Charles Towne Landing- Charleston Family Fun

One of our favorite places to explore in Charleston is Charles Towne Landing. As a teenager I volunteered there for many weekends, dressed up in the period clothing and all! Today I prefer to take a nice long walk around and teach our 3yo all about the true origin of bed bugs and where the old Settlers Village used to be. Of course, the 3yo leads the way, always going straight to the boat and then finally back down to the Animal Forest. I just enjoy every moment of beautiful bliss walking under the old oak trees.

There are also great picnic areas in and outside of the park. We grabbed lunch to go from Sesames (ooh yum) and had a nice shaded lunch before exploring.

Oh and all of the oak trees...

This one ^ is pretty cool because it has a stump marker to let you know that it was here at the time the Constitution was signed. Hello living history.

Admission is $10/adult; $6/age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger. Open 9am-5pm, daily.
OR you can purchase a SC State Parks Passport for $75 for the whole family for the year!

If you are looking for a mommy night out, you should definitely join me for one of the Yoga Under the Oaks nights. One hour of yoga followed by happy hour. Oh yeah! I don't even do yoga, but the idea of just laying under these beauties for an hour of peace sounds pretty awesome to me!

Charleston Fashion Week 2014 + ghd Styler Giveaway!

Whew this last week was awesome! Charleston Fashion Week was as amazing as ever and if you didn't make it down there for a night, you definitely need to put a reminder on your phone for tickets for next year!!! I attended Wednesday (Day 2) and Saturday (finale) nights. I don't want to freeze your computer with a thousand pictures so I've decided to focus on a couple of my favorite designers and the Art Institute of Charleston's show- which was stunning! Of course, I also have some fun pictures because that's what it's all about to me- a fun night out!

If you aren't interested in fashion but love your hair, scroll down to enter the giveaway (details below)!!!

First off is Kaitlyn Machos. omgosh her dresses are drop dead gorgeous. Standing ovation, huge applause, winner of Wednesday night's emerging designer competition gorgeous. You have to hear/read her story. Beautiful inspiration and execution. I was not the only one a bit disappointed that she didn't win at the finale. It was kind of shocking since she received the most applause (as far as the people's choice winner goes). Oh well, though. She got her name out and I'm sure more good things will be going her way soon!

The next designer I liked a lot was Cori Spade. This was an interesting one because I love her inspiration, but I wasn't as in love with her designs. Dresses were cute, but the quilting was a little too simple. Cori was inspired by the North Carolina quilting trails she grew up around. I would love to see the same designs dresses/skirts, but with more inspired quilting than just the block quilt. Does that make sense? Either way... she's definitely someone to watch! (Note: I would definitely wear this skirt if given the chance! It really is pretty.)

Forgive me on this next one but I cannot figure out which designer to attribute this dress to! I feel awful about that. I thought it was part of the Art Institute's but now I'm not sure. Anyways... She's a beauty!

And now to the Art Institute of Charleston's show. Wow wow wow! Students used local inspiration (spot the Ravenel boob bridge!) and sweetgrass to make some serious OOH AAHH WOAH moments. In. Love. Soak it in Charleston, soak in the history.

Seriously, all I want for Christmas is sweetgrass tiara. What!? Audrey Hepburn eat your heart out! Dress designer, Model.

My heart beats faster just looking at the pictures. :) Some serious talent in this city! No wonder I love it so much.

When I wasn't picking my jaw up from the floor, I was having fun in the Style lounge and Belk tent! Warning: Please remember- I am NOT a fashion blogger. I'm not fashionable at all. The struggle is real since childhood. But I love to admire fashion and I love to dress for fun- whatever makes me happy! That does not equal stylish. lol Left skirt made by me, right flower crown also made by me. ;) Right necklace is the sand dollar by Lauren Amos Designs and right clutch is Aldo. Bracelets were my grandmas cause that's how I roll.

Mom! (My mom recently became a blogger!

 

 

Love finding new Southern bloggers to follow!
Fashion Bloggers: The Retail Therapist and Northern Lights- Southern Belles

Former Roomy and my finale date: Felicia from Two Hearts West Creations
(Fun Fact: My first date with my husband was actually with me, him, and Felicia!) :)

And I can't do a post without a shout-out to the very talented Daniel D. He was the perfect start to Wednesday night!

