Anticipating Saturday

Do you have plans for Saturday yet? If you live in Columbia and you said no to that, then you'd better start planning-there is so much to do! And the Fall weather that crept in last night will make a perfect backdrop for anything you choose!

Here's what the Hill family has planned:
Wesley Memorial UMC Neighborhood Fall Festival begins at 11 AM. FREE to attend and there will be live music by the Blue Iguanas Bluegrass Band, who are not only good, but very generous (they play the St. Lawrence Place Oyster Roast fundraiser every year at a very reasonable price).  There is also bouncy houses, a pumpkin patch, a fire truck, BBQ, and more!  We will be picking out our family pumpkin with Jones.  My sister, mom, and I took my nephew Ben to this a couple years ago and it was fun.

image via here

Next, we hope to attend the first-ever Carolina Green Fair in Finlay Park.  The event is going to be huge!  Live entertainment, local vendors and exhibitors, all showing easy ways for you and your family to make more sustainable choices.  The Free Times has an awesome publication detailing the entertainment, exhibitors, and containing a map of the event.  We hope to hear Lunch Money, a fun local children's band that will go on stage at 3:15.  We'll also make sure to stop by and see our friends from KD's Treehouse, and maybe catch The Blue Dogs at 2:30 too.
Admission is $5, or free if you bring 4 incandescent light bulbs to recycle.

Saturday night the hubs and I will be venturing out all by ourselves for dinner to celebrate his birthday, (which is today--happy birthday, James!)  He has not made up his mind on where we're going yet, but the ideas I've heard so far include Hunter Gatherer and Motor Supply; I'll let you know where we end up!  Afterward, we're meeting some friends at our favorite "Peach Pit After Dark-esque" spot: NiteCaps.  Here's to an adult night out!  (The babe is spending the night at my parents' house).

image of Motor Supply via here

image of Hunter Gatherer via here

The Nickelodeon is showing some pretty crazy stuff this weekend, and the SC State Fair is here through Sunday too. 
So, for real, plan your weekend already! 
XO, B

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Weekend Round-Up

So, I haven't done one of these posts in quite a while...(being nauseous 24 hours a day didn't really do much for my social life)...but I'm back in the saddle, so here goes.  My weekend suggestions for Columbians:

 image via here

1) Remember when Joaquin Phoenix went kinda crazy a couple years ago, announcing he would not be acting any more, but singing hip hop?  Well, Casey Affleck has made a documentary of that crazy year of his life, and I for one am interested to see it: I'm Still Here will be showing at The Nickelodeon Friday, October 8th through next Thursday. 

image via here

2) Trenholm Road United Methodist Church's Annual Pumpkin Patch is open.  Interested in purchasing a pumpkin or seven to decorate with?--it's the place to be.  It's open 10-7, Monday- Saturday and 12:30-5 on Sundays through October 31st.

3) ESPN's College GameDay is in town on Saturday...maybe not a big deal to some, but to others, this is everything.  I will be in attendance at the USC vs. Alabama game.  I'll be one of the only sober ones, just enjoying the food and fall weather and hoping the Gamecocks don't get embarrassed...(Alabama is #1 in the nation, y'all)...and maybe trying to catch sight of Mr. Herbstreit.

image via here

 

4) Not into football at all?  Go shopping!  You know you need a Halloween costume, and Hip-Wa-Zee is having a costume sale. 

 image via here

Little Lambs & Ivy is having a calendar sale all month- each day is 20% off of something different in October--Thursday is 20% off all items with ANIMALS, Friday's special is 20% off all RED items and Saturday is 20% off all Baby Gifts. 

 image via here

And, if you haven't checked out PackRats yet, I highly recommend doing so--if you're into really cheap but cool vintage items and/or handmade stuff, check them out.  (I went for the first time last weekend and am enamored--post to come this weekend highlighting my vintage purchases!)  They also have a blog here.

So, what are you doing this weekend?

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Pumpkins, chili, and pretty things

So, this past Saturday was one of my favorties on record...it was jam-packed with fun Columbia events as well as shopping, playing with my nephew and eating great food with a great friend...what else is there? Plus, the weather was rainy and chilly--perfect for fall events.

