I should have posted this long, long ago with all this polar vortex freezing weird weather all over the country! Have you seen these before? A faucet protector that protects from freezing, as well as wind and cold. This one is from Frost King. We bought these years ago and use them year after year. They hold up well and seem to do the trick. Any time the temp is going to drop below freezing we remove the hoses and put these insulator thingy’s on the outside faucet. So far, so good. We bought ours at Lowes, they’re a couple dollars each, which is a small price to pay!
Remember to leave both your HOT and COLD water dripping when temps drop below freezing! It’s cheaper than paying to have your pipes fixed!
Oyster Boats by Tim Bell (available at Galerie on Broad in Charleston, SC)
Tim Bell is an amazing artist from Maryland. We met Tim back in 2006 while on Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine. I learned a lot from Tim that first year. He was a wealth of information… as outlined here in a quote from me that I ran across on the Wall’s Gallery website… while reading it I thought it sounded familiar and then I saw my name, ha ha…
We watched Tim paint Uncle Henry’s, a popular old house as you walk from the wharf to the Island Inn… it was reminiscent of Rockwell Kent’s work in so many ways. Oyster Boat has some of the same wonderful violets and that drop dead gorgeous warm light… Spectacular!
I am excited to say that Tim’s work is now being shown right here in Charleston, SC at Galerie on Broad, located on historic Broad Street! If you’re in Charleston, SC stop by and check out his work!
Tim Bell is a painter in the American Impressionist tradition. He is a graduate of Frostburg State University where his post-graduate studies were at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, Maryland and the Cape Cod School of Art in Provincetown, Massachusettes. Tim has won countless awards at the various plein air events, specifically Plein Air Easton near his home. His work has been influenced by painters such as John Twachtman, Charles Hawthorne, Hovsep Pushman and Henry Hensche.
T H E D O L L A R B I L L T E S T & S A V I N G $ W I T H Y O U R F R I D G E !
Ok, maybe not so secret since I saw it on Rachel Ray’s Show one day when I was in the kitchen… Peter Walsh was one of the guests and he discussed ways to save $ with your refrigerator… Did you know if you pull your refrigerator out 1″ from the wall you can save 40% in electricity (on the fridge) because it will run more efficiently? ONE. INCH. I wish this was a new tip we could start doing, but ours is already out a good 1.5″ right now, so that one didn’t help… the more air can circulate the easier it is to run (and less costly).
Next tip: The dollar bill test. Open your fridge door and close it on a dollar bill. Then, with the door closed try to pull the dollar bill out without opening the door. Did it just fall out? Did you not feel any resistance? It just slid pretty easily? (This is what happened for me)… Or did you fee resistance? If you felt resistance, move on… your seal is in good shape. Mine on the other hand pulled out very easily. Sigh… fridge is only a few years old. Normally this can cost $200-300 on a service call, BUT there is something that you can do that will save you that money… Petroleum Jelly (AKA Vaseline). Yep, that stuff you can use to help chapped lips, dry feet or hands… you just put a small amount on your finger and run it across the seal (top, bottom, side, etc.) just a small amount, you don’t need a lot. A thin bead of it will do the trick. Now open your refrigerator door. WHOA, right?!! It’s much harder to open because its sealed better than it was.
The dollar bill test (demonstrated) and many more tips from Peter Walsh: Watch the video…
Here’s the link to the Rachel Ray show regarding this story.
Me (in my runway days, ha ha)… going for the shorty dress and the wicked short bangs (thanks mom!). I remember those bang trims… (I wonder if there was a template that was taped to my head? Ahhh this makes me laugh…) If my grandma saw them she would have a fit and take me to get them fixed, ha ha… not sure which version this is above. I look like I’m going somewhere special… have the purse and everything! Too funny!
Fred has the day off, so I’m going to do the same, have a great day and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!
Charleston has many wonderful hotels. Top notch. We also have beautiful bed and breakfasts. I mentioned the Wentworth Mansion last week, which is a gorgeous inn to stay at. Another is 27 State Street Bed & Breakfast. 27 State is convenient to all that Charleston has to offer. Check out their website! Remember the gas lantern from yesterday’s post? This is it!
