Magnificent trees + sunset in a historic neighborhood = WOW. My husband and I were walking the other night as the sun was setting and a large full moon was lighting up the sky. My phone refused to see the large brilliant moon – but when I turned around and saw the stunning sky behind me I just had to take a quick photo. I love the tree and the sky. This is a magical time of year.

What were you up to this weekend? It was a weird combination of warmish (but cool in the house), then a little humid – then turning crisp. #perfect I love crisp weather. I always look with wonder at the view that we pass by on our way to do the mundane tasks of everyday living. It’s not the destination, it’s the view along the way, right? But I did get some good cooking in…

Looking for a good gift idea this year? It’s not easy finding the perfect gift. Sometimes you hit it just right (like the image above, we bought Charlie a new dog bed, he was thrilled, hopped in it and went right to sleep.) If you’re looking for a few gift ideas, take a peek at my list and let me know if you have any favorite gifts to give (or receive!) – It’s still hard to fathom that it’s already December!

Living in Charleston just got a wee bit better. Lemons are in season and whoa are they beautiful! Our neighbor has a magnificent lemon tree just bursting with lemons. Have a recipe, need a lemon? Perfect! It’s like a nice pot of basil but even better! I don’t know what he does to make this tree so happy, but wow! This tree is beautiful, especially when the sun is hitting it. The lemons, whoa…

I love how pansies are hearty (at least here in South Carolina). They rebel against our (pretty rare) frosts. I just be sure to water it the night before, and if possible move it to the porch. Some pots are heavy and that’s not an option, so throwing something over it (sheet, etc.) may help protect it.

The stars were the show at this magical get-together. The sky was a gorgeous deep blue and it was filled with so many stars it was hard to fathom. At home, we have other homes and trees around us, so we can only see little pieces of the sky/stars… so this was awe inspiring – and very, very hard to leave. Soon the chairs had wonderful, interesting people filling them and stories were shared.