Sanders Hot Fudge Cream Puff… oh paleeeez!

On April 6, 2013April 3, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD1 Comment

You know how it is when you have something on your mind and it won’t go away? Like a song… or a commercial (even worse) or Sanders Hot Fudge Cream Puff… oh my gosh. How I wish I could get to a Sanders right now and make myself happy, ha ha… I remember Sanders when I was a kid growing up, what a treat! A few years ago my mom, sister and I went to Mackinac Island for a getaway… and Sanders was there! What a surprise! Is there something from your childhood that you remember that instantly makes you smile! Savor those memories!

For those of you who got out and ran the COOPER RIVER BRIDGE RUN, WOOHOO! I congratulate you! I think you deserve an ice cream… wish there was a Sanders here, but we have plenty of great ice cream shops… enjoy!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… James Richards! Show this evening…

On April 5, 2013December 16, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist4 Comments

Light Dance by James Richards – Image: Galerie on Broad

I love the paintings by James Richards. Rarely do I have a problem selecting which painting to use in a post, but these are all so good! Charleston paintings with a different twist which I adore! This evening there is an art walk downtown (Charleston, SC), and James will have a show of his paintings at the Galerie on Broad (located on Broad Street) and (lucky us!) he will be doing a painting demo. Hope to see you there, I wouldn’t miss it! For those of you who aren’t in Charleston, you can check out his work via the gallery website or James Richards’ website!

One more… because I couldn’t resist…

Neighborhood Marsh by James Richards – Image: Galerie on Broad

Read a blip about James from the Galerie on Broad website:

James Richards is driven by a passionate
connection with nature and a deep sense of
obligation to relay his vision in the most truthful
manner possible. This ethic, manifested in his
work, is giving Richards paintings their own
place in the world of art today.

A self taught artist, James has spent years
studying the nuances of paint which has given
him a keen sense of understanding and control
over the medium. James is an advocate of
painting from life and spends his time traveling
the world in search of new inspiration.

He has won multiple national awards and is
regarded as one of the top landscape painting
instructors in the country. James Richards
paintings are internationally collected.

Here is some information about the art walk from CharlestonGalleryRow.com website, more info on their website… also other galleries in the area will be participating, so check it out!:

Located along Historic Broad Street, Gallery Row opens its doors for “First Fridays on Broad” and a variety of other events hosted by the 16 galleries, restaurants, and boutiques on the Row.
Description
Ellis-Nicholson Gallery, Hamlet Fine Art Gallery, Martin Gallery, COCO VIVO Fine Art |Design, UTOPIA, Edward Dare Gallery, Mary Martin Gallery, Bernie Horton Gallery, Spencer Galleries, Lambert Gray Gallery, Ella Walton Richardson Fine Art, Galerie on Broad, Robison Richards Gallery.
Immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of artistic vision created by local, emerging and nationally recognized artists… with a visit to Charleston’s Gallery Row on Historic Broad Street. Charleston was at one time the richest city in America. As such, Broad Street was the banking center of the busy port town, lined with grand old bank buildings from the 1800’s, Broad Street has been transformed into a street of the cities most diverse, fine art galleries, known as Gallery Row.

Charleston has been named one of the top art destinations in America, with Gallery Row being a destination within itself. Stroll Gallery to Gallery, on our broad, pedestrian friendly street, browsing award winning, oil, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, mixed media, photography, clay, stone, pottery, art glass, sculpture, bronzes, outdoor sculptures, and many works by exceptional artists you will not find in any other fine art destination. The charm of the Antebellum South surrounds Gallery Row with the famed Rainbow Row, the Battery with its stately mansions, and gorgeous views.

Gallery Row offers many culturally abundant events to include, first Friday art walks, the first Friday of every month, October’s Taste of The Arts, sponsored by Charleston’s famed Restaurant Association, February’s Blues On Broad, a yearly December brunch, customer appreciation dinners, “Meet the Artist” events, artist workshops, special event venues, gallery tours and much more.

A trip to Charleston by art lovers will not be complete without a stroll down this street, There is convenient parking located at both ends of “The Row.” Within walking distance of Gallery Row are some of Charleston’s most charming hotels, Inns , Bed And Breakfasts and award winning restaurants.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

House Plan Thursday… Sweet cottage!

On April 4, 2013August 6, 2021 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans2 Comments

Lowcountry Cottage, Southern Living Plan SL-1121 by Moser Design Group

First of all, let me say THANK YOU TO FRED STROUD, for the endless resources he has provided for this post! I wanted {desperately} to show you photos of the interior and I wasn’t coming up with any {whine, whine} he overheard me {as I talk to myself, sigh} and said that you can RENT this house at Palmetto Bluff, so there ARE images for you to see, woohoo! Thanks Fred, you saved the day!

