Event - Christmas Shopping Trunk Show

If you're looking for Christmas presents still and you are shopping for someone who values unique jewelry, Peculiar Goods is hosting a trunk show with Julie's jewelry. Take a look at her facebook page to see if it'd be worth your while. I saw her at Tallahassee Nurseries and really liked her stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bluesky-designs-by-julie-konikoff/143589889036087

Events - Christmas Tree Shopping

I would suggest going to Springhill Christmas Tree Farm for your tree this year. It is family owned and operated and they have Santa Claus December 7th and 8th, 2-4pm each day. The trees may be more expensive, but it is a fun experience and great photo opportunity.

Hours of Operation: Saturdays 10am to 6pm, Sundays 1pm to 6pm, weekdays 12 noon to 6pm.


http://www.springhilltreefarm.com/index.php?pr=Christmas_Trees

Event - Golden Gala TMH

Mark your calendars, the biggest event of the year has just announced it's entertainment.... Lady Antebellum! The gala will be held on April 30, 2014 so save the date. Here is the video TMH released as the announcement:

http://youtu.be/cDz-BU5pcno

Events - Tallahassee Winter Festival

http://www.talgov.com/parks/parks-winter.aspx

Schedule of Activities
3:00 - 10:00pm:

• Five stages of entertainment
• Food vendors
• Arts, crafts and a variety of exhibitors
• New and Improved Children's activity area featuring hands-on craft activities and bounce houses - now at 
• Kleman Plaza
• Tallahassee On Ice - Ice skating at Kleman Plaza - opening session

6:00pm: Lighting ceremony
6:15pm: Jingle Bell Run, sponsored by Capital Health Plan - Please Note: New Race Route!
7:15pm: Nighttime Holiday Parade, sponsored by City of Tallahassee Your Own Utilities


Most things in Tallahassee have changed since 1987, but one tradition remains in amplified glory to ring in the holiday season. This Saturday, Dec. 7, from 3 to 10 p.m., Winter Festival - a Celebration of Lights, Music and Arts will celebrate 27 years of providing the Capital City with one of its most endearing events. The annual holiday extravaganza transforms downtown into a sparkling winter wonderland.

The Winter Festival is sponsored by the City of Tallahassee and free to the public.

"Tallahassee is a charming place during the holidays. We celebrate the season in style, from the festive lights in our downtown parks to the cozy vignettes that dot windows on an evening walk," said Mayor John Marks. "Winter Festival kicks off the holiday season and is part of that charm. More importantly, it's our opportunity to thank citizens for being part of this wonderful community. It's truly a family-friendly event, so I'd like to invite citizens of all ages to join us downtown this Saturday night!"

The 27th anniversary Winter Festival includes the usual crowd-pleasing elements of the lighting ceremony (6 p.m.), Jingle Bell Run (6:15 p.m.), Nighttime Holiday Parade (7:15 p.m.) and lots more. The festival also features five stages of local live entertainment, a Candy Cane Lane exhibit with special live candy making demonstrations by Lofty Pursuits, an expanded children's activity area on Kleman Plaza, food vendors, arts and crafts merchants and holiday illumination displays. This year's theme is "A Taste of the Season."

As a reminder, you can still sign up for the Jingle Bell Run for a $15 registration fee at the following locations/times:

Tuesday, Dec. 3, at The Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, 1641 West Pensacola Street, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 4, at Skate World, 2563 Capital Circle NE, from 6-9 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 5, at The Red Elephant, 2910 Kerry Forrest Parkway, from 6-9 p.m.
After Thursday, registration will resume at the Capital City Bank parking lot located at Monroe and Tennessee streets on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 3-6 p.m. The fee will be $20 on race day.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities and the general festival, please contact Jan Bubsey at 891-3860.

