POSTPONED : Our Decision to Get Married on a Weekday in 2021!

Kendall and I have officially postponed our wedding! We postponed exactly one year to 12/20/21...and yep, if you just looked that date up on a calendar, you read it right…it’s a Monday! We could not be more at peace with our decision! Our priority was the safety of our guests and that meant postponing made the most sense for us. While we are disappointed that we won’t be getting married in a couple of months, this year FLEW by and we know next year will too. We are so optimistic to safely welcome our family and friends to a wedding celebration closer to what we had originally envisioned next December! Besides, it will be a blast to plan a Christmas wedding during the holiday season since I can draw inspiration from all the new products and trends this year.

Okay, back to the decision to go with a Monday! If you are familiar with what’s happening in the wedding industry due to COVID then you know 2021 is going to be insane! We are essentially making up for almost an entire year of weddings, plus new bookings, so wedding vendors will be quite busy next year. When Kendall and I started the postponement process we knew availability was already going to be limited and we wanted to keep an open mind. 

I also carried a TON of guilt opening up the conversation with our vendors. I knew the feeling of getting those postponement emails from couples all too well. Luckily we have a fabulous vendor team that was all understanding and supported our decision, but opting for a weekday will leave a weekend date open for our vendors to book other weddings and helps protect their schedule next year! We also wanted to try to avoid hefty postponement fees (that are absolutely understandable for vendors to keep their businesses afloat right now) so this was our sacrifice in the circumstances.

Another plus to a Monday wedding is that our weekend of events can be spread out. I hope to have my bridal luncheon on Saturday with our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Sunday...I feel like it will be easier on my bridesmaids (and our moms!) to spread those events out across two days so that the day before the wedding isn’t *so* crazy. 

In true Hallmark fashion, I decided this was an excellent opportunity for our own “Countdown to Christmas” moment...our wedding will be the kickoff to Christmas week 2021! But seriously, we know that a lot of our friends have that week off work or plan to take it off already, and other guests have over a year in advance to prepare their vacation days accordingly. With four days between the wedding and Christmas, it still gives adequate time for everyone to travel to their holiday destinations. 

The wedding industry expects a trend of more weekday weddings in the next year or two as we recover from COVID and to be honest, I hope the trend stays! You don’t have to get married during the weekend for your wedding to be a blast! In full transparency, if we were choosing a regular weekend we’d probably have gone with a Thursday to stay on the backend of the work week, but in our case a Monday made the most sense. I’m a total even numbers kinda gal anyways (ugh, 12/20/20 was SUCH a good number!) so I love that our anniversary will still be 12/20. :)

It will be the best Monday of our entire lives and we CANNOT WAIT! 

Something Blue or the Covid Blues? My Experience as a Wedding Planner and a Bride During the Pandemic

When it became clear in early March that COVID was going to shut down the United States and weddings started to postpone, I assumed it would be a rough spring and we’d be back to normal soon enough. Of course, that was an incredibly naive prediction. As we watched the pandemic progress through summer and learned more about the virus, it was evident to my fiancé and me that our December wedding was also going to be affected. Juggling the already heightened emotions of working in the wedding industry during a pandemic was made even more challenging when I realized that I’d be experiencing it all from a bride’s perspective as well. 

Many have asked about my experience but I’m glad I waited until now to write about it since so much has changed in these last seven months! To be honest, I had some really dark weeks starting around late April. This is when my first full-service wedding with A Southern Soiree was originally scheduled and my second (planned for June) started to postpone. Kendall (my fiancé) and I celebrated seven years of dating around this time, and beyond being stuck in the house as opposed to our usual tradition of going to Angus Barn for dinner, it was the first realization that we were likely going to have to make our own really hard decisions soon as well. For several weeks to come and as more postponements started happening (including my own Matron of Honor’s wedding), I was definitely depressed, terrified for the industry, and mourning my first full year in my dream job that was essentially going down the drain. 

Fortunately, I’m in a much better place now! While there have been so many ups and downs, I have tried to remain grateful. So far we have not been sick, nor have any of our immediate family members or loved ones. I am even more appreciative of weddings and gatherings, and my couples that have moved forward hold the most special place in my heart for being flexible and trying to remain focused on what mattered most to them. 

