DECEMBER 2021 O POTTED TREE A CREATIVE SPIN ON TRADITIONAL TANNENBAUMS FABRIC OF TIME A 1931 WEDDING GOWN GETS NEW LIFE Decking the deck ADD A LITTLE BEACH TO YOUR HOLIDAY DÉCOR EGGNOG AGAIN? OY VEY COCKTAILS TO ADD CHEER TO ANY HOLIDAY PLUS » THE 12 DAYS OF FISHING DECEMBER 2021 $7.99 COASTMONTHLY.COM 645485005999KELLY KELLEY | BROKER ASSOCIATE | RE/MAX LEADING EDGE 4203 Fort Bend Dr | Sea Isle 13358-13380 Stewart Road | Laffites Cove 4119 Greenwing Teal Ct | Sunset Cove 13534 Stewart Rd | Villas at Laffite’s Cove 3610 Port Trinidad | Bahia Azul 4318 Spanish Main | Jamaica Beach 4102 Sand Hill Ct | Sunset Cove 281.794.9463 | KELLY@KELLYKELLEY.COM • KELLYKELLEY.COM/PROPERTY-SEARCH ASK ME ABOUT THE LOTS AT SWEETWATER COVE 20918 W Sunset Bay Dr | Sunset Cove 13430 Stewart Rd | Pirates Cove 4211 Sunbird | Sunset Cove COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2021 3 1510 Marina Bay Dr., Bldg 124, Clear Lake Shores, Texas 77565 281.334.00064 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2021 DeCeMber 2021 | VOLUMe 14 | ISSUe 12 58 14 78 FEATURES 14 ‘BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC’ Couple happily fills 10,000-square-foot home with Christmas spirit 32 DECKING THE DECK Islanders create a coastal Christmas theme at their Colony Park home 36 MEET ANASTASIA GAIDO December cover model dishes on growing up in Moldova, falling in love and joining the famous Gaido family 84 LONE STAR LESSONS Island museum’s new director believes in the teaching Texas history 86 A GETAWAY YEAR Island author finds success in the short-story genre 40 MEET EMILY ROOT December cover designer shares her love of Christmas and how to add seaside accents to the holidays 58 SAVOR THE HOLIDAYS An elegant brunch that is perfect for festive gatherings of family and friends 78 FABRIC OF TIME A 1931 wedding gown gets new life at the hands of an heirloom seamstressContact me with all your Real Estate needs. Jim Rosenfeld BROKER ASSOCIATE Circle of Excellence Award Winner Hall of Fame Member Texas Monthly Magazine Five Star Realtor 2012-2021 Trulia and Zillow Five Star Rating Certified SIRVA Relocation Specialist 713.854.1303 Jim.Rosenfeld@sir.com “My exceptional Galveston team is marketing premier properties from the beaches to the bay — from historic treasures to high-rise condos!” WE ARE YOUR REALTOR ® ! EVIA | 9 Porch Street 4 BR | 3.5 BA | +/- 3,942 SF Last list price $974,880 EVIA | 56 Island Passage 3 BR | 2.5 BA | +/- 2,179 SF Last list price $429,480 SOUTH SHORE | 18 South Shore Drive Incomparable waterfront villa. Breathtaking bay vistas. Glorious great room enhanced by cathedral ceiling. Stunning pro-grade kitchen. Impressive primary suite with private veranda. Elevator. 4 BR | 4.5 BA | +/- 5,437 SF Offered at $990,000 MLS 50302794 EVIA Stellar new construction. Mesmerizing lake, golf course and West Bay vista sites. Gourmet island kitchens. Grand downstairs primary suites. Colossal screened porches. 1, 2 and 3 story plans. Priced from the $400’s Proudly marketing for over 15 years! SOLDSOLD SOLD SOLDSALE PENDING NEW PRICE DIAMOND BEACH | 10327 San Luis Pass Road, #711 4 BR | 3.5 BA | +/- 2,334 SF Last list price $924,880 SOLDNEW PRICE SOLD SOLD SPANISH GRANT | 12804 East Camino Famoso Road Extraordinary waterfront custom. Stunning canal vistas from 2 verandas. Exquisite finishes. Chef’s kitchen. Exceptional primary suite with luxurious spa-style bath. 5 BR | 3.5+ BA | +/- 2,872 SF Offered at $924,880 MLS 68011130 SOUTH SHORE | 22 South Shore Drive 3 BR | 2.5 BA | +/- 3,147 SF Offered at $790,000 MLS 94893976 EVIA | 8 Latitude Lane 3 BR | 2.5 BA | +/- 1,744 SF Offered at $509,880 MLS 80621228 EAST END HISTORIC DISTRICT | 1412 Market Street 4-5 BR | 2.5 BA | +/- 3,210 SF Last list price $724,8806 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2021 46 DEPARTMENTS 22 HOMEPORT Ceilings stand out in this historic Nicholas Clayton house in Galveston 46 GARDEN VARIETY With a shortage of traditional tannenbaums, it’s time to get creative 50 HOOKED Unwrap these must-do angling opportunities this holiday season 54 DOWN HOME This simple crab sauce is part of an islander’s Christmastime tradition 66 DOWN THE HATCH Mazel tov cocktails, snowballs and church punch will add cheer to any holiday 72 TASTE OF TEXAS This condiment’s origins are vague, but Texans relish it 74 GAME ON This wild game dish promises to be a new holiday favorite 76 DESSERT ISLAND Invented by monks, Lebkuchen is a German Christmas tradition 90 PARTY PICS Find out who made the local party scene 94 SAVE THE DATE Area events to keep your calendar booked 50 106 SHUTTERBUGS readers share their coastal photos 54 photo by STUArT VILLANUeVA Coast Monthly has so many people to thank for the success of this issue, including our highly talented team of professionals who helped enhance the natural beauty of our cover model, Anastasia Gaido . A special thanks to: • Desa Polivka, Mary Kay independent sales director, 409.682.1113, www.marykay.com/desa. • Karolina Kilbergero- va, of Hair Tech beauty Salon, 16510 Termini-San Luis Pass road, Galveston, 409.737.4247. We also want to thank Emily Root and daughter, Car- son , who put together a gor- geous Christmas scene. read more about emily inside. Last, but not least, we’d like to thank Mark and Con- nally Burroughs for allow- ing the use of their stunning redfish Cove vacation rental on Galveston’s West end, where we shot the cover. Anastasia’s husband, Casey Gaido, also helped to make it all come together. SPECIAL THANKS 668 COASTMONTHLY.COM | DeCeMber 2021 Ask for Admissions © Copyright: Coast Monthly is published by The Daily News. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine. editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative. WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA coastmonthly.com EDITOR Laura elder PUBLISHER Leonard Woolsey CREATIVE DIRECTOR/ DESIGN EDITOR Melissa rivera PHOTOGRAPHERS Jennifer reynolds Stuart Villanueva CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Carla Peoples Joey Quiroga Capt. Nate Skinner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alicia Cahill Shannon Caldwell barbara Canetti emma Collins Christina Mattison ebert Sue Mayfield Geiger Chris Gray Mark G Hanna Phil Newton Capt. 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Urgent Care locations: Galveston 6416 Broadway (409)744-5437 League City 2240 Gulf Freeway Medical Plaza One (832)505-1234 Texas City 10121 E.F. Lowry Expwy. (409)986-9686 Scan to learn more Galveston Campus 901 Harborside Drive Galveston, TX 77550 League City Campus 2240 Gulf Freeway League City, TX 77573 Clear Lake Campus 200 Blossom Street Webster, TX 77598 Emergency Room locations: Scan to learn moreNext >