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Archive for October, 2012
First Person: The Invisible Campaign
Far from the pundits and polls, the sweaty, unsung field organizers are the real epicenter of a presidential race. Take it from me—I was one. When I signed up to work for Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, standing in the parking lot of the North Trail Winn-Dixie pestering shoppers like a sweaty, deranged street preacher with [...]
Read More >>Fashion I.Q.: Genuis looks and loot
Genius looks and loot from our style blogger. Spanish model Inez Estes created the chicly feminine Xirena loungerie, which translates to stylish unmentionables that double as a bikini. Wear them under your maxi-dress while cruising the Gulf or poolside at Sarasota Yacht Club. Top $70, bottom $40, Bohemian Bliss Boutique. We often forget that our [...]
Read More >>Freeze Frame: Braden River Antiques
Dealer’s Choice Young Jess Sturtevant has amassed a rare collection at Braden River Antiques. The son of antique dealers, Jess Sturtevant was seven when he started selling his own finds in an antique mall on Manatee Avenue. At 10, he paid $20 for two paintings. One was a Highwayman—one of those now wildly coveted Florida [...]
Read More >>Hip to Be Square
Guy Peterson transforms a series of cubes into a cool Casey Key getaway. You wouldn’t be insulting architect Guy Peterson if you tossed off adjectives like “square” to describe the Gulf-to-bay residence he recently completed for an Alabama businesswoman and her children. A series of sophisticated, bright-white cubes is just what he had in mind when [...]
Read More >>Living Sculptures
Super-easy succulent gardens offer landscape drama without the work. For Steve Tetreault, it all started with a cactus—a little round orb of green flesh and hundreds of spines. It was a gift from his father when Tetreault bought a house on Siesta Key in the mid 1980s. A fitting gift, as the cactus had a [...]
Read More >>Health Report: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month What I’ve Learned Sarasota Memorial’s Marie Borsellino helps women navigate breast cancer. I’ve been an oncology nurse for 25 years; prior to this role as breast health navigator, I worked with all cancers and helped patients who were uninsured and underinsured get hooked up with resources. In 2008 the [...]
Read More >>Hot Dish: Café Italia’s Veal Parmesan
Tucked in between the Target store and Firehouse Subs on Fruitville Road lives Café Italia, a little Italian café that serves the best veal Parmesan. And you know how seriously we take our veal Parmesan. The tangy, slightly acidic tomato sauce—part of what I consider a perfect dish—is what I classify as a true red [...]
Read More >>Mr. Chatterbox: Quirky Bradenton Homes
This month: The quirky appeal of some old Bradenton homes. Bradenton is known for many things—orange juice, Southern charm—but not necessarily its architecture. But look around. Hidden among the concrete block ranches and the paired villas, you’ll find some wonderful old houses tucked away here and there. Let’s take a look at my favorites. Each [...]
Read More >>Only In Sarasota: Siesta Key View
Illustrator and graphic designer John Pirman moved from New York to Siesta Key five years ago, but he’s been enamored of Florida and its visual style for as long as he can remember. Pirman’s clients include national magazines and companies, and he says the environment here has inspired his work for them, “in color and [...]
Read More >>My World: Loretta Bestpitch
Loretta Bestpitch, curator of Mable Ringling’s rose garden at the Ringling Museum, on stopping and smelling the roses. What is the garden’s history? The rose garden was the first thing on the property, placed so that when they built the house Mable Ringling could look out her window and see it. She founded the Sarasota [...]
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