13
May 2013

the best doughnuts I’ve ever had.

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This weekend we attended the Food Film Fest, and I have to say, I had had no idea what to expect and I was thrilled with what I got.

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The whole concept is very clever — you know how when you see a commercial about doughnuts, and you think to yourself, “oh man I could eat a doughnut right now” — well, that’s kind of the idea. You watch a short film (less than 5 minutes) about a food, and while you watch it, they bring you that exact food.

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…which is how I met my new favorite thing — Top Pot Doughnuts from Seattle, Washington. I mean truly, they were the best doughnut I have ever come across, maybe even one of the best pastries in general. Sadly it doesn’t look like mail order is an option, so a trip to Seattle may be in order.

That was what was so neat about it though – right here in Charleston, I got to experience food from lots of different places, over-nighted in just for that event. Canadian maple syrup, treats from Dirt Candy…all sorts of goodies.

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Look at what a good little film patron I am! I kid. I was quite surprised when I came across that one of me when scrolling through the event photos!

Obviously, I did not take any of these photos, they are all courtesy of Food Film Fest’s Facebook Page and copyright Adam Chandler.

And just so you don’t miss out on the fun, here is my favorite film from the event: Dirt Candy’s “Vegetable: Friend or Foe?”

If you have a few minutes, it’s pretty hilarious. Good way to start the week!

Categories: Charleston, Events, Food Tags: , ,
01
May 2013

studio snaps + food film fest

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Hello friends! I hope life has been treating you well lately. We have been busy as always, which is wonderful, and also taking time to enjoy spring too.

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Of course, beautiful weather means wedding season is here, so we have been busily sending out invitations and printing up fun day of pieces too, like these welcome kits for this weekend’s bride.

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I know I’ve mentioned before that, for whatever reason, the spark finally came alive and I’ve become really interested in food and cooking. I think now that I know a thing or two (albeit not much), it’s a lot more fun because I feel like I can get creative.

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I’ve also spent the last three and a half weeks really focusing some energy on health. I have to confess it’s not something I’ve spent much time on before in my life — I am a workaholic, so if there is time to be had, I usually work — but I’m really working on a lifestyle change. Making sure to exercise even just 20 minutes a day has made such a difference in my stress level. So it’s been fun to incorporate that into cooking and learning about food and nutrition and exercise. Wish me luck that I can stick with it :-)

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In that same spirit, I’m really excited about the upcoming Food Film Fest!

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A client of mine is involved in putting it on, so I can’t wait to check it out. Here’s what they have to say about it:

The Food Film Festival – the only film festival in the world where guests get to taste what they see on the screen – will debut in Charleston this spring with two events showcasing more than 15 food films! In Charleston, we will present a “Best of” exhibition of favorite food films from around the globe, along with the world premiere of a film about Lowcountry shrimping from Festival Director and Travel Channel Host George Motz.

Sounds really interesting doesn’t it? I will be sure to share some snaps and thoughts after the event!

In the meantime, though, if you want to check it out and are in Charleston that weekend, they were kind enough to share a coupon code with me that you can use (“MELT10″) to receive 10% off the ticket price. Tickets are on sale here. We hope to see you there!

So that’s all that’s going on around here right now. I’ll try to be better about posting – it’s just hard to find time sometimes between work, exercise, cooking, and play! Tell me what you’ve been up to in the comments…I love to hear from you!

Categories: Charleston, Cooking, dodeline design updates, Events, Invitations
10
Dec 2012

artist market re-cap: december 2012

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As always, last weekend’s Artist Market was a blast. I wish I had better pictures, but to show you what I was up against, look at my booth:

Yes, it’s the one bathed in heavenly light.

I didn’t realize quite how spotlighted my booth was until I went up to the loft and visited Spacecraft who did a gift tag making station and had all sorts of fun stuff going on.

She also had this rad handmade wrapping paper. Love it!

My booth neighbor ended up being Miyako from cone10studios, whose website I finished recently. Charleston is such a small town and it was fun to see her work doing so well.

This time around I did do something a little different with the display. To make “risers” of sorts, I got some styrofoam planks (they sell them in thick sheets at the craft store) and simply wrapped them up in Kraft paper. They were light, easy to carry and did the trick perfectly for a simple craft show display. It’s always such a struggle to get dimension in your display.

Here’s a photo of me and the booth shot by the one and only Sea Star Arts who likes to take pictures of you while you’re talking to her…

…but she tends to always get great pictures that way :-)

A few of the other great vendors I met…

There were also carolers, food truck Banh Mi (YUM), and it was just an all around fun day. So glad we get to be a part of it.

How was your weekend?

