Category: HOME

The Art of the Staycation…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Charleston was voted #1 City in America by Conde Nast Traveler magazine… It’s been on the list for years, but this year it beat San Francisco! Whoa! I have to say, that’s another place that is near and dear to my heart! But since we live in Charleston, SC, I think a staycation is in order!

You’ve heard of it… a STAYCATION. Taking a vacation and staying at home all in one nice little package. A brilliant idea actually! However, the ART of a staycation may take some practice. It’s tricky to be “on vacation” while you’re at home. There are projects to be done, grass to cut, dishes to wash, and all of lifes everyday moments. BUT, life is short and you have to enjoy it while you can! So if you “take” a staycation, give yourself a break, you’ve worked hard, you need some R&R, no guilt!

A staycation has some nice benefits… No packing, no spending money on flights, no hotels, none of the other headaches that come with traveling. You can still get out and see some sites and still save money! (And what better place than Charleston, SC??) It gives you time to be a tourist in your own city. We don’t seem to get to many of the tourist attractions in Charleston and this is a perfect opportunity. So as of today, we are officially on STAYCATION. I guess I can’t say we’re “going” on staycation… we’re “staying” on staycation!

We have some ideas of places we want to go, for instance to the Gibbe’s Museum of Art to see the Mary Whyte: Working South exhibition! We’ve got so many great restaurants in Charleston, SC, that we’ll have to mull the options over a bit more!

I haven’t decided if I’m going to post photos from each days staycation or have a post scheduled for each day, but I guess you’ll figure it out. I will be posting every day regardless… haven’t missed a day since 1/1/2011, I’m heading into year two and I’m on a roll!

So stick with me! Have you been staycationing? Where do you go? What do you do? I was reading an article, it said when you staycation, you should do things differently, turn off your phone (eek), turn off your computer (double eek), plan different places to go (yay), etc. So we’re going to play it by ear. Maybe just cut down on computer time? Hee hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow… promise!

CHARLESTON image via CNTraveler.com

STAYCATION definition via Merriam-Webster.com

A Walk Downtown… (Charleston, SC)

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME4 Comments

How stately is this? Magnificent. Prestigious. Oh, Charleston is full of the most beautiful architecture dating back hundreds of years. Whenever I’m downtown I think what a wonderful city this would be to visit while on vacation… summer could prove a little humid for me, but it’s beautiful nonetheless! Everywhere you look there is a photo to be taken. So if you live here, grab your camera and head out! If you visit Charleston, bring extra batteries and a big memory card!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

G-O Logic Homes! $0-$300/year in heating costs… fascinating!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME5 Comments

How would you like to build a new house for around $160/square foot AND have your heating bill for the entire year be $300 (or pay $0.00 if you opt for the net zero upgrade!). Crazy, right? Not with G-O Logic Homes. These homes have great design with every single detail well thought out. They have a fabulous website and have won award after award. By using solar, great insulation, the best windows, and a host of other tricks, they’ve configured homes that can be heated with a small heater at the cost of $300/year IN MAINE! I’m telling you to check these out because they are phenomenal!

Fred and I hope to one day be on the happy trail to Maine… once there it would be ideal to be situated on a piece of land near water (water view would be optimal, but we’ll see). Fred likes land, woods, creatures. I like to be able to walk to a general store, a library, and ideally a bakery (hee hee) and NO CREATURES, ugh.Where we end up will be hopefully somewhere in between! We love Charleston, SC and all it has to offer, we have just fallen in love with Maine. Where do you hope to end up? Thoughts please! We have time, we’re not ready to move yet! Would love your thoughts and opinions! Right now, after 30-some days of 90+++ heat, I’m thinking more along the lines of the north pole! However, just thinking about Maine, in the winter, in one of these architectural gems puts a smile on my face!

I’m telling you, you’ve got to check out this company’s website… and the quick video tour that explains things (click on link, then scroll to bottom of page and you’ll see the video, you won’t believe it!) From the GOLogic website:

In Maine, the standard for green design and construction has been officially raised with the completion and certification of The GO Home in Belfast, which is the first Passive House Certified Home in Maine and only the 12th Passive House in the entire United States. This smart and small 1500 square foot, three-bedroom residence packs an elegant design punch, while achieving super energy efficiency at construction costs comparable to a standard home.
 
As a passive house, the homeowners will see a 90% reduction in their heating bill, resulting in a cool $300 dollars per year for space heating, while enjoying all the comforts of the super insulated building shell during the winter months. With an additional investment in solar panels, The GO Home has been made net zero, creating all the energy on site that it needs to provide heat, hot water and electricity for the home owners who will not see an energy bill for the next 25 years.
 
GO Logic, the architectural design build firm that created The GO Home, conceived of the project to bring design and energy performance in line with affordability- which they have at the construction cost of $160/ SF. Combining the traditional good looks of the Maine vernacular with contemporary design and details, The GO Home is comfortable in its rural setting, but does not forgo the pleasure of great design. With beautiful wood/ aluminum clad windows imported from Germany, a timber frame from Thorndike Maine and cabinets from local woodworkers, the interior is well crafted and timeless. In addition to being the first certified passive house in Maine, The GO Home will round out its sustainable building credentials with LEED Platinum rating, the USGBC’s highest rating for environmentally sustainable buildings.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

 

Charleston SC Photos: Gardens of Charleston

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME1 Comment

It is the exception, not the rule to have a large yard when you live in downtown Charleston, SC. For the most part the yards are very small. However, there are a few homes that have extensive yards that are just breathtaking. In the shot above my lens was poking through a fence so I was limited as to what I could snap a photo of… GORGEOUS!

Look at that! Magnificent! Someone stays very busy keeping that looking so perfect. What a treat for the eye!

What a great size yard! Especially if you have someone to maintain it!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Photos: Doors in Charleston, SC…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME6 Comments

Fred and I took a walk around downtown early one Saturday morning and I brought along the camera (of course!). You can loose yourself taking photos downtown. THERE IS JUST SO MUCH TO SEE! For the most part it was a cloudy morning, but the sun peeked through for a few shots… I love how the sunlight hits this beautiful wooden door. The quality of the homes downtown just cannot be beat. They are absolutely gorgeous!

I love the newspaper still on the step… and the carriage step from days gone by… it was a nice quiet morning… then the sun stayed out and it was a tad humid (understatement of the year)… it was nice while it lasted!

Everything is just. so. GRAND. Lovely!

Stay cool and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Italian Cypress Trees = Dramatic Photo

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME1 Comment

Dramatic, eh? Photo taken while walking around downtown (Charleston, SC)…

I need to get up and go take photos early or late in the day… this was more around noon judging by the bright light, but you can still see what a cool place Charleston, SC is… everywhere you look there is a photo to be taken! If you are affected by heat, come in the winter! That’s when I really love Charleston! I wonder how many artists have painted this scene?

Catch you back here tomorrow!

A beasty birthday!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS5 Comments

The birthday boy, Charlie!

H A P P Y  3 R D  B I R T H D A Y  C H A R L I E !

It’s Charlie’s 3rd birthday today, boy how time flies! If you would like to be entertained by a funny blog accounting for the first year of LIFE WITH CHARLIE, click the link). Initially I created this blog because the only time Charlie would sleep is when I was sitting in my desk chair at the computer. He would curl up behind me and fall into a deep peaceful (for me) sleep… so I created a blog to vent entertain myself, then Charlie started getting people who wanted to know what was going on each day, it was a hoot… after a year he calmed down and I stopped the blog, but it was a great year!

Preparation for Charlie’s birthday hat photo shoot!

Charlie is going to have (another) good day! He’s been so much fun these past several years, here’s to many many more Charlie! May your birthday candles never blow out : )
Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Gorgeous Old Building, Used To Be Saracen Restaurant

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment

This building has always been a stunner. Look at the detail! This is the perfect example of exquisite architecture, back when they built buildings to look gorgeous and to last for generations! A restaurant used to fill this space, it was called SARACEN. We never made it to that restaurant, but it was always on our list. I hope one day soon this place gets renovated and turned back into a happening building!

Have a good weekend, try to stay cool! And I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Trifexis Toxicity in Dogs – Charlie had a scare!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME54 Comments

Charlie… our beast!

We had a scare this past week. It was time for Charlie’s Trifexis dose, a combination heart worm and flea preventative. I gave him food, then the pill and as usual he didn’t feel too good during the day. Normal, it can cause stomach upset, vomiting, etc. I always time the dose so I make sure he makes it past the one hour point without vomiting. He did. Whew, I thought, coast is clear. Not. About six hours later he started to stumble. He was disoriented. He was stretching his neck back and his eyes were partly closed. He had tremors. I felt his heart. Not knowing what “normal” was I did know that his chest felt quite like an explosion over and over. We took him to an emergency vet clinic in Mount Pleasant, SC called Veterinary Specialty Care. These people were nothing short of amazing. They acted promptly. They took him in the back to be seen by the doctor. Then we were called into a room where the doctor told us that his heart rate was dangerously high, 220. After trying to rule out everything in the world, his diagnosis, as she suspected was Trifexis toxicity. Trifexis works on fleas by messing with their neurological system. Sometimes it can do the same in dogs which would explain the odd behavior, the tremors… he stayed overnight so that he could be monitored, he was sedated so he could sleep through this reaction. They’ve seen it many times. UGH! Ever since Sentinel disappeared off the market we’ve all been steered toward Trifexis, in part because the darn fleas have gotten clever and are starting to not respond to the older meds. I can tell you it was a scary time. It took a few days before he was fully himself again, now he’s left with nothing but a shaved leg :) – so he’s fine, and all is well! We did take him to our regular vet for a follow up, and this was the second Trifexis Toxicity case in three days… I don’t want to alarm you, I just want to make you aware.

If you have any questions about giving Trifexis I would research it thoroughly, I thought I did, but…

Sentinel is back on the market (YAY!), so I have updated this post…

IF YOUR DOG IS HAVING ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, (not acting normally, arching head up oddly, difficulty walking, stumbling, if their heart rate feels strangely fast, drooling (other than normal), tremors, vomiting and more…) GET THEM TO THE VET OR EMERGENCY VET IF YOU CAN. 

UPDATE: Charlie’s latest regimen is Sentinel for fleas and heart worm prevention. He’s been on that over a year, and so far, so good!

NOTE: TRIFEXIS contains SPINOSAD (combat fleas) + milbemycin oxime (heartworm prevention) – 

****COMFORTIS also contains SPINOSAD as the key ingredient! So, if you’re dog is having symptoms from Trifexis they can experience the same from Comfortis since it’s essentially the same drug. Trifexis just has heart worm prevention in addition to flea protection. I am not a vet. Check with your vet after your dog has a reaction. LET THEM KNOW WHAT YOU GAVE THEM so they don’t get it (or anything like it) again…

Like people, some medications react differently to some animals. So if there was a reaction once, I (me, being the non-vetirinarian expert, sigh) would steer clear…

This is from the Trifexis website:

For technical assistance or to report a suspected adverse drug reaction, contact Elanco Animal Health at 1-888-545-5973. Additional information can be found at www.trifexis.com. Alternatively, suspected adverse drug reactions may be reported to FDA at 1-888-FDA-VETS or http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ReportaProblem/ucm055305.htm    

Thank you to my many Facebook friends who sent well wishes and prayers, it made all the difference! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Yellow Crowned Night Heron in Charleston, SC

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME2 Comments

This photo was taken in my neighborhood (Charleston, SC). It’s a photo of a yellow crowned night heron. Ooooooh you say? Yep, they’re interesting creatures, they’re here during breeding season, then they all fly away. They come back to the same (exact) area each and every year… As neat as they are, they aren’t the friendliest, and they get rather pushy… they’ll stand in the street and won’t move. They build their nests (or go back to their old nests) and in a short time you start seeing eggs in the street/sidewalk, the most beautiful Martha-Stewart-blue. (I would like to have one color matched and paint a room that color.) Right now it looks like the little ones (not so little anymore) are out and about, I see them in people’s yards during the day. We watched one on a neighbors roof and it was almost like it was thinking, “hmmm, should I try to fly”? It would start to put its wings out and then quickly tuck them back under, he did that for quite some time, I was starting to get worried about him, but I guess he was working through it, ha ha… A few mornings I have seen the birds up on some neighbors front porches. EEK. You don’t want to go out when they’re there. They make very impressive (read SCARY) sounds, that’s enough to keep me far away! They’re cool nonetheless, but I will be happy when they move on. They really stink once it starts to get hot and humid… yikes!

Interesting fact: a few neighbors called to have trees trimmed and the city cannot trim until the birds have left because the birds are protected. So be nice and keep your distance!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Charlie… in his happy place!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS8 Comments

Charlie has his own sofa. We moved it near the window when he was a puppy so he could see down the street. Fred and I like to move furniture. Actually move entire rooms (i.e. the dining room is the study and the living room is the dining room, yep, see what I mean, just try to keep up with us)… well, we DID move entire rooms. Now we’re stuck in a situation. WE CAN’T MOVE THE SOFA! Ahhhh, there are worse things that could happen… Charlie is so content staring out the window during the day (half the time with his eyes closed) that we just can’t change it.

Ahhh, what we do for our pets, huh? Have a great weekend and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston, SC Photo: From a different perspective…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME4 Comments

I love a different angle on things. This photo was taken looking up at the gorgeous windows of a beautiful home in Charleston, SC. When you walk around the streets of Charleston there is SO MUCH to look at. If you’re anything like me you can’t help but snap away! I’m so thankful for my digital camera! Remember taking photos in the “old days”?  In addition to buying a battery, you had to buy film, then you had to take the film in to be processed and have prints made. It always seemed like the ones you were really looking forward to turning out were the ones that weren’t quite right… eyes closed, mouths open, etc. So woot woot for the inventor of the digital camera! Now I can snap away, come home and load them on my computer and delete the ones that aren’t stunning!

Speaking of cameras… if you’ve got a good camera, tell me about it… I currently have  a Kodak Z something or other, what do you have? Why do you like it so much? What are its limitations? How have you adapted to no view finder? (I don’t think I could, I really like a view finder)… Is it worth getting one that you can set manually to manipulate how you like or is point and shoot the way to go? Is it a pain to have a camera where you have to switch lenses? I would think so? What’s the thinnest, sharpest, camera with a viewfinder with at least a 10x zoom? If you get a chance please let me know… if you’d rather email, my email is bstroud1@comcast.net !

Have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Charleston Photo: Hop on and take a spin…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment

Charleston, SC… a great place to live. We do move a lot around this area. You always see people out walking, running, biking, skateboarding or in their cars with surfboards or kayaks strapped to the roof. It’s a great thing to get out and move. My nephew who was here for one day visiting from MI noticed that people are out and moving a lot! It’s what we do… if you can walk, run, bike to the store, do it!

Then come home and either jump in the pool, the sprinkler or the shower, at least for the next few months, it’s going to get a tad warmish… look at it this way…

F R E E   S A U N A !

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to brighten up the front of your house for only $29.98!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS4 Comments

American Flag Kit from LOWE’S.… ($29.98)

I’m always talking about how I love an American flag in a painting… makes it pop. Makes it, uh… as American as apple pie… So as I peruse art websites via my computer I am always delighted to find a painting that I love that includes a flag… then I thought… WHY DON’T WE HAVE A FLAG? That same flag that makes the houses “pop” in paintings could do the same for ours… so we headed to Lowe’s (why Lowe’s? Because LOWE’S KNOWS VALUE… hee, couldn’t resist that)! We headed to the flag display, and picked out one that is sewn and not just printed. Nothing wrong with printed, I just like the look of the sewn ones better and they seem to be a little thicker, therefore they should hold up a little longer.

This is the house before the flag…

Recently I mentioned that we installed a gas lantern, well to put the lantern where we wanted it we had to move the enamel house numbers to a different spot… Now that we want to hang a flag, guess where I really wanted it…? Where the numbers were… SO… the numbers got moved yet again so that the flag had it’s own spot. Whew! That was fun!

And this is the TA-DA… house after the flag…

So if you want to brighten up the front of your house and have a few bucks to spare, head to your neighborhood hardware store and pick up an American flag!

Catch you back here tomorrow!