A stone’s throw from Vancouver, BC’s Sunshine Coast is a 110-mile stretch of beach-dotted, mountain-backed, fjord-cut shoreline along British Columbia’s southwest coast.
A decidedly laid-back locale – so named because it attracts more solar action than many other parts of the lower mainland – the Sunshine Coast is a haven for artists, and the festivals that celebrate them.
Keep an eye out for the flutter of purple banners, stretching from Langdale to Lund – a high flying invitation to visit an artist in their studio, workshop or gallery. Beyond the banners, this is a coastline big on festivities, with gatherings that run the gamut from thought-provoking to tasty. There’s even an opportunity to embrace textural arts and crafts, or take in the smooth sounds of international talents.
Check Out:
The country’s longest running summer gathering of Canadian writers, readers and literary stars, August 12 – 15
From the blue period to the rose period, cubism to surrealism, the legendary works of Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso will be on display at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. Step into Picasso’s world of neutral palettes, cubed form and surreal depictions with Buckingham Hotel’s VIP Picasso MoMA package.
With the VIP package, you can skip the lame lines, receive an Introduction to Printmaking book and Art Masterpieces to Color: 60 Great Paintings from Botticelli to Picasso for all you art buffs.
When: Now through August 30, 2010
Where: Buckingham Hotel- few minute walk from MoMA
A night’s stay includes 2 VIP tickets, so be sure to bring a buddy to enjoy the artwork with!
Please help us support the homeless and formerly homeless students in our culinary training program by joining us at SummerTini, our 6th annual fundraiser for the CHEFS program and Skills Center.
The CHEFS culinary training program serves 60 homeless students yearly with 3 months of hands-on kitchen training, 3 month internships with local businesses and food service agencies and 6 months of continued job counseling and job support.
All proceeds go to help cover the costs of books, educational supplies, uniforms, kitchen equipment, food, and counseling. Collectively CHEFS and the Skills Center benefit over 1,000 homeless individuals annually.
Where: The Galleria at 101 Henry Adams Street in San Francisco
When: Friday, June 4th, 2010 6-9 pm
Tickets: $100
The evening will include hors d’oeuvres from 20 of the Bay Area’s top restaurants, signature martinis, live jazz by the San Francisco Bourbon Kings and dazzling silent and live auctions.
Come and join Sabrina and her dear local pals Jenny and Alberto for five true days where liberation, love and laughter will reign.
Join Sabrina Ward Harrison at the beautiful La Feniche, a Bed and Breakfast sweetly nestled just outside of the busy area of Positano, Italy. Surrounded by lush vegetation, La Fenice represents the “Old Positano,” away from the bustling town allowing one to embrace the beautiful solitude of nature. A few minutes of walking will bring you into the central most part of the town.
See the glorious coast by boat with Alberto, exploring coves, hidden beaches and the secret history of this gorgeous part of Italy complete with swims into grottos. Also visit “The Path of The Gods”- the area of the Lattari mountains that unwinds in the silence of the mountainous calm, with scenery of haunting panoramas, meandering trails through places of incomparable beauty, rich with history and culture, where we will have a picnic lunch cradled between the sea and sky. Positano in September is also the most magnificent time to go with the crowds thinning and humidity dwindling. The weather is wonderful and flowers are still in full bloom.
Breakfasts will be on a terrace overlooking the dazzling Mediterranean, while nightly dinners will take place at the cozy Valle Dei Mulini beneath lemon trees.
When: September 2 – September 7, 2010
Cost: $2700 per person
This includes workshop costs, double occupancy for Bed and Breakfast, breakfast,
dinner, boat excursion around the stunning coast, hike through the “Path of the Gods,” picnic and farewell dinner.
There will be art and writing most days along with excursions exploring the area.
Everyone has a different style of traveling whether they go to veg out, shop, or explore. CheapOstay is offering all kinds of different Memorial Day deals from flights to hotels for all of the enthusiastic (but different) travelers looking for an excuse to go somewhere.
The Beach Bum:
If lounging for hours under the sun and taking relaxing dips in the sea is your idea of the perfect vacation, plan a trip to the Coconut Court Beach Resort in Barbados For $100 per night. You can enjoy easy access to the island’s white sand beaches, ocean swimming and many other activities.
The Thrill Seeker:
Wale watching, Kayaking, Boating and Scavenger hunts in Vancouver for $97 per night at theSemiahmoo Resort Golf Spa. With its quiet location and outdoor-focused atmosphere, this resort has everything a thrill-seeker – or thrill-seeking family – could hope for this holiday weekend.
The Culture Buff:
New Orleans is the perfect place to visit this holiday weekend for anyone seeking the best of music, food, history and art. Get flights from Philadelphia for just $234! While you’re in this southern city, be sure to catch a live jazz show, enjoy delicious beignets or scrumptious gumbo, and visit the Backstreet Cultural Museum to see memorabilia from Mardi Gras and other New Orleans attractions.
