Category: Lifestyle

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My ‘aha’ moment with Ram’s Gate

It all began with an email from Ram’s Gate Winery announcing the updating and upgrading of their label and website, which proved about as exciting as an email announcing national rutabaga day. (Editor’s note: I resemble that remark.) There was, however, some interest in the name Ram’s Gate Winery as it was a name I had never encountered. Some judicious research turned a question into one of those very pleasant “aha” moments.

Ram’s Gate Winery is located in the Carneros district of Sonoma County California, the place where some of the world’s finest grapes are grown. As you can well imagine, that piqued my interest. I proceeded to order some of their wine and learned that I had missed a winery that, without much fanfare, was producing excellent quality, and not simply “off the shelf” wine, but rather classical art in liquid form.

Ram’s Gate 2019 Rosé ($38). This pink wine captures all of the flavor and aroma nuances of the Pinot Noir grape and then wraps them in the free and open floral style of a rosé. Made from 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Grenache, this wine displays an aroma that will delight the senses as the flavor dances across the palate. Strawberries, raspberries, and pomegranates abound in the aroma while it is citrus which captivates the tongue.

Ram’s Gate Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($38). Sauvignon Blanc is brought to new heights of excellence in this offering from Ram’s Gate. This wine accentuates all the fruit flavors rarely found in some of the current varieties. Gone are the overpowering grassy flavors and aromas that have always been associated with this wine, and in place are the rich fruit-tastes of nectarine, melon, and mandarin orange. Oak and vanilla are also present as under-flavors as they add their individual charm. If you have tried Sauvignon Blanc in the past and had been turned off by the grassy and vegetative aromas and flavors, try this wine; it is totally different and totally exquisite.

Ram’s Gate 2019 Pinot Blanc ($38). The Pinot Blanc grape has seen little service in the United States. One sip of the Ram’s Gate 2019 Pinot Blanc will have you scratching your head in wonderment as to why this delightful wine has been overlooked. The wine’s calling card is its rich apple, peach, and melon aroma. The flavor mirrors its aroma with a suggestion of honey and a hint of oak sitting gracefully in the background. This is an excellent wine that, because of its rarity, should be sought out and sampled.

Ram’s Gate 2017 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($48). This wine is a true child of California and reflects the fine hand of Ram’s Gate vintners; it opens with the harmonious aroma of currents, cherries, red berries, and pomegranates, accompanied by a hint of incense in the background. The flavor incorporates the elements of the aroma and merges them with blackberries, blueberries, vanilla, and oak, finishing with a fruity and full experience. I cannot say enough about this wine, nor heap enough superlatives. It is a pure delight and can accompany almost everything. If you miss this wine, you will have missed one of the great joys in the wine world.

 Ram’s Gate 2016 Hyde Vineyard Syrah ($70). This wine takes the Syrah grape to new heights and what a “wow” wine it is. Deep and dark in color, it captures the heart and soul of the Syrah grape and all that it offers. Each element making up this wine is massive; it displays a rich and inviting black cherry, plum, blackberry, and coffee aroma. The flavor is expansive and enjoyable, featuring blackberry, coffee, and spice before transitioning to a fruity finish  hat lingers on the palate for a very long time. This is very big in all dimensions; however, I can assure you that I put this wine in the “money well spent”  category.

By Bennet Bodenstein

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SoFlo Gardening: October 2020

What to Plant

Annuals/Bedding plants: Even though temperatures are still warm, begin planting for the cooler months ahead. Impatiens, alyssum, and dianthus are good plants for the fall/winter garden.

Bulbs: Plant agapanthus, rain lily, and Clivia lily now for blooms next spring or summer. Add organic matter to the planting bed for the best results.

Herbs: A wide range of herbs can be planted from seed or transplants this month. Some to try include dill, fennel, parsley, and cilantro.

Vegetables: Easy crops that can be grown now include beans, broccoli, carrots, collards, lettuce, green onions, peppers, radishes, spinach, and tomatoes.