Events - Network of Young Professionals - Santa Shuffle

https://www.wepay.com/events/nyp-santa-shuffle_1
NYP is excited to bring back the Third Annual Santa Shuffle: A Pub Crawl on a Mission, set for Saturday, December 14th. NYP is collaborating with local bars and sponsors to raise money for Dare to Dream Young Girls, INC. Dare to Dream is a local non-profit founded in 2004. Their mission is to mentor, motivate, and empower young girls. This organization serves local girls ages 5-17 offering a myriad of programs including, weekday afterschool enrichment programs. For more info visit www.daretodreamyoungirls.com 

Registration will begin at 6:30pm and opening ceremony will begin 7:00-7:30pm. We will be starting at Krewe De Gras, then travel to College Town and end the night at Midtown Filling Station. 

Santa Shuffle Specials will be available for our Santa Shufflers at participating bars. You must have a Santa Shuffle lanyard & cup to receive discounts and be eligible for raffle drawings throughout the night.

Ticket prices during the month of November are $25 for NYP members and $35 for Non-NYP members.

Events - Festival of Trees - Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity hosted a lovely Christmas scene this past weekend. Although I'm against celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving takes place, I volunteered at this event and had a great time. Trees are sponsored by companies who decorate and donate them for a silent auction with the proceeds benefiting the charity. The auction and tree decorating competition take place over the course of the weekend along with live music and a Santa siting. This is a great event to get out of the house, have a cup of coffee and a cookie, and listen to some talented musicians. I would suggest making a small donation, but otherwise the event is free and open to the public.

http://www.bigbendhabitat.org/

Ginza - Restaurant Review

Ginza is the new sushi restaurant in College Town on FSU campus and had been only open a couple of weeks before I tried it out. I've become very familiar with College Town, frequenting Madison Social more than any other business there. Ginza looks hip and is well decorated, but the food could use some help. Their signature sushi rolls were quite bland and the chocolate wonton is a good idea but poorly executed. I was underwhelmed. The decor of the restaurant was well thought out and almost outweighs the poor performing food.

Suggestions to the owner:
Creative raw sushi rolls
Dim lighting at sushi bar
Warm your cheesecake
Use glass at the bar
Serve the chocolate wontons with cream and a better presentation

Travel - Best 4th of July Weekend

Jax Beach, or all the Jacksonville beaches combined for that matter, knows how to throw an awesome party, put on an extravagant fireworks show, and make everyone feel like neighbors. The land of the beach cruisers, the home of the largest outdoor cocktail party in the world, and the location for beautiful beach and people. This is a weekend for the young at heart who still have enough party left in them, but if you're willing to ride everywhere you go with a cooler in tow and a beer in your hand, then head to Neptune, Atlantic, and Jax Beach for the 4th of July you won't forget.

Travel - Anna Maria Island - The Beachhouse

http://beachhouse.groupersandwich.com/

The Beachouse was my favorite of the Grouper Sandwich Restaurant Group's offerings. Much like the Sandbar it was right on the beach, but the atmosphere was more inviting and the venue was much larger. We wanted to look at the different offerings Anna Maria had, and there were only a few since it is such a quaint beach community. But that was just what we were looking for. I had the fresh sashimi tuna and a frozen mango specialty drink that was phenomenal, I made the mistake of letting people at my table taste it too so I ended up drinking about only half! This place had great character, food, and a beautiful view.

Travel: St Petersburg - The Birchwood

 

The Birchwood has been all the rage since it opened it's doors just a few months ago. It is the recently renovated chic boutique hotel in St Pete and it's the place to be. Equipped with a large downstairs dining room which offers a wide selection of wine, a roof top bar with cabanas and a view, a modern day ballroom, and a few bedroom suites for guests. The designer did a magnificent job incorporating it into the other new development projects downtown and it is definitely worth a visit.

Travel: St Petersburg - Ceviche

I just wanted to be sure everyone out there is aware that this place exists and what joy it can bring into your lives. It is a very traditional tapas restaurant that yes, actually serves tapas! So order a ton of them and share with your friends. Ceviche also offers fresh delicious sangria (white for the summer heat) and great live music. The location is ideal, right downtown St. Pete with outdoor seating, a large bar with ample dining room, and a very much alive bar below the restaurant that features latin music with a crowded dance floor. 

http://ceviche.com/

Tallahassee Film Festival Screening

The Tallahassee Film Festival hosted a screening of the not yet released film Drinking Buddies. The show was held at the All Saints Hop Yard with a live band to kick the party off. The line for drinks was pretty long since everyone came thirsty and luckily we brought bug spray and a blanket. So long as you came prepared, it was a good time.

