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your-dietician · 3 years

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Giving Birth During the Pandemic, Calif. Wildfire Evacuation

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Giving Birth During the Pandemic, Calif. Wildfire Evacuation

Illustration: by Lucy Jones

Smoke plumes over the parched hillside as we load up our two cars for our first wildfire evacuation: passports and a few bags, one neurotic pit bull and six very disgruntled barn cats. At the last minute, we toss in some baby essentials (car seat, co-sleeper) — but surely, surely we’ll be back home before we need them. Nearby, two wild turkeys peck at the new fire break, unperturbed by the human frenzy, the gathering of domestic animals, the churning of fields.

It’s August 2020. And I am 36 weeks pregnant.

A week earlier, we’d been counting our blessings — the sort of feel-good California nonsense that ran contrary to every fiber of my jaded New Yorker soul. But on that deceptively bright afternoon, I’d indulged. First on the list was our home: my husband’s family ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains where we’d moved from Brooklyn three years before.

Like so many “classic” journeys West, ours had begun in a quixotic vein. On paper, it was a job offer for my then-boyfriend, now-husband, but the impulse ran deeper than that. We were both fed up with New York for the reasons 30-something artists often are: a growing disillusionment with our respective industries; the churn of yuppification driving our friends from the neighborhoods they themselves had gentrified not long ago; the pervasive sense that there’s always someone younger than you dying to do the same thing for less. And so, we wanted to embark on a new adventure together, something utterly different — and what could be more different than trading cramped city living for bucolic rolling hills? The ranch itself held an almost mythic status for my husband. It was the childhood kingdom where he once visited his uncle and grandmother and played out his Tolkien fantasies; the steady rock of home after his parents got divorced.

But, it turns out, we’d come to California in the end times. The apocalypse grew starker the farther west we drove. When we passed through Montana, the big sky clogged with smoke as fields burned alongside the highway. As we wound down the Oregon coast, the heat sizzled. We reached the ranch on the hottest day in San Francisco history. We drove down to the beach to escape the heat—only to find a small brush fire blocking our path. The Bay Area of my husband’s childhood was in its death throes. Destroyed by tech bros and venture capitalists and, most irrevocably, by climate change. Since our arrival, the Golden State has seen its population decline for the first time on record.

Living out in all that damn nature — a 25-minute drive from just about anything — felt claustrophobic. I missed home. I yearned to hop on the subway. Trade gossip with the self-proclaimed mayor of my block. Stumble home and stop, shame-faced, at the corner bodega for a bag of expired Goldfish crackers. Engage with that pulsing, beating, bleating hum of humanity that is New York City.

But there’s nothing like a global pandemic to make you see the value of wide-open spaces. To find the beauty in sunburnt grasses. To see the hills dotted with live oaks not as yellow but as gold. To watch the fog unfurl like dragon smoke and think — this, perhaps this can be enough.

The second blessing we’d been fool enough to name was my “easy” pregnancy. I’d been 15 weeks pregnant when COVID-19 shut down the state. My in-person appointments migrated to video. I purchased a scale and a blood-pressure cuff; I dutifully reported the results every month. By and large, I felt pretty good. Healthy. But this fiction, too, was about to go up in flames. The temperatures soared, the barn cats’ fur crackled, my feet ballooned.

The morning of our evacuation, I have my first in-person OB/GYN appointment in months. By this point, I’m accustomed to the realities of a pandemic pregnancy. The strange disconnect when I talk to anyone who gave birth before COVID-19, who never worried if their partner would be allowed into the delivery room, or Googled “will the hospital separate me from my newborn if I test positive for COVID?” In the empty waiting room, the “don’t sit here” printouts have vanished along with the chairs that accompanied them. The pandemic has dragged on for five months, and the furniture has adjusted itself accordingly.

The doctor gives me bad news — the baby is in breech. The hard, round protrusion jutting beneath my rib cage is, indeed, the baby’s head, not his rump as I’ve been trying to convince myself for weeks. We schedule a version— a procedure where a doctor tries to turn the baby right-side down — for the following Friday.

Who was I to think that my body wouldn’t betray me?

There’s something else, too. My blood pressure clocks in at 151 over 97. The chatty nurse grows quiet. She looks at me, then back at the reading. She asks if I was rushing to get here. If I suffer from white-coat syndrome. With the cocky self-assurance of a person young enough and lucky enough to believe that their body won’t betray them, I tell the nurse I’m stressed. We’re under evacuation warning. By the time she straps the cuff back on after the appointment, my blood pressure has returned to normal.

Preeclampsia, the dangerous and maddeningly enigmatic condition that my high blood pressure augurs, has plagued (wo)mankind since the dawn of history. Back in the fifth century B.C.E., Hippocrates blamed it, along with so many other lady ailments, on the wandering womb. In the intervening two and a half millennia, doctors haven’t figured out the cause. The prevailing theory is that the problem starts in the placenta, the organ that nurtures the fetus in the womb: In women with preeclampsia, the blood vessels that form to deliver oxygen to the placenta are too narrow. In its efforts to feed the growing baby, the body kicks into overdrive. Your blood pressure skyrockets; your kidneys falter; your liver might fail. In the worst cases, the “pre” vanishes and you “progress” to eclampsia — seizures which can be deadly to both mom and baby.

Preeclampsia is characterized by a list of associations that often border on patient-shaming: risk factors include poor diet, obesity, diabetes, and chronic hypertension. For complex reasons that likely involve structural racism, unconscious bias, and biological weathering, Black women in America develop and die from preeclampsia at significantly higher rates than white women do.

Returning, then, to my certainty that I am perfectly well, high blood pressure or no, thankyouverymuch. We could call it denial. We could also call it a particular cocktail of white, able-bodied, and socioeconomic privilege. After all, none of those risk factors applied to me.

Days later, as another nurse lines my hospital bed with bumper pads to protect me in case of seizure, I’ll wonder at my arrogance. Just two years earlier, my older sister dropped dead at 35. Who was I to think that my body wouldn’t betray me?

Almost exactly nine months after we first arrived in California, my sister Julia died, both suddenly and predictably. She was 35 and, by most outward metrics, in good health. But, as hard as she fought, she’d been gripped by both depression and alcoholism for over a decade.

In the months after Julia dies, wildfires flame up and down the state. Eight-five people perish as Paradise is razed to the ground. I try to work on my new novel, a cli-fi dystopia that offers little escape. I spend a lot of time sitting in a large wooden crate, socializing a litter of barn kittens. Sometimes, I meet Julia’s college roommate, Casey, in San Francisco. We go to coffee shops that are both like and unlike the ones I missed in Brooklyn. Places where using the bathroom requires an app and a QR code. The world is literally on fire, and this is what Silicon Valley innovation has to offer: the monetization of what should be public goods. Over burritos and tears, Casey tells me stories about her toddler son. Funny words that he’d string together, and how when she says they can’t go outside, he knows to respond: “Too smoky?”

The decision to have children has always struck me as an essentially selfish one: You choose, out of a desire for fulfillment or self-betterment or curiosity or boredom or baby-mania or peer pressure, to bring a new human into this world. And it has never seemed more selfish than today. From a global perspective, having a child in a developed nation is among the most environmentally unsound decisions you can make — a baby born in the United States adds another 58.6 tons of carbon to the atmosphere per year. (That wipes out the net positives of my 25 years of vegetarianism in roughly three months). On the individual level, as fires rage and hurricanes form, as water grows scarce and fields lie fallow, it’s hard not to wonder: What kind of future can we offer a child?

And yet. On some level we still believe that a baby, our baby, will bring the world, our world, so much more than his carbon footprint. On another, we believe, like so many before us, that a baby can be the only balm after a loss. That it will transform me from a bereaved sister to something new and alien: a mother.

The day we evacuate, in that now-annual tradition among Western states, Gavin Newsom declares a state of emergency. The fire that we’re fleeing is the smaller of two mammoth blazes threatening the state. A CalFire spokeswoman on TV advises that all citizens should be “ready to go” in case of wildfires. “Residents have to have their bags packed up with your nose facing out your driveway so you can leave quickly.”

We joke about how absurd it is that every single Californian should be living in a perpetual state of emergency preparedness. It isn’t funny.

The truth is that we’re the lucky ones. We won’t be sleeping in our cars outside Half Moon Bay High School, hoping that the Red Cross can find us a hotel room. We have a safe place to go that will accept us and our veritable menagerie in the middle of a pandemic. My in-laws live an hour’s drive away. And for once we’re grateful they’re on the far side of Santa Cruz.

On the individual level, as fires rage and hurricanes form, as water grows scarce and fields lie fallow, it’s hard not to wonder: What kind of future can we offer a child?

So we settle into our cushy evacuation digs. I check Twitter for updates on the fire lines. I lie upside down on a propped-up ironing board to encourage the baby to flip. I dutifully record my blood pressure twice a day. When I go into a local lab on Monday, I pass a woman around my age. Her hair mussed; her clothes rumpled. I overhear her tell the security guard that she is evacuated from Boulder Creek. Her house has already burned down.

The call comes late that afternoon. We’ve gone for a walk on the beach to distract ourselves. A brisk ocean breeze keeps the smoke at bay.

The OB tells me that I need to go to the hospital in two days and that I should be prepared to deliver. Depending on whether they can flip the baby, they will either induce labor or perform a C-section.

I press my hand against my stomach, cupping what I now know is my son’s head. I dig my heels into the sand. I know with every fiber of my being that this child is not ready to be born. He has literally put his foot down. Wildfire evacuations? Smoke-clogged skies over the Bay? A global pandemic? Nah, thanks, Ma. I’ll stay inside.

Something primal stirs. A desperate need to protect this child — from the world, from the climate, from the overreach of litigation-fearing American doctors. This baby, I am convinced, does not want to come out. He needs a few more weeks inside. My lab work hasn’t even come back yet. Two high blood pressure readings? From a person evacuated from wildfires during a pandemic? And I feel fine.