What to Do

Lawns: Control winter weeds in lawns before they appear. Pre-emergence herbicides must be applied at the right time to be effective. Apply when nighttime temperatures are 55°F–60°F for 4–5 days.

Ornamental trees and shrubs:
Fertilize plants that are not performing as desired. This is the last month of the year to fertilize shrubs and trees. Controlled-release fertilizer provides nutrients over a longer period of time.

Lawn fertilization: Fertilize lawns if needed.

Strawberries: Prepare beds and set strawberry plants this month. Strawberries also make colorful and tasty container planting. Either way, water daily until plants are established.

Palms: Palms have unique nutritional needs. Select a fertilizer that contains controlled-release nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium.

Oleanders: Control the oleander caterpillar, which is a year- round resident in South Florida, without harming beneficial insects by pruning off infested leaves or spraying with BT (Bacillusthuringiensis).

Twig girdlers: Control twig girdlers by cleaning up and destroying fallen branches that young twig girdlers can use for harborage.

Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension

 

 

 

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Organize your pantry

Pantry organization is necessary and essential to keep your kitchen in order. By adding a few simple things into your home, you can achieve this with ease and consistency.

Here are a few organizational tips…

#1 Adding bins, baskets, and clear containers will help to keep your pantry clean and organized.

#2 When purchasing dried goods or snacks like chips, nuts, seeds, crackers, rice, pretzels, or granola bars, be sure to decant and store these items in clear containers. Not only will your pantry look more satisfying without all of those mismatched boxes, you will also be able to see what you have and when you need to purchase more.

#3 Use lazy susans to keep similar items together. Corral all of your oils, vinegars, and condiments to easily find what you need with a simple spin.

#4 Get in the zone. Identify the food and cooking categories that suit you and your lifestyle. Here are a few to consider: baking, breakfast, and snacks. Also make sure to label each zone with their appropriate category.

#5 Place your daily staple items on eye level shelves.

#6 Your pantry can be kept clean and organized by ALWAYS placing newly purchased items in the zones you have created. Consistency is key.

#7 Using the right storage essentials to keep everything in order and looking great will help you have an organized and functional pantry.

Remember, you don’t need to spend a lot to make your pantry look great and function well.

Once your pantry is set up properly, taking inventory before going to the store will be a breeze! This will save you time, money, and lessen the amount of expired food in your pantry.

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. servicing Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. She is a member of NAPO and serves on the board of the South Florida chapter. She holds certificates in household management and residential organizing. Email Lisa at Lisa@lisatheorganizer.com.

By Lisa Haubenstock 

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SNOOK season’s on! Start your engines!

Capt. Brian Sanders is on the right holding the snook. All the others are customers of his with snook that they caught with him.

September 1 is a special day for many South Florida anglers because that’s when the snook season opens after being closed for most of the summer.

It’s also one of the best times to catch a snook because the fish are still congregated inside inlets, off beaches, and around bridges.

One of the best places to fish for the popular gamefish is in the 10,000 Islands on Florida’s southwest coast. The remote area, much of which is part of Everglades National Park, probably has the most boat traffic of the year during the first week of September, most of those fishermen hoping to catch a few good-tasting snook to bring home for dinner.

Capt. Brian Sanders, who fishes out of Chokoloskee Island for snook as well as redfish, sea trout, tripletail, cobia, and permit (visit www.sandersoutdoorguide.com) said he’s usually booked for the opening week of snook season 30-45 days in advance. Those with their own boats also invade the area, especially on the first weekend of the season, which this year is Sept. 5-6, followed by Labor Day on Sept. 7.

“This area solely relies on tourism and fishermen,” said Sanders, who has fished out of Chokoloskee for more than 50 years and ranks among the region’s top guides. “The fishermen come, they stay the weekend, they buy fuel, ice, and food. They all come down and descend into the Everglades.”

