I recently received an invitation to join a Facebook group that is sharing some of the most beautiful photography.  I asked permission to feature a of few of the photographs that are so amazing and got the go ahead!  So, without further ado, sit back and enjoy these wonderful pictures of our precious Georgia Coast.  They make me so happy and so thankful to be here!

A spectacular sunrise by Jeff Jones

A darling Tufted Titmouse, again by Jeff Jones

Avenue of the Oaks by Patricia VanCleave

I love the slightly winsome, yet eerie quality of this photograph!  Surrounded by all of the history, this really speaks to me.

David Fisher captures a choppy sea so beautifully in this photograph, don’t you think?

And this wonderful photograph of the recent full moon from Jekyll Island’s Driftwood Beach…magical! Photographer Tony Mauk is the talented artist who took this.

 Last, but certainly not least, Sherry-Logan Weed took this wonderful photograph of last night’s sunset!

Coastal Georgia is one nature show after another!  If you live here be thankful!  If you want to visit and experience the magic…please do!

For more information on visiting the Golden Isles visit here:  www.goldenisles.com

Melissa | people | 02 5th, 2015 | 2 Comments »

For as long as I can remember both my mother and my grandmother stressed the importance of good skin care.  My first job after leaving college was at the headquarters of Estee Lauder in New York City and then onto the Borghese cosmetic company which was then a division of Revlon.  I am always looking for that next great product, realizing that a good regimen for the skin leads to more graceful aging.  I’ve been out in the sun a lot more than either my mom or her mother, which takes its toll, but that’s a done deal.  Finding a skin care line I can rely on that provides good exfoliation and top quality products is very important to me.  I first heard about Rodan & Fields from my friend, Betsy Loehle Knight.  Betsy is Murphy’s wonderful dog groomer and is always interested in good health and self-care.  I happened to see a before and after picture on Facebook of Betsy that showed a startling before and after picture of her skin.  She has battled rosacea for years and finally found a product line that delivers amazing results.

Here is Betsy before and after using Rodan & Fields.  What an amazing difference.  She noticed a big improvement after just one month and continues using the Soothe line along with the “Redefine” line for anti-aging.  Rodan & Fields is a product line formulated by the same two female doctors who came up with ProActive, which if you’ve helped your teenager battle acne, you’ll know is pretty miraculous.

There are four different types of care in the line along with a bounty of other items from an AMP MD System, micro-dermabrasion and exfoliators…the list goes on and on.

I’m showing these before and after’s so you can have a good look at the possibilities.  Here is a before and after of a woman who uses the “Redefine” line I mentioned above.  It helps reverse the results of aging and, when begun before the signs really begin, actually slow them down.

Next we have “Reverse”, the line for sun damage.  We’ve all been out in the sun and know the effects that can have.  This line actually improves the appearance of the skin as well as repairing on a cellular level.

And here’s R&F’s line for acne care.  Amazing results!

Finally “Soothe” the line Betsy first began with last April.  You saw her before and after above, here’s another one to have a look at.  I rarely get behind a product line, but I’m truly impressed with what I’m reading and seeing.  If you’d like to learn more you can contact Betsy here:  betsyssi.myrandf.com.  Our skin is the largest organ in our body.  Good, regular skin care is essential for our well-being, our health and our beauty.  I highly recommend checking it out!

Melissa | people | 02 4th, 2015 | 2 Comments »

I’m thinking of what to write about this wonderful new cookbook in Holly Herrick’s series, The French Cook.  The very look of the cover entices me to open the pages and take a look.  This particular book is all about soothing, comforting soups and stews.

Then I look inside the front cover and see that Libbie Summers did the food styling along with her talented photographer, Chia Chong.  What a trio of talent to savor and enjoy as I snuggle down into my desk chair, taking in the beauty of the pictures, the perfection of the recipes….I’m getting hungry!

Holly Herrick is an uber talented, French Cordon Bleu trained chef who makes Charleston, South Carolina her home.  She tirelessly tests each recipe before even thinking of including it in one of her fabulous cookbooks.  The French Cook series includes three other books “Sauces“, “Souffles” and “Cream Puffs and Eclairs“.  Each hard bound book is beautifully presented and filled with recipes you’ll include in your repertoire for entertaining as well as comforting family meals.

You can read more about Holly on her newly redesigned website:  http://www.hollyherrick.com/.  If you live in the Charleston area you’ll want to take a look at the calendar of events Holly features on her site.  Her cooking classes are wonderful.  I especially love the farmer’s market series of classes, hands on and full of information you’ll treasure!

I’m pleased to call Holly my friend!  I know you’ll love these books if cooking is your “thing”.  You’ll find the perfect recipes for a chilly winter evening….Soups & Stews…how delicious!  As for me…I’m in my own little heaven, reading every recipe and feasting on the photographs! I believe I hear the recipe on page 100 for Oyster and Parsnip Bisque calling my name!  Order your copy today!  All of Holly’s books are available on Amazon and in fine bookstores.  Get cooking!

Melissa | people | 02 3rd, 2015 | No Comments »

It’s hard to believe this is the last week of January.  Next Sunday is February 1st, the beginning of black history month.  The historic character I’m writing about is not African American, but she did champion the call for abolishing slavery through her book, “Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 in England in 1863.  Her name was Fanny Kemble.

Fanny married Pierce Mease Butler in the 1830’s.  Mr. Butler was the heir to his grandfather’s legacy which included 100’s of slaves and several plantations on Georgia’s Sea Islands.  But Fanny could never get used to the treatment or even the idea of slaves.  She was definitely outspoken for her time, leading to her divorce from Pierce Butler in 1849.

Fanny Kemble was an accomplished actress, an icon of the British stage to which she returned after her divorce.  She held off publishing her journal for two decades so as to keep peace between herself and Pierce Butler.   This book is the Englishwoman’s condemnation of slavery, vivid descriptions of her life on Southern plantations and the evil she witnessed while living there.  The book caused a sensation throughout Great Britain.  Fanny returned to life in the United States after the civil war when her eldest daughter, Sarah, married a prominent doctor in Philadelphia.  Fanny made her home in Philadelphia and supported herself travelling up and down the East coast and Europe delivering her famous Shakesperean readings.

Truly a woman ahead of her time!  This is my favorite quote from Fanny Kemble when she spoke of life in Coastal Georgia:  “I should like the wild savage loneliness of the far away existence extremely if it were not for the one small item of ‘the slavery.'”  Her dedication to writing in her diaries, sharing her life experiences as well as reporting on the flora and fauna to be found in her time lives on today.  You can still find this book in print either on-line or through G.J. Ford here on St. Simons Island.

Melissa | people | 01 27th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Something very special is happening this coming Sunday at Christ Church here on St. Simons Island.  The St. Cecilia Series is treating us to a brilliant concert featuring classical guitarist, Brian Luckett.

I love the sound a fine classical guitarist brings to me and Brian does not disappoint.  I received the following in a press release:

 

Melissa | people | 01 12th, 2015 | No Comments »

George Tames

The Ritz has a wonderful photography show on display during the month of January.  “Presidential Pathways” shares the work of photographer George Tames who became known as “Posterity’s Spy” as he snapped photos of United States President’s from Roosevelt to George H.W. Bush.

Mr. Tames’ daughter, Stephanie, has kindly offered the photographs taken by her father for all of us to enjoy.  He captured the essence of each President in unique ways I have not seen before.

My favorite is this photograph of John F. Kennedy.  I feel the burden of his responsibility when I look at this….what a time in history it was!

All of the photographs bring back some sort of memory.

I also found this photograph entitled, “Widow’s Walk” to be filled with emotion and the stark reality of those our troops leave behind.

These photographs are all important to our nation’s history.  I highly recommend taking your children and grandchildren to see this show while it is here.

Mr. Tame’s work with The New York Times spanned five decades during which he recorded valuable moments with each President in this collection.  Thank you to Heather Heath for putting this exhibit together!

Melissa | people | 01 6th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

I’m sharing another one of Bud Hearn’s wonderful “Weakly Posts” today.  I don’t think there is anything weak about Bud’s writing.  His sense of humor and quick wit are always right there waiting to be shared with us all!  Bud’s message about living now and living well is one I thought you would all enjoy!

