Experience The Past – Visit The Present – Envision The Future

16 May

34TH ANNUAL SPRINGFIELD SPRING HOME AND GARDEN TOUR

For the past 33 years, Springfield residents have opened their homes to the Jacksonville community to show off Jacksonville’s oldest neighborhood. The two-day event will benefit Springfield Preservation and Revitalization Council and Springfield Heritage Education Center.

 

WHERE:                  SPAR Headquarters & SHEC Archives, 1321 North Main St.

WHEN:                     Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20,  1:00pm to 6:00pm

COST:                       $10 in advance or $12 on tour days

TICKETS:              Buy  Online:  www.spartour.org

In Person:

SPAR Headquarters and SHEC Archives
1321 North Main Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206

An Olde Time Hardware
3732 North Main Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206

Three Layers
1602 North Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206

Tres Leches Deserts
1839 North Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32206

e2ride will also be offering bike tours during the Home Tour. http://www.e2ride.com/

INFORMATION:        www.spartour.org or 904/419-7432

Contact: Adam Halstead, 904-419-7432, adamhalstead@springfieldheritagecenter.org

Opening to Joy at Lotus Yoga

5 Apr

Lotus Yoga’s studio at Stockton and Myra Streets. 

Lotus Yoga is an oasis at the corner of Stockton and Myra Streets in the Riverside neighborhood.  The second floor studio is a bright, open space with warm wooden floors and ceilings and exposed brick walls.  Colorful mats are rolled out on the floor as yoga enthusiasts listen to the calming voice of studio co-owner, Bonnie Murdoch, as she moves the group through deep breathing exercises and strengthening and flexibility poses.  But it wasn’t always an inviting, peaceful haven that yoga students see today.  Back in 2008, her co-owner Bethany Crawley discovered a large, dilapidated space with dingy windows, holes in the walls and ceilings and insulation dangling from its rafters and then immediately contacted Bonnie.  The duo saw past the unlikely spot’s “wrinkles” and “envisioned an open, inviting, and light-filled space.”   After transforming the spot, they named their studio after the lotus flower to symbolize “growth and the emergence from the darkness into the light” and “to represent growth, light, purity and wisdom.”

As two busy attorneys at different Jacksonville law firms, they knew all too well the stresses of demanding careers and hectic personal lives.  Yet each followed a different path to the study and practice of yoga before joining forces in September 2008 to establish Lotus Yoga.  About ten years ago, a friend invited Bonnie, a former triathlete and long-distance runner, to attend a yoga class at the YMCA.  After taking a few initial classes, Bonnie felt a sense of both energy and relaxation.  “I had no idea how worn out I was…A seed was planted,” she notes.  Soon she began attending classes regularly and knew “something began changing inside of me.  I started to feel better; the seed was taking root.”  Her business partner, Bethany had previously studied dance and gymnastics before training as a spring board and tower diver.  About eight years ago, she started to practice yoga as a natural blend of “the strength of gymnastics, the grace of dance, the weightlessness of diving.”  And like Bonnie, Bethany realized that her yoga practice was “most importantly, a path for transformation and spiritual growth.”

Co-owners of Lotus Yoga, Bonnie Murdoch (l) and Bethany Crawley (r)

Lotus Yoga primarily offers vinyasa flow and modified ashtanga vinyasa classes.  In vinyasa yoga, one posture flows into the next in harmony with the movement of the breath in and out of the body, creating a meditation in movement.  The studio also offers restorative chair yoga classes for those students whose access to yoga may be restricted as a result of trauma, injury or natural aging.  Private lessons are also available upon request.  All studio instructors have a minimum of 200 hours of teacher training certifications and have attended a number of workshops and classes with experienced instructors.  The studio also enjoys bringing in other well-respected national instructors for their students and their own practices of yoga.  National teacher and author Rolf Gates offered a special two-hour Vinyasa class with on Tuesday, March 27.  His visit will be followed by a weekend workshop with Kathryn Budig, a world-renowned yoga instructor and contributing writer to Om Yoga and Yoga Journal Magazine, from April 13-15.  Ms. Budig is known for exuding an adventurous and playful spirit and inspiring others to explore their minds and bodies in creative ways.

If you’re looking for a way to restore and reenergize yourself, pull on that loose, comfortable clothing, grab that yoga mat and a bottle of water and stop by Lotus Yoga at 869 Stockton Street, Suite 7, across from The John Gorrie, or check them out on the Web at lotusyogajax.com.