Categories: Charleston, cool products/vendors, Events
11
Oct 2012

December Artist Market – yippee!

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I got an email last night from Kristen, who runs the Artist Market (pretty much my favorite event and the one that started it all), that we were accepted to participate in the upcoming event on December 8th!

Kristen has done a phenomenal job promoting and guiding this event to becoming what it is today. At first, it wasn’t juried or anything, and now there are so many people who want to be there that they had to start doing it that way. That means you’re very very good at what you do Mrs.! :-)

So mark your calendars! Some of the best craft + art talent in Charleston will be there and it’s just such a blast to be a part of it.

I swear I will get back to blogging again soon. But right now I’m enjoying a little respite from one to-do list item at least, and I hope that’s okay by you. I will be sharing gallery wall stuff soon though!

Categories: Charleston, Community, cool products/vendors, dodeline design updates, Events
23
Sep 2012

{roundup} indie craft parade

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I finally went through our Indie Craft Parade photos and have some pretty things to share with you today!

There were so many pretty things to see, I am still seeing pictures of goodies pop up on social networking sites and thinking, “how did I miss that?!”

Above, the birdhouse was one of my neighbor’s, a carpenter who found himself out of work and started making birdhouses.  He doesn’t do social media or even take credit cards, or I’d give you a link, but the funniest part is that, of all things, he is my aunt’s (who lives in Greenville) neighbor!  So when she walked up and saw me next to him, we put it together and were just astonished. What a small world.

The crowd was consistent, lively, and great fun.  The bottom of that set of three shows the VIP gala, which included food set up all throughout the event.

I have to take a minute to give MASSIVE props to Erin and the people who ran this event.  Honestly they did a phenomenal job.  Here are just a few things they did that made a huge difference from a vendor perspective…

  • Volunteers were everywhere.  If you needed a break from your booth, they were there to sit in for you.  They also helped us load in, hang signs, etc.
  • Volunteers brought bottled water around to vendors the entire weekend.
  • Our vendor goodie bags included coupons for free food from the local (and delicious) food vendors – coffee, sandwiches, pretzels, tea, and more.
  • Paypal had representatives there to assist with credit card transactions and help out.
  • For the gala, they spread the food out all through the event, so it helped control traffic and get people congregating everywhere, not just at the bar ;-)
  • Load in times were assigned and orderly, so it wasn’t a mad dash / free-for-all.

That’s probably not anywhere near a complete enough list, but they did a fabulous job.

There’s a view of the sign I created using Spoonflower.  I designed it to be the right size so I could stick actual cards to it and hang it on the pipe and drape system behind us since we were an interior booth.  It turned out great and was an affordable, customized way to draw the eye up!

I was obsessed with this girl’s stuff.  Those patterns are to die for.  Stop by her website — Chomp — love this girl.

I don’t think there was ever a time when there wasn’t a line to get in.  Amazing, amazing turnout. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention & thank the fabulous people who helped and supported me on this little venture.

  • Above, my mother-in-law and family friend, who drove up with me Friday morning, helped me load in, got lunch and made a last-minute Marshall’s run, shopped, chatted, and promoted with me during the VIP gala, and generally made the whole experience even more fun & special!
  • Of course my handsome husband drove up when he got off work and worked the booth with me the whole rest of the weekend.
  • Ashley from Fraiche Event Design was a familiar face when she and a friend drove up on Sunday.
  • Our other Charleston friends who vended there: Finkelstein’s Center, Ink Meets Paper, Sweeteeth…I hope I didn’t forget anyone else ;-)
  • .. and of course my artsy aunt who lives in Greenville and to whom I owe much of my artistic training / encouragement! (below)

For more about the event, check out the Indie Craft website + Flickr group!

 

Categories: Community, cool products/vendors, Events Tags: , , , ,
08
Aug 2012

DIY bride event re-cap

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The DIY Bride event last week was great fun, as always. Toni & Lori of Blue Planet Green Events put together beautiful tablescapes and a great variety of vendors to help engaged couples wrap their heads around the crazy wedding planning process.

They offer floral design as well as planning services, and I love the creative things they came up with. Plus they source as much as possible locally. I couldn’t believe those unusual pod things at the end were local!

I Instagrammed throughout the night too..

It’s so nice to meet so many brides, sip wine and eat cake together and answer the questions weighing on their minds. How much of the budget goes to stationery? What on earth is letterpress / thermography / etc.? It’s a chance for me to talk about what I love doing and meet a lot of wonderful people all at once.

Hope you enjoyed peeking in on the evening! Happy #WW! Next week I have some super cool invites I want to share…I really wanted to today but wanted to give the guests more time to get them. Can’t wait!