I had not been to the Hop Yard but had heard good things. I could see how it would be fun for a low key beer and band night. It is off the beaten path and a little difficult to find but head towards the music and the string of lights. The party is behind the old coca-cola plant with "girls girls girls" graffiti on the side of the brick building.

Review: Skyline

I must admit I had a bad impression of this place when it first opened, but things have changed. I tried it again this Friday and think it may be my new favorite bar. I used to frequent this same space when it was Lee's Wine Bar, and enjoyed the atmosphere. There is a small patio attached to the side full of lush plant life and water features.
When I opened the door my ears were greeted with an awesome band and a packed room. They have a great selection of beer, including delirium, and wine.
Check It Out:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skyline-Motor-Lounge/142445529231460

Review: Miccosukee Root Cellar

I just had one the the most delicious dinners at the Miccosukee Root Cellar. I ordered the snapper and a bottle of Great White. The small venue fills up fast and is a very casual and intimate setting. It is the perfect place for a date night or a glass of wine to catch up with a girlfriend. They serve cheese boards from Sweet Grass Dairy, my favorite! I've had drinks here before, but had no clue the food was so delicious.
Check it out:
http://miccosukeerootcellar.com/

AIF Legislative Session Event

The party of the year for legislative session is hosted by the Associated Industries of Florida. Just about every elected official comes to shake hands and have a cold beverage. It gets ridiculously packed but is a great time. It is invite only so making friends with the lobbyists at AIF is a must in order to be in attendance.

Travel: Georgia Cost

I went on a road trip to the Georgia coast, more specifically Jekyll Island, for a couple of days. We stayed in the Villas by the Sea Resort, which in person wasn't much like what the pictures on their website depicted. It was a condo complex which owners may rent their condo's when they aren't using it. It was right next to the famous driftwood beach, which was like a massive photo spot packed with people. Romantic is not how I would describe it. I wouldn't go to Jekyll for the beach, that's for sure. There barely was one in fact. I've been completely spoiled with the beautiful beaches of the Florida Panhandle and the beach in Georgia was incomparable. 


There was an adorable historical resort which was once a private club with members including the Morgans, Rockefellers, and Vanderbilts. The restaurant on the water was a great time, good food, live music, and the perfect view for the sunset. I would suggest dining outside in a more casual setting, the indoor restaurant wasn't worth the bang for the buck.

http://www.jekyllclub.com/
http://www.villasbythesearesort.com/

Review: Sweet Grass Dairy

Thomasville is home to several of my favorite things. Local shops with great jewelry, designer clothes, and unique finds. Jonah's, Liams, and Sweet Grass Dairy cafe are all wonderful tasty options for dining in this small town.

Florida Governor's Mansion

FSU Basketball

One of the great things about living in a town with a major university is the special events. I love attending performing arts to sporting events. Basketball, football, and baseball are my favorites. They are a great way to get out and experience Tallahassee. The baseball games are long but when the weather is nice, I don't mind sitting through a few innings.

Tips: For basketball games you can eat in the restaurant within the arena while watching the game. They also sell alcohol on the premises.

Review: Siam Sushi

Siam Sushi is by far my favorite Thai restaurant in town. The pad thai, curry dishes, and sushi are all delicious and fresh but my ultimate favorite menu item are the spring rolls. The sauce is made in house and the spring rolls are crunch and delicious!

Review: Miccosukee Root Cellar

This small bar is off the beaten path and packed with character. The theme is eat local, but I wasn't particularly impressed with the food. I enjoyed the atmosphere, live music, dim lights, and the wine :)

http://miccosukeerootcellar.com/

Travel: DC in February

Photo Journal of my visit to DC:

http://goo.gl/maps/X2MTZ

Favorite Places:

1. Kramer Books Read a book while you wait for a table

2. Photo Walk the Mall

3. Hot Spot for Happy Hour

4. Georgetown Bar

5. Georgetown Dining @ Paolo's

4. Visit Your Congressman

5. Dupont Circle - My favorite district

6. Capitol Grill - Live music in Georgetown

7. DELICIOUS Pizza after stopping by Easter Market (my favorite thing to see in DC)

8. Iron Horse - favorite DC bar

Events: Sparkles and Spurs - Fashion Show Benefitting American Cancer Society, April 17, 2013

