Artist Betty Anglin Smith and her husband own the sweetest cottage in Meggett, South Carolina. It’s a place to sit and read, watch the beautiful view on the water, and for Betty a place to paint. This photo was taken back in 2006 at an oyster roast there for an guest artist in the Smith Killian gallery in Charleston, SC. It was a beautiful night with a spectacular sunset. The reflections were just gorgeous!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
An artist friend of ours had an oyster roast back in 2006 when I snapped this photo. This is in Meggett, South Carolina. The beauty is unrivaled! Can you imagine seeing this everyday? Ahhhh! It just looks so relaxing!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I thought the above image said a lot. It’s so true, BRAVERY DOESN’T MEAN YOU AREN’T SCARED. IT MEANS YOU GO ANYWAY. The true definition of COURAGE are the many Veterans throughout the country!
THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts. We wouldn’t live in a free country if it wasn’t for you!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Who doesn’t love Doctor Oz? I appreciate his information, and there’s tons of it! If Alzheimer’s is a concern for you, I highly suggest you visit his website, there are amazing video’s, tests you can take if you suspect you may have Alzheimer’s as well as plenty of suggestions to help PREVENT it from occurring in the first place! One of his suggestions to PREVENT it in the first place is to not only exercise your body, but EXERCISE YOUR MIND. Click HERE to go to Doctor Oz’s website where you can easily print this game above.
From DoctorOz.com: Studies have shown that keeping your brain challenged and engaged can actually help to prevent Alzheimer’s. Try games like crossword puzzes that work both the visual and language areas of your brain while combining decision-making and motor coordination. You can also try brain games like the card above. As fast as you can, read out loud the color that each word itself is printed in – not the word itself.
Whoa, that’s a challenge. Do things that are foreign to you, drive a new route to work, learn another language, learn another type of puzzle if you’ve mastered the sudoku or crossword. Learn to knit, crotchet, paint, play the piano, the possibilities are endless. What we don’t want to do is sit in front of the TV and become zombies.
Keep this little puzzle handy, use it until it becomes easy and fast, then move on to something else!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Mark Horton is a fabulous artist (as well as a super nice guy). That’s nothing new, however I’m seeing some work like none I’ve ever seen of his and I like it. A lot! This painting is one from the workshop he and Chris Groves gave in Italy this year. It’s so unique. I love it!
If you’re in the Charleston, SC area be sure to stop in the Horton Hayes Gallery! Stop by, say hello and check out the wonderful art work! If you aren’t in the area, check out Mark’s work on the gallery website. Here’s a blip from the gallery website, there’s more, so check it out!
Mark Kelvin Horton was born and raised in rural North Carolina. After graduating from East Carolina University School of Art in 1983, Horton moved to New York City to begin a career in advertising and design. He carried with him the dream of someday becoming a painter.
Eighteen years of living in New York were spent working as a creative director in various advertising agencies and eventually founding his own design company. Those years also provided an invaluable opportunity for Horton to view and study firsthand the seemingly endless number of masterworks of art in the city’s museums and galleries. Horton became particularly fascinated with the works of George Inness, Herman Herzog, Frederick Church and the tonalist photographer, Edward Steichen. He was also captivated by the realism of John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer as well as the romantic landscapes of the Hudson River School painters. The experience had a profound effect on his artistic development.
During his years working as an artistic director and designer, Horton continued to nurture his “fine art side”, drawing, sketching and painting whenever he had the opportunity. In early 2001 Horton made the decision to devote himself full-time to painting. He left New York City and returned to his Southern roots, moving to Charleston, South Carolina.
Horton is particularly fascinated with the effects of light and weather upon the landscape. He paints beyond a literal interpretation of a scene to portray nature in a way that reflects his own ideas and sensibilities while capturing the spirit, color and changing light of a place.
Adding this a bit late, but just in time… this past weekend we went to a fabulous demo that Mark Horton and Chris Groves gave at the Horton Hayes Gallery, it was about painting the English countryside and it was AMAZING! To watch these guys paint is fascinating. I took notes like a crazy person and can’t wait to try what they mentioned. They are full of information, and lucky for you they have workshops in your future! There are a few in England that will blow you away. We’ve seen the photos, seen the paintings and whoa! If you have ever thought about taking a workshop, check them out! Besides learning a lot, trust me, you’ll have a good time. They’re fun! Click HERE to go to the Horton Hayes workshop link!