Thank you so much to everyone at CHSFW, especially the fabulous Ayoka Lucas who brings this baby to life every year. This is one event that every Charlestonian should experience. Can't wait till next year! (Giveaway below!!!)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lowcountry Farm Tours

Lowcountry Farm Tours 2014 is just around the corner and I can't wait! If you live in the Charleston area, this is a really special family event that you shouldn't miss. For one day multiple Johns Island and Wadmalaw farms are open to the public for tours and tastings. Yes, many of the farms are open for tours other times but there's something extra fun about being a part of a large group, traveling farm to farm for one day. :)
 

The last time I was able to go was 2012 and we had a pretty tired [read: grumpy] 1.5 year old in tow so we only saw a couple farms. But he did enjoy the food and loved seeing the animals post-naptime. haha. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Ambrose Farm.

If you have never been to Ambrose Farm, you really have to go! And on your way home, stop by their Stono Market for lunch at the cafe or to pick up some farm fresh eggs, raw milk, produce, pimento cheese (soooo good!), meat, or freezer meals ready to pop in the oven. (Seriously- there freezer meals are amazing!)

Farmer Pete explaining their farming practices.

 

We also picked strawberries, ate yummy tacos, and swung on a tire swing. Plenty of fun for everyone. :) Get your tickets and get out to support your local farmers- I hope to see you there!!!

 

P.S. The little tidbits given by Farmer Pete about surviving in today's farming world were mind blowing. If you've ever binged on Netflix documentaries about the food industry- you don't want to miss what he has to say!

Top 5 South Carolina State Park Camping Picks

We LOVE camping! Although, we are a house divided when it comes to the seasons we love. I actually don't mind summer camping. It gets hot here, but in the upstate it is plenty cool at night with a medium fan on you. However, Kent is like most people who love to camp in the fall/winter seasons when bundling tight in the sleeping bag is necessary. Whichever season you like- here are my top 5 South Carolina State Park picks for the adventurous Charlestonian.

1. Cheraw State Park- Located about 3 hours from Charleston, it's perfectly more north for cooler nights. This is number one our list for future camping because we really want to try the boat in camping. Boat in camping means you can rent or bring a boat and paddle to an island where there are primitive camping spots. Cheraw also boasts some nice hiking trails and just looks beautiful.

2. Dreher Island State Park- Also located about 3 hours from Charleston, Dreher offers waterfront camping on Lake Murray without the hassle of boating to it. The waterfront pictures seem magical to me. I love waking up to a waterfront view! Dreher has a little bit of trails, but most of the fun seems centered on the lake life.

3. Givhans Ferry State Park- Givhans Ferry is less than 1 hour away from Charleston on the Edisto River and has been on my bucket list for far too long. There is a nice 1.5 mile trail for easy walking and of course tons of boat ramps and rentals nearby for kayaking and canoeing the Edisto. I have always wanted to do the kayaking trip with just adults, but also really want to camp and relax there with just the family one weekend. For a quick weekend trip, Givhans is a great choice at only $15/site/night.

4. Santee State Park- Located 1 hour, 15 minutes outside of Charleston, Santee is perfect for wildlife observing with kiddos! I first experienced Santee on a class trip in middle school. We stayed at the cabins and learned so much about lake ecosystems, etc. on the pontoon tours. I can't wait to take J, probably next summer. And of course, I love Santee because they have water-front camping and good trails.

5. Poinsett State Park- Poinsett is less than 2 hours away from Charleston and the only one on this list that we have tackled so far. I was truly blown away by this park. Humble, yet very nice all in one. Poinsett attracted us with their canoe rentals. We wanted to practice with J in the boat before going to a canoe-to-camp park. I'll do a full post on Poinsett soon, but for now I'll just say the nature there is beautiful. A great little lake/large pond, boat rentals, a spillway, lots of trails, and a huge field near the campground that boasts a large bonfire area and the most amazing view of the stars. When you drive down to the park ranger, trails, and swimming area, it's like a snapshot of amazing summers past. Where a kids summer memories should be made. And all that for only $15/site/night.

Bonus National Park: Want to camp but not spend money? Checkout the National Parks that allow camping! Our first family trip was to Congaree. It was a stormy, muggy, buggy weekend, but the boardwalk trail through the swamp forest there is gorgeous and camping is free!

Have a SC park you love to camp at? Let me know! There are a few others we want to try, but this list is a good starting point. :) And just in case you hadn't already noticed- the SC State Parks website is amazing! Seriously, great work put into this site. Every bit of information you could need to choose the perfect spot for your family AND always check the deals page for discounts at the different parks on specific weekends!

I also plan to write a post about camping with a 3yo soon. Hint: It involves mutually beneficial bribes like this shirt- I love it, he gets excited. Win!

Get exploring Charlestonians!

Bloggy Recap!

