Lululemon

Everyone pictures life in the Cayman Islands as a stress-free environment but residents know that’s not really the case, don’t we? It’s a great gig here in Cayman but we’ve got our share of worries: inflation, real estate woes, global warming, hurricane threats, and everyday stuff like serious traffic jams. (Yes, we have traffic jams here in tiny Grand Cayman! Lovely Cayman Brac and Little Cayman don’t have bad traffic but GC is bumper to bumper in the AM and PM rush hours.) We can’t escape to a huge mall for retail therapy but we can walk on miles of sensational beach, or we can take advantage of one of Cayman’s amazing yoga centers. One of the best is Bliss.

Bliss is a heart inspired yoga sudio and Lululemon Retail Store offering classes in hot yoga, power flowand vinyasa, Anusara-inspired yoga, Kundalini, Hatha, yin, meditation, Kids Yoga, Workshops, Clinics and seasonal special events. There is also a full line of Lululemon Athletica clothing and accessories. Located on Seven Mile Beach, the studio has a full schedule of drop-in and session classes seven days a week.

Come and experience the tranquil environment, a place to transcend life’s hectic pace, and a way to cleanse the body, calm the mind, and nourish your soul.

Yoga

Bliss Living and Yoga Ltd.    The Marquee, Units I & J   

Telephone: 345-949-YOGA    email: info@blissyogacayman.com

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Jack Kenner

On Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, at 7:00 PM, gifted international wildlife photographer Jack Kenner will visit Books & Books to give a visual presentation on the basics of wildlife and pet photography. Kenner will also sign copies of his books Dogs I’ve Nosed and Dogs I’ve Nosed II.

Book Cover

Jack Kenner is an extremely talented photographer, comfortable in the confines of the studio or the unpredictable outdoors. His international reputation comes from his incredible eye for detail, his compositional talents, his use of dark backgrounds, vivid colors, and a shallow depth of field. For Kenner, 2004 was a year of transformation. After spending 35 years in film, he became totally immersed in digital fine art: black and white, and color photography.

On May 2nd, 2004, Kenner woke up, unable to utter a word. Thinking he had a sinus infection, he worked as usual, but found that his inability to communicate behind the camera limited him more than he had expected. After 5 days with no improvement, he consulted with specialists, who found that his laryngeal nerve had disconnected from his vocal cord, and he was unable to speak above a faint whisper. He was told his nerve would take up to a year to heal. Instead of putting his career on hold, Jack decided to teach himself digital photography. He began bringing dogs into the studio to to practice lighting ratios and giclees printing.

Kenner has since taken hundreds of portraits of dogs. including Steven Segal’s Great Dane, and Cybill Shepard’s two German Shepards. Kenner has compiled many of these  stirring images into his books “Dogs I’ve Nosed” and “Dogs I’ve Nosed II”.

Please join Jack Kenner On Tuesday, November 17th, 2009, at 7:00 PM, at Books & Books in Camana Bay, to meet him in person, and learn more about his special talents.

Dogs

Books and Books

Camana Bay
45 Market Street
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
345.640.BOOK (2665)

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Laura Parcells

The holidays are right around the corner, with all those festive parties, yummy sweets, and divine buffets. The pounds tend to creep on, and before we know it, it’s tough to fit into that favorite Christmas party dress. Why not get into a fitness routine now that will have you looking absolute amazing for all the holiday parties? The solution for getting fit and staying fit, without breaking the bank, is BodyFit Personal Training. Laura Parcells specializes in weight loss (or weight gain), body toning, shaping, and strength and flexibility training. Besides personal training, Laura offers Group training classes, a Bridal Bootcamp, a Bridesmaid program, and a Mommy and Me program.

Gym

Laura trained in Florida for eight years and has worked in Cayman for the last year. She is extremely passionate about her work and has a deep commitment to educating her clients about proper nutrition and exercise. She is compassionate, enthusiastic, and fun, and nothing brings her more joy than seeing a client’s face when they have achieved a goal of weight loss or bodyfat loss. Laura also believes that training needs to be affordable and within reach of everyone.

Laura

Laura is a mother, and is a fantastic example of a fit Mom. She’s in fantastic shape (of course) and is inspiring and motivational to everyone she trains. She understands how difficult it can be to find time to work out, but also how much energy working out can add to your life!

For more information about BodyFit Personal Training, please visit www.bodyfitcayman.com  or call Laura at 345-322-6029. It’s never to late to get fit! You are SO worth it!

