A little prep for The Southern C Summit… Hope y’all are havin’ a great weekend!
Sunday funday photo
Image
2
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Friday Five
Tote bag- check; notebooks- check; suitcase packed- almost… I can’t believe The Southern C Summit is next week!
Friday Five- Things I’m looking forward to at The Southern C Summit
5. Swag Bag
image via Alphabet Bags
Who doesn’t love a swag bag?! Can’t wait to see what Southern goodies are in there. Stay tuned…
4. Location, Location, Location- a conference at the beach? Yes, please!
image via Jekyll Island History
I haven’t spent much time in Jekyll Island, Georgia since childhood, so I’m so excited to rediscover this gorgeous and historically rich area. Fun fact- America’s early “big-wigs” like Marshall Field, Henry Hyde, J. P. Morgan, Joseph Pulitzer, and William K. Vanderbilt, were all members of the original Jekyll Island Club.
3. FOOD- sampling the best of the South!
I’m so lookin’ forward to getting my grub on. There are some delicious restaurants and specialty food and beverage brands coming to the Summit this year! Not all strictly Southern in style but here is the lineup we got goin’ on- Southern Soul BBQ, Halyards Restaurant, Belle Chevre, Maison de Macrons, Big T Coastal Provisions, High Road Craft Ice Cream, Cathead Vodka, Sociale Mocktails, Goo Goo Clusters, Savannah Bee Company, Leoci’s Trattoria, Georgia Sea Grill, American Spirit Whiskey, Girlfriends Wine. Oh yea.
2. Learning some new skills (and brushing up on the old).
I’m looking forward to all of the educational sessions; it’s the nerd in me. I’ve worked in social media for several years and actively blogging for a little over a year but I still have so much to learn. Given the roster, I know the panel of presenters at The Summit are sure to inspire and provide helpful advice. For full list of presenters click here.
1. Connecting
image via Humble Handmaid
Being part of The Southern C for the past year has been a complete whirlwind. I’ve met so many interesting and inspiring people through the social network and it’s going to be exciting meeting so many of them in person next week!
No ticket yet? Don’t worry- there is still time to join us. Register today! http://www.thesoutherncsummit.com
Related articles
- 3 More Reasons To Attend the Southern Coterie Summit (thedailysouth.southernliving.com)
- Celebrate the South at the inaugural Southern Coterie Summit (charlestoncitypaper.com)
Cacao Atlanta
I love my husband but I sometimes feel like I’m having an affair with the tall dark and handsome 70% cacao bars I buy. I’m an extreme chocoholic. I’m not at all embarrassed by this affliction- I celebrate it (perhaps too often but you only live once).
A few nights ago in Buckhead, en route to Fellini’s Pizza, I spotted Cacao. I am a sucker for a chocolate shop, let alone a charming French patisserie inspired shop…clean and bright, filled with decadent delights. I stopped cold in my tracks- staring (drooling), and said to my mother- “I know where I’ll be at 11am tomorrow.”
The next day before hittin’ the road back to Athens, we ran across the street to Cacao for a quick trip to Paris by way of the South. We were welcomed by a pleasant aroma of rich coffee and sweet/bitter chocolate…heavenly. We had a great time chatting with Tricia about the history of the shop and learning about each and every product. The owner/creator Kristen Hard, a classically trained French pastry chef, fell hard for the cacao bean working as a chef around the world and thankfully brought her passion back to the South.
Tricia got us started off with some sipping chocolate (divine) and walked us through the different goodies lining the walls. My mother (a packaging junkie) spotted some adorable baskets in the corner used for creating one of a kind gift baskets, so we decided that was the best option. Having a total “Treat Yo Self” moment (Parks and Rec anyone?), I began grabbing anything that peaked my interest. Being a self-proclaimed chocolate connoisseur, I picked up quite the basket.
