, garlands along the front railings, a swag over the front door, poinsettias tucked here and there (I always put the poinsettias in either clay pots or metal tubs I don’t like the foil they come in). Garland draped over the swing and couch and a tray of mini evergreens with a grapevine wreath around them. Take the holiday items and put them in your normal pots or incorporate them into your usual décor don’t just plop a poinsettia with foil on it by the front door and call it a day. Just drop it into a clay pot or switch out the usual plant by the front door. Tuck ribbon or trimmed branches from the Christmas tree in stuff you already have.
Pull the kids wooden (not plastic) red wagon around and fill it with poinsettias and boxes wrapped like presents. And use natural reds and greens like green leaves or red berries.
The Foyer
I hung a wreath from the railing instead of garland on the railing – I moved my lanterns from the living room to the built in seat and left the straw broom there. I love how homey it looks. Then tucked in some tree trimmings. On the window seat I have a collection of holiday trees to grouped them together and curled a ribbon through them. I wanted to add a pop of color since the trees are a natural color on the wood seat so I put a large red tray under them. The lanterns have flameless candles that I turned on for parties it’s nice to have a warm welcome at the front door. I also have a board I painted with chalkboard paint then used an old frame of my grandmothers. I tried using chalk on it but it doesn’t really come clean so I just print out any notes, menus, thank yous etc. and use that putty stuff to stick it on.
The Living Room
I put the tree where I can see it from the couch and people can see it through the window from the street. I like to use a real tree of course and different sized little white lights. I love vintage style ornaments and actual vintage ornaments. My oldest is a lamb that was my grandmothers it’s from the 1930s. I add new ones every year. I started collecting an ornament each year for my sons when they were born. And I get a new ornament for each of us from Epcot each year. Not every country will have ornaments. United Kingdom I bought a pack of pub coasters and punched holes in them and ran a ribbon through. Mexico I found little tiny sombreros. China I used little key chains that were each of our Chinese Zodiac animals. Canada was easy they had gold maple leaf ornaments and Norway has scan design ornament balls. This year was Africa and they actually had little hand made origami type safari animals.
For the topper I wanted something from nature so I bundled some silk Amaryllis and added bows around them and wrapped it all in ribbon.
Above the mantel I put a garland with ribbon, my red berry topiaries that I put in the pots I usually have on the mantel I just added burlap and satin bows so you couldn’t see the pot sticking up. Added my Christmas teapot some votives and tree trimmings.
On the side tables and the coffee table… I put large ornaments in the white bowl that’s usually on the coffee table. I put a cool vintage silver tinsel wreath on top of a silver urn and added a birch candle. I put a red berry wreath over the plant in the white bowl I usually have on the desk. And done.
The Dining Room
It was simple – add a couple of poinsettias to an ice tub that is usually empty and set the table with my holiday dishes. Add ribbon, votives (I like to use the flameless kind that will automatically come on each night) and a few fancy ornaments and you’re done.
The Kitchen
I used jars of candy and cool marshmallows from Williams Sonoma, oranges studded with cloves, the trimmings from the Christmas tree, citrus, holiday towels and napkins, and ribbon. By just tucking a pretty curly ribbon and a vintage holiday towel in the corner it changes the same lamp and sugar bowl into a holiday setting. And the great thing is the tree trimmings are free, the citrus will last all season and then you can throw it away so no storage. The ribbon is cheap and can be rolled up to use again. Utilize your napkins and holiday dishes instead of buying a decoration just use what you already have that sits in a drawer all season. If you have people coming over put apple cider with mulling spices in a Dutch oven and let is simmer on low the whole time. It makes your house smell like the holidays.
The Family Room
Garland over the mantle with ribbon, flameless candles, and stockings. My old man Christmas (a nod to Oden the king of the elves) a poinsettia, and a pinecone in a pot my son made for me 22 years ago. (every now and then they actually make cool stuff. If you want to give someone a gift from your small child this one is pretty cute. Using a glue gun add Spanish moss to the opening of a small clay pot, then glue small little shinny balls in the petals of the pine cone and glue the pine cone to the moss. Done. You could white wash the pot and tie a pretty burlap or satin wide bow around it but plain is nice too). I used my round metal tray and filled it with like colored ornaments (mine are greens golds and browns) then nestled 3 live mini pine trees in burlap sacks amongst them (Magnolia Company).
Lots of simple ideas, nothing too fancy, but very warm and cozy. That was the plan.
