Swell Bites

 

 If you ever drive through upstate South Carolina, be sure to follow the signs to The Beacon. That is if you're not keen enough to follow your nose. The Beacon is a culinary marker that would rightly sit in the top half of a list of ledendary South Carolinian Diners Drive-Ins and Dives.
 I became aqainted with this particular monument to Americana last April when support for a grieving friend took me to the Greenville-Spartanburg area. It was again greiving that brought the experience to mind earier this month after the passing away of The Beacon's founder, John B. White, Sr.  Mr. White opened The Beacon Drive-In in 1946 and ran it until his retirement in 1998.

The Beacon serves up their brand of Happy Days from 6:30am to 10pm Monday through Saturday at 255 John B. White Sr. Boulevard Spartanburg, SC 29306. When you feed the people good food for generations, they have have no choice but to rename the street after you - your name is the first that comes to mind! Next time you're in the upstate and you're willing to take a break from worrying about your waistine, check it out!! I know I will! In the meantime, we have these yummy reminders of my first meal there to motivate those extra crunches - I mean we do work out to eat well, don't we??!?

Oh and by the way, The Beacon hasn't escaped Guy Fieri's notice - he knows aaaaall about it ... check it out! (do I say that a lot?)



I'm booooored

... with my hair ... and I usually do every quarter ... my hair's short and chemically relaxed ... I need options!  I might even get some extensions! askin for trouble I am ... some options ...

One woman who will make you chop without hesitation:

Halle!!

This is pretty much where I'm headed length wise - unless I cut it all off:

I think she looks MUCH better this way

and then there's reeeeeally short ... you never know ... come out one day it's gone! lol

she's adorable - admit it.

okay maybe a little more hair...

now this require a REGULAR trip to the salon ...barber shop ... ummm salon

gotta love a ...

mulleeeett

oh the possibilities are endless!!

You Betta Work

Okay, did you know that Rupaul has a show that's like America's Next Top Model for drag queens? Whoa! We have totally run out of ideas. That was the side note ... the main note is that I went to the Edventure fashion show girl's night out fundraiser tonight. It's a good day when you can work, do happy hour, do a girl's night and make it into bed by 10pm. Seriously that's a fast-track night! A few photos from the evening ...

Spring's A Comin

It's getting REALLY nice out there! I'm excited! There's a crispness in the air and a nice soft breeze. Nice night for a walk. Well maybe a nice night to run errands at Wal-Mart. I don't take walks at night. The clouds in the night sky give the evening a little edge. Without a decent tri-pod I couldn't get a great picture but that didn't stop me from trying ...

The February Night Sky ...

I like the painted qualtiy of this one ...

do you see the face? 

Take a Memo

I've been sick in bed for days now. Feels like weeks but I am feeling a lot better. I so want to go out, get pretty and get lunch. Salmon and capers in a light cream sauce over some odd shaped pasta with a glass of chardonnay. In the meantime, I'll settle for some fashion finds: one thing that never seems to die - not that I want it to - cork ...



This would be nice with a light salmon sheath and some gold bangles...

Amanda Pearl's "Tess" Clutch for $198



With a pair of calf length khakis or chamos and a tank ...

Tory Burch's Snake Printed "Jeanine" Wedge - $325 

And something for the home.... preeeetty ...

Rectangle Cork Lamp from Inmod - $145



Addictive you say?

My sis warned me that Netflix could be addictive and I definitely believe her but I think I'm too lazy to get addicted to anything honestly. I only get one at a time and rarely watch it immediately ...  BUT I did see a great movie last night ... had it for a few days and finally got around to watching it: PERSEPOLIS. I've been wanting to see it for quite a while so I was excited and not at all disappointed.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, it's an animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic autobiography. It's amazing how you can relate to something and have it be so foreign to you at the same time. This 2007 French subtitled film walks you through the familiar progression from childhood to adulthood, self-acceptance, finding ones place in the world. It touches on the growing pains that come with experience, adventure, love, faith and the ties that bond family and friends. But all of these things that we're all no doubt familiar with take place against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. Something I know VERY little about.Okay, let's just say nothing. The film makes me want to take a trip to the library - old school! Just go and hide behind a mountain of books until I feel smarter than a fifth grader. In the meantime I'm here to tell ya it's a great film! Check it out!

In other news, it's FASHION WEEK!!

I love this Richard Chai (Fall 2011) look ... reminds me of some of my fav looks of the 90's

... it looks like the 90s undertone might be winning out for now ...

BCBG

Jenni Kayne

Nicholas K

We shall see what the rest of the week will hold.

For something a lot closer to home, EdVenture Children's Museum in Columbia, SC may sound like an unlikely place to rock stilettos but I here the 9th Annual Girl's Night Out on February 17th is sure to be a hit. Fashion, food, music and friends!?! I can't wait to check it out!

Due east in Charleston, SC they couldn't accept just one night of fashion so they make it a week just like NYC! Charleston's Fashion Week  is coming up just after the jump into Spring and with tickets as low as $45 a day I may just have to check out more than one show!

Monday Monday

After a busy fun-filled weekend in Atlanta, I'm back to battle the cold that's made it's way south from my head to my chest. I thought it was supposed to move up and out. There's not much on my agenda today but I just couldn't stand to stay away one second longer. January was pret-ty busy. Highlights were the snow days, engagement photos of which I already shared a few, good eats during my city's Restaurant Week, two nights of stand-up comedy, hosting a small dinner party for good friends, my aunt Nakia's nomination for an award honoring her contributions to preserving African American places in history, running a 5k, a little home improvement and two weekend trips to beautiful cities to my north and south. Uuummm wow. I really packed it in in January. We shall see what February has in store. First things first - getting well SOON.

Oh and I joined Netflix!! FINALLY!  Lovin iiiiiit! ...

January 2011 Netflix Pick: Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest





Are You There?

Okay, my computer's all better - YAAAAAH!!! 
That was ccccraaaaazy. The laptop would go anywhere BUT google. What in the woooooorld?!?!?

Okay so I hopefully will not be taking anymore extended absenses like that again anytime soon. Since we last spoke I took some engagement photos of a lovely couple set to marry on the beach in Charleston South Carolina this spring! We managed to find some great weather in this crazy season and had a great shoot. Here are some of my favorite pics!

HANS AND SONYA

CONGRATS GUYS!!