I love how most items are inspired by Southern desserts or flavors…pecan pie truffles, mint julep truffles, Coca-Cola truffles, homemade oatmeal cream pies, cocoa-nib peanut brittle (oh yea). The shop’s commitment to sustainability is also impressive. Each piece of chocolate is hand crafted with the highest quality organic ingredients while honoring the traditional chocolate making processes and everything in the entire store is made in Georgia, with the exception of herbal teas offered on the menu. The Cacao shop in Buckhead also offers – Honeysuckle Gelato– Southern inspired gelato based in Atlanta!
macarons!
The decor is sweet and simple and very French. A white and grey palette punctuated by the rich colors of the chocolate and other treats. The art instillation above the cafe tables is equally stunning. Created for their Valentine’s Day celebration, the lovebirds and tiny paper hearts make for a beautiful centerpiece in the shop.
sweet success
To top off our decadent morning we had to try something from the esspresso lab. I opted for the Shakerato- 3 shots of espresso and vanilla syrup shaken over ice. Buzz buzz y’all.
A tisket a tasket, I got a chocolate basket!
Since my Cacao visit, I’ve slowly sampled my goodies- or hoarding them if you will. I want to hold on to the dark chocolate goodness as long as I possibly can- or until I reorder them online (bless online shopping)! Stop by one of their three shops in the ATL immediately or visit their online store to get your cacao fix!
Cacao Atlanta- http://cacaoatlanta.com/ Cacao on Facebook Cacao Twitter
Happy Earth Day
Image
Sunday funday photo
Cacao Atlanta- Si Bon!
Friday Five #5
Southern Jewelry Designers
5. Mimosa by me– Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Image via Mimosa by me
I love these bright ceramic earrings for Spring and Summer!
4. Gogo– Cumberland Island, Georgia
- Image via High Museum
My recent visit to the High Museum in Atlanta, reminded me how much I admire her and covet all of Gogo’s jewelry. Her work is heavily influenced by the natural environment of her hometown of Cumberland Island. The necklace pictured above is called the Gogo Logo Necklace- “The rattlesnake, and more specifically its bones, is indelibly linked with Gogo’s jewelry designs. Around 1978 Gogo began the design of her iconic logo: three rattlesnake ribs curving in on each side with a vertebra in the center. Originally created out of found bones, Gogo went on to cast the logo in both gold and silver to create a more durable, elegant version.” Catch her exhibit at the High through August 25.
3. Give a Penny Designs– Atlanta, Georgia
- Image via Give a Penny
Mary Kelly Stribling of Give a Penny Designs creates one of a kind pieces and with every piece of jewelry purchased at a jewelry show Mary Kelly donates a portion of the proceeds to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Love her bold pieces- the rings especially!
2. Angel Court– Meridian, Mississippi
I love their unique combinations of antique/found objects and modern design.
1. Lisa Kerns Jewelry– St. Simons Island, Georgia
I can’t gush about this artist enough! Season after season, she surprises with funky and affordable designs that any girl would want.
Hope y’all have a great weekend!
Sunday funday photo
Image
Sunday meandering at the museum…
Friday Five # 4
Bring on the heat! These are some of my favorite Southern beers that will keep you cool this Spring and Summer. Cheers y’all!
5. Endless River: Mother Earth Brewing- Kinston, NC
A clean, crisp beer, Kolsch offers a very slight fruity flavor and aroma. Light body with a little tang- perfect for a river paddle.
4. Watermelon Wheat (coming in May)- Tin Roof Brewing Co- Baton Rouge, LA
I was able to sample this beer at the Natchez Food and Wine Fest last summer and loved it. Light, refreshing, and screams spring/summer with the hint of watermelon.
3. Citra Rye Pale Ale: Westbrook Brewing Co- Mt. Pleasant, SC
This beer is only available on tap so its a must try if you find it! It has some crazy tropical fruit flavors and aromatics – think mango, pineapple, and passionfruit. YUM.
