VIE July / August 2013 by The Idea Boutique

NORTHWEST FLORIDA – COLA 2 COLA®

July/August 2013

The Wedding issue T h e S u m m er o f Lov e

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In this issue:

106

143

Feature Friends, Family, and Forever: A Perfect Beach Wedding 20

Giving Back The Future Is Bright for Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation 134

New Beginnings Pinning Your Way Down the Aisle 30 K-I-S-S-I-N-G: Kristen and Brian 46 In Love with Love: Vintage Wedding Chic 69 It’s All about the Ring: A Match Made in Heaven 78 A Chic Farm Wedding: Amanda and Jonathan 118

The Art of Life Dr. Mark Giovanini 154

For the Love of Food Love and Ladurée 53 Let Them Eat Cake 85

People + Places Digital Graffiti at Alys Beach 2013 60 Voyager Maui: The Essence of Aloha 106 Romance Is in the Air 126

A Sense of Place The Southernmost “I Dos” 38 Living to Read. Reading to Live. 99 Preserving Florida’s Glory 143

V IE Z INE .C OM | 7

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e are thrilled you have picked up a copy of VIE and hope you enjoy reading about the people and places of our coveted region,

COLA 2 COLA®—Pensacola to Apalachicola. We live in a great place where life is good! We have a passion for our area and the people and businesses found here, and we hope that you will share in our excitement. VIE can be found locally at Tourist Development Council centers, Chamber of Commerce locations, Sundog Books in Seaside, Florida, boutiques, restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, and special events. VIE’s distribution has branched out to the following airports: Baltimore/Washington International, Houston Hobby, Memphis International, Nashville International, Orlando International, and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International. In addition to these high-profile locations, VIE is also being added to the shelves of some of the country’s top-selling bookstores, newsstands, and supermarkets, giving our advertisers potential access to millions of people.

VIE is a registered trademark. All contents herein are Copyright © 2008–2013 Cornerstone Marketing and Advertising, Incorporated (The Publisher). All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from The Publisher. VIE is a lifestyle magazine and is published at least five times annually on a bimonthly schedule. The opinions herein are not necessarily those of The Publisher. The Publisher and its advertisers will not be held responsible for any errors found in this publication. The Publisher is not liable for the accuracy of statements made by its advertisers. Ads that appear in this publication are not intended as offers where prohibited by state law. The Publisher is not responsible for photography or artwork submitted by freelance or outside contributors. The Publisher reserves the right to publish any letter addressed to the editor or The Publisher. VIE is a paid publication. Subscription rates: Digital magazine (iPad only) – One-year $11.99; Two-year $17.99 / Printed magazine – One-year $23.95; Two-year $34.95 (U.S. Only – price includes free access to digital magazine versions for iPad). Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.VIEZINE.com.

On the Cover:

VIE Creative Team: Lisa Burwell Publisher lisa@viezine.com

Gerald Burwell Editor-in-Chief gerald@viezine.com

Bob Brown VP of Creative Services bob@viezine.com

James Ryan Account Executive jim@viezine.com

Jordan Staggs Assistant Editor jordan@viezine.com

Scott Sajowitz Account Executive scott@viezine.com

Tracey Thomas Graphic Designer tracey@viezine.com

Anne Hunter Special Assignment Writer anne@viezine.com

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Margaret Stevenson Copy Editor

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When the odds are one in a million, realizing you’ve found your soul mate seems even sweeter—even if you hadn’t known it right from the start. Shelley and Antonio Poveda-Lopez celebrated finding each other with a simple wedding on the beach near the Red Bar restaurant in Grayton Beach, Florida, where they first met. VIE hopes you will all celebrate love with us in the

Benjamin Rosenau Video Producer ben@viezine.com Tim Dutrow Videographer tim@viezine.com

Shannon Quinlan Distribution Coordinator Shannon Stock Contributing Designer Devan Allegri Graphic Design Intern Robert Wagner Videography Intern

Mary Jane Kirby Account Executive maryjane@viezine.com

following pages as this great love story sets the stage for our annual Wedding Issue. Shelley and Antonio are proof that love happens when you least expect it!

VIE Contributors: Contributing Writers: Sallie W. Boyles Laurie Crowley Kim Duke-Layden Amanda Rowland Hampel Kelsey Hendrix Kristen Peterson

Published by:

Tori Phelps Anne W. Schultz Meredith Snow

Contributing Photographers:

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Jennie Andrews Brandan Babineaux Stefan Daiberl Kim Duke-Layden Jack Gardner Dillion Giatomo Michael Granberry Lesley Isacks Paul Johnson John Layden Nick Malambri Carmen Skrien Terri Smith Jeff Talbert

Chandler Williams Spiros Zachos Brighten Photography Facetime Photobooth Goode Green Photography J.K. Morton Photography Jacqueline Ward Images

V IE Z INE .C OM | 13

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Publisher’s Note:

• Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing •

ho doesn’t love a great love story? Weddings mark the beginning of a couple’s life together and celebrate the new journey that’s ahead for them. In this, our annual Wedding Issue, we bring you stories filled with all the wonder, magic, and hope for the future that a wedding day can conjure.

them imagine every detail of “the big day.” Pinterest, wedding magazines, and online wedding planners are changing the face of the wedding business, helping it grow exponentially. Unique invitations, a showstopper dress, a statement cake, and an unusual reception

In the past, I have jokingly shared with newlyweds-to-be who were overwhelmed by the planning of their nuptials, “If you can survive the stress of the decision making, the planning, and the family politics—and you still like each other by the end of the wedding celebration—there is a good chance your marriage will make it. It’s a test. Life will throw you curve balls no matter what, so the faster you learn to field and catch them, the better off you will be.” And I say it with a smile to let them know everything will be all right as we commiserate with one another about dealing with the stress of the impending event. I then explain that at my own dream outdoor wedding reception, which was held on the lawn of Eden Gardens State Park in historic Point Washington, Florida, it rained with almost tropical storm intensity. Friends and family told me it was a sign of good luck as I held back my tears. Fast-forward seventeen years later— still happily married. There just might be some truth to that old wives’ tale after all! The stage is set. Enter the bride and groom. Months of time and energy have gone into their wedding. Never before have there been such copious resources to help

Gerald and Lisa Burwell Wedding September 29, 1996, Carillon Beach Chapel venue are just some of the accoutrements necessary for a flawless and memorable wedding celebration. Weddings are big business, and it seems as if the $40 billion industry catering to “love” knows how to market like never before. I have been a big fan of Anthropologie for several years now, and I

subscribe to their online mailing list. A couple of years ago, I received an e-blast from the creators of Anthropologie about the launch of their new sister company, BHLDN (BeHoLDeN)—a hip new wedding boutique. The design of the message was gorgeous and, being the good consumer that I am, spurred me to go directly to their new website to check it out. It was love at first sight! The options of dresses, unique veils, shoes, and bridesmaid brunch outfits are endless and magical. In typical “Anthro style,” this new sister store shares a commonality—elegant boho chic! Wedding fashion has never been more fun! What a great segue to introduce our cover bride and groom. We are always striving to have each and every cover stand out and be noticed—to trumpet life and excitement! This issue is no exception. The image by Lesley Isacks clearly captures the passion, love, and happiness of this strikingly beautiful couple, Shelley Parker and Antonio Poveda-Lopez, on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches—Grayton Beach, Florida. All weddings are not created equal, and a wedding where love abounds is still the most splendid thing! To a long and happy life together, Shelley and Antonio Poveda-Lopez (—and now, little Belén)! Cheers! —Lisa

V IE Z INE .C OM | 19

Friends, Family, and Forever A Perfect Beach Wedding By Tori PhelPs PhoTograPhy By lesley isacks

The simple yet spectacular wedding of Shelley Parker and Antonio Poveda-Lopez celebrates the place where they found each other, fell in love, and created a new life togetherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;literally. V IE Z INE .C OM | 21

he average bride and groom shell out $28,000 for their wedding—about the same price as a brandnew car. But Shelley and Antonio estimate that their wedding costs were more akin to the price of an iPad than an SUV. The results—well, you can see them for yourself. It seems the Beatles had it right all along: “All you need is love.” And these newlyweds certainly have that.

A Million-to-One Shot

How do a girl from Tennessee and a boy from Spain end up happily settled in Northwest Florida? Let’s just say fate had to work extra hard at this pairing. Shelley, who grew up on Signal Mountain outside Chattanooga, was introduced to the area when her parents bought a vacation home off Scenic Highway 30A about thirteen years ago. They moved to Florida permanently when Shelley, their youngest child, went off to school at Auburn University a few years later. After a post-graduation detour to Denver, Shelley joined her folks as a Gulf Coast resident. Meanwhile, Antonio had made several transatlantic moves on his journey to discovering Florida’s (and Shelley’s) undeniable charms. Raised in a little town outside the Spanish capital of Madrid, Antonio came to the United States as an exchange student when he was seventeen. His host family lived in Shelbina, Missouri, and though he loved this family—they eventually joined Antonio’s parents in meeting Shelley and his first baby in May—what the experience lacked then was a soccer team within a sixty-mile radius. That wasn’t ideal for a player so gifted that he had been a member of pro team Real Madrid’s youth academy in Spain. So Antonio turned to American football, where his position as the kicker kept his athletic abilities finetuned enough to earn him multiple university scholarship offers. He decided to play soccer for William Woods University in Missouri, where he graduated with a degree in marketing and advertising and a minor in computer information science. But he wasn’t done with soccer yet. Antonio was drafted by Ajax Orlando, an affiliate of the Ajax Amsterdam football club and part of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League, and later played in England before returning to Spain. Though he landed a job as CEO of the sponsorship and advertisement department in Spain’s top insurance company, an old friend’s wedding in Florida changed the course of his life forever. After one glimpse of the gorgeous beaches and sunny climate, he decided to stay. Soon afterwards, he met Olivier Petit, the owner of the Red Bar, a local hotspot, who offered him a job as a waiter. And then, in walked destiny. After Shelley was hired as a Red Bar server, Antonio politely introduced himself to the new employee. It was not love at first sight, however, thanks to a Jane Austen–style misunderstanding. “I was awestruck; he was just so dang handsome,” Shelley 22 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

“ When you spend all of your time

with someone—working, sleeping,

every bit of free time—and still feel as though you can’t get enough, that’s something very special.”

admits. “So when he shook my hand and made eye contact, I timidly looked away, which Antonio took as me thinking I was too good for him.” Antonio gave Shelley another chance a few nights later, when he invited her for an after-work drink—and promptly tried to hook her up with his brother, Javier. Believing that romance wasn’t in the cards, Shelley was content to settle into a solid friendship with her coworker until the night he planted a kiss on his “pal” and admitted his feelings had deepened. Immediately inseparable, they were soon working and living together, even arranging their Red Bar schedules so they could work the same shifts. Shelley says it was pretty clear early on that theirs was a once-in-alifetime kind of love. “When you spend all of your time with someone—working, sleeping, every bit of free time—and still feel as though you can’t get enough, that’s something very special.”

as Shelley explains: her birthday is January 22, Antonio’s is June 22, and their first big kiss was July 22. Furthermore, the wedding took place just down the beach from the Red Bar, and they knew a Monday, rather than a busy Saturday, would allow more of their work family to join them. The ceremony was simplicity itself, with just some chairs on the sand for their one hundred guests. “We didn’t even have an altar,” Shelley says. “It was nothing fancy, but it was exactly the way we wanted it.”

Their wedding gift from their employerfriend Olivier Petit was a big one: the entire reception. It was meaningful on many levels for the twosome, who had met and fallen in love at the Red Bar. “Oli is, and always will be, a very special person to our family,” Shelley says. “We couldn’t ask for a better boss or friend. He would do anything for his employees and loves us all like we’re family.”

Soon, Romeo and Juliet (as their friends dubbed them) were ready to say “I do.” But first, Antonio had to propose—twice. His parents made the trip from Spain to visit the couple in May 2012, and, though the engagement ring he had designed wasn’t quite ready, Antonio decided to pop the question during a dinner that included both sets of parents. About a month later, ring finally in hand, Antonio got down on one knee a second time in their candlelit and rose-petal-strewn home. Sigh . . . The double proposal is just one way Antonio and Shelley have celebrated the inexplicable fact that they were somehow thrown together. “We talk about it all the time: ‘What if you hadn’t come to the States? What if you hadn’t been in that wedding? What if I hadn’t decided to move back from Denver?’” Shelley says. “We know our situation is one in a million, and we’re thankful for it every day. It’s crazy—like winning the lottery—so we’re fully aware and enjoy each other as much as we can.”