It’s easy to get turned around in the 10,000 Islands, where many of the mangrove islands look the same. In addition, water levels constantly change with the wind and tides, so a creek or bay that was easy to navigate at high tide could leave a boater stranded during low tide. If you haven’t fished the area before and aren’t going with someone who knows the 10,000 Islands, it makes sense to book an experienced guide such as Sanders.

He is especially good with youngsters and with adults who don’t have much fishing experience and coaches them so they can expertly land multiple species.

“I do a lot of family trips,” said Sanders, who lives in Davie and commutes across Alligator Alley to State Road 29 every day. “Lately it seems I’ve had a lot of husbands and wives and their 12-year-old kid. They let me take all of the guesswork out of fishing.”

On a recent trip, Sanders took his cousin’s 18-year-old son. He had just graduated high school, but because of COVID-19, he didn’t get to enjoy a proper graduation.

“She wanted to do something nice for him and asked if I’d take him and some of his buddies fishing,” Sanders said. “We had seven kids on two boats and we caught lots of redfish and some big snook. We had a great time and all the kids caught big fish.”

Big breeder snook are protected by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to make sure that the state has a healthy population. Anglers are allowed to keep only one snook per day with a total length of 28 – 33 inches along the Gulf coast and in Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys, and one snook 28-32 inches on the Atlantic coast.

The Atlantic coast season is closed from June 1-August 31, which is when snook spawn. The open season is Sept. 1-Dec. 14, then it closes Dec. 15-Jan. 31. The season re-opens Feb. 1-May 31.

Regulations in Everglades National Park, the Florida Keys, and Gulf coast waters are more restrictive, with the season closed from Dec. 1 to the end of February and May 1-Aug. 31. Due to the adverse effects of red tide, the snook season is closed along the Gulf coast from north of Tampa to south of Naples through Aug. 31, 2021.

Snook can be caught and released during the closed seasons, and I’ve enjoyed many trips with Sanders where he pulled up to an island, told me to cast my bait to a downed tree or submerged oyster bar, and I immediately hooked a snook. That’s only half the battle with the hard-fighting fish because they have a knack for swimming to the nearest obstacle and tangling or breaking your fishing line.

Sanders said that when you feel the “thump” of a snook inhaling your bait or lure, reel in the line until it comes tight, then set the hook. If you get excited and jerk the fishing rod with slack in the line, you won’t drive the hook into the snook’s mouth.

“Once the fish is under control and away from the structure, back off,” Sanders said. “Let the fish pull and then you pull. And it’s important to stay on top of your fish. You can’t fight a fish that goes to the back of the boat from the bow.”

Sanders recommended fairly stout tackle to wrestle snook away from rocks, oyster bars, and mangroves. He uses medium-heavy 7-foot spinning rods made by Fairbanks Customs Rods with a 3500 or 4000 series Canyon reel. His main line is a 20-pound braid tied to a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader attached to a 2/0 or 3/0 Mustad Big Gun hook if he’s using live pilchards, threadfin herring, or finger mullet for bait.

His favorite lures are a Live Target 3-inch scaled sardine, which imitates a pilchard, and A Band Of Anglers 3-inch Dartspin Pro, either white with a chartreuse blade or gold with a gold blade.

Whether his customers use live bait or the lures, it’s likely that they’ll be enjoying fried or blackened snook for dinner in September.

By Steve Waters

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Planning your post-pandemic vacation

Summer of 2020 will likely not be remembered for the vacations you took. We have all been dealing with stress from the unseen contagion that has been aging us more than it should.

Amidst a conversation with a friend with whom we vacation with regularly, he said, “It’s your turn to plan the next trip. 2021 is coming up, and we should have a vaccine by then.”

Planning for a vacation in the past has involved searching for destinations, booking online, and simply going. This year, with all the rules, special conditions, and offers, I felt it would be best to seek professional help.

I reached out to Carlos and Renee Boozer, from Cruise Planners. They are full-service travel planners and offered a lot of valuable insight into the current state of the vacation planning industry.

