Tag Archives: Florence

Fall Jackets

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One of the best things about fall here in Alabama is wearing jackets. I love jackets! I feel more pulled together when I’ve got one on, plus, it hides the dreaded middle-age pooch that persists in hanging around no matter how many crunches I do or chocolate-covered creme-filled Krispy Kremes I give up. Since my usual cold-weather outfit is a simple and lazy turtleneck with jeans, jackets jazz things up and help me look less basic. Shop for great jacket deals in the early spring as retailers get rid of their winter stock. That’s how I got these three great finds. One of my favorites is the orange embroidered wool. As soon as the temperature gets down to the 50s and 60s, I pull it out. I wear it so much I’m sure everybody gets sick of seeing it. But I don’t care! I feel happy as soon as I put it on. I got it on sale at Audie Mescal women’s boutique in Tuscumbia, Alabama, two or three years ago. The soft green quilted jacket is a velour-like brushed cotton in such a pretty shade. It’s from a clearance rack at specialty store Marigail Mathis in Florence, Alabama (http://www.marigailmathis.com/). I also lucked up on a near-matching long-sleeved green T-shirt. But the best buy is this fantastic gray jacket from Theodora women’s shop in Homewood (Birmingham), Alabama. I coveted it all season two years ago but could not pay the $300 or so price. I guess nobody else could, either, because I found it on the sale rack at such a discount that I bought it immediately before the store owner changed her mind. Score!

Rollin’ on the River

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This past Friday, before everybody scattered to ballgames and festivals and weekend getaways, some friends and I got together and cruised up Pickwick Lake in Florence, Alabama. We were on the Pickwick Belle, a paddlewheel riverboat that tours the Tennessee River. It was a wet and cool day but we had a fantastic time, especially after the boat captain found a couple bottles of champagne to help us warm up. Most of the other passengers had cancelled, leaving the top deck to us. But that was probably a good thing! We giggled and talked and were entertained by those of us who had spent their childhoods climbing and jumping off the river bluffs we were passing. You know, come to think about it, the champagne was probaby a bribe for us to stay upstairs away from the more sane passengers who opted for the warm and cozy dining room — and it worked! I love these women. They look so sweet and pretty but actually are kick-butt, take-no-prisoners tough females who are taking risks and making hard decisions with grace and strength. I’m just honored they let me hang around.

We fell in love with the Pickwick Belle. What a cutie! She can take up to 149 passengers, and there are all sorts of cruises to choose from: dinner, lunch, mystery theatre and just sitting back and relaxing as we did. It’s also available for parties and weddings. During the summer at Pickwick Landing State Park in Tennessee, the captain holds a church service at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Learn more at www.pickwickbelle.com.

Alabama Renaissance Faire

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Come to the Alabama Renaissance Faire in Florence this weekend. You’ll love it! I promise there’s more than bellydancing there, but I can’t help bragging on my older daughter, who performs at the faire with her dance group from Huntsville. The Alabama Ren Faire is meant for families. It’s in the small downtown Wilson Park, renamed Fountain on the Green for the faire, and is very easy to get around. There’s no alcohol allowed, and everyone is friendly and helpful. And it’s free! You can come in costume or not. Everything has a Renaissance flair. Vendors selling jewelry, art work and crafts are in costume and all entertainment is Renaissance-style, with juggling, magic, singing and other music as well as bellydancing. The faire is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Check out http://www.alarenfaire.org/ and http://www.myspace.com/alrenfaire for details and other photos.

Alabama Renaissance Faire

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October is Renaissance month in Florence, Alabama, and the highlight of the month is the Alabama Renaissance Faire, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 25-26, in downtown Florence’s Wilson Park — a can’t-miss family-friendly adventure. A prelude to the faire is the Renaissance Feast, held the weekend before. It’s a chance to dress up and pretend it’s 500 years ago, from eating authentic feast-type food to bowing before royalty as they enter the banquet hall. The best part for me is the entertainment, because for the past couple years my daughter’s bellydance troupe from Nomadic Tapestry Movement and Music Studio, in Huntsville, Alabama, has performed there. And once again this year they did a fantastic job. They always look as if they’re having so much fun dancing and sharing their love of dancing with audiences. I had a great time hanging out with my daughter (she’s the one in the middle of the photo) and the other dancers and musicians at the feast. Check out the studio at www.nomadictapestry.com — there’s a full schedule of classes and other events all year long. The dancers and musicians will perform again this coming weekend at the Renaissance Faire. But that’s not the only reason to come to the faire! It truly is a family event. It’s small and easy to get around, no alcohol is allowed, admission is free and education is a key element. You’ll find exhibits, art, crafts, your favorite festival food (deep-fried Snickers for me), period enterainment plus incredibly costumed characters roaming around. You’ll meet a troll, fairies, wizards, princes and princesses, monks, knights — all sorts of folks. Visit the Web site at http://www.alarenfaire.org/ to learn more and youtube.com (search “Alabama Renaissance Faire”) to see more.

Shopping the Gap

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The other day I was in our Gap store in Regency Square Mall in Florence, Alabama — I usually cruise by every week or so to check out what’s new. And as a new grandma, I usually wander over to the Baby Gap side. Who can resist? Anyway, I found a couple pairs of knit pants for sale and this adorable little outfit and figured I’d better call my daughter Liz to check on sizes for grandson Nolan. “Hey, sweetie,” I said on the cell. “I’m here at our Gap …” She laughed. “Oh my gosh,” she said. “I’m at our Gap, too.” She’s in nearby Huntsville, Alabama, which has a Gap (after closing stores in the two malls) at the newly opened Bridge Street Town Centre. “That’s so funny,” I agreed and continued, “but listen, I’m looking at something cute for Nolan.” She laughed even harder. “Let me guess,” she said. “Is it a blue patchwork vest with pinstriped pants? I”ve got them in my hand right now!” Great shopping minds think alike. I’ve trained my children well.

Pumpkin Mania

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Fall means pumpkins, and we all love pumpkins! There’s just something about them — I’m not sure what. Maybe that they’re only around for a few weeks. Maybe because they smell so good and taste even better. Maybe because they just instantly make me happy. Who knows? But I’m always glad when the air gets cooler and the leaves start to turn and I can go all pumpkin, all the time. Bath and Body Works has some great-smelling pumpkin things, such as Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin lotion and scrub. Fragrance oils and sprays also come in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin as well as Perfect Autumn Pumpkin. This past year at Bath and Body Works, I bought some autumn potpourri that has stones, beads, glass leaves and wooden pumpkins in it and a Perfect Autumn Pumpkin travel candle, although I haven’t seen those items in stores this year. A few drops of oil refreshes the potpourri and everybody who comes in says, “Oh, your house smells so good.” Be careful, though, that somebody doesn’t think the potpourri is Halloween candy and tries to crunch a rock. (Who would do that, Lizzy Jane???!!!!!) And of course, there’s pumpkin you can eat. Pumpkin Spice Flax crunchy granola bars from Kashi are my favorite emergency on-the-road food — although they are, as advertised, quite crunchy. But delicious! Fresh Market sells a pumpkin pancake and waffle mix that’s easy and perfect for cool crisp mornings and fun breakfast-for-supper fall evenings. I’m also a big fan of pumpkin seed oil, which I’ve only found at Tria Market in Birmingham, Ala. (in Soho Square in Homewood, http://www.birminghammenus.com/tria/) It’s a rich and green oil that flavors bread and hearty vegetables with a woodsy taste of fall. But the best fall flavor is the pumpkin dip Connie Carpenter does at Jack O’Lantern Farms, the hydroponic greenhouses in Muscle Shoals, Ala., http://www.jackolanternfarm.com/. The Carpenters have the best selection of pumpkins for sale in northwest Alabama. Connie makes a dip by roasting pumpkins (quarter, brush with oil, roast and remove meat) and then combining the pumpkin with cream cheese, powdered sugar and spices. It’s absolutely October in your mouth!

Demos’ in the Shoals

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It’s really going to happen! The new Demos’ (pronounced “dee-mus”) Restaurant going up in Florence, Ala., should open in mid-December, co-founder and owner Jim Demos said this week. This family-owned restaurant began in Murfreesboro, Tenn., almost 20 years ago and quickly became a Middle Tennessee favorite for its emphasis on fresh homemade food and exceptional customer service. It was the go-to place for my husband and his mom, who lived in Murfreesboro, and I knew I was an accepted member of the family when they invited me to come along. The Demoses are expanding and chose Florence for their first out-of-state location. Amazing! My husband and I cannot believe our luck in having one of our favorite restaurants open up practically in our backyard. Go to the Web site http://www.demosrestaurants.com/ to learn more. Now, I’m craving a Blackened Chicken Stuffed Potato.

