beauty in the details

February 16, 2018

Beauty is in the details. If this is true, I must see an infinite amount of beauty! I can get really obsessed with details. This is especially true when I enter new surroundings.

For example, every time I visit a hotel, I get caught up in some aspect of its esthetic. At The Breakers in Palm Beach, it was the staff uniforms – I thought they were amazing – every employee wears a uniform and they are fabulous! The gals have beautiful Lilly Pulitzer outfits! I ended up spending my first visit to the Breakers doing an analysis of all the employee’s outfits!

For today’s Friday field trip, I am sharing my obsession at the Four Seasons in Orlando – lighting! I have already shared the most magnificent fixture on the property (click here to see), today I am sharing a little glimpse of the rest of the hotel lighting.

Light fixture in the entrance to the spa at the Four Seasons Orlando.

I hope you found these photos inspiring. Maybe they are motivating you to revamp some of your own fixtures? Replacing an old fixture can give your space an instant refresh!

Thanks for stopping by!

A chandelier in a restroom at the Four Seasons Orlando.

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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up all light

February 2, 2018

For today’s Friday field trip – a little something to brighten up your day!

These photos are all of the same light fixture…

located in the main staircase of the Four Season’s Hotel in Orlando.

Hope they add a little brilliance to your weekend! Have a great one!

And, remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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rainbow turkeys at gozzi’s farm

November 28, 2017

You don’t need to purchase a turkey during the holidays to make a tradition of visiting Gozzi’s Turkey Farm in Guilford, Connecticut. If not purchasing a turkey, why visit a turkey farm? To get a glimpse of the rainbow colored turkeys, of course!

Rumor has it that the 15 or so white turkeys housed in a turkey pen each year outside the store were first dyed with 100% natural vegetable based dyes back in the 1940’s and the practice has been maintained as a tradition ever since.

To me, the turkeys give more of an Easter vibe than a Thanksgiving vibe, but they certainly are interesting to look at!

Gozzi’s Turkey Farm has been in business over 75 years, developing one of the first strains of white turkeys on the East Coast.

With the rise of large turkey producers, Gozzi’s does not sell the large quantities of fresh birds that it once did at its peak back in the 1970’s, but many families still make an annual tradition of purchasing a fresh Gozzi bird! Many area families also make an annual tradition of viewing the colorful turkeys in the front pen!

This small local turkey farm is located on Route 1 not far off I-95 and the turkeys are in the pen and free to view from Thanksgiving through Christmas during good weather.

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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giraffe love

November 3, 2017

I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity recently to visit White Oak Conservation in Northwest Florida. White Oak is one of the world’s premiere wildlife breeding, education, and training facilities. This wildlife conservation facility spans 13,000 acres of pine and hardwood forest and wetlands. Its mission is to save endangered wildlife and habitats through sustainable conservation breeding, education, and responsible land stewardship.

Founded in 1982, White Oak leads professional efforts to improve veterinary care, develop holistic animal management techniques, and better understand the biology of critically endangered species.

As you can tell by the photos in my post today for Friday field trip, my favorite part of my visit to White Oak was the opportunity to be ‘up close and personal’ with a group of giraffes! That, and getting together with a fabulous group of people, made my afternoon at White Oak one I will never forget!

I also had the chance to see rhinoceros, cheetahs (including baby cheetahs!), and antelope as well as a brief sighting of some okapi (a beautiful and rare giraffe relative).

Founded in 1982, White Oak is well known in the conservation and zoo communities and leads professional efforts to improve veterinary care, develop holistic animal management techniques, and better understand the biology of critically endangered species.

I hope today’s post may inspire you to visit your local zoo! A shout out to White Oak and to all the friends that shared the amazing afternoon visit with me!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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jeni’s ice cream

October 20, 2017

I have eaten a lot of ice cream in my day and I thought I had a couple favorite spots that couldn’t be beat. That is, until my recent trip to Ohio!