A Family Is Born

Shelley and Antonio exchanged vows on October 22, 2012—a Monday. Why on a weekday? The twenty-second is an important day for the couple, 24 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

wedding, but Shelley says what she remembers most is the near-tangible love flowing between Antonio and her. Perhaps that’s because the couple came into their wedding headache-free, as they’d consciously decided to skip the usual trappings of big-ticket nuptials. “A wedding is supposed to be happy and joyous—not stressful—so anything that could potentially be stressful was dismissed,” she explains. “We got our cake from Publix, I ordered my dress online for $119, he wore a suit he’d worn in his friend’s wedding, and the rest of the items were donated. By the end of the night, the strap on my dress had fallen off and the bodice was coming unraveled, but who cares? I had my sexy husband on my arm, and we were married. That’s what a wedding is about, after all.”

Although Oli would have happily poured champagne for her, Shelley skipped the traditional toast at the reception for a very good reason: About a month before the wedding, she found out she was expecting her first baby. The couple had intended to have a larger, more formal wedding in Spain this fall but will now use the trip to Madrid to christen baby Belén, who was born in late April. The family-centered new parents chose Antonio’s mother’s middle name for their daughter, which means “Bethlehem” (“house of bread”) in Spanish. It was, in fact, an ideal setting for a bride from the Tennessee mountains and a groom from Madrid who carved out a new life together in an unexpected place. And it helped that their chosen home delivered a paradise-like setting on their wedding day, including a gentle breeze over the sugar-white sand, calm waters on the crystal-blue sea, and an ideal temperature of seventy degrees.

The family moniker is one way to keep that half of the clan close, even when they’re separated geographically. Antonio’s parents recognize that Florida is now home for their son and daughter-in-law, Shelley says, though that doesn’t necessarily make the distance any easier. It helps that they’re able to make the trip from Spain a couple of times a year, though the frequency may increase now that they have a granddaughter to spoil.

Many brides would cite a decadent five-tier cake and a stunning designer dress as highlights from their

As for the new little family, life has certainly gotten more complicated—and more beautiful—since their

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surprise wedding guest made her official debut. Like all new parents, Shelley says she and her husband have completely shifted their priorities, with their daughter now occupying every waking thought. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a change, however, that she relishes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an amazing thing to look at each other and then look at the child we made together,â&#x20AC;? Shelley gushes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no better feeling in the world. I never knew that life could be this good or this happy; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re blessed beyond belief.â&#x20AC;? Both Antonio and Shelley still work at the restaurant that has given them so much, and Antonio continues to volunteer at GulfSouth Dynamo, the community soccer academy he opened to introduce his favorite sport to local kids. Maintaining the status quo during up-allnight feedings and rocking sessions seems like a smart idea, though the couple admits that big changes may be on the horizonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;someday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working at Red Bar has been a dream job and a great experience that we would love to continue for years to come, but we both have degrees that we intend to use at some point,â&#x20AC;? Shelley says, confessing that a move to Spain is also a future possibility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our main plan right now, though, is just to enjoy as much time together as possible as a family.â&#x20AC;?

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YOUR VIRTUAL WEDDING PLANNER There has never been a more beautiful bride. As she starts down the aisle, which is covered in ivory rose petals, branches wrapped in clear lights shimmer overhead. Her bouquet is exquisite-handcrafted and one of a kind. The attention, however, is undoubtedly upon her. Her windswept hair is pulled back in an elegant braided bun, her makeup is flawless and effortlessly chic, and her dress is made just for her, covered in delicate lace.

By Kelsey Hendrix Photography Courtesy of Brighten Photography

V IE Z INE .C OM | 31

With just a click here and there, one can find solutions to wedding-day dilemmas and DIY projects to save money on decorations and favors that are even more meaningful when handmade, anyway.

nd in the planning process, she never even had to leave the house. No bridal boutiques or afternoons gallivanting around the newest convention center bridal show were necessary-just a computer and a Pinterest.com account. In the age of Pinterest, the qualms and seemingly life-altering decisions that go along with planning a wedding magically disappear. With just a click here and there, one can find solutions to wedding-day dilemmas and DIY projects to save money on decorations and favors that are even more meaningful when handmade, anyway. A photo-sharing website that enables users to organize archives of photos, or “pins,” onto theme-based collections, Pinterest has gained worldwide attention for its creative ability to connect people through visual ideas. As a Dallas-based wedding planner and coordinator of Borrowed and Blue Occasions, Britni Ramsey knows the perks of planning online firsthand. With her Pinterest boards given such titles as “Here Comes the Bride,” “Bling,” and “The Ladies,” Ramsey has formulated a system of categorizing ideas to use in every aspect of planning a wedding. From invitations and save-the-dates to bachelorette parties, every piece of the marital bliss puzzle can be found in the confines of these virtual corkboards. To modernize the business of wedding planning, she uses her boards, full of hundreds of pins, to inspire brides to think about the small details amid the big picture of their monumental day. 32 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

With weddings comes the undoubted need for surprise, so Ramsey uses the new Pinterest feature of “secret” and “shared” boards as a way to work remotely with brides. “Whenever a bride finds anything she likes, such as decor, flowers, and especially the dress, she pins it on our shared board so that I can also see it and use it to plan ahead,” Ramsey says. “The pins and boards help me see a bride’s overall vision for her wedding. If I’m looking at a board, there’s always a recurring theme. Otherwise, if you were coming up to me, showing me things randomly, I might not catch that theme. It helps me help the bride; it puts me in her world.” Ramsey errs on the side of caution when using Pinterest and DIY ideas in their entirety, though, explaining that it’s easy to get overwhelmed with little projects and that it is more important to look at images and ideas as a whole. “Pinterest so often leads people to think DIY is the way to go, but it’s definitely not for everyone. Sometimes it’s better to spend two dollars more to have someone else do a project for you. There’s a false sense of hope that comes with DIY and Pinterest in terms of what you think your wedding should look like and how a project will actually turn out.” The process seems effortless in the beginning and allows women (and a few daring and brave gentlemen) to get ahead on planning their special day as they search Pinterest or gather ideas from friends to store for later.

But is there a problem with creating boards too early? Say, before there’s a ring involved … or even a man? Future bride Tara Bullock of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, began her planning process on Pinterest a few months before getting engaged to now-fiancé Kent Burton. The title “In a galaxy far, far away…” sits at the top of what was once a hidden board where Bullock collected over a hundred images of everything from exquisite centerpiece fillers to ring cleaning tricks and elaborate nail embellishments. Because of a common social taboo against pinning prior to planning, she began her process when the secret board feature was introduced— a few months before she got engaged. “I used to judge girls who created wedding boards before they were engaged or even in a relationship,” Bullock says. “I guess I did that because of the possibility of a wedding not happening. Even though I’ve been dating the same guy for four years and I love him very much, nothing is set in stone, and you never know what could happen.” Since her engagement in February, Bullock has revealed her board to the world. The board is now a collaborative tool where everyone from her future hubby to her maid of honor can make suggestions or comment on ideas that will inevitably influence her journey to matrimony. The bride-to-be is using her board as a way to get her creative juices spinning and to narrow down options for color palettes and themes. Even so, Bullock has quickly found that there are caveats to using Pinterest as the ultimate wedding tool. “I would never want my wedding to look V IE Z INE .C OM | 33

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like it came straight out of Pinterest,” she says. “It’s become incredibly difficult to be original [with a wedding] because someone has probably already done it and pinned, blogged, or tweeted about it.” For those in the final stages of planning a wedding, Pinterest might not be the best place to seek new ideas. The myriad possibilities on the site could cause them to second-guess choices they have already made. “When I got engaged, Pinterest was on the edge of blowing up,” says Brittani Ward, a Houston resident who married her husband in October 2011. “I found Pinterest to be more of a hindrance for me as the wedding got closer. Everyone was on Pinterest (by that point) and referred to it for ideas. It was a great tool, but we were so close to the wedding, and I kept questioning my ideas and wanting to add more detail. It became quite overwhelming for me.”

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34 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

Whether as part of the planning stages months before the big day or simply as inspiration from beautiful photographs, Pinterest offers users a way to combine the simplest of ideas to create a day full of beautiful things. Simplicity and a firm knowledge of a set theme are still essential components for brides to maintain, but the possibilities are limitless within this modern-day hope chest.

38 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

40 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

Photo by terri Smith

Janel and oscar Cabrera share their first dance as a married couple during their reception on Sunset Pier at ocean Key resort and Spa.

on May 10, 2013. Coastal-inspired decor with natural colors and pops of turquoise and raspberry transformed Sunset Pier into the tropical island dream reception they both had envisioned, even surpassing their expectations, says the bride. Starfish were a popular motif in the theme. “I went a little starfish crazy,” Janel laughs. “The staff did such a good job of putting everything together; they really went above and beyond and I love them so much. They were always so helpful when I wanted advice, especially with the cake. Then I was a mess before the wedding, and they helped me just calm down and believe everything was going to be fine. And it was. It was perfect.” Even after the vows and the reception, the Cabreras and their friends and family ventured out to enjoy Key West’s hot spots before the newlyweds left for a honeymoon in the Dominican Republic. “We went out to the bars after the reception and did a

ninety-minute Jet Ski tour the next day,” says Janel. “It was the best way to see the island! Many of our guests also went sightseeing to different places, like the Hemingway House. Everybody really loved it. We’re planning to go back to Key West for New Year’s.” Many of Ocean Key’s wedding parties like to take advantage of the impressive array of amenities the resort has to offer. Award-winning cuisine from Hot Tin Roof restaurant, located on the property, keeps guests satisfied for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as does the extensive room-service menu. And when a little pampering is in order, they need look no further than SpaTerre, a Noble House Resorts and Hotels signature amenity, which provides a wide range of massage services, facials, mani-pedis, and much more. “A lot of the couples get a massage together just to relax when they get here,” says Horton. The spa even features a room for groups, and often bridal parties, to come in and get mani-pedis or facials together while sipping champagne and enjoying tapas from Hot Tin Roof. And, for the most romantic experience, of course, Ocean Key does not disappoint. “We always encourage people to book the waterfront rooms,” says Horton. With packages available for honeymooners, returning Ocean Key guests, and even adventurers, the resort has something for everyone. Newlyweds can enjoy

V IE Z INE .C OM | 41

a luxurious king bed and Jacuzzi tub—big enough for two—in the comfort of their suite, then step out onto a private balcony overlooking Sunset Pier and the beautiful blue waters of paradise. “Key West is becoming increasingly a destination with new direct flights coming in from places like New Orleans,” Horton says. “With all the history here and the different excursions—like snorkeling, Jet Skiing, and trips to the Dry Tortugas—and just some great little places to eat and drink or shop, Ocean Key is so convenient because our guests can walk to everything on the island. We have this amazing location and beautiful views, and we’re full service, so if our guests want to go on the Wind and Wine Cruise, or go snorkeling, that’s where our concierge comes in. We can help them plan any activities they want to participate in while they’re here—or many them just prefer to relax.” Whether for saying “I do,” enjoying a honeymoon, or simply escaping to a tropical island full of history, beauty, and excitement, Key West’s Ocean Key Resort and Spa lies right on the horizon where dreams meet reality.

VIE assistant editor Jordan Staggs (right) and her mom, tonya meyer, pose at the marker of the southernmost point in the continental United States in Key West, Florida. Ninety miles to Cuba!

To learn more or to book your stay at Ocean Key Resort and Spa, visit www. oceankey.com, or contact Ocean Key Resort and Spa, 0 Duval Street, Key West, Florida, 33040 | 305-296-7701. To plan your Ocean Key wedding or to request more information, e-mail weddings@oceankey.com.

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K I S S I N G BY KRISTEN PETERSON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACKIE WARD

K R I ST E N BA G G E T T W E D S B R I A N “ B I G C O U N T RY ” P E T E R S O N

Wedding Venue: Nuptials took place under the Wedding Tree, a sixhundred-year-old oak tree at Eden Gardens State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.

Reception Venue: Eden Gardens State Park with an after-party at the Red Bar in historic Grayton Beach.

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O U R W E D D I N G S T O R Y:

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Our theme was a modern twist on the traditional wedding, focusing on celebrating with family and friends with good food, great music, and lots of fun.

We were blessed with perfect weather: seventy degrees and sunny skies.

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we chose cupcakes, which were made to perfection by KaraBoo Bakery in Miramar Beach. We did, however, cut into a topper, which was made by La Loba’s Bakery in Blue Mountain Beach.

Tennessee heart and Brian’s love for bourbon). My talented husband, Brian, also brewed and bottled “I Do” brew for the occasion.

We were blessed with perfect weather: seventy degrees and sunny skies. In the spirit of our modernized twist to the celebration, we had a candy station and photo booth set up for our guests to enjoy! And, along with beer and wine, we served Lynchburg Lemonade in Mason jars (after my

Blue Mountain Catering provided our delectable cuisine, and Melanie Jordan of Bella Flora was both our florist and our wedding coordinator. My hair and makeup were flawless thanks to Courtney Cockrell of Rolland’s Beauty Bar in Seaside. My sister-in-law, Laura Peterson, designed our invitations.

I found the man of my dreams and said “I do” at one of my favorite places. I am truly blessed! So, the stage was all set for me to walk down the aisle with my father and meet my intended at the other end as Adam Purvis played a fiddle rendition of the Beatles’ song “Blackbird.” My best friend of fifteen years, Egan Strickler, was my bridesmaid and my maid of honor was Brian’s sister, Laura. Brian’s best man was my brother, Brian, and his groomsman was his college roommate, Kyle Hanson. After the nuptials, guests enjoyed the Eric Lindell Band playing along with Kyle Ogle (of Dread Clampitt), Forrest Williams, and Bryan Kennedy. It was the wedding of my dreams and everything I had hoped for. I feel such gratitude to all of my family and friends who shared our wedding story with us! I found the man of my dreams and said “I do” at one of my favorite places. I am truly blessed! The next day we left for our honeymoon in Costa Rica, spending six nights in a small surfing town called Mal Pais. Then we headed to Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort, located at the base of the Arenal Volcano, for several days. We did some white-water rafting, indulged in spa treatments, and even participated in a temazcal, an ancient ritual ceremony of purification. Kristen is employed at the WaterColor Inn Spa, and Brian is the owner of Gulf Coast Beach Service based in Santa Rosa Beach.

When your dream wedding includes sand between your toes and your vows perfectly timed with the sunset, nothing could be better than the sugar-white sands of our beaches. Panama City Beach, Florida, is the ideal place to say â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do.â&#x20AC;? Available for hosting an intimate gathering or a sit-down dinner for hundreds, The Resort Collection of Panama City Beach can create a variety of settings for you to choose from for a memorable experience. To start making plans for your special wedding, please contact at 888.974.0564 or e-mail weddings@resortcollection.com.

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LOVE & LADURÉE A Tower of Sweet Somethings

By Anne Hunter | Photography Courtesy of Ladurée On the day of the blizzard, I bundled up and walked through the snow to Central Park, where kids were sledding and building snowmen and their parents were enjoying an unexpected day off from work. This morning, the city was silent, and when I stopped to peer through a store window, I wondered if Louis Ernest Ladurée had ever imagined, in 1862, from his little bakery at 16 rue Royale, that more than a century later this small Parisian shop would awaken at one of the world’s most luxurious addresses—864 Madison Avenue, New York City. I first spotted Ladurée in the winter of 2010 when I was living on the Upper East Side, subletting an apartment on Seventy-First between Second and Third, for a four-month writing sabbatical from my Florida art galleries. It was the winter of the epic New York City Christmas blizzard and my first stint in Manhattan that was longer than a three-day weekend. Every day, I would walk or run up SeventyFirst, past Lexington, Park, Madison, and Fifth to Central Park for a lap around Central Park Lake. On the way, at the corner of Seventy-First and Madison, I would inevitably stop to catch my breath at the window of Ladurée. The surreal world behind the glass was a confectionary dreamscape, filled with the pastel colors of sweet macarons, stacked high and low, around and between

the exquisite decorative gift boxes for which Ladurée is so well known. The spirit of the space spilled out onto the street like an aura to draw me in, but I could only stare and soak it up. After that winter, I returned to the beach, but New York City was in my soul. It would be a year before I would move back to the city full-time, and another year before I would finally venture through the doors of Ladurée. I was living in SoHo, working on my books and writing stories for VIE. This time, instead of walking up Seventy-First, I took the N train from Broadway and Prince. I didn’t stop at the window, but stepped straight inside. I was on a mission. I had been guided by a friend to see the assortment of flavors for Ladurée’s famous pièce montée— the tall, conical tower of multicolored macarons first invented by Ladurée for weddings and celebrations. I felt the seduction of Ladurée as I maneuvered through a tribe of French-speaking women, toting shopping bags from the world’s most coveted Madison Avenue designer boutiques, to find my place in line and overheard a rumor of a tea parlor opening in the fall. Soon I was greeted by the macaron angel behind the counter saying, “How may I help you?” I chose the limited edition Ladurée gift box and V IE Z INE .C OM | 53

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A favorite among the French, Ladurée macaron pyramids boast up to 440 macarons and are the perfect accoutrement for a desserts table. had it filled with an assortment of eight macarons to share with my friends back at VIE while I inquired about their cakes. A favorite among the French, Ladurée macaron pyramids boast up to 440 macarons and are the perfect accoutrement for a desserts table. A pyramid could even serve as the wedding cake itself. Either way, Ladurée will certainly add a “wow” factor to your wedding.

Louis Ernest Ladurée founded his bakery on the rue Royale in Paris in 1862, but his rise to fame came in 1930 when his second cousin, Pierre Desfontaines, dreamed up the idea of a double-decker pastry. The most famous creation of Ladurée, Pierre’s small, round macaron cookies are crisp on the outside but smooth and soft in the middle, with a ganache or jam filling. Today, Ladurée has shops around the world, from Paris to Singapore. Their indispensable macarons come in a rich palette of colors, including pastel green (called Ladurée Green), tart violet, and lemon yellow. 864 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10021 Neighborhood: Upper East Side 646.558.3157 www.laduree.fr/en/scene

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Guest of honor Sarah Ashley Longshore

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Host Christina Leavenworth interviews artist Holly Danger

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FRESH SEAFOOD?

One of the first questions people ask when they visit our area is “How can we be sure we’re getting fresh seafood?” That’s an excellent question. There is a good chance that the seafood you will be offered traveled farther than you did. In the state of Florida, even though we are surrounded by water, more than 90% of the seafood sold this year will be imported from other countries. Throughout the United States, the huge majority of seafood is imported. Most of it is mislabeled. Frozen seafood is sold as “fresh” and imported seafood is sold as “local.” According to Oceana, 93% of fish sold as red snapper is actually some other species. 57% of tuna sold at sushi bars throughout the country is not tuna. Most of the tilapia served in this country comes from Viet Nam and Thailand and much of it is farmed in waters with sewage run-off and the source of feed is pig feces.

Harbor Docks has been selling fish through its wholesale market since 1981. We sell to markets across the United States and Canada. We also sell to select restaurants along the Gulf Coast. Harbor Docks contracts with over 100 commercial boats to insure that we have an adequate supply of fresh fish. We invite you to dine at our restaurants – Harbor Docks, in the heart of Destin, and Camille’s, overlooking the Gulf in Crystal Beach. But we’d also encourage you to try any of the wonderful, independent, local restaurants in our area that are committed to serving Florida seafood. We know who they are, because we sell them their fish.

check our website to find out which restaurants sell certified Gulf-to-Table fish from harbor Docks Seafood market. DES TIN , FL | 850. 837. 2506 | h a r b o r D o c k S .co m S E A F O O D & C O C K TA I L S

Snapper and Tuna stats: http://oceana.org/en/news-media/publications/reports/oceana-study-reveals-seafood-fraud-nationwide Imported seafood stat: http://www.fishwatch.gov/farmed_seafood/outside_the_us.htm Tilapia/pig feces: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-11/asian-seafood-raised-on-pig-feces-approved-for-u-s-consumers.html

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Photography courtesy of BHLDN

V IE Z INE .C OM | 69

hen the creators of Anthropologie dreamed up their luxurious bohemian bridal fashion line, BhlDn, they hopeD to appeal to today’s briDes by offering romantic styles And a unique online shopping experience. since its launch in 2011, BhlDn hAs become known for its imAginative ApproAch to every element that makes up A wedding. BhlDn is quickly growing into one of the premier brAnds in the business, and Vie hAs watched its progress with great interest. The company’s name, a rendition of “Beholden,” was inspired by the Dutch word behouden, meaning “to keep and protect.” It seems fitting, then, that BHLDN’s mission is to commemorate each bride with heirloom-quality wedding gowns, artisanal hair adornments, vintage-inspired jewelry, stunning footwear, and unique decor. Created as a sister brand to Anthropologie, BHLDN’s passion for creating one-of-a-kind moments runs deep. BHLDN offers exclusive styles commissioned by top designers like Anna Sui, Peter Som, Badgley Mischka, Catherine Deane, and Katie Ermilio. Their dresses have gone viral, spilling onto the pages of Instagram and Pinterest, and capturing the attention of bridesto-be on the hunt for the perfect dress. Without a doubt, BHLDN has embraced the changing face of shopping and pioneered the path to the virtual wedding boutique. BHLDN’s managing director, Nicole Sewall, explains, “When we launched as an online business nearly two and a half years ago, we were convinced this was the right place for us. BHLDN brides were already doing

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much of their wedding planning online, from Pinterest to Etsy to blogs. These customers were looking for something different, not only in terms of their gowns but from the shopping experience in general.” Today, the full BHLDN collection is sold through its website and at two boutiques, one in Chicago and one in Houston. In July 2013, BHLDN will open its first permanent shop-in-shop on the mezzanine level of Anthropologie’s Beverly Hills store. Earlier this year, BHLDN representatives stopped by six Anthropologie stores with trunks packed full of their favorite gowns. “We’ve traveled to New York City, Atlanta, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Seattle, and the Bay Area,” says Ashley Fossile, public relations manager at BHLDN. “This was BHLDN’s first traveling trunk show, and we were every bit as excited about it as our brides-to-be! We do hope to continue to travel around the country for trunk shows, and you never know where we’ll turn up next!”

A Love Story to BehoLd Photography by Goode Green Photography At BHLDN, they say, “It’s love stories that move us, inspire us, and sweep us away,” so VIE set out to find one of those stories.

The Bride: Christine Tarpey The Love Story: When Christine Tarpey landed in Las Vegas, she didn’t know what was in store. The trip that began as a working sabbatical with her girlfriends turned into a two-year adventure that led her to her dream man. “I had been in Vegas for one year, when I received a call from one of my former managers telling me they were hosting a casting call for ABC’s The Bachelor, says Christine. “My first response was, ‘Yeah, okay, that’s funny,’ but my roommates wanted to go for the experience. We were single, in our midtwenties, and living in Vegas, so why not?” Christine thought it was a joke when the talent scout called her back for a second casting call in Los Angeles, and a twist of fate when, that same day, she received a call that Mario Batali was looking for a lead female bartender for his new Las Vegas steak house, Carnevino. As fate would have it, The Bachelor and Mario Batali set their interviews for the same day. Christine had to choose one. “I called my mom and we talked it over. I didn’t want to be a reality TV girl. I said ‘no’ to The Bachelor, and ‘yes’ to Batali!” Christine was a bundle of nerves when she sat down for her interview with Carnevino’s general manager, Patrick Tarpey, but it was more like a conversation than an interview. “The whole room felt suspended—invisible. It felt as if time stood still.” Christine left the interview knowing that the job was hers, and Patrick left wondering if he should hire Christine or date her. Three months later they were dating, and five years later, Christine said “I do” in a beautiful ceremony at Alys Beach, Florida, wearing the Aiguille gown designed by Anna Sui for BHLDN. “I knew he was the one because I never questioned it once. I felt it inside. It was meant to be. We are best friends and soul mates. In the end, I got the job and the bachelor!” 72 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

Christine first clicked on BHLDN’s site in December 2012 to find their newest releases, and the Aiguille gown caught her eye. “I watched the virtual model walk in the Aiguille gown over and over again. I literally stalked that dress! It screamed of Daisy from The Great Gatsby. I watched it almost every day until Christmas Day. That night, I bought myself the best Christmas gift ever! Three days later, it was delivered to my door.” BHLDN offerings include a thoughtfully edited collection of wedding dresses, maids’ frocks, and accessories such as meticulously crafted veils, sparkly baubles, and decor—all created for the bride who seeks something a little different. Their styles are timeless—vintage-inspired, but decidedly modern. “When women pick out their gowns and try them on for the first time, they usually have a gaggle of friends with them, but I was home alone. The doorbell rang, and there was no mistaking from the size of the box what had just been delivered. It fit perfectly! Just like meeting Patrick, it was meant to be!” Christine found her own way to the Aiguille gown, but BHLDN has a dedicated team of stylists to answer any questions, from fabric to fit, alterations to accessories—it’s a bride’s own virtual wedding team. “The BHLDN website is set up so well with reviews from ‘real’ women. The virtual catwalk and the customer service were amazing!” says Christine. Brides can browse the entire BHLDN collection at their leisure, and purchases are typically delivered to their doorstep within five days. “I liked BHLDN because

they gave me a style that was timeless but fashion-forward without forgetting the traditional bridal elements that I love,” adds Christine. “Their twist of romancemeets-whimsy felt so Gatsby-esque and made me feel both vintage and modern at the same time. It felt like I was starring in my own movie!” And that rings true, since Christine’s love story has the makings of a real-life movie.

