Las Benditas de Key West

This week, Terry and I attended an art show featuring a portrait of me!

The artist, Michael Philip, is a dear friend of mine. He and his partner, Doug are members of our wine group and we've known them as long as we've been in Key West.

Michael did a show like this with portraits of, I believe 14 women in New Orleans with great success, and he decided to approach the director of The Studios of Key West (TSKW) with a similar idea for a fundraiser using their space. TSKW is a large, beautifully restored armory building now housing small studios for artists and several gallery spaces.

He proposed that they invite 21 women, Las Benditas, to be models for portraits in a specific style. The "subjects" would pay a fee, and then the night of the opening they could buy their portrait or someone in their "entourage" (oh yes - I left out that part. each of us had to invite ten people to attend the opening) could buy it for a certain price. After that, the show became public and anyone could purchase a portrait for a higher price. They loved the idea and their board approved the choices.


I was selected to be one of the 21.

Needless to say I was truly honored to be included in this group of women, most of whom do a lot of charitable work and contribute to the community in other ways that I don't.

I was pretty nervous the night of the exhibition since I knew the style of the portraits was to be "Cubism and Neo-expressionism." We had had an initial interview and picture taking here at the house and talked about things that were important to me, inspirations, colors I love. All kinds of things to help him portray me not as just a face but also as an inner person. It was a fascinating process. He did this with all of the women and then proceeded over the next six weeks to produce 21 portraits. A monumental achievement!


The opening was a huge success. The gallery was so packed with people you could barely move. Luckily the "Las Benditas" were allowed in first to have time to find their portraits and be photographed. In case you're wondering, the name means "the blessed ones" so you can see why I feel so honored.

I can't thank Michael enough for including me in this spectacular event. And in case you were wondering, we did purchase my portrait. I have already selected a place of honor for it in my home.

Great Hotel and Great News!

Over the past year, Terry and I have had to make regular trips to Miami for medical tests (specifically MRI brain scans to keep track of tumors in my brain, and if necessary, remove one with Gamma Knife surgery). At first, these trips were fraught with anxiety - we were nervous about the procedure, we didn't know our way around the highways of Miami and the streets of Coral Gables where Doctors' Hospital is located. We got lost a lot and that increased the anxiety, the hotel was mediocre, we couldn't find a restaurant we both liked. It was never a pleasant experience.

And then...we discovered The Hotel San Michel, a wonderful little 1920's flatiron building tucked among skyscraper office buildings.


It's very European and old fashioned as you can see in the pictures below. Stucco walls and barrel ceilings outlined in the original Spanish tile of the period.





Lovely old carved entry doors. all original lighting fixtures, and a tiny elevator that must have been installed when Mr. Otis was alive.


The attendant carries your bag and closes the bronze gate. The bronze door closes and up you go as she pulls the lever (no push-buttons here).

The room keys are big brass keys on big brass rings. You feel like you are on a movie set for a period film! All of the furniture in the hotel is antique.Contemporary flat-screen TVs are placed on antique sewing machine tables. Armoires instead of closets. Only the bathrooms are modern. The rooms are tiny but charming with pretty quilts and pillow shams, and air conditioners. And the price of all this atmosphere is the same a the chain hotel we were staying in!

The way we found this little gem is a funny story. We pulled up to our usual hotel to find the lobby teeming with squealing teenage girls jumping up and down. There was a cheerleading competition going on and no rooms were available (thank goodness). The very helpful desk clerk suggested the San Michel. He said, "Take a look. It's nearby and they have a room available. It's not for everyone but I think you may like it".

Well, of course, we loved it and were thrilled to discover the fabulous restaurant, Gaetano's right off the lobby.


Now our trips to Miami have become romantic getaways, something to look forward to instead of dread. Lemonade out of lemons.

The good news is that this trip's test showed a brain 100% cancer free! A real reason to celebrate...maybe with a little weekend at the San Michel?

All good wishes,

Welcome To My Bloomin' World

Ever see these flowers?...





They're called Brugmansia. Also known as "Angel Trumpets", Brugmansia has an infamous side (or side effect). It's poisonous if ingested. So we just like to look at them.

Elsewhere in the garden...


That's a miniature Ixora hedge that lines the walk to our loggia.

Do you know what kind of flower this is?...


It's actually a Hibiscus called Schizopetalus.It originally hails from East Africa. But seems to enjoy its life in Key West.

The next two photos show orchids with a touch of water from our fountain in the backgrounds.



And finally, we have two bougainvilleas next to the pool.


Aaah... just another average day in paradise.

The "Model" Citizen Revisited

Many months ago we ran a post about how I was selected to be a "model" in a photo shoot for a Key West hotel.

My job was to make "sand angels". I was hoping it might be something more like sharing an umbrella drink in their Tiki Bar with some beach babe. But I guess, at 66 years old, those casting opportunities are a thing of the past. Anyway, for never having made a sand angel before, I've gotta admit I've got some real natural talent in that direction.


But it was when I leapt up into my "signature move" (undirected by the ad agency), that they discovered "the real money shot".


Well, here's the result as they saw it in Ad Land...


As you can see I even got a free sunburn courtesy of the art director.

Time...

...it feels like there is too little of it lately. With the bathroom redo (pictures to come!) and getting settled back at home and in the shop after our vacation in Oregon, there has barely been time for us to take a breath.

So we're going to do the next best thing, and take a little break over the Fourth of July week. I don't know about you, but I could use a little time by the pool.

Have a wonderful Fourth and a week full of sunshine!




Image via Brabourne Farm.

Hats, Horses and Cancer Research

Saturday night's Derby Gala in Key West was a huge success!

The Style Key West crew had a great time as you can see in these pictures:

Terry in his Kentucky Colonel suit

Jo in her Southern Belle finery

Jo and Caroline in the hats they made for the occasion

The Gang of Three in front of The Horse, a life size prop (too bad the photographer cut most of him out of the picture).

The evening was great fun with lots of raffles, betting, auctions both silent and live. Most importantly thousands of dollars were made for cancer research - a cause very dear to my heart.

Collections

Collections give a home a real personality - actually an extension of the personalities of the people who live there.


When I was a newlywed, I found an antique green pottery mixing bowl at an antiques fair. I loved it and bought it and then began looking for more of them. Eventually, I branched out to other green pottery: plates, pitchers, mugs...until it became a collection that covered the walls and open shelves of our Washington, D.C. kitchen. Now in this much smaller house it has been condensed into one window but still gives the flavor I love to see in a kitchen and brings me much pleasure.


My collection of antique Chinese Rose Famille porcelain started when my sister gave me a covered rice bowl for Christmas. I thought it was so beautiful I based the color scheme of my dining room on it and began looking for more, buying a piece here and there over the years. This small collection is as big as it will get - there's no room for more.


I love collections of items massed together to make a real statement but sometimes a piece can stand alone or mix with other objets to great effect. As in this tabletop arrangement featuring an orchid in a Rose Famille cachepot combined with pieces from Terry's collection of Egyptian and Roman antiquities.

I love my collections - they make my house my home.

Have You Ever Had A Butterfly Tickle Your Nose?

As some of you may know, The Butterfly Conservatory is my grandson Oliver’s favorite place in Key West…


It truly is a magical place (especially when you add the butterflies and new age music)…


Jo was especially charmed by how they took a shine to me.


Her enthusiasm only grew as the butterfly became even more friendly.


You can’t imagine just how much fun this is unless you experience it first hand.





Of course…


…having a strange proboscis up your nose is truly a ticklish situation.




(with a big thank you to my pal and photographer Woody Hinkle)

How Many Oranges Does It Take To Make An Orange?

My orange juice comes in a jug from the folks at Tropicana. But occasionally I’ll find myself in close proximately to an orange seed. Maybe Jo had sliced an orange to go in a fruit salad (who knows). Anyway, at moments like these, I have this compulsion to dig a hole, drop the seed in, dump some soil back on it, and see what transpires.

Voila!


Aah, the wonders of Mother Nature.


And it just gets better and better… ‘till finally… ta-da!


A plant that truly makes a statement in its neighborhood. And…


REAL FRUIT! Just like Tropicana!!

BUT!!!…


WHO SHRUNK MY ORANGE CROP??????