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Travel Back In Time – Useppa Island

From the Notebook of Meri Stevens

 

A recent visit to quaint Useppa Island has me once again appreciating the simpler things in life. Family, friends and fabulous sunsets! Useppa’s fabled pristine beauty is rich in tradition. A private barrier island located in the southwest Florida Gulf Coast, it is that rare place where things change very slowly, if at all.

 

We arrived by boat as all visitors do. No bridges. No cars. No crowds. The sun-bleached wooden dock led us to the Useppa Island Club and the historic Collier Inn. Charming island cottages line the magical paths through massive banyan trees. I imagine faded floral chintz and white cotton slipcovers softened by wear and numerous launderings behind the doors of cottages with names like “Changes in Latitude,” “Butterfly Cottage” and “Arabella-By-The-Sea.”

  

These special island retreats allow us to turn back time to an era without iPhones, iPads and Facebook. There wasn’t a computer in sight in the public rooms of the lovely Collier Inn. The most important decision I had to make today was what to order for lunch on the patio terrace shaded by a century-old Cuban Laurel tree overlooking sun-dappled Pine Island Sound.

 

Our boat returned to Captiva and the 21^st Century at day’s end. As I downloaded photographs into my computer I thought to myself, “I like being able to put one foot in the past and the other firmly planted in the future…all in the same day!!”

 

Photos courtesy of Meri Stevens and the Useppa website.

 

Autumn Splendor in East Hampton - From the Notebook of Meri Stevens

A few weeks ago we introduced a new guest blogger to Inspired.talk, Meri Stevens. Stevens’ impressive career as a home furnishings industry executive and marketing strategist uniquely qualifies her to speak on behalf of trends in home design, color, entertaining, travel and more. We hope you enjoy reading "From the Notebook of Meri Stevens."

-JP

  

Autumn Splendor in East Hampton - From the Notebook of Meri Stevens

As the memory of summer fades and the crowds disappear, East Hampton captures the splendor of the autumn season. Color inspiration appears at every turn. The changing season has us longing for the warmer reds of fresh picked local apples and the soft golds of swaying beach grass. And then there is my favorite place of all – the winter beach.  Oh, to capture that distant point where sky and water and beach converge and translate it into a room with that view.

East Hampton's historic Maidstone Inn.

I imagine a room as peaceful and serene as the solitude of the beach in October.  From this perfect setting you might pull out a color for walls and another for floor. A color for upholstery and another for accessories. It is all there in your imagination. I think of grey flannel or soft grey velvet with watery blues and linens the color of beach sand.

A home grown selection of pumpkins and apples at Balsam Farms.

So pick up a pumpkin for your Thanksgiving pie at the local Balsam Farms stand, take a brisk walk on the beach (with your camera in hand), and stop by the Maidstone Inn on Main Street for a late lunch. Be sure to try the house-made gravlax cured with lemon and dill and The Living Room's tarte flambée. You won’t be disappointed.

At The Living Room, chef James Carpenter, proponent of the "slow food" movement, changes the menu seasonally to make use of fresh, organic local ingredients.

You’ll be inspired by everything around you in the historic Village of East Hampton. I think I need to re-decorate!

 

Season’s End – From the Notebook of Meri Stevens

We’re happy to introduce a new guest blogger to Inspired.talk, Meri Stevens. Stevens’ impressive career as a home furnishings industry executive and marketing strategist uniquely qualifies her to speak on behalf of trends in home design, color, entertaining, travel and more. We hope you enjoy reading "From the Notebook of Meri Stevens."

-JP

 

Season's End - From the Notebook of Meri Stevens

Company's coming! A few friends are coming for supper this evening and I am rushing about setting the table. Flowers in the garden are scarce this time of year but herbs, on the other hand, are still in abundance. So instead of flowers, I love arranging a centerpiece using a big bunch of fresh picked herbs from the garden. I often use my favorite red and white hand-painted pottery bowl. Sage with its silvery leaves creates the shape. I fill in with basil and some oregano that has gone to seed so that it looks a little frilly.  When you touch the leaves the smell of sage and basil on your fingertips is just divine! Fresh herbs help set a lovely table – elegant with a little whimsy thrown in.