St. Simon Island and Savannah, Georgia

I am we'll aware of the fact that you all did not hear from me yesterday. Well, I can assure you that I did not get eaten by an alligator. I just didn't get around to it.
Firstly, St. Simon Island. Gosh, that feels like it was a week ago. It was actually just over 24 hours ago. We started the day with another walk. This one was 10k just like the previous days. I wasn't as impressed with that one as I was for the one on Jekyll Island. The town part was cute, and we ate some mean seafood, but our directions weren't clear and the neighborhoods weren't as nice. Our instructions told us to keep going straight on this one road, so we did. When we didn't wind up where we were supposed to be, we realized that we should have turned to the left a good mile or so back. We just ended up finishing up the walk from where we were. After that was over, we walked down the streets and ate lunch at a place called the Sandcastle Cafe or something like that. I had blackened flounder with cucumber salad and stirfry cabbage. It. Was. Amazing. St. Simon Island had a lighthouse which I was very excited about! Also, there were two giant brown pelicans on the pier. They would almost let you touch them, but I didn't want to lose any of my fingers. After lunch, we strolled around the crafts fair they had going on. It was like the annual Germantown Festival, for all you Memphis readers, but without all the SEC yard art. You know what I'm talking about. OH! I got pooped on by a seagull. It was really really nasty.
We drove to Savannah after that and checked into our hotel. Our room wasn't ready, so we went to World Market (cue Hallelujah Chorus). I really wanted some Tunnock's teacakes, but they didn't have any. WAHHHH! I did buy some Guwert's curry ketchup, Walker's shortbread, bourbon cremes, violet and lemon candies, Hobnobs, Happy Hippos, Trebor softmints, etc. It's not like a bought a lot or anything. And I definitely won't be making another trip tomorrow...cough cough. After World Market, we waited for the famous Pat Hall to arrive. (Inside joke. I'm sorry, that's rude, but I'm sure you don't want to hear the story). She got here around 9pm or so, and we went straight into playing SkipBo until midnight.
We woke up this morning around 9ish and slowly got ready to go to brunch. I'm telling you, brunch is the way to go. I am all about the idea of getting up late and having super delicious food mid-morning. We stopped by a fabulous place called the Cobblestone Cafe on the riverfront. OH MY GOSH. I had a cappuccino and crabcake Benedict. This thing was piled high with English muffin, crabcake, Canadian bacon, poached egg, and roasted red pepper hollandaise sauce. I don't think you want to hear me say that it was the best thing I've ever eaten, but maybe it was. Oh man. It was divine.
After brunch, we walked around the city a little bit. I went into the Savannah Bee Co. store and tasted everything they have to offer. The honeycomb was unreal. I ended up buying my favorite honey that I sampled: the sourwood. It has such an unusual flavor that I simply couldn't resist. We spent the rest of the day walking around the ENTIRE city. It started off rainy and cold, but by 1 or so, it was warm and sunny. The weather was gorgeous. I took so many pictures that I ran out of space on my phone. We ended the day the same way we started: eating. Y'all, even though I've walked at least 6 miles every day since leaving home, I think I've gained 25 pounds. We stopped by a British pub for dinner. This place had a telephone booth, Saltire flowing in the breeze, tartan wallpaper, and Scotch eggs with brown sauce on the menu. It was so good I wanted to cry. Have I ever mentioned that I am basically Scottish? Yeah, well it made me really happy. Ps- it was called Six Pence.
So here I am, full of food and memories. And the church below is called Independent Presbyterian Church. I felt so at home.