This is one of our favorite plans, the Lowcountry Cottage by Moser Design Group for Southern Living. We have dreamt many a dream about what furniture we would put where, how we would configure it to suit our needs, and of course to find a nice waterfront {this is a dream, so might as well dream big my friends!} lot to plop this house on!

This is another wonderfully open plan… another plan where the master is in the back of the house, making it more private. It’s not a small house as the image implies, it goes back rather far, square footage is a little over 2100 square feet. The images of the house plans are from houseplans.southernliving.com – this plan is called the LOWCOUNTRY COTTAGE.

You have the option of one or two bedrooms upstairs… I think I would go for the two bedroom (alternate version)… make one storage and one a guest room… We don’t need another large bathroom, I would make it a single sink vanity with maybe a linen closet built in next to it instead of a double sink…

Click HERE (then select the 2 bedroom Wilson Home to see photos) to go to the Palmetto Bluff website where you can rent this cottage… it shows a few interior photos which is nice… Here’s the kitchen, the one thing I love are the windows! No cabinets above… Let that sunshine in! There are a few things I would change for us personally, but the windows are ideal!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

All images via moserdesigngroup.com, used with permission…

Images are not for construction or reproduction, they are property of the design firm.

Featured Artist… Robert Abele!

On April 3, 2013December 20, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist1 Comment

In the Village by Robert Abele – Image: Addison Art Gallery

As my nephew would say, IKR (I know, right?)! This is stunning. Robert Abele is the artist and he is FABULOUS! His work reminds me a bit of Charles Sovek with a hint of Robert Movalli, both wonderfully talented artists whose work I admire so much! His work is fairly new at Addison Art Gallery (one of my favorites… I haven’t been there yet, but ONE DAY!), Helen Addison has some of the most fabulous artists ever! LOOK at the looseness of Robert’s work… the light, the shadows… stunning!

Beach Cottages by Robert Abele – Image: Addison Art Gallery

This is another fabulous painting, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the power lines, the road, the water, the houses, absolutely everything about this! Great work! Check out Addison Art Gallery’s website or better yet, stop in and say hello!!

Here’s a blip about Robert from his website:

Robert Abele was born in Bronxville, NY in 1969. He has spent his life making images of the New England landscape. Madison Connecticut, North Fork of Long Island and Provincetown are a few of the places close to Robert’s heart. His paintings are done from life, plein air, in the tradition of Corot and Monet. Responding to the changing effects of light and atmosphere, capturing quick nuances and shifts in line and color. Robert studied art in New York at the School of Visual Arts, graduating in 1993 with a B.F.A. in fine art. Marilyn Minter, Juan Gonzalez and James McMullan were only a few of the professors that affected Robert’s early development as an artist at SVA. Robert’s work has appeared in the New York Times and The Washington Post. Many of Robert’s works have won national awards, often regarded as a painter’s painter.
Robert is inspired to paint what he calls a vanishing history of America’s past. This on going life’s passion to preserve the gentle New England coast is his muse as his dialog with this subject matter will continue to challenge him visually.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Hiking the Appalachian Trail… do you know what a JUJU is?

On April 2, 2013December 13, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVEL4 Comments

An image from Jessie Campbell’s blog “AN EXTRAORDINARY HIKE“

Jessie Campbell, this former Monhegan one-room school house teacher is currently hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT). WHAT??!! I know! Holy Cow!

We ran across Jessie’s blog and have been addicted to it ever since. Jessie is a gutsy girl who has done lots of research to determine exactly what to pack, how much weight to carry, etc. Her story is fascinating. Her blog has lots of photos and videos, she talks about the different people that she meets along the way. And let me tell you…. this has restored my faith in humanity. People ARE good. You wouldn’t believe it! I highly encourage you to check it out, I think you will quickly become as addicted to this blog as I am! This is a serious exercise in patience, strength and faith for sure! This is a six month adventure. Can you imagine??

Another photo from Jessie’s blog… these aren’t easy conditions that she’s hiking in… I mean LOOK AT HER HAIR… IT’S FROZEN! She has run into some cool people that are so wonderful! Check it out!

Hey, before Jessie left, she asked if people would send a JUJU… (this is so neat, JUJU is a gypsie or jungle word for LUCK or MAGIC) – If you could write Jessie an email (islandteach@gmail.com) filled with words of encouragement, support, jokes or a simple YOU CAN DO IT. She says to feel free to include photos, song files or anything that would lift her spirits in case of bad weather, blisters or whatever else may come up in this six month period. In the SUBJECT line of your email put AT JUJU (Appalachian Trail Juju).

