Category: Josie in Paradise blog

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Summer Luvin’ on these Lux Goods

All photos Steven Drescher

Summer is well underway and I know we’re all either lovin’ on the summer sunshine if we reside on the North Coast, or trying to escape the tropical heat for a climate more tepid if in the South Florida region.
I’ve been out and about and as always unplugged, even forgetting, to bring one of my iPhone 7 Pluses along with me.

But, I did my homework. I shopped. I scoured Dillard’s Department store and am toting around these luxury goods to create a summer full of unparalleled products. Once I release these, I’ll release some social media photos to remind everyone exactly what Paradise is.

Here’s Number Ten. The Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Radiant UV Base containing a Broad Spectrum SPF 50.

This is the caviar of face sunscreens on the market. The Re-Nutriv brand is a brand within the Lauder brand. Introduced in 1956 the line contained (and still does) rare and precious ingredients. At the time those were Turtle and Shark Oil plus Royal Jelly. Though those aren’t any longer politically correct ingredients, here is what the product does contain and why I recommend this to anyone and everyone who needs a face sunscreen.

  • “Rock of Life” Algae. This ancient life form has survived and thrived for over three billion years. The precious fossils are found in Shark Bay Australia, South Africa’s Umbilo River and the Red Sea. The repair and protective benefits are all yours.
  • EGT. A supercharged amino acid and anti-oxidant recharges skin’s energy to build on the reserves of vitality.
  • Silketare. Comes from an incomparable sea plant only harvested a few times per year. This remarkable extract helps skin to restore its natural ability to product energy and encourages optimum cell performance.

This UV Base can be worn daily over a serum and/or moisturizer and under makeup. The soft focus optics produces a luminous look give a burst of glowing vitality.

One ounce sells for seventy-five dollars.

Non-acegenic, this is the one tube to tote all year. I always toss on a Panama Jack hat and my polarized Costa Gannetts for a day at the beach or the pool and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I call face sun protection.

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Summer’s No. 1 Ticket

“My wife and I are looking for something to rent the It’s Summertime in Northern Ohio. week of the Kid Rock Concert. August 28 and August 29 (for) two nights. HOPE you have something,” Tony VanDyke messaged St. Hazards Resort on Middle Bass Island, Lake Erie with exactly that — hope.

The reply, “Can you camp?” as in: Bring your own tent?

The 2019 Summer is here. Before anyone wished a 2018 “Happy Holidays” to friends, family, and colleagues the tickets had to have been electronically sent via StubHub or another major online concert ticket retailer.

“(This is) The biggest event the islands have ever seen. By far. The biggest event ever,” Tony White of Fremont, Ohio and manager of the Put-in-Bay Condos said with the conviction of a trial lawyer.

The headliner for the 2019 Bash on the Bay Music Festival was announced back in September. Those familiar with the islands had already made their reservations when the rumors of Kid Rock coming started to swirl in anticipation and excitement like rum, ice and daiquiri mix in a Vitamix on a sweltering summer day. All rooms, homes, and even boat slips dotting the Lake Erie Islands were spoken and paid for before season opened.

The MBI State Park Office overlooks a 190-slip marina

Susie answered the phone at the Middle Bass Island State Park Office when we called to find out if any of the island’s one hundred and ninety boat slips are available for the pre-Labor Day jam session. She solidified, “Not at all. We are totally filled up.”

The MBI Marina

The MBI State Park Marina is situated about ten minutes across the lake to access the Boardwalk of Put-in-Bay via boat. On the day of the Country Music Fest the idyllic Sonny S Ferry will be making the jaunt back and forth from The Boardwalk (Restaurant) to the Middle Bass Island dock from 11:30 am – 12 am.

The MBI State Park’s neighboring and only island resort, St. Hazards, has been booked for months. According to Patty Nixon who runs the restaurant and takes many of the reservations confirmed: all accommodations for Wednesday August 28 and Thursday August 29 (the day Kid Rock will take the stage) are full.

Delivery of the 2019 St, Hazards Reservations Book in 2018. Accommodations began to fill up before everyone left in the Fall of 2018.

Plus the campsites are being claimed.

“We have, forty let me see…. oh my gosh, one person has four campsites, another person has three. This is how many sites we have booked: ten camp sites,” Nixon communicated while filling and carrying an ice bucket around the Caribbean-style restaurant.

“We have room for forty more tents,” developer and proprietor Ed Gudenas affirmed from his air-conditioned office hidden on the remote, eight hundred acre island.

Bringing a tent across the lake via the Miller Boatline and pitching on Gudenas’ twenty-one acre resort which includes the MBI Yacht Club Condos, Villas, Chalets and Camping Cabins is always the most economical way to experience the Lake Erie Islands and Boardwalk of Put-in-Bay.

