Rosemary Beach: a watercolor of a vacation

Ahh…summertime at Rosemary Beach, Florida and the living is easy. The lazy hazy turquoise sky days are a watercolor of a vacation at the emerald coast. Imagine unforgettable sunsets, children’s laughter, gentle surf, snowy white sandy beaches and you’re at Rosemary Beach. It is a special place where the pleasant and ever-present breeze creates a calming effect that totally relaxes the body and mind. The only thing to think about is what to eat for dinner.

Unlike other beaches, once you arrive at Rosemary and park your car, you won’t need to get back into it until it’s time to go home. Rosemary Beach has that leisurely feel that eases you into a real staycation because once you arrive; leaving is not something anyone wants to contemplate.

Vacationers can walk everywhere and do anything they please because everything is at your fingertips: shopping, swimming, Pilates, yoga, tennis, biking, the spa, restaurants, bocce ball, Frisbee, or croquet… There are so many choices; you might not be able to check off everything on your list in one week (especially if you become a regular at a favorite spot). All the more reason to return!

My family definitely became regulars at the Sugar Shak, having ice cream once (sometimes twice) a day. Everyone’s favorite flavor is right there at what seems like everyone’s favorite place…I mean really, don’t you just want to be at a place called “The Sugar Shak?” The beauty of a vacation is that you can always choose to do as much or as little as you like and Rosemary Beach is the perfect place where whatever you choose will be perfect.

Going to the beach should be about finding peace and here, time does slow down. You won’t see anyone at Rosemary Beach wearing a watch because the bell tower in the town square rings on the hour and what more do you need? In the town square you will also find a post office, gallery, shops, and restaurants that complete the community package.

Gallivanting by foot or bike is the preferred transportation, especially because everything is within five minutes walking distance. Rosemary has all the amenities of home including yards for the children to play in and porches for your morning coffee.

It’s fun to explore the many boardwalks right outside your door; you can get lost to be found in this intimate paradise. Rosemary has employed the concept of New Urbanism in which the sense of community breaks down fears and encourages friendliness.

Rosemary Beach is a tranquil watercolor storybook town that was established in 1995. Rosemary isn’t crowded or pretentious; it has an ease and familiarity that all ages will appreciate. Rosemary’s sense of community makes the vacationer feel safe and comfortable; it is livable with a small town atmosphere. The architecture is soft, warm, and timeless; a perfect fit for the stunning coastal landscape.

A relaxed atmosphere of the old Caribbean (think the West Indies) but also Charleston and Italy. Every cottage, carriage house, loft, and building is uniquely custom designed (there are more than 600 homes). Even the colors are calming with the earthy Tuscan palettes of chocolate, cream, and terra cottas on the architecture that compliment the emerald coast. The cobblestone on winding narrow roads gives Rosemary that European-like feel.

You will see a lot of Rosemary here because it grows wild in the area, even the shampoo products provided are Aveda Rosemary Mint.

Rosemary is a restaurateur’s paradise in which you can choose a different cuisine every night and the whole family will be happy.  

The whole experience is so much like the Don McLean song, American Pie. There’s no doubt in my mind that if the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were really to catch the last train for the coast, in order to stay true to that song, the train would head straight for Rosemary Beach.

Rosemary’s Good Eats

Cowgirl Kitchen: reminds me of Texas. It has a Southwestern-style casual feel and my favorite, gourmet pizzas.

Onano: named after the Italian town where the owner’s (Mark) grandmother was born, transports you to Tuscany through food.

The Summer Kitchen Café: a casual breakfast and lunch hangout with sandwiches, burgers, and American desserts.

Restaurant Paradis: a small inviting restaurant that serves fresh Gulf seafood along with steaks and fine wines.

Wild Olives: a market for quick bites and fantastic wine selections.

Courtyard Wine and Cheese: stop in the wine bar then enjoy some old world artisan cheese.

La Crema Tapas & Chocolate: a cozy courtyard invites you to enjoy a bit of Spain. I love that they even a child’s tapas menu.

Dog Man Du: my children’s favorite lunch time place to accompany a stroll to the beach. They would eat their Dog Man Du hot dogs in the little red Radio Flyer wagon that I pulled them in and be happy as clams.

Something sweet: Sugar Shak &,  (the newly opened) Sugga Pies: both have an old-fashioned ambiance where the customers are always happy to find the open sign. These two are sweet places for the young and the young at heart.

Shopping in Rosemary

The Hidden Lantern Bookstore: This is not your average book store! Loaded with personality and thoughtfulness, The Hidden Lantern provides books and events that inspire a love for the written word.

My most favorite store in the world is Pish Posh Patchouli’s where you can design your signature scent at the custom scent bar; then select soaps, lotions, perfumes galore.

Fitz and Emme: the newest children’s boutique feels like you could be shopping in a quaint European shop.

Gigi’s Fabulous Kids’ Fashions & Toys: Offers the CUTEST European-style clothing and accessories for children. Gigi’s celebrates your child’s individual style.

Trading Company: You can’t leave without stopping by here! Get souviners that you will accually use!

