Expressionsof Florida

SAMPLE ISSUE

RECIPES FOR PARADISE SHRIMP

NATURAL BORN FLORIDIANS

A PLACE TO UNWIND

GIFTS FROM THE SEA

PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY SHELLY WASON AT ISTOCK.COMCOVER ART PROVIDED BY JJMM888 AT ISTOCK.COM Expressions of Florida • 3

Secret Garden......4 A Look Behind Garden Gates

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Beach Treasures...10 A Sea Glass Collectors Tale

Tropical Shrimp ..12 Delicacies from the Sea

Florida Icon......16 The Pink Flamingo

Thornton Park....21 A Place to Unwind

Journal Entry....22 Natural Born Floridians

2009

WEEKI WACHEE SPRINGS

6131 Commercial Way Spring Hill, Florida 34606

(352) 596-2062PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW BRUSSO

Sample

Bold & Beautiful.. 6 Florida Sundresses

4 • www.expressionsofflorida.com

SECRET GARDEN

• BY EMMA DAVIS •

PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY ROBERTO SANCHEZ AND GWENYTH LLOYD AT ISTOCK.COM

above: An old iron gate sets off the beauty of a garden in St. Augustine.left: A secret garden hidden away in the tropics.

FFlorida is a land of beaches, golf courses, sunshine and beautiful gardens. Many of these gardens remain hidden behind fences, gates and hedges. Floridians enjoy time spent away from the crowds in these “secr et gardens ”. It’s their very own quiet oasis. Each garden being as individual as it’s creator.

For many creators, night blooming jasmine and southern gardenias provide a heavenly scent. Robellini palms and Florida ruffle ferns can also be found in these luscious gardens, but the most popular flow-

er and shrub in Florida is the stun-ning hibiscus. The hibiscus flower is a tropical beauty showcased all over Florida. It comes in many dif-ferent shades of red, orange, white, lavender, brown and yellow. Native to China and introduced to Florida by way of Hawaii and the South Pacific, the hibiscus shrub has been grown in Florida for many years and can be seen all year-round.

So, the next time you are planning your secret garden, don’t forget to include one of Florida’s most popular beauties, the hibiscus.

Expressions of Florida • 7

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

Florida Sundresses

• BY JILLIANNE PIERCE •

SBIRTH OF A CLASSIC

Since the 1940s, the sundress been a quintessential staple of Florida fashion. And while it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact definition of what categorizes a sundress, suffice to say it’s a flirty, versatile dress that is worn in warm weather. Sundresses are usually strapless or have spaghetti straps and are made of lightweight, airy material that flares out at the waist. In some places, you can only wear sundresses for

8 • www.expressionsofflorida.com

above: Beautiful beach fashion

a few months during the spring and summer, but in the Sunshine State, girls and women of all ages can wear them all year-long!

WHERE TO WEAR?A sundress is an effort-less and classic choice when hitting the beach or the pool, but add a pashmina shawl, chan-delier earrings and strap-py sandals with kitten heels, and it’s instantly appropriate for dinner on a balmy evening. You can’t go wrong with a white, knee-length cotton dress with eyelet detailing or a full skirt. Wear with t-strap or gladiator sandals and an armful of bangles to run errands or catch a movie and add a demure cardigan and flats for work. Just throw on a sundress with a pair of wellies and grab a cute umbrella to add a ray of sunshine to a not-so-sunny day. Invest in dresses by labels with staying power like Ann Taylor, J.Crew and Banana Repub-lic or visit thrift and consignment shops to find vintage sundresses (along with plenty of complementary accessories, like bug-eye sunglasses, beaded necklaces and chunky wood bracelets) for a look that’s completely unique. Other accessories that give off a summery vibe include espadrilles, floppy hats and straw bags.

CELEBRITY STYLEThrough the years, sundresses have stayed a hot trend, literally! Thanks to style icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, women in the mid-

50s began buying patterns and making their own inspired and unique sun-dresses. Today, starlets like Sienna Miller, Penelope Cruz and Rachel Bil-son have been photographed wearing sundresses while running errands and it’s thanks to them that many main-

stream retailers like Forever 21 and American Eagle are now carrying them.

NOT YOUR MOTHER’S SUNDRESS

Arguably, the sundress has changed little since it first appeared on the fashion scene decades ago. While vintage finds are still wearable today, there have been a few changes to the modern sundress. Traditionally, the sundress has been covered in floral pat-terns or pastel prints, but today, designers like Diane Von Furstenburg, Betsey Johnson and Florida-native Lily Pulitzer are often touted for using bold patterns. Other dif-ferences between past generations of sundress and today’s sundresses include shorter hem-lines, beaded embellish-ments, louder colors and new materials, like Juicy Couture’s use of terry cloth. Though shorter dresses have become the norm, maxi dresses have come back with a vengeance these past few seasons. These floor-length beauties

are essentially long, billowy versions of the sundress and can be worn in just about the same fashion. Modest floral maxi dresses were spotted on the runway for many designers’ 2009 resort collections and are anticipated to return for Spring 2009 as well.

PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY ISTOCK.COM