So, for the first time in my life, I argue with a doctor, first patiently, then furiously. I tell her that I cannot possibly give birth in two days. That we’re evacuated. That we might not have a home to return to. That, as freelancers, we both lost a lot of work during the pandemic. That my husband, whose industry has been completely upended, has an enormous gig with a new client. That I can’t imagine waiting until Friday can make any difference. The doctor takes out the cudgel: “You need to stop worrying about money and start worrying about your baby.”

It is the first time anyone has pulled the “bad mother” card on me, though I’m sure it won’t be the last. I sputter. I am livid. I tell her we’ll be there.

Things at the hospital go well until they don’t. The baby flips; the cheerful dry-erase board is decorated with a beaming sun, the names of the on-duty nurse and physician, and the words “Preeclampsia: Mild.” The next morning, my blood pressure soars, and “mild” is replaced with “severe.” The blood-pressure cuff is now accompanied by a catheter and an IV that pumps me up with magnesium to reduce the risk of seizure. The bumper pads are up now, too.

The hospital, the beeping machines monitoring my vital signs, the proliferating IVs, it all reminds me too much of Julia. The three days I sat at her hospital bed — holding her hand, reading Redwall to her, so sure that she could hear me, that the stories we shared in childhood might somehow draw her back. So sure that she would pull out of her coma, that one day we would make macabre jokes about her hospital stay. That she wouldn’t die. That our story couldn’t end that way.

But here, in this hospital, the wool has lifted from my eyes. I now know how these stories end. And I am sure that one of us isn’t going to survive. It takes the last bit of my resolve not to tell my husband, in a fit of melodrama, to save the baby if the doctors have to choose. (In later, clearer moments, I realize that medicine doesn’t work that way. But in the throes of magnesium-laced labor, the brain latches to the cinematic.)

So much of what could go wrong does: The baby crowns but every time I push his heart rate drops. We try three more times with a suction cup fused to his head, the pediatrician’s eyes glued to the heart monitor, periodically shouting for me to stop pushing so a nurse can press the baby back inside and massage his heart rate up again. At some point, a switch is flipped, alarms blare: an emergency C-section. I’m rushed down the corridors amid flashing lights to the operating table. My husband abandoned in a delivery room awash in blood. Someone shouts back, “We’ll come back for you if we can.”

My son is wrenched from my seizing uterus — weak from the magnesium and letting out only the smallest cry. He is rushed to the NICU for oxygen and observation. But he lives. We live. And, in the end, we get to go home.

The night that Jude is born, our evacuation order is lifted. The fires that burn parts of Bonny Doon and Boulder Creek never reach the ranch. We are so very lucky. Even though I doubt that luck can last.

Although that future still terrifies me and part of me wants to disengage, to say “Let it burn” and “Fuck you” to all that, I can’t. I don’t have that luxury.

After the dust has settled, my father — my somehow still optimistic, boomer father — keeps talking about how crazy it will be for Jude to learn about the day he was born, in a pandemic while evacuated for wildfires. And all I can think is how much I wish Jude might grow up in a world where the summer of 2020 sounds aberrational. I suspect he won’t. As I write this, fires descend on Lake Tahoe, defying all efforts of containment, and Hurricane Ida has devastated the Gulf Coast. Headlines blare about “extreme” weather, and I wonder when the newspapers will lose the word “extreme.”

I know that the world in which Jude grows up will be plagued by more and more environmental disasters. That cataclysmic changes to the climate will exacerbate the other inequities we face as a nation and a planet. That we are living in a real way on borrowed time, under the shadow of carbon that’s already been released as more fossil fuel continues to burn and burn and burn.

Although that future still terrifies me and part of me wants to disengage, to say “Let it burn” and “Fuck you” to all that, I can’t. I don’t have that luxury. I have no choice but to believe that the future — troubled as it will be, stripped as it will be of my biting, brilliant sister — is still worth living in and fighting for. To believe not just in destruction, not just in accruing loss after loss after loss, but in counting blessings. Finding those small moments of joy. The smile on Jude’s face as he bashes his mouth into my cheek. “Boop,” I say as I tap his nose. The same sound Julia used to make when I tapped hers.

This isn’t the ending that I’m looking for. And it isn’t just an ending either. It’s a beginning, too. An often frightening one. And, for now, that has to be good enough.

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checkmarch79-blog · 5 years

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Those Useless Trees — The Valley Oak

A couple of days ago my friend Mike and I decided to go for a hike in Malibu Creek State Park. Having celebrated a friend’s birthday the previous night into the following morning, a good moderately strenuous ramble seemed like just the thing. We were both awed by the park’s stunning vistas as well as its many magnificent valley oak trees, the largest oak species in North America and a species found only in California.

Inside the Malibu Creek State Park

The 3,324-hectare park, although opened to the public in 1976, of course, has a much older history. The first humans to arrive in the area where likely the Chumash, who established the village of Talepop (or Ta’lopop) within what’s now the park. About 3,500 years ago — thousands of years after the Chumash settled the area — the Tongva arrived from the east and the Malibu Creek, which drains the Santa Monica Mountains, became a sort of border between the two nations. Downstream the river flows into the Pacific Ocean at an estuary the Chumash referred to as “U-mali-wu,” meaning “it makes a loud noise there.” The Spanish, who arrived in the 16th century, recorded the name as Malibu.

Languedoc?

Although neither Mike nor I had ever been to the park before, we’d both seen it in many films and television series. The striking Goat Buttes, in particular, have served as a popular setting in Hollywood fictions. Before reading a sign informing us that the outcroppings were in the series, M*A*S*H, I was reminded by the chaparral-covered prominences of a childhood summer spent in Languedoc. After learning that the semi-arid oak landscape had been used to evoke green, temperate Korea for eleven seasons of the long-running Korean War comedy, I was struck by how unlike the scenery reminded me of any I’d seen in Korea, which I visited last summer. Of course, come to think of it, the cast of that show’s hairstyles seemed suspiciously ’70s for a war which took place from 1950-1953.

Coast live oaks on a hill

The valley in which we stood was carpeted with brittle, yellow grasses and scruffy oak trees. Most of the oaks in the oak savanna were coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia), also known as California live oak, those familiar oaks which during the rainy season fleetingly give the landscape of rolling hills on which they often grow the appearance of the Shire. Elsewhere in the park, there are stately sycamores and the southernmost grove of redwoods. There are, naturally, many varieties of native fungi and fauna as well, and during our visit, we observed a small herd of mule deer, various lizards, a covey of quail, a couple of rabbits, a California tarantula, a gracefully gliding heron, a red-tailed hawk, a flock of pigeons, and several other birds which I didn’t recognize.

Some of the oaks obviously unlike the others. They were taller, their silhouettes patchier, their branches droopier than the dome-like coast live oaks, the canopies of which spread out like gauzy green umbrellas over the gently rolling hills. As a child growing up in Missouri’s Little Dixie, I roamed the forests and knew my red cedars from my red maples, my black walnuts from my bladdernuts, my corkwoods from my dogwoods, my pawpaws from my possumhaws. I don’t remember learning most of their names and characteristics, though, and because of that, I hoped — however unrealistically — that I’d over time somehow simply absorb a similar knowledge Southern California’s trees. Having now lived in Southern California longer than anywhere else, I have unfortunately found that I have to make an effort to learn them.

I observed the oaks that were not coast live oaks. Whereas the leaves of the coast live oak are small, shiny, prickly, and look a bit like those of a holly shrub, the leaves of these oaks were lobed and looked almost leathery, faintly fuzzy. The leaves were clustered rather than spread across the branches’ tips. The bark was sort of silvery brown and almost uniformly wrinkled whereas the trunks and branches of the coast live oaks appear contorted and gnarled. It was clear that these were not coast live oaks — but I was no closer to identifying them than I had been when Mike had asked me what they were and so I turned to PlantSnap, an app which has, since downloading, successfully identified about 30% of the plants I’ve used it to recognize. It also identifies fungi — but with a track record like that, I wouldn’t use it for foraging unless I was completely OK with a painful death. This time the app proved successful, however, notifying me that the tree was most likely a Quercus agrifolia, or valley oak (it was) or, perhaps, a staghorn fern or loquat (it was obviously not). Valley oaks are also known as robles, as in Paso Robles.

I was struck by the appearance of the valley oaks acorns, which were considerably longer than those I was accustomed to. They provide food for, among other animals, acorn woodpeckers, California ground squirrels, California scrub jays, and yellow-billed magpies. Historically, they were also an important food source for the Chumash, who never developed agriculture as they were able to live comfortably off of what they foraged and hunted.

Mule deer eating valley oak leaves

The woody parts of the valley oak support California gall wasp, red cone gall wasp, and Chionodes petalumensis. As we approached a beckoning oak woodland, we stopped to watch a large family of mule deer, one of whose members spent a great deal of time standing on his hind legs and helping himself to the leaves of a large tree.

The roots of the valley oak have intimate symbiotic associations with many of the region’s mycorrhizal fungi which are essential to their survival — and one of the main reasons Southern California should favor the planting of native trees over imports like the pepper trees, goldenrains, jacarandas, bottle brushes, &c which, although drought tolerant, are simply incapable of slotting into an ecosystem which evolved over millions of years without them.

The valley oak is endemic to California, where its range stretches along the valleys and foothills of San Diego County in the south to Sikiyou County in the north. They live to be up to 600 years, which means that the oldest trees were alive during the fall of Constantinople, the invention of the printing press, the domination of Central Asia by Tamerlane’s Timurid Empire, and closer to home, the rise of the Inca and Aztec empires.