Campsites are only twenty-seven dollars per night for one tent. There isn’t any tax and the rate includes two people. Each additional person is five dollars per night. This is a huge difference between the luxury of the MBI Yacht Club Condos and the Put-in-Bay Condos developed by Gudenas’ former business partner Paul Jeris. Both of these locations had units renting for four hundred dollars per night.

“For a Thursday,” White said. “They were all sold out in twenty four hours. Everything sold out. The mainland, too.”

It’s Summertime in Northern Ohio.

Concert tickets can still be purchased. Just click here. Just remember the only place to stay at this point in the season is at St. Hazards in a tent brought across the lake and pitched on the island.

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A Father’s Day Escape Everglades City's Rod and Gun Club

There was a time during history, my retired father put on his cushy white New Balance sport shoes, khaki shorts and Florida Fishermen’s cotton t-shirt and placed me and my four-year old nephew into the back seat of a 2012 Ford Edge. We drove the two-lane stretch of US One out of Marathon and the isles of Islamorada and into Florida’s swampland for a weekend getaway of my dad’s dreams. 

My nephew and I, both being Florida-born, Florida Crackers enjoyed the endless tourism experiences the Sunshine State has to offer.

I sat in the back seat staring out of the window. I had always suffered motion sickness and this trip marked a year out of the ocean from diving the Florida Keys Wreck Trek for assignment. Even though I appeared a poster child for fitness my nervous system was shredded. 

My Dad and the family Ford station wagon

This escape to this antiquated, isolated hotel applauded on the website as “a stay for the adventured and the cultured,” (cultured to the likes of former guest Ernest Hemingway) I had already made the voyage to twice and knew my Dad would relish in the natural surroundings.

The 1800s era hostel is so hidden and reclusive city slickers are urged not to bother making reservations because they simply will not be impressed.

Back to the destination: Everglades City. During every north coast winter storm, this South Florida City will show up as the sunniest and hottest place in the nation. This charming mark is home to the Rod and Gun Club, a hotel so historic, guests are not allowed to stay inside due to fear of fire. The rooms are not up-to-code for guests to stay in.

Nearly half a dozen presidents have wintered at this gem of a getaway. Check-in is allowed only with cash at the jaws of an ancient alligator.

Old alligator skins decorate the walls to set the ambiance for the adventure that lies ahead.

Guests sleep in modern cabins equipped with air-conditioning and private porches that surround the remarkable original hotel.

My nephew outside of Cabins forty-six and forty-seven that we stayed in.

These units are for rest only.

My Dad outside of one of the modern cabins.

Regardless of the in-ground pool and pool table amenities which make most resorts extremely attractive to any child age twelve or under, an adventure of another kind awaits.

The surrounding swamp is home to exotic Florida wildlife.

Wildlife which can all be witnessed from aboard one of two modes of transport.

Airboats and The Swamp Buggy.

Airboats and ear muffs take the place of the roller coasters and Mikey Mouse ears found farther north in the state at Disney World’s Orlando theme park. Here, there aren’t any crowds and barely any pavement exists.

Piggy Back rides are the chosen mode of transport in this territory where overpriced soda, souvenirs and popsicles aren’t an issue.

Any exhaustion from alligator viewing is met with a welcome nap just like Grandpa encourages, teaches and often shows by example.

Precisely what Father’s Day is all about. Escaping the daily grind to spend time with your family making memories that last a lifetime. In this instance, we hope they cause room for adventure, followed by a good meal and much deserved nap.

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Lashes Deserve Love

“See the difference between the right eye and the left. This one has the Lash Primer (Plus) underneath the mascara,” Estee Lauder Beauty Adviser Paula McAdam explained to a bride-to-be gaining some necessary big day tips.

The brunette accountant for Marathon, set to say her vows this October, noticed the difference in lash length. So did her mom.

The Lash Primer Plus boosts the effects of mascara. Simply place the white conditioner on lashes and add any Estee Lauder, MAC, Smashbox, or Clinique mascara and boom lashes grow to extremes.

Some of the big players in the market such as Lauder’s Sumptuous Extreme impacts with Prismatic Pearls to intensify pigment and luster.

This particular mascara creates an audacious false lash effect, especially when paired with the Lash Primer Plus. There isn’t a need for costly extensions or eyelash glue that won’t come off — or worse which causes an allergic reaction.

“Mascara is a must-have,” stressed Adams who has twenty-five years in the lux cosmetics industry working for every line including Chanel and MAC.

An event for makeup and mascara enthusiasts is set for this upcoming weekend.

All brands *with the exclusion of Chanel are included.

Buy any two, customers can mix and match across the luxury brands, and the third is a gift from the store.

This truly is the perfect way for women to treat themselves as we celebrate the dads, granddads, fathers, and brothers in our lives. For up-to-date bold brows click here to meet the Brow Boss Kyle Ricker.

Order through me 419-862-7143 North Coast 305-395-8890 S Fla

a Quick note — I have already seen and studied the new Fall 2019 wardrobe of new colors, products and even a new scent, a version of this one. Plus includes a new Sumptuous Rebel Length + Lift Mascara. We’re all going to love this product because it’s washable.

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Brow Drama

The only day to day drama is the brows. Anytime I open up the package to a new Estee Lauder DARK BRUNETTE Brow Multi-Tasker the moment is similar to Christmas morning at about age eight.

This beauty gadget takes brow art to a new level for women of all ages and all ethnicities — minus the added tools. One end consists of a definer, powder element that springs open in the middle and a spoolie brush on the other end.

“Wow,” exclaimed makeup artist Kyle Ricker when I sat down to let him work his wonder.

When I work with this at home or at work, or in the field I simply flip the instrument around like a baton in my hand until I have the results I need. I tell everyone to practice before they make dinner, or after, and dinner dishes are being put away. This way there is time for error when learning how to use AND… the face is going to be washed anyway before bed. Listen to this — I don’t want to wash the Brow Multi -Tasker off! The va-va-voom feeling is captured with this little creation. Comes in eight shades and sells for under thirty dollars.

By the way… in life (or at least mine) “drama” doesn’t exist. Only the conscious level at which individuals choose to show up in self-awareness.

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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.

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Naveaux for Chanel

There is a familiar and ultra-glamorous face on the Coastal Ohio Trail who has entered the arena of luxury cosmetics. Her name is Leah Naveaux, a native of Huron who moved later in life to the Toledo bedroom community of Perrysburg. Her vivacious personality, talent and artistry has earned her the title of Resident Make-up Artist for Chanel.

Lipstick, Lumiere and Leah

I sat down with the polished pro to trade trade secrets about skincare, makeup, hair and the upcoming VIP Event all women should attend with their husband’s credit card, Scentsational.

The event is set for Saturday, May 4 at Dillard’s Franklin Park location in Northwest Ohio.

All the major brands in beauty will be represented. Leah and other makeup artists will be on hand to perform complete applications. This is the day and age where everyone is on camera, online all of the time. This is the perfect opportunity to learn tips from the pros and possibly walk away with some of the five-thousand dollars in raffle prizes up for taking.

Call 419-473-9600 to make an appointment with Leah or any of the other major brands owning this industry listed in the event flyer.




Go from bland to bam with this must-attend industry event.

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Magnum Opus of Outerwear

First Daughter Fashion

Pictures: Steven Drescher

I own two pieces of fashion with the First Daughter’s name, Ivanka Trump, sewn on the label.

The coat I wear to workouts, running errands, walking Lake Erie’s Lab Pup and to other ultra-casual outings, isn’t durable or fashionable to withstand the public’s eye or icebox elements.

I have a fear of falling on ice, and one of bruising a butt cheek (I did this years ago and the area is still holding on to a lot of pain). Factor in a fear of looking frumpy when the Great Lakes region shows its glacial beginnings.

The bottoms buttons and I can truly sit outside with the hood up content as a bunny rabbit without any of the gelid conditions getting into my South Florida-born bones.

Confidence in the cold.

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Winter Blast: Boots to Wear

shoe statement in the snow

All pics: Steven Drescher

Some cold weather dernier cri can create as much drool from the mouths of aficionados of the arctic element fashion world as an icicle dripping from their home’s rain gutter.

That would be me when I laid eyes on the Ugg Valberg Fur-Cuffed Boots in the Dillard’s showroom.

I even picked up the phone, called, The Sole Man, John Brandolino on Duval Street in Key West, and told him, “I have to have these boots. I need a favor.”

So swankey, yet designed for the snow. Two pairs of heavy wool socks fit nicely inside the design.

Here is why:

  • Rich suede uppers with a plush Toscana sheepskin cuff at top
  • Features a fixed strap with hardware at top rear
  • Partial medial side zipper for an easy on-and-off
  • Soft and breathable leather linings
  • Soft and breathable, leather-lined PORON® and foam cushioned footbed for all-day comfort
  • Durable crepe-like rubber wedge and outsole

If one is going to live near the Great Lakes, one needs great outfits to take on the outdoors. Plus, there’s the matching gear to sharpen the style of this formidable and oh-so fashionable snow shoe.