You liked his work, didn’t you? Catch you back here tomorrow!
OK, who here remembers the milkman? You know, the man who delivered milk and other dairy products to your house each week. Well now the secret is out, I’m old enough to remember and I kind of miss the concept of the milkman! How nice would it be to answer your door and have your dairy products right there? Or reach inside the milk box that was outside the door in case you weren’t home? Well, I think the milkman era has long been gone, but here is a painting done by a very cool artist entitled “MILKMAN”. I just happened upon this artists website and it’s just so different. Very realistic images. The artist’s name is Otto Lange and he lives in Athens, GA. He has work in several galleries…
He’s been in several publications and has a great BLOG. So if you get a chance, check him out!
Oh… this has me now thinking about the bread man… He. Had. Pastries. I guess I’m glad there is no longer a bread man… I think I’d be in trouble!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Sometimes the most everyday things become the inspiration for a great photo… I would have loved to spend more than a few seconds on this shot, but we were on a roll, heading out to accomplish something or other… (eating, bike riding, photo taking, shopping, you know…??) Next time! In front of the Island Inn Hotel on Mackinac Island they have a great place where you can rent bikes. It comes in handy because that’s the best way to get around the island. And I do mean AROUND the island. Yep, bikes are great for back and forth running here and there, but what many people don’t do is take the time (doesn’t take that long, it’s only approximately 8 miles) to ride their bikes around the island. You will LOVE IT! The back of the island is very quiet and peaceful, the scenery is unreal. So take some time to enjoy the view!!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
You either love it or you hate it… few fall somewhere in the middle. Do you prefer Daylight Savings Time in the Spring where we lose an hour? Or do you prefer when the time reverts back to Standard Time where we gain an hour in November? Don’t forget to set your clocks BACK 1 hour tonight before you go to bed. Time officially changes at 2AM (it will then be 1AM) on Sunday, November 6, 2011.
You’ll have to work a little harder to exercise outdoors before it gets dark, but I happen to like this time of year… ALOT!
Catch you back here tomorrow… after you set your clock back !
This is a picture of my mom and dad on what I’m guessing is our first sailboat, many years ago… I say first sailboat because the one I remember the most was a C&C and it wasn’t white… it had cool purple and gold striped curtains that my mom made out of a canvas like material. I loved those curtains. This post is dedicated to my mom, Sheila, who was diagnosed with breast cancer March 18, 2011. She has gone through surgery, chemo and radiation. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF RADIATION. Thank God. The entire ordeal isn’t quite over, there is still an infusion once every three weeks until April 2012, but the daily trips an hour a way end today. I thank God every day that the doctors found the “area of concern”, that she was sent by her doctor (thank you Tom!) to Dr. Wesen and her group. They have been unbelievable. I thank my sister and my dad for going with my mom to each and every appointment (either one or the other) and to make it a “fun” time by having lunch out, and running errands. My mom’s neighbors and friends have been so supportive and I am more than grateful for that. It’s so hard to live far away when you can’t get this all off your mind. All of her doctors have been amazing. Fred and I both went with her to chemo which was really something. It’s shocking to see how many people cancer affects. Is it in our water? The air? Ugh, it’s gotta be something because the place is full. Always. Damn. From very very young, to very very old, there is no one who is safe. So y’all do what you can to stay healthy. Walk or run. Exercise however you can for as long as you can. Lay off the bad food, eat more good food and pray. And to everyone around you who it affects, do what you can for them. Be a supportive ear, bring some tasty foods or drinks (coconut water is what my mom swears got her through (it hydrates you better than anything else) and greek yogurt (with all the protein…). Drop off some books or magazines, a flower, something happy and anything that shows you care.
xoxo me
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Are you an art lover? An artist? A collector, or just someone who loves to watch an artist paint? Well, this weekend is for you! It’s my favorite time of year, for many reasons… cooler weather, cooking and baking, and yes, CFADA’s (Charleston Fine Art Dealer’s Association) Fine Art Walk… The art walk is Friday night, watching the artists paint is Saturday morning… and I. LOVE. THAT. It never fails to amaze me. We are very fortunate to have such a strong and successful art community here in Charleston! Here are the details… if you see something you love you can bid on it Saturday night, all the money goes towards helping to fund ten high school art programs! Here are the details:
13th Fine Art Annual. November 2, 4-5.
