Walking the Dog

Avondale Murals, Charleston, S.C.

Time to walk the dog before it gets too hot out.

I didn't realize quite how much I use my debit card until I couldn't. Bank of America sent me an email alert of suspicious charges. When we backtracked down the list, although they had stopped a $800 charge, there were a series of charges to dating sites including "Christian Cafe." Hmmmph. I hope I meet someone nice. 

I am steering my walk past Harris Teeter this morning. I bought all the ingredients for a Key Lime Pie except for the cream cheese.

Later kids!

Floral Gate

Gate, Charleston, S.C.

There are gates and then there are gates. Isn't this lovely? Again, I'll say these people should be able to put a jar out for tourists to toss coins in to pay for the upkeep of this delightful scene.

Yikes, it is hot out. I've noticed that the latest thing is for people to take pictures of the thermostats inside their cars and post them on facebook. There were quite a few over 100 degrees today.

I had a good day, got a lot done and made it to People Like Us at the Terrace Theater for 4:45 pm.  I looked around and spotted about four other solo movie goes at the same show. Watch out couples - we are taking over! We were together alone, or alone together sitting in the dark theater on a Friday afternoon. My message to single people is "come out, come out, where ever you are". It's a sweet tradition even if they were out of black tea. 

I was stomping my feet and growling about them being out of black tea when two people came up, got my attention and told me they liked my hair. Cheered me up tremendously. I need to remember to compliment strangers more. It is the most lovely thing.

Have a good weekend, kids

Teeny Tiny Houses of Charleston

Water St., Charleston, S.C.

I love the teeny, tiny houses sprinkled between the mansions of the Charleston peninsula and I thought this was one of them. Checking the real estate web site I discover it is a lot bigger than it looks. It has 1,910 square feet, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. So. Not so tiny after all but it is a sweetie. The price isn't so tiny either but worth a look if you have a million to spare.

While we are on the topic, here is a fun pinterest page with wee buildings.

Independance Day Festive Wear

Ledford's Termite & Pest Control, Charleston, S.C.

Yep. It's a festive cockroach ready to celebrate Independence Day. Good grief. The folks at Ledford Termite & Pest Control have a good sense of humor.

Ink good enough to eat

Look familiar? I posted this back in February 2010 after having dinner with chef Sean Brock. He had come from his tattoo artist and we carefully peeled the sticky wrap off his arm to get a picture of his fresh tattoo. It was only partially done at that time. Now look at the amazing image below. Yep. That is Chef Brock's arm featured in Vogue Magazine. How cool is that?! Pretty darn cool. He has all his favorite veggies on his arm.

Thanks to Holy City Sinners for the image scan.

Chef Sean Brock, Vogue Magazine

Rescue Buddha finda a new home

Rescue Buddha finds a new home

Rescue Buddha was found abandoned in the woods at the hospital. Poor fella. Nothing seemed to bother him and he left as cheerfully as he came. Looks like he will be well taken care in his new home with Mandy Coleman - check out those seat belts! On the other hand, he looks like he could be pregnant. We may need to readmit him.

I laugh every time I look at these pictures. That grin is contagious :). 

Sailing down Savannah Highway

Savannah Highway, Charleston, S.C.

I've actually been looking at model ships lately but this wasn't quite what I had in mind. I spotted this crew in the window of a closed store front in the Avondale area of Savannah Highway. Sail on gentlemen!

Swingin' down the lane

Longitude Lane, Charleston, S.C.

Everybody's hand in hand
Swingin' down the lane
Everybody's feelin' grand
Swingin' down the lane

That's the time I miss the bliss
That we might have known
Nights like this
When I'm all alone

When the moon is on the rise
Baby I'm so blue
Watchin' lovers makin' eyes
Like we used to do

When the moon is on the way
Still I'm waitin' all in vain
Should be swingin' down the lane
With you

Frank Sinatra

Charleston does have the sweetest lanes and alleyways. I never get tired of wandering down them.

I am up late working on a work slide show set to music. These things always take longer than anyone imagines don't they? I think I worked it all out finally.

Check out this lovely article Ken Burger wrote about one of my gentlemen volunteers Charlie Black. Thanks Ken! 

G'night kids. Turn the lights out.

Rogue Elephant in Avondale

Avondale, Charleston, S.C.

