Last week, when the weather was mellow and the mosquitoes were easily dissuaded by a spritz of repellent, the Shop Tart was invited for a drink on the patio at the home of her friends Tracie and Jay. They were joined by Jeffrey Day, arts aficionado and one of the brightest new stars in the local blog pool. Jeffrey was getting ready to head to Spoleto, where he is now, and his updates are a great read, although they might make you insanely jealous if you wish you were there. Anyhow, the conversation was interesting and any evening that ends with the singing of Tammy Wynette is a good one in the Shop Tart’s book.

Tracie, by the way, is one of those people who puts together a fab party with seemingly no effort. First of all, she uses these mad chic linens from Flock Home, with which the Shop Tart has become truly, madly, deeply obsessed. Designer Gina Pericini is a friend of Tracie’s from California. Maybe the secret to being casually hip-as-hell is having the right friends. Or maybe the friends come second. Chicken, egg, chicken, egg. The drink turned into a light dinner and the Shop Tart sipped cava while her hostess chopped, oiled and salted various delicacies for the grill. Did you know that green onions, lightly salted and grilled, taste better than onion rings?

Green onions, green tomatoes, okra, corn on the cob, tuna…all lovely grilled. She also had the famed Palmetto Cheese, both jalapeño and regular for comparison. Food is always a nice conversational piece. People love to share their opinions (which is why so many of them have blogs. Ahem.) Another friend once hosted a pizza tasting party, serving local pies, all cheese and offering pads and pencils for scoring. The Shop Tart doesn’t remember who won, but the party was a hit. On the patio, Tracie laid out a feast - olives, palmetto cheese, strawberries, crackers, vegetables for dipping - divine!

The patio offers a view of the lawn, which is more sculpture garden than lawn and is utterly lovely. Jay Hubbell is an artisan stonemason and sculptor (yes, the Shop Tart had to text Tracie for that description) and his work can be seen in various spots around town. It’s large in scale and the effect of several pieces in one yard is stunning. You know what else is stunning? A guy who can build stylish tomato stakes at the drop of a hint. Love these. Love!

While the tomato stakes are the bomb, you can glimpse a better example of Jay’s work to the left. In fact, while Tracie was preparing dinner and the Shop Tart was watching and sucking down cava sharing charming anecdotes, Jay was giving Jeffrey a guided tour of his work around town.

The evening was lovely, as were the handmade stacks of crackers, Palmetto Cheese, hot sauce and grilled green tomato. Yup. And the Shop Tart thinks we should all follow Tracie’s lead and enjoy a branch or two of something lovely from the yard (or the neighbor’s yard, if they are generous or not home.) So simple, so stylish, n’est-ce pas?

In other news…

• Collect your old gold and head to Unforgettable Fine Jewelry on Thursday from 6 until 8:30 pm for a gold party. You know how it goes: Bring your unwanted gold jewelry to sell for cash or…drumroll…this is where it gets interesting…double the amount in store credit! And…you and the other guests will enjoy complimentary drinks, heavy hors d’oeuvres and live music while you wait for your gold to be valued. Entry is free but space is limited, so call 779-3636 today to r.s.v.p