Earth Goddess

The Atlanta Botanical Garden presents Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life, thru October 2013.  This is the perfect exhibit to put on your list of “Things To Do In Atlanta” this year.  The Atlanta Botanical Garden becomes the perfect backdrop to showcase the monumental living sculptures of fantasy.  As if the creatures are not mesmerizing by their self, the method in which they arrived at  the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a story in itself.

As you approach the Cascades Garden, the largest living sculpture, a twenty-five foot tall goddess emerges from Mother Earth to welcome you. Some of the other sculptures you will enjoy seeing are a pair of giant cobras, butterflies, enchanting rabbits and a friendly ogre.  Each living sculpture has thousands of precisely groomed annuals planted into soil and sphagnum moss filled netting covering steel frames. The colorful plants carpet the artistic steel frames.  Complex irrigation systems are set inside the steel frames allowing the plants to grow and the creatures to flourish in our Georgia heat.  The larger than life creatures were transported in climate controlled trucks.

These mosaiculture sculptures are the creative genius of International Mosaiculture of Montreal.  This non-profit group has successful staged exhibits around the world.  The Atlanta Botanical Garden is excited to be the first US city to host Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life.

I am looking forward to seeing the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Imaginary Worlds: Plants Larger Than Life exhibit again in the fall.  It should be interesting to see how these living sculptures have changed and grown over the summer. When planning your trip to our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast don’t forget to put the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Imaginary Worlds:  Plants Larger Than Life exhibit at the top of your list of Things To Do In Atlanta.

Shellmont Inn Kitchen

Finally, our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation is finished!  I said I would let you know some of my Favorite Things I love about our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation.  I love the quartz countertops and the size of the island we selected.  Our Asko Dishwashers continue to amaze me as to how efficient and quiet they are.  Oh, the Viking Appliances are to die for.  I can have all six burners going at one time!

Ed and I went back and forth on the island light fixtures and the fabric for the nine foot kitchen window bench.  He finally relented and I ordered Hand Blown Crystal Pendant Lights made in Murano, Italy.  His next ahha moment was a trip to the fabric store and how a small sample can look so different from a bolt of fabric.  Now, that the window bench is finished he loves it.  It is a great place for our guests to sit and relax while I am cooking.

Our Atlanta Kitchen

The other day, Ed asked if there is anything I would change about the kitchen and I could not think of anything.  As to the question “Would you renovate the kitchen again.”  The answer is definately YES!  We had a great time planning, selecting and seeing the kitchen transformed into our Dream Kitchen.

On your next visit to our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast, be sure and let us know what you think.

Lastly, I would like to Thank All Participants who worked with us on our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation, but especially Kerry with W.M. Orr Cabinets, Jill at Builders Specialities and Carl at Viking.

Viking Appliances rule!

Stay tuned for some of our Favorite Recipes from our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast!

Toasting to the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival

Indulge at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival on May 30th thru June 2nd, 2013.   This four day Atlanta event is just blocks from our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast and will tempt your palate with a wide array of southern cuisine from Texas to Florida. Guest at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival will have the opportunity to learn about Southern Food and Traditions, indulge at the Tasting Tents and enjoy evening Dinners showcasing our Regional Southern Cuisine.

The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival,  Learning Experiences highlights southern cuisine by some of the best talent in the South. The daily Learning Experiences are followed by Tasting Tents hosted by chefs creating a Southern Tasting Trail of Chicken, Pig, Lamb, Seafood, Farm Fresh, Southern Snacks, Sweets & Sandwichs and Southern Wines & Spirits. To compliment the Southern Tasting Trail there are Wine & Spirits from other Southern regions around the world.  As the sun sets be prepared to feast at  dinner parties with out of town chefs,  mixologist and sommeliers that compliment and follow-up on the Learning Experiences and Tasting Tents.

Make sure you make an early reservation for the Learning Experiences you would like to participate in at the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival.  The reservation system will seat guest with reservations first and walk-in’s last.  This also allows that each chef has enough supplies and food for each guest.  The Atlanta Food and Wine Festival is always a sell out.

See you at the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival!

The Atlanta Food and Wine Festival

Floor sanding is a snap!

Next on our To Do List on our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation was to have Kerry with W.M. Orr  install our custom cabinets.  It took several days to install them.  Finally it was beginning to look like a kitchen.  For weeks I had been looking at Benjamin Moore’s white paint samples and, finally, I was able to see the color we selected on our cabinets.  Kerry suggested to always go with your first instinct when selecting your cabinet color and that is what I did.

