By now, we’ve baked our umpteenth banana bread, binged through Netflix’s catalog, and organized and reorganized our closets. It’s time to get a hobby. Take advantage of this time to learn a new skill, but don’t worry about being the best. It’s more about growing as a person and having fun. Here are some ideas.
Kitsch Stitch
Lycette Designs isn’t your grandmother’s needlepoint project. Founded by a Palm Beach millennial, the cozy, inspirational shop offers everything to get started supply-wise from fibers in a rainbow of hues to canvases with witty sayings such as “No Tan Lines Allowed.” Beyond throw pillows and framed artworks, needlepoint can be applied to most lifestyle items like picture frames and handbags.
https://www.lycettedesigns.com/
Grow a Garden
Whether you’ve always wanted your own pleasure flower or vegetable patch, Florida gardens and farms are ready to help through online seminars, videos and guides for adults and children. Little River Cooperative, an organic farm in Miami, regularly posts tips on subjects such as off-season cover crops. Mounts Botanical Garden arranges garden-to-go packages and teaches how to make a frog bog.
https://littlerivercooperative.com/
https://www.mounts.org/
https://fairchildgarden.org/
Master Chef
With restaurants a no-go zone these days, best to broaden your recipe repertoire. Daniel Boulud and Burgundy wine festival La Paulée partnered in a three-part, virtual summer cooking series for American Express card members. Packages include recipes, paired wines and tasting notes. Sur La Table took its wonderful cooking classes online. Sign up for themes like Chinese takeout, Greek and Baja tacos.
https://www.lapaulee.com/amex-summer-series
https://www.surlatable.com/cooking-classes-1/
Arts & Crafts
Have you ever passed artists painting at their easels en plein air and thought how tranquil they seem? One doesn’t have to be Van Gogh to grab a brush and have a go at it, but you may want to start with some pointers. The Artists’ Nook Studio in Stuart leads socially-distanced classes in several mediums, among these options.
https://artistsnookstudio.com/
http://www.fatvillagecenterforthearts.com/
https://www.artserve.org/
PHOTO BY CRAIG HOUDESHELL courtesy of Palm Beach Florida Weekly
Write Now
Reading has surged during the pandemic as people rediscover the joy of a good book. Some are even considering writing their own work. It doesn’t have to be an 800-page novel, however. Maybe begin with a haiku. The Miami Book Fair’s year-round Creative Writing Workshops further focus on genres including fiction, memoirs, young adult, poetry and more.
https://www.miamibookfair.com/
