Georgia – Wild Souls Blog

LOCAL EVENT: A Taste of Glynn

Image March 30, 2015shopwildsoulsLeave a comment

Yesterday evening, patrons and foodies gathered at The King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort on St. Simons Island for the 15th Annual “A Taste of Glynn” fundraising and culinary event to support Glynn Community Crisis Center— which provides care for victims of domestic violence. This was my first time attending the event, and I felt that overall, it was a lovely affair. The food was delicious, the scenery was everything you’d expect on a beautiful St. Simons Day, and the positivity in the air was contagious. As a first-timer I wasn’t sure what to expect, and besides a general description of what the fundraiser is for and who is participating, there wasn’t much on the website to help a girl out, so I will try to expound below:

TICKETS: There are 3 options: 1. Purchase at the event ($50/ ticket), 2. Purchase through the website ($40/ ticket) and pick up at Will Call, 3. Purchase AND pick up at local businesses mentioned on the website ($40/ ticket). We bought tickets a couple of days before the event via option 2, but if you would like to be treated like a human by volunteer staff, I would recommend option 3 so you show up for the shuttle with tickets in hand.

PARKING: Free parking and shuttle service to & from Massengale Park.

WHAT IT IS: A 2-part charity event. First Part: local restaurants serve a tasting of their chosen culinary creation in a pop-up setting. Second Part: A silent auction containing donations from local businesses.

WHAT TO EXPECT: Filling your belly with yummy dishes from local chefs while you listen to music and walk around talking to a myriad of interesting people. Also, anticipate that you will have to find creative ways to eat the food since table space is incredibly limited for an event of 1,000+ attendees. A row of high-top tables along the fence outside would have been a welcome addition.

WHAT IS INCLUDED: A tasting from each restaurant. Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) ARE NOT included– I’m not entirely sure why this is so. A drink ticket would make a really nice addition and I would have been willing to pay more for a ticket if drinks were complimentary. There were cash bars set-up, but they were ridiculously overpriced, which I wouldn’t have minded if I knew where the money was going. If it’s for the charity, okay, no problem, but that wasn’t made clear. Beyond that- it wasn’t mentioned on the website so we didn’t bring any cash and therefore had no means of wetting our whistles. I feel this was the biggest hiccup in the whole operation.

WHAT TO WEAR: A few people attended in cocktail attire, but for the most part it was much more casual than expected. If you attend in 2016 (which you definitely should) put your feet first- literally, because there is a lot of standing and walking around from table to table. I wore dark skinny jeans, a lightweight python-print sweater, and incredibly uncomfortable (but really pretty) stacked heels.

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Despite the occasional rude volunteer, the food in my hair from having no table to stand at, and the complete lack of buzz because I had no money for the cash-bar, it was a nice event. We were all there to raise money for a great organization and we got to sample some great food and have interesting conversations with other locals 😉

My Three Favorite Plates:

Echo: Echo’s booth looked great and the guys running it were extremely fun and personable. Their pairing of an apple and radish salad bite with a mini lobster cake was absolutely delicious!
Del Sur: I loved these guys! There booth was in prime position (scenery wise) and the chef was extremely knowledgeable. Their pairing of braised beef on creamy polenta with white truffle oil and a Beef and Pork sausage with chimichurri on a crostini was definitely the “prettiest” plate and it tasted even better than it looked!
The Half Shell: This booth was definitely a surprise… I wasn’t expecting much from the small “salsa” looking bite in the cup with a single chip, but what turned out to be a Georgia shrimp ceviche with a crisp wonton chip was perfectly balanced in its acidity with spicy, sweet, and salty profiles. Nobody pay any attention to me drinking all of the ceviche that didn’t make it onto the wonton!

Cheers Dublin! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

Image March 18, 2015shopwildsouls1 Comment

Hey guys! I have been on vacation and totally disconnected from reality, but here’s my “What I Wore: St. Patrick’s Day”! This green floral maxi dress is from my personal vintage collection and I absolutely LOVE it! Sandals are BC Footwear.

