Chacos & Charleston

It was warm out. Maybe a little too warm. That southern charm is not without it's summer humidity, but that didn't stop this gaggle of women spending a weekend together from getting out and touring the city!
Charleston, SC boasts captivating sights, as well as delectable bites for the foodie in us all.  With the rich, intriguing history you could spend hours touring and learning it's secrets, but we only had a day. One day to sample said goodies, shop the shops and take in the sights. Some of us are determined to squeeze in all that we can...First order up was a carriage tour.
By no means do I claim to be a history buff, but the stories fascinate me. To think a fascinating structure has been home to many generations! One home in particular has yet to be sold, but continues to pass from one offspring to the next.
It was fun to wonder at their lives. As the air grew increasingly warm and thick with that famous humidity, i couldn't help but think of how the poor survived back in the day. I didn't want the carriage ride to end, but our hour was up.

A few pics from our adventure...

Here we are pre-carriage ride, waiting in line for the one stalled potty before. 

20 minutes later and we are loaded up and ready to go. One friend suggested that I speak with a British accent for the entire ride. That lasted a sentence...ah well, there wasn't much time to speak anyway, for there was too much to learn from our guide. Sorry no pic of the adorable southern boy.

 Shops had pictures to indicate their merchandise for the many who were unable to read. Here is an example of the hat shop, if you hadn't guessed.

Stone imported from England...I know. Selfie overload. I just wanted you to know I was really there!

We leave our carriage tour and being knocking around the city...

Why the awkward bike pose? Well, the motorcycle is not mine and for some reason we thought it would be funny to hop on. You see I didn't fully commit.


Our walk around the city also included some fabulous alleys. I could have stayed there for hours! So romantic, charming and beautiful.

Top: Target, Pants: Marissa Jill's, Chacos: REI, Backpack Purse: Clarks

The brick. I loved the brick walls and building. This next photo was from one of my favorite home entry ways!

Thank you for putting up with my selfie craze.

Oh, and my fabulous purchase from the market for the day. I know. What in the world? I'm in the open market with soaps, hand made creations and so much more and I buy this...

I can't even figure out how to use them on my own!!! And I spent $20 on them!! The heat must have gotten to me.

We did a lot of walking...And the chaocos?!! They were perfect for  those long walks on the hot day! And the hat was great to keep my frizzing hair under control.

 Sadly we had to leave the fine city of Charleston, but my adventure blues were short lived. Take in this dining location!  I wanted to bring this view home with me.

Blog BONUS:

My crazy friends wanted to go "paint the boat" in Foley Beach, only a 45 minute drive away. But they wanted to paint it at 12. Go to War-Mart, purchase paint supplies and then paint it! I was quite the reluctant participant, but once I woke up I couldn't stop giggling and enjoying the adventure. Love these crazy girls!!

What great memories made!

Coffee. Is It Better with a Burr?

Before I talk about what grinder we use, allow me to share what lengths I may go to for a freshly ground cup of coffee...

The sun has yet to rise and though I'd rather still be sleeping, I accept my early fate and start plan B: make the coffee. With eyes half closed,  I shuffle out into the kitchen, remove our burr coffee grinder from its rightful place and creep into the garage. From there I maneuver around bikes and other garage-y items to the work bench. This is our only attainable outlet. It's being utilized, so I stretch, reach and battle with chords and surrounding items until I pull it free. Finally, I'm able to plug in the grinder and press the button. Sleepily, I rest my head on some box while that noisy contraption grinds my coffee. Soon there will be coffee. 

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Why not just grind it inside? Well, that would mean waking children and therefore, no peaceful sipping. It's worth it. I just wonder if I'm alone in my craziness...for the love of coffee in the morning.

So while we're on the topic of coffee, I thought I'd share about our semi-recent purchase of the burr grinder I mentioned above.


We were introduced to the idea of a burr grinder at a gathering with friends. Isn't that where the trouble always starts?? I couldn't help but notice the smooth coffee taste. While we are not strangers to good coffee, I've often wondered why the coffee vendors always seem to brew their coffee better. Before too long, I was investigating at Costco; peppering the coffee representative with questions. What was their secret? His reply was the consistency of the grounds. I looked at his ground coffee and went home to our grinder. After several unsuccessful attempts at mimicking his grounds, I gave up.  

Now it seemed as if our friends had figured out the grinding trick. The coffee tasted great, however I wasn't convinced that I needed another small appliance sitting on my counter. We already had a small grinder.

A few months passed by and I stumble onto an article about how regular coffee grinders burn the coffee beans. In addition, a burr grinder will grind the perfect amount of coffee grinds constituently. This could mean a possible savings, since we grind more than necessary.

I polled my Facebook friends for grinder suggestions without mentioning "burr" grinders. Friends responded with links to burr grinders on Amazon. 

So I started reading reviews and chose the Cuisinart burr grinder. It is not even close to the most expensive--wow! people love coffee,-- but, after sifting through all the "I love its" and "I hate its", we decided to take a chance. This model stores up to a pound of coffee beans and features the ability to choose the amount of coffee you would like grind, as well as a course to fine ground bean selector.

Burr Grinder

The cons for this particular grinder were one, the amount of coffee dust left in the container post-grinding and two, the noise level. However, when I read reviews for comparable grinders, I found that this was common.

All in all, I'd say that this was a worthwhile investment that I'd purchase again (with my reward points). We are already spoiled by the close to perfectly ground portions and sweet tasting freshness in every pot!

And in case your wondering what type of coffee we use on a regular basis, I'm happy to share this brand that we've used for a couple of years now. 

Both Costco and Sam's carry this brand, but only Sam's has the Guatemalan beans. Costco sells a mixed blend, called Don Pablo's. Personally, I like the smooth taste of the medium-dark Guatemalan bean. It's one of the few things I purchase at Sam's. 

Also, if you're in the market for decaf that is water processed, this company makes a great Colombian decaf. My husband has a disdain for decaf, but admits that he likes the taste of this particular coffee. Great Tasting Decaf

So what do you think? 

Chrissy

Linking up with Not Dressed As Lamb.

Fringe Vest & Instagram/Snapchat Stories

Necklace by Premier Designs

Believe it or not my reader friends, it is still in the upper 80s and low 90's here in Georgia. One wants to pull out her fall clothing, but one does not want to roast! Today was a day of errand running and I knew there was potential to be walking outside from time to time, so I chose my items carefully.

*Newly added skinny jeans by Judy Blue, a black Old Navy tank, the LOFT vest that I'm wearing out lately and some brown accessories made this an easy, put together outfit.*

(Linking up with the Pleated Poppy, Classy Yet Trendy, Living On Cloud Nine)

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Now, please allow me to share just a couple pics from my crazy Snapchat and IG stories that show how I entertained myself on said errands.  Honestly, I have a little too much fun with these apps here lately but if you're easily entertained, as am I, feel free to join me at granolangrace.

My first stop was to drop off our van for an oil change. I anticipated some wait time, but when they told me 2 hours I knew I wasn't going to hang in their shop all morning. (Hence the IG & Snapchat stories!)

What's a girl to do...Just a short walk across the street brought me to our local mall...

Next up is to get rid of the heavy boots I was lugging around for my husband.

Then I sauntered over to the Threading Lounge for a little eyebrow clean up. I'm a regular, who sees the same attendant each time. I love her and her fabulous attention to detail.  Some people feel like threading is more painful, but I think it's worth it. It's not as rough as waxing on the delicate skin around your eyes. In addition, I think they are able to get a cleaner look than a quick rip with the wax. 

With that done, my makeup free and slightly red face was in need of some help. I looked tired. Armed with time and a coupon I headed over to Bare Minerals for a look at their new foundation, known as barePRO Performance Wear.

I had a blast chatting it up with make up artist, Rochelle, and learning a few extra tips for applying eye makeup. However the lighting in their store is no bueno, so I snapped a quick pic with Rochelle because she was just too sweet, and then found a better spot to show you what the makeup looked like...

Threaded Brows and Fresh Makeup

This makeup is priced at $30.00,  had a great assortment of shades, a smooth texture and it definitely lasted all day. However, for now I will stick with their Complexion Resuce foundation and wait until they get a smaller trial size or gift set before I switch up. Unfortunately, I need more than one day when testing out a new foundation.

Well, the two hours was quickly coming to an end, but still no word from the shop. What to do next...

I took full advantage of this gift card by splurging on a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino and a protein boxed lunch. Btw, I asked for 1 pump only on the coffee treat. I don't like it too sweet. And this lunch was enjoyed outside, listening to the fountain run. All in all, it was a fabulous morning. I almost didn't want to leave to pick up the van, but real life awaited me across the street and home.

That's all for day folks!  Do you get your brows threaded? And what line of makeup do you use?

If you haven't tried threading, I hope you're inspired to do so! Or maybe it's time to refresh your makeup!

Chrissy