The Site-Seer:
If touring and site-seeing is your forte, head to Washington D.C. this Memorial Day with airfare discounts from Detroit for $166. With monuments, museums and memorials galore, Washington D.C. will have you touring and visiting until your heart is content.
A stylish person who puts effort and thought into her attire should likewise think about her surrounds. To this end, I was delighted to attend the opening night of the SF Art Fair at Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion. This is the first major international fine art fair in the Bay Area in nearly a decade. The Fair, running this weekend May 21-23, is a collaboration of the San Francisco Arts Commission and the SF Art Dealers Association and offers a broad spectrum – from paintings, drawings and photography to sculpture and more.
I was there for the art, but having been to several such events over the years, I know that art often appears on the guests and gallerists as well. Point in case, the woman at left whose necklace drew me in (Jack Fischer Gallery, booth 14).
Had I not been so busy ogling the art and chatting with guests, I would have snapped more pics of the fabulous fashions that passed by. Next time!
But back to the art on exhibit … some standouts were a carbon pigment print by Courtney Johnson called “Embarcadero” at the Jenkins Johnson Gallery (booth 33); an oil on linen by Jeffrey Keith (who happens to be an alum of the San Francisco Art Institute) called “Candide” at Linda Fairchild Contemporary Art (booth 30); and a mixed media by Peter Clark called “Too-Too Wonderful” at Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery (both 19).
Bottom line, art is personal… which is what style is. With more than 80 galleries from around the world represented at the Fair, this is an excellent opportunity to see many points of view … from the galleries who curate to the artists who create.
After floating about in a mansion estate, chatting with the private chef, and exploring the European countryside, you will definitely think you’re dreaming.
These tours will take place in the village of Eygalieres in the Alpilles region. A secluded estate with 2.5 km of walking paths nestled in Cezannes famous countryside.
only$3,700 for 8 days of Lluxury and Adventure.
Included:
-Villa Accommodation with a pool
-Drivers for transfers and tours
-Private gourmet chef for breakfast, lunch and dinner
-TGV train ride
-A Cooking Class
-Wine tasting
Departure dates: Book Now!
June 5 – June 12, 2010
June 19 – June 26, 2010
Visit Anne’se Blog for more dates and accommodations.
This is no mere chick flick, which it is, but it’s so much more.
The film introduces us to three diverse women whose lives manage to weave in and out of each others with dramatic consequences. The central theme is motherhood & adoption.
There’s Elizabeth (Naomi Watts), a smart, beautiful lawyer with ice in her veins. She starts up a romance with her boss (Samuel L. Jackson).
For Karen(Annette Bening), it’s the heartbreak of an unknown daughter that colors everything in her life. Her love store has gone out of business. She never got over her teen age pregnancy and being forced to give her baby up for a closed adoption. A new co-worker at her health care service ( Jimmy Smits), somehow manages to thaw her out with his gentle persistence.
Finally, we meet Lucy (Kerry Washington), the young woman distraught over her failure to produce a child with her husband. We find the two at an adoption agency, the central plot clearinghouse.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you won’t feel guilty, even if you’re a man. Mother & Child is a beautifully acted intelligent film. Five Stars. Get thee to Movies.com for show times in your area.
How does an extra full day of hiking, nutritious and delicious meals and unlimited fitness classes sound? Stay four nights with the Signature Package, and earn a complimentary fifth night!
At $219 per night, you get a lot of pampering.
Signature Package Includes:
Daily Guided Morning Hikes
Three Delicious & Nutritious Meals Daily
Deluxe Accommodations
Unlimited Fitness Classes
Healthy Life Classes & Events at the Wellness Center
Personal Discovery Activities
Eat Well, Feel Well Cooking Demonstrations
Complimentary In-Room High-Speed Internet
Use of Resort Amenities including Indoor and Seasonal Outdoor Pools, Bicycles, Walking Trails, Strength & Cardio Studios
Two gifts that seem to flow naturally from giving back to others are contentment and gratefulness.
Just ask Katie Ohotto, who has “given back” six times via short-term (one-, two- and three-week) service programs through Global Volunteers.
“Volunteering centers me in both my personal and professional lives,” says Katie, who is a certified yoga instructor in Bikram and vinyasa styles and who practices yoga daily. “While contentment and gratefulness come to mind first, I‚ve gained a greater understanding of people and how other cultures choose to pace their time and prioritize the relationships in their lives.”
“I’ve learned again and again that happiness does not come from money and material things but from the heart. Wherever I’ve served — from the small fishing village called Prampram in Ghana to the crowded city of Chennai in southern India, I’ve fueled an inner peace while hopefully fostering a bit of world peace through mutual understanding. It’s still fulfilling to recall the sounds of laughter with newly made friends and the look of a child’s face when lit up with a smile.”
To give back and join a volunteer team, call 800-487-1074 or visit the Global Volunteers website at www.globalvolunteers.org.
