Hollywood and Beaufort By The Bay

 On this Oscar Awards weekend I thought I would share with you what makes my town so special, and its connection to the Oscars.
Beaufort South Carolina's southern charm, coastal views and gorgeous antebellum homes,has made it a perfect  backdrop for  about 20  movies that have been  filmed here..Some of the most popular are; The Great Santini,  The Big Chill , The Prince of Tides and the blockbuster, Forrest Gump ! Today I'm posting about The Big Chill, one of my favorite movies.

 The 1983  film  was nominated for three Oscars, best picture, best original screenplay and Glenn Close for best supporting actress.{ sadly it didn't take home any} This movie, along with  The Great Santini were filmed at this beautiful Antebellum home, known as "Tidaholm" or the Edgar Fripp House, but tourists call it the "Big Chill House". It is a must see when we have friends or relatives come to town.On any given day you can see the horses or  hear the clip clop of horse hooves as a  a horse drawn carriage take  tourists  on a carriage ride past this house touring this beautiful historic area with other antebellum mansions.

"Tidalholm" was built in 1853 by rice planter Edgar Fripp, who used this home as a summer house, where he came to escape the mosquitoes on St. Helena Island .What is funny about this this is St. Helena is only about 10 miles down the road.  When the Great South Carolina Expedition brought 80-some Union naval vessels and  Union soldiers into Port Royal Harbor,the planters left and abandoned these homes to save their  lives.The home also served as a union hospital during the civil war.

Images of a Low Country Christmas

The Low country is rich in southern  tradition  and charm. At the holidays these traditions shine through.whether it is the traditional southern style, or a casual beach chic look, they are all beautiful!

I have gathered images of Christmas decor from around  this beautiful area of which I live.

The first three images of are of the beautiful home of the owners of The Rhett House Inn here in Beaufort. Their home was featured in Southern Living. It is very traditional in Southern style. Their home and The Rhett House Inn are Beautiful.If you ever come to Beaufort the Rhett House is a lovely place to stay.

                               This beach cottage is in Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton,SC

                                                               I love this bedroom!

                                                      This final home is in Santee,SC

                                            Wreaths on every window are so charming.

                                        Pineapples and palm fronds are quintessentially southern.

                                                                              Charleston

Decorating with Sea Island Sweet Grass Baskets

Beaufort SC is comprised of many sea islands, Cat Island,Coosa Island Fripp Island, Harbor Island and Lady's  Island..When in  Beaufort you become engulfed by the smell of salt air and sea breezes.sea grass, live oaks and lush green marsh grass.Whenever I leave for vacation and return,the smell  says"I'm home".
 Just a hop skip and a jump from my home there yet another island.  St.Helena Island. . It is an island rich in history,culture and  heritage.It is one known for it's Gullah  culture, slavery and haunting's.There is an African art form known as  Sweet Grass basket weaving, that can be dated back over 400 years . Sweet Grass baskets are made from sweet grass, palmetto leaves and pine needles They are also known as Low Country Coil Baskets. Originally used for work,  they are now , and have been considered for a very long time, works of art .. Women can still be seen weaving their baskets in front of the Gullah Grub restaurant, and are on display at the historical Penn Center.  For more information on St Helena Island and the Gullah culture please visit.www.penncenter.com.
 Today,We proudly display and decorate with sweet grass as mantel or hutch displays,  to hold seashells, linens, towels, make up, etc.we also use sisal, jute and sea grass  to add texture  to a room  to add warmth as well as being charming and functional. If you are ever in the Low country of Beaufort or  Charleston, pick up a piece of heritage, You will be glad you did!

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Charleston SC display




Penn Center



Sweet Grass Collection.

Sea grass



Tidy up a mud room





Store magazines, or leave them empty.



What a wall!



Bath towels look so pretty.



Nice wedding favor.



A beautiful coastal display.



A work of art




Store garden tools



Kitchen misc.

St.Helena. My friend got this photo as we were passing by.
Image sources: HGTV,apartment therapy, Home Living,Pottery Barn,Architectural Digest,Susan Smith.






Frogmore Stew a Lowcountry Favorite

This recipe has several different names down here in good "ole" South Carolina. Frogmore Stew, Beaufort Boil , Lowcountry Boil, and Seafood Boil, whatever you decide to call it ...I call it "good eats"The shrimp that is caught in the Atlantic ocean  just a few miles off shore from where we live  are wonderful!!  We are truly spoiled to have all the freshest seafood right at our finger tips.This is really very simple to make.and is a great crowd pleaser, or great just for a few people. Don't be afraid to eat with your hands during this meal, it is messy, but soo worth it.

