Everyday Life – Page 7 – PINEAPPLES AND SWEET TEA

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Arizona,My Second Home, Everyday Life, Travel

5 Favorite Things To Do In Phoenix

April 5, 2021 No Comments

I love the desert and the Valley of the Sun. We have had a home here for quite a few years, and it is certainly always a nice break from the long and cold Midwest winters. White Sox Spring Training is what originally brought us here, and I also have family in the area. They all escaped the cold years ago. There is so much to do in the valley, and I put together a top 5 of my favorites.

Afternoon tea at The Phoenician. I wrote a blog on this a couple of weeks ago. Out of all the teas I have been to, this continues to be my favorite. The Phoenician is a beautiful resort. You can easily spend the entire day there, which is what I usually do. The tea service is perfect. Enjoy a glass of champagne outside afterward or treat yourself to a spa treatment at their beautiful spa.
Afternoon Tea at The Phoenician

Afternoon Tea at The Phoenician
The Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Gardens. These are right across the street from each other. You may think all zoos are the same, but the Phoenix Zoo is incredible. I have easily spent an entire day there. It is large and beautiful. The Desert Botanical Gardens is a fabulous place to explore. See plants native to AZ and beyond. The butterfly exhibit is an experience when it is in season. Thousands of butterflies all around you. The gardens show you that AZ isn’t all dust and dirt. Cacti in bloom are stunning.
The Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo

Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden
Fiesta Mexicana is by far my favorite Mexican restaurant. They have locations throughout the valley and other states. I go there so much they know my order. The margaritas are fabulous as well. Authentic Mexican food in a fun atmosphere. It can’t be beaten.
Fiesta Mexicana

Fiesta Mexicana
Kierland Commons and Biltmore Fashion Park are my favorites to shop at. They are both outdoor shopping areas full of great restaurants and shopping. The Biltmore Fashion Square is the large mall in Scottdale, but it is indoors. I prefer a quaint outdoor shopping experience. I recommend Tommy Bahama or The Mission at Kierland Commons for lunch.
Kierland Commons

Biltmore Fashion Park
The Wigwam in Litchfield Park is an old-world western resort that was built in the ’20s for the Goodyear Tire Company executives. It always housed airmen during the war. Luke Air Force Base is nearby. When you think of old Arizona, the Wigwam is it. Three golf courses, an Aveda spa, restaurants, and a lounge are all at the resort. You really don’t even need to leave. Across the street are many other restaurants too. I love that there are always fresh oranges in the lobby for you to take.
Wigwam Arizona

Wigwam Arizona

Arizona is really so much more than just mountains and dust. Although there can be a lot of dust at times. I love to explore new places and there are so many, it’s always an adventure. I hope you try one of these on your next trip to The Valley of the Sun.

Carrie Kelly is an Interior Redesigner Industry Specialist and Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs specializing in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes without the time and expense of a full remodel. She is also a Senior Outfitter with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog, and co-author of the #1 best-selling book The Art of Connection.

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Arizona,My Second Home, Everyday Life, Food

Afternoon Tea At The Phoenician

March 22, 2021 No Comments

The Phoenician

One of my favorite activities, while I am in Arizona, is afternoon tea. I have enjoyed many different spots but I always come back to afternoon tea at The Phoenician. The Phoenician is such a beautiful resort to spend the day at. The remodel a few years back I highly recommend a stop there for a cocktail, tea, or a meal. The views from the balconies are spectacular. If you ever have the opportunity to stay there, I highly suggest it.

Front Entrance

Patio View

Tea is held in the lobby and the service is spot on. Soft piano music greets you when you arrive and the tables are all cozy and welcoming. The lobby has a beautiful view of the grounds and mountains, I just love it. There are a few different options for tea service with champagne and without. We chose without champagne because we wanted to enjoy a glass on the patio after tea. The tea selection is large, and I chose tropical tea. It was fabulous, and I think I finished the entire pot.

Tea Menu

Our Beautiful Table

My Pot Of Tropical Tea

The first course is a variety of tea sandwiches all created by the chef. My favorites are egg salad and chicken salad. I always get seconds of those. There is also the traditional cucumber sandwich, asparagus sandwich, and salmon sandwich. All delicious.

