I Want To Go See...

The Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen at MOMA in NYC.

via

It is an exhibit on the evolution of the kitchen in the 20th century from kitchens hidden in basements to the centerpiece of the home as it is today.

Check it out here. Runs until March. Hopefully I will be there before March to see it.

Vacay Faves

No Friday Faves today. Chris and I are on our way to Chicago for a long weekend with great friends. Chris is running his first half marathon so wish him luck.

All that being said it wouldn't be a Friday with some favorites so here are my travel favorites!

I have always wanted an orla kiely carry on.

I got this great Kate Spade cosmetic a few years ago and I love it.

Luggage tags from Fine Stationery

The green way to travel with aveda fillables.

You can't travel without a good book or a Nook if you are more saavy than I.

Happy Weekend!

A Day In Charleston, A Travel Guide

Chris and I spent last weekend in Charleston, South Carolina. Being in Charleston makes me absolutely love where I am from. The city is gorgeous, historic, casual and upscale all at the same time. If you have never been, book your tickets now. It's perfect for a weekend trip. Here is my idea of a perfect day in Charleston...

TIPS.

WHAT TO WEAR. Dress comfortably and in layers. Charleston weather will fool anyone so dress in layers and remember that Charleston is a relaxed city so flip flops are perfect, sundresses are the ideal outfit and sunglasses are a must.

MIND YOUR MANNERS. The appropriate greeting for anyone on the street before noon is "Good Morning". Say please and thank you and we will really love you if you say "Ya'll" at some point. Southerners are hospitable so you will find store keepers and waiters very friendly for the most part.

THE TEA IS SWEET. Our default drink is sweet tea so if you aren't into that specify and you really should try it.

PARKING. Charleston has a great parking garage at King and Queen. Park there and walk. Parking along the battery is free and if you are there in the early morning you should have no problem finding a spot.

DO YOUR RESEARCH. Do some research online for whatever you to see. There are stores, restaurants and sights scattered all over Charleston and the surrounding areas so do some research and I guarantee they have what you are looking for.

THE SHOPPING

Charleston is a great place to shop. Here is my primer on shopping in Charleston and I am by no means an expert but this is a good place to start.

KING STREET & CHARLESTON PLACE HOTEL

This is the most well known place for shopping in Charleston and will certainly be the busiest. The Charleston Place Hotel is located between King Street and the City Market (see below). Inside the hotel is a line of chain stores (Papyrus, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Pandora, etc.). When you come out onto King Street you will see lots of chain stores including J.Crew, Banana Republic, Williams Sonoma, etc. Also there is one of my favorite stores Half Moon Outfitters. They have a great selection of outdoor clothing and equipment and it's a perfect place to pick up flip flops if you forgot yours.

If you come out of the Charleston Place Hotel and head left you will go to Lower King Street, which is a great place to shop. The chain stores die down and there are some great shops like Lily and Vieuxtemps. My favorite is...

South of Market

Gorgeous lighting, furniture and accessories.

E BAY STREET

East Bay is lined with lots of great restaurants and an amazing kitchenwares shop,

Charleston Cooks

Definitely for the serious cook and if you have time stay in for a cooking demo.

THE SIGHTS

I grew up going to Charleston on school trips so I am not going to give you a history lesson but Charleston is full of revolutionary and civil war history. If history is what you are after, Charleston is your place. There are tons of resources online and lots of travel guides so I won't bore you with those. Also, Charleston is filled with carriage tours. I can't imagine anything less appealing that riding around with a smelly horse but if you want to go for it. I recommend grabbing a travel guide with a walking tour. Take comfortable shoes (flip flops are appropriate at any time) and walk the city. My favorite sites in Charleston are these...

THE BATTERY

Located along the Cooper River, the Battery is a esplanade along the river that looks out over the water. The walk way lines a gorgeous park and amazing colorful homes. I recommend going in the morning to avoid a crowd. Pick up your breakfast and enjoy it strolling along the water.

THE MARKET

This is referred to often as the City Market. This open air market is filled with history and now home to 90% of the tourist traps in Charleston. The market is lined with chain stores and ladies making sweetgrass baskets. While it is definitely a tourist trap (think of a Southern version of Canal Street), it's worth wondering around in and you might find something you like. If possible, go during a weekday and the crowds will be thinner.

HOUSE HUNTING

Charleston is full of amazing homes and gardens. The streets along the battery boast some of the most gorgeous homes you will ever see. Rainbow Row is the row of homes known for their colorful facades. Also check out Chalmers street for some gorgeous homes and streets. Gorgeous buildings and hidden gardens are everywhere so keep your camera ready.

THE FOOD.... YUM

Charleston has AMAZING food. Amazing. There are restaurants everywhere and it's easy to get sucked into one of the chain or touristy restaurants but I urge you to seek out the restaurants that are doing amazing things with local ingredients. If you want upscale, check out the line of restaurants on E Bay St (High Cotton, Magnolias, S.N.O.B. (Slightly North of Broad).

BREAKFAST: BAKED

This is a small bakery located on E Bay St that serves excellent pastries. Try the Zucchini Muffin. It's to die for. The atmosphere is relaxed and modern and pick up one of their famed brownies for later.