Better late then never. I should have posted this before the holidays were over but I just didn’t have time. The good news is you can go anytime and it’s still awesome. Mother’s Day is another favorite of mine.
But every year we go to the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World to have Afternoon Tea for Christmas. It’s really nice all year long but it’s especially nice at Christmas time. They have a 5 story beautiful Christmas tree
and a life size gingerbread house that they sell gingerbread from.
If you do want to go at Christmas time book your reservations 180 days ahead. That’s the earliest Disney will let you book. So I have it in my calendar in July to make the reservation. And make it for more people then you think. The max is 6. You can always reduce it later but getting a bigger table later is almost impossible.
ok with that said… the rest of the year the Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian is still a lovely place to have Afternoon Tea.
The waitresses are dressed in Victorian English outfits, everything is served on English china with all the extras – honey, lemon, cream, clotted cream and home made jams for the scones, and tea cozies.
They have dozens of different types of teas. Something new they’ve started is offering seasonal teas. For example during the holidays one of the 3 seasonal teas was a gingerbread spiced tea.
They have several different options for food. The one we always get is the Buckingham. It has tea sandwiches and a sweet onion tart, seasonal scones with seasonal fruit butter, jam, and clotted cream, strawberry tart, and a choice of strawberries and cream, a trifle, or fancy pastries.
starting with the tart in the front and going clockwise – Sweet onion tart (my favorite), egg salad, roasted golden beet, cucumber and watercress, roasted tomato, and in the middle curried chicken salad
It doesn’t look like that much but by the time you eat the sandwiches, the scone, the strawberry tart, and drink a whole pot of tea you’re almost too full for dessert. I almost always take mine home.
The other menu items include a Gentlemen’s tea which has pates and cheeses and a children’s Mrs. Potts Tea which has chocolate milk instead of tea and pb&j and ham and cheese for the sandwiches. There are usually a couple of tables with kids there so bring them! Even the boys. Both my sons love having tea.
They also have a cheese plate that used to be on the menu but isn’t on there anymore but you can still order it.
Just in case you don’t think you’ll be full.
When we go during the holidays we usually get dressed up (no hats – unless you’re a red hat lady). But there will be everything from people who are taking a break from the theme parks so they are dressed in shorts and t-shirts to a bunch of grown women wearing tiaras to people dressed up. Just dress the way you want to dress.
Canoe camping trip on the Suwannee River – the river was about 20-30 ft below the shore line that’s the way down part. We could see the roots of the cypress trees and there were beaches that would normally be the sandy bottom of the river. But what a beautiful river so old Florida.
I have an app on my phone The Official Florida State Parks & Beaches Pocket Ranger. It was a great way to find places to camp. I started with the idea that I wanted us to canoe for the day then stop and camp. So I needed a river that has lots of river camps or that you can just camp along the river as long as there’s not a no trespassing sign. I also didn’t want a busy river with lots of motor boats.
Step 1 Pick your river
Step 2 Get a map of the river with boat ramps, state parks, and river camps noted
Step 3 Figure out the distance between each possible camp site so you can figure out where you will be starting, camping each night, and ending.
Step 4 We don’t have a canoe and I didn’t want to deal with taking 2 cars for put in and pickup so I found an outfitter near the put in location. American Canoe Adventures $25 per day to rent a canoe overnight and a fee to drop us off and pick us up.
Each of the river camps were very rustic and you couldn’t drive to them they were just accessible by the river. They had a place to dock your canoe, a fire ring with a grill on it, a grill for charcoal, a picnic table, bathrooms with showers that were very clean and nice with outlets so we could charge our phones, and a raised platform that was covered and screened in that was free to use if you didn’t have a tent. You would definitely want to reserve it though because it wasn’t very big. The link above for the map has a page with info about reserving the platforms.
The boat ramps had a fire ring, picnic tables and some had port-o-potties.
The state parks had everything the river camps had but of course you could drive to them and they had state park type facilities and you could rent canoes from them. There were lots of people at the state parks vs. no one at the river camp or boat ramps.
This is the fire ring at Woods Ferry River Camp. It was 31 degrees that night – too stinking cold for Floridians in tents! It was so cold I seriously forgot I was in Florida – Rusty.
Pack as light as you can you have to carry everything with you each day. We packed our stuff that couldn’t get wet like the sleeping bags and our clothes in dry bags – I like the Sea to Summit Big River Dry Bags. You’ll need the 35 liter or bigger to pack your stuff in. You want everything in that bag so if you tip it all stays dry.
