IMBIBE THROUGH THE YEARS �������������������������������������������14 FLOURISH BAKING CO�����������������������������������������������������������28 CHECK ME OUT ;) ��������������������������������������������������������������������� FLORESCENCE ����������������������������������������������������������������������������34

Check Me Out ;) Compiled by the staff of the Lakeland Public Library 100 Lake Morton Dr, Lakeland

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY By Bonnie Garmus

In the early 1960s, chemist and single mother Elizabeth Zott, the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show due to her revolutionary skills in the kitchen, uses this opportunity to dare women to change the status quo.

THE DEAD ROMANTICS By Ashley Poston

Returning home to bury her beloved father, Florence Day, the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, secondguesses everything she’s ever known about love stories when she is haunted by the ghost of her new editor.

LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE

By Katharine Schellman

In 1824 New York, Vivian, whose days are filled with drudgery, escapes to the Nightingale, a secret dance club, until a dead body and police raid trap her between the city’s wealthy and New York’s underground where lives of the poor are considered disposable, including Vivian’s own.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU By Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Carlota Moreau lives on a remote jungle estate with her mad scientist father and his menagerie of human/ animal hybrids. When a dashing young man enters the picture, the jungle gets scary and steamy. Call it historical romance horror science fiction.

UPGRADE By Blake Crouch

When his DNA is rewritten with a genetic-engineering breakthrough beyond anything the world has seen, Logan Ramsey finds his transformation threatening everything around him as he is forced to take sides in a fight to save humankind.

HOW TO COCKTAIL By America’s Test Kitchen

Cocktail making is part art and part science, just like cooking. This book has all the kitchen secrets, techniques, recipes, and inspiration you need to craft transcendent cocktails, from essential, canonical classics to imaginative all-new creations from America’s Test Kitchen.

COUNTERFEIT By Kirstin Chen

Ava Wong, a strait-laced Chinese American lawyer and her former college roommate from Mainland China, who dropped out under mysterious circumstances, join forces in an ingenious counterfeit operation selling replica luxury handbags.

BITTERS By Brad Thomas Parsons

Traces the history of the world’s most storied elixir, from its earliest “snake oil” days to its near evaporation after Prohibition to its ascension as a beloved (and at times obsessed-over) ingredient on the contemporary bar scene. Includes cocktail & bitters recipes.

MOVIELAND By Lee Goldberg

When a female camper is gunned down in Malibu Creek State Park, one of seven victims over 14 months, Los Angeles homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone must expose secrets and break the conspiracy of silence.

OPEN WIDE AND SAY ARRRGH By Aaron Blabey

WEIRD?! Nothing weird EVER happens in The Bad Guys. Like, you would NEVER see a chain-saw monster confronting a velociraptor who has eaten an elderly piranha, or the disturbing antics of a deranged dentist running amok with an oversized drill. NOPE. None of that nonsense here. So relax and be entirely unsurprised by the Bad Guys’ next adventure!

WORDS Tara Crutchfield PHOTOGRAPH Amy Sexson

Florescence: A Collaboration in Bloom

Alongside the azaleas and calla lilies, an artistic partnership blossomed this spring. Like a beach sunflower, the creative collaboration and friendship between painter Ashley Cassens and jewelry designer Nicki Turner unfolded and stretched toward the sun.

Their collection, entitled “Florescence,” marries prints of Cassens’s oil paintings with a corresponding pair of clay earrings by Cori Rose Handmade artist Nicki Turner. The collection is an ode to the eccentricities, adornments, and charms of a woman’s appearance that have been, and are often still, held against us as ‘over the top,’ ‘temptations,’ ‘too much’ – as “Eye Traps.”

“EYE TRAPS” BY ASHLEY CASSENS

Ashley Cassens is a Central Florida representational figure painter and Florida Southern College graduate. She grew up in Daytona Beach and moved to Lakeland for college, where she earned her Bachelor in Fine Arts in 2006. She went on to obtain an MFA from Florida Atlantic University in 2017.

Her work has been exhibited at the ARC Gallery in Chicago, the Cornell Museum in Delray Beach, the Box Gallery in West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach State College. The artist recently had two of her paintings, “Stirring Secrets” and “Sprinkles,” picked up for licensing at Home Goods. In addition to her career as a commissioned painter, Cassens teaches elementary art.

“I fell in love with it,” she said of representational figure painting. “I’m not the kind of person that can wrap my brain around how to make things abstract. It’s hard for me to pair things down and simplify them. I want to make them more complex all the time.”

Her most recent series of traditional oil paintings on patterned fabrics is called “Eye Traps.” The name and theme of the series is the reclamation of a term that had been used to shame women. It comes from a pamphlet released by the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), often described as a Christian cult. Cassens listens to podcasts while she’s painting and was enthralled in the “Some Place Under Neith” podcast episode covering the IBLP.