Events: Lemoyne Chain of Parks, Tallahassee, FL, April 17, 2013

This is one of my very favorite events all year. It is an open air art festival downtown Tallahassee with great pieces and vendors from all over. Some items are  affordable, some are just fun to look at. Get outside and walk among great works of art!

http://chainofparks.pnmi.info/

Event: Due South in Thomasville, GA, April 20,2013

What a great way to spend the weekend! Bring some wine, fruit, cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy and a blanket to Thomasville to kick back and enjoy the music.

Session in Season

During the 60 day period from March - May 5th the capitol swarms with people. This means the bars downtown are more packed, the restaurants have waits, and free food! Did I catch you off guard with the "free food"? Many associations have sponsored days where they provide information in the courtyard between the new and old capitol and often provide free food! Here are a few of my favorites:

Thursday, March 7,10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. 
Independent Funeral Directors of Florida – Display about funeral service and death care. 
SERVING UP BRADLEY'S SAUSAGE (ironic I know)

Wednesday, March 13, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. 
Broward Days – Broward County event. 
SERVING UP PAELLA 

Tuesday, March 19, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
Florida Department of Military Affairs - Florida National Guard Day, showcase of military equipment used for state and nation in times of crisis.
SERVING UP HOTDOGS!! Helicopters, tanks, and guns to see

Tuesday, April 23, 1:00 - 9:00 p.m. (event 5:00 - 9:00 p.m.) 
Monroe County – Florida Keys Day.
SERVING UP GROUPER, LOBSTER, KEY LIME PIE!!!!!! My Favorite!

Sunday, May 5, 4:00 p.m. until Monday, May 6 at 12:00 p.m.
Florida State Fraternal Order of Police - Candlelight vigil and 31st annual memorial service honoring law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the State of Florida.

Tuesday, April 2, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
Florida Student Association – Florida universities come together to speak on the importance of funding higher education to improve the education system. 

http://www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/real_estate_development_management/facilities_management/capitol_complex_events

Weekend Getaway

Ahhh the sands of Destin. I ran away last weekend for a two day, one night stay in Destin. The main objective was shopping but my partner in crime was able to rope me into going to dinner with his client so there was a lot of play and a little work. I cannot emphasize the shopping opportunities there are in Destin. Three outdoor malls including my favorite, Silver Sands. It is a large outdoor outlet with a good selection of stores. My favorites include Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Michael Kohrs, and Brooks Brothers. The Banana outlet was hosting a massive sale of 50% off suiting and 40% off clearance, along with many other sales. I went a little crazy making trips to the fitting room and piling up a mound of clothing to try on and eventually take home. I was least impressed with Ann Taylor and Loft's selections.

I made sure to get in a great meal at Stinky's Fish Camp in Santa Rosa Beach. A hidden gem off of everyone's favorite road 30A. Stinky's had attempted to open a restaurant in Tallahassee so when I saw them in the list of seafood restaurants I really wanted to go. So I followed my GPS on my phone which lead me down the path of 30A. Now, I've seen all of the stickers on everyone's car with 30A with the "0" as a small sun, but it took me a while to put it all together. As we were driving we were both so impressed with how adorable the beach community was, making comments like, "we should stay here next time instead of Sandestin". We arrived at Stinky's and pulled up to the valet, yes a restaurant named Stinky's has valet strange I know. The two story wooden bayside restaurant stood alone among gorgeous beachfront homes. It was packed with people and loud with live music. We pulled up to the bar and ordered a couple of bloody mary's, which was filled with shrimp, picked veggies, celery stalk, olives, and much more. It was quite tasty and I'm not a huge bloody mary fan but we saw someone else ordered it and had drink envy. We were seated upstairs among a crowd of older extremely preppy and pleasant group. We both ordered the grouper sandwich blackened and were very pleased with the results. Sweet Hawaiian rolls buttered and toasted on the cook top, with thinly sliced red onions, cabbage (too bitter for me), and a big piece of grouper. It was DELICIOUS! I can't wait to go back!