Tracery: You can find everything you were looking for but haven’t found yet here in this interior design and furnishing shop.

Once you come to Rosemary, you will want to return year after year.

Our Home Town Beach

When I was a little girl I used to pretend I was a mermaid; I'd place my legs in first position and imagine I was a fish swimming in the ocean. I find when I see the ocean and feel it on my body I turn into that little girl again wishing on the moon and believing in fantasy and magic. The sea beckons me and I surrender to it. The feeling you have when a wave is carrying you is euphoric; it's like that delicious nap you awake from feeling alive, happy, and whole.

I have always felt most in my element at the beach. It suits me; all my senses come alive and I let the waves wash away all emotions. My zodiac even says I am a water sign ruled by the moon. I love that I share this with both of my children. We cancers are soft shell crabs and we like to hide under our shells often. It's interesting having three cancers in the house! I find I can read my children very well and I have a bit of a sixth sense tuning into their needs.


My mom is also good at reading feelings. She likes to people watch at the beach. There was a woman in Galveston walking in the sand and looking at the waves. My Mom said, "Ash, see that woman? She's thinking about someone. She's remembering!" My Mom was explaining to me that the beach is where you can go to figure something out. We all need that time alone to remember where we end and others begin. I always feel my head is a mess of thoughts swimming like schools of fish, but at Galveston my mind was calm, healing, and remembering. I know Confucius said, "No matter where you go, there you are," but when I am "there" at the beach, I am more me than anywhere! It's a natural and simple therapy to just let the waves cleanse you free of anything that keeps you from smiling. Because emotion is like water; you feel it from deep within. I love this quote by E.E. Cummings, "For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It's always our self we find in the sea."

My Dad with his big sister, Ann. 

My friend and fellow mermaid said to me, "There is something about the gentle (well, sometimes not so gently) movement of the water, that wonderful sand under your feet, a light breeze, smell of sun tan lotion and ... it's Margarita time! Or is it Pina colada? Something totally refreshing!"

Listening to Tracy Chapman's New Beginning song I was reminded about what the gulf has gone through. Like the song goes...They've had to start all over and make a new beginning. One of my favorite ballet teachers, Shelley Padilla, is putting on a benefit, Dancing to Restore the Gulf. She's doing a wonderful thing and asking for donations instead of ticket sales. All proceeds will go to benefit the National Wildlife Foundation. What a beautiful way to help. Knowing Shelley, I think most will walk away from the dance concert feeling more alive than as if carried by a wave.

http://dancingtorestorethegulf.blogspot.com/
Date: Saturday, July 31st
Time: 7:30PM
Place: Courtyard Theater 1509 Avenue H, Plano, TX 75074

When visiting Galveston recently, it was a treat for the eyes to drive around town and see all the historical homes. You can see the past of wealth and poverty, and almost taste the remnants of catastrophe as the transformations supplant the agony of loss with the pride of hope fulfilled.


My Aunt Ann (who lives in Galveston) is currently reading the book Infinite Monster. It's a new book that tells how Galveston has had to rise up after its demolishing disaster; one of America's largest hurricanes, Ike. The author Leigh Jones said, "Ike reminded me that much good can come from disaster. I would never have willingly given up all the things that Ike took from me, but I came away with a much clearer understanding of the importance of people over possessions and challenge over comfort. I would never have known how much I could withstand without Ike. The storm gave me freedom to live my life without being afraid of what I might lose if I take risks."

Living in North Texas, Galveston is our closest beach...our home town beach! What would you get by supporting your neighbor? GREAT food, clean cool sand that is cared for daily, and plenty to satisfy every vacationer (old and young). The town has done an amazing job of remembering Galveston before Ike. Ruined trees have been sculpted into works of art all across town. Restaurants like: Russo's NY Pizzeria, The Original Mexican Cafe, Mosquito Café, Rudy and Paco, Gaido's, Blue Water Grill, and Saltwater Grill will keep you full and restore you after a day at the beach.

My brother Sean and sister-in-law Jeyhan lived in Galveston four years during her stay at the University of Texas Medical School. They were sad to leave and like my Aunt Ann had many recommendations for us. We can't wait to go back and see more of the things we all love: Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn, Touring Galveston's tree sculptures, Dickens on the Strand, dolphin sighting, Saturday ArtWalk ...


Galveston is the perfect home town beach for Dallas neighbors. It's more doable than driving to Florida and very reasonable. Another favorite beach of mine is Rosemary Beach in Florida.  Unfortunately this is not an easy journey to make with little ones. I was excited to see Galveston building Beachtown which is the same group that built Rosemary Beach and Seaside. With its catch phrase, "A Simple Life by the Sea" it's sure to attract more than mosquitoes!

