Friday Night Snack Shoes

hats, flip-flops and socks on display amidst the wine selection

Stadiapa Steps Out in Nikeys

My Dad wanted to head out to dinner to “The Steakhouse” on Woodville Road. The eatery sets across the street from an oil refinery and adjacent to an old, no longer existent Kroger store he used to service.

He forgot his shoes.

We ordered and on the way out I surveyed the dining room after washing my hands.

“That’s ok Dad,” I said. (I wore my Nikeys out, too). “One table of guys was seated with their ballcaps on. At the table next to them was a woman wearing her flip-flops with socks.”

I had the salmon with lemon butter sauce.

Anti-Industry Elements on MBI

Hurray! Time to celebrate all that time at the grind. St. Hazards on Middle Bass Island, Lake Erie provides the laid back land for anyone looking to escape the punch of the time clock with a Pina Colada. Make that a Pina Colada with a Captain Morgan Spiced Rum Float. Besides lounge chairs, a full menu, campground and fire pits, the property, nestled a fifty minute ferry ride out into Lake Erie, sells, serves, or rents all of the other fundamentals to make forgetting about slaving away simple.

The anti-slog list is straightforward. A straw hat from the gift shop.

A MBI bracelet from the gift shop, and a coconut to showcase the selection of Caribbean Rum cocktails.

Golf carts and beach cruiser bicycles are also for rent. The Panama Jack hat and ballcap add to the island ambiance of anti-industry.

Banana dress and Sperrys my own. The sweat and servitude can stay on the mainland where they belong. See everyone poolside to mark Labor Day Weekend 2020.

My First Costa del Mars

They were a gift from Divers Direct. I wore them everywhere. I do mean everywhere.

Beyond Polzarization

From Lion Fish hunting in the Key West Harbour to early morning runs on KCB.

They took me to historic moments on top of the water and were on my face when the fresh catch was reeled in.

Besides the ocean the eyewear worked for airboat alligator tours, and holding, in the Everglades. The designers claiming, “Whether your adventure is on the water, on the mountain, or anywhere in between, with Costa you’ll see it like you never have before.

Even alligators.

The pair I wore from 2010 – 2017 are the ISABELA. I picked black frames with raspberry trim. You can design your own. I love that they can be pushed back through the hair and don’t catch.

They definitely “served me well for many adventure-filled years.” Dillard’s has just given me a new pair. I chose the GANNETT frame. They made their debut this weekend on the Lake Erie Islands. I can’t wait to show them off.

Bon Islander by boat, by ferry or cute little pudde jumper

My island client met me at 8 am at his waterfront condos and told me if I wanted to leave the island I needed to find “Bill” and go by jet ski — or take the plane.

I was onboard the “Bon Islander” by 9:30 am.

A vacation to the Lake Erie Islands, especially Middle Bass Island, is called, marketed and deemed as an “Adventure Vacation”.

419-285-6121 to book a reservation. This 21-acre Caribbean-style resort does not resemble Sandals.

Call 419-734-5400 to come by plane.

 

Fruit Fashion even avocados

This past Labor Day 2018 Weekend everyone was rocking the vintage fashion of fruit. Saturday night at dinner, set at Osaka – a Hibachi Grill and Sushi Bar, a young man in our party was partaking in the merriment wearing a button down collared shirt plastered in avocados.

The woman in a pew in front of me in Mass wore a shirt loaded with lemons.

To take on Key West of the North, South Bass Island, for late night Labor Day dinner, dress was festive and a garment covered in ripe bananas proclaimed to the world, “I’m off today.”

Laboring on an island and laboring in a factory is like comparing avocados to bananas. Nonetheless, everyone’s contribution makes the country great from educators to car salesmen to those cleaning the island vacation rentals.  Celebrate and keep chasing, or living the dream.

Get a Grip Sperry Shoe Summer 2018 Edition

Photos by Bo, Miller Boatline

The brand Sperry embodies a summer spent on, near and around the water. Even more importantly, Sperry is all about being and looking fuss-free while all the while fashionable onboard the boat.

The construction even makes muah — yes me ladies and gentlemen, look practical.

When the store manager at Dillards gave me access, well to the entire store and a fifty dollar spending limit, my soul sniffed out a Lake Erie lifestyle essential I knew I’d be living in all summer long, a pair of Sperry Haven Chambray Lace Ups.

Deliciously designed with string rawhide laces and a non-marking rubber outsole with (trademark) Razor-cut Wave-Siping to disperse water for the ultimate wet/dry traction, I did not have to search far for why Sperry shoes make the statement “I can navigate an island chain and I’m going to accomplish this via boat.”

Resort owner and developer of the most Lake Erie Island vacation rentals Ed Gudenas put his best foot — and shoe —  forward and was wearing a pair along with his logo gear while hosting the ladies from Lake Erie Shores and Islands.

The ladies themselves, took in the Caribbean-style 21-acre resort and lakefront property outfit comfortably in this decadent deck shoe. 

The day we boarded the Miller Boatline with Lake Erie’s Lab Pup, stowaway Don Massey had his peds crammed into a pair of Columbia’s…cuz he was only mixing up his footwear. The day before he had on his favorite pair of blue Sperrys and had this to say.