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Observation Tower

Do you give a hoot about keeping global warming at bay? GOOD! Here is a fun, super quick way to show your support ! You just need to get up a wee bit early Saturday, October 24th (tomorrow) and meet at The Observation Tower at Camana Bay to participate in an event organized by Camana Eco. The plan is to get a group of people gathered in the shape of the digits “350″. Someone will climb to the top of the Camana Bay Observation Tower and take a picture of our group and then send it to www.350.org, the organizers of the event. The idea behind “350″ is to highlight the optimum number amount (parts per million) of carbon dioxide that should be in the atmosphere to keep global warming at bay. We’re hoping for at least 10 people, but if we’re lucky, we’ll get 30-40 people to participate!

Afterwards (optional) we’ll pop over to Eats Cafe to for a bite of breakfast. What a fun way to start your Saturday!

Date: October 24th (this Saturday)

Time: 7:30-7:45 AM

Place: Camana Bay-Bottom of the Observation Tower

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Dance Class

Before there was Zumba, before there was hip-hip, there was classic dance in the Cayman Islands, courtesy of Mrs. Jackie Balls, known locally in Cayman is “Miss Jackie.” Miss Jackie’s School of Dance is the oldest dance school in the Cayman Islands, founded in 1973. The School offers dance classes such as Classical Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Street Funk and Hip Hop, and recreational classes as well as Ballroom, Belly Dancing, Zumba Dancing and Pilates.

Miss Jackie is committed to fostering a caring, friendly relaxed atmosphere however discipline is one of the School’s strongest assets. Through the medium of dance, they strive to inspire self-confidence, a spirit of cooperation among students, and an opportunity for growth in their personal lives.

It’s a wonderful environment to shape up, learn to dance, become more graceful, lose weight, or just have fun.

For further information, please contact Petique at www.petique.ky or 345-949-7296.

This update comes to us courtesy of Cayman Active. For a full calendar of fitness events in the Cayman Islands, visit http://www.caymanactive.com/ . Be sure to sign up for Cayman Active’s monthly newsletter to stay on top of sports, health and fitness and health in the Cayman Islands

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Gourmet Pepper Jelly

There’s one thing you can always find in my pantry: Gourmet Cayman Pepper Jelly. This delicious jelly is a blend of sweet, hot, and tangy flavors and if you pick up a jar, you’ll never want to be without it in your kitchen again!  It’s made by one special Cayman Islands lady, Carol Hay, who on weekends, manages to produce about 36 tasty batches a week of her magical, top-secret recipe and supply us Cayman folks with this delicacy. Her production size allows her to maintain her incredible devotion to quality control and consistency of flavour, colour and texture, all without dyes or preservatives. ( I can’t personally see the need for preservatives anyway; we gobble the jelly up in no time in our house!)

Crackers

The jelly is yummy eaten on Triscuits and with a good cheese. Pepper jelly fanatics swear by cream cheese, pepper jelly and crackers. It’s also lovely with Jamaican water crackers (a plain and very inexpensive biscuit-type cracker that can be found at any Cayman grocery store). My gang slathers it on toasted wheat bagels or Hardough bread (another yummy Caribbean treat-widely available in Cayman) and just about anything that looks cracker-like. It’s great on hot dogs, as a chutney, on pizza, or as a ham glaze. Try a dab on waffles with butter. Try it on rice cakes if you are watching calories. A little goes a long way!

Gourmet Pepper Jelly is a cook’s best friend. I use it frequently in many dishes. It’s great for sweet and sour sauces, dips, glazes, barbeque sauces, basting meatloaf, and all sorts of other uses. Some of my “famous” sauces owe quite a bit to Miss Carol’s secret mixture of locally grown Scotch Bonnet and special seasonings.

Carol Hay

Carol is purist when it comes to her product. She even grows her own Scotch Bonnet peppers, and has over 45 bushes of varying species. She keeps most of them in pots so she can pull them in to the safety of her garage during hurricane threats. The Scotch Bonnet is one of the hottest peppers in the world, and Carol wears a mask and snorkel when she makes the jellies. All this effort just so we can enjoy the best tasting jelly in all of the Caribbean!

In addition to having a jar around the house, Gourmet Pepper Jelly is the best possible welcome gift or departing gift for visitors to our lovely island. It’s 100% made in Cayman with tender loving care. Pick up your supply at Foster, Kirk’s or Hurley’s Supermarkets, all Cafe Del Sol locations, Pure Art Gallery, Pedro St. James, the Red Sail Sports Shop at Rum Point, The Bodden Town Art Shop, The National Trust Gift Shop,  all Jacques Scott locations and Guy Harvey’s Gallery.

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Fort Steet

Cafe Del Sol is Cayman’s largest purveyor of fine coffees, with 3 existing locations in Grand Cayman. The management is proud to announce a fourth much-needed location in busy downtown George Town: Cafe Del Sol Fort Street.