More information about BHLDN and their full line of offerings can be found on their website, www.bhldn.com.

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RING A Match Made in Heaven By Sallie W. Boyles Photography Courtesy of Verragio

The familiar scene is easy to imagine: A woman, bursting with joy, holds up her left hand to display a ring on her fourth finger. Her excitement immediately spreads to her friends, who suddenly realize she’s engaged. The details will be forthcoming, but their immediate focus is on the ring—the brilliance, cut, and size of the center stone; the precious metal and design features of the setting; the ring’s full effect, which speaks volumes about her personality, his desire to please, and their shared commitment. While the majority of today’s brides and grooms tend to envision a sparkling white diamond for the engagement ring’s center stone, most want something that’s a little different from everyone else’s. They might decide to incorporate stones from a piece of inherited jewelry, mix metals, or add colored gems. Although they value certain customs, couples today are eager to start their own traditions and, therefore, they desire options. With so many possibilities for engagement rings, consumers benefit from trusted experts who help them navigate the myriad of choices. Priscilla and Bob, owners of Emerald Lady Jewelry of Destin, Florida, say that guiding couples to select rings and designs of enduring quality is a highly gratifying role and, consequently, the reason they represent designer Barry Verragio’s five unique wedding collections for women and men. Priscilla first took note of Verragio a few years ago while optimizing Emerald Lady’s website. “I kept seeing their sponsored links,” she says. As a fine jewelry retailer who joined her parents’ business seventeen years ago, eventually taking over Emerald Lady after her mother retired, Priscilla was extremely impressed with Barry Verragio’s stunning designs and uncompromised craftsmanship. “I had a feeling about Verragio,” she continues. “There was no question the line would be part of our store.”

Verragio also accommodates customers who request changes to his creations, such as substituting colored gemstones for diamonds. In addition to varying the types of stones used, customers appreciate the freedom to select 14-karat or 18-karat white, yellow, or rose gold, or platinum, as well as having the option to add accents of contrasting metal colors. All orders are, in effect, custom crafted, but if someone wants an entirely original piece, the possibilities are endless— with one caveat: to maintain the integrity of his brand, Barry Verragio personally approves all modified elements to his core designs. This, combined with Emerald Lady’s own design sensibilities, ensures that every customer receives the kind of individualized, personal service and guidance they would want and expect while making such an important purchase decision. With so much personal discretion, customers rarely purchase the ring in the showcase, even if they fall in love with the setting. “In the past two years, we’ve possibly had two Verragio sales that were not special orders,” says Bob. One customer, for instance, wanted to remount a marquise diamond in a Verragio setting intended for a round stone, so Verragio added prongs to adjust the mounting. Although round brilliant and princess cut are currently the most

A number of qualities distinguish Verragio from other manufacturers Specializing in engagement rings, perfectly matched wedding bands for women, and complementary bands for men, Barry Verragio captures old-world elegance while injecting his own contemporary vision, one that is entirely fresh and unexpected. The attention to detail begins with his signature trademark—located beneath the center stone mounting—which incorporates two scrolls that join at a diamond. Having recently enhanced the insignia with an outline of pavé diamonds, the designer continues to build upon his miniature masterpieces. Nothing escapes his discernment. Smoothly finished edges, for instance, make Verragio’s rings remarkably comfortable to wear. His jewelry artisans produce each piece individually, according to the wearer’s ring size and the particular center stone he or she desires, provided by the retailer. They also set every stone, including the pavé diamonds, by hand, to ensure every detail is perfect.

V IE Z INE .C OM | 79

popular diamond shapes, Verragio and Emerald Lady also cater to those who don’t want what everyone else has. They have created rings featuring virtually all diamond cuts, including cushion, radiant, asscher, oval, and heart. “What we love about Verragio is that the rings become personal heirlooms, not run-of-the-mill, cookie-cutter pieces,” says Priscilla. “Unlike other wedding ring manufacturers that mass-produce their products overseas and use mediocre grades of accent stones, Verragio selects diamonds which are among the highest color and clarity grades of any national brand. We’re about building relationships, and so is Verragio. We’re known for our quality and they’re known for the same. In short, we’re a perfect match.”

“This is one of the biggest decisions people make. It’s a joy to share these special moments in our customers’ lives and help them select and create a spectacular ring they will cherish forever.” In many ways, Barry Verragio, a Moscow native, is unlike his contemporaries. An artist by nature, he always enjoyed working with his hands and creating “something out of basically nothing.” After moving to Manhattan at the age of fourteen, he enrolled in a city-subsidized jewelry fabrication course and quickly became a jeweler’s apprentice. Along with his detailed metalwork, Barry showed an affinity for using all shapes and sizes of diamonds. He proceeded to learn on the job as a bench jeweler for ten years, but he also spent four years at the Fashion Institute of Technology, where a particular professor, Maurice Galli, left a lasting impression. While encouraging Barry to pursue bridal jewelry, a sector in which a talented designer can flourish by creating timeless pieces, Galli also reminded him to keep the woman in mind while designing. For example, just as a gown should

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Designer Barry Verragio

enhance, not overpower, a woman’s beauty, a ring should complement, not overwhelm, the beauty of the stones. Living by that philosophy, Barry Verragio developed his own trademark setting technique, the Lumino, which suspends the diamond to reveal all sides of the stone, thereby exposing every facet to light. As a result, what comes to light are the exquisite qualities of each Verragio ring. “After couples look at the collections, we encourage them to go shop around at other stores,” says Bob. When they return to Emerald Lady for their Verragio rings, he says, customers have no doubt they are making the right choice. “This is one of the biggest decisions people make,” says Priscilla. “It’s a joy to share these special moments in our customers’ lives and help them select and create a spectacular ring they will cherish forever.”

Emerald Lady Jewelry is proud to be the exclusive Verragio boutique in the Florida Panhandle. Hours of Operation: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Tuesday– Saturday, and by appointment. For more information, visit www.emeraldladyjewelry.com.

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alk in and inhale—you are in for a treat. This year, VIE hosted its second Digital Graffiti preparty adjacent to Fonville Press in Alys Beach, a space locals and tourists have grown to love. This iconic little coffeehouse, named for Seagrove literary legend John Fonville, is a confluence of cool spaces that was thoughtfully designed by Khoury & Vogt Architects in 2005. Fonville features two opposing courtyards, one perfect for watching the sunrise and the other a magical venue for viewing the 30-A sunset. The courtyards border an intimate interior café that does triple-duty as a Euro-style bookstore, a coffeehouse, and a wine bar. In the style of a Mediterranean terrace, the sunset courtyard sits snugly between walls and piers that form a hypostyle patio with a trellis canopy of wood purlins and a cane awning to filter the Florida sun. Built-in banquettes line the court and reverberate with the soothing sounds of wall fountains flanking the west entrance of the café. Fonville Press is decidedly a cool place to gather, and the stellar architecture doesn’t distract the baristas from making memorable coffee. Get your java fix with fresh brews and espresso drinks sourced from the area’s top-notch roaster, Amavida. Insider tip: Enter on the east side and pass through the beautiful piers with cast bronze letters inviting patrons to Read (to) Live. Bring a book, but leave enough time to fan through Fonville’s architectural coffee-table book and magazine collection, join in for the Après Beach parties that buzz throughout summer, and be sure to take a walk up and around Fonville Hill.

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Hawaiian Islands As if on cue, a brilliant rainbow magically appeared outside my window, arcing above several green peaks crowned with fluffy white clouds. In a snap, the rainbow disappeared as our plane descended into Maui’s Kahului (Kah-hoo-loo-ee) International Airport. Walking to Baggage Claim, my stomach performed backflips. My wanderlust and excitement were off the charts about delving into Maui’s tropical Eden, but the professional consultant in me could not avoid a case of nerves. Would I succeed at the most challenging retail leasing project of my career? Hawaii is an isolated chain of Polynesian islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, located about five hours by air from most west coast US cities. The four major Hawaiian Islands, situated from north to south—and oldest to youngest, are Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii, “the Big Island.” Maui is the second largest and is regarded by many as no ka ‘oi, “simply the best.” With abundant natural beauty, small-town charm, world-class beaches, and endless amenities, Maui packs a powerful Hawaiian punch! Central plains steeped in low-lying sugarcane fields and sandwiched between volcanic mountains from the east and the west have earned Maui the nickname the “Valley Isle.” Its unique shape roughly resembles the outline of a head and armless torso facing downward. Maui’s four distinct geographical regions can be visualized in these terms: west is the head, “Upcountry” is the back, east is the torso, and south is the chest. West and South Maui are the most popular resort destinations and typically experience drier weather with steady trade winds. South Maui includes beachy, Beverly Hills–like Wailea (Why-lay-ah), while West Maui is home to the charming, historic whaling town, Lahaina (La-hy-nah), and Ka‘anapali (Kah-nah-pahlee) Beach’s trendy strand of family-friendly resorts. From Kahului, I drove my rental car south across Maui’s sugarcane plains, then veered

west on Highway 30. West Maui’s meandering coastal route is sandwiched between rugged, cinnamon-colored mountains and dramatic cliffs that plunge into a spectacular cobalt-blue ocean. Ahead, the vast horizon turned tangerine as I cruised past sweeps of palm-fringed beaches and surfers catching the last waves of the day. Little did I know then that, in the upcoming months, I would become intimately familiar with this very stretch of oceanfront highway during a 15K race that I would run. As I drove in the moonlight, my fingers tapped the steering wheel, hypnotically keeping time with the slack-key guitars strumming on the radio. While stopping for groceries in Lahaina, I experienced my first Hawaii “sticker shock.” Yes, nearly everything costs considerably more in Hawaii. (Insider tip: Many grocery stores extend locals’ discounts to visitors who are willing to register their phone numbers.) Wearily, I drove several more miles to the westernmost end of Ka‘anapali Beach and turned left at Honua Kai Resort and Spa. This award-winning, knock-your-socks-off stunner is West Maui’s newest beachfront luxury condo-hotel, and luckily for me, where I would be staying and working. My responsibility as its retail leasing consultant was to find a spa operator and a restaurateur to construct and operate the resort’s world-class amenities. From the moment I set foot in the gorgeous openair lobby, surrounded by lush gardens and a blazing fire pit, Honua Kai’s staff showered me with aloha, making me feel like ohana (family). Situated between the resort’s twin towers are over six hundred V IE Z INE .C OM | 109

beautifully appointed condos ranging from studios to three-bedroom deluxe suites. My room’s best design feature was the nano door—a movable glass wall between the living room and the breezy lanai that could virtually disappear. Despite having been awake for nearly twentyfour hours by this point, I got a second wind and breezed downstairs to celebrate my first night in Hawaii, befittingly at Duke’s Beach House. This inviting open-air restaurant, nestled between several of Honua Kai’s swimming pools and the beach, pays homage to native Hawaiian hero and 1920s Olympic gold medalist Duke Kahanamoku, who is hailed as the father of modern surfing. “Maui bliss” best describes my memorable dinner. I sat amid burning tiki torches, listening to Hawaiian tunes and crashing waves, while I dined on fresh shrimp and fish steamed in a banana leaf bundle with a sake ginger sauce. Pinch me—’cause this wahine (wah-HEE-nee) must be dreamin’! While learning the lay of the land, I tried to pick up the local lingo, which turned out to be especially helpful when asking for directions. Makai

(mah-kye) means “toward the water,” and mauka (mah-OO-kuh) means “toward the mountain.” Navigating Maui often proved easier than mastering Hawaii’s tricky native language. The Hawaiian alphabet is as skimpy as its bikinis, consisting of only twelve letters—seven consonants and five vowels. Have you ever noticed that all Hawaiian words end in at least one vowel, and sometimes up to four? Helpful okinas resemble single open quotation marks and are typically inserted between duplicate vowels, such as in Ka‘anapali, allowing you to catch your breath between syllables.

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What the Hawaiian language lacks in variety, it often compensates for in quantity. For example, the name of Hawaii’s quirky state fish is the humuhumunukunukuapua‘a (HOO-moo-HOOmoo-NOO-koo-NOO-koo-AH-poo-AH-ah)—try saying that three times fast! But no worries, Maui’s friendly islanders graciously overlook linguistic blunders, and if you happen to have a Southern drawl, you’ll be as popular as kulau pig at a luau. Aloha, y’all! Hawaiians are renowned for their “aloha spirit,” much like Southerners are known for their hospitality.