Wow- 2 months. Time has gone slow and fast all in one. Summer was amazing. Just pure fun, happiness, and progress with our foster-care/adoption process. September-now have been slower, difficult, life-changing, and torturous with the adoption process. Just a different season, you know? But I'm bursting with ideas and things to share and I really do miss posting. I still take pictures every week with the idea of blogging! So here I am. Thank you for sticking around. Now let's get back to business... :)

Here's a little recap of what's been going on so far this year because it really has been awesome.

I started on my weight loss journey...

 

After being laid off the 3rd time in May, I completely got off my Shaklee 180. I was a mess. Finally in August, I started back again and it felt great! The difference between the first 2 pictures is 8lbs. The first and third picture is a difference of 11-12lbs. Amazing what 10lbs. can do! I plan on taking another one in the same black tank-top, etc. soon. The third one was random when we were in Nashville and I was feeling bloated and down. Shaklee 180 has been monumental in my life. I feel empowered and knowledgeable about food and fitness for the first time in my life. It's easy to look at it and think it's just a shake diet, but it really is SO much more. More on that later. :)

If you are new here or it's been so long that you've forgoten why you love me- Start with these... This summer began the Coastal Living Showhouse Tour which was amazing and I can't wait to find a new home in Charleston to take you on a tour with me! See all of those posts here.

The show house tour opened up my passion for design and I began my Stage My Home series. I've been thinking about this one a lot lately since I received a pretty negative comment stating that I was being mean and picking on people. To that commenter- get over it. Blogs are here to inform and help, I don't mean anything in malice and I try to make it light-hearted, but sometimes the truth hurts! Even if you aren't selling your house anytime soon, check these out- I feature an amazing Charleston home for sale at the end of each post! ooh and ahhh.

Along the way I've also been sharing my love for organic, non-toxic cleaners... check out this awesomeness- Organic Car Cleaner and Non-Toxic Pressure Washing. Not sure why I love Shaklee so much? Here are 5 Reasons You Should Love Shaklee. :)

Enough business- time to open up to you a little bit! ;)

1. Beginning of our home tour- Living room Progress

2. A heart-to-heart- I was shocked and elated by the amazing, positive feedback I received for this post. Y'all are so awesome. You Can't Airbrush Self-Love.

3. My Story: Becoming a professional blogger, How I monetized my blog, Finding my blogging Family, Our Foster-Care Story.

Other gems you might love- Charleston Fashion Week 2013, 4 Lessons from 241yo Modern Design, HGTV Dream Home 2013, Charleston food reviews.

And if you read nothing else, I would have to at least recommend this ridiculous story. This post has brought my blog more traffic than any other. Family, friends, and total strangers have laughed along with us, as I recap the most awkward situation I could never had made up.... Charleston to Bahamas Carnival Cruise.

Well, that isn't everything so far, but it's plenty to get you started!!! Now time for me to get started on some new posts. :) Talk to you soon!

 

Coastal Living 2013 Showhouse- Studio Apartment

Have you been enjoying this series? This last post of the Coastal Living 2013 Showhouse definitely goes in the dream home category! They built a wonderful MIL suite or studio apartment or office above the garage. It was designed as a sort of hangout studio space, but I'm sure you moms could think of a million different uses for this! Maybe a wocave?

I forgot to check to see if any of those drawers opened to a refrigerator, but there was definitely a full bathroom. I thought it was funny that they put the biggest, bulkiest furniture in the hardest to get to space. I mean, it all looked awesome in there, but I would not want to be those moving guys!

Complete with 2 balconies- one had room for seating and overlooked the backyard and the other was more for standing to admire the waterfront view...

Pillows and Cushions- Sunbrella /  Outdoor Lighting- Bevolo /  Outdoor Seating- Lloyd Flanders

Faucet and Sink- Moen / Furniture- Laura Ashley / Lighting- Circa Lighting

Well, that's the end of the Coastal Living 2013 Showhouse tour! Did you love it? Would you like to see more home tours like this on the blog? I hope you said yes because Charleston is full of amazing homes and I LOVE touring them all! :) In case 7 posts still just wasn't enough for you, you should go check out Lianne's view of the house on Lulabelle. I love seeing how we viewed each space differently. :)

Now that you've seen all 7 posts- What was you ULTIMATE favorite part? :D I'm choosing the living room. I just loved the colors. 

 

Part One- Outside / Part Two- Office + Den + Mudroom / Part Three- Living room  

Part Four- Kitchen + Dining / Part Five- Master Bedroom / Part Six- Pre-teen/Teen Bedrooms