Charleston, SC

Well, we have just returned from New York City but I wanted to post a photo from our anniversary trip to Charleston, SC. I loved Charleston; very southern and very cool. Here we are on the amazing rooftop bar at Grill 225 downtown, definitely one of the highlights of the trip! New York recap to come as well as my new "cooking from the pantry" kick I'm on.

two year anniversary trip: Charleston, SC

I have always wanted to go to the South (well, in all honesty I want to wear big hats and drink mint juleps on a beautiful porch), and specifically go to Charleston to see the incredible architecture. So, my sweet hubby took me there to celebrate our two year anniversary.

We swam in the Atlantic Ocean at dinnertime, walked and walked and walked around the beautifully residential city, bought art from a local photographer, ate toasted coconut gelato while strolling through the open air markets, took a historical architecture tour (believe it or not) where we stopped to have tea on the porch of the Palmer House, ate incredibly delicious and dangerous food (by the third day all I wanted to eat was vegetables) and, if we weren't already married I would say that I found where we should get married: The Lowndes Plantation. On the water, and completely magical... Daniel's family must have had something to do with that!

Everytime...

Everytime I hear these songs (the live version is by far my favorite):

I am reminded of this magical day...

{P.S. Stay tuned for our two year anniversary pictures from our trip to Charleston, SC!}

If only...

...I still had my employee discount, and a bigger than city-living kitchen... I would purchase this perfect wallpaper to quite possibly frame above a lovely banquette dining area:

A lesson on beautiful banquettes:

(The gorgeous banquette above was featured in Traditional Home, designer: Tobi Fairley)

As many of you know, I have quite of love for banquettes of all sorts. Reading nooks, kitchen seating, glamorous dining rooms... my heart flutters when I see them. Did you know, that when they were first introduced in the 1600's in France, they were reserved for royalty? Some even were used as disguises for secret passage ways (yet another reason to love them!). I love the transformation that has taken place, as now they are used in many tight spaces and can be made incredibly affordable. Recently, I've been working on a project which incorporates a great corner banquette in a kitchen and wanted to share the images that have inspired me with this project.

Thank you Elle Decor for the extra storage ideas:

Great idea for tight spaces, or kid spaces:

I would love to curl up with a good magazine here:

Dear Amanda Nisbet,

Dear Amanda,


Can I please intern for you? I'd quite like to learn your ways. And be around the beautiful things you create in hopes that the creativity would rub off on me.

Sincerely,

Laurie Beth Lowndes

Can I move in?

I would quite like to live here (found on here) and have those amazing leaf prints too: