Amour Issue

Heart Technology

The gold standard in heart disease diagnostics at Baptist Medical Center Beaches

Get Lost!

Honeymoons for the adventurous Foodie Keith Rydh reviews

FIVE COASTAL RESTAURANTS WORTH STOPPING FOR

AMOR

A Wedding to Remember‌ Tuscan inspired romantically enchanted

Serving all Coastal Communities

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Tell me PUBLISHERS Melissa Intemann Amy Vizanko EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tracy Margol CREATIVE DIRECTOR Inger Williamson GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amy Olivieri CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tracy Margol Dr. Ruple Galani, MD Ruffin Beckwith Stacey L. Myers, BS, JD Tracy L. Johnson, MA, LMHC Cara Murphy Sonia Thomasino Keith Rydh, CEO of FoodiesUSA Melissa Intemann Inger Williamson Laura Bushey Alexandria Klempf CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Dunlop Photography EDITORIAL PHOTOGRAPHER Tiger Gomez Ponte Vedra Life (PVL) is a complimentary magazine serving coastal communities throughout Northeast Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. PVL is distributed to most local boutiques, businesses and department stores. Can’t find us? Subscriptions are available for $24/ year or $40/2 years. Please call 904.222.8938 for more information. Like us in print?

Then, “LIKE” us on PVL Coastal too! www.facebook.com/pvlcoastal Copyright 2014 Ponte Vedra Life, a product of KTTS Media Group LLC, is published bimonthly.

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher. Neither the publisher nor the advertisers will be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine. Ponte Vedra Life makes no representation or warrant of any kind for the accuracy of content. All advertisements are assumed by the publisher to be correct.

Publishers’ Letter 3, 2, 1…Happy New Year!

While many of us are fulfilling our gridiron workouts, starting new diets, plotting detailed business goals and other 2014 resolutions (or attempted and have already quit), Amy and I know for certain that our team at Ponte Vedra Life rang in the new year with excitement and a powerful sense of rejuvenation. We know that every new year brings with it a fresh set of challenges, goals and most importantly, opportunities. So with that we have a plethora of wonderful stories planned for this year. And as always, with each issue, they are created with LOVE. A new year, a new start and what better way to kick it off than with LOVE? With the most notable holiday in February being Valentine’s Day and it being designated as Heart Disease Month, this issue is all about LOVE and the HEART, from the food and drink we love, the art and love of giving, places we would love to see, the meaning of love and how to embrace activity and foods that lead to a healthier heart. Which leads to…

A tad more love, PVL teamed up with Love A Bridal Boutique, located in Jacksonville Beach for a bridal gown giveaway! The contest, “All you need is love” is for all of you who have recently said “YES!” To enter the contest, share with us your LOVE story and how you became engaged, in 500 words or less, to: info@ pontevedralife.com. Deadline to

enter is February 7th. Love Bridal will announce the winner on February 14th…Valentine’s Day! Be sure to like their page on Facebook (facebook. com/lovebridalboutique) and check to see if you won the wedding gown of your dreams! Look for the contest “ad” in this issue for more info and good luck!

We sincerely hope you find ways to give new meaning to the month of February, and make Valentine’s Day a special day to acknowledge love. Whether it’s a spouse, partner, relative, good friend, neighbor or someone who’s seemingly alone, let your heart reach out to them. Remind anyone and everyone that someone cares – that they’re important and loved.

Do you like what you see, have feedback or story ideas for the PVL team? If so, we would LOVE to hear from you! Please email us at info@ pontevedralife.com. We value your continued interest and enthusiasm and look forward to producing many gratifying issues in 2014.

May it be a year filled with doing things with and from the heart… and always with love.

Kisses To The Sky,

Mel & Amy

Mel Intemann & Amy Vizanko Ponte Vedra Life

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Contents AMOR ISSUE

HEALTHY DOSE

TEXTILES DOSSIER

14 RX: Baptist Medical Center Beaches’ gold standard in diagnosing heart disease. Get in the know 18 HEARTBEAT: Sound advice for couples in love 22 NUTRITION The many benefits of cocoa and vanilla beans

38 FASHION: Editorial Fashion Shoot: Cristina Barcelona. Tiger Gomez behind the lens 56 ICE: Diamonds and other timeless gems at S.E. Joseph Jewelers 60 I DO: A wedding to remember… the Purcell-Bishop union

HOUSE OF HEARTS

SAVOR, SEE AND SOUND

26 GIVE: Brides Across America. Helping military men and women find love 30 NOTEWORTHY: Fall in love all over again… Vintage love letters from hopeless romantics

68 EATS: Five favorite coastal restaurants 72 SIP: Champagne. Love potions from our most talented tenders 78 CARA-BOUT-IT: For the love of Alley Cakes 80 ESCAPE: Go abroad and beyond.

Honeymoons for the adventurous

ALLURE

CoVeR

48 MEMOIRS: A single girl reveals her dating diary 52 CHEMISTRY: Dr. Eric and Christine Weiss unveil their formula for love

COASTAL A-LIST 36 Smiles of Hope. One young girl’s dream comes true 78 Holiday Release Party. Benefiting Smiles of Hope and Wolfson Children’s Hospital

Photographer: Tiger Gomez Creative Director: Inger Williamson Wardrobe Stylist: Melissa Intemann Hair Artist: Chuck Putman Makeup Artist: Carrie Wilson

Model: Yoanna House Wardrobe and Accessories: Gwen Berlin Boutique :: Embroidered Blouse, Love Sam :: $145, Black Leather Shorts, Amanda Uprichard :: $264.

rX

The Gold Standard to Diagnose Heart Disease:

A Left Heart Catheterization

by Dr. Ruple Galani, MD

C

oronary artery disease, blocked heart arteries, is the number one cause of death in the United States. The only way to know if you have a blocked heart artery is to undergo a left heart catheterization.

The first left heart catheterization was done by Dr. Mason Sones in 1958. Subsequently, in 1974, Dr. Andreas Gruentzig performed the first angioplasty to open a blocked heart artery. Since then, cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, and stenting of a blocked heart artery have become everyday occurrences.

At Baptist Medical Center Beaches, the Rackley Center for Cardiac and Interventional Radiology opened on April 15, 2013. This state-of-the-art catheterization laboratory has done over 288 left heart catheterizations since its opening.

Who Needs a Heart Catheterization?

Patients who are having a heart attack make up the largest group of people who need to have a heart catheterization. Other indications for the procedure include an abnormal stress test, chest pain with activity, prior to open heart surgery to fix a heart valve, and in some cases patients who are at high risk for heart disease that present with unusual symptoms.

How is Cardiac Catheterization Performed?

Equipment: A cardiac catheterization is done in a special room in the hospital. The room has a long flat table upon which the patient is placed. At the head of the table, there is a special X-ray machine, called a fluoroscope that helps takes an X-ray “movie� of the heart arteries. IV dye, also known as contrast, is injected through a catheter, a small soft hollow tube that is placed at the opening of the heart artery. The IV dye helps see the blood flow or blockage in the heart arteries.

Cardiac Catheterization Team: A cardiologist, heart doctor, is specially trained to perform heart catheterizations. Other key team members include Ponte Vedra Life

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specially trained nurses and radiation technologists. Together, the cardiac catheterization team ensures comfort and safety of the patient.

Sedation: Full anesthesia is not needed for a heart catheterization. Medicines called versed and fentanyl are given by the catheterization lab nurse through an IV to help relax a patient. Possible discomfort at the access site is lessened with Lidocaine injected just under the skin.

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a special IV called a sheath is inserted into an artery. In the United States, nearly 90 percent of access is done through the femoral artery in the leg. The biggest advantage of this artery is its large size. However, for the patient, there can be major disadvantages such has bleeding, lying flat for up to four to six hours after the procedure, pain and bruising.

An alternative access site from the radial artery in the wrist is becoming more popular. This technique is now available at Baptist Medical Center Beaches.

Advantages for using the radial

artery benefit the patient. There is less bleeding, less pain, faster post procedure recovery time and, in many studies, improved patient outcomes and satisfaction. The biggest disadvantage is the small size of the artery that makes it slightly harder to access and poses some technical challenges for the cardiologist.

The decision to use the femoral or radial artery is specific to each patient and the cardiologist performing the procedure.

What if I have a Blocked Artery?

A blocked artery of 70 percent or greater is considered significant.

The artery is usually opened with balloon angioplasty and then inserting a small metal object called a stent. In some patients, there are too many blocked arteries or blockages in locations that are

unsafe to stent, so a heart surgeon is called to discuss heart bypass surgery. Currently, patients with a blocked artery who need a stent or a bypass are transferred to Baptist Jacksonville (Downtown). In the future, Baptist Medical Center Beaches is looking to offer cardiac stent procedures.

