To&From Magazine Classic Man's Birthday Gift Guide

I don't know about you but I wasn't quite finished with the weekend when I woke up today. If you're in the same boat, perhaps you can benefit from a little online shopping this week. I had the pleasure of contributing to Meg and Katie's gift guide magazine, To&From, along with many other fab bloggers and tastemakers!

Their quarterly magazine is on it's third issue for the spring and includes gift ideas for weddings, baby showers, birthdays, graduations, and all your other spring time festivities. You can do your shopping directly from the magazine, too! By clicking on the objects you will be directed to the website were the object is available for purchase.

I curated gifts for that classic man in your life who just doesn't need another tie. He will, however, need some staples to get him through the spring and summer like a ball cap to wear to baseball games, travel gear for using that paid time off, new reading material, a lightweight multi-use button up shirt, and even objects for his home (a map of his favorite city or monogramed whiskey glasses). The guide is Gman approved including his favorite moisturizer, champagne, and flip flops.

Happy shopping!

Wardrobe: Clearwater Beach, FL

Boyfriend shirt, jean shorts, panama hat, earrings, tote, bikini (bottom, top), flip flops, ring

These days, most people I know do not have the luxury of living in a community with a pool, let alone near the beach. The beach is a special place many of us go to vacation. Instead of buying specific bathing suit cover ups for your next beach get-a-way, bring versatile pieces, like a cotton button up and tote bag, that you can wear on other days of your trip too. I love wearing a button up to the beach (it feels cozier than a t-shirt) and I like to wear it open to show off my fab swimsuit beneath!

For Clearwater Beach, keep the jewelry simple with colorful stud earrings and a tiny ring. And because its a casual, slightly tacky environment, don't leave home without your jean shorts and flip flops. That was pretty much my wardrobe growing up (except I wore Birkenstocks everyday!)

Destination: Clearwater Beach, Florida

In DC people always ask, “where are you from?” and I say, “I moved here from New York City.” To which they insist, “No, where are you from originally?” It’s very important for people here to know your residential history. Perhaps it’s a way they try to find common ground or maybe they are suspicious of non-locals. Either way, I’m originally from Palm Harbor, Florida. Most people don’t know where that is, so I usually name one of the closest bigger cities, Clearwater (and if they are still looking at me like a deer in headlights, I follow up with Tampa.)


Clearwater is best known for two things: the take over of Scientology and it's pristine white beaches and crystal clear blue water. Clearwater Beach was the first beach I ever set foot on. When I was a tiny baby, I did not appreciate the beautiful, white, powdery sand. If the sand touched me, I would sit there with my fingers and toes spread as far as they could with that “this is yucky” look on my face.


When I was a little girl, our family would take a trip every summer to the beach, even though we only lived 25 minutes away. We would go with our grandparents, aunt, cousin, my parents, and sister, and stay at what is now the Marriot on Sand Key. As a child, the attraction here was not the beach but the huge pool and freedom to explore it. My sister and I took our Barbies along so they could explore too. There was also a parrot in the lobby.

This beach is the place I keep coming back to, the beach environment - the tacky culture, casual attitude, and open air dining - are like home to me. This is the place of my childhood and of my adolescence. I’ve been here countless times and have memorized the way the waves lap the concrete poles beneath Pier 60. I know that families and tourists hang on towards the north and teenagers layout in groups on the south side of the pier. Old leathery beach bums bask in teeny tiny string bikinis and toddlers shrill with excitement each time the water touches their toes. While amateur skim boarders try their best to look professional.


I have a spot where I go to sit. It’s at the far north side of the beach, where only locals go. In high school I would go there with my girlfriends we’d listen to loud music on a boom-box, read Cosmo and Glamour, and catch up on gossip. I didn’t notice then that the water changed colors as the sun and clouds moved across the sky. I didn’t notice that tiny crabs snuck out at low tide, I was too busy checking my tan lines. I kept a towel, bikini, sunscreen, and flip flops in the trunk of my Hyundai Sante Fe, just in case we wanted to cruise over after school.


