Barcelona Set

The most fabulous home furnishings store in the Cayman Islands is having a sale this weekend: Sticks & Stones! (If you haven’t seen their amazing new store, you simply must venture out and visit. Both of their previous locations were groovy, but their permanent digs are a zen paradise.) The sale going on now on is on ALL in stock outdoor teak and rattan furniture. If you’ve ever seen the Sticks and Stones outdoor collection, you’ll run over and hit this sale tomorrow, cuz the stuff is the kind of primo furniture you see celebs lounging around on in Vanity Fair Magazine. It’s HOT! Super chic, stylish, and long lasting. Many pieces are nice enough to go inside the house! There are outdoor rattan furniture sets that have a loveseat, 2 arm chairs and a coffee table. They also have stunning teak dining tables and chairs on sale. If you need a huge teak table, check out the one on sale for $1900.00 on the front porch-it’s simply grand and it’s a steal! I would have already snatched it up if I had the space for it.

Sticks & Stones is an uber-cool, one-of-kind place you would expect to find in San Fran or London, filled with wondrous eco-friendly & recycled wood furniture, stunning teak creations, magnificent stone pieces, garden delights, and beautiful original artwork. The furniture ranges from wonderfully oversized (huge masculine sleigh beds and enormous sprawling desks) to just right (tiny hand-honed benches that would be perfect for a studio apartment or a child’s room). The quality is excellent. Everything looks like it costs a fortune, but don’t panic..the prices are terrific!

The owners purchased the property and carefully renovated the building as well as the grounds. It is worth the visit just to see the gorgeous doors they installed! Make sure you wander outside to see the gazebo, the garden creations and the recently installed nature pond.

Hit the sale tomorrow if you need outdoor stuff, or even if you don’t need a thing. There is always something cool to spiff up your place; even if it’s just a new set of earth-toned drapes or a funky new wall hanging. They have the most sensational lamps in the universe too-guaranteed to perk up the gloomiest rental condo!

Getting there might sound a little tricky, but it’s closer than you think: take North Sound Road just past the Butterfield roundabout towards CUC. Once you pass the CUC main office on your left and the Conch Shell House on your right, take a right hand turn onto Kingbird Drive. Follow Kingbird Drive all the way down past the warehouses and look for the Sticks & Stones flags.

Sticks & Stones      114 Kingbird Drive    947-8663

sticksandstones@candw.ky

Monday-Saturday 10AM-5PM

Bookmark and Share!

Jack Kenner

On Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, at 7:00 PM, gifted international wildlife photographer Jack Kenner will visit Books & Books to give a visual presentation on the basics of wildlife and pet photography. Kenner will also sign copies of his books Dogs I’ve Nosed and Dogs I’ve Nosed II.

Book Cover

Jack Kenner is an extremely talented photographer, comfortable in the confines of the studio or the unpredictable outdoors. His international reputation comes from his incredible eye for detail, his compositional talents, his use of dark backgrounds, vivid colors, and a shallow depth of field. For Kenner, 2004 was a year of transformation. After spending 35 years in film, he became totally immersed in digital fine art: black and white, and color photography.

On May 2nd, 2004, Kenner woke up, unable to utter a word. Thinking he had a sinus infection, he worked as usual, but found that his inability to communicate behind the camera limited him more than he had expected. After 5 days with no improvement, he consulted with specialists, who found that his laryngeal nerve had disconnected from his vocal cord, and he was unable to speak above a faint whisper. He was told his nerve would take up to a year to heal. Instead of putting his career on hold, Jack decided to teach himself digital photography. He began bringing dogs into the studio to to practice lighting ratios and giclees printing.

Kenner has since taken hundreds of portraits of dogs. including Steven Segal’s Great Dane, and Cybill Shepard’s two German Shepards. Kenner has compiled many of these  stirring images into his books “Dogs I’ve Nosed” and “Dogs I’ve Nosed II”.

Please join Jack Kenner On Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, at 7:00 PM, at Books & Books in Camana Bay, to meet him in person, and learn more about his special talents.

Dogs

Books and Books

Camana Bay
45 Market Street
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
345.640.BOOK (2665)

Bookmark and Share!

Laura Parcells

The holidays are right around the corner, with all those festive parties, yummy sweets, and divine buffets. The pounds tend to creep on, and before we know it, it’s tough to fit into that favorite Christmas party dress. Why not get into a fitness routine now that will have you looking absolute amazing for all the holiday parties? The solution for getting fit and staying fit, without breaking the bank, is BodyFit Personal Training. Laura Parcells specializes in weight loss (or weight gain), body toning, shaping, and strength and flexibility training. Besides personal training, Laura offers Group training classes, a Bridal Bootcamp, a Bridesmaid program, and a Mommy and Me program.

Gym

Laura trained in Florida for eight years and has worked in Cayman for the last year. She is extremely passionate about her work and has a deep commitment to educating her clients about proper nutrition and exercise. She is compassionate, enthusiastic, and fun, and nothing brings her more joy than seeing a client’s face when they have achieved a goal of weight loss or bodyfat loss. Laura also believes that training needs to be affordable and within reach of everyone.