Until it fell on 1 May 1977, the tallest valley oak was the so-called “Hooker Oak,” which stood until then in Chico. Because its trunk had a massive diameter of 8.8 meters, its age was at the time estimated to be over 1,000 years old. However, once dead it was determined that the tree owed its girth to the fact that it was in fact two specimens, both of roughly 325 years of age, which had long ago grown together into one. It appeared in many films where it proved a natural in its many roles as a tree.

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), co-starring the Hooker Oak

The current tallest valley oak is the so-called “Henley Oak,” a specimen which towers 47 meters above the floor of the Round Valley in Covelo. It is named after Thomas J. Henley, a one-time Superintendent of Indian Affairs notable for opening the region to European-American settlers in defiance of a federal order which had promised the land to Native Americans, resulting in a great deal of regrettable bloodshed between indigenous Californians and immigrants. The tree is believed to be more than 500 years old, meaning it sprouted from an acorn and was possibly producing its own well before the first Spanish galleon, San Salvador, sailed along the coast.

The Henley Oak (source unknown)

Mike and I turned back after reaching Rock Pool, and again we crossed the valley featured in M*A*S*H. This time, surprisingly, I did find myself somewhat reminded of Korea — or at least of Korean (and Chinese) landscape painting. By this time, the sun had set and the gold hour was transitioning to blue. The oak woodland seemed to be climbing up the base of the improbably steep sandstone hillsides. Tipping the scales of perception, perhaps, was the presence of a Korean family attempting to take photos of a toddler with the scenery as a backdrop.

Korean landscape painting? Oak woodland at the base of low mountains

I sometimes have a physical sensation of being pulled into the woods and the longer I looked at the trees, the stronger the pull seemed to grow. I had to fight the urge to enter the forest because the park had officially closed the moment the sun sank behind the horizon and currently, there is no overnight camping because in June, 35-year-old Tristan Beaudette was shot to death in the tent he was sharing with his two young daughters. Since then, rumors and other reports of gunfire in the park have emerged both following the murder and stretching back to 2016 and there’s an ongoing investigation.

Vacant campsite under a canopy of oak trees)

Hopefully, the murderous gunman will be caught and peace and campers will again return to the park. It looks like a really wonderful place to pitch a tent for a weekend, perhaps do a bit of forest bathing, or even just contemplate the scenery. As we continued toward the exit, the crescent moon (which had hung in the sky throughout our day) was now shining brightly and bats were flitting about in search of a meal. We hurried our pace and left the park without incident.

Eric Brightwell is an adventurer, writer, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener who is always seeking paid writing, speaking, traveling, and art opportunities. He is not interested in generating advertorials, cranking out clickbait, or laboring away in a listicle mill “for exposure.”

Brightwell has written for Angels Walk LA, Amoeblog, Boom: A Journal of California, diaCRITICS, Hidden Los Angeles, and KCET Departures. His art has been featured by the American Institute of Architects, the Architecture & Design Museum, the Craft & Folk Art Museum, Form Follows Function, Los Angeles County Store, the book Sidewalking, Skid Row Housing Trust, and 1650 Gallery. Brightwell has been featured as subject in The Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Magazine, LAist, CurbedLA, Eastsider LA, Boing Boing, Los Angeles, I’m Yours, and on Notebook on Cities and Culture. He has been a guest speaker on KCRW‘s Which Way, LA? and at Emerson College. Art prints of Brightwell’s maps are available from 1650 Gallery. He is currently writing a book about Los Angeles and you can follow him on Ameba, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Mubi, Twitter, and Weibo.

Click here to offer financial support and thank you!

Source: https://ericbrightwell.com/2018/09/18/those-useless-trees-the-valley-oak/

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man-reading · 7 years

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Lost in Ferrari

Written by Chris Campanioni

Learning to drive the 2017 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso

Ferrari GTC4Lusso in white. Photo courtesy Ferrari

I learned to drive the 2017 Ferrari GTC4Lusso by driving my 2011 Kia Forte on the NJ Turnpike, and imagining I was behind the wheel of Ferrari’s front-mid mounted 6.3-litre V12 engine shooting-brake 7-speed dual-clutch hatchback.

I don’t know what any of these numbers mean; I’m just reading from the e-mail Ferrari’s travel agent had sent an hour ago. When I was still moving with my own legs. As a rule, all writers do this, all the time, so it didn’t feel so strange, to drive through Staten Island, toward the Goethals Bridge, the NJ Turnpike, the rust and metal and the hot-trash stink of Elizabeth, and to picture I was rounding the foothills of the Apuan Alps instead, wind curving up my shirt and through my hair, squinting so you can see I really feel it.

The hatchback on my Kia Forte is probably the only similarity, besides the exterior’s cerulean hue. Ferrari’s three-door grand touring goes 0 to 62 in 3.4 seconds. The cost to own one, according to the spec sheet attached to the e-mail, is $300 thousand. The cost to drive one, for an afternoon, over the foothills of the Apuan Alps, and very likely, along the stretch of Marina di Pietrasanta’s gold-sand coast, is free, at least if you’ve been entrusted with the responsibility to write about it for the GTC4Lusso media launch.

But we’re not there yet. I’m still on the NJ Turnpike, somewhere across Elizabeth, revving my 2.0 4-cylinder engine under one, two, three white-silver specks which are embarking on their own journey, Newark Liberty International receding in the rearview. I’ll be on that jet tomorrow.

“You’d need to look up to understand how blurred your line of sight is, in the passenger seat or otherwise, when you’re going 208 miles per hour”

“So how fast does this machine go?” I ask, turning to the man in the passenger side who’d just switched seats, glancing up from the spec sheet which says 208 miles per hour. Spec sheets, like cell phones, are useless. They only give answers. What I want is to only ever ask questions; to know what you could never know; really, I’m not interested in how fast we’re going, or how fast we’re going to go. I want to know how it feels. I want to tell you how it feels.

You can’t ever get that from a spec sheet or a Google search. You’d need to look up to understand how blurred your line of sight is, in the passenger seat or otherwise, when you’re going 208 miles per hour.

Which we’re not.

Chris Campanioni driving the 2017 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso in the Apuan Alps. Photo courtesy Ferrari

The winding roads of the Apuan Alps are nearly one-lane in the Ferrari; Fiats and Lancias pull over at the sound of the approaching growl, except for the rare moments you turn a curving bend and slide by a commercial van or utility truck ambling in the opposite direction. The Aerautodromo di Modena this is not, but the GTC4Lusso is better for it, nimbly handling every literal bump of the road with the type of ease and immediacy I’d only ever witnessed in the movies. The thing about wish fulfillment is, Ferrari makes these aspirations of grandeur possible for the everyday driver, and this, more than anything else, is what sets the GTC4Lusso apart from its predecessors, and its competition, or at least the cars that trail behind, or pull over at the sound of that growl, the sort of operatic treble that distinguishes a Ferrari from any other car, my driving companion tells me, as much a part of the brand as the spirit of artistic innovation and adventure. And today we are having both.

It’s no surprise that Ferrari, which picks a different location for each of its media drives, chose Pietrasanta in Versilia to unveil the GTC4Lusso. Tuscany’s city of art has twenty-eight laboratories of marble and nine foundries of bronze, and its streets flourish with actual art objects, including a massive window without a frame that opens up to a long stretch of stone sidewalk into Piazza del Duomo, where we meet in the morning to pick up our keys and find our Ferraris, a dozen parked alongside a majestic monument of Leopoldo the II and the white-marbled gothic spires of La Collegiata, as the village’s red-bricked bell tower chimes, reminding us that time is money but adventure is always priceless.

The night before, after a media presentation and dinner in the Museum of Sculpture and Architecture, a maestro regaled us under the half moon with a Stradivarius from 1728, a machine that creates a distinct acoustic because of its soundboard, itself a type of engine; the varnish, the wood, even the width producing a tonal accent that is inimitable. In that way, it sounded a lot like Ferrari, a company driven by luxury and sport but also by the desire to create something beautiful.

“Decades ago, Ferrari re-defined adventure. Now the automobile company is re-defining how we have adventures”

In Tuscany, at least on this balmy afternoon, all roads seem to lead to Lucca. Despite Ferrari’s pre-programmed GPS-guided route; 146 kilometers through six strategically-placed waypoints toward our eventual return to the Piazza del Duomo, we are circling Lucca, twisting around those mountain turns and idyllic villages as young boys and old men raise their arms up and cheer us on, hoping we’ll give them another growl in our wake. We’d lost the pack of other journalists sometime after Waypoint 1 and Waypoint 2, spotting the Mayor of Pietrasanta in a café’s parking lot, and pulling in to join him for a macchiato, what he referred to as “the unofficial checkpoint”—the first, it turns out, of many.

Decades ago, Ferrari re-defined adventure. Now the automobile company is re-defining how we have adventures. And it has attracted a new generation of drivers. Today, Ferrari drivers are ten years younger, and they are taking sixty percent of their trips with at least four passengers. So Ferrari responded with improved efficiency for CO2 and fuel consumption, and almost-instant responsiveness even at low revs, thanks to the GTC4Lusso’s new thrust vectoring control and its SSC4 Side Slip Control System, the closest thing to a car having its own sentience, with a brain that receives information from onboard sensors and grip estimation, intervening when necessary and adapting the car’s behavior to suit road surfaces and grip conditions of all types.

“This is the Ferrari you can use daily because customers want an everyday Ferrari,” the GT product manager explained to a room full of writers, the night before at the MuSA. In doing so, Ferrari has designed the GTC4Lusso with more storage space, more luggage space, more rear leg space; more space to create more adventures. Smiling toddlers in infant seats, skis and snow boots secured in the trunk, brown bags filled with apples, and carrots, and organic cream in the back seat.

A photo montage from the presentation flashes in my mind as we speed under another sign indicating LUCCA; the Fortezza delle Verrucole and five other points of interest shown in the 10.25-inch high-def touchscreen, all of these places we are supposed to be. Now we’re waiting for a call from Ferrari, from other journalists, from the Mayor, maybe, to tell us where to go, or how to get there.