“Most river cruises on the Mississippi river are sold out ’til July 2021,” Carlos mentioned, “unless there is a cancellation.” Not having to travel internationally, the Mississippi trip is growing in popularity.

Another popular option for our New Normal is RVing. I learned travel planners can help you rent an RV, and ensure you have all you need to camp in a national park with style. It’s not only a good option for a family vacation but also a group of friends.

A Caribbean cruise would normally be a great way for a group of friends to enjoy the islands. With the pandemic, the Caribbean cruise protocols and plans are still pretty much in flux. According to Carlos, the cruise industry is offering extra perks to excite their customers into taking advantage of 2021 and 2022.

Another option is to check out one of the many resorts in the Caribbean. All-inclusive resorts were a favorite for us and provided a great way to experience the local culture, with a well-defined budget. Many of the top tier resorts like Sandals and Beaches offer a concierge service to help ensure you clear immigration and customs smoothly. With all the rules governing international travel being constantly adjusted, having the guidance of local professionals will make your trip much less stressful.

After a season of too much Youtube, I am looking forward to next summer. Hopefully, a vaccine for COVID-19 will be widely available in time, and we can again gather with family and friends while sharing a cool summer cocktail. Working with a travel agency like Cruise Planners will make it easier to navigate through the complicated rules for each country and avoid surprises.

By Li Pan

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Organize Your Routine

As the summer comes to a close and school is beginning, it’s time to get your kids’ closet in order, organize their supplies, and make that after school routine seamless.

Here are a few helpful tips:

CLOSET TIPS

  1. Keep a basket in your child’s closet for items of clothing that no longer fit. Collect these items for a younger sibling or mark them for donation.
  2. Use large, clear storage bins with locks to store clothing that needs to be put away. Always label your bins according to the type of clothing and size. The more specific you can be, the better.
  3. Keep your mornings simple and organized by creating a smooth routine and prepping your child’s closet before the start of the school week:
  • Designate a shelf, drawer, or section of the closet just for school clothing.
  • The night before, have your child pick out what they would like to wear for school and avoid a time crunch in the morning.

SCHOOL SUPPLY SHOPPING

  1. I don’t know about you, but I love office supply stores! I couldn’t wait to go to the store every August and buy school supplies for my kiddos! Consider checking for supplies you may have from the previous school year and wait to buy additional supplies until you have a list of necessary items in hand. Ultimately, you’ll end up buying fewer supplies and save yourself some time and money.
  2. Strongly consider creating a COVID safety bag and purchasing essential items such as hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, latex gloves, and masks for your child if they are returning to the classroom.

AFTER SCHOOL ROUTINE

  1. Create a “command center” to store your child’s important papers, i.e. homework, chore list, and activity schedule, to keep them organized and easily accessible.
  2. Establish a set routine for what you expect your child to do when they finish their schoolwork. This will help them to prioritize and to learn what needs to be completed, and when they can enjoy some free time.

By Lisa Haubenstock

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and owner of LisaTheOrganizer,
LLC. serving Broward, Miami-Dade, & Palm Beach counties. She is a member
of NAPO and serves on the board of the South Florida chapter. She holds
certificates in household management and residential organizing.

 

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Wine Watch: Worthy wines from the Pairing

I believe that the average American consumer has become a little leery of all the stuff they see advertised on TV. Most of it is junk, not worth the “only $19.95, free shipping and we will send you a second one for a small additional fee,” that they advertise.

The wine industry also suffers in a similar way. As a holdover from Prohibition (enacted in 1919), wine companies are still restricted in the ways they may advertise and in the content of those ads. Consumers must, therefore, rely on writers to tell them what is available in the marketplace and give some sort of information on the wine.

With prices on all items rising, consumers will not plunk down their money on something that is totally unknown to them and I truly do not blame them. It is my job to point the wine consumer toward worthy choices that they probably might never have tried without a nudge; consider this a nudge.

