Emerald Coast Magazine December/January 2019

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

MEET EIGHT POWERHOUSE PINNACLE AWARD WINNING WOMEN

DEC 2019–JAN 2020

tenacious truth teller GIVING BACK

Jeffrey Steele

» HOLIDAY GIFTS, SHOWS & DÉCOR

Following his heart leads Jeffrey Steele to country music fame and 30A Songwriters stage

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$3.95

DEC 2019-JAN 2020

GIVING BIG, GIVING BACK Herculean charity efforts are making indelible differences www.emeraldcoastmagazine.com A product of Rowland Publishing, Inc.

COZY COCKTAILS Creative concoctions you can craft at home

HOLIDAY SHOWS Festive theater productions to get you in the spirit

Photo by Romona Robbins

Fulfilling Dreams Since 1976

efs a nj u a n.c o m

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December 2019-January 2020

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-MAKING OUTDOOR LIVING A DESTINATION

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

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+ ARCHITECTURAL BRILLIANCE = OUTDOOR PARADISE

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Contents

DEC 2019/JAN 2020

FEATURE

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DCWA

FUNDRAISING PHENOMENON Over-the-top high-end auction lots, live concerts and themed parties are raising millions of dollars. We look at just how these herculean charity efforts making indelible differences in the lives of the Emerald Coast’s most vulnerable … our children.

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2019-January 2020

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Contents

DEC 2019/JAN 2020

91

19 94 GARDENING

Don’t know what to put on the ground?

We’ve got you covered!

Plus, how to get rid of pesky psocids.

DESTINATIONS

19 MIND & BODY How

the practice of yoga changed one woman’s perspective and life.

26 PERSONALITIES

What you need to make your winter wardrobe haute and chic; your connection to a true Cajun Christmas spread; and easy make-your-own toys for your tots.

80 58 DINING IN Want a

72 BOOKS First-time

EXPRESSION

80 STAGE We package up

“cancer-fighting kitchen?” We have just the cookbook to help arm your pantry with healing herbs and spices and a recipe for the most essential (and delicious) weapon in your toolkit.

GASTRO & GUSTO

56 DINING OUT How to

keep those recent resolutions on track with a “skinny” night out on the town.

69 MUSIC Singer/

the New Year by equipping your closet with these must-have classic staples.

38 CITIZEN OF STYLE

Marinella Monk — physician, harpist, author and … beautiful romantic tells us how she creates a purposeful life.

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December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

53

Sip & Swirl:

Cheers to concocting our favorite oldfashioned cocktails at home. Here, here!

ABODES

91 INTERIORS Make your

holidays even more magical with these coastal-inspired housetrimming tips.

MEET EIGHT POWERHOUSE PINNACLE AWARD WINNING WOMEN

tenacious truth teller

» HOLIDAY GIFTS, SHOWS & DÉCOR

35 FASHION Celebrate

three festive holiday shows (old and new) from across the Emerald Coast to get you into the spirit.

12 PUBLISHER’S LETTER 14 EDITOR’S LETTER 112 SOCIAL STUDIES 117 DINING GUIDE 122 POSTSCRIPT

GIVING BACK

PANACHE

songwriter Jeffrey Steele always takes the best road … the one that leads from his heart.

author Amy Meyer gives you permission (and a four-week customizable program) to “let it all go.” Find out exactly how this busy entrepreneur, caretaking wife and mother of two did just that.

IN EVERY ISSUE

EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

Congratulations to the Pinnacle Awardwinning powerhouse women of the Emerald Coast … meet eight of the formidable women leaders honored this year for their distinguished personal, professional and community contributions.

44 WHAT’S IN STORE

us to Cairo, Egypt, as we unlock some fascinating secrets to ancient history.

Jeffrey Steele Following his heart leads Jeffrey Steele to country music fame and 30A Songwriters stage

GIVING BIG, GIVING BACK Herculean charity efforts are making indelible differences

COZY COCKTAILS Creative concoctions you can craft at home

HOLIDAY SHOWS Festive theater productions to get you in the spirit

ON THE COVER:

Country music Hall of Fame singer/songwriter/ teacher Jeffrey Steele performing at Tennessee’s historic Franklin Theatre in a custom Manuel Cuevas jacket. PHOTO BY ANTHONY SCARLATI

PHOTOS BY COLLEEN DUFFLEY (91), SAIGE ROBERTS (19,53) AND COURTESY OF THE SEASIDE REP (80)

THE WAVE

101 GETAWAYS Come with

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December 2019-January 2020

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Contents

PROMOTION

DEC 2019/JAN 2020

SPECIAL SECTIONS AND PROMOTIONS

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BRIGHT EYES Amazing Lash Studio offers a plethora of extensions to lift, lengthen and liven your lashes to further extend your beauty.

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DAZZLING GIFTS

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GOURMET GIFTS The

Stock their stocking with a piece of jewelry that dazzles and delights from McCaskill & Company.

Bodacious Shops staff creates and crafts culinary baskets and gift sets that will delight anyone who loves to eat, entertain or cook.

↑ CALENDAR The holidays are a season of fun for everyone on the Emerald Coast, from listening to immense talent at the 30A Songwriters Festival to holiday happenings, including shows and musicals to ringing in 2020 at a variety of beachside bashes.

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BEYOND IMPLANTS Destin Plastic Surgery

specializes in many breast enhancement options, offering more than just implants, to fit your lifestyle, medical needs and comfort.

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↑ A COMPLETE MIRACLE An

emergency heart surgery performed by the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center team gave a patient a second chance at life.

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→ HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Stuff the stockings and get out the gift wrap with our helpful holiday guide featuring local gifting for everyone on your list.

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SACRED HEART FOUNDATION “Stories from the Heart” describes people who have been helped by the Sacred Heart Foundation and the expertise and dedication of the caring men and women who make up the Sacred Heart Health System.

NEXT ISSUE 8

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SIP AND SWILL Please your

palate from an impressive variety of wineries, distilleries, brew masters and celebrity chefs at the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival.

78 MUSIC TO HER EARS

FSU Musicology Ph.D. candidate and teacher Haiqiong Deng, a Chinese concert musician, speaks about finding inspiration, her favorite fictional character and what music is playing in her car.

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Two stunning homes are on the market. Alexander at Palm Court is situated steps from a private access Seacrest beach and a Wild Heron home offers a taste of resort life.

2019 “Best of the Emerald Coast” event recap and Women’s Profiles

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

DEAL ESTATE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CULTURAL ARTS ALLIANCE OF WALTON COUNTY (106), FORT WALTON BEACH MEDICAL CENTER (32) AND SOUTH WALTON BEACHES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL (76)

JOHN PRINE

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EMERALD COAST MAGAZINE

VOL. 20, NO. 6

DEC 2019–JAN 2020

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BRIAN E. ROWLAND

EDITORIAL EDITOR Zandra Wolfgram MANAGING EDITOR Jeff Price STAFF WRITER Hannah Burke CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Bornhoft, Danielle J. Brown, Jennifer Howard, Jack Macaleavy, Rebecca Padgett, Audrey Post, Saige Roberts

CREATIVE FRESH SEAFOOD FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY Daniel Vitter CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Ekrut ART DIRECTOR Saige Roberts SENIOR PUBLICATION DESIGNER Shruti Shah PUBLICATION DESIGNERS Sarah Burger, Jordan Harrison, Lindsey Masterson GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sierra Thomas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Booini, Danny Clinch, Colleen Duffley, Emily Slade Photography, Mike Fender, Nikki Hendrik, Scott Holstein, Blake Howerton, Jacqueline Ward Images, Jennifer G Photography, Eva Kolenko, Moon Creek Studios, Rhonda Murray, Kay Phelan, Jeff Provinse, Saige Roberts, Anthony Scarlati, Will Sullivan, Shelly Swanger, Suzanne Teng, Dan Wiencek, Allison Yii

SALES, MARKETING AND EVENTS DEWEY DESTIN'S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin, FL 850.837.7575

VICE PRESIDENT/CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT McKenzie Burleigh SALES MANAGER, EASTERN DIVISION Lori Magee Yeaton SALES MANAGER, WESTERN DIVISION Rhonda Lynn Murray DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, EASTERN DIVISION Daniel Parisi DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WESTERN DIVISION Dan Parker ADVERTISING SERVICES COORDINATORS Tracy Mulligan, Lisa Sostre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES David Doll, Julie Dorr, Darla Harrison, Linda Powell MARKETING MANAGER Kate Pierson SALES AND MARKETING WRITER Rebecca Padgett SALES AND EVENTS MANAGER Mackenzie Little SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Javis Ogden INTEGRATED MARKETING COORDINATOR Taylor Dashiell

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ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Melissa Spear CUSTOM PUBLISHING MANAGER Sara Goldfarb CLIENT SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE/PRODUCTION SPECIALIST Melinda Lanigan ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT Amber Dennard RECEPTIONIST Natalie Kazmin

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EDITORIAL OFFICE 1932 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308. (850) 878-0554 SUBSCRIPTIONS One year (6 issues) is $30. Call (850) 878-0554 or go online to emeraldcoastmagazine.com.

Single copies are $3.95. Purchase at Barnes and Noble in Destin and Pensacola and Books-A-Million in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and Pensacola.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & SUBMISSIONS Emerald Coast Magazine and Rowland Publishing, Inc. are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photography or artwork. Editorial contributions are welcomed and encouraged but will not be returned. Emerald Coast Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor.

Copyright December 2019 Emerald Coast Magazine Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.

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December 2019-January 2020

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from the publisher

As I mature, it seems like the holiday season comes around much more frequently than it did when I was a kid. Back then, time sped up during the summer break, but it slowed to a crawl once school resumed.

It didn’t help that Sears annually published what boys and girls called the “toy catalog,” a publication marketed to adults as The Wish Book. I pored over its hundreds of pages for hours, circling items that I had to have, as if money were no object.

I can still picture the banana-seat bicycle that I thought would cement my status among my friends and make life easy. That wish didn’t come true, and I suppose that in some metaphorical sense I chased that bicycle for many years thereafter.

But perspectives change over time.

No longer do I view each day as a given, but as a gift. And regarding the holidays, I am concerned not with what I may be receiving, but rather what I might do to make a difference in the community or in individual lives.

The opportunities to do so are unlimited, of course. Little gifts can make a big difference. A soccer ball, a glazed ham or a holiday card may be enough to lift spirits, help restore someone’s belief in humankind or keep hope alive.

Over the years, the team at Rowland Publishing has purchased holiday meals and presents for families. We volunteered at a food bank preparing items for distribution. We always have devoted space in our magazines to showcasing the holiday fundraising events of nonprofit organizations. I recognize that we can always do more and do better.

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At our annual Pinnacle Awards show in August, Rowland Publishing and 850 Magazine honored highly professional women who have distinguished themselves as community servants.

This year’s honorees included Tiffanie Nelson, who founded Food for Thought, an organization that ultimately promotes learning for children in Walton and Okaloosa counties who are “food insecure.”

When a student is in survival mode, it is almost impossible for him to learn.

His focus is on addressing immediate needs rather than long-term goals.

Nelson and her organization annually furnish students with a million food items for consumption on weekends, during holiday breaks from school and summer vacations. Hers is a powerful story and a powerful example.

Not that long ago, Nelson’s distribution center was a table in her home. The operation grew exponentially as a product of her compassion and a need whose vastness she only discovered along the way. Today, Food for Thought helps feed 3,300 kids a week, yearround. I count myself among people who, were it not for the efforts of people like Nelson, never would have suspected the extent of hunger in our region.

For the fortunate, the holiday season is one of excess. For those who struggle to make ends meet, it is a time when awareness of their status as a “have-not” is especially painful.

In this, our land of plenty, Food for Thought and numerous organizations throughout Northwest Florida, faithbased and secular, large and small, are dedicated to bringing some degree of specialness at the holidays to people

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

who cannot afford the first little extra or who may be hospitalized, homeless or alone. Each of those organizations could use our help.

Let’s collectively do what we can to see to it that baskets are fuller this year, that more wishes come true, that strangers from Milton to Madison and Perdido Key to Panacea shake hands, that more smiles are raised, that divisions are set aside. Imagine all the people, as John Lennon wrote, sharing all the world. (It’s easy if you try.)

This holiday season, rise to the occasion with love in your heart. Look within and reach out.

Peace,

BRIAN ROWLAND browland@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY SCOTT HOLSTEIN

LET’S OPEN OUR EYES TO NEEDS OF OTHERS AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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editor’s letter

HERE’S TO HOPE The holidays signal the season of giving. In this issue, we take a look at the “mega” fundraising efforts along the Emerald Coast. The Miramar Beach-based Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF) has raised a staggering $21,897,244 since it formed in 2006. Now, ranked as one of the top wine auctions in the nation, DCWAF has transformed the lives of local families by making significant donations to 16 local children’s charities.

You don’t have to have mega bucks to make a difference. You can donate what your budget allows, volunteer your time or

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO …

I have a January birthday. In honor of my b-day, I wanted to share how you can give rather than receive on your special day. This year, instead of gifts, ask your friends and family to celebrate your day by making a donation to your favorite charity in your name. Even if your birthday is months away, you can give causes you care about valuable exposure by setting up your birthday page at any time with CharityBirthday.com.

Be creative. You give the amount of a day’s wages (OneDaysWages.com) or give a donation to someone for their birthday in the form of a gift card through CharityGiftCertificate.org.

You select the amount of the gift, and the recipient chooses what cause it goes to. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible.

SMILE! On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you are prompted to select a charitable organization from their list of eligible organizations. Here are easy 1-2-3 steps.

1. Sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser.

2. From your desktop, go to Your Account from the navigation at the top of any page, and then select the option to Change your Charity. Or,

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

from your mobile browser, select Change your Charity from the options at the bottom of the page.

3. Select a new charitable organization to support. You can change it at any time.

HERE’S TO HOPE Here, here to OneHope Wine.

The California company donates 50 percent to partner charities benefitting a variety of causes.

Each wine is paired with a different cause. Chardonnay benefits breast cancer; cabernet sauvignon supports autism; zinfandel helps our troops; Pinot Noir (my favorite) helps fund pet adoption, etc. You can use this wine company to raise funds for your favorite charity as well. You can find this wine in local grocery and wine stores. For more information, visit OneHopeWine.com. Cheers!

Finally, in this issue we give you a “holiday toast” in the form of a delicious story on how to warm your spirits with cozy holiday cocktails you can order while out on the town, or creatively concoct at home. Here’s to the kind barkeeps and restaurant owners who graciously shared their insights with us — Devon Hodges of Angelena’s in Pensacola, Dave Trepanier of Firefly in Panama City Beach and Joe Papagni of Black Bear Bread Company in Grayton Beach — we salute you!

Happy Donating & Happy Holidays,

ZANDRA WOLFGRAM, EDITOR zwolfgram@rowlandpublishing.com

PHOTO BY ALLISON YII

attend a local charity event.

As DCWAF president John Russell said, “We give a lot of money … that said, there is more we need to do.”

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BEAUTY LINKS

A New Outlook on Your Skin Taking care of your skin, especially in the areas around your eyes, is an aroundthe-clock job. Learn more about treatments and procedures commonly used to protect that area from unwanted damage or aging at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ beauty-links.

HEALTH LINKS The Heart of the Matter The Heart Center at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center is committed to combating heart disease and stroke with their own dedicated comprehensive medical and surgical care. Read more at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/ health-links.

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@EMERALDCOASTMAG Are you going to any wonderful performances this holiday season? Whether it’s a gallery opening or an

opera show, tag us on Instagram for a chance to be featured. We can’t wait to see all the amazing art and talent the Emerald Coast has to offer.

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@emeraldcoastmag Emerald Coast Magazine @EmeraldCoastMag

PHOTOS BY SHELLY SWANGER (30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL), PEERA_SATHAWIRAWONG (HEALTH LINKS) HECKMANNOLEG (BEAUTY LINKS) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

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December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

wave MIND & BODY

The Shape of Stillness

|| PERSONALITIES

Pinnacle Award Winners

THE

DEC 2019/JAN 2020

A CONSCIOUS, COOL COMPENDIUM OF COASTAL STUFF

→

Saige Roberts sitting for a cool mountainside morning meditation at D’Alijo Yoga Retreat Center.

MIND & BODY

THE SHAPE OF STILLNESS

A journey of finding health and home through yoga

by SAIGE ROBERTS

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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THE

wave

↑ Saige Roberts reaching up in Kneeling Side Plank at D'Alijo Yoga Retreat Center in Cabeceiras de Basto, Portugal.

S

unlight curled around edges of blind-covered windows, barely illuminating my two cats nearby patiently awaiting breakfast.

They would have to wait a little longer.

Shoulders relaxed, legs crossed, spine long, I closed my eyes and began my new morning routine in a quiet room in rural North Florida, inhaling and exhaling with intention.

A month earlier, I found myself sitting in a similar posture, perched on a boulder on the side of a mountain in northern Portugal. Instead of two cats, my companions included more than 20 women of varying ages and stages of life, there to immerse ourselves in the study of yoga, and hopefully be able to teach it confidently with the skills and knowledge gained during the monthlong intensive yoga teacher training at the serene D’Alijo Yoga Retreat Center.

Before then, I never imagined myself

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as a yoga teacher, or a teacher, period.

A lifetime as an introvert with social anxiety kept me hiding behind the scenes of life and behind the screen of a computer or camera. But in 2018, when my favorite online yoga teacher who I’d been practicing with for five years announced her teacher training plans for the following year, I knew I had to sign up.

Initially, Esther Ekhart’s early yoga videos on YouTube caught my attention when I was looking for relief from aches and pains (more on that later). I continued following classes on her website because of her calm, introspective nature and her ability to make all aspects of yoga feel accessible to me.

Maybe it was because we were both women of roughly the same age, or because she seemed to be just as introverted as me, but whatever the

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

↗ Serene view of the Cabreira Mountains from the main building at D'Alijo Yoga Retreat Center. ↓ Yoga blocks do their job of welcoming fresh air into the studio.

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

case, her style clicked and inspired me to develop a consistent practice.

As I continued taking video classes from Esther and other like-minded teachers on her growing website, I became physically stronger and also strengthened my ability to hear what my heart wanted. The more I followed my heart’s desires, the further I found myself down the path of yoga, yearning to share with others how it helped heal my anxious mind and aging body.

One thing I’ve discovered: Most paths toward anything truly meaningful and life changing look more like a roller coaster ride than a walk in the park.

They curve in and out, spiraling around an unknown center, until eventually, maybe, the purpose and destination become clear.

Spiraling movement, I also found out, is integral to all kinds of growth, especially involving matters of the heart.

A Walk Down My Path

↗ Yoga teacher Esther Ekhart, who branded and launched EkhartYoga in 2012, leads the class through a playful warm up, twisting from side to side to wake up core muscles in a variation of Boat pose.

I tend to live life in the slow lane. Even as a kid I’d beg my older siblings not to walk so fast so I could run to catch up, only to start dragging my feet again.

As an adult, life has conveniently obliged my need for non-speed on many occasions, serving up wouldbe catastrophes at a snail’s pace. A melange of slow-speed car accidents in my early 20s comes to mind — no injuries or fatalities, thankfully, unless you count the bright teal VW Bug I eventually totaled.

This pattern of sluggish crescendoing misfortune continued in my late 30s, when a series of increasingly intense headaches, neck and jaw pain finally motivated me to go see a chiropractor.

The official diagnosis: upper crossed syndrome, aka, habitual poor posture.

Decades of hunching and working at a computer practically all day, with little to no active fitness, resulted in weak neck flexor and mid-back muscles along with tight, shortened upper back and chest muscles.

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THE

wave

↑ Coming into Downward Facing Dog pose, Saige likes to keep her knees bent at first and extend long through the spine.

Although my chiropractor offered instructions for exercises and a set of resistance bands, I realized I needed more guidance and ultimately, a lifestyle change. That’s when I took up yoga and began the ongoing process of moving toward health and regaining a sense of feeling at home in my own body.

Learning to Teach Back to the side of that mountain in Portugal. Why had I come so far to sit in silence with a group of relative strangers bright and oh so early on an unseasonably cold June morning? The night owl and the Florida girl in me both really wanted to know.

Looking down at the steep, rocky trail we had all traversed together to find our perfect meditating vistas reminded me how much the landscape of my life back home had changed since beginning my yoga journey.

Within the previous two years, I had shed two homes, a long-term relationship and secure employment but still held onto deep-seated fears, doubting my ability to connect with others, to be seen and heard, to walk firmly in my own footsteps and confidently take up space in the world.

Turns out, my intuition steered me to

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a safe space to unpack those fears, and I realized the deliberate choice to go there was necessary for a new perspective, a pause between where I came from and where I was headed.

Long days filled with lessons in yoga philosophy, anatomy and movement challenged my stamina and patience and rewarded me with new insights and understanding. Esther’s gentle guidance and emphasis on self development, along with assistance from supporting teachers Tracey Uber Cook, Gilda Goharian and Mohsinah Underwood, helped to build a strong foundation for whatever comes next in life, as a teacher and, most importantly, as a functioning person in the world.

We went through several days in silence with the intention to turn our attention inward and connect with our own native guidance. That was a piece of cake for this introvert, compared to the brief stints we had to teach in front of the class. For me, five minutes felt more like five years.

While leading the group through a simple sequence of warm-up exercises I got confused and froze halfway in, stumbling through the instructions for seated twists and boat pose. I held it together, mostly, while other students

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

taught their segments, until after Savasana when no fewer than five people gathered around and showered me with hugs and warm words of encouragement.

They said I nailed the guided centering portion that sets the tone for the class and assured me I’d make a great teacher with my soothing voice and presence.

The instructors suggested it might help calm my nerves if I remembered to keep in mind the reason I was there — because of my love of yoga — and to keep my focus on helping share that passion with my students, rather than on how I was doing. The rest would all come in time.

Luckily for me we were given six months after the in-person intensive to complete course homework — enough time to not feel rushed but not too much time to lose momentum.

After that, I’ll officially graduate as a certified yoga teacher, more than capable of taking care of my own wellbeing. With that, I hopefully can help others develop their own practice with tools that have helped me emerge from my shell to embody the strong, centered, confident woman I kept hidden from myself, and the world, for far too long.

A New Body of Knowledge As it so often goes, the more I learned during the teacher training, the more I discovered how little awareness I actually have, particularly when it comes to anatomy. Funny how much mystery remains contained within the very bodies we carry around with us everywhere we go.

For instance, did you know that the human heart is actually shaped like a double helix? (Yes, that double helix, akin to DNA.) Its two sides rotate out from a central point and then fold inward on itself, origami style, like a pint-sized, ever-present shirt-pocket yogi, bound by looping appendages, intent on maintaining a meditative devotion to the sending and returning of vitality and life force.

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

↗ Saige Roberts (left) with friends and fellow yoga trainees, take in the sunrise before their morning mountainside meditation.

When properly dissected, unwound and extended out, the anatomical heart form revealed is a simple, single flat band of muscle.

Stunned by this little nugget of knowledge dropped during anatomy class, I pondered how such a profound idea kept itself quiet for so long.

Apparently, the true nature of our cardiovascular superhero remained a well-kept secret from everyone until Spanish cardiologist Dr. Francisco Torrent-Guasp made the discovery in 1972, the year before I was born.

He deciphered the so-called Gordian knot by discerning the direction of the predominant muscle fibers and digging in, literally, with his fingers.

Spirals throughout nature, as you probably know, are old news. From whirling atoms to swirling fingerprints,

nautilus shells, pinecones and tornadoes … all the way up to solar systems and galaxies dancing through space. The pattern winds its way around and through existence, not only in the material world but also in the more subtle realms of mind, emotion and spirit.

Though artists and scientists have historically studied the phenomenon to build pleasing and sturdy structures and understand physical nature, I can’t help but wonder: How can the wisdom of spirals lead us in the pursuit of more existential answers? Can you map the golden ratio of the rush of a first kiss or the delight in smelling a sweet flower?

Can you trace the Fibonacci sequence through a lifetime of epiphanies?

Dr. Torrent-Guasp shows us that the first step is to begin by observing the obvious … and remember to go with the grain.

Coming Home — A Turning Point Maybe not so obvious at first, the curving path of the roller coaster ride we might find ourselves on at one point or another eventually begins to reveal itself. If you can’t find the brakes, how do you at least smoothly navigate through the ups and downs and insand-outs of life ever-changing? When circumstances feel out of control and nothing makes sense, how do you regain equilibrium?