Another very nifty item was the solar phone chargers I bought. I know you’re thinking but you were camping why did you need your phone. I used it for weather, the gps, and our plans changed the second day and we needed to contact the outfitters to locate a new pick up site.
The chargers can be charged using a usb cable and an outlet but they also charge with a solar panel. They are water-resistant was well so you just clip them onto your pack and they charge all day. It took about 30 minutes to completely recharge my phone and about 2 hours to recharge the charger with the solar panel. They worked perfectly.
You could use them at a theme park or day hike or anywhere you will be gone all day and won’t have access to an outlet to charge your phone.
For food you want to bring mostly stuff that doesn’t need to be chilled. If it’s cold outside you can bring a small cooler (remember you want to pack light so a soft smaller cooler) with ice in Ziploc bags so everything doesn’t get wet – but I would limit the chilled stuff.
Blake brought hobo packs – turkey meatballs, corn, and potatoes with onion, butter, and seasoning wrapped in foil then cooked over the fire they were great and didn’t take long to make.
He also brought Progresso Chili in a pouch, it comes in a regular beef and pork red chili and a chicken white bean chili both delicious. Lighter and easier to pack then a can. He pre-chopped green onion, tomatoes, and shredded cheese that we stored in the cooler. Heat the chili in a pan on your camp stove and add the topping and you’re good to go.
Use the fire or your camp stove for breakfast and dinner and pack a lunch in the mornings to have during the day while you’re canoeing. For snacks in the canoe be sure to make them easily accessible you don’t want to be messing around when you’re on the water.
Bring enough firewood for a fire in the morning and at night for at least 6 hours.
That wall is usually only about a foot out of the water. That’s an old turn of the century spring that people used to come soak in. The supports for the bridge had branches from when the water was high caught in them 10 feet below the bridge.
It was established in 1938, they take you on an hour long tour of 3 of the chain of lakes in Winter Park. Along the way the very knowledgeable captain points out homes of historical figures from Winter Park. You glide along in a pontoon boat along the shores of the lakes and through the many canals that link them. Click on the link above to see when they are open and additional info.
It’s $12 per person for anyone over 11 and under 2 are free. You can reserve the whole boat too.
We reserved it for 12 of us (the max is about 16) and brought wine from The Wine Room , zucchini bread sandwiches from The Briar Patch restaurant, and salami, crackers, pepitas, and spiced pecans from the amazing people at The Ancient Olive (thanks Nick!). All on Park Ave. in Winter Park.
Here are some of the beautiful homes….
This one has a Venetian design and originally didn’t have land in front of it. They designed it so the water came right up to the building just like in Venice.
And some of the cool trees in the middle of the lake…
Before the boat tour we ate at one of my favorite places for brunch
Cask and Larder – Bakeshop board, croque madam C&L style, and short rib hash. Stupid good.
We wrapped up the weekend with a return visit to The Ancient Olive. The Fabulous Beekman Boys were there signing copies of their cookbooks. Super cool guys – they were so glad Blake loved their spiced nuts. Yep nuts.
Check out their website, beautiful handcrafted jams, sauces, soaps, mixes, tons of things with a vintage farm feel. Check out their television show The Fabulous Beekman Boys on The Cooking Channel.
My mom and I threw a baby shower for my cousin who is due in December. We decided to have it in late October. I’m a big fan of having parties weddings or events near holidays so you already have the decorations. I love multi-use things. So since my decorations for Halloween aren’t zombies and cobwebs and vomiting jack-o-lanterns I used what I already had.
I used a black metal tray, old fashioned silver trays work great too at Halloween especially when they are tarnished. I added 2 urns and 1 glass bowl. I put a fall looking wreath on the tallest urn and topped it with a cool Halloween top hat I found at Lafayette & Rushford Home. This beautiful shop in Winter Park on New England between Park Ave and Hannibal Square. Their displays really inspired me.
I added a small white pumpkin to the shorter urn and a taller pumpkin was just sitting to the side of the grouping. A Birchwood candle is in the glass bowl. I surrounded the whole thing with moss (you can buy it at Michaels or get it off a tree for free. If you do the free option be sure to microwave it first to kill any unseen bugs) I made simple burlap bows by taking about a 12″ piece of wide burlap ribbon and just tying it into a knot. Then wrapped black translucent ribbon and this cool twig/grapevine stuff I found at Michaels.
A lot of times I don’t know what I’m going to use to fill the space in so I look on Pinterest or I’ll just go to the craft store or grocery store and look at what they have. Usually something jumps out at me.