The IBLP pamphlet, “Learn Ten Ways to Direct the Eyes of Others to Your Countenance,” is a guide on appearance. It features every girl’s favorite hit, “Wear a Smile.” The leaflet includes tips on choosing a hairstyle to complement the face shape, accents to wear near your face, how to “say the right things with your eyes,” and proper posture. It reads in part, “A lady’s knees must always be kept together when sitting. For the best impression and good health, legs should be crossed at the ankles. Her body should not look as though it were ‘draped’ over the chair.”

Ashley Cassens was especially inspired by rule number six: Avoid Eye Traps. Don’t show skin, don’t wear ‘teasing’ fabrics that might cling to the body, or bright spots of color that draw attention away from the face (I think the IBLP is looking at us, ladies). Anything that could draw attention away from the face – accessories, fads, written messages on t-shirts, or any ‘excesses’ – are considered eye traps. There’s even a handy guide in the back to help identify outfits that may include a dreaded eye trap.

“All the things they talked about being “eye traps” are what I think make women so beautiful and amazing and unique,” Cassens said. “I wanted to flip this negative term and make it a positive term and trap your eye visually with something that was captivating and beautiful.” The women in her series defy the concept of an “Eye Trap” – some with chopped hair, chunky earrings, bright eyeshadow, and unbothered expressions. She had already been working on the series before she named it, and when she heard the term, she felt it encapsulated her subjects and what drew her to them.

After a successful collaboration with interior designer Ann Cox, Cassens wanted to work with another artist again. This time to create something wearable – perhaps a jeweler or sunglass designer. She had a short list of designers she thought would be a good fit, but when she spoke with Nicki Turner, owner, and designer of the Lakeland-based clay jewelry start-up Cori Rose Handmade, the search was over. They clicked immediately and found they had mutual connections.

“It was awesome to have another mom to collaborate with because we understand each other’s schedules are tight, and there may be interruptions, and we feel like we don’t have to be so apologetic about it, which is nice,” Cassens said.

CORI ROSE HANDMADE

Nicki Turner grew up in Illinois, moved to South Carolina, and then landed in Lakeland to attend Southeastern University. She majored in Social Work and has a master’s degree in Human Services. Turner worked with the Department of Children and Families and has volunteered at Parker Street Ministries. She and her husband founded a church in the Parker Street neighborhood called Strong Tower Church.

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You might say Cori Rose Handmade was born through a clay play date with her daughters. Turner had so much fun making clay donuts with her girls that she was instantly inspired, and design ideas and color palates swirled through her mind. She began following related accounts on social media and checking out books on clay at the library.

Eventually, Turner started a social media account for Cori Rose Handmade, dedicated to sharing her creations with friends. She wasn’t selling her jewelry but would happily gift them. Her friends and family implored Turner to offer her art for sale. “It was a hard concept for me – thinking about selling something that I love to do because I just wanted to share the joy that I had making it with other people,” she said.

Last summer, she started attending markets as a vendor and launched an online store. Her daughters are still involved with Cori Rose Handmade. She and her mini business partners gather for business meetings where they discuss color palettes. She’ll ask the girls what they’re drawn to or what colors make them feel happy. “In our house, we love to play with color – mugs, nail polish, art on the walls.”

In June, Turner left her job at Southeastern to create full-time for Cori Rose Handmade. She’d worked at the college for three years and missed spending time with her girls. She wanted to volunteer at their school and her church more often and work on her designs. “While I was at work, I was daydreaming about making earrings and color palettes,” she laughed.

This spring, when an email from Ashley Cassens came through, Turner looked up the artist and was thrilled at the possibility of a collaboration. “I was blown away by her work,” Turner said.

The pair went back and forth on an idea that would incorporate one another’s art. They worked on color palettes and mood boards for the collaboration. “This doesn’t seem real, this dream of working with another artist,” Turner said. “I feel like we work very well together even though we haven’t known each other long. […] It’s a unique thing to meet someone else and just get each other and work together so well.”

Cassens and Turner have two bundles for sale in the Florescence Collection, each including a 5x7 print and corresponding clay earrings. The limited collection includes the “Rosario” bundle and the “Praised Mightily” bundle.

The name Florescence suited their joint efforts. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a state or period of flourishing.” The title paid homage to that love of floral and the positively blooming subjects of Cassens’s “Eye Traps” series. “We both loved florals. We loved the idea of blooming,” Turner said. “These women, they’re blooming, and their beauty is showing through who they are.”

The Florescence Collection is available for pre-order at corirose.com. Keep up with both artists on social media to see what markets they will attend in the future (and maybe future projects together).