Jekyll Island, Georgia- Part 1

First things first. I'm sitting here eating triple ginger snaps with Trader Joe's lemon curd. It is so delicious. Am I the only who's never eaten this before? I mean, ginger and lemon. Hello! Classic combination.
Now that you're good and tired of hearing about what I'm eating, I'll tell you all about what I did today. I went into this trip with no real expectations. Or maybe I did. I'm not sure. Either way, it has far surpassed any that I may or may not have made. Today, we were scheduled to do two 10k volksmarches on Jekyll Island. Last night, I debated whether or not I even wanted to go. A day by the pool sounded pretty appealing. True to my life's motto. I went for it. Y'all, it did not disappoint. We had to wake early so that we could register.
So we get down to the picnic area at 8:45 am, and I realized that I am probably the youngest person by 40+ years. I figured, "Hey! Old people (sorry Grandma!) can be fun too, so I am going to enjoy every second of this." We started out walking the historic route. I began the walk with my grandma, but my long strides and fast pace quickly pushed me and another guy to the front of the pack. I met the most interesting people today. The old man I walked with for the entire way, Jules, is a fascinating person. I so enjoyed getting to talk to him and hear about his army days and time spent being an x-ray machine maintenance man. We talked about everything under the sun. Before long, we had had passed all the people who started before us and finished a 10k way before everyone else did. Keep in mind, although these people have a few years on them, they walk at least six miles a day. I never do cardio like that. Ever.
After we smoked everyone else on the trail, we went to the restaurant where all the walkers were meeting. It turned out to be a pretty fancy place, and we walked in wearing gym clothes and smelling bad. It didn't matter though. We had a private room, and the windows were open, letting in the intoxicating smell of the flowers. The food there was excellent just like every other place we have eaten. I had a lamb gyro with sweet potato fries, and my grandma had a shrimp salad croissant with fresh fruit.
When we finished eating, my grandma and some of her friends went to go do a nature walk while I went and toured around Jekyll Island. It is SO beautiful. The lawns are so green and perfectly manicured. I even saw some couples playing croquette on the croquette lawn outside of the main building. It was definitely a couple's place. I didn't see very many kids while I was there. It was certainly a romantic place to be. Or if you're like me, you go and get ice cream by yourself. :) I was surprised because many of the houses were in the Mediterranean and Spanish styles. They were very different from the low country houses of Beaufort. I then went and toured Faith Chapel there on Jekyll Island. Side note, if you don't know anything about Jekyll Island, you should really check it out. It involves the Federal Reserve and wealthy men. ;) The chapel there has one out of five Tiffany and Co. windows signed by Mr. Tiffany himself. These were gorgeous stained-glass windows. I won't go into the whole story because I'm sure you didn't come here to read a completely history of Jekyll Island.
I then meandered through all the shops in town. I ended up buying some Georgia peach a-cot preserves and a little treat for my dad at the Commissary. All the stores were full of local art, seashells, etc. it was just the most amazing little place!

Beaufort, South Carolina - Part 2

 

       Ah, Beaufort.  I can't stop talking about how much I love it there. This morning, we slept in a bit because we planned on having a really nice brunch instead of getting up and doing breakfast early. The morning started out slow. We took our time getting ready and packing our stuff. After checking out of our hotel, we made our way to Blackstone's Cafe. Truth be told, when I walked in, it wasn't what I was expecting. It looked like an old antique shop on the inside filled with flags and movie posters. But looks can be deceiving. We ordered enough food to feed an army: shrimp and grits, bagels and lox, croissant sandwich, English muffin, orange juice, coffee. It was spectacular. It was enough food for two meals. We originally went so that we could have eggs Benedict. When we asked them if we could have it, they told us that it was a Sunday brunch item only. I was pretty bummed, but what we did wind up ordering was absolutely delicious. All of their baked goods were made on location: bagels, English muffins, croissants. 

       After brunch, we decided to see a bit more of the town. We stopped in little stores up and down Bay Street. We met a really nice parking lot manager who told us that there would be an American Idol rally at noon. Now, I don't watch AI anymore, but it was very cool. Candace Glover is from Beaufort. We went to check it out. All I really wanted to see was Ryan Seacrest. When we found out that none of the people were going to be there, we left. It was kind of cool to be there though! 

       When our American Idol escapade was over, we walked in and out of neighborhoods. Let me tell you, there isn't an ugly house in the entire city. In fact, I never saw one house that I was just indifferent to. They were all the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Each one is on a quiet street tucked back away. You wouldn't ever know that the town center is just two streets over. The Spanish moss completely covers the streets and blocks out the sun. Somehow, it was was bright around every corner. Everything there is just lush and vibrant yet sleepy. Many of the houses are on the water, and it was just perfect. 

       After strolling through the sleepy streets on Beaufort, we stopped at the visitor's center for a bathroom break. While there, I saw a brochure for a free pice of chocolate at a local chocolatier. Of course, my interest was peaked. We walked a block down to The Chocolate Tree. Oh man. They had really good stuff in there. I got a free dark chocolate sand dollar and some fruit slices. You know, the gummy ones rolled in sugar? Coconut, sour peach, pomegranate, grapefruit, and chili mango were the flavors I picked out. You could really tell that all their candy was super fresh. My grandma got some of the best seasalt caramels I've ever tasted. We took a little lunch break then headed back on the road.
We are now in Brunswick/Jekyll Island, Georgia. I'll sign off now, and you can hear all about it tomorrow!  

Beaufort, South Carolina

   
       As you may or may not know, I am on spring break this week. I am traveling with my grandma (who is the coolest) through South Carolina and Georgia. Today, we arrived in, you guessed it, Beaufort, South Carolina.
       After a tedious day of traveling yesterday, I arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina late last night. I took the MegaBus from Memphis to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Charlotte.  In all, it was around thirteen hours on a bus, but for only $22.50, I couldn't really complain.  I arrived in Charlotte at 9:45 last night. My grandma and cousin, Catie, picked me up at the station. We then went out to eat at a fabulous place called The Cowfish.  It is a burger and sushi bar. Burgers and sushi? YES. Odd combination, but let me tell you, it totally works.  My bento box, filled with Asian cucumbers, sweet potato fries, edamame, spicy tuna roll, and a slider, was one of the greatest things I've ever eaten. If you ever find yourself in Charlotte, I highly recommend it.
     ----I'm typing this on the iPad and just deleted the next three paragraphs that I just typed. That makes me really really angry. Just so you know, the next couple of paragraphs are floating around in cyber world.
       We arrived to our hotel around midnight. The owners of that place would certainly benefit from hiring a cleaning person. That's all I have to say about that.
       After we checked out of our hotel this morning, we went to Trader Joe's. Y'all, that place is amazing. If you don't know what they are, look it up. They have food similar to that of Whole Foods, but they have prices comparable to Kroger. So basically it's a win-win. I think that Memphis needs one ASAP. I have certainly enjoyed snacking on my spoils all day long.
       We left Charlotte and drove to Beaufort after our food run. I think it took us about four hours to get here, but I'm not sure. Between daylight savings and switching to the eastern time zone, I am very confused. Every clock I've looked at today has shown a different time. I guess it really doesn't matter though.
       Anyways, after we checked into our room and ate some food, we went of a walk around Beaufort. The whole point of this trip is for my grandma to walk. She is really involved in the AVA all around the country. You can follow her on her Facebook page, Take A Walk. We walked approximately six miles this afternoon. It took a little bit of time mostly because I took pictures of probably five hundred houses. Just kidding.  I did take a bunch of pictures though. Also, we got lost several times. The map we were using wasn't quite right, and many of the directions weren't clear.
       You can follow my trip on Instagram if you want to see more! Just click the Instagram icon on the top right of the page!

     

Somewhere Between Summer Leaf and Mellow Jade

Shirt- Target Necklace- Forever21 (no longer available) Nail Polish- Essie Lip Gloss- CO Bigelow Earrings- Kate Spade (no longer available)

       

       I've always wanted to do a color board.  They seem like so much fun, but I can't ever decide on what to do it on.  Well, ladies and gentlemen, I bring you my very first color story!

