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!
Capri Blue Candles. Wonderful! You may have seen them at Anthropologie or at other retailers near you. There are a few scents that are my favorite. VOLCANO and ALOHA ORCHID, but to be honest, those are the only two I’ve seen. The Gallery on Broad in Charleston, SC also carries the Volcano scent, in a few different sizes. These candles make a nice hostess gift, or a nice treat for yourself after you worked so hard yesterday.
Hey, if you’re in the downtown area, stop in The Gallery on Broad and say hello… check out these candles… lovely! I will pop it in a pretty gift bag for you and you’ll be set!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Wishing you and yours a safe and happy Thanksgiving day! Now, if for some reason you aren’t full after a Thanksgiving Day feast, and you would like a little treat, that really feels like a treat… Try this… it’ll warm you up too!
Hot chocolate, made from scratch. YUM! Yet one more thing to be thankful for on a chilly day, right? There are only a few ingredients, you can heat the milk however you like (stove or microwave) and instantly you have wonderful hot chocolate that warms you from the inside out! Click on that link to be taken to the original recipe complete with photos!
Enjoy this Thanksgiving Day. Whew, I have so much to be thankful for… all of you, my family, friends, health, Charlie (woof) and Fred just to name a few.
If you’re feeling blessed (as I am), do something to make someone smile. This time of year can be hard on so many people for a variety of reasons. Do you have a neighbor who may be eating alone today? Invite them over, or maybe take them a hot chocolate and have a visit. We all get busy in life, but we have to keep those in mind who don’t have family and may be struggling with something going on in their lives.
Happy Thanksgiving! I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!
Can you believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving? Are you looking for something to make as a side to go with the turkey? Would you like to make something that is quick, easy, beautiful and tastes out of this world? Ahhhh, then this is the recipe for you! This is from Martha Stewart! I posted this several years ago (and would never buy canned since I saw how easy this was to make).
Yes, there is sugar in this recipe, but unlike canned sauce there is no high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup (2nd and 3rd ingredient listed, eek!)
Thank you to Martha Stewart for the photo and the recipe (Everyday Food, November 2008).
Yield Makes 2 cups
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This week I’m bringing back recipe favorites that I think may be a great match for Thanksgiving! This Rustic Apple Tart (click on link to see original post complete with photos as well as a video!) is easy, and so beautiful. The secret is the glaze and it couldn’t be easier!
This is a Martha Stewart – Everyday Food recipe.
Click HERE to print the recipe only.
This is perfect for a smaller gathering! Enjoy!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday. Can you believe it? Seems like it was just summer a few days ago? Crazy how fast time flies!
This week I’m bringing back a few recipes that I’ve shared with you throughout the years, maybe one of them will sound good for your Thanksgiving!
Cranberry & Nut Israeli Couscous Salad is a fabulous recipe (click on that link to see the original post, complete with step by step photos). This is a fabulous cold salad with dried cranberries, fresh oranges, tasty pecans… oooh, I think this is one you will enjoy, and I’m thrilled that I ran across the recipe again, as I had forgotten about it, sigh…
Here’s the recipe – Click to print this recipe from Epicurious – NOTE: I added 2 1/2 oranges, cut into wedges (the other half is juiced in the steps below) – this made the recipe over the top good! You may want to jot that on your printed copy ;)
Salad:
2 cups Israeli couscous, uncooked
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup toasted pecans, quartered
2 scallions, minced
Dressing:
3 tbsp canola oil (I used olive oil)
1.5 tbsp champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1 orange, zest
1/2 orange, juiced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the couscous. When it’s done (roughly 8-10 mins, or when it’s al dente), drain it but do not rinse. Set aside and let cool while you mince the scallions, toast and chop the pecans, and make the dressing.
In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil, vinegar, orange zest and juice, spices and salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the couscous, cranberries, pecans and scallions. Pour the well-whisked dressing over it and toss to combine.
Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for a few hours to blend the flavors.
[As I look back through these photos with recipes… I cannot believe that I posted such horrible photos. Many times it’s starting to get dark outside and lighting + food photos don’t look great to me, of course, neither does the image above, which will be replaced SOON!]
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Meet Lizzie no. 345,982! Ahhh, Charlie says there are many more out there! He’ll find every one of them. Here’s hoping he just plays with them!
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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!
Zoey Frank. Wow! Stunning? Right? I love her work. The texture to it… and the background of that wallpaper? Mesmerizing! Zoey is one who can take an every day subject that most people wouldn’t think of painting and she can make it extra special!
See what I mean? The colors, the textures… so nice! I am a fan!
Read a bit about Zoey from the Haynes Galleries website:
American, Born 1987
Zoey Frank was born in Boulder, Colorado in 1987. She completed four years of classical atelier training under Juliette Aristides at Gage Academy of Art in Seattle, and received an MFA in painting from Laguna College of Art and Design. Zoey has received numerous honors and awards, including an Elizabeth Greensheilds grant in 2013, the Artist’s Magazine All Media Competition Grand Prize of 2012, the Hudson River Fellowship in 2012, scholarships from the Albert K. Murray foundation, the Stacy Foundation and the Art Renewal Center. Her work has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur, International Artist’s Magazine, Artist’s Magazine, and Southwest Art among other publications. Zoey works from her studio in the Bay Area.
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St. Helena (SL-296) by architect Allison Ramsey. This home has 2,460 square feet with 3-4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It also has porches on three sides (what a dream!) and a center hallway.
I love, love, love how the master bedroom has french doors that open onto a screened porch. How wonderful to sit outside at night and enjoy the evening, or early morning with a cup of coffee! Did you notice that the dining room has pocket doors? Makes the space feel even more grand! What a wonderful home with room for everyone, as well as room for everyone to have their own space!
Upstairs are two bedrooms with a shared bath. Absolutely perfect!
Allison Ramsey Architects never disappoints! This plan can be found on Houseplans.SouthernLiving.com.
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Casey Childs. What amazing work! This painting is brilliant. It shows all the stuff that’s used to get us to look like natural beauties, ha ha.
I love Casey’s paintings, his subject matter is different, which I appreciate so much. The light on her face and hand makes her come alive. The finish on the walls, the door, the mirror… all brilliant!!
Check out more of Casey’s work, I didn’t want to spoil it for you! One fabulous painting after another! Casey is represented by Principle Gallery here in Charleston, judging by the Gallery ID for this piece (it ends in CHS) I would think it’s right here in Charleston, SC – something I didn’t realize when I started writing this!
Read a bit about Casey from his website (and check out more paintings):
“My work as a whole encompasses an exploration of the human experience. My interest in the people around me comes from the idea that we look at people every day, but we never really stop to SEE them. In every painting I strive to capture the beauty, variations and complexities of the human form. The goal of my portrait work is to capture the soul of the individual–not just their likeness. I’m inspired by the figurative works (to name a few) of Sargent, Fechin, Thayer, Caravaggio and John Giarrizzo. John, my art professor at Northwest College, instilled in me a great love of art and an immense desire to create it. His work and ideas have found their way into mine. I see my work as a self-portrait in that the subjects of my paintings are all a part of me, each painting a learning experience and an exploration of myself as an artist.”
Image via CaseyChilds.com, used with permission…
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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!
Hahahaha…. selfie shot… Fred’s birthday – Waterfront Park, for the first time in over 20 years we were able to get a swing. Great day! Weeeeeeee!
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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!
ARTFOODHOME.COM 