Recycling the Recycling

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You know you lead a sophisticated and exciting life when the arrival of new recycling bins is a highlight of your week.

What can I say? My husband and I live on the edge. Taking our paper/plastic/cardboard recycling to the center in nearby Florence, Ala., is a weekly chore on our to-do list, and the status of the aging and always overflowing bins there is a hot topic of our conversation. So naturally we were overjoyed to see that the city of Florence recently replaced some of the old and creaky bins with larger and shinier ones. The question, of course, is: Did the city of Florence recycle the old bins? Inquiring minds want to know.

Hometown Shopping

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This barbershop in Florence, Alabama, is where my husband gets his hair cut. (No. That’s not his truck!) He likes it, he says, because it’s simple and direct — he walks in, gets his hair cut and beard trimmed and then walks out. Nothing fancy but it gets the job done in an authentic sort of way. And that describes this part of Florence — called Seven Points –perfectly: Easy to get to, shopper-friendly and full of local folks with real shops doing real business. Such as Hodgepodge Antiques Mall, 11142 N. Wood Ave. It’s three rooms full of treasures, and you can rummage around all day if you want to. No pressure. Another must-visit Seven Points retailer is Scent-Sations Candles and Gifts, 1123 N. Wood Ave., where you can buy hand-poured candles in almost any fragrance imaginable — visit http://www.pouredbyhand.com to see the list. One of the best things about Scent-Sations is that you can turn your own containers into candles — a great way to recycle. Then head to Peck Ace Hardware Co., 1118 N. Wood Ave. , one of those true hometown hardware stores that’s been there for decades and still has what looks like the original wooden floors. You’ll get a friendly “hello” when you walk and an equally friendly “come back soon” when you leave, regardless of whether you’ve bought anything or not — browsing is encouraged. And then there are some of the most interestingly named businesses in Florence: Crazy Carolyn’s Fashions and Wigs, 1148 N. Wood Ave., actually run by a woman named Carolyn; Polly’s Radio and TV Service, 1128 N. Wood Ave., not run by a woman named Polly (although the building is where I took ballet lessons about a million years ago); and the fast-Chinese-food Wok N Roll., 115 Edgewood Drive. The McDonald’s at Seven Points also is fun — it’s decorated entirely in purple and gold to support nearby University of North Alabama.

Isn’t it amazing what you can find in your own backyard?

Box Supper

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This was the yummy picnic we concert-goers got Thursday night at the outdoor performance Sounds at Sundown in Florence, Ala. Ensembles from the Shoals Symphony at UNA (University of North Alabama) performed in the backyard of the Rosenbaum House, the only structure in the state designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. And as good as the music was, you know food always gets my full attention. This tasted as good as it looked, and it’s exactly the way I like to eat: small bites of lots of different things. Here’s what was packed so elegantly into our beribboned boxes: Pasta and vegetable salad, crackers, fresh grapes and a lovely strawberry, stuffed olive (olives in a cheese-straw-like dough), two miniature round crustless sandwiches (with maybe

My friends Henry and Sarah Gaede enjoy music, food and good company at Sounds at Sundown.

My friends Henry and Sarah Gaede enjoy music, food and good company at Sounds at Sundown.

chicken and some other salad?), two small meat-and-cheese wraps, a petit four and a cheese trio of pecan-crusted cheese ball, cheese-stuffed grape tomato and a bite of spicy and peppery jack cheese. Lovely! I’m always happy at any event when the food is from Rhoda P’s Catering Service in Florence — she always, without fail, does a stellar job. We also got bottled water and you could buy glasses of wine.

If you haven’t been to the Rosenbaum house, go. Now. This treasure has been lovingly restored and is fascinating. I know very little about Frank Lloyd Wright and even less about architecture, but I’m amazed at Wright’s talent and vision every time I visit. Every inch of every space is functional and organic and so stylish is an elegantly spare way. Visit http://www.wrightinalabama.com/ to learn more.