Yoga says, observe that which doesn’t change. Notice the stillness between breaths, between heartbeats, beyond words — the unchanging spaciousness where intuition is born. Find the stillness, and you’ll find that which holds the in and the out and the up and the down, the turning point of whatever

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↑ Bringing hands together at the center of the chest signifies a return to the heart center, a balance and union of opposing forces.

particular spiral you happen to be traversing at any given moment.

This is the center of balance, the apex of choice.

This is coming home.

As our hearts continue to beat, nothing stays still for long. If your superpower is like mine, you may be able to slow down the chaos, but it never really stops. At least not that I can tell. Instead of fighting momentum, you can learn to move with the spirals. The innate intelligence of the body knows what to do.

Besides the heart, which is playing its own special game of Twister, even our muscles wrap around bones, which — you guessed it — have a spiral shape, not unlike a corkscrew. So when standing in a yoga pose or holding an arm balance, with firm placement and even weight distribution, you can turn your arms and legs and press your hands and feet down into the direction of the rotation to help support the posture, making it stronger and safer and easier to maintain.

Sounds like the perfect position to be in, if you ask me. And that, if you ask yoga, is the intention of Asana (yoga poses) … to prepare the body to sit in meditation and find the stillness that’s always there.

Remember the wisdom of the spiral next time you find yourself spinning out a little, either physically, emotionally or spiritually. Take a deep, slow breath, release it fully and see what happens if you let go of trying to change the truth of the situation. Just go with it and notice how you feel.

Who knows, you might wind up in a fantastic faraway land surrounded by kind, supportive people with only your best interests at heart. I know I did.

And, hey, my editor tells me I’ve just taught my first class. I feel relieved. How about you? EC Saige Roberts is a professional photographer (saigeseadae.com) and art director for Emerald Coast Magazine’s publishing house, Rowland Publishing, Inc.

PHOTO BY SAIGE ROBERTS

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PERSONALITIES

DIFFERENCE MAKERS Pinnacle Award winners shape communities

by STEVE BORNHOFT

T

he Pinnacle Awards program, a project of Rowland Publishing and 850 Business Magazine, celebrates prominent, successful, formidable Northwest Florida women who have distinguished themselves professionally and in service to communities.

There is another common denominator among them: leadership.

Eleven leaders, including eight residents of the Emerald Coast, received Pinnacle Awards at a luncheon held Aug. 21 at Florida State University Panama City. The Class of 2019 was the sixth in the award program’s history.

“Populate a chess board with pawns only, and there is no opportunity to think strategically, no opportunity to achieve goals,” 850 Magazine’s editor said in addressing the sold-out luncheon. “All you have is a scrum. Fill a room with brilliant minds and challenge them to fix the housing shortage created by Hurricane Michael in Bay and surrounding counties, and it’s likely that no progress will be made until someone emerges as a leader.

“The history of the world is the history of leadership.

The history of Northwest Florida is substantially the history of women in leadership roles.”

Indeed, Pinnacle winners from 2019 and previous years plan to use their collective clout to benefit Northwest Florida. They departed the Holley Academic Center at FSU PC with plans to call for a greater focus at the state level on Hurricane Michael recovery.

As a group, they will be hard to ignore.

This year’s honorees included three women from Tallahassee: Marsha Doll, owner of Marsha Doll Models; Michelle Ubben, president, Sachs Media Group; and posthumous honoree Kristine Knab, who served as executive director of Legal Services of North Florida for almost 40 years. Knab died in July 2018.

The honorees from Emerald Coast communities follow:

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Cindi Bonner

Pensacola; Director, Rally Pensacola ➺ UPON LEARNING IN 2013 THAT A 4-YEAR-OLD

neighbor boy had bone cancer, Cindi Bonner was inspired to do much more than deliver casseroles to a family dealing with a devastating diagnosis.

She helped the family establish and manage a Facebook page and a website designed to promote awareness of the boy’s plight. And she soon discovered that his circumstances were far from unique.

Bonner proceeded to establish Rally Pensacola, an extension of the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research in Atlanta. In the last three years alone, she has raised more than $1 million for research and to defray extraordinary expenses incurred by families with children undergoing treatment for cancer.

“The work that Cindi is doing benefits so many children and their families,” said Carol Carlan, president of the Sacred Heart Foundation in Pensacola. “She has an office on the Sacred Heart campus, and we see her interacting with families every day, identifying needs that might otherwise go unaddressed.”

photography by MIKE FENDER

Mona A. Amodeo, Ph.D.

Pensacola; Founder/President, idgroup ➺ AS THE LEADER OF A BRANDING AGENCY, MONA AMODEO

helps companies cut through the clutter of a busy marketplace and position them so that they “stand out and stand above.”

“Today, people want to do business with, work for and contribute to companies and organizations that have something that they stand for and stand behind,” Amodeo said.

She collaborates with businesses to clarify their identities, crystallize their narratives and ensure that their messages align with customer experiences.

Amodeo incorporates a strengths-based approach to her work.

“Study what’s wrong ,and you are apt to get more of what’s wrong,” she said. “Study what’s right and what’s working and build on that, and you are likely to be better off.”

She emphasizes that a company must demonstrate that it is a responsible global citizen.

“People who work to benefit people and the environment in addition to their balance sheet are the people who will win,” Amodeo said. “Others will be left at the bus stop.”

Stacey Brady

Miramar Beach; Marketing/ Communications Director, Grand Boulevard ➺ IN 2006, THE HOWARD GROUP HAD EMBARKED

on an ambitious project, Grand Boulevard at Sandestin.

The developer was capable, certainly, of carrying out the design and construction phases of the job but needed someone to craft the story of the development and breathe life into its brand.

To fill that role, Myra Williams of the Howard Group hired a consultant, Stacey Brady, whose work in the community and on behalf of entities, including the Seaside Development Corp., had impressed her.

Thirteen years later, Brady, in her full-time role at Grand Boulevard, “continues to own and cultivate the brand,” Williams said. “She has expanded the audience for the development with the many events she has created there. We build a charitable component into events at Grand Boulevard, and Stacy has kept that vision alive.

“She is constantly growing partnerships.”

In so doing, Brady has turned a venue where people splurge on fine meals and shop for nonessentials into a place that helps feed the hungry.

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Daryl Rose Davis

Seaside; Co-founder of Seaside, Florida ➺ DARYL DAVIS MET ON THE PORCH OF A MODEL

home in the early days of Seaside with her husband Robert and two architecture professors from the University of Miami.

Together, they developed a one-page set of specifications for the nascent community.

The specs addressed street dimensions, building heights, public spaces and building materials. Without realizing it, Davis and the others were writing an outline for a movement that would be known as New Urbanism. Davis decorated and staged model homes at Seaside and, in so doing, defined a lifestyle.

Her development as a businesswoman paralleled the development of Seaside, itself. Her first enterprise was a roadside produce stand.

Today, she owns five businesses at Seaside and has owned many more. She is a celebrated philanthropist whose giving reflects her passion for the arts and compassion for people battling drug and alcohol addiction.

She is indebted to her mother Rose, who buried three husbands and taught her the value of self-reliance.

“She was an inspiration,” Davis said.

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photography by MIKE FENDER

Amy Hoyt

Panama City, Senior Evening News Co-Anchor, WMBB-TV ➺ FOR 25 CONSECUTIVE YEARS,

Amy Hoyt has been delivering the news to viewers of WMBB-TV in Panama City. In the industry she first entered in 1980, such stability is an oddity.

Hoyt’s first TV job was at WMBB rival WJHG, where the iconic Joe Moore hired her as a weekend anchor and weekday reporter and served as her first news director.

These days, Hoyt is a mentor to reporters — now called “multi-media journalists” — who are younger than her own children.

“We give them challenges and they meet every one of them,” Hoyt said.

“And we give them a lot to do. In a small market, they do it all.”

Hurricane Michael is the biggest story Hoyt has covered in her career.

She and fellow members of the WMBB news team covered developments, kept their cool and remained in professional character until Category 5 winds knocked them off the air.

Suddenly, they had become part of the shared storm experience.

Kimberly Krupa

Pensacola; Executive Director, Achieve Escambia ➺ THE SERPENT IN GEORGE BERNARD SHAW’S

collection of plays, Back to Methuselah, says to Eve, “You see things, and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were, and I say ‘Why not?’”

No one would liken Kimberly Krupa to a snake, but her outlook on her community involves looking at the familiar as a starting place, not a resting place.

As the executive director of Achieve Escambia, a partnership dedicated to bringing about optimal outcomes for students, Krupa effects transformational progress.

For example, she led Achieve Escambia partners to create a preschool program for 3-year-olds at a Pensacola school that is one of the most disadvantaged in Florida.

“We heard from the community that they needed a high-quality preschool program that would start earlier than voluntary pre-K and Head Start programs,” Krupa said.

In response, the private sector funded what Krupa called an “intervention.”

Today, fully 100 percent of children exiting the new program are ready for kindergarten.

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Tiffany Nelson

Santa Rosa Beach; Founder/CEO, Food for Thought ➺ TIFFANY NELSON WAS UNPREPARED FOR WHAT SHE

learned the day she enrolled her first-born child in kindergarten.

Never had she considered the various serious issues that might have deleterious effects on child development, all of them screened for as part of the enrollment process: homelessness, hunger, abuse and more.

“I looked at my son Avery, and I couldn’t imagine sending him to school when he hadn’t eaten for days,” Nelson said. “I thought about the stress and fear and anxiety that would cause.”

Nelson resolved to help. She started small.

“We started by helping out six kids,” Nelson recalled. “Then it grew to 16, 36, 48. My table was covered with apples, bananas, bread, and peanut butter and jelly.”

After a year, Nelson established Food for Thought as a 501(c) (3) organization.

Today, Food for Thought serves students in 33 schools in Walton and Okaloosa counties. In the 2018-19 school year, the program distributed more than a million food items.

Sandy Sims

Pensacola; Director of External Relations, Gulf Power Co. ➺ IN 35 YEARS AS AN EMPLOYEE OF GULF POWER CO., Sandy Sims has experienced just about every aspect of the business.

“I tell people I have done everything but climb a pole,” Sims said, and then quickly added, “I have been to pole-climbing school; they just didn’t have climbing hooks small enough for me.”

Indeed, she may be better qualified than any other single employee of Gulf Power to start a utility from the ground up.

For decades, Sims has tirelessly devoted time, talent, energy and treasure to enhancing communities and leading nonprofits, all while doing her part to keep the lights on.

When Hurricane Michael rushed ashore, Sims was Gulf Power’s district general manager in the Panama City area. She earned plaudits from local governments, businesses and individuals for her round-the-clock accessibility after the storm and her selfless attention to the priorities and needs of others.

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December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

photography by MIKE FENDER

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EMERGENCY HEART SURGERY GAVE PATIENT A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE

A

t age 23, Lauren Cooper was the picture of health.

Texas born, she had been a scholastic athlete and moved to Florida with her husband James, who is stationed at Hurlburt Field.

One morning, she awakened with severe pain in her chest and back.

“I knew it wasn’t right, so I called my husband and he gave me directions to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center,” said Lauren of what would be a harrowing day.

She drove herself to the hospital, underwent a CAT scan that revealed her chest was filling with blood and was placed in the care of Dr. Eric Sandwith, whose specialties include thoracic and cardiac surgery.

Lauren had suffered an aortic dissection as the result of an aneurysm that produced a tear in the inner layer of the aorta.

Prior to the emergency, she had no history of heart trouble and, given her newness to town, she had no relationship with Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.

Sandwith and his team performed a 12-hour surgery after which Lauren spent two weeks recovering in the hospital.

“Now, I am 100 percent healthy with no limitations,” she said. “It’s a complete miracle.

“Dr. Sandwith treated me like he would a member of his own family. He was compassionate and confident that he

could fix the problem. The CVICU (cardiovascular intensive care unit) nurses were amazing. Everyone was wonderful, absolutely incredible.”

Going forward, Lauren will check in with Dr. Sandwith annually, “but everything is looking great,” she said.

The Fort Walton Beach Medical Center Heart Center serves to provide exemplary comprehensive medical and surgical care to patients requiring cardiovascular care. It emphasizes the prevention and management of cardiovascular disorders, as well as advancing the use of innovative noninvasive approaches to treating patients without open-heart surgery.

The Heart Center offers patients with heart disorders the broadest and most sophisticated diagnostic and treatment options in Northwest Florida. It was one of the first heart centers in the area to implant stents to open blocked arteries and to use drug-eluting stents to prevent re-obstruction of coronary vessels after stenting.

Patients have access to an array of cardiac treatment options, including medication, dietary adjustments, exercise, angioplasty, ablation and heart surgery. Physicians have helped pioneer the use of minimally invasive procedures that enable a growing number of patients to avoid open-heart surgery.

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panache DEC 2019/JAN 2020

ELEMENTS OF STYLE RANGING FROM THE SUBLIME TO THE MORE SUBLIME

→

For women, a leather jacket ranks among the 10 must haves in a rotation of everyday wear, as does a tailored blazer. For men, a sports coat is a must.

FASHION

PHOTO BY LIGHTFIELDSTUDIOS / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

CLASSIC CLOSET CLOTHING

Essential and evergreen pieces that you should hold onto

by REBECCA PADGETT

CITIZEN OF STYLE

Dr. Marinella Monk

|| WHAT’S IN STORE

Retail Roundup

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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36

↗ Men and women should include jeans and plain white tees in their everyday rotations.

With classic comes quality. Because these are pieces you intend to keep and wear for years to come, you should be spending a bit more on these items than you would a trending piece.

“Splurge on classic and quality pieces,” suggests Nickie Taylor, in-house stylist at Willow + Mercer Boutique. “Think of timeless pieces as the foundation of your house. Without a good foundation, it become difficult to add all of the finishes, and you end up with a closet full of statement pieces that you never wear.”

Dettle Humphrey says there are four key factors that determine timeless clothing: silhouette, classic colors, versatility and fit.

These very same style guidelines apply to men’s clothing. Take for example a white dress shirt and khaki chinos, items that can be dressed up or down when styled with trend pieces such as a patterned tie or funky sneakers.

Consider these must-haves as pieces in constant rotation for your everyday wear.

A staple-savvy closet will provide practical, polished and purpose-filled pieces that will feel like trusted friends. EC

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

TOP 10 MUST HAVES WOMEN

1 T he perfect pair of jeans 2 A tailored blazer 3 Pair of black heels 4 Quality bag 5 Plain white tee 6 A versatile pair of flats 7 Black straight leg pants 8 Little black dress 9 Colored shift dress 10 Leather jacket

MEN

1 White dress shirt 2 Dark blue jeans 3 Plain white tee 4 Navy or gray suit 5 Quality watch 6 A sports coat 7 Lace-up dress shoes 8 Nice sneakers 9 Khaki chinos 10 Versatile polo

PHOTO BY G-STOCKSTUDIO / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

o many, a new year may signify a fresh start, but there are some things in life that are best kept constant and classic — one of which is a dependable wardrobe full of evergreen pieces.

Trends may be fun ways to experiment and test new waters, but they rush in and out like waves. Classic pieces have staying power and epitomize the essence of true fashion.

Key pieces may not make the latest trend articles, but they don’t need to. They are icons.

Think about it: What piece of clothing is more iconic than the little black dress Audrey Hepburn wore in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s?”

After that movie made its splash, every woman needed a little black dress.

Speaking of forever hip, consider the trench coat, the key piece of virtually every fictional spy, detective or covert character. The style is sleek, secretive, sexy and effortlessly stylish.

And nothing gets more plain than the white tee — which nevertheless inspired the naming of a popular ’90s rock band.

Willow + Mercer Boutique owners, Celia Tucker and Cindy Krutz, summarize it best: “If you took a photo wearing that piece, then look back on it in ten years, you should not be able to identify any particular trend regulated to that particular decade. Always think of timeless pieces as the foundations of your wardrobe, to which more trend pieces can be added.”

Trends often involve patterns and a vast color palette. Classic pieces, on the other hand, tend toward neutrals — white, brown, tan, gray, navy and black. This is the case because these natural colors tend to pair well with the printed pieces you try out as trends.

Take for example the little black dress, which Today’s Boutique store manager and assistant buyer, Kristin Dettle Humphrey asks us to consider as a timeless piece that can be spiced up with trends. For a night out on the town, she suggests throwing on a faux fur jacket, bold hoop earrings and statement ankle booties. The same dress can be styled for a work function or classy cocktail event with a strand of pearls, metallic heels and a cute clutch.

“Having certain key pieces in your closet creates a base for any outfit, then you can add in those trending items to change it up,” says Dettle Humphrey.

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CITIZEN OF STYLE

LA VIE EN ROSE Dr. Marinella Monk makes music of everyday life

by HANNAH BURKE

38

Now in her 70s, Monk references one built with husband, Robert, who is the reason Monk traded the bustling metropolis of Paris where she grew up for a quiet slice of the Emerald Coast.

The pair found each other while Marinella, a then recent graduate of the University of Medicine (Lariboisiere-St. Louis) and the University of Sorbonne for Medicine (Marie et Pierre Curie), from where she obtained her degree in Sports Medicine, began practicing a subspecialty of Pain Medicine known as mesotherapy.

Robert, an American living in ← Marinella Monk — Paris, had suffered a ski accident physician, harpist, and, through what Marinella author and timeless calls “a recommendation of beauty — at her sanctuary in Santa common friends and a ploy of Rosa Beach. fate,” consulted her for treatment.

There was some common ground: Both were divorcees with children, both independently decided they would never marry again and both were instantly, irrevocably sweet on each other.

“We married three months later,” Marinella laughs. “Can you imagine? Ah, life is a lottery.”

A lottery worth hazarding, it seems, as the past 33 years of marriage have netted the Monks a beautiful life with their three children, six grandchildren and an assortment of pets.

“When Robert was ready to return to the states, I said, ‘Sure!’ and quickly realized it was not so easy,” Monk says. “But although love can blind one from seeing reality, it can or Dr. Marinella Monk, heaven simply also push one to trust and overcome any isn’t an ethereal destination but a challenging obstacles.” presence of our own making.

Monk learned English through her medical Indeed, should one find their version texts, completed internships and residencies of happiness, love, beauty and harmony, it and finally achieved board certification can be a place on earth. specializing in Physical Medicine and It can be home.

Rehabilitation and Pain Management.

Monk’s is a dark-wooded, lamp-lit study Her first job in America was as Medical stacked with self-published novels. It is a Director of the Houston Rehabilitation century-old gold harp and a wall full of her Institute in 1993, where she worked for nine late father’s impressionist art. The Polynesian years. folk puppets she’d inherited from her mother “I loved my practice,” Monk recalls, loom along the mantle, presiding over Greek “because I could be there for patients every and Italian-sculpted seraphs, Egyptian scrolls step of the way. Often with patients who have, and other worldly artifacts. say, brain injuries, they suffer many other “It may look a little random,” Monk implications outside of the physiological. gestures around her Santa Rosa Beach home, Some have seizures that cause neurological “But this is a sanctuary. These are the places deficits and impair balance, judgment … so we’ve been. This is the story of our lives.” you’re with them for a very long time.”

F

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

As patients would confide in Monk their hardships and psychological unrest, she would provide such influential guidance and encouragement, they often suggested she write down her views to aid others.

Monk would finally listen years later when, upon relocating to Santa Rosa Beach and settling into a new practice at Sacred Heart Hospital, she decided to pen some of those ideals into her debut book, “You Are Not Alone.”

And with topics such as overcoming doubt and changing your attitude, welcoming new perspectives and cleansing your lifestyle, there’s a little nugget of wisdom in there for everyone.

“I also believe in taking mundane activities of our everyday routine and transforming them into something rewarding,” Monk says. “Something as simple as making a meal, you can turn into a celebration; and that’s actually very French.

Every day we use the best china. Always make sure there are fresh flowers, take some time and invest some creativity into your meals and make it a special time to share with someone you love.”

Monk’s philosophy is further explored in her second work, “Gentle Therapy,” which she claims, “explores the link between science and spirituality.”

“I think one should assign purpose to each space,” Monk explains. “Each room in my house has a designation. Everyone needs that one place that lends itself to quiet time for meditation. I suggest you put on a little classical music to really set the stage for what you wish to accomplish.”

The arts and classical music have been and ever-present driving force in Monk’s life.

“I grew up surrounded by beauty,” Monk warmly recalls. “My mother played my harp, and she would run all my father’s art expos. We had fascinating people coming in and out of the house: poets, musicians, academics, doctors … so much to absorb.”

At age 7, Monk began learning the harp under mother, Marcella Mirea, a skill that would later land Monk as resident harpist for the Monte Carlo Symphony.

It’s there she was imparted a discipline that would carry her through her later medical studies, as being a performer required “… very rigorous study. When you are a performer, you make a lot of sacrifices, and can’t afford to make mistakes. You start from zero each time and must prove to the public who you are.”

Monk believes that same command should be applied to one’s appearance. photography by JACQUELINE WARD IMAGES

“People say French women have a certain chicness about them, but that’s really just our desire to always present well,” Monk says. “You don’t have to invest in expensive items to look elegant, clean and taken care of.”

When Monk thinks of style, she sees her mother’s long hair cascading over a green taffeta coat, which would, in winter, be lined with fur. She sees the delicate pair of silver scissors Marcella plied to cut crepes and smells the fresh bouquets from the downtown flower market.

Elegance.

Monk embodies it today, fair hair clipped back to highlight her powder blue-lined eyes.

She wears a beige and crème-colored ensemble accented by pearlescent, shell jewelry designed by sister, Gabriella, who lives just a few houses down.

“Choose pieces that are classical, that will never go out of fashion,” Monk advises. “It’s fun to invest in the trends a little bit, but choose something simple that, depending on the season, you can change to accessorize.

“And,” she leans in close, “put a smile on your face. It’s important not to let yourself go.

Sometimes women can be so overworked, they can start neglecting themselves and become depressed. Put your hair up, try to put on a little lipstick. Because when you take care of yourself, you can take care of others.”

These days, Monk’s care is devoted to Robert, who is currently being treated for stage 4 cancer.

She is retired, celebrating the release of her second work of fiction, “Hidden Messiah,” and focusing her strength in optimism for Robert’s recovery.

He is upstairs, resting throughout the duration of our interview, but Monk still offers to perform for me on the harp.

“Sometimes,” she says, “he will hear me playing and come down to sing. We can spend hours together like this.”

She plays for me the celestial harmonies of “Fountain of Youth,” and a more melancholy, but no less decadent piece called “September Song.”

Sitting in her music room, surrounded by shelves filled with dozens of ceramic, glass and stone angels, she is the loveliest of all. EC

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Dr. Marinella Monk advises: ➺ Choose pieces that are classical, that will never go out of fashion “It’s fun to invest in the trends a little bit, but choose something simple that, depending on the season, you can change to accessorize.” ➺ Put a smile on your face.

“It’s important not to let yourself go. Sometimes women can be so overworked, they can start neglecting themselves and become depressed.

Put your hair up, try to put on a little lipstick. Because when you take care of yourself, you can take care of others.”

December 2019-January 2020

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FARMER’S DAUGHTER VINEYARDS Hellraiser Riesling style.

Light, sweet and sassy.

Nectarine, peach and grapefruit. $20

GIFT GUIDE

Saltwater Gypsy Semi-sweet blush.

Juicy summer watermelon and strawberries. $22

Give the gift of holiday cheer by putting the perfect gift under the tree for everyone on your nice list. Our holiday guide features Emerald Coast stores with sensational seasonal shopping.

Knockout Pinot Noir style.

Sweet with heat and spice. Jammy blueberry pie filling. $25 Visit StompedInGeorgia.com for more information.

COASTAL SKIN SURGERY AND DERMATOLOGY

Look radiant for the holidays and start the new year glowing. ZO® SKIN HEALTH Ossential® Growth Factor Serum Plus helps restore hydration, reduce signs of aging, repairs and protects your skin.

12469 Emerald Coast Parkway Miramar Beach, (850) 654-3376, CoastalSkinSurgery.com

SERENITY BY THE SEA SPA Give the gift of Serenity for the holidays. As a full-service, award-winning spa and salon, Serenity by the sea Spa presents infinite ways to indulge. Cards may be redeemed for spa services, salon appointments or in the spa shoppe. $25 minimum

4000 Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach (850) 660-7612, SerenitybytheseaSpa.com

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FLORIDA SWEETTEA STYLE

Crafted locally, these handmade ornaments make the perfect gift or accessory to accent your home. Select from four exclusive designs featuring iconic WaterColor locales. $42 6 WaterColor Blvd. S., #102 (850) 534-5004 FLSweetTeaStyle.com

DIXIELECTRICAR

With E-Z-GO’s 2020 Limited Edition Shoreline L4, you’ll be getting a ride unlike any other.