When you’re walking around Charleston, SC you never know what you’ll see. Sometimes it’s the small details that make a place really stand out. Details like the lighting at this doorway. Gas lanterns go way back, and that wonderful warm light that glows makes everything look better! Interesting colors downtown as well. Not the typical colors you see everyday, and they look striking! Look at the detail in the woodwork. It’s not the norm anymore. If you head downtown I would highly suggest bringing a camera!!
When you go to my blog and type “Monhegan” in the search box at the top right, you will see many posts appear… so many gorgeous photos, art, and interesting people… Lots of them. The next few Friday’s I’m going to share some of my artists photos from Monhegan. If you are an artist and haven’t been to Monhegan yet… you are in for a treat. There are wonderful places to stay like the Island Inn, or for the more artsy, the Monhegan House. I hear artists love to stay there because they paint all day and talk about art all night. What. Could. Be. Better? Monhegan is a small island about ten miles off the coast of Maine. You take a ferry to get there and there are no cars (except for the locals with trucks for deliveries). You will see easels set up everywhere! It’s a jaw dropping time, truly!
Tim Bell
I took this photo the first year we met artist Tim Bell. What an interesting guy! So full of knowledge that he was sharing, I was writing notes like a crazy person. I was like a sponge trying to absorb all of his information. We spoke with Tim a good bit on this trip. A few times I hung out by his easel while he took a short break (very rare for Tim), and everyone who walked by commented (thinking it was my painting)… I did a lot of explaining in those few short minutes, but also got to feel what it must be like if you’re good. Really. Good. For an artist like Tim who receives so much attention, he is the most down to earth person you will ever meet. He quickly became a friend to treasure for a lifetime. Through Tim we met another artist with the same down to earth abilities even though his paintings are award winning time after time… Ken DeWaard. One day it would be cool to all be on Monhegan at the same time. Just think… you would all have a free photographer, ha ha…
Ok, here are some more…
Tim Bell painting Uncle Henry’s on Monhegan
This is the second year we met Tim on Monhegan… he was painting Uncle Henry’s, and what a fabulous painting that turned out to be!
Tim Bell painting at Lobster Cove on Monhegan
Cool shot, eh? Nice stance Tim! Look at all the artists set up painting. I’m pretty sure this was the day that there were big winds and artists flocked to paint the surf. See that house in the distance? For those of you who aren’t familiar it is owned by artist Jamie Wyeth. He bought it from artist Rockwell Kent. (Cool article about the two of them from Fine Art Connoisseur). What a view it must have. I cannot imagine!
Tim Bell – Monhegan
A close up of Tim’s set up. I’m not even sure I could lift it let alone hike with it. You wouldn’t believe how organized some artists are… it’s impressive.
Kevin Beers painting near the Island Inn on Monhegan
GO BIG OR GO HOME. I bet that’s Kevin’s motto. He is the one artist you see walking down the street with a HUGE canvas… he comes back at the same time each day to catch the same light. His work is incredible and talk about a nice guy. We met Kevin the first year and have stayed in touch. The coolest people go to Monhegan!
Joe Fidler (dad) painting at a cottage in Port Clyde, ME
Ahhh, this artist here… love this guy… HI DAD! He’s a great artist too! He has painted in Port Clyde, Maine when we rented a cottage on the ocean there. What a dream vacation!
Joe Fidler (dad) painting in Port Clyde, ME
This was right in front of our cottage. That cottage was truly a dream!
Me painting on Monhegan
Ooooh… and who might this be? What?! It’s me… hee…
I know I should probably have more variety from different architects. Problem is I’m stuck on Allison Ramsey Architects! I think their plans are fabulous, detailed, classy and have more of what I’m looking for. I have literally spent hours scouring other sites trying to find something that would be suitable. Ugh… so many that look the same, kind of cookie cutter type and I zip through them… Once in a great while I will find a plan I like, but then it’s hard to share because it can be difficult to get permission to use their photos and house plans, and some really make you jump through hoops. I did that a few times. However, since this is a non-paying job, (ha ha), I need to move on and work with those who will work with me. Allison Ramsey is a great outfit. If I were hiring an architect today, they would be my hands down, number one choice. They are accessible. They answer questions and… THEY. ARE. GOOD. So here goes another great plan from ARA!