I’m very thankful that we have been planning a December wedding, so I’ve had plenty of time to watch things play out and see how the pandemic, as well as how the gathering restrictions, trended. My heart was shattered after helping so many couples in March through June postpone so closely to their original wedding dates. Not that my couples scheduled to wed later in the summer and fall were any more excited to start discussing postponement, but I think having more time to prepare and face the reality of the situation has its advantages. Needless to say, it has been a devastating experience for every couple in different ways. 

Some of the biggest challenges have been the negativity and political arguments as a result of fear within the industry, along with the judgment amongst our vendor network. While I respect everyone’s opinion and appreciate the realists (I need those types to ground me!), I’m not sure that constant negativity is warranted on social media platforms. I’m all about planning for the worst-case but trying to speak things into existence and it has been frustrating at times for me personally when others don’t take that same approach! It has also been tense tip-toeing the line between wanting events to happen for our couples and getting the industry back on its feet, while aiming to be legally compliant and most importantly, safe. Almost all wedding vendors have been put in precarious situations throughout these last seven months, and most often they felt like a lose-lose situation. This time during the pandemic has taught me to love on my industry friends more, lift them up, and try to remember we are all doing the best we know to pivot our businesses during this time. 

I do feel like I have been able to genuinely relate and sympathize with my couples and have recognized more helpful ways to support them (I can tell you 50 things *not* to say to a couple planning a wedding during a pandemic!). I have tried my best to not pull the “I’m in the same boat” card often but I think it has helped that my couples know I am guiding them from a place of true understanding. It has definitely been a challenge at times to keep my own emotions composed when consulting and consoling clients while Kendall and I have been going through the same process as well. 

Since I’ve helped so many couples make decisions on their COVID weddings, I did feel prepared and informed when it was time to make our own decision (more on that soon). I am also fortunate to have an amazing team that has provided insight and support when I needed it…it’s so much easier to walk others through this process than it is to follow my own advice!

While I’ve made some peace with this crazy year, it has taken many tearful conversations, some reflection, and a lot of wine(!) to get to this point. Seriously 2021, you better act right. 

Photo by Ginny Corbett

Christmas Eve at Papa and Granny's

When I wrote this in December 2018, I had not imagined it would be the last Christmas with my Granny. She passed in August of 2019 and while Christmas won’t be the same without her, I am committed to keeping our traditions alive and celebrating the holiday season with a full and gracious heart that I got to spend 29 Christmases with her and 25 with Papa.

A week from now we’ll be packing up the car in Granny’s driveway. Leftovers in Tupperware and a few gifts will be placed in the back floorboards and I’ll be thinking of something else, anything else, to say to Granny before finally committing to leaving.

Christmas Eve at Granny and Papa’s has always been magical. Granny’s tree has multicolor lights, the most beautiful vintage ornaments, and a pearl garland, but has never been huge or overstated. She has a small village but otherwise has always just decorated with the many Christmas cards that came to her and Papa.

Mom always leaves some rolls unbuttered for my brother. My aunt always asks for pepper before trying her cream corn and Granny gets on to her for not trying it first. After dinner we have pie...pineapple or chocolate...and they have those perfect “coca cola drops” on the fluffy meringue. Then we sit patiently while the dishes are washed because the presents don’t get opened until all the dishes are done (and Granny doesn’t have a dishwasher).

Opening Christmas presents is the one time of year we sit in Granny’s living room instead of the den. Her packages are always wrapped so beautifully with perfect bows. We slowly unwrap our presents, while passing around a pocketknife because my family tends to use too much Scotch tape…perfectly wrapped gifts start with well-taped boxes. The wrapping paper gets balled up and thrown at a trash bag in the center of the room, but the boxes and bows get slid to the coffee table as everyone knows you gotta save those. We probably still have 20+ year-old gift boxes in rotation.

Papa always gave Granny a piece of jewelry that Mom helped pick out, and it was always the last gift of the night.

I snapped the picture above in 2010. The lights reflected off the record player so beautifully....the new one that mom, my aunt and I searched hours and days for one Christmas as it had to meet Granny’s exact requirements. It was to replace the big ol’ record player cabinet that had gone out. Granny can be picky and the woman knows exactly what she wants. It makes her hard to buy for but some of my most vivid Christmas memories are searching high and low for something so particularly simple Granny had requested. I’ll never forget when we got her the George Foreman grill that sat on her dryer for the next 15 years because Granny wasn’t about to cook chicken in anything other than a skillet.