With elevated features, the Shoreline sets a new standard as a stylish ride the whole family can enjoy. MSRP $11,995 3525 W. U.S. 98 Santa Rosa Beach (850) 269-0011 Dixielectricar.com

BAREFOOT PRINCESS IN BAYTOWNE WHARF These Paradise drop earrings add just the right amount of shine to your look with the gold setting and crystal stones. They are the perfect accessories to pair with your favorite holiday dresses.

9100 Baytowne Wharf Blvd., Sandestin (850) 351-1806, Sandestin.com/Barefoot-Princess

AMAZING LASH

Give a beautiful woman in your life a gift that outlasts the holidays — a gift certificate for luxurious eyelash extensions. Gift cards available for a one-year membership, six months or any dollar amount.

34940 Emerald Coast Parkway Suite 108, (850) 331-7936, AmazingLashStudio.com

COCONUT KIDZ Add a

magical twist to her attire with this Mudpie plush unicorn character purse. Embroidered 3D details and a metallic rose gold strap will make this the accessory of her dreams.

110 Cannery Lane, Sandestin (850) 351-1800 Sandestin.com/Coconut-Kidz

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SPONSORED REPORT

BREAST ENHANCEMENT OPTIONS:

Not Just Implants Anymore

B

reast enhancement surgery, also known as breast augmentation or simply “boob job,” was once limited to breast implants.

Implant options were few, and results were not always exemplary.

Now women have more choices. Breast enhancement can still be achieved with breast implants, but now there is a new option — fat transfer. Fat transfer has become known as the “twofor-one” procedure in that fat can be transferred to

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December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

the breast from an area where it is not wanted.

Meanwhile, new implant technology is available.

Implants have gone through a scientific evolution of sorts. In the past, implants came in one shape.

Now, there are five shapes to allow the plastic surgeon to be more specific with the shape of the breast enhancement. Gone are the days of one size fits all.

Additionally, the firmness of the implant can be selected to change the shape of the breast and

SPONSORED REPORT

enhance the upper fullness that many women desire. The firmer implants can help avoid the chance of implant rippling that some women experience when the breast tissue and skin are very thin.

Dr. William Burden of Destin Plastic Surgery has been involved with clinical research, and he has been selected to participate on advisory boards for implant development. He has lectured at national meetings on breast enhancement surgery.

Recently, Dr. Burden published a book featuring his technique for “No Scar on the Breast” augmentation.

The newest option for breast enhancement is fat transfer. Using new Revolve System technology, fat cells can be removed from an area of excess and transferred to the breast. This is a good option

Breast enhancement allows women to fit better in their clothes.

Dr. Burden is a featured speaker at national meetings on advanced techniques in breast enhancement surgery.

for women who have diminished upper breast fullness and do not want a large increase in cup size.

Fat transfer is also a popular option for women who do not wish to have implants, but want some enhancement of the breasts. At the time of the fat transfer to the breasts, fat can also be transferred for enhancement of the buttocks, also known as the Brazilian Butt Lift. Dr. Burden has also written a book on this procedure. Chances are that you have seen some of his results on models and on the Emerald Coast beaches.

At Destin Plastic Surgery, Dr. Burden has been leading the

way with fat transfer utilizing the Revolve System. He is one of the few plastic surgeons who not only has advanced experience with fat transfer, but also is often asked to train other plastic surgeons on fattransfer techniques.

If you are considering breast enhancement surgery, explore your options. Find a surgeon who is not limited to one procedure and one implant selection. Seek out someone who can demonstrate the possibilities and has the experience to help you achieve your goals.

Visit our website ThePlasticDoc. com or visit us and “See Why People Travel to Destin!”

People travel from around the world to

Contact Dr. Burden and his team at ThePlasticDoc.com to schedule a consultation.

DR. WILLIAM R. BURDEN, MD, FACS

(850) 654-1194 | 4485 FURLING LANE, DESTIN | THEPLASTICDOC.COM

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panache CHIC COMFORT

➸ Now you can enjoy the decadent feeling of the Gulf’s velvety soft, sugar-white sands all over your body.

For holiday 2019, TOMMY BAHAMA launches VELVET SANDS, a collection of luxurious velvet sportswear for those who want to look chic head to toe without the fuss. The collection includes four silhouettes offered in a palette of rich jewel tones of beet red, deep sea teal, dark navy and black. The velvet has a washed, vintage feel and is machine washable for exceptionally easy care.

↑ WHAT’S IN STORE?

➸ There’s more to love at Destin Commons with TORRID, a “haute” new plus-size women’s store featuring contemporary apparel, shoeware and accessories. Stretch your holiday budget with Torrid Rewards points earned for each purchase, earn $25 in Torrid Cash for every $50 you spend, and save 5 percent when you open a Torrid credit card.

A roundup of retail happenings throughout the Emerald Coast

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

Island Soft is a new collection of luxuriously soft women’s knit sportswear from Tommy Bahama (located at Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach), the island lifestyle brand founded on the concept of relaxation and celebrating the finer things in life. These ultra-soft, lofty knits are versatile enough to wear while hanging at home or mixed with your favorite sportswear pieces for stepping out. The “dreamy” color palette includes sea salt (creamy off white), putty (pink-y taupe), potpourri (mauve), a range of gray heather (from light to dark) and classic black.

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A Sparkling Anniversary ➸ Established in 1994 by Bill and Elizabeth Campbell, MCCASKILL & COMPANY began as a small boutique in Seaside, Florida, before moving to The Market Shops in Miramar Beach. Today, their flagship boutique shop is now located at 13390 Highway 98 in Miramar Beach. Come here for something sparkly for her this holiday season, or if you need to time the countdown to 2020 on your Swiss watch, you

can enjoy in-house watch repair by a certified Rolex technician.

Happy 25th anniversary McCaskill & Company — here’s to 25 more.

Cajun Christmas

➸ Spice up the holidays with a visit to HEBERT’S SPECIALTY MEATS. Owned and operated by Louisiana native Walter Hidalgo along with partners Sean and Kelli Louvierre, Hebert’s has expanded to a second location in The Market Shops.

Hebert’s carries Cajun favorites including hot boudin, turducken, boneless stuffed chicken, boneless stuffed turkey, crawfish etouffee, shrimp and crab stuffing, andouille, crawfish pie, a variety of green onion sausages and more — all made fresh daily.

Easy Rider

➸ Give them a chance to make their own holiday toy.

RIDEMAKERZ in Destin Commons allows kids to build and customize their own toy car or truck. Kids can trick out their ride picking the body style, color, rims, tires, lights, sounds, accessories and decals.

Zoom zoom!

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOMMY BAHAMA AND MCCASKILL & COMPANY

Haute Winter

Oriental Rugs • Natural Fiber Rugs Custom Rugs • Stair Runners Cowhides • Sheepskins The Crossings at Inlet Beach 13123 E. Emerald Coast Parkway, Inlet Beach 850.230.4425

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, THE MAGNOLIA GRILL HONORS AND CELEBRATES THE WORK OF THE SALVATION ARMY

COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD, THEIR FAMILIES L-R, Lt. Camilo Rojas, Cathy Starkey, Tom Rice, Meghan Gordon, Tucker Gordon, Maggie Gordon, Lt. Monica Rojas, Sara Beth Simpson, Red Kettle Campaign Honorary Chair Tim Thompson, Publisher of the Panama City News Herald and Northwest Florida Daily News

Magnolia Grill fort walton beach

tom & peggy rice, proprietors

steaks • seafood • italian bridal luncheons • wedding rehearsals • unique receptions 157 Brooks Street SE •(850) 302-0266 • magnoliagrillfwb.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2019-January 2020

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PROMOTION

AMAZING LASH IS BATTING EYES EYELASH EXTENSIONS AND LIFTS PROMOTE EASY, BREEZY BEAUTY

I

magine rolling out of bed feeling confident and beautiful to face the day. Imagine living out the Beyoncé song, “I woke up like this.” With a motto of, “wake up beautiful,” Amazing Lash Studio is brightening eyes and outlooks with their eyelash extension and lift services.

“Women love our eyelash services because they can easily wake up in the morning and go. They enhance the face that much,” said Mary-Frances Mullins, owner of Amazing Lash Studio in Destin.

With eyelash tints and eyebrow services set to be offered in 2020, Amazing Lash’s two main services are lifts and extensions. Mullins describes eyelash lifts as a perm that elevates and curls your natural lashes. In an hour, the deep conditioning keratin treatment strengthens your lashes, giving them curl and volume that lasts up to six weeks.

The lash extensions consist of synthetic fibers that are individually attached to each of your natural eyelashes.

You can select from a variety of styles, lengths and curls to fit your look and lifestyle. Because Amazing Lash offers the lightest products in the industry, they ensure that your natural lashes will not be damaged. The two-hour application process is often referred to as a “lash nap” — because clients feel so at ease, they fall asleep. Then they awake with beautiful new lashes that last up to three weeks.

These lashes are loved by women from 18 to 80 because they require little to no maintenance, significantly decrease makeup routines and do not smear or cake because of sweat or tears.

“Our lash treatments are great for clients that don’t love makeup and those who do,” said Mullins. “A natural enhancement makes it appear like the client is wearing mascara already, and big, bold extensions are wonderful for women who adore a dramatic look. The beauty is, we customize to what you feel is most beautiful on you.”

AMAZING LASH 34940 EMERALD COAST PARKWAY, SUITE 108, DESTIN | (850) 331-7936 | AMAZINGLASHSTUDIO.COM

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TAKEFLIGHT WITH NORTHWEST FLORIDA STATE COLLEGE

Spring Semester begins January 8.

Register today!

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3/26/19 9:04 AM

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PROMOTION

MCCASKILL & COMPANY DAZZLES This holiday season, dazzle and delight with the gift of fine jewelry from McCaskill & Company, the Emerald Coast’s largest and most exclusive selection. Select a designer watch, a stunning piece of statement jewelry or give the promise of forever with a hand-selected engagement ring. With a wide variety of your favorite designers and impeccable customer service, McCaskill & Company is the ideal holiday shopping destination.

1.

SIMON G. BRAIDED BANGLES Woven 18-karat

gold in silver, white or rose with diamond stations.

2

1

2.

PAMELA FROMAN MALTESE CROSS

Ethiopian opal, diamond and 18-karat yellow gold Maltese cross pendant on faceted tanzanite beads.

3.

ERICA COURTNEY REGENT RING Drop dead

gorgeous orangey-pink tourmaline set in 18-karat gold with diamond accents.

4

4.

HENRY DAUSSI WEDDING BANDS (starting

at $750) Extensive variety of gold or platinum band rings with diamonds.

5

5.

OSCAR HEYMAN CHRYSOBERYL RING

3

Unheated oval 10-carat chrysoberyl ring mounted in platinum with oval and pear-shaped diamonds.

6.

KWIAT DIAMOND EARRINGS (starting at

$1,830) Sparkling tiara-cut diamond classic stud earrings in platinum martini setting.

7.

ERICA COURTNEY DROP EARRINGS Amethyst, black

6

opal and tourmaline one-of-akind earrings with diamonds in 18-karat gold.

GO 48

➺ McCaskill & Company 13390 U.S. 98 W., Destin | (850) 650-2262 | mccaskillandcompany.com

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

MAKE THE HOLIDAYS BODACIOUS Holiday shopping has never been easier! At Bodacious, you can choose from a wide selection of gourmet foods, kitchenry tools and unique items perfect for corporate gifts or for anyone who loves cooking, eating and entertaining.

Choose from our staff-curated favorites or let us help you create custom gifts for everyone on your list. Come celebrate the holidays with us at Bodacious, where the little things in life make the biggest difference.

1.

VINAIGRETTE SET ($62)

Gift includes a Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil (med.), Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard, OXO Salad Dressing Shaker and 2 Pour Spouts.

1

2.

BREAD DIPPING COMBO ($42)

2

Gift includes Bodacious Olive Oil (med.) with Pour Spout, Bodacious Bread Dip Seasoning and Olive Oil Dip Bowl.

3.

GARLIC LOVER ($50)

Gift includes Garlic Olive Oil (med.) with Pour Spout, and Garlic Grating Plate/ Olive Oil Dipping Bowl.

4.

POPCORN FAN ($65)

GO 50

4 3

➺ Bodacious

407 S. Palafox St., Downtown Pensacola | (850) 433-6505 | bodaciousolive.com | Mon–Fri 9 am–6 pm | Sat 9 am–4 pm | Sun 9 am–2 pm

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PHOTOS BY BLAKE HOWERTON

Gift includes an innovative Lekue Popcorn Popper, Butter Infused Olive Oil (small) with EVOO Sprayer, Black Truffle Sea Salt and Premium Popcorn.

pasajack.com

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P R I M E

S T E A K S

&

S E A F O O D

SAVOR THE CLASSIC & SOPHISTICATED One of the finest dining destinations along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood features an award-winning 600-label wine list, hand selected prime steaks and Gulf-to-table seafood dishes. With fresh, seasonally inspired ingredients, Seagar’s prides itself on providing the most decadent and indulgent meals.

SANDESTIN BEACH GOLF RESORT & SPA

The Emerald Coast’s only AAA Four-Diamond Steakhouse RESERVATIONS 850-374-6113 | 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, Miramar Beach, FL 32550 | SEAGARS.com

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Since 2000

DINING OUT

Here’s to a Skinny Night Out

|| DINING IN

Armed & Nutritious

|| DINING GUIDE

Page 117

gastro&gusto DEC 2019/JAN 2020

DINING, IMBIBING AND LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

↘

MULLED WINE see recipe on page 55

LIBATIONS

HOLIDAY CHEER

We raise a glass to tasty creative concoctions sure warm our spirits

photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

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gastro & gusto

We still get that spark in our eyes when we see a pot of simmering hot chocolate. Set out a vat of spiked holiday drinks, and give your party guests that same glow. As the chill of winter finally sets in on the Emerald Coast, warm yourself from the inside out with these “haute” libations and merry celebrations. We asked a few local barkeepers about their take on these cocktailtime concoctions that play with familiar winter flavors and pack a zesty kick. Whether you enjoy them at your local bar or serve at your next gathering, these elegant elixirs are sure to cure any winter blues. — Danielle J. Brown

→ S’more Martini Serves 1 INGREDIENTS

➸ 4 ounces hot chocolate ➸ 1.5 ounces vanilla vodka ➸ .5 ounce crème de cocoa ➸ 2 toasted marshmallows ➸C hocolate syrup ➸ Crushed graham crackers DIRECTIONS

Rim the glass with chocolate syrup and crushed graham crackers; set aside. Gently stir hot chocolate, vanilla vodka and crème de cocoa. Pour into prepared glass and top with toasted marshmallows.

“We love renditions of chocolate and espresso in dessert martinis. They are very popular.

Anything unique and different people are going to try — I mean who doesn’t love getting cozy with some s’mores?”

— Dave Trepanier, Owner, Firefly, Panama City Beach

← Hot Buttered Bourbon Serves 2-3 INGREDIENTS

➸ 4 ounces Kerrygold butter ➸ ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon ➸ 3–4 grates fresh nutmeg

➸ 1 piece star anise ➸½ cup brown sugar ➸ 1 cup bourbon ➸ ½ cup hot water ➸ optional: cinnamon sticks

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in small saucepan with cinnamon, nutmeg and anise. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat; add the bourbon and hot water; stir. Serve when fully mixed.

“This cocktail is a really nice play on a hot toddy.

Bourbon is certainly a ‘go to’ favorite spirit. It has a caramel flavor, it’s rich and available both sweet or dry — it’s a versatile spirit. We enjoy playful cocktails.

Most people go with pumpkin spice this time of year; we have a holiday cocktail that has a similar profile, but we add a twist using a butternut squash purée.”

— Devon Hodges, Lead Mixologist, Angelena’s Italian Ristorante, Pensacola

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photography by SAIGE ROBERTS

↘ Mulled Wine Serves 4–5 INGREDIENTS

➸ 3 pieces star anise ➸ 1 ½ cups cranberry juice ➸ 4 cups dry red wine ➸ ½ cup orange juice ➸ ½ cup fresh cranberries ➸½ cup sugar ➸ 4 cinnamon sticks

DIRECTIONS

Add cranberry juice, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon and star anise in a medium saucepan. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in the red wine and cranberries and bring temperature back to a simmer.

“I’m a purist. I like straight shots and juice-less mimosas myself, but there’s something about mulled wine with its spices and warmth. It feels like you are sipping in the holidays. And it’s fleeting, so indulge now, because you’ll have to wait 11 months to enjoy it next year. I recommend pairing with our Kouign-amann croissant with its flaky and crispy outside and salty-sweet glaze, I think that would be delicious.” — Joe Papagni, General Manager, Black Bear Bread Co., Grayton Beach TIP: The café closes at 3 p.m., but the bar remains open until 6 p.m. daily.

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gastro & gusto

DINING OUT

HERE’S TO A SKINNY NIGHT OUT Have a happy hour with resolutions safe and sound

by HANNAH BURKE

I

t’s a couple of weeks after New Year’s and you’ve been maintaining your healthy habits. You’ve been to the gym or walked around the block after dinner with resolve.

Careful eating at home? No problem.

Support from family and friends? Check.

But then … the first invitation hits your phone. “Come to a bottomless mimosa brunch with the girls,” or, “Let’s have a boys night at the pub and catch the game!”

Fortunately, sticking to healthier eating and drinking habits does not relegate you to an antisocial existence. Time can be spent away from home with friends or that special someone while preserving goals for a healthier you.

If you might be tempted with delicious apps and entrees, one way to hold onto a weight plan is to replace a meal with a fortified smoothie or shake. According to Theresa Smith, owner of Axis Nutrition Center in Fort Walton Beach, specialty shakes are designed to “offer better nutrition for people looking to gain weight, lose weight or discover healthy diet alternatives.”

Axis Nutrition Center offers more than 30 flavors of smoothies, including fan favorites Nutter Butter, Snickers and Banana Nut Bread, that consist of three crucial elements: tea, aloe and shake. “Aloe is good for your digestive system and helps with acid reflux and gird,” says Smith. “The tea is thermogenic and helps burn calories,

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while the shake consists of your actual meal portion of protein.”

But if you are planning on dining out, there are a few tricks Brittany Stiles, a fit, 34-year-old who sees clients at Workout Anytime Niceville gym and is a personal trainer at Brittany Style Fitness, shares with her clients: Always drink water before your meal, tell the wait staff not to bring the free bread or chips to the table and select a healthy entrée, such as a salad.

“The pitfall is usually the fatty dressing that comes with the salad,” said Stiles. “You may be adding hundreds of calories with that alone, so I ask them to bring me oil and vinegar.”

Laurel Blackerby, Nutrition Educator & Weight Loss Coach at Dr. Bawa & Associates, agrees.

“Salads can be very misleading,” she said. “With salads, choose a base of colorful vegetables. This will provide antioxidants and fiber to keep you fuller.”

Blackerby also advises you choose grilled

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options over fried toppings for your salad.

Be mindful of extra fixings: cheese, bacon and avocado are all fats (even though they are healthy fats) and can add an additional 650 calories to your salad if you get all three.

If you’re ordering outside of the salad bar, Blackerby stresses you adhere to the plate method. “Half your plate should be vegetables, then a quarter protein and a quarter carbohydrate,” she says. “Opt for a lean protein and vegetables. Carbohydrates should be the smaller portion of the plate and not the main attraction. Carbohydrates in restaurants are typically hidden with added fats, so be sure to limit portions and chose one over the other: If you have the baked potato with sour cream, then skip the bread and butter.”

When the entree arrives, she said, immediately ask for a to-go box so you may plan what to take home and not just dump in what is left over. Peruse the menu before you go so you stick to your plan, and don’t let any carb-loaded specials tempt you. photography by MICHAEL BOOINI

← Sue and Steve Gamble met up with their friend Jody Morgan in Panama City Beach at The Craft Bar in Pier Park. Resolutions were kept in check thanks to sharing the spinach and jerk chicken and Southwest chipotle chicken salads. Avoiding carbs is easy when they’re sprinkled on top. Just remember to log about 150 calories if you wash your meal down with a Dogfish Head Slightly Mighty IPA.

EIGHT COCKTAILS AND CONCOCTIONS FOR A HEALTHY NIGHT OUT 1 WHEATGRASS SHOT 10 calories

Touted as “one of the most potently healthy substances on earth,” so go ahead and give it a shot.

For the Health of It, Blue Mountain Beach

2 CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL 78 calories Four ounces of pure, fizzy fun!

Harry T’s, Destin

3 LA MARCA PROSECCO 125 calories

Sweet and bubbly, this prosecco sings with notes of citrus, green apple and grapefruit.

The Wine Bar, Pensacola

4 BE NEW 100 calories

Be new, be you with a revitalizing, cold-pressed juice of beets, apple, cucumber and lime.

Formula Fresh Superfood Bar, Destin

And, one should avoid fasting all day in order to “save room” for more calories.

“Your body will struggle with satiety and have the tendency to overeat past the point of being full,” Blackerby says.

Then comes the inevitable. Your friends want to order a round of drinks, so will it really be all that bad if you just have one?

If on a low-carb or keto diet, said Blackerby, then yes.

“When in ketosis, our liver is in a state of glucogenesis, to make glucose for us,” she explains. “If we consume alcohol, even low-carb alcohol, then the liver is going to have to choose between making us energy or detoxing alcohol from our bodies. The result can be dangerous, resulting in hypoglycemia that may make you dizzy or even black out. Those around you make think that you’re just intoxicated not even realizing that you blood sugar has dropped.”

Like soda and other sugary drinks, alcohol packs empty calories.

Choose soda water with lime or for favorites like mojitos or martinis, and ask the bartender to go light on sweeteners.

Increasingly, bars offer cocktails made with agave nectar instead of simple syrup.

“Low carb beer and champagne have the fewest calories, actually,” says Blackerby.

“After that, clear liquors (vodka, white rum or tequila) with sugar-free mixers such as club soda would be the most waistfriendly.”

And, there’s never any shame in ordering a “mocktail.”

“You can have just as much fun, if not more so, with a virgin drink because alcohol is a depressant,” says Dr. Bawa, a board certified internal medicine physician. “Have a cranberry spritzer with a lemon twist … and have more fun.” EC

Note: Martha J. LaGuardia Kotite and Shannon Colavecchio contributed to this story.

5 CUCUMBER SMASH Less than 150 calories

½ oz Hendrick’s gin, ½ St-Germain Elderflower, muddled cucumber, lime and club soda Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar, Miramar Beach

6 SLIGHTLY MIGHTY

LO-CAL IPA 95 calories

At only 4% ABV, this skinny brew is distinguished by zests of monk fruit.

The Craft Bar, Panama City Beach

7 WHITE WINE SPRITZER 100 calories

Any white wine will work perfectly but riesling and pinot grigio are especially good spritzed with a little club soda and garnished with a wedge of lime.

Clemenza’s Uptown, Fort Walton Beach

8 MAIN SQUEEZE 120 calories

Features Hendrick’s gin and Bonefish’s tart, house-made lemonade infused with ginger and fresh mint Bonefish Grill, Destin

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← Magic Mineral Broth INGREDIENTS

DINING IN

ARMED & NUTRITIOUS Healing herbs and spices are a delicious essential to building a ‘Cancer-Fighting Kitchen’

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

PHOTOS BY EVA KOLENKO © 2016 AND COVER COURTESY OF HEALING KITCHENS, LLC

C

hef Rebecca Katz, author of “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery,” says that nothing increases the “yum factor of food” better than herbs and spices.

Everyone knows that herbs and spices kick up flavor in any dish, but you may not realize that some of them also have powerful healing properties. Inflammation — the body’s natural ability to fight an injury — is thought to play a role in many diseases, including cancer. Studies show that turmeric, basil, rosemary, cloves, ginger and fennel help to regulate cellular inflammation. Other tasty spices work hard for your body, too. Cinnamon not only improves memory but also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels. Cumin is good for stimulating an appetite, and the herb cilantro relieves nausea and anxiety.

To maximize the “healing powers” of dried herbs, take a tip from Katz and add

them to your recipe at the beginning. The heat combined with fat, like olive oil, helps to release the herb’s oils that deliver not only flavor but also healing benefits. Fresh herbs, on the other hand, should be sprinkled in at the end of the recipe to yield the most health benefits.

