Happy Christmas Eve. What a wonderful time of year! A time of joyous celebration for many. We would like to extend our heartfelt Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!
barbara, fred & charlie
Catch you back here tomorrow!
This is a great gift! We listen to Pandora most of the day, and the ads… ahhh, they can get so annoying. But I love the stations (George Winston for Charlie, keeps him calm… Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera while i’m cooking, Masako when I’m reading, Koop when we have company… Peaceful Holidays during this time of year… Sure, there are many more, but those are a few.
To have Pandora sans ads… whoa! What a treat! Definitely worth $4.99/month, and save $5 if you pay yearly. Now to figure out how to get it in my car… What do you listen to?
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Awww, this week Charlie is going to help me out with a few posts – I ran across his photos and thought I would share! I know many of you are busy preparing for Christmas Day. So here is a quick post to get you on your way… Charlie when he was about 4 months old… what a sweetie and his hair isn’t nearly as wild as it is now… that took about a year I think?
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Well Christmas week is upon us! It seems like summer has just ended and soon we will be celebrating Christmas! It’s crazy how fast time goes by! Why can’t it go by this fast while we wait for water to boil? Hmmm, just wondered (and sometimes I shouldn’t wonder “out loud”, ha ha). Isn’t this a beautiful tree? (My parents house)… it’s so happy, with those wonderful warm lights, the fresh smell of a fraser fir, absolutely beautiful!
Today is the first day of winter. Do you know what that means? Today is the shortest day of the year. Sounds funny… all days are 24 hours, but this day has the least amount of daylight. Each day from now on gets LONGER (stays lighter longer), although it’s a very slow and gradual process!
Wishing you the happiest of holidays! Remember to try to pay it forward… do a good deed for someone, they don’t even have to know it was from you, then in turn maybe they will do something nice and unexpected for someone and so on… The world is a magical place, we have to keep the magic by instilling faith in each other, cheering up those who need cheering, taking that extra step for anyone… and carry it through all year long. Now wouldn’t that make this a wonderful place to live?
Catch you back here tomorrow!
I know I’ve posted this before, but I love it! My dad made it years ago as a Christmas card, so we framed it… it makes a neat little painting. I think the message is perfect…
P E A C E !
A side note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! Love you so much!! xoxo, me
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Jo Malone is such classy cologne. Many can be used by men or women, which is really neat. They can also be blended together which is wildly interesting. I have used Jo Malone since my very first purchase. Once you use it, you tend to not want to use anything else. It’s not as strong as other’s tend to be and it’s just so nice! I snapped a photo, just look how nice their marketing material is. The classy brochure that shows the different combinations that can be layered, the gorgeous gift bag and the snazzy box with the black ribbon. Presentation means a lot!
Thrilling news! (And I JUST REALIZED THIS)… we now have Jo Malone available here in Charleston! Belk at Towne Center in Mount Pleasant, SC has a wonderful section. If you haven’t been… give it a try, try a few to see if you like them. Ask for a sample, it helps when you can use it at home without other scents flying around in the air. Try it, I think you’ll like it ;)
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Ahhh, Broad Street in Charleston, SC. It’s not the highly publicized shopping district on King Street, but what it does have are the kinds of shops that are unique. Less commercial. More small businesses. Many galleries are located on Broad Street, unique shops, some great eating places, not to mention Normandy Farms Bakery – great coffee, pastries, bread, sandwiches, etc.
It’s important to support the locals! They have a lot to offer!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Broad Street in Charleston, SC is just so… historic! These buildings have stories. Can you imagine? Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what went on in each of them? The stories, the different businesses that have come and gone? It’s fascinating to say the least!
Next time you’re in Charleston, check out Broad Street. I think there is a great marketing job mentioning King Street. But the non-commercial places seem to be on Broad Street, so when you’re in the area, check them out! Matter of fact, if you’re downtown today, stop in The Gallery on Broad, check out the great art work on display!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
What stands out the most in this photo? Is it the stunning shadows that play brilliantly against the pretty color of this building? Or is it the light that seems to dance across the building with each gust of wind? Whatever it is, it’s beautiful and its just so Charleston!
Enjoy your day! Relax while you can, Christmas is 25 days away!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Shop small businesses today and if you use your American Express, you can get a $10 statement credit for each qualifying transaction! That’s right, you could earn up to $30 just for using your registered AMEX card at a small business that has been enrolled in the program in your area!
Win. Win. What a delight to support small businesses! Especially this time of year!
For more details, or to register your card visit the Enrollment Site!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Charlie looking for his lizard friends… ahhhh, “the Lizzies” as I like to call them! At times he’s obsessed and wants nothing more than to play with the many lizards that lurk in the monkey grass and palms. Then he comes in, dirt in his mouth, purple plumbago flowers stuck to his sides – Oh Charlie! Life is good!
For those of you who have been sending prayers, happy thoughts and anything else you’ve got for my dad… I spoke to the nurse this morning… he had a good night! First one! I was even able to speak to him for a minute. Nothing could be better than to hear his voice! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Whole Foods Market Mt Pleasant Customer Advisory Panel – did you know there was such a thing? Well there is, and it’s quite amazing. Whole Foods selects a group of people each year to inform and share information with them about their store. It’s amazing information. You would not believe all the work that goes into making that store so very amazing! Specifically, I’m referencing the Mount Pleasant, SC location.
