The Lee Bros.

I have shared before that I love the Publix Apron Cooking School. Aside from offering an array of classes, they host guest chefs for cooking demonstrations as well. I was over the moon excited when I saw that Matt Lee and Ted Lee, aka as The Lee Bros. were on the schedule! The Lee Bros are Southern food historians, in my opinion. They have done a lot of researching and interviewing on the Southern food heritage. They grew up in Charleston, SC on Rainbow Row, no less! They regularly contribute to Southern Living, Food and Wine and other esteemed food publications. They have also been on No Reservations, The Best Thing I Ever Ate and more. Oh, and they have won a James Beard award for their cookbook. No big deal.

The event was a cooking demonstration and tasting of their recipes, framed in a multi-course meal. The format was such that they would discuss a recipe, demonstrate how to prepare, answer questions, and then we would eat! Our meal consisted of Henry's Cheese Spread, Frogmore Soup (pictured above), Shrimp and Grits (pictured above), Matt's Four Pepper Collards (pictured above), and Syllabub with Strawberries (inhaled before a picture could be taken). Each course was paired with wine as well.

Matt and Ted are highly entertaining and approachable. They are not restaurant chefs, but home chefs who really take the time to reach into the Southern food history and adjust the recipes for modern day cooking. As expected, all the recipes were delicious! They were very welcoming to all our questions. My favorite was the shrimp and grits. They were so good that J even said he'll need to start making them at home!

If you ever get a chance to attend a cooking event with Matt and Ted, just do it!!

Touring the 2013 HGTV Smart Home

The 2013 HGTV Smart Home is located a hop, skip and a jump away from our home in Jacksonville Beach. When I heard there was an opportunity to tour the home in person, I jumped at the chance! The tour also served as a fundraiser for the Beaches Area Historical Society, which is a wonderful organization aimed at promoting and preserving historical areas of the First Coast Beaches area.

My good friend B and I decided to make it a Mommy's Day Out with the tour and lunch at Poe's Tavern. We braved the rain and it was definitely worth it! I took many pictures to serve as design inspiration for that future dream home of ours. I picked out a handful of favorites that I wanted to share on here.

I love the mix of textures and patterns in the living area. And yes,  those are three tv's on the wall! Each TV can be covered by a painting that is retractable! There is also a separate sound system for the deck, so one could be in the pool watching one show while the people inside are watching another. Pretty smart!

I just about squealed when I saw this anchor. The anchor is comprised of starfish. The background is the actual wall with a shadowbox placed over it. So fun.

I really loved the arrangement of these oversized frames. The entire wall was very striking. I love the teeny bit of aqua that you see between the pictures.

The color palette of this second bedroom was a nice departure from all the aqua. The decor was fresh and modern. I didn't capture it in this picture, but the bed had a lovely linen headboard.

This was the Master Bath. The tub and shower are both enclosed by glass. You would be hard pressed not to be able to relax in that tub!

I am really glad we had the opportunity to see the home in person. The Smart Home elements of recycled and reclaimed materials were impressive. The iPad technology used to control all the aspects of the home was amazing! While coastal decor is not normally my cup of tea, I love the way the designer infused coastal living with modern elements. I love the use of tension wires on the staircase and window treatments. The home could have easily been too theme-y, but it wasn't.

You can still enter to win. And I think you should!

The April 2013 Shopping Budget that wasn't

So this post is where I would share what I purchased in the way of clothes and accessories in April 2013. But I'm here to explain why I won't be posting it this month.

Confession: I was out of control.

I bought what feels like triple what I would normally buy.

A Lilly skort from consignment.

A seersucker dress off eBay.

2 non-sale dresses from Lands End.

A maxi dress from a boutique.

White Cropped pants from JCP.

And I don't exactly know what else!

I use one word to describe this: UNACCEPTABLE

Mindless buying is extremely dangerous. So in light of that, I'm doing a no-spend May.

Believe me. This is necessary. Luckily I have a good Twitter friend who will be joining me.

Wish me luck!

Anthony Bourdain

J and I are big fans of Anthony Bourdain. When I heard he was going on tour, I figured there was no chance that he'd come to Jacksonville. I was pleasantly surprised to find out we were one of the stops! I was even more surprised to discover there was a VIP reception. I lucked out and was able to purchase VIP tickets.

Anthony Bourdain is as entertaining in person as he is on television. He shared stories of how "No Reservations" was created; how his life has changed since becoming a dad; and of course, Paula Deen. There was no censor, which was definitely entertaining as well!

The reception was terrific! We got a chance to talk one on one with Tony. I shared with him that one of my "tweeps" suggested that I show up naked. He laughed :) J talked with him about "Treme" and "The Wire".

I highly recommend seeing Anthony Bourdain live if you are a fan!

Orlando/Winter Park Anniversary Weekend!

We are around a two hour drive from Orlando. It has become a favorite destination for J and me over the past few years. Do we go to Disney? Nope. There is a whole other part of Orlando outside of the theme park world!

Our favorite areas of Orlando include Winter Park, Audubon Park, and Thornton Park. All of these areas are a stone's throw from Downtown. This post is focused on Winter Park. I'm hoping my tips will entice you to give the other side of Orlando a chance for your next weekend trip.

Picture courtesy of Unlocked Orlando

I attended my first two years of college at Rollins College, a small liberal arts college in Winter Park. I love revisiting the campus. However, my favorite activities in Winter Park are shopping and dining. 

Shopping

Shopping skews on the preppy/resort side as far as clothing is concerned. There is a Lilly Pulitzer (of course). However, there are some other boutiques that carry lots of preppy/resort wear. Here are two of my favorites.

Siegel's Clothing Company - Siegel's has been around for over 30 years. They carry both men and women's clothing. As far as brands, they carry Jude Connolly, Gretchen Scott, Fornash, Southern Tide, Lesley Evers, and many more. I love the selection of fun graphic dresses!

Cerise Boutique - I actually sought out Cerise Boutique, as I learned that they carry Escapada, a resort brand based out of Charleston, SC. They have a great selection and they also carry Jude Connolly. The sales clerk was so helpful. She helped me find every thing in the store in my size!

Dining

When it comes to food, I will completely admit that I'm a snob, especially when we are dining out of town. I will specifically look for restaurants that have James Beard nominated or winning chefs at the helm.  If I had more time, I'd branch out to discover the next great hole in the wall. But when my time is limited, I tend to go with proven winners. 

Photo Courtesy of Ourlando.com

Photo Courtesy of Cask & Larder

Luckily, Winter Park has dining that is right up our alley. Our absolute favorite is The Ravenous Pig. The Pig is a all about local food done in accessibly, but flawlessly. No foam or essence here! It is run by a husband and wife team. They have a new restaurant, Cask & Larder, which is a Southern Public House. We dined there this past weekend for our anniversary. I usually don't order chicken in restaurants (eat it so much at home), but J and I shared a plate of their fried chicken. It was INCREDIBLE!!

Photo Courtesy of Luma on Park

We also tried a "new to us" restaurant called Luma on Park. Style wise, it is the complete opposite of The Pig. Where The Pig and Cask & Larder embrace rustic elegance, Luma is very modern and sleek. Their food is much more "composed". We ordered several small plates to share and each one was flat out phenomenal. At the end of our meal, I was reading the Chef's bio. When I saw he used to work for The French Laundry (and Chef Thomas Keller), the meal totally made sense. Perfection on a plate is what Thomas Keller is all about!

Other favorites include The Briarpatch for breakfast/brunch and great people watching. For sweet treats, I love Croissant Gourmet and le macaron.

Hopefully you'll get a chance to see the other side of Orlando soon!

On Personal Style

I am 35 years old. It is only in the last few years that I've really liked what clothes I wear. I still make mistakes, but for the most part, I like what I wear. Here are some of my lessons learned. Note that style is seriously personal! When something doesn't work for me, I guarantee it is effortlessly beautiful on someone else.

(1) Full skirts are my friend. Pencil skirts are not.

(2) Oxfords with crewneck sweater are not flattering on me. I need an open neckline because my neck is short (no, not insulting myself. Just how my neck is!)

(3) I am more Doris Day than Audrey Hepburn.

(4) Even if they aren't the height of style anymore, I actually like my Revas. This is why I was so sad when they broke. They actually helped me survive pregnancy feet! I know people love the Cece J Crew flat, but they didn't work for me.

(5) I like beachy/coastal style in the summer time. Perhaps it isn't the most sophisticated, but give me a coral print tunic anyway.

If you have any of your favorite style lessons, I'd love to hear/read them!

Over the weekend- to catch a rooster

This past weekend was filled with lots of family time with both sets of grandparents.

And brainstorming on how to get this guy to leave my in-laws front yard!

Ideas included using an old cat carrier and enticing the rooster with food. My mother in law thought we should leave a trail of food to the nearby woods. My brother in law had a blanket at the ready to try to catch the rooster.

I called my parents to ask for advice. First thing my dad says is " Don't feed him. He'll never leave" Yeah. Too late on that!

The rooster is still there as of today. The dogs are going nuts. We think he came from a neighbors' farm, but no one can get a hold of them.

The funniest part of this is that my mother in law loves roosters! Her house has rooster decor throughout. The little guy must have figured he was welcomed!