The Paring 2017 Pinot Noir ($25)

This is a Pinot Noir of character, stature, and an excellent ambassador of the variety. The aroma is a mélange of strawberries, red raspberries, and black cherries mingled with oak. In the flavor department, the true capabilities of the
Pinot Noir grape is explored to its fullest with black cherries dominating and hints of vanilla with soft oak in the background. The finish remains true to the variety and is long, complex, and if I might add, memorable. As a confirmed Pinot Noir lover, I enjoyed this wine and consider it to be an excellent buy for the money.

The Paring 2017 Chardonnay ($25)

This is a Chardonnay that is definitely made to appeal to the American taste. Big, wide-open, and complex tropical fruit flavors and aromas are the hallmarks of this wine. Pineapple is the most obvious of these tropical flavors and it carries right through to a finish that is soft, creamy, and very smooth. Even if you are a charter member of the ABC club (Anything But Chardonnay), this is a white wine you can drink and enjoy. It is so good that you may even resign from the ABC.

The Paring 2017 Syrah ($25)

If you are a red wine fan, you have probably tried a Syrah and you know what a fine wine it can be; if you have not tried one, you have missed a real treat. The aroma has the variety’s trademark of cherry and raspberry flavors with a spice and oak background. This is a soft and easy to drink wine that can, like a red Zinfandel, accompany a very broad spectrum of foods. The Paring 2017 Syrah wine takes these attributes one step further and raises the variety to new dimensions of opulence. It is an elegant wine of elegant proportions and shows exactly why Syrah wines are gaining in popularity around the world.

The Paring 2017 Sauvignon Blanc ($25)

Sauvignon Blanc grapes can produce wines in the fruity California style or the classical style. The Paring 2017 Sauvignon Blanc lives in both worlds. It has the
grassy component of the classical wines, which has been purposely played down so that the fruitiness of the California style can come through. This effect allows the wine to be served with a wider spectrum of foods, will nicely accompany poultry and the lighter meats as well as seafood, and is a standout as a sipping wine. The quality of this wine belies its very reasonable price.

The Paring 2017 Red ($25)

The name of this wine is really three letters that could portend trouble, RED.
Not knowing the grapes used to make this generic wine could result in one that you may not like. Fear not, this wine is not only good, but it also is remarkable. The components each contribute their own specific flavors and aromas to the final blend in such a way that one variety’s contribution does not overpower another, but harmonizes to produce a delightful wine.

 

By Bennet Bodenstein

 

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Wine Watch: Boutique Cabs offer plenty of body

August 29 is officially National Cabernet Sauvignon day. With that monumental announcement out of the way, let’s look into some above- average cabs. Dotted all over northern California.

Dotted all over northern California there are vineyards.Some small, some large and all of them producing wine. We do know about the “big boys” but what about some of the smaller “Mom and Pop” operations also known as boutique wineries. These smaller producers have hung on throughout all forms of privation from drought, to flood, to freezes, to intensive governmental interference. They have hung on because inside each and every bottle that they produce rests their hearts along with a commitment to produce the best wine possible from the best grapes available.

These wines go far beyond the mass- produced examples of the variety so common in today’s marketplace. In respect for the day, I would like to introduce you to some excellent cabs from wineries you may never have heard of and who produce wines that you will never forget.

All cabs, from the cheapest to the dearest, present the same basic flavors and aromas associated with Cabernet Sauvignon. But the TLC of boutique wineries makes a big difference. The wines I present here all have one facet that more commercial cabs often do not have: body. If you have never tried a wine with body you will be in for an enlightening and very pleasant experience.

