Archive for August, 2012

New Orleans Saints Decorative Wreath

Friday, August 24th, 2012

 

 

 

If you don’t have your decorations ready for football season yet, you’re cutting it close, but you still have time to throw together a striking wreath to support your favorite team.  This week, we decided to make one for the Saints fans.

 

 

You’ll need:

A straw wreath

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Floral pins

Garland (we used 2 9″ garlands for a large wreath)

Ribbon for a bow

Various beads/decorations

 

 

 

 

First, wrap the garland around the wreath. This is very simple. Secure one end of the garland with a floral pin, and wrap it all the way around until half the wreath is covered. Another floral pin should be all you need to secure the other end. Repeat with the second garland, making sure the whole wreath is evenly covered.

 

 

 

 

 

For one of the focal points of our wreath, we chose a light-up gold “Who Dat” fleur de lis. This adds a unique twist to your wreath, since you can turn on the light on game day, and the batteries are replaceable when they get low. To make it easy to remove, we hot glued a floral pick to the back of the ornament. When you’re ready to change the batteries, you  can simply pull the ornament off the wreath, then stick it back in when you’re finished.

 

 

When you’ve decided on the placement of your decorations, secure them using the same method–hot glue a floral pick to the back, and pop it on your wreath. We also added a large gold bow and some black and gold onion grass. If you’re not practiced at making your own bows, and you’re in the Mobile area, you can join us for a hands-on wreath making workshop, where our talented wreath makers will show you all you need to know.  And if you’re not a fan of the Saints, change the colors and decorations to make one for your favorite team!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Where are you watching the game?

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

 

 

So, you want to watch football. You couldn’t make it to an out of town game, and there’s a bridal shower or something going on in your house, so you have to find a place to get your football fix. There are lots of places here in the Mobile area where you can happily watch all four quarters with a steady supply of food and beer.

 

 

South Alabama Jaguars Logo

First, if you haven’t had a chance to check out Mobile’s relatively new football team, the University of South Alabama Jaguars, there’s no time like the present. Their first game of this season is scheduled for August 30, against Texas-San Antonio. This is only the third year for the team, which played its first game in 2009, and has enjoyed a respectable level of success. The team, coached by Joey Jones, plays 12 games against NCAA Division 1 schools, and next year will be eligible to compete for the Sunbelt Conference Championship and a bowl game. You can watch their home games at Ladd Peebles Stadium. Check out their full schedule here.

 

 

 

If there’s a different game you had in mind, head to one of the local sports bars to watch while enjoying a burger and a frosty beverage. One of the locals’ favorites is Callaghan’s Irish Social Club. Off the beaten path, in a quiet neighborhood downtown, Callaghan’s is known for its burgers and its friendly neighborhood bar atmosphere. Sunday brunch makes it a perfect place for those early Sunday games. Get there early though…the place fills up fast.

 

 

Cold beer on the deck at Heroes downtown

Another local favorite is Heroes Sports Bar and Grille. Known for their beer selection, they also offer great appetizers and sandwiches, and lots of TVs to watch lots of different games. Visit the original on Dauphin Street downtown, or try the new location on Hillcrest near the USA campus.

 

 

Over in Midtown on Florida street, another Mobile landmark is Butch Cassidy’s, home of the “Soon to be Famous” Butch Burger. The burgers are huge, as are the onion rings, and you can wash them down with a cold pitcher of beer. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon, since a sign on the way in lets you know that good food takes time…but it is well worth the wait.

 

 

Whichever place you choose to watch the game, it’s always more fun when you’re watching with friends. So bring one along, or, if they’re all busy, make some new ones wherever you end up. Enjoy it while it lasts…football season is only a few weeks long.

 

 

 

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Are you Ready for some Football?

Monday, August 20th, 2012

 

Wisconsin fans dance to “Jump Around” before fourth quarter

 

It’s almost that time of year again. In less than two weeks, we’ll all be getting ready to cheer on our favorite team in their first game of the 2012 football season. If you have a favorite team, and watch them play every week, you probably have a few game day rituals and superstitions you MUST follow for each game. If you don’t, and your team loses, you will forever be certain that it was your fault.

 

 

 

Texas Fan wearing jersey

The most common ritual is wearing the same shirt for every game. If you were wearing it when you won, even once, it stands to reason that you must wear it for every game. Never mind those games that you lost while you were wearing it, that was someone else’s fault for not putting on their lucky socks. Most football fans have a jersey or team shirt that they have to make sure is on before kick off. Some go even further and refuse to wash that shirt for the entire season, but that’s not recommended. Along the same lines are hats and socks. If something is lucky to you, you wear it every game. Don’t let the rest of your fan base down by forgetting to wear your lucky gear.
Food is another tradition. Some people make sure to serve the same meal or snacks, from chicken wings to chilli. Of course, if you’re serious about your football, you might be too nervous to eat. But if you’re planning on partaking in one of football’s other great traditions–beer–eating beforehand is always a good idea.

