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Although we won’t go complete Radio Silence on you this week, we will be scarce. We’re on vacation fool! Many consider Memorial Day the official start to summer, and we won’t argue with that logic. The fine folks at The Guild are going to take a plunge into the great state of vacation. We’ll see ya when we come back up for air.
Welcome to your Summer,
xxoo
The L&SGuild
Thursday: 8:30am, flying standby out of Tampa, we luck out and all get on the same flight. Layover in Atlanta, we get to Asheville in time for lunch at the Early Girl Café, Asheville’s farm-to-table hot spot. One of our favorites. Next, we pop in to Tops where my wife’s sister, Justine, is one of the well, top sales associates. It’s my wife Ruthie’s birthday weekend, so naturally, several pairs of multiple styles are tried on and the AGL’s are selected.
No trip to Asheville would be complete without the obligatory visit to Malaprops Book Store, where we browse and I luck out in finding Rupert Sheldrake’s book on Morphic Resonance – not what you’d call easy reading, but very appealing to my scientific speculation interests.
Later in the afternoon, we check in at The Lion and the Rose B&B and meet innkeepers Jim and Linda Palmer, who happened to be from Tampa! After some brief intros, there was that “your name sounds so familiar” and it turns out, Linda was Ruthie’s first boss back in the 70’s. Anyway, the inn is gorgeous, a step back in time – unique Queen Anne/Georgian style residence circa 1898, faithfully restored to its original elegance, with high embossed ceilings, antique sitting areas, and a deliciously decadent breakfast line-up. The rooms were rather quaint with a very comfortable bed, modern bathroom, and a flat screen TV. Upon request, coffee was delivered to our door at 8am every morning, with the breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30. The dining room table was elegantly appointed, comfortably seating eleven guests. It was fun getting to know who was from where and what they planned for the day, although the highlight of the event was Jim’s fabulous breakfast du jour.
Dinner at Justine’s with the family, then retire to inn.
Friday: Up to the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Appalachian Craftsman’s Guild to shop for jewelry, ceramics, and woodwork. In the evening, we had cocktails on the porch at the Grove Park Inn, overlooking the scenic view of Asheville with the mountains in the distance. Dinner turned out to be a wonderful sampling of hot and cold hors d’ouerves.
Saturday: A tour of the River Arts district, strolling from one studio to the other, watching as the artists worked their magic in paint, metal, wood, and porcelain. Of special interest was the encaustic paintings of Constance Williams, the Asheville Glass Center, and the wild, splash-dash mania that is Jonas Gerard’s style. I was commissioned by Justine to do her a painting based on Jonas’ style, so on the way home, we picked up a big canvass and some paint. Ruthie’s birthday dinner was at the Biltmore Hotel and was divine and the service excellent. One of Justine’s best customers, is someone special at the Biltmore Hotel, and she saw to it that we were well taken care of. Beautiful sunset view and fine dining!
Sunday: Dreary, overcast day with a late start. While the group went for a walk to the graveyard, I painted downstairs in the garage. After several hours of pouring and brushing, a masterpiece was born. Unintended, the colors matched her living room sofa and pillows perfectly. A painterly nod to intuition.
Monday: Off to the Biltmore Estates for the in-house tour, the audio assist is a must in order to hear about all the people and events that culminated in the marvelous place. Toured the gardens as well, replete with tulips, dogwoods, and the early hint of Rhododendron buds.
Tuesday: Early flight out. A few anxious moments waiting for the ‘stand-by’ status, but we made it. Arriving back in Tampa to the usual swelter.
Visit the links provided to support any of the artists and establishments that we’ve highlighted here.
Have you been to Asheville? Have a favorite haunt that you’d like to share? Please leave a comment on this post to get the discussion going!
From where I stand, LAX is the new Ellis Island. With the eternal sunshine and the allure of the good life as portrayed by Hollywood, the best and brightest bring with them their customs and talents to contribute to the big happy melting pot that makes our country so cool.
On a recent morning while I was walking down 3rd street (which to me has some of the most interesting independent retailers and restaurants in L.A.) I chanced upon the most charming spot named Mama’s Secret Bakery & Cafe. The menu that highlights Turkish cuisine immediately intrigued me. It was breakfast time, there were tables outside and I wanted a culinary adventure so I sat down and ordered. Alican “John” Bayar, the happy and helpful owner assisted me in ordering.
John arrived to L.A. 9 years ago to pursue a master’s degree in restaurant management and international trade. With that in his pocket and his experience growing up with a mom that owns several cafes in Istanbul it was destiny that he was to open a restaurant and Mama’s Secret was born.
Breakfast is an integral part of Turkish culture – it’s where the family starts the day with the loving food that mama has prepared. A bright and colorful tablecloth is used to get the energy up and delight the eye. The delicious food and the kick of Turkish coffee insure that one is revved up and ready to go!
I ordered the “serpme” breakfast. Serpme Means spread – all over the table. This endless breakfast combo Included was olives, feta cheese, home made jam, kashkaval cheese, catal cookies, toasted baguette and a spicy “sucuk” sausage omelet all presented beautifully in a variety of lovely dishes and bowls.
Everything was so beautifully presented and the quality of each dish was outstanding. One of the most delicious offerings was honey w/ “kaymak”. Kaymak starts off as cream that is boiled for about two hours. You then lower the heat and w/ a ladle you spend the next hour and 1/2 dipping in and pouring back the liquid to create the texture. It thickens up into an amazingly delicious butter like concoction that is addicting!
Mama’s Secret is a favorite of Leonard Cohen and Steve Martin-even the infamous Lindsey Lohan ate here and yes she paid for her meal!
When in LA make sure you make a stop at Mama’s Secret Bakery & Cafe on Third Street– a taste of Turkey without having to fly there!
Puckett’s Grocery
5th & Church
It was a crowded night at Puckett’s Grocery in Nashville the day after Vanderbilt University’s 2013 graduating class received their diplomas. It was almost as if the city of students and visitors were descending on this landmark for one more last hoorah. But it wasn’t a riotous crowd. It was more like a casual sunday dinner at Grandmama’s house. The line for a table was out the door and there was a $12 cover a head. American Singer/Songwriter Dean Dillon was playing that night. He’s responsible for writing many of George Straits hits and George Jones’ “Tennessee Whiskey”.
This old grocery store in Nashville’s downtown district is somehow modern and historic at the same time. The vibe is decidedly relaxed but not at all divey like some of the other establishments or Honky Tonks that populate the The District area of town.
Founded by the Puckett family in the 1950s, Puckett’s served as a country store to several communities in Williamson County. From fresh groceries and a good southern meal, to a tank of gas and a place to catch up with friends, Puckett’s became a staple in the Leiper’s Fork community.
In 2002, Puckett’s branched out to start a formal dinner and music program. With all of the talented writers in and around town, the Friday night writers’ show quickly grew with folks coming from all over to hear some of the industry’s finest in a cool and eclectic environment.
In 2007, Puckett’s Grocery, along with Keith Mohr, president of IndieHeaven.com, partnered to create a unique local music contest called Rising Star, a seven week contest featuring up to 20 local singer/songwriters. The winning participant receives $500.00 in cash as well as an exclusive concert performance.
There is not a bad seat in the house and the staff does a great job of buzzing around the floor with out getting in the way of the live show. We were lucky enough to grab a booth and as our whole family piled in we settled down for our last night together in Music City. We dined on Shrimp & Grits, Chicken & Waffles and Fried Green Tomatoes served with Chipotle Aioli, lots of beer & bourbon and lots of wine!
It was a lovely peaceful evening that filled all of us with a tremendous sense of pride, and a the familiar feeling that spending a sweet southern night with your family feels like home. End of story. Puckett’s will always be on our to do list any time we find ourselves in Nashville!
Ice cold bottled Coca Cola
a fine southern tradition!
Glenroy March
One of our fav fashion blogs, Runway Translator was gracious enough to contribute another fabulous fashion post for L&SGuild. Michelle Bremer brings us House of D’Marsh “Catchy, Contagious and Leaves a Lasting Impression”… that’s what the business card says. We cannot disagree!
I had the good fortune of meeting designer Glenroy March at Rouge, a D’Marsh fashion show produced by The Fashion Movement and held at Spain restaurant in downtown Tampa. Based in New York and born in Jamaica this President & CEO of his own successful fashion house wears many hats. He creates, he designs, he styles… and the list goes on! During this particular evening he was rockin’ his designer hat as well as his public relations hat. They both suited him very well. Amidst the pre-show chaos of dressing models and greeting guests Glenroy was the picture of calm. His childlike smile and friendly personality drew me and I was completely sold… he’s got a new fan! I couldn’t wait for the show to begin.
