Category: HOME

A pumpkin patch, Halloween candy and great memories!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Aren’t these the coolest pumpkins? When we were on Monhegan a group of locals were picking pumpkins (and assorted other goods) for a Farmer’s Market the next day… how festive is this!?

Are you ready for Halloween? Have you bought candy yet? If not… you might want to bop out and get some! I came close to getting some that I like (BABY RUTH, oh good grief), but I turned around and put them back. The candy is not safe alone with me, and I truly don’t need to be eating candy no matter how small it is, ha ha… Hopefully I will remember to run out at the last minute to get some! Long ago (17+ years) when we moved into this neighborhood, we were the “young” ones… now we’re the “old” ones… wow, how time flies. We moved in August 1995… we came from a neighborhood with LOTS of kids, so when Halloween rolled around I really needed to stock up. Halloween came in 1995 and I stocked up, and we had four kids trick-or-treat. Yikes. Our neighborhood is back to having quite a few kids, which makes Halloween a lot more fun. Some of these kids/parents can really get inventive with the costumes! Jeez and I used to get excited about a mask, ha ha… oh how things change!

I have fond memories of Halloween. Trick-or-treating up and down our street with my dad while my mom handed out candy to the kiddies… Do you remember collecting for Unicef about that same time? I loved doing that! Ah, good memories! Where’s my Zagnut, Bubbs Daddy and Slo Poke? Hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Coastal Carolina Fair begins TONIGHT!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment

Image: Coastal Carolina Fair

Well, it’s that time of year… the cool weather has arrived and to celebrate the Coastal Carolina Fair rolls into town! The fair opens today, October 25th through Sunday, November 4th, 2012! Hey, did you realize that the fair will be open TWO Sunday’s this year? First time ever! So get out and enjoy!

Here’s the Entertainment Lineup (via Coastal Carolina Fair’s website):

Lakefront Stage

Day Date Performer Time
Thursday
Oct 25, 2012
7:30
Friday
Oct 26, 2012
8:00
Saturday
Oct 27, 2012
8:00
Sunday
Oct 28, 2012
5:00
Monday
Oct 29, 2012
7:30
Tuesday
Oct 30, 2012
7:30
Wednesday
Oct 31, 2012
7:30
Thursday
Nov 1, 2012
7:30
Friday
Nov 2, 2012
8:00
Saturday
Nov 3, 2012
8:00
Sunday
Nov 4, 2012
4:30

 

With plenty of rides, food, entertainment, as well as a host of competitions (horse, art, pageant) I think you’ll find yourself quite entertained! Check out their website for Gate Hours and Ticket Prices!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston, SC voted #1 tourist destination in the WORLD as well as the United States!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine have awarded Charleston, SC the number one tourist destination in the world as well as in the United States… Here’s a blip from an article written by Warren Wise in our local Post & Courier newspaper, click HERE to read the entire article:

Charleston on top of the world in tourist ranking

Last year, Charleston was flattered. This year, it’s on top of the world.

Readers of Conde Nast Traveler not only named the Holy City the No. 1 tourist destination in the U.S. for the second year in a row, but also the top travel city on the planet.

“It was a giant surprise for us,” said Helen Hill, executive director of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s an honor to be in the Top 3, but to be No. 1 twice in the U.S. is unbelievable and to be named No. 1 city in the world, you can’t do any better than that.”

Last year, Charleston came in third in the world, behind Sydney, Australia and Florence, Italy.

KUDOS Charleston! This is a great place to live, with plenty of restaurants, art galleries, beaches, shops, you name it, we have it! If you’re looking for a vacation destination, look no further!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Image: CondéNastTraveler.com

To do in Charleston… CHARLESTON TEA PLANTATION!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment

OK, I’ve lived in Charleston for over 23 years now and I just made it to the Charleston Tea Plantation a few months ago! It was a wonderful place to visit! We visited during our staycation this summer. The grounds are stunning. You can watch things happening… all in our little Charleston! Literally a few minutes away, Charleston Tea Plantation is located right off Maybank Hwy on Wadmalaw Island. Visiting a tea plantation doesn’t seem like such a big deal until you realize that Charleston Tea Plantation/American Classic is the only place in North America that produces black tea commercially. It’s fascinating AND bonus… you can sample all the teas… and they have a wonderful gift shop!

This was one of my treasures from the gift shop… that and the peach flavored tea, a favorite in the summer for iced tea. You can buy this tea at some grocery stores under the AMERICAN CLASSIC name!

Look at these gorgeous old oak trees, they are all over the places. I wonder to myself… where are all the artists?? What a great place to paint! This is one place to bring a camera, that’s for sure! Lighting isn’t great, it was mid day and very hot, but you get the idea… those trees are gigantic!

Tea plants everywhere… more on the process in a future post, it’s so interesting!

From The Charleston Tea Plantation’s website:

ABOUT US

The Charleston Tea Plantation is located on historic Wadmalaw Island in the heart of the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The history of the Island dates back to mid-June of 1666 when it is believed that Captain Robert Sanford and the crew of the Berkeley Bay landed on the shores of what is now known as Rockville, South Carolina. On June 23, 1666, he and his crew claimed the land for England and the Lords Proprietors. Today, Wadmalaw is considered to be one of Charleston’s most unspoiled islands. It is approximately 10 miles long and 6 miles wide. The Island’s only connection to the mainland is a bridge that crosses over Church Creek.

Home to The Charleston Tea Plantation, Wadmalaw provides the perfect environment for propagating tea. With its sandy soils, sub-tropical climate and average rainfall of 52 inches per year, Wadmalaw possess idyllic conditions for the Camellia Sinensis plant. This plant is currently used to produce both black and green teas and exists in over 320 varieties on the 127 acre grounds of the Charleston Tea Plantation.

The Plantation sits right off Maybank Highway. Driving down Maybank is like taking a step back in time. Wadmalaw has not and cannot be commercially developed, therefore much of the land remains untouched. The Island is also home to other unique and historic attractions such as Irvin-House Vineyards, the only domestic winery in Charleston, South Carolina as well as theAngel Oak, a Live Oak tree that is believed to be over 1,500 years old.

Open 7 days a week, with the exception of a few holidays, the Charleston Tea Plantation is the perfect place to take a day trip. Bring the family, pack a lunch and enjoy the beauty of the tea fields. The experience is not only educational but more importantly one-of-a-kind. You will learn first-hand how tea is made during an informative Factory Tour. You can also take an enjoyable Trolley Ride through the tea fields, shop our unique Plantation Gift Shop and help yourself to all of the iced American Classic Tea you can drink.

Please feel free to call us for more information or questions-843-559-0383.

Another bonus!  If you aren’t in the area, check out their online gift shop (photo above) – NEAT stuff I’m telling you!

Hey, I think it’s tea time! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photo Weekend: Charleston… a walk downtown…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME6 Comments

For those of you who aren’t from Charleston… these shots are taken near Hominy Grill. Now if you’ve been to Charleston, SC you’ve most likely been to Hominy Grill. Nice restaurant, great breakfast, haven’t been there for dinner, but I’m sure it’s all good! If you take a walk around that area you can see the most amazing things. For instance, this house. You wouldn’t believe how narrow it is, but how incredibly charming is it? It’s quite like a treehouse! And lucky for them, they can walk to Hominy Grill!

This also happens to be very near the Ashley Hall Private Girl’s Day School. A prestigious school in Charleston that dates back over 100 years! Their grounds are beautiful from what I could see!

Look at this unique building on the Ashley Hall campus! I believe it’s called the Shell House? Very interesting! Take time to walk around and see what YOU discover!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

French Enamel House Numbers… Sharp!

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Years ago my husband found those cool French enamel house numbers at Williams-Sonoma, they no longer carry them, but plenty of places on the Internet do! Our house numbers are separate numbers, but I like the look of this very much! It’s a nice little touch to dress up your house… think of it as house jewelry

Here’s a blip from the Ramsign.com website:

The story about the blue enamel signs is fascinating. The blue enamel signs are the most popular and widely used enamel signs in Europe, and thus a deeply rooted part of our sign tradition. It is also the first enamel signs to gain massive popularity during the industrialization era. Already from the middle of the 1800s the blue colour was widely used across Europe for house numbers and street signs. The signs were just as beautiful as they were functional. One would really think, that the colour choice had to do with aesthetics. But the reason was, that only this colour was available for mass production, in addition to black and white.  To read in the rest, click HERE…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Image: Ramsign.com

Shrimp Boats at Shem Creek Park

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Shem Creek Park is a wonderful place to take a stroll. Located right at, well… Shem Creek (Mount Pleasant Seafood, Vickery’s, all the seafood restaurants, etc.) it’s a lovely dock and it’s long enough to take a nice stroll and snap LOTS of photos! Especially at sunset!

The temps should be getting a little cooler now making it more bearable! Enjoy and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

 

Autumn in Wiscasset, Maine!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, TRAVEL2 Comments

I looked back through my photos to find an autumn photo… this one is from 2009 and is a photo driving back from Rockland towards Wiscasset, Maine. Wiscasset is the prettiest little town. It has so much to offer, galleries, restaurants, antique stores, all kinds of good stuff!

You may have heard of Red’s Eats also located in Wiscasset, supposedly they have good lobster rolls. They must have something good, there is always a line! Enjoy your first day of Autumn, I am THRILLED that summer is behind us. Winter in Charleston, SC is pretty darn nice and I’m thrilled it’ll be here in another 3 or 4 months, ha ha… Enjoy your fall!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Resurrection Fern – I thought I was losing it!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME1 Comment

One morning a friend and I were walking our dogs as we normally do… we were talking about the ferns in the trees. It seems they were so lush and green and now they were dying. In the photo above you can see the top ferns are starting to turn brown. That night my husband and I took the dog around the blog. I was telling him about the ferns in the trees turning brown. We looked up, and there they were, as lush and green as ever.  Ok… did I just dream that my friend and I had talked about the ferns turning crispy brown and dying in these large old oak trees? Google saved my sanity! I Googled “Resurrection Fern”… it wasn’t my imagination WOOHOO, the ferns turn brown and appear to be dead. When it rains they’re rehydrated and turn a lush green without a speck of brown! It is the most amazing thing! I read a neat ARTICLE that explains it. Apparently there is a special protein the resurrection fern has called DEHYDRIN which allows it to become lush and green only hours after receiving rain/water! These ferns last up to 100 years!

How cool is that? Can you believe that it goes from lush and green…

To crispy and brown… and back again as soon as it rains!

Amazing! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Mepkin Abbey…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME4 Comments

Grand Old Oak at Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, SC

From the Mepkin Abbey website:

Mepkin Abbey is a community of Roman Catholic monks established in 1949 on the site of the historic Mepkin Plantation located on the Cooper River, north of Charleston, South Carolina. Founded by the monks of Gethsemani in Kentucky, the brothers of Mepkin belong to the worldwide Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance popularly known as Trappist. Following The Rule of St. Benedict, the monks at Mepkin Abbey devote their lives to prayer, spiritual study, work and hospitality.

Mepkin Abbey is located in Moncks Corner, SC. If you’ve never been and you’re in the Charleston area, it’s a place you will definitely want to put on your list to visit. The beauty is unimaginable,  like stepping back in time. Their grounds are stunning! Check out their website it’s full of all kinds of great information, gorgeous photos, online store, map, hours, more information about the abbey and the monks  and so much more. The gift shop there is fabulous and you will most likely leave with an armload of unique gifts. It’s a very special place. They are building a retreat center that is out of this world! Check it out if you get a chance!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

I promise… the fish were safe!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME4 Comments

This past winter we were fish sitting for some friends… two bowls, two fish… one dog. Hmmm. Charlie didn’t bother with them until it was time to feed them. He LOVED the smell of their food. Actually I think he probably wanted to roll around in it… So I kept them safe… out of the way. Then I walked in the room and I see this… Charlie just sitting… waiting… wish I could remember if maybe it was dinner time for the little fishy’s… hmmm… too funny.

If you turn your head you would see this… Charlie trying his best to sniff them… I think he really missed them when they were gone, or maybe it was just the food ;)

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Day trip… ROCKVILLE, SC

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, TRAVEL4 Comments

I mentioned a while back that my husband took some time off work and we had a staycation…we had a GREAT time. Took in the local sights, restaurants while still taking the dog (and ourselves) for a walk each day. It was so nice! One day we ventured to Rockville, SC.  A beautiful little town. A wonderful place to take photographs. It’s a little tricky to find a place to park. I was very careful to be respectful of peoples privacy. There are so many absolutely GORGEOUS homes you just want to take photos until you can’t take them any more. It’s a short trip from Charleston, SC. It’s not a place to go shopping, or out to eat. Just to take a little drive through and enjoy the beauty.

It was a cloudy day but still the photos are magnificent because ROCKVILLE is magnificent! It really is like stepping back in time. The big old oak trees, the charming homes, the views of the water… lovely!

One downside… MOSQUITOES… holy cow, I’ve never seen so many in my life. I was a walking Mosquito Magnet! Actually I was just about running, stopping only long enough to snap a photo… must have been a sight, ha ha… that’s probably why I didn’t see a single person!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A few photos… Nikon Coolpix P510

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

I’ve been playing with the camera that I got for my birthday and I love it! It’s a sweet Nikon Coolpix P510 and it’s got oomph! A 42x zoom comes in handy for getting shots that would otherwise be missed. I’m looking forward to really putting this camera to the test! For now I’ve been playing with it in the house… snapping a few pictures here and there… like my trusty violet that does so well. This was given to us from a neighbor when we lost our dog Reginald. It has done so well. I think he’s helping it along, ha ha… I was trying to see where my limits were as to how close I can shoot…

I love these face forward shots in the sun with all the white, Charlie looks quite angelic doesn’t he? Ha ha… if only you knew…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Majestic Crape Myrtle’s in Charleston, SC

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME4 Comments

You don’t normally think of a crape myrtle tree as being “majestic”, but I would say these big old crape myrtles are pretty impressive! Their trunks are so interesting, the bark is such a beautiful color, almost the same as the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco! Hmmm, might be nice to color match, ha ha… wonder if the Benjamin Moore folks will come to a location and color match, ha ha…

Sometimes its the little things in life to make you smile. Don’t miss it! Catch you back here tomorrow!