I found the ice cream by which all other ice creams should be measured! This super flavorful and perfectly textured dessert is sold at Jeni’s scoop shops throughout Ohio (and select other states). OMG. It is truly amazing!

I was visiting the motherland…all Jeni’s ice creams are handcrafted in the production kitchen in Columbus, Ohio. Talking to locals about the ice cream, we actually even found someone who planned their wedding colors around a Jeni’s ice cream flavor! (If you are curious, that flavor was brambleberry crisp.)

What flavors did I try? On my visits to Jeni’s while in Columbus, I ordered a ‘flight’ of half scoops – 3 half scoops served in a dish. This way I could try 3 different flavors per visit.

On one of my two trips to Jeni’s while in Ohio, cream puff was my favorite flavor of the three!

Cream puff is a salty-sweet custard vanilla reminiscent of the filling inside old world cream puffs. Jeni was inspired by the massive cream puffs served in the 100 year old Ohio restaurant, Schmidts when she created this yummy flavor!

My second flavor choice was salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks. This is the perfect flavor for anyone that loves peanut butter and chocolate together. Originally named ‘The Buckeye State,’ this regular flavor is made with salted ground roasted peanuts and rich chopped dark chocolate.

My third flavor choice was brown butter almond brittle. Made with a sticky almond toffee candy crushed into butter cream ice-cream, this flavor is inspired by Krokan – a Norwegian toffee-like treat.

In flight number 2, on my second visit to Jeni’s, the sweet cream biscuits and peach jam was my favorite flavor! Buttermilk ice-cream, crumbled shortcake biscuits and swirls of sweet-tart jam made from Georgia peaches made this flavor over-the-top delicious!

I also tried wild berry lavender – a berry flavor of pulverized black currants scented with sweet orange and lavender essential oils. Because of my love for lavender, I found this flavor very unique and tasty!

Lastly, I tried sun-popped corn. This flavor is made with organic popcorn kernels popped by the sun in kettles in the New York Hudson Valley. It truly tastes like a bowl of freshly popped popcorn!

Jeni’s is consistently adding new flavors – both temporary and standards, so there are always interesting flavors to try – like sweet potato éclair or super moon (blue violet and vanilla marshmallow swirled together)!

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams was founded in 2002 by Jeni Britton Bauer using whole ingredients with dairy from grass pastured cows and no synthetic flavorings or dyes. Jeni is a James Beard Award-winning author of two cookbooks and her New York Times best-seller Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has been dubbed the “homemade-ice-cream making Bible” by the Wall Street Journal with more than 100,000 copies in print!

sample spoons at Jenis ice cream in Ohio

Used sample tasting spoons at Jeni’s scoop shop in Columbus, Ohio

Guess what? If your mouth is watering and you wish you could try Jeni’s ice cream – you can! Jeni’s is available online as well as in select markets! If you don’t have a shop near you, I strongly recommend you order some at least once in your life – especially if you are an ice cream lover!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope I have inspired you to make or try a new flavor of ice cream!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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more 2017 country living fair

October 3, 2017

As promised, today I am sharing a few more glimpses of the 2017 Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio! (Part 2 from September 26th!)

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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2017 country living fair columbus

September 26, 2017

If you read this blog regularly, you know I am a big fan of The Country Living Fair. I have been attending the fair in Rhinebeck, NY, only a short distance from Connecticut, annually.

The Dutchess Country Fairgrounds are picturesque and provide a beautiful venue for the fair.

Put on by Country Living Magazine, the fair is a big show and sale of antiques, vintage, handcrafted goods, art, furniture, home decor, handcrafted clothing, jewelry and more. It also includes scheduled seminars and artisan demonstrations.

Each year, The Country Living Fair provides a fabulous weekend of shopping and inspiration.

I started thinking last year, why limit this fun time to a weekend? With three other Country Living Fair locations at different times of the year, why not visit one of the others? Atlanta, Columbus, or Nashville were my choices.

After some consideration, Columbus won as a second destination choice when I discovered Ballard Designs, Frontgate, and Grandin Road all have outlet stores near Columbus!

So, many months ago, a good friend and I put together plans to brave the 10 hour car trip to Ohio!

The photos here are from the 2017 Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio! I will share some additional photos from the fair next Tuesday. I hope you enjoy them and are inspired to attend one of the Country Living Fairs yourself!

It is so fun to visit a new locale! Which location do you think I will visit next? ;) Nashville? Atlanta?

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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katalina’s in columbus

September 19, 2017

I have some fun things to share with you from a recent trip to Ohio…my first ever!

Part of visiting someplace new is checking out the food scene and my visit to Columbus was nothing unusual in this respect! My first Ohio share is one of my eating adventures.

The best way to find the best eating in town? Talk to a local, of course! After receiving a glowing endorsement from an Ohio State student, my friend and I decided Katalina’s was a must-see and we headed over to try it out on a bright Sunday morning.

Located in an adorable Columbus neighborhood, this fun and colorful, tiny café is located in a renovated 100-year-old gas station and on this particular morning (like every morning?) had a line of regulars out the door! Not to be discouraged by the line, we reviewed the menu to make the tough decision of what to order. The choices were very innovative and seemed to have a Latin flavor – all made from scratch.

Since Katalina’s boasts of creating pancake balls, I was intrigued and ordered them. But then, I saw their version of avocado toast with toasted pepitas listed as a special. I just had to have some! So, I added that as well as a cup of bottomless coffee to finished out my order.

We were able to snag an outdoor table when our food was ready. The pancake balls – over a million have already been made – were very yummy! Made with stone ground flour, they were filled with organic pumpkin apple butter and served with bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.

Of course, I ordered way too much food by getting both the pancake balls and the toast, but I was glad I tried both…they were each super tasty!

I am so happy we listened to the recommendation of our new friend from OSU and I would do the same for anyone visiting Columbus!

I hope my brunch adventure has inspired you to try a new eating spot! :)

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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naples botanical garden

June 27, 2017

June is coming to an end and since Friday’s post this week will be the monthly giveaway, today will be more like a field trip. I shared my favorite exhibit in the Naples Botanical Garden in a post this month…it was a temporary exhibit called Origami in the Garden. (Click here if you missed it!)

Today, in keeping with my garden focus, I am sharing my favorite floral spot in that garden. And, guess what? The flowers aren’t white! I know – out of character, but can you see why I fell for this gorgeous spot in The Naples Botanical Garden?

Once in a while, I am a sucker for some color! Like this:

Talk to you again on Friday. If you haven’t entered the book giveaway for June, you have a couple more days. I will pick the winner at midnight on Thursday. Click here to leave a comment on the giveaway post to be entered to win. Good luck!

A docent at the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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naples botanical garden origami

June 6, 2017

On my first visit to the Naples Botanical Garden in Naples, Florida, I was intrigued by the tag line ‘Gardens with Latitude.’

I discovered the gardens showcase subtropical plants that grow around the world between the 26^th latitude north, where Naples is located, and 26^th latitude south.

One hundred and seventy acres of themed gardens that represent the culture and flora of the tropics – country climates from the 26^th latitude – what an interesting concept!

It did not take me long to figure out that plants growing in the 26^th latitude are very different from the plants in my native Connecticut, or in my favorite public garden – Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania!

But, the difference in plants was not what intrigued me most during my visit. That honor went to the temporary exhibit, Origami in the Garden.

Monumental sculptures created by artist Kevin Box told the story of origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.

The exhibition included large-scale installations, gallery works, Box’s own compositions as well as collaborative works with his wife Jennifer and world-renowned origami artists Dr. Robert J. Land, Te Jui Fu, and Michael G. LaFosse.

Examples of this amazing display are represented in the photos I am sharing with you today. I was thrilled that the installation happened to be in the garden on the day of my visit!