Belk Pop Up Shop - King St.

Belk, 341 King St., Charleston, S.C.

It hasn't been long since I walked King St. but there were so many changes this morning it was almost disorienting. Williams Sonoma has moved up the street to a shiny new space. Then, I passed this bright and colorful shop with excited people mingling about. I discovered it was a branch of Belk and was a short term "pop up" store featuring Cynthia Rowley now but will soon promote southern designers. I happened to be there when they made their first sale and the staff broke into applause. 

Post & Courier: Belk department store hasn’t been in downtown Charleston for years, but it will return March 9 for a three-week run as part of the Charlotte-based chain’s 125th anniversary celebration.

Belk will open a temporary shop called Belk @ 341 King at 10 a.m. one week from Saturday, and it will be open through March 31, according to Susan McWatters, Belk regional vice president.

It will feature designs by seven of the 15 winners in the chain’s Southern Designer Showcase competition, including those of dress designer Megan Masters of Mount Pleasant, as well as a line designed exclusively for Belk by Cynthia Rowley, who has a shop at 178 King St.

I asked two of the buyers - Dedra and Katie to pose for me. Good luck ladies! I am sure it will be a big hit.

Food Photo Challenge - Happy Snapping!

I don't feel alone now that everyone is taking pictures of their meals. Holy City Sinner passed along this Food Phone Photo Show challenge. I usually carry a wee pocket camera now but this will be of interest to those of you who snap your dinner with your phone.

Jericho Advisors, a business management firm, is running a contest to find out who has the best food porn in the Holy City. Officially, it’s called the Food Phone Photo Show Challenge, but Food Porn Contest is much more fun to say.  The business is asking for you to take pictures of your food and send it to them for chance at a cash price. A team of three judges – including Chef Craig Deihl from Cypress, Holly Herrick and Erin Perkins – will pick the best photos. Winners can earn up to $100.

Click the image to enlarge for more information how to participate. The contest runs through March 24th.

Pie in the face - for a cause

Charleston, S.C.

Our Physical Therapists allowed their patients to make donations to Water Missions International for the privilege of throwing a pie in their a face. They counted up their donations today and three of them each took a pie in the face. Good fun for a good cause.

The Charleston Walk for Water is coming up at the end of this month. Join the fun at the Walk for Water of consider making a donation: Walk for Water

Beleaf me or not

Reflections

I love these picture. Any one watching may have thought I was nuts. I kept waving my hand around watching the reflection in relation to the floating leaves. I am so easily entertained.

Wasp Catchers

Rosinville, S.C.

This picture in front of the little convenience store in Rosinville. S.C. is a period piece with the chairs lined up and the pay phone in the background, my potential lottery winnings posted in the window, but what caught my eye was the glass jar hanging from the awning. It is a insect/wasp trap. Closer view:

Not that I have a wasp problem but it is interesting. It took me a few minutes but I tracked down these traditional glass wasp catchers from Garrett Wade:

The time-honored way these work is that the wasp (or hornet, yellowjacket, or fly) is enticed by any sweet liquid to fly up into the jar through the hole in the base. Once inside, the bug will invariably drown. When full, you simply pull out the top stopper and empty the Trap. Hang it from any convenient branch, nail or hook; it requires no maintenance whatsoever, except an occasional look-see and cleaning. Leave outdoors all the time, except if freezing.

These are still made in modern forms today, but ours are exact replicas of an antique Victorian wasp trap which we came across years ago during trip through the Lake District in England

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Before & After - Brooks Service Center

Brooks Service Center, Charleston, S.C.

Before & After: I found a couple "before" pictures of the former Brooks Service center that is now the Xiao Bao Biscuit restaurant. Quite a difference!

Now I need to get myself in there and try it. Who has eaten there? Recommendations?

Xiao Bao Biscuit, Charleston, S.C.

I had a cow!

"West Of", Westie Award, Charleston, S.C.

I won a cow! Since I moved West Ashley I was eligible to win one of the annual "Westie" awards from "West Of" newspaper named for our local icon - the Coburg Cow statue. Nothing could have tickled me more. I think you can enlarge the image below to make it readable but I was primarily nominated for all the student mentoring programs I coordinate at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. Happy day!

Editor Lorne Chambers dropped off my cow on Friday afternoon and I've been grinning ever since. Thanks folks!

Citadel Mall Rookery

Rookery by Citadel Mall, Charleston, S.C.

I don't look forward to the post academy award season because theaters replay all the winning movies and I have already seen them. Hmmmph. I ended up going to Citadel Mall to see Safe Haven as my Friday matinee and ordered the kiddie treat pack of popcorn, small drink and  M & Ms. It is the best deal.

Coming out of the theater at dusk I drove my car to the other side of the parking lot to enjoy the thrill of all the birds in the rookery in the pond next to the theater. It is amazing. There are so many birds that the trees look like they have white blossoms.It didn't hurt that I was there at sunset.

Retiring ladies

Annette & her medical posse, Johns Island, S.C.

Oh, what am I going to do when all of my friends retire? Yikes. I still have years to report to my desk.

I went to two retirement parties this week. I tried to go to three but that was a personal problem. I got halfway to Johns Island yesterday when I realized I was a day early. I went anyway and had a private visit with the honoree and everyone had a good laugh at me. I did a re-enactment of the journey today.

My friend Annette the nursing director of the Wellness House at the Our Lady of Mercy Outreach on Johns Island said farewell to her staff and friends this afternoon. The Wellness House offering free dental and maternity care to island folk and migrant workers was her baby. She opened the place, recruited the volunteer dentists and lined up help.The gentlemen in the top picture are Dr.s Principe, Howard and Allen.

Someone gave the little dynamo a hat at the party. Hamming it up with her hat helped diffuse some of the mixed emotions of the day. More than anyone I know, Annette can retire knowing how many lives she has touched with her kindness and humor. Good luck buddy!

Blogger Meet Up

Kate & Jim, Charleston, S.C.

Kate and husband Jim from the Visual St. Paul blog in Minnesota are visiting Charleston and dropped by the hospital for a tour. I was able to treat them to a classy cafeteria lunch and walk through our beautiful garden. Kate has a blog similar to mine featuring pictures from St. Paul but for the time being we can enjoy photos from the lowcountry. They are making the most of their time here. Thanks to everyone on Facebook who suggested places to find the best shrimp and grits in town.

It was a treat to show them where I spend my days. Welcome to Charleston!

Welcoming Porch

Smith St., Charleston, S.C.

Well heck, it's after 11 p.m. already and although I am wide awake, I should be thinking about bed. It was a relief to come home from work and go for a walk without skipping through puddles and getting rained on. I understand that we have had close to ten inches of rain for February with more to come.

Barbara Stroud raved so about her chicken pasta in wine sauce that I picked up pasta on my walk and made that. Just for me. Yum. 

Luckily I stayed up late enough to watch the news to learn what color of shoes the retired pope is going to wear. Not red. Make a note.

This evening's picture is a ground level porch on Smith St. I love wide porches with brick floors. They look so welcoming don't they?

G'night kids. Don't stay up too late. 

Sunny pictures for a rainy day

Smith St., Charleston, S.C.

We had one bright and sunny day on Sunday to give us a break and rain again today. If am so used to walking every day that my legs start to get itchy and twitchy if I don't go out marching. I took advantage on Sunday, parked on Smith St. and headed down the peninsula.

I couldn't take too long since my friend Andre' had picked up tickets to the matinee showing of Les Miserables at the Performing Arts Center. What a treat that was. The music was simply grand.  I still catch myself humming the tunes.

Both of today's pictures are from Smith St. I spotted the two orchids perched on top of a car. The ladies who had been carrying things turned to see me with my camera, assumed I was taking a picture of their house and gave me a bit of history. Truth is the house just made a happy backdrop for the orchids.

Teeny, tiny houses of Charleston

Smith St., Charleston, S.C.

I've featured teeny, tiny houses of Charleston before but this one on Smith St. takes the cake.

I love it when people throw things out on the sidewalk and they are gleaned before the garbage trucks come by. On my walk back up the street I grabbed two watering cans.

Charleston Heart Ball - 2013

Charleston Heart Ball, Charleston Marriott, S.C.

The Charleston SC Heart Ball was held last night at the Marriott Hotel and my friend Amber from the American Heart Association asked me to fill a new role - Red Carpet photographer. How fun! I got to line up all the good looking people, admire their outfits and take their picture. I am watching the Academy Award Red Carpet pre-show and I think lowcountry women held their own very well!

