Southern Protocol

I get positively giddy when I have a free Saturday morning.. obviously for a variety of reasons, but the biggest one is being able to attend the Charleston Farmer’s Market in Marion Square! Nothing makes me love the city more or get in a better mood than strolling through all the vendors, snacking on local treats, and getting a good dose of people watching.

This past Saturday was one of those lucky, lucky days, and I noticed even more unique, amazing art and little trinkets than I have in recent months – which was super convenient as I needed to finish up some Christmas shopping One of my favorite finds was AddLibb Designs! Libby, the incredibly talented and down-to-earth designer creates the coolest, vintage looking clutches; clutches that are actually big enough to fit more than your lip gloss. She finds her fabric from all over, and makes each design that much more special by adding vintage brooches! I bought a chain link strap for mine, too, to ensure I don’t lose it on festive nights out.

If you’re like me, and find yourself not getting a break on the weekends to check her out, don’t fret! AddLibb Designs and (equally fabulous) Rua Framing are hosting a holiday trunk show and cocktail party this Thursday, December 9, at their 47 Spring Street locale, Audella Studios! Besides celebrating the holidays, the ladies of Audella Studios are also welcoming their newest addition, Nicholas Lane Jewelry.

Stop in between 5 and 8 to browse the marvelous clutches and jewelry. You’ll for sure pick up a few Christmas presents for your favorite fashionistas (and obviously yourself!).

Brace yourself for the best thing you have ever seen. Once again, this recipe was sent to me via email (this time from a friend) – I love how my inbox has become my go-to place for new drinks and treats. The heavenly recipe? Winesicles. That’s right, adult popsicles. What could be better than that when it’s 1,000 degrees outside?!

Seriously… they sound refreshing. Sauvignon Blanc, being the lightest and most refreshing of summer whites, is the perfect choice for this cool treat. The recipe hails from Bottlenotes.com‘s feature, The Daily Sip. If you love wine and entertaining, Bottlenotes’ daily emails are something you should seriously consider signing up for.

Sauvignon Blancsicles
4 oz of any wine you prefer (They used Yellowtail in the recipe)
4 oz Orangina
4 oz Pineapple juice
Juice of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lemon
Molds for making 3 oz popsicles (available at Target, Bed Bath n Beyond, etc)

Pour the wine, Organina and pineapple juice into a measuring cup. Squeeze in lemon and lime to your taste; mix well. Pour the mixture into the popsicle molds and place in freezer until solid.

NOTE: Apparently the popsicles will not freeze as well if you add more wine… so if you’re like me and were contemplating making the Sauvignon Blancsicles even more festive, refrain!

If you didn’t get to sip on any tasty beverages for Cinco de Mayo yesterday – or even if you did – Bashful Boutique in Avondale is giving you another chance!

The bang-for-your-buck boutique is holding a festive “Cinco de Seis” party at their 829 Savannah Highway store from 6:00 – 8:30 tonight. Treats include guacamole, queso fondue from neighbor Avondale Wine and Cheese, and some homemade salsa. Wine and Caribbean beer will also be served.

So if you’re in the mood for shopping and sipping, head on over to Bashful Boutique tonight at 6:00!

I love how every year right around mid-April all of a sudden EVERYONE is all about Earth Day. Obviously I think it’s just fabulous to raise awareness about preserving our beautiful planet, but it always makes me laugh when people are bandwagon advocates just for one silly day.

That being said, I am going to hop on said bandwagon in order to help all of you fellow passengers find a great little hostess gift in the spirit of being green: handmade recycled glasses made from reclaimed wine bottles and recycled glass beer bottles! We stumbled across the unique product on Etsy – a site that can easily draw us in for hours on end.

While the glasses would be perfect when used as they are intended – for your fun adult beverages – they’d also be great to use for vases and centerpieces. Their fresh green color would add a perfect touch to any patio party. Head over to the bodhicitta shop on the crafty website to peruse her earth-friendly gifts.

The international powerhouse that is Hello, Kitty has essentially penetrated into every market known to man. Have you ever been into one of the Sanyo stores? It’s semi-creepy being surrounded by an expressionless cartoon cat and her frog friend that have somehow entranced people for 35 years- but hey, they’re successful and have a serious niche market.

Now depending on the ages of this serious niche market, their newest venture may or may not be successful, and is sure causing a lot of controversy: wine and champagne. Oh yes, the world of alcohol. And naturally they all have names that are so kitschy I am almost embarrassed to write them here:
-Sparkling Brut Rose: a deep reddish pink sparkling rose  made from 100% Pinot Noir
-Sparkling “Sweet Pink”: This semi-sweet sparkler sports a pale pink hue and has very delicate bubbles
-Angel White: a “blanc” white wine made from Pinot Noir free run juice
-Devil Red: a classically rendered Pinot Noir (the LA week reported)

The bottles are surprisingly expensive, ranging from $19.99 – $32.99. Yes, I realize that is not terribly expensive in the traditional sense of wine, but come on it’s Hello Kitty! So seriously, $32 for a bottle of questionable wine with a cat on it? But like I said, the company has an unbelievably devoted market, so I’m sure this latest foray will be just as successful! Try whipping some out for your next party to get some really interesting convos started…

What a great start to my week! Never being a huge beer drinker, usually opting for wine or champagne, I always felt so left out of the koozie club (yes, there’s obviously a club). So imagine my extreme delight when a friend sent me a link to this most glorious website: a website for Woozies. Wine koozies. Their tagline is even awesome: “Get a little woozie!”

The wine gloves are stretchable, washable and come in a variety of colors, patterns and sassy quotes – they can even be monogrammed! The fabulous invention (pardon me if woozies are not a new concept; if they aren’t, they’ve been eluding me, the sneaky devils!) is able to keep the temperature of your wine, red or white, at a constant temperature regardless of season. Woozies come in small and large sizes, as well as to fit entire bottles.

They even have you covered to get your collection of woozies started: numerous packages and sets are available on their website.

Does it minorly take away from the class and elegance usually associated with having a glass of wine? Absolutely. But they’re so hilarious, and can finally allow all of us wine drinkers to be a part of the ever-elusive koozie club. Perhaps save them for low-key parties with friends…I hope you’ll join me now in placing an order!

You’ve had your entertaining break from the holidays, now it’s time to get ready for spring festivities! The first of our two Spring Entertaining classes will focus on early spring soirees, including Easter, Passover and general “it’s finally getting warm again, let’s have a party” parties.

The class, on March 24th, will take place from 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Seats are $30 a piece and include the following:
Fresh entertaining ideas
Budget outline
Tablescape examples
Cost effective and trendy recipes – that you get to taste! – courtesy of Canape
Wine
Tips on assembling floral centerpieces, courtesy of Stems

For more information or to RSVP, send an email with your name and preferred email address to contact@southernprotocol.com. We’re looking forward to having you!

More and more articles are written these days promising that you don’t have to drop serious cash to get a decent bottle of wine. Especially when many people are being a bit more attached to their pocketbooks, this is a great thing!

A great example of a bargain wine that a friend just turned me onto is Red Diamond. The Washington winery prides itself on creating bold wines in an approachable style. Their Cabernet Sauvignon is a new favorite of mine – and I am not even a big red wine drinker. Red Diamond describes its popular cab as “aromas of cassis and licorice with hints of leather that precede a rich, velvety-textured palate of red fruit jam and a sweet touch of toasty oak on the long finish.”

That’s a long, detailed explanation that sounds fabulously fancy – I just think it tastes good! And the best part? It can be found in most regular grocery stores, and only costs around $11 or $12. Cheers!

I always forget how much I love the outdoor, foreign market feel of World Market. All their products, whether wine or food or art or furniture, just seem to exude unique chic simply by being within the walls of this store. It’s a great place to hit when you’re looking for specialty foods or quality furnishings and decor.

So especially if you’re in the market for home updates, get to the World Market on Orleans Road this week! Wall art, furniture, decor and even some fun trinkets are up to 50% off! I personally purchased a gorgeous, art-nouveau-esque set of three paintings for only $50. It was a miracle I walked out of there without buying everything!

I could not be happier that Halloween is this weekend! A holiday dedicated to playing dress-up, candy corn and – IF you’re a responsible adult – some ghoulishly fun and festive beverages. While you could stick to a plain jane bar or ordinary punch bowl, why not take that extra entertaining step and customize your own labels?

Style.com featured “spooky spirit” wine labels that Martha Stewart designed for Grandin Road on their blog this morning, and I thought, “yes I love Martha Stewart, and naturally her mad scientist wine labels, with their spiders and scary words are precious, but why not take some personal creative freedoms and create my own?” There are TONS of websites where you can design your own labels for just about any type of beverage container: wine bottles, beer bottles, liquor handles…whatever your heart desires!

And remember, this doesn’t have to be limited to Halloween! All holidays require some festive creativity, so keep it in mind for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years…

Personal Wine and My Own Labels are two very reputable companies. And if you want to just take the route you know will be a successful party hit, you can find Martha’s designs here (which are pictured above)!

I have been so impressed with how “pink” Charleston has been this month! Yay for saving the ta-tas!

While many stores, restaurants and places of business are showing their support, one of the events I found super cute is happening at Elysium Salon in Mt. Pleasant tomorrow, October 23rd, from 6-9 pm. The event, called “Styling for a Cure,” is a hair, make-up and wine party. Helloooo, sign me up! The night will feature complimentary hair and make-up demos; and let’s be honest, heading into the season of endless cocktail and holiday parties, we could all use a little refresher on how to beautify ourselves. 

15% of product sales will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Elysium Salon is located at 4 Liberty Street in Mt. Pleasant. 843.937.0700

Whenever you’re in a time crunch for a hostess gift, or are only slightly acquainted with your hosts, a nicely wrapped gift bag containing a delicious wine and cheese pairing is always still acceptable and very much appreciated. Just make sure that you let your hostess know the pairing is for him or her to enjoy at a LATER time; you should never expect your wine or cheese to be consumed at the party. Your hostess already has all of her drinks of choice selected and ready to go before you get there!

In the spirit of our upcoming Women and Wine Pink Carpet Event, our recommended wine and cheese pairing comes from the oh-so-cozy Avondale Wine and Cheese. Their knowledgeable experts selected a smooth pinot noir from Terrapin Cellars in Willamette Valley, Oregon (bonus: it’s a stylish label!). And to go with it, a coupole cheese (similar to a creamy goat cheese) from Vermont Butter Company. Fun fact: coupole cheese is named for its shape, which is described as “snow covered dome”.

Wine and cheese has a tendency to be a slightly more expensive hostess gift, so maybe save it for the elegant dinner parties; or just bring the wine alone!

Be sure to stop by our Pink Carpet Event on Oct. 22 to pick up these treats for yourself or your favorite hostess!