Charleston Window Boxes – And Ideas to Fill Them…

Charleston, SC Windowbox

Charleston, SC window boxes are stunning. I read in Southern Living that they’re so popular on the homes in the downtown area because many homes are built right up to the sidewalk leaving no room for traditional planting. Well, this certainly does the trick!

Here’s a great article from Southern Living magazine, they also give ideas for what to plant in your window boxes for both warm and cool weather:

http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2011/04/21/charlestons-winderful-window-boxes/

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Sunrise Reflections- Monhegan, Maine

Sunrise Monhegan Maine

Can you imagine? This sunrise woke me up! I flew out of bed and was stunned! I ran outside (down 3 flights of stairs at the Island Inn to get outside in my PJ’s with my camera). The sunrise was bright red above the lighthouse, yet the water was the prettiest pink with a lone kayaker enjoying the show. I bet the sunrise was amazing to watch from the perspective of the kayaker!

Photo from the archives… Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo – The 5 East Battery, Charleston, SC

Colorful Charleston, SC

5 East Battery is an amazing example of Charleston architecture.

Read a bit about this amazing example of Charleston architecture from the Charleston County Library:

5 East Bay Street – John Ravenel House c.1847

The three story stuccoed brick house was built between 1847 and 1849 by John Ravenel. Ravenel, who was completely of Huguenot descent and a member of the planting aristocracy, sold his patrimonial acres to become a merchant, and built up one of the city’s leading shipping houses. He was also president of the South Carolina Rail Road and was instrumental in developing the Northeastern Rail Road. This house was also the home of his son, Dr. St. Julien Ravenel, the noted scientist who designed and built the Civil War semi-submersible torpedo boat, the Lucy and was a leader in the development of the phosphate fertilizer after the Civil War. It was also the home of Dr. Ravenel’s wife Harriett Horry Rutledge, who, using the name Mrs. St. Julien Ravenel, authored the book Charleston: The Place and the People, and other works on local history. In 1886, the property was purchased by John Ravenel’s son-in-law, Elias Horry Fronst, president of E.H. Frost & Co., one of the city’s leading cotton brokerage houses. He was also head of the Stono Phosphate Company and president of the South Carolina Loan and Trust company. Frost was a noted art collector and owned one of the best libraries in the South. The house was built in the Italianate sty;e popular in Charleston in the antebellum period. After suffering severe damage in the 1866 earthquake, the house was extensively rebuilt by Frost, who kept the original plan and mass, including the prominent bay on the front, and added features in the Victorian Italianate style fashionable in the 1880’s. The property remained in the hands of John Ravenel’s descendants until 1953, when it was sold. (Stockton, unpin. M.S.; Stockton, DYKYC, December 13, 1975)

There is an interesting article from the Post & Courier HERE.

🙄To subscribers of this blog… this post may look a teeny familiar to you (although it’s changed quite a bit), that’s because I thought I was scheduling this post to publish today, BUT the date showed August – of course I noticed it AFTER I HIT THE BUTTON. I am human, gasp! So let’s all pretend this is fresh and new, ok?

Back to normal posting next week – Catch you back here tomorrow!

A Checkerboard Shadow!

Checkerboard Shadow

A checkerboard shadow! I love walking and spotting cool shadows in the road. I swear I need to bring my phone when I walk in the morning, there is a tree that gives off the most dramatic shadows in the road – it’s simply beautiful. I spotted this shadow downtown (from a brick wall) during a walk and took a quick photo…

What kinds of things do you notice when you’re out and about? I try to pay attention to the little things. For it is the little things in life that are truly BIG!

Back to normal posting next week – Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: French Quarter Bicycle

Charleston, SC | ArtFoodHome.com

Charleston, SC architecture and charm. The homes in Charleston have so much character. You will see all the colors of the rainbow, some muted and some not so much. The beautiful window boxes and planters help add to the charm, as does a random bicycle attached to a street sign. Cool shadows on the home as well…

Enjoy your Saturday! Catch you back here tomorrow!

A Dark & Stormy Charleston Sky

Charleston, SC

I snapped this photo (as a passenger) driving over the Ashley River Bridge in Charleston. July brought a lot of stormy weather and wild skies, this is one example. You can see the rain pouring from the clouds. Photo taken with iPhone while moving. I love this photo! I swear with these wonderful skies I cannot go anywhere without a camera, it’s simply impossible!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Farmer’s Market Reminder!

Farmer's Market!

This photo is from the archives, but I thought I would post it today as a reminder not to miss your local Farmer’s Market! What better way to buy the freshest produce that is LOCAL! (Asparagus is no longer in season here in Charleston, SC – but right now we have so many options it will boggle the mind!) – I love the green against the pink rubber band – Wow!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston, SC Voted #1 City in the World by Travel & Leisure Magazine!

Charleston, SC

Charleston, SC – it’s quite a city, that’s for sure! Charleston, SC has been voted the World’s Best City. Wow.

Last year we were number 2 on the list, still impressive – and we’re the number one city in the US and Canada for the fifth year in a row!

So, if you ever are wondering where to take a vacation, this is the place! I think I would plan ahead, I think it’s going to get busier!

From the historic treasures this city has to offer, to the beautiful architecture and food that will blow you away – it’s no wonder!

This blip about Charleston, SC – from Travel + Leisure’s website:

Charleston moved up from the No. 2 city in the world last year to No. 1. The city has shown incredible resilience and, as one reader wrote, there is still “no place quite like it.” In addition to historic battlegrounds and jasmine-scented streets, Charleston is home to award-winning hotels (including the Spectator, No. 2 in the world this year) and restaurants. Antebellum charm, excellent boutiques, and the beautiful waterfronts at Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach make this city one of the most beloved in the U.S.—and now, the world.

That’s quite an honor –  Catch you back here tomorrow!