Interior

The bright and airy coffee shop is a beautiful place to stop and enjoy a fine coffee creation or a sandwich. The cafe is decorated with finest of natural materials, such as polished granite, rich honed woods, creamy colored tiles, Mediterranean decor, and fine art. The bustling shop has the usual Cafe Del Sol blend of loyal locals and tourists, all enjoying fresh bakery items, made-to-order sandwiches, smoothies, or top-notch coffee drinks. (Smoothies are made with fresh fruit and come in luscious flavors like banana, blueberry, mixed berry, strawberry-banana, blackberry, melon or mango.) If you like your coffee or tea drinks plain or fancy, Cafe Del Sol has whatever you desire to pick you up or soothe your nerves. An addition to fresh brewed specialty coffee and a large collection of fine teas, the menu features a full range of espresso creations, frappes and coffee alternatives such as Mexican Spiced Cocoa. Swing in and grab a bite to go, or settle in for the wi-fi internet and have your treat on-site. Either way, enjoy what the locals have known for years: Cafe Del Sol is the place to be for coffee, bakery, sandwiches, frozen drinks, and good conversations.

Cafe Del Sol

Pop into the other locations when you’re buzzing around elsewhere in GC: The Marquee Shopping Center off West Bay Road, Camana Bay next to Books and Books, and in downtown George Town on the waterfront in Aqua World Duty Free Mall next to Harley Davidson.

Enjoy!

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Are you in need of fine wines or spirits for your home liquor cabinet? The time to buy is Wild & Wacky Wednesdays in October at any Tortuga Rum retail location, because the folks at Tortuga are offering an unheard of 15% off of any wine or spirits purchase! Stock up now for the holidays, hostess gifts, parties, or for your own personal enjoyment! Tortuga has a fantastic selection of wines and spirits at every location. I don’t know a gosh-darn thing about wines, and the helpful staff is always terrific when I’m shopping for a party or a gift. They know their products, can help with food & wine pairings and can assist even the most clueless wine buyer (like me) with making an intelligent wine purchase. The selection of spirits and wine is excellent. My picky houseguests always make a stop at Tortuga to get a bottle of their favorite top-shelf indulgence when they stay with us, since they know Tortuga has everything from the basics to top of the line spirits and wines.

Stop in at any of the five Tortuga locations (see flyer) and pick up your favorite libations for 15% off, this Wednesday or any Wednesday in October.

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Welcome Home

Are you redoing a rental condo? Moving into a new home? Or simply in need of a fresh new look for a tired room in your home? Or how about that apartment you’re renting; does it need a few things that belong to you, so it looks like “your place”? Well, Cayman people, the most fabulous store has opened at Governor’s Square- “Welcome Home”. Walk in the door and you’ll swear you’re in San Fran, DC or Miami; the store is extremely chic and beautiful. The shocking surprise is the price of the merchandise:very, very reasonable. I had to actually look twice at some of the price tags because I could not believe my eyes. The Welcome Home concept is “High Style at Affordable Prices”. The good news is, the inventory changes constantly, and the store is already very popular, so you won’t be seeing the same things over and over again.  The art and decor items are purchased in very small quantities, so chances are you won’t be seeing something you purchased for your home in the home of someone else.  There will be elegant and stylish events like ‘Black Tie Christmas”, where the store will be decorated in Black, Silver and Red.

Chairs

The inventory is an appealing mixture of casual-chic and elegance. Lots gleaming polished aluminum candlesticks, unusual mirrors, picture frames, and no-tarnish serving pieces. There are lovely silk orchids and other silk plants. The furniture is beautiful: chairs and tables that fuse traditional style with contemporary finishes and upholstery. There are exceptionally pretty toss pillows, super gorgeous glass candle holders, and a trio of over-sized pillar candle holders in polished aluminum that you might want to rush in and buy soon, because I have my eye on them!

Decor

Welcome Home is the place to go for gifts. There are many small items that would make anyone feel better, so if someone needs a lift during this gloomy rainy season, pop over to Welcome Home and pick up a treasure to cheer them up. Anne Roberts or Susan Abbott might be around to help, these two helpful gals are the sisters who brought “Welcome Home” to Cayman. (Susan is the well known marketing & retail person who owns the boutique “Just Add Water” here in Cayman.”)

Silks

I am getting ready to put a condo on the market, and I’m going to box up all our outdated kick-knacks and sweep in with some chic Welcome Home accessories. So you’d better get in there before my big shopping spree!

Welcome Home   10:00 AM-6:00 PM Monday-Saturday

345-949-4663

Governors Square

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