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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Moon

"I like to think the moon is there even if I am not looking at it." - Albert Einstein


The sky was beautiful tonight!  There was a lovely purple tint, with shades of pinks and greys throughout.  It made me run outside for a moment to try and catch it.  What was neat though was watching it through the stained-glass window.  With the lights off, and at a far enough distance, it looks like the moon.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tuesday


I believe our flowers days are over for the season.  It's time to 'let it all go' and bring on the earthy hues that can only be described as fall.  I know I'm a few days early, but then again, so is the season, it seems.  It makes me wonder if we are going to have one of those "Indian Summers"... where the heat comes back for a few days and everything gets confused, and sniffly.  But for now, everything seems to be gray.  A few days of clouds are an almost welcome change, especially if they bring some rain, colder weather, and the need for socks.  And socks, I do believe, are here to stay.

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I have a lot of energy tonight because some of my favorite shows are returning for the season... namely "Glee" and 'Raising Hope".  I'm excited, overwhelmingly so.  And I want nothing more than to stretch out on the sofa with a blanket and just watch...
I hope you have a great night tonight and are able to get some sleep!  I know a lot of people had a rough day today, but being a Tuesday, it happens every now and then.  So enjoy the clouds, the chill, and the chance to rest. 

TV Schedule for the week:
Monday: (maybe Dancing with the Stars), (possibly Castle)
Tuesday: Glee, (probably New Girl), Raising Hope
Wednesday:  Modern Family
Sunday: Amazing Race

That's all for now.  I'm looking into "Pan Am" and "Once Upon A Time", but for now, my week is looking fairly busy as is.

Adieu and bisous!  :)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Cat bath...

... brought to you by the humans.

Cornbread pre-bath trying to "help" Pickles.


They were less than pleased, but were fairly calm considering.
Then they proceeded to lick themselves dry for the next hour or so, and are both now konked-out and sleeping soundly.
:)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Now that's a mustache!

Today we drove home.  It's good to be home!  There's nothing better than walking inside your door, being greeted by your cats, putting everything away, and going to sleep in your bed.  I have a feeling I will sleep well tonight!  It was a great weekend!

And when you're on the road for hours at a time, little nuances can make everything fun again!
Like:
Seeing a mustache on a car...
Finding the sun (after it had been hiding all weekend) as soon as we got back into GA.
Listening to Relient K.
Critiquing crazy driving skills.
Noticing all the different state license plates.
Dancing in the car.
Etc...

Yup - that is an orange mustache on the front of that there Honda.
Made me do a double take, and then I chuckled.  :)
Like I said, great trip!  Charleston was fun to explore!
Back to the daily grind tomorrow...  :)
Adieu and bisous!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Charleston Area Top 5

1. Saturday morning farmer's market.
We just happened to stumble upon this one as we were walking downtown.  Very similar to the Marietta Market but better, in my opinion!  Lots of local vendors selling anything from fruits and veggies to dog leashes, wood tables, handmade bags, and food.  More like a mixture of the farmers market and your favorite fall festival... especially in weather like this.  There was even a "King of Pops" vendor selling weird-flavored popsicles.  We'd seen them in Atlanta but had yet to try them, and today just seemed like the right  day to do so.  Gary got the chocolate and sea salt, and I got the sweet corn.  Both were very good and very different!  It was ::interesting:: eating a popsicle with bits of corn throughout - I'd recommend it!


 2. Historic Downtown Exploring and Shopping
I figured there'd be shopping, but I didn't know exactly what kind.  Most "historic cities" that I have visited are littered with souvenir shops and touristy-traps.  Here, there were actual "stores"... It was nice - similar to NYC but with a French feel (for some reason) and a historic flair.  You could tell you weren't in a big city, but if you wanted to spend money like you were, you were more than welcome!  We found some great places to shop, but these were some of our favorite, especially the Robot Candy Company!  It was so much fun to walk around and see everything from the old architecture, to the modern shopping, to the street vendors, to the carriage tours.  Very bustling, energetic, and yet chill.  Another great thing are the fountains.  I like seeing fountains in a city - they bring a sense of whimsy and youthfulness that makes just about everyone smile and gravitate towards it. 