I’m glad I got this picture that day, as well as some of Papa and Granny in front of the unfinished Christmas tree. Papa loved Christmas. It was the only time other than church or funerals that I remember him wearing dress pants with his signature plaid shirts. The rest of the days it was Pointer brand overalls and his signature plaid shirts.

The crowd has gotten smaller and the presents fewer. We eat off Chinet plates now and the tree has downsized to a tabletop tree. But the love, y’all...the love is bigger and grander than ever. We’ll sit in that living room complaining about how high Granny has the thermostat and while it is no longer from Papa, Granny will still get the last gift of the night.

I don’t know how many more Christmas Eves we’ll have at Granny’s but I do know that on Christmas Eve night we’ll make more memories to add to our story. I can’t wait to cherish every minute of it.

PS: pray Granny likes my gift.

15 Best Television Christmas Episodes

I love the Christmas episodes of my favorite sitcoms!  It has always been a tradition of mine to watch Christmas movies but I also enjoy going back to watch the Christmas episodes of old television series.

I thought it would be fun to do a round-up here to share with y'all! In no particular order, I've listed my favorite Christmas episodes below and I hope they bring back some memories for you as well! Let me know in the comments which are your favorites, and any of your favorites that aren't listed!

1. Frasier - Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz (Season 6)

I am a big Frasier fan...it cracks me up! In this episode Frasier is shopping for a menorah for his son and meets a Jewish woman, Helen Moskowitz, who asks him to take her daughter on a blind date. The relationship advances and Helen decides to visit Frasier's apartment on Christmas Eve, unaware he wasn't actually Jewish. The series of events throughout the visit while Frasier hid decorations (including a tree in the powder room) are hysterical. Niles also dresses up as Jesus and has an allergic reaction to the manger hay. 

2. Frasier - High Holidays (Season 11)

Frasier Christmas episodes are sooo good that I had to include two on this list. This is probably my favorite Frasier episode out of all eleven seasons. Thanks to Martin, the decorations in Frasier's living room were abundant and awesome. Frasier's son Freddie is going through a Goth phase and Martin makes a comment about Niles never rebelling as a child, so Niles decides to get high on a weed brownie. Martin ends up eating the brownie and replacing it with a regular brownie, unbeknownst to Niles. Niles starts to believe he is feeling the effects and relies on research to act like he thinks he should feel while Martin is actually high, and they proceed to share deep thoughts and munchies. It is absolutely hilarious! 

3. Gilmore Girls - Women of Questionable Morals (Season 5)

Emily and Richard who have previously been separated, are reunited by a stray dog, which was freaking adorable. Lorelai goes through a string of bad luck with the snow and decides she hates it until Luke builds her an ice rink in her front yard. That gesture was one of my favorite moments ever between Luke and Lorelai despite the fact Lorelai was hiding interactions with Christopher from Luke (typical Lorelai). 

4. Home Improvement- Twas the Blight Before Christmas (Season 3)

Home Improvement was one of my all time favorite shows growing up. I used to watch it with my Daddy and always loved when Tim turned into an overly competitive Christmas decorator to outdo his neighbor every year. My favorite part about this particular episode is the Christmas program Mark partakes in. The kids line up backwards to spell out "Leon" instead of "Noel" and I thought that was the most comical thing ever when I was little. As an adult, every time I see "Noel" I immediately think of Leon. 

5.  Friends - The One with the Holiday Armadillo (Season 7)

Ah, yes. The classic Holiday Armadillo. Ross gets his son Ben for the holidays and intends to teach him about their Jewish heritage. Ben is not at all enthused by Hanukkah as he had only been exposed to Christmas traditions. When Ben gets sad about a year without Santa, Ross sets out to find a Santa costume. He couldn't find one so late in the season and instead comes home as "Santa's friend", the Holiday Armadillo. In true Ross fashion, it was weird, awkward, and hilarious.  

6. OC- The Best Chrismukkah Ever (Season 1)

Seth Cohen was a legend for introducing high schoolers everywhere to Chrismukkah. Although this episode had several rough moments including Marissa shoplifting and driving drunk, Julie vs. Jimmy arguments, and Caleb trying to be sneaky, it wouldn't be the OC if the episode wasn't a full emotional roller coaster with a dash of troubled Marissa. This was also the episode Summer dresses up as Wonder Woman which is one of my favorite outfits of the entire series.

