Let's Celebrate...The Lowcountry!
A love letter to my hometown.
Like all places, my hometown of Charleston, South Carolina has changed a lot since I was a kid. Nowadays you’ll find absolutely incredible restaurants, lux hotels, and swanky bars. Despite all these wonderful amenities, I'm most connected to the simpler, quieter Charleston of my childhood. I think of salty air. I think of eating boiled peanuts in the car with the windows down and hot sand burning my feet as I race to the water. This quote from Pat Conroy beautifully captures the essence of growing up in the Lowcountry:
I attribute a fair portion of who I am to where I grew up. My love of storytelling, my humor, my (eventual) love of food, my nearly detrimental ability to relax, and enjoy myself…all these things stem from growing up on the seas islands of South Carolina. Charleston was and still is, if you look hard enough, a place where slowing down and enjoying the little things is a cherished pastime. A lesson I try to bring with me everywhere I go.
Of course, I’m able to wax romantic about home now that I’ve been a bit of a nomad for almost two years. I’ve lived in lots of wonderful places, and the last time I left Charleston I was so ready for something new. I needed to walk some fresh lands and find some shiny new stories. Our memories tend to stick to the landscape of wherever we’re from- and there’s an often reluctant retelling of all those stories as we walk the same places again and again.
That’s not just me right? We all have a complicated relationship with the concept of home. You love it, you hate it. You simultaneously want to get far, far away and just as strongly crave to return. In all my travels though, I’ve never tasted a better oyster or felt more at home anywhere but by the ocean in Charleston, SC.
Frogmore Stew is a super simple summery dish that I’ve probably eaten well over 100 times in my life. Like so much great Lowcountry cooking, Frogmore Stew comes from the Gullah Geechee people of Frogmore, now known as St. Helena Island. This one pot boil is a celebration of all things Lowcountry- No frogs, but lots of shrimp, corn, and sausage. It's cooked outside, tossed on a table covered in newspaper, and eaten with your hands and a lotta friends. It’s probably the most relaxed thing you’ll ever cook. You don’t even need a recipe, but here’s a good one from John Martin Taylor.
Shop’s Open
I opened my shop back up with this shrimpy scene! More prints and products coming soon.
In case you missed it on instagram, I’ve been a wee bit obsessed with drawing these wonky necked birds recently. I spotted a group of cranes a while back and their bright white bodies popped so beautifully against the marsh reeds. Since then, these fun lil’ studies have just been pouring out of me.
I’m Reading Bird By Bird by Anne Lamont. I’m working on my writing skills and was told this was a great place to start. I’m loving her humor!
I’m Watching Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak. I’ve probably watched this at least 20 times, and it’s always totally inspiring.
I’m Thinking about this quote: “The important thing to know about worthiness is that it doesn't have prerequisites.” - Brené Brown