I looked up rental houses by Stinky's for the summer to get a price point and see what was available. I found houses that weren't too pricey and some that were massive and extremely pricey. But everything was booked up. So when I was telling my friends at work this same story, they told me that 30A was the road that runs through all of the high society beach communities, Watercolor where they filmed the Truman Show, Alys Beach the Mediterranean luxury development, and Rosemary Beach. Now that I know just how beautiful the beaches are and how cozy Santa Rosa Beach was I can't imagine staying anywhere else. I cannot wait for the next excuse to escape to the beach, cruise down 30A and witness the lavish lives of the vacationers in their mansions at the sea, watch the sun sink down into the Gulf and bury my toes in the beautiful powder sand.

Seven Days of Opening Nights

I was fortunate enough to score tickets to the Geoffrey Gilmore's Seven Days of Opening Nights film screening. Let me give you a little history of this event. We have a phenomenal film school at FSU and employed within that film school is the director of the Torchlight Program Paul Cohen who is a film marketing and financing guru (http://film.fsu.edu/Programs/The-Torchlight-Program). I believe it is Paul's personal relationship with Geoffrey Gilmore, directer of the Sundance Film Festival for 19 years, that encourages him to come to Tallahassee annually to host a film screening as an event of the Seven Days of Opening Nights Festival. 

The event hosts a film screening and allows the audience to engage in a Q&A and a reception with the director and producer of the film being showed. The film is not yet released to theaters and is not revealed until the leading credits are rolled across the screen. The movies I've seen at this event have included 500 Days of Summer, Blue Valentine, Being Flynn, and this year's War Witch. These movies are not a watered down perspective of daily life; they are an intimate, heart wrenching reality check on the most intrinsic human values. They feature elements of love, death, family, romance, torture, and everything in between. If you haven't had the opportunity to attend these screening or see these films, I highly recommend doing so.

This year's screening of the foreign film War Witch had elements of war, action, drama, romance, and an enormous depiction of cultural truth. It was set in sub Saharan Africa in a region where tribal warfare is relentless and barbaric. The story line begins with a well known African military tactic where villages are pillaged and children are taken and converted into soldiers. War Witch may be set in this terrifying landscape, yet magical realism occurs and love finds a way to shine through the depressing militant conflict and break the grips of the militia. This film had the audience in tears and laughter and left them with feelings of concern and relief. This film is not for the feeble minded but is a surreal illustration of a young girl's emotional adventure.

Check out the line up from this year: http://www.sevendaysfestival.org/performers/

You Missed ItPRISM
Featuring top music students from Florida State’s world-renowned wind and percussion programs, PRISM covers the spectrum of band activities at Florida State – Florida State Chamber Winds, the Campus Band, University Concert Band, Seminole Sound, University Symphonic Band, University Wind Orchestra and of course, the Marching Chiefs – covering a huge amount of musical terrain.

Bernadette Peters

Tony® Award-winning actress Bernadette Peters has dazzled audiences and critics with her performances on stage and television, in concert and on recordings – and now she will dazzle Tallahassee!

Still to ComeSecond City Touring Company
Tuesday, March 05, 2013 - 8:00pm
Wednesday, March 06, 2013 - 8:00pm
Thursday, March 07, 2013 - 8:00pm

Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell
Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 8:00pm

Rattlesnake Roundup

This weekend I rode out to the country, Whigham Georgia to be exact, to attend the Rattlesnake Roundup. It is basically an excuse for vendors to come to the area to sell their crafts while guests witness rattlesnake demonstrations and eat fried deliciousness. Items for sale included citrus, bras, sunglasses, belt buckles, candle holders, baby clothes, etc. Local organizations hosted tents of their own recruiting members for boy scouts, sons of confederate soldiers, and Whigham Baptist Church. It was a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while being face to face with the venomous creatures. If I had more time I would have like to make a few good buys from a local, but it was off to grandma's house for fried chicken. An afternoon on the porch in a rocking chair with a glass of sweet iced tea was the perfect way to end the day.