It's About Time...

...that I introduce Chatham Yelle.

My friend Chatham Yelle is a talented man! I met him on a chance encounter in Marion Square about 7 years ago on New Year's Eve.  He lived in Charleston briefly, but he spends his time in New Hampshire (603) and NYC.  I love whenever we get too see each other (not often as you can imagine).  He's a very gifted artist and a great guy to know!

This video/song is definitely not his best, by a long shot, but it has snips of the Notebook in it and I figure y'all may like that.  ;)

Burger Baby!

Has anyone been to Burger Babies yet on King Street?  Now, come on y'all, you could have come up with a better name that that!  I will avoid this place solely for the fact that I never want to have to answer "Where are you?" with "Burger Babies!".

But, I love love love me a cheeseburger.  It's probably up there with pizza for me.  That's why I was so excited when I found a recipe for Chicken Parm Burgers!!

Ok, it's super easy!  Start with ground chicken (normally right next to ground turkey in the meat section).   Season this with garlic salt and parmesan (and salt & pepper of course).  I've added Italian seasoning to mine before.  Grill (or fry) these burgers, well done of course!  Rare chicken=NO.
What excited me about this recipe was the presentation.  You serve on garlic bread, topped with marinara and mozzarella!  I would imagine spinach and mushrooms would also be a tasty addition. 
Burgers are the best!
How do you like yours?

A Whole New World

The time has finally come that I part ways with my first "real world" job.  There are so many memories and so much useful experience that I am truly grateful for.  Today, I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead more than I have in the past 2 years! 

All of my creative energy can finally be harnessed towards making my life exactly what I want it to be! :)  That's worth cheering over.  I feel empowered and scared and... free. 
My brother moved to San Diego earlier this year and I was talking to him on the phone last weekend.  He's been missing Charleston (duh!) and was saying that, while he is considering coming home for good at Christmas, this move has made him feel so empowered.  It made him face the fact that you really can do anything that you want.  So often we stay in circumstances we wish to run from, simply because we're more comfortable staying than running.  (Not to totally change the subject into running but I am training for my very first race ever!  The Turkey Day 5K!  So what if I look like Phoebe on Friends when I run? So what if I'm only doing it so I can eat more pecan pie!?  No, I'm doing it because I can do anything I want!)

What's on the plate for the first week in my new world?

Wednesday: Business Meeting, Library.
Thursday: Volunteering at the Neighborhood House. Hallelujah! It's been WAY too long.
Friday: Cleaning and Decorating my house for Halloween AND getting Hallowine invites printed and mailed!
Saturday: Fulton Five and Club Habana with K!

Genie: But oh, to be free. Not to have to go "Poof! Whaddaya need," "Poof! Whaddaya need," "Poof! Whaddaya need?". To be my own master. Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world. But what am I talking about? Let's get real here, that's never gonna happen. Genie, wake up and smell the hummus.

Semi Charmed Life

This weekend I was so lucky to have my bestie best best Abigail in town from Columbia!  She's in med school up there and we don't get to spend too much time together these days.  But when we do, I'd say we make it count! 
We watched an episode of All That & Kenan and Kel Friday night.  Pizza Face and Ear Boy??  I'm still laughing. 

Lauren's Bridal luncheon was so nice!  I was so happy to be invited and it was such a loving environment.  I couldn't be happier for her (and Fred).  I found this insulated wine tote at Marshall's HomeGoods Friday night as a gift.  I want one!  This would be perfect for our upcoming trip to the mountains (2 weeks! Eeee!)

And last, I found this photo from a while back this weekend.  It's awesome for so many reasons.  It manages to capture my very best friends (and me) AND each of our personalities perfectly!!
Britt, Abby, Kristina, Laura, and Chels + Karaoke = I've died and gone to heaven.

It took me a while to figure out what we were singing this time (karaoke is common for me) but it's Third Eye Blind, Semi Charmed Life!

What's your favorite song to Karaoke?
How was your weekend?

I whip my hair back and forth

I'm off tomorrow and I'm so excited because I'm getting my hair done, which is so long overdue it's kind of crazy.
I go to Lava Salon, in Avondale. 


I have actually followed Noel (who owns Lava with her husband Geoff) around Charleston for the last 10 years or so.  They are awesome!













I can't decide if I'm going to get my bangs trimmed or if I'm going to try and keep growing them out.  I do know that I want both blonde and ginger highlights.  I can not wait!
This weekend is going to be a busy one: Bridal shower for my good friend Lauren, family cookout, and some bagel nation to round it all out.



Rihanna, Let's be best friends!?

Laura's HALLOWINE Party!

Hmm, 2 wine themed posts in one week?  I must be drunk! ;)

Okay, on with it:
Have I mentioned I like to plan theme parties?  And when I plan parties have I mentioned that I go all out?
It's been a few months since Yankee Doodle Cookout and my party planning muscle needs to be stretched.
Enter "Laura's HALLOWINE Party!"
My mom purchased a Living Social voucher for a wine tasting for up to 15 people a while back.  We decided that we would each invite 5 people and have it in the fall (it expires November 1).  Of course my theming mind went into overdrive and well,  y'all have heard of my love for Halloween, so might as well combine it with my love of wine!
We will try 6 different bottles of wine, with a special sommelier guest goblin!  I wonder if she'll wear a costume for us?!

FoooOOoooOOOOoD

Don't even get me started on decorations!  Oh, you know I'll take pictures to show! 

When I was in highschool I had a Halloween party where a band played on our deck.  Holla Sinister Influence!  

I'll have to share some of my past costumes in a future post.  They are pretty dang good, if I do say so myself. :)

Happy Hump Day!!!! ! !

Wino

I love a glass of wine on a cool afternoon.  It's romantic, and a welcome change from my usual frosted mug of beer.  My favorite wine is Savignon Blanc.
Blah blah blah, let me get to my point.  I'm building quite the collection of corks and I've been bookmarking and brainstorming creative ways to craft them!

 I think I would like to make this wreath heart shaped.  K will love it! haha

As a "candle holder"... I think this is a cute idea, and I could play around with different shaped vases.

LOVE this cork filled lamp!

This baseboard looks a bit more involved, but pretty dang awesome.  I would prefer to do this as crown moulding!














Ok my wino friends, give me some of YOUR ideas...
Have a great Tuesday!

You Spin Me Right Round

Weekend Updates: 
Our computer crashed.
I've all of a sudden become a lightweight who can't handle drinking without falling asleep???
Halloween decorations/stores are out in full force! Mwuahahahaa
Dollar Tree sells DVDs.

And I'm exhausted.as.heck.

The week isn't going to slow down for me, so I'm spinning right into it!
Today I'll share some photos of my sweet dog, for lack of a better post.  I hope that by tomorrow my brain will return and I can deliver some real thoughts.

 And one more pic, just for fun:

Hope everyone has a good Monday!

Random Friday!

I'm ready for cooler weather but dang, I'm not ready for everything to look gray! grey/gray?
How about that storm last night?  Poor little Alf was scared and panting for about an hour, running around like a maniac.  I like night time thunder storms, I only wish this one had come a bit earlier because when I looked at the clock it was 5:00 a.m., which was not enough time to enjoy the storm and then fall back asleep for a few more hours. 

Yesterday I forgot my gym clothes at home.  This has never happened!  I drove to the gym after work, got out my car to walk in and only then realized I had no work-out clothes with me!  I came home and there was my gym bag, still waiting by the door.  It was odd, considering this is such a part of my routine.  I decided to just do a video from On Demand Excersize TV. 
I chose the 40 Minute "Total Body Blast" from this series.  It was actually a good video!  So often I don't feel like videos bring the same intensity as a class at the gym, but I was definitely out of breath and sweating 20 minutes in!  Whenever I went to the floor for ab work Alfie took his chance to give kisses all over my face.  Sweet boy!









As I've mentioned, I watch the Today show every morning, and K and I always get a chuckle seeing the same guy every day in the crowd.  As the camera pans, he gives a little point and a wink, and then he's gone.  Well, I did a little research and his name is Linny!

There he is!  He has some hilarious outfits, and he's somewhat of a celebrity himself in the crowd!  He's been coming every single day for 12 years.  Now, that's a dedicated fan!  They should bring him on up one day!



Thank goodness the weekend is here!  No major plans, which is just how I like it! 
Anybody doing anything exciting??  Ready for the USC/Navy game?  Should be interesting.

Collage Work, Episode 2 (and a preview!)

Here are a couple of my collage creations!  The camera flash kept messing them up so just rest assured that the quality is much richer in person.  They are poster sized. 

I've thought before about trying to set up a collage making "class" (if you could even call it that) at an art gallery or perhaps at a community education center.  Would anyone come to this?  Feedback is appreciated!!

