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!

 

My Favorite Places: Gigi's Cupcakes, Bronx So Today -Cooper (Suede)

Ciao a tutti!

Today, my fellow Shoe-A-Holics, you are in for a treat!  Decadent, mouth-watering and delectable; my shoes are taking us to the place I refer to as the candy shop for grown-ups : Gigi's Cupcakes.

Missing our Italian Pastry Shops, when we saw the sign for Gigi's from our hotel window when we first arrived in town, we knew we had make a special visit, and have been doing so religiously for nearly a year!
Celebrating,  my birthday month (and yes, I celebrate not just the day, or the week of my birth, but rather the entire month), I signed up online for my free Gigi's cupcake!



I picked this particular day, because on any given day, Gigi's has 11-12 different cupcakes from which to choose; satisfying those of us with a sweet tooth, those of us with a really sweet tooth, and even those who prefer something savory when a snake-craving comes calling, and today, my sweet tooth was asking for the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake:
Devil's food cake with dark chocolate chips,
champagne cream cheese frosting, chocolate chips and
sprinkled with chocolate ganache

 





Hubby decided on something new as well:

Carrot Cake: topped with cream cheese frosting,
decorative orange icing & green sugar crystals

Today's menu featured so many temptations:

Feast you eyes on these:

Pictured above is the Chocolate Salted Caramel, a personal favorite
of mine which is highly recommended: Special dark chocolate cake
filled with caramel, caramel frosting dipped in ganache and topped with sea salt...yum!

And just when you think you've tried all 35 items on the menu this spring/summer, Gigi comes out with a fall/winter menu to tempt your sweet tooth for another 6 months!

Hooked for life:

Crushing on all things Gigi yet?

There are so many ways to enjoy these mouth-watering morsels, but don't hesitate; the popular flavors sell out fast (we got to the store shortly after it opened)!  If you can't make it in early, you can always call ahead and have them reserve you your favorites (at my local store, we can even Facebook the Gigi's and reserve what we want).

Have a special event coming up?  Gigi's Cupcakes caters!  From weddings and graduations, or just a gathering of friends you can order both the regular or mini-sized cupcakes for your big day.

Travel mugs, t-shirts and tote bags; bring some Gigi's home with you... the cupcakes are so good they won't make it home!




Always the bargain hunter:

Gigi's rewards loyalty!  If you are familiar with Gigi's then you know about their rewards card:

Buy a dozen cupcakes and get one free!  Gigi's is phasing out this card with a more efficient Cupcake Lover's Reward Program: you can sign up online and you earn 1 point for ever $1.00 you spend.  Collect 50 points and receive a $5.00 reward valid on your next visit.  When you sign up, you earn 25 points automatically!




A Compelling Story:

A motivated teenager from a modest upbringing and determined to have something of her own, Gigi started her own Cleaning Company at the age of 15.  But a singer and songwriter at heart, she sold her cleaning business and moved to Nashville to fulfill her dream in the music industry.  Waiting tables during the day and singing nights, wasn't the dream she envisioned,  so at 30, she retired from music and returned to cleaning.  Until the fateful day when a phone call changed her life.  Her brother had waited hours to get into a cupcake store in New York, only to be disappointed.  He told Gigi that, "These aren't as good as yours and mom's.  You should open up a cupcake shop in Nashville!"  And as they say, the rest is history.  Four years later, 50+ shops in 18 states, Gigi's words of wisdom are as follows: Believe in yourself, walk with integrity, work hard and trust in God; maybe your life won't turn out exactly how you were expecting or hoped it would be, but maybe, just maybe, it will be so much better than you ever imagined!

Give Gigi's a Swirl!

Baci a tutti!

Stella Notte

Monday June 11th 2012
Designer: Bronx So Today
Name: Cooper
Color: Corda
Style: Platform Slingback
Heel:  5inches (12.7 cm), Platform: 1.25 inches (3.18 cm)
Material: Suede Upper with crossed vamp straps and slingback

Some more pictures from today's photo shoot!

Beautiful in any fabric;

these are the only duet of shoes I own in the suede (above) and leather (below)