7. The Office- Christmas Party (Season 2)

Not much has to be said about The Office but add a "Yankee Swap", elf ears, and vodka and you've got yourself the most entertaining office holiday party to ever exist. 

8. The Andy Griffith Show- The Christmas Story (Season 1)

We watched The Andy Griffith Show every night at my Papa and Granny's house. This was the only Christmas episode of the entire show which is surprising, but it did not disappoint. On Christmas Eve, Ben Weaver insists Andy lock up Sam Muggins, a local moonshiner. Andy complies but he, Barney, Aunt Bee, Opie, and Ellie prepare a feast and bring Christmas to the jailhouse. Ben Weaver is touched by the Christmas spirit and tries to purposely get arrested himself so he wouldn't be alone on Christmas. Sheriff Taylor finds a reason to arrest Weaver, who ends up falling asleep in the cell after finishing a jug of Sam's moonshine. Mayberry has the small-town charm and holiday spirit that reminds me of home during the holidays. 

9. The Simpsons - Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (Season 1)

This was the first full-length episode of The Simpsons and while I used to think my older brother was a total weirdo for liking this show, now that I'm older myself I pick up on the humor and really enjoy it. Homer plays Santa and the family dog, Santa's Little Helper, is brought home. The episode was nominated for two Emmys and was the beginning of one very successful show. 

10. Fresh Prince of Bel Air- Twas The Night Before Christening (Season 4)

Will promises to invite Boyz II Men to perform at Nicky's Christening. Desperate to keep his promise, Will sneaks into the radio studio in Carlton's Santa suit to convince the group to perform. His cover is blown and it turns out he had once stolen the girlfriend of Nathan, one of the group members. Boyz II Men ends up coming and sings Silent Night and Phillip reveals that Nicky is actually named after all the members. It doesn't get much better than Will Smith and Boyz II Men in the same episode!

11. The Wonder Years- Christmas (Season 2)

The Wonder Years is another classic. Kevin and Wayne try to convince Jack to buy a color television. Winnie unexpectedly gives Kevin a gift, who in turn tries to find a present for her. The Wonder Years is one of those shows that provides a good kick of nostalgia even if it was set before your time and I always enjoy hearing whatever lesson Kevin learned, especially the true meaning of Christmas. 

12. The Rugrats- Babies in Toyland (Season 9)

The babies and their families took a trip to a winter wonderland designed by Stu and the kids are left with Grandpa Lou while the adults walk around. Of course Grandpa Lou falls asleep and the parents get trapped in a makeshift cabin due to a malfunctioning snow machine. After Angelica confronts the actor playing Santa and acts so terrible that the Santa ends up quitting, the babies take off to the North Pole to give Dil a good first Christmas. Angelica learns a lesson and ends up bringing back with presents for everyone. The best things always happened when Grandpa Lou fell asleep!

13. The Golden Girls - 'Twas the Nightmare before Christmas (Season 2)

If you don't laugh at the Golden Girls then I'm not sure we can even be friends. This episode opens with Blanche being playfully chased through the house by a local mall Santa. The girls decide to make gifts from the heart rather than spend money on material things. Rose gives Dorothy a maple syrup spigot and Blanche gives the girls a calendar with pictures of men that have "brought her joy" that year. The girls all plan to visit their families on Christmas Day but get held hostage by a man dressed as Santa at a Grief Counseling Center. They get out thanks to Sophia but their flights get canceled and they end up celebrating Christmas in a diner. 

14. Modern Family- Undeck the Halls (Season 1)

A Dunphy Christmas is a bound to be an eventful Christmas! Cam and Mitchell get a mall Santa fired and feel bad so they invite him over for Christmas. Phil and Claire find a burn mark on the couch and cancel Christmas until one of the kids confesses...Luke ends up confessing simply to get back Christmas and soon after they realize the burn was from the sun reflecting off an ornament Phil's dad sent. Speaking of Phil's dad, there is an epic Skype with him doing typical old person things with technology. 

15. Hey Arnold - Arnold's Christmas (Season 1)

If you grew up as a Nickelodeon kid in the 90s, you are very familiar with Arnold and the crew. Helga thinks Christmas is all about cash and presents until she has to choose between a gift for herself or Arnold.  Arnold searches to find a gift for his secret Santa, Mr. Hyunh, but it's a gift that can't be bought. Mr. Hyunh just wants to be reunited with the daughter he was separated from due to the Vietnam War many years ago. Come to find out, Helga saves the day and is the real Christmas angel. 

