A Ghostly Birthday

The evening started off casually enough with a friendly gathering to celebrate a friend's birthday. There were appetizers...

And tasty treats in the form of Birthday Cake shots!!! That's what you call festive!

Around sunset, things got a little strange. A hearse arrived to chauffeur us around the city. This wasn't your average sight-seeing tour though.

No, this was a ghost tour of the nation's oldest city! Oh yeah, we were in trouble!

First stop, a National Cemetery and mass grave. The cemetery itself isn't creepy. It's quite beautiful, actually, and small in size. The cemetery covers approximately 1.5 acres, and you can't miss the three pyramids that line one side. Those pyramids mark the mass grave of 1468 unknown soldiers that died fighting the Seminoles.

I won't spill all the secrets & stories from the evening because honestly it was such a great experience, you really should consider taking the tour yourself. In fact, I must remember this adventure as a potential outing for any future guests that are brave enough to accept the invitation! Oh, and did I mention that the guide includes several pub stops along the way? Definitely a good time & a very happy birthday!!!

Indulgence

It's early Spring. The flowers are starting to bloom, the birds have started to chirp, and the temperatures are starting to climb. What does that mean? That it's time to make the trek to the Charleston Food & Wine Festival, of course! Okay, it's only our second trip, but it feels like a Spring tradition already. Last year, Scott and Geraldine joined us for the adventure, but in 2012, we recruited 2 new couples for Round 2.
Truth be told, it wasn't hard to find willing participants. We actually had to limit the number of couples in our group to avoid the possibility of feeling like we missed out on any special opportunities due to a large group size. Plus, you know what they say...Quality not quantity!
This year's hotel was Charleston Place. While we loved the Vendue Inn last year, Charleston Place is a little more centrally located and therefore took less of a toll on our feet when walking to & from the festival's events.
Upon check-in, Anh and I did a little room-hopping. Initially, we had a balcony overlooking the fabulous shopping on King Street, but ultimately, we opted for the quieter balcony facing the hotel's courtyard. We're too old to enjoy the all night party in the streets!
Ready to celebrate, we all freshened up a bit after the 4-hour drive and set out for the Charleston Aquarium's Opening Night Party.

We posed like red carpet celebrities, and then, we were treated like royalty to what seemed like an endless variety of savory and sweet dishes.

The party was a huge success. The perfect way to kick off the festival, and by the end of the weekend, we unanimously agreed it was our favorite event. The dishes were not only delicious, but creative as well. Plus, the venue was amazing! You couldn't ask for a better backdrop.

Day 2 was spent wandering the grounds of Middleton Place Plantation. This was a repeat visit for Anh and me, but we had such a wonderful time last year, I wanted our friends to share in the experience. The event while fun just wasn't the same. There seemed to be fewer food & wine stations which resulted in longer lines. Not a good thing when the temperatures and humidity are high, but we made the most of our time together since the real highlight was spending time together surrounded by the picture-perfect gardens.

Day 2's Bubbles & Bites evening event seemed just as overly crowded as the plantation which was a definite disappointment because we had such great reviews of the event in the past. As we wandered between the various tasting stations, we often found ourselves trapped in what I can only describe as shoulder to shoulder gridlock. Eventually, we made our way to the rooftop patio where they were serving dessert flavored vodka. Yeah...that made the situation a little better. Ha!
Thankfully, we left Saturday morning and afternoon open for sight seeing and shopping. I think the break from eating and drinking was necessary to truly appreciate the festival's main event, The After Hours Party. This year, the event featured a street party theme complete with food truck and street performers.
The food and beverage stations were plentiful, and the crowd was festive. By all accounts, it was a fabulous night that had a redeeming quality after the two previous disappointing events.
On our final morning in Charleston, the group gathered for Sunday Brunch. I'm sure we all knew it would be best to make the most of our gluttonous weekend together because the only thing awaiting us at home were diet & exercise routines to undo the damage we had delightfully inflicted on ourselves during the festival. Why not go out with a bang? And, that's exactly what we did. The High Cotton Jazz Brunch was exceptional! Seriously, you must go!
Although the crowds were greater, I still say the same about the Charleston Food & Wine Festival. Good food/wine and great friends...that's a combo that's tough to beat!