Cabinetry being installed

In the fall after researching Marble, Granite, Soapstone and Quartz for our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation, we decided Quartz would be the perfect finish for the countertops. It is an extremely durable, man-made composite material and came in great colors.  I selected a White Marble with gray veining for our island which is finished an espresso color and black with gray veining for the white perimeter cabinets.  When it was installed, it was like putting the icing on a cake.

Templating the island for quartz countertop

Finally, it was time to have all of our Appliances from Builders Specialitites delivered for our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation.  Of course, I could not wait for our Viking Professional Six Burner Stove.  My dream was finally a reality!  When we started talking about renovating and planning our Atlanta kitchen renovation, the Viking Six Burner Stove was the one appliance I had dreamed about.  Over the next few days Al and his trusty assistant from Builders Specialities delivered each appliance and patiently and professionally  installed them one by one. If you asked me which appliance was my favorite it would be like choosing which is your favorite child.  All I can say is that the Viking Appliances have saved our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast chef a lot of time and the appliances are easy to use! Who could ask for more?

The 6 burner Viking stove arrives!!

On our next Atlanta Kitchen Renovation blog I will let you know about a few more of my favorite fixtures that we selected for our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation and answer that one and only question “Would you do it again?”  Of course, I will post some finished photos to tempt you to renovate your kitchen.

Holiday orchid

The Atlanta Botanical Garden presents Orchid Daze, Surreal Beauty thru April 14th, 2013. Orchid Daze is one of my favorite Atlanta events. I always know spring is nearby when the Atlanta Botanical Garden showcases Orchid Daze.  But best of all, it just a short stroll from our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast. This years Orchid Daze, Surreal Beauty will inspire your immagination by placing faniciful flowers and playful objects close to one another so you can see the contrast and blending of each.

The Lobby of the Fuqua Orchid Center at the Atlanta Botanical Garden has been transformed with brillantantly colored red, yellow and orange orchids. The atrium of the Fuqua Orchid Center is raining sweetly scented upside down pink and white blossoms of dendrobium and pastal cymbidium orchids. The mirrored wall distorts orchids and visitors alike, blending them into unique forms and reflections. As you enter the Orchid House at Orchid Daze don’t miss the Shoe Tree rising from a formal bed. These jewel-toned slipper orchids hang from the ceiling emerging into stilettos. One of the sections I enjoy at the Atlanta Botanical Garden is the Moth Orchid Blast.  Moth Orchids explode from the walls in yellow and terracota hues.

Don’t miss  March 9th and 10th and April 13th and 14th at the Atlanta Botanical Garden when they present Orchid Market Weekend.  There are suppliers and growers, orchid experts giving advice on growing orchids at home and artwork featuring orchids. You will have the opportunity to choose from several types of orchids that will be for sale as well as unique supplies you might need.

Dream of warm sunny days and get inspired at the Atlanta Botanical Garden Orchid Daze exhibit.

Debbie in the kitchen!!

Let me continue with our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation at our Bed and Breakfast.  During the next month, we met with all of our Trades Persons to share what we wanted to do and listen to their suggestions on how to make our Atlanta Kitchen happen.  Because we operate an Atlanta Bed and Breakfast, one of the crucial things we were concerned with was timing.  Ed went over the timing details to make sure everything would be on schedule.  We always allow a couple of weeks for delays, especially if you are renovating during the holidays.  We obtained our permits and everything was set to go.  FINALLY!  Now it was just a matter of waiting until the start date.  We made the final decisions on all the appliances and placed the order with Jill at Builders Specialities.  Now it was a reality, our new Atlanta Kitchen was just a few months away.  We also decided on all the surface finishes.  Since Ed was the General Contractor and I, of course, was the Kitchen Designer, we knew that each decision we could make before the project started would make it easier during the process.

Our Kitchen Designer at work!

Beware of Plumbers with saws!

The start date for our Atlanta Kitchen came around quickly.  Guests checked out as Fed Ex delivered our new kitchen floor, one hundred plus year old remilled antique heart pine flooring.  You may not think you have a lot of flooring in a kitchen, but as we hand carried it in and let it acclimatize to the interior of the inn, it is always more than you think.  Luckily we have several great neighbors who were excited about the project and pitched in to help carry it inside from curbside.

And Innkeepers with hammers!