{Photography Credits: Anne Yarbrough Photography}

Anthropologie Frenchie Sweater & Red Michael Kors Rain Boots

Image March 8, 2015shopwildsouls1 Comment

Since I don’t own any Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, or Isabel Marant (yet), I’m sporting my “French Bulldog Sweater” in honor of “Paris Fashion Week” 😉 It’s still a bit chilly down here, but I’ve been just DYING to get out on the beach, so I put on my Michael Kors Rain boots and went down to Driftwood Beach to get a little salt on my skin…

Frenchie Sweater (sold out from Anthropologie, similar here) // GAP Factory Jeans // Michael Kors Rain Boots

Photo Credits: Anne Yarbrough Photography

What I Wore: Buffalo Plaid + Herringbone

Image February 25, 2015shopwildsouls1 Comment

This has been one of my very favorite winter outfits! I love mixing prints 😉 One of the tricks to doing so successfully is mixing a large print with a small print… In this case, large check buffalo plaid and small herringbone. The jeans are a high-rise legging from GAP Factory and they are my first pair of jeans in YEARS and they are incredibly comfortable! I highly recommend 😉

Wild Souls Tunic & Vest // GAP Factory Legging Jean // Dorothy Perkins Sparkle Booties

Photo Credits: Anne Yarbrough Photography // Photos taken at the Horton House on Jekyll Island, GA

My New Ombre Hair & Salon Review

Image February 4, 2015February 3, 2015shopwildsouls1 Comment

For every girl out there that has tried to grow her hair out, you know what a long (and sometimes boring) process it can be! One starlet rocks her newly cut-off coif while walking out of a coffee shop and before you know it, you’re in the chair having your locks chopped off again… Well, this time, I made it! For the past year or so I’ve been enjoying all the cute braided up-dos and top knots 😉 Lately though, I felt that old urge to chop it all off again and Emma Stone’s wavy bob at The Golden Globes did not help matters. So, instead of scratching that old / familiar itch, I went the way of a color job and chose an ombre 😉

Before and after ombre hair — Before & After

When I was preparing for my first shoot for the blog I knew I wanted a little something different, so I consulted with Xada at The Back Porch Salon & Spa in Redfern Village on St. Simon’s Island, GA. Xada seemed to really “get” me and what I was looking for. I’ve always been a pretty “natural” girl… I just started wearing make-up the last couple of years (which I only wear maybe three times a week) and I usually just use a hairdryer on days when it’s really cold. So, I thought an ombre would be good for me and she agreed. She was so sweet and really took the time to tell me what she thought would work best for me.

She also recommended their “Sunless Tanning” service where you lay on a massage table while someone scrubs and polishes you before massaging an awesome green-based tanning lotion from head-to-toe to give you the perfect summer glow… It was great!!!

The salon is a treasure unto itself… I’ve been to large luxury spas and petite booth style salons as well, but The Back Porch Salon & Spa is the most dreamy and relaxing salon I have EVER been to. From the outside and lobby it looks like a funky little place:

But then, someone from the incredibly friendly staff leads you through the lockers and it’s like being transported to a mediterranean spa with gauzy sheets blowing in the cross-breeze from the back porch. Though the gorgeous view of the marsh is so beautifully “The Golden Isles” it feels like a mini-vacation… which is an incredible treat from time to time 😉

If you find yourself in need of a little pampering during your time on St. Simon’s Island, I strongly recommend setting up an appointment for one of the many services provided by this beautiful, relaxing, and truly unique salon & spa.

Getting Back In Front of the Lens

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015shopwildsouls2 Comments

I was the first girl born a “Brooker” in several generations (I want to say 5, but my ancestry.com trial expired and I didn’t get that far). My father had all brothers, his father had all brothers, etc., etc., so when I came out female – it was kind of unexpected.

Something you should know about my father, he was a tinkerer and so was his older brother, Mike (aka “Uncle Mike”). I loved both of these men dearly and have spent most of my life thinking that they hung the moon together. So, now I picture them leaning over this tiny baby girl with their tinkering minds thinking things like, “look at it” and “what do we do with it?” I’m pretty sure they were fairly lost and awestruck, so when the initial shock was over they both whipped out their beloved cameras and started taking pictures… So I now have more pictures of myself as a child than almost any other girl on the planet (we’ll get more into this in future posts).

Because I spent the vast majority of my childhood in front of a camera, you would think I would be more comfortable with it, but I instead followed in the footsteps of the patriarchs before me and took my place behind the camera… So, after years of this arrangement I was a little nervous about the first photo shoot for my blog. I knew almost immediately that I wanted someone I knew to photograph me, making Anne Yarbrough from Anne Yarbrough Photography the obvious choice. Besides being a dear friend, she is incredibly talented with a lens, and remarkable at making you feel comfortable while having your picture taken. After watching her work, I am truly amazed by her… The way she sees the world is so touching and unique and it is truly a gift to behold.

Together we traveled around Athens, GA searching for locales and great lighting. This first series was taken Downtown in front (and inside) Brown’s Barber Shop: