Random Pretty Man

I know Mr. Newman was with us last week - but I'm not over it yet....

And I KNOW none of y'all are sad to be looking at this picture... so don't EVEN act like you are.

Out and About in Charlotte

Did you know that Carson McCullers wrote part of The Heart is a Lonely Hunter while living in Charlotte?

She did.  She wrote while living in what is known as The Mayer House, over on East Boulevard.  It is now home to an Indian Restaurant called Copper..... 

Tuesday's Girl

"Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world."

Marilyn Monroe

Allison

I have a little thing for Elvis Costello - which I cannot explain other than to say that I am a sucker for a sexy voice.

And he's got one. 

This Charming Closet

Y'all - it is with a great deal of happiness that I welcome the return of the stacked heel loafer - or as I like to call them 'stomp around shoes'....

They look as good with my court suits as they do with my jeans and they are hella comfortable to boot. 

These are also very affordable - from Nine West.

Happy Friday

Have a happy and safe Labor Day Weekend, everyone!

And we'll see you on Tuesday!

Image by ME!.

The Weekly Bean

Somebody is fighting hot spots again.... 

She is in the inflato-collar until further notice.

To The Lighthouse

August's book on my New Year's Resolution Reading List was To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf.

Here's what Time Magazine had to say about it:

After Woolf published her breakthrough novel Mrs. Dalloway, she raised the stakes and broadened her focus. To the Lighthouse is a stately dance of time, hope and art, as performed by the Ramsay family and their immediate friends as they vacation at a house in the Hebrides. Mrs. Ramsay is a housewife and hostess; her husband is a cold, analytical philosopher; drawn in their wake are, among others, a struggling young painter named Lily Briscoe and their little son James, whose dearest wish is to take a boat ride to a nearby lighthouse. The novel begins as a poignant portrait of family dynamics, but Woolf sets the second half of the book a decade after the first, and that allows her to turn To the Lighthouse into a study of the damage that time and history inflict on the Ramsays' hopes and dreams, and a celebration of what endures.

I am big Virginia Woolf fan and I loved "Three Guineas" and "A Room of One's Own", both non-fiction.

I guess the groundbreaking thing about this is that it really has little plot to speak of.  Its sort as if you had a secretary in your head just recording your thoughts as you went through your day - the plot actually becomes unnecessary for the author's purposes, we're just sort of eavesdropping in the characters' heads.    I think the payoff in the book does come from the passage of time and we see the way the characters have changed and the way Mrs. Ramsay's thoughts, fears and aspirations for her family have ultimately played out over time.  

I thought the book was interesting and moving.  I didn't love it the way I had perhaps wanted to, but it was well worth the time. 

Out and About in Charleston

Did I mention that, while in Charleston, I ate at my favorite place in the world? 

Well I did. 

And Slightly North of Broad did not disappoint me!!!

A Little Extra Pretty

Husk featured the work of artist John Thompson - throughout the restaurant.

It was absolutely beautiful and added so much to the experience.  Modern yet traditional and (I thought) a little edgy.  We definitely noticed it and commented on it as we were shown to our table and as we were eating.

Image 1:  Combahee 10, 2010 by John Thompson.
Image 2:  Waban, 2007