After a brief introduction from the Chief Executive Producer of The Fashion Movement Lacey Smith, the beautiful and talented emcee Ann P sang a lovely rendition of “This is the Moment” to set the tone. Fire up the DJ! The first model hit the runway in a gorgeous black one-shoulder full skirt cocktail dress with a pleated fan detail on the bust and immediately the vibe was electric. The second model comes out in another spectacular black cocktail dress, tight in the bodice with a scooped back and draped ruffle detail on the fitted skirt. Another cocktail dress or two and then came the gowns… I’m thinking this is awesome! It was one artistic creation after another. The palette was black and red mostly, which really popped against the all-white décor of Spain (clever choice of venue to highlight this collection). There were men in the show too, as D’Marsh encompasses both male and female couture and ready-to-wear. I was most impressed by the gowns. Classic silhouettes with an unexpected detail here or there… fitted bodices, luxurious fabrics, cinched waistlines, and voluminous skirts. Think Carolina Herrera meets Oscar de la Renta meets that cool approachable designer on the block! Glenroy March has been doing his thing for over ten years and if he keeps this up he may someday join the ranks of those aforementioned artists. It takes a lot of talent and perseverance to make it as a designer in the fashion industry, but I could see the passion in his eyes. He wants this badly. And I could tell by the reaction of the audience and by the outpouring of support he has received, they want this too. His work IS catchy, contagious and leaves a lasting impression. xxoo- Runway Translator
fruitsuper design duo
Sallyann Corn and Joe Kent are a fab design couple that fit the bill perfectly. Both originally from eastern Washington, they meet while studying Industrial Design at the Seattle Art Institute. After completing their studies there they got married and moved to Brooklyn to live and attend Pratt Institute. Leaving Pratt with secondary degrees in Industrial Design they went on to co-create their company, fruitsuper design-an industrial design and product development consultancy. They recently introduced a line of unique and charming products geared toward outdoor fun that further cements their reputation as one of the hottest design studios in town.
After a summer spent in Copenhagen, fruitsuper design was inspired not with just how design forward it was there but how similar the climate was to Seattle. How when the weather was nice everyone gets out to play. This observation was the inspiration for a series of useful products from the “up” series.
There’s a picnic bag called the “Pack Up” that harkens back to the nostalgia of picnicking but with a keen understanding of the need to grab-and-go in these time pressed times. The Pack Up is designed to be easy to throw things in and go, as opposed to more traditional picnic baskets that are compartmentalized and unnecessarily complicated. This ease of use allows the user to be more spontaneous to hit the outdoors when the sun comes out.
Also from the same series is a picnic blanket called the “Roll Up”. It’s a waterproof blanket that one can be thrown down on wet ground without worrying how to picnic and stay dry. Thoughtful and simple design details such as corner webbing that weighs the blanket down further reinforces fruitsuper design’s highly functional design philosophy with a nod to the ritual and fun of outdoors life.
To round off the fun in the sun-even if it’s wet on the ground package is a game called “Kings Game”. The inspiration for this is from a Swedish game called “Kubb” or ”Throwing Logs” in English. A simple yet challenging outdoor game that everyone can enjoy regardless of skill level.
Sallyann and Joe have created a company that I see as a perfect marriage of great Scandinavian influenced design with made in the USA functionality and cleverness, I see a bright future with new “UP” products rolling out every year. Brooklyn’s loss is Seattle’s gain!
There has been a lot of nostalgia and walks down the musical memory lane as of late. With band reunions and make ups and break ups in the muisc industry it’s a good time to be an aging hipster! And since outdoor music festival season is in full swing we’ve got one more to announce. Hold on to your skinny jeans folks………Death Cab has something special in store for the lucky few attending this summer’s Bumbershoot Festival in Eastern Washington.
In celebration of the album’s 10th anniversary, Death Cab for Cutie will be performing their 2003 masterpiece Transatlanticism in its entirety at Bumbershoot 2013. The KeyArena headlining performance on Sunday, September 1 will cap a day at the long-standing Seattle arts festival that will also feature performances by Barsuk Records artists Ra Ra Riot, Mates of State, David Bazan, and Ramona Falls.
Transatlanticism is Death Cab for Cutie’s fourth studio album, hailed upon its original release as a major work, blending subtle songwriting, amazing production, boundless creativity, and thoughtful rock. It remains a touchstone for a generation of listeners. Rolling Stone included it in its “100 best albums of the 2000s” list, NPR listed it as one of the “50 most important recordings of the decade,” and it remains one of the best-selling albums in indie rock history, having sold nearly 700,000 copies in the US alone.
For more information, contact:
Ever Kipp / Tiny Human / ever@tinyhuman.com