You want to start with a tray or something that will tie everything together. Like how your area rugs connects your couch and chairs in the living room. I like to use odd numbers so 3 vases or urn in different sizes. You want them to taper down not be all the same size. When you add stuff to the vases or urns keep that in mind too you don’t want to add stuff that then makes everything the same size. Pick one of the vessels to put your focal point in. The thing that will stand out the most. In my case it was the wreath and hat.
Then fill in the space around everything, I used moss and ribbons.
You want the table to look full, so use different height serving pieces like cake stands or urns with a plate on top mixed in with the platters on the table. And them place them close together.
The platters and napkins and dishes don’t have to all match but they have to go together some how. I used mercury glass, white platters, and rustic wooden pieces. If it was Christmas you could use different Christmas plates mixed with crystal and white dishes just make sure the Christmas patterns compliment each other.
I set up an area for the water, if I had been serving alcohol this would have been the bar.
And used a Keurig machine for the coffee and tea options. It works great, then everyone can have what they want and it’s fresh the whole party. I would suggest getting the larger version with the large reservoir so you only have to refill it once or twice. And a little framed note with instructions on how to use it. Lots of people have them but each one comes with different instructions. I added hazelnut, caramel, and chocolate syrups from Starbucks. Pumpkin pie spice and Sea salt. Honey, cream, and sugar cubes so people could fancy up their drinks if they wanted to.
I always try to have a mix of meat, carbs, something fresh, cheese, and dips. And it always needs to be good at room temperature. It’s a pain to try to keep things hot or cold. You also don’t want something that will get gross if it sits out too long – hard and crusty, soggy, or separate.
The party was at 10am so I went with a fall brunch theme for the food. If I can I’d rather do finger food. It’s a lot easier for the guests to eat while holding a plate and they can sample lots of different things. And everyone will find something they like.
The Menu
Sausage Balls
Flatbread Pinwheels with Pimento Cheese and Green Olives
Dates stuffed with Manchego Cheese and Pecans
Goat Cheese Log rolled in chopped Apricots and Pistachios
Warmed Brie with Apple Chutney
Pumpkin Pie Dip with Bischoff Cookies and Apples
Bloody Mary Bites
Mocha Mousse Parfaits with Roasted Hazelnuts Chocolate Biscotti Crumble and Espresso Beans
Flatbread Pinwheels with Pimento Cheese and Green Olives I used a package of flatbread from the deli but you could also use a tortilla. Just don’t put them in the refrigerator before you use them or they will get too dry and crack when you roll them. Just spread pimento cheese from the deli on the flatbread, sprinkle with chopped green olives and roll up tightly. Leave the roll uncut and put it in a container overnight to firm up. Using a serrated knife cut into wheels about as thick as your thumb
Dates Stuffed with Manchego Cheese and Pecans Pretty much self explanatory – slice the date and add a sliver of cheese and a pecan You can make these the day before and just keep them in the fridge, covered until ready to plate. I topped them with Smoked Bacon salt from The Spice and Tea Exchange
Goat Cheese Log with chopped Apricots and Pistachios Let a log of goat cheese come to room temperature so it softens Roll it in chopped apricots and pistachios. You can make this the day before too.
Warmed Brie with Apple Chutney You can make the chutney the day before then warm it up in the microwave before pouring it over the brie. Chop a couple of apples, red and green, and an onion, sauté them in butter to soften Add brown sugar, lemon juice, craisins, salt, pepper, and a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar Cook until everything is soft. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator over night. Cut the top off the brie and warm in the oven a few minutes until it’s a little gooey then top with the chutney
Pumpkin Pie Dip with Bischoff Cookies and Apples Mix 1 package spreadable cream cheese, 1 cup pumpkin pie filling, 1/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Slices the apples and toss them in lemon juice and water to keep them from browning and don’t let the cookies and apples touch on the platter or the cookies will get soggy I sprinkled the dip with Caramel Salt from The Spice and Tea Exchange
Bloody Mary Bites Top sliced cucumbers that have been drained and patted dry on a paper towel with Finely chopped tomatoes, onions, celery, and green olives and tossed with Bloody Mary spice mix from The Spice and Tea Exchange. Be sure to drain the tomatoes in a colander and then on a paper towel. Use a slotted spoon to avoid the accumulated liquid when scooping the tomatoes to top the cucumbers. You can make the tomato mixture the night before but I would wait to slice the cucumbers.