I recommend Sand Key as a more secluded, romantic spot or if you have young children and are worried about a crowded beach. There is also a famously delicious Cuban restaurant on Sand Key called Columbia Restaurant. It would make for a great date night spot; just remember to wear real shoes and clothes, not your flip-flops and cover-up. Reservations recommended.

This one time, the day after my wedding, two of my bridesmaids and some of our guests headed over to the beach to get some R&R before jumping on the plane. They stopped at Publix to get subs (remember how delicious I told you these were?) and intended to picnic at the beach while trying to absorb a little vitamin D. One of them was not a native Floridian and made the mistake of not guarding her sandwich with her life. The seagulls sensed her vulnerability and started circling. They took turns diving at her to try to nab a bite or steal the whole sandwich. Terrified, she threw the sandwich into the air and took off running and screaming. Everyone else laughed so hard they couldn’t breathe.


This brings me to one of the most important bits of advice I can give: when at the beach never EVER feed the seagulls. They are aggressive terrors who get bolder by the tourist. They will snatch your food, and anything that looks like food. If you bring food to the beach, be sure to throw everything away properly on your way out. In case of emergency, if the birds are swarming, hide your food with your body or under a bag/towel, etc. If they are still bothering you, do not give in and throw scraps. Try to ride it out, as they will eventually leave you for an easier target. Avoiding these creatures will make your visit much more enjoyable.

Some of my favorite spots for shopping and dining include... my favorite place to buy a bikini is the Mandalay Surf Company. Best places to grab a grouper sandwich or burger include any of the Frenchy's locations (Salt Water Cafe being the best) or Palm Pavilion (go here for live music and sunset views). For a fancy dinner Bob Heilman's Beachcomber is a must and if you're in the market for a place that serves everything try Clearsky Beachside Cafe. Its also where many of the colorful locals hangout.


And some things tourists do that locals don't (but are worth doing once): Captain Memo's pirate ship tour, dolphin watching tour, and Clearwater Marine Aquarium which is home to Winter, the dolphin with the prosthetic tail made famous by the movie A Dolphin's Tale (I laugh inside every time I read this, sort of mean, "punny" title...).


If you have any boating experience, or can afford to charter a small boat, I recommend skipping all of the above and cruising around the inter-coastal waterway on your own. Not only will you see dolphins and other wildlife, but you will get to check out all of the fabulous homes over-looking the water. I just love peeking into the windows!


The best place to stay is the Sand Pearl - I'll give you a full review of it on Thursday!

Wardrobe: Nice, France

Grey dress, scarf, sandals, sunglasses, bracelet, cream dress, wedges, scarf, handbag

When thinking about a wardrobe look for a trip to Nice, I couldn’t help but think of the late Grace Kelly. Not only was she a local, being the Princess of Monaco and all, but Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief, which was filmed in Nice, is one of my favorite films.


Her style was feminine, elegant, and modern - always sophisticated and put together with minimal, deliberate accessories, and simple hair and make-up. I wanted to take inspiration from her without posting a vintage looking too outfit, because if she were here now, I bet she would have dressed in today’s best fashions.


Here are two looks, one for day time sight-seeing and one for dinner on the town. I looked at the classic lines in her style – soft neckline, defined waist, and a-line skirt and translated them with pieces we would wear now. Simple leather sandals, and the new classic Reed Krakoff bag. I couldn’t resist throwing in a Hermes scarf as a nod to her relationship the brand. Instead of wearing it around your neck, wear it as a headband/turban just like Ms. Kelly did in the beach scenes of To Catch A Thief.

Wardrobe: Ft Myers, Florida

sunglasses, earrings, ring, lipgloss, dress, tote, flats, watch

For a day of running around Ft Myer's many locals and tourists alike wear jeans and sneakers. But you know I couldn't resist a comfy day dress! Inspired by Ft Myers' shimp fishing past, I chose this prawn printed number and kept it casual with neutral flats and a canvas bag. It's often pretty hot here so keep makeup simple with some sunscreen, lip gloss, and touch of mascara.