A Taste of Home - The Collard Green Sandwich

I have been anxious to see some fall foliage. Since it’s not quite time for our area, I started considering a brief trip back up to my hometown of Pilot Mountain, North Carolina in hopes of catching some early color. Although I found out that the leaves weren’t quite changing much yet there either, I realized it was the weekend of the annual Autumn Leaves Festival in nearby Mt. Airy (also known as “Mayberry”). Immediately the famed collard green sandwich came to mind and I knew I had to go.

You may have just muttered the word “gross” as many of us did when we first heard about the collard green sandwich, but one bite and you’ll quickly change your mind.  This sandwich constructed by collard greens and fat back between two pieces of cornbread has been a longtime favorite of the festival.

Andy Griffith Squad Car

Mom and I headed downtown early Saturday morning but walked past the booth twice because we didn’t recognize it without a line. A lady attending to a large pot of collards turned around and said “we open in about an hour.” No wonder there wasn’t a line yet.

Since I’ve never had a real look at the operation behind the hustle and bustle, I took a few moments to check things out. I watched the lady running the show, presumably Shelby King, chairperson of the Sandy Level Community Council that brings us this annual delicacy.  It tickled me that the most popular food vendor at the festival still uses an old gas range stove and standard white fridge in the booth.

Shelby King setting up for the day

“Guess you’ll just have to settle for a ham biscuit this year baby girl,” Mom said as we headed back to the car. I do love a good ham biscuit but my mother knows me better than that…I would get a collard green sandwich before all was said and done.

We passed time by going up to a produce stand at the state line to pick out pumpkins but when we returned to the festival it was a much different scene from less than an hour earlier. I hopped in line with at least 50 people (probably more) ahead of me. Locals knew exactly what that long of a line was for but out-of-towners stopped to ask. “Oh, I heard I needed to try one of those!” Yes, yes you do, but the end of the line is back thataway.

The line for Sandy Level Community Council's booth

While not so patiently standing in line, I had the pleasure of meeting some good folks behind me all the way from Charlotte. They, too, were motivated enough by the sandwich to make a two and a half hour drive for the festival.

Some old friends passed by and I got to rub an expecting friend’s belly carrying a baby girl that will likely be here in a few weeks, a part of the next generation of collard green sandwich consumers.  Ironically enough, it was this family that first introduced me to the sandwiches long ago.

One hour later, I had my three foil-wrapped collard green sandwiches in hand (might as well get a couple to go if you wait that long). There were vinegar and onions to dress them with but I opted to take mine as is to spare my mom any stronger aroma in the car than the collards already emit. I said goodbye and parted ways with my new and old friends.

After devouring one when we got back to the house, I loaded my extra sandwiches, pumpkins, and two kinds of apples (one for frying and the other for pies) into my car and hit the road back to Durham where I now reside.

I had gone home intending to see some colorful autumn foliage, but it’s quite possible that my heart was longing for a little something more. As they usually do when I leave home, a couple of tears fell on the drive down Highway 52 to 40 East, where I would see the sunset in my rearview and a huge, red hunter’s moon rising in the horizon ahead of me. I thought about how fulfilling of a day it had been visiting family, friends, and old stomping grounds. I realized that despite their beauty, dying leaves could not have made me nearly as happy as the day’s adventure had.

Thank you to the Sandy Level Community Council. Your popular offering allowed me to fill my heart up on whole lotta hometown love in the disguise of a sandwich. 

Until next time, Surry County.

Collard Green Sandwich

8-20-15

Deaths are hard. I’ve spent the last year with my fingers to the keyboard hoping to find a way to put it all into appropriate words. While I still haven’t thought up the most enlightening thing to write that makes loss any easier, I can say that I’ve finally found the positive in death, which is...the food.

I had not dealt with a close loss (at an age old enough to remember) until my great-grandmother passed away my freshman year of college, and my duties included holding down her house while neighbors and friends stopped by with food. “Write down who brought what so we can send them a thank you card.”

