{birthday highlights}

{the friendly lights and colors of Taco Boy}

Friday was my birthday so we did a little celebrating. My friends brought me Chipotle for lunch, they know me so well. We went to Taco Boy for dinner. It was really great (minus the bugs!) and such a good atmosphere. I had two fish tacos and we split a salsa, queso, guac trio appetizer with chips. SO FULL. We also went to see a comedy show that has been getting a lot of press in Spoleto, FrankenMatt. They were hilarious and it was so great to relax and laugh.

{mojitos = relaxation}

I got some great gifts. A Starbucks gift card (that won't last long), a pillow you can connect to your iPod so you can listen to music as you fall asleep. My parents got me a beautiful All-Clad sauce pan which I am really excited about and will last a long time. 

{new All-Clad. winning}

I think the gift I am most excited about though, is what I went to pick up from the registrar's office on Friday: my DIPLOMA. Officially a college graduate, and have the paper to prove it. Great birthday gift

{done}

{happy hour haven}

Today was a tad trying. After picnicking really hard yesterday evening, work was a little difficult. What is the best cure for a long workday? The happiest of happy hours! 

{welcoming bar at big gun}

Today we went to a place I had never been before, Big Gun. It is in the heart of downtown, and is actually right across the street from the park we had been picnicking in the prior evening. 

{lovely}

I had Alagash White. I will not pretend I know anything about beer, other than if I do or do not like something. I liked this enough to get two rounds. Lydia enjoyed a cheeseburger and fries, which looked great. Good afternoon!

{picnicking}

{some of our spread}

Yesterday was such a long workday, I needed to relax. Dryden, Kathryn, my roommate Lydia and I all gathered our things and had our dinner picnic style in the park. It was so nice. Preemptive bug spray is a must. Wine... wine is also a must. 

{a lovely evening}

Getting out in your city is so important. Getting to see the people walking by and feeling the evening was great. Spoleto USA starts tomorrow and the city is about to get crazy with the arts. While sitting in Marion Square we got to see artists set up their tents for tomorrow. It will be a great Spoleto!

{it got a touch misty}

{my attempt at taking a pictures of the stars}

{the painting restoration - part 1}

In the early part of this year, about the last week of February or so, I purchased a painting. I have been working at the antique shop I work at now, David Skinner Antiques, for about a year and a half, and I have had my eye on this painting ever since I started. 

{the whole thing}

It is an 18th century Russian oil on canvas that has been transferred to board. My guess is that it has never been cleaned. Russian icons were very hard to find during the better part of the 20th century because the Iron Curtain did a very good job of keeping and sort of life inside it's walls. 

{Jesus Cristo}

This particular painting depicts Christ's resurrection, Roman guards, and three women. I think that these three are Mary the Mother, Mary Magdalene, and another woman. Mary the Mother is commonly depicted in blue robes and Mary Magdalene in red. 

{the ladies}

It is odd, however, that we do not see the face of Mary Magdalene. This causes me to think that the three woman might be the woman who see Jesus when returning from the tomb (Matthew 28:9-10). 

{angels}

Regardless of who those broads really are, there are plenty of other goodies that are hidden under the centuries of grime on this thing. Trees, guards, Nazareth, the hill with the crosses, and a tiny snake. It is really amazing what I am beginning to uncover as I clean it up. Progress

{roman guard you can hardly see}

{sunday, funday}

Sunday, being my only day off, means that I have to make the absolute most of it. Today was wonderful. Dryden and I went to the beach. Apparently there is a tropical depression blowing through, so it was a little windy and cloudy. It made for a short beach trip, but lovely none the less. 

{toes}

After the sand and wind drove us from the beach, we went over to the Mount Pleasant recreational park for Beer, Beats and Eats. Combine a food truck round-up, a craft beer tasting, and live music, and there you have it. Dryden and I are poor college graduates so we couldn't sample everything, but we wanted to! I had a Vietnamese sandwich (pork, slaw, hot mayo on a bun) and Dryden had chilli cheese fries. There were so many choices for food though. Anything from New Orleans beignets to Brazilian street food. 

 {the agenda:food, beer, music. I'm ok with that}

For dessert I got two gems from Diggity Doughnuts. This card had a great variety of interesting flavors. I chose the Plain Jane (always go for the classics) and the Peppermint Grammy (Chocolate peppermint frosting with graham cracker crumbles). Coming in second was the Mimosa (champagne doughnut with orange icing).

{plain jane and peppermint grammy}

 {diggity doughnut's sweet blue truck}

The HIT of the afternoon was seeing The 3 Dudes perform. This group of three 12/13 year old kids from Sullivan's Island basically shocked everyone with their Foo Fighters/Kiss/ACDC covers and original songs. They were adorable and shockingly good. We only stayed for about an hour and a half and only got to hear their set, but it put me in a pretty happy mood.

{the dudes}

{they have a trailer}

{cornbread, cocktails, cookbooks}

Today the adorable Heirloom Book Company held a meet and greet with the author of Cornbread Nation, Brett Anderson. That is all well and good, the real reason we went? The cornbread tasting. Chef Sean Brock from Husk made fabulous treats.

{crunchy outside}

{heirloom, being cute}

 Nothing like a piece of cornbread made in a skillet with bacon fat, a rye whiskey cocktail, and a cookbook shop to help you relax after a six day workweek. If I didn't know I was in the South before, I do now.

{what to buy, what to cook, what to buy}

{morning marketing}

{tent after tent of goodies}

{fountain at Marion Square}

 {girasoli, sunflower al italiana}

This morning Dryden and I went to the Saturday Market in Marion Square here in Charleston.  Morning activity makes me feel much more productive throughout the day, and nothing is more pleasant than walking around the market in the middle of downtown Chuck. I bought eucalyptus ages ago and it was so tired. Hydrangeas now adorn both the mantel in my room, and in my living room. Such happy flowers. 

{awesome greens}

 {wondrous hydrangeas}

I got some fresh pasta. A stand at the market makes ever type of ravioli, gnocchi and pasta you could think of. I got three different kinds: egg, saffron, and squid ink. Made for a lovely dinner. Peaches were the final purchase. Stuffed with amaretto cookies and baked, dessert wasn't bad.

{what a happy fluff ball}

 {market colors}

 {kitchen sink pruning}

{food comes in all shapes and spices}

 Chipotle was everything I had hoped it would be. Chips might have been a bit stale, guac might have been a little late, and because it is a new location, the lovely burrito artists might have been a touch stingy on the portion sizes...

Who am I kidding? It was amazing.

Chicken fajita burrito bowl. Rice, black beans, cheese, sour cream, corn, pico, lettuce (all 11 pieces of lettuce).

I met a man while standing in line who has eaten Chipotle every day for a year. Apparently they gave him an award. I think they call it being a "burrito ambassador". This guy was gorgeous by the way...

 

{sweet, sweet sustenance} 

       

                                                                              {white cake with honey icing :: mini derby pie} 

            {sweet little boxes at Sugar}

While I was too preoccupied with driving and getting to Chipotle, I sadly did not have a photo shoot for the cupcake I got today. It was amazing, regardless, white cake with caramel icing. Perfection. These are pictures of what I got the last time I was at Sugar. Their icings are like nothing I have tasted anywhere else. Perfect complements, and their summer citrus flavors are deliciously original.

{vertical garden win}

{take me home!}

While riding my bike to work today, I spotted a discarded wooden palate! Kathryn started a vertical garden of her own a few weeks ago and it looked great. Since I am moving at the end of June, I can't think of a better way to garden, knowing my plants can always come with me. I planted basil, tomatoes, rosemary and some geraniums at the house I am at now, and am way too proud to leave them. I am hoping the transfer from ground to palate goes smoothly. Any suggestions?

{every raincloud has a burrito/cupcake lining}

It is raining and I am at work. This is good and bad because I love knowing that if I am forced to be inside, at least I am not missing anything. On the other hand, rain while working makes the day go SO slowly, and it is always so dark and sleepy. This makes concentrating a smudge difficult.  I have two very lovely things happening to me after work.

{the view of the shop to the street}

First, dinner at Chipotle. As a former DC girl, I could pretty much get anything at any time. Charleston is a little more limited and they have really been lagging behind in the Chipotle department. FINALLY one has gone in in North Charleston, so my friend Dryden and I are going after work. In preparation for this feast I will be drinking a lot of water, and trying to not eat today. Let's be honest though... that never works.

{burrito fixins}

Second, dessert at Sugar Bakeshop. Quite possibly the BEST bakery ever. While it does not have bread (which is why it is not the best bakery ever), the cupcakes, pies, and cakes at Sugar are the best I have ever had. Perfect cake, perfect cake to icing ratio, and great flavor combinations.

{sugar bakeshop}

{on old things}

{so elegant}

  At work! Editing photos and posting new items online. Items come in an out of our antique shop so much, it is a constant effort to try to get every item up online. It is so hard to concentrate with such beautiful furniture, and especially since I get to work with them only when the pictures are being taken.

  Antiquity is fascinating, both recent and ancient. Pretty much everything before the steam engine is pretty incredible. All things regal and primitive share a common thread of pride by being handmade and antique. What are your thoughts?

{pomp and circumstance}