You may know by now that I pair sunglasses with almost every look, they are one of my favorite accessories! I'm totally digging these Karen Walker frames. Hmm, good thing my birthday is around the corner!

Destination: Ft. Myers, Florida

As you may know, Gman and I took a road trip for the holiday season. We started in his hometown, Ft Myers Beach, Florida. I've written about Southwest Florida briefly before here and it's true that this is where people go to experience a more relaxed lifestyle. Not only do Gman and I love to go home to visit his family but also to have downtime that we don't seem to get too much of in our daily lives. After a few days here we are refreshed and ready to take on the world again.

My favorite thing to do in Ft Myers is to lounge in the sun by the pool, drink a cold beer, and chat with Gman's family. I recommend going here if you are looking for a time out. This what you should see and do...

I highly recommend spending a significant portion of your time at the beach. Ft Myers Beach {where Gman's mother grew up} and Sanibel {which I wrote about here} are great options. Ft Myers used to rely heavily on its shrimp fishing industry and still does to a lesser degree {and now depends on tourism}. If you enjoy seafood, you can find the freshest around at the shimp docks on the mainland side of Ft Myers Beach. If you are looking for a beach-y souvenir then go to Local Color, also on Ft Myers Beach. They have a great selection of tacky, tourist-y objects and surprisingly chic beachwear.

taken with instagram

Spend a day shopping start by finding a deal at the Miramar Outlets then head over to The Shops at Coconut Point for lunch at Tony Sacco's for coal oven pizza and more shopping.  If you find yourself closer to downtown the shops at Bell Tower are great for grabbing the basics. I would stop here in the afternoon to sample beers at World of Beer and to have dinner at Paris Saigon Bistro for an interesting mix of French and Vietnamese.

You'll also want to take a drive down the palm tree lined McGregor Blvd and go for a tour of the Edison House. Both have the perfect old Florida vibe. Thomas Edison built his winter home here in Ft Myers. You can explore his laboratory, gardens, pool, and home which have all been fully restored. I found it slightly strange that you can not enter the home, only peer into the windows. However, the architecture was designed to maximize that coastal breeze so large windows and shallow spaces allow you to see everything despite being regulated to view from the porch. 

Henry Ford lived next door and you can sneak a peek into his Craftsman style house too. I'm obsessed with the wood floors and ceilings of the Ford home. The wrap around porches on both homes are also a dream come true.

Last but not least you must pick up some chocolates at Norman Love. If it's cold(ish) then try the Mexican Hot Chocolate otherwise just pick up a few truffles. They are so delicious that your mouth waters with anticipation of the next bite.

Destination: Cruise to the Bahamas

Is there a bell ringing? Is it an alarm? Am I dreaming? Am I still drunk? Who’s in bed with me? I realized I was awake when the bells stopped and a man’s voice came over the speakers. He said slowly, in a saddened tone, "Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. The worst possible scenario has happened." What could it be? Later we shared our speculations over Bloody Mary’s at the pool. “Is it the zombie apocalypse?” “Is the ship sinking?” “Pirates?!” “We’re out of booze?!” No. No. He continued, “Due to over 8 foot ocean swells and over 30 miles per hour winds, our trip to Cococay will be postponed indefinitely and we will instead go straight to Nassau where we will stay until 4:30pm tomorrow as scheduled.” So the worst possible scenario is that we go to another Caribbean island in the same day? We have to lay at the pool all day nursing hangovers in the sun? Tragic.

I arrived in Miami Thursday night and headed to the bride's mother's house where some of my girlfriends and roommates from college were having a sleepover the night before our best friend’s wedding – which happened to be on a cruise to the Bahamas.

Thursday night started as a giggle fest then slowly devolved into a snoring competition {between the men, of course}. We got little sleep but the adrenalin of being together and going to Natalie’s wedding veiled our exhaustion on Friday morning.

