everyday musings

hope and union mornings.

2012-02-23T08:37:00.000-05:00

Starting the day with an iced coffee and a buttery croissant on the porch of Hope and Union will forever be my favorite way to spend the morning.

halcyon yeah!

2012-02-22T08:17:00.000-05:00

Not only does Hailey have a movie premiering tonight, she also has a new blog. Halcyon Yeah! I'm excited and and expecting big things from this girl.

my mom.

2012-02-21T07:52:00.000-05:00

My mom is here in Charleston for a whole entire week, and it has been so nice.

Those bathroom towel hooks I bought and never got around to hanging? Done. The couch I put together wrong? Fixed. The out-of-reach recycling bin in my kitchen? Moved to a location that makes sense.

Moms have a way of making everything better.

sister breakfast.

2012-02-20T10:14:00.002-05:00

Classic southern breakfast with my sister this morning; eggs, grits, and weak coffee.

I can't wait until this time next year, when Isabel lives in Savannah and long, lazy breakfasts together are the norm.

sunday evening on folly.

2012-02-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

A freezing Sunday evening running around Folly beach.

Once our toes became ice cubes, we drove home through the purple sunset, ate fish tacos, and fell asleep watching the Grammy's.

black tap coffee.

2012-02-16T09:29:00.000-05:00

Charleston's new Black Tap Coffee has bright natural light, cucumber-infused water, and the smoothest iced coffee you've ever had. I'm into it.

february.

2012-02-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

My spread for February's Skirt Magazine. See the online edition here.

baby budino.

2012-02-14T08:22:00.000-05:00

Ever since Hailey and I ate at FIG a few months ago and were served a miniature budino, I can't say the word "budino" without putting "baby" in front of it. Baby Budino.

This is Mike Lata's chocolate hazelnut (baby) budino that I shot for New York Magazine's food blog Grubstreet, for their article on America's 101 Most Crazy-Awesome New Desserts. With super-dark chocolate and olive oil croutons, it's a sweet and salty dream team.

weekend.

2012-02-13T09:59:00.000-05:00

A weekend of endless dancing, endless mimosas and long drives with loud funk.

waking up in a car and running through the woods to watch the pink sunrise, part II.

2012-02-10T08:24:00.002-05:00

Another glimpse of our "camping trip" to Hilton Head.

food truck rodeo.

2012-02-09T07:58:00.002-05:00

The food truck rodeo would be overwhelming for a hungry person; endless tacos, crawfish mac & cheese, gourmet doughnuts, duck confit sandwiches, and a whole truck filled of grilled cheeses. Luckily I'd already eaten that morning so I went for a fresh-squeezed limeade, which was sour and divine.

For Landon and Tyler, blowing bubbles at each other was the highlight.

hilton head.

2012-02-08T07:37:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, we went on a spur-of-the-moment camping trip to Hilton Head Island.

Turns out camping just meant sleeping outside, as we were at a gorgeous house that had giant wrap-around porches and a dock overlooking the marsh, twenty feet in the air.

We ate s'mores and cloud-gazed, drove around the dark woods in a topless jeep and fell asleep on the dock with down comforters. Maybe more my style of camping, anyway.

the garden summer.

2012-02-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

Hailey's documentary, The Garden Summer, is officially premiering at the rad American Theater on February 22. There will be farm cocktails in ball jars and lots of giddy, wonderful people. Purchase tickets here (seats are limited!) and learn more about the film here.

*Photos from our road trip to the farm last spring.

scrambled farm egg & stone crab tartine.

2012-02-07T08:03:00.000-05:00

We spent a day last week shooting Chef Lata's Scrambled Farm Egg and Stone Crab Tartine. So! Many! Colors!

Tartines remind me of Dordogne, where Lucien would ask for a tartine each morning, with almond butter and jam. It was his favorite, the go-to food to give him when he refused to eat anything else.

This dish is Chef's take on breakfast in the lowcountry, and with local seafood, beautiful vegetables and perfectly-scrambled eggs, this is breakfast at its best.

waking up in a car and running through the woods to see the pink sunrise.