I didn’t realize that my great-grandmother had known enough people still alive to bring more food than you could even find on a Friday night buffet at the Golden Corral.  Plate after plate of fried chicken and side dishes were brought in. I saw enough variations of pound cake to fill the dessert section of the First Baptist Church’s next community cookbook. That was the week I learned that the older she is, the better her pound cake is.

When my Papa passed last August, I didn’t want to think about life without him in our family. Papa and I saw each other every day while I was growing up and this loss was much harder for me. Regardless of how poorly I kept it together, I had to sit at the house and greet the food…errr, I mean, the people coming by to pay their respects while mom and Granny were out taking care of the arrangements.

It turned out to actually be refreshing. Sure the food was delicious, but I listened to the stories each family friend or church deacon had to tell about Papa. Sometimes they needed comforting just as much as we did, and that attested to the type of man my Papa was. People came and went, dropping off trays of food with the date that everything was made clearly marked, and cake carriers initialed in permanent marker so you knew who to return them to…and you had better return them eventually.

A foil pan of what we thought were from-scratch country ham biscuits was delivered and they were so darn good that we almost fought over them. Each morning that I was home I’d go out and have one with Granny so she wouldn’t have to eat breakfast alone (and partially because I didn’t want to share them). When we eventually found out that Polly Love “up the road” didn’t make them and that they were really from a restaurant in town called “Cousin Gary’s,” we had the best laugh together over how well those biscuits fooled us. I’m not sure whose cousin Gary is but he can be mine if he makes those ham biscuits every time someone dies.

Ya know, there’s something special to be said about comfort food. I always thought of comfort food as simply an excuse not to count calories because you were stressed for some reason or another. But maybe comfort food is more than just an excuse to put your arteries at risk because you’re having a bad day.

Maybe it’s the intention and community behind comfort food that makes it what it is. In the South, food is love and a death is essentially just a somber potluck that lasts several days. You eat home-cooked food, visit with friends and relatives you haven’t seen in a while and cherish that time with the people around you, despite the circumstances that brought you together. Maybe comfort food actually is a reminder of the feelings we get from love and home…and hence the name, the comfort of it all.  Perhaps it really is food for the soul.

As we approached the one-year anniversary of losing Papa, Kendall received news that his grandfather had passed. He was in New Jersey for the funeral when he texted me that he was on the way to repast…reminding me of the one we had in the fellowship hall after Papa’s funeral.  Maybe Northerners aren’t so backwards after all, I thought.

Upon returning back home in North Carolina, Kendall unloaded an entire cooler of Ziploc bags full of green beans, mac and cheese, pound cake and the some of the best cornbread I have ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. I noticed everything was marked with 8-17-16, the date which they were packaged, and it tickled me at how similar things were to my own experience this time last year.

Realizing that my previous enlightenment of the positive in the midst of a loss may not exclusively be just a Southern thing, I was grateful to have so much comfort food in the days to come that would undoubtedly be tough.  Then I proceeded to unwrap some pound cake and went about determining the age of the lady who made it.

P.S. Don’t tell anyone back home that I complimented a Northerner’s cornbread that well.

A Birthday Weekend in Charleston

I had been contemplating a weekend getaway for my birthday when Southern Living announced their 50th Anniversary weekend in Charleston for the same dates. Anyone that knows me well is aware that I live, eat and breathe Southern Living magazine, so it was pretty much fate!

I talked my friends into joining and we booked an Airbnb that ended up being the most adorable home full of Southern charm. The house was located within walking distance to King St. and just a short Uber ride to everything else we wanted to do (or eat).

It wouldn’t be my birthday if there were no theme so I decided to go with pineapples to commemorate the pineapple fountain on the Charleston waterfront. Pineapples are also a symbol of hospitality and I wanted to let my friends know how much I appreciated them coming to celebrate the weekend with me!

A hospitality table for my friends complete with photo booth props I made.

I spent a lot of time researching activities and restaurants since traveling with a group can be difficult when deciding what to do and staying on some form of a schedule. We ended up eating SO well and having such a blast so I wanted to share our weekend with you!

Friday:

This was the night of the Southern Living Live Chef + Editor Dinner at Circa 1886 and I am literally still so excited I can’t even put it all into words yet. I’ll have more to share on that later but I’ll talk about everything else we did Friday.