First Course

The second course is scones. Flaky, warm, and delicious. These are served with the traditional clotted cream, lemon curd, and preserves. I always take my time and savor every bite of these.

Second Course-Scones

Last but not least, it’s the dessert course. The presentation is beautiful. Sugar overload, yes, but so worth it. The macaroon even has a little gold leafing on it. Shortbread, chocolate-covered strawberry, a tart, and more were the other offerings. Each delicious.

Third Course-Dessert

We like to enjoy the tea and are in no hurry for the experience to end. A glass of Veuve on the patio was the perfect finish to a perfect day. I think we spent another couple of hours just enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Veuve Time

I always try to enjoy a cup of tea every day. Treating myself to a proper tea sometimes is just something that I really enjoy. Enjoying the experience with a dear friend makes it so much better. I highly recommend it.

Until next week,

Carrie

Carrie Kelly is an Interior Redesigner Industry Specialist and Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs specializing in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes without the time and expense of a full remodel. She is also an Independent Consultant with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog, and co-author of the #1 best-selling book The Art of Connection.

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Life Update

February 22, 2021 No Comments

Hello everyone. I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and the new year is starting off well. I want to apologize for being MIA for the last couple of months. You know how it is, sometimes things happen in life and you just need to focus on that. My husband had been in a serious accident at work at the beginning of December. He is doing much better and should make a full recovery. Taking care of him when he came home took up most of my free time. We were very lucky to have friends and family around to help with meals and support. I have missed my weekly blogs and am going to be back blogging Mondays at 10am. I have a lot of things planned for future blogs and I hope you will follow along. If you enjoy this blog, please share it with your friends.

On another side note, little did I know that when I deleted pictures off my server it also deleted them off of the past blogs. Thank goodness I became aware of this recently. I apologize if you are looking through past blogs and all of the pictures are gone. Live and learn.

Looking forward to reconnecting with all of you. Until next week.

Carrie Kelly is an Interior Redesigner Industry Specialist and Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs specializing in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes without the time and expense of a full remodel. She is also an Independent Consultant with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog, and co-author of the #1 best-selling book The Art of Connection.

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Halloween 2020

October 26, 2020 No Comments

Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year. I love decorating the house super spooky and the dogs too. We live on a small street with not too many kids. On Halloween night I usually have some spooky music on and make up goodie bags for the kids. I always add a mix of candy, toys, and stickers. I enjoy seeing all of the neighborhood kids and they always look so cute.

When our son was younger the kids on the street usually went Trick or Treating together and then into town. They always were creative with their costumes and many years coordinating with a specific theme. The year they did the show Deal or no Deal was a great one. We spent many freezing cold nights Trick or Treating.

This year I really hope the kids can have a night where they can enjoy being a kid again and have some fun. The kids have missed out on so much this year due to COVID. Our area is giving people the option to participate or not, and I hope people do. I know I will miss seeing the kids enjoying the night as much as they will.

Happy Haunting!

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Five Things I’m Loving This Fall

October 19, 2020 No Comments

I love finding new things and revisiting some of my favorites. Fall is here and it is time to transition from the easy, breezy summer styles to a warmer, cozier style. These are a few of my favorites for fall. Some are new finds and others are new on my radar.

Jo Malone fragrances are always a favorite of mine. Vintage Gardenia was my all-time favorite scent, and I was so sad when they discontinued it. I have never found a scent quite like it. The Tuberose Angelica is close. Well, this season Jo Malone relaunched some of their favorites from the vault. I scooped one up along with another fall favorite of theirs, Peony and Blush Suede. Very unique scents.

My favorite scents from Jo Malone

Shop their collection here:

https://www.jomalone.com/

It tends to be a mushy, wet mess here in the Midwest. Hunter boots are a must. Keep your feet dry and stylish in the many colors they offer. I can wear the kids sizes and they are so cute with the reflector tape on the back. Add in a pair of their socks and you are set for the winter.