“They fit so nice and they’re comfortable and they got enough arch where my feet don’t get tired after ten hours on this boat with these guys,” Massey made it clear the shoe appeals to all age groups, the guys and the gals,  and with that — went in for some affection from our four-legged travel companion.

You’ve seen the pup showin’ off Sperrys before in 2016.

In 2017 we unleashed the low-down on the ferry ridin’ footwear at the edge of Ohio’s Mainland where all vacationers board the Miller Boatline.

#rockmyboat fashion now comes in the oh-so trendy shade of Rose.

This is a collaboration between thre real estate and lifestyle television show and accompanying blog Josie in Paradise, JK PR Sales and Design, the Miller Boatline, Dillards, Estee Lauder, and St Hazards Waterfront Resort and Brewery.

Want the correct makeup for the islands … simply save the contouring for the city — Rock Everyone’s Boat with the Global Cult Favorite Estee Lauder’s Goddess Collection.

Josie has access to the two hundred style count Sperry Shoe collection at Dillards, the Estee Lauder vault of lux skincare and cosmetics, the two bars of exotic rum on MBI and the island vaction rentals. Call 419-862-7143 on the North Coast to buy and for more information. The South Florida number is 305-395-8890.

 

Josie in Paradise EPISODE III

I just love this Episode if Josie in Paradise and I’m sure you will too. Myself and cameraman, Kim Kindinger, owner of the X5 Network, headed into the gates of North America’s premiere Catawba Cliffs neighborhood. Featured Videographer Theo Dunham also edited this entire episode. We also hit a low key waterfront restaurant nestled in a blue collar community on the Sandusky River. Here is what all is featured.

EPISODE II Spoonful: is a cupful we're behind the bar! at Joe's Bar spicin' it up

There are instances in life, and on photo shoots, and after interviews where one just grabs for the bottle of Abolsut Peppar and shows the nation one reason why South Bass Island puts the spice in life. We were sent to Joe’s Bar to uncover the lowdown on their twist to a tomato based favorite. The Bloody Mary mix is homemade and includes some worcestershire sauce…

“…and I’ll say the drink has some horseradish but I’m not saying anything else,” manager Marissa Petroff plays up the mystery.

Before grabbing the bottles, pouring, mixing and adding garnish to the mid-day-meal-in-a-cup we sat down and spoke with one of the co-owners islander Brad Olemacher.

The televised broadcast of Josie in Paradise will be determined in October as emergency crews work to restore power and water to South Florida and the Florida Keys. The regularly scheduled program time is 9:30 p on AT&T U-Verse WEYW Channel 19 airing from Key West to Boca Raton. You can always watch here and nationwide on the Ohio X5 ROKU channel. 

 

Episode II Spa: Island Tan at The Lake achieving color so close to Canada

Island Tan at The Lake is a name that might lead outsiders to think, ‘what a shame that a business has to fake an image with the word ‘island’ to draw customers in’. Island Tan at The Lake is located on Catawba Island. Catawba Island is part of the mainland of Ohio but this is only after workers filled in where shallow lake surrounded the area with cement. Plus, Catawba Island is the gateway to an island paradise chain in Lake Erie accessible only via helicopter, boat, plane, or ferry.

The rooms at Island Tan at The Lake are marked accordingly with signs depicting Kelleys, South Bass Island, Mouse, and others.

Lori Levorchick the owner offers, “that way when people come in and they’re on vacation they can get a little bit of the history here as well.”

Summer months are smoking through the region with travelers and second and third homeowners; most of whom are headed towards the freshwater for a shot of summer sunshine.

“A lot of people are out there on the boats and in the sun and when you’re out in the sun its not regulated. In here its regulated you can come in here and get a tan without getting burnt,” Levorchick lets us in on the north coast service.

She simply wanted a place where people could come in and relax no matter what the forecast decided to give vacationers and residents for the day. Her interview shown in Episode II of Josie in Paradise is below.

Josie in Paradise can be seen every Sunday at 9:30 p on AT&T U-Verse from Key West to Boca Raton, across the nation through ROKU on the Ohio X5 Channel, and here.

 

Episode II Fitness: Beach Cruiser unfurl from a fury of activity

Easy breezy summer days are exceptionally serene when approached atop a beach cruiser bicycle. There isn’t any headache over trying to find a place to park and unless earbuds are in and there isn’t a stereo to shake up the placid peace. Again and again bicycling proves to be a Shangri-la mode of transport. To shoot Episode I we ventured onto South Bass Island with a bomber aboard the ferry and headed to the town hall for Hatha Yoga with Kathi Spayde.  An effortless cruiser fits every island escape.

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David Stover, the service manager at Fremont Cycle and Fitness readied the ride. “What you did was the basic which was a sixty-five dollar tune. That goes over truing the wheels, checking the shifting, putting the brakes in proper order and a light clean-up on the bike. That’s good for what you’re doing.”

Stover shared this in Josie in Paradise, Episode II about pedaling for a better fettle.

Josie in Paradise can be viewed every Sunday at 9:30 p on AT&T U-Verse from Key West to the Florida Keys, across the nation via ROKU on the Ohio X5 Channel, and here.