Step out and into Southwest Florida’s Festivities
Say goodbye to Summer…. SEASON has arrived
Now… is the time to support what’s going on in Southwest Florida
As the steady steam of our friends from the north begin to arrive, just watch the weather reports to our north as it gets colder nearly everywhere north of Orlando and fluffy white flakes ride the jet stream and fill the northern air, we’ll soon notice the increase in our traffic and streets filling up. It takes longer to get around, traffic lights have a longer delay, slow cars in Fast Lanes and on and on..
No complaining here; it’s just a matter of fact.
Year round Florida residents like myself welcome all back home.
Perhaps the petite little “older gal” has a driver this year (at least I hope so… for all our safety)!!
Anyway, it’s all our own piece of paradise….right???
We all look forward to this time of year. Our local area businesses, social outlets and networking spots are in full gear and the “Let the Festivities Begin-welcome mats” are in place.
Whether it’s our famous dining spots, night club scenes, theatre, shopping, art events or renowned charity events, our area is ready to put aside the doom and gloom of these trying, economic times and enjoy the beautiful place we call home.
Hopefully, my blog and more times than not, ramblings will put another twist on a wide variety of venues, Social Events, Art Shows, Theatre Performance, what’s the hottest ticket at the “Phil”, Barbara B. Mann Performance Art Center, best eats for cheap or going overboard. Shopping for that perfect pair of shoes or hopping from one party to the next. But the fun of a full social calender is worth it! And of course, you must eat and enjoy libations along the way.
My first highlighted event to kick-off the 09’ season is to join other colleagues and you should too….at the NORTH NAPLES ARTS ALLIANCE’S:
“Underground Art Wednesday”… scheduled for this Wednesday, October 7th from 6:00-9:00 P.M.
(This is the last scheduled event on their Summer Events Calendar)
NOVEMBER 4th, 2009 will be the Alliance’s “Fall Kick-Off Event! Most of the 15-20 group members are in their studios for this event. I’ll write more on this later. Please use the attachment here to go to any of these websites and see their work!
This Fine group of artisans is located in and around the Trade Center Way area located near Pine Ridge and Airport Pulling Roads in North Naples.
The group hosts an open house event the first Wednesday of every month.
We’ve got our own, Miami style art district right here in Naples. Diverse in what they offer; these artisans have a true passion for sharing their work and have a great sense of community. Just envision owning a piece of their artwork, watching some of these artists “live” at the event creating spectacular artwork and perhaps for you. Events like these give us all an opportunity to appreciate the talented artists in our own backyard.
Perhaps you could stop by the Shops at Mercato for a nice dinner at The Capital Grille, cocktails at Blue Martini or The Pub while you’re there, why not visit the condominium residences developed by the Lutgert Companies? Collins & DuPont’s designers completed two award winning models at the Strada-Residences 5407 and 7304.
Make it an evening out on the Town-Underground Arts Wednesdays and the Mercato!
As we begin to mark our calendars, I have highlighted just one of our areas ongoing and upcoming events that you should start thinking about.
Watch for upcoming highlights on everything that Southwest Florida has to offer (and my ongoing tidbits of “this and that” as season continues)!
Bringing the Outdoors In
Sherri DuPont was kind enough to share this article in the latest issue of Garden Design with Collins & Dupont designers and I felt it was worthy of passing along to our fellow bloggers. This article is written not only about the fabulous floral designs of Clover Chadwick, but also in regards to how these designs come into fruition. Her process begins by selecting a container. “It’s like the shoes in the outfit – it totally changes the look of the arrangement,” she states in the article. Coming from a background in apparel merchandising, design and production, I can appreciate her sentiments! 
Clover owns a naturally chic floral design company, called Dandelion Ranch , based out of a quaint barn in the Artist District of Los Angeles. Although the average person does not consider floral arrangements as a form of interior design, Clover Chadwick begs the contrary. Her designs are a visual testament that art comes in many forms. The tall branches with white blossoms (show at right) are a dramatic arrangement that brings the warmth of nature inside while maintaining the minimalistic feel of the surrounding interior. Simple, yet brilliant!
Great Taste
For this past fourth of July, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone. Like most families on the Fourth, we usually enjoy burgers and hot dogs on the grill, potato salad, and fries with the luxury of easy clean up paper plates. Nothing screams “American” louder than a meal like this. It’s quick, easy, traditional, and delicious. What’s not to love? However this year, both my pallet and my decorative sense were craving something a little more extravagant. But how could I create an easy menu and table scape that would quench my thirst for lavishness? Fortunately, with a little research and a lucky find, I was able to create the perfect setting for the holidays that you and your family can appreciate and have fun with as well.