Priest Ranch 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ($50)

The grapes were sourced from the Somerston Estate that produces unique fruit requiring minimal processing. The winemaker allows the grapes to do their thing with little intervention, resulting in a wine that almost made itself and is a pure delight. priestranchwines.com/Shop/Cabernet- Sauvignon

Justin 2017 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon ($28)

This very fine wine exhibits all of the aroma and flavors that are possible for a Cabernet Sauvignon and does so in almost obscene amounts. Regardless of the price, this is a very fine enjoyable wine. justinwine. com

Mi Sueño 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($75)

Mi Sueño translates as “my dream”, and that is certainly what this wine is, “a dream of a Cab.” Full bodied, full flavored, and made in the old world tradition. This wine, too, covers the entire gamut of possible flavors and aromas all ending in an expansive and definitely memorable finish. misuenowinery. com

Sullivan 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($110)

The fruit was sourced from a 26-acre estate This wine strikes the perfect balance between power and elegance. This is a wine that should be sipped slowly to extend the enjoyment of a very fine wine. This is the most complex of all the cabs I sampled. sullivanwine.com

Dry Creek Valley Iron Slopes Terroir Series ($65)

I must admit that, as is usual, I was impressed by this wine. I must also add that a Dry Creek Valley wine has never disappointed me. This wine is so good that I believe it should be classified as the “Ideal California Cab.” drycreekvineyard.com

Dry Creek Valley 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon ($30)

 

Another gem from Dry Creek Valley Vineyards. This wine is simply the same song performed by a different singer. The wine displays cranberry as the main flavor and aroma followed by a host of other dark summer fruits and berries in the background. This wine is a fine and affordable introduction to the variety and the producer. drycreekvineyard.com

Gamble Family Vineyards 2016 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon ($60)

Third- generation Napa farmer, Tom Gamble farms approximately 175 acres of vineyards so he has complete control of the grapes. This wine has been made from grapes selected from Tom Gamble’s favorite sites. This is an incredibly enjoyable wine that displays a full spectrum of flavors and aromas as though it should be presented in a golden goblet. I will add that this was the first time that I have sampled a wine from the Gamble Family vineyards, and I can assure you that it will not be my last. gamblefamilyvineyards.com.

 

By Bennet Bodenstein

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Organize Your Occasion

Planning a wedding is a joyous and special time in life, but it can be stressful to keep all of the details of your wedding in order.

Vendors, guest lists, gifts, and thank you notes are a few that need to be organized with meticulous care, and in turn, require you to have that knack for detail to keep you on track.

Here are a few organizational tips to make this process easier…

There are some great online tools and apps that can keep your lists organized. I recommend WeddingHappy for staying on track with tasks and AllSeated for visualizing seating charts and venue layouts. You can even organize your entire wedding on Trello, and get a little help writing your thank notes on Postable.

If you are not into using digital tools, old school methods of keeping hand-written lists will work just as well. Use a notebook that has pockets, and dedicate several tabs for each category – vendors, gifts, guest lists, etc. and take copious notes! Make sure to include all of the details like costs, vendor proposals with the scopes of work, and all additional specifics that are pertinent.

To avoid getting endless emails and text messages from guests, use a simple wedding website where they can check out your wedding details. Include important information for your wedding like dates, times, locations, dress codes, registries, transportation and lodging, and a day-of itinerary. Everything that appears on the invitations should be present on the welcome page of the website.

If you do decide to work with a professional planner or coordinator, a traditional wedding etiquette and guidebook (such as The Wedding Book) is an excellent source of information and expert advice, including tips, tricks, and examples of useful timelines and checklists.

This will help you visualize and prioritize your goals without being overwhelmed with all your wedding details all at once.

Try and enjoy your wedding process as much as possible! The tools mentioned above will assist you every step of the way and help
to make your special day an even greater success.

By Lisa Haubenstock

Lisa Haubenstock is a Professional Organizer and owner of LisaTheOrganizer, LLC. A Home Organizing and Relocation Company serving Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties. She is a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO). She holds certificates in household management & residential organizing. You can contact Lisa at lisa@lisatheorganizer.com.

