Monday, June 29, 2009

Surf Rumble 2009


The crew
Originally uploaded by cccphotos
First there was Tom and Jerry.

Then there was Sharks and Jets.

And then there was Macho Beach Noseriders and Columbia Kook Squad!

This past weekend we had an absolute blast when the Macho Beach Noseriders hosted the Columbia Kook Squad (CKS) for an all out rumble! The two surf clubs competed in board-paddling relays, paddle-biking relays and tug-o-war. Though CKS was beat down, we did not go down without a fight. And then after the fight there was much good times to be had so who cares who won anyway?

Many thanks to the kings and queens of Folly for such a great time. The next round is indeed on us.

Check out the full line up on Flickr.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Cupcake Coming to Columbia

I just chatted with a woman - I think it was the owner - bringing tables into the soon-to-be Cupcake on Lincoln Street in the Vista (specifically between Lady and Gervais Streets). She said they'll be opening up some time in July. Hooray!

Here's an excerpt from the Cupcake website that inspires hope:

"Kristin [Kuhlke - Cupcake founder] tells her story this way: A year, a month, a week and a day. That's how this all began. That's the amount of time I lived in New York City. I moved up there looking for an adventure—after 10 years in Charleston, South Carolina—and I found it. I found so much more. I found answers to questions I thought did not have answers. I also found inspiration..."

So not only will we be getting a cupcake place which is something we do not yet have in Columbia (i.e. not another wings joint) but it might also have an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. Dare to dream!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Cosmetics Aisle at Target

It's not like y'all need help shopping at Target BUT just in case there are a few stragglers, here goes.

Have you been checking out the cosmetic aisles recently? Hello - they're selling Kiehl's (yes, you heard me right...of course the Target in Woodhill Mall seems to have run out and not replenished its inventory recently, but it was there at one point), Origins and Clarins. Wha?! Hooray, I know - I snagged the Kiehl's pineapple and papaya facial scrub as soon as I spied it about a month ago.

Having had such great luck in such an unfrequented aisle, when I went back last weekend I figured I should take another gander. Indeed I spied some magical numbers in the Sonia Kashuk section. This is a weekender I really didn't need, but coveted:



I also loved this wee clutch, so I dragged her home with me:

.

I'm not much of a makeup gal, but I love to peer over the rows of lotions and potions. Now that there's gear along with the makeup, I'm sold.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Sample Sales in NYC

Phooey that I don't have a private jet to scurry up to New York and hit these sample sales. If you're there, please go in my honor - and in your honor - and then comment about whether or not they were worth it. I need to live vicariously through you, my dears.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE LISTINGS WERE ALL GRABBED FROM THE BELOVED DAILY CANDY. I am merely highlighting my faves.

What: Diptyque
Why: Forty to 90 percent off deluxe candles, perfume, and body washes.
When: June 18 & 19. Thurs., 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.; Fri., 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Where: 11 E. 26th St., b/t Madison & Fifth Aves., ste. 600.

What: Generra
Why: Slub cotton V-necks and polos for guys are $30-$35. Cotton tanks and racers for ladies are $15. Tops and dresses are up to 60 percent off.
When: June 17-19. Wed.-Fri., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Where: 275 W. 39th St., b/t Seventh & Eighth Aves., 5a (212-768-2868).

What: Catherine Malandrino
Why: Spring and vintage items are 80-90 percent off retail. Dresses are $125 (reg. $495-$695). Skirts and pants are $60 (reg. $345-$495).
When: June 17-19. Wed., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thurs. & Fri., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Where: Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., b/t Sixth & Seventh Aves., 4th flr.

What: Shoshanna and Anlo
Why: Up to 75 percent off swimwear and dresses. Up to 70 percent off denim shorts and skinny jeans.
When: June 17 & 18. Wed., 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.; Thurs., 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Where: 231 W. 39th St., b/t Seventh & Eighth Aves., ste. 422 (212-719-3601).

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Movie Nite, Columbia, SC


Here's one of the many things I love about living in the South: movie night out on the front porch! Here we all are on the Thackers porch -and yes, it is Fast Times At Ridgemont High.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

CLT Me ASAP

When you need a city* fix and can't commit to driving to Charleston, it's best to hit 77 North and go to Charlotte, NC for the day. EJ and I headed out there yesterday for a lunch-and-learn conference. After a couple of client calls we were free to roam the downtown area. Though Google Maps (i.e. our combined ability to properly read Google Maps) failed us once again in terms of getting us to our intended location - Las Ramblas restaurant - it did afford us the opportunity to walk up and down Tryon getting a better sense of the location of popular museums (Mint, McColl) and most importantly for you, my dear shopping-focused readers, the location of Heels.com. Check out that website! How bummed was I to walk by the showroom/distribution center only to realize it's mainly an online retailer and in order to shop in the store I needed to have made an appointment. Next time, Heels.com, next time!

There's a new museum being built on Tryon Street across from Ratcliffe on The Green (which as you may recall I've mentioned in a previous post about shopping in Charlotte) that I thought was striking so I snapped a shot - check out that orange.



After we got a firm handle on what Tryon has to offer, we hopped in our car and drove over to Las Ramblas Cafe. With a name like "Las Ramblas" - a big street that runs through the heart of Barcelona - you better deliver. While the location right next to a Tuesday Morning leaves something to be desired, the interior decor is impressive enough to give you hope. The open kitchen boasts a big brick oven, there are tall bar tables for more casual dining next to the kitchen and bar, and regular tables for more formal seating on the periphery of the space. We took one glance through the menu, however, and were once again skeptical. Mozzarella and tomato salads are not Spanish, and Pan con Tomate was nowhere to be found.

But rather than leaving, we ordered a bottle of Albarino and the following tapas: Artichoke Cakes, Jamon, Manchego, Olives, Patatas Bravas, Gazpacho and Boquerones. Three cheers to everything we ate! It was indeed wonderful. Here's a shot of EJ with the Boquerones dish - great presentation, cierto? (And by the way, don't you just love the word "boquerones?" It's almost as great as "butifarra.")




*Note my definition of "city" here is a city where people walk the streets and there are plenty of sidewalks and shops, restaurants, museums, etc. to accommodate.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

How the South Is Trying To Get Me Fat

1.) It's 90 degrees outside and it's only June 9

2.) The local lunch place put mayo on my chicken salad sandwich (yes, that's in addition to the mayo that is a key ingredient in chicken salad)

3.) Few sidewalks and no walking culture

4.) Five Guys Burgers and Fries

5.) Did I mention how hot it is outside?

Monday, June 08, 2009

Summer Camp

It could be because the school year has come to a close, or it could just be the warm weather, but every year around this time I get nostalgic for summer camp. I was a camper for five years and a counselor for two years at Camp Sloane in Lakeville, CT. Every so often people will ask me if I was ever a camp counselor and I proudly reply in the affirmative. Apparently the character traits stay with you (the last time I was asked was in a trade show booth in response to my peppy attitude after having repeated basically the same sales pitch for hours upon hours).

As an adult, there is an unspoken - or in many cases acknowledged and spoken - bond among people who at one time were summer camp counselors. I've grown closer with people in the workplace after connecting about our mutual love of camp. It's got to be something special when a group of people write a (hysterical!) book about it called Camp Camp.

But camp is most especially special to me because it's where I met my husband. Most of you have heard this story, so please bare with me as a recount the series of events for our not-yet-in-the-know readers. EJ and I were just pals at camp. In fact, I think we dated just about everyone else in our mutual circle of friends except each other. He smoked back then. We kept in touch for a while in and after college, but life sent him to Spain and me back to NYC and we ultimately lost touch. Then in 2001 he moved to my hometown and we ended up living about 4 blocks from each other. Once we ran into each other, the rest was history.

We're planning a trip back to camp at the end of the summer for the annual family camp/reunion weekend so it's down memory lane we go. And where does an intergeek turn to take that stroll? The Facebook of course, where there are about 4 groups devoted to our beloved camp - at least 2 of which are regularly updated. But tonight, browsing through hundreds of photos of people I don't know wasn't enough. I took the plunge and scanned and uploaded just under 20 photos of my own.

I'm sitting here now peering at these photos and thinking about what a wonderful time in my life that was. I don't know the numbers of kids going to summer camp these days, but knowing that children are increasingly more sheltered and attended to by their parents worries me that the value of summer camp has changed dramatically. Let me share with you the importance of summer camp and then I will get off my soapbox. If you want to instill any of the following values and character traits in your children, summer camp is the way to do it: friendship, independence, teamwork, time management, creativity, campfire-building, lanyard-weaving, the butterfly stroke, singing, kick-balling, horseback riding and archery.

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Things I Never Thought I'd Do

There are a couple of things I've done recently that I never thought I'd do. No, they aren't salacious or diabolical - they are both appearance-related.

The first one is wear a piece of apparel by the dreaded retail brand Juicy Couture. I'm not young, I don't wear my ponytail on the side of my head except in jest in the privacy of my own house and I haven't owned a pair of Ugg(ly)s in years. But KH and I found a funky pair of orange flip flopesque patent leather sandals by the one and only Juicy at the end of the summer season last year and they were too cheap to pass up (under $20 at Monkees in Greenville - hello!). So I've taken the plunge and wore them yesterday with white jeans and a royal blue tank and received two compliments, thank you very mucho.

Here's a shot of the shoe with Munks looking puzzled. How great is the orange with the dark grey toe polish?!



The other one is a bit more devastating considering the comments I've made about the culture of stickers on cars here in South Cakalackee. But before you totally give up on me (and this message is mainly for my Northern friends), please understand how this collection of stickers I've decided to affix to my car is meant to not only represent my volunteer efforts, but also be a slight jab to all of the "Carolina Girl" and Palmetto-Tree-with-crescent-moon stickers you see ALL OVER TOWN.