Stock up on these 20 ingredients, and your spice rack will surely pack a healthy punch: allspice, anise, basil, cayenne, cilantro, chives, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, garlic, mint, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, saffron, sage, black pepper, sea salt and turmeric.

Katz says her recipe for Magic Mineral Broth is her “Rosetta Stone” of soup. It can be sipped like a tea or used as a powerful base for more hearty soups and stews. Either way — being chock full of magnesium, potassium and sodium — it will provide a nutritional boost to any diet. Here’s to spooning into a virtual restorative tonic that will help you feel tiptop. EC

Reprinted with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen 2nd Edition, copyright by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, 2016. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2009, 2017 by Leo Gong

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➸ 6 unpeeled carrots, cut into thirds ➸ 2 unpeeled yellow onions, cut into chunks ➸ 1 leek, white and green parts, cut into thirds ➸ 1 bunch celery, including the heart, cut into thirds ➸ 4 unpeeled red potatoes, quartered ➸ 2 unpeeled Japanese or regular sweet potatoes, quartered ➸ 1 unpeeled garnet yam, quartered ➸ 5 unpeeled cloves garlic, halved ➸ ½ bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley ➸ 1 8-inch strip of kombu* ➸ 12 black peppercorns ➸ 4 whole allspice or juniper berries ➸ 2 bay leaves ➸ 8 quarts cold, filtered water ➸ 1 teaspoon sea salt DIRECTIONS

Rinse vegetables well and place in a 12-quart stockpot filled up to 2 inches below the rim, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, decrease the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for at least 2 hours. As the broth simmers, some of the water will evaporate; add more if the vegetables begin to peek out. Simmer until the full richness of the broth can be tasted. Strain the broth through a large, coarse-mesh sieve (remember to use a heatresistant container underneath), then add salt to taste. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing. *Kombu is a long, dark brown to black seaweed that is dried and folded into sheets. It can be found in the Asian section of many grocery stores.

Notes: The longer the simmer time, the better tasting and more nutrient dense the broth will be. You also can cut the recipe in half and make it in a slow cooker.

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Every one s ’ a winner PHOTO COURTESY OF DCWAF

Generous giving adds up to mega millions; big spenders make vacation memories of a lifetime; and our most vulnerable finally cash in and rebuild broken lives BY ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

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Generous bids on high-end auction lots are celebrated with great fanfare at Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s annual wine auction event at Grand Boulevard.

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PLATO SAID, “ THERE IS TRUTH IN WINE … AND CHILDREN.” The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF) knows something about that. Founded in 2005, the Miramar Beach-based nonprofit foundation connects wine enthusiasts and raises money to benefit children in need in Northwest Florida. To date, DCWAF has donated $21,897,244 to local charities and other causes by hosting wine and culinary events and inviting high rollers to attend them.

These funds have impacted the lives of more than 100,000 youth along the Emerald Coast, including those afflicted by health issues and abuse. Currently ranked No. 4, DCWAF has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 10 Charity Wine Auctions in the U.S. by Wine Spectator magazine for the past seven years.

There also is truth in facts. In 2017, Americans donated $410 billion to charity, a record amount, according to Giving USA. The Foundation Center says donations to foundations also increased 15.5 percent in 2018. These figures show that the success of DCWAF — and other organizations along the Emerald Coast — appears to be a part of generous giving trend sweeping the nation.

Emerald Coast Magazine wanted to take a closer look at the phenomenon of “mega fundraising” and what is happening in Northwest Florida. We were curious how millions of dollars are raised in a coastal community that is not an urban mecca, but rather a tight-knit cluster of small towns. Most importantly, we hoped to put a face to some of the little benefactors of these big spenders … and hear their stories.

Small Town Big Spenders The idea of a charity wine auction started with entrepreneur Chan Cox of Wine World, who launched the Sandestin Wine Festival 33 years ago and founded the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival in 2013. John Russell, 63, who joined the DCWAF board in 2009 and stepped up as president in 2012, credits the foundation’s success to “years of work creating trust and branding.” Because of that strategic work over its 15 years, the organization has skyrocketed from a small community auction to a national player producing sold-out events netting seven figures.

DCWAF is just one of many successful annual fundraising efforts

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on the Emerald Coast. Since it formed in 2010, the White-Wilson Community Foundation has raised nearly $500,000 to date to support women’s health care with its annual Little Black Dress party.

The Chi Chi Miguel Throwdown, which Valerie and Mike “Chi Chi Miguel” Thompson began in 2006 as a private backyard barbecue, is now a multi-day, star-studded event hosted by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. It attracts “regulars” such as Oscarwinner Morgan Freeman, easily raising a cool million each year for several local charities.

The Mulligans band, formed by golf entrepreneur Edwin Watts, has raised nearly $900,000 for a

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

range of local charities with its popular Summer Jam concert. At this year’s fourth annual event, the eight-member band performed a three-hour “dance” concert to a sold-out crowd at the Emerald Coast Convention Center.

How can such a small community give so much? “I think it speaks to the quality of people here,” Watts says. “We all believe individually in charity giving. As for The Mulligans, we present a fun format by providing a concert, so not only are you giving to charity, but you have a heck of a lot of fun.”

Not everyone can be a “big spender.” Donations showed a slight dip of 1.1 percent in 2018 due to changes in tax policies, but the proportion of money given through mega-gifts against overall giving is increasing, according to Dr. Patrick Rooney, executive associate dean for academic programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

That bodes well for DCWAF and all the charities along the Emerald Coast. Still, how does a region with a population base of less 200,000 in most of its counties continually fill the charity coffers?

It turns out, they don’t — well, not necessarily.

“Because we do have a generous but small market, we strategized how we could have a ripple effect,” Russell explains. “We have a core donor group that recruits people from outside the market. They have houses here and invite their friends they have made in places where they are from or where they made their mark.”

The Carters from Kansas City, the Hallsteads from Houston, the Palmores from Memphis … he continues naming key donors from other major markets in the Southeast and beyond.

“That’s been impactful,” Russell says. “They are essentially what

Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation president John Russell asks donors to dig deep, because “it’s for the kids.”

we call ‘multipliers.’ They spend and recruit spenders who average $30,000 to $40,000 a donation.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DCWAF

Doing Their Bidding Though DCWAF accepts donations at any time, its big fundraiser is an annual auction each April produced in concert with the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival. The fourday fete draws 4,500 wine lovers to taste hundreds of domestic and international wines, nibble chefprepared bites, attend celebritystudded seminars and hear live music. On Saturday, for $2,500 per couple, you can enjoy a chefprepared lunch, sip some of the winemaker’s best vintages and … bid on auction lots.

Gone are the days of raising money with a gift basket covered in cellophane.

Today, charities are “selling” rare private label wines, jewels, original art (sometimes created live at the event) and luxury excursions that will whisk you by limousine into winemakers’ private cellars, seat you in the nation’s top chef’s kitchens, and land you with VIP passes and front row seats to the hottest sold-out Broadway shows and music acts.

“You can say what you will about the ‘1 percent,’ ” Russell says, “but we see a positive side of people who have been financially successful and have adopted our community.”

One family in particular has made a transformative impact this year: billionaire businessman Ryan “Jume” Jumonville, 47, and his, wife, Raven.

They relocated from Louisiana to Destin with their four young children and donated $1 million

Top Selling Lot

Tesla’s Revolutionary Rocketing Roadster For two consecutive years the highest single-selling lot was the rare and highly anticipated Tesla Roadster.

In 2017, No. 851, a white Tesla Roadster Sport 2010 (pictured) raised $85,000. In 2018, the 18th ever made hunter green Tesla Roadster hauled in $82,000. These “electrifying” auction lots were donated by The St. Joe Company Foundation.

To donate lots, contact Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation at info@dcwaf.org or call (850) 650-3732.

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— the largest single donation in DCWAF’s 15-year history.

We asked Jumonville why he gave this generous gift — which incidentally places him on The Giving Pledge roster with other billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. “DCWAF has been doing great things for children and families in need in the Panhandle area, and I wanted to see what they could accomplish with more resources,” he said.

Chuck Palmore, 71, is another loyal DCWAF donor convert … and a passionate “wino.” An operating partner of two car dealerships in Memphis, Tennessee, he and wife Glenda have a second home in Destin and began to get involved with the foundation at the urging of friends.

“The first year or two I didn’t get that involved financially, but when we saw what good things could be done in the Panhandle, I thought it was just the right thing to do,” Palmore says.

His high auction bidding has taken he and his wife to Argentina, Europe and the time we spoke in September, he was preparing for 10-day trip to Napa. “This is about passion and compassion,” he says. “This is our home now, and we want to contribute and be a part of the community.”

DCWAF Totals

Raised by Year

DCWAF has had year over year gains. In just seven years it hit the $1 million mark; two years later it doubled its coffers. In 2019, the Foundation raised more than $3 million.

Total Contributions 2006-2019 $80,000

2013 $1,375,000

2007 $457,000

2014 $2,035,000

2008 $570,000

2015 $2,300,000

2009 $574,289

2016 $2,660,000

2010 $864,000

2017 $2,700,000

2011 $954,958

2018 $2,700,000

2012 $1,220,000

2019 $3,406,997

2006

The total contribution and donation figures differ, because in addition to local charities, DCWAF also donates a portion of proceeds to its Children’s Fund and to other charities and causes, such as the California Wildfire Relief, Napa and Sonoma Vintner Associations, Hurricane Relief and The Sonder Project.

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The Art of the Business of Wine Russell has put much of his business background as a seasoned hospitality industry leader to good use. He has conducted donor surveys, held annual strategic planning sessions with his board and learned that the basic tenants of business development can be successfully applied to nonprofit fundraising.

“You have to eventually be prepared to replace bidders, just like a customer base. They fatigue and eventually age out,” Russell says.

“So, we are happy to see more and

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEMETRIUS FULLER

Downton Abbey who?

Sinfonia Gulf Coast guests joining maestro Demetrius Fuller (top, center) on the 10-day “Ultimate UK” excursion donned period costumes from the famed Lyric Opera Company in Chicago before sipping cocktails in the private library filled with 5,000 volumes of rare books followed by dinner in one of six salons at Dublin’s lavish 600-acre Ballyfin Demesne estate.

more younger people from the next generation getting involved.”

But as donor’s household incomes rise, so do their expectations.

“We love wine, it will always be our bedrock, but we can only offer so many trips to wine country,” Russell says. “People are seeking experiences that are interactive.

They want to be a part of things, they want unique access.”

As Russell explains it, to make a home run package to the Super Bowl, it should come with a private jet, a 150-foot yacht and tickets on the 50-yard line. “It’s

like Apple, who has to produce something beyond the new iPhone every year,” he says.

Demetrius Fuller is the maestro and music director for Sinfonia Gulf Coast, whose unofficial tagline is “a symphony redefined.”

He understands the need to continually try to hit a high note for discerning patrons. For years, Sinfonia’s highly-anticipated annual fundraiser — now called Crescendo! — has included a live, high-end auction component. But in addition to procuring auction lots, Fuller designs high-touch cultural experiences for his discerning

2019 Donation Total Awarded to Local Charities In 2006 DCWAF supported three charities. In 2019, the Foundation donated more than $3 million to 16 local charities. Ten DCWAF charities have received more than $1 million in total contributions.

The Arc (Horizons) $1,454,113

Westonwood Ranch $150,000

Youth Village $986,050

AMIKids $660,000

Boys & Girls Clubs $950,500

high-level donor patrons. This past summer, he hosted three couples on a 10-day immersive tour of the United Kingdom that he called “Ultimate UK.” Fuller’s guests dined at private chef’s tables in Michelin-starred restaurants, stayed in five-star hotels and spent their leisure time sipping champagne while seeing the sights by private car. They also shopped boutiques, strolled castle gardens, revitalized in mineral pools, shot clay pigeons and even enjoyed cocktails as they wore 18th century Lyric Opera costumes in Dublin’s most lavish 600-acre

$40,000

2013 $1,335,000

2007 $317,000

2014 $1,935,000

2008 $257,000

2015 $2,177,000

2009 $476,239

2016 $2,585,000

2010 $772,000

2017 $2,685,000

2011 $941,216

2018 $2,652,000

2012 $1,210,188

2019 $3,000,000

2006

Children in Crisis (CIC) $2,461,783

Shelter House $1,240,787

$20,382,643 Total Contributions to Beneficiary Charities from 2006–2019

Sacred Heart Foundation $2,325,289 Pathways for Change $1,806,621 Opportunity Inc. $385,000

Mental Health Asscociation $375,000

Source: Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation

Habitat for Humanity of Walton County $1,198,000

Food for Thought $1,030,000

Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN) $1,834,000 Emerald Coast Autism Center $1,635,000 Emerald Coast Children’s Advocy Center (CAC) $1,635,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

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2016

2017

2018

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Big Impact on Little Ones Though Russell and wife Michelle do not have children, his work has made him a father figure to tens of thousands of kids. He feels grateful to have a job with “purpose,” but he doesn’t seek the credit.

“The organizations we help are the heroes in this; they have to see pain in children’s faces every day,” he says. “Let’s face it, I get to go to Napa for business.”

Because the focus is taking care of kids, Russell says it’s easy to get people to embrace DCWAF’s mission. It’s a task made easier, because those they help are local.

“These people are not nameless or faceless. These are people we see when we go to Publix,” he says.

“We just got notification that Habitat for Humanity’s next house is going to be built for an employee in one of the Grand Boulevard facilities,” says Russell. “I know her

Emerald Coast Autism Center was established in 2009 with five kids and five therapists.

To date, DCWAF has donated more than $1 million to ECAC. “It’s been transformative not only for us, but for the families we serve. We are proud to be celebrating 10 years and grown to 90 kids and 70 staff members,” said director/co-founder Staci Berryman (pictured holding check with co-founder Heidi Blalock).

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personally, and that’s what I love.

I can go help her build her house, and so can anyone else, so that’s pretty cool.”

He proudly rattles off more recent charity news — groundbreaking for a youth village in Fort Walton Beach. Instead of paying rent, this is the first time they have had their own building, so they will be able to help twice as many children by expanding their reach to preschoolers. Food for Thought, which started with a $300 budget, is now feeding 3,300 children each week year-round.

The Emerald Coast Autism Center, which just marked 10 years and started with five children, now has a staff of 70 that aids 90 kids with one-on-one support. After 20 years, AMIkids, which works with at-risk kids, will remain open because of DCWAF funding. A ribbon cutting for a new organization, Westonwood Ranch in Freeport, means older autistic children will have support.

“We give a lot of money — $3 million is a lot. That said, there is more we need to do,” Russell said.

Another “multiplier” is how DCWAF charities partner and collaborate with one another.

Children’s Volunteer Health Network sends their mobile dental bus to several of our DCWAF charities to provide free dental care to the children at Children in Crisis, Youth Village and Boys & Girls Clubs. Food for Thought opens its Full Circle Kitchen up to AMIkids and kids at Youth Village to learn how to cook sustainable, healthy meals for themselves.

Dr. July Manning, who handles operations for Children in Crisis, has worked with children in need for 35 years. “In a sense, charities do compete for the same basic dollars, but because of our community, you don’t feel cut-throat competition with others. Its more cooperative,” she says. “When one of us does well, it helps our entire community.” EC

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DCWAF AND THE HILL FAMILY

Regency mansion estate — Ballyfin Demesne. Guests plunked down upwards of $40,000 per couple.

Heavenly and Bill Dawson are local business owners in Seaside who have supported Sinfonia Gulf Coast for the past four years. They ventured on the Sinfonia’s Ultimate UK trip.

“I love music and my grandchildren are involved in music, so personally we love to support Sinfonia knowing it helps their music education programs,” Heavenly says. “It was a magical experience all the way around.

The connections Demetrius and Sinfonia Gulf Coast have with restaurants, vintners and hotels make it absolutely fabulous and well worth it. What better way to go when you don’t have a lot of time, and it’s all planned out for you and planned well? That makes it an even more fabulous adventure.”

Transformed

by Love MANDY AND TRAVIS HILL WERE HIGH SCHOOL sweethearts back in Oklahoma. They grew up in the church and married when they were 20. When an opportunity to minister came up at Freedom Church, the couple moved to the Pensacola area in 2009 so Travis could pursue his passion.

They decided to grow their family and adopted two little girls. Those girls had siblings who lived at Children in Crisis (CIC), a nonprofit that formed in 2002 to provide a haven for abused, neglected and abandoned children in Northwest Florida.

The Hills became on-campus house parents. The role of house-care parents is to see to the well-being of the children, escort them to appointments, guide them in making decisions and ensure they appear for court dates.

“It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had,” says Mandy, 34. “Emergency shelter life is like triage.”

After trying for 6 years, Mandy became pregnant in November 2012 with her first born, a son. Since the policy at CIC is that you cannot give birth on campus, the Hills put in their nine-month notice.

But before they left, they wanted to meet their two new foster girls on the playground.

“From that moment, we were in love and made it known we wanted to have them in our home,” Mandy says.

They learned the girls were just 7 years old and had endured multiple traumas. Both were born in China, placed in orphanages and were adopted together into an abusive situation. They were placed in CIC’s foster care after being rescued from the hands of an abusive adoptive parent … and they were deaf.

In January 2013, the two girls were placed in a CIC home with the Hills, and their healing began.

Mandy and Travis began by learning sign language.

They leaned on the CIC staff for advice and on their church for support; they also began reading all they could on trauma-based parenting.

“We had our shares of challenges,” Mandy says.

Because of their stunted development and limited

THE HILL FAMILY “It was a life changing event to be involved with Children in Crisis. We got support and love from day one — from the big picture stuff like the housing and the food pantry to tiny details like people checking in on us 6 years after to ask if we needed anything.” Mandy Hill

language skills, the girls were unable to express feelings like frustration, so they acted out with behavior like a toddler.

“They didn’t know what to do with their feelings,” Mandy shares.

As they aged and as their language skills improved, things got better. “We were able to walk them through healthy ways of expressing themselves, because we had created a safe place for them. They could ask hard questions, even if we didn’t know the answers,” she says.

Today, Mandy and Travis have another child, a daughter, and the adopted girls are 13 and 14.

“It’s miraculous what has happened with them, because they’ve been in a caring and loving environment with us meeting their basic human needs — both the physical and on the inside — they have been just transformed,” Mandy says.

But the family’s story doesn’t end there. “We do plan on fostering in our home again,” Mandy says.

“The kids are on board. When I brought it up, the first reaction was ‘Yes, we’ve got to do something.’ ” EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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CREATIVE WORKS LAND ON PAGES, CANVASES AND STAGES

MUSIC

30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT: JEFFREY STEELE Hit songwriter followed his heart to the hall of fame

by HANNAH BURKE

PHOTO BY ANTHONY SCARLATI

→ Singer/songwriter Jeffrey Steele, who cut his teeth as a country musician 30 years ago at Hollywood’s famed Palomino Club, calls 30A home.

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expression “I couldn’t sing or perform, so I had to figure out a way to survive. But that really bad time in my life turned out to be one of the biggest blessings, because it made me the songwriter I am today.”

– Jeffery Steele, songwriter, musician and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer

↗ Playing his 1985

Candy Apple Red G&L Telecaster on stage at Tennessee’s Franklin Theatre to raise funds for the Alex LeVasseur Memorial Fund, a charity established in 2007 to honor his son’s memory.

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PHOTOS BY ANTHONY SCARLATI

“N

ever do it for the money.”

Those six, simple words string together the most poignant piece of professional advice Jeffrey Steele, hit songwriter, musician and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer, has ever received.

“Kris Kristofferson told me that in my early 20s after I had opened a show for him, and he was getting in the back of a limousine with two girls and a bottle of whiskey,” Steele laughed. “But he was right! The second that I started trying to do what I wanted and write my best songs without worrying if they’d end up on the radio, my life started changing.”

Before that, though, Steele was accustomed to hearing the word, “no.” Having grown up in northern Hollywood and boasting pipes like Jim Morrison, Steele’s “little bit country, little bit rock ’n’ roll” style didn’t quite fit the Nashville music scene’s mold.

He had moved there following the success of his band, Boy Howdy, for whom Steele had penned hit songs.

But following Boy Howdy’s disbandment in 1996, Steele had lost his record deal. He had lost his publishing deal. And, he had lost his voice.

“I couldn’t sing or perform, so I had to figure out a way to survive,” said Steele. “But that really bad time in my life turned out to be one of the biggest blessings, because it made me the songwriter I am today.”

Steele said he gained the confidence to start pitching his cross-genre sounds, but was rejected out of nearly every meeting, told things such as, “you can’t just put an AC/DC rift in the middle of a country song.”

But when the decision came to conform or rock on, Steele stayed true to himself. Not long after, a little unknown group at the time called Rascal Flatts picked up one of Steele’s songs, “These Days,” and blew it up as a hit.

A dam broke, and Steele was suddenly on the map, attracting the attention of artists such as Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and LeAnn Rimes. In his career thus far, Steele’s hits have been recognized

by Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) for accumulating over 65 million airplays. Among his copious accolades, including over 35 BMI Country and Pop awards, Steele has received five Grammy nominations and was in contention to receive a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award for Best Original Song, “I Thought I Lost You.” When he’s not writing, touring and performing private concerts, Steele, now 58, teaches an online songwriting course.

“One of the things I tell my students is that you have to think like a writer,” said Steele. “Every moment is a potential song. The craziest things happen when you just open your ears and listen to people talk.”

Sharing these stories with fans, said Steele, is one of the greatest things about events like the 30A Songwriters Festival.

“People who show up are rabid songwriter fans, and newcomers are blown away when they find out you’re the one who wrote that one Tim McGraw song,” Steele said of the festival. “I’m fortunate to be at a point in my life where I can go out and tell these stories, celebrate all the fun I’ve had.

“It’s been a neat ride. There’s been some tragedy, some things have been tough, but everybody experiences that. That’s what we write about, people want to hear those stories. I tell my students that being the best and most honest you is what this business is about. Anyone can make music, anyone can copy what others are doing. But the best road leads from your heart, and it’s sure to take you far.” EC EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

↓

30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL January 17–20

Now in its 11th year, the four-day festival returns with Steele and over 150 other artists who will share their tunes — and the tales behind them — across 25 local venues.

Download the 30A Songwriters Festival smartphone app to customize your itinerary and receive instant updates. Snag your spots today at 30ASongwritersFestival.com.

December 2019-January 2020

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expression

BOOKS

DAY BY DAY Life coach, first-time author Amy Meyer says, ‘Listen … do your best … and let the rest go’

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM

AVAILABLE ONLINE

“Day by Day: A Creative Guide to Living Your Best Life with Clarity, Intention & Flow” is available in paperback on Amazon.com, $14.

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A

fter a series of unexpected lifealtering events, including her husband’s open heart surgery and the loss of her beloved dog of 11 years, Amy Meyer, the full-time working mother of two children under 2 (at the time), was inspired to begin her own healing and wellness journey in the fight against postpartum depression and anxiety.

“I hit rock bottom. There came a day when I didn’t recognize myself,” Meyer, a striking 37-year-old brunette with pale eyes says. “I struggled with perfection.

I was that person who needed to check every box. I essentially lived for others.”

Meyers, who makes her home in DeFuniak Springs with her husband, Bryan, and their two girls, and two pets (a dog and a cat), set out to relieve the pressures of marriage, motherhood, career, society — all compounded by prying eyes of pervasive social media. It took her three years, but Meyer let it all go.

“I gave myself grace,” she says.

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

← How do you reach a personal goal?

Author Amy Meyer says, “Just begin!

Recognize the challenge, and take an inspired action toward it that lights you up!”

During the process, she inadvertently compiled her first self-published book, “Day by Day: A Creative Guide to Living Your Best Life with Clarity, Intention & Flow.”

Meyers describes her book as a “compilation of tools” that have helped her during her journey of “self-discovery, self-love and soul-level healing.”

The first-time author says the book is designed as a creative guide/journal to guide the reader on a four-week journey.

It is filled with undated pages, weekly challenges and check-ins, “deep dive” photography by JENNIFER G PHOTOGRAPHY

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journal prompts and blank pages that allow the reader to “focus inward, plan and begin the day in gratitude.”

There also are graphics of positive affirmations intended to be coloring pages.

“It can be customized and used however the reader feels led,” Meyers says. “That's the beautiful part about it, there are no rules. If one doesn’t feel like writing, she may want to draw, doodle or even skip the day.”