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Aloha spirit is generally characterized as expressing kindness and genuine sincerity towards others without expecting anything in return. This customary manner of treating others has been practiced for centuries among native Hawaiians. Twenty-first-century Hawaiians have adopted these ancestral beliefs, and, within the last decade, they even passed the Aloha Spirit Law, which requires all islanders to pass down these principles to future generations. Luaus and hulas have long been celebrated by native Hawaiians as well. Maui’s luau traditions date back several centuries to when Hawaiian royalty, known as ali‘i (ah-lee-ee), came down from their thrones, so to speak, and joined the commoners for a feast and dancing. The term “luau” derives from Hawaii’s most traditional dish, which consists of meat or chicken mixed with coconut milk and taro leaves, then steamed or baked. Nowadays, islanders still commemorate special occasions with luaus, typically on a child’s first birthday and to celebrate graduations. On Maui, luaus are regularly held in Wailea, Lahaina, and Ka‘anapali. The best ones are in Lahaina; the Old

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Lahaina Luau is recognized as the most authentic Hawaiian luau (no Samoan knife dancers here) and serves luscious native foods. Want something a tad more refined—sit-down rather than buffet—and a bit more adventurous? Pick the Feast at Lele, which showcases innovative cuisine and dances from Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and New Zealand—plus, ono (delicious) mai tais! Both of these Lahaina luaus are extremely popular, so it’s best to book early. Regardless of which venue you choose, luaus provide visitors with a fun opportunity to sample Hawaiian foods, see hula shows, and get lei’d! Leis are another time-honored tradition observed among islanders, who customarily give them as expressions of such heartfelt sentiments as “Congratulations,” “Good luck,” “Mahalo” (Thank you), and “I love you.” I’ll never forget the beautiful, sweetly scented lei that Honua Kai’s management surprised me with on my birthday two years ago. One of Hawaii’s most popular leis is made of plumerias, beloved flowers that keeps Maui smelling like a perfumed paradise. Like Maui’s bountiful rainbows, plumerias appear in a spectrum of cheerful

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colors—yellow, pink, red, orange, white, and “blends,”—and they never fail to make my heart smile. It is not surprising that my most cherished keepsake from Maui is Pele (PAY-lay), a precious plumeria “transplant” that I named after Hawaii’s fire goddess and have nurtured from a mere woody stem. For me, Pele embodies Maui’s soulful spirit and is an ever-present affirmation of my perennial bond to her faraway homeland. On the Valley Isle, cloudy days are also brightened by supersized yellow, pink, and orange hibiscuses, crimson anthuriums, and sweeping boughs of fuchsia bougainvillea. Heady whiffs of gardenia and pikake, a type of wild jasmine, waft through the air. Adam would be tempted by much more than apples in Maui’s Garden of Eden. Farmers’ markets and roadside stands sell enticing Maui Gold pineapples, mangoes, petite “apple” bananas, guavas, avocados, and if you’re really lucky, irresistible lilikoi (passion fruit). High in Maui’s Upcountry rain forests, thick with eucalyptus and black bamboo, I hiked wild ginger–scented trails under a kaleidoscopic canopy of dangling zebra-striped orchids, clusters of scarlet dandelion-like blossoms from ‘o‘hia trees, and towering ferns called hapu‘u (hah-poo-oo). Afterward, I stopped off near the trailhead, where a multicolored, beaten-up van had copped a spot. A Bohemian-looking woman leaned out one of the side windows and was selling fresh tropical fruit and smoothies. Nearby, her partner was bent over a large stump with a well-worn machete, whacking the tops off of several green coconuts. Later that afternoon while relaxing on my lanai, I experienced Maui’s spirit of aloha—with a twist. I sipped rum through a straw from my fresh coconut and savored a picture-perfect sunset.

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From Top to Bottom:

112 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

my legs on Ka‘anapali Beach’s paved beachfront promenade, which is strung like a strand of South Sea pearls along several miles of pristine oceanfront, golf greens, and lavish resorts. If shopping is your favorite exercise, work out your charge cards at the island’s retail meccas. Lahaina’s historic downtown is chock-full of souvenir shops, galleries, eateries, and bars. Sample melt-in-your-mouth flavored shortbreads (for free!) at Honolulu Cookie Company, then swing by Lahaina’s ginormous banyan tree, which encompasses an entire park! Whalers Village on Ka‘anapali’s oceanfront promenade is my top choice for specialty boutiques and people-watching. Grab a seat and pupus (appetizers) at Barefoot Bar, or dine next door at Hula Grill. Burn lots of plastic and spot celebrities at The Shops at Wailea, Maui’s version of Rodeo Drive. If it’s artsy and eclectic you’re after, giddyup to Makawao (Mack-ah-wow), a former paniolo (“cowboy”) town in the Upcountry that has turned trendy, or if you’re into Bohemian, check out free-spirited Pa‘ia (Pah-ee-ah) near Maui’s north shore. In either town, shop Maui Hands for locally created art. Whether you’ve worked out or are just stressed out, Maui soothes the mind and soul, as well as the body. Unwind with yoga, tai chi, or Pilates, or be pampered in paradise at one of Maui’s many spas. Book a lomilomi massage to calm the soul while muscle tension evaporates.

Breathtaking scenery and year-round temperatures averaging eighty degrees make Maui an irresistible outdoor playground. Whether you prefer “Surf ’s up!” or diving down, water sports are plentiful. If you thought paddling an outrigger canoe was similar to kayaking, you would have been sorely mistaken. But you would doubtless get a killer core workout and encounter giant green sea turtles. For a relaxed pace, ply Maui’s brisk sapphire seas aboard the Gemini or Trilogy for a snorkel or sunset sail, or, in the winter months, a whale-watching excursion.

During recent decades, Maui has evolved into the ultimate foodie destination with first-rate farm-totable cuisine. Touted on menus island-wide are “Maui grown” ingredients ranging from coffee and arugula to island-grazed beef. Several of Kula’s Upcountry farms offer tours and opportunities to buy produce directly from the source. Nibble on flavored goat cheeses and chocolate truffles at Surfing Goat Dairy, and then follow your nose to Ali‘i Kula Lavender, where everything is infused with luscious lavender, including freshly baked scones and homemade sun lotions.

Maui’s tapestried landscapes provide “landlubbers” with plenty of nature-frolicking options as well. Adrenaline junkies can whiz through the Upcountry via zip lines or ride mountain bikes down from the summit of Haleakala, which is Maui’s highest peak. Got time? Take a Driving Miss Daisy–pace and fully experience the dramatically beautiful and insanely crooked Road to Hana. Break often for waterfall swims, jaw-dropping ocean overlooks, and homemade banana-nut bread. I prefer to stretch

These days, gourmands are giving two forks up for Maui’s Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, which is a delectable blend of Pacific Rim, West Coast, and Hawaiian cooking. Maui’s taste bud–tantalizing fare stems from an ancestral heritage rooted in the sugarcane and whaling industries. The regional cuisine has been influenced by the Hawaiians, Koreans, Filipinos, Chinese, and Portuguese and, more recently, has melded with cultural influences from decades of migrating mainlanders.

Tasty eateries on Maui are as plentiful as pineapples, from cheap roadside huli huli (Hawaiian BBQ-style) chicken stands to star-studded celebrity chef kitchens. At Honu, whether you belly up to the lively bar and snack on fried chickpeas or score a table where Lahaina’s waves nearly crash at your feet, Chef Mark Ellman’s Dungeness crab dishes—and friendly vibe—will beckon you back. Or, splurge at Merriman’s, an exquisite waterfront setting in Kapalua that promises a stellar evening accompanied by Chef Peter Merriman’s epicurean delights and a crooning saxophonist. And don’t forget Mama’s Fish House, long touted as Maui’s best restaurant. Mama’s is located just east of Pa‘ia and lives up to its stellar reputation. From the vintage South Seas decor and unparalleled lagoon setting to the delectable seafood cuisine and lilikoi mojitos, you’ll be in Hawaiian Heaven. Asian food is also wildly popular and is often very reasonably priced. Asian eateries on Maui run the gamut from Chinese to Japanese to Vietnamese to Thai, with several serving a flavorful fusion of ethnicities. Lauded by countless food critics, Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar consistently serves excellent sushi and Japanese cuisine, and has two locations—Kihei in South Maui and charming Kapalua. Lahaina’s Star Noodle, which should more aptly be called Rockstar Noodle, serves up incredible homemade noodles and innovative Asian specialties. Save room for Chef Sheldon Simeon’s homemade malasadas (Portuguese doughnut balls) dipped in both chocolate and butterscotch sauces and then in chopped nuts. OMG! My vivid memories of this beguiling island are triggered almost daily by the simplest things: a flower, a song, a travel advertisement, or a strong wind. In an instant, I swiftly transcend back to my soulful South Seas siren, whom I long to visit once more. But like all the best love stories, mine, too, has a happy ending. Ho‘Ola Spa is currently under construction and is scheduled to open at Honua Kai Resort and Spa for Fall 2013, and I was able to return for a visit, thanks to all of those accumulated airline points from my Florida–Hawaii commutes. I once again celebrated my “annual thirty-seventh” birthday on Maui, the Land of Aloha, which will always hold a piece of my heart.

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COPYRIGHT © 2013 A BOHEME DESIGN, LLC Only with prior written consent of A BOHEME Design, LLC may the design concepts, drawings or written material herein be reproduced in any form or format, whether in part or whole. Contractor, Sub-contractors and Suppliers do not scale drawings. Use only dimensions provided herein. If any dimension is not provided or if any dimensions are in conflict with field dimensions or other dimensions contained herein, notify A BOHEME Design for clarification. It shall be the Contractor's responsibility to check and verify all conditions and dimensions at the job site and to verify all dimensions necessary for any specified products or equipment from manufacturer's recommendations.

Seal

Issues and Revisions

Date Description 3/6/13 Schematic Design 5/2/13 DRB Submittal

AA 26001879

No. 1 2

Project Number:

30Avenue

L u x u r y R e t a i l a n d O f f i c e Ve n u e Anticipated Opening 2014

OWNER

Schematic Design

OWNER'S CONSULTANTS

CORR PROPERTIES II PO Box 611310 Rosemary Beach, FL 32461

ABD1226

Project:

CIVIL ENGINEER McNeil Carroll Engineering, Inc. 17800 Panama City Beach Parkway Panama City Beach, FL 32413 (T)850-234-1730

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT SCI Site Concepts International 1421 5th St. Suite D Sarasota, FL 34236 (T)941-330-1034

ENVIROMENTAL DESIGN CONSULTANT Studio JDK PO Box 8332 Aspen, CO 81612 (T)970-429-8527

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Alan D. Holt, ASLA PO Box 2549 Panama City, FL 32402 (T)850-940-9006

BOHEME

“I call architectu r e fr o zen mus ic . . . ”

www.aboheme.com

MASTER PLANNING CONSULTANTS PLACE Alliance

Owner:

121 S. Orange Ave Suite 1200 Orlando, FL 32801 (T)407-494-1299 placealliance.com

Sheet Name:

Corr Properties II

COVERSHEET SHEET TYPE

A0.00

DESIGN

J o ha nn Wo lfg a ng vo n G o ethe

FROM COPPER MOUNTAIN TO THE ROLLING HILLS OF TENNESSEE

WEDDING VENUE Church Street United Methodist Church in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee

RECEPTION VENUE Rowland Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee

OUR STORY We met in 2001 during our sophomore year at the University of Tennessee. Jonathan was in his second year of the architecture program and had just begun pledging a fraternity. Some of my best friends from my teenage years were also in that fraternity, so it was not long before our paths crossed. We regularly hung out with the group and became good friends. In the meantime, Jonathan—he in need of extra beer money and my mother in need of an extra hand—helped to clear fencerows on my family’s farm. We eventually quit flirting and tried a run at dating; however, the complications or realities of a college relationship put things on hold for a few years.

By Amanda Rowland Hampel Photography by Jennie Andrews V IE Z INE .C OM | 119

After graduating from college, Jonathan started his career with an architecture firm in Rosemary Beach, Florida. I postponed entering law school and moved to San Diego, California, to live with my godfather and work in his law firm. A year later, I moved to Jacksonville, Florida, to begin law school. Just as in my college days, I was surrounded by some of my best friends, who were also Jonathan’s great friends and fraternity brothers. Jonathan often traveled to Jacksonville to see his friends, and me, and it wasn’t long before I realized he was not just another “guy friend.” We decided to give our relationship another chance. The rest is history —that’s our story and we’re sticking to it!

ENGAGEMENT We both love to snowboard, so in February of 2011, we took a trip out West to meet up with friends in Breckenridge, Colorado. We had the first two days to ourselves, which gave Jonathan the perfect opportunity to propose. On our first day of snowboarding at Copper Mountain Resort, while we were resting our legs on a tree run called Sail Away Glade, Jonathan asked me to marry him. I never anticipated a proposal on the top of a mountain. It was the perfect surprise. We celebrated the engagement that night at the Hearthstone Restaurant 120 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

in Breckenridge. The next day, we shared the news with family and celebrated into the night with our friends who had joined us for the weekend to ski.

