monday blues.

Happy rainy Monday. via.

color fight.

This A) makes me want to move to San Francisco even more, B) makes me want to have a color fight, and C) makes me want to plan more elaborate birthday parties for my friends. Dinner and drinks is so boring. Jordan Ferney is just full of inspiration.

little thoughts.

I'm currently listening to my nephews whisper very loudly in their room, pretending to nap. We're watching them for the next few days while their parents are in St. Maarten, and as much as I love watching the kids, it always reminds me that I've got awhile to go before I'm ready to start making babies.

You see, I really like sleeping until noon if the mood strikes me. I like going out to eat at fancy restaurants and happy hours that turn into happy nights. I like spending days shopping without kids pulling me in every direction. I guess I'm still a little bit too selfish, but I look forward to the day when I'm not.

That said, these kids rooms are pretty darn cute.

genius is...

 

Cake batter pancakes with a sprinkles glaze. Perfect. 

shining star.

I love this room. And I love annaleenas hem's Scandinavian style.

sweetie.

Sweeteeth Chocolates is one of my favorite local companies. We handed out their chocolate bars as favors at our wedding — big hit — and now they've come out with cute limited-edition Valentines packaging designed and printed by local artist John Pundt. (The deer design is by Greenville's Ashley Maness.) My favorite flavor? Caramel sea salt. Hint, hint.

rene gruau for dior.

I'm not usually one for haute couture, but I was blown away by Dior's line inspired by French illustrator Rene Gruau. Say hello to Rene:

And Dior:

i'm going to graceland.

Actually, I'm going to Memphis. Just bought the tickets. My sister, her husband, and two babies (one unborn but on the way real soon) moved out there a month or so ago and I'm dying to see them. Of course, my first stop was Design Sponge for info on everything cool in Memphis. If you know of any can't miss spots, I'd love to hear about 'em.

tweet tweet.

 I've started a Twitter account just for my blog, @whiskey_kittens. I tweet a lot (maybe too much) from my @calendar_girl account, but it's often specifically job- and Charleston-related, so I thought I should branch out with another with a different list of followees and, hopefully, followers. So, if you like my blog, please follow me!

west elm love.

 

Got my West Elm catalog today. I'll take one of everything.

hotel.

 

I love this room, and this Tumblr. 

via.

more summer.

Take me there.

airstream.

To further fuel my camper obsession:

 via DesignLove, via Nordeck Photography.

Also, I need it to be summer again. And, as many places as there are on my list of places to visit, I really just want to go back to California.

speakeasy.

via 1, 2, 3, 4.

Lately I've been thinking about building a home bar. Todd and I don't even drink that much at home, but I like the idea of being able to whip up something besides a Jack and Coke if we have friends over or a tough day at work.

Local bars like the Gin Joint and Husk have really inspired me with their speakeasy-style drink menus. I'd love to find a vintage brass cart to store it all, but might have to settle for a pretty tray that we can tuck away in our little cottage. 

I think I'll start with a few decent basics — bourbon, vodka, and gin — then throw in some funkier flavors like Cointreau, Chambord, and St. Germain. Any other suggestions? I'm all ears.

husk.

It's Restaurant Week in Charleston, which means I sort of have an excuse for my gluttony. We checked out Husk on Sunday night with a few friends — the new restaurant is undoubtedly the hottest game in town right now, and thanks to chef Sean Brock, it's gotten plenty of national buzz as well.

Despite somewhat slow service, Husk did not disappoint. The dining room is bright and elegant, emphasizing that although this is a Southern restaurant, it's not old-fashioned. A chalkboard by the front door shows the origin of every ingredient on the menu — if it ain't from the South, it ain't in the kitchen. The bar specializes in vintage cocktails, and the drinks are served from repurposed wine bottles. The bread is buttery and perfect and served in little burlap bags with little ramekins of ... wait for it ... pork butter. My only complaint is that the servers' blue shirts with brown aprons are a little too reminiscent of Cracker Barrel. But obviously, that's not a game-changer.
For my main course, I went with the amberjack with citrus braised cabbage and carrots and a Florida red navel. But of course, dessert was my favorite: a Krispy Kreme ice cream with pecan crumble cake and Louisiana coffee and chicory fondant. It's safe to say this is where I'll be taking out-of-town guests I want to impress from now on.

open road.

For some reason, I never really thought about decorating a camper. Todd and I owned an '80s pop-up that made it out to Edisto Island once before refusing to pop up again — the musty orange and brown velour stripes of the interior softened the blow of our loss. And the fact that we got it for free and sold it for $250 on Craigslist.

These pictures, however, make me want to buy a little camper, put some love into it, and take it on road trips throughout the Southeast, from the Sea Islands to Asheville to Tennessee. Sure, it would be a little retiree of us, but I'm pretty sure our friends would be scrambling for invites to join us on weekend jaunts.

Images found via Bliss.

wk vintage.

 

Here's a little sneak peek of a few of the items I've been collecting for my new vintage shop. The velvet dress on top has an amazing low back with a big bow. The sequined crop top in the center appears to be from the '70s, and the plaid blazer is probably 1950s or '60s.

I'm thinking of taking a thematic approach to the shop, grouping pieces by decade, style, or mood. I'm also trying to decide whether to sell on Etsy or eBay, and I need to figure out how to light my shoots better. If you have any insight or comments, please advise.

sweet tooth.

Here's an example of the aforementioned column I write, a piece published in this week's Charleston City Paper about Baked.

comfort.

I have a bit of an obsession with desserts — I even write a column called Sweet Tooth about my sweetest culinary escapades. But when I'm baking at home, I always come back to old faithful: the chocolate chip cookie. It is and always has been my absolute favorite. My office-mates seem to agree, as most of them disappeared during our morning staff meeting.

Keeping with the warming comfort trend, I made a big ol' pot of tortilla soup as well. This super-easy recipe combines a few cans of diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and black beans with frozen corn and sauteed chicken. Top it all off with some lime juice and cilantro, and you've got a tasty dish that's fitting for any time of year.

in hiding.

I've officially entered hibernation mode. It's icy cold and dreary here in Charleston, and it's all I can do to roll out of my snug little bed in the morning. I wouldn't say I'm depressed, but I don't want to do anything besides come home at the end of the day to put on my furry slippers, make something warm to eat, and read, watch TV, or play silly games on the Wii. Wake me up when it's March.

Images via Pinterest.

espresso yoself.

An espresso machine was one of our favorite wedding gifts, and it's the one appliance we couldn't bear to throw away after the fire, even though it spurts sooty water. I'm determined to fix it somehow. But until then we've found a lovely alternative.

We picked up a little old-school stovetop espresso maker a few weeks ago, and I absolutely love the ritual of grinding fresh coffee, packing it in, and listening to it magically percolate. We also got a little milk frother at Ikea for about three bucks, which helps make the perfect cup of cappucino.

someone to watch over me.

This is what I've been waking up to lately: My cat Ami, perched atop our headboard, staring down at me. Not creepy at all, right?