I needed (or wanted) some birthday shoes so we hit up King St. for some shopping. While out, we stopped for a quick bite at Hyman’s Seafood. I was eating light in anticipation for the dinner so I only had a crabcake and salad, but the fresh fish selection looked super yummy. The walls were adorned with mementos from famous people that had stopped in and the tables with plaques of who had sat there, so it made for a fun experience. Rick Flair had sat at our table! 

After shopping, I went to my appointment at Tease Blow Dry Bar to get a blow out. Although my big hair didn’t last long in the South Carolina humidity it was nice not to have to do it myself. If you are in town for a girls’ weekend, wedding or some other type of event it’s a nice way to relax and get pampered for an hour.  Also, they serve wine (enough said), but be sure to schedule an appointment in advance as they fill up fast!

Although I’m saving dinner details for another post, I do want to recommend Circa 1886. Chef Marc Collins planned the most delectable menu for our event so I can only imagine the other dishes they offer. The restaurant is located in a carriage house of the beautiful Wentworth Mansion and the atmosphere is stunning…GO.

The rest of my friends arrived in town while I was at dinner, just in time to hit up the King St. nightlife. We went to Republic, which was a great spot if you are looking for more of a hip-hop music scene. Afterwards we walked over to Callie's Hot Little Biscuit and although I have to admit I don’t remember much about anyone’s meal (it was my birthday, cut me some slack!), I heard nothing but positive reviews the next morning. Last year I had the pimento cheese sandwich and it was delicious so I trust that it was just as delicious this year too.

I brought an instant camera and set up a "photo booth" on a blank space of wall

Saturday:

My goal for Saturday was to map out a good walking tour with plenty of food and drink stops along the way so we wouldn’t have to deal with any transportation.

We started out at Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe, a hidden gem attached to a convenience store. They have everything from chicken and waffles to a tomato pie that they bake fresh upon ordering. I had the State Street Biscuit, which is a fried chicken biscuit smothered in gravy and topped with a fried egg. My stomach was as happy with this biscuit as my arteries were mad at it. I was too full for dessert but the pies looked scrumptious.

We then headed to City Market to walk around and check out the vendors. They have a fun collection of art, knickknacks, souvenirs, etc.…most of which are handmade. I bought a hand painted cooking oil cruet as well as some pralines and a variety of meat jerky.  

The Rooftop Bar at Vendue

Next stop was the The Rooftop Bar at the unique Vendue art hotel. Inside you’ll find cool exhibits such as an assortment of View-Masters to look through and a huge pin art-thingy. Do those have names? Anyways, we went up to the roof for drinks and convo. I had a Peach Mule and Spicy Mango Margarita, both of which were delicious and the views of the Historic District and waterfront were beautiful.

The human size pin-art board at Vendue (we had so much fun!)

From The Rooftop we headed to Waterfront Park to take pictures in front of the pineapple fountain with the tanks I had made the group, then over to the famous Rainbow Row.

The last stop on our afternoon adventure was The Gin Joint.  I love the cocktails at The Gin Joint, which serves pretty much everything except vodka. My favorite is the “Bartender’s Choice” where you choose two words such as fruity, spicy, strong, sweet, etc. and the bartender comes up with a drink based on the words. I chose “spicy” and “fruity” and ended up ordering a second of the same because it was that good. The beef jerky here is made in-house and has an awesome flavor. 

After some down time and napping off our fun-filled afternoon, we hit up Swig & Swine for dinner.  I’m not going to add much here about my opinions regarding South Carolina pulled pork BBQ as they may be too biased, but Swig & Swine had a great selection of meats and all the portions were large. I am picky about my BBQ sides and their's were well made. We ordered take out but their craft beer selection inside also looked solid.

Saturday night we headed to the Market St. area and discovered Pavilion Bar atop the Market Pavilion Hotel (clearly we have a thing for rooftop bars). There is a pool with fountains on the roof and plenty of tables/seating for groups. The atmosphere was lovely and we really enjoyed the night views of the city!

As we finished our drinks I ordered pizza from Pizzeria Di Giovanni to pick up for late night. The single slices are huge but if you’re with a group, go for the 28” pizza! It was a quick walk from the bar and placing the order ahead of time cut down on the wait. The pizza was so big it had to go in the trunk of the Uber but it was perfect late night food!

