Festival Special: Arts & Seafood Festival; MIA -Brisk

Ciao a tutti!

My fellow Shoe-A-Holics, my shoes took me to quite a delicious event this past weekend...the 8th annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival.

Held in the charming and eclectic historic district of Bluffton SC, which is well known for its quirky art community and natural river beauty, the festival is a week long event offering a myriad of activities, showcasing the locally harvested seafood, delicious Low Country cuisine, rich history, culture and art of the area and Southern hospitality found only in Bluffton.*

With one of Bluffton's quaint little streets lined with tents housing local artisans, the festival invited us into a makeshift art gallery for our eyes to feast upon.





Check out some of the displays we encountered from the 100+ artists at the festival.


Coastal Paintings by Jeffery Day

Glass Mosaics by Teresa Hollmeyer



Left and above:
Metal Art in Copper and Brass by Timothy A Martin


The Amir Studio

The Amir Studio

Treasures in Wood by Roger Martin

Gary M. Howerton -Traditional Film Photography

Next on the agenda was food...


Shrimp Burgers from the Black Marlin Bayside Grill



BBQ bacon wrapped shrimp from The Crazy Crab

And as we ate, we were entertained by Bam Jazz playing songs by Satchmo and Cab Calloway. Comprised of some of the finest musicians in the Carolinas, the group is billed primarily as a jazz, blues and Cajun, but their experience goes far beyond. All of the members are seasoned studio musicians and concert performers who have worked with some of the top names in the industry.**

 

 

Upon the recommendation of a couple where we had lunch, we strolled the streets of this bay side town and came across this church that was established in the 18th Century.

Church of the Cross

This beautiful little church, situated at the the end of Calhoun St. (the same street that was lined with tents and vendors), was perched above the bay and boasted this breathtaking view.  So, the children ditched their bicycles instead for a boat ride with puppy!

Friendly people, great food and a welcoming environment... I think I may have found a new coastal getaway!

Baci a tutti!

Stella Notte

Day 269: Tuesday October 23 2012
Designer: MIA
Name: Brisk
Color: Olive
Style: Desert Wedge Bootie
Heel: 3 inches (7.62 cm)
Platform: 0.75 inches (1.91 cm)
Material: Suede upper with faux lace up kiltie tassels, moccasin toe, crepe wedge, lug sole and side zip
Crushing on these booties? I've only been able to find them here at DSW!

A word about the shoes:

Here is my review of these shoes I posted on DSW.  I gave these boots 5 out 5 for both style and comfort!

"I thought I had hit the jackpot last year with my MIA Pampa wedge booties. Unmatched comfort and style, I bought all three colors and was in heaven…that is until, I found these MIA Brisk booties! The rich Olive green color and the faux laced-up vamp enticed me, but it was the convenient ankle zip that had me sold.
The 3-inch wedge with the lug sole is the perfect height and ultimate in stability; I strolled a few miles over a few hours in these booties: through the streets (both paved and unpaved) of a festival, over cobblestone paths and even across dampened grass to get to a boat landing, and I have no complaints!
They fit true to size (every pair of MIA shoes I have bought are the same size in both length and width, and I never need to size up for MIA boots) and are extremely comfortable. These are definitely my new favorite pair of booties, and I highly recommend them!"
SN





*Excerpt taken from  Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival webpage
**Except taken from Bam Jazz's Facebook Page

Festival Special: Greek Fest; Steve Madden -Daynty, Black

 Kalos Orisate (Welcome)!

Opa, my fellow Shoe-A-Holics! Can you guess where my shoes took me today? The Savannah Greek Festival!

Started 61 years ago as a food festival, this family oriented event has evolved into an annual cultural celebration of Greek history, tradition and faith; feeling quite homesick for my own Mediterranean island (Sicily), the local Greek Fest was precisely what I needed!







Unbeknownst to me, Savannah has a rich Greek heritage  steeped in , Savannah is a destination for many southern Mediterraneans because of its temperate climate in the winter, warm summers and relative proximity to the Atlantic ocean and beaches!

During the three day festival, visitors from far and near experience authentic homemade Hellenic foods and desserts prepared by parishioners of St Paul's Greek Orthodox Church.  After hearing rave reviews on radio and television, my first stop was the food!

Greek salad with dressing

Combo Plate: Clockwise from top left:
Meatballs, roll, spanakopita, pastitsio and dolmandes

And lunch would not be complete without Spirits!

Is it me, or does that look like a naked pregnant woman
on the second bottle from the left?

 

 

While we dined, we got to enjoy the sounds of traditional Greek music from two talented musicians!

 





 

And as is customary in the Med, a meal would be complete without coffee...

 

And sweets!

Kataife

Finikia

Pecan Queens

(L) upper: Chocolate-Walnut Triangles, (L) lower: Koulourakia,
Baklava on the right

I'm not sure how to pronounce this word, or even what they are, but the line for these delectables was so long, we never got to sample them!

The festival is so popular, that they had a drive thru to accommodate those who wanted to eat,
but couldn't spare the time to stay!

 

The Greek Grocery Store (Bakaliko) offered many items which cannot be found locally.

The shopaholic in me had to make a stop at the Agora (the market) inside with clothing and books...

 And outside, with all the things I miss most from the markets in Italy: bags...

 

Scarves...

 

And jewelry!