Homecoming

Grant and I were discharged from the hospital on Saturday, and we simply could not wait to get home and start our new day-to-day life as a family of five. Selfishly, we spent the entire afternoon and evening alone bonding...well...and with Aunt Kelly, but she's family. So, she fit right in. On Sunday, however, we made an effort to be more social and hosted a meet & greet for Grant. We didn't go too grand with our party plans though. We kept things simple and invited over two of our favorite couples for sparkling wine and hors d'oeuvres. Oh, and dessert of course!Truth be told, we had a bit of an ulterior motive. We wanted to ask our good friends Scott & Geraldine to be Grant's Godparents. It was a long overdue request that we kept postponing because we were waiting for the perfect opportunity. Well, it was now or never. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. We introduced our doting friends to the newest member of our family, and then promptly made our request. Geraldine's tears were our "yes." She was too moved to actually speak. So, Scott communicated that it would be their honor to accept such an important role in Grant's life. Wow! I couldn't have planned a more touching moment if I had tried!
Grant is one lucky boy! Jaxon & Baylor are already spoiled by their loving "Auntie" & "Uncle." I can only imagine the special treatment in store for Grant!

Surprise "Sprinkle"

It wasn't a "Shower" because I specifically responded, "No, but thank you." when my friends offered to throw me a baby shower. However, I guess we're friends for a reason...say because we're stubborn and once we've made up our minds on a matter, there's no deviating from the plan. I don't know the mastermind was exactly in the plot against me, but I'm quite certain that my friends Whitney and Geraldine deserve the majority of the credit and that with very little effort they recruited my own sister, aka Aunt Kelly, as well!
The goal was to surprise me, but I won't lie. I don't think any of my friends or my sister have a future as hardcore criminals. They aren't particularly slick or shady! Knowing that I'd prefer a small, intimate gathering as opposed to a lot of fanfare, the girls hosted what I'll refer to as a fabulous "Sprinkle." The tea party theme was adorable, and the Tea Bar featured a delightful assortment of flavored teas.
It would be impossible to name a favorite, but I did my best to sample each and every variety. It's a good thing that Kiddo #3 has a few weeks to detox from all the caffeine.
And, it wouldn't be a tea party without tasty treats! Whitney put her hubby Chef Bob to work for the party, and my oh my! He really outdid himself with the spread!
The tablescape was whimsical and picture-perfect! It was almost to pretty to eat...ALMOST!
One simply couldn't resist the shots of Vichyssoise, prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, tea sandwiches, lobster and potato petit fours, and freshly baked scones and biscotti.Needless to say, the Ladies were IMPRESSED, and I overheard more than one of friends utter something along the line of, "I wish my husband would cook something...anything...This is AMAZING!" I couldn't have said it any better myself. WOW!
Of course, then there were the desserts...
Delicious doesn't even come close to being a suitable adjective.
Then, as if the afternoon wasn't grand enough, the Ladies insisted I tackle the mountain of presents that had accumulated on the coffee table. When asked about a baby shower, I insisted that it wasn't necessary because we have everything we could possibly need for the baby. Apparently, the Ladies did not share my opinion!
So, Kiddo #3, I hope one day when you're thinking, "How come I only get hand-me-downs?" that you'll discover this blog entry and know that all your "Aunties" were looking out for you and trying to prevent that thought from becoming reality. Presents are always appreciated, but what's truly touching is knowing that I have friends and family who go above and beyond (despite my protests) to make acknowledge and celebrate the special moments in my life. The gift that means the most is the gift of their time. I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm a VERY lucky girl!