Recovery Time: If a patient needs a stent for a blocked artery, he or she is monitored overnight in the hospital. If there is no need for a stent or bypass surgery, a patient can go home the same day. Most patients can go back to full activity in a week. • Ruple Galani, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist who will be preforming diagnostic heart catheterizations at the Rackley Center for Cardiac and Interventional Radiology. He performs left heart catheterizations from both the radial and femoral arteries.

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HeArtBeAt

e v o L g n i Mak

Last Sound advice for any relationship

by Stacey L. Myers, BS, JD and Tracy L. Johnston, MA, LMHC

And they lived happily ever after, walking wrinkled hand in

wrinkled hand into the sunset. Have you ever wondered if there may be a secret to achieving a long-lasting marriage or relationship? Although more than 50 percent of all first marriages end in divorce, approximately 70 percent of people expect to be with their mates for the rest of their lives. So how can you achieve your own happily ever after? The answer is not complicated; couples who are in long-lasting relationships are hard workers. Marital or romantic love can endure if the couple is willing to work hard. Sometimes couples confuse romantic love, which can last, with passionate or obsessive love, which fades after the beginning of a relationship.

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According to John W. Jacobs, M.D. who states in his book “All You Need is Love and Other Lies about Marriage,” “expectations of marriage are often so unrealistic that even the strongest of relationships [sometimes] doesn’t stand a chance.” One of the most important characteristics noted in long-lasting relationships is a realistic expectation of marriage.

Couples who have realistic expectations are alert for, understand and recognize the potentially relationship-destroying issues and stressors of sex, money, children, inlaws and life in general.

Resolving Conflict

Conflicts are inevitable in any relationship. Couples who really care about preserving their relationship have learned to successfully resolve conflicts. It is commonly believed by many couples that low levels of marital conflict equate with happiness and marital health.

However in actuality, we grow and strengthen relationships by learning to successfully reconcile our differences. By learning to resolve differences and forgive, we become more loving people, and thus can genuinely experience the joys of marriage and family.

Everyone has the ability to be more loving, thoughtful, and considerate.

Unfortunately, unresolved conflicts get in the way of achieving a longlasting relationship. Using couplefocused words such as “we,” “us,” or “our” during relationship conflicts helps us to lower our tendency to use negative expressions of anger, as well as to reduce the level of stress

hormones in our body, which often increases during conflicts. It takes courage, or the ongoing willingness to address significant concerns, differences and dissatisfactions to build the foundations for long-lasting relationships.

In any relationship conflict, you can choose to get angry with your partner or avoid the conflict altogether. When you are trying to decide whether to get angry or avoid the conflict, it is important to remember that for every negative experience you have with your partner, you will need to have five positive experiences to outweigh the negative effects on your relationship. Interestingly, as we get older, we give less importance to being right or getting the last word in an argument. In the beginning of our relationships, everything seems to matter, but as the relationship matures, long-lasting couples just let things go. Or, they have developed a sense of humor about each other’s annoying habits, these couples have learned to laugh instead of argue about insignificant issues. Another positive relationship characteristic of couples in long-lasting relationships is that they have learned when to deal with a situation/issue, and when to avoid the conflict. These couples have learned if the issue really does not matter, or discussing the issue will really not make a difference, often the best solution is avoidance.

Showing Gratitude

Another positive relationship characteristic that these couples have learned is gratitude. The Ponte Vedra Life

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Long-lasting couples make romance and

intimacy

a relationship priority. phrase “thank you” contains two of the most powerful words in any relationship. It is important to remember to show gratitude and appreciation to your partner for their contribution to the relationship. Although we might think that our partner knows that we recognize and appreciate their contributions to the relationship, they will not really know how much we appreciate all that they do for us unless we tell them. When your partner feels appreciated, they feel more marital satisfaction.

Maintaining Intimacy

Long-lasting couples make romance and intimacy a relationship priority. It is easy for a couple to get caught up in the chores and responsibilities of daily living, so make it a priority to invite your partner on a weekly “date” to get re-connected and have fun.

Couples who stay together in long-lasting relationships tend to want to spend time together, and have fun together. Also remember that although physical intimacy is important, do not to make it a

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chore. If physical intimacy becomes a chore, then it is just another responsibility. For marital happiness it does not matter if you and your partner are having sex several times a week, several times a month, or several times a year as long as you are both happy with your level of physical intimacy. What is important is that all forms of marital intimacy are associated with a decrease in stress hormones and an increase in marital satisfaction and happiness.

If you are married, in a relationship or considering marriage and would like to maintain a loving, and supportive relationship, commit right now to work hard at listening, learning, adapting, growing, forgiving and laughing. • Advice given by Family Matters is not intended to replace legal or counseling advice. Individuals should always contact a licensed professional for individual advice.

Stacey L. Myers, BS, JD and Tracy L. Johnston, MA, LMHC Family Matters, providing Advice, Guidance and Education for Families 2233 Park Ave., #302, Orange Park, FL (904) 269-3522 • www.familymatters.co/

nutrition

The

Sweet Benefits of

Chocolate

I

and Vanilla

used vanilla t might

by Laura Bushey come as beans to flavor a surprise chocolate drinks just how many centuries ago, long before Starbucks became different health benefits a household name. are offered by these simple The chief beneficial nonyet decadent foods. The nutritive disease preventing evidence increasingly shows phytochemical found in vanilla dark chocolate and vanilla can be beans comes from a class of powerful tools in the prevention of phenols called vanillin. Vanillin, chronic and debilitating conditions protects the body’s cells from free like heart disease and cancer. So, radical damage. Excess free radicals treating yourself to a small amount may cause diseases, including every day may be just what the cancer. Vanillin boasts antioxidant doctor benefits as well as anti-bacterial, ordered. anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial Vanilla properties.

Vanilla beans are one of Vanilla beans are often used to the most make vanilla extract, baths and teas expensive, and are known to help relieve pain, non-pungent aches, stress, anxiety, depression, spices (second to saffron) used as gas, fatigue, vomiting and nausea. a flavoring agent in a wide variety Vanilla extract may also be used as of drinks and confectionaries. a natural astringent to cleanse skin The fragrantly rich beans have a due to its antioxidant and antiseptic peapod-like shell that contains properties. Imitation extracts can be small, black seeds containing the found, but do not always retain the spice’s medicinal properties. Mayans same chemical compounds.

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Chocolate

Chocolate comes from a tropical plant called the Theobroma cacao tree. The tree produces large cacao pods, which grow from the limbs and trunk of the tree. The beans grow inside the pods. Upon harvesting, the beans go through a fermenting and drying process. They are then cleaned, roasted and the shell is removed to produce what we know of as “cocoa.”

A 2012 study in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension found that regular consumption of cocoa flavanols might be effective in improving cognitive function in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

It’s also possible that flavonoids found in chocolate may decrease concentrations of bad cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.

Flavonoids, appear to be protective against cardiovascular disease through antioxidant, anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory properties by increasing blood flow. To match the study you’d need to consume roughly 3.5-ounces of chocolate with at least 70-percent-cocoa. A 2011 Swedish study reported that moderate chocolate consumption may lower the risk of stroke.

If you’re a fan of the sweet stuff, you’re probably jumping for joy by now! All chocolate is not created equal, however. The more chocolate is processed through fermentation, alkalizing, roasting, etc., the more flavanols are lost. The most flavanolrich options are usually dark and

bitter, like cocoa powder and baking chocolate. Before you reach for that Hershey’s bar, understand that manufacturers may add in hydrogenated oils, extra sugar and other unnecessary ingredients to make it taste better.

TRY THESE BARS INSTEAD: Chocolove XOXOX Extra Strong Dark – 77% Cacao Green and Black’s Dark – 85% Cacao Dagoba Eclipse – 87% Cacao Scharffen Berger Extra Dark – 82% Cacao Lake Champlain, Fair Trade organic Dark - 55% Cacao

This sweet news also comes with a dose of moderation attached to it. Realizing chocolate’s benefits doesn’t mean you should skimp on fruits and vegetables. Nor should you consume all the chocolate your heart desires – but feel free to enjoy the chocolate your heart needs! • Laura Bushey is a health educator and personal holistic chef. Her company Kitchen of Life, provides a hands-on approach to transitioning individuals and families to the joys of eating and living healthier. Contact Laura at 904-885-0966 or check her out at www.kitchenoflife.com Ponte Vedra Life

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GiVe

FORGET

Did you recently say “YES” or “I DO?” If so, read on…

Brides Across America (BAA), headquartered in Boston, was founded by Heidi Janson in 2008. The inspiration behind the organization came to life when Heidi read a story about a male soldier in Afghanistan who felt as though Americans had forgotten about them. Heidi, who has been in the wedding industry for over 25 years and had grown up in the bridal industry, thought it was the perfect opportunity to use what she knew to make a difference. This left Heidi wanting to do something… wanting to say thank you for their service. So she came up with the idea of Brides Across America, a means to provide wedding gowns to service men and women. “A wedding is something everyone loves and to give away gowns to support our troops, just made perfect sense! It’s a challenge for military couples to plan their big

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day, as there are many deployments, economic factors and unfortunately, injuries,” said Heidi. “This was going to be my gift to them, to say thank you for their service and sacrifice.”

She went on to say, “Doing what I love and helping someone else was a great feeling.” And at that very moment…. Brides Across America was born, on the realization that our country needs to do more to support our troops and their families.

BAA was primarily founded to serve military men and women, however, last April, they opened their doors to first responders during the Boston Marathon bombing: The National Guard, fire departments, EMTs, police departments, any and all first responders who were on the scene to help the victims of the bombings. And of course, any victim from the tragic event who needed a gown was provided one as well.

“Since we are a Boston based nonprofit, and this event hit home and is in OUR backyard, we wanted to help those who put their life on the line to save others,” said Heidi.

All donated gowns are received from all around the country and are provided by individuals, bridal salon/atelier owners and bridal gown designers. Gowns donated to BAA must meet certain criterion.

BAA only collects gowns in new or

couples, so only the best of the best is accepted! Along with wedding gowns, BAA also accepts monetary gifts, as they are a national nonprofit registered 501c3 organization, so your gift is tax deductible. Along with gowns and monetary gifts, they also accept veils, tiaras and all other bridal accessories (excluding petticoats). If you are cleaning out your closet or know of a family member or friend who would like to donate a wedding gown, BAA,

ME KNOT

by Mel Intemann

almost new condition that are five years old or less, as they want to roll out the red carpet for these military

has made it quite simple. Visit their website and download the form under the “Donation” tab. Once the form is filled out and submitted, the BAA team reviews them to ensure they are able to place each gown to a military bride. If your gown makes the cut, they will ask you to simply prepare it for shipping. In order to do this, they ask that you remove your items from any drycleaners storage boxes and select a carton just large enough to accommodate the gown and accessories. Mel Side note: Since freight companies calculate shipping costs by weight and box dimensions, these simple steps will save you between $12 and $15 in unnecessary shipping expenses.

Don’t have a gown, but would like to donate a monetary gift?

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interested in making an event out of this, and can perhaps get a bridal designer on board as well, what a wonderful evening that could be – making a difference for a military bride and making their special day SPECTACULAR.

$50 will provide a veil $100 will provide a tiara $250 will provide a gown $500 will dress the bride from head to toe.

Are you a military bride looking for a gown?

Here’s the scoop, you must preregister for an event on the BAA website, then simply go to a participating bridal salon in your area and select a gown. Each participating salon has a selected amount of gowns from which to choose and gives each bride that special treatment. Trying on your very first wedding gown is an experience you will never forget… I know I remember that day vividly.

I, of course, left this interview wanting to do more. So I asked what a local bridal salon in any coastal community could do to participate in collecting wedding gowns.

Heidi informed me that any bridal salon can host a “Giveaway” event at their venue and that they are ALWAYS looking for bridal salons to host these events. BAA holds their “Giveaway” events twice a year in July and November. If you know a bridal salon owner who is

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Why BAA does this: Just recently, BAA helped a couple from North Carolina with a gown, however, the couple’s very own community stepped in and not only helped plan their special day, but also helped pay for it. A few weeks prior, the couple had learned that the soon-to-be groom was going to be deployed back to Afghanistan on Christmas Day 2013! With this news, the BAA team had a very short timeframe to organize her gown search with one of their participating salons and the wedding went off without a hitch – a day Heidi said she will never forget.

If you would like to donate a gown to BAA, remember that their mission is to bring bridal and military together to ensure a “marriage made in heaven.” What better way to honor our heroes who work for us every day on the front lines to protect our country, while fulfilling your spirit!

www.bridesacrossamerica.com 877-650-3309

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noteWortHY

Vintage Love Letters fall in love again…

W

hen it comes to Valentine’s Day, there’s nothing better than the nostalgia of a good old fashioned handwritten love letter. We collected a few from friends and family to share with our hopeless romantic readers. Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!

September 17, 1941 ( from Brooklyn, NY ) To: Hannah Blattner in Jacksonville, FL

Hey Sweetheart: I came home from the dentist a few minutes ago, found your letter on the table. Have only one more filling and then to pull out that one tooth, wait and then put in a tooth.

So there, see trying to do what you want me to. Happy to hear that you’re fixing yours. Do you know “honey” when I get a letter from you, I feel all over good! Don’t you? About our plans as I said before I would like to get a job in Jacksonville and stay there and so with God’s help I hope to. Everyone all right and how is everything love?

Hope it is ok. Pauline is here, was glad to see her, she sends her love to you and wishes us all the happiness a person should want. Sorry you could not meet her. You will some day. Tell Max and his wife thanks for the invitation, will try and keep it. Honey I wish I could write you more but I really don’t know what. So excuse me Dear.

Wrote you a few letters this week, I hope you received them.

That’s all so write soon, can’t wait. Regards to all.

Yours with love, Ben 30 |

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November 24, 1941 ( from Brooklyn, NY ) To: Hannah Blattner in Jacksonville, FL

Hello Dear, Went to work this morning and had to turn back. On the way I saw the mailman and he gave me your letters. I was very happy to read it. So you were thrilled to hear my voice well so was I to hear yours. It sounded so sweet over the phone but I really did not believe it was you. Wish I was in Jacksonville to call you up like I used to and you scolding me like you used to do because it was business hours. You say in your last letter that you have a lot of nerve writing what you did well keep on writing the way you do, I like it.

Hannah Dear, I wish I was there with you. Mom says I am sick or something, she feels and knows something is wrong with me. If you only knew. Every time I look at your picture I am conscious of the fact that I miss you so. Saturday I went to the movies with some friends and could not sit through the picture. They also think something is wrong and they are right about what they are thinking, they never saw me in such a condition. After all you are the sweetest bit of poison that ever got into a man’s heart. I miss you so much that you don’t have to worry about behaving yourself, I am. I hope and pray that I will in the near future come to Jacksonville and be able to stay and of course it is up to you to tell me. I cannot hold you because you did not promise me anything but I hope it will come to that in the way I am thinking. So you had a lump in your throat well how do you think I feel? Let me tell you something “Dear,” I did not think I had it in me to write, so I sure am surprised myself as well as you are.

About my foot, I went to the doctor and he said I had a cracked shin bone and to stay off it as much as I could. He strapped it and told me to stay home but how can I? You are my only concern now. I will try tomorrow again, that is Tuesday, and hope I can work. Please let me know if you received my letter and what I sent you.

Sending you a few coins some Chinese, Colleen gave me. That was on the ship I was working on Thursday and Friday when I called you up. They are leaving for England this week with English cargo and when the ship sails with the tide I hope they get across safely but who knows, I sure pity them. That’s all for now so please let me know as soon as you get this letter and how things are.

Keep on sending me the clippings. Tell Betty to give you a hug and kiss for me and make believe it is me. Regards to the family and the girls.

Yours as Ever, Ben P.S. Write me this week a long letter about yourself.

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November 17, 1966 ( Houghton, MI ) To: Barbara Phillips in Menomonie, WI

Dear Barb, I have time for a short note here before I have to head down to the kitchen to work. It sure was wonderful to talk with you Tuesday night. I really had a wonderful feeing when I got off the phone. I hope you did too. We can talk over your thoughts on J.C. next semester during Thanksgiving. I’m really looking forward to seeing you then. I miss you so much. I keep thinking about all the fun I had Sunday running around at Black River with you. Let’s do that more often – Lets get married! I’m going to hold you to that Dec. 31 during Christmas vacation you know. This year!!!

I spent about two hours last night fixing up that present for you, Marilyn and Jane. I hope all of you take it in the right way. I challenge you to come up with something better.

I scheduled today. I have a Saturday class again. I’m not too happy about that, but it is a one section course. I had no choice. I sure hope that you didn’t get sick this week.

That’s all your grades would need is for you to be sick for a week. You better not be sick when you get home Wednesday.