CEREMONY Since my father had passed away when I was in high school, I was walked down the aisle by my godfather. I stopped and placed a single orange rose in honor of my father on the empty pew seat next to my mother and then joined Jonathan at the altar. The instant of seeing each other for the first time only moments before we were to marry each other was so emotional. To be fair, both of us shed tears–– one of us more than the other! Using the vows the church gave us as a template, we created vows that we thought were perfect for us as a couple. Memorizing our vows was an important aspect of the whole event; it was an amazing feeling to be saying those words to each other, and not just repeating them.

DECOR AND RECEPTION Because the church was breathtakingly gorgeous, the ceremony needed few decorations. We had flower arrangements on the altar and small hydrangea arrangements on every other pew. I wanted the reception to be classy and farm

chic—ha! It was held in the backyard of my childhood home on my mother’s farm. Because of the natural beauty of the landscape and the gardens, we chose neutral-colored tablecloths with white and pale pink flowers, including garden roses, peonies, and hydrangeas. The flowers were arranged in mercury glass containers that sat atop moss-covered pedestals on my mother’s sterling silver platters. The tent ceiling was elegantly draped with ivory fabric and strands of tiny white lights. For the main lighting, we wrapped huge four-foot-wide twig balls in the white lights as well. There were seven of them hanging in a row from the peak of the tent.

FAVORITE DETAIL We had Mason jars for our guests to take home with them that had been personalized with our “wedding logo”—a parody of the Jack Daniel’s black-andwhite logo. It read, “Jonathan and Amanda’s June 9, 2012, Quality Tennessee Wedding.” My brother designed the graphic, and we had it printed on the glass jars. When guests arrived, we served a signature cocktail of Lynchburg Lemonade with blackberries in the Mason jars. They were a big hit! We also followed an old Southern tradition called “burying the bourbon” to ensure good weather the day of the wedding. Southern folklore says that if the bride and groom bury a bottle of bourbon at the site where they are to be married, then it won’t rain on their wedding day. This must be done exactly one month before the wedding, the bottle must be completely full, and the bottle must be buried upside down. We had buried a bottle of bourbon in my mother’s backyard (the site of the reception) on May 9, and needless to say, we had amazing weather on our wedding day! But we took the tradition a little further: when we arrived at the farm for the reception, we dug up the bottle and took our first “married” drink from that bottle of bourbon!

WHEN GUESTS ARRIVED, WE SERVED A SIGNATURE COCKTAIL OF LYNCHBURG LEMONADE WITH BLACKBERRIES IN THE MASON JARS. THEY WERE A BIG HIT! WEDDING VENDORS We had the best vendors ever. Angie Froemel of Absolute Wedding Perfection – wedding reception coordinator Jennie Andrews – photographer Flavor Music Big Band – ten-piece band from Atlanta, Georgia Lake Terrace Trio – string trio that played during cocktail hour All Occasions Party Rentals – tents, tables, chairs, flooring, silverware, etc. Above the Rest Event Designs – lighting and tent decor Holly Hambright of Holly’s Eventful Dining – caterer Carole Sullivan of Lagniappe Designs in Mountain Brook, Alabama – floral design and decor (Carole is my late father’s cousin) The Pour Guys – bartending and serving Park Inc – valet parking The Happy Envelope in Knoxville, Tennessee – wedding invitations

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HONEYMOON We went on a sailing trip through the Windward Islands in the Caribbean. After a two-night stay in St. Lucia, we flew down to the island of Grenada, where we boarded a sailboat for seven days at sea. We headed north from Grenada with stops on the islands of Carriacou, Union Island, Mayreau, Tobago Cays, Mustique, Bequia, and St. Vincent, before returning to St. Lucia. As our sailing trip came to an end, we were let off on the small stretch of beach between the Pitons, two steep-sided volcanic mountains on the southwestern coast of St. Lucia, and we enjoyed two relaxing nights at the Jalousie Plantation Resort, now known as Sugar Beach.

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LIFE IN ROSEMARY BEACH Jonathan is a partner in the architecture firm of A BOHEME Design, LLC, located on Main Street in Rosemary Beach. After the wedding, I moved down to the beach and began studying for the Florida Bar Exam. I have since successfully passed the Bar and was sworn in as a licensed attorney in May 2013. I am currently working for Rosemary Beach Realty.

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Romance Is in the Air

There are those who may find the prospect of sharing a pleasure trip with a tropical storm disheartening; an inner turmoil that echoes the storm may threaten to douse the hope and excitement of having a perfect getaway. Fortunately for me, I have love and the man whom I now call my husband to chase away any clouds that would encroach on our happiness.

by meredith snow photography courtesy of the brazilian court hotel

ust last June, we were wed on my home island of Kauai—a magical moment that will forever be imprinted on my heart. So, how is it that our trip to Palm Beach, Florida, could be considered a honeymoon? Our whirlwind wedding was filled with unforgettable memories, none of which I would want to change. However, with so many things to do with my friends and family throughout that week, it made it very difficult for me and my husband-to-be to enjoy any alone time. Even our honeymoon suite was not exactly private—my parents were in the adjacent bedroom! Needless to say, the experience was the equivalent of “bridled intimacy.” So, for our first-year anniversary, we embarked on an adventure to South Florida in hopes of recapturing that honeymoon spirit.

world-renowned celebrity hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai. There’s a bar with live music to soothe your nerves while sipping cocktails, and Café Boulud, a French-American fine dining restaurant that features an award-winning menu from New York– based chef Daniel Boulud. In addition, scattered throughout the hotel are secluded indoor meeting areas. A media loggia has several big screens set into the wall that allow guests to catch up on news, sports, or other televised events, and a library loggia, which often plays host to book signings by famous authors, is complete with books and board games for guests to enjoy. The Brazilian Court is a wedding planner’s dream venue, providing elegant surroundings to accommodate all varieties of guests and every wedding day ritual.

Approaching our hotel destination in a torrential downpour on Friday, June 7, we navigated through soaked yet cozy streets flanked by beautiful homes. Nestled within this gorgeous Palm Beach neighborhood was our weekend oasis—the recently renovated and highly acclaimed Brazilian Court Hotel and Beach Club. We pulled up beneath the awning to escape the rain and were welcomed by a flock of valets. Our luggage was whisked away as quickly as it was unloaded from the car.

On Saturday, the day following our arrival, we felt brave enough to venture off campus for some— believe it or not—aquatic sports. We wanted to spend the day paddleboarding through the canals of the Intracoastal Waterway. Rick, at Palm Beach Paddleboards, was friendly and refreshingly honest: willing to sacrifice a sale, he actually tried to discourage us from paddling in such hostile weather conditions. But, when he learned that we were avid BOTE board enthusiasts and determined to go, he laid out a suggested route and sent us on a waterway tour of the area. Later, we returned to the hotel (which had really begun to feel like home) looking like drowned rats, but the staff still greeted us as if we were celebrities. We scrubbed off the grit and grime of the day just in time for our dinner reservation.

After check-in, our guide led us to our room through a labyrinth of corridors, part of the hotel’s Mediterranean Art Deco charm dating back to the 1920s. Upon entering the room, my eyes welled with tears of happiness: inside to greet us was a tray of delectable treats with a personalized note and a subtle serenade of classical music that embraced my heart. After a quick assessment of the huge jet tub and private patio, I knew that it could rain all weekend, and still I would be happy. It rained for two days, and yet my happiness persevered. Our mornings were lazy. You know the ones—when you’re so happy there is no room for words, and you just absorb the moment. In the afternoons, we took advantage of rainy-day specials and indoor entertainment at the Palm Beach Zoo and the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium— just minutes away across the Intracoastal Waterway. Since the weather forced us to spend plenty of time indoors, we indulged our curiosity and fully explored the beautiful Brazilian Court. To pamper its guests with hairstyling and body treatments, the hotel boasts a full-service salon and spa by 128 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

The four-star Café Boulud, which was casual and welcoming for both breakfast and lunch seatings, had transformed into an elegant dining room and was packed with hotel guests as well as locals who frequent the Brazilian Court to indulge in dining at its finest. As I stared at the menu, I realized that I understood very little of the mostly French cuisine. Our waiter, however, was very kind and intuitive— after I asked him what one word meant, he happily tossed me a lifeline and subtly explained all the remaining choices. Café Boulud has other ways to make everyone to special, like small surprise plates brought by the attentive waitstaff accompanied by a “compliments of our chef to wake up your taste buds,” or “a treat from our pastry chef.” All guests received these extravagant extras, but the presentation made me feel as if they were for me alone. While we dined, there was a large private party in a separate ballroom that is frequently used for wedding

receptions, but still the ambience remained quaint and private. On Sunday morning, the sun blessed us with her sparkling smile, and, as if a veil had been lifted, the maze of paths that wound throughout the hotel grounds revealed other hidden treasures of the Brazilian Court Hotel’s spectacular design. A gorgeous courtyard with lush plantings seemed to sway magically as delicate tunes from the 1930s whispered in the breeze. We explored the grounds, and every few steps, another tiny alcove appeared with chaise lounges and soft cushions—perfect little hideaways for wooing a lover, for getting lost in the pages of a favorite book, or, for those unable to escape work, for catching up on e-mails. The outdoor heated pool and hot tub were enchanting. Hidden among so much vegetation, I completely forgot we were in the middle of a city. With difficulty, we forced ourselves to leave this sanctuary to discover more of the hotel’s surrounding area. Stepping out into the welcome sunshine, we had walked only two blocks to Worth Avenue for a little window-shopping when more secrets were revealed: lavish public gardens and secluded cobblestone paths to explore. We found we were within walking distance of nearly everything the area had to offer, including Buccan, a fabulous tapas-style restaurant, which provided the setting for our anniversary dinner. Ryan, who seemed more friend than waiter, was well-versed in the vicinity and filled us in on the history of the restaurant, the local area, and even where to get one of the best breakfasts in town. To complete our extraordinary evening, we crossed the street to walk hand in hand along the ocean shoreline, counting stars and making wishes. Eventually, we had to return to the lives that awaited us back home. But, I will never forget the oasis of comfortable and luxurious accommodations, the captivating courtyards, and the phenomenally orchestrated staff of the Brazilian Court Hotel and Beach Club—a magical hideaway with the miraculous capacity to transform a tropical storm into a romantic rain shower.

A beacon of style and elegance since 1926, Brazilian Court Hotel is as rich in history and architecture as it is in luxury accommodations and superb dining

Relax beneath the palms at the Brazilian Courtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pool, where romance drifts in on the warm Florida breeze and the adventure outside is only steps away

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The Future is

for Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation By Laurie Crowley Photography Courtesy Of DCWAF & Facetime Photobooth

photo by brandan babineaux

AN IDEA SHAPED FROM A NEED, INSPIRED BY A PASSION, AND PROPELLED THROUGH GENEROSITY AND SUPPORT SPURRED THE NAISSANCE OF THE DESTIN CHARITY WINE AUCTION FOUNDATION (DCWAF) IN 2005. NORTHWEST FLORIDA HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT WINE FESTIVAL DESTINATION FOR OVER TWO DECADES, AND THE 2013 SCHEDULE DID NOT DISAPPOINT. EARNING THE DISTINCTION OF BEING ONE OF THE TOP TEN CHARITY WINE AUCTIONS IN THE COUNTRY FROM WINE SPECTATOR, THE FOLKS AT DCWAF ARE POISED TO CATAPULT THEIR EVENT ONTO THE MAIN STAGE OF THE WINE AUCTION WORLD. FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, DCWAF HAS BEEN ATTRACTING SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL VINTNERS AND CELEBRITY CHEFS AND CONNECTING THEM WITH PHILANTHROPIC-MINDED CITIZENS TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHILDREN IN NEED. THIS YEAR’S THEME, “FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT,” PERFECTLY CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF THE GROUP’S MISSION. THE FOUNDATION GREW OUT OF A DESIRE TO GIVE BACK TO A COMMUNITY AND NOW BRINGS TOGETHER HUNDREDS OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS TO HELP THOSE MOST IN NEED: OUR CHILDREN. Whether you are an oenophile (wine connoisseur) or simply someone who enjoys a nice glass of wine paired with a sumptuous dinner, the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation has created an event geared not only toward showcasing wine, but also toward a weekend of culinary delights, culminating in a live auction of rare wines, travel packages, and other exclusive items. Wines are scored through a comparison of their quality in four categories: first, appearance, then scent, followed by taste, and, finally, overall presentation. If charity auction events were evaluated in this manner, the DCWAF would score through the roof !