 

 

Clemson football players rub Howard’s Rock before the Clemson – Auburn game.

Of course, some teams and players have their own rituals that they follow, to help to get the fans in a frenzy. Virginia Tech’s team always takes the field to the Metallica song “Enter Sandman”, and Clemson’s players all rub a stone called “Howard’s Rock” before running out to begin the game. In-game rituals by the fans include the Florida State tomahawk chop, Florida’s gator chomp, and Nebraska fans crossing their arms in an X across their chest, in addition to releasing red balloons after the first touchdown. And who around here isn’t familiar with the post-game traditions of rolling

Toomer’s corner after a win in Auburn, or singing “Rammer Jammer” after an Alabama victory?

Rolling the trees at Toomer’s

 

 

 

Whoever your favorite team is, make sure you have all the gear you need, and make sure it’s ready to go for the first game. If you can’t make it to the actual game, have plenty of snacks and beer on hand. Let all your friends and family know that you’ll be busy for 3-4 hours that day, so if they’re crazy enough to call during the game, you won’t be answering. Put on your foam finger and keep the Tums handy. It’s football season!

 

 

 

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Mardi Gras Bead Covered Vase

Friday, August 17th, 2012

 

 

 

This week, we decided to do some more Beat Art, but this time, on a more three-dimensional object: a vase. This is something you could use as a centerpiece at your Mardi Gras party, something different to put a plant in, or just some place to toss your spare change.

 

 

 

First, we found a vase. We chose green, since that’s the main color of the beads we’re using, so any spaces between beads won’t be as obvious if they’re the same color.

Next, we started at the bottom of the vase, and used hot glue to wrap beads all the way around. Then, we decided to add a swirl design to one side of the vase. This is pretty easy to do freehand, but if you want to be precise, you can always draw a design on and follow along with the hot glue.

 

Once you have whatever design you’ve decided on finished, it’s just a matter of filling in around it. Draw a line of hot glue along the side of the beads that you already have glued down, and press the strand firmly against it.

Several different designs can be done on one vase, which will make it interesting to look at no matter which way it’s turned. To finish it off, just fill in all the empty spots with more beads. Use different shapes and sizes to add a little more whimsy.

And that’s it! Now all you have to do is find something to put in it.

This doesn’t have to be limited to Mardi Gras. Any occasion or theme you can think of will work. Just dig out those old Mardi Gras beads you have lying around, or stop in and pick up some more. Get creative and make your own!

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Surfing on the Alabama Coast

Thursday, August 16th, 2012

 

 

Surfer on Dauphin Island during Tropical Storm Debby

California may be the first place that springs to mind when you think about surfing, and that’s certainly one of the things they’re best known for. With the extended summer weather it’s easy to keep busy in the water almost year round. But California is a long way from the Gulf Coast, and while there may not be any songs written about surfing in Alabama, if you head to the right places during the right times, you can catch a few waves right here at home.

 

 

Everyone has seen the surfers running out into the waves behind the weather reporters during tropical storms and hurricanes. Most of us are slightly horrified that they would risk their lives in such dangerous conditions. But to them, this is the best time to surf. Although Hurricane season starts in June, there usually isn’t much tropical activity until later in the fall. Some of the most devastating hurricanes have brought with them huge waves that most surfers in our area will never forget.

 

 

 

Surfers at Alabama Point

Surprisingly, Winter is the most productive surfing season for the Gulf Coast. Just before a strong cold front comes through and after a violent thunderstorm are the best times

to find the biggest swells. Spring also produces some good waves, but as we all know, the season is very short.

 

 

It’s not hard to figure out where the best spots are for surfing on the Alabama coast. Dauphin Island, on the west side of the bay, and Gulf Shores/ Orange Beach on the east. There are several different spots that are well known to local surfers, but with a little extra effort, less crowded spots can be found. You may end up with a couple of jellyfish stings throughout most of the year, but shark attacks are rare, so you can enjoy dangling your feet in the water without fear.

 

 

 

 

 

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And Down Doheny Way…

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

 

 

Hawaiian blessing at Doheny Surf Festival

Summer is winding down, and the number of weekends left to enjoy the beach this year is dwindling down to just a handful. Depending on where you live, of course. On the Gulf Coast, we’re lucky to get a few more weeks of warm summer weather than most other places. Except California, where it’s summer all year round. Isn’t it?

 

 

Doheny Beach, in Southern California, is California’s first state beach. The land was donated to the state by oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny in 1931. The beach was later immortalized, among others, when the Beach Boys sang about it in “Surfin’ USA”.

 

Tandem Surfing at Doheny Surf Festival

 

You’d catch ‘em surfin at Del Mar (Inside, outside, U.S.A.)

Ventura County line

Santa Cruz and Tressels,
Australia’s Narabine,
All over Manhattan,
And down Doheny way

Everybody’s gone surfin’
Surfin U.S.A.

 

 

Nose Riding

 

Today, the beach and its surfing heritage are celebrated with the Doheny Beach Festival, which happens the second weekend in August. In addtion to food, music and arts on display, there is, of course, lots of surfing, from tandem demonstrations to a stand up paddle boarding competition. There are also Nose Riding exhibitions, which is, as the name implies, the art of riding the front part of the surfboard. There are also displays from the California Surf Museum, Surfing Heritage Foundation and the International Surf Museum, and vintage surfboards and memorablia on display from Doheny Longboard Club, the Dana Point Historical Society, San Onofre Surf Club, and Hawaiian Surf Club.

 

 
The festival is hosted by The Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association (DSBIA) and the San Onofre Foundation (SOF), and the proceeds go toward maintaining Doheny and other state parks. In addition to raising money for the park, they also keep it “green”, by using all renewable energy sources and separating and recycling all trash, in an effort to leave the park with no waste after the festival. The perfect way to celebrate California’s beaches.

 

 

 

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The 2012 Summer Olympics

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

 

London 2012 Opening Ceremonies

 

You might have heard, in the last few days, about some sporting events going on in another part of the world. Athletes from all over the planet travel to this place to compete in dozens of different events. The winners receive medals and become heroes in their home countries. Those of us not competing watch the events on our televisions at home and learn new things about sports that we didn’t know existed. Elaborate ceremonies open and close the games, and we wait four years for the next event to roll around. Of course, we’re talking about the Olympics, and they wrap up this week.

 

 

Runners at the Olympics

Most countries have their own sporting events that are more popular than others. But every four years, the entire world tunes in to watch these games. They range from individual events, like Gymnastics, Diving, and Cycling, to full teams for games like volleyball, basketball, and water polo. One of the most popular categories of games is called simply “Athletics”, also known as Track and Field. This covers events like pole vaulting, long jump, sprinting and relay races, and decathlon.

 

 

 

 

Gabrielle Douglas wins gold at Gymnastics

The games can change from year to year to include newer sports gaining popularity, or to exclude others. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, baseball and softball were both voted out of the games. In the next Summer Olympics, to be held in Rio 2016, two new additions will be golf and rugby. Earlier Olympic games included croquet, motor boating and tug-of-war, and in ancient times, athletes competed in chariot racing.

 

 
Whether you’re keeping up with how many medals your team has won or not, the games are always interesting. And after the closing ceremonies on Sunday, August 12, your next opportunity to catch Olympic athletes in action will be Winter 2014, when the Winter Olympics, consisting of events like ice skating and skiing, are held in the Russian city of Sochi.

 

 

 

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The Maine Lobster Festival

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

 

The Big Parade

In our little area of the Gulf Coast, one of the biggest and most well known seafood festivals is Gulf Shores’ Shrimp Festival, held every year in October. While that’s still a couple of months away, seafood is still being celebrated in other areas around the country.

 
This week, the lobster is being celebrated in Rockland, Maine, at the Maine Lobster Festival. The festival kicks off today, August 1st, and runs through the weekend. The words “Maine” and “lobster” always seem to go hand in hand. That’s because the cold Maine water is the perfect habitat for lobster, and last year, the catch exceeded 100 million pounds.

 

 

Arts and crafts at the Maine Lobster Festival

The festival features a parade led by the Grand Marshal and the 2012 Sea Goddess, the Sea Princesses, their Escorts, King Neptune and his court. There’s a Fine arts tent, displaying the best in local arts and crafts in lots of different media. There’s also live music for entertainment, and activities for kids, like a costume parade, face painting, and Chinese paper folding.

 

 
Of course, the main attraction is the lobster. Lots of lobster and other seafood is served throughout the festival. In the food tent you can sample, in addition to lobster dinners, steamed clams, crab cakes, fried shrimp, and lots more. It’s probably the perfect place to taste lobster at its freshest. And for the amateur chefs, there’s a lobster cooking contest.

 

Kid’s Lobster Eating Contest

If you can’t make it to the festival, check out mainelobsterfestival.com to get a look at all the festivities that will be happening this year. Maybe you’ll be inspired to try a new lobster recipe at home.

 

 

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