Barb, you sounded like an awfully confused little girl on the phone the other night. I was trying hard to come up with some quick answers, but that’s so hard over the phone. You see, I’m a bit confused myself. On the surface, I want very much for you to go to J.C. next term, I want you to be close enough to me so that I can see you every weekend. But I still want you to go to Stout too. I want you to try and graduate from Stout. I’m sure there will be some way we could work it out even though we would be married. But I think you’re not sure whether or not you even want to go on to school. Maybe if you did go to J.C. for a semester and got away from that place for a while, you might be able to find out for sure.

Who knows, you might even decide that you want to be my full time wife. This idea I would not mind at all.

I just read over what I wrote, and it is probably just helping to confuse you more. Let’s not worry about it hon. I’m sure we’ll settle it during Thanksgiving.

I can tell you one thing Barb, and this is the last I’m going to say about it until I go through with it. I’m going to put an engagement ring on your finger before I graduate. I mean that very much because I love you very much.

I Love you Barb, Me Loves You-You Love Me Love Me you Loving You, Chris

April 18, 1967 ( Houghton, MI ) To: Barbara Phillips in Menomonie, WI

Dear Barb, It’s 2:30 Wednesday morning - I don’t feel like sleeping – since all I’ve been thinking about is you – I thought I’d write.

When you get this you’ll be getting ready to go to LaCrosse (I hope). I just can’t wait to see you babe, Oh I love you so Much. It’s amazing how someone can completely take over a persons mind and all you can think about is that special someone. I Love You Babe.

I Like the idea of you staying here Monday and Tuesday the week after we’re married. I think that Ill drive you back Tuesday night and just stay there the rest of the week. Now! Don’t argue with me because this term has been so easy that I haven’t done a damn thing yet. I’ve only got homework in One course. It’s terrible, all I do is sit around and think about you.

I have a lot to say, but I don’t know if I should say it now or when I see you tonight.

I’m going to bed – remind me to tell you about what I was going to tell you in the letter but I didn’t because I So wanted to tell you tonight.

I Love You, Chris (Hubby)

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April 24, 1967 (Houghton, MI)

To: Barbara Phillips in Menomonie, WI

Dear My favorite Honey Bunny,

I just talked with Bob Green on the phone and told him I was going to work for them.

That’s the Electronic Machine Mfg. Company. He sounded awful enthused and pleased with the decision.

I told him that I would start work on the 19th. He said that was ok. I wanted to take off a week babe. I think I deserve it anyway, we can just take off and go somewhere that week! Maybe to Montreal for the Fair! How does that sound? Anyway, I also told him that we were getting married on the 6th of May and that we would be in Minneapolis that following Friday and Saturday to look for a place to stay. He is going to get some leads on places for us to look at that weekend. He is also going to pay us 10 cents a mile for transportation that weekend. That should also take care of the motel room for those two nights. Anyway, I can’t wait babe!!!

I Love You So Much – Chris

>> A love letter from Henry Flagler to his third wife, Mary Lily Kenan; he was 80.

Letter courtesy of the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum

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August 14th, 1957 (Army Base 40 miles from Seoul Korea) To: Barbara Haines in Keyser, West Virginia

Hello Barbara, Received your wonderful letter. I was very glad to hear from you and would like very much for you to write more often. Barbie, you are certainly right, two weeks is too long for me to wait for a letter from such a lovely girl. I even forgot for awhile that I’m in Korea.

Barb, I would like to be your photographer. That is one of my hobbies. I just purchased a new Argus C-3, 33mm camera. Am planning to take some colored pictures and have them developed into slides. The Service Club here sponsors camera tours once a week.

It has been so hot here. Wish there was a place to go swimming. Seoul is the closest place for us to get in the water. That is forty miles from here. While home, I used to swim almost every evening. Am glad that you like the water. Maybe, we can go swimming together this time next year. That is, if you want to, honey. Hope you don’t mind my calling you honey, already. I feel as if I’ve known you for a long time, Barb; and I don’t have anyone else to call “honey.” If you don’t think I should, just let me know.

Barb, I like to read poems and have one in a book here that I am sending to you. The name is : “Never away” Whenever I must leave you, dear… Wherever I may go… you are forever in my heart… and every dream I know… you are as much beside me as… the winds that touch my cheek… and in each sound around me, dear… I seem to hear you speak.. Ok, it’s not like seeing you… and holding you to me… nothing could ever take the place… of your reality…

No other sound could be your voice… No other touch your hand… as only you must know my dear… and truly understand… But loving you as deeply and completely as I do…

However far away, I still… am not away from you.

Barb, how do you like the Ford, by now. Sounds like a nice automobile. Take good care of it and the car will last you a long time. So you have been called “Hotrod” already.

What will they call you at 50 mph or above?

I am sending a picture taken while writing a letter. I sleep on the bunk directly above my head. As you see, we don’t have many facilities here, don’t even have a desk or table on which to write. After being in the Army, one learns to appreciate more, the things he has at home.

Barb, I have ten months and twenty-five days to serve in the Army and approximately nine more months in Korea. Your nice letters certainly help me to enjoy my stay here. I don’t feel lonely anymore. May our future be bright.

Take the best care of yourself, Barbie. I will do the same.

Sincerely, Glenn Ponte Vedra Life

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coAStAL A-LiSt

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SMILES OF HOPE I have known Melissa Intemann since I was 3 years old and have always known that I wanted to be just like her. I have been lucky enough to go on photo shoots with her, sometimes just to watch, but sometimes she actually put me to work. Exploring her closet and sharing her jewelry is one of my favorite things to do. She has always encouraged my love of fashion, but most importantly she has taught me the importance of giving back. It started out that I just wanted to go to the hospital to paint little girls fingernails but that grew into 'Smiles of Hope'. Through all of your generosity, we were able to put more than a smile on hundreds of children s faces over the holidays. With your help, we collected over a hundred toys and almost $1000 that went directly to the children at Wolfson s Children s Hospital, here in Jacksonville Florida. My friends, Shealyn Cunningham, Addie Sutton, and Madison Hamby and I are grateful for this experience and look forward to watching this grow year after year. Thank you to PVL, Mel, and all of you for bringing so many 'Smiles of Hope' !!

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Paris V Neck Black Dress, Ramy Brook :: LulaMae Boutique $395

Cristina Barcelona Photography by: Tiger Gomez

Strapless Print Maxi Dress, Alice & Trixie :: Gwen Berlin $400

Black & White Print Dress, Love Sam :: LulaMae Boutique $175

White Gauze Shirt, JVL Los Angeles :: LulaMae Boutique $112 Print Shorts, Gypsy 05 :: Gwen Berlin $88 Leather Bracelets, Chan Luu :: Gwen Berlin $164 Rings :: LulaMae Boutique $40

Embroidered Blouse, Love Sam :: Gwen Berlin $145 Black Leather Shorts, Amanda Uprichard:: Gwen Berlin $264

Black & White Print Dress, Love Sam :: LulaMae Boutique $175

White Skirt, Esley :: Blush Boutique $39.99

Photographer: Tiger Gomez Creative Director: Inger Williamson Wardrobe Stylist: Melissa Intemann Hair Artist: Chuck Putman Makeup Artist: Carrie Wilson Models: Yoanna House and Jason Hoover Location: Cellar 6 and Columbia Restaurant, St Augustine Wardrobe: Gwen Berlin, Blush Boutique and LuLaMae Boutique Special thanks to Cellar 6 and Columbia Restaurant for providing space for our creative team.

MeMoirS

Diary of a

Serial Dater

L

ong before online dating

was accepted by the majority, I was immersed in its world. My only fear was that it would become a merry-go-round of both delight and misery and I would never be satisfied with the horse I got, as there always seemed to be a better one ahead of me.

I thought it odd that I so quickly found an attractive man with whom I seemed to have so much in common, in cyber space that is. We met in a hotel lobby where the heavy surveillance gave me a sense of security and it had a lovely restaurant where we could dine and get to know each other. This, obviously, was before I learned the hard lesson to “never give an online date more than 15 minutes for coffee because you usually know within the first 60 seconds whether or not you want to see him again.� At first glance, I was so taken aback by his matching acid washed denim jacket and pants that I

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;l

had forgotten his name so I just skated around it. Somehow the smile in his profile pictures did not reveal the teeth that so far protruded from his mouth that when he closed it, they were still halfway out. Teeth are the first thing I look at and while they don’t have to be perfect, they should remain inside the mouth when closed. After all this is America and the ubiquitous orthodontist can remedy just about anything. This Simpson-like character was engaging and delightful however, and I made the best of the two hour meal knowing I’d be unable to tell him in person that I was just not attracted to him. I simply let the cyberspace courtship wane in email after a week or so.

