Keeping Tabs

I will most definitely be keeping tabs on The Two Faces of January, a thriller based on the 1964 novel by Patricia Highsmith. The film, expected to be released in a few months, stars Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Oscar Isaac who are caught up in a murder in Athens. Behind the film is the author of The Talented Mr. Ripley, which alone, will seduce many movie goers and is perhaps responsible for the film's old school noir trope style.

If There's a Heaven...

...I hope it has gold brick sundaes. This past weekend, I re-visited my bookshelf and found the above book my Grandfather gave my Grandmother Trudy for Christmas in 1981. (I love the gift of literature - I think it's madly romantic in any form, whether it's a book of maps, a coffee table book full of photographs accompanied by minimal text or a hardcover novel). My re-discovery immediately gave me a deep sense of nostalgia thinking about the time my family and I have enjoyed in Sea Island, Georgia. It's been some time since we have visited (the resort has changed considerably since then), however it was a place we looked forward to visiting every year and perhaps part of the reason I want to spend a part of my life living in the south one day.

Time spent in Sea Island was the epitome of carefree. My sister and I would spend our days swimming to our hearts' content, searching for sand dollars on the beach, or playing shuffle board while our parents and grandparents would soak in the sun reading the paper. Afterward, my sister and I would reward ourselves with the resort's iconic "gold brick sundae" and in true southern style, a Mr. Pibb, to satisfy our thirst.

Cocktail hour seemed to always start an hour earlier when on vacation, and the adults were easily obliged. They'd sit outside on our terrace with their gin and tonics overlooking the marsh while discussing topics completely foreign to us youngsters. In the early mornings, my Grandparents would zip off on their bicycles to play tennis, and upon their return, they would ride with my sister and I in the driveway. By nightfall, we'd head to The Cloister for dinner, dancing and bingo. I would be taken by the elaborate bird cages lining the hallway of the foyer of the building with beautifully colored parakeets flooding the room with their sweet music. To this day, I have visions of dancing to Frank Sinatra after dinner with my Grandfather Jack, looking up at him with admiration as he hummed to the tune of the music, alive in his own euphoria.

Sea Island was indeed a "happy isle" for us and I look forward to going back sometime in the near future. I think it's lovely to share a destination as a family to cherish for a lifetime, whether it may be close or far from home. Do you have a "happy isle" you enjoy with your family?

Craving

I'm finding myself incessantly crave the sea, sun and sand. Salty hair, sun-kissed skin and the smell of the ocean are some of my favorite pleasures. It seems everyone battling the polar vortex back east found shelter in sunny climates this past weekend which has made me insanely envious. image via

Carnival Season

Above, my Grandmother Gertrude "Trudy" and Father in New Orleans in 1958. I always loved the name Gertrude - the name actually translates to "spear of strength" which is relevant because Grandma Trudy was a tiny, southern belle with a dose of punchy pep and resilience. While I won't get my share of king cakes and Mardi Gras this Carnival season, I'm looking forward to enjoying the annual Jazz Festival in New Orleans in just a few months.