“It could be worse,” my co-pilot admitted, navigating our ride in Ferrari’s new dual-cockpit passenger display; click anywhere on the map and it automatically becomes selected as a new point of interest on our ongoing route.

I ask him how much worse and he tells me about the time, in Spain, when a wave of writers were detained by Spanish police for speeding past their unmarked cars over the Pyrenees.

And in fact, in the GTC4Lusso, it only gets better, circling Lucca instead of following the rest of the pack toward Barga and the Verrucole Fortress, replacing a guided tour with our self-made journey, the way I think Ferrari always intended.

“Turn left,” the guidance instructs, in its best lady-like British voice. “Then go straight ahead.”

“You know what they call that in Virginia?” my co-pilot asks, turning to me, not really expecting an answer. “They say, ‘Drive straight on, and then keep on getting it.”

We keep getting it. Then we get some more. “I say, ‘Taste everything,’” I return, glancing back at him, the road a stretch of black-grey blur. “‘Then go back for seconds.’”

Eventually, we make it to lunch, as everyone else is preparing to depart. Rolling green hills, brick-walled ruins, more mountains studded with more enchanting villages. A view of the castle that everyone else has already visited, taking the same photos everyone else has. Espresso arrives at the table. Mounds of golden pillows called pasta fritta in a bowl to my left. Cured meats and cheeses from the region to my right. A hulking slice of beef still forthcoming. Unofficial Checkpoint 2, I think, as I take my first sip, glancing at the Mayor who’s now sitting at another table, speaking in Italian, probably relating the incident about the two American journalists who got lost moments in and joined him for a macchiato.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso in blue. Photo courtesy Ferrari

We pull in to the Piazza del Duomo next to only two other Ferrari. Unsurprisingly, we’ve arrived ahead of schedule. The idea of schedules was thrown out the window, or the panoramic low-e glass roof, several hours earlier.

“Don’t worry,” a Ferrari rep tells us, sitting on the stone steps that lead to the cathedral, hands on her knees, keeping time without a watch. “There’s two more right behind you.”

I stand silent for a moment, scanning for the potent purr that heralds a Ferrari, the V12 engine that customers say is their favorite part of the experience. I bend down, reach for a step, take a seat beside her as I think of titles to this story. All Roads Lead To Lucca, Unofficial Checkpoint, Points Of Interest, Lost In Ferrari.

Ferrari creates adventures. The point is to lose yourself.

#Chris Campanioni #Ferrari #cars #driving

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photograpia · 7 years

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Travel Thursday: 5 Things to Know when Visiting Tokyo DisneySea

The biggest highlight of our Japan trip was spending an entire day at one of the most magical places on the planet: Tokyo DisneySea. From the time Mia, Monica, and I became best friends, we knew we wanted to travel together someday, and a Disney park was definitely on that bucketlist. At 26, we finally did it! We got to enjoy the day with someone else we grew up with- our ever-pretty friend Mica, whose infectious excitement (and Japanese speaking skills!) made the trip so much better.

It was my first time to a Disney park outside of the US, and while most foreign Disney parks are based on the original at Anaheim, Disneysea was an entirely new concept. As with most Japanese attractions- the devil was in the details, and everything was so well thought out, over-the-top, and extra. We loved it.

As a tribute and mini guide to anyone visiting the park, these are the 5 Things You Should Know when Visiting Tokyo Disney Sea:

1. The Park is entirely in Japanese.

I don’t know if this should be common knowledge, but the first time I went to a theme park that wasn’t in the states, I was suprised at how there was very little English anywhere. It think it’s a good thing- it shows how these parks really try to adapt and make things more local for the people in the places they set up. To a foreign tourist who only understands English it may be a challenge, but pertinent signs and instructions are multilingual so it shouldn’t be a deterrent to visit. Also not knowing what comes next on a ride when the narration is in Japanese makes them so much more thrilling!

2. Tokyo DisneySea is HUGE.

Unlike in other Disney resorts in other countries, the Tokyo Disneyland/DisneySea parks are separate (think a train station away separate) and do not offer cross park tickets. This really makes sense- to maximize the experience, do one park a day. The DisneySea park is divided into seven areas:

Mediterranean Harbour

American Harbourfront

Lost River Delta

The Arabian Coast

Port Discovery (where you’ll find the adorable Finding Dory ride)

and Mermaid Lagoon. This was my favorite part of the park- be sure to enter the actual castle and marvel at the multi-sensory King Triton’s underwater world. I felt like I was five and watching The Little Mermaid for the first time again.

3. The rides are fantastic. Get Fastpasses whenever you can.

These are the rides you absolutely shouldn’t miss:

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Tower of Terror

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull

Toy Story Mania (closed when we went)

Aquatopia

4. Peoplewatch. The guests themselves are part of the adventure.

Last year when I was at the Disneyland in California, I had every intention of dressing up like Princess Jasmine (no judgement). Then I found out that this is no longer allowed for anyone over the age of 12 (understandably so, the world and time we live in warrants such restrictions to keep kids safe from creepy predators). The wonderfully creative people in Japan however found a way around this by integrating character elements into their wardrobe...and channeling all their costume restrictions on to their children. It is a glorious thing to observe.

I’d like to point out the bear ears these adorable school kids are sporting. These are the ears of the most famous character in the entire Tokyo Disney Resort- Duffy. Who is Duffy, you may ask? Duffy is Mickey Mouse’s teddy bear. Yes, the bear is more famous than Mickey himself. So much so that they gave him a girlfriend this summer- a random violet bunny named StellaLou.

This is my future parenting peg. Classic mother with the chic ears and her princess child.

Few families made me smile bigger than this huge one of apparent Disney fans- see also the toddler for whom this visit was probably planned, sleeping blissfully in stroller.

Then of course- the girlfriends who all dress in the same colors, and pose in all the key photo spots with their Duffy/StellaLou stuffed animals. Only at Tokyo DisneySea.

5. Bring lots of yen for food and merchandise.

I wrote previously about how a visit to Tokyo DisneySea can turn into a great food trip real quick here.

If only for the food and the merchandise, the DisneySea park is well worth a visit. While the entrance is significantly cheaper than most theme parks (as of July 2017 it’s 7400 yen for an adult or $67/Php3500), you’ll find that it’s very hard to say no to the merch. It’s also priced pretty reasonably, but the volume of things you’ll want to get can get overwhelming! Everything is so much cuter, more chic...and after such an amazing day at the park, you’ll really want something to remember your day by. Here are some examples of the kawaii culture buys you can find:

Technology Accessories. Lots of phone cases, charms, microfiber cleaning sheets, and the like. The designs are adorable and really unique -like this one of Chip and Dale making acorn pasta! It even has a little pasta cutter charm!

Subtly Disney Jewelry. I really loved the Disney accessories selection in Japan because it wasn’t over the top in character branding, but more chic gold elements with subtle references. As someone whose ears aren’t pierced I love that all their earrings come with softclip options too.

My biggest regret is not buying this Queen Elsa jewelry stand. I should have.

Cutesy-fied Star Wars Merchandise. I know, I know. Star Wars is a classic and really needs no cutesy-fying, but who can say no to making droids and ewoks even cuter?

Stationary. Gradschool has allowed me to be indulgent with these for a little longer, and for that I am glad. Couldn’t turn away from the pens, the sticky notes, the notepads! It has been the best way to remember the fun that day, even when I’m back in the stressful school environment. Thank you for the smiles, Disney.

#travel #japan #shopping #tokyo #disney #disneyland #disneysea #tokyodisneysea #disneylove #disneyparks #disneyresort #stationary #tokyo2017

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actualcannibalshialasquib · 6 years

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World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers on AMEPAC Furniture

Home Interior Decorating Ideas published on https://amepac.org/best-of/world-class-homes-are-created-by-houstons-top-interior-designers/

World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers

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They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and in some cases, they are certainly grander. In a state where the appetite for all things large and luxurious is positively voracious, cities like Houston have developed a marvelous pool of interior design talent. With more than 6.5 million residents in the Houston metro area, it is a big market for design, rivaling cities like New York and Los Angeles. People are design savvy and want top-notch creativity. Homedit has gathered a list of the top interior designers in Houston who can handle everything from designing every space in a new construction to the refresh of a living room or dining room.

Wendt Design Group

The Wendt Design Group is a full-service design agency that handles projects of all styles but has a focus on spaces that are classic modern, transitional or contemporary. Founded by licensed designer Amilee Wendt, this top interior design firm in Houston has a full team of professionals who work locally, nationally and internationally on residential as well as commercial projects. Wendt is an award-winning designer with more than 25 years of experience in the Houston area and in Asia. Numerous projects by the design group have garnered awards from the American Society for Interior Designers (ASID). The company is known for creating designs that are reflective of personal style as well as functional and stylish.

Marker Girl

Under the tagline “happy home…happy everything,” Karen Davis creates designs that focus on stylish interiors that can “stand up to real-life living.” By blending stylish furnishings with fabrics and finishes that are functional and durable, Davis’ interiors are truly family friendly. All the work springs from her philosophy that the family living in the home is the element that provides the true feeling of home. The firm — whose name was inspired by her toddler-age daughter who had a decorating escapade with a black Sharpie — has been featured in House Beautiful and Traditional Home. Davis also maintains an award-winning design blog.

Dodson Interiors

Dodson Interiors is known for its “Casual Glamour — sophisticated, refined designs that meld Hollywood glam with a transitional design. Projects ranging from remodeling to new construction have earned founder Julie Dodson the label Star on the Rise from the Houston Design Center and 20 Young Designers to Watch from Traditional Home Magazine. Said to leave “an elegant and inspired design footprint,” Dodson acquired her skills working for a number of top interior design firms in Houston, including that of her mother, renowned designer Trisha Dodson. The firm’s work has been featured in dozens of media outlets, including Luxe magazine, HGTV and Southern Living.