Then simply type your words of encouragement and/or attach anything that you think may help. She’ll save these AT JUJU email’s for when she really needs them. Talk about words of encouragement! This is so cool and only takes you a minute. Also, if you include your address she’ll send you a postcard and let you know how she’s doing! (Read Jessie’s post about JUJU HERE)

Here’s a short blip about Jessie from her blog:

I am a former one-room school house teacher who spent the last five years living ona kick ass island off the coast to Maine. I love my life, my family, my friends… and most of all… my dog. I have been planning this AT hike for the last six years so this adventure will literally be a dream come true and I plan on making the most of it.

Personally, I’m looking forward to the book as well ;) Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Charleston Artist… Charles Williams!

On April 1, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

Painting by Charles Williams

Charles Williams is an immensely talented artist. I love how he blends his realistic paintings with a contemporary twist. Pizazz! His paintings are wildly realistic, and I swear you can FEEL the movement from them… especially the Ocean Works… After viewing a few I think that I came close to needing a Dramamine (in a good way!)! How cool to have something still show movement. Very talented!

Check out Robert Lange Studios Fine Art Gallery for more of Charles’ work!

Read a blip about Charles from his website:

Charles Williams is a professional contemporary realist painter from Georgetown, South Carolina and a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art. From utilizing oils for the basis of landscapes, each painting captures his reflection of human emotions in response to and in sync with the natural environment. Recent achievements and awards include a Hudson River Landscape Fellowship, featured work in the Artists Magazines 28th Annual Art Competition, honorable mention from Southwest Art Magazines 21 Emerging Under 31 competition, 2012 Winner of the Fine Art Category from Creative Quarterly, 2013 selected artist for 28th Positive Negative juried art exhibition at East Tennessee State University, juror/curated by Michael Ray Charles from PBS Ar21, one of 25 selected artists for 2012 Dave Bown Project in Chicago, juror/curated by Karl Hecksher, owner K5 Editions, New York, Andrea Karnes, curator at Modern Art Museum, Fort Worth, Mary Kate O’Hare, curator American Art, Newark Museum, 2nd place Bluecanvas Publication international competition “Environments,” and featured cover artist of Composite and Professional Artist Magazine. Williams’ works has been shown in American Art Collector, Empty Magazine, Charleston Magazine, Grand Strand, Studio Visit, Bluecanvas and other national publications. He was recently interviewed and broadcast on ETV/ NPR station, entitled: Nature Through the Eyes of an Artist. His contemporary landscapes have been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in galleries in New York, Vermont, California, Georgia, South Carolina and several other southeastern states.

Statement of Purpose

I explore the relationship between human emotions and the natural environment. These parallel perspectives are the basis for my landscapes channeled onto canvas. Often, it’s my perception thatI feel compelled to paint a specific landscape. These feelings inspire me to capture honest moments, showing others a glimpse of what’s beneath the surface.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Dogwood tree’s and Easter… Happy Easter!

On March 31, 2013December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

HAPPY EASTER to you!

I thought this photo was fitting for today… it’s the dogwood tree in our front yard, here’s a little blip I found interesting (from a past post):

Many Christians consider the flowering dogwood’s showy cross-like inflorescences (“flowers”) to be religious symbols, due to their four white petal-like bracts bearing red dots on their tips; these trees are often in flower during the springtime Easter season in the Northern Hemisphere. Christian tradition claims the dogwood as the tree used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified, and further, that dogwoods grew taller and broader until the 1st Century AD, making them suitable for use as crosses. In response to Jesus’s death on one, God permanently stunted the growth of the dogwood species to prevent them ever again being used for the same purpose. Today, very few dogwood specimens would provide sufficient wood to manufacture a cross by the primitive means of the 1st Century AD.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Meeting for coffee…

On March 30, 2013March 26, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Meet my new friend and fellow blogger, Kate Mura. Kate has an interesting daily photo blog (it’s not easy to post something daily!), VISUAL ST. PAUL, check it out if you get a moment!

What a nice lady! We met at Cafe Medley on Sullivan’s Island. What a cool place! Hint, hint… GREAT coffee! They had some good looking food, bottles of wine, all kinds of delicious treats! I see a future post for sure! Fred and I will have to go back in the name of research ;)

Kate is cool. She is so interesting and full of wise words. I hope that I’ll be like that one day! It was nice to meet you Kate! I look forward to meeting you again next time you’re in Charleston!!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Christine Sharp!