J by K jewlery designer, Kathy Guerry's tent caught my attention first.  Accustomed to scouring the local Sicilian markets while living in Sicily, I invariably ended up buying jewelry (rings mostly), which, when I wear years later, commemorate my experience in a particular place or festival.  Kathy's beautiful necklaces, rings and scarves are all hand crafted by this amazing artisan with such an attention to detail making each piece a unique work of art!  You can contact her at kbguerry@yahoo.com or by phone 857-389-9156

 

Here are more of her beautiful designs!



 Feeling great after my afternoon in Greece, I am saddened to know that I have to wait another year before the festival returns...but it is well worth the wait!

 

 

Baci a tutti!

Stella Notte

Day 264: Sunday October 14th 2012
Designer: Steve Madden
Name: Daynty
Color: Black
Style: Platform Pump Slide Peep-Toe Clog
Heel: 5 inches (12.7 cm), Platform: 1.5 inches (3.81 cm)
Material: Leather Upper with stud details along mid-sole

How I styled it:  So now that I'm feeling good about this weight loss (and that I have finally started fitting into some of my clothes), This olive shirt dress is one I have wanted to wear for over a year (yes, I do buy clothes to diet into).  I belted this Convington dress from Sears, with an olive macrame belt with wooden beads and loop from Old Navy.  My leather hobo purse I got from the market in Pisa.  Just a side note, this is the last pair of these Steve Madden Dayntys I own...although I am regretting not having gotten them in the red suede! SN

 

Beautiful in any color;

click here to see these beauties in Olive, here to see them in Cognac or here to see them in Blue!

 

Festival Special, Tybee Island Pirate Fest: Privo by Clark's -Kiva, Grey

Ciao amici!

Ever since the Tall Ship Festival in May and my brief encounter with the rum-running, booty-hauling buccaneers of the high seas (pirates), I have been looking forward to the annual event on Tybee Island which draws seafaring mariners from across the country, all in celebration of the islands own pirate history.

As one of the larger barrier islands off Georgia's coast, Tybee Island's pirate roots reach back to the early 16th Century when Pirates would navigate the state's interminable waterways for sources of fresh water and would frequent the island, utilizing the lush vegetation to hide from those who pursued them. 

A little known fact, pirates played an integral role in aiding the English during the early 1700's in their efforts to capture the land from the Spanish and colonize Georgia.*

For the eighth year running, lovers of all things pirate have converged on this island town for food, fun and festivities.  With activities to delight the young and old alike, Pirate Fest 2012 had something to offer the entire family!

Kicking off with a Buccaneer Ball, there were events to amaze and thrill pirates of all ages; the three day event (for which we attended two) had us captivated from the moment we arrived.

Our first stop was the Faire Wynds Circus! Now to be honest with you, I had long given up on the 'magic' which magicians profess to bring during a performance. But after witnessing this amazing spectacle from a true master of prestidigitation, I am a believer again!  Circus Master Eric Scites and his lovely assistant/wife, Penelope/Susan (you must see the show to understand the comedic value in her name), delivered entertainment that was not just a show for the children, but for the entire family alike. Regaled with fire eating, slight-of-hand, and awe-inspiring magic tricks, the Faire Wynds Circus brought history alive through stories, poetry recitation and of course, humour.  My only regret was that we were unable to catch subsequent shows!

Here are some shots from the show!

Yes, his tongue is on fire!

And what would a festival of pirates be without pirates? And boy, were there pirates!  

Consider yourself warned!

There was a King and Queen Pirate...

Captain Mike and his wife Iris of Captain Mike's Dolphin Tours

Pirates both old... and young

There were Pirates of all shapes and sizes: singing pirates,

dancing Pirates, and Pirates in bikinis!   

There were Pirates on bicycles,  

 

 Pirates for a cure...

 

 

and some even a little tipsy!

 

 Zombie Pirates...  

SavannahZombieWalk.com

 

Pirates with candy and even a cameo from Captain Jack! 

And what would Pirate Fest be without a swashbuckling sword fight?

 

And we mustn't forget the Pirate Ships!

And my favorite place? The Thieves Market, where I could shop! Check out some of these goodies that vendors had for sale!

Hemp sandals!

Always the Shoe-A-Holic, you know I had to stop when I saw Pirate Becca and her lovely shoes!  Local artisan, Becca Cook handcrafted her outfit (and yes, the hat as well!).  Check out her artistic creations on Zazzle and Etsy, key word beccasboudoir!  You can view the links in green or red to some of the Pirate Fest participants I have highlighted!

Baci a tutti!

 

Stella Notte

 

Tuesday October 9th 2012

Designer: Privo by Clark's
Name: Kiva
Color: Grey
Style: T-Strap Flat
Heel: 0.75 inches (2 cm)
Material: Nubuck Suede Upper with T-Strap vamp and studs








Just a note:  If you are wondering if or where you have seen these Kivo beauties before, I wore them last on Day 16 (here).  Due to the lack or foresight on my part, I am left with an abundance of dressy sandals which didn't exactly fit the bill with respect to the event which I attended. I have made every effort to wear all colors of a particular style of shoe before duplicating a shoe, with the exception of these grey Kivo's and their purple counterparts.  I needed something flat and comfortable as I was unsure of whether I was going to be on the sandy beach or not.  Forgive me, I shall wear the purple pair soon...I would have today, but it didn't quite fit with my denim tunic or white shorts.  SN

 

*Info on Tybee Island from Wikipedia