Working as a life coach has shown Meyers she is not alone. “I know so many women who struggle with the things I did (and sometimes still do). I wanted to give women a space to create habits, share their deepest desires without judgement … learn to tune in to their soul and/or higher power to create a life of intention.”

Meyer’s intention with “Day by Day” is to give the reader options. Comprehensive completion of the book is not intended to be the goal; but rather, it’s a sense of being aware and focused in the present and eventually to be empowered to begin progress toward personal goals.

“It’s about taking things day by day,” Meyer explains before a book signing event at Emerald Coast Wine Cellars in Miramar Beach. “When people ask me for advice, I say, ‘Listen, get still, trust yourself, just be you. Do your best, and let the rest go.’ ” Meyers, who describes herself as a creative entrepreneur, holds a BA in communications and public relations from the University of West Florida.

Over the past 15 years, she has developed brand messages and strategic planning for government organizations, entertainment companies and corporate businesses.

Currently, she works as a photographer and has a life coach consulting business called The Soul Shine Collective. She says the mission is to “inspire others online to live their best life through challenges, coursework and workshops that can be utilized in both personal and professional settings.”

Meyer plans to write another book, but in the meantime, when she has free time, she tries to live her own words by spending time with her family, working out, writing or “doing something creative.” EC

PHOTO BY JENNIFER G PHOTOGRAPHY

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One of

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Thursday • Winemakers & Shakers • 5pm–7pm Friday • VIP Wine Tasting Kick-Off • 4pm–6pm Friday • Craft Beer & Spirits Jam • 6pm–9pm Saturday & Sunday • Grand Tastings • 1pm–4pm

A dazzling roster of dozens of celebrity winemakers, distillers, chefs, brew masters and entertainers converge in South Walton, Florida to wine, dine, educate and entertain guests as part of the four-day celebration of wine during the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival held April 23-26, 2020 throughout Grand Boulevard.

Attendees enjoy such attractions as Spirits Row, Savor South Walton Culinary Village, Nosh Pavilions, Tasting Seminars, Craft Beer & Spirits Jam, live entertainment and more than 600 wines poured by knowledgeable wine industry insiders.

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SOUTH WALTON BEACHES WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL POURS MORE PREMIER WINES THAN EVER

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Sips, swills, spirits and surprises expected at eighth annual festival

ight years ago, Chan Cox envisioned a wine festival that promised world-class wines, fabulous food and a generous check for charities. These remain the fundamental tenets of the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival, but he intends each year to bring something new to the festival — and attendees have taken notice.

From April 23–26, thousands of wine lovers from around the country will gravitate to the Town Center of Grand Boulevard to taste from an impressive roster of winemakers, distillers, brewers and chefs.

The last weekend in April also happens to be when the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation holds their top-ranked charity wine auction, making South Walton the epicenter of the wine universe. Wine, charity and fun converge for Northwest Florida’s ultimate wine week.

The festival’s creator and founder of Wine World, Cox has spent decades fostering strong relationships with winemakers, and that will become more apparent this year.

“One of the things that is so compelling about this festival is that we mix it up every year, and this year is no exception,” said Stacey Brady, executive director of the South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival. “We work to keep it fresh and incorporate unexpected details that attendees absolutely love.”

Historically, the festival has poured over 800 wines, but this year will mark an exciting shift from quantity to superior quality. In 2020, more than 600 wines will be

poured, still an impressive selection, complemented by the best wines the festival has ever had.

Another new and exciting element of this year’s festival is the Jackson Family Wine World showcase, which will be a central feature during the Grand Tastings on Saturday and Sunday. Jackson Family Wines has wineries around the world, and the showcase will feature designs that emphasize international stations paired with international wines.

Alongside these new additions will be crowd favorites such as: nosh pavilions featuring specialty foods; spirits row packed with distilleries; celebrity seminars; the Friday night Craft Beer & Spirits Jam; and the VIP Tasting on Friday.

The Friday evening VIP Tasting is for the serious wine lover, allowing them to taste collectible and rare wines and talk directly to the winemakers. VIP tickets earn attendees access to all of the weekend’s events.

While the festival has been highly awarded and is acknowledged as the Southeast’s premier wine and food festival, the most gratifying aspect is that each ticket sale contributes to the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation, which supports 16 charities throughout Northwest Florida.

“Our attention to detail is what makes this a first-class experience, providing access to the finest wines, creative culinary experiences and leading trends in the wine festival industry,” said Brady.

The South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival presents an unparalleled opportunity to sip, swill, taste and try flavors that will enliven your taste buds and engage your mind.

For more information and to buy tickets go to SoWalWine.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2019-January 2020

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PROMOTION

HAIQIONG DENG Artist Spotlight

By Erica Thaler, Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) Haiqiong Deng is a Chinese music performer, scholar and teacher. She is a world-leading Chinese zheng concert musician and has toured extensively in China, Japan, Singapore, Canada and the United States.

Haiqiong directed the FSU Chinese Music Ensemble for 17 years, and currently, she is a Ph.D. Candidate in Musicology at the FSU College of Music, writing her dissertation on the revival of the ancient seven-string zither guqin in modern China.

WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? Nature. Walking in the woods

relaxes my body and frees my mind.

Inspirations then naturally occur. A cup of green tea afterward is a must-have.

WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER WOULD YOU LIKE TO MEET AND BRING TO LIFE?

Zhuang Zi, an ancient Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE. His writing is full of unlimited imagination and authenticity. To me, he is both realistic and fictional.

WHAT MUSIC IS PLAYING IN YOUR CAR?

I used to enjoy a lot of baroque music from WFSU radio. But now, my daughter Isabel Liu, a 7-year-old, has become the DJ in my car so most of the time it’s popular music, and I groove along.

WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON YOU? I read books

every day due to my dissertation project.

“The Importance of Living” (1937) by Lin Yutang, a New York bestseller who introduced millions to the noble art of leaving things undone, has had a deep impact on me. It touches on the essential

Haiqiong Deng

Chinese humanity through a cross-cultural perspective. Comparing to the stereotypes and prejudice popularized in social media and political propaganda today, a book such as this truly contributes to genuine understanding among people, cultures and humanities. It serves the purpose of showing the well-being of life.

IT’S TIME FOR DINNER; WHAT ARE WE GOING TO EAT? I’d like to go home and eat

the homestyle Chinese food Nan Liu (my husband) cooks.

IF YOU WERE TRAPPED IN A TV SHOW OR MOVIE FOR A MONTH, WHICH WOULD IT BE? Chinese Kung Fu movies.

Haiqiong Deng & Family

WHAT SUPERPOWER WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE? Healing—both to myself and

to others.

WHAT HAVE YOUR LEARNED FROM FAILURE? Another opportunity of learning;

an enriched experience.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOU WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR? A sense of warmth and

maybe a smile at the same time.

Want to learn more about Haiqiong?

Visit tallahasseearts.org/artist/Haiqiong-Deng to learn more about Haiqiong and over 950 artists of all creative disciplines in our Artist Directory.

This content is provided by the Council on Culture & Arts, the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture.

Visit TallahasseeArts.org for a complete list of arts and cultural events, public art, arts education and more on the Tallahassee Arts Guide.

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expression ‘Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley’ gives us a fresh, new holiday classic The American Theatre was in search of a new holiday offering and they found it in 2017 in “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” which makes its Northwest Florida debut on Emerald Coast Theatre Company’s (ECTC) stage this December.

Though the play — adapted for stage by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon — comes with a seal of approval from the Jane Austen Society of North America, you don’t have to be a Janeite (Jane Austen fan) to ← enjoy this confection. The luscious “This sumptuous 19th century costumes, witty Jane Austen sequel is set repartee, not to mention in the refined Regency period picks up two a live spruce tree with years after “Pride vintage ornaments (thanks to and Prejudice” the thoughtful attention to detail ends. by associate director Anna Fisher) stand on their own, and with costumes

by Glenn Breed and set design by Becca Lake, this tasty holiday morsel practically gift wraps itself.

This holiday tale is a charming celebration of fan favorite characters from “Pride and Prejudice,” honoring the legacy of Jane Austen’s humor, STAGE playfulness and wit in a warm-spirited family holiday theatrical production.

The play is set in 1815, two years after the conclusion of “Pride & Prejudice.”

Mary Bennet, the bookish and oftforgotten middle child, has her quest for ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told,’ a Jane Austen debut, independence sparked by an unlikely visitor. Will she be defeated or become and ‘Miracles’ on S. Jefferson Street the heroine of her own story? What lies

by ZANDRA WOLFGRAM ahead in Mary’s future as she explores the complexities of family and love.

It’s the holiday season. When it comes to spirited entertainment, “Our story takes place during the this year we have a more than a few “sugar plums” being staged all Regency period. The furniture has a lot of squares and rectangles and is simpler along the Emerald Coast. From a zany mad cap comedy stuffed and straightforward than the more with every holiday story we can imagine to a new staging of a ornate designs of the Victorian era,” nostalgic Jane Austen-inspired period romance, and, of course, a says ECTC co-founder and associate few miracles tucked in for good measure. As the year comes to a director Anna Fisher. “In terms of close, we package a few family-friendly festive offerings on stage at costumes, during this period, women a theater near you that are sure to put a lift in your stockinged step would wear a short corset to allow the natural hipline to show.” and ward off any holiday ghosts of Christmas past.

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PHOTOS BY NIKKI HEDRICK

HOLIDAY CONFECTIONS

Fisher is especially excited about the creative challenge of the main set — the library. “We will be figuring out how to create the look of a family library filled with hundreds of vintage books,” so look for that she says.

“Miss Bennet” is a period play with characters that are anything but dated.

“When I read the script, I was drawn to it because of how charming and fleshed out the female characters are,” Fisher says. “A lot of times when you watch a period piece the story is told through the eyes of the men, because they were the major players. But this story centers on Mary Bennet who is this interesting, sassy character who lives on her own terms. That resonates with so many of us today.”

Wassail anyone?

‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told … and Then Some’ is stuffed full of cheer Back for its 10th year, The REP Theatre presents 19 performances of their smash-hit holiday comedy “Every Christmas Story Ever Told … and Then Some.”

“I can’t believe I’ve performed this show over 200 times, but it is a lot of fun,” says Seaside REP executive director Brook Stetler, who also marks his 10th anniversary this year.

“It’s a lot of fun to work with the rest of the cast and crew to create new bits and scenes every year to surprise the audience. The audience feedback and the energy they give to the performers on stage is exhilarating. And it’s always fun to see the folks that come back year after year.”

↓ BOX OFFICE BITS EMERALD COAST THEATRE COMPANY 560 Grand Boulevard, Upstairs, Miramar Beach Dec. 12-14, 19-21, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 15 & 22, 2 p.m.

$32 adults; $30 seniors (55+) & military, $28 students

(850) 684-0323 EmeraldCoastTheatre.org TIP Come early to browse the ECTC Lobby Gallery presented

by Lowkalzart. Proceeds of all sales benefit ECTC.

SEASIDE REP

216 Quincy Circle, Seaside Dec. 12-14, 18-23, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 15, 21-23, 2 p.m.

$30 general admission, $24 REP members, $20 children (12 and under)

(850) 231-0733 LoveTheRep.com TIP Come early or stay late to enjoy a sweet treat at Dawson’s Yogurt next door.

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE 400 S. Jefferson St., Pensacola

↖ Seaside REP’s

Brooke Stetler and Trent Loggins reimagine a classic scene from “A Christmas Carol” to hilarious effect.

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

Dec. 13-14, 19-22, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 15, 3 p.m. $16-$31

(850) 432-2042 PensacolaLittleTheatre.com TIP Purchase PLT merchandise in the Box Office, which opens one hour before curtain.

December 2019-January 2020

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expression

her single mother, Doris, who is against all things fanciful — including belief in Santa Claus. One fateful Christmas they meet a man who might just be the real Kris Kringle, and who impacts their lives and the lives of everyone around them in a very meaningful way.

Director Mark Core-Noel personally invites the community to come out to experience this classic show saying, “This year, I'm asking as you share this wonderful story with us that we remember the true meaning of Christmas and we remind ourselves that it’s not about what comes in a package, but what comes from within. Christmas is a time of joy and mystery, and we here at Pensacola Little Theatre hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Sit back and enjoy the innocence of youth in our production of ‘Miracle on 34th.’”

And to everyone headed to a holiday show on the Emerald Coast, as Tiny Tim said, "A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, every one!" EC

‘Miracle on 34th Street’ reminds of the true meaning of the season Pensacola Little Theatre has been providing live theatrical events to Pensacola for more than 80 years.

Enjoying a holiday show at the Pensacola Cultural Center is as much a tradition as the production itself.

“Miracle on 34th Street” is as classic an American holiday show as you can get.

The story focuses on young Susan and

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↑ Natalie Wood (Susan) and Edmund Gwenn

(Kris Kringle) in the 1947 film version of “Miracle on 34th Street.” ↓ Formed in 1926, Pensacola Little Theatre performs in the Russenberger Theatre on South Jefferson.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE AND WORTH1000.COM

This whirlwind of a performance with at least 60 costume changes tackles all your favorite Christmas stories, while bringing in all the holiday traditions you share with your family such as watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, caroling and re-gifting that fruit cake … again. Imagine a mash up of George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” and the Grinch in “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas;” toss in some “Star Wars” and your dad collared from the crowd to play Cindy Lou-Who and you get the idea.

This show is silly, but it takes serious work to pull off. “I like the different challenges that comedic roles provide,” Stetler says. “In this show, we each have to create a ton of very different characters with distinct voices and physicalities. The timing between the actors and their lines, props, and costume changes and the audience reactions are all carefully timed and rehearsed. So that all takes a great amount of mental and physical control and focus. But then, you've also got the freedom to really play within the scenes and a much broader world of characters and scenarios to deal with.”

“Every Christmas Story” provides the laughs but never strays from the heart of the holiday season, as a time when families get to spend time together. “The show is family-friendly and great for all ages, whether you’re 4 or 104 years old,” Stetler assures.

SP O NSO R ED R E P O RT

S T O R I E S from the

HEART

INSPIRING STORIES OF PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE The life-changing care Sacred Heart Health System provides has touched the hearts of many who strive to ensure that this incredible mission of care continues for future generations. Sacred Heart Foundation is proud to be a partner in this endeavor. Please enjoy these “Stories from the Heart.”

PR E SENTE D BY

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SPONSORED REPORT

STORIES from the

HEART

Katie and Jamie Mitchell with Sprout the dog

KATIE MITCHELL A battle bravely fought 2

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SPONSORED REPORT

A MESSAGE FROM CAROL CARLAN

Carol Carlan President, Sacred Heart Foundation

As 2019 draws to an end, I look back on what was an extraordinary year. To say it was a big year is an understatement by any measure.

Because of you, our vision became reality on April 1st, when the new Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart celebrated its opening on the 50th Anniversary of its founding. And on the Emerald Coast, another vision was also realized with the completion of a bed expansion.

So it is only appropriate that gratitude is the featured theme in this issue of “Stories from the Heart.”

You will read how Katie Mitchell, at the age of 2, bravely fought pediatric cancer for five years. Her mom, Jamie, credits Sacred Heart for saving her life. Katie is now celebrating life loving school, singing and dancing, reading and playing outside. Just what a child should be doing!

And you will read how Steve Clark serves as a Foundation board member as a way of giving thanks to the Studer Family Children’s Hospital that his daughters “literally owe their lives to.” They experienced first-hand that the NICU staff treated their daughters as if they were their own.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who gave so generously to Sacred Heart Foundation over the past year. Your caring helped us carry out our mission of providing healthcare for the most vulnerable children and adults in our region. Every gift, every volunteer hour, made a difference to those we serve.

On behalf of all of those served across the region, my deepest thanks!

With a grateful heart, Carol Carlan

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Today Katie Mitchell is in a good place. Eight years old, she is in the third grade, and if you didn’t know what she has been through, you would never guess.

In 2013, after exhibiting troubling signs of illness and then fainting, she was taken to a hospital close to home.

The emergency room doctor entered with her blood work results and a troubled look on his face. He said, “I am so glad you guys came in here.

Your daughter is in need of a blood transfusion. We need to transfer her to the Studer Family Children’s Hospital.”

There, Katie was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), where an oncologist confirmed the diagnosis. The family was shocked to learn she would require 2½ years of treatment.

Following a month of inpatient chemotherapy, Katie went into remission and was able to return home.

But six months later, she was back at Sacred Heart when her liver shut down due to one of the chemotherapies.

Katie’s mother, Jamie, describes the experience her family underwent during Katie’s battle as “eye opening now that we have gone through it and seen what childhood cancer really is. I thought you got some chemo, lost your hair and you were good to go.” She feels that most people lack awareness, mostly because it is a subject that no

one wants to talk about.

The years of treatment were also eye opening in the depth of their impact on the entire family. There was sadness, fear and lots of tears. The effect on Katie’s little body was scary and severe. She lost half her weight, her ability to walk and her voice.

“There were times when she literally looked like a skeleton,” Jamie said.

Jamie felt she had done something to cause her daughter’s illness, that she had somehow been irresponsible.

But after talking with other parents, she learned that her feelings of guilt were a common reaction.

Katie’s brother, Ryan, was emotionally affected as well. When he was in first grade, his class had a project about the growth of flowers.

Each student was asked, “What makes you bloom and what makes you wilt?”

Ryan answered, “I wilt when Katie is in the hospital. I bloom when Katie gets better.” Other kids wrote, “I bloom when I get a PlayStation. I wilt when I have to pick up my room.”

Throughout Katie’s inpatient stay, the family continued to be grateful that treatment was available locally, and amazed at the depth of compassionate care given to their daughter. “I credit Sacred Heart with saving Katie’s life,” Jamie is quick to declare.

The doctors would explain the treatment and prepare the family for

side effects. The nurses, who went above and beyond to spend time with Katie, would even play “tea party” with their tiny patient. “They were there late at night and really took care of us. They became family,” Jamie says. “Nurse Jessica was Katie’s favorite. She was just so loving.” She would share her extra pink stethoscope with her little patient and let her pretend to be a nurse.

Today, Katie is cancer free. But she still has nightmares, and there are times when she suddenly remembers what she went through and is afraid it will recur. As for Jamie, she no longer trusts her “mommy meter” and tends to overreact at the slightest sign of illness in her daughter.

But it has been a battle bravely fought, and Katie is celebrating life.

She loves school, singing and dancing, reading, and playing outside. Jamie says, “Because of being isolated for a couple of years, she really enjoys social engagements, interacting and meeting people. Going to Walmart is still a big deal for her because she couldn’t go for so long.”

Walmart would be gratified to learn that a part of their annual fundraising campaign to benefit the Studer Family Children’s Hospital has found its way to the bedside of a child like Katie.

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STEVE CLARK Giving thanks

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Steve Clark serves as a Sacred Heart Foundation board member as a way of giving thanks. He goes above and beyond to support the Children’s Hospital because both of his daughters “literally owe their lives to Sacred Heart.”

Steve’s first daughter, Amy, would not have survived without his wife, Charleen, undergoing an emergency C-section when the infant went into acute distress during labor. Three years later, their second daughter, Caroline, was born premature at 31 weeks, weighing 3 pounds, 6 ounces. An isolette in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) sustained her while she gained weight. At that time, the Clarks had no local family and few resources. Charleen had little Amy to take care of at home, and their one vehicle was Steve’s transportation to work. Thus, circumstances dictated limited visits to the NICU. Yet they had no doubt that Caroline was being given the very best of care. They saw that the NICU staff treated their miniature patients as if they were their own children. Charleen describes their baby’s charge nurse Vanessa as “an absolute angel sent from God,” always attentive, keeping them up to date with reassurance. And she provided the personal touch that made it an incredible experience for them.

For example, she called Charleen to tell her about the first time Caroline was allowed out of her isolette after being outfitted in a diaper and diaper shirt from the NICU’s clothes closet for preemies. But the infant fussed and wouldn’t settle down until they went back to the closet, selected the frilliest little dress they could find and put it on her, complete with a bow on her head made of handy wipes. Laughing, Vanessa told Charleen: “You are going to have your hands full!”

Today, Caroline is a licensed clinical social worker for the Marine Corps at Cherry Point, North Carolina. Steve himself was an “Army brat raised all over the world” before earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health education at the University of South Carolina.

For the past 23 years, Steve has owned and operated New School Selling, a business development and marketing firm in Navarre where he and Charleen reside. “It’s not that far from Pensacola, but it’s far enough that many people I run into don’t even know we have a Children’s Hospital, much less what it does.”

As a board member, he seizes every opportunity to promote the hospital’s mission.

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Charleen, Amy and Steve Clark

SPON SORED REPORT

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CAT COUNTRY 98.7 CARES FOR KIDS RADIOTHON

Because of you, our f irst-ever Cat Country 98.7 Cares for Kids Radiothon at the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart was a huge success, raising $73,505 for the kids. All funds raised will support the construction of the Bear Family Foundation Pediatric Oncology Center of Hope, the region’s only pediatric oncology center, at the Studer Family Children’s Hospital.

Participating radio stations included Cat Country 98.7, NewsRadio 92.3 and ESPN Pensacola 94.5. In addition, WEAR-TV 3’s Sue Straughn was on site to interview patients and families. Throughout the event, listeners heard stories of bravery and inspiration from children and families who have benef ited from the care and expertise of the hospital’s highly trained physicians and staff.

“We are just thrilled about Radiothon’s success this year, and we are looking forward to seeing the development of the pediatric oncology center at the hospital,” said Carol Carlan, president of Sacred Heart Foundation. “We are so grateful to the community for this amazing support of our community’s children and to our media partners for their compassionate hearts for children f ighting cancer.”

Morning co-host Brent Lane said: “The mission of the Studer Family Children’s Hospital and the mission of Cat Country 98.7 are the same — to serve our local community. We like to be helpers and are proud to join Sacred Heart in helping kids and families right here in Cat Country.”

Thank you to all who tuned in and supported our patients and families in the care of the Studer Family Children’s Hospital.

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STORIES from the

HEART

Lauren and Dan Browne

LAUREN AND DAN BROWNE

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It’s all ‘Fun and Games’ at this fundraiser

In video games, it’s easy to get an extra life.

But when it comes to sick and injured kids, there is a need for specialized doctors … and extra special hospitals.

That’s why the Children’s Miracle Network launched Extra Life, a 24-hour gaming marathon dedicated to having fun while raising funds to “help heal local kids.”

Dan Browne and his 11-year-old daughter, Lauren, played together during the Nov. 2 game-day event. This year marks Dan’s seventh and Lauren’s fifth time participating in the fundraiser, which her father says, “shows her how we can show compassion toward others.”

Dan and Lauren choose to support Extra Life because it directly benefits children and their families. They want to promote awareness and involvement for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals

6

because they know the work can’t be done alone.

Lauren was born with a rare brain tumor, and doctors said she had a 10% chance to live until her first birthday. After more than 25 surgeries, procedures and countless hospital stays, Dan says, “I know the weakness of a weary wanderer, exhausted and overwhelmed … I have learned as parents we don’t have to walk this alone.”

“By the grace of God, Lauren continues to thrive,” says Dan. “It’s hard to look back on what Lauren has been through and not wish it to be different. However, everything she has faced has helped grow her into who she is today. It’s beautiful to see how God has worked in her life and continues to do so.”

Thanks to the Children’s Miracle Network, Lauren has achieved new miracles.

S ACR E D H E A R T F O U N DATI ON | GIVESACREDHEART.ORG

Her feeding tube was removed at the Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart in 2015. More recently, she was able to have an important scan at UF Health Shands Hospital, which showed no changes to the remaining pieces of tumor.

When Dan asked Lauren why it is important to raise funds and awareness for the Children’s Miracle Network, she replied, “Love God and love people.” The first year she showed an interest in gaming by Dad’s side, she said, “I want to help heal kids like me.”

For this year’s tournament, Dan surprised Lauren with a new game. For our part, we know Lauren will keep surprising us with her incredible strength and spirit. Learn more about Extra Life at Extra-Life.org or call (850) 416-4665.

SPON SORED REPORT

25TH ANNUAL CORDOVA MALL BALL

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Laissez les bons temps rouler

state-of-the-art pediatric CT scanner to make scans safer and less scary for our smallest patients. This year, we turn our attention to pediatric oncology, with the goal of constructing the all-new Bear Family Foundation Pediatric Oncology Center for Hope, which will treat young patients battling all types of cancer, from leukemia to brain tumors.

Join us in sharing hope with the children who make our hospital home. Visit CordovaMallBall.com or call (850) 416-4661 to purchase your tickets or tables today.

Photos by Phocus Photography

Let the good times roll! Each year, we host the Cordova Mall Ball — an evening of celebration to raise funds and awareness for the Studer Family Children’s Hospital on Jan. 25, 2020.

This 25th Anniversary event will include live music from three stages, featuring The Tommy Morse Band, Reunion Band and Starz; food tastings from more than 25 of the area’s top restaurants; a New Orleans-style French Market; and a lively silent auction.

This annual event has helped us raise thousands of dollars in support of children, most recently the purchase of a

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STORIES from the

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GULF WINDS CREDIT UNION We thank our friends at Gulf Winds Credit Union for going casual for the kids! Thank you for helping provide life-saving medical care to kids in the communities we serve by donating to the Studer Family Children’s Hospital, your local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, by wearing jeans to work.

WALMART AND SAM’S CLUB ASSOCIATES

DESTIN CHARITY WINE AUCTION FOUNDATION We extend our thanks and gratitude to Destin Charity Wine Auction for their gift of $175,000 in support of our new Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Ascension Sacred Heart Emerald Coast. Because of you, we are now able to provide care to our youngest patients along the Emerald Coast.

Walmart and Sam’s Club associates, customers and members throughout the Gulf Coast know how to put the fun in ‘fun’draising! Thank you for investing your money where the miracles are during the annual Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising campaign, benefitting the Studer Family Children’s Hospital. Funds were primarily raised through the stores’ register campaign, where customers and members contributed $1 or more at checkout. Through the collective impact of every donation, more than $200,000 was raised to help our local children and families live better. Thank you for being a difference maker!

ABOUT THE SACRED HEART FOUNDATION Since 1915, Sacred Heart Health System has been at the heart of healing for Northwest Florida and South Alabama. Like our founders, the Daughters of Charity, Sacred Heart is dedicated to providing quality, compassionate healthcare to the citizens of our regions, regardless of their ability to pay. This steadfast commitment to our community could not have been achieved without the support and generosity of the thousands of individuals, businesses and organizations that have donated to Sacred Heart Foundation. Through this charitable giving, Sacred Heart Foundation has been able to provide millions of dollars of free and low-cost healthcare to the poor, uninsured, under-insured and low-income families. With the help of generous donors, we are proud to partner in Sacred Heart’s mission of care along the Gulf Coast.

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S ACR E D H E A R T F O U N DATI ON | GIVESACREDHEART.ORG

Abodes

DEC 2019/JAN 2020

TRENDS FROM FLOOR TO CEILING, FRONT TO BACK

←

Bringing the outdoors in is a “natural” for authentic coastalinspired holiday decor.

INTERIORS

Home

for the Holidays Coastal and rustic décor for your home and yard

by REBECCA PADGETT

INTERIORS photography by COLLEEN DUFFLEY

Home for the Holdiays

|| GARDENING

How-To: Choosing Groundcovers

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K

athy Bunker gets my drift.

As owner of Living Interiors of Bay County, she appreciates a traditional Christmas, even on the Emerald Coast, where some residents prefer a beach theme for the holidays.

“I try not to push that, unless my client specifically asks for a beachy or coastal theme,” Bunker said. “You know that feeling we had when we were children, when we helped decorate the tree. People like that feeling of nostalgia. It’s comforting.”

As a child, I would tackle the indoors with my mom and sister, carefully shuffling through wreaths and nativities wrapped in newspaper.

From sunrise to sundown, my father would turn the outside into as much of a Winter Wonderland that Florida would allow. My father works with his hands and has a keen eye for creation.

He didn’t want the same light-up, blow-up décor that everyone else had in their yards, so he took to creating his own. I’m not going to insist that you go out and buy wood to whittle and fashion your own reindeer. But I’ll point out that you have many affordable and easy décor options that will make your home and yard stand out.

I certainly understand Emerald Coast residents who prefer a coastal holiday flair. To do that, you can tie bows around pieces of driftwood and fill clear tree ornaments with shells and sand. One online message board participant suggested beach towels as a tree skirt.

Paula Manthey, design consultant at Sugar Beach Interiors in Destin, says she’s seeing a trend “toward that organic cozy Christmas.” She said that could mean filling a wood bowl

→ Dressing up your kitchen with a simple swag of green garland made from fragrant herbs and stems harvested from your garden is an easy way to add festive flair without the fuss.

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photography by COLLEEN DUFFLEY

↑↙ Keep it classic and chic by choosing one strong shape and color, such as the shimmering gold holiday trees in front of this hearth, and repeat it room to room for a simple, yet stunning effect. For added impact to any room, wrap miniature lights around lush greenery for instant sparkle.

with ornaments and using cable knits for stockings and tree skirts.

“That adds that cozy coastal feel that I think people need because they’re so busy,” Manthey said, “and I think they want to simplify more than make it overflow with clutter.”

She says she sees more of a coastal Christmas approach from part-time residents.

Full-time residents tend to stick with what’s trending — a coastal contemporary style featuring natural materials and textures, with blushes, greens, blues and super-light blues, she said.

Instead of red for the holidays, she said, you might consider blush pink.

“Some people like to bring lighter tones to classic red,” she said.

For that beach look and feel, any ribbons or embellishments in aqua and beige “look golden together” for the way they emulate water and sand, said Bunker of Lynn Haven-based Living Interiors of Bay County.

Maybe you prefer a rustic look inside and out.

You can find galvanized tin buckets at antique stores, flea markets, craft stores or tractor-supply stores. Take three to four varying in size. With the largest as the base, stack them in size order.

You’ve created a Christmas tree. Now string colored lights around it for a rustic, country Christmas aesthetic.

Want a fun family activity? Fashion your own signs and yard posts. In greens and reds, paint messages of holiday cheer, perhaps including “Santa Stop Here.” Do it together every year, then watch your children’s handwriting change as they grow.

Whenever we go to the Christmas tree farm, my dad still always asks for extra clippings from which he creates beautiful wreathes for our doors. Most tree farms will give these to you for free or for a small fee. Fashion these clippings and top them with a bright red bow.

Whatever you do, designers say, be consistent. Maybe you want a Winter Wonderland theme, as my dad still does. Some prefer coastal. Some prefer whimsical. Many prefer traditional.

Regardless, carry the theme inside and out.

“Otherwise it tends to look hodgepodge,” Bunker said, “and doesn’t have that warm, comforting, flowing feel to it.” EC

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GARDENING

HOW-TO: CHOOSING GROUNDCOVERS

Your Monthly Garden Chores

GROUNDCOVERS CAN HELP REDUCE YARD MAINTENANCE while adding color and contrast to your

➸ Continue to plant cool-season vegetables and herbs. Many, including collards, need a “kiss of frost” for best flavor.

landscape. Some, such as mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus), require little to no effort once established.

Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum), however, requires periodic edging to keep it in bounds and a trim once a year with a mower. Even then, it’s far less work than turf grass. Pick the right groundcover for your site, and you’ll appreciate the view — and the free time it creates.

1 Assess your yard for the best places to use groundcover. Do you have a steep slope that’s difficult to mow? Is there a tiny patch of grass on the other side of the driveway that could be a focal point instead of a pain in the neck to remember to mow?

2 Does the area get full

sun at least six hours a day?

Perennial peanut (Arachis glabrata) is droughttolerant, but it can’t take frost. Monkey grass (Liriope muscari) is evergreen and comes in several heights.

Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) is an evergreen that attracts birds.

3 Do you need groundcover

in an area that is shady or gets only partial sun? Caladiums or ferns might be what you need. Holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) is evergreen.

DECEMBER

➸ Force Amaryllis bulbs to bloom indoors. Once the blossom has fallen off, plant the bulb in your garden. ➸ If a frost

(33-36 degrees F) or freeze (32 degrees F or lower) damages plants in your yard, leave them be until all danger of frost has passed.

4 Think native. Beach sunflower (Helianthus debilis) grows 1-2 feet tall and spreads 2-3 feet wide. Blueeyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) gets 12 inches tall and wide. Coontie (Zamia floridana), Florida’s only native cycad, is a palmlike perennial that grows slowly. Native cultivars of sweet potato vine (Ipomoea spp.) can cover a large area quickly and come in a variety of colors.

JANUARY

➸ Plant summerflowering bulbs such as crinum lilies, agapanthus and gloriosa lily, mulching well to protect from frost or freezes.

MONDO GRASS

➸ Celebrate the state’s Arbor Day by planting a hurricane-resistant tree, such as a live oak, cabbage palm, crape myrtle or bald cypress.



Critter: Psocids Psocids are tiny, soft-bodied insects that can live indoors or outdoors. The ones inside PESKY are usually wingless and smaller than 1/16th of an inch PESTS long. They can inflict tiny pinprick bites but do not suck blood or spread disease. The biggest problem with these PSOCIDS critters is they chew, and they are particularly fond of paper and the starch in bookbinding — hence the common name “booklice.” They can quickly ruin books and other bound papers. They also eat mold, fungi and cereal and prefer warm areas with high humidity. Once food has been infested, it should be discarded.

Infested bedding, furniture and other home goods should be cleaned and aired. The best way to control them indoors is to reduce the humidity to less than 50 percent. Since this is Florida, that’s not always easy to accomplish, but most newer heating and air-conditioning systems have humidity regulators. Outdoor psocids tend to be winged and slightly larger, a quarter of an inch long. They are called “barklice,” for similar reasons, because they’re often found on the bark and foliage of trees and shrubs. And they are beneficial outdoors, consuming smaller insects, algae and detritus from the trunks without harming the trees.

➸ Prune crape myrtles and other summerflowering trees and shrubs, removing weak, crossing or rubbing branches.

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December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

©2015-2019 PostScript Publishing LLC, all rights reserved. Audrey Post is a certified Advanced Master Gardener volunteer with the University of Florida/ IFAS Extension in Leon County. Email her at Questions@MsGrowItAll. com or visit her website at msgrowitall.com.

Ms. Grow-It-All® is a registered trademark of PostScript Publishing.

ILLUSTRATION BY SARUNYU FOTO (MONDO GRASS) AND PHOTOS BY HEKAKOSKINEN (PSOCIDS), MIRASWONDERLAND (GLORIOSA FLAME LILY) AND BERGAMONT (COLLARD GREENS), / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

BY AUDREY POST, MS. GROW-IT-ALL®

GROUNDS MANAGEMENT • COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION RESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION • CONSULTATION AND DESIGN BAY LANDSCAPE PO Box 9548, Panama City Beach, FL 32417 Phone (850) 249-0980 | Fax (850) 249-1005 www.bay-landscape.net

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PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE

JUST LISTED

See the Gulf Anew at Alexander at Palm Court This 30A gem has million-dollar Gulf views from its expansive balcony on the top floor, plus three bedrooms, three baths and an interior furnished/renovated by 13HubLane.

Situated between Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach, Alexander at Palm Court is just steps from the Seacrest private beach access.

Alexander 404 features a large living space with 12-foot ceilings that opens to the spacious and exquisitely updated kitchen, which is great for family gatherings and entertaining. The kitchen has new stainless steel appliances, high-end finishes, a wine refrigerator and plenty of pantry space. The master suite has expansive views with a private sitting area that leads to a sprawling balcony adorned with a teak sofa, so you can enjoy your favorite beverage and gaze at the Gulf. The master also has a jetted bath with private shower, walk-in closet and plenty of closet spaces in a space perfect as a second home or vacation rental.

ADDRESS: 9961 E. Highway 30A 404, Rosemary Beach SQUARE FOOTAGE:1,732 BEDROOMS: 3 BATHROOMS: 3 YEAR BUILT: 2006 FEATURES: Updated and renovated condo in Seacrest Beach with Gulf views APPEAL: Situated between Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach CONTACT INFORMATION: Lisa Marzello, Realtor Mobile: (321) 890-2806 Toll free: (888) 864-6786 asklisaabout30a@gmail.com

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PHOTOS BY WILL SULLIVAN, EMERALD COAST REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY

LIST PRICE: $999,000

Happy Holidays Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc.

850-897-6540 | gulfshoreair.com

2010–2019

Let us design your comfort!

Small town company, Big business services.

2019 Projection $100 Million Four Locations:

• Fort Walton Beach • Buckhead, Atlanta GA • Madison, AL • San Antonio, TX

Loan Officers: 23 Loan Processors: 5 Loan Officer Assistants: 5 In-House Underwriter: 1 Closer: 1 Management Team: 4

www.BOEFWB.com | 850-362-6488

348 Miracle Strip Pkwy SW, Ste #39, Fort Walton Beach Michael Castleberry is not a loan originator. Bank of England Mortgage is a division of Bank of England. NMLS 418481. Member FDIC.

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PROMOTION

DEAL ESTATE

JUST LISTED

Embrace the Resort Life in Wild Heron Wild Heron is a gated community east of famed Highway 30A in Panama City Beach. Surrounded by the world-renowned Shark’s Tooth Golf Course and Lake Powell, the community is resort living defined — without the hustle and bustle created by short-term rentals. This home was built by one of the most highly regarded builders in Northwest Florida, who delivered only the best finishes, such as a window and door package from E.F. San Juan. This bungalow home is a flip-flop walk to such amenities as a boathouse to store your water vessels, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a spacious pool and the largest coastal dune lake in Northwest Florida. You can paddle to the Gulf of Mexico, join the private golf club or simply enjoy the lush landscape of Wild Heron. While you can easily achieve a quiet resort lifestyle in Wild Heron, you are a quick trip from restaurants, shopping and all the buzz of 30A and Panama City Beach.

LIST PRICE: $489,000 ADDRESS: 1214 W. Lakewalk Circle SQUARE FOOTAGE: 2,618 BEDROOMS:3 BATHROOMS: 3 YEAR BUILT: 2005

APPEAL: The home is in excellent condition. The owners have maintained the house with tedious care. Exterior painted in August of 2019.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Kerri Parker, Realtor (850) 543-8690 Counts Real Estate Group, Inc.

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PHOTOS BY MOON CREEK STUDIOS

FEATURES: Craftsman home with upgraded built-in features, including accents created from a 300-year-old red cedar tree. Extraordinary windows and doors throughout the home.

FOR

ALL

YOUR

REAL

ESTATE

NEEDS

EXPERIENCE COUNTS

Specializing in RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT • LAND 30-A EMERALD COAST 5231 E. County Hwy 30-A, #100 21901 PCB Pkwy Santa Rosa Beach, FL Panama City Beach, FL (850) 231-1483 (850) 249-1414 CountsOn30A.com CountsEmeraldCoast.com

THOMAS DRIVE 2104 Thomas Drive Panama City Beach, FL (850) 249-3615 CountsRealEstate.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

PANAMA CITY 3009 Hwy 77, Suite H Panama City, FL (850) 248-3615 CountsPanamaCity.com December 2019-January 2020

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destinations

DEC 2019/JAN 2020

VISITING NOTEWORTHY PLACES NEAR AND FAR

GETAWAY

THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION Cairo, Egypt, offers a personal window into the ancient past

by JACK MACALEAVY

↗

PHOTO BY SUZANNE TENG

The Great Sphinx of Giza stands among many statues, sites and symbols that provide an experience of education and intrigue in ancient Egypt.

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destinations

C

ivilization as we know it was largely born in the Middle East. It is the birthplace of the oldest — and still one of the largest — language families, is home to 5,000-year-old handmade structures whose impeccable construction still baffles minds today.

Due to incidents that have plagued it in recent decades, this area of the world prompts some travelers to wonder about security. But with proper planning, combined with an interest to engage a travel firm such as Abercrombie & Kent, your journey will be one of education and intrigue, an experience that books, films and photographs cannot do justice.

Abercrombie & Kent has been in business since 1962 handling small-group luxury travel on all seven continents, and it has a country to suit any adventurer. With trips that include small groups of 14 to 18 people, you are guaranteed an intimate and unique experience no matter where you go.

On Day One, your small group will meet in the lobby of a gorgeous hotel, brought together by a group leader who will guide the newly formed “family” through an adventure lasting 12 to 18 days — though longer trips are certainly available — and ensure a smooth journey. The group leader is well versed in the destination’s culture and well prepared for any questions.

Each group also includes support personnel and a bodyguard. In the case of Egypt, they accompany your group in spacious buses and bodacious ships along the Nile.

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PHOTOS BY SUZANNE TENG (LUXOR), DAN WIENCEK (CITADEL), EMILY SLADE PHOTOGRAPHY (MENA HOUSE), AND COURTESY OF ABERCROMBIE & KENT (ZEIN NILE CHATEAU AND SAKKARA)

↑ A view of Cairo ↘ Visitors can marvel at the Temple of Karnak in the ancient city of Thebes.

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

← The so-called Step Pyramid is part of a vast ancient complex northwest of the city of Memphis.

← A view from the upper deck of the Sanctuary Zein Nile Chateau, an Egyptian cruise vessel ↑ The Marriott Mena House in Cairo offers a spectacular view of the pyramids.

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The same goes for transportation on the company’s 50-passenger airplane, which will take you to the last two destinations of your trip.

You’ll stay in four- and five-star hotels, and you’ll see that Abercrombie & Kent goes the extra mile — the extra kilometer, rather — to provide a comfortable and enriching experience.

Upon your arrival at Cairo International Airport, an Abercrombie representative will meet you at baggage claim and escort you to the historic Mena House hotel, whose balcony offers a memorable view of the Pyramids of Giza. The following day is a full one, with escorted tours of the pyramids and the Sphinx. Nimble-footed adventurists will embrace the opportunity to climb inside the pyramids.

The following day, you will take a short flight to Luxor, site of the ancient city of Thebes. Marvel at the temple of Karnak and stand in the ancient shadow of an obelisk that, at 80 feet tall and 33 feet in circumference, was once the tallest in the world. That afternoon, you will join your luggage on Abercrombie & Kent’s own vessel, Sanctuary Sun, your home base for the following four days of your journey down the Nile. Looking out on the river, you will see from your stateroom the echo of centuries past.

For us, perhaps the most impressive part of the experience was the journey that afternoon to the Valley of the Kings. You would never guess that this simple place among the desert’s dunes houses the massive tombs of pharaohs. The most famous is that of the boy king Tutankhamun, whose 3,500-yearold tomb was discovered in 1922. In it once laid

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his golden sarcophagus, what has since become the face of ancient Egyptian history. Walk through his legacy, among lauded artifacts and faux curses, and at the end you will find Tut himself preserved in glass. His is one of many tombs along the Valley of Kings.

Over the next couple days, you will dock for mornings of experience, heading back to the ship for lunch only to mark each afternoon with more temple discovery. Your riverboat journey ends near the Aswan High Dam, where a private Abercrombie & Kent plane will fly you to Nubia’s Abu Simbel. Here, you can easily spend several hours in fascination over the twin temples of Ramesses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari.

The days of old and new meet where 70-foot structures overlook Lake Nasser, a slightly less ancient site that was formed with the construction of Aswan High Dam in the early 1960s. That afternoon, you will depart for Cairo and settle

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

in the Nile Plaza for a night of rest at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo.

Next, you will visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, home of the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts. See King Tut’s golden mask and sarcophagus, as well as the famous mummy room where one can view the pharaohs from centuries past and the jewels retrieved from their tombs.

Then leave the ancient world behind as you enter a historic mosque. Sit and listen to a cleric chant one of the daily prayers, deepening your understanding of Islam and the culture that surrounds it with every reverberating word.

This is an open-information forum, so feel free to ask any questions.

The following day, you will be escorted to the airport for your journey home. As you settle back in your comfy chair, the dust of the desert still on your clothes, reflect on your intimate experience of life over 5,000 years ago … when our civilizations began to emerge. EC

PHOTOS BY DAN WIENCEK (MEMPHIS; RAMESSES II STATUE) AND EMILY SLADE PHOTOGRAPHY (DENDERA, HATHOR TEMPLE)

↑ A statue of Ramesses II → A look around the Temple of Hathor, hailed for its preserved artwork.

Experience the Comforts of Luxury Honored to be awarded Best Hotel of the Emerald Coast

For reservations, please call 855.214.6523 Hendersonbeachresort.com

hendersonbeachresort.com SalamanderHotels.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

Country music star Tanya Tucker joins the headline roster for the 11th annual 30A Songwriters Festival.

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calendar PROMOTION

JANUARY 17–20

PHOTOS BY DANNY CLINCH COURTESY OF 30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL, EMERALDC OAST THEATRE, NORTHWEST FLORIDA BALLET AND OPENING NIGHTS

30A Songwriters Festival

More than 5,000 music lovers come together over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend to attend the 30A Songwriters Festival. This unique four-day music extravaganza features over 200 songwriters and musicians, including Tanya Tucker, performing original songs in various genres, ranging from country and Americana to folk and blues in more than 25 dedicated listening rooms along historic 30A in South Walton. The festival is produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) and Russell Carter Artist Management. All of the net proceeds benefit the CAA. Visit 30ASongwritersFestival.com for tickets and additional information.

DEC 2019/JAN 2020 For more events in the EC, visit EmeraldCoastMagazine.com and 850tix.com. compiled by JAVIS OGDEN

JANUARY 23–26

BUYER & CELLAR

→ Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents

“Buyer & Cellar.” The winner of the 2014–2015 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, “Buyer & Cellar” is a one-man comedy about the price of fame and the oddest of all odd jobs. Jonathan Tolins has concocted an irresistible one-man play from the most peculiar of fictitious premises — an underemployed Los Angeles actor goes to work in Barbra Streisand’s Malibu, California, basement. It’s a fantasy so delightful you wish it were true.

Tickets and additional show information available at EmeraldCoastTheatre.org/on-stage.

SAVE THE DATE

FEBRUARY 28–MARCH 1

CINDERELLA

→ The Northwest Florida Ballet (NFB)

returns to the Mattie Kelly Arts Center this spring with the classic fairytale “Cinderella,” featuring live music by the NFB Symphony Orchestra.

With acclaimed choreography of NFB artistic director Todd Eric Allen and the beautiful music of Serge Prokofiev, this timeless classic is presented in three acts and brings to life a cavalcade of enchanting characters, brilliant dancing, vibrant costumes and a magical set sure to hold you under its spell.

Visit NFBallet.org for tickets more information.

REGIONAL

JANUARY 8

THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, BILL MEDLEY AND BUCKY HEARD → Opening Nights presents the The Righteous Brothers Bill Medley and Bucky Heard.

With a string of No. 1 classics, including the most played song in radio history — “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin” — the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Righteous Brothers duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts for over four decades. This concert experience features their biggest hits, such as “You’ve lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Soul & Inspiration,” “Unchained Melody,” “Rock and Roll Heaven,” Medley’s Grammy®winning Dirty Dancing theme “The Time of My Life” and more.

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DEC 2019/JAN 2020

‘MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PERMBERLY’



DEC. 12-14, 19-21 AND 15 AND 22 This holiday tale is a charming celebration of fan favorite characters from “Pride and Prejudice,” honoring the legacy of Jane Austen’s humor and wit in a warm-spirited, family-oriented theatrical production. Mary Bennet, the bookish middle child has her quest for independence sparked by an unlikely visitor. Find out what lies ahead for Mary’s future. emeraldcoasttheatre.org

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 LIVE: THE GREAT CHEESY MOVIE CIRCUS TOUR DEC. 2 Join show creator and original host, Joel Hodgson, along with the world’s greatest — and only — movie-riffing

robots, Tom Servo, Crow and Gypsy, as they take you on an exhilarating roller coaster ride through some of the cheesiest films ever made. Mystery Science Theater 3000 has earned its place in history as one of the Top 100 TV Shows of all time and is currently a hit show on Netflix.

MattieKellyArtsCenter.org/Events

12 NIGHTS OF LIGHTS DEC. 4-21 This December, enjoy a festive light show every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday leading up to Christmas at The Village of Baytowne Wharf. This sparkling event will also be featured during the special holiday edition of the Wednesday Night

Concert Series. Watch three dazzling shows on the Village tree at 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.

BaytowneWharf.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH MARATHON DEC. 7 Run through paradise alongside Panama City Beach’s award-winning beaches in the marathon, half-marathon, 5K or Kid’s Fun Run. The 26.2mile race has become a staple in the community, attracting thousands of both residents and visitors.

PCBMarathon.com

DESTIN HARBOR BOAT PARADE DEC. 8 The 33rd annual Destin Boat Parade is full of holiday cheer and festive boats. Visit with Santa Claus starting at 1 p.m. at

Capt.on Dave’s the

HarborWalk Village’s Main Stage, and then enjoy a special performance of “The Nutcracker” from the Ballet Conservatory of the Destin School of Music & Dance.

The Boat Parade will light up the harbor once the sun goes down, with fireworks following the parade.

DestinFun.com/Events/DestinHarbor-Boat-Parade

‘EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD …

AND THEN SOME’ DEC. 12-23 Back for its 10th year, The REP Theatre in Seaside presents its smash-hit holiday comedy reimagined with fresh new jokes and scenes. This whirlwind of a performance tackles all your favorite Christmas stories, while bringing in all the holiday traditions you share with your family.

LoveTheRep.com

SERVING LOCAL FLORIDA SEAFOOD AND STEAKS Dinner 4pm UNTIL …

For more information visit captdavesonthegulf.com

Gulf

d C ral e m Ser rS ving the e yea 0 5 for over

Enjoy cocktails on the deck for sunset Happy Hour: 4–6pm Open 6 days a week (closed Tuesdays)

oaSt

Casual Gulf Front Dining. The locals’ favorite since 1968!

3796 Scenic Hwy 98, Destin | 850.837.2627 | captdavesonthegulf.com

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Live Music

Ball, presented by Ramey Law Offices, is the black tie event of the holiday season in Bay County.

A NEW HOUSE for the New Year!

ToysForKidsBay.org

WINTER WONDERLAND DEC. 21 The Village of Baytowne Wharf's Event Plaza is turning into a Winter Wonderland full of real snow. Slide down our ice slide, make snow angels and enjoy a day of frosty fun for the entire family.

BaytowneWharf.com

PCB ANNUAL BEACH BALL DROP DEC. 31 Celebrate New Year’s Eve with this family-friendly countdown that culminates with the lowering of a gigantic, glowing beach ball and the showering of 10,000 beach balls on the crowd, assembled at Pier Park in Panama City Beach.

The event also includes fireworks and live music.

↑ SINFONIA GULF COAST PRESENTS ‘HOLIDAY POPS WITH MATTHEW MORRISON’ DEC. 13 Singer/actor of the stage and screen Matthew Morrison of “Glee” fame takes the stage at Village Baptist church in Destin joined by the Sinfonia Gulf Coast orchestra for an evening of cherished holiday medleys and more.

PHOTOS BY NIKKI HENDRIK (MISS BENNET) AND COURTESY OF GULF COAST SINFONIA (MORRISON)

sinfoniagulfcoast.org

NFSO PRESENTS: ‘HOLIDAY POPS’ DEC. 13 Maestro Christopher Confessore leads the NFSO’s annual Holiday Pops concert featuring the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorale. Familiar holiday works will fill you with the spirit of the season.

MattieKellyArtsCenter.org/Events

TOYS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION CHARITY CHRISTMAS BALL DEC. 14 The 22nd Toys for Kids Foundation Charity Christmas

VisitPanamaCityBeach.com/Events/ New-Years-Eve-Beach-Ball-Drop

At Inlanta, we are committed to guiding you through every step of the homebuying process so you can be in your new home by the new year.

Balenda Hetzel

NMLS #430532

Regional Production Manager 225 Main Street, Ste. 14 Destin, FL 32541

850.499.4759 Inlanta Mortgage, Inc.

NMLS #1016. Florida License #MLD55.

balendahetzel@inlanta.com emeraldcoastlender.com

PENSACOLA NEW YEARS EVE DEC. 31 Head to downtown Pensacola to say goodbye to 2019 and hello to 2020 with live music, vendors and an impressive midnight fireworks show.

DowntownPensacola.com

SOLARIS NEW YEAR’S EVE FIREWORKS CRUISE

Wedding Hair/Makeup Artist

DEC. 31 Cruise, dance, drink and dine the night away aboard a SunQuest Cruise Solaris yacht, complete with a midnight fireworks show and champagne toast.

SunquestCruises.com

PARAMOUNT’S LASER SPECTACULAR: THE MUSIC OF PINK FLOYD JAN. 4 Celebrating 50 years of Pink Floyd; Paramount’s Laser Spectacular has become a cult classic, presenting the music of Pink Floyd, as you’ve never seen before.

36150 Emerald Coast Parkway | Destin | City Market Beachside (850) 424-3935 | PureAndCouture.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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Pharmaceuticals Built

for

You

because you are unique ...

DEC 2019/JAN 2020

Surrounded by walls of concert quality sound, Laser Spectacular carries listeners away on a mind-expanding journey driven by cuttingedge effects, high-powered lasers, hi-def, large screen video projection and special lighting effects.

WINTER RESIDENT HOMECOMING

mattiekellyartscenter.org/events

visitpanamacitybeach.com/events/ winter-residents

STORYTELLER SERIES: ‘GILEAH TAYLOR: A LIFE LIVED IN SONG’

JAN. 24

Join the Emerald Coast Theatre Company for a special evening with Emerald Coast native Gileah Taylor, a singersongwriter. Taylor will be telling the stories behind selected songs from each era of her life.

Musician husband Chris Taylor will accompany her. emeraldcoasttheatre.org/

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL: A TRIBUTE TO WHITNEY HOUSTON The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston starring Belinda Davids returns to the U.S., following rave reviews of its debut tour last year. Houston’s most memorable tunes are recognized, including Pop highlights “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “How Will I Know”and “I’m Every Woman.” mattiekellyartscenter.org/events

Anti-Aging Bio-Identical Hormones Replacement Therapy Thyroid Replacement Therapy Dental

Dermatology Gastroenterology Infertility Men’s & Women’s Health Pain Management

Resurrecting van Gogh is an original play written by local actor/theater professor Jason Hedden based on the life, work and writings of Andy Martin, a medical student and oncology patient at Tulane University, who conducted groundbreaking research on sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, an extremely rare form of cancer that eventually took his life. emeraldcoasttheatre.org/

Veterinary

JAN. 16

JAN. 31

And More!

Over brandy and cigars, Churchill (portrayed by Bruce Collier) reminisces about his personal and public life, the war and the possible future. Moving back and forth from past to present, Churchill recalls his worst fears and finest hours.

Known for truly connecting with audiences and leaving them uplifted and inspired, Quinones, will deliver a powerful message on believing in one’s self. He will inspire with words of wisdom about doing the right thing.

emeraldcoasttheatre.org

mattiekellyartscenter.org

Podiatry Sports Medicine

Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

850-622-5800 Fax: 850-622-5802

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STORYTELLER SERIES: ‘RESURECTING VAN GOGH’

PRESIDENT’S SPEAKER SERIES: JOHN QUINONES OF ‘WHAT WOULD YOU DO?’

www.eccpharmacy.com, info@eccpharmacy.com

PHARMACY

mattiekellyartscenter.org

STORYTELLER SERIES: ‘WINSTON CHURCHILL: THROUGH THE STORM’

Pediatric

1719 S Co. Highway 393, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

2016–2019

Wild World of Animals is an entertaining and educational show in an intimate setting, presenting animals born in captivity displaying natural behaviors, facilitated by an extremely knowledgeable moderator and guide, Grant Kemmerer.

JAN. 30

JAN. 15

Pharmaceutical compounding allows for your medical provider to offer specialized treatment. We can formulate your prescriptions to meet your individual needs.

Celebrate your return to your winter home with a special “homecoming” dance held at Laketown Wharf Resort.

WILD WORLD OF ANIMALS

JAN. 9

Regina Jaquess, PharmD 10 time World Water Ski Champion

JAN. 22

Facebook.com/ECCPharmacy Twitter.com/ECCPharmacy Instagram.com/ECCPharmacy

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Details of listings can change at the last minute.

Please call ahead of time to confirm.

HAVE AN EVENT YOU’D LIKE US TO CONSIDER?

Send an email to ec-calendar@rowlandpublishing.com.

CONSISTENTLY DELICIOUS SINCE 1995!

CONSISTENTLY DELICIOUS SINCE 1995!

3899 E. County Highway 30A, Seagrove · 850.231.2166 · Open Daily At 5 · cafethirtya.com

3899 E. County Highway 30A, Seagrove · 850.231.2166 · Open Daily At 5 · cafethirtya.com EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Sixth Annual Stake and Burger Dinner with Derrick Brooks AUG. 29 The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast (BGCEC) welcomed NFL, college and high school football hall of famer Derrick Brooks as their keynote speaker at the sixth annual Stake and Burger Dinner. This event, presented by Publix Charities, brought together area businesses and individuals to educate everyone on the mission and programs offered at local Boys & Girls Clubs.

Attendees heard from Brooks, BGCEC CEO Shervin Rassa and several youth from local clubs who spoke about what the BGCEC means to them.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZHALMAN HARRIS

1 Kay Phelan and John Russell 2 Jacinda Rassa, Amir Rassa and Branden Jackson 3 Derrick Brooks, Keynote Speaker at Hilton Sandestin

Destin Charity Wine Auction SEPT. 4 Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation donated $3 million to various charities in Northwest Florida at their annual check presentation ceremony on Sept. 4, 2019. Some of the benefiting charities include Food For Thought, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and Pathways for Change.

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PHOTOS BY RHONDA MURRAY

1 Jeff and Cindy Garrard 2 Jessie and Jimmy Neilson, Lynn Wesson, Myra Williams, Mike and Stacey Brady with Christen Cowgill 3 Tami Groth, Denise Song and Teresa Imdieke 4 Kate MacMillan, Karah Young, Melissa Eager and John Russell

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Eggs on the Beach SEP. 28 The sixth annual Big Green Egg EggFest cooking competition was held at Seascape Resort in Miramar Beach. More than 600 tasters came out to sample the delectable bites and vote for their favorites.

Saltwater Restaurants was the big winner of the day, earning first place Taster Choice and Judges Award with their fresh red snapper dish.

Proceeds will benefit the Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and Food for Thought.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRACY LOUTHAIN

1 Nicole Lockwood serves bites on behalf of the Boys & Girls Club of the Emerald Coast team.

2 South Walton High School students became the first student team to participate in Eggs on the Beach.

3 Wes Madden of Scenic Sotheby’s grills salmon on the Big Green Egg. 4 Danielle Bohannon, Jessica Knowlton and Misty Rae Ruthrauff

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Florida Chapter American Heart Association Regional Heart Walks SEPT. 28, OCT. 5 AND NOV. 9 In an effort to galvanize Northwest Florida and raise regional awareness of heart disease and stroke, the Florida Chapter of the American Heart Association hosted three community heart walks this fall. The Okaloosa Walton Heart Walk took place at Northwest Florida State College on Sept. 28 for Okaloosa and Walton counties and raised over $107,000 in proceeds; the Northwest Florida Heart Walk took place Oct. 5 at Seville Square for Pensacola and surrounding areas and raised over $55,000 in proceeds; and the Bay County Heart Walk commenced Nov. 9 at St. Andrews State Park and raised over $56,000 in proceeds. In its inaugural year, the regional heart walks were a success and look to remain a mainstay event for regional health awareness for years to come.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF NATALIE MCBRIDE

Participants and volunteers participate at various points throughout the Okaloosa/Walton County and Northwest Florida Heart Walks.

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PROMOTION

SOCIAL STUDIES Sweet Sunday Pumpkins & Primrose OCT. 20 The Henderson Beach Resort and Spa hosted Sweet Sunday: Pumpkins & Primrose, an elevated farmers market with a fall twist, on Sunday, Oct. 20, on their Grand Lawn. The event featured numerous local vendors and artisans, kids’ activities, live music, multiple photo opportunities, hot apple cider and a newly added pumpkin patch. The event raised $4,000, which benefits The Sonder Project.

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PHOTOS BY JEFF PROVINSE, EPIC PHOTO CO.

1 Milly Staggs, Lauren Staggs, Josh Staggs and Elsy Staggs 2 Harrison, Kevin, Harper, Natalie and Hattie Schmidt 3 Barrett Perry and Antonia Poate with Bentley 4 Jase and Lindsey Kreitner 5 Shaun and Irina Roberts with Lexi Roberts

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6 Alissa Greer, Jessica Proffitt Bracken, Amy Wright and Katie Witherspoon 7 Cooper, Derrick, Lauren and Paxton Robinson 8 Juliane, Ella and Jonathan Spears 9 Leslie and Bliss Tatum 10 Brooke, Catherine and Chris Wheeler

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You love this town, this neighborhood, this house!

Then you’ll love this bank.

NMLS# 401921

For a great foundation to your new start, come to Progress Bank for your mortgage. You’ll find competitive rates with quick-turn, in-house decisions and closing.

But our true value is in welcoming you to our community, our banking family. New beginnings to last a lifetime.

Experience Progress.

Destin Office 850.837.1380 35008 Emerald Coast Parkway

53162-0919 WSRE EC Dec-Jan Sanditon.indd 1

Barry Stanley, SVP NW Florida Area Mortgage Sales Manager NMLS# 544522 bstanley@myprogressbank.com

Inlet Beach Office 850.909.0420 12805 US Hwy 98 E, Suite G101

EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

myprogressbank.com

11/4/19 12:33 PM December 2019-January 2020 115

ADVERTISEMENT

Restaurant Spotlight

Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer The restaurant’s menu extends its local reach south and west fusing Southernstyle comfort foods with a coastal Creole flare. The steam house serves up snow crab, mussels and lobster, but the real draw is the fresh fish.

The royal red shrimp are a local species that have a sweet and distinct flavor, whether they are Cajun boiled or steamed. Another crowd pleaser is the Gulf grouper topped with lump crabmeat and paired with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

A more personalized menu is offered through a special service call “Hook and Cook” — bring in the fish you have caught, and Brotula’s will prepare it and pair it with family-style sides.

Inside, the restaurant revolves around a localized feeling, so you won’t find kitschy

nautical decor. Instead, the interior boasts an elevated rustic atmosphere with exposed wood, clean lines and open space brimming with natural light. With large windows, open garage doors and a patio overlooking the harbor, there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

The open and spacious floor plan is ideal for large groups and family gatherings. The restaurant is casual enough that you can come straight from the beach or your boat, but they also offer reservations.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a longtime local or visiting vacationer, the staff goes above and beyond to welcome you into a space that should feel like home.

“We hope that when guests visit, they try new foods that they can’t find anywhere else,” said Adrienne Brand,

Brotula’s Director of Marketing and Events. “Even more so, we hope that you are greeted and treated like family that has come home for the holidays every day of the year.”

BROTULA’S SEAFOOD HOUSE AND STEAMER 210D HARBOR BLVD., DESTIN | (850) 460-8900 | BROTULAS.COM

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PHOTO BY KAMBER CREATIVE (CRAB LEGS)

is more than an intriguing moniker, it’s a fish found swimming freely in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer specializes in spotlighting these local seafood luxuries that are unique to the region, and this sophisticated Southern fish house serves seafood straight from the waters outside their doors.

dining guide AMERICAN

83 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 231-7327. $$ B L D

THE BEACH HOUSE

JACO’S BAYFRONT BAR & GRILLE

Casual, beach-front dining. Open daily 11 am–10 pm. 4009 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 267-4800.

Waterfront restaurant serving burgers, salads, seafood and brunch daily. Open

Mon–Wed 11 am–9 pm, Thurs–Sat 11 am– 10 pm and Sun 10 am–9 pm. 997 S. Palafox St., Pensacola. (850) 432-5226. $$ L D

$$ L D

BUFFALO’S REEF ★

Hot wings and cold beer. Tues–Sat open at 10:30 am, Sun open at noon. 116 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-9463. $ L D

THE CRAFT BAR ★

Craft brews on tap along with artisan cocktails and elevated bar fare. Open daily 11 am–midnight. 4424 Commons Dr., Destin.

Also in Grayton Beach and Pensacola.

(850) 460-7907. $$ L D

CUVÉE KITCHEN + WINE BAR ★

Classic Italian, French and Asian-inspired

dishes. Open daily 5:30–10 pm. 36120 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Destin. (850) 460-2909. $$$ D

DHARMA BLUE

Atmosphere and service match expansive menu including everything from sushi to pork tenderloin. Lunch Sat–Sun 10 am– 1 pm. Dinner daily from 5. 300 S Alcaniz St., Pensacola. (850) 433-1275. $$ L D

EMERIL’S COASTAL ITALIAN ★

Located at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin, the famed chef’s first restaurant in Northwest Florida combines Italian cuisine with the variety of fresh Gulf seafood and local ingredients. Sun–Thur 11:30 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11:30 am–10:30 pm. 435 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach. (850) 608-7040. $$$ L D

EVERKRISP ★

Farm-to-table salads, rice bowls and other health-focused American bites in modern, brick-lined digs. Open daily 10:30 am– 9 pm. 4463 Commons Dr. W. #10a, Destin.

(850) 460-8881. $$ L D

FIREFLY ★

Fresh Gulf seafood, steak, sushi and signature cocktails. Open daily at 5 pm. 535 Richard Jackson Blvd., Panama City Beach. (850) 249-3359. $$$ D

GEORGE’S AT ALYS BEACH

Seafood, burgers and sandwiches. Open

daily 11 am–3 pm and 5–9 pm. 30 Castle Harbour Dr., Alys Beach. (850) 641-0017. $$ L D

GREAT SOUTHERN CAFE ★

This all-day cafe puts a new spin on classic with a mix of international cuisines, Southern cooking and local food and produce. Open daily for breakfast: 8–10:45 am, lunch: 11 am–4 pm and dinner: 4–9:30 pm

THE KEY ★ Best of the

Emerald Coast 2019 Winner

JOHN WEHNER’S VILLAGE DOOR BAYFRONT RESTAURANT & NIGHTCLUB ★ Dinner and dancing, serving barbecue and seafood. Open daily 5–9 pm. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, 136 Fisherman’s Cove, Miramar Beach. (850) 502-4590. $$ D

Mimmo invites you to enjoy and experience traditional authentic Italian cuisine from his hometown of Sicily.

LOUISIANA LAGNIAPPE ★

A taste of New Orleans hits the coast through Louisiana-style favorites like shrimp and grits and Cajun seafood gumbo. Open daily from 4 pm. 775 Gulf Shore Dr., Destin. (850) 837-0881. $$ D

LULU’S ★

Lucy Buffett’s funky hangout features cocktails, burgers and seafood, plus allergy-friendly menus. Open Sun–Thur 11 am–9 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–10 pm.

4607 Legendary Marina Drive, Destin.

(850) 710-5858. $$ L D

Italian

979 US HWY 98 E | Destin

850.460.7353

(in the 98 Palms Shopping Plaza)

EatMimmos.com

MAGNOLIA GRILL

Steak, seafood, pasta, soups, salads and desserts. Lunch Mon-Fri 11 am–2 pm, dinner Mon–Sat from 5 pm. Closed Sun. 157 SE Brooks St., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 302-0266. $$ L D

MARINA BAR AND GRILL ★

Seafood, po’ boys, burgers and salads.

Open Sun–Thu. 11 am–8 pm, Fri 11 am– 10 pm, Sat 8 am–10 pm. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, 9300 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., Miramar Beach. (850) 267-7778. $ B L D

MARINA CAFÉ

Gourmet pizzas, Creole and American cuisine. Open daily 5–10 pm. 404 E. Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-7960. $$$ D

NICK’S BOATHOUSE

Serving a wide variety of seafood, steaks and flatbreads by the waterfront.

Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11 am–9 pm. 455 W. Main St., Pensacola.

(850) 912-8775. $$ L D

PAULA DEEN’S FAMILY KITCHEN

Enjoy classic Southern specialties and comfort food in a relaxed family-centric setting. Open 11 am–10 pm, 4237 Legendary Drive, Destin, (850) 312-5353. Open 4 pm– 10 pm., 601 Pier Park Drive, Suite 103, Panama City Beach, (850) 312-5354. $$ L D

The restaurants that appear in this guide are included as a service to readers and not as recommendations of the Emerald Coast Magazine editorial department, except where noted.

B L D

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Outdoor Dining Live Music $ Inexpensive

$$ Moderately

Expensive

$$$ Expensive

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Restaurant Spotlight

The Gulf on Okaloosa Island

With an inviting vibe, a seasonally inspired and localized menu, creative craft cocktails and the ambience of a cool coastal breeze, The Gulf on Okaloosa Island is the perfect weekend spot.

The restaurant’s architecture has become iconic in the area. Trademark design elements include a building composed of shipping containers, reclaimed wood and other salvaged building materials. Industrial meets island time in a design that’s unique and warmly welcoming.

Seating seems limitless with spacious indoor tables lining the windows and cozy, outdoor lounge areas right on the sand. The entire property provides a treasure trove of photo opportunities.

“The atmosphere is beautiful and relaxing,” said Derek Rowan, The Gulf’s Marketing Manager. “You can’t

beat the views of the water directly adjacent to Brooks Bridge. It’s a seaside hideaway that exemplifies the casual chic atmosphere that draws people to hang out at the bar or a communal table and sip on freshly squeezed lemonade or a cocktail while they inhale the fragrant salty air.”

Further emphasizing the local atmosphere, the chefs use only the freshest catches and harvests to create delectable dishes. This high level of culinary sophistication can’t be beat when searching for fresh, flavorful options for the whole family. Menu staples and guest favorites include the

smoked tuna dip, the Gulf grouper sandwich and fish tacos.

The goodness extends beyond the kitchen as the staff and servers go above and beyond to provide the best possible dining experience. With this attention to detail, The Gulf is more than a restaurant — it’s an experience you will want to revisit again and again.

“We want our guests to feel right at home by experiencing delicious local seafood, having great conversations with our bartenders and staff, exploring our amazing gift shop and creating magical memories with their family that they will remember for years to come,” said Rowan.

THE GULF ON OKALOOSA ISLAND 1284 MARLER AVE., FORT WALTON BEACH | (850) 387-1300 | THEGULF.COM

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PERFECT PIG GRILL AND FISH HOUSE ★

Perfect Pig features, among other offerings, fresh local grouper for dinner, award-winning pulled pork for lunch and hand sliced applewood smoked bacon for breakfast. Hours vary.

Multiple locations. $$ B L D

RESTAURANT PARADIS ★

Restaurant and lounge offers rich coastal flavors in its innovative dishes. Open Sun– Thur 5–9 pm, Fri–Sat 5–10 pm. 82 S. Barrett Square, Rosemary Beach. (850) 534-0400. $$$ D

SHADES BAR & GRILL ★

A 30A mainstay for over 20 years, Shades features 17 high-def TVs plus a menu of salsas, steaks, sandwiches and fish tacos.

Open daily 11–1 am. 10952 E. County Hwy 30A, (850) 231-9410. $$ L D

SUNSET BAY CAFÉ ★

Chef-inspired twists on classic dishes.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner or cocktail.

Open daily 7 am–2 pm. Tiki Bar open noon to sunset. Linkside Conference Center, 158 Sandestin Blvd. N., Miramar Beach.

(850) 267-7108. $ B L

VIN’TIJ WINE BOUTIQUE & BISTRO ★

Seafood, salad, chef specials. Open daily 11 am– midnight. 10859 W. Emerald Coast Pkwy., #103, Miramar Beach. (850) 650-9820. $$ L D

ASIAN JASMINE THAI ★

Combining traditional and modern Thai cuisine, Jasmine’s dishes offer a variety of spiciness. Open daily 11 am–3 pm and 5–9 pm, open late Fri–Sun. 4463 Common Drive W, Suit 108, Destin. (850) 460-7780. $$ L D

Panama City Beach Pkwy., Panama City Beach. (850) 249-0822. $$ L D

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH/BAKERY ANDY’S FLOUR POWER CAFE & BAKERY

Lively brunch/lunch destination known for its French toast, rolled omelets and cheery ambiance. Open Tues–Sat 7 am–2 pm, Sun 8 am–2 pm. 2629 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach. (850) 230-0014. $$ L D

ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFÉ

Breakfast all day, plus sandwiches, patty melts, specials, soups, salads and desserts.

Open daily 7 am–2 pm, closed Mondays.

979 E. Hwy. 98, #F, Destin (Also in Miramar Beach, Panama City, Pensacola, Sandestin and Grayton Beach). (850) 650-0499. $ B

DONUT HOLE BAKERY CAFE

Eat breakfast all day with fresh-baked donuts and hearty comfort food.

Open daily 6 am–10 pm. 635 Harbor Blvd., Destin (also in Inlet Beach and Santa Rosa Beach). (850) 837-8824. $ B

MAMA CLEMENZA’S EUROPEAN BREAKFAST ★

Old World family recipes. Multiple award winner. Brunch Wed–Sun 8 am–1 pm. 12273 Emerald Coast Pkwy.