The Weakly Post

The Loan Is Due

Years are loans. Time, that shyster among us all, is the banker, ever loaning, never giving. Its credit is conditional.

Today, December 31st, our loan for the past 365 days comes due. Payment is demanded, like it or not. Such is the way of all loans…they mature.

We dance around due dates. So soon, we lament. We squander the year’s remaining resources in profligate carousals and the pagan idea of buy now, pay later. We choose to spend the last pennies of our credit line on wanton celebrations and manic revelry.

Who can blame us? Living on somebody else’s largess is easy. But all bankers keep ledgers. Debt is hard as iron on our balance sheets. Our assets are soft as marshmallows. We run, we pretend, we rationalize, but the deadline always looms. Time’s bill collector is a relentless pursuer.

Loans are not earned income; hence the cliché, ‘easy come, easy go.’  We’ll pledge our first born to get Time’s easy cash in our palms. We’ve had 365 days of reprieve to plunder the treasury, to pilfer the vault that overflows with Time’s specie. Now it’s due. What’s to show for it?

We check our diaries, our calendars.  They’re filled less with thoughts than packed with action. But just sand nevertheless, ever flowing through our hour glass.  Nothing retained. Palms empty. Where did the time go, we ask?

What if banker Time, as a condition of loan renewal, required evidence of how we spent our days? Would it discover how we squandered the use of our allocated assets of time? How we wiled away gold talents in wild schemes and mad pursuits?

Most loans contain a clause that in the event of default the loan is due ‘on demand.’ That was a foreign concept to me until I signed loan documents. The day remains a black spot on an otherwise lackluster career of credit.

We were assembled around a large conference table. The banker, his lawyer (where there’s money, there are lawyers!) and me. Lying in neat windrows around that colossal table were stacks of forms written in letters so minute they would qualify for a used car contract.

Leo, the lawyer, asked, “Do you have any questions, son?”

“Uh, well, only one, sir. What exactly is in these documents?” I asked.

Leo grinned at the banker. “Nothing that’s good for you, my boy.  Sign here.”

Like dogs, loans appear harmless. They mostly sleep until they’re hungry. Like excessive loan interest, they’re voracious eaters. It was the ‘on demand’ provision that bit me!

Time has an ‘on demand’ clause. We remain here at the forbearance of the Banker. The loan can be called due at any time. Fortunately, tomorrow, for most of us, the loan will automatically renew. Fear is the vigorish we pay.

Last Sunday on the coast we had an early spring. I sat on the steps leading to the beach. The well-trod pathway of summer, a white sandy trail, lay in front of me. Close to the water grew a desiccated clump of sea oats, a barrier to the trail’s straight-line continuation.

The trail diverged into a ‘Y’ to circumvent it.  A dilemma was created. Which route to choose? Right or left? I weighed the options. It really didn’t matter. Both trails led to the same swirling sea. Maybe Darwin was right all along.

As I mulled over the alternatives, a lone butterfly, obviously a leftover from the fall migration, flittered by. I watched it float effortlessly over the granite riprap. It seemed to be in contemplation also.

It landed on a wilted, yellowed flower whose loan from the Banker had come due. Disappointed, the butterfly then lit on the sand at my feet, apparently considering its preferences. It chose the rocks as a refuge. We all choose something.

**********

The poet, Louise Gluck, chose a fortune teller, and writes:

     “Great things, she said, are ahead of you, or perhaps behind you; it is difficult to be sure. And yet, she added, what is the difference? Right now you are a child holding hands with a fortune-teller. All the rest is hypothesis and dream.”

So, is this what we’re left with as we face 2015…a memory of yesterday and a dream of tomorrow?

Friends, just renew the loan, buy the ticket and take the ride.  Happy New Year!