Red Bluff is a great plan with 1,590 square feet. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. You’ll find it in the CAROLINA INSPIRATIONS – BOOK 1 on their website!
Red Bluff house plan by Allison Ramsey Architects
I like how there are French doors leading to the (screened) porch off the living area! That way you can open the French doors up and be bug free. If I were to build this plan I would screen the deck area off the bedroom as well so that I could open those French doors, or opt to replace those doors with a window and leave the deck. Either way it would work beautifully!
Whew, another great plan found… thank you ARA!
To see actual images of homes that were built, click HERE. (I love that they do this!)
Plying the Pearl River by Andy Evansen [image via]How fabulous is this watercolor? So many little things make it really stand out as a knock out piece. The water is wonderful and that little splash from the oar… brilliant! It’s fabulous how the little pops of bright color highlight just the perfect amount. Andy has some amazing work, check out his website if you get a chance!
This painting, Plying the River Pearl, was accepted into the 2014 American Watercolor Society show in New York! Congratulations Andy!
Andy began painting watercolors in the mid 1990’s, is largely self-taught, and has studied with such well-known watercolorists as Skip Lawrence, Eric Weigardt, and Alvaro Castagnet. He served as President of the Minnesota Watercolor Society from 2004-2006 and teaches workshops around the United States.
His paintings have appeared on the cover of American Artist’s Watercolor magazine and in International Artist, Watercolor Artist, Plein Air and American Art Collector magazines. His award-winning paintings are in collections on 4 continents. He was awarded the Bronze Medal of Honor at the 2012 AmericanWatercolor Society Exhibition and was jut elected a signature member of the prestigious Plein-Air Painters of America.
I simply cannot wait to try this! There was a great article from NPR about some everyday tasks that you might not be doing right… This is incredible! You know how when you hard boil an egg, some shells slip right off and others you can only get little tiny piece by little tiny piece, sometimes not leaving much of the egg… Well you’ve got to watch this video! Tim Ferriss shows how easy it is to remove the shells, they BLOW RIGHT OFF THE EGG. Watch and you’ll see!
A few words from Matt Thompson (NPR):
I prepared my breakfast of hard-boiled eggs a bit differently this morning. I added a teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water. When the eggs were done, I cooled each one in ice water, then cracked both ends of the shell, held it in my fist and blew. Each time, the shell shook a bit and whistled, then out popped the egg, shell-less and delicious.
Get. Outta. Here!
Update: I was researching more about Tim Ferriss (the guy that did the video) and he has a blog that this was featured on. His blog is an amazing resource, check it out if you get a chance!
I know I’ve featured James Richards a few times already, but his work never ceases to amaze me. Oh how I adore Lost in the Marsh! It’s an impressive 36×48″ oil painting that has the perfect amount of looseness, and I just think it’s incredible! James has the uncanny ability to be able to paint an everyday scene with a twist, and I love that!
James Richards is one of the most sought after landscape instructors around, his workshops fill up quickly and there is good reason for that. He’s as nice as he is talented. Truly. If you get a chance to check out his work in person, I highly suggest it. Locally, in Charleston, SC you can see his work at Galerie on Broad*. He’s got some amazing pieces… come see for yourself!
*Galerie on Broad is no longer in business, but you can see his work at the Meyer Vogl Gallery in Charleston, SC!
This painting stops people in their tracks. It’s mesmerizing. No, cows aren’t normally purple, but they sure are pretty darn cool when they are! Very striking indeed!
James Richards: Nationally-known landscape painter and instructor is driven by a passionate connection with nature and a deep sense of obligation to relay his vision in the most truthful manner possible. This ethic, manifested in his work, is giving Richards’ painting their own place in the world of today’s art.
