Tag: Charleston

Artist to watch… Daniel Corey!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Image: CamdenFallsGallery.com

Daniel Corey… another artist to keep an eye on, his work is outstanding. If you get a chance check out his blog, full of information AND very entertaining! Click HERE to get to his blog… Dan is represented by Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine, the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island, Maine and Coco Vivo Gallery in Charleston, SC. Links are provided on his blog. Go ahead, check him out!

 This painting entitled LEGACY is awesome. Anyone who’s been to Monhegan likely will remember this beautiful lobster boat!
 
Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… Mary Whyte!

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Image: ColemanFineArt.com

Mary Whyte. Many of you have heard of her. She is utterly spectacular. The talent is scarely amazing. I’m not kidding. Every single painting is museum quality. To watch her paint is a real treat. Mary often participates in the outdoor paint out in Charleston held in November, where the artists donate the painting from the day and it’s auctioned for charity. Wonderful! Mary’s work is in Coleman Fine Art Gallery. If you’re in the area, it’s a beautiful gallery full of amazing talent, I highly encourage you to visit! Otherwise check her out on their website!  Mary has also written books, has DVD’s and has illustrated some children’s books that are simply magical.

Catch you back here tomorrow, if you get a chance check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Fast & French… yo… G&M is a tasty treat!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOODLeave a comment
Image: FastAndFrench.org

Some refer to this restaurant as Fast and French, others as G&M and the rest of you as Gaulart et Maliclet Cafe. It’s the cool little restaurant on Broad Street in Charleston where you see many of the locals as well as some visitors. It’s a great place to meet people. It has to do with the seating, there aren’t separate tables and chairs, there is a long bar area and a few shorter wider bars where you sit across from people. It’s perfect for dining alone, or meeting new people. You can always find someone interesting to talk to at G&M. Thursdays is fondue night, a popular night for many. I happen to love their cold cucumber soup especially on a hot summer day when anything heavier than that just doesn’t sound good. They have wonderful sandwiches among many other dishes at night. Great coffee and desserts too… check out their MENU.

Catch you back here tomorrow, in the meantime if you get a chance check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Mellow Mushroom opens in Avondale…

On By Barbara StroudIn FOODLeave a comment
Image: MellowMushroom.com

Mellow Mushroom restaurant opened a few weeks ago in Charleston. More specifically, West Ashley/Avondale area, which is mighty convenient and within walking distance… woohoo! We treated ourselves to pizza for dinner last night and a spinach salad… it was too good! They did a great job renovating the space that started as the Ashley Theater, which opened 2/20/1950! They kept the overall theater feel, they removed the drop down ceilings that the shop before them had and now you see the gorgeous wood ceilings, they have the huge movie projector in the center like a piece of art, very cool. I have to say everyone was uuber friendly… there was a nice vibe to the restaurant, not to mention good pizza. So if pizza is sounding good to you head on over there!

Catch you back here tomorrow, in the meantime, if you get a chance check out my photo blog http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… Rhett Thurman…

On By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment
Image: TheSylvanGallery.com

Rhett Thurman. I love her paintings, so full of color and life! After meeting Rhett and speaking to her you will walk away knowing that you just spoke to a true southern lady. She is soft spoken and kind. To watch her paint is a treat. She usually participates in the paint out in Charleston in November. Her work is at the Sylvan Gallery on King Street. Pop in and say hello if you get a chance, you’ll be glad you did!

Catch you back here tomorrow… if you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com!

Taco Boy restaurant in Charleston is the ticket!

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, THOUGHTS1 Comment
Image: TacoBoy.net

MMMMM, I am thinking of a Taco Boy salad right now… sure sounds tasty, it’s much more than “just a salad”, it’s an experience! Really. Oooolala, with those tasty thin tortilla chips and a side of guacamole, ohmygosh! A treat that can’t be beat!

We took a break last night, sat down, and turned on the TV… what does Tivo have to offer us on this fine evening? Hmmm, Army Wives… Cool! First show of the season. Guess where part of it was filmed?? INSIDE TACO BOY! YAY! Good for them!
If you haven’t been to Taco Boy  yet… RUN… don’t walk! I’ll probably see you there sipping on my half sweet half unsweet tea (It’s DESSERT!), munching on those oh so wonderful thin tortilla chips dipped in guacamole, salsa or for the heavenly treat… QUESO! Take a peek at their menu, it’s too hard to decide which tasty dish to order! Did I mention how cool the place is? They took an old run down building and transformed it into an ultra cool place to hang out with friends, or just your sweetie. Don’t take my word for it, head on down to Taco Boy. We have yet to visit the one on Folly Beach, but it just won the BEST OF CHARLESTON 2011 for best restaurant on Folly Beach! Congrats to ya man!
Where are my car keys? I’m outta here!
Catch you back here tomorrow!
Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com

Bowen’s Island Restaurant – Charleston, SC

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, THOUGHTS4 Comments
Image: BowensIslandRestaurant.com

For those of you who have eaten at Bowen’s Island Restaurant, you know… You know how utterly awesome the view is… it takes your breath away. Seriously. TAKES. IT. AWAY. The fried shrimp is oh so tasty and I absolutely just cannot wait to have some! Visitors soon (yay!) and we will be making our way to the place that great photos are made from… and it sure doesn’t hurt that the food is tasty too!

