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Moving On

Read about what I'll miss most in Key West and what made me feel very welcome in Atlanta.

Plus...

Upcoming Feature Story

I'll have a feature about Key West in the next issue of Garden & Gun, a lifestyle magazine about the magic of the new South. Stay tuned.

Welcome Shower

I arrived to Atlanta a little more than a week ago. Just days after I landed in the Southern city, I received a nice welcoming gift: a snow shower. I'm not talking 20 minutes of fleeting snow flurries. No, I'm talking about an entire day of fluffy, wet, cascading snowflakes that blanketed the city in two inches of the white stuff (watch it accumulate in this video).


Strangely, that snow made Saturday house hunting better, not worse. Atlanta has a number of amazing old neighborhoods filled with craftsman bungalows and tudor-style brick cottages that line each block, especially within the interstate perimeter that surrounds the city. We've focused our search in the Candler Park and Virginia Highlands areas, where the snow-capped roofs, trees and bushes made the neighborhoods almost magical, like they were ripped straight from the pages of a fairy-tale book.


I'll admit, I didn't exactly jump at the opportunity to move when Noah told me he'd been offered a job in Atlanta. But I'll also admit that I've been wildly happy with the city so far. It's one of those cities, much like Key West, that has embraced its history and architecture. Mid-century homes have been meticulously maintained, and those built in the early 20th century have been carefully restored. I've learned to appreciate those small details because a city and a place without character hardly feels like a home to me at all.

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Sparkle and Shine

This Sunday marks my ninth Valentine's Day with my now-husband. This morning, I tried to recall what we did each year to celebrate, and a few stand out. But perhaps the most memorable was our first Valentine's Day, when he, at 19, gave me a lovely tennis bracelet that he personally picked out. It wasn't accompanied by a card; rather, he scribbled a note inside the lid of the box that held the bracelet. I can't remember the exact words, but I know it mentioned "love" and "many more Valentine's Days together."

Well, he was right. And I'm not sure if it was the note that made me so happy, or the bracelet. Like most women, I'd much rather receive a gift in a small box this weekend than anything in a big box. Something that hints that inside is a precious gift, a gift of the jewelry kind.

And for that gift, there's only one place I'll point him. Eliza Page is the most wonderful, creative, interesting jewelry boutique you'll ever step foot inside. It's in Austin, Texas, and even though I don't live there anymore, I still head to the Website to find the perfect gift for special occasions. It has goodies from local and international designers, but all of the store's jewelry has one thing in common: it's original. I love Mingle jewelry by Austin designer Rachel Roberts for simple yet catchy pieces, like the Triple Loop necklace. I also love Shaesby, the line of precious jewelry by Shaesby Scott. I had the chance to write about the designer for Austin Monthly magazine, and he's as pleasant as his designs (I love his stackable rings).

Eliza Page is owned by the amazing Elizabeth Serrato, who I interviewed late last year for a Top 10 feature in Austin Monthly where I asked Elizabeth to share her top 10 style must-haves. So if you're having trouble coming up with ideas for what you want to get for Valentine's Day or, for the gentleman, what you want to give, I have two ideas. First, browse the selection on Eliza Page's Website, or second, read below what Elizabeth can't live without. Inspiration all around.

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When Time Stops, Then Starts Again

There are days when the world seems to stand still on this tiny island, or stop even, as if it wants you to pause for a second and appreciate what it offers you.

It usually happens to me on Sunday mornings when I'm walking the dog around our quaint neighborhood of 100-year-old homes. I step outside our house, a modest shotgun-style house likely built around the turn of the 20th century for a cigar maker's family, into the bright January sun, wearing shorts and a light sweater. The streets and sidewalks are desolate; a few folks may pass by me quietly on bicycles and wave hello, likely on their way to church or brunch. There are no cars, no rowdy island visitors. It's just me and Avery, breathing a salty ocean air carried inland by coastal breezes. That's when I stop and think that I'm one of the lucky ones who has called Key West home.

That feeling comes over me at other times, too. When I'm spending an afternoon on a sandbar with my friends, surrounded by turquoise blue waters, for example. Or when my husband Noah and I enjoy an unobstructed view of the glowing orange sun as it dips below the horizon, while enjoying scallops and a bottle of wine from the deck of a harborside restaurant. It's happened dozens of time since we moved here in October 2008. During these moments, my mind tells me, "Wait a second. Take this all in. You won't ever want to forget this."

And I won't. I won't forget the unparalleled weather, historic architecture and peaceful lifestyle I've experienced here. Most importantly, I won't forget my friends and the people I've met who made this place a great place to call home, from my dear friends to the fellow who works at the meat counter at my corner grocery store to my lovely neighbors who "watch out for the place" when we leave for a weekend. The unofficial motto of Key West is "One Human Family," and you do feel like everyone here wants you to be happy, just like your own family members do.

Next month, Noah and I will be leaving Key West. We'll be back often, though, as anyone who's ever really lived and loved this island has pledged to do. And as we take our final drive north across the winding ribbon of highway through the Florida Keys, I'll want time to slow down, stop even, so I won't have to leave. But that feeling will pass, and time will start again, and I'll want to keep going. Final destination: Atlanta.

So long Key West. It's been real.

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Libby Hoppe

  • writer | editor | photographer

      contact: libby@libbyhoppe.com
  • Topics

    • Writing (15)
    • Key West (13)
    • Photography (11)
    • Austin Monthly magazine (10)
    • Published Work (9)
    • Austin (7)
    • Editing (4)
    • Food Glorious Food (3)
    • Style File (3)
    • Meet and Drink (2)
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    Recent posts

    • ▼ 2010 (4)
      • ▼ February (2)
        • Welcome Shower
        • Sparkle and Shine
      • ► January (2)
        • When Time Stops, Then Starts Again
        • Grab Your Keys
    • ► 2009 (19)
      • ► December (1)
        • Fresh Take - Key West
      • ► November (1)
        • Free Strange Chickens
      • ► September (1)
        • Beach Baby Photo Shoot
      • ► August (1)
        • No Hurricane ... Yet
      • ► May (4)
        • Not All Beaches Are Created Equal
        • We're Gonna Have Fun, Fun, Fun
        • Don't Miss: Santiago's Bodega Key West
        • A Girl Can Dream
      • ► April (10)
        • Pretty. Simple.
        • Don't Miss: Camping at Bahia Honda
        • Don't Miss: Bagatelle Key West
        • Love Thy Earth
        • The Education Issue
        • Don't Miss: Island Dogs Bar Key West
        • Don't Miss: Sunset Cruise in Key West
        • No Taxation
        • Breakfast of Champions
        • The Show Must Go On
      • ► March (1)
        • Music Mayhem
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