–Bridges DelPonte, http://www.bridgesdelponte.com

 

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Reception Rental and Special Events Happening at Springfield Woman’s Club

29 Mar

If you are looking for a suitable place to hold your wedding reception or other celebration, look no further! The Springfield Woman’s Club, 210 W. 7th Street in Historic Springfield is the perfect place for a gathering of up to 125 people. Just a short distance from downtown, North Main Street, and Interstate 95, it is easy to reach from any part of Jacksonville or the surrounding areas. The fountain and gardens make a beautiful background for perfect wedding photographs. The lovely Klutho Park and Bandstand is close by – just a carriage ride – which could also be a perfect setting for a wedding ceremony.

The century-old building, originally the Springfield Presbyterian Church, has been carefully restored to preserve its ambiance. It has polished wood flooring, with a real cathedral ceiling, and an understated decor with a hint of Victorian style. This allows your florist and wedding planner to decorate according to your wishes.

There is a fully equipped kitchen for food preparation and renters are able to bring in their choice of caterers.

A lovely setting for perfect receptions – at a price that makes this unique venue a real treasure.

 

 

Monday through Thursday —$350.00
Fridays and Saturdays —$550.00
Sundays —$400.00
Additional Consecutive Day—Half Price

Hourly Rates
Monday—Thursday Only
$75 First Hour
$50 Each Additional Hour

Daily Rental Hours —9:00 a.m. to 12:00 Midnight

Call and reserve your special event: 904-633-9308

E-mail: siawc@yahoo.com

The Springfield Improvement Association and Woman’s Club also has a busy event calendar with outstanding activities.
Put “A Vintage Evening at the Club” wine tasting on your calendar:

Saturday, April 14, 2012
From 4:30 to 7:30 pm at The Woman’s Club
210 West 7th Street
Historic Springfield 

For further information and to purchase tickets: Click here.

This public event includes a wine education – how to drink it, not how to make it. Six to ten vintage natural wines from all over the world will be offered for tasting by PRP Wine International, a full service boutique wine company. Springfield residents and friends have been raving about a recent PRP Wine tasting – even beer drinkers said they learned tips and info that made them not only enjoy wine, but made them purchase their own bottle.

 

 

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Finding Heaven in Five Points at Jane Doe

27 Feb

The angelic face that guards the doorway to Jane Doe is only the first clue that you’ve stumbled across a little slice of retail heaven.

Inside, the boutique’s soft lighting and carefully curated fashion palette create a serene, welcoming environment that echoes the calm, warm nature of its service-minded owner, AnnMarie Luque.  When she opened the Five Points store in June 2011, Ms. Luque wanted her boutique to be “a peaceful, relaxing sanctuary” with “a different type of energy that allows for creativity and a certain level of comfort for our customers….I think you have to get to know people to help them buy clothes and that environment needs to be like a cocoon.”  At Jane Doe, Ms. Luque feels privileged to be able to serve and to work as a “retail matchmaker” offering her customers “wearable solutions” that fuse their personal style with the demands of their daily life at a moderate, reasonable price. 

Although new to Jacksonville, Ms. Luque ran a successful boutique in the heart of St. Augustine for several years before outgrowing that location.  Her Jacksonville retail haven more than doubled her floor space and allowed her to operate her business in a friendly, close-knit community of independent merchants.  This boutique owner believes in the importance and power of building a sense of community by patronizing your neighborhood businesses as proposed in the 3/50 Project, a national version of our local GOLo campaign.  With her accent on service and community, Ms. Luque has already become actively involved in local and national charities, regularly donating new clothing to the local Salvation Army, offering supplies and books to area school groups and supporting the Lottie Moon Offering, which aids missionaries serving others internationally.

Jane Doe owner, AnnMarie Luque

A former jewelry designer, she often personally works with U.S. clothing designers to create patterns that blend together a mix of classic cuts and styling with a contemporary artistic twist.  “Jackie O. meets Andy Warhol,” she quips.  These unique fashions are typically limited to six copies of a particular design.  Ms. Luque also enjoys finding clothing and other goods that you do not see in the malls or catalogs and prefers to avoid fads while helping customers “to feel new about themselves.”  She would love to see some of the styles of the 1940s make a comeback, including beautiful leg wear and hosiery.  Whenever possible, she also tries to buy clothing, jewelry, scents, candles and home fashions made in the United States to help the domestic economy thrive.

Mud Pie Fashion at Jane Doe

Though less than a year old, Jane Doe customers clearly agree with the store’s brand of quality products and personal service, voting the store as the Best New Boutique of 2012 in Jacksonville Magazine.  The humble owner only found out about the honor when fellow merchants and customers began to congratulate her on the award.  She suggests that new entrepreneurs wanting to be successful  should “learn by doing,” working their way up through their chosen field and always remembering the reasons why you chose to serve in that field.

So take a break from your frenetic schedule and stop by Jane Doe at 1027 Park Street, Tues.-Sat., 10:00 to 5:00/6:00, call them at 904-356-0027 or friend Jane Doe on Facebook to learn more about their special retail events and plans for their upcoming first anniversary.

 

–Bridges DelPonte, http://www.bridgesdelponte.com

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Back to the Future with The Clothing Warehouse’s Vintage Fashions

19 Dec

The Clothing Warehouse has been in operation for nearly 5 years in Five Points. But for new owner, Jeannie Jones, buying the vintage clothing store started a new life chapter back in February 2011. After nearly 30 years in the insurance industry, Ms. Jones said that she was ready for “a new adventure” and “to explore other opportunities” and wanted to build on her prior business, retail and bookkeeping experience.  She liked the idea of a boutique clothing shop with the added twist of being a business with “a green approach” that focuses on recycling fashion rather than throwing out clothing and accessories. Different fashion designs continue to cycle through the decades, with some customers trying to capture a retro look while others try to be fashion forward, tweaking an old school design with a contemporary flair.

Owner Jeannie Jones, with an array of cool sunglasses

Owner Jeannie Jones, with an array of cool sunglasses

Like any new business owner, she made some immediate changes to the store, such as increasing the shop hours, freshening up clothing presentations, creating special sales and highlighting hot fashion items in weekly window displays. She noted that “we have gotten a lot of compliments on our store windows,”  including from local merchants. A broader array of new stock was added such as fun sunglasses, fashion wigs and costume jewelry. Ms. Jones is even toying with the idea of changing the shop’s name once her license on its existing franchise name expires in February 2012, so watch her Facebook page for updates. Kyla, the store’s resident pampered West Highland Terrier, is sure to have a say in any final name change in this pet-friendly store.

This busy entrepreneur and her staff are “in” to vintage wear and enjoy helping customers have a “fun, enjoyable experience” while looking for that perfect outfit to suit their personal style or upcoming social gathering. One of the main challenges has been finding what she needed for her eclectic customer base. “It takes a little while to get a feel for what people want,” said Ms. Jones. “Our clientele is really a mixture.” About half of her customers are local young people looking for vintage fashion while the other half are those seeking out specific period clothing for a special event. Ms. Jones also notes that her shop’s fashions are very popular with those involved in vintage weddings seeking 1940s wraps or 1950s pill box hats, or parties set in a certain period, like 1970s/80s disco dresses. From time to time, even members of local theater troupes will check out her inventory.

The proud owner advises that her store is not a consignment shop as nearly all stock is purchased from trusted vendors. On a rare occasion, she’ll check out estate sales if the fashion items are in demand. Some clothing “may absolutely be gorgeous, breathtaking,” but she won’t buy it if that style is not currently surging in the fickle fashion world. One hot trend is for bell bottoms–”and I was part of the bell-bottom generation,” she confides, “I’ve had multiple requests for them. They are hard to come by.” Another major fad is girl’s cowboy boots with short shorts and short pencil skirts, which are flying off the shelves.

A member of the Five Points Merchants Association, she was drawn to this area’s “small community feel,” reminiscent of the close-knit beach neighborhood where she lives. Her shop regularly participates in First Fridays in Five Points where local stores stay open late and greet customers with live music, refreshments and special sales on this pedestrian-friendly street. She especially enjoyed a previous month’s chocolate theme with chocolate wine and chocolate-covered strawberries and her store offered free 1940s fashion and make-up makeovers for customers. The store will have extended holiday hours: Mon. –Thurs.-10:00-6:00, Fri.-10:30-7:30, Sun.- 12:00-5:00 in December. Check Facebook for holiday sales and other updates or stop by the shop at 1010 Park Street, 904-356-5003, to step back to the future.

–Bridges DelPonte, http://www.bridgesdelponte.com

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