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The workforce behind the dress

Marriage isn’t a ring worn or a paper signed. It’s not something endured, but savored. While people spend months, even years, planning every detail of the big day, there isn’t anything that could have prepared them for the coronavirus pandemic. Some couples had to cancel or delay because of coronavirus concerns, many still proceeding with smaller gatherings or virtual weddings for now. Designers and bridal shops that cater to these major life events are doing what they do best, offering creative solutions to unexpected circumstances. Alexander Couture Bridal in Pompano Beach and Susan Rose in Coral Springs are both open and working to accommodate their clients.

David Ramcharan, who has worked as a designer at The
Art Institute and an event planner, is continuing the 30-year tradition at Alexander Couture Bridal of providing his clients with the right dress for their event. “About 60 hours can go into a single wedding dress,” said Ramcharan. “It can take five to six months to be ordered in, but I’m still getting brides to come in and have that feeling of getting their dream dress.”

Susan Rose does not offer wedding dresses, but focuses
on fashion for other major life events – quinceañeras, sweet sixteen parties, bat-mitzvahs; along with dresses for your backyard wedding these days. She is seeing a mix of reactions from her clients, many forging ahead with their events, but with smaller groups, and many with virtual components to connect with loved ones not able to travel.

Both Susan Rose and Alexander Couture Bridal are minimizing risk
to their clients by seeing clients via appointments and following all social distancing and mask rules. Fashion is an in-person collaborative experience to try on a dress and customize, if required. To ensure her client’s safety, Rae Ann, owner of Susan Rose, shared that all dresses get sanitized after being tried on, and her two-hour appointment slots give the staff time to disinfect after each visit.

Ramcharan says, “We’re still taking safety precautions in the store like wearing masks, gloves, washing hands, and being mindful. Brides are still allowed to try on gowns because I want it to be as personal as possible. Regardless of what’s happening, my goal is not to take away from the experience that other brides have had in the past before the pandemic.”

At Alexander Couture Bridal, “we have a lot of dresses I create, and
we also have for the curvier girl. I give them a wish list for the design process, they tell me what they want, we do alterations, and if I’m putting my name on something it has to show I did them right. So even with the pandemic and a lot of things having changed, productions, styles, and fabric choices, are still going well.”

“The pandemic has also changed the way people shop for wedding dresses,” said Ramcharan. “A lot of brides are now also shopping for dresses online.”

The coronavirus outbreak has caused worry across the wedding industry. Postponements and cancellations have forced couples, bridal shops, and vendors to get creative. Most boutiques are doing virtual try-on’s however, Ramcharan believes the brides are limiting their experience by not getting the proper style, fabrics, or measurements when purchasing online.

“We give them a tour, suggestions for styles, fit, designs, and really help to make it a one-one-experience that you just can’t get when online,” said Ramcharan. “It can change the entire way it fits, and a dress often takes multiple appointments to find one that’s a suitable dress. Followed by several fittings over the course that can take up to several months.”

Ramcharan does believe the sector is anticipated to recover gradually after COVID-19 related restrictions are lifted. However, the recovery of the sector will depend on people feeling safe enough to hold a large gathering.

Many will likely downsize to smaller gatherings, or postpone the ceremonies until the pandemic fully subsides. Engaged couples who are planning to get married in the near future could postpone the ceremony to further save up for the occasion too.

Speaking of a recent wedding, “[The bride] said this was the wedding [she] really wanted and better than what we originally had planned,” said Ramcharan. “We were also able to do live streams with 300 guests when she would have originally had fifty. Even a lot of men were into it, and it all came out so beautiful and perfect.”

Pandemic or not, life still goes on, and many in the communities are finding creative ways to celebrate important life events. So if you are starting to plan your event, reach out to these two local businesses, they will be happy to give advice and share their experiences.

 

Contact information:

  • Alexander Couture Bridal, 878 SW 10th Avenue, Suite #8, Pompano Beach, FL, (954) 943-7768
  • Susan Rose, 9829 W Sample Rd, Coral Springs, FL 33065, (954) 472-2120

 

By Nile Fortner

Photography by Gabriella Melo/@melometer

Additional contributions by Li Pan

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SoFlo Gardening: August 2020

What to Plant

Annuals/Bedding plants: The hottest days of summer limit planting to heat-tolerant vinca, gaillardia, bulbine, and coleus.