Pamela Hope Designs

Pamela Hope Designs has worked on hundreds of projects in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and residential clients across the country from Maine to Alaska. On the commercial side, Hope, who founded the firm, has worked with offices of all sorts, hotels and spaces that were transformed through adaptive reuse. She earned her experience with a Manhattan designer and studied at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. The firm has won a variety of awards on the local and national level and has received a wide variety of media coverage, including House Beautiful, Houston House & Home, and Bayou City Magazine. Hope also speaks widely on various design topics including Feng Shui, decorating and color.

Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

Based in Houston, Lucas/Eilers Design Associates has been creating creative, timeless designs for more than 20 years. Sandra Drews Lucas and Sarah Brooks Eilers operate with a philosophy of combining vision, experience, and integrity to make personal and stylish spaces that fit clients’ tastes and personalities. Their design process, paired with an exceptional eye for detail, has yielded satisfied customers from coast to coast. The firm’s contemporary, traditional and eclectic projects have earned them a variety of accolades. The pair is passionate about design and the ideas they present to clients draw on their long experience, access to resources and partnership with top shelf craftspeople.

Jane Page Design Group

Award-winning Jane Page Design Group is a full-service interior design firm creating fresh designs that have an enduring sophistication. Headed by founder Jane Page Crump, the team takes on projects big and small, from design concept all the way through furnishing and finishing. For nearly 40 years, Jane Page has worked with clients across the country to design spaces of many styles, viewing every interior as an adventure with a “life-affirming spirit of possibility.” Crump says that “A design is not good if it’s not functional or if we don’t achieve the effect desired by the client.” She was named one of Houston’s Most Influential Women in 2010 and is a former president of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers and the Texas Association of Interior Design.

William W. Stubbs & Associates

William W. Stubbs & Associates creates inspired designs for clients around the world that have earned him a place on the AD 100, Architectural Digest’s list of the World’s Top Designers and Architects and the moniker “the Indiana Jones of interior design.” His work has included private residences, vacation retreats and a corporate jet. Stubbs adopts a holistic approach with the aim of designing a space for clients that “serves their lifestyles, nurtures their innermost being, and lifts their spirits each time they walk in the door.” Stubbs is also host of Emmy-nominated Moment of Luxury, a lifestyle series seen on PBS nationwide, and has a blog called Creating Your Classic Life that covers his fascinating life journey of collecting, admiring and creating.

Laura U Interior Design

Known for its bold yet polished designs, Laura U Interior Design creates interiors that are “Classically Current.” The firm was founded by Laura Umansky, a celebrated designer with degrees in art and architecture, as well as extensive design experience. Her ability to meld clean lines with striking details yields spaces of high design that are still practical living areas. Founded in 2006, the firm has more than 20 awards from ASID and her projects from across the globe have been featured in many media outlets. Clients appreciate her skill in creating the feeling of “warm luxury” within a family home that is highly functional and reflective of a family’s lifestyle.

Ginger Barber Interior Design

Harmonious designs and a penchant for neutral interiors have made Ginger Barber Interior Design one of Houston’s top firms. The founder’s motto of “keep it simple” is the cornerstone of her work that deftly combines elements of contemporary and traditional interiors. The resulting spaces are serene and uncomplicated, with a definite bent to the natural end of the design realm. For three decades, Barber has been working in Houston but she also enjoys creating designs for second homes outside the city, ranging from beach escapes to upscale farmhouses in rural areas. In 2014, the Decorative Center Houston named Barber Designer of the Year. She is also known for her support of equestrian rescue and is involved with Habitat for Horses.

Paloma Contreras Design

A modern take on traditional style is what helps distinguish Paloma Contreras Design. Contreras is an interior decorator, tastemaker, and design blogger who seamlessly blends classic silhouettes and timeless pieces with glamour and color. Well-versed in a wide range of styles, she has been recognized as a “Next Wave” interior designer by House Beautiful, named to LUXE Magazine’s “Gold List”, and recently featured as one of 10 “New Talent” designers in ELLE DECOR. With projects coast to coast, Contreras’ firm creates bespoke interiors that reflect those living in the home. The resulting spaces are both luxurious and comfortable, as well as highly personal. Her first book called “Dream. Design. Live.” will be published in September 2018.

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design (JOID) focuses on creating luxurious, modern interiors that are highly livable. O’Neill’s keen eye for design was born during her modeling career in Chicago, where she honed her love for fashion and textiles, later shifting to an education in interiors. Founded in 2002, the firm’s work has since landed her in design and lifestyle publications such as Elle Decor, Modern Luxury, Luxe Interiors, and LX/TV among others. JOID was also named to the Luxe Interiors + Design 2015 Gold List and has launched a line of furnishings. The firm offers both residential and commercial design services, along with a Custom Atelier Program she calls “the quickest and simplest way to create your dream home one room at a time.”

Brown Interiors

Brown Interiors has earned its reputation for fine design as well as for being obsessed with customer service. Founder and leading Houston interior designer and interior decorator Deborah Brown turns a client vision into a home. From small home decor consults to full-house interior designs, the design staff has a wealth of expertise enabling them to solve design challenges of all types. The firm’s relationship with leading furniture manufacturers around the globe gives clients access to a wide variety of quality furnishings of all styles. Brown’s attention to detail and grace in dealing with clients have helped propel the Pearland, Texas firm to notoriety. Their stylish interiors have been featured on HGTV, A&E, and in other media outlets.

Lonergan Interiors

Owner and designer Meg Lonergan is one of Houston’s most sought-after designers because of her approach that balances international sophistication with classic southern style. Lonergan focuses on high-end residential and commercial interiors, putting her years of design experience and overseas life into her work. Clients value her affinity for blending the old with the new, mixing classic pieces with inventive finds, and marrying eclectic with traditional. By fusing her client’s preferences and favorite pieces with custom pieces, art and accessories, Lonergan and her team create spaces that are comfortable, functional and beautiful. Her work has been featured in many media, including Texas Home & Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and House Beautiful Magazine.

The Design Firm

Founded by owner and principal designer Kara Wuellner, The Design Firm is known not just for its originality but also for its fun-loving approach to the design process. Wuellner’s propensity for “unorthodox” design choices has allowed her to turn her three decades of design experience into an award-winning firm. Her creative style combines refined elegance with everyday living to bring a client’s “Signature Style” to reality in inspired spaces that thrum with colors textures, and diverse cultures. Described as a visionary and 3-dimensional storyteller, Wuellner has earned a number of awards from the American Society of Interior Designers and the Greater Houston Builders Association.

Eklektik Interiors

“Beautiful environments for exceptional living” are the hallmark of Eklektik Design in Houston. The name of the firm is a take on “eclectic” which means the best of many styles and also drives the firm’s work: Helping homeowners express their diverse individuality in a space that becomes a signature expression. Serving residential and commercial clients, owner Kathy Anderson creates interiors that are livable yet very exciting. The firm’s range of work includes remodeling, cabinetry, lighting, window treatments, home accessories, and elegant furnishings. Her accolades include awards from the ASID Houston Gulf Coast Chapter and Prism Houston’s Best, and her work has been featured in publications like Architectural Digest, LUXE and Redbook, to name a few.

By Design Interiors, Inc.

By Design Interiors, Inc. is a full-service, luxury design firm that serves the residential and commercial markets. A reputation for integrity and impeccable service has led to the firm’s work being featured in numerous publications. Working with the aim to “make your world more beautiful, By Design!” founder Peggy Fuller and her staff delight clients with a range of styles that run the gamut from calming and relaxing to entertaining and energizing. From planning to finishing, By Design uses its in-depth knowledge of products and materials in all aspects, from space planning, to choosing lighting and furniture, selecting window treatment and area rugs as well as incorporating well-considered accessories.

Gin Design Group

Gin Design Group has built its name on projects around the world: Clients in Venezuela, Spain, Brazil, and Germany join the group’s Houston roster. From private residences to restaurants, pubs, wine bars, multifamily dwellings and a boutique hotel, all have been designed by founder Gin Braverman and her team. With a background in set design, Braverman honed her interior design skills at a firm in Taipei before returning to the United States. Her experience includes a stint on HGTV’s first full-home remodeling show, “Home Rules.” She also partnered with award-winning graphic designer Evan O’Neil to found an in-house division to focus on hospitality concepts.

Janet Gust Design Group

Janet Gust has been creating interiors that fit her clients’ individual personalities since 1995. For Gust, the feel of a space is paramount in making it work for a client. Individual priorities, as well as the usability and comfort of a space, are key in designing something that makes the client happy. Having started her career in career in remodeling and multi-family commercial housing, Gust loves starting with a ground-up project or renovating a house with great bones into a modern residence reflective of a client’s personality. Her one-of-a-kind designs are the manifestation of the homeowner’s vision and lifestyle.

Pearl Design Interiors

Pearl Design Interiors offers individually tailored luxury design services for residential projects as well as for celebrity photo shoot set-ups. Owner Alecia Johnson, who was named one of the Top 20 African American Interior Designers in the United States, offers interiors design in a wide range of styles. Through in-depth research and consultation with clients, she creates designs that reflect a style — traditional, eclectic, modern, or contemporary — but also incorporate unexpected elements. The sum total is spaces that provide quality and exceed client expectations. Johnson’s work has been featured in a number of publications and included on various “Best of” lists.

The post World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.

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adamn-ellis · 6 years

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World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers - AMEPAC Furniture

Home Furniture Ideas on https://amepac.org/best-of/world-class-homes-are-created-by-houstons-top-interior-designers/

World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers

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Wendt Design Group

Marker Girl

Dodson Interiors

Pamela Hope Designs

Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

Jane Page Design Group

William W. Stubbs & Associates

Laura U Interior Design

Ginger Barber Interior Design

Paloma Contreras Design

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design

Brown Interiors

Lonergan Interiors

The Design Firm

Eklektik Interiors

By Design Interiors, Inc.

Gin Design Group

Janet Gust Design Group

Pearl Design Interiors

The post World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.

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aclsblog · 6 years

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World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers - AMEPAC Furniture

World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers

[ad_1]

Wendt Design Group

Marker Girl

Dodson Interiors

Pamela Hope Designs

Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

Jane Page Design Group

William W. Stubbs & Associates

Laura U Interior Design

Ginger Barber Interior Design

Paloma Contreras Design

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design

Brown Interiors

Lonergan Interiors

The Design Firm

Eklektik Interiors

By Design Interiors, Inc.

Gin Design Group

Janet Gust Design Group

Pearl Design Interiors

The post World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.

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aburntship · 6 years

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New Post has been published on AMEPAC Furniture

New Post has been published on https://amepac.org/best-of/world-class-homes-are-created-by-houstons-top-interior-designers/

World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers

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Wendt Design Group

Marker Girl

Dodson Interiors

Pamela Hope Designs

Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

Jane Page Design Group

William W. Stubbs & Associates

Laura U Interior Design

Ginger Barber Interior Design

Paloma Contreras Design

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design

Brown Interiors

Lonergan Interiors

The Design Firm

Eklektik Interiors

By Design Interiors, Inc.

Gin Design Group

Janet Gust Design Group

Pearl Design Interiors

The post World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.

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#Best Of

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your-dietician · 3 years

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DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 26

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/entertainment/destin-events-and-entertainment-june-26/

DESTIN EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT June 26

Please send your events, meetings, etc., to [email protected] at least 2 weeks in advance.

Destin City Hall

All city meetings are being held at the City Hall Annex, 4100 Indian Bayou Trail, until further notice. All meetings are subject to change or cancellation. To virtually view the meeting, https://www.cityofdestin.com/. To view/stream is www.youtube.com/CityofDestin.

Family Fun Day

The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart will host a Family Fun Day in Santa Rosa Beach from 9-11 a.m. June 26. The location will be the new Ascension Sacred Heart building at 179 Mack Bayou Loop. The event is free of charge and celebrates the expansion of pediatric services to the Emerald Coast. Outdoors, masks are encouraged, but not required. Inside the building, masks are required.

Rock the Docks

Rock along the docks at HarborWalk Village and under the stars for a free live concert from 7-9 p.m. June 26 with Frank Fletcher.

• July 3: 18 Miles Band

• July 10: Flash Flood

• July17: way Ja Vu

• July 24: The Hoodoos

• July 31: Scenic Heights

• Aug. 7: FIinga Faya

• Aug. 14: TBA

Sunday Cinema

Grab a lawn chair or blanket for the free movie “Moana,” a featured film on the big screen at 8 p.m. June 27 on the Events Plaza Lawn at Baytowne Wharf.

• July 11: Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

• July 18: Pete’s Dragon

• July 25: Sing

Rosemary Beach Summer Concerts

Bring your chairs and blankets and enjoy the night on St. Augustine Green in Rosemary Beach with music of Totally Awesome 80’s from 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 28.

• July 5: Ocean’s Nine (boat Pop)

• July 12: Kool Kats (50’s & 60’s)

• July 19: British Invasion (Beatles and Stones)

• July 26: Flying High (Bryds to the Eagles)

• Aug. 2: Fais Do-Do (Cajun & Zydeco)

• Aug. 9: Totally Awesome 80’s!

ACT Workshops

Workshops to assist students in Okaloosa, Escambia and Santa Rosa County high schools who will be taking the July 17 ACT tests will be held in Gulf Breeze. The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon July 12, 13, 14 and 15. Registrations must be postmarked by June 28. All materials, snacks and drinks are furnished. Students will need to bring calculators. If you have any questions, email [email protected] or call 615-585-2401.

Wednesday Night Concert Series

Enjoy free live entertainment with Dion Jones & The Neon Tears from 7-9 p.m. June 30 on the Events Plaza stage at The Village of Baytowne Wharf.

July 7: Boukou Groove

July 14: Forrest Williams Band

July 21: Six Piece Suits

July 28: Rust & Gold

Summer Storytime on the Lawn

Cuddlers and Toddlers Storytime is continuing through the summer at 10 a.m. every Thursday and run approximately 20 minutes. Come enjoy Tails & Tales themed stories while waiting for the weekly Summer Reading events to begin at 10:30 a.m. Get more information at cityofdestin.com/655/Summer-Reading. If you have any questions, call 837-8572 or email [email protected].

Summer at HarborWalk Village

• Monday: Dance to your own beat with a silent disco experience in front of the main stage from 7-10 p.m. Sanitized headphones provided.

• Tuesday: Carnival comes to HarborWalk Village with live music on the main stage at 6:30 p.m. and the Fat Tuesday Parade at 8:30 p.m. Catch beads as the floats roll through the Village. Want to celebrate on a float with you and your krewe or promote your business? Email [email protected] or call 850-424-0600.

• Thursday: All American Thursday is from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Celebrate the USA with a one-of-a-kind vintage airshow, hero salute, live entertainment, fireworks and a fire spinning show with Hero Salute and Vintage Air Show 6:30 p m. and fireworks at 9 p.m.

Rosemary Beach Moonlight & Movies

Bring blankets and lawn chairs for a movie night under the stars in Rosemary Beach July 1 with “The Secret Life of Pets 2” on the Western Green. Balloon art starts at 6 p.m. and movie at 8:15 p.m. Enjoy popcorn and hot dogs on the beach from DogManDu.

• July 8: Toy Story 4

• July 15 Moana

• July 22: Sonic the Hedgehog

• Aug. 5: Tom and Jerry

• Aug. 12: Trolls World Tour

Let Freedom Ring

HarborWalk Village’s 4th of July celebration, Let Freedom Ring, begins at 7 p.m. July 2 with The Two Hoo Doos. The Miles Band performs July 3 at 7 p.m. and The Manly Hero July 4 at 7 p.m. Fireworks and fire spinning by Autumn Lyfe begin at 9 p.m. Sunday. On-site parking $10.

Movies & S’mores Series

The free Movies & S’mores series will be at 5 p.m. July 3 in Camp Helen State Park Recreation Hall with food and fun. Seating will be provided. Programs begin at 6:30 p.m. with an interpretive table of activities, a merchandise table, prepackaged smores around the bonfire and a souvenir cup. Movie, “The Lion King (2019),” begins. at sunset. Donations are accepted and will go directly to the Friends of Camp Helen State Park to be used to benefit the parks resource management, projects and interpretative programs.

• July 22: Onward with a special treasure hunt/guided tour throughout the park

Smoke on the Coast

Destin Commons will host 15 local non-profit organizations at the 10th annual Smoke on the Coast BBQ & Fireworks Festival from 5-10 p. m. July 3. Each non-profit organization teams up with a restaurant or BBQ aficionado. Cast your vote for $1 for your favorite BBQ team, support their mission, and enjoy a day of family fun.

Seaside 4th of July

Seaside is hosting a day of patriotic activities from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. in Central Square, with storefronts decorated in red, white, and blue. While there will not be a parade along 30A, Seaside will feature second-line-style patriotic music performances around town throughout the day, with a special performance by the Rep Theatre. All of this will culminate into what will be the largest fireworks show not only in Seaside but along the entire Gulf Coast.

Red, White & Baytowne

The Red, White, and Baytowne celebration takes place from 7-9:15 p.m. July 4 with music from Donovan Keith on the Events Plaza Stage at Baytowne Wharf. A fireworks display will light up the night sky at 9:15 p.m. The Village will also host kids activities including kids crafts, face painting, and balloon sculpting.

Foster Gallery

The public is invited to a reception celebrating both the Summer Rotation and upcoming Juried Special Exhibition artists at Foster Gallery from 5-7 p.m. July 14. Enjoy tasty sips and snacks while perusing all the works on display and available for purchase.

Summer Pop

The Emerald Coast Theatre Company presents Jordan and Michelle’s “Back to Broadway” show, a fun-filled, high-energy tribute to the Broadway music of today and yesterday. July 17 at ECTC’s performance space, 560 Grand Boulevard, upstairs, in the Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach. Tickets are $30/person at www.emeraldcoasttheatre.org.

• July 24 – Frank & Friends with Peter Lake. Enjoy tunes from Frank Sinatra, Giacomo Puccini, Andrew Lloyd Webber and many more favorites.

Mattie Kelly Arts Center

Jesus Christ Superstar is the 2021 Summer Musical at 7:30 p.m. July 21-24 and 2 p.m. July 25 on Mainstage. at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Amphitheater in Niceville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call the Box Office for tickets at 729-6000 or visit https://mattiekellyartscenter.org/.

Billy Gray Testimony

Billy Gray, who ministers to people around the world and is former pastor at The Gathering, will give his testimony at First Baptist Church, 201 Beach Dr. in Destin, on July 27 at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

Hydroflight Monday

Enjoy shows from fly-board extraordinaire Ben Merrell over the lagoon at The Village of Baytowne Wharf at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Aug. 2.

Boomin’ Tuesday

Turn your eyes on the sky at Baytowne Wharf and watch as the sky lights up with a fireworks show over the Lagoon at 9:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Aug. 3. Also, a DJ Dance Party with DJ Mike Whitty begins at 7 p.m. in the Events Plaza.

Magical Thursday

Magic, music, and mayhem with Baytowne Wharf’s featured pirate Captain Davy takes you on an adventure with two magic shows at 7 and 8 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 5.

Destin Woman’s Club

The Annual Fashion Show held by the Destin Woman’s Club has been cancelled this year due to the Covid virus. The Fashion Show for 2021 has been scheduled for Nov. 5. As their major fundraiser, net proceeds go toward the Club’s Family Assistance Fund designed to help local families and a local charity.

RECURRING EVENTS

Destin Community Center

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email [email protected] information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance.

Pickleball: Sessions are Mondays from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Fee is $3/session. Racquets and balls are available, just bring your gym shoes.

Table Tennis: Play from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Paddles and balls provided. Fee is $2/resident and $3/non-resident.

Senior Programs

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 or email [email protected] for information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance.

— Destin Senior Membership: Join the Destin Seniors to enjoy multiple festivities including the senior lunch bunch, potluck, casino trips, cruises, bingo, chair exercise, knitting, scrabble, and Mexican dominoes. Members must be a Destin resident.

— Senior Book Club: The Destin Senior Members meet at 10 a.m. the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Destin Library, 150 Sibert Ave.

— Senior Drop-In Hours: The Destin Senior Center at Buck Destin Park, 724 Legion Drive, offers senior drop-in hours from 9 a.m. to noon every Tuesday and Thursday for Seniors (50 years and older) to meet and enjoy each other’s company, participate in games such as Mexican Train Dominoes, Scrabble, cards, etc.

— Senior Walking Club: The Destin Senior Members walk around the Destin Community Center’s gymnasium from 8-9 a.m. Monday-Friday. All of the miles that you walk will be added to the “team map” as we travel from one region to the next. The team’s miles are reported on the 4th Friday of each month at the Destin Senior Membership’s Potluck.

— Destin Senior Chair Exercise 50+ years: Monday and Wednesday mornings from 10-10:45 a.m. at Buck Destin Park consists of performing light exercises to help improve balance, flexibility, strength, and circulation. Free/residents.

Book Club

The Destin Library’s Novel Idea Book Club is open to adults and meets every fourth Thursday of the month at 11:30 a.m. via Microsoft Teams. Club members can submit book recommendations – primarily fiction with the occasional non-fiction title – and the club will vote on which ones to read. Membership is open to everyone; however, you will need an Okaloosa County Public Library card to check-out materials. Members will need an email address and internet access to join the discussion.

City of Destin Annual Passes

Full-time residents (within the incorporated city limits) are encouraged to submit their request for a 2021 Annual Pass at https://www.cityofdestin.com/342/Annual-Passes. For those who do not have internet access, beach parking passes are only available at City Hall. Henderson Beach State Park and Joe’s Bayou Boat Ramp passes are available at both City Hall and the Destin Community Center. For questions, call 837-4242.

Adopt-A-Street

The City of Destin’s Adopt-A-Street Program allows local families, businesses and community groups to perform a valuable community service by adopting sections of a street to keep clear of litter and debris. Groups who participate in this program will have their name listed on the City’s website and signage installed on their adopted street. For more information, call 837-6869 or email [email protected].

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market

Grand Boulevard Farmers Market takes place every Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grand Park in the heart of Grand Boulevard in South Walton. Bring your shopping bag and load up on local produce, eggs, jams and pies. Homemade soap, good olive oil, and pickled things are all there for the taking.

Rosemary Beach Farmers Market

Come browse the 30A Farmers Market in Rosemary Beach on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The local farmers market takes place on Sundays year round, and Thursdays throughout the summer months, in North Barrett Square along Scenic 30A.

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vacationsoup · 6 years

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New Post has been published on https://vacationsoup.com/best-maui-adventures-youve-never-heard-about/

7 Of The Best Maui Adventures You've Probably Never Heard About

7 Of The Best Maui Adventures You’ve Never Heard About

All the guide books tell us about the most popular Maui activities such as the Road to Hana, Snorkel Tours, Whale Watching and Biking Down A Volcano but have you heard that you can be a Mermaid For A Day? How about Rappelling down a Waterfall or Jungle Wall?

Today we explore 7 Of The Best Maui Adventures You’ve Never Heard About.

1. Rappel A Waterfall!

Get your helmet on and be brave! Take a tour with Rappel Maui and see what it’s like to “walk down walls of water and rock on Maui, one of the most remote places on Earth, it’s an activity that engages all the senses.”

From their website;

About Rappel Maui Imagine the beauty, the wonder, the magic of Hawaii’s tropical rainforest and waterfalls. Now you can experience it all in the most intimate, thrilling way: Cruising down jungle canyon cliffs and natural waterfalls by way of rappelling. What is rappelling? It’s a practice used in the outdoor adventure sport of canyoneering to explore vertical terrain using fixed or anchored ropes and other equipment.

More info here: https://www.rappelmaui.com

2. Make your own souvenir at Moana Glass Blowing. Imagine making and taking home your own hand blown glass starfish, bowl, ornament or fish! This is truly a great (5 Yelp Stars) and unique activity!

More info here: https://www.blowglasshawaii.com/

3. Paddle with a local canoe club.

Kihei Canoe Club offers a visitor paddling program which includes an introduction to Hawaiian Culture, instruction in outrigger canoe paddling, and discussion of the local sea life. Paddling sessions usually begin with E Ala E, a traditional chant to welcome the rising sun. This is followed by paddling instruction. Canoes launch about 8:00am and return approximately 9:00am. Depending on conditions, we may paddle to an outer reef to see large sea turtles, venture out to observe whales or head north toward Kealia Pond and Sugar Beach. After returning we end the program with a Mahalo chant to give thanks to the land, the sea and to Hawaiian deities such as na kupuna (ancestors) and na aumakua (family gods.)

The visitor program is offered on Tuesday and Thursday year round, conditions permitting. Adults and children over the age of 9 are welcome to paddle with experienced club members in single or double hull outrigger canoes. We do not take reservations, so plan to be at the club early. Sign-in begins at 7:00am. This is a very popular activity and is strictly first-come, first-served. No previous experience required.

A tax deductible donation of $40 per adult is suggested and is used to support the various education and paddling programs the club offers.

More info here: http://www.kiheicanoeclub.com

4. Be a Mermaid for a day.

Mermaid tails are all the rage and for good reason- they are a fun and exciting way to explore the ocean! With Hawaii Mermaid Adventures, learn to swim like a mermaid while creating great memories on your Maui vacation.

Your swim instructors are certified lifeguards with years of experience. They will keep everyone safe while capturing great web-quality photos too. No extra charge!

We had a blast mermaidung with @travelchannel! . #Repost @travelchannel with @get_repost ・・・ Become the mermaid you always knew you were when you visit @hawaiimermaidadventures! 🧜‍♀️💦🧜‍♂️ #TravelChannel #ExploreYourWorld #MermaidLife #Maui

A post shared by Hawaii Mermaid (@hawaiimermaidadventures) on May 8, 2018 at 2:10pm PDT

More info here: https://hawaiimermaidadventures.com

5. Track the stars on a Volcano Summit. “Guided Sunset & Stargazing Tours at Haleakala Summit. Join Maui Stargazing for a stunning sunset at Haleakala Summit followed by a science-based, 60 to 90-minute guided telescope tour of the cosmos. Observe the most deep-sky objects through the largest portable telescope on Haleakala. Stay warm in our winter jacket and snowboard pants in sizes from toddler to 4-XL. This Haleakala National Park astronomy tour spans five hours.”

“Start with a breathtaking sunset at the summit of Haleakala, Maui’s 10,000′ dormant volcano. Before darkness settles, we move to a family-friendly observing site for a fascinating laser-guided tour of the constellations and unparalleled views in the field setting. You’re treated to telescope views of the visible planets and deep-sky objects of the Milky Way, including nebulae, star clusters, and the galaxies beyond through a 12-inch aperture Dobsonian telescope! Maui Stargazing supplies all the necessary warm clothing to keep you comfortable throughout the stargazing session.”

More info here: https://www.mauistargazing.com

6. Learn to play the Ukulele with Locals! Ever wanted to learn to play the Ukulele? It’s one of the top items in our Maui Bucket List. So why not take a free class with 808UkuJams?

We’ve covered this adventure in another blog post here, on Thursday evenings the Keolahou Hawaiian Congregational Church hosts 808Uke Jam, a wonderful class of ukulele enthusiast of all different levels hosted and taught by Jared Delos Santos. It begins promptly at 7pm and ends at 9pm. This is open to those who love the ukulele and want to learn (or even if you just want to check it out). Ukulele’s are available to rent – arrive early (give yourself at least 20 minutes to get a Ukulele, song book and music stand.)

Check out Google for some basic chords before arriving – it helps if you familiarize yourself a little.

More info here: http://808ukejams.com/

7. Learn about exotic fruits on a local Farm Tour. Maui has numerous farms and many give tours. Here’s a list of Maui’s farms that showcase exotic and tropical fruits, nuts and vegetables that you might not ever find on the US Mainland.

O’o Farm’s Coffee tour – website link

Our Seed to Cup tour beings in the misting forest of Waipoli in Upcountry Maui where you will find O’o Farm. You’ll be greeted with french press coffee to start your day up on top of our farm. You will also discover with us as we take an inside look at the transformation from the fruit of a scraggly bush into the World’s second most sought after commodity. Participants connect with both agriculture history of coffee and the “seed to cup” process by strolling through our orchard and experiencing sight, sounds and smells a real roasting operation.

Hana Gold’s Cacao Farm Tour – website link

Made in Hana, Maui – from branch to bar. Ideally situated on the Hana Coast of Maui, Hana Gold is one of Hawaii’s first cacao plantations. The unique climate and fertile volcanic soil of Hawaii gives Hana Gold Cacao a rich and complex flavor that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Call ahead and take our plantation tour! $25 per adult, kids 14 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Tour Time Is 2pm.

Ono Organic Exotic Tropical Fruit, Coffee and Chocolate Tasting Adventure – website link

Enjoy a fruit-filled “Garden of Eden.” Our Exotic Tropical Fruit Tasting Adventure includes samples of ten to twelve in-season fruits, our “ONO-licious” home grown coffee and home grown and roasted chocolate beans. Tours take place every Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Same day reservations may be available if reserved prior to 12:30 p.m. HST.

