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How tall is Carla Bruni?
I was perusing Tumblr and found a feed dedicated to this woman’s hair (Chantal Biya, First Lady of Cameroon). It is indeed majestic.
This, naturally, led me to find out more about these women, who look especially tall and fun. My phone was on ‘Australian English’ that week which I thought would be HILARIOUS ..until I needed something. Here’s my attempts.
Eat like a King in Key West
I got back from a trip to Key West last weekend with my wonderful adopted Godmother Dorry, her friend Max, and my beloved. From Yelp reviews and co-worker recommendations, we ate like kings. Positively one of the best food-trips I have ever had! Here’s where we ate.
Lunch: B.O.’s Wagon
This shack, yes, it’s a food truck with some boards around it, has the best conch fritters on the island. Dorry and Mike had fried fish, but I stuck with the classics.
The wagon is near a marina and is cash only. I recommend washing it down with a Corona, to make sure the island vibe kicks in.
Dinner: Bagatelle
We dipped in here after a technicolor Mallory Square sunset. I would usually caution against eating ON Duval, but it had great reviews and thunder was threatening. The restaurant is a converted victorian, which lends charm and heat!
Waiting for a table, we sat at the outside bar, eating mussels and drinking Triple Karmelit (for a whopping $10/glass)
Once seated upstairs in comfy wicker chairs, we feasted on Ahi tuna, lobster, pasta and lots of bread. My tuna was perfectly done, the pyramid of fresh fish hiding the seaweed salad and asian slaw underneath. Bagatelle on Yelp
Drinks: Green Parrot
Everyone will tell you this is the best bar in Key West and rightly so. A block off Duval it attracts a crowd of crusty locals, Navy pilots (lucky me!) and the nice type of tourists who just want to blend in and observe. The band that night was from New Orleans, so we were treated to trumpets, kazoos and an impromptu parade around the bar from the wind section.
We were so enamored with the atmosphere, we returned to quench our thirst the next day (they have a decent beer selection) and got branded key chain-bottle openers. In the shape of a parrot, of course! Green Parrot on Yelp
Brunch: Blue Heaven
This had been recommended so many times, I had to drag the group through the heat to this legend. Nearer the Hemmingway House, the restaurant is a loose collection of tables in a mulch-covered courtyard. The atmosphere comes from the brightly-painted bar, the low umbrellas, music stage and the cocky chickens.
During my delicious shrimp omelette, we watched the true owners of this place chase each other, jump up on umbrellas and awnings, and generally act the fool. It almost distracted me from my mimosa!
Their banana bread was recommended, and it was excellent. Be sure to check dining times, as they close in the afternoon. And when you’re stuffed, go across the street to Wanderlust, a darling boutique owned by a High School classmate. Blue Heaven on Yelp
Water Taxi
Yesterday, AJ and I took Jessica from NY out on the Ft.Lauderdale Water Taxi. It had been on my list for ages, and I am so glad we went! It stops all over the Intercoastal and the New River at Las Olas and there’s a bar or restaurant at almost every stop! Several taxis run continuously all day and it’s $20 for the hop-on hop-off pass.
We started at Las Olas, saw the mega-yachts and mega-mansions then got off at Beach Place. We had frozen drinks on the beach, then caught the taxi up to Shooter’s for dinner.
Tips
- Park behind the Briny Pub at riverfront for $5 all-day parking
- Buy tickets on the boat. Cash and Credit accepted.
- Bring a cooler! A smaller cooler will be allowed on and they don’t mind if you drink
- Beach Place (stop 4) provides a good spot to visit the sand, but stop 3 may be quieter.
- Water Taxi customer service answers immediately, so call with schedule questions
- It’s $10 after 7pm and runs until 11pm in some spots. Pub Crawl!
Florida Gifts for People in Ireland
When we went back and forth to Ireland in 1997, all you had to do was grab some Levi’s paraphernalia, or Nike’s on sale and your family at home was delighted.
In 2003, when I was there last, Gap was really popular and really hard to get.
But now, Ireland has got it all and I am left wondering what gifts will be unique and interesting enough to take back. Oh, and be cheap enough to buy a lot of, and small enough to fit. (I have a lot of family)
Adult-types
| Pros | Cons | |
| Schenbly Wines. | Made in Homestead, Florida, they have local flavors like Lychee and Guava. | At $20 a bottle and being wine-sized, I can’t brink them in bulk. |
| Carl Hiassen books | Miami native novelist brings madcap humor to the legendary terrifying antics of South Florida drug cartels and mob bosses. Small and inexpensive. | Has to be for the right person…. |
| Tom’s BBQ Sauce | Local to Florida, delicious and small. | Could be messy! |
| Forever 21 | Cheaper than topshop and only in the US, jewelry and shirts from here are a win for teens and twenties ladies. Small and cheap. Really Cheap. Stupid cheap. | Poor quality. |
| Bath and Body Works | 3-2 deals, wide range of flavors, and only in the US these soaps, candles and lotions would be perfect for that Aunt you don’t really know. | Could be seen as a lazy gift. |
For the kiddies
| Pros | Cons | |
| Gap Shirts | Low priced when on sale, clothes are always a winner for kids. | Not as exotic as they used to be. |
| Heat Stuff | The recent publicity is bad for prices but good for street cred. Non-sanctioned tees and hats should be $10-$20 | Kid may not like Basketball. But does that matter? |
| Disney! | Apparently my cousins think we live IN Disney, so why not bring home some Magic!? Shop the outlet for more deals. | They can get a lot of it in Europe, but you can convince them it came from Disney. |
| Florida Kitsch | Gator pencils and jerky. Dreamcatchers and shells. Sometimes it’s so bad it’s good | Florida Kitsch |
Chic Cruiser
Cruisers are in. There is no doubt.
Girls want to be that girl on a vintage bike, skirt or floral shorts flapping around your long taned legs. You may have cool sunglasses on, or a vintage scarf, or possibly a baguette in a basket.
You are carefree and stylish and your look alludes to a unique and creative lifestyle, filled with organic food, intelligent friends and unusual pursuits. You travel a lot and the man in your life probably has a beard and plays in a modern rockabilly band.
There are sites dedicated to this woman http://charikichi.tumblr.com/ and http://www.refinery29.com/hot-wheels-cruising-the-cooles.php as well as flickr groups http://www.flickr.com/groups/bicyclegirls/
And yeah, I wanna be one. I wanna be that chick, on her vintage cycle, cruisin to the market, and maybe go to the local craft brewery later on to hear some live music.
This beautiful specimen is $100 – Miss Sixty
Pity I would only wear it once a year, cos I’m in love
UPDATE! 
After I got the ‘new job’, and found out I was going to NY, I ran straight to Burlington and bought this beaut! There was one left, in my size! Destiny!
And of course, she kept me warm and stylish all week!