I preferred online dating to relying on the serendipity of meeting Mr. Right in person, and while I was not averse to the local scene, why cast your net in one tiny pond when you have access to every body of water on the planet?

One evening I thought serendipity was on my side when I saw a gentleman sitting on the other end of the bar who looked like the epitome of Mr. Right. My modern-day online dating habits are in stark contrast to my traditional in-person behavior, so I would never allow myself to initiate conversation with a man. A lady should sit like a lady and never look around the room, I thought. He was dressed like a banker in a dark suit with striking blue eyes and a full head of salt-and-pepper hair and I had the good fortune of receiving his card from the bartender who said, “the man across the bar wanted you to have this… and a drink on him.” I glanced over and smiled and later set up a date via email. We met a week later for a glass of wine and I learned that he was indeed a banker and he had little else to talk about. In fact, he had so little to say that I found keeping the conversation going was an arduous task and I waited for the opportunity to escape. Midway through the first glass of wine I was planning my exit, dreaming about getting in my car and speeding home to find something more interesting in my Netflix queue.

Four glasses of wine later (his fourth, my second) I had become so miserable I started to perspire in my new silk wrap dress. I gave him some “I must get home for…” excuse and politely thanked him. I guess he thought I was equally as boring because I never heard from him again.

I went through a plethora of these onedate wonders and some on-and-off again relationships too. I was enjoying dating a lovely gentleman in Atlanta who admiringly never took a sip of alcohol.

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dg sbnq qoi i q His 5:00 loopy-ness I soon discovered was due to the prescription pain killers he took every afternoon. I guess he was attempting to kill some sort of emotional pain to which I was not privy.

Another exclusive relationship ended when I inadvertently saw the gentleman perusing a dating site… but not the kind where you find love, it was the kind where you find lust, if you know what I mean. When I asked him why he had a profile on there, he said, “I have no idea how it got on there.”

I had spent far too much time with another man by the time I discovered he had road rage. It’s one thing to be in your own car and speed away from another person with road rage – it’s another to be in the car WITH him! The slightest thing would set him off and he once went so far as to get out of the car at a red light and scream at the person to get out of HIS car, wanting to physically fight with him. Needless to say I ran, and continued my search for a mature adult.

An attractive doctor from South America turned out to be another Mr. Wrong when after a year of dating him, a woman phoned me who was also dating him “exclusively.” I had always wondered why his cell phone was silent when we were together, even for an entire week, and if he sent a text he would tilt the phone away from me. I respected his privacy but his bizarre phone behavior was just not normal.

It seemed as if many local online profiles expressed a predilection for Harleys, fishing and NASCAR and while I myself have enjoyed these forms of amusement, they are not really my cup of tea. I resolved that there was no better place to extend my search for this “worldly/sophisticated” man than the city of Manhattan. I had no concern for the geography between us and I was oblivious to the fact that New York is a place that could swallow up a Southern girl before she ever had a chance to yell “taxi!”

ask df ;lk;lvn dq

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q12nbcm0 twe mmnb My self-imposed blind date with the intellectual-writer type was the most memorable. I knew in advance that I wouldn’t find him physically attractive but the nature of his email messages had me at the proper use of “you’re.” He was much taller in person and had a not-so-full head of super curly hair. A rounded nose held up his wire-rimmed glasses and his straight white teeth made for a delightful smile. As we sat in this dark, red velvety underground bar which seemed to be a meeting place for secret lovers, I asked myself, why am I here? Could I actually find the man of my dreams in this haystack of hedge fund managers, hipsters, artists and wannabe actors… and actually turn a long-distance relationship into a meaningful life? I couldn’t even begin to answer so I buried that question as deeply as I could resolving to enjoy the city and the moment and never ask “how.” We talked about Lehman Brothers, Mumbai, pirates and Marcus Samuelsson. I felt alive and important and I knew for certain that I could never be with him and I got this sinking feeling that he was thinking it was one of those all-night dates that ended after breakfast. So I awkwardly made it clear that it wouldn’t be. He then promptly excused himself for what I assumed was to use the restroom. I sat admiring the dimly lit speakeasy and suddenly realized he walked in the direction of the front door, not the restroom. Well this is sketchy, I thought. Should I sit like a proper Southern girl and wait to see if he returns or should I go after him and turn this into the quintessential Woody Allen-esque vignette?

I laid down enough cash to cover the drinks and scurried out the door.

There was a humid chill in the air and through the steam rising from the sidewalk manhole covers, I could see only strangers not tall enough to be him. I hurried around the corner and caught a glimpse of him in his black overcoat standing at the next block. He turned and looked at me as I threw my hands in the air in the most blatant New York gesture I could muster up. He turned slowly towards me and as I gazed at him among the haloed street lamps, I was almost certain I was filming a movie. He began walking towards me and I yelled, “what are you doing? You can’t just walk out!” I didn’t care in the least, I just wanted to see what would transpire.

My heart began racing as he walked closer, and in the most Bogart manner he placed his hand on my arm and whispered, “I just don’t think we should continue.” He kissed me lightly on the cheek and walked into the hazy glow of the city street and I never saw him again. He was a writer, no doubt, and also likely married.

So the search continues… I never lament over the disappointments. I just keep embracing my loneliness remaining busy and happy with what I enjoy, keeping my heart open to receiving love, knowing one day, someone will come along and want to be a part of it. •

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cHeMiStrY Advertorial

The Formula of Love

By Sonia Thomasino

L

ove and connectivity

have been an integral part of Ponte Vedra residents Dr. Eric Weiss and his wife Christine’s 30-year marriage.

Having met during a summer college break – Eric was a Davidson College chemistry major and Chris attended Florida State University – the two were kindred spirits from the start having similar views and values in love and life.

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Medical School, and after a series of cross country moves, the Weisses planted roots in Ponte Vedra to raise their family. Following his tenure as chief of Plastic Surgery at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Eric opened a thriving plastic surgery practice in Orange Park,

where he continues to operate today as a board-certified plastic surgeon. Now with grown children, a vacation home and a passion for traveling, one would think that this completes the story of the Weisses; but this studious couple has other plans for the next chapter of their lives.

Relationships grow and change over time, as does intimacy.

Eric and Chris embarked on a journey to enhance their relationship a couple of years ago. This journey has forever impacted their lives. After shopping the shelves from drug stores to high-end lingerie boutiques, Chris felt compelled to develop a product that filled a niche in the personal lubricant industry that not only served a purpose but added luxury to the experience. Eric was eager to re-visit his passion for chemistry, in which he earned his undergraduate degree, and produce a product to his wife’s specifications. The couple founded parent company, Love Alchemy, and consequently introduced its first product, Love Lotion, a physician-formulated, 100 percent organic elixir that delivers luxurious intimacy.

Love Lotion is a breakthrough product offering an all-natural, synthetic-free alternative to other silicone and water based lubricants. It has no harsh chemicals or preservatives. In

Christine and Dr. Eric Weiss

chemicals or preservatives. In addition to its beautiful cosmetic packaging, Love Lotion boasts a unique blend of plant oils with an attractive scent that acts as a natural aphrodisiac. The Weisses first shared the product with family and friends for trials and feedback. The response was overwhelming and with the support of their most trusted confidents, the couple went on to mass produce Love Lotion.

Having a medical background, Eric approached the task with others in mind, specifically his breast cancer patients.

Knowing the many challenges these survivors face daily, he identified the need of an allnatural intimacy lubricant to counteract the staggering side-effects that chemotherapy has on the body. “Breast cancer survivors are advised not to use traditional hormone therapy to help replace what they’ve lost during treatment. The estrogen levels can put a cancer survivor at risk,” said Dr. Weiss. “We’ve Ponte Vedra Life

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created a 100 percent organic product for these most deserving individuals,” added Dr. Weiss. The Weisses are now presenting their product to OBGYNs and breast cancer foundations across the country to help spread the word on this magnificent product.

Love Lotion has many benefits and uses. The main ingredients consist of coconut oil, shea butter and grape seed oil. It’s perfect as a sensuous massage oil, but can double as a treatment for dry skin and help reduce the appearance of scars. It is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-yeast, and safe to use with other intimate products. The product is a silky solid that quickly transforms to oil with body heat and absorbs into the skin completely in about thirty minutes, minimizing clean up.

Love Lotion’s alluring packaging was designed by Chris to change the way users coyly identify with a lubricant, making it discrete, luxe and gift-able. It makes the overall experience more romantic, playful

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and pleasurable. Once used, Love Lotion will prove to be a must have for both women and men.

By developing Love Lotion the Weiss’ have done what many deemed vital but impossible. They have successfully merged the organic (non-food) and personal product markets together for the first time - delivering a long lasting, nutrient rich intimacy enhancer. The potential for this product is staggering. Combined, these two industries represent $2.4 billion in annual sales in the U.S. alone.