Maui’s Only Dragonfruit Farm – website link

We blogged about this Lahaina farm recently.

Guided Farm Tours – “Our family friendly guided walking farm tour takes about one hour. You begin with a fruit tasting in the bamboo gazebo where you will taste exotic fresh picked fruit as seasonally available. Our main dragon fruit season is July to November. Our main pineapple season is June to July. Dragon fruit, pineapple, banana, papaya, sugar cane, passion fruit and more all grow at the Maui Dragon Fruit Farm.

After the tasting, our knowledgeable guides will take you on a stroll. You will get a closer look at the plants producing this excellent fruit. See first hand how dragon fruit, pineapple, sugar cane and papaya are grown here in Hawaii and learn about the organic practices that help the fruit taste so delicious! Discover some of the plants the Hawaiian people brought with them when they first came to these islands. All this while enjoying breath-taking views of the Pacific Ocean and the West Maui Mountains.”

Punakea Palms Working Coconut farm tours -website link

Check out our blog post about Punakea Palms to read more. Coconut Farm Tasting Tour – With Aloha we welcome you to tour our farm. Experience the sights and tastes of a working coconut farm. Learn the usefulness of the coconut tree and discover how to extract its bounty. Participate in all the stages of coconut cultivation and consumption, all while basking in the natural beauty of our farm. Take home fresh, hand-made coconut products from a truly authentic experience. Pre-Booked Reservations Required

Have a great, yet hardly known Maui activity or adventure? Let us know in the comments below so we can share with our readers! Mahalo!

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do,

come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide or Maui Events Calendar!

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#Hawaii #HolidayInMaui #Kihei #Maui #MauiActivities #MauiAdventures #VacationInMaui #VacationSoup #whattodo #WhattoDoMaui #whattosee

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canvasclothiers · 7 years

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The People’s Republic (Highlights From “Authentic Alentejo”)

Tasting Alentejo at the Christian Hogwarts…

In the grand scheme of the wine world, Portugal appears to be the county that stands tall, despite its relatively small size (about 575 miles long, and just under 140 miles wide). In Napoleonic-complex fashion, it makes up for its stature in other ways; Portugal is in the top ten worldwide in vineyard acreage, per capita wine consumption, wine exports to the USA, and almost squeaks into that list for wine production (coming in at number 11).

Given that, we tend to forget that Portugal’s land mass isn’t actually all that tiny; one of its largest production areas – Alentejo – is responsible for half of the world’s wine cork production, takes up approximately one-third of the country, and has portions in the south that stretch all the way out to the coast. Alentejo has eight sub-regions, over 35,000 acres of PDO wine production, and is about the size of Belgium.

Wine & Spirits’ Josh Greene, doing his best religious statue impersonation

The host of a recent Wines of Alentejo “Authentic Alentejo” event held (I was a media guest), Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein summed it up this way: “‘the People’s Republic of Alentejo,’ if you will.”

Wine has deep roots (ha ha) in Alentejo, stretching back about 4,000 years. The pre-Roman-era Tartessians likely introduced winemaking to the region, and the Romans cemented it into its DNA (including the amphorae methods of talhas de barro, still in use today). The region has more or less been making wine ever since, with only a brief decline during Moorish occupation in the 8th Century. In modern terms, tourism-stimulating attention from National Geographic and a nearly seven-fold increase in wine producers in the late 1990s have brought renewed vinous attention to the region.

Well, that and the fact that several of the wineries became known for the fruit-forward, full-throttle, probably-overblown style of winemaking popular with major wine critics during the last couple of decades.

But Alentejo wines don’t have to be overblown; at least, that’s the takeaway that I got from the wines presented by Goldstein and co-host Joshua Greene in the refractory of NYC’s Union Theological Seminary (best imagined as the Christian version of the main hall at Hogwarts)…

Alentejo-bashers (and there are a surprisingly large amount of these in the wine biz, from my experience) would’ve been somewhat beside themselves at this tasting; generally, the wines were very, very good, in many cases excellent, and, in a smaller number of cases, astounding. My highlights (regional notations indicate the relevant Alentejo subregion(s)):

2014 Joao Portugal Ramos ‘Vila Santa’ Reserva Branco (Estremoz, $NA)

A slightly unlikely blend of Arinto, Alvarinho, and Sauvignon Blanc, there’s much to love about the Vila Santa beyond its drink-it-all-day 12.5% abv. It’s chalky, stony, flinty, pithy, and chock full of stone fruit, lemon peel, and marmalade hints. And if you do happen to drink it night, save a bit; all that acid and aromatics will definitely wake you up in the AM.

2011 Quinta do Mouro Rotulo Dourado (Estremoz, $NA)

The “gold label” version of Mouro’s tinto is a mix of 48% Alicante Bouschet, 27% Aragonês, 16% Touriga Nacional, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon. Floral, plummy, brambly, spicy, and punctuated by graphite notes, your nose will thank you for the adventure. While it’s burly now, the length, consistency, and structure suggest that this has yet to even reach its toddler phase.

2007 Herdade do Mouchão Tinto (Sousel/Estremoz, $40)

I actually considered giving this the “Overachiever” tag, despite the fact that it’s over $35/bottle, because it’s that f*cking good. Mostly Alicante Bouschet with Trincadeira blended in, my tasting notes included the phrase “awesome sauce” and “strong kung-fu.” Thyme, graphite, dark cherries, bramble, mulberry, and enviable amounts of textural tension.

2013 Niepoort Projectos ‘Susana Esteban Procura’ Tinto (Portalegre, $45)

Alicante Bouschet makes another appearance here, but only as the predominant member of a larger field blend of traditional regional red varieties. Esteban is clearly at the top of her game; this is both plummy and lovely, with spices, rose petals, and layer upon layer of red berry fruit flavors that move from tart to brambly to ripe.

2011 Julio Bastos Dona Maria Gran Reserva Tinto (Borba, $32)

This blend is 50% Alicante Bouschet from what might be Portugal’s oldest vines of that variety, with Petite Verdot, Syrah, and Touriga Nacional rounding it out,. The AB is, apparently, tread by foot. The nose is smokey and meaty, and high-quality leather abounds, followed with bitter dark chocolate, graphite, and black licorice. Powerful and serious, inky and substantial, but yet somehow also fresh as a daisy.

2014 Cartuxa Pêra Manca Branco (Évora, $40)

Sure, you fellow geeks probably love the PM red, but when’s the last time that you had the white Antão Vaz and Arinto blend? And if it was recently, then WTF is up with you not inviting me? Apples, melons, and breadth; this is deceptive stuff, in that it certainly comes off as ripe/fruity/sexy, but that forwardness belies fascinating texture that make it ideal for fancier seafood fare.

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com

Source: http://www.1winedude.com/the-peoples-republic-highlights-from-authentic-alentejo/

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cacophonyofolives · 7 years

Text

The People’s Republic (Highlights From “Authentic Alentejo”)

Tasting Alentejo at the Christian Hogwarts…

Wine & Spirits’ Josh Greene, doing his best religious statue impersonation

2014 Joao Portugal Ramos ‘Vila Santa’ Reserva Branco (Estremoz, $NA)

2011 Quinta do Mouro Rotulo Dourado (Estremoz, $NA)

2007 Herdade do Mouchão Tinto (Sousel/Estremoz, $40)

2013 Niepoort Projectos ‘Susana Esteban Procura’ Tinto (Portalegre, $45)

2011 Julio Bastos Dona Maria Gran Reserva Tinto (Borba, $32)

2014 Cartuxa Pêra Manca Branco (Évora, $40)

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com

Copyright © 2016. Originally at The People’s Republic (Highlights From “Authentic Alentejo”) from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers! source http://www.1winedude.com/the-peoples-republic-highlights-from-authentic-alentejo/

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actualcannibalshialasquib · 6 years

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World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers on AMEPAC Furniture

Home Interior Decorating Ideas published on https://amepac.org/best-of/world-class-homes-are-created-by-houstons-top-interior-designers/

World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers

Wendt Design Group

Marker Girl

Dodson Interiors

Pamela Hope Designs

Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

Jane Page Design Group

William W. Stubbs & Associates

Laura U Interior Design

Ginger Barber Interior Design

Paloma Contreras Design

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design

Brown Interiors

Lonergan Interiors

The Design Firm

Eklektik Interiors

By Design Interiors, Inc.

Gin Design Group

Janet Gust Design Group

Pearl Design Interiors

The post World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.

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adamn-ellis · 6 years

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World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers - AMEPAC Furniture

Home Furniture Ideas on https://amepac.org/best-of/world-class-homes-are-created-by-houstons-top-interior-designers/

World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers

Wendt Design Group

Marker Girl

Dodson Interiors

Pamela Hope Designs

Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

Jane Page Design Group

William W. Stubbs & Associates

Laura U Interior Design

Ginger Barber Interior Design

Paloma Contreras Design

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design

Brown Interiors

Lonergan Interiors

The Design Firm

Eklektik Interiors

By Design Interiors, Inc.

Gin Design Group

Janet Gust Design Group

Pearl Design Interiors

The post World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.

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aclsblog · 6 years

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World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers - AMEPAC Furniture

World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers

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Wendt Design Group

Marker Girl

Dodson Interiors

Pamela Hope Designs

Lucas/Eilers Design Associates

Jane Page Design Group

William W. Stubbs & Associates

Laura U Interior Design

Ginger Barber Interior Design

Paloma Contreras Design

Jillian O’Neill Interior Design

Brown Interiors

Lonergan Interiors

The Design Firm

Eklektik Interiors

By Design Interiors, Inc.

Gin Design Group

Janet Gust Design Group

Pearl Design Interiors

The post World-Class Homes Are Created by Houston’s Top Interior Designers appeared first on Home Decorating Trends – Homedit.

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