Hunter boots to the rescue

Shop Hunter boots here:

https://www.hunterboots.com/us/en_us/

I love Pandora bracelets and have a few of them. It’s fun to tell your story in charms. I recently took a trip to Orlando with some friends. We didn’t go to Disney this time but I created my Pandora Disney charm bracelet while we were there. I was so glad to do this because I didn’t do it in January and wished I had after I got home. The bracelet says “Where dreams come true”, and I love it. A few charms are exclusive to Disney and the charm with Walt and Mickey is the sweetest. A beautiful, cherished keepsake I wear all of the time.

Create your unique story with Pandora:

https://us.pandora.net/

I love a good book, especially when it is darker earlier at night. Nothing is better than curling up in a blanket in front of the fire with a cup of tea and a good book. I decided on something fun and lighthearted this time. We read this book, Majesty, American Royals II, in the Ashley Brooke Book Club and it was such a fun read. The story is about what the United States would be like if we had a Royal Family. The story follows a group of ladies whose lives are all intertwined. I highly recommend this.

Get your copy on Amazon:

I love changing my decor each season and the new fall line from Initial Outfitters made it so easy. Our new line is full of new designs in placemats, floormats, cutting boards, and so much more. I swapped out my placemats, cutting boards, floormats, and garden flags to create a warm look for fall.

Shop Initial Outfitters here:

https://www.initialoutfitters.net/CKELLY/

Carrie Kelly is an Interior Redesigner Industry Specialist and Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs specializing in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes without the time and expense of a full remodel. She is also an Independent Consultant with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog.

Find her at: https://carriekellydesigns.com

https://pineapplesandsweettea.com

https://www.facebook.com/carriekellydesigns

https://www.initialoutfitters.net/ckelly

carrie@carriekellyesigns.com

https://pineapplesandsweettea.com

A Little Update

October 5, 2020 No Comments

Life has definitely been a little crazy these last few weeks. Time slipped by and I didn’t get a blog written. Can you believe how fast this year is going and the holidays will soon be upon us? I am planning on doing my Halloween decorating this weekend. It feels like fall in the Midwest now.

Ruby is settling in wonderfully to her new home and we couldn’t love her more. Finn is enjoying having a friend to play with and is not jealous at all. Thank goodness, I was concerned about that. I have found them cuddled up sleeping together and it is the cutest thing. Our vet gave her a wonderful report and she is in great health and was well taken care of in her previous home. Two dogs are certainly a lot more work though. Takes twice as long to do anything but we wouldn’t have it any other way. As a gift to the shelter, I put together ten tote bags from Initial Outfitters and filled them with a blanket, treats, and a toy for them to pass out to new dog owners. My donation was made possible through friends and business sponsorships and we are so grateful for the support.

Best Friends

Cute Tote Bags

I spent a few days in Orlando with a couple of my girlfriends. Sometimes you just need to get away and enjoy time with the girls. We had a great time. We stayed at the new JW Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort, and I highly recommend it. It is on Disney property but back out of the way. Quiet and peaceful. We didn’t go to any of the parks this time. Our favorite thing to do is champagne at The Enchanted Rose at The Grand Floridian followed by dinner at The Contemporary. The Contemporary has an amazing view of the castle and at night it is beautiful. Of course, we did a little shopping and spent a day at Disney Springs. It was a perfect trip. We’re ready to plan our next adventure.

I’ll share some fun Halloween decorating ideas on the next blog. Have a great week.

Carrie Kelly is an Interior Redesigner Industry Specialist and Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs specializing in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes without the time and expense of a full remodel. She is also an Independent Consultant with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog.

Find her at: https://carriekellydesigns.com

https://www.facebook.com/carriekellydesigns

https://www.initialoutfitters.net/ckelly

carrie@carriekellyesigns.com

https://pineapplesandsweettea.com

Welcome Ruby

September 7, 2020 No Comments

Have you ever had something happen that just completely takes you by surprise and changes everything? I think most of us have. This is exactly what happened to our family last week. And it all started with a text message.

I received a text message with the picture of a dog at the shelter that could be our Finn’s mom or sibling. The message was half serious, half joking because we already have Finn and not sure he would like to share his home with another dog. But she was absolutely adorable and looked like she had such a personality. I looked at the shelter’s website and Facebook and couldn’t find out too much about her except her name was Ruby and she was 9 years old. I had a vendor event that weekend and kept thinking about her and how much she looked like part of Finn’s family. I could not get her out of my head. I wanted to know more about her story and what brought her to the shelter. From the pictures of her, she looked like such a sweet, happy girl.