As we got through security, checked-in and found the wedding spot, more and more of my friends started gathering. People I haven’t seen in years were piling in. This was going to be an epic weekend, I thought, as I toasted to myself while Natalie and her beloved exchanged vows. Their ceremony was simple, elegant, and touching. But in the background, the cheeky, Vegas vibe of our tiny cruise ship lingered. It was waiting for the right moment to break free and start a weekend of sun bathing and debauchery.

Its moment came when the ship’s photographer wanted a group shot of everyone attending the wedding. He happened to be “British” {sounded like Australian} and slipped when attempting to stand on a platform to snap the picture. He embarrassingly said, “The boat must be moving,” as he tried to regain his footing. Then someone shouted, “This boat’s a bangin’ mate,” in the worst possible accent that was neither British nor Australian. The poor man was horrified but every single person, family and friend, was laughing uncontrollably. Yes, epic indeed.

The rest of the night was spent re-establishing those bonds from the good ol’ days and meeting new friends. Our dinner table {best table ever!} consisted of two set of male college roommates, Brandy {my roomie/wife on the cruise} and me, along with two of the guys' girlfriends. The two guys who had girlfriends were roommates in college, and both ended up proposing on the same day! We then considered this the Love Boat and demanded a double wedding cruise on 12/12/12, as this one was on 11/11/11.

Once we arrived in Nassau, after we were suddenly woken up Saturday to the captain’s call, which was after drinking Bahama Mamas into the wee hours of the morning, we decided to go ashore to do a bit of exploring before cocktail hour.

Brandy and I, along with Kate {college roomie} and her beau explored the Straw Market and got a cheap(ish) beer at a dive-y bar. My impression of Nassau left me with a sad image of poverty, the remnants of colonialism, and a desperate people that were catering to tourists who wanted this “oasis” to be something it wasn’t. Everything seemed dirty and staged. Conches supposedly freshly harvested from the sea were for sale. Straw bags with Dora the Explorer or Little Mermaid motifs were abundantly available. I’m sure those were traditional designs… Only a few blocks past the touristy section were rows of boarded up homes with only a few people wandering the desolate streets.

On the other side of the main bridge was the utopian monstrosity Atlantis. On Sunday, I separated from most of the group and spent way too much money to visit for the day just to explore it. The hotel is admittedly impressive. Every detail was considered to create a magical world of the re-discovered lost city of Atlantis. There was even an aquarium incorporated into the building as well as a casino, luxury shopping, a dolphin encounter, rides, pools for children, adults, and everything in between. The beach was pristinely manicured but sadly unavailable to us during our visit due to the 8 foot swells. As the sky turned cloudy, I felt stupid for going to this fake feel-good resort.

Usually when I travel it’s for the destination. I want to see what a new city has to offer. I want to see how people live, or what they like to eat. I want to try on a new lifestyle or find a slower pace for a few days. But this destination was sad and the people inaccessible. The cruise itself had mediocre food catered to the tasteless masses, the staff was generally rude, and our room was impossibly small {even for this city girl!}.

I realized in a moment of quiet, sitting on a shady pool chair, listening to the faint sounds of a DJ playing Pit Bull, that this trip was absolutely not about the destination. It wasn’t about the cruise or Nassau, or even the elusive Cococay. It was about who I was with. The destination was the romantic nuptials of our dearest friends. The destination was a re-union of friendships with people who make my stomach and cheeks hurt from laughing. It was about being with people who know my soul without me having to explain myself.

I remember being on the dance floor; happy again to be with the larger group. I didn’t recognize the song, but it asked me to shake my booty so I complied. We started with Bahama Mamas at the private cocktail hour, then wine and champagne at dinner, where we ordered one of everything on the menu. More mixed drinks were consumed at the piano bar, where I vaguely remember Brandy sauntering over to sit in my lap while everyone sung along to the piano versions of our staple college drinking songs. I spilled my drink. No matter, I kept dancing, laughing, and carrying on. Someone jumped into the pool and we toasted over Lemon Drop shots to the health and happiness of Natalie and Dan.