58 Broad St. Meet and greet the plein air painters and bid on works
completed that morning.
Proceeds will go to fund ten local high school art programs of which
TICKETS $55 can be purchased online at CFADA.com.
AND, check out Jennifer Smith Rogers new painting WENTWORTH MANSION… love it! Go see her work at Smith Killian (www.smithkillian.com for those of you not in Charleston)! Whoa! See you at the art walk… catch you back here tomorrow!
I mentioned last week that I ran across a great article from Reader’s Digest magazine.EAT FOR A BETTER MEMORY – 7 WAYS TO GET SHARP. A great article from a great magazine. Today we’re going to finish off the list… From Reader’s Digest:
Make time for a good breakfast. A Toronto study found breakfast helped men and women, ages 61 to 79, score better on memory tests. And when kids eat a morning meal, their exam scores improve.
Toast to a sharper mind with Merlot. Or any beer or wine for that matter. A study of 746 adults found that those who drank one to six alcoholic beverages a week were 54 percent less likely than abstainers to develop dementia over six years. That’s no license to go crazy though… the same study determined 14 or more drinks weekly increased the risk of dementia by 22 percent. [Note: this is a tricky one, for every one study that says alcohol is good, two say that it is bad… ugh.]
Brew a cup of sage tea. Sage oil has been shown by some studies to boost acetylcholine levels in the brain, improving memory function. As a tea, it also aids digestion.
Have curry with dinner tonight. An Italian study found that curry may ward off memory loss and Alzheimer’s. The seasoning is thought to enhance an enzyme that protects the brain against oxidative damage.
A nice whole grain waffle, or some oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast. A glass of wine or beer (not to exceed one drink/day otherwise you up the chances… and if you aren’t already one who consumes alcohol based on other studies it’s probably best not to start just for this reason… keep your mind active), and brew a cup of nice sage tea… most of all USE IT… constantly try to figure out new things, drive different routes to routine places, meet new people, take an art class, write, volunteer, the possibilities are endless!
The previous foods were BLUEBERRIES, COFFEE (caffeinated, for those who can handle it) and FISH.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Sometimes I just want a nice hot bowl of comfort food. This is the ticket. It’s one of the best soup recipes from Cooking Light magazine. The taste is out of this world. It’s not terribly time consuming to make. The last time I made this soup I baked the potatoes while I had the oven on for a meal the day before, so it was quite fast to throw together. This is one of those recipes that makes your eyes roll back in your head, ha ha… too tasty! Trust me, you will love it. The only the I did differently is the I halved the amount of flour so it wouldn’t be quite so thick. I think the essential part of the soup is adding cheese (I used 2% Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp), crumbled CRISPY bacon and green onions (or chives). Let me know how you like it! Trust me, it’s a winner… Copied from MyRecipes.com which no longer has a recipe link… sigh.
This is a delight and makes quite a bit. Oh, do I miss the Cooking Light magazine…
Enjoy!
Catch you back here next time!
Years ago I picked up this gigantic pumpkin from Target after Halloween. Bought it for $10. Every year we put it on the front porch and plug it in on Halloween night. Everyone thinks it’s real. Every. Year. It was a great find. Sometimes I get a real pumpkin and sometimes I don’t… this one gets all the attention!
Be safe on the roads, watch out for the kiddies… HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Catch you back here tomorrow!
Ahhh, San Francisco, CA. A place you can see so much, do so much and totally wear yourself out! This photo was taken in October, 2005 -on the ferry back from Sausalito… after a big day touring Muir Woods. We went on one of those tours (that I was completely against but am so glad we went on) that takes you to Muir Woods and Sausalito. We only had an hour in Sausalito… but it is such a neat place, so we stayed and instead of the tour bus we took the ferry back to San Fran. We had a great time, snapped a few pics on the ferry ride “home”. There is SO MUCH to do in San Fran, and with such great public transportation it’s quick and easy to get around. If you’re headed that way on vacation I highly recommend the CITY PASS… you get free admission to many venues as well as flashing your pass to hop on most all public transportation. It was the perfect way to get around!
Catch you back here tomorrow… boy, could I ever go for breakfast at MAMA’S on Washington Square, owieee what a treat! Haven’t been there in years, but I do remember an omelet called THE CALIFORNIAN, crispy bacon, avocado and jack cheese…. lawd have mercy!