       You know when you try on a shirt or scarf or dress, and the color automatically makes you look five hundred times better? Well, I had one of those moments this week.  I was in Target combing the sale racks like usual.  I found one of their v-neck tees for $5.  You know the one.  You have approximately twenty in your closet, but always find yourself buying the newest, prettiest color.  Yeah, those.  Anyways, I thought that the color was pretty, so I went to the dressing room. GUYS! The second I slipped it over my head, my face lit up. The color is awesome.  Now, I'm on a kick.  BUY ALL THE SHIRTS! 

       The color is a little hard to name.  On the Target website, it's listed as "Sea Galleon." I pulled out the Porter paint deck, and it's somewhere between "Summer Leaf" and "Mellow Jade." Call it what you will. I love it.  So here are some of my favorite items in this color family.  Oh and if you're interested, the color hex is 0EB79E. 

Chai Love You

       

       I love you, chai.  I don't love buying you from stores or Starbucks though.  People mess you up by masking your flavors with too much flavored syrup.  I have discovered how to make you myself, and I cannot stop.

       That is an ode to my love for chai.  I've found that store-bought chai teabags are bitter.  Nobody likes bitter tea.  Starbucks is notorious for giving you a cup of sugar syrup flavored with a little bit of chai.  Don't get me wrong, I am a Starbucks-aholic.  But when it comes to their chai, they fall way short.  So I thought to myself, why don't I just make my own chai? Uh hello! Why haven't I been doing this my whole life? You can make it as strong/sweet/peppery/etc. as you like.  My brother, Willis, who never takes time to pick out flavors and basically vacuums up food, requested that I make this for him because it is so refreshing.  He tried to steal my cup of it this morning as he left the car for school.  

       I personally like iced chai best.  Willis is right.  It's refreshing.  I usually add a little bit of milk to make it creamy.  Here is my recipe:

Iced Chai Tea

4 c. water

1 1/2 tsp. whole cloves

2 Tb. whole peppercorns

1 cinnamon stick

1 1/2 Tb. sugar*

4-5 black teabags

*I sometimes substitute the sugar for a squirt of honey or agave nectar depending on what I have on hand, or how I want it to taste that day.  

1. In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients besides the teabags.  

2. Bring to a boil.

3. Remove from heat and add the tea. Cover.

4. Let sit for as long as you want or have time for.  It's definitely drinkable after 30 minutes; however, I sometimes put mine on before bed so it'll be ready when I wake up in the morning.

5. If it's still hot/warm, put it into a sealed jar and put into the fridge until it is cold.

6. Pour over ice and add a splash of milk.

       Try it. It's so delicious. 

None

       

       The senioritis virus has completely taken over my system.  Not even kidding y'all.  It's hit me hard.  I've been ready to move on since freshman year, but that was just child's play.  Motivation to do homework: 0. Motivation to blog: 0. Motivation to be on Pinterest: 0. Motivation to eat chocolate: 0.  I'm a zombie.  The only worth-while thing I've done these past few weeks is working out.  I have done that every day for the past 10 days.  Otherwise, nothing has been done.  When I think about it, I sound like a loser.  I just have to survive the next 58 days.
       In other news, my 18th birthday was this past Wednesday.  It was awesome. I would like to thank all my friends and family for making it really amazing.  My mom, who is the coolest person ever, gave little gifts to me in the days leading up to my birthday.  She turned into this sneaky thing this past month! Mom got little things for me that I mentioned months ago that I liked or wished I had.  Then BAM! she surprised me. If you don't know her, you're missing out!
       I haven't bought my lottery ticket yet, but I plan on doing that this week.
     
       Here is a rundown of cool things I've found this week:
 
       -I have small-living on my mind.  This blog is awesome.  Erin and James live in a 240 square-foot apartment in NYC.
       -In December a group of girlfriends went to Deborah's house for a sleep over.  Deborah and her sister, Rachel, made crepes for us.  They were delicious, and I've been craving more with fillings like this, this, and this.  Are you drooling yet?
       -This is my favorite song this week.
       -Need a personal ab trainer? Well, here is where I go every day.
       -I need another tea accessory like I need a hole in my head, but you have to admit that this guy is pretty amazing.