LUNCH: MAGNOLIAS

This restaurant is perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner but I loved their lunch. The menu is upscale southern cuisine and it's delicious. I ordered the fried green tomato and lump crab BLT. Heavily toasted bread topped with lump crab, a large fried green tomato and bacon served with sweet potato fries. Also their Blue Crab Bisque is amazing. Make reservations.

DINNER: 82 QUEEN

We actually dined here for lunch but I really want to go back for dinner. Again this is another upscale southern cuisine restaurant. They have a gorgeous courtyard to eat in filled with magnolias and flowers. I ordered the BBQ Shrimp and Grits and they were delicious. For starters experiment with the lobster corn fritters with truffled butter. Also, the sweet tea is great.

That is all for my perfect day in Charleston!

Addition to the Bucket List

I really really really want to go to Blackberry Farm in Tennesee.

The farm is located near Knoxville, Tennesee and boasts ample acreage, orchards, amazing food and outdoor activities. Isn't it gorgeous?

Travel Wish List 2010

So I have been researching and I have my travel wishlist for 2010. We have to go to a few weddings our of town this year so our wish list is a little tame but hopefully totally achievable!

Chicago

Boston

Key West

New York (yes. again.)

Winter Wonderland and More Fun With Sparkly Letters

Sorry I was absent from the blog world this weekend. We spent the weekend in West Virginia skiing. If you haven't heard "Snowmageddon" hit that area this past weekend. As a lifelong Southern girl, I have never seen that much snow in my life and it was gorgeous.

Anyway, I am back and on a side note how cute are these sparkly letters from Target? What a good alternative to ribbon. Forgive the quality, I took the pic with my iphone.

Hope everyone had a happy weekend!

Pretty Bar

Since we are snowed in here in South Carolina, I have taken time to do tasks around the house I have been putting off. One of those tasks was to organize all of my digital photos in iPhoto. I came across this picture from several years ago and I was so excited. Isn't this bar area gorgeous? You would think I was in Paris but no this was taken in Paris Market, a store located in Savannah.

I loved the mirror in the back and it's just gorgeous in every way. Happy Wednesday!

A Bakery, A Bag and A Really Big Tree

New York was fabulous and that phrase pretty much sums up our trip. This was our 6th trip to NYC since we've been married but our first trip at Christmas. I anticipated how insanely crowded the city would be so we avoided most touristy sites and stuck to our favorite parts of New York, mainly the Upper West Side, The Flatiron Area and Soho. We ate and shopped and just enjoyed the city.First things first. We arrived on Christmas night after leaving our family a little bit earlier that usual. On the flight in we had a perfect view of the city and the red and green Empire State Building. We checked in and immediately headed to the insanely packed Rockefeller Center and 5th Avenue. It was so Christmas-y exchanging "Merry Christmas" greetings with the doormen along our walk.

The tree was gorgeous.

We also loved the windows at Saks.

We also loved the snowflakes that flashed on 5th Avenue.

The next day was pretty rainy so we spent the early morning hours walking down Broadway on the Upper West Side. We headed over to Magnolia Bakery for a cupcake.

Then to the Met to escape the rain. They have an amazing collection dedicated to decorative arts so it is a design enthusiasts dream. They even framed wallpaper so you can focus on how gorgeous it really was. I also love modern art so that wing is my favorite.

Afterwards we headed over to Sarabeth's East, a restaurant I heard about in a guidebook for a really late lunch.

On Sunday, we immediately headed down to Soho for some shopping. Kate's Paperie had a gorgeous window display and I stocked up on stationery and a new agenda for the year. Chris of course hit up the Apple Store (as well as the one on the Upper West Side, which is excellent as well). We filled most of this day with shopping, an early dinner and went back to the room so Chris could watch a little football.

Monday we stuck around midtown. We went to Herald Square then down to the Flatiron Building. This is one of my favorite parts of New York especially when 5th avenue is a mob scene. Flatiron has excellent shopping without the crowds. I made a visit to the mothership, Kate Spade. The store is just as fabulous as Lonny Mag said it was. I got a new Kate, some earrings and a cosmetic bag.

Then we headed down to Union Square and had lunch at Union Square Cafe. I had Squash Tortelli cooked in Cranberry Sage Brown Butter Sauce. TO DIE FOR. Also, I had greenmarket apple cider and cider cinnamon doughnuts. I had never had a doughnut that melted in your mouth but now I have. Delish! We headed to Bryant Park which was decked out for Christmas.

We spent the rest of the day around midtown shopping. We went to Serendipity 3, which as corny as it is I absolutely adore. I love the atmosphere. Thanks to the lovely "bouncer" I like to call him we got in and the decorations were worth the wait.

We finished up our trip with some more shopping, strolling through Central Park and just enjoying the city.

(Including the amazing gingerbread houses at Le Parker Meridien)

We are already planning a trip back in early March for my b-day. Mainly because I want to see Laura Linney's new play, Time Stands Still, which opens on Tuesday of next week. I love NYC. I think about Gertrude Stein's quote that America is my country but Paris is my hometown. I feel like the South is my country but New York is my hometown.

If you love New York, you need to see it at Christmas.

I have gotten a few requests to create a NYC travel guide. I have already started working on it and I will hopefully have it ready for you guys ASAP.