Keeping it REAL (or fake)!

Life is teaching me a lot about expectations in the year of 2015.  I am learning I am a bit of the expectation queen, even when I don't realize I am!  I thought I was pretty low key about most things, but as it turns out, I have these lovely latent expectations and they sure are getting challenged.

Oh you think you are getting settled do you? Move to Virginia expectantly.

Oh you think you will have a holiday that looks just like what your head thinks it should look like?  Move to Virginia during the holidays.

Oh, you think the house hunt will be easy?  You have old pipes and a way too old roof!

Oh you love your job?  Time to find a new one!

All kidding aside, what a learning lesson the last few months have been on grace and just going with the flow!  That being said, we have done something I never expected: we now own a fake tree.  With the thought of moving and celebrating Christmas, I wasn't sure if we'd be getting a tree at all, so against my common sense judgement I jumped at the chance to buy this fake tree from Target and get it assembled in our house for the last few days of our tenancy.  We will transplant it from this living room to the one in Virginia. It may be the only piece of "furniture" we have in that new house for a few days.   But, it will be beautiful and blessed. And we will truly FAKE it till we make it. 

So there you have it, this is how we will trim the tree and our house in the last few days we have in Charleston, grace-filled.

Weekend Recap

It's Monday already?  I'm not sure how that happened so fast. October weather in Charleston is certainly making up for the disaster that was September rain.  We had another weekend of beautiful skies and temperatures.  I am scared for the temps to dip any lower than they are now.  My southern blood cannot always handle anything below 60.  

Our weekend was relatively calm.  Rich and I met thanks to the Cooper Bridge Run almost three years ago but since that day we have yet to run a race together so a few weeks ago we decided to sign up for the James Island Connector Run since we are missing the fateful Cooper Run this year due to our move.  Despite it being a 5k, it was tough!  The fact that I didn't train and the course had 3 hills really threw this retired runner for a loop.  But, the course was beautiful and it's always fun to get out of bed early and get some Saturday morning exercise in.

 

Following our 5k, it was only right we indulge in some French delicacies in a new French bakery we've heard so much about.  If you remember, we were supposed to be in Paris and London this week, so getting to taste some delicious French pastries was just the treat we needed.

That night we went over to Daniel Island for the island's annual Pumpkin Walk.  All the neighborhoods on the island get together and carve pumpkins all afternoon and then display them in the park lit up and with luminaries for folks to stroll through.  Despite it being a warm night, it certainly made Halloween feel so soon and so real.  I LOVE the magic of Halloween, even as an adult.  I remember how exciting trick or treating was and I am so hoping we get some at our house this Saturday.  

 

What a cute little Curious George.  It's hard to see but he even has the ears on the side.

Sunday was my traditional church time.  I got one of my favorite seats at church right next to the candles.  

 

Sunday night we had some Wake Forest friends visiting Charleston.  We had an awesome time taking them to one of our favorite spots off the peninsula, Crave, laughing and catching up.  I love living in a town where folks come through for visits or vacations!

So that was about it for this low country weekend, what all were you guys up to?

 

Weekend Recap: Fort Sumter

Friday: Rich's parents were in town for the weekend and we were blessed with quite possibly the best weather you can imagine for your last weekend in Charleston for a few weeks.  The temps were in the upper 80s but made way for glorious nights on our perfect porch.  We were even treated to this sunset on their first night here that we got to witness from our back porch:

Never one to miss an opportunity to beg, Ellie enjoys porch parties the most of anyone.

Rich and I bought these lights at Costco after we moved in.  He painstakingly hung them one day and we really enjoy "Friday night lights". 

Saturday:  We decided to use this beautiful day we were gifted to make our first visit to Ft. Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired upon.  It was a great day to visit the Fort and the 30 minute boat ride to and from the island gave us magnificent photos of our bridge and the Yorktown where we have shared many Charleston memories!

  

Low Country Crabbing

Crabbing in the beautiful low country has been something at the top of my list since moving here.  Often we see folks enjoying the low country by fishing at the local piers and we thought crabbing would be a great way to appreciate all the beauty the low country has to offer while being a bit more active.  While at Kiawah we figured we'd give this bucket list item a big check!

All you need to crab in the low country is:

a crabbing net (we were able to get ours at Seacoast Outfitters on Johns Island for 5 dollars)

twine (found at Seacoast Outfitters on Johns Island for 1 dollar)

raw chicken (we used thinly sliced chicken breasts but we were told that crabs love thicker pieces like thighs)

shoes to wade in the water if you intend to  get in to crab (we didn't pack this and really regretted not having some foot protection since crabs/oysters/shells are underfoot)

twine to use to tie the meat on the net (we cut off a piece of our longer twine to secure the chicken)

Crabbing is most successful 2-3 hours before high tide and 1-2 hours after.  In South Carolina you must throw back any crabs that are less than 5 inches long.  