On March 29, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

Yakima Canyon Spring by Christine Sharp

Christine’s art is different. I like that! The colors are vivid, the content not cluttered with detail. It seems to be the most simplified version of what she’s seeing. The colors and subject matter make for fabulous and interesting paintings! I urge you to check out her other pieces!

Here’s a blip about Christine from her website:

Chicago native, Christine Sharp moved to Seattle in 1978 to complete her Master’s Degree and teach at the University of Washington.

Sharp is a renaissance woman, having reinvented herself several times. “My friends say I am like a curious cat with many lives,” says Sharp. So far she’s thrived as a nurse/family therapist, college teacher/researcher, entrepreneur, documentary writer/producer, CNN news director/investigative reporter and for the past 12 years a respected fine artist.

“While some may see my choices as random and disconnected there are interesting links,” says Sharp. “I started out in the health and healing arts and gradually moved into the literary/visual arts . I’ve never been afraid to learn something new and seek out the best teachers to show me the way!”  Along the way, Sharp’s picked up some of the nation’s top awards for her writing and directing. In 1990 Sharp won the coveted Peabody Award and the Gold Medal in the New York Film Festival for her documentary “BACKHAULING” on unsafe trucking practices that aired on MacNeil Lehrer NewsHour.
 
 After sharing the Peabody stage with luminaries like Ted Koppel, CNN’s Boys from Bagdad, Ken Burns and David Lynch, Sharp was recruited by CNN to pioneer the first Northwest News Desk. She investigated/directed news coverage of all the major stories of the 90’s…from Clinton, Gore, Dylan, Santana, and the Queen…to Harding, Simpson, Lewinsky and Unabomber. Sharp told the world the news of the day through her unique lense.

Then following a brush with death from a misdiagnosed genetic blood clotting disorder, Sharp put down pen and camera and picked up the brush. “I always loved to draw and paint but thought I’d wait until I was in the rocking chair to get serious about art. I’m so glad I started a bit earlier to pursue this path. No one knows how much time they have here!” says Sharp.   

Sharp began her art career tackling WATERCOLORS and studied with some of the best artist/teachers like Eric Weigardt, Charles Reid and Zolton Szabo. Sharp earned her signature status in the NWWS, Northwest Watercolor Society, in 2012.

Sharp began painting in oils in 2010 after studying with renown master Ned Meuller. She enjoys Plein Air painting for inspiration but prefers to paint her carefully designed oils in a larger format in her studio in Kirkland,Washington. Sharp is a juried member of the Oil Painter’s of America. Her work is widely collected by corporations and private collectors.

Sharp has been in numerous national and international art shows and galleries. She writes for Artist Magazine and is the founder of the annual Kirkland Artist Studio Tour.

Currently Sharp is exclusively represented by LISA HARRIS GALLERY, one of the oldest and most respected gallery in Seattle, Washington located in Pike Street Market. CONTACT/DIRECTIONS

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Introducing House Plan Thursday! Cottage of the Year (SL 593) by Moser Design Group for Southern Living!

On March 28, 2013January 19, 2025 By Barbara StroudIn HOME, House Plans, THOUGHTS4 Comments

CoastalLvngHousePLans-593 — **Cottage of the Year (SL593) | Moser Design Group**

House Plans. Fred and I have looked at house plans since we first met. Matter-of-fact one of our first dates was a home tour… we’ve always loved design, furniture, and great homes… Fred has safely tucked away so many wonderful house plans that it boggles the mind. Our affinity for house plans is the reason I’ve decided to make a weekly post dedicated to house plans… I might as well pass along the oh-so-great-ones to you, right?

Continue reading →

Featured Artist… Andre Reynaldo Lucero!

On March 27, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

To The Pond by Andre Lucero

I really enjoy Andre’s work. I love the spectacular light and the fabulous tree. The shadows and footprints in the snow are very cool reflecting the warm light of the day. Very nice! It looks like the first day of Spring (2013), ha ha…

Read a blip about Andre from the J.M. Stringer Gallery of Fine Art:

Painting is my passion. I was trained in a more traditional academic setting, but in recent years I have combined my love for the outdoors with my art. It is most exciting attempting to capture on the spot the way the light falls on a beautiful scene or a fleeting aspect of nature. I complete more than 100 plein air paintings a year. I am most at peace painting before nature, outdoors.”

