A February Sky in Charleston, SC

Sometimes the monotonous can become the highlight of the day. We were heading across the Ashley River Memorial bridge. As we were crossing the bridge after whatever errand we were running I saw the sky. Whoa. So stunning! This photo was taken coming from downtown Charleston, headed to the West Ashley side of Charleston (west of the Ashley river).

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Consistently Delicious – EVO Wood-Fired Pizzeria (& Best Salads EVER)

EVO Pizzeria (and EVO Craft Bakery next door!) – Best salad and pizza EVER!

Do you have a restaurant you love because they deliver consistently delicious (and creative!) food? Recently we had another unusual salad that was so exquisite in every way. It was different, it was fabulous – utter perfection. Their pizza’s are perfect, thin crust, great sauce, not too much cheese (or too little) – but their salads are what I look so forward to!

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iPhone Sketch – “Uplighting”…

Uplighting by barbara stroud | An iPhone Sketch

Uplighting is an 8 minute sketch (at most). What fun! Last night Fred was taking a shower so I did a quick sketch. Instead of finding paper, pencils, pens, marker, etc. I simply opened an app on my phone and tada. I love art, we love art (my husband and I) – but I also like to tinker. What fun. I especially love to create fun little sketches.

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Featured Artist: Anneli Skaar!

Anneli Skaar! Aren’t these flowers beautiful? It’s amazing that someone can create them. They appear so real, as if freshly cut from the garden, and placed in pretty vases. It’s hard to believe these are hand made paper flowers. THIS is a workshop I would love to take. If I lived closer to Camden, Maine – I would be signed up and ready to go. This workshop with Anneli will be fabulous…

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RE-Feature: Evergreen Cottage by Lake + Land Studio – Southern Living Cover!

Evergreen Cottage | Lake + Land Studio | Southern Living {Photo: Brie Williams}

I’ve been following the footsteps of Lake + Land Studio for many years now. Their designs appeal to me. I love living on or near the water. Their plans have a coastal vibe that is both upscale and comfortable. A house that can be lived in yet can easily grace the cover of a magazine as shown above! Wonderful color and design throughout – all information is in the article… (link below).

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Preserving Historic Trees

Charleston, South Carolina

Just look at this stunning display of tree canopy. The live oak trees in this area are astounding. Long ago (late 1920/30’s) a tree was planted in the front yard of each home. This area used to be a cabbage field. The architecture is varied, many homes with interesting cuts to their roofs, some slightly larger and some slightly smaller, but from the street they all seem to be somewhat close. Similar (not exact) in size and scale. The trees bring cohesiveness.

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Shrimp Stir Fry (with or without soy)!

Shrimp Stir Fry | artfoodhome.com

February 1st, 2023. FEBRUARY! Spring is almost upon us. If you’re looking for an excellent recipe for a shrimp stir fry, look no further. I made this for dinner and it was out of this world. My husband kept saying “this is so good”. #winnerwinner The key to pulling a stir fry together quickly is to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to hit the pan. It goes quickly so there isn’t time to be prepping while you start it. To make this come together quickly I cut the broccoli in smaller pieces so they cook quickly, and I slice the onion in thin strips. They turn out looking like bean sprouts, ha ha. Too good!

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The path to finding JOY…

Joy. It has a different definition for each of us. For some of us it may be spending time with friends out on the town, for others, we may prefer a quiet night at home. Some of are energized by being around a lot of people and others of us are quite the opposite. If you’re having trouble finding your joy. What makes you happy, what makes you smile, what gives you peace (or if you know someone who is) read on…

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Glenn Court House Plan by Our Town Plans for Southern Living!

Glenn Court House Plan by Our Town Plans for Southern Living

Our Town Plans does it again with a gorgeous house plan that could easily be built alongside older homes and fit right in. So nice with a front entry porch as well as a side porch. You can enter the garage from the back and then enter into the back of the house. I think it’s nice that you don’t see the garage. Read on to see the rest of this plan…

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Sneak a little happy into your day – Every. Day.

This isn’t my best photo (haha, laughing as I type this… literally), yet it’s one of my very favorites – I was trying to take a selfie with my family several visits ago, and we all started laughing. The photo didn’t “turn out” but I love it, because it shows my family how we really are. I have no idea what we were laughing at – probably just trying to get us all to look into the camera, ha ha.

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Capital Hill Bean Soup Recipe (AKA “Senate Soup”)

I picked up Southern Living magazine and was reading through it when I came upon this recipe for bean soup. Thank goodness! This recipe came at a perfect time! “Senate Soup” was a delight to make and made the house smell amazing. Not too many ingredients, and the few that are in this recipe come together beautifully. With just two of us here, we should have dinner for several days! #winwin

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Featured Artist: Melanie Morris!

Summer in the South by Melanie Morris 36×36 Acrylic {SOLD}

Melanie Morris. Her zinnia’s are out of this world! I love a happy painting, full of wonderful color and a subject matter that I adore. Zinnia’s fit the bill on both counts. I like the trees in the distance, it gives you a feel for how large this zinnia field is! I like the zinnia’s that are poking up reaching towards the sun like the overachievers they are. Wonderful detail up front blending into the more subdued in the back gives that feeling of depth. What a beautiful field this must be…

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Red Fox House Plan by Sailer Design

Red Fox House Plan by Sailer Design

A guest house or a home? Well, I think the decision is yours. The Red Fox house plan will fit seamlessly with any of the Sailer Design house plans for use as a guest cottage. How nice to give your friends and family their own space. A well-appointed interior with the bonus of a covered porch is a #winwin in my book. Stylish design for sure.

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Life! Take a breath.

South Carolina. We sure have some beautiful scenery. I took this photo years ago at Botany Bay (Edisto, SC). This beautiful marsh scene makes me feel calm, serene, and peaceful. Botany Bay is a sanctuary (literally). From driving through the winding roads looking at nature all around you to getting out and taking a walk on the beach, you will certainly be mesmerized at such untouched beauty.

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Baked Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce!

Note to self: Retake this shot next time you make this, ugh!

I was so excited to make this recipe that I forgot to take a photo of it plated (and it was so pretty!) – That’s OK, the gist of it is in this photo – the salmon. Which couldn’t have been easier. Since I’m just growing up and trying to find my way to loving salmon, I made a mustard dill sauce, which was outstanding! Mix together the mustard dill sauce first so its flavors can be mingling while you prep and bake the salmon…

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