Bud Hearn

December 31, 2014

Melissa | people | 01 5th, 2015 | 1 Comment »

Oh, I have a feeling about 2015.  I would make a few predictions, but living in the NOW is more important to me than projecting into the future.  I’m sharing this video of Mairi Campbell singing  “Auld Lang Syne”, the classic song for celebrating the coming of new year, written by Robert Burns in 1788.  This is the original tune Mr. Burns put his words to and I truly like it better!  For all of the years since this song has been one of Scotland’s gifts to the world.  Listen as Rod does his rendition of this ages old song.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I wish all of my readers all the best in this wonderful new year.  Clean those slates…..forget the past…..forgive those you haven’t, including yourself and let’s get this going in a BIG positive way.  Hold the vision of amazing success, health and happiness…sealed with love!

Melissa | people | 01 1st, 2015 | No Comments »

We’re ringing out the old year and ringing the new tonight.  2014 went so quickly!  I love celebrating for any reason….or no reason at all!  I’m going to share some of my favorite things with you today.

This has to be my most favorite appetizer for special occasions!  Blini with smoked salmon, caviar, creme fraiche and a bit of snipped fresh chives or dill.  So simple to make and sooooo delicious!  A hint for you is to use an unsweetened whole wheat pancake mix for the blini.  And for quick creme fraiche, mix equal parts of sour cream and heavy cream….voila!

Next on my list is this recipe for bacon wrapped filet mignon….another simple and easy recipe….I believe in elegant simplicity!

Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon Appetizers

1lb Filet Mignon or lean steak

1lb thin cut smoked bacon (It is essential the bacon be thin due to the fast cooking time.)

1 Medium white onion finely diced

2 cloves garlic minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley

1 tablespoon salt

½ tablespoon pepper

Toothpicks (Colored wooden toothpicks work great, just not the ones with plastic frill on the ends.)

In a medium bowl, place onions, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, mix and set aside.

Slice filet into 1 inch disks, then cut disks into ½ inch wide cubes. You should end up with chunks of steak twice as long as they are wide. Place steak into bowl with onions and let sit for 4-8 hours in the refrigerator. Remove bacon from package and lay out the bacon strips and cut into 2 inch strips. This is easier to do if bacon is cold. Take a chunk of steak and wrap a piece of bacon around it. It should go all the way around it and overlap itself. Secure the bacon with a toothpick going through the steak. The toothpick will become the serving utensil when served. When finished wrapping all of the steak with bacon, place on a cooling rack and place them evenly spread across, and not touching, on a baking sheet. Discard the marinade for the steak.

In a 400 degree oven, roast the steak pieces for 10-12 minutes, just until bacon is crisp. Steak will be cooked perfectly medium. Serve immediately and garnish with the Chopped Parsley sprinkled on top. Place on a serving platter and a bowl of horseradish sauce or, for a twist, a bowl of chili con queso for dipping. (Thanks to “Las Vegas Man” for this recipe!)

Add a beautiful platter of fresh veggies….perhaps a light vinaigrette for dipping and you’ve got it.  Crusty bread and champagne will complete the menu….well, not quite!

I have to have my chocolate!  Pick up some delicious truffles and THEN you have a complete menu!

As for clothes….I’m loving this dress!  It’s available locally at Butler’s Stash…..$150.00….a great deal!  You’ll find the shop at Market Street between PeachMac and Cilantro’s.  Here’s a link to the shop’s Facebook page so that you can see more!  https://www.facebook.com/ButlersStash

Add a sexy black high heel and you can’t go wrong!

Good food….great fashion….fun!  Celebrate the coming of the New Year wherever you are….remember to be safe….have a designated driver….Enjoy!

Melissa | people | 12 31st, 2014 | 4 Comments »

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a favorite of mine.  As children we would sing it over and over trying to sing faster and faster until we became completely tongue tied, laughing with delight.

Many stories have been told of the song’s origins.

Some are rather gruesome in their account of this being a way Catholic children learned their cathecism, which if not known, might lead to death.

I rather like the version of this being a song sung between Christmas and Twelfth night as a game of profit or forfeit.  If a line was missed a gift was forfeited.

If you know any better explanations for the song please share them with me!

In the meantime, enjoy this presentation of, what I think, is one of the dearest holiday songs!

Melissa | people | 12 23rd, 2014 | 2 Comments »