Feather + Bloom Blossoms in St. Augustine

Feather + Bloom Blossoms in St. Augustine

Growing up on a farm, Brandi Williams’ was immersed in nature at a young age. Picking strawberries, raspberries, corn, sugar snap peas and harvesting seasonal crops was a part of life.

Now Brandi won’t claim she loved the chores associated with farming and homesteading but she was always awed and inspired by the beauty and detail of nature’s gifts that each season brings.

Fast forward to Brandi’s adult life where she has a career far removed from the rural setting of her childhood. She comes home from her 9 to 5 management position and releases the stress of her day by pulling weeds and planting her garden. 

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The Spice and Tea Exchange Provides Guests a More Flavorful Life

The Spice and Tea Exchange Provides Guests a More Flavorful Life

Founded in 2008, The Spice & Tea Exchange® was formed by a group of talented individuals with a passion for life and food.

The Spice & Tea Exchange's® mission statement "Creating & sharing the experience of a more flavorful life," is the cornerstone of the company which strives to provide guests with quality products and flavorful memories.

Made here in St. Augustine, Florida, The Spice & Tea Exchange® offers food lovers, chefs, and tea enthusiasts a unique shopping experience filled with culinary delights. 

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Deep Roots Anchor The Raintree in St. Augustine’s Community

Deep Roots Anchor The Raintree in St. Augustine’s Community

Delighting guests with an exquisite intercontinental menu for nearly 40 years, The Raintree Restaurant is a culinary mainstay in downtown St. Augustine.

The Raintree’s cuisine blends Mediterranean, American and Asian flavors in a variety of superb steak, pasta and seafood dishes. Among locals, the restaurant is perhaps most renowned for its Beef Wellington. The Raintree’s decadent dessert bar is a late night favorite for St. Augustine residents. The restaurant boasts an extensive wine list accompanied by knowledgeable staff to help guests choose the perfect bottle. And don’t miss Sunday brunch featuring a full menu of crepes and croques, sandwiches and salads plus a full continental buffet.

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RJ Higgins Discovers a New Life through Art

RJ Higgins Discovers a New Life through Art

Some artists might say their work is a hobby, an interest, a passion. But for RJ Higgins, art has been a new lease on life.

After a serious accident seven years ago, RJ was paralyzed from the neck down deeming him an incomplete quadriplegic. Through physical therapy and a LOT of soul searching, he has been fighting his way back to do things most of us take for granted.

Early on, RJ’s therapists tried to point him to art to improve his use of his arms and hands. But as he was still coming to grips with his situation, trying to draw or paint was the last thing on his mind.

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Slow Food First Coast: Moving Toward a More Delicious and Sustainable Future

Slow Food First Coast: Moving Toward a More Delicious and Sustainable Future

Good. Clean. Fair. Food for all. These are the core values of Slow Food First Coast.

What does that mean? Let’s take a look.

Good
The word good can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For Slow Food, the idea of good means enjoying delicious food created with care from healthy plants and animals. The pleasures of good food can also help to build community and celebrate culture and regional diversity.

Clean
When Slow Food talks about clean food, they are talking about nutritious food that is as good for the planet as it is for our bodies. It is grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems and promotes biodiversity.

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Florida Greek Guy Spices ARE Made to Taste!

Florida Greek Guy Spices ARE Made to Taste!

Opa! That’s what Florida Greek Guy Spices will have you shouting when you taste the explosion of flavors in his spice blends.

Made right here in St. Augustine, Bill Lulias, the Florida Greek Guy, has been committed to creating unique flavors for 30 years. He offers seasoning solutions for just about any dish. Among the products he makes are an All-Purpose Blend, Poultry Blend, Meat Blend, Fish Blend, Greek Village Blend, Island Blackened Fish Blend and Greek Opa! Blend.

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Ancient City Soccer Club: Providing Fun for St. Augustine’s Kids For 25 Years

Ancient City Soccer Club: Providing Fun for St. Augustine’s Kids For 25 Years

When kids are asked why they play soccer, the answer is simple: Because it’s fun! (And really, what’s not to love about running around on a wide open field with a ball?)