Some of my favorite movies when I was younger were: Mystic Pizza, Mermaid, and Splash because of the fantasy and water surrounding the films. I'm reading a book that takes me back to my childhood mermaid fantasies. What's great about children's literature is that the inner child can be found again. If you fantasized that you were a mermaid like I did then I have the perfect book recommendation for you to take to the beach this summer and share with your children. Texas author Kathi Appelt's Keeper is just right for reading along the Texas beach. Keeper was literally born in the sea and believes her mother is a mermaid who swam away to join other mermaids when she was three. Look for a Q & A with the author to come soon. If you start on it now, you can participate in our conversation.  

Find your inner mermaid and let the waves carry you to your home town beach.

Open House, Spring Break, and Staycations

This time of year can be overwhelming for a teacher! I really have to step back and look at the big picture. My second graders have accomplished a lot this year and I am proud! But, with Spring Break five days away and open house looming, I am anxious for this week to go quickly so I can enjoy some quality time with my family.

Open House is usually scheduled the week before spring break. My second grade team tends to plan our main field trip to the Dallas World Aquarium the same week, and this can make for a stressful time! But when it's over, it's done! This is a time for parents to visit the classroom where their children spend so many hours, and see projects and displays of their children's work. The children really enjoy the reponsibility of showing parents around the class: their desk, projects, work, journals... But what's on everyone's mind is the count down to spring break! I always have a constant soundtrack to life running in my head and instead of singing " I love Paris in the springtime, I'm singing, "I dread open house in the springtime !" But after open house my song will change to Madonna's Holiday!

You can turn this world around
And bring back all of those happy days
Put your troubles down
It's time to celebrate
Let love shine
And we will find
A way to come together
And make things better
We need a holiday

Photo: Two of Ashley's adorable students from last year's field trip to the Dallas World Aquarium checking out the sharks!
http://www.dwazoo.com/d/

Photos: Ashley and her daughter, Zooey at the Frank Buck Zoo.
http://www.frankbuckzoo.com/

There is usually a staff e-mail about this time sharing with co-workers where you will be going for spring break. We teachers like to live through each other. So far I haven't heard of anyone going anywhere exotic! It seems that only a relative few are vacationing now! I believe most Americans will be taking a "Staycation" this year!

"Staycations" are like vacations, except you don't travel far from home, or away from home at all (which still makes them vacations).

I've always loved The Today Show's "Where in the World is Matt Lauer," because it made me feel like I was on vacation too. I would Tivo the show and come home from work to see where Matt went. This year, instead of going himself, The Today Show is sending its four anchors on a weeklong journey to find affordable vacations spots. This is perfect because it reflects what's going on in the world right now.

It seems like only the very rich are going on vacation this spring break. Those of us who are not, need to make the most of what we have to work with. Most people will probably be spending their spring break on a "staycation" instead of a vacation this year. Please don't get me wrong, travel is NOT wasteful! Only extravagant travel seems wasteful. There really are plenty of places near home to make you feel like you are on vacation. I'd be the first one on the airplane if I could (kids in tow)! My Mom joked that when I was pregnant with my first child and my brother and sister-in-law were deciding wheather or not to get married in Turkey, they said, "What about Ash since she's pregnant?" She told them not to worry, that I would swim across the Mediterranean just to travel. I crave it!

Keeping a good attitude is one of the keys to happiness... It's very hip now to do a "Staycation" because we can take advantage of that free time we don't usually have and spend it locally. It can make you appreciate where you live.
Last year my husband and I did a staycation with our family and truly made the most of it. Going to the Dallas Arboretum acually felt a bit like traveling to a foreign country! There were people with different accents all around us! I remember my then two-year- old daughter picking up on this French conversation she heard with the parents and child. She noticed when this little boy fell, the parents asked, Ca va? She knew that expression because I say it all the time. I felt like I had taken my kids to Monet's Giverny and not just the Dallas Arboretum.


Photo: Ashley's children at the
Dallas Arboretum.
http://www.dallasarboretum.org/


Photo: See Ferdinand the Bull topiary at the Dallas Arboretum! March 6th was the opening Day of Dallas Blooms, Fiesta de las Flores. Mayor Thomas Leppert declared it Dallas Blooms Day. You've just got to see Ferdinand (the 12 ft. topiary) for yourself!

I'm très guilty for being an ultra over-scheduler, that's just me! This staycation I have plans to: have a datenight with my husband and use our gift card to the Dallas resaurant Rise http://risesouffle.com/, read as much as possible, take my children to the zoo, repeat the Dallas Arboretum and finally, make some incredible things in the kitchen. At the top of the list is making my own lemoncello because it will make me feel like I'm in Italy! I WILL go to Italy again and when I do it will be fabulous! Until then, cin cin to spring break!
Please share your ideas for a staycation!

As G.K. Chesterton said, "The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one's own country as a foreign land."

Ashley's Lemoncello recipe:
4 Cups 100 proof vodka (750ml)
2 pounds lemon skin only (try meyer lemons)
3 cups sugar
3 cups water

Steep the peel of two pounds of lemons in four cups of vodka for one week at room temperature. Stir three cups of sugar and three cups of water in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; cool. Add to the vodka mixture and stir. Strain the liquid into bottles; seal and chill. Lemoncello makes a wonderful palate cleanser or a nice after dinner drink.