2. Lil Hump Spring Ale: Highland Brewing Co.- Asheville, NC
I love this beer because it is flavorful but is designed as a “session” ale so the ABV is lower. Commercial description: “This American Pale Ale is a refreshing session beer meticulously handcrafted with a unique Highland twist. Brewed with grains from America’s heartland, using Simcoe hops for bittering and dry hopped with Amarillo and Cascade for aromatics, this beer finishes crisp and clean. It is a plate pleasing seasonal experience.”
1. Abita Strawberry: Abita Brewing Co.- Convington, LA
Doesn’t get more springtime then a strawberry laager! I love love love this beer. So light and crisp with a delicious fruity flavor from real Louisiana strawberries. Get it while you can!
Related articles
- Southern Breweries (emsontheroad.com)
Sunday funday photo
Antiquing in Downtown Lexington, Georgia…
Friday Five #3
image via Telfair Museums
Since opening its doors to the public in 1880s, the museum has grown from a renovated family mansion into a distinguished cultural institution boasting three architecturally-significant buildings and a permanent collection of approximately 4,000 works of art from America and Europe, dating primarily from the 18th-21st centuries. Located in Savannah’s historic district, the museum consists of the Telfair Academy and the Owens-Thomas House two circa 1820 National Historic Landmark buildings and the contemporary Jepson Center. It is the oldest public art museum in the Southeast. I’m dying to see the The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design.
image via Athens: Life Unleashed
The Georgia Museum of Art opened in 1948 and is the official state museum of art. The museum offers programming for patrons of all ages and free admission to the public for all exhibitions. The museum strives, most of all, to fulfill the legacy of its founder, Alfred Heber Holbrook, and provide art for everyone, removing barriers to accessibility and seeking to foster an open, educational and inspiring environment for students, scholars and the general public. I love the modern building it is housed in now…it makes for an interesting change given the majority of classical style architecture throughout UGA’s campus.
I always enjoy their permenant collection, especially the decorative arts. I’m looking forward to seeing the William H. Johnson exhibit this spring.
image via GMOA
image via Visiting D.C.
Some people might not consider D.C. in the South but technically it is South of the Mason Dixon… I visited Washington D.C. in fifth grade and being the nerdy child I was (and still am), dragged my family to every possible museum I could. The National Gallery exposed me many artists I had never seen in person…Rothko, Oldenburg, Calder, Lichenstein, Warhol, Matisse and many others. I remember feeling confused yet ultimately intrigued by the what I saw. In retrospect, my visit to the National Gallery inspired me to seek out/study art.
image via Destination Nexus
The Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) will always be one of my favorites. I grew up going here when visiting family in Bham and spent countless hours here while in my art history program at Birmingham Southern College. Their collection of American Art is fabulous, with the portrait of Lady Helen Vincent, Viscountess d’Abernon by John Singer Sargent being one of my favorites.
image via BMA
image via BMA
Here is a little backstory about the lover’s eye jewelry…
Exquisite in craftsmanship, unique in detail, and few in number, lover’s eye miniatures are small-scale portraits of individual eyes set into various forms of jewelry from late 18th- and early 19th-century England. Featuring an impressive 98 pieces, the collection is considered to be the largest of its kind, with only 1,000 lover’s eye miniatures thought to be in existence worldwide. Part of a trend that began with Britain’s Prince of Wales (later George IV), clandestine lovers exchanged these customized tokens depicting one another’s eyes, as such a feature might only be recognized by persons of the most intimate familiarity. Thus, behind the skilled artistry with which each of these tiny portraits was painted, lie the enchanting stories of secret romance and love lost, which inspired the creation of this popular, albeit short-lived fashion.
1. High Museum of Art
image via ARTBERKSHIRES
It should come as no surprise that the High Museum is at the top of the list. With an incredible calendar of exhibits throughout the year and an impressive permanent collection, I love visiting The High. I can’t wait to visit this spring to see Friday & Diego: Passion, Politics, and Painting and Gogo: Nature Transformed.
image via High Museum
Happy Friday y’all!
Em's on the road 