Love Lotion sales efforts are currently expanding with the addition of a marketing team and online focus. Love Lotion can be purchased in two sizes, the deluxe 5oz jar with gift box for $60 and the travel 1.7 ounce jar with gift box for $26, online at www.LoveLotion.com and www. blushbox.com as well as high-end boutiques and spas such as Eleven Spa, LulaMae Boutique, and Frenchy’s Day Spa. The Weiss’s feel Love Lotion can serve as the ultimate in-room amenity at any of their favorite resorts as well as a key product for the medical community. It has been a labor of love to say the least for both Eric and Chris to see their creation come to fruition and offer this incredible product to those who can appreciate an extraordinary experience during the most intimate of encounters. •

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ice

by Alexandria Klempf

T

imeless and elegant, diamonds are among nature’s most precious and beautiful creations, and they’re also the hardest gem of all, made of just one element: carbon. Valued for their colorless nature and purity, most diamonds are primeval – over a billion years old – and form deep within the earth. They are the hardest material on earth, 58 times harder than anything else in nature, and can only be scratched with another diamond.

A diamond’s

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quality is typically evaluated according to four major characteristics: carat, cut, color and clarity. Experts rely on these characteristics, also known as the 4Cs, to objectively compare and grade diamonds. The 4C system was developed by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) back in the 1940s and ‘50s, and is now considered the global language of diamond quality.

The GIA is one of the world’s most respected authorities on diamonds, colored gemstones, and pearls. Since the slightest change in a diamond’s grading can significantly alter

than small diamonds.

The more scarce something is, the more it is worth, so a larger stone doesn’t just cost more, it also costs more per carat.

A 1-carat diamond weighs the same as four 0.25-carat diamonds. But even if all the other quality factors are equal, the larger diamond is worth much more than the sum of the four smaller diamonds. its value, understanding the 4Cs is key when choosing your diamond. The characteristics of one – carat, color, clarity, or cut – affects the others, which is why balancing each of the 4Cs is essential to finding the perfect diamond for your budget.

Large diamonds are more rare

Buying a diamond can be exhilarating, but choosing the right diamond can have its challenges if you’re not quite sure what to look for.

S.E. Joseph Jewelers makes it easy for you to find diamonds and an array of other gems and jewelry that fits both your

CLARITY Clarity grades assess the number, size, relief and position of inclusions and blemishes.

CUT Cut (proportions, symmetry and polish) is a measure of how a diamond’s facets interact with light.

COLOR The less color, the higher the grade. Even the slightest hint can make a dramatic difference in value.

CARAT WEIGHT Rarity means larger diamonds of the same quality are worth more per carat.

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budget and your personal style.

Their selection ranges from custom rings inspired by the art deco period, to elegant diamond earrings for formal occasions. They also carry hard to find brands like Meira T, a brand frequently worn by Heidi Klum, and exclusive lines that specialize in jewelry for men.

S.E. Joseph was founded over 35 years ago by Salem E. Joseph, better known as “Rocky” by his longtime customers. While on a school field trip to the Smithsonian museum in elementary school, Rocky was hypnotized by the Hope Diamond which birthed his passion for jewelry design and gemology. After completing GIA school, he opened his first office in Mandarin and has developed close relationships with his clients spanning over two generations.

S.E. Joseph Jewelers specializes in jewelry design, the restoration of estate pieces, and carrying high quality diamonds. Their careful attention to quality and stellar customer service has earned them a reputation as one of most prestigious jewelers in the city.

Finding a unique bauble for a loved one can be a challenge but

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at S.E. Joseph’s Jewelers, the shopping experience is tailored specifically to each customer.

Their reputation for carrying rare selections of estate jewelry gives customers access to oneof-a-kind pieces that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Emerald cocktail rings, diamond bracelets, and vintage engagement rings are just a few estate pieces currently available.

S.E. Joseph Jewelers has forged strong relationships with vendors from all over the world which allows them to acquire oneof-a-kind estate pieces before they are even released to the public. Recently, S.E. Joseph Jewelers acquired a rare Burmese ruby bracelet from the 1800s.

The bracelet is rose gold with diamonds flanking the exotic stone in a flower shape.

Whether you are shopping for a loved one or splurging on yourself this Valentine’s Day, stop by one of S.E. Joseph Jewelers’ two locations for an unforgettable shopping experience.

S.E. Joseph Jewelers (904) 249-7625 2425 3rd Street South Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250

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A Wedding i Do

to Remember

tuscan, minimal and simply amazing was the theme of our pick for wedding of the year - the union of Benham Purcell and Henry Bishop on november 3rd.

The courtyard of a friend’s Atlantic Beach home was the perfect setting. Five thousand hand-picked crème rose petals blanketed the aisle on which the couple walked, following their niece and nephew, the flower girl and ring-bearer. The bride, owner of Emly Benham, a local shoe, handbag and accessory boutique, carried an understated bouquet of Lily of the Valley, similar to Princess Kate’s. The meaning of this delicate flower is said to be “trustworthy” and represents the return of happiness.

Ceremony guests enjoyed champagne and hors d’oeuvres on the lawn before proceeding four blocks to the reception behind a four-piece New Orleans-style

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jazz band.

Glenn Certain Studios of Jacksonville, known for their accessible elegance, provided the flowers and unique décor. Twisted branches accented with greenery were used as an overhang to support glass orbs filled with tea lights, giving the tent a magical ambience. Under the stars, a transparent tent protected the 300 guests and housed a long, distressed wooden table lined with crème roses and contrasting translucent chairs.

Guests danced the night away and enjoyed an innovative menu provided by the bride’s best friend and maid of honor, Liz Grenamyer of Catering by Liz. >>>

The courtyard of a friend’s Atlantic Beach home was the perfect setting. Five thousand hand-picked crème rose petals blanketed the aisle on which the couple walked...

to have and to hold

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“We wanted everything to be very rustic and have a Tuscan feel... skewered lamb and shrimp with a variety of different dipping sauces and assorted olive oils and balsamic vinegars,� said Liz. An antipasto display with various meats, cheeses and breads embellished the food stations and provided an overall Tuscan atmosphere.

Catering by Liz: cateringbyliz.com (904) 387-1955 Glenn Certain Studio: glenncertain.com (904) 388-2001

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“We wanted everything to be very rustic & have a Tuscan feel...”

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Ceremony guests enjoyed champagne and hors d’oeuvres on the lawn before proceeding four blocks to the reception behind a four-piece New Orleans-style jazz band.

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The icing on the cake was actually a naked caramel-accented carrot cake without icing.

Twisted branches accented with greenery were used as an overhang to support glass orbs filled with tea lights, giving the translucent tent a magical ambience.

Deconstructed spanakopita with feta and baby spinach in phyllo cups were passed, and marinated lamb on rosemary skewers with sweet onion and grape tomatoes were a guest favorite.

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eAtS

Five Unique Southern Coastal Stops

to Casual Elegant Dining

by Keith Rydh, CEO of FoodiesUSA

W

hen setting off on a culinary journey, it’s best to simply start at zero.

So with that in mind, we begin our trip to discover five unique southern coastal stops to casual elegant dining at the most famous zero – and that of course is mile marker zero in Key West, Florida.

This southernmost point of the U.S. is home to many great restaurants and a terrific food and wine festival

Latitudes

that happens to be in January to lure many to the warm weather during the colder months.

Our first stop is a must-dine when in Key West – Latitudes, located on the private Weston Resort Sunset Key. Reservations are required along with proper attire as you will be chauffeured to the island on a floating taxi. There you will find 360 degrees of beautiful tropical island elegance, both inside at out, at the this AAA, 4-Diamond rated restaurant which is home to Latitudes 245 Front Street, Key West, FL 33040 (305) 292-5300

www.westinsunsetkeycottages.com/latitudes-restaurant Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunsetKey Twitter: twitter.com/SunsetKeyWestin

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Chef Todd Holender. Chef Todd takes advantage of serving fresh and local eats with a seasonal menu that surely doesn’t disappoint. Try the surf with a pan-seared snapper served with a citrus risotto, fresh vegetable alongside a tropical fruit relish and crispy plantain. Or go with the turf and enjoy a perfectly cooked Wagyu beef skirt with a roasted garlic potato puree, goat cheese and corn cake. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and a small plate menu are all provided along with an extensive champagne, wine and cigar list. Latitudes is certainly the crème de la crème of the Keys!

mashed potatoes, or saddle up with a huge 22 oz. cowboy cut fire roasted bone-in ribeye topped with fried oysters and tasso hollandaise sauce served with a southern classic buttermilk biscuit and bleu cheese bread pudding. Don’t judge this book by its cover until your meal arrives! Reservations are required as this is truly Tybee Island’s best kept dining secret.