INGREDIENTS:

•2 tablespoons crab boil seasoning per gallon water (or more to taste)

•several lemons, halved (optional)

•redskin potatoes (depending on size, 3 or more per person)

•spicy smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch slices (¼ pound per person)

•fresh corn, broken into halves or thirds (1 ½ ears per person)

•shrimp (½ pound per person)

•butter, melted

•cocktail sauce

•sour cream

•ketchup

PREPARATION:

Fill a large steamer pot halfway with water. Add crab-boil seasoning (or more to taste). Several halved lemons may be added as well.



When the seasoned water comes to a boil, add redskin potatoes and boil for 20 minutes; then add one-inch slices of spicy smoked sausage and boil for 5-10 minutes. Add the corn) and boil another 5 minutes. (Begin timing immediately. Do not wait for it to boil again). Then add the shrimp. Cook for 3 minutes, drain, and pile on a table.

Serve with lots of paper towels and icy beverages, plus melted butter for the corn, cocktail sauce for the shrimp, and sour cream or ketchup for the potatoes.
 IMPORTANT: Don't over cook the shrimp.

I'm Seeing Red

No, I am not angry..... This post is In honor of the National Wear Red Day campaign that kicks of this Friday.The day helps kick off "Go RED for Women" month..The American Heart Association created Go Red For Women to educate the public regarding cardiovascular disease in women. Heart disease kills more women each year than breast cancer,and nearly one in every three women will die from cardiovascular disease.EESHHH!So ladies, I made a decision yesterday. I am going back to Weight Watchers! I need to take care of MY heart. I was having lunch with a good friend yesterday and we are going to do it together. I was always able to get the weight off after all 4 of the kids, but after each one of them it became harder.When my dad passed away almost 3 years ago, and I have packed on a whopping 50lbs! I quit smoking 3 months ago  today, now I am ready to tackle the weight loss. baby steps...

The color red is a bold,emotion filled, energizing, passionate color. We associate the color red with love, fire, the heart, and roses. and danger.. I thought I would share some red finds with you. I am also going to be sharing some heart healthy recipes this month. Have you made any major lifestyle changes recently? I would love to hear.I am also going to be turning my blog RED for the month!! :-)











The Coastal Living line by Stanley Furniture is a great looking line for the beach, cottage, or coastal look. I sold this line and for the quality and price point you can't beat it.



Great looking pendant light by Pebbles and Sand




I understand this art might not be for everyone. Artist,Johnathan Green is originally from Beaufort SC.His bold use of color I find to be so eye catching. If you would like to see more of his work, and learn more about him click on the link.



Red Snapper place mats available atOcean Offerings



Love this retro,radio,and CD player! This I should have have put on my obsessions post the other day.

Red Ferret

Vino! Yum.. Hey, it's good for the heart! :-). I love a good Merlot . I haven't tried yet but hear it is wonderful! I will get some this weekend.Chateau St. John

You must have something cute to carry your vino in, especially if you are going to a Super Bowl party this Sunday. Sea Bags has the coolest things made from recycled boat sails.



Super cute tote, again from Sea Bags



The textiles by John Robshaw  are bright, and bold.

Home By The Sea

This iron anchor would be a great accent piece in a bathroom or mudroom.Etsy





Extreme Makeover Home Edition Rolls Into Our Town

Beaufort ,SC is  certainly no stranger to the comings and goings of Hollywood celebrities . Our beautiful, yet sleepy  charming coastal town has played host to some of the most powerful people in the movie industry, and  has been the back drop of several major motion pictures.The Big Chill, Prince of Tides and  Forrest Gump are just a few that have been filmed here.But something was a little different when Ty Pennington ABC'S hit show Extreme Makeover Home Edition arrived in Beaufort this morning with megaphone in hand to shout his ever famous "Good Morning"________________ family"

I believe, there is a strong  sense of community, the idea of being involved and  being present ,and the  chance to help a family that had Beaufort s all a buzz.No one really knew who was going to be the lucky family chosen to have a spectacular New home built by H2 builders, along all the loving hands of our wonderful community volunteers until. this morning, the official news came that Marine Staff Sergeant Bill Dickinson and his wife India, along with their five children are the newest addition to the long list of deserving family's that ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition has helped..Congratulations to all of you!

I signed up a couple of weeks ago to volunteer so I am now anxiously awaiting my email to find out as to which shift I will be working on.There is a spectator viewing area not far from my husband's office. If for some reason I don't get picked for a shift I will blog about the daily progress of the building of this home. I highly doubt one will be able to take pictures during this event, but I will find out more soon.Beaufort is going to a very busy place for the next few weeks, should be exciting!

A friend of mine got this shot this morning, Word is, the bus was on the way to pick up Ty.

Congratulations, Dickinson Family!

The Dickinson house

 

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