Category Archives: Go

Bling at the Biggs Museum

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The Biggs Museum of American Art is poised to sparkle at a new event called Biggs Bling, featuring a silent auction of fine antique jewelry, estate jewelry and high-end costume jewelry provided by private donors and event sponsors.

22The fundraiser takes place on Saturday, Oct. 5, 6-9 p.m., at the museum on Federal Street in Dover. The event will feature a silent auction including an outstanding array of fine antique, period jewelry, estate jewelry and high-end costume jewelry provided by private donors and event sponsors.

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres? Of course, including a mashed potato bar. There will be entertainment by the musical ensemble Melomanie and guest performer Jennifer Margaret Barker, who will perform this season’s new works fusing important pieces from the 17th and 18th Centuries and today.

“We are excited to launch Biggs Bling, the first event of its kind in Kent County, which showcases the art of jewelry,” Linda Danko, the museum’s executive director, said in a statement. “Biggs Bling is a great opportunity for women to find that perfect something to add to their jewelry collection – and for men to begin their Christmas shopping – all while supporting the area’s premier museum.”

The event’s Diamond Sponsor is Sayers Jewelers and Gemologists in Smyrna, which is donating several pieces of fine jewelry to the silent auction. Funds raised directly support the Biggs. Tickets are $50 for members and $75 for non-members, available online or by calling (302) 674-2111. Or you can hatch a deal for $36 by buying tickets on DealChicken.

Prince Albert’s tour of the West

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02-WFCAlbert-P.69.1154Prince Albert II of Monaco arrives in Cody, Wyoming, today, following in the boot steps of his great, great grandfather, Prince Albert I. The latest Albert is celebrating the 100-year anniversary of Albert I’s legendary hunting trip with William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody and to present the inaugural Camp Monaco Prize, a new scientific research grant supporting biodiversity studies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

I just returned from a memorable trip to Cody and narrowly missed seeing the prince, thus sparing His Serene Highness a big howdy from all the folks in Philly, hometown of his mother, Princess Grace.

On this trip, Albert II is being hosted by the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the best darn museum for all things representing the uniquely American West. It’s a wonderful place to explore the largest collection of firearms in the U.S., as well as Native American culture, natural history, art and the colorful life of Buffalo Bill, the most famous man in the world at the turn of the last century. (More on that in a future post.)

03-WFCAlbert_downtown_Cody-P.69.1577In 1913, Albert I was a pioneer of sorts, the first European head of state to visit the United States. He traveled to Wyoming by train, where he joined Buffalo Bill and a group of pals for a two-week game-hunting excursion into the Rocky Mountains near Yellowstone Park.

Three sponsoring institutions – the  Center of the West’s Draper Natural History Museum, the University of Wyoming’s Biodiversity Institute, and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation-USA – joined together to select the winning proposal for the inaugural Camp Monaco Prize. The project focuses on finding new ways to monitor and safeguard migratory elk in Greater Yellowstone,  knowledge that could benefit other important conservation areas across the globe.

During his visit, Albert II will revisit the hunting camp Albert I and Buffalo Bill set up in 1913, near what is now Yellowstone National Park. He will plant trees, tour the beautiful park and wrap up his stay with a grand soiree on Sept. 21, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West’s annual Patrons Ball.

 

 

Labor Day blowout at Lands’ End

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There’s no rest for weary shoppers this Labor Day weekend.

Lands’ End is offering 35% off all new arrivals in its holiday weekend blowout. Yup, the fall fashions, including such seasonal must-haves as cable-knit sweaters and windbreakers.

083013_testThink pin-straight patterned denim pants for mom, classic, no-iron cotton shirts for dad and adorable choices for the little ones, including a leopard-print cardigan that will make little Isabella the envy of first grade.

The before-season sale also means you don’t have to wait until the end of fall to get a deal and have to settle for the colors nobody likes or discover your size is sold out.