W, Miramar Beach. (850) 424-3157 and 8 am–1 pm on Sundays at 75 Eglin Pkwy, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 243-0707. $$ B

OSAKA ★

SMALLCAKES OF DESTIN ★

P.F. CHANG’S ★

Asian-influenced “farm to wok” chain offers made-from-scratch dishes such as dim sum, sushi and Chinese food favorites. Mon, 11 am–9 pm; Tue–Thur, Sun 11 am– 10 pm; Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm, 640 Grand Blvd., Sandestin. (850) 269-1806. $$ L D

THAI DELIGHTS

Traditional dishes in a casual atmosphere.

Open daily 11 am–9 pm. 821 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 650-3945. $$ L D

BBQ 98 BAR-B-QUE ★

Award-winning barbecue, gumbo, sandwiches and salads in a casual atmosphere. Dine in, take out, catering.

Mon–Sat 11 am–8 pm. 5008 Hwy. 98, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-0679. $ L D

BACK BEACH BARBECUE ★

Opened in June 2017 by the duo behind Restaurant Paradis, Back Beach Barbecue offers 12-hour slow cooked meats, simple homemade sides and four sauces made in-house. Open daily 11 am–10 pm. 19714

Best Brunch 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018. 2019 Best Restaurant in Walton County 2017 Best Breakfast 2018

Mama Clemenza’s | 12273 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Miramar Beach 850.424.3157 | mamaclemenzas.com Clemenza’s At Uptown Station | 75 Eglin Pkwy, Fort Walton Beach 850.243.0707 | clemenzasatuptown.com

BEN & JERRY’S ★

More than just clever names, come for your favorite frozen treat, featuring ice cream, sundaes, smoothies and shakes. Open daily 11 am–10 pm. 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach.

(850) 460-8884. $

Known for its sushi but serves a variety of dishes, including chicken, steak and seafood.

Lunch 11 am–2:30 pm, dinner 5–10:30 pm.

34845 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

(850) 650-4688 or (850) 650-4689. $$ L D

Best Italian 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 Best Restaurant Okaloosa County 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 Best Service, Food & Beverage 2015 Best Locally Owned Restaurant 2017

DESSERT

Combining Japanese cuisine with a Southern flair, Nanbu serves poke and ramen with a selection of fine sake. Tue–Sat 11 am– 11 pm, Sun 5–9:30 pm. 26 Logan Lane Unit C, Grayton Beach. $$ L D

NANBU ★

The Tradition Continues

Featuring gourmet cupcakes and custom cakes, Smallcakes is also available for wedding cakes. Open daily 11 am–7 pm.

36150 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin.

(850) 460-7487​. $$

GREEK AEGEAN RESTAURANT ★

Authentic Greek restaurant. Breakfast 8–11 am, lunch 11 am–4 pm, dinner 4–9 pm.

11225 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Miramar Beach (and Shalimar). (850) 460-2728. $$ B L D

ALA BABA GRILL CAFÉ

Casual spot for familiar Turkish and Greek recipes offered à la carte and at a buffet, plus beer and wine. 10 am–9 pm. 550 Mary Esther Cutoff, Fort Walton Beach. (850) 986-5555. L D

YIOTA’S GREEK DELI

Traditional Greek food made from family recipes. Order at counter. 10 am–5 pm.

130 E. Miracle Strip Pkwy., Mary Esther.

(850) 302-0691. $ L

IRISH JOHNNY MCTIGHE’S IRISH PUB

Easygoing pub providing Irish and American eats, a game room for kids and deck seating. 11 am–2 am. 2298 Scenic EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

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Hwy. 30A, Blue Mountain Beach.

(850) 267-0101. $$ L D

Sat–Sun 5–10 pm. 979 Hwy. 98, #5, Destin.

(850) 460-7353. $$ L D

MCGUIRE’S IRISH PUB ★

PIZZA BY THE SEA ★

Burgers and pub grub and the famous 18-cent Senate Bean Soup. Open daily 11 am–2 am. 33 Hwy. 98, Destin (Also in Pensacola). (850) 650-0000. $$ L D

ITALIAN/PIZZA AMICI 30A

Offering authentic Italian cuisine with a flair for celebration. Open daily 11 am– 11 pm. 12805 U.S. Hwy. 98 E., Suite R101, Inlet Beach. (850) 909-0555. $$$ L D

ANGELINA’S PIZZA & PASTA

Authentic homemade pizza pie and Italian dishes in a casual atmosphere. Lunch and dinner daily 11 am–9:30 pm.

4005 E. Hwy. 30A, Seagrove Beach.

(850) 231-2500. $ B L D

CLEMENZA’S UPTOWN

Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, private dining, cooking school. Multiple award winner. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat. 75 Eglin Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach.

(850) 243-0707. $$ B L D

With an emphasis on fresh ingredients and a family-friendly environment, Pizza by the Sea offers handmade pizzas and other Italian favorites. Open daily 11 am–8 pm. Multiple locations. (850) 650-0015. $$ L D

PAZZO ITALIANO

Destin’s newest Italian restaurant offers authentic Italian cuisine such as wood-fired pizzas, pasta, calzones, salads, chef specialties and nightly specials. Mon–Thur 11 am–9 pm, Fri 11 am–10 pm, Sat 4 pm–10 pm, Sun 4 pm–9 pm.

34904 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Suite 114, Destin.

(850) 974-5484. $$ L D

THE PIZZA BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

Artisan cheese, fresh salads, antipasto dishes, homemade soups, seasonal vegetables, hearty pastas and homemade wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. Open daily from 11 am. 2236 E. County Rd. 30A, Seaside.

(850) 231-3113. $$ L D

TRATTORIA BORAGO

Pork tenderloin or pan-seared grouper from the open kitchen. Open daily from 6 pm. 80 E. Hwy. 30A, Grayton Beach. (850) 231-9167. $$ D

FAT CLEMENZA’S ★

Classic Italian. Wood-fired pizza, specialty desserts, fish Fridays. Multiple award winner. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat 5–9 pm. Holiday Plaza, Hwy. 98, Miramar Beach. (850) 650-5980. $$ L D

MIMMO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO ★

Italian dishes. Open Mon–Fri 11 am–10 pm,

CRAB ISLAND CANTINA

Latin-inspired Mexican cuisine.

Mon–Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm, Sun 1 am–9 pm. 2 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 424-7417. $$ L D

THE TACO BAR AT BUD & ALLEY’S

Baja fish tacos, homemade guacamole, burritos and top-shelf margaritas. Open daily from 11 am (in season). 2236 E. Country Rd. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-4781. $$ L D

CANTINA LAREDO ★

A gourmet twist on Mexican favorites.

Sun–Thurs 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm.

585 Grand Blvd., Miramar Beach.

(850) 654-5649. $$ B L D

CAMILLE’S ★

Featuring fresh Gulf favorites including seared scallops, Gulf shrimp and the catch of the day — all served blackened, grilled or fried — Camille’s also offers dishes such as thin-crust pizza, panéed chicken and sushi. Beach Bar & Cafe 7 am–5 pm, restaurant 5–10 pm, daily. 2931 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 337-8860. $$ B L D

CAPT. ANDERSON’S RESTAURANT

SEAFOOD THE BAY SOUTH WALTON ★

This family-friendly waterfront restaurant overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay features Gulf Coast cuisine, sushi, a 12-draft beer system, plus wine and crafted cocktails. Open daily 11 am–9:30 pm. 24215 Hwy. 331, Santa Rosa Beach, (850) 622-2291. $$ L D

Since 1967, offering traditional seafood items, flavorful salads and soups with a view of the marina. Open Mon–Fri at 4:30 pm, Sat– Sun at 4 pm. 5551 N. Lagoon Drive, Panama City Beach. (850) 234-2225. $$$ D

DEWEY DESTIN’S HARBORSIDE ★

Award-winning seafood in a quaint house.

Open daily 11 am–8 pm. 202 Harbor Blvd., Destin. (850) 837-7525. $$$ L D

BOSHAMPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★

DEWEY DESTIN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & MARKET ★

BROTULA’S SEAFOOD HOUSE & STEAMER ★

THE FISH HOUSE

Gulf-to-table Southern cuisine. Open daily from 11 am. 414 Harbor Blvd., Destin.

(850) 424-7406. $$ L D

Fresh steamed and boiled seafood dishes. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Sunday brunch. Destin Harbor, Destin.

(850) 460-8900. $$$ B

MEXICAN

Roof bar open in summer 11:30 pm–2 am. 2236 E. Hwy. 30A, Seaside. (850) 231-5900. $$$ L D

BUD & ALLEY’S WATERFRONT RESTAURANT ★

Sea-to-table dining, serving fresh seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. Open Mon–Fri 11:30 am.

Outdoor setting, fresh seafood. Open 11 am–8 pm. 9 Calhoun Ave., Destin.

(850) 837-7575. $$ B L D Fresh seafood cuisine and Southern specialties in a setting overlooking Pensacola Bay and the Seville Harbor.

Open daily from 11 am. 600 S. Barracks St., Pensacola. (850) 470-0003. $$ L D

FOOW RESTAURANT

Southern coastal cuisine with an Asian flair. Open daily 5:30–10 pm. Located in the WaterColor Inn, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 534-5050. $$$ D

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Restaurant Spotlight

Sunset Bay Cafe A breakfast and lunch menu that’s

one part coastal and one part Creole makes for scrumptious Southern goodness at Sunset Bay Cafe. Overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay, guests may partake in unique brunch options al fresco by the pool or indoors. Choosing the latter won’t inhibit your view of the boats breezing by, as windows surrounding the open floor seating provide an optimal vantage point.

One bite of the food, though, and you’re likely not to take your eyes off your plate.

The restaurant’s signature Chicken N Waffles is a decadent Belgian waffle base, topped with crispy fried chicken, molasses bacon butter, Southern gravy, syrup and chives is a guest favorite.

Patrons also dive into unconventional takes on classic dishes, such as cinnamon rolls iced with Florida orange cream cheese, and crab cake eggs Benedict. With such diverse and delicious options, it only makes sense

they are Best of the Emerald Coast winners for Best Breakfast and Best Bloody Mary.

“Our main mission is to get a smile on your face so you’ll come back and see us again,” says co-owner Bryce Jarvis.

He and his business partner/ father, Gary Jarvis, are proud that the restaurant will be celebrating its fifth anniversary this February.

Bryce Jarvis gives credit to the team.

“Along with an exceptional menu and scenery, our staff ’s excellent service has made that possible.”

CHICKEN N WAFFLES

SUNSET BAY CAFE 158 SANDESTIN BLVD. N., MIRAMAR BEACH (INSIDE THE CONFERENCE CENTER) | (850) 267-7108 | SUNSETBAYCAFESANDESTIN.COM

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December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE

Upscale-casual Southern seafood restaurant and bar serving oysters and po’ boys, plus steak and cocktails. Open Sun– Thur 11 am–10 pm, Fri–Sat 11 am–11 pm.

34761 Emerald Coast Pkwy. #104, Destin.

(850) 842-4788. $$ L D

HARBOR DOCKS

A surf-and-turf restaurant. Breakfast, lunch and dinner and great sushi. Open daily 5 am–11 pm. 538 E. Hwy. 98, Destin.

(850) 837-2506. $$ B L D

JACKACUDA’S SEAFOOD & SUSHI

Seafood, sushi, salad and sandwiches.

Open daily from 11 am. Sunday brunch at 10 am. 56 Harbor Blvd., HarborWalk Village, Destin. (850) 424-3507. $$ L D

LOCAL CATCH BAR AND GRILL ★

Located on 30A, Local Catch mingles coastal cuisine with a Southern twist, such as Carribbean shrimp tacos, po’boys and shrimp and grits. Open daily 11 am–10 pm.

3711 W. County Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach.

(850) 622-2022. $$ L D

RUNAWAY ISLAND

Crab, oysters and grouper sandwiches in a casual beach bar and grill with steps onto the sand. Open daily at 11 am.

14521 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach.

(850) 634-4884. $$ L D

SHUNK GULLEY OYSTER BAR ★

This seafood and casual fare restaurant features classic coastal cuisine and genuine Southern hospitality plus live music daily inside the panoramic bar.

Open daily 11 am–9 pm. 1875 S. Hwy. 393, Santa Rosa Beach. (850) 622-2733. $$ L D

STEAK & SEAFOOD 790 ON THE GULF RESTAURANT ★

Serving fresh Cajun food, shrimp, salads, seafood and homemade comfort food, 790 is also available for catering, special events and Sunday brunch. Open daily 11 am–9:45 pm. 2996 Scenic Hwy 98, Destin. (850) 650-4853. $$ L D

BEACH WALK CAFE ★

Located at the Henderson Park Inn, this award-winning fine dining establishment features a range of favorites including grouper Vince, pepper-crusted yellowfin tuna, and seafood pasta Rockefeller.

Open daily 5:30–9 pm. 2700 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 650-7100. $$$ D

BIJOUX RESTAURANT & SPIRITS ★ Fine dining coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair, Gulf seafood, prime steaks.

Open daily 4–10 pm. The Market Shops, 9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy. W., #22, Miramar Beach. (850) 622-0760. $$$ D

CAFE THIRTY-A

Offering the best in steaks and Gulf fare, Café Thirty-A is also available for weddings and special gatherings. Open daily 5–9:30 pm. 3899 E. Scenic Hwy. 30A, Seagrove Beach. (850) 231-2166. $$$ D

CAPTAIN DAVE’S ON THE GULF

Inspired by traditional waterfront dining, Captain Dave’s features American seafood

cuisine infused with a contemporary Gulf Coast twist. Wed–Mon 4 pm–close. 3796 Scenic Hwy. 98, Destin. (850) 837-2627. $$$ D

FLEMING’S PRIME STEAKHOUSE AND WINE BAR ★

Featuring the perfect ambiance for any visit, Fleming’s menu is filled with some of the finest cuts of steak, pork, sea bass and more, and the wine manager has curated a wide selection of locally selected wines, hand-crafted cocktails and spirits.

Mon–Thu 5–10 pm, Fri 11:30 am–11 pm, Sat 5 pm–11 pm, Sun: 5–9 pm. 600 Grand Boulevard, Sandestin. (850) 269-0830. $$$ L D

JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE ★

High-end steakhouse cuisine with fine wines. Local seafood is hand-selected and artistically prepared to perfection.

Lunch Mon–Fri 1 am–2 pm, bruch Sat–Sun 11 am–2 pm, dinner Mon–Sun 5:30 pm– 10 pm. 400 S. Palafox St., Pensacola.

(850) 469-9898. $$$ D

MARLIN GRILL ★

Seafood, steaks, salads and appetizers.

Open nightly from 5 pm. The Village of Baytowne Wharf, Miramar Beach.

(850) 351-1990. $$$ D

2008 - Best Italian 2009 - Best Pizza 2010 - Best Pizza & Best Chef 2011 - Best Pizza, Best Italian & Best Chef 2012 - Best Italian 2013 - Best Pizza & Best Walton County Restaurant 2014 - Best Pizza, Best Walton County Restaurant & Best Chef 2015 - Best Pizza 2016 - Best Pizza 2017 - Best Pizza & Best Chef 2018 - Best Pizza 2019- Best Restaurant in Walton County

The original, award-winning wood-fired pizza and classical Italian cuisine

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE ★

Steak and seafood. New Orleans-inspired.

Mon–Sat 5:30–10 pm, Sun 5:30– 9 pm. Silver Shells Resort, 1500 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 337-5108. $$$ D

SEAGAR’S PRIME STEAKS AND SEAFOOD ★

Premium steak, fresh seafood and caviar.

Open daily from 6 pm. Hilton Sandestin, 4000 S. Sandestin Blvd., Miramar Beach.

(850) 622-1500. $$$ D

Lunch M–F 11–2 · Dinner M–Sat 5–9 · 850.650.5980 12273 US Hwy 98, Miramar Beach · fatclemenzas.com

SLICK LIPS SEAFOOD & OYSTER HOUSE ★

Family-friendly seafood spot located in The Village of Baytowne Wharf — with the freshest local Gulf-caught seafood and 1855 certified Angus steaks. Sun– Thur 11 am–9 pm; Fri–Sat 11 am–10 pm.

140 Fisherman’s Cove, Miramar Beach.

(850) 347-5060. $$ L D

Mental Health Services

TAKE OUT DESTIN ICE MARKET 30A ★

This upscale grocery market features fresh Gulf seafood, prime meats, fine wines and craft beers, gourmet cheeses, deli and prepared foods. Open daily 9 am–7 pm. 13063 Hwy. 98 E., Unit M, Inlet Beach. (850) 502-4100.

DESTIN ICE SEAFOOD MARKET & DELI ★

Fresh fish and seafood items, pastas, salads and side dishes, Buckhead meats, decadent desserts, wines, cheeses, spices and more.

Open daily 8 am–7 pm. 663 Emerald Coast Pkwy., Destin. (850) 837-8333. $$ L D

SARAH K GOURMET ★

This gourmet take-out specializes in chefcrafted, ready-to-heat cuisine, including their famous jumbo-lump crab cakes. Open daily Mon.–Sat. 11 am–6 pm. 34940 Hwy. 98, Suite 183, Destin. (850) 269-0044. $ L D

Visit our comprehensive, searchable dining guide online at EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/Restaurants.

The Crane Center LLC is proud to provide excellent and compassionate comprehensive mental health, psychiatric, and basic medical care services to patients of all ages at the time of need without the hassle.

137 CRYSTAL BEACH DRIVE, STE 137-C, DESTIN (850) 226-7100 | THECRANECENTER.NET EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

December 2019-January 2020

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postscript

SELFIMPROVEMENT

by JENNIFER HOWARD

W

e all need to work on improving ourselves, right? We should be super-healthy, brains firing on all lobes. Ready to seize the moment.

Set to win the race.

Each day in every way, I am getting a little bit better. Here’s today’s regimen:

❑ Immediately after awakening, and before I leave the bed, I repeat my affirmations. From the list I keep next to my bed, I find the list of positivity for today’s date. ‘I am beautiful just the way I am.’ ‘I am loved.’ ‘I am blessed.’

‘My cat thinks I am wonderful … most days.’ I choose my affirmations from those compiled by an aging Sherpa who collects discarded oxygen canisters and beer cans on Mt. Everest. What insight he has!

❑ Last night’s text from my holistic health adviser said today should be a cleansing juice fast so I have lemon-kale-turmericgarlic-and-beet juice for breakfast. I add ketchup to moderate the taste. Though I come close, I do not vomit.

❑ Shower with organic goat milk and cilantro soap. Use friytu nut oil to moisturize my skin as it has helped the population of a Bering Strait island stay alive through the winter. It will definitely improve my skin and overall well-being, just like the email said.

❑ Moving on to sunscreen: SPF 214, of course. I look a bit like a Kabuki dancer, but feel secure in the knowledge that no harmful sun ray or pollution can penetrate to my skin.

Then make-up. Today I am trying the

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new organically sourced makeup line Frog, with no animal or plant testing.

It goes on as slime, but makes my skin glow. The creators were inspired when they drank two bottles of indifferent Cabernet Sauvignon and fell in a drainage ditch. There, they noticed that their fellow ditch-mates had luminous, glowing skin and • ah-ha • the idea for Frog Makeup was born. I feel very smug, because Llamally-C, mega-internet influencer, has let only her Way Cool Subscriber Group in on this beauty secret.

❑ This week’s internet medical news says coffee is good for you, so I line up for a Trenti Caramel Chocolate Macchiato.

Head to the office feeling super-healthy and ready to face the day. Much better than last week when internet sources said coffee was bad for you, and I had to drink bitter green tea. Thank goodness, they discovered that coffee improves your eyesight and ankle strength.

❑ At the office, I activate my diffuser with peach-lavender-CBD oil to keep me relaxed as I go through Instagram. First, of course, I wipe down my desk with anti-bacterial Snow Water wipes, which not only protect me from disease but increase my ability to do math. It says so, right on the label.

December 2019-January 2020 EMERALDCOASTMAGA ZINE.COM

❑ An urgent message pops into my Inbox: medical professionals agree that adopting an animal will improve the new owner’s health, prosperity and posture. Adopt a dog? Hedgehog?

Goat? Note to self: check lease to find out if pets allowed.

❑ Proud that it is lunch time and I have not strayed from my juice fast.

Cider vinegar, spring onion, alfalfa and pomegranate juice is certainly an interesting sludgy color. Gulp it down so I don’t taste it very much.

❑ My healthy workplace offers after hours Barn Yoga. I reset my mental outlook by doing stretches for my pancreas and random body fascia while cows, chickens and horses observe us with bemused expressions. Trainers wearing Spandex overalls move among us serving wine, which I count as my evening juice for my cleanse.

❑ Heading home, I go through the Big Ol’ Burger drive-thru. But my resolve and well-being had been bolstered by a full day of self-improvement so I don’t order fries. EC illustration by SIERRA THOMAS

JOSEPH A. PEDONE, MD, FACC, FACP, FSCAI, CDDR Interventional Cardiologist MICHAEL L. YANDEL, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist JUAN C. ZARATE, MD, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist ANTHONY S. AL-DEHNEH, DO, FACC, FSCAI Interventional Cardiologist ANGEL D. MORROBEL, MD, FACC Invasive Cardiologist AJIT H. JANARDHAN, MD, PhD, FACC, FHRS Cardiac Electrophysiology IAN L. WEISBERG, MD, Cardiac Electrophysiology

BESTIN DESTIN VIP DESTIN MAGAZINE READER CHOICE AWARD

Best Cardiologist

Providing current, comprehensive health care in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart problems since 1991, Okaloosa Heart & Vascular Center offers a full range of integrated cardiac services, from patient education through inpatient care, including: Clinical Cardiology and Consultation, Echocardiography, Vascular Ultrasound, Exercise Testing, Holter and Event Monitoring, Nuclear Cardiac Imaging, Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Angioplasty, Intra-Coronary Stenting, Cardiac Electrophysiology and Cardiac PET Scanning. With 4 interventional cardiologists, 2 cardiac electrophysiologists, 1 invasive cardiologist and 4 local offices to serve you, the staff is committed to exploring new technologies and techniques that provide better ways to care for their patients, and to treating each patient like a person rather than a diagnosis.

DESTIN 36468 Emerald Coast Parkway Suite 1101 Destin, FL 32541 (850) 424-5638

NICEVILLE 552 Twin Cities Boulevard Suite A Niceville, FL 32578 (850) 279-4426

FORT WALTON BEACH 1032 Mar Walt Drive Suite 110 Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 (850) 862-1753

OkaloosaHeart.com

CRESTVIEW 129 Redstone Ave. Suite A Crestview, FL 32539 (850) 682-7212

2017

Seagrove East Lot 3 - Vista Lake Lane Circle

Royce Mitchell roycewmitchell@gmail.com

Offered at $1,779,000 This is an exclusive opportunity to own one of seven four-story beach villas in this fabulous new development in Seagrove Beach.

Each unit boasts a fourth-floor terrace offering Gulf views, and is situated in a quiet, peaceful community of Seagrove East.

The home features four-bedrooms, four full baths and two half baths. Complete with elevator access to the first three levels, there is plenty of outdoor entertaining space, a two-car garage and a private pool with patio.

Cell: (850) 737-0567 Office: (850) 650-7293

Hillcrest Cottages 435 Hillcrest Road

Luke Andrews Offered at $795,000

luke.andrews@penfedrealty.com

Hillcrest Cottages offers well-appointed, two-story homes designed with spacious, ground floor living in mind. This home is designed with quality finishes and is built in a wonderful location. The main level has a covered front porch, an open living room and master bedroom opening to a covered rear porch. The ground floor boasts a total of three bedrooms, each with a bath.

A laundry room, a pantry, a mud room, a half bath, and an attached two-car garage complete the ground floor. The second level has an additional bedroom/bonus room, full bath, and large storage closet.

Cell: (850) 978-0545 Office: (850) 267-0013

Now with FIVE locations serving the Emerald Coast MIRAMAR BEACH 9375 Emerald Coast Parkway, Unit 18 | (850) 267-0050 SANTA ROSA BEACH 7684 W. County Highway 30A | (850) 267-0013 NICEVILLE 1073 E. John Smith Parkway Suite | (850) 729-0176 PENSACOLA 8775 Foxtail Loop | (850) 944-3700 PENSACOLA 17 W. Cedar St. | (850) 434-2244

www.BHHSPenFed.com

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