Over the next few weeks, we removed  the existing cabinets, appliances, sheetrock and plaster walls, wood and tile flooring and anything else that was in the way. We recycled the old cabinets, appliances and plumbing fixtures for someone else to use in their Atlanta kitchen project.  We had two beautiful original buffets in our existing kitchen and had decided to reuse the smaller one in the new kitchen. I thought it would be a nice way to anchor the old world charm with the modern Viking appliances.

And electricians with tools on ladders

Now the old and dirty was out and it was time to begin bringing in the new.  We had lots of carpentry to do from an old elevator location that, I must say, Ed did a great job on. The plumbers, electricians, HVAC and flooring specialist began doing their rough-ins.  Next on the list was insulating.  I have to admit I had to bail on the insulation and let Ed do all of it. Finally, we are ready for sheetrock!  I found a sheetrock company that had worked for us 30 years ago and now I know why I hired them.  R and D Drywall is the best.  They not only hung and finished the job in less than two days, but even called a few days later to make sure everything was perfect. Kerry from WM Orr  Fine Cabinets & Millwork checked and rechecked his final measurements for the cabinets at our Atlanta kitchen.

On our next Blog of our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation,  I will talk more about the fun stuff, the Viking appliances, cabinets and finish surfaces. So stay tuned for the next Episode of our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation.

Frida and Diego

Atlanta’s High Museum presents Frida & Diego,  Passion, Politics and Painting in Atlanta thru May 12th, 2013.  This unique exhibit of Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera includes over 120 paintings and photographs of each artist.  This is the Atlanta’s High Museum’s first completely bilinguel exhibit with both Spanish and English version on audio tapes as well as on signage.

Painter,  Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and her husband, painter and muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957) celebrate the vibrant culture of Latin America and pride in their native Mexico and the strugle of the average  man.  They not only painted during the 1910 Mexican Revolution, but were active participants and believed in the principals of the revolution.

Atlanta’s High Museum has aquired two photographs that will remain at the museum after the exhibit and become part of their permanent collection. The first photograph by Martin Munkacsi, titled “Diego and Frida”  will greet you as you begin the exhibit. It is an intimate cropped photo of the couple together.  As you stroll thru the exhibit be sure and notice the modern photo of  ”Frida Looking Into the Mirror (The Two Fridas)” by Lola Alvarez Bravo.

The High Museum’s exhibit pairs each of Frida and Diego’s work chronologically  and by subject matter including Mexican identity, maternity and portraiture.  Two Contemporary Reading Rooms continue to influence todays Mexican artists.  The reading rooms were designed by  award-winning contemporary designers Hector Esrawe and Ignacio Cadena. One reading room  showcases a version of Frieda’s red iconic bed and the other reading room showcases an enchanting game of musical chairs in yellow.

Frida and Diego Exhibit, Photo Courtesy of Atlanta High Museum of Art

Our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast is just a short stroll from the High Museum and we highly recommend Table 1280 for lunch while you are visiting the exhibit.  It is artfully delicious and will tempt your tastebuds.   When planning your visit to Atlanta’s High Museum of Art remember the Museum is closed on Mondays.  See you at Atlanta’s High Museum!

Atlanta kitchen

Let us share our recent experience during our Atlanta Kitchen renovation at our Inn.  You can follow us over the next couple of weeks and see our Atlanta kitchen renovation. Last summer we started talking about whether to update or completely tear out our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast kitchen.  After much discussion, it was an easy decision to choose to completely tear it out and put in a state of the art kitchen. We began by making a wish list of all the products we would like to include in our Atlanta kitchen and researching them.  Top of my list was a Viking Professional Series Gas Six Burner Stove.  I had been dreaming of a Viking Stove for years!

Atlanta kitchen demolition

We made an appointment with Jill at Builders Specialities, on Miami Circle  and arrived armed with our Appliance Wish List.  To our amazement their showroom had everything on our list and even a few items not on our wish list. Having the opportunity to see the products and have Jill explain how each product would work best at our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast was amazing.  She thought of everything!  Jill supplied us with catalogs and specifications before we left and headed back to the Inn. Over the next few weeks we poured over the catalogs and researched the products.  Then came the fun part, as if we were playing with a dollhouse kitchen, armed with a roll of masking tape we precisely begain to measure and tape outlines on our kitchen floor.  Taking up tape and putting down tape, moving appliances and discussing the flow of our new Atlanta kitchen. One of the difficulties of laying it out was we were combining three separate areas previously walled in which we needed to demolish.