Sunday:

Before heading home Sunday morning we headed to Hominy Grill for brunch. Make sure you arrive early to avoid the rush, but even the wait is bearable since there is a window to the bar on the outside of the building so you can order bloody marys and mimosas (among other options) while you wait.  I love the tin roof ceilings and homey décor inside and the food at Hominy Grill lives up to the hype. I’ve had the fried green tomatoes, salmon potato cakes and shrimp and grits…all of which were great! Their Charleston Nasty Biscuit also looks amazing.

As you can tell we didn’t do a whole lot other than eat and drink in Charleston but it is such a good walking city that you can definitely get your steps in to burn off some of the calories. We barely scratched the surface of all the awesome things to do, see and eat in the Holy City so I’m already looking forward to next trip!

Can’t wait to hear about your favorite places to visit in Charleston! 

A recap of the weekend's activities!

The Verdict on Early Holiday Decorating

It’s mid-November and your co-worker posts a pic of her homemade burlap wreath with a red bow that she’s already got on the front door. Underneath her grandma’s typo-filled, all caps compliment is sure to be the “it’s too early” guy condemning early holiday decorating, completely bewildered at the thought of Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving. By now the majority of your Facebook feed is likely an attack on department stores that roll out the red and green at midnight on November 1st. 

I’m here to address early holiday decorating and why it was perfectly acceptable for me to start listening to Christmas music by November 12th on 99.5 WMAG. I apparently need to explain why it’s none of your concern if I want to see my Thanksgiving turkey reflecting off glass balls on the Christmas tree.

Are y'all really that against skipping Thanksgiving decorations? For starters, I’ve never met a cornucopia that I thought was all that pretty. I’m not against mini gourds or corn stalks if that’s your thing, but if it’s not ours then please allow us skip to the greenery and ornate inflatables.

I have a lot of holiday decorations…A LOT. Enough to make the men in my family consider disowning me whenever I have to move. Decorating for me is a process that takes several weekends. I want to spend the month of December relaxing (drinking) with friends and family…not picking up a fully decorated Christmas tree that toppled over in my kitchen (true story). I’m also very serious about my Christmas lights and I’m warning you now…Wal-Mart runs out of certain varieties of lights early. Make sure you don’t get yourself in a traditional-LED mismatch because you waited too late to start decorating.

Thanksgiving is like the kickoff to the holiday marathon ahead through Christmas and New Years. If your holiday decorations start going up before Thanksgiving you can rest easy in stretchy pants during that food coma that you know is sure to come.

For goodness sake, early Christmas decorating doesn’t mean I’m not thankful. Christmas decorations are the dearest reminder of my childhood. My mom LOVES Christmas…she puts up more Christmas trees each year than there are rooms in her house. Christmas reminds me of my dad letting me decorate with as many tacky blow molds as I wanted if it made my heart content. It wasn’t about the presents…it was about decorating together and the girls making our uncle coconut bon-bons even if all those chocolate melts made me nauseous. It was about pulling out card tables and banquet chairs after locking the spare bedroom door right before guests arrive, lying to yourself that you'll actually get it cleaned out before next Christmas.  It was about eating my Granny’s cream corn and my Mama’s yeast rolls.

Christmas decorations bring out a certain type of gratuitous nostalgia from within me that will literally produce tears when Delilah drops that “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” or a Lorraine calls in to talk about how blessed she is. This doesn’t mean I’m only thankful during the holidays, but Christmas is special in that it just brings out a certain type of magic and comfort.

I want so badly for everyone else to feel the holiday spirit my family instilled into my heart. I spend a lot of time putting up decorations because I want you to enter my home during the holidays and feel like you’re in whatever cheesy Christmas movie I have on the Hallmark Channel (spoiler alert: someone probably moved off to the big city and lost their Christmas spirit). I want you to think about all the special holiday moments in your past that brought you joy. I want you to feel like a kid again. I want to drink wine with you and tell you how much I love and appreciate you until you get annoyed with me.

So wouldn't it make sense that on Thanksgiving...the most giving of thanks day of the year...that I should set the scene for ultimate nostalgia? 

Besides, there are families that may have to celebrate the holidays early due to military service, distance, etc. Is it really necessary to put up a cranky PSA attempting to regulate early holiday decorating just because some of us want to catch the Christmas cheer Megabus a few weeks early?

Do what you want with your November but what happens in my yard is none of your business no matter how “interesting” you think my light display is (yes, I was outside and heard you). Have a holly jolly November and in the words of Rick Bragg:  

“I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very hefty light bill!”

-Southern Living, December 2011