Charleston Doors at Christmas

Queen St. Charleston, SC 

 Festive Charleston doors at Christmas time. Queen St. 

Happy Charleston Holidoors!

Queen St., Charleston, SC

I tried to capture some of the Charleston doors decorated for the holidays this morning and had no trouble finding a good selection.

Folks on the peninsula do put in the effort to keep their properties in fine shape for us wanderers and I appreciated it. It made me come home and get out the rake to gather all the leaves in my own yard and plant a few winter blossoms. Happy long weekend, kids!

Doors of Charleston - Halloween Style

Halloween style! King Street, Charleston, SC 

There seems to be daily sad news lately with today's being the shooting in the temple in Pittsburgh. It is heartbreaking that there is so much hate in this world.

It does me good to get out walking and pound frustrations into the pavement. I am grateful for these home owners who made me smile as I went by.

Protecting Smith St.

Guard lions of Smith St., Smith St., Charleston, S.C.    

These lions guarding an entrance door on upper Smith St. always make me stop and smile and after all, that's what it's all about, right? If I didn't stop and smile and grab a shot the blog wouldn't even exist. Thanks folks!

Christmas doors - Charleston

Charleston, SC   

I think the owners of these houses should earn a tax deduction for entertaining the folks who pass by and stop to admire their home. After all, that is why Charleston keeps winning tourism awards, right? The historic homes are maintained so beautifully, and it costs a fortune. Thank you folks. We appreciate it each time we walk by. Merry Christmas to you and thank you for your beautiful home which we all enjoy,

Charleston doors

Charleston doors, Nunan St., Charleston, SC 

I believe I have enough images to do my own alternative Doors of Charleston poster. These finds are on Nunan St. I love the textured blue in the shot above and below is one of Shepard Fairey's images.

Look for the red door

Red door, Charleston, SC   

Maybe they just like red! It adds a bright splash of color on the white building and the blue shutters are a lovely touch. Just in case there was a deeper meaning I found this - the last reason is the best:

A red door symbolizes several things including welcome, sanctuary and status. In feng shui, the positive energy of the color red is drawn to the front door, which is considered the mouth of the home. Red also invites good luck and happiness during the Chinese New Year
A sign of welcome and warmth, a red door is thought to signify the safety of a house along the Underground Railroad, a route for African slaves escaping captivity and traveling north during the 19th century. In Scotland, a red door signifies the status of a paid mortgage. Some Protestant and most Lutheran churches painted church doors red to identify them as part of the Reformation. Albert Einstein painted his front door red so he could find his house.

Doors of Charleston

Doors of Charleston, Charleston, SC    

I could make the Alternative Doors of Charleston poster to compete with the Doors of Charleston poster.  Trust me. I have the collection.

Boo! 

Doors of Charleston - Bull St.

12 Bull St., Charleston, SC 

This appears to be a door upon a door that is being used as a message chalkboard for the College of Charleston's Department of Art and Architectural History Albert Simons, Jr. Center for Historic Preservation. This building at 12 Bull St. is called the Cameron House after builder Hugh P. Cameron built it in 1851. Here is a slideshow of the property showing the interior.

12 Bull St c.1851

Built in 1851 by Hugh P. Cameron, a crockery merchant, this house has an unusual plan, with two parlors in front, a small room and stairhall at the rear and the entrance in a pavillion on the east side. The interior was remodeled in the 1890s in the Colonial Revival style. The initials of one owner, David Bentschner, a clothing merchant, appear in the cast iron gate.

Doors of Charleston - Jasmine

Jasmine covered door, Montague St., Charleston, SC 

I was in the right place at the right time this morning. I was heading down to the College of Charleston for a reception for the REACH program this morning when I came across this door on Montague St. with the jasmine in full blossom.

There was a car parked right in front so I had to squirm around it to get the shot without the vehicle showing. I was almost tipsy with the scent of jasmine in the air. It is a beautiful time of year in Charleston.

Doors of Charleston

Doors of Charleston, S.C.

When I come across something like this I am almost emotional. Seriously? Someone did this for ME!? Someone I don't even know gave me this gift. Thank you unknown artist.

This won't make it on the artsy Doors of Charleston poster but it is a perfect addition to my collection.

Stay cool kids. It's mighty hot out there. You can follow my walk this morning by the sweat trail.

Doors of Charleston - the alternative collection

Burns Lane, Charleston, S.C.

Hey, I thought it was supposed to rain all day! It wasn't a bad day at all.  I stayed up most of last night reading a book on my tablet so it was a good thing I didn't have to leap out of bed and get to work this morning.

Here are a couple of additions to my Charleston Doors series. It doesn't quite match the poster that is sold to tourists that can be found here: Doors of Charleston Poster. My first shot is on Burns Lane and is the back entrance to Tasty Thai restaurant (Green Curry ....Mmmmmm) and the graffiti door below looks like Patch Whisky's work.

North Charleston, S.C.

North Charleston, S.C.

Doors of Charleston

South Battery, Charleston, S.C.

One of the coolest entrances in Charleston. Isn't this different? Interesting woodwork as well as great iron work.

It's been happy chaos at work this week. I've had holiday luncheons for volunteers at Roper Hospital, Mount Pleasant Hospital, St. Francis Hospital, the Patient Representative Volunteer group. One more luncheon tomorrow when the Ambulatory Care nurses cook for their volunteers and those ladies can cook! I may need to be carried out of the hospital.

Doors of Charleston - the alternate series

 

 

 

Doors of Charleston, King St., Charleston, S.C.

Why do you think this one was left off the Doors of Charleston poster? Huh, huh, huh? I spotted it on King St. and couldn't resist grabbing a shot.

Meanwhile in other news, the purpose of my walk this morning was to replace my broken Charleston Pirate Mug only to discover that the Margaritaville shop is closed. Sob. I've been drinking out of my favorite mug with no handle for weeks and this was the day I was going to take care of it. Sob. How will I drink my tea? I've already burnt my fingerprints off holding the hot mug with no handle.

I hope everyone is having a good long weekend. I send thanks to all the good volunteers who are staffing the desks at Roper St. Francis Healthcare so I can have the day off. Y'all are the best!

Here is another door for our Alternative Doors of Charleston poster. This one is in the building behind Memminger Elementary School on Archdale St. 

Doors of Charleston, Archdale St., Charleston, S.C.

Doors & Blossoms

I am scrambling this week and have nothing clever to say. I am in the midst of coordinating my annual SCRUBS summer health careers camp and trying to keep this happy gang busy and interested. In the evening I upload all of their photos. Luckily I had these photos from my weekend walk downtown.

Don't stay up too late, kids. (I am speaking to myself here).

Musical Doors

Door, 79 Line St., Charleston, S.C.

Wonder what this fellow does for a living? He has made his occupation musically clear with art work. Googling his name I found a testimonial reporting that he is the best instrument repair person in town.

50 Reasons Not to Date a Photographer

Charleston, S.C.

I am not a professional photographer but I do tend to take my camera everywhere I go and I couldn't stop  laughing at these 50 Reasons not to Date a Photographer.  I snitched it from Collette Mruk Photography on Facebook but the link takes you back to the original post. Too funny! I've always said my camera was a single girl's best friend. :)) Enjoy! See how many are true of you:

1. They rather hold their bulky camera, than hold hands with you.
2. On a romantic date, you’ll watch the sun go down and think “Wow this is gorgeous” and they’ll go “mirror lock, tripod, and stop down f/8 at 1/125.”
3. You’ll never be able to enjoy tv, movies, or magazines because they’ll point out all the visual flaws.
4. They like to sit in obscure coffee shop and voyeuristically watch people for great lengths of time.
5. If you’re taking a walk outside and you come across some “interesting light” they will make you sit/stand/pose in public so that they can take a photo.
6. You’ll never get to enjoy freshly cooked meals because they’ll spend 15 minutes taking 20 variations of the same dish with their iPhone.
7. They get angry when your friends go up to them and say “I am interested in photography, can you recommend a good camera for me?  Nothing professional I just want to take pretty pictures.”
8. You’ll wait longer for them to finish analyzing art in a museum than you’ll wait at the dmv
9. Same goes with old used bookstores.
10. When you think they’re giving you their undivided attention, they’re really wondering how they could fix you with a little Clone Tool and Patch Tool.
11. Or they are actually using you to not look so creepy as they people watch everything going on around you.
12. They rather drop $1,000+ on new glass than a purse for you. 
13. You can’t take a photo with them without taking at least five more.
14. If you ask them if you look fat, they’ll say “don’t worry I can photoshop you later.”
15. They’ll never photoshop something simple for you if the content is not up to their “standards.”
16. That photo they randomly took of you yesterday?  Good luck getting them to send it to you.
17. They spend all their time on the computer (and not for porn.)
18. They can’t have a normal conversation with throwing acronyms and random numbers.
19. They still use film cameras.
20. They spend a lot of time with people cooler than you i.e. models, actors, musicians, successful rich people.
21. They’ll be fussy over the position of a common household object, like a coffee cup.
22. They won’t return your calls or text messages, but you can bet they’re still posting pics on Instagram.
23. They like watching old films that you’ve never heard or will ever understand.
24. They like looking at weird things in general.
25. Instead of having penis-envy, they have camera-gear-envy.
26. If there’s a natural disaster in a far away land, they’re already on a plane going over there.
27. Everything is watermarked.
28. They think everyone else’s photos suck.
29. They want to color correct a lot of scenes from Twilight and Jersey Shore.
30. They hate rainbows, especially ones spinning in a circle.
31. Whenever you’re in a group talking and the conversation goes deep, they’re taking notes in some form of Moleskine.
32. They use over priced Moleskine notebooks.
33. They like trespassing into old abandoned buildings filled with health hazards.
34. They always want to show a new photo they took, but don’t really care if you like it or not.
35. They hate your n00bie friend’s new artsy profile picture.
36. Bright, sunny days make them sad, but cloudy, overcast days are apparently great!
37. They’ll take you into places that have “culture” as well a high chance of getting mugged.
38. Your birthday present will be a portrait that they’ve taken of you.
39. You can’t go anywhere new without them stopping to take a photo of everything and anything.
40. They will always bug you to be a test subject.
41. Nothing can ever be naturally pretty, everything must be fixed in Photoshop.
42. Bringing their camera means, bringing 50lbs of equipment.
43. If you break any of their things on accident, you’ll owe them thousands of dollars.
44. You can’t get them a birthday/Christmas present without spending at least $500
45. They are natural hoarders, collecting and keeping piles of old newspapers, packaging, magazines, and other things that “inspire” them.
46. They are weird and geeky.
47. They have hard drives of photos, but probably have printed 10 images.
48. They are always secretly judging your creativity.
49. If you’re ever in auto mode, they laugh at you.
50. They orgasm every time they learn a new lighting technique.

Knock, knock, knockin'....

Door, Charleston, S.C.

Knock, knock, knockin' on the weekend! Yipee. I am home early and have a long weekend ahead. With my brother visiting I decided to tack Canada Day on one and and July 4th on the other. It is the perfect storm of a long weekend and I am so ready. I finished a couple of big projects and hit the road home.

Thanks to Ed Fennell from the Post & Courier for the article on my summer SCRUBS Camp today. Made me very happy!

Friday Hodge Podge

Doors, Charleston, S.C.

I'd make for an odd profile if my car was searched this week: two Japanese swords, two knives with belts, helmet camera, box of pirate wear and a change of clothes that just happen to be all black. I have a good reason for each item but all together they look a little odd.

I will have fifteen minutes on Tuesday morning to dress three hospital CEO's as pirates and I couldn't bear to make them hold cheap plastic swords so I called in favors from my friends (hi Bill!) who had real antique weapons.

Blogspot has been messed up for me and a lot of other people but I think I have it fixed on my end finally. Blah. Things go along merrily and then you wake up and everything is screwed up.

Today's photos: Those worn doors are on my regular walking route and every time I see them without a car parked in front I have to grab a shot. The vines below are confederate jasmine at the community garden on Bogard St. and the chalk heart caught my eye.

I stopped to get my oil changed by the gentlemen at Sears at Citadel Mall on my way home and it gave me the exact amount of time to go to Sesame for grilled corn on the cob and ultimate grilled cheese. It's one of my favorite meals. The phone rang as I licked my fingers and paid my bill and I recommended that they advertise an "Oil Change Special" meal. Normally the Sears auto guys give me a certificate for $5 off a purchase at Sears and I buy myself a pair of panties while I wait. It's not a bad system. Fresh oil, grilled corn and new panties all in one trip.

Spoleto festival begins today. Any good ticket recommendations?

Sermon on the door

King St., Charleston, S.C.

A door shot from my door album. Probably painted over by now. Gotta be quick with the camera.

I came home, made a yummy guacamole salad, found my corner of the couch and nodded off. Zzzzz. It wasn't easy to wake up and go for my march about town but I did it. The weekends are so very sweet lately and then Monday comes and I drive to work thinking of the week ahead and wondering how the heck I am going to squeeze everything in. I put a good dent in the list today. Check, check, check. Busy days, good days.

I need recommendations of good tv shows. I love having something to look forward to and doesn't seem to be anything that I care about right now. Mad Men is off season and Big Love is getting so crazy. What are you all enjoying?