Mocha Mousse Parfaits with Roasted Hazelnuts Chocolate Biscotti Crumble and Espresso Beans Easiest fancy dessert ever! I took Jell-O chocolate fudge pudding cups and added instant coffee to taste Let it sit a minute to make sure the coffee is dissolved Then carefully fold in extra creamy cool whip about equal parts pudding and cool whip Chop the hazelnuts and toast them in the oven Put the chocolate biscotti in a Ziploc bag and pound it to small crumbs Fill a clear glass about halfway with the mousse Sprinkle on the cookies then top with whipped cream Sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts, add a couple chocolate covered espresso beans and top with a jarred Bing cherry You can make everything the day before but it needs to be assembled the day of – so the cookies don’t get soggy
Started with a recipe from Bobby Flay and of course I messed with it. I love his show Brunch @ Bobby’s he does themed brunches – themes! my favorite thing. Click on the link to look up all the different episodes – it makes making brunch really easy.
1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup fine yellow or white cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons kosher salt 3/4 cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons clover honey 2 large eggs, separated 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl
Separate the eggs, lightly whisk the egg yolks and briskly whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form
Combine the egg yolks, the buttermilk and the honey
Fold the corn meal mixture into the buttermilk mixture
Fold in the melted butter
Carefully fold in the whisked egg white to lighten the batter
Heat a griddle to medium low, spray with non-stick spray or add butter or bacon grease
I made half the recipe as above then added lemon zest and fresh blueberries to the other half of the batter
Griddle the cakes until golden brown
I serve the plain cakes with shredded cheddar melted on top (just pop it under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese) a fried egg and crispy cooked prosciutto
The lemon blueberry cakes I just topped with blackberry syrup and butter – yum.
Most of the recipes are for a sweeter bread like banana-chocolate, lemon raspberry, or pina colada. I’m partial to more savory bread so here’s what I tried:
Sun-dried Tomato and Pesto
3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1/3 cup pesto 1 3/4 cups flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend 1 cup chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
Whisk the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and pesto and set aside
Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, salt and pepper
Toss in the Italian cheese blend and sun-dried tomatoes
Combine the flour mixture and sour cream mixture just until mixed
Line a bread pan with parchment paper so the sides hang over and spray with non-stick baking spray
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly, bake at 350 for 40-50 min or until a knife inserted in the middle comes our clean
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing
This tasted like really good pizza or scachatta form Alessi’s deli in Tampa (when I was a kid my dad would bring it back from trips – love that stuff) it would taste great to add some sautéed diced pancetta or diced pepperoni
Pimento Cheese and Bacon
(I made this one up – loved it)
1/2 white, yellow, or Vidalia onion – small diced Olive oil 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 3/4 cup pimento cheese 1 3/4 cups flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons each chopped rosemary and thyme 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper 1/2 cup cooked crumbled bacon 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons unsalted butter – cut into small cubes
Sauté the onions in the olive oil until translucent
Whisk the sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, and pimento cheese and set aside
Whisk the flour, sugar, rosemary, thyme, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, salt and pepper
Toss in the bacon
Combine the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture just until mixed
Line a bread pan with parchment paper so the sides hang over and spray with non-stick baking spray
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly
Sprinkle a little shredded cheddar cheese on top and little cubes of butter
Bake at 350 for 40-50 min or until a knife inserted in the middle comes our clean
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing
The Food Network main recipe is really delicious the bread has a crispy crust and is light and moist inside. I froze some of the loaves and then sliced and toasted them later and they tasted like I just baked them.
Alternate Ideas
Another combo might be cheeseburger – replace the pimento cheese with shredded cheddar, the bacon with cooked hamburger meat, and add the sun-dried tomatoes.
There are lots of ways you can mess with this recipe. Just think about a combo you like – like chicken pot pie then figure out what the main ingredients are and incorporate them into the recipe.
Be careful not to throw off the wet to dry ingredients ratio. So for chicken pot pie I’d replace the cheese and bacon with chicken, carrots, and celery. Always cook the meat and sauté and vegetables before tossing them in.
You get the idea. You can cater your bread to match the theme of your meal or the basket you’re giving someone.
Apples, pecans, and sausage for Thanksgiving Honey, lemon zest, and pistachio for a Moroccan theme BBQ, cheddar, and candied jalapeno for a Cowboy theme
I never make the same thing twice so I love recipes like this that I can change a million different ways!
DAGNY | the g is silent but I am not 