Monday morning I called the shelter to find out more about her. She had already been put on hold so I was happy that she would possibly be going to a good home. Seniors often are overlooked at the shelters. They told me to fill out an application in case this adoption fell through. I learned a little more about her story and it broke my heart. Ruby and her sister were surrendered because their owner fell ill. Her sister was sick and had to be put down while at the shelter. That left poor Ruby all alone. Oh, she is also 11 years old. Immediately, my application went in and was approved. The other family had until Wednesday to make a decision. Is it bad I hoped they wouldn’t take her? There was just something about her and I knew she was meant to be part of our family.

I thought and thought about her until I called Wednesday. The family still hadn’t decided and I had to wait until the afternoon. It was a long afternoon. Finally, I was told that the other adoption fell through and we could come to meet her. The big condition was Finn getting along with her. I really hoped he would. We headed to the shelter and Bob was meeting us there. When I saw Ruby I knew she needed to come home with us. She was so sweet and you could tell she just had been through so much and wanted a place to call home. Finn got along great with her, dogs have that sense and maybe he knew she needed us. Maybe because they are both Yorkies, I’m not sure. We brought our new girl home that night. I wasn’t leaving without her. My heart would break thinking of her living out the rest of her life in shelters and scared.

Ruby is settling in with the family just fine. It’s obvious that her previous owner loved and took such good care of her and I hope they know we will give her the best life with us. Finn is doing great with her as well and I know they will be lifelong pals. Of course, we are giving her space to adjust to us but I think she is enjoying the quiet and peaceful home. She loves to be outside and sleeps with us and Finn. She is definitely a people girl, and I find her following me around. She needs a good grooming and a little fattening up but she is healthy. I know she will not be with us as long as our other dogs we have adopted as puppies but the rest of her life will be full of love and happiness. I feel like it was meant to be. Welcome to your furever home Ruby. We love you.

Finn meeting Ruby

I love my new home

Settling in

Two tired kids after a day outside

Carrie Kelly is an Interior Redesigner Industry Specialist and Lead Designer at Carrie Kelly Designs specializing in interior redesign, seasonal, and home decor helping clients create beautiful spaces in their homes without the time and expense of a full remodel. She is also an Independent Consultant with Initial Outfitters, a boutique featuring all things monogrammed and personalized for your unique style. Carrie is also the author of Pineapples and Sweet Tea, a Lifestyle blog.

Find her at: https://carriekellydesigns.com

https://www.facebook.com/carriekellydesigns

https://www.initialoutfitters.net/ckelly

carrie@carriekellyesigns.com

New Adventure

August 24, 2020 No Comments

Have you ever thought about doing something you have always wanted to do but unsure of yourself? All of this craziness of COVID made me stop and think about this. I love what I do with Initial Outfitters but wanted to do more. Ever since I was young I have always redecorated and designed for fun. I love to create new spaces and find new ways to repurpose what I have. This got me thinking, what could I do?

Design and decorate, it’s always been my passion. I decided to go back to school and take classes in Interior Redesign. I knew this was more for me, as I didn’t want to get into the architecture and reconstruction of spaces. After doing some research I decided to go through the online program through International Association of Professional Career College and complete the Interior Redesign program. I really worked and studied and completed the course with High Honors. Carrie Kelly Designs was created.

But now what, what is Interior Redesign? Interior Redesign is taking what you have and improving on it without the expense and time of a full remodel. It is really what I have always been doing, I do not enjoy the chaos of a remodel. A project that can be completed in a day, weekend or short amount of time is for me. Even just having a plan to do a project in stages is great. Sometimes you just need a fresh look at your space and move things around or repurpose what you already have. It’s amazing what a few changes can do to create a new look.

I am happy that I can incorporate my love of Initial Outfitters and their personalized pieces into my love of interior design. Carrie Kelly Designs has launched and I am so excited to help my clients create a new space that they will love for years to come. I am excited for this next adventure and what is to come. Is there anything you have been thinking about but haven’t had the courage to do yet? My advice is go for it. If you are passionate about something it will show to everyone. Take a chance. Anything is possible.