Summer Fridays...

...are meant to be spent here.

Go play!

Back Monday...

Charleston Cuisine

Charleston is one of my favorite cities for many reasons, and high on the list is the food.  Some of the spots where I'll be feasting this weekend...

Coffee and beignets at Joseph's (129 Meeting Street).  My favorite place to start the day-- it's nothing fancy, but a great little spot for classic breakfast fare, and I'll be dreaming about the beignets for weeks afterwards.  Go early or expect to wait!  ACTUALLY YOU'D BE WAITING FOREVER.  SAD UPDATE FROM A READER, JOSEPH'S CLOSED LAST MONTH BECAUSE THEIR BUILDING CHANGED OWNERS :(

I ate at The Kickin Chicken (337 King Street) about twice a week in college and still go every time I'm in town.  I even keep their menu in my takeout folder because I can't bear to throw it away.  If only they could find a way to deliver a Medium Buffalo Kickin Chicken Sandwich with fries and a pickle to me in NYC...

For a more highbrow lunch, we'll be heading to High Cotton (199 East Bay) for Lowcountry favorites like shrimp and grits and duck hash.

I'm beyond lucky that my college bestie and her mother are throwing a bridal luncheon for me at High Cotton the weekend of my wedding, and we'll be making the menu selections on Saturday. 

This weekend will include more than one menu tasting.  The main event will be catered by Fish (442 King Street) and we'll me making those selections on Friday.  I've been told to arrive with an empty stomach!

The French-Asian fusion cuisine is innovative, local, and sustainable. If you're in town, I recommend popping in for dinner. 

For a special dinner, I'd also recommend Peninsula Grill (112 North Market Street).  I've been feasting here forover a decade now, and the dining room, with its grey velvet walls and sisal flooring, is as beautiful as ever.  Let the chef's specials entice you, and don't leave without trying the coconut cake!

Wedding Wednesday: Cocktail Time!

A trend I love at any fete is offering a signature cocktail!  At a wedding, it is an opportunity to introduce guests to some fun trivia about the couple-- maybe a drink discovered on a memorable vacation or signifying their heritage...

mason jars are a must at any casual Southern wedding...

perfect for a couple who likes to get their Derby on...

sweet lemonade could remain unspiked for little guests and teetotalers...

who wouldn't want to be Irish for a day?

love is berry sweet!

for those getting Maui'd...

and for the couple making it official in a trailer park!

all images found here

Princely Products

My Prince is a man who likes his products.  He has a bathroom full of lotions and potions, and I am usually the one who picks these things up for him (don't get me started on his $18 deodorant).  We are primarily a Kiehl's household, but lately he's been venturing to a few other lines as well.  Today he asked me to pick up his new favorite Italian Lime bodywash from the line Baxter of California. 

This line of men's products launched in the 60's and has a cult following, the Prince now included. 

If you have a man in your life who appreciates good product, check Baxter out.  I always buy it at Barney's (last time had an interesting experience with fellow shopper Larry King, who apparently enjoys singing show tunes in department stores), but you can also order the line from their site. 

Eric Cohler's Violet Hour

After seeing Veranda's feature on New York-based designer Eric Cohler's Charleston home, I am more thrilled than ever to be heading down South this weekend...

images via

I love the mix of traditional furniture and modern artwork against the old Federal architecture.  Cohler says the home reminds him of the "violet hour" for the hues that fill the space at the end of the day when the light filters in through the magnolia trees.  How romantic!   

Cohler became smitten with Charleston on a trip to the Spoleto Festival and decided he needed to snap up his own place in the enchanting town.  I completely understand the feeling.  After living there in college, my love for Charleston will never fade.  We're getting married there in October, and I'm heading down this weekend to make the final decisions, followed by a short trip to Wilmington to see my Goddaughter and meet her new baby brother.  I cannot wait to escape hot NYC for some Carolina sunshine for a few days.

A New Yorker's America

via

Novogratz Nine

When Bravo aired 9 by Design, I became obsessed wth Bob and Cortney Novogratz.  Their "downtown chic" design aesthetic and the projects featured on the show were merely the icing on the cake.  The real fascination is with the ridiculously good looking family... who has seven kids anymore?  In MANHATTAN no less?  I'm nervous about trying to manage one here one day!  I obviously became determined to figure out where their modern townhouse is located in the city, and...

Tada!  I found it on the West Side Highway where I often take a walk along the Hudson.  Haven't had a Novogratz sighting yet however.  I wasn't sure what to think when I heard they were jumping from Bravo to HGTV for their new show, Home By Novogratz.  I watched the first episode yesterday, and I wasn't a huge enthusiast...

It was a low budget renovation in Queens.  Nothing against low budget renovations, plenty against Queens, but I like watching design shows for fantasy and real inspiration.  This didn't do it for me (the stairs would be cute in a playroom).  Candice Olsen and Sarah Richardson are among the HGTV stars I watch the most frequently because they work with real budgets to create beautiful spaces... those shows where they try to fix a train wreck of a home for $1000, ehhhhhh.  I hope the producers find some better projects (away from Queens) for the Novogratz to let their skills shine.  Some eye candy from their old show...

Better By Bravo!

Wedding Wednesday: My Old Bachelorette Pad

These two pictures of my old Upper East Side bachelorette pad may sadly be the only ones that exist.  It was a large alcove studio on the fourth floor of a brownstone in the 60's between Park and Madison.  I loved the location and the European feel of the space. 

As with many NYC apartments, it had its quirks.  The first picture above is the living room, peeking through the doorway where the kitchen, bathroom, and dressing room all flowed one right after the other.  Yes I had a dressing room, and it was my favorite part of the apartment, so I am devestated that I don't have a picture of it.  It was such a girly little hideaway!  I also wish there were better shots of the living room, these don't really show the character of the fireplace, etc. 

I moved in with the Prince three days after he proposed into a very different modern building.  He vetoed most of my old furniture for being too "womanly," but luckily an acquaintance jumped at the chance to takeover my apartment and bought any furniture I wasn't taking.  I hope she's enjoying this bachelorette pad as much as I did!

Fainting Sofas

Now that my black eyes are gone, it's easy to forget I'm still recovering from head trauma.  But the occasional headache or dizzy spell acts as a reminder, so I would just love to have a fainting sofa around...

I may only be Southern at heart, but I agree with the saying that every Southern woman needs a chaise!