{ Muscadines }

For the past 4 years, we set out on a late Thursday afternoon to go pick grapes; Muscadine grapes. These grapes are so aromatic and have the taste of a long summer beneath their skin. They are black, velvety purple, and a bronze green(my favorite). 

Picking muscadines with my daughter always marks the end of summer for me and the start of Fall. 

I'll never forget something she said the first time we walked down the rows picking grapes off the vine."Mom, do you think this is what Heaven is like because I really like it here." 

No word best describes the act of taking a plump

sun-warmed grape off the vine and popping into your mouth

We pick muscadines...and she also likes to catch the grasshoppers and lizards who laze about the vines.

the best grapes are up underneath the vines

I love gnarly vines

Well hello there

She is my Sunshine who makes me happy when skies are gray

Muscadine grapes also make a wonderful wine. Our local winery, San Sebastian , has a great selection of wines featuring muscadine grapes. My favorite is their Vintner's White.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Why I am sending my husband to grocery store more often }

My husband was on a quick errand to the grocery store and surprised me with these when he returned! Peach Mmmarshmallows. And guess what, they are also filled with a little bit of peach jelly. Milk, bread, catfood, .....and peach marshmallows. 

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ I love this place -- Ybor City }

Some more of Ybor City

Prana is the mecca of nightlife in Ybor City. 

Like mother like daughter.  Taking pics of her surroundings.

I love the movie theater sign; the red, the latin lady, the rose in her hair.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Much Ado about Owls}

 Muse Box Sources

scissors -- Sublime Stitching

owl krispies -- Cookies and Cups 

framed owl -- Kelly Hicks Design

owl embroidery -- Carinas Craft Blog

grey owls -- Observando

white pumpkin owls -- bhg.com

owl cupcakes -- Pinterest

purple owls -- efemera-ink.blogspot.com

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've noticed how owls are quite a hoot right now. They are popping up everywhere from cute cupcakes to owl scissors to owl pumpkins.

Here is a little something I put together and thinking about making a regular on my blog. I am going to call it a Muse Box.....basically, an inspiration board centered around a main theme using photos and their links as a reference point for ideas. In this case, Much Ado about Owls. 

Owls remind me of two people in particular; Mrs. Houlihan, one of my elementary school teachers, and my Dad. Mrs. Houlihan always wore turtlenecks and an owl pendent hanging on a long chain. As a child, I use to think her name was Mrs. Hula Hand. So even over 30 years later, I still think of her when I see owls and anything referring to the hula.

Owls make me think of my Dad b/c when I and my siblings were younger, his reply to some of our teenage angst-filled complaints was a simple, "I don't give a hoot."  Example: "But, Dad! All my friends get to stay out late." His reply, "I don't give a hoot what your friends get to do." hahaha Classic!

I hope you like my Muse Box.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Yay Me }

Earlier this week, somewhere between hanging my head in the toilet multiple times and laying in misery (stomach flu), I entered a photo in a weekly Facebook photo contest on the Port St. Joe's Marina Facebook page.....and guess what? I won! And, I didn't just win bragging rights, I also won a Columbia logo Polo in lavender. Yay, me!
I took the picture when we went for a vacation with our friends, Candis and Derek, this summer to Port St. Joes on the Gulf side of Florida. We were sitting inside the marina's Dockside Cafe waiting for an afternoon rain shower to pass while sipping on pina coladas (or beer depending on who ordered what). The sunlight breaking through the rainclouds was coming in perfectly through the windows of the Dockside Cafe, the smell of rain, the slap of water against the docked boats, and day one of vacation with friends....Yup, it was definitely a photo moment. But, the real memory of this day lives on happily inside my mind.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten
S.W.A.K.

{ More Ybor...little by little }

More Ybor...little by little

taking a quick moment for refreshments

My grandfather resembled Ricky Ricardo (I Love Lucy) is both appearance and stature.  Seeing this made me think of the club Ricky owned; La Tropicana....which naturally made me think of my grandfather.

This stranger sitting with his hookah and what looks like a journal seemed to me like a moment of peace, self-indulgence, and tranquility. Obviously, he either has no kids or they are grown.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ This Moment }

{This Moment} ---. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Inspired by SouleMama

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.



{ This Moment }

{This Moment} ---. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.  

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Inspired by  SouleMama  

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Strolling Ybor }

Mango and aqua colored tiles on the Columbia Restaurant 

and 

white linen table cloths placed over tables in the shade at 

Sunday's Fine Dining, 

Save the Tatas! Loved this balcony with the bras hanging from it. 

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Cigars Little Havana Style }

Ybor City loves it's cigar shops and factories. In the 1800s, it was the cigar capital of the world and once had over 70 cigar factories established by Cuban settlers who migrated to Florida . I don't smoke. But, I love these places. I love their scent, I love the warm tones of the leafy wrappers, the artwork on a cigar label, the intriguing names of cigars and the names of their shapes and sizes and the way they sound when said out loud. I love the amatistas, glass jars containing 25-50 cigars. My husband is the occasional cigar smoker and I must admit, I really like the scent of a good cigar. (Note to Self: I should do a post/pics of his cigar box collection)

 A visitor today to the small historical "Little Havana" can still walk into various cigar shops/factories and see a group of men in their guayaberas playing cards or dominoes while smoking an Arturo Fuente, Cohiba, or Romeo and Julieta. One can also watch the busy hands of the Torcedores (cigar rollers), as they fill, wrap, and roll cigars using the Entubar method established in Cuba. 

As with anything, "Hand-Made", can have a variety of meanings. Here is a little tidbit of helpful info to look for on a cigar box----

Totalamente a Mano - Made totally by hand

 Hecho a Mano -  made by hand, which can mean it is filled with machine-bunched filler 

Envuelto a Mano - packed by hand 

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Say Cheese }

Me and lots of smiles with my Cabana Boy,

Sarah Sarah GodGriefuss Boberra,

My Dad aka Best Dad EVER,

and my sweet paloma, Saylor.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Donut -- Saturn -- Peaches }

Some call it a Donut Peach. Others call it a Saturn Peach.

I call it my favorite peach.

 Crisp like a bosc pear, sweet like candy,

and less fuzzy than it's other peachy cousins. Especially good with spanish manchego cheese drizzled with local tupelo honey.

Sadly, these peaches have a short season.

 Until next summer.

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ This Moment }

 {This Moment} ---. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.  

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Inspired by  SouleMama  

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ "Little Havana" Ybor City }

We drove 3 hours southwest to enjoy a day in Tampa. Or more specifically, Ybor City, aka Little Havana. We walked the old historic streets and enjoyed the wonderful woodsy scent of cigars coming from the local cigar factories and cigar shoppes established by Cuban settlers. Other street corners greeted us with the scent of coffee beans being brewed in the various coffee houses. When our tummies growled, we satisfied the hunger with plantain crusted Mahi Mahi and quenched our thirst with a pitcher of Cuban mojitos at the original Columbia Restaurant. 

It was a really nice day in which my husband summed up by saying, "I feel most like myself in places like this."

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ Come On, Eileen }

What's playing on my Virtual Victrola today?

 This song, Come On Eileen, by Dexy's Midnight Wonders. 

Yes, I know-I know, it is an old one hit wonder.

 But, I love when this song comes on. 

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.

{ This Moment }

 {This Moment} ---. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.  

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Inspired by  SouleMama  

Sealed with a Kiss, Kirsten

S.W.A.K.