This post is dedicated to you, my friends. Thank you for the famously good times. I love you and miss you already! Cheers!

photo courtesy of Brandy

photo courtesy of Brandy

A Saturday Post

Guess what I'm doing right now? I hope you are having a lovely weekend, wherever you are!

Packing Phase Two: Emergencies

In my day to day life I barely go into our medicine cabinet. I don't usually have a blister or a stomach ache, or a hang nail. But for some reason whenever I go on vacation I get bothered in every way possible. I'll get sick from some questionable meal or break a nail. Does that happen to you? So for each trip I try to determine what might go wrong and create an individualized baby emergency kit. It is by no means comprehensive, but supplements my make-up bag. For this trip here is what I compiled:

- Gas Ex to combat possible bloating from too much wedding cake
- Tan Towels in case I get an uneven tan (if you are opposed to a tanning bed or spray tans but are still looking to get rid of that winter-y paleness, these are amazing!)
- Tylonol for that inevitable hangover after the wedding festivities
- nail file and nail polish for touch ups
- throat lozenger in case of dry air on the plane or cruise cabin
- anti-histamines in case of mild allergic reaction
- band aids for those pesky blisters
- and last but not least, last minute teeth whitening!

Gman always includes Pepto Bismol tablets and nail clippers in his emergency kit. I always appreciate it!

Packing Phase One: Wardrobe

So this week I have been distracted from my normal posting by so many things. It's not lack of thoughts this time, but in addition to actually being busy in the office, the drama at Penn State, and I'm going on a trip this weekend. Have you been able to guess where I'm going? I gave you a few hints via twitter, I packed some cotton dresses, my string bikini, and my sunglasses. One of my dear friends decided to get married on a 3 day cruise and I'm going to the Bahamas people! I wasn't too excited about the idea at first, but now I can barely contain myself.

So, in a number of posts, I thought I would share with you some of my strategies for packing and preparing. I must admit my strategy is based on countless trips where I packed the wrong thing, too much, or too little. Gman also has a horrible habit of trying to surprise me and I pack for a completely different trip and switch gears at the last minute.

 

I start preparing for every trip by asking three questions: Where are you going? What is the weather? and What is the vibe? Once this is established the appropriate wardrobe can be chosen. Now you might think I'm vapid for dwelling so much on wardrobe but then why are you reading this? but it is important to consider what you are packing so you can focus on exploring once you arrive on vacation. For example, you don't want to pack shorts if it will be 40 degrees nor do you want to pack your favorite suede shoes if it's going to be rainy. Likewise, destinations can be conservative or liberal, dressed up or casual. Going somewhere new gives you an excuse to try different styles or wear your off season wardrobe.

 

Once I establish the general criteria for my wardrobe and for how many days I will need it, I make a checklist and start pulling from my closet. This is when I usually have a breakdown and tell Gman I have nothing to wear and why do I even try. I then browse the internet, get desperate, and return to my closet. I usually find a few pieces that will work and can the determine if something else is needed.

This time I bought new sunglasses to go with my favorite black string bikini, but when I went to look for said bikini it was MIA. It is still missing {dear sister, if you have it, just bring it with you when you visit and sneak it back into my closet, I won't be mad}. Luckily I thought ahead of time and was able to go on a shopping spree on victoriassecret.com. A new silk Caftan rounded out my ensemble for the actual wedding.

If I can, a few weeks before the trip I lay everything out on my bed to make sure outfits work together and all accessories, shoes, socks, etc. are in order. Planning alleviates a lot of stress when I'm on vacation because I will focus on spending my valuable time off checking out a new city, or in this case, beach. I take pictures to remind myself of what I accomplished and then procrastinate actually packing it all in the suitcase until the night before at about midnight.