Categories: Charleston, Community, Events, wedding wednesday
01
Aug 2012

DIY bride event

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I’m busy getting orders out today – this week has turned out to be the Olympics of invitation orders it would seem – and also prepping for the DIY bride event tomorrow. Yay!

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This event is really the only wedding event I do because it’s so different than your traditional “bridal show.” Each vendor hosts a round table and answers the questions that prospective brides have on their minds. It’s not about pitching my services, it’s about helping and educating and connecting with people. That is so much more my style.

If you are interested in participating, find the registration info here.. It’s a really fun evening!

Happy Wednesday!

Categories: Charleston, Community, Events, wedding wednesday Tags: , , ,
23
Jul 2012

Momtrepreneur’s Market @ Mixson Roundup

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Last Thursday night ended up the perfect night to sip wine, shop, and socialize at the Mixson Barn.  Afternoon thunderstorms cooled it off and cleared away just in time for our 7:30 start, and it made for a great event all the way around!

I shared a table with Ashley from Fraiche Design, who set up a wonderful little “party” tablescape. Ashley is a wonderful cook, so she also whipped up some yummy charcuterie plates to serve alongside delicious sweets by Sablee.

The theme of the market was Christmas in July, so there were some fun Christmas-y booths and it made for a neat juxtaposition to be looking at Christmas stuff on a summer evening!

The barn at Mixson is really cool — I had never been there before, but it’s where they host the Maker’s Market and I can see why. Such a neat little event space!

And before I go, I must give some props to dodeline-honorary-employee (( my dad )) who came over after work with my folding table, which I have yet to find a place to store other than my parents’ house, and then hung out with us for the night. I’m a lucky girl to have such supportive people in my life!

How was your weekend?

Categories: Charleston, Community, cool products/vendors, Events
09
Jul 2012

Charleston farmers market

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I was lucky enough to take an impromptu stroll through the Charleston Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. Although it was suffocatingly hot, there is something so nice about an hour to yourself, wandering through the crowds, people watching and taking it all in.

From April to December, on Saturday mornings, an array of vendors gather in Marion Square on the corner of King and Calhoun Streets in downtown Charleston. Fresh produce, food + drinks, and crafts of all kinds abound. Several of my Artist Market buddies vend here as well — including Perla Anne, Charleston Soap Chef, Add Libb Designs, and Rewined.

After walking through and taking it all in, I took up a spot in the window at a coffee shop nearby and downed a bottle of water. People-watching from an air conditioned window seat has its perks too ;-)

what was your weekend like?

Joining in on the weekend update link up!

Categories: Charleston, cool products/vendors, Events Tags: , ,
18
Jun 2012

June Artist Market Re-Cap

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Saturday in Charleston was an incredibly gorgeous day and unbelievably mild for June.  I always remember the first Artist Market, which if I’m not mistaken was also held in June, and I in my excitement at my first public I-own-a-business-outing gave zero thought to the heat of June and wore jeans with a very very cute seersucker shortsleeve jacket.  And I subsequently melted.  But this time was nothing like that, a beautiful breezy day in Charleston…

 

Here’s a quick little peek at my booth. I always like to make it different, so this time I brought my milk crate along (one of my favorite pieces I own, along with my Ghost chair!), some supply items like Divine Twine and other things to add some variety, a green chevron table topper, and at the last minute snatched some baby’s breath out of the fresh flowers I try to always keep in the house. I like how the little vignette turned out.

Margaret from Ecolibrio was there. She is actually a client so it was wonderful to see her. I love her unique craft show display that she made herself with wine corks, frames, fabric, and little hooks. It really makes her pieces look professional I think, and being eco-friendly, they’re super consistent with her brand.

 

 

I also met Tucker’s Treats for the first time, who makes dog treats with human grade ingredients, “because dogs are people too.” I couldn’t help but think of you, TiffanyLaneHandmade!

 

Lauren Amos Designs has long been a favorite of mine, and I have her to thank for the snazzy earrings I am rocking today. She was my neighbor this time so it was fun to catch up with her.

 

And of course, the artwork of Kristen Solecki, who’s a new friend of mine from our Creative Coffee + photoshoot adventures. I absolutely love her work. As soon as we move I am buying some to decorate with!

And speaking of our Creative Coffee group, Allison stopped by and I was so excited to hear how things are moving along on Spacecraft Studios. I love her description of the business:

“We’re a DIY modern social crafting studio,” Merrick summed it up.

Where do I sign up? :-)

So everyone how was your weekend? It’s a bit of a short week for me this week. Reminder: if you want to guest post, drop me a note!

Categories: Charleston, dodeline design updates, Events Tags: , , ,
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