Cori Rose Handmade www.corirose.com FB @corirosehandmade IG @corirosehandmade

Ashley Cassens www.ashleycassens.com FB: Ashley Cassens Art IG @ashley.cassens

PHOTOGRAPH Pierre DuCharme

Spirit and the Cosmic Heart

Winter Haven’s historic Ritz Theatre will get an otherworldly dose of dream pop from Spirit and the Cosmic Heart later this month. The band is headlining a show at the Ritz on August 27 at 8 pm, joined by special guest Brett Staska. Spirit’s lineup of local bandmates includes Joshua Miller on guitar and vocals, Daniel Miller on bass, Ian Lopez on drums, Dallas Smith on keyboards and trumpet, and Melody Wells on guitar and vocals. Their sound is an intoxicating meld of synth and shadow, like a shoegaze daydream.

“The first time I saw Spirit and the Cosmic Heart, they had me in like a trance. I was immediately hooked. It was one of those moments where you just realize that this band is going to go far. That was almost three years ago, and they haven’t played in Winter Haven since,” said Austin Tharp, a volunteer for the Ritz Theatre. The last time Tharp caught a Spirit and the Cosmic Heart show, he told Joshua Miller, “I’m going to get you all to play at the Ritz in Winter Haven, and we are going to sell out.” Tharp went to Executive Director Alyssa Garber with the idea. “I really enjoy what’s going on at The Ritz, and I love seeing it filled up. One of my goals is to bring awareness to some of the great local musical talent we have here in Winter Haven,” Tharp added. “The talent is here, they just need a stage to show it and someone to advocate for them, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Artist William Larence is creating an installation for the show. Guitarist and vocalist for the band, Joshua Miller said of Larence, “Bill is a creative force, and a very close friend for decades. As soon as we began organizing the Ritz show, I knew Bill needed to be involved. His artistic vision inspires us to prepare the best musical performance possible, to match the creative energy he’s putting into the visual aspect of the night.”

Larence said he is “creating a dynamic, multidimensional, art installation that combined, wholehearted and energetically with Spirit and the Cosmic Heart’s musical performance, will pulsate cosmic, loving sensations and [...] help the audience transcend into the electromagnetic vortex of the universe.”

LKLD spoke with Spirit’s Joshua Miller about the band, the upcoming Ritz Theatre performance, and their next album. LKLD: Tell me the Spirit origin story.

JOSHUA MILLER (JM): A few years ago, Daniel (bass) and I were in a place where we felt putting a band together was a good idea. Ian (drums) and I have played music together since middle school; he naturally joined. Dallas and Melody came later. They bring a very important element to the sound and vision of Spirit.

LKLD: Who were some early inspirations?

JM: Gravitating toward vintage and analog gear: Roland Juno 60, Wurlitzer Piano and the Jazz Chorus amps – a deep love for bands like The Cure and pop songwriting sensibility like the Beach Boys.

Now we find most inspiration from each other’s creativity really. We’ve played music together for the right amount of time. We can sense what each member’s role in the song will be, giving space for one another.

LKLD: You released the EPs “Dreams” (2018), “Memories” (2019), and “Moments” (2021) which was also your first physical form of music with a limited cassette release with New Granada Records. You mentioned that Spirit is finishing writing your first full-length album leading up to the Ritz show. Do you have a title and a release date?

JM: Yes, finally, a full-length album. Our creative process takes much longer than desired. With getting older, life can bring unexpected responsibilities that require time and energy. Staying in a band can sometimes be tough through it all. Keeping it all together, putting yourself out there can feel impossible.

But I’ve been dreaming of what this album will sound like for years. Watching it come together is beautiful. Being able to share our new songs live for the first time at the Ritz is exciting and also a bit scary. Spending the energy and holding onto them, crafting, editing, making the best possible versions.

After the wild ride the world has been on these last years, it feels more important than ever to create something like this. Spirit is our therapy, the escape from all the fuzz in the world - and we hope when people listen to the music or watch us play live, they feel that too.

LKLD: Tell me about the overall mood/ theme of this new album. Was there a specific inspiration or direction when writing it? What can fans expect?

JM: As songs slowly reveal themselves, the direction becomes more clear. Once everything is complete and recorded, I can really understand what the intentions and concepts are. That seems like an odd way to approach songwriting or art, but it does come from an honest place. I might not know what I’m trying to tell you in a song, but I know afterward, we’ll both be feeling something.

LKLD: Will it release solely digitally or physical copies too?

JM: Vinyl is the dream for this one. Streaming is the necessity.

LKLD: What is it like to play around your home county versus elsewhere out on the road?

JM: Traveling in a van with friends and performing music feels like magic. Playing these songs in different states, seeing people connect to the music feels surreal. We did a 10-day southeast tour last Spring. Every night was special.

LKLD: Will this be your first time playing the Ritz?

JM: About 20 years ago, Ian and I played a DIY show at the Ritz. There were parts of the theatre roped off with holes in the floor. It feels like a true homecoming to have the opportunity to perform at the Ritz Theatre. It will be a special night for all of us.

Spirit and the Cosmic Heart FB: Spirit and the Cosmic Heart IG @spiritandthecosmicheart Watch them live at the Ritz on August 27 at 8 pm Tickets: centralfloridatix.com