Bringing our journey a little more inland, we keep the water theme alive with a unique rooftop stop, as

Sundae Café at Tybee 304 First Street, Tybee Island, GA 31328 (912) 768-7694 www.sundaecafe.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/sundaecafe Twitter: twitter.com/sundaecafe

Island hopping and heading north along A1A, our next featured location is just due east of Savannah at lovely Tybee Island. Here you will find southern-inspired dishes with a gourmet touch at the Sundae Cafe at Tybee. The creative cooks under owners A.J. Baker and Kevin Carpenter have a multitude of surprises on their fresh seafood menu in a casual yet romantic beach atmosphere. Dive into some innovative cuisine like crispy scored flounder with homemade sweet chili glaze, vegetable medley and garlic

Rocks on the Roof | Bohemian Hotel 102 West Bay Street, Savannah, GA 31401 (912) 721-3800 www.bohemianhotelsavannah.com/dining/

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a true foodie simply couldn’t ignore Savannah. Along vibrant River Street you will find the Bohemian Hotel’s Rocks on the River and Rocks on the Roof in Savannah’s historic riverfront district. From the gorgeous skyline views, Chef Zachary Martin will distract you with his culinary creations of American comfort with a Southern contemporary approach that has brought much recognition and rewards. For a taste of Chef Zachary’s New Orleans background, try the shrimp and grits. The shrimp are blackened to perfection resting on stone ground cheese grits,

FIG 232 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401 (843) 805-5900 www.eatatfig.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/FIGCharleston/238550352889308 Twitter: twitter.com/figrestaurant FoodiesUSA: www.foodiesusa.com/profile/FIGWestin

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andouille sausage accompanied by a creole sauce. Enjoy the views until late with the award winning wine selection or a signature cocktail with live entertainment at one of Savannah’s newest hot spots. Stop by and give Chef Zachary a try in November as Savannah cools from the Summer and hosts its own Food & Wine Festival.

Crossing another state border, heading north is another one of the South’s foodie hot spots...

Charleston, South Carolina. Here you will want to stop at a local neighborhood eatery in the heart of the downtown area named FIG. FIG stands for “food is good” in which they more than deliver, serving seasonal cuisine with a local and sustainable focus. Don’t let those trendy phrases fool you as Chef/partner Mike Lata impresses his guests with honest, straightforward tastes of the Low Country’s cuisine. And nothing says Low Country home cooking more than their Fish Stew in Cocotte. This is a perfect balance of local white

shrimp, squid, mussels, with fingerling potatoes mixed with an inspired seasoned rouille. If that doesn’t fill you up, the perfect ending would be a bite of FIG’s Pink Lady Apple Cobbler à la ginger ice cream and rum raisin.

You’ll thoroughly enjoy your meal in this retro diner meets elegant café setting with servers who know food and wine. Food is good and you’ll find FIG raises the Low Country bar. Early March may just be the perfect time to visit Charleston as that is when their annual Wine and Food Festival is in full swing.

Heading further north, and back towards the water, we go to find the freshest local seafood that North Carolina has to offer in New Berlin.

Where exactly might you go for fresh seafood? Down to the docks of course. That’s literally where you will find Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant. This elegant restaurant is located, right on a dock, atop the Neuse River. Drive on in or leave your boat nearby and join Executive Chef/owner Gerry Fong as he supports local farmers and fishermen in delivering playful, precise and tasty high quality delights. Sample some fusion with the wild caught mahi over rice noodles, squash, wild onion with a soy braised duck egg in a miso broth topped with crispy wontons or truly go local from the land with a roasted maple leaf duck with gingered green onion orzo, veggie egg roll, and finished with a spicy orange and apple drizzle. This casual elegant restaurant offers beautiful views from both inside and outside seats with an evolving

Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant 100 Pollack Street, New Bern, NC 28560 (252) 514-0033 www.persimmonsrestaurant.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/PersimmonsRestaurant/107271675964456 FoodiesUSA: www.foodiesusa.com/profile/ persimmonsrestaurant

menu dedicated to freshness with loyalty to the locals. A little out of the way maybe... but well worth it!

When fresh, local and seasonal meet the Southeastern coast, these five casual elegant stops deliver that extra touch of heart and soul and makes these locations worth paying a visit. Add a touch of relaxation with beautiful locations and scenery, and you too will want to keep your foodie thoughts in mind where you travel to next. Where would you like to eat next? • Ponte Vedra Life

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SiP

BRING ON THE

Bubbly

By Inger Williamson

sparkling champagne, many believe a British doctor named Christopher Merret recorded a recipe for a Champagne-style drink some 20 years before. The French story goes like this, from Smithsonian magazine:

No

need for an anniversary or serious soirée, the end of a hard work day is reason enough these days to enjoy a glass of sparkling wine or champagne. Hundreds of bubbles a second releasing the aroma of the grape somehow excites me and simultaneously calms the senses. But there’s more to that fizz than just a pleasant sensation.

Distinguished and noted for its exclusivity, champagne has always stood at the top, occupying a class of its own. While known as an ionic symbol for everything luxurious, romantic and celebratory, it’s no longer reserved for special occasions where the guest list consists of the prominent and affluent, it’s now frequently enjoyed by the everyday masses.

Though it is widely known that the French accidently discovered the first

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The monks of the Abbey of Hautvillers in Champagne, where high-altitude made it possible to grow top quality grapes, were already hard at work creating reds and whites. The cold temporarily halted fermentation, the process by which wine is made. When spring arrived with warmer temperatures, the budding spirits began to ferment again. This produced an excess of carbon dioxide inside wine bottles, giving the liquid inside a fizzy quality.

In 1668, the Catholic Church called upon a monk by the name of Dom Pierre Pérignon to finally control the situation. The rebellious wine was so fizzy that bottles kept exploding in the cellar, and Dom Pérignon was tasked with staving off a second round of fermentation.

At first, Dom Pérignon viewed this as a curse, referring to the new drink as ‘the devil’s wine’ – because one exploding bottle would often cause

another to blow up, occasionally shattering entire cellars of wine. But when the monk tasted the alcohol produced in bottles which didn’t explode, he started experimenting with grape varieties and realized it was a deliciously dry, fizzy drink by itself. Tastes changed starting with the Royal Court at Versailles and by the end of the 17th century, Dom Pérignon was asked to reverse everything he was doing and focus on making champagne even bubblier.

While champagne making is a three-century old art, some modern mixologists are inventing eclectic cocktails to bring a flavorful twist to the bubbly beverage.

On a recent excursion, I had the pleasure of fraternizing with celebrity top mixologist, Matthew R. Howard.

As I sit patiently waiting for his attention, I’m entertained as I watch him grind, muddle, squeeze and taste with such finesse, creating the most elegant and fresh cocktails. I bring myself out of my comfort zone

and instead of ordering a glass of my beloved Veuve Clicquot, I ask him to prepare “something good.” He smiles and asks for two ingredients.

I challenge him with watermelon and jalapeño, secretly hoping he’d surrender. But he crosses the finish line with the best tangy and spicy martini I have ever tasted. I continue my bar game and ask for something with champagne. He suggests “Let’s get Fizzical.” Disguised as a cocktail, this heavenly potion made me never want to reach the bottom of the stem and transformed me into a bubblycocktail aficionado. I was rewarded with the recipe (his personal favorite):

Let’s get Fizzical

½ oz. fresh passion fruit puree 1 cm root ginger (muddled) ¼ oz. elderflower cordial 4 oz. Veuve Clicquot (or your favorite champagne) 3-6 drops of bubblegum syrup The next time you’re obliged to a wine-down, come out of your sanctuary and order a champagne cocktail, exploring local eateries to discover a favorite concoction – there’s an entire world out there for us bubbly lovers.

Just as Columbus sailed west to discover what is now China, history is paved with millions of mistakes…but the champagne discovery is one we can all raise a glass to. Santé! • OVINTE:

Stoned Fizz

1.5 oz. OYO Stone fruit Vodka 0.5 oz. St. Germain Elderflower splash Simply Grapefruit [Ruffino] Prosecco Ponte Vedra Life

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coAStAL A-LiSt

HOLIDAY ISSUE RELEASE PARTY

cArA-Bout-it

of ove L

For the

by Cara Murphy

I

ALLEY

f you’ve been to a wedding or event in the past year, there is a good chance you’ve heard the name Alleycakes. From mouth watering cake pops to macaroons to creative cakes, Alison Webb, owner of Alleycakes Dessert Company does it all.