We started the day at the Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on Heyward Street for their Fall Festival and Pumpkin Patch. (We had originally planned to go to a different pumpkin patch, but this one boasted a band and jump houses for the kids...who could resist?!)

Benjamin, my 2-year old nephew, loved every minute of it--he picked up every pumpkin he could muster, and some he couldn't--he danced all by himself to the music, (don't you just love the audacity of toddlers!), and he wooed the little old ladies selling baked goods.

Ben, channeling Michael Jackson here...

After picking out several fine pumpkins, my sister, Ben, James, my mom and I left the Fall Festival to do a little shopping of the Aunt Ba-Ba variety...Devine Street. I had to go to HandPicked, as they had pashminas on sale for $11 each! I am a complete sucker for a scarf/wrap and wear one almost every day during the fall and winter--I purchased 2 at HandPicked, royal blue and silver. Then we headed into Pupcakes to say hello to Blue and Prada and picked up some treats for our children, Peach and Abby. Ben loved playing with the dog toys!

Stopped in The Bohemian and snapped a pic of this amazing coat...I die...

Then stopped in Just the Thing and glimpsed this awesome turqouise bracelet...Christmas is coming...

After some shopping, the rest of the crew went home for toddler lunch and nap, and James and I headed to 5 Points for the 23rd Annual Group Therapy Chili Cook-off. Such a treat! Not only were there plenty of cheap and tasty chilis to try, but live music, beer, and people-watching too! And all the proceeds from this year's event went to Camp Kemo--I just love a fun event for a great cause!

As much as I wanted my favorite chili of the day to be made by a husband-wife team or the really-country-didn't-spend-money-on-a-frou-frou-sign-or-condiments team, my ultimate favorite chili ended up having been made by Pawley's Front Porch. It had black beans and pintos and a really nice and kind of different flavor...plus they had mini jalapeno corn muffins to go with it.

After we stuffed ourselves with chili, we went home for a lazy afternoon before I headed out for dinner at Granville's. I'll post my review of dinner later.

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The September Issue...(in October)

via here

I saw The September Issue at The Nickelodeon Wednesday evening; it was a packed house.* If you have even the slightest interest in fashion, I highly recommend this film. The relationship between Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, whom this documentary is mostly about, and her Creative Director, Grace Coddington, is entertaining to watch. And at times difficult to watch.

I couldn't help but keep thinking that it was similar to the relationship that Rachel Zoe and Taylor Jacobson have...or me and my boss for that matter. (Not because my boss is bitchy, because she is not, but because she and I have very different opinions at times and very different ways of dealing with things, but somehow we balance eachother and it works). This movie highlights the not-so-pretty but very real inner workings of a great team.

In other news, I am so excited about the weather change in Columbia--it is finally cooler and I have to admit that I love the dreary days. Overcast and cool makes me yearn for a fire in the fireplace and dogs to cuddle with on the sofa. It also makes for a much more enjoyable run when it's below 70 degrees outside.

Here's what I'm excited about this weekend:

Going to pick out pumpkins with my 2-year old nephew at the Trenholm Road United Methodist Church pumpkin patch. We did this last year as well, but Ben was just starting to walk and was a little unsteady...he fell and hit his head on a pumpkin...here's to hoping that I'm not such an irresponsible aunt this year.

Haven't been to this event in years, but I am so excited for it tomorrow! 11AM-7PM.
Click here for more details.

Dinner at the brand-new restaurant Granville's on Devine Street in Columbia Saturday night, and catching up with a friend I haven't seen in a while. Here's what The Columbia Foodie had to say about this new small bites spot...My review to come in the next blog.

On Sunday I hope to go the Columbia Museum of Art with the hubs to see Cleve Gray

and Ansel Adams exhibits. images via here

And then, school work completed by a fire with dogs at my feet...sounds like an amazing fall weekend in Columbia.

*Unfortunately, The September Issue is no longer playing at The Nick, but put it in your Netflix queue.

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