Another reason we love our neighborhood

I've been joking with Daniel that this is my birthday weekend (Friday birthdays are lucky because you can celebrate all weekend). And it really has been one big celebration complete with a lovely ending.

We spent the afternoon out and about enjoying our neighborhood. Admittedly, we're huge advocates of Park Circle and have been trying to convince all of our friends to move on over here. With that said, here's yet another reason why we love where we live.

We hopped on our bikes this afternoon with camera in hand (well in the backpack on Daniel's back) and zipped down to Riverfront Park (part of the Noisette Company's revitalization project over in the old Navy Yard). The weather was absolutely beautiful (70s), and the sky was bright blue. From our house, the bike ride to Riverfront Park is about 10 minutes, and it's a really fun drive the entire way (not to mention traffic isn't a problem, which is very comforting).

When we arrived, the park was moderately crowded because there was a group from the arts council doing an African dance performance at the amphitheater. I think this amphitheater setups is one of the best because it really maximizes the surrounding scenery and doesn't detract from the natural beauty of the land (i.e., it's not an enormous stage-like building that completely blocks the view when it's not in use).

Here are several other pictures from along our walk in the park this afternoon. They've really done a fantastic job maximizing the view (there's also a really cool playground a dog park).






We spoke with a Noisette Company employee at our neighborhood's last Civic Club meeting and he mentioned that some of these officer's quarters would be turned into bed and breakfasts. Daniel and I agree that these places would make amazing getaways. The actual quarters are tucked away beneath lots of historic oak trees (they are back behind the park). It's an absolutely breathtaking walk through the winding paths to see all of these old (currently abandoned) houses, and it's encouraging to hear that they want to renovate them rather than tearing them down. This enormous red brick building is one of the ones they're currently working on (and I can definitely picture myself having a cup of coffee while sitting on one of those balconies).



Yeah, that's right, our neighborhood rocks :)

Birthday fun and then some

I have to say... the big 2-6 wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought (of course, I am trying to ignore the fact that it is pushing me into my late twenties). It's been an absolutely great weekend so far. To begin, Daniel took me out to FIG located on Meeting Street in downtown Charleston. It was absolutely amazing. FIG is known for using local ingredients, and their food is delicious. I started with the butternut squash soup and had the triggerfish with smashed red potatoes and topped with chopped for dinner tomatoes and olives. Daniel had a bibb lettuce salad for an appetizer and had the veggies (garlic broccoli, roasted baby red beets, smashed red potatoes, and sieve bean chutney) for his main course. We also had a side dish of sauteed spinach with golden raisins and pine nuts. So, as you might guess, we definitely left with full bellies.

Kelley and Matt, our friends from Savannah, were also in town, so Kelley and I were able to do some shopping in Mount Pleasant on Saturday (and we also had a delicious birthday lunch at Five Loaves Cafe). I found this great set of appetizer plates on sale at Celadon (and yes, I did go there last weekend, but I didn't manage to see nearly all they had). Daniel thinks I have a slight obsessions with dishes, and in all honesty, it's true. But I like being able to change up a table place setting to fit the mood or the type of meal. It keeps things interesting. This particular set is made by Tag and is their Prairie Flower collection. Simple and elegant-- not to mention it works very nicely with the light green table runner.


Here's an upclose shot of the color I got:

Our living room is also taking shape nicely (but perhaps that's because it is the room with furniture. We finally put up all of the artwork and additional lamps, and I also unpacked and put up family pictures all along the bookcase, so it's feeling like home now. Here are a couple of pictures (complete with birthday balloons).

I think this is also Darcy's favorite room.


And last, but certainly not least, Daniel surprised me with tickets to the '80s Monster Bash at the Family Circle Cup on Daniel Island. And yes, it consisted of reunited bands from the '80s (Flock of Seagulls, Tommy Tutone, Cutting Crew, The Romantics, Survivor, and a couple of others) and lots and lots of '80s fashion in the audience. It was an absolute blast (and definitely a trip down memory lane).

A Flock of Seagulls:

Cutting Crew:

Enjoying the show:

Additional accents

Win is in town visiting for Fall Break (hurray), and I think Daniel and I dragged him to just about all of the home stores in Charleston (well, not all, but we did cover several areas of town today). It was lots of fun though, and we even ended up with a couple of accent pieces for the house. But before I get into the new items, here's a picture of Daniel with Daniel Street (in West Ashley), which I thought was too cute.

Okay, on to our latest findings.

We found (well, Daniel actually spotted it first) this FANTASTIC pillow at Celadon Home in Mount Pleasant.

The stripes work well with the couch without being overpowering, and I think the color looks good with the floors too.

Our other addition included this awesome lampshade (also from Celadon Home). The lamp base was one from Target. The new shade definitely gives it a kick though.


It replaced this cream-colored lampshade (thanks to Daniel for modeling it oh-so-nicely):

Sectional searching

Our den area is quite spacious... and also quite empty (although not as empty as the above picture which was taken during our inital walk-through of the house). It seems as though all of our furniture (well, couch, chairs, and coffee table) has ended up in one room: the living room. So we've been on the lookout for something to put in this enormous empty room (aside from the TV and tiny bistro table and chairs). Since we plan on using this room for TV and movie watching, we're hoping to find something that's a bit bigger, more along the lines of a sectional. We're still hoping to find sleek lines (nothing overstuffed or with too many pillows), and we're really liking the idea of a chaise-style sectional. Because the room is so big, a larger piece of furniture will also balance the room nicely. We did go browse several bigger furniture stores about a month ago but to no avail. We're just too picky (but I think that can be a good thing-- there are A LOT of really ugly couches out there). However, I did manage to find some styles of sectionals that I liked online (and if anyone else happens to know where we can find similar styles, please let me know-- we're always in need of ideas).

I found the Lenox sectional at Room and Board and think it might actually be the one that will work out, and I think Daniel likes it as well. Its overall shape is similar to the Bantam sofa that we already have in the living room (even the style of the legs is similar), so I think it helps to keep a streamlined look throughout the house, and I also really like the chaise part (perfect for curling up to watch a movie). There are also several fabric types and colors as well.

Danco, a Danish furniture company in Mount Pleasant, had this sectional pictured on their site, but we haven't actually been able to head down the store to check anything out yet. In terms of size, I like it, and I also like (again) the chaise part. However, I don't know if I'm as keen on the style of the back with the three cushions (it seems like these might be more inclined to get lumpy and lose their shape). But still, it's definitely worth looking in to.

I found this next one (Neo Sectional Sofa) at DWR and I just now realized how similar it is to the the Danco sectional above... so I guess that says something. But I think I am probably most drawn to the chaise part of the sofa, rather than the actual piece of furniture.