Since 1983, Ancient City Soccer Club has been providing fun for the youth of St. Augustine and St. Johns County through the game of soccer.

ACSC is an organization of players, coaches, parents, and friends of the game of soccer who are dedicated to the development of players and coaches to their highest potential. ACSC was established to provide an unparalleled personal growth experience through the game of soccer and to promote a life-long love for the sport.

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San Sebastian Winery: Dedicated to Your Good Taste

San Sebastian Winery: Dedicated to Your Good Taste

Wine is arguably the most beloved beverage in the world. One could also argue that St. Augustine is one of the most beloved cities in the world. At least, we think so.

Thanks to San Sebastian Winery, we have a double superlative: the most beloved beverage made in the most beloved town.

Since 1996, San Sebastian Winery has been making wine locally on King Street in one of Henry Flagler’s East Coast Railway buildings, just a few blocks from historic downtown.

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St. Augustine Furniture: Built to Last

St. Augustine Furniture: Built to Last

Finding outdoor furniture that withstands Florida’s humidity, rain and salt air can be challenging. Living by the beach – coupled with a dislike of rusty tables and chairs – inspired St. Augustine’s Michael Wiles to build his own patio and yard furniture.

What started as personal project to create nautical outdoor furniture for his home by the St. Augustine pier quickly turned into a business. Friends and family would come over wanting to buy the pieces Michael had made.

So, he started making “fish chairs”, Adirondack chairs in the shape of fish. Then, people started bringing Michael photos of things they wanted, so he began building all types of pieces. Initially, he worked out of his back yard (no rent is the best!) but his business grew so quickly that to keep up with all of the orders he hired woodworkers and opened his store at 96 South Dixie Highway.

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Nessting at Made in St. Augustine

Nessting at Made in St. Augustine

Yes, you too can “nesst” at Made in St. Augustine - and you don’t even have to be pregnant.

Patricia Ness hand-makes essentials for babies, toddlers and children including blankets, bibs, burp cloths, diaper changing mats, hair accessories, toys, pacifier clips, nursery art and more.

The idea for her shop, The Nesst, came to Patricia while she was seeking gifts for several of her pregnant friends. What quickly became clear to her was that she just couldn’t find the style of gift to fit her friends’ hip and modern style. So, Patricia decided to make the gifts herself.

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Lifting St. Augustine’s Spirits

Lifting St. Augustine’s Spirits

A group of St. Augustine locals shared a dream and created a business collaborative. They wanted to bring the national movement of distilling super premium, small batch spirits to our community. And they wanted to do it better than anyone in the world.

As St. Augustine Distillery turned their dream into reality, they gained a widespread reputation for their handcrafted products and lifted our spirits along the way.

They knew that if they could bring some of the world’s best distilling experts here – the oldest and coolest small city in America – with access to locally grown sugarcane, wheat, corn and citrus, they could develop a finer quality spirit than just about any other place in the world.

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Twist and Shout with Magical Melodies

Twist and Shout with Magical Melodies

Sing like nobody’s listening. Dance like no one’s watching. Live like it’s heaven on earth.

That’s what it’s like at Magical Melodies in St. Augustine.

Magical Melodies hosts music classes for young children, ages 8 months to 5 years, with a caregiver. Step into Michelle Smith’s class and you’ll be surrounded by moms, dads, grandparents and nannies singing out loud and cutting a rug with their little ones.

At first glance, Magical Melodies’ classrooms appear to be filled with kids and adults just having a grand time – which they are! However, Michelle actually integrates the serious business of learning into this fun and relaxed setting.

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Local Maker Turns Pallets into Home Décor

Local Maker Turns Pallets into Home Décor

Sometimes a hobby just falls into your lap. That’s what happened to Tim Pollock when he bought a house in 2012 along with an oversized garage filled with tools and a workbench.

Seeing an opportunity in what some might have discarded as leftover “stuff,” Tim started tinkering with woodworking and even decided to refinish his hardwood floors. Tim spent the next two years experimenting with shelving and signs. His interest was piqued and he took a part-time job installing wood floors. This improved his skills (and comfort level) working with different saws.

These days, he has taken his newfound woodworking talents to the next level. Tim works out of his garage in St. Augustine with his two children, a 7-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, who assist their dad in Pollock Pallet Designs’ mini assembly line. The kids help rip up pallets and Tim sands and stains.

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The Adventure Project: Recess for Any Age

The Adventure Project: Recess for Any Age

When was the last time you played your way to adventure?

You probably don’t remember. Because like most, you get caught up in the responsibilities and routines of daily life.

Amy Angellili recognizes this – but also believes in unlocking the possibilities and potential that lie dormant within every one of us.

Which is why she created The Adventure Project. Based in St. Augustine, The Adventure Project facilitates interactive, immersive experiences that enable you to be in the moment, connect to other life explorers and perhaps even discover your own unique life adventure.

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Eat, Drink and Be Irish at Meehan’s

Eat, Drink and Be Irish at Meehan’s

Located on St. Augustine’s bayfront, Meehan's Irish Pub & Seafood House is the place for locals and visitors to feel right at home. Have a pint, swap a story, and stay for dinner.

Traditional Irish food and signature seafood dishes, such as corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips and Shepard’s Pie are some of Meehan’s specialties. The menu also offers a variety of burgers and sandwiches, as well as a raw seafood bar and local seafood favorites. Guests should definitely try their signature dishes, Bangers and Mash, as well as the Seafood Tower. 

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Addie Gibson Art Sheds Light on Mental Health

Addie Gibson Art Sheds Light on Mental Health

Since she was a little girl, Addie Gibson has loved drawing and painting. Having grown up in the surfing culture, she decided to marry her passions. And that’s how St. Augustine’s Addie Gibson Art came to be.

But Addie Gibson Art isn’t just about pretty paintings (although they are that too!). Addie’s goal is to bring joy to people’s lives through her bright colors, literally and metaphorically.

Her underlying mission is to raise awareness for mental health. Addie wants people to know it’s alright to talk about these issues and to help end the negative stigma attached to mental health. Her art is the perfect outlet for this platform.

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For The Love of Wood!

For The Love of Wood!

Brought up on a farm in the world of simplicity and entrepreneurship, Michele Dzioba learned it’s most important to do what you love and live life with passion. As the name of her business, For the Love of Wood, implies, Michele pursues her dreams through woodworking right here in St. Augustine.

In an effort to be frugal, the first time Michele picked up a power tool (an old skillsaw) was to transform a dresser into a media stand. It was then that she realized her desire to explore the world of wood and its possibilities – but not in the aspect of refinishing the work of others – but to create! 

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Grown in St. Augustine

Grown in St. Augustine

A few seedlings and a lot of patience have flourished into an organic nursery, composting initiative and market garden.

Dog Day Gardens, a local business committed to growing organic food, is thriving and nourishing St. Augustine and surrounding areas.

Owner Shelby Stec says food production is the root of many of our current social and environmental issues. To address these issues, the question is always, “How do we push a broken system to produce more?” when the real question should be “How can we fix this so it serves all people and the environment?”

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Pioneering Education in St. Augustine

Pioneering Education in St. Augustine

Keeping up with technology is paramount in our children’s education. But so is ensuring tomorrow’s leaders have a foundation in basic skills. While these two educational models may seem at odds, St. Augustine’s Cristina Pope and Teri Aboulafia have successfully married the two in The Pioneer School.

The Pioneer School is a private, non-profit middle school that blends high-tech education with the teaching of life skills.

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Matthews Design Group Helps “Make” St. Augustine

Matthews Design Group Helps “Make” St. Augustine

A local company that started with only three people almost 12 years ago has now grown to a 30-person civil engineering, design and consulting firm that quite literally helps “make” a lot of St. Augustine.

Matthews Design Group has worked on a variety of projects including Diane’s Market, River House, Ice Plant, SJC Health and Human Services, Flagler College dormitories, the St. Augustine Bayfront Park and several residential developments - just to name a few.

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