James has spent years studying the nuances of painting with world famous instructors, which has given him a keen sense of understanding and control over the medium. James is an advocate of painting from life and spends his time traveling the world teaching workshops and searching for inspiration.
He has won multiple national awards and is regarded as one of the top landscape painting instructors in the country. James Richards paintings are collected by discriminating collectors both nationally and abroad.
This photo was taken on that walk that I’ve mentioned in previous posts… Fred, Charlie (woof) and I were zipping along at a brisk pace while I was trying desperately to sneak in some photos… I love this early morning light, there’s nothing like it!
The Battery is one photogenic place in Charleston, SC. There are the gorgeous old homes, White Point Gardens (park) and more beautiful homes. Right now the city is working on repairing portions of the battery… There is a slight detour, nothing major. It’s definitely a fabulous place to walk (and take photos, hee…) I simply cannot walk downtown without a camera of some sort… Here’s the info you need to know (from charleston-sc.gov):
Seawall Repair 2013
The first phase of the Battery repair & reconstruction project involves the reconstruction of “The Turn” – the portion of the High Battery that connects the stone High Battery along East Battery with the Low Battery along Murray Boulevard. This portion of the Battery was identified in the Seawall Evaluation and Study, prepared by Cummings & McCrady,Inc., as a priority due to substantial deterioration of the underlying wooden deck and pile system. More specifically, the work will include:
Lane closures and traffic control to establish a safe work zone
Installation of a temporary cofferdam and dewatering systems to allow work during all tidal cycles
Removal and disposal of the existing concrete seawall
Removal of the timber platform
Testing and removal of selected timber piles
Installation of new composite (concrete and steel) piles
Construction of a new reinforced concrete foundation and seawall structure
Removal of all temporary cofferdams and traffic control
The estimated time for construction is nine months. The Engineer’s estimate of probable cost for the project was $3,500,000. Three bids were received from seven potential bidders that were prequalified due to the complexity of this project. The bids ranged from $2,665,000 to $3,939,000. After careful review of the bids, staff is recommending award of the contract to the apparent low bidder, Crowder Construction Company, in the amount of $2,665,000.
We will commence construction on “The Turn”, which should be completed nine months from the construction start date. Design services for the next phase of the High Battery restoration are underway. This phase includes the renovation of the stone High Battery from “The Turn” to its northern terminus. The renovations will consist of resetting and repointing the existing stones to provide a more level walking surface and more aesthetic appearance. It is anticipated that the bidding and work on this phase will begin after “The Turn” is completed. Once the High Battery is completed, work will begin on the Low Battery portion.
Gardens and Gates – image: Sandra Baggette’s Garden Studio Gallery FB
Sandra Baggette… wonderful artist, dear friend and nicest person in the world. We have been fans of Sandra for many years now, matter of fact, we bought our first “original” from Sandra back in 1991…! Sandra and her husband Jack are fabulous people, and are so much fun to visit. If you’re ever in the Port Royal, SC area, give her studio a call and see if she’s in. It’s a treat!!
Sandra’s opening is this evening! So if you’re in the area this is something you’ll definitely want to put on your list!! The show runs from January 3 – March 31, 2014. The opening reception is tonight from 5-7PM. To see a preview of the work check out sandrabaggette.com and gloriadalvini.com!
Opening for Gardens and Gates at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Center for the Arts – January 10, 2014. It was a great time painting in my garden after the tour. Check out my paintings at www.sandrabaggette.com and www.gloriadalvini.com. Our thanks to Jerry Stocks for setting this up.
Read a blip about Sandra from her website… such a cool lady!
A “painterly colorist” working in oils, Sandra blends what she sees and feels to share a lifelong enthusiasm for color and flowers Her passion for nature and vibrant colors is clearly demonstrated in her first book,
Sandra Baggette: Painting What I Love , a collection of recent works published in 2011.
In 1988, Sandra established the Garden Studio Gallery in Port Royal, SC to pursue her passions for painting and gardening. This peaceful environment, rich with colorful patterns created by flowers and sunshine, is a constant source of inspiration for her paintings.
Studies throughout the United States and abroad have played an important role in Sandra’s artistic development. Her travels in Italy and France, where she enjoyed the privilege of painting in Monet’s gardens and studied a variety of Impressionist masters, and the stirring sights of Hong Kong, Bermuda, Hawaii, and other locales have helped her grow as an artist and fueled her desire to move in new directions. Sandra continues to paint primarily in oils and to learn from nationally recognized instructors at the Scottsdale Artist School in Arizona and workshops throughout the United States. In 2010, she had the rare opportunity to take an oil painting class with acclaimed artist and instructor, Charles Reid. S. Burkett Kaiser, Ovanes Beberian, and Gay Faulkenberry, all students of Sergei Bongart, a Russian Impressionist whom Sandra admires, have also been some of her favorite instructors.
Recent participation in the Clemson University Master Gardeners and Lowcountry Institute at Spring Island programs has deepened Sandra’s knowledge and appreciation of nature and gardening in ways that will enhance her work. Membership in the Lowcountry Plein Air Society affords her excellent opportunities to paint and learn with fellow artists in picturesque outdoor locations. She has also benefitted from participating in the Plein Air Painters of America Paint Outs in Bennington, VT and Old Lyme, CT.
An award-winning artist, Sandra has exhibited in over 100 juried shows in the United States.Juan Logan awarded a Merit award to Sandra’s Seasonal Inspirations Series at Piccolo Spoleto Arts Festival 2011. .Zinnias and Melonswas accepted into the Hilton Head Art League 2009 National Juried Show, judged by Craig Srebnik. Among the Flowers won First Place in the Lowcountry Plein Air Society Competition judged by Jack Morris. Roses and Sweetgrass Baskets and The Arrangement were chosen for the 2009 South Carolina State Fair Fine Art Exhibit. In 2008, her oil paintings received two awards from Tom Lynch at the 48th Annual Beaufort Art Association’s Spring Exhibit and an Award of Merit from Jonathan Green at the Piccolo Spoleto Arts Festival. Affiliations Lowcountry Plein Air Society; Oil Painters of America Associate; American Impressionist Society; Women Painters of the Southeast; Beaufort Art Association and South Carolina Watermedia Society
Galleries Garden Studio Gallery Port Royal, SC Indigo Gallery Beaufort, SC Peacock Alley Chapel Hill, NC
I just previewed Sandra’s book and it is FABULOUS! Check it out if you get a chance!
The last house plan I featured was an overwhelming hit (the Holiday House/Port Royal Coastal Cottage) – I am looking at plans like crazy, but I keep going back to Allison Ramsey! THE RIVER HOUSE – This is a fabulous one bedroom house that has got the neatest features. I would pair this house with one of the Allison Ramsey outbuildings… part garage and part guest suite. These outbuildings are a post all in themselves, but I just thought I would mention it… Imagine this sweet plan on situated on a river. You have a wonderful porch, useful living space that is as gorgeous as it is functional, then you have the master bedroom/bath upstairs.
Allison Ramsey Architects – River House
One magical element… the BUNK… when you look at the link with the photos you’ll see how utterly cool this is. What a magical place to hang out and read… whoa!
The River House – Upstairs AllisonRamseyArchitecht.com
I would have a built in headboard that doesn’t go above the windows, maybe with a drawer or two underneath for storage. I would love to have the washing machine/dryer where the bathtub is (upstairs) and maybe fit a small bathroom with shower downstairs (maybe where the laundry is), just in case one day you aren’t able to go up the stairs, you can still take a shower! I love having a master down, but this plan could make me change my mind!
Hey… does this house look familiar? Yep, it’s the River House on the cover of Garden and Gun magazine (image via Garden and Gun Facebook page) – and let me tell you, this is one classy magazine… click here to subscribe!
Image via Garden and Gun Facebook
Are you currently building a house? Have you run across some wonderful house plans (that actually include the plans)? Let me know about it!
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