Also, Mom and I are attempting to make this:

 

We've got all our supplies, now we just need your prayers ;)



Humpity Hump

Several things to think about today!

I'm gearing up for the blood drive I'm planning for my office next week. 
Work near Leeds Avenue and want to give blood?  E-mail me!

I'm looking forward to dinner with my good friend/college roommate tonight.  We're going for Mexican.  Ole!
I live for sangria swirl margaritas, ya hear?

Also heard on Today Show that Missoni madness crashed Target.com and had people fighting like hooligans in stores nationwide.

I just don't understand this!!!

I mean, I appreciate a little zig (and a little zag) as much as the next girl, but I'll just continue to find fun prints and colors on my on time! 

I saw this cute poncho in the October Cosmo fashion spread and I will probably be scooping it up at JCPenney.

(Our trip to the mountains is fast approaching!!!!  This will be a cozy staple I'm sure.)

Otherwise, the weekend is on my mind...

Happy Hump Day!

Dream Girl

Dreams are so interesting and confusing!
I have three recurring dream sequences that I will share.  I will also give my own wacko analysis as well.

1.  My teeth are falling out!  This sounds nastier than the actual dream is.  It's more just that I take a bite out of something and my teeth aren't strong enough and so they fall out. No pain or blood.                 
2. I'm driving and my breaks/steering go out.  I'm out of control! And I can't figure out why!
3. I lost my _____.  Car, keys, friend, most recently hot pink yacht (in my dreams. Ha!)

After writing all three I realize that the theme itself is also recurring.  These dreams clearly represent my feeling a lack of control in one or more aspects of my life.  This can apply to way too many areas, thus I don't think I can get specific in this general analysis.  I do recognize that these stress dreams definitely occur when I'm, well, stressed.
While these are my most common, they are not my favorite dreams. 
My favorite are when I'm at the waterpark with K but, no, wait, I'm on the magic schoolbus! with Alfie! Eating a corndog! And Oprah's there!

Everyone having a good morning?  Any crazy dreams last night?  Please share!

Movie Favoritos!

I've decided to write about a few of my favorite movies!

My highschool years:

"While You Were Sleeping" is a really cute film!  If you don't know the plot it's basically about a girl who is mistaken for the fiance of a coma victim and as she spends time with his family, she really falls for his brother.  Yes, it sounds weird. But this is a heartwarming film, with young Sandra!  It's a Christmas time movie and it makes me feel cozy and happy.





My college years:

"Party Monster" is a crrrrrrazy movie!  It's based on a true story from the Club world of NYC back in the 90's.  All of the costumes are so wild!  Plus Chloe Sevigny is in it, and she's a cool chick.

One of my most recent fave flicks:

Another true story, "Defiance" is a really fantastic movie.  It's about a group of brothers who escape the Nazi's in Europe and go on to build a village in the forrest that keeps thousands of Jews safe and hidden until the end of the war.

I'm no movie critic, but these are worth watching if you haven't seen.

We watched "The Next Three Days" last night which was good, a few interesting twists!

 I'm dragging today and it's only Monday!

How was everyone's weekend?

A Perfect Farewell Summer Weekend

Friday night my great friend Cyd celebrated her 26th birthday down at her family's beach house on Folly.  This house holds so many memories for all of us and never fails to induce complete relaxation to those who enter.  The house is located on the narrow strip of Folly (down at the washout) where houses can be both Front beach property, and back up to the intercoastal waterway.  So our Friday night resulted in one of two views:   

  

  Definitely one of the best ways to wind down the summer!

Saturday we enjoyed the morning walking all around JICP with Alf.  It was the second college gameday of the season for us, so I tried out a new recipe.  I knew I wanted to keep things simple and was craving something pizza-ish.  I decided to use my bundt pan and make what is essentially Italian herb monkey bread.  Instead of sugar and cinnamon, you use italian seasoning and parmesan, with a side of marinara for dipping.

It turned out great!  I will definitely be adding turkey pep and mozzarella to my recipe on my next go around.
I also made quick and easy southern banana pudding.  Few things are as simple and delicious as banana pudding.
We had peppered pork loin as well and watched the game over at K's parents.





We are taking today to relax and remember this day 10 years ago.  I'm trying to stay away from tv and the images of the events of September 11, they make me cry cry cry.  My heart goes out to all affected.

Scatterbrain

Yesterday while Alfie and I were out enjoying the beautiful weather we stumbled upon a palm tree with blooming fruit!  This was my first time ever seeing the little orange bulbs and it was very interesting to me.  My initial thought was that they look like pumpkin babies (fall is on my brain).  And for some reason this made me think of my favorite blonde joke.

Q. What did the blonde say when she opened up a box of Cheerios?

A.  Oooh! Donut seeds!




--

This next thing I'm about to post may indicate I'm on a bus headed to crazytown, but it made me so happy!
It all started with me searching for polka dot pantyhose. (Did anyone else see them on Ann Curry this morning??  Adorable!)  Well, as any internet search goes, I went from polka dot hose to dresses to...

I am not engaged, nor am I in any rush to be, but this dress is a dream come true for me.  This is exactly, EXACTLY, what I would describe as my dream dress (well, perhaps a bit more of a sweetheart neckline)!  I'm in love.  And it's only around $9000.
Where do I send my check?  ;)







So what's on everyone's mind today? Can you tell I'm all over the place?

Happy Thursday!

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful

Okay, First things first.  This weather has me feeling so dang good.  I'm humming and scatting to myself! I feel like I'm on a Covergirl commercial.
The air feels so crisp, which reminds me of Maine.  Before visiting Maine, I had heard of salty sea air, and figured that of course I'd felt this, living on the coast my whole life.  Oh how wrong I was.  Charleston's pluff smog is nothing like the salty, unbelievable fresh air that I breathed in Maine.  I can't wait to rent a cottage on the rocky coast of Maine one summer!

In other news, We will be strategically avoiding Charleston Restaurant week until it is over.

We tried it, and it's just not for us.  We love having a nice dinner out, at a restaraunt where we've never eaten. But why would we choose to go on a night where the menu is set, with no variations...(where they've made the menu items in bulk, in advance). Isn't a big part of the excitement of eating out in a fancy place to choose whatever you like?  It's supposed to be an idulgent splurge (that's part of the appeal), not a discount night out!  Plus the crowds, Oy! No sir!
Update: After further review, the 2 People for $20 options are a great way to get more bang for your buck at places like Juanitas and Wild Wings.  I maintain my feelings on high-end dining.  Thank you, that is all. :)

I hope everyone is having a beautiful (&easy&breezy) Wednesday!

Day&Night

What a nice holiday weekend!  Fall, here we come!
Saturday was definitely our busiest day of the weekend and I'll recap it for ya.

I wanted to wear my favorite summery dress for the last time this year. 


blurry phone photo



We decided to stay close and visit the Charleston Museum.

Neither K nor I had been since we were very young and it was fun to see the museum with mature eyes. 

Highlights:  There was an old stone mile marker that was located on Mathis Ferry way back in the 1800's.  There is also a recreation of an old Charleston pharmacy with so many bottles like ours!

And there was a jewelry exhibition with some sweetgrass earrings that I fell in love with...

Some might say I have a mild sweetgrass obsession.

After this we went over to Whole Foods to grab some shish kebabs for the grill (I like the general tso's chicken) and beer. 

This beer deserves a background story.  About a year ago now we discovered Heavy Seas Loose Cannon.  We fell in love with it and would order it anytime we could find it on a menu (very few places in Chas).  Unfortunately the beer distributor that handles Loose Cannon sales was apparently flaky and thus Loose Cannon is no more.  If you ever see this on a menu, ORDER IT! and if you ever see it on a menu in Charleston, e-mail me and I will come join you STAT.  Anyway, after much research (hard work) we discovered that Mojo is the next best thing. 

From there we came home to relax before the game.  I whipped up a few "heart attack" apps and threw on a little team pride. We grilled up the kebabs, which K calls "Make Your Neighbors Jealous" kebabs.   They smell SO good.

Ah! Even more blurry



I was in bed pretty early after the game ended. 
Tell me about your weekend!

Gameday Treats (lazy girl edition)

I love cooking for my family and friends, but there are definitely days where I'm just too busy to spend the time in the kitchen!

No time to cook but still feeling festive?  Check out my grocery store finds.

While home cooking is ideal, these store bought treats can help you in a bind!


GO COCKS!
I did whip up a quick spread for our mini-gameday celebration:

A chili con queso dip, little pigs in a blanket, and a strawberry banana cool whip dip.
Hope everyone is enjoying their LONG weekend!