Laura

Laura is a mother, and is a fantastic example of a fit Mom. She’s in fantastic shape (of course) and is inspiring and motivational to everyone she trains. She understands how difficult it can be to find time to work out, but also how much energy working out can add to your life!

For more information about BodyFit Personal Training, please visit www.bodyfitcayman.com  or call Laura at 345-322-6029. It’s never to late to get fit! You are SO worth it!

Bookmark and Share!

Happy Halloween

If you’re not into the whole huge party scene, or if you want to catch a delightful meal before you head out for a big night out on the town, consider the $30.00 Halloween menu tonight at Guy Harvey’s Island Grill. Since today is October 31st, the chef has concocted a spooktacular meal guaranteed to tease your palate, delight your senses, and leave you feeling spoiled. It’s priced reasonably, and there’s a security guard in the parking lot until closing, so ladies-don’t worry ’bout a thing. If the evening stretches out till the wee hours, they’ve got you covered.

Here’s the yummy menu for tonight:

Jumbo Lump Crabmeat-Fiiled Crepe with Pumpkin Coulis or Mixed Green Salad with Pumpkin Vinaigrette or Pumpkin Bisque

Filet of Red Snapper with Pumpkin Sauce or Sweet and Sour Pumpkin Chicken Breast or NY Steak with Pumpkin Jam

Pumpkin Pie or Chocolate-Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Guy Harvey’s Island Grill        55 South Church Street   345-946-9000

www.harveysgrill.com

If you’re looking for something to do afterwards, pick up the Cayman Compass newspaper at any gas station or grocery store. There’s a whole section listing the parties, family oriented events, and where to buy costumes. There are lots of fun things going on in Cayman this weekend; get out and find some Halloween entertainment that tickles your fancy!

Bookmark and Share!

Salsa Dance

You’re here in the sultry, sexy Cayman Islands-a beautiful paradise made for nights on the town and dancing under the stars. If you’re anything like me, with two left feet, hips, elbow and knees, you may need a little help learning how to get out on the many moonlit dance floors of Cayman with grace and style. No dance partner? No problem! Roots Delight in the Airport Centre (that lovely new complex across from the Post Office in Industrial Park) is where you can learn how to dance without feeling the least bit foolish. Right now, you can sign up for the sexiest of the sexy dances, SALSA, for any level of dancers (or yet-to-be dancers) and get ready to be a total salsa goddess on Cayman dance floors soon!

Here is the scoop on the classes:

4 Week (8 Hour) Salsa Courses at Roots Delight for Beginners & Intermediates

New Classes: October 31st, 6:00-8:00 PM, Tues Nov 3rd 6:00-7:00 PM

Beginners A-Tuesdays 6:00-7:00PM, Saturdays 10:00-11:00AM

Beginners B- Saturday 6:00-8:00PM

Intermediate A -Mon & Wed 6:00-7:00 PM

Intermediate B-Tuesday 7:00-9:00PM

Roots Delight        Telephone: 345-925-0494, 7 Cayman Centre, Airport Road

Bookmark and Share!

The Brasserie

The Brasserie is one of Grand Cayman’s most magnificent spots to settle in for a well-deserved Monday evening meal. Start the week off right with the Brasserie’s signature series aptly named “Secret Pleasure”. Tonight’s dinner is a feast, so join the expert culinary team this evening (Monday, October 26th, 2009) in celebration of Austrian Day:

Bookmark and Share!

Observation Tower

Do you give a hoot about keeping global warming at bay? GOOD! Here is a fun, super quick way to show your support ! You just need to get up a wee bit early Saturday, October 24th (tomorrow) and meet at The Observation Tower at Camana Bay to participate in an event organized by Camana Eco. The plan is to get a group of people gathered in the shape of the digits “350″. Someone will climb to the top of the Camana Bay Observation Tower and take a picture of our group and then send it to www.350.org, the organizers of the event. The idea behind “350″ is to highlight the optimum number amount (parts per million) of carbon dioxide that should be in the atmosphere to keep global warming at bay. We’re hoping for at least 10 people, but if we’re lucky, we’ll get 30-40 people to participate!

Afterwards (optional) we’ll pop over to Eats Cafe to for a bite of breakfast. What a fun way to start your Saturday!

Date: October 24th (this Saturday)

Time: 7:30-7:45 AM

Place: Camana Bay-Bottom of the Observation Tower

Bookmark and Share!

Dance Class

Before there was Zumba, before there was hip-hip, there was classic dance in the Cayman Islands, courtesy of Mrs. Jackie Balls, known locally in Cayman is “Miss Jackie.” Miss Jackie’s School of Dance is the oldest dance school in the Cayman Islands, founded in 1973. The School offers dance classes such as Classical Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Street Funk and Hip Hop, and recreational classes as well as Ballroom, Belly Dancing, Zumba Dancing and Pilates.