APPEARANCE In 2005, Chan Cox, owner of Wine World and founder of the Sandestin Wine Festival, approached a group of philanthropic friends and wine lovers with the idea of raising money for children in need. The group held its first silent auction and raised $80,000 the first year. They soon added a live auction component, and the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation began to grow. Having a passion for giving back to his community, Chan has since started the South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival, held in conjunction with DCWAF.

event to a nationally recognized one, attracting celebrity chefs and celebrated vintners to the area. “Because of our success and the generosity of our patrons, we are able to offer rare and highly sought-after wines and wine-themed trips for auction,” Russell says. Having outgrown its previous location at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the group’s May 2013 event was moved to Grand Boulevard at Sandestin. Lauren Magli, director of events for DCWAF, notes that moving an event of this magnitude to a new location was challenging. “The pressure was on not only to match previous years, but also to exceed all expectations, and because of the volunteers, sponsors, and patrons, and the compelling leadership of John Russell, we were able to surpass the previous year’s revenue, continuing the trend of revenue growth every year since the first auction in 2006.” Inside a festive tent, the lively attendees bid on auction lots, including a six-night stay at the Grand Isle Resort and Spa in Great Exuma, Bahamas, with round-trip photo credit : chandler williams / modus photography

Since 2005, DCWAF has donated $4.7 million to support a variety of children’s charities in Northwest Florida. In 2012, DCWAF donated $1.2 million ($895,000 from live auction bids), representing a 300 percent increase in giving capacity since the foundation’s inception. Revenue from both live and silent auctions in 2013 totaled $1,323,000, a 16 percent increase over last year’s results. These funds have affected the lives of over 42,000 youths over the years, including those afflicted by health issues and abuse.

SCENT John Russell took over as president of DCWAF a little over a year ago and couldn’t be more excited about the foundation and its future. “Donating over a million dollars this year to local charities to enhance the lives of children in our area is the reason we exist,” notes Russell. With a staff of three and a dedicated, invested board of directors, DCWAF has grown from a regional wine and culinary

Bird’s-eye view of the production team behind DCWAF’s 2013 event

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PHOTO BOOTH FUN!

photography courtesy facetime photobooth

Clockwise from top left: Chef Luis Pous and friends, Bryan and Cindy Krutz, Jeanne Dailey and Jay Nettles, Jim and Vicki Matthews, Karah Fridley-Young and Cody Clark, Dr. Dennis Lichorwic and Glenda Weatherbee.

airfare via private jet, and a trip for eight from We Are the World, which included a VIP lunch and wine dinner aboard The World, the largest privately owned yacht on the planet (also with round-trip airfare by private jet). Needless to say, these two lots received the highest bids of the evening—$28,000 each. Over the weekend, fourteen patron dinners were held in private homes and at prominent restaurants in the Emerald Coast region. Guests at each event were treated to an intimate dinner prepared by a celebrity chef with accompanying wines chosen by the guest vintner. These patron dinners have become a mainstay during the auction weekend and generate impressive revenue for the charities.

TASTE “One of the most heartwarming experiences during the auction season, and beyond, is visiting some of our benefiting charities,” says Russell. “To see firsthand where the money is going—and how it affects the life of a child—is truly gratifying. This year’s results will provide significant funding for fourteen charities that do incredible work to change the lives of so many children.”

OVERALL PRESENTATION Impacting the lives of so many children in need is a testament to the unyielding efforts of this wonderful foundation. Not only do these efforts enrich the lives of the children, but DCWAF has also found a way to bring the region together in a spirit of community and, in the process, showcase the overwhelming power of volunteerism. 136 | J U LY/A U GU S T 2 013

nick malambri / east pass images

Friday night patron dinner at the home of Jack and Candis Wilson in Destin

BENEFITTING CHARITIES:

CELEBRITY CHEFS:

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, Children in Crisis, Children’s Advocacy Center, Children’s Volunteer Health Network, Emerald Coast Autism Center, Fisher House of the Emerald Coast, Food for Thought, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, Horizons of Okaloosa County, Opportunity Inc., Pathways for Change, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast, Shelter House of Northwest Florida, and Youth Village, Inc.

Alex McPhail of Iron, Brendan Orr of Roof Top Café, Carvel Grant Gould of Canoe, Cindy Hutson of Ortanique on the Mile, Clay Conley of Buccan, David Gwynn of Cypress Restaurant and Vertigo Burgers and Fries, Dan Vargo of Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood, Jamie McFadden of Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine and Events, Jude Tauzin of Tony Chachere’s Creole Foods, Louis Osteen of Louis’s at Sanford’s, Luis A. Pous of The Dining Room at Little Palm Island Resort and Spa, Robert Gerstenecker of Park 75 at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, Tim Creehan of Cuvee Bistro, Cuvee Catering, and Grill Plus, Scott Serpas of Serpas True Food, and David Cunningham of V Seagrove.

PARTICIPATING WINERIES: Caymus Vineyards, Pride Mountain Vineyards, Paul Hobbs Winery, Merry Edwards Winery, Dunn Vineyards, Jarvis Estate Winery, Robert Craig Winery, Spring Mountain Vineyard, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Château de Beaucastel, DeLille Cellars, O Wines, Domaine Champy, Domaine Clos de la Chapelle, Duckhorn Vineyards, Hourglass, Husic Vineyards, Krutz Family Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards, V Madrone Cellars, Schweiger Vineyards, and Betz Family Winery.

To learn more, visit www.dcwaf.org.

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his year, 2013, marks five hundred years since Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Léon landed on Florida shores during Easter Week 1513, somewhere near Melbourne Beach. He claimed the land for the Spanish Crown, disregarding the Native Americans who already lived there, having descended from peoples who had arrived at least ten thousand years before. In his search for gold, Ponce de Léon found something far more valuable—a wealth of natural resources like nothing he’d ever seen.

To European eyes, it looked like an untouched wilderness, a tropical Eden with four thousand native species of trees, shrubs, and other flowering plants quilting the flat landscape in texture and lush greens. Eye-catching wildflowers rippled through pine forests in rivulets of colors like pink, lavender, sky blue, and sun yellow. Their abundance, variety, and beauty so enchanted Ponce de Léon that he named it Florida—land of flowers. More than one hundred species of orchids grow here compared with only two species in Hawaii. Early travelers described the longleaf pine savanna spread over twenty million acres as “an airy grassland dotted with trees that created a cathedral-like atmosphere.” While longleaf pines dominated upland forests, a unique ecosystem called coastal scrub blanketed dunes along parts of the Gulf coast in thickets of stunted, salt-pruned sand oaks, magnolias, and sand pines mixed with lupines and false rosemary. “Water, water, everywhere” would have described Florida’s liquid assets. The state boasted seventyeight hundred lakes, seventeen hundred rivers and streams, and more than six hundred sparkling freshwater springs, along with thirteen hundred miles of coastline bordering the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean. This bounty of natural wonders attracted all types of wildlife, from birds and wild panthers and black bear to thousands of fish species, both fresh and saltwater. Where can one find all this glory now? Who could have envisioned that such a vast, seemingly inexhaustible wilderness would be so transformed in only a few centuries? Ponce de Léon would not recognize it today. He’d stare in disbelief at the endless vistas of high-rises, condos, resorts, and vacation homes that line its shores; restaurants, shopping malls, and theme parks have replaced all but 2 percent of its native longleaf pine forests.

Luckily for all Floridians and millions of visitors today, the Florida Park Service was created in 1935 to preserve “the state’s original natural resources for all time, and make them accessible for public enjoyment.” Celebrate Viva La Florida 500—a statewide commemoration of Florida’s anniversary—at a state park. There are 171 to choose from, spread over a half-million acres of conservation land. Florida State Parks evolved from a federal program called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which provided conservation-related work programs for young men during the depression. To benefit from the CCC, the Florida legislature directed the Board of Forestry to survey for lands suitable for state parks. The Florida State Park System is one of the nation’s largest park systems, and it has twice been awarded the National Gold Medal for best parks. With an ongoing mission to provide resource-based recreation while preserving, interpreting, and restoring natural and cultural resources, the parks are the public’s best bet to see the Real Florida. For a rich sampling of Florida nature, people can explore three parks in the Northwest Florida Panhandle, one of the most biologically diverse regions in the state. All three can be accessed off Highway 30-A, a scenic corridor that runs along stunning beaches and connects the fourteen coastal communities called the Beaches of South Walton. “All three parks protect important coastal habitats such as dunes, maritime hammocks, wet prairies, and watersheds for the coastal dune lakes,” shares Jeff Talbert, park services specialist at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Coastal dune lakes are an outstanding special feature, as they are found only in Africa and the southern portion of Walton County, Florida, and are ranked as “globally imperiled” by the Nature Conservancy. “All three provide excellent recreational opportunities, including beach access, canoeing and kayaking, and miles of marked trails for hiking. All but Deer Lake offer cabins and camping facilities. However, each one requires a visit to savor its unique qualities and special features.”

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park More like a resort than the other two parks, Topsail balances visitor R & R with flora and fauna conservation. Trams and elevated boardwalks enable folks to

get around without trampling fragile dunes and vegetation. The RV resort, campgrounds, and recreational facilities are located near the main entrance far from the secluded preserve section, so while a happy camper grills hamburgers outside his RV, our fine-feathered friends can scour vegetation for an outdoor picnic. “It’s pristine in the truest sense of the word,” says Talbert, referring to Campbell Lake as an ideal habitat for both native and migratory birds. As if to agree, a flock of Bonaparte’s gulls glide above the lake, graceful as a passing cloud. “A desolate shore like this with thick vegetation around its edges provides safe, protected areas where birds forage for food and find fresh water. The lake attracts lots of songbirds like warblers, along with bald eagles and spotted sandpipers, to name a few.” Campbell Lake, one of the fifteen dune lakes, illustrates why this park has been christened “the Crown Jewel of the Emerald Coast.” The 1,640-acre park with sixteen distinct natural communities offers superlatives: the longest unbroken stretch of undeveloped beach in Walton County, the most cabins of any park in the state along with the largest dedicated tent site, and one of the tallest dunes in the state. Topsail Hill—the park’s namesake dune—towers nearly fifty feet above the Gulf, affording magnificent views of the wind-sculpted transitional zone between land and sea. From this high ridge, one sees the perfection of God’s creation: how everything is interconnected and interrelated as each natural community flows into the next in a seamless, harmonious design. Dunes sweep across the horizon, rising into hills and sloping into valleys called swales before flattening out into the broad beach, before disappearing underwater as the Gulf ’s floor. Turning around and looking in the opposite direction, one can observe how the high ridge drops down to form a basin swamp filled with water-loving trees and vegetation like cypress. Farther out, the land rises again, changing into wet prairie, and finally, off in the distance, the rounded tops of a longleaf pine forest appear. It’s clear why we need state parks to protect these fragile landscapes, as nothing is here by accident, but every plant and animal is essential for the healthy functioning of the whole. Ripping out vegetation like sea oats would make the primary dunes blow away, V IE Z INE .C OM | 145

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leading to coastal erosion and making us vulnerable to winds and storm surges while depriving the Choctawhatchee beach mouse of its food source. If too many shorebird eggs get trampled beneath the sand, the survival of an entire species is threatened. Topsail rangers have noticed a difference in shorebird restoration since they roped off large beach sections for safe nesting sites. “We’ve had a huge comeback in shorebird populations like snowy plovers and least terns nesting in the dunes,” explains park manager Jason Cutshaw. Birds are not the only creatures that hide out in these protected dunes. Growing among the laurel oaks, primrose, and false rosemary clumps is a spindly plant with a significant role called honeycomb head. It’s the host flower for the solitary bee, endemic to only a half-mile strip along Gulf Coast dunes from Alabama to Florida. “Before this area was developed, it looked a lot like this,” Talbert explains, gesturing toward a wet prairie surrounded by old-growth longleaf pines. “A sea of longleaf pine grassland spread over most the state. Today, only a few remnants like this remain. With trees spaced far apart, sunshine streams down on grasses and wildflowers. Before fire suppression, lightning strikes ignited fires that pruned away the excess vegetation and kept it open. Today we mimic nature and use prescribed burns for the same results.” Talbert points out an old-growth tree with a thick trunk and flattened top he says is around two hundred years old. Wet prairies, basin swamps, and cypress domes mix in with pines to furnish habitat for carnivorous pitcher plants, sundews, and rare orchids. Wet prairies are an important source of fresh water for dune lakes, as rainwater spills off their saturated surfaces into the lakes. Come see for yourself why Topsail earned the title “Crown Jewel of the Emerald Coast.”