Good grief, I just did something I shouldn’t have. I looked at the menu! Their prices aren’t bad at all, and now I’m really wanting some of their fried shrimp… check out the menu… you’ll be running at the speed of light, jumping in your car, hearing a big peel out noise, wondering where it came from before you even realize you’re in your car, headed right where all the real seafood lovers go… and that aint Red Lobster… hee hee…

Read the restaurant review “Shucking and sucking” it’s more of a story, ha ha – Bowen’s Island is known for their oysters!

Check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com ! Until tomorrow…

A walk to remember…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Move more – Eat less… it’s what the experts say we should all be doing… Well, we’ve been really good about moving more, that’s for sure (we could probably eat a little less, but…). Charlie (our Jack Russell) is instrumental in our fitness regimen… if we don’t get him walked at the bare minimum of four miles he’s wound up tighter than a tick (ick, what does that mean?)… Here are a few pictures from our walk today. We live near the West Ashley Greenway, it’s a great path that goes many miles out… Today we ventured out 2 miles and back 2 miles with a quick reward stop at Petco for Charlie… He loves to shop… then as we headed back down the greenway we detoured at Dolittles (another pet store with cool toys and treats) and then headed home. Hope you’re able to get out this weekend. It’s so nice this week, I’m looking at my Brookstone “weather station” and it’s shows 75 for Wednesday… holy cow, can you imagine August? Eek… for now, the nights are still cool, YAY!!! So a fire in the fireplace is what we look forward to! Have a great weekend… until tomorrow…

Sugar Bakeshop – Charleston, SC

On By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOMELeave a comment
Image via http://www.sugarbake.com

Sugar. Not sure why, but I’m craving something sweet right now in the biggest way. I’m trying to re-route my thinking, but I’m not too successful so far… banana for the resistant starch to make me skinny (ha ha), ok… now some oatmeal with walnuts and raisins, more resistant starch… ok, I think i’ve worked my way up to something tasty! Maybe some homemade brownies or that darn apple crisp that was so good I can’t get off my mind… Poey… I had visions of Sugar Bakeshop in downtown Charleston pop into my head… oh what I wouldn’t do for a lemon cupcake, or a caramel cupcake, or just about any other cupcake, not being piggy… just wanting  a cupcake, not a big cake… I. DON’T. THINK. Hmmmm… If you get a chance, check it out, we’ve had most of their cakes (except chocolate, for that we always go to the Chocolate Cake Charleston, the best chocolate cake in the world, and a future post!)… Sugar Bakeshop shows their cake images as a slideshow, so I couldn’t include here, but check them out at www.sugarbake.com ! If you haven’t been before it’s worth the drive FROM ANYWHERE! They even make dog cookies, and let me tell you, Charlie gets just as excited about his cookie as we do with our cupcake! Have a sweet day, until tomorrow…!

An “Aha!” moment!

On By Barbara StroudIn THOUGHTS, TRAVELLeave a comment
Image via http://islandinnmonhegan.com/

Describe a recent Aha! moment… hmmmm. I guess it would be several years ago, leaving Charleston and vacationing on Monhegan Island in Maine. We stayed at the Island Inn (http://islandinnmonhegan.com) which is the larger building that you see in the photo (from their website). There are no shopping malls, no taxi’s, no telephones in your room, no TV or radio or any other distractions, including limited cell phone coverage and wi-fi in the inn’s common room when it’s available. Everything is centered around the weather. If conditions aren’t right the boat doesn’t run to get you to the island, bring groceries, mail, etc. If the wind is strong the phone may be out… It’s a different way of life that is SO MUCH BETTER even without all the STUFF. Stuff is precisely that… stuff. When you are in a place that is so beautiful and when everything around you is so peaceful THAT is what becomes so important. I encourage anyone who isn’t used to not having some of the modern-day pleasantries to try a vacation that relaxes your mind and recharges your soul. It’s amazing what you can do without and you don’t even notice! Until tomorrow…