We were losing our bait at our first location because as the amateur crabbers we weren't aware you MUST tie your bait to the net.  

In our new location we were taught the proper crabbing technique of tying the bait on by a nice man at the river.  

Vacation Day Two:Kiawah Island

Day two brought cloudier skies.  We spent the morning at the Ocean Course, the beautiful, historic golf course at the end of the island and home to what is considered the toughest golf course in America.  Afterward we ate the most amazing of brunches at The Sanctuary's Jasmine's Porch.  The brunch featured bottomless mimosas, multiple different food stations, and a dessert bar that has me still lusting after one more slice of Key Lime Pie.  I think the big brunch winner was the Vanilla Bourbon French Toast.  We've been talking about it ever since.  Here are a few snaps of our Day Two Adventures.  Don't miss Day One of our Kiawah Island Adventure as well!

Dress I scored at the Escapada Warehouse sale here in Charleston at whopping 80% off.  They usually run one in July and January...so you won't want to miss that.

 

This was one of the many, many, many plates that I made while at the Sanctuary Brunch but most importantly it features the French Toast of mention and now perpetual lust.  

 

Weekend Recap: Kiawah Island

I have such amazing and fond memories of Kiawah Island from my childhood.  I remember the smells, the sounds, the excitement, the sadness upon leaving, the animals, the trails, the plants, and the sand with vivid detail.  When my parents kindly invited Rich and I to spend the weekend with them during their vacation rental time, we were counting down the days until we arrived (yes...on a whiteboard in our kitchen!).    Just as I'd imagine the weekend did not disappoint.  There is certainly a reason Kiawah Island is considered one of the most amazing places for a family vacation.  Here are a few snaps and memories from Day One in Kiawah:

It is a proven doggie parent fact that all good weekends begin with the Doggie Daycare Drop Off.  Bonus points when the dogs come back to tired they don't move for a few days afterward.  Success!  Also my favorite dress here is on sale!

The first day was the best beach day.  We enjoyed it by taking a nice long beach walk with my parents. I scored this suit on major clearance at Belks.  It is sold out online but I also fancied this little number. 

The miles and miles of well designed and safe trails make Kiawah a real exercise treat!  The first day Rich and I biked for 14 miles all over the island, mostly on a serious alligator hunt.

With views like this, what's not to LOVE?

Sweaty bike break selfie!

On our 14 mile ride, we came across 4 deer.  This set was frolicking on the golf course like two sweet children would frolick.  We were able to get pretty close to them before they ran off. 

 The Nature Center at Night Heron Park had some beautiful creatures on hand.  We were able to get up close and personal with these adorable guys.

At the end of our bike ride, we came across this tower we were able to walk up and see a gorgeous view of the marsh separating Kiawah and Johns Island.  Amazingly we saw only one house far off in the horizon.  Essentailly it was nature all around us and so peaceful.  We could've stayed there for hours if not for the impending rain.

Our first night we grilled and boiled shrimp and scallops and ate outside on the patio.  It was the perfect dinner setting for family time!

There is a special lagoon on the island where the Egrets land each night to roost.  It is so neat to watch them all fly in and gather.  This photo fails to capture all the activity! 

Kiawah Weekend

Ever have those weeks when time stands still?  I feel like a kid at Christmas waiting for our weekend to come!  R and I will be joining my parents at their Kiawah Island rental for the weekend and thoughts of long low country bike rides, the nature center, Night Heron Park, alligators, and that undeniable Kiawah feeling are running rampant in my head. It shows you how truly special a place like Kiawah is that a girl who lives in Charleston can barely contain herself imaging a weekend at the beach.  I cannot wait.

My childhood was made here and getting to spend a weekend here as an adult has all the makings of memory lane central right here.  We've got a few things on the books and we will certainly be tackling our Charleston bucketlist while located in this part of the lowcountry.  But, in the meantime, I will sit and wait for the hours to tick down so we can make our drive to Johns Island and partake in all of this:

Foodie Bucketlist Review: Bistro Toulouse

R an I had big plans to be in Paris for a few days this November, but thanks to our move we are no longer going be to able to do that.  Needless to say, we are bummed.  But thankfully I am married to a man that knows the way to my heart is food, so he arranged for us to have a lovely lunch, er dejeuner, at Bistro Toulouse, a tiny French restaurant in Mt Pleasant.  Located in a strip mall, you would never expect to find a French cafe in this area, but we gladly added this to our Charleston Foodie Bucketlist many moons ago and we were excited to try it out.    

When we saw the bunch menu, we couldn't quite get past the amazing beignets that were lurking on the menu.  We had to do it.  And it was worth every calorie.  

CMT Instant Jam with Darius Rucker

It was Tuesday night and I was mindlessly scrolling through Twitter per my nightly bedtime routine.  I happened to notice Darius Rucker had tweeted he planned to do a pop up concert tomorrow-somewhere in Charleston-with no details revealed till the next morning at 9am on Twitter only.  Immediately I turned to Rich and declared I had to go.  I knew nothing about the qualifications to get in, and frankly my declaration may have seemed impossible, but as a girl who has snuck gotten herself into any concert she's ever wanted to go to, I knew I was blessed with the skills for the task.

The next morning at 9am, I set an alarm on my phone to remind me to check Twitter as any 21st century social media queen would do, Darius his marketing team posing as Darius, revealed they would be giving tickets out at 11am on the Cistern Yard.  Well, that just worked out perfectly now didn't it.  Now, all I had to do was get in line.  I decided to go see what the line was looking like, and thankfully it was reasonable at that time.  Somehow by the grace of the ticketing goddesses, I was one of the lucky people who received a CMT instant jam wristband, which got me into the show that night at the Windjammer.  

Some realities we must face

Truth be told, I was dreading writing this blog post.  If I write, it means its true.  If I tell people, it means its happening.  And if I hop on Trulia/Zillow/Hotpads/Craigslist/tell our landlord...it means there is no going back.  So it's time to face the reality that I must face, and I will begin here.  We are moving.  


In a seemingly cruel scene of twisted irony, the very moments we are settling (nicely) into our rental townhome, making more friends, finding our niche,  carving our Charleston routine, planted a garden for goodness sake, we have been uprooted.  One simple email can change our reality, causing us to face new, harsh, scary, dare I say exciting realities.  And I cried.  A lot.  

But this is the reality of being a newly minted military wife, who, let's be honest, was a bit naive to how much it would hurt when that email finally arrives.  That unexpected email that you always tell yourself may arrive, yet you harbor hope that it could be years, many years, before it arrives.  

But with the grief and sadness of leaving a job, friends, palm trees, and seasides behind comes hope.  Hope that this new opportunity for R will bring about fulfillment, career potential, exciting times for our new family, and three years of location certainty.  So make the best of it we will. Together. 

So forgive me if I seem a bit nostalgic to this city I have made my heart-home as we begin to say goodbye.  I hope it never leaves me.  I want to soak up these last 4 months we have here with all I know.  

Weekend Recap

Welcome to Monday and the end of summer.  So many school buses back on the roads this morning and so much sadness as summer draws to a close. But!  Thankfully, the weather in Charleston is still awesome for some outside activities.  Here is a quick recap of the weekend's fun with Kristen in town!

Rich and I gave Ellie a "Special Day" which really more equated to it was her vet day and we figured she at least deserved to get to go to the dog park since she had to get a few shots in the toosh. In true Ellie fashion, she was awkward meeting new friends at the dog park.  In the end this special day just resulted in her and Sophie getting special baths.  Win win for us.  

We had a few friends over to our back porch to grill out and play some games.  My love for games on our back porch is increasing with each mini-party we have.  I think it's time for a full on game night chez nous. 

Saturday morning included me finally knocking off Stand-Up Paddle boarding off my Charleston Bucketlist.  We left out of Shem Creek and decided not to heed the suggestions of the company to paddle against the tide for the first part.  We spent a good hour or so wandering the marsh and seeing some of the most beautiful Charleston homes.  We even saw a grown up tree house they had turned into a complete bar!  However, we paid the price on the way back as I lost complete confidence that I had the arm and body strength to get us back to Shem Creek!  It was so tough!  But, we did get to see a few dolphins in the creek up close and personal.  

Stand Up Paddle Boarding Tip #1: always bring water and snacks. Thankfully I am never one to miss a meal.

Three hours of hard core SUP earned us a yummy lunch and my Shem Creek staple Waters Edge.  We finally got a seat on the water (after some pleading of course.)

 Saturday night we spent grooving to the sounds of Soul Fish at the Sundown on the Wando on Daniel Island, a free monthly community concert near the Wando River.  Though I have no photographic evidence, I can share the band did have Kristen and I on stage to sing Wagon Wheel (jury is out whether they actually turned off our mics after the first chorus.)  

Sunday Brunch was at a Olde Village Post House in Old Mount Pleasant.  A little neighborhood establishment packed full of charm and deliciousness. 

Peach and Cream French Toast anyone?

To walk off all that "dessert breakfast" (as the waitress reminded us more than once that we had in fact basically ordered dessert at 10am) we headed over to another Mount Pleasant favorite of mine: Pitt Street Bridge.  A hidden gem in Old Mt P, it's a local favorite for those wanting to take in the beautiful quiet of seaside living, catch a few rays while reading or book, or try your hand at some afternoon fishing.  As always, it was breathtaking.

 Casual Saturday paddleboarding with your dog here in Mt Pleasant, SC.