Formerly an online ordering company, Alleycakes is now a brick and mortar bakery! I could not be more thrilled to spread the love of Alleycakes so here’s a little interview with the girl behind the oven:

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CAKES!

C: What is the first thing you can remember that made you want to bake?

C: Tell me about the new bakery!

What are your hopes for what it will become?

A: Baking was something I loved to do before I started bartending for four and a half years; it made me happy! Simply buying the box and following directions was really fun for me. And then, one day, I just started playing!

A: It’s my fairy tale that has finally become a reality. I hope the community is so involved in the bakery because I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the people who have supported me along this journey. I want the bakery to brighten days. When someone receives a treat from Alleycakes, I want them to feel the love that went in to it. I want that small treat to make their day a little better and a little sweeter!

C: What was the defining moment that made you decide to make baking a career?

A: I started experimenting and baking things from scratch. I would take it to work and give treats to my coworkers and customers.

They always loved it and it would make my night! One day a friend approached me, asked me to bake desserts for her sister’s wedding and needless to say, it was a huge success. I booked two weddings as a result and have had events booked every weekend since. And thus, Alleycakes came to be!

Alleycakes Bakery is located at 1517 Atlantic Boulevard in Neptune Beach in the Tradewinds Plaza.

Expected to open in early February, Alleycakes Bakery will be the perfect place for your Super Bowl treats! So make sure to check out this awesome new bakery run by one hard working chick. Spread the love of Alleycakes! • Ponte Vedra Life

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eScAPe

Honeymoons

Adven for the

I was married once, at lunchtime in the St. Augustine

Courthouse with the judge’s assistant as a witness; my new wife and I were back at our desks working by early afternoon. But while I might not be the best person to recommend exotic honeymoon locations based on personal experience, about six months ago I returned from a one-year trip around

turous

by Ruffin Beckwith

the world and in the course of that journey encountered a number of places and opportunities that would make unique and unforgettable honeymoon getaways, and I’m pleased to have the chance to pass a few of them along.

(Please note that list does not include the parking lot in Berlin where we stood directly above the subterranean caverns in which Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun, on their honeymoon, vaporized in a burning pool of gasoline. In retrospect they might have preferred any of the following.) >>>

Tahiti and Easter Island

What could be more romantic than the South Pacific? Tahiti, surrounding islands like Bora Bora and Morrea and even some of the smaller French Polynesian destinations all offer secluded yet extremely comfortable accommodations for newlywed couples, with beautiful, clothingoptional beaches and a tropical climate. Most of the better hotels also include spas and the trendy overwater bungalows, which look very private and sexy; just make certain the drapes are closed in case the kayakers get curious.

I stayed for a few days at Le Meridien on Tahiti, about 20 minutes from the Papeete airport, and it was a bit pricy but extremely comfortable with excellent service, food and oceanfront amenities. I’d recommend the half-day tour of the island to get the history and learn about the peccadillos of Paul Gauguin and Marlon Brando.

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visit to one of the most fascinating and remote places on earth: Easter Island. Most of the year there is one flight per day in and out of Easter Island, and on one of those days it’s a redeye from Papeete.

The accommodations in Hanga Roa won’t be as romantic as Tahiti, but the opportunity to see the incredible Moai statues, climb some volcanoes and learn about the history of the Rapa Nui people, well, history can be sexy too. All 400 of the massive Moai that had been erected (another 450 were in various stages of completion) were toppled in a civil war around 1600, and only 36 have been excavated and replaced on their “ahu,” or altar.

Most of them stand sentinel along the coast facing inland, toward the families they are there to protect, but there are seven lined up in the center of the island representing intrepid explorers who never returned. I met a young

couple who’d gone there at night, and on a blanket in the moonlight communed with the spirits of Rapa Nui heroes, and, of course, with each other. That would be a memorable honeymoon moment.

Turkey

Don’t let the troubles at the Syrian border or the recent demonstrations against the government put you off; Turkey is an amazing place, safe if you’re smart about it, and full of mystery and history and romantic opportunity.

In central Turkey is a region called Cappadocia where a massive volcanic eruption followed by a million years of erosion created an otherworldly landscape dominated by columns of compressed rock and lava called fairy chimneys.

The volcanic rock is so soft that for centuries people carved out living quarters and even monasteries and educational centers, and today most of the accommodations in the area are “cave hotels” where

the rooms are actually built inside the layer of petrified ash. Be sure to book a hot air balloon ride at sunrise, a wonderful way to get a bird’s eye view of Cappadocia.

From there it’s a short flight to Istanbul, where you will have a lot of newlywed company as there are more marriages annually in Istanbul than in any city in the world; Las Vegas is number two.

The city formerly known as both Byzantium and Constantinople straddles the Bosporus strait and is where Europe meets Asia. The meshing of cultures and the fact that the city has been the capital of four empires – including the Roman Empire – creates a blend of art and architecture and dance and music unique in all the world, and intensely exotic.

I would highly recommend the Ambassador, a small (20 rooms) hotel with extraordinary service and within walking distance of many of Istanbul’s most popular attractions, including the Hagia Sophia, a Ponte Vedra Life

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former Orthodox church and mosque, now a museum and Istanbul’s iconic centerpiece; the famous Blue Mosque; the underground Basilica Cistern; and the Grand Bazaar, with its 60 streets and 5,000 shops.

When you are tired of walking and shopping just return to the Ambassador and book at least an hour for yourselves in the intimate Turkish bath in the basement. That should help recharge the batteries.

Volunteering

Two of the most memorable and meaningful segments of my trip were spent volunteering: working for a women’s empowerment organization called Bawodene in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, and teaching school in Baktapur, Nepal. Spending a honeymoon volunteering and living in less-thanromantic conditions might seem a bit on the radical side, but the gifts you receive from it will overshadow anything you got from your registry at Nordstrom’s, and you will make friends for life.

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There are many international volunteer organizations but I had a very positive experience in Tanzania with Cross Cultural Solutions, a group that emphasizes integration into the community and exposure to the local culture and customs as much as they do the “placement,” of the job. There will be multiple placement opportunities depending on the site and the needs within the community, and the organization can place spouses together if that is your wish.

The living conditions will likely be somewhat communal and not conducive to intimacy, but there is a lot of free time and an opportunity on weekends to venture off on your own. In Tanzania that might have included a brief safari, a ferry ride and weekend on the island of Zanzibar or just a private room in a beachfront hotel. Each location will be different, but with a little creativity you’ll be able to include romance among the many benefits of a honeymoon dedicated to making a difference in the lives of others.

Thailand

A lovely and intrepid friend flew halfway around the world to join me for ten days in Thailand, and our itinerary there would make for an amazing honeymoon for any newlywed couple. You start in Bangkok, a vibrant and modern city that offers every western comfort combined with history and cuisine unique to one of Asia’s most sophisticated cultures. A dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River is a touristy must, as is a longboat ride through the original Floating Market at Damneon Sadoak.

The shopping in Bangkok is terrific, from huge, modern malls to alleyways packed with street vendors, and while there are sensational restaurants, some of the best food can be purchased from carts in the open marketplaces.

History buffs will want to drive an hour north and visit the ruins of the ancient city of Ayutthaya, which in 1700 was the third largest city on the world, famous for its art and literature and architecture; it was destroyed in 1767 by an army from Burma, but dramatic ruins of temples remain.

From Bangkok it’s an easy one-hour flight north to Thailand’s secondlargest city, Chaing Mai, where the vibe is much more laid back.

The 137 Pillars House is a romantic

boutique hotel that traces back to Anna Leonowens of “Anna and the King” fame, and the surrounding countryside offers unique opportunities for elephant rides, gentle rafting trips, jungle hikes and visits to local tribal villages.

Finally, you can’t honeymoon in Thailand without visiting one of its legendary beaches. Many would opt to fly south to Phuket, which has been completely rebuilt following the devastating tsunami of 2004 and is once again a favorite of tourists. But we opted for a resort called Aleenta, 40 kilometers south of Hua Hin and drivable from Bangkok, where each room is literally on the beach and includes a private pool. You can try your hand at kite surfing if you are so inclined, or take a leisurely bike ride along the coast and follow it with a wonderful open-air massage across the street from the hotel. There is not a lot of nightlife, but a string of funky restaurants and bars along the water provide ample diversion in the evenings.

Any honeymoon will be special for all the obvious reasons, but there is no reason it can’t be enhanced by choosing an untraditional location and including untraditional activities. It’s a beautiful and fascinating world, and the memories are there for the taking. • Ponte Vedra Life

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