Grayton Beach State Park Grayton Beach State Park provides a quiet interlude between bustling Seaside and laid-back Grayton Beach, one of the oldest beach towns skirting the Gulf. Here, one can slip back to when Native Americans fished the Gulf, deer foraged the dunes, and black bear and bobcat roamed inland forests. Like its neighboring communities, the park is user friendly, so attractions are

accessible and exploring is easy. Park visitors can hike a coastal trail directly off the parking lot, or take the boardwalk down to a pristine beach for walking, swimming, or fishing the Gulf. Recreational options include paddling a nearby dune lake or crossing Highway 30-A to hike a nature trail through inland forest. They can do all this in a relaxed, unhurried way, allowing nature to work its magic—transforming them into naturalists who will forever love wild places. Native wildflower plantings—a recent restoration project—greet visitors at the main park entrance. Wildflowers still dazzle us with their bright colors and delicate beauty. More than just a pretty face, however, wildflowers work overtime enriching the soil, preventing erosion, and providing habitat for countless insects like dragonflies, pollinating honeybees, and butterflies, and other small creatures like birds. Monarch butterflies even synchronize their arrival and reproduction with the milkweed’s growing season. Wildflowers’ vivid colors act like beacons, flagging down monarchs for refueling stops essential for completing their grueling twothousand-mile journey to Mexico. These were all good reasons for park manager Dale Shingler to start a wildflower restoration project after a local resident bemoaned the loss of area wildflowers. “We remember masses of golden wildflowers blooming along 30-A and want to bring them back,” he shared with Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance and AmeriCorps volunteers who helped plant. Current park manager Matthew Allen, who replaced Shingler when he retired, will continue planting every season until once again wildflowers flourish along park boundaries. It is to be hoped that all this flower power will persuade county officials to change mowing practices that eliminate wildflowers by using low-blade settings and mowing before flowers have reseeded. A wet prairie restoration project aids in wildflower preservation as certain wildflower species also depend on fire, especially pitcher plants, one of the oldest flowering plants on earth, having survived since dinosaurs roamed. “Once we cleared out encroaching titi, our herb biologist discovered endangered plants like the white-fringed orchid, which we had never seen,” exclaims Allen.

At first glance, a burned forest appears desolate and lifeless, with scorched tree trunks and blackened earth. However, a closer inspection reveals new life resurrecting from the ashes. Intense sunlight coaxes up carnivorous plants like the pink sundew; with rosy leaves radiating from the center, it resembles a tiny starfish. The leaves glisten with what looks like dew but is actually a gummy substance that traps insects. Yellow pitcher plants trap insects in furled leaves that would fill up with rainwater without their protective built-in umbrella. Perhaps Ponce de Léon did discover the fountain of youth. For learning about nature and engaging with it does awaken childlike qualities like awe, wonder, curiosity, and adventure—all instrumental in keeping us forever young.

deer lake State Park Without the cabins or camping facilities of the other two parks, Deer Lake offers sanctuary for humans and wildlife alike. The spectacular vista from the long boardwalk suggests a place of quiet retreat. A dune ecosystem—one of the park’s eleven natural communities—rolls out in endless waves to the sea, just as it has done for thousands of years. It forms a timeless picture of the way this entire region once looked. Sculpted by wind into smooth, rounded hills and hollowed-out depressions—all protected by the boardwalk—the scene appears untrammeled except by natural elements. The slithering line of a snake is etched upon the sand as precise and bold as a pen-and-ink drawing on white paper, as is the indented hoof mark of a deer, or a raccoon’s delicate paw print. Rare plants like the showy Gulf Coast lupine, spoonflower, golden asters, and clumps of rosemary anchor the sand at intervals. The impenetrable thicket of coastal scrub blanketing the dunes in dark green grows only in Northwest Florida from Ochlockonee Bay west to Destin. Free of chairs, umbrellas, and other beach gear, it’s the kind of solitary place a female sea turtle searches for. An empty beach glowing like a pearl on a moonlit night beckons her ashore for the ancient ritual of species preservation. The Choctawhatchee beach mouse, another endangered species, V IE Z INE .C OM | 147

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scurries around at night nibbling on sea oat seeds. Shorebirds like snowy plovers favor these beaches as undisturbed nesting sites for laying tiny eggs in shallow depressions. Continuing down the boardwalk onto the expansive beach, one can discover what deserted beaches and Gulf waters do for humans. Unplugged from electronic devices, senses tune in and come alive to the therapeutic effects of nature. Sunshine warms and relaxes the body; the meditative sound of lapping water quiets the mind, and energy surges as swimming or walking releases endorphins—all creating a sense of wellbeing. Like migratory birds, people can find here a respite in life’s journey, a place where they can take it easy and reflect, rediscovering the peace and harmony of the natural world. After reveling in nature, visitors to Florida’s parks might concede Ponce de Léon did indeed find

gold, although not in the glittering form he expected, for no other factor has contributed to the prosperity and allure of Florida like its wealth of natural resources. They sustained early inhabitants and continue to draw millions to live and vacation here, making it the third largest state in the nation. Fortunately, some wise people realized this priceless resource could be destroyed by future waves of development, rolling over it with the relentless ferocity of a hurricane storm surge. Spending time in these parks, learning more about the interconnectedness of nature, seeing the artistry of God in a butterfly’s wing, one awakens to how priceless something is that cannot be manufactured or duplicated. Now, thanks to our parks, future generations will get a look at Ponce de Léon’s paradise—the real Florida.

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park 7525 W. Scenic Highway 30-A, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida Grayton Beach State Park 357 Main Park Road, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida Deer Lake State Park (Managed by Grayton Beach State Park) 6350 E. Scenic Highway 30-A, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Have you ever wondered what Florida looked like over five centuries ago? Come see for yourself with a visit to a Florida State Park. The goal of the Florida Park Service is to restore these parks back to their condition prior to European discovery. For information on any of these Florida State Parks, please call (850) 267-8330 or visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.

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ypically, when we go to the doctor, we are concerned only for ourselves and what ails us at that moment. Rarely do we see the compassionate man or woman in the white lab coat as a person; instead, we see the “mechanic” who is there to fix us. Doctors listen to our complaints, take note of our physical presentation and expertly decide on a course of action that will set us on the path to wellness. Oftentimes, unfortunately, there are no textbook answers to our problems and that is where experience, research, passion, and a desire to heal come into play. From bodybuilder to biochemist, medical doctor to neurosurgeon, artist and musician to family man, Mark Giovanini, MD, has followed his passions and interests. Reflecting back on how he seems to have come full circle, he noted in a recent interview, “Each area I studied seemed to feed the next, allowing me to build a broad knowledge base. I didn’t set out with a specific plan for my life; rather, I pursued what intrigued me.” Those pursuits have made Dr. Mark Giovanini a leading neurosurgeon in the area of minimally invasive spine (MIS) surgery, and he has realized there are oh so many more paths to follow and dreams to pursue. Dr. Mark Giovanini, director of the Andrews Institute Spine Center in Gulf Breeze, Florida, has been living and working in the Pensacola area for the past twelve years helping patients get back into the game of life. Giovanini noted, “Whether you are twenty years old or eighty years old, suffering with a ‘bad back’ can be life altering.” When work, play or simple movement is interrupted, everything comes to screeching halt, and that is when Dr. Giovanini, or Dr. Gio, as his patients know him, is at his best. A native of Portland, Oregon, Giovanini received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at the University of Oregon. He then received a fellowship from the American Heart Association to do basic science research at Oregon Health Sciences University. At the completion of his research, he attended medical school at Oregon Health Sciences University, where he received his MD. Being an avid weight lifter at the time and fascinated with the chemistry of the human body, Giovanini merged his passions into the position of assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Oregon Ducks. “I always understood the unique physical and psychological makeup of the competitive athlete and was able to use this insight not only to teach but to motivate as well.”

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Continuing his medical training, Giovanini completed his neurosurgical training at Shands at the University of Florida. He studied under premier neurosurgeons Dr. Albert Rhoton, Dr. Arthur Day, and Dr. Richard Fessler. While at Shands, Giovanini developed research models for spinal cord injury that eventually led to the first spinal cord transplant in humans. He published several articles on spinal cord injury and neural transplantation with Dr. Doug Anderson, chief of the neuroscience department at the University of Florida. Minimally invasive spine (MIS) surgery quickly became the primary focus of Giovanini’s practice at Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Throughout his practice, he has continually promoted and helped develop many aspects of MIS. He has been a consultant for many of the major players in the industry teaching MIS techniques both to neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons around the world. Dr. Giovanini’s skills and years of experience have been crucial in helping Andrews Institute become one of the top facilities in the country for outpatient musculoskeletal procedures. “I have always looked at life with an inspired eye,” notes Giovanini. “I see the artistry in the surgery.” It is from this perspective that Giovanini coined the term “NeuroMicroSpine.” With minimal trauma to surrounding tissue and in minimal fashion, this technology has transformed standard open procedures formerly done on inpatients at major hospitals to MIS done on outpatients at the world-class facilities of the Andrews Institute. Giovanini’s artistic side, while refined in the surgical suite, takes center stage when he is talking about his

PhotograPhy this Page by JK Morton PhotograPhy

From bodybuilder to biochemist, medical doctor to neurosurgeon, artist and musician to family man, Mark Giovanini, MD, has followed his passions and interests.

ch alle nge myself, I truly d o n o t kn o w, b u t I d o kn o w t h a t w hen I s ee a gemstone in the r a w a n d u n cu t , my ima g in a t io n ki c k s i n. ”

latest passion, jewelry design. “Whether it’s my creative outlet or my desire to continually challenge myself, I truly do not know, but I do know that when I see a gemstone in the raw and uncut, my imagination kicks in,” said Giovanini. That is how GioGemz was born. From rings and earrings to pendants and custom designs, Giovanini has allowed his unique and signature style to shine. “Opals are my obsession at the moment because of their spectacular color spectrum and the ability to look distinctive in every light setting,” he explained. “Where one person sees a rock, I see endless possibilities for a one-of-a-kind statement piece.” Someone once said: what good would outward appearance be, if the soul were in hopeless darkness? To strive to keep our bodies fit and healthy is good, but a fit and healthy soul is even better. “I dare to take that quote a step further, as I seem to do with most things in my life, and say why not strive to have both a fit and healthy body and a fit and healthy soul. I believe that when we give the body what it needs to stay in balance, the soul is automatically nourished and is better able to accept with grace all that the world has to offer,” said Giovanini. It is to this end that he feels his life is coming full circle. Focusing on his family, Giovanini not only strives to maintain his own health but also wants to impart his philosophy and lifestyle to his three young sons. Whether they are paddleboarding, fishing, or learning to appreciate the wonders and potential of an uncut gemstone, they are experiencing it all together. “My parents gave me endless opportunities to explore and create, and I am so grateful to them that I want to do the same for my kids,” said Giovanini. “Turning fifty and watching my family growing up all too quickly, I am, like most people, contemplative about my life. But, unlike most people, my knowledge of biochemistry kicks in and a new quest for knowledge is born,” Giovanini

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commented as he shared his philosophy on art and science. He stated that, as we age, we change biochemically. “Now, what if, through nutrition, exercise, hormonal therapy, and even cosmetic reconstruction, we could reverse the aging process and be around a little longer for our loved ones—a modern day fountain of youth? I don’t know where or how far this next endeavor will take me, but I do know I will enjoy the journey, otherwise it would not be worth it,” mused Giovanini. “Stepping out with a bold spirit to embark into the unknown is to awaken the mind and free the soul.”

About Andrews Institute Spine Center The Andrews Institute Spine Center provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and integrated team approach for the evaluation and management of disorders of the spine. The center focuses on the conservative treatment of spine disorders afflicting both athlete and nonathlete. Their treatment strategies strive to return individuals to their highest functional level possible. About Andrews Institute Dr. James Andrews is internationally known and recognized for his scientific and clinical research contributions in knee, shoulder, and elbow injuries, as well as his skill as an orthopedic surgeon.

PhotograPhy this Page by Po10tial Magazine / sPiros zachos

“Wh ether it’s my crea t ive o u t le t o r m y d e sir e t o co n t inual l y

For more information about Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine or Andrews Institute Spine Center, please contact the Andrews Institute at 1040 Gulf Breeze Pkwy., Suite 205, Gulf Breeze, Florida, 32561. Dr. Giovanini may be contacted at Andrews Institute at (850) 934-7545 or by e-mail at markgiovanini@yahoo.com.

Photo by JK Morton PhotograPhy

Dr. Andrews is a founding partner and medical director for the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida. In addition, he is a founding member of the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI).

About GioGemz GioGemz specializes in custom designs for precious gemstones including tanzanite, fire opal, sapphire, and tourmaline, just to name a few. Only the best stones are selected to integrate into their pieces. www.giogemz.com Whether performing neurosurgery or paddleboarding in the Gulf of Mexico, Dr. Giovanini believes in a “work hard, play hard” philosophy and strives to share this wisdom with everyone around him.

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