Miss Jackie is committed to fostering a caring, friendly relaxed atmosphere however discipline is one of the School’s strongest assets. Through the medium of dance, they strive to inspire self-confidence, a spirit of cooperation among students, and an opportunity for growth in their personal lives.

It’s a wonderful environment to shape up, learn to dance, become more graceful, lose weight, or just have fun.

For further information, please contact Petique at www.petique.ky or 345-949-7296.

This update comes to us courtesy of Cayman Active. For a full calendar of fitness events in the Cayman Islands, visit http://www.caymanactive.com/ . Be sure to sign up for Cayman Active’s monthly newsletter to stay on top of sports, health and fitness and health in the Cayman Islands

Bookmark and Share!

Gourmet Pepper Jelly

There’s one thing you can always find in my pantry: Gourmet Cayman Pepper Jelly. This delicious jelly is a blend of sweet, hot, and tangy flavors and if you pick up a jar, you’ll never want to be without it in your kitchen again!  It’s made by one special Cayman Islands lady, Carol Hay, who on weekends, manages to produce about 36 tasty batches a week of her magical, top-secret recipe and supply us Cayman folks with this delicacy. Her production size allows her to maintain her incredible devotion to quality control and consistency of flavour, colour and texture, all without dyes or preservatives. ( I can’t personally see the need for preservatives anyway; we gobble the jelly up in no time in our house!)

Crackers

The jelly is yummy eaten on Triscuits and with a good cheese. Pepper jelly fanatics swear by cream cheese, pepper jelly and crackers. It’s also lovely with Jamaican water crackers (a plain and very inexpensive biscuit-type cracker that can be found at any Cayman grocery store). My gang slathers it on toasted wheat bagels or Hardough bread (another yummy Caribbean treat-widely available in Cayman) and just about anything that looks cracker-like. It’s great on hot dogs, as a chutney, on pizza, or as a ham glaze. Try a dab on waffles with butter. Try it on rice cakes if you are watching calories. A little goes a long way!

Gourmet Pepper Jelly is a cook’s best friend. I use it frequently in many dishes. It’s great for sweet and sour sauces, dips, glazes, barbeque sauces, basting meatloaf, and all sorts of other uses. Some of my “famous” sauces owe quite a bit to Miss Carol’s secret mixture of locally grown Scotch Bonnet and special seasonings.

Carol Hay

Carol is purist when it comes to her product. She even grows her own Scotch Bonnet peppers, and has over 45 bushes of varying species. She keeps most of them in pots so she can pull them in to the safety of her garage during hurricane threats. The Scotch Bonnet is one of the hottest peppers in the world, and Carol wears a mask and snorkel when she makes the jellies. All this effort just so we can enjoy the best tasting jelly in all of the Caribbean!

In addition to having a jar around the house, Gourmet Pepper Jelly is the best possible welcome gift or departing gift for visitors to our lovely island. It’s 100% made in Cayman with tender loving care. Pick up your supply at Foster, Kirk’s or Hurley’s Supermarkets, all Cafe Del Sol locations, Pure Art Gallery, Pedro St. James, the Red Sail Sports Shop at Rum Point, The Bodden Town Art Shop, The National Trust Gift Shop,  all Jacques Scott locations and Guy Harvey’s Gallery.

Bookmark and Share!

Fort Steet

Cafe Del Sol is Cayman’s largest purveyor of fine coffees, with 3 existing locations in Grand Cayman. The management is proud to announce a fourth much-needed location in busy downtown George Town: Cafe Del Sol Fort Street.

Interior

The bright and airy coffee shop is a beautiful place to stop and enjoy a fine coffee creation or a sandwich. The cafe is decorated with finest of natural materials, such as polished granite, rich honed woods, creamy colored tiles, Mediterranean decor, and fine art. The bustling shop has the usual Cafe Del Sol blend of loyal locals and tourists, all enjoying fresh bakery items, made-to-order sandwiches, smoothies, or top-notch coffee drinks. (Smoothies are made with fresh fruit and come in luscious flavors like banana, blueberry, mixed berry, strawberry-banana, blackberry, melon or mango.) If you like your coffee or tea drinks plain or fancy, Cafe Del Sol has whatever you desire to pick you up or soothe your nerves. An addition to fresh brewed specialty coffee and a large collection of fine teas, the menu features a full range of espresso creations, frappes and coffee alternatives such as Mexican Spiced Cocoa. Swing in and grab a bite to go, or settle in for the wi-fi internet and have your treat on-site. Either way, enjoy what the locals have known for years: Cafe Del Sol is the place to be for coffee, bakery, sandwiches, frozen drinks, and good conversations.

Cafe Del Sol

Pop into the other locations when you’re buzzing around elsewhere in GC: The Marquee Shopping Center off West Bay Road, Camana Bay next to Books and Books, and in downtown George Town on the waterfront in Aqua World Duty Free Mall next to Harley Davidson.

Enjoy!

Bookmark and Share!