Atlanta kitchen rennovation

Finally, we had a floor plan that we thought would work for our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast Kitchen and had the perfect location for the new Viking Stove.  Our final Wish List for appliances included a Viking  36″ Professional Series Six Burner Stove, Microwave, Electric Oven,  Warming Drawer, Ventalation System, French Door Refrigerator with Freezer on Bottom, Wine Cooler, Free Standing Ice Maker and not one but two Asko Dishwashers.

Viking stove wall demolition

Now that our Atlanta kitchen design was set, the appliances selected, we started our search to find a talented Cabinet Maker that was experienced in working with historic properties.  After meeting Kerry with W.M. Orr Fine Cabinets and touring his workshop we knew he was the one. He made great suggestions on the type of cabinets that would work with a 100+ year old inn.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Atlanta Kitchen Renovation.

A sample fare from Taste of Atlanta, Photo courtesy of Taste of Atlanta

Taste of Atlanta is just 9 days away!  All you foodies mark your calendars for October 5th, 6th and 7th, 2012 for Atlanta’s Premier Southeast Food, Wine, Beer and Cocktail Festival.  Taste of Atlanta, is being held at Georgia Tech’s Technology Square and will be over 10 City Blocks in the heart of Midtown and just blocks from our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast. This year Taste of Atlanta was honored to be named a “Top Food Festival Worth the Trip “by Oprah Magazine and Jezebel Magazine named Taste of Atlanta the “Best Outdoor Festival” in the Atlanta.

You will have the opportunity to sample cuisine from some of Atlanta’s Best Restaurants and discover food from all over the world at one of my favorite Atlanta fall foodie festivals, Taste of Atlanta.  Some of the Chefs I am looking forward to seeing this year are Chef Jay Swift from 4th and Swift Restaurant, Chef Thomas Lee from Takorea (located just around the corner from us) and Chef Ford Frye from JCT Kitchen.

Taste of Atlanta kicks off Friday with renouned Chefs Ford Frye, Kevin Rathbun and Jay Swift at The Big Grill – Grills Gone Wild. Enjoy cold beer, the best bites in town and live music from Yacht Rock Schooner.  This Atlanta event will benefit Georgia Organics.

Saturday head over to Home Plate Main Cooking Stage and watch Atlanta’s top foodie personalities create their favorite dishes and share their passon for cooking.  There will be Chef to Chef demonstrations wowing you with their culinary skills, knowledge and unique recipes. Inside the Food Studio learn the history of Atlanta’s foods and discover the secrets of the cooking craft along with the latest 2012 food trends.

Enjoy the VIP Experience with samples of cocktails, over 40 of the best craft beers and an amazing selection of wines from around the world.  Also indulge in tasty food samples from exclusive restaurants not found in the main Taste of Atlanta area. Hope City Craft Beers will be available to answer all your questions about the best craft beers. The Kitchen Workshop is a new hands-on cooking experience showing you unique twists and techniques for you to use at home and create restaurant quality dishes in your own kitchen.

Before you leave the Taste of Atlanta swing by the Georgia Speciality Market and pick yourself up a treat until next years Taste of Atlanta.

William T. Sherman, courtesy of The Atlanta History Center

The Atlanta History Center presents  War in our Backyards Discovering Atlanta, 1861 – 1865  open through December 31st.2012. This Atlanta History Center exhibit uses the latest interactive technology and historic map overlays to show where the battles took place.  3-D videos allow visitors to see Civil War photographs then and how the City of Atlanta looks 150 years later. One of the most fascinating aspects of the exhibit is how the Atlanta History Center uses key eyewitness accounts, period sources and interactive maps to determine how much of Atlanta was burned by General William T. Sherman’s Union Armies.

Our guests are always amazed as the walk around Atlanta and see all the Historical Markers for the Civil War.  The next time you visiting our Atlanta Bed and Breakfast don’t miss seeing the marker at Piedmont Avenue and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens showing the troop movement.  Penn Avenue and 8th Street has a marker showing the seige line occupied by Brigade General T.J. Wood’s 3rd Division and Howard’s 4th Corps from July 22nd to August 25th, 1864.  Cannons were set up to shoot approximatley one mile into the city center for the Battle of Atlanta. At Juniper and 3rd Street Andrews Raiders, from the Great Locomotive Chase were hanged.  Some of the Civil War artifacts that we have discovered during our renovation of the inn and rejunevation of the gardens are mini balls, cannon balls and  whiskey bottles.    .

The next time you are visiting Atlanta don’t miss the Atlanta History Center, War in our Backyards, Discovering Atlanta, 1861 – 1865.