Shipping? Not to worry. It’s on the house for orders of $50 or more, after the discount is applied.

If you shop at your favorite brick-and-mortar store you won’t have to wait for the postman. In-store merchandise is marked down 30% across the board.

 

 

 

 

Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation

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Were I a fabulously wealthy gal in 1853, I’d point my parasol toward Belle Meade, the Greek Revival manse that was the centerpiece of a plantation and stud farm. (Or maybe I’d wait until 1883, when the first two bathrooms were installed on the spacious rear porches.)

UnknownThe mansion motto is: History, Horses, Hospitality. Belle Meade resonates with me because I come from horse folks. My father was a railbird with empty pockets before he figured out he could make more money racing thoroughbreds than betting on them.When Dad was picking up horses in claiming races, he focused on bloodlines, the mounts descended from champions. Belle Meade is the home of Bonnie Scotland, sire of sires, which counts among its descendants Sir Barton, which in 1913 won the first Triple Crown, Secretariat, 1973 Triple Crown winner, and every horse entered in the 2003 Kentucky Derby.

images-1In the grand foyer, there’s a portrait of the big bay stallion and his groom Bob Green, painted in 1875. Green, a former slave, was the highest paid worker on the farm due to his widely admired horse sense and led Grover Cleveland on a tour when the president visited in 1887. (Years later, William Howard Taft visited Belle Meade during his presidency, where the portliest of all U.S. presidents famously got stuck in the bath tub.)

With a wide veranda and six massive limestone columns made from stone quarried on the property, Belle Meade is an impressive house. (There are bullet holes in the columns, souvenirs from the Battle of Nashville in the Civil War, waged, in part on the expansive front lawn.)

The mansion is decorated in period style, changed to reflect upcoming holidays or events, perhaps a Victorian wedding. A few pieces of furniture are from the Harding family, who lived in the mansion until 1903. Guides wear costumes ranging from the requisite hoop skirts to an undertaker’s coal dark suit and stove top hat.

images-2But it isn’t too precious. There aren’t velvet ropes cordoning off rooms. Visitors can literally walk through history, peering at such mementos as inkwells made from the hooves of Iroquois, the Belle Meade great which was the first American-born horse to win the English Derby. No photography is permitted inside the house, but guests can snap away outdoors.

I last visited Belle Meade in 2009. Since then, a winery has been added to the property and guests are invited to a free tasting after their tours.

The grounds include simple gardens, a log cabin, reconstructed slave quarters and a small cemetery. Belle Meade is open seven days a week. Tickets are: $16 for adults; $14 for seniors 65 and older; $10 for students age 13-18; $8 for children age 6-12. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. There also is a special rate of $45 for families with up to six members.

 

The art of Habitat for Humanity

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When it’s for a good cause, fine art is especially fine.

In Wilmington, the Office of Cultural Affairs is partnering with Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County for a special exhibit of original art at the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, located at 800 N. French St.

largeAn opening reception for The Annabelle Project — so named for founder Annabelle Kressman — will be held on Friday, Aug. 2, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. during Art on the Town, Wilmington’s monthly first Friday gallery tour.

I was blessed in meeting Annabelle and her husband Hank at First & Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, a warm and welcoming congregation committed to the city and its people.

It is natural that Annabelle is passionate about helping people to have beautiful homes because she has long helped women to dress and look their best in her business as a Doncaster fashion stylist.

The art exhibit is comprised of works traditionally for sale at the ReStore, a non-profit business that sells new and used home improvement and renovation supplies. Throughout August, patrons can buy art at Redding, with all proceeds benefitting Habitat.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to invest in original artwork at affordable prices while helping a great cause,” says Jeni Barton, Redding curator.

The Annabelle Project started in 2010, when Annabelle, a board member,  asked friends who were downsizing to donate art they could no longer enjoy to new Habitat homeowners.

Well, who can say no to Annabelle?

In the twinkling of an eye, beautiful pieces of art began arriving daily at Habitat’s administrative office. Habitat homeowners were delighted to have lovely pieces of art to display in their new homes.

The program also introduced many new people to Habitat’s work in New Castle County. The pieces that don’t find a place in Habitat homes are sent to Habitat’s ReStore and sold.

Great art, great cause — and a great start for Habitat families.

 

Nicole Miller’s annual sale-a-rama

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UnknownIf you have been yearning for Nicole Miller’s chic and classic clothes and accessories but have resisted temptation so far now is the time to give in and splurge.

The semi-annual sale is going on now at both Philly locations, at the Bellvue on Broad Street and in Manayunk on Main Street. Expect deep discounts of 50-70% on end-of-season frocks, separates and shoes, as well as lots of help from friendly sales associates.

After all, that is what differentiates shopping at a brick-and-mortar store versus clicking and buying online. Plus, you know that the sweet peplum dress really fits and the color, indeed, is just right for you.

The deals last through July 31.

For travel-weary skin, Oxygen Pur

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UnknownEven when you fly first class your skin feels like it’s stuck in the cheap seats. During flights, we’re exposed to lower-than-normal oxygen levels, which leaves our skin looking dull and tired.

Think of Oxygen Pur as an oxygen mask for your skin. The serum, developed by Canadian researchers, boosts your skin’s oxygen levels 400%, which the makers say quenches your thirsty skin to combat the stressful effects of travel. Recommended by dermatologists, the serum also helps to repair that sunburn you got on vacation and calms skin that has been irritated by waxing.

It’s soothing, odorless and non-greasy, which is why it’s a preferred follow-up after microdermabrasion, laser treatments or a facial peel. Oxygen Pur also plumps up skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. MSRP: $80.

No worries about the serum leaking while you are traveling. It is vacuum sealed in an airless container to keep the oxygen stable, which also means it won’t leak in your purse or suitcase.

It’s Mojito Day!

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Green glow, no Martians. What can it be?

agwa_de_bolivia_reviewIt’s a refreshing mojito, crafted from AGWA, the original coca leaf liqueur. (MSRP: $31.99.) And it’s especially timely, as today is Mojito Day.

Like colas, AGWA harnesses the coca leaf as its key ingredient. Think invigorating and  restorative.

AGWA is crafted in Amsterdam from authentic Bolivian coca leaves, blended with 36 natural herbs and botanicals including ginseng, green tea, lavender and guarana. Thank  the herbs for the distinctive green color. The result is a 60 proof relaxer that brings a glow to traditional summer cocktails.

Here’s the recipe

AGWA Mojito:

Ingredients

 1.5oz Frozen AGWA, 12 mint leaves, 2-3 lime wedges, 2 tsp. sugar, 7oz club soda, splash of your favorite rum.

Method

Gently crush the mint leaves in a long glass.  Squeeze the limes over the crushed mint, and add the sugar and crushed ice.  Add the AGWA, your favorite rum, and club soda and stir well.  Garnish with a fresh lime wedge and fresh mint leaves.

 

 

 

Rehoboth’s 64th Cottage Tour of Art

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2_wades_court_300Today is the first day of the 64th Annual Cottage Tour of Art, a must-see event at the Delaware beach for people who appreciate art and architecture.

This year’s tour includes six homes in Rehoboth Beach, including this hip, contemporary abode that features a dreamy interior in varying shades of white and a pool straight out of Palm Springs. William Dec painted the house portrait, as well as renderings of the other properties on the tour.

Tickets are $30 and proceeds benefit the iconic Rehoboth Art League. Check the website for details. The price includes a ride to the various destinations on the Jolly Trolley. Tour hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

TD Bank open on the Fourth

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Want to declare your independence from banker’s hours?

TD Bank branches are open on the Fourth of July. That’s because America’s Most Convenient Bank has its own holiday tradition. Doing business when other banks are closed up tight. That means  you can go to a bank and get help from a friendly teller or loan officer. And get a free pen while you’re at it.