With a Southern Twist 2013 Year at a Glance

This was a busy year with us moving out of our home of 10 years in Atlanta into a new town house on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. All while having a full-time job running my marketing/communications and design firm, Op5 Creative. It feels like we moved to a new city although we only moved 4 miles but our friends and family took the opportunity to come visit us. Here’s a glance back at 2013: lots of travel and lots of company.

• Moved into new town house in Atlanta; sold and closed on our old house in Atlanta
• Took Sub-Zero/Wolf Use and Care Class in Atlanta showroom – A 1^st and I highly recommend to Wolf owners
• Six days at the Fountainebleau Miami Beach (Business/Pleasure) – A 1st
• Six days in Montana visiting my parents and family
• On the North Carolina coast for Easter with friends from Atlanta. Build a “campfire” on the beach – A 1^st

Our first campfire on the coast of North Carolina over Easter weekend.

• Great media preview of the giant topiaries at the Atlanta Botanical Garden – A 1^st
• Three business trips to Durham, N.C.
• Celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary
• Numerous weekend trips to the North Carolina coast with family and friends
• In-laws from Florida in Atlanta for the weekend
• In St. Simon’s Island, Georgia for the weekend for our god son’s high school graduation. Stayed at the Ocean Lodge on Beachview Drive. – I’d recommend this hotel.

Our god son Cole (center) graduated from high school.

• Tarpon fishing with friends in Boca Grande, Florida
• Weekend trip to The Villages, Florida to visit in-laws
• Friends from Chapel Hill, North Carolina in Atlanta with us for the weekend
• Eight days in Montana visiting my parents and family
• A friend from Charleston visited us in Atlanta
• Contacted by FoodNetwork producer as possible cast member for new show
• Shoot video for FoodNetwork – A 1st
• Friends from Tucson, Arizona visited us in Atlanta for the weekend
• A friend from St. Simons Island, Georgia in Atlanta visited us for a few days
• My Mom and Dad and friends from Troy, Alabama in Atlanta for the week with us to help celebrate my birthday.
• Oral surgery – Ugh
• Two couple friends from Florida visited us in Atlanta for Tim’s birthday weekend
• Hired personal chef for a dinner party for eight in our wine room – A 1^st
• More importantly hired a bartender/server/dishwasher for Tim’s dinner party – A must
• Second bout of oral surgery – Ugh again
• My sister from Montana visited us in Atlanta for a few days
• In-laws from Florida in Atlanta for the weekend
• Joined a church in Atlanta. Committed to start volunteering.
• Five days in Santa Barbara, California for Christmas at the El Elcanto – Fabulous! This is a story in itself.
• Week on North Carolina coast with just Tim for New Year’s Eve

The El Encanto in Santa Barbara, California reopened last year after a multimillion renovation.

View of the Santa Barbara, California riveria at night from the El Encanto’s hotel restaurant.