They want to know what we think. What they can do better. What they are doing that we like. What would we like to see in the future? Each month there is a new topic. The first meeting was PRODUCE. It was EYE OPENING to say the least. After learning of the care that is involved with being a certified organic grocery store, we want to buy all of our groceries at Whole Foods! We are buying more since being on this panel, I guess after you learn all the work that goes into getting the produce where it is, and how the organic produce is treated very carefully. Special cleaning techniques are used in those areas, temperatures are taken as they are taken off the truck, storage is handled separately for organic and conventional fruits/veggies. They are not just inspected by DHEC, they are also inspected by EVERCLEAN because they are a certified organic grocer. It’s an impressive list of accomplishments that they strive for every single day. Quality is number one! It’s no easy task. That store runs like a well oiled machine. There are massive amounts of teamwork involved. No doubt about it!
You know how it is when you buy something that you think will taste good and then you get home and it’s just not your taste? Whole Foods will let you sample just about anything in the store, just find a store associate and ask them if a package can be opened or if you can have a sample. Fruits and veggies aren’t excluded… wonder what that Honeycrisp apple taste like? Wonder no more! They will give you a slice and ahhhh, you will see why they are about the most amazing apple on the planet!
I think a lot about a company that wants to strive, year after year, to make things the best they can be (despite being profitable anyway!)… Whole Foods not only wonders, they care, they WANT TO KNOW, they spend a great deal of money and effort to get our opinions. Just last week we had an entire Thanksgiving Dinner, the topic was PREPARED FOOD, and we tasted all of the sides that are available for Thanksgiving, and let me tell you… YUM! They even send us home with a Whole Foods bag packed with goodies from whatever the current topic is. Brilliant. Now I buy those same products that they gave us. Just think I might have never tried them otherwise! Now I am hooked!
On top of it, the people who work for Whole Foods are about as nice and sincere (not to mention FUN) as they get.
There were better photos to be taken, I was trying not to cause a scene… therefore you are missing photos of their Thanksgiving spread, which was the best EVER! Each and every dish we tasted was out of this world! So if you are wondering about Thanksgiving, give them a call (or order online) and order your Thanksgiving, it couldn’t be easier!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Charleston lost a legend on Wednesday, November 12, 2014.
John Carroll Doyle, prolific artist, photographer and writer. John was an icon. He was a character. He was so very interesting and would spend so much time with us telling us his amazing stories. I’ve always loved hearing the stories behind his paintings. John was an amazing person, storyteller and human being. John wrote his own obituary, and it is brilliant! His wish, in lieu of flowers, brought a tear to my eye. What he said is just… SO JOHN!
John truly made the world a better, more interesting, colorful, delightful place. His presence will be missed.
Catch you back here tomorrow!
The Lupine Gallery (Monhegan) is full of amazing work. The upstairs is wonderful and filled with many wonderful paintings… as well as this window, which to me, is a work of art all by itself! What a view. I would like to live right here :)
Enjoy your weekend! Catch you back here tomorrow!
I’m so excited to announce my very own domain… from now on, you don’t have to type in https://barbarastroud.wordpress.com – you have the option of entering www.artfoodhome.com and tada! It will take you right to my blog. However, if you’re used to entering the barbarstroud.wordpress.com it will redirect you, and you’ll end up at the same happy place! Woohoo, let the fun begin!
Click HERE to view images from this show.
CHARLESTON BECOMES REALISM CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
NOVEMBER 7 – 28 2014
Charleston will become the Realism art capital of the world from November 7 through November 28, 2014, when 68 international Realism artists showcase their latest masterpieces at Robert Lange Studios, voted Best Art Gallery in Charleston from 2010 to 2013. This represents one of the largest Realism shows ever displayed for this genre in the southeast.
“When an artist knows their work will be hanging along side some of the best realists in the country they tend to paint a little longer and add even more final touches than perhaps they normally would. The end result is a polished show where each painter has put their very best foot forward,” says Robert Lange, co-owner of Robert Lange Studios.
The exhibition is the International Guild of Realism’s ninth annual gallery show and will open with a gala reception Friday, November 7th from 5 – 8PM at the gallery’s historic location. Over 20 of the artists will be in attendance including artists from Sweden, Iceland, Canada and Norway, according to co-owner Megan Lange.
“Realism is having such a resurgence in the last twenty years. One can’t help but recognize and respect the staggering amount of hours required to create a technically exceptional realist painting. We’ve curated a show of traditional realist works, choosing paintings that demonstrate the artists undeniable technical skill first and foremost,” she added.
The show will have 73 juried paintings in categories including landscapes, still lifes, figurative art, photorealism and trompe l’oeil. The prices will range from $950 to $60,000. The works were juried into the show from over 350 IGOR member entries.
For more information, preview the artworks at www.RobertLangeStudios.com or call (843) 805-8052. The International Guild of Realism’s own website at www.RealismGuild.com features 340 worldwide artists.
Image via RobertLangeStudios.com, used with permission…
For those of you who subscribe to this blog, you may notice there has been some technical difficulties this morning… while working on my blog it published (while set to publish 2015 to be safe that nothing would be sent out until I had it how I wanted it)… and it didn’t publish but it DID send an email to subscribers. I have reported this issue… Thanks for your patience!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
ARTFOODHOME.COM 