Born in Tehran, Iran in 1967, Andre’s U.S. Military family returned to the states soon after his birth, settling in a Washington D.C. suburb. Early on, Andre’s artistic nature was encouraged by his parents who were both patrons of the arts. He showed early promise, and in high school Andre’s artwork was recognized by the Scholastic Art Awards, which resulted in his work being displayed two consecutive years at D.C.’s Corcoran Museum of Art. In college, Andre continued his study of art, ultimately taking his background in fine art and applying it to the study of illustration at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was awarded the first Annual Mallory Callan Memorial Scholarship for Illustration. In each of his college years, Andre’s work was prominently displayed in juried shows and began to sell.

After earning a BFA, cum laude, in 1989, Andre worked for more than a decade as a free-lance illustrator. During that time, his illustrations appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, Playboy, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Times, Arthritis Today, Business Law Today, and Government Executive. While his illustration work was honored with the 1995 Virginia Press Association Best of Show Award and the 1994 Award of Excellence from the Art Directors’ Club of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Andre decided to leave the field of illustration and devote his full attention to his first love, painting. Andre Lucero lives and maintains a studio in Richmond, Virginia.

Andre is an associate member of the Oil Painters of America and a member of Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, and The Jack Woodson Sketch Club (plein air painting group, Richmond, Virginia).

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Enamel garden sign at South Windermere Antiques…

On March 26, 2013March 21, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME1 Comment

Look at the cool little garden sign we picked up a while back at the antique store in South Windermere (Charleston, SC)… (Matthew’s booth for those of you who are locals). An enamel sign sure looks much nicer than anything else you could possibly hang there to remind people to close the gate! Inexpensive and I think it’ll be around for a long, long time!

Gee, who painted the gate so nicely? Hmmmm, what a hard worker, hee hee… Note to self: next gate will have no scrolley things to paint… yikes! A project I thought would take 30 minutes took a good bit of the day, mostly in positions similar to the game TWISTER, anyone remember that? Fun when you’re young… I tend to get stuck now, hee hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Don Demers!

On March 25, 2013December 16, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist1 Comment

Weathered Way by Don Demers

Isn’t this a fabulous painting? I love the warm palette… it’s that nice golden light warmth that I find so appealing in paintings. The dirt path with it’s subtle shadows is fabulous, as are the trees and sky. It makes this come together to be one fabulous piece of work! Those two dead trees… spectacular! Don paints a diverse number of subjects from maritime art to landscapes, each as fabulous as the next! Don’s art has graced the covers of many magazines, whoa! He also gives workshops (check out his website for more information!)… I also see that he’ll be a judge at Plein Air Easton. Now THAT’S an event I would love to make it to!

Read a blip about Don from his website, click HERE to read in its entirety:

Mr. Demers was born in 1956, in the small, rural community of Lunenburg, Massachusetts. His interest in painting maritime subjects began while spending his summers on the coast of Maine near Boothbay Harbor.

After finishing an exemplary high school art program, he furthered his education at the School of the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA, and the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, MA.

Don’s maritime experience came about as a crewmember aboard many traditional sailing vessels including schooners and square-riggers. He continues to be an avid sailor.

His professional career began as an illustrator and expanded into the field of fine art. His illustrations can be found on many book covers and in national publications such as Reader’s Digest, Sail Magazine, Field & Stream, Sports Afield, Yankee, and National Geographic.

Demers’ diversity has enabled him to apply his skills to clients ranging from American Airlines to the National Park Service. Various projects have included creating art for national television advertisements, educational television programming and designing art glass for Steuben.

Demers’ body of work has expanded to the study and creation of landscape painting. These works are created from subjects across the country and beyond, often in consort with other artists of similar inspiration. His landscape work has garnered him two awards at the Laguna Plein Air Invitational in Laguna Beach, California in 2001 and 2002. He has also received an award for his painting at the 2007 Crystal Cove Invitational sponsored by the Irvine Museum in Orange County, CA.

Take a minute to check out his website! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston backyard photo… Palm Sunday…

On March 24, 2013December 21, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn HOME4 Comments

Today is Palm Sunday, I thought it only fitting to snap a photo of this palm growing wild in the backyard. I love these plants. They pop up on their own, are hardy and tropical, what’s not to love?

Have a great Sunday everyone! I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Bowens Island Sophisticate building…

On March 23, 2013December 13, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD4 Comments

Bowens Island Restaurant… Simply the best seafood in a cool, relaxed (as in very relaxed) atmosphere. It’s a good time, every time!

This is one of the outbuildings, the restaurant is upstairs and the all you can eat oysters are downstairs (different building). There is an eclectic assortment of buildings on the premises. All add to the charm and character for sure!

If you’re in the area, be sure to check it out! Need a menu? Here’s a link back to my August post that includes the menu… It may have changed… I need to get back there… all in the name of research, hee hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow!