After getting to know each other over a cup of coffee, Chris took about two hours and really captured the essence of my home with his camera. I think my dogs were more excited about the shoot than I was, as they made it their mission to be in almost every single photo. Such hams!

Thanks again Chris and Apartment Therapy. It was a great time.

Here's a small sampling of the photos that were taken. Feel free to view the rest of them over here.

Something I had never explored whilst living that way was all of the old plantations, so my mother and I decided to check them out. We went to Charles Towne Landing, which was actually the first successful settlement in Carolina. They had beautiful magnolia trees and lots of greenery here.

Most plantation homes were actually not extremely lavish compared to the owners' homes in the city. Going to the plantation was considered "camping" in those days!

A majority of the original homes perished during the Civil War, however, I ended up going to one that did not - which was probably the most amazing thing I have seen in a very long time.

We started at Boone Hall (also known as the summer house in "The Notebook"). We were the first people to arrive here in the morning, so we enjoyed a beautiful drive into the plantation, which was lined with hundreds of gargantuan oak trees, perfectly spaced apart. As we pulled in, the slave quarters were on the left, and the main house was straight ahead. The current house is the third house on the property. The other two were burned to the ground - one accidentally and the other deliberately. The current owner actually still lives in part of the property, so the tour was limited to the library, dining, and enclosed breezeway.

Next up was Magnolia Gardens. Magnolia was started by the prominent Drayton family, and was in the family until 1974! Eleanor Roosevelt and Orson Wells had once visited the property - and they say the Charleston dance was invented at Magnolia. The house that is here now is a cabin that was moved from elsewhere, and then an addition was added to it, which is obvious because of the different architectural styles and finishes. I forget which Drayton it was, but his bride moved from Philadelphia to be with him and she wasn't happy on the grounds, so be ended up planting all of the amazing gardens around the property to keep her happy. In the two hours we were here, we saw a ton of wildlife: peacocks, alligators, marsh rabbits, blue herons, egrets, squirrels, and a plethora of big juicy mosquitoes. On our way out, we stopped at the Audubon Swamp Garden on the property, and saw more birds, but it started pouring down rain on us so we had to jet.

The final plantation we visited, Drayton Hall, was my absolute favorite, as it is the ONLY unrestored building this old in the country. It was built in 1738 (to put this into perspective, George Washington was SIX at the time). The beauty behind preservation over restoration, is that you connect more with it - there's something really awesome about seeing original graffiti - or the wall with the original markings where the Drayton family measured their children for over two centuries! The house itself was unlike anything in the country at the time. It's a Georgian Palladian style, and there is no defined front or back, even though there are an upper and lower portico on one side. Guests would arrive via the road from one side but also by boat from the other (it's located several hundred feet from the water), so both sides provided a beautiful entry. Perhaps the most interesting fact about this property is that it has survived seven generations, 22 hurricanes, 2 earthquakes, and both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. They say Drayton Hall may have been spared because they put out yellow flags to indicate disease, which would have deterred any troops from getting close enough to burn it to the ground. The only known still-intact plaster ceiling is located here at Drayton Hall - it was quite amazing; the ceiling was carved in place and has survived this long! There is actually a no-fly zone above the property, as they worry the vibrations will knock the ceiling out. Another interesting fact? The house was lived in by a woman until 1974 - yet she never modernized the home with electricity. However, she decided she DID want a refrigerator, so she ran a VERY long extension cord from another building in order to have one.

Well, I will stop boring you with words. Enjoy the pretty pictures! :)

I discovered Jessica Alba's company, the Honest Company - cute products that are all plant-based. I tried to buy some of the products, but they were sold out...so I went to Whole Foods and bought all new products instead. So what all did I replace?

1. Laundry Detergent - Ecos, $12.49
2. Fabric Softener - Whole Foods
3. Hand Soaps - Mrs. Meyers, $5.99
4. Dishwasher Soap - Whole Foods
5. Surface Cleaner
6. Toothpaste - Jason, $6
7. Shampoo/Conditioner Whole Foods
8. Body Wash - Castille Soap
9. Toilet Cleaner
10. Hand Sanitizer
11. Body Cream - Shikai, $9.99
12. Perfume - Whole Foods
13. Face Cream - Alba
14. Toner
15. Deoderant - Hugo Naturals, $4.99

First of all, I bought a new bed. I know, I know - WHY?? The bed I was using is beautiful and absolutely unique. However, it was designed poorly and after several ghetto rigs later, it still couldn't offer me the central support I needed. My back was in really bad shape because of it. So, I ended up moving that bed to the guest room and buying the Draper bed from World Market - which I have personally tried out, so I knew it would be a quality piece without having to spend an arm and a leg. I also purchased new mattresses, as they were also part of the problem. I am happy with the results, and my back is much happier already :)

I also ended up switching out a small armoire that was in my room with an old art deco buffet that was in the guest room. I needed more of a dresser piece to put my jewelry and accessories, so it did the trick. It fit perfectly into the space and I think the wood goes with the bed really well. I am not a fan of matchy-match or showroom bedrooms (you know where the bed matches the dresser, and the nightstands...and so on. Just a personal preference, of course).

Above the dresser, I hung the pumpkin vine ball I bought at Round Top. I eventually want to make this into a hanging lamp - I just need to get the right materials to do so. I also propped up a really old art deco style mirror on top of the dresser.

I also ended up buying a piece of furniture for my bathroom to use as storage, as I have no counter space for toiletries. It's just an Ikea piece, but it was the perfect size and I like that it has a cabinet to hide things in.

SO, let me rewind and tell you a little story. Last October, I allowed a very troubled individual to move in with me - this person was supposed to be getting their life together whilst under my roof. Well, long story short, they ended up breeding FERRETS and allowing them to use the room as their litter box. Yes, you just read that correctly. I had only set foot in there about 3 times since then until yesterday when I decided to steam the carpets, paint over the walls, scrub the baseboards, etc. Most of the smell is gone, but there are still stains on the carpet, but the carpet should be coming up soon anyway, so I am not as concerned with that. I am happy with the way the room is cleaning up - and I feel like I have half of my house back! ;)