3. The bridge between Charleston and Mt.Pleasant
Bridges are awesome, and I have always  loved them!  This one is super cool.  It's cables are a white color that tend to blend in with the sky (as shown in the picture below).  The only time we really caught them on camera was when we went over the bridge itself.  Gary got this great shot!  And since the area is made up of peninsulas and islands, you are pretty much guaranteed to cross one at some point - especially if you want to go find the ocean, which we did.



4. Sullivan's Island and Fort Moultrie
We wanted to see some history without paying a whole lot of money to take a ferry to Ft. Sumter, so we drove (over the cool bridge) to Sullivan's Island to see Ft. Moultrie.  We got there right when it closed so we only got to see the outskirts of the fort but it was still neat!  There were cannons and markers to read, and the actual fort and battery and we had a nice time taking the history in!  And then we took a stroll along the beach.  Sullivan's Island is very pretty with lots of rocks/ boulders to walk on and land to look towards.  I love seeing water... it's so good for the soul!




5. Folly Beach on James Island
We came here because we were determined to find a place eat on the water.  We landed on Folly Beach, and have since decided that this is deifnitely a place that could use another visit.  This is very much a beach town, on a smaller scale.  There appears to be just a few hotels to choose from - more  rental houses - and a really nice beach to enjoy.  We dined at Locklear's, which is right on the pier.  It was good!  And by the time we got to walk the pier, it was pitch black.  It's interesting walking to the end of a pier at night and then peering out into the ocean, not being able to see anything.  It was nice to be able to turn around and see lights.  :)


That's how we spent our day.  It was great!  It never rained, was almost chilly at some points, and was filled with laughter, smiles, and memories made.  All we can ask for, quite honestly!
Love to all!

Friday, September 16, 2011

High Cotton


I imagine the discussion that led to the naming of this restaurant was a good one.  I imagine that they were all sitting around a table trying to figure out a way to convey southern and fancy in a way that would fit right in with the already distinct Charleston foodie scene.  I imagine that they thought of cotton as a somewhat apparent Southern icon, so that stuck.  And I imagine that when they thought of fancy, an image of High Tea appeared, and they liked it, but they took out the "tea" part and added Cotton to the end of it, and so the name High Cotton was born.  I like it quite frankly.  ;)

We were recommended to this swanky place from a woman across the street in a neat store.  She said that the food was great, reservations were hard to come by on a same-day basis, but that the lounge was just a good and relished in the ability to serve the full menu.  She was right!  The food was amazing, the reservations were all taken, and our quaint little table in the corner of the lounge was just perfect for our needs!  We ate great food, got to dine and listen to some live music, and had a great evening and first impression of the Charleston food scene!

We had:
Curry Carrot Bisque with lump crab and cilantro
Crispy Pork Belly with poached green egg, bib lettuce, tomato puree, and brioche
Scallops and Clams with fingerling potatoes, arugula, and a lemon saffron sauce
Bone-in Pork Chop with cornmeal fried okra, greens, and a ham hock jus

All of the food was amazing... a nice twist on traditional Southern!  The Pork Belly was by far our favorite!!  We decided we either need to learn to make it, or find someone in Atlanta who does because gosh, it's amazing! 

I hope you had a great Friday!
Love to all!


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Wicked


Tonight we are seeing Wicked!  I am so excited - I've been waiting to see this show for years!  One of my good friends from college gave me the book and soundtrack for Christmas one year and the rest is history...  :)  The book was good, but the soundtrack is great, and I think that the show is going to be amazing!  I've been singing little snippetts from songs all week, and even have Gary humming along.  :)  He's looking forward to it too - but I think one of his reasons is to see how it compares to what Glee did with some of the songs.  lol.  He says that he hopes the show is better - he has this dislike for Glee that I can't understand but will sit there and watch it with me because I love it so!  I think we are both going to love it!

Many thanks to Madre for the tickets!  :)
I hope that everyone has a great night!  Love!

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So the show was amazing!  Seriously one of the best things I have ever seen!  The set was great, the costumes were absolutely fabulous, and the cast were better than expected!  I was glad I was familiar with the music - it made the show all that much more enjoyable.  And although this was rather concise compared to the book, I think it actually did a great job of making connections and explaining exactly what was going on in the Land of Oz!  I highly recommend it... you will love it!!  ;)