2012-02-06T08:03:00.000-05:00

What weekends should always be about.

breakfast at the beach.

2012-02-03T08:08:00.000-05:00

One morning last week, we had a picnic at the beach before work.

There was food: eggs, salmon, berries, and banana bread. There was a teeny tiny glimpse of the pink sunrise.

There was a massive storm that rolled in and then caught us. We had to pack up and run, soaked to the bone. I smiled to myself about it the rest of the day.

new job.

2012-02-02T08:02:00.000-05:00

Two weeks into my new job, I'm as excited about it as I was on the first day.

My official title is Executive Assistant to Chef Mike Lata, a man I've admired since the moment (maybe before?) I moved to Charleston. Aside from being executive chef and part owner of FIG restaurant, he's a total class act - James Beard Award Winner, Iron Chef contestant, writer, entrepreneur, father-to-be, and on and on.

With one already-stellar restaurant and another amazing one underway, I cant wait to see what this year brings. Every day of this job is different and I love it.

*See what's going on at FIG on Facebook. Also, above photos are from brunch at Larder, not FIG.

french toast & mimosas in the sun.

2012-02-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

A Sunday well spent.

a fire in the woods.

2012-01-31T07:14:00.000-05:00

As we were exploring Edisto Island, we came across a (controlled) fire at sunset.

The woods looked so pretty all lit-up that we couldn't help but turn the car around and admire*, until a man on a tractor may or may not have spotted us and we scurried off.

*from a safe distance, Dad

january.

2012-01-30T08:17:00.001-05:00

As France feels farther and farther away, certain songs make me weepy and still, all I ever want to eat is bread and cheese. Sometimes I start dreaming about those three months and I end up feeling paralyzed by how much I miss it.

That said, if I'm not going to be in France, I'm glad I can be in warm, sunny Charleston -- where oyster-eating and day trips to remote islands are totally normal January activities. No winter blues here.

a night at the grocery.

2012-01-27T06:36:00.001-05:00

The fundamental problem with Charleston is that it's impossible to stay in, ever. There's always a new restaurant to try, friends to see, or some 70 degree January weather to soak up.

Earlier this week we found ourselves at a new spot, The Grocery, for drinks, snacks (excluding Martin who ordered a steak), and churros (which fondly reminded me of my recent, solo, birthday in Spain). Spontaneous, unplanned weeknights always turn out to be the fun ones anyway. Case in point.

sunset with katie.

2012-01-26T07:27:00.001-05:00

While on a solo walk along the battery last night, I serendipitously ran into one of my dearest friends Katie, who happened to be soaking up her last sunset in Charleston before moving to Brooklyn.

I planned on seeing her later for tacos anyway, but I was so happy to run into her at this moment. She was completely in it -- blasting music from her car and watching white sailboats pass as the sun disappeared into the still-as-glass water.

Katie is the kind of person you always find yourself on an adventure with. She is adored by everyone, and rightfully so; she's one of the most magnetic people I've ever met. And although I'm selfishly sad, I'm excited for all the New Yorkers whose lives are about to get much, much brighter.

P.S. More Katie: floating the river, at brunch, strolling down King Street, porch sittin', and with choocovine.

larder.

2012-01-25T07:15:00.001-05:00

Last weekend when I found out the good news, we promptly decided to celebrate with mimosas (and brunch) at Two Boroughs Larder. It was such a treat that my family was in town to join in on the celebration and give us that extra push we needed to order the triple chocolate salted cookie with espresso ice cream.

simple arugula salad.

2012-01-24T07:43:00.000-05:00

I love arugula so much that most days, I'm perfectly happy eating it with just a little lemon juice and some flavorful olive oil.

For days when I want something more exciting, arugula with oranges, pomegranate seeds, and creamy blue cheese (plus lemon and olive oil) makes for a killer combination.

first day.

2012-01-23T08:24:00.001-05:00

Today is the first day of my new job, my dream job, that I feel so fortunate to have and so excited to begin. I mentioned my love for new beginnings and according to the butterflies in my stomach (the good kind), I think this is going to be really great.