summer fridays

{via glamour daze}

Aren't summer Fridays just the best!? In New York City the term Summer Fridays entails working a half day each Friday during the summer months. It's quite popular in this bustling metropolis and is offered by many businesses due to the dreary and dark winter months Manhattanites endure. Albeit, you have to work an hour extra M-Th.....but I'd say it's well worth it to start your weekend at noon each Friday.

I, too, am celebrating Summer Fridays today. I'm leaving work at noon and headed to Ocala with the girls to celebrate Grandmother ME's 95th birthday tonight! And looking forward to a fun and relaxing weekend at home.

Another celebration is in order today as my other grandparents toast to their 56th wedding anniversary! What a blessing and example they are.

Hope you might be taking part in Summer Fridays wherever you may be!

Cheers to all~

eat a peach

June must always include at least one post on peaches. And this post happens to be about peaches and Father's Day - two great summer happenings!

As you all know I love a good feshtivuhl and try to make it to the Peach Festival each year. Saturday was the big day as they baked the world's largest peach cobbler. Unfortunately I was unable to go again this year but the critters went and brought me back some peaches fresh from the tree - thank you!! I mostly thrilled about the white flesh peaches, which are my fave, that they brought back. I just finished a juicy one and it was superb. I called dibs on dessert weeks ago for our next supper club. You guessed it...peach cobbler!

Pearson Farm is a fabulous family owned business in Ft. Valley, Georgia - home of the Peach Festival. They will ship fresh peaches to your front door and it's a great gift idea.

On Sunday I celebrated Father's Day with David's family. We had a delicious summer grill of smoked turkey, green beans, and gruyere scalloped potatoes from the JLT cookbook. For dessert we had baked peaches and sour cream pound cake - yum. We had a wonderful day and it included several phone calls to my own daddy who was enjoying his day on the golf course with his dad and brothers.

Today marks the official first day of summer and also the longest day of the year. Hope you will celebrate by soaking up maximum daylight and eating a peach! Happy Summer!

peaches baking on the grill

the delicious sparkling peach and white wine sangria that accompanied our father's day supper

visit tallahassee

Did you know “Tallahassee” is a Creek Indian word meaning “old town” or “old fields.” The city was built near an early 19th century Creek {Seminole} town.

Tallahassee is a beautiful place - to live, to raise a family, to work - so much that I stayed after graduating college and now am not afraid to call it home {although Ocala will always be home at heart :)}. It's also full of fabulous history and I love being surrounded by it.

My favorite historic building is the Old Capitol building and I have recently started volunteering there and I love it. I think Ol' Facts and Figures would be proud! On Saturday I helped with Visit Tallahassee's T.O.U.R. Guide promotion to get out and see Tallahassee. T.O.U.R. stands for Tourism is Our Unlimited Resource and how true that is. The Historic Capitol was on the list that day and we had several visitors come for guided tours, refreshments, and to receive a collectors' sticker badge.

If you haven't been to the Old Capitol you shouldn't miss out! It was almost torn down in the 1970s as the new capitol building was being built but it was saved and completely restored - hallelujah! And if you ask me, I don't even claim the new capitol building. It is too ugly for words.

It's so easy to live in a town and not get around to the local attractions. In fact, I went to a new one for the first time on Saturday night - Bradfordville Blues Club. It's a renowned blues club located just north of town and if you haven't been, it's a must! The Sauce Boss was playing and he simultaneously sang, played the guitar, and made gumbo on stage for the audience! How cool is that?! I hear he's playing at Paradise Bar and Grill tonight - so it's not too late to check him out. The BBC was quite the local experience but I'm glad I finally got to go.

So, keep our tourism economy booming and visit Tallahassee!

I love vintage postcards - the old capitol probably in the mid 1900s

the old capitol as seen today - restored to its 1902 appearance

to: you; from: me

Happy Father's Day!!

...to my dad who is the absolute most wonderful father and to all the other dads out there! I wish I could spend the day with you daddy but I will see you next weekend as we celebrate Grandmother Mary Elizabeth's 95 birthday bash. Until then...I love you.

work-ation @ the beach

Is that even a word??

Early Saturday morning I traveled further west into the Florida Panhandle down scenic 30-A again for a mini work-ation. En route to visit my friend Meghan and friends at their Panama City Beach condo {the west end people, it's gotten pretty ritzy!} I drove to another condominium resort just west of Alys Beach. It's our newest project here at work. Our client owns two units and we are renovating them both! It was a sweltering hot day but the teal clear water was a good distractor. The site was a complete mess and in total throws of a construction site. So with my hard hat on - yes, hard to imagine I know - I took my measurements and pictures and went on my merry way.

Leaving 30-A I stopped at the outside market Rosemary Beach was hosting. Let me tell you, it was the swankiest outdoor feshtivuhl I had ever been too - the cutest and most creative beach art and of course snazzy children's clothing booths galore! Finally, after a quick, hot, tour of all they had to offer I was off to enjoy some r & r poolside and at the beach.

My visit with Meghan included a plush condo overlooking the Gulf and finally getting to meet her sweet boyfriend, Chip. Along for the weekend were also their close friends Ben and Samantha and their adorable children Matty and Little Ben. We had a blast! In less than 24 hours I squeezed in a nap outside on the balcony, lounging poolside, a walk along the beach, a shopping trip to Pier Park, and a tasty seafood supper that was finally ready to eat at 10:00pm. I had a fabulous time and it was so good to visit with a great friend {and new friends!} overlooking Florida's beautiful coast.

rosemary beach

meghan's delicious bakes brie with apricot preserves, pecans and fresh raspberries - yum.

dinner is served! I made the grouper and shrimp and they were gooood.

chip and meghan

breakfast flowers

Last Friday I did an arrangement for a friend who was hosting a breakfast at the Garden Club in Tallahassee. She wanted to use her tablecloth from Provence and use sunflowers in the complimenting centerpiece. Here's how it turned out...

tablecloth pattern close-up

festive centerpiece

ta-da! friday morning...
{photo by ll - thanks for sharing!}

come and visit, live and stay

Tuesday David surprised me in Quincy with a working trip to Gadsden County! It made my day. We went to lunch and then later that day invited me to a small event at the Gadsden Chamber of Commerce right around the corner from my office. The Governor was sitting in on a round table of local small business owners and then he was off to tour the new hospital that just opened.
This is a big deal for Quincy and it's neighboring cities of Gadsden County - you see we're quite small and some may say a bit, what shall we say, country {which so happens to all be true!}. But, Quincy especially has an allure about it - a southern gem with an intriguing history in Coca Cola wealth.

So when the Governor comes to town we do it right! It was fun to see him and he looked rather dapper in his blue seersucker suit. The epitome of this quaint southern town - front porches and all.

if you look closely - you'll see I happen to have on my seersucker too!

{photos courtesy of the gov.'s photographer stacy - thank you!}