The event includes a silent and live auction of art and wine and it is one of my favorite causes. Take care of your precious heart ladies and gentlemen. I love all the cardiologists and health care providers in attendance but you'd rather not need them. 

Naughty Bites

Spotted Dick, Publix, Charleston, S.C.

I could be more mature but it makes me giggle every time. Spotted Dick is now available in lowcountry grocery stores. I googled to find the origination of the name and came up with a fun article called: Spotted Dick & Other Foods That Sound Dirty But Aren't. They had this hilarious list as well as new ones added in comments. What a hoot!

 Cock-a-leekie soup
Spotted DickBangers and mash
Toad in the hole

Coq au vin
Matzo-stuffed breasts

Eggs in a basket

Mozart balls
Pound cake

Hard rolls
Sticky buns

Stuffing

Bubble and squeak

Rump roast
Head cheese
Whipping cream

Nut goodie
Lik-em-aid
Grape Nuts

Succotash

Banana split
Fish taco
Kumquat
Jerk chickenClamato
Fluffer Nutter
Atomic Fireballs
Blow pops

Nut roll
Conch fritters
Spicy tuna roll
Buttered crumpet
Cochinita

Charleston drought

Flood plains of West Ashley, Charleston, S.C.

The Post & Courier reminds us that despite the rain, we are experiencing a drought. This is what my drought looks like.

I clearly have a drainage issue. I am the middle in a series of three homes without the drainage ditch that all the other houses on my street have but although this section is a state road the S.C. Deptartment of Transportation  wrote me back a pretty letter claiming no responsibility for the water run off from the road. I put off fixing my fence hoping they would put a ditch in but finally gave up and fixed it. I haven't done any landscaping yet because I don't know what to do. The water washes away all the topsoil so it almost seems pointless. I'll make dinner for anyone with any suggestions. Meanwhile I hop from puddle to puddle.

Find something you love to do

Volunteer Nurses, Charleston, S.C.

This picture makes me very proud.

These ladies are all registered nurses who returned to volunteer in the friendly little hospital across the river

How lovely is that? It speaks so much to the reason that they chose their profession - because they love people and are healers. I am not retired and the lady on the right still holds a job as well as volunteering, but the rest of the women spent their careers nursing. When they retired, they came back to do what they loved, minus all the meetings and paperwork. They volunteer in the outpatient reception, pastoral care, newborn nursery, information desk and as Patient Representatives. We are so fortunate to be the beneficiaries of their years of experience. Thanks ladies.

James Beard Foundation Semifinalists

Housemade Ricotta Gnudi, The Macintosh

Eater Charleston shared the James Beard Foundation semifinalists. Yeah! Check out all the Charleston candidates. The finalists will be announced on Monday, 3/18 and the winners will be announced at the James Beard Foundation Awards on Monday, May 6, 2013 at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. We are so lucky to live here. I am glad I don't have to pick winners from this group:

Best New Restaurant
The Ordinary, Charleston, S.C.

Outstanding Chef
Sean Brock, McCrady's and Husk

Outstanding Wine Program
Charleston Grill at Charleston Place Hotel

Best Chef Southeast
Jeremiah Bacon, The Macintosh
Craig Deihl, Cypress
Joshua Keeler, Two Boroughs Larder

Cotton pickin' cotton

Cotton processing, S.C.

Driving the back roads of South Carolina there appears to be more and more cotton each year. Maybe I should consider cotton farming. It appears to be a profitable crop.

In other news, I dashed home from work and made dinner for six people so we could clear the table and solve the world's problems. I think we got things taken care of. Well worth the roasted beet salad, mini chicken pot pies and pear tart. Yum. I always feel like I am playing grown up when I entertain :).

James Christopher Hill does Folly Beach

Planet Follywood, Folly Beach, S.C.

Artist James Christopher Hill happened upon my photo albums and realized what y'all have known for years, I am a big fan. I take a couple pictures of his mural on Planet Follywood every time I am at the beach. I once asked one of the British Black Cabs to park in front of it just so I could get a shot. Here is his etsy shop with darker fantasy, horror and science fiction paintings to steampunk designs and images and his gallery web site.

As far as I am concerned I keep going back to my old favorites of his work - the stars on the side of the building on Folly Beach. Thanks for the smiles James Christopher Hill!