Happy Monday, world! After being mostly MIA last week (due to too many open tabs) I'm back and mostly ready for action. This weekend was more low-key than others we've had, but it was nice to just chill at home. Saturday was spent cleaning and organizing, but we did venture out of the house when we got a last-minute invite to hang with friends, make s'mores and drink spiked hot chocolate. Sunday started with an amazing homemade brunch (complete with Bloody Marys!) cooked up by the hubs, and the rest of the day was spent watching football, researching places to eat during my bestie's upcoming bachelorette party, and live tweeting the Golden Globes red carpet fashion (my fave part of awards show season!), for which the hubs again exercised his drink-making prowess by whipping up a martini for me and a margarita for him.
Now that we're almost two weeks into the new year, it got me thinking about how we don't have all that much time left here in St. Pete. I'll be flying back to California (yay!) in mid-February to fulfill my maid of honor duties, G will join me a few weeks later for my bestie's wedding plus another, and we'll be staying a few days after the wedding festivities are over, through my 30th birthday at the end of March. So once we get back to Florida we will just have April and May before it's time to pack up and move north, to Jersey.
With all that in mind, I thought I should compose another bucket list of fun to-dos I hope to accomplish before leaving this (other, east coast) land of perpetual sunshine, where people vacation but we (currently) are lucky to live.
1. Browse the vintage and vintage-inspired treasures at St. Pete's monthly Brocante Market (which my friend Jen of Letters & Pearls just visited) and Rare Hues in Tampa (I learned of the latter this weekend after spying a friend's gorgeous and functional bar cart). We definitely don't have room in our apartment for me to go on a shopping spree, but it is almost just as fun to check out all the pretty, unique goods we are bound to find.
2. Soak up more of Tampa Bay's art and culture scene. Get lost in the surrealist works at The Dali, wander through "Monet to Matisse" and the photographic exhibition "Life's A Beach" at the Museum of Fine Arts and relish more of my favorite medium at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. This was on my fall bucket list, too, but we've only managed to visit the Chihuly Collection.
3. Admire the architecture and the American craft artwork housed inside the Craftsman House. We've strolled by this bungalow several times but I never realized it was public gallery, pottery studio and cafe. As someone who adores the details and character in craftsman style homes, I just thought it was the epitome of my dream house.
4. Shop and dine at St. Pete's new foodie haven, Locale Market, a gourmet, farm-to-table restaurant and curated marketplace brought to the Sundial shopping center by celebrity chefs Michael Mina and Don Pintabona.
5. Explore St. Petersburg's EDGE District. (The next "Third Thursdays in the EDGE" market is happening Jan. 15.) We've been to the main downtown corridor plenty, but we haven't spent much time in the fringe district along Central Avenue, which is filled with unique boutiques, galleries, eateries and bars. I especially want to try Bodega, a highly-rated spot for Cuban food. The Lechon sandwich sounds delish.
6. Attend and support another market celebrating local businesses and handmade goods: Localtopia 2015! The free event happening Feb. 7 will feature tons of indie artists and makers, a craft beer garden and food court, live music and more. The event is hosted by Keep St. Petersburg Local, the same live-local advocacy group that put on the Localicious beer-focused farmer's market we attended in October.
7. Book a staycation at St. Pete's luxury waterfront hotel, the Vinoy Renaissance Resort (to celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary, maybe?). At the very least, G and I should grab a tropical drink on the pink hotel's front porch since I've heard it is the best place for people-watching, with the added perk of having a stellar view of the bay.
Now, if the hubby was contributing to this list, he'd add the following: take in a sporting event—hockey preferably, but baseball would work, too. (We did catch a Buccaneers football game already.)
That's it! What's on your bucket list, currently?
(Top image of a recent sunset over Tampa Bay seen from the Gandy Bridge,
bottom image taken while strolling the waterfront in downtown St. Pete)
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