Bulbs: Aztec lily, butterfly lily, walking iris, and spider lily can be planted any time of the year, even late summer.

Herbs: Herbs that can be planted from plants (not seeds) include bay laurel, ginger, Mexican tarragon, and rosemary.

Vegetables: Many cool-season crops can be started now as well as a final crop of warm-season vegetables such as lima beans, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers. Tomatoes can also be planted for the fall garden.

 

 What to Do

Lawns: Determine the cause of any damage to the lawn so the proper remedy is used. Damage from insects, disease, or irrigation failure can produce similar symptoms. Use a sharp mower blade and only remove a third of the grass blade to reduce stress on the lawn.

Palms: Check older palm fronds for yellowing as it may indicate a magnesium or potassium deficiency. Apply an appropriate palm fertilizer.

Poinsettias: Pinch back poinsettias and mums before the end of the month to allow time for buds to form for winter bloom.

Ornamental plants: Rapid growth and leaching rains may result in nutrient deficiencies in some plants. See Nutrient Deficiencies (Landscape Plants): edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_ nutrient_deficiencies_landscape_plants

Annuals and Perennials: Remove spent blooms, cut back, and fertilize flowering annuals and perennials to extend the season into the fall months.

Source: University of Florida IFAS Extension

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The “New Normal” changing travel

Let’s go Rafting!

A friend on the west coast texted the invitation. The annual gathering for rafting is on, with Colorado allowing those activities based on their reopening. After holing up at home for three months, never venturing beyond two miles from where I sleep, it was exciting. Soon I was searching for flights.

Changes in Flying

I have lived through change in travel. During spring break over 25 years ago, I was with a group of college dorm mates driving south from Canada. Crossing the border, the only question the friendly agent asked the five of us was, “Are you all Canadians?” A quick nod, a verbal yes, and we were off, headed down I-95 to Florida for the first time.

Since then, I have traveled often between Canada, the US, and overseas. Air travel felt not much different than hopping on a bus. The world felt smaller.

Just over a month after the horrible attack on 9/11, I was flying through London on my way to Rome, and for the first time, I experienced the enhanced security that was being established.

Over two hours in a line to go through the security check during transfer was very stressful. Times had changed forever.

Over time, things have improved. I was traveling regularly, and sometimes I would go two weeks around the world internationally. I got used to spending more time in airline lounges. TSA precheck and Global Entry made my life going through security easier. I again started to be comfortable arriving less than one hour before the gate closed.

Limited flights

A three to four hour flight with my trusty mask, and a quick in and out through the airport, separated me from a fun weekend with guys I had only seen on video chat, rafting down the cold waters in Colorado. Or so I thought.

Soon I realized, the number of direct flights to Denver from Florida is near zero. In fact, there was only one flight and it landed near midnight. Which means I would need to stay a night that I wasn’t planning, or take a chance at a connection at one of the hubs.

After a day of back and forth, playing out the odds in my mind, I decided to drop out.

The world no longer feels small

I started to wonder, will traveling change after this?

Not able to just travel to NYC to see my sister, or Pennsylvania to visit my parents, or the wedding of a friend in Canada makes me realize the vast distance that now separates us. We are all fighting our individual battles against COVID-19, the illness and the psychological stress.

In a couple of years, I hope we will look back to the current day as a blip in our ever-shrinking world. But for now, we are blessed to live where others come to vacation, and expand your local connections. It’s amazing what you can find in our little corner of South Florida, and many interesting experiences that you can have and still obey the safety rules to minimize risk. We will continue to share our experiences in adapting to the New Normal, and you can send in yours if you want to share by sending an email to submissions@theparklander.com, or click on submit on our homepage.

By Li Pan

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