Back in home base for this weekend’s video,  stayin’ warm against our version of chilly weather. Another way to stay warm in Sarasota is a nice fire out back at the Cock & Bull Pub! The holidays and warm feelings are right around the corner. With this weekend let the inspiration and giving begin! Join me in welcoming Josh Gracin to Sarasota! Josh Gracin at Jake’s Tavernfacebook.com/JakesTavernfacebook.com/events/177394652396382/?ref=ts&fref=tsShow at the Cock & Bull: Big Blue House w/Lauris Vidal and The W0olly Bushmenfacebook.com/cock.n.bull?ref=ts&fref=tsfacebook.com/events/283376868447289/Kurt Wenner and Lazy Fairy Improv in Burns Courtfacebook.com/pages/Burns-Court-Cinema/113657608655303facebook.com/events/510498512295903/?ref=ts&fref=tsfacebook.com/lazyfairyimprov?ref=ts&fref=tsSarasota Chalk [...]

Marc Rasmussen is the Broker/Owner of DWELL Real Estate in downtown Sarasota, Fla. He has been selling real estate in the Sarasota area since 2000 and has worked at several large brokerages including RE/MAX Alliance, Sotheby’s and Michael Saunders. If you have ever searched online for anything pertaining to Sarasota real estate, you probably have run across Marc’s LuxurySarasotaRealEstate.com website. He was one of the early adopters of marketing real estate on the internet. Downtown remains one of the most sought-after areas to live in Sarasota. Along with living on the beach, [...]

Walking up to Laurel Phipps’ house I am greeted by prayer flags and a patio set with chairs opened outward, seeming to say, “sit here, sit here.” I decline the unspoken request and ring the doorbell which brings our hostess’ warm smile and open heart. The first colors meeting my eyes upon crossing the threshold are blue-greens and warm browns. A butterfly wall hanging to the left of the door connotes playfulness and the large paintings upon open walls bring nature inside. Soothing colors, the ambient placement of furniture and [...]

- For more photos, visit and “Like” Instudio E on Facebook.   To get our weekend rolling, on Friday we stopped at a great fundraising night by the water on Siesta Key for “Leis for Strays,” hosted by Sarasota in Defense of Animals. The benefit included a live auction by Bob Harrigan and Linda McKnight. Our event hosts were Elise Matthes and Sue Waxman of SDA, and Gina Iovine of the Humane Society of Southwest Florida.   And for our after-10 p.m. dinner, we stopped at the Bearded Clam Waterfront Restaurant & Tiki Bar [...]

The noise ordinance, homelessness and now mobility — we need your turnout on Thursday, Nov. 1 at one of two 90-minute sessions (one at 4 p.m. and the other at 6) held at City Hall. The Mobility Study (see the flyer here) is more than a transportation plan. Done well, it will be the support framework for a creative city. Before we get to details, it’s good to think big picture. Here is our short list of the principal ideas to drive the effort (so to speak): • Develop different [...]

As the social calendar starts rolling along, I get very excited about some of the key events of the season. It’s true that Sarasota likes to party, and we do it all year long. As soon as fall hits, the first invitations and committee meetings start to fill the schedules of everyone in town. One of the best-attended events is Key to the Cure, held this year on Oct. 20 and hosted by Saks Fifth Avenue to benefit the Women’s Cancer Care Program within the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System. Along with [...]