I am clearly on a mural kick again. This giant rogue elephant is charging a parking lot in Avondale. I grew up listening to stories of rogue elephants terrorizing villages and being hunted down. It was a frightening thrill to imagine. I think I can take this one down but I'll wait until I look him in the eyeballs. It wouldn't be fair to attack a blind elephant.

Interested in the restaurant scene in Charleston? Bookmark the Eater Charleston blog. Makes me hungry just reading it.

This is just beautifully awful: Creepy Taxidermy Art. Too bad it is so expensive.

In fun news, one of my volunteer gentlemen fell in love with the co-worker in my office suite. How fun is that?! I threw a ice cream social for them today before they sneak off to get married and run away on a vacation/slash honeymoon in Ireland. Congratulations Dianna and Bobby! I wish you many years of happiness.

Finally a big enough Teapot!

J's Tea-rific Teapot Museum, Elloree, S.C.

I came across the Teapot Museum by happy accident and was blown away to realize I just missed the grand opening ceremony earlier this week. I didn't expect to come across a giant blue teapot in a parking lot behind main street shops in tiny Elloree, S.C. and now I see it has already made it onto the Roadside America directory. 

I am most upset to have missed soprano Deborah Saverance of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus performing  tea-themed selections at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

ELLOREE — It’s tea time. Julian and Sybil Boland will hold the grand opening of their “tea-rific” museum Saturday, June 9, at the rear of Boland’s Pharmacy on Cleveland Street in Elloree. There, a larger-than-life custom-built teapot will welcome visitors to J’s Tea-rific Teapot Museum.
Julian Boland said the unique 20-foot blue entryway is complete with a spout, handle and lid.
The Bolands have been collecting teapots for at least 20 years. Some of the pots in their collection were purchased by the couple, others were given as gifts, and some have endured long journeys from overseas. Boland said he doesn’t know just how many teapots he and his wife have, but it’s likely in the tens of thousands. He said the teapot museum has been “years in the making,” and credits his wife with arranging, cleaning, collecting and displaying the pots.
Each teapot has a specific place in the museum. For example, Boland hired a carpenter to construct a shelving display in the form of Noah’s ark — and on that display are dozens of teapots depicting the Biblical story.
The ark shelving display is also home to dozens of animal-shaped teapots, keeping in true form the Old Testament story where God instructs Noah and his family to gather two of each animal and place them in an ark to avoid impending flood waters. In the form of teapots, there are dozens of animals aboard the ark. And the museum is flooded with teapots.

Read more: http://thetandd.com/news/tea-rific-teapot-museum-to-open-in-elloree/article_4c066670-b1f1-11e1-8758-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1ykjbKhVS

Fresh tea, straight from the spout!

Before......

Murals at Avondale, Charleston, S.C.

I was checking on the progress of the murals behind the Avondale shops of Savannah Highway when I came across this one in the beginning stages. This mural is by Designs by Empwr and will be based on the image she is holding below. I'll have to go back soon so I can share the finished mural.

Designs by Empwr

Aaaack!

Charleston, S.C.

Mommy. I'm scared. Freaky!

Yeah, it's Friday!

East Bay St., Charleston, S.C.

This is a frequently photographed section of East Bay St. and it's easy to understand why. It is such a delight to everyone going by that the owners should leave a coin jar out for us all to chip in on maintenance.

I stayed up until midnight last night finishing a work project so I felt justified slipping out to catch my Friday matinee at the Terrace Theater. I saw Moonrise Kingdom and sat in the dark theater grinning to myself. I loved it. Go see it! Thank you, thank you Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis and gang.

Now, someone left a bottle of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur in my frig and I am going to have to deal with it. In other news, I ordered chest #5 this morning. Woohoo! Can't wait.

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Charleston, S.C.

Isn't that beautiful? The iron work is so delicate.

I walked through the local neighborhoods and popped into Jason's Deli for my Wild Salmon-wich.  It has  become a quick bite favorite. Yum.

Wild Salmon-wich: Marinated, grilled wild Alaskan Sockeye, salmon, guacamole, roma tomatoes, leafy lettuce, chipotle aioli on toasted herb, focaccia. Served with fresh fruit, steamed, veggies or baked chips. $8.29

I can't bring myself to care about Klout so if you are on it and want K+ let me know.

Time to start thinking about the Lowcountry Heart Walk fundraising again. I usually coordinate a huge and creative team for Roper St. Francis Healthcare. I need some original fundraising ideas kids so holler if you think of anything brilliant. We do have a lot of employees on staff so if any companies want to work on anything fun with me that would raise money let me know!  The walk will be held on 9/29. Think about rallying a team and registering!

Check out this link: Painting Her Subjects. Like them? Except they aren't paintings. They are people, painted. Amazing.

Crepe Myrtle Season

Crepe Myrtle, Charleston, S.C.

Charleston's colorful summer gift - Crepe Myrtles trees. They have a distinctive smooth bare trunk. When I was teaching my kids the names of trees I would always say, "Myrtle! Get some clothes on!"

Camp Breathe Easy 2012

Camp Breathe Easy, Charleston, S.C.

Three cheers for Camp Breathe Easy! Each year the folks from the American Lung Association call to see if I will take their camp photos and I meet them at the College of Charleston cistern. Wow....this is some high energy gang! The camp is held each year to teach kids how to manage their asthma and have a little fun along the way.

Dear Decorating Advisors

Silver Chest #1

Okay then kids - I need your advice. I've moved from a house built in 1840 with high ceilings to a little cinder block ranch house built in 1950. I had to actually dump large pieces of furniture at consignment stores along the way on moving day. Now I need some lighter fun pieces and have in my mind that I need a silver painted or mirrored chest for my living room. 

This is the selection I can find. What do you think? Which one do you like best? Let me know in comments which one strikes your fancy.

Silver Chest #2

Silver Chest #3

Silver Chest #4

Silver Chest #5

Window Box Love

Charleston Window Boxes, Charleston, S.C.

I wonder if there are gardners who just go around maintaining these wonderful window boxes. I walked the lower peninsula this morning and felt I was walking in a garden. The crepe myrtles and oleanders are in full blooms as well as these glorious flowers.

G'night kids. Time to see what the new week has in store for us!

Holy Cow!

Tradd St., Charleston, S.C.

What the heck? Somebody's got some 'splainin' to do. That is one well endowed bull on the roof.

Lazy Weekends

View of Marion Square, Charleston, S.C.

I've been so busy lately the idea of a weekend with nothing scheduled sounded like pure heaven and so far it has been. I think everyone but me spent the day at the beach and that is the way I like it. I prefer heading  to the beach when I won't have to share it with a cast of thousands. I enjoyed a pizza lunch with a water view and then dinner with my son at the Early Bird diner. My tv had been on the blink for a few days so I am catching up with recoded Daily Shows and Stephen Colbert.

Charleston Garden, Smith St., Charleston, S.C.

I hate to think I would buy art by the yard but I have an ugly eyesore on my wall that I have to cover up with something and it is exactly one yard high. Uuugh. I've looked at prints and mirrors and finally went through my pictures to see what might enlarge to that size. Then the cost of getting a large print framed made me bang my head against the wall. Finally I tried one of the cheapo prints on canvas places with this image below from Cypress Gardens. Hope it works!

How old is this coffee?

Spin the Styrofoam cup dial

Ha! I thought this spin the Styrofoam cup dial was so clever I had to take a picture of it. This coffee was made at 1:30 a.m. Since I took the picture around 9 a.m. I reckon it had been sitting there for a while.

Bird Heaven

Middleton Place, Charleston, S.C.

How much more beautiful could heaven be? The lowcountry is one glorious place to live. This scene is at Middleton Gardens at the river below the more formal lawn. Not everyone bothers to go that far but I was happy I did.

Bit by bit my little house is coming together. My handyman works full time but spends an amazing amount of time here. The house is painted on the outside now and the improvement makes me smile every time I pull into my drive. Everything he fixes delights me. I've been hearing a lot of "Was that you I saw walking down Savannah Highway?" lately. Apparently I have a recognizable stride :).

SCRUBS Camp Field Trip Day

SCRUBS Camp 2012, Charleston, S.C.

I will return to regular programing shortly but for this week I am consumed with forty four teenagers who think they want to work in healthcare. I love 'em! Today I arranged a bus to pick them all up and we took a field trip to Trident Technical College. They opened up all their health career labs for the kids to explore including the very cool simulator mannequin lab.

Take a close look at the background in the shot above. There is no real equipment in the shot. The kids are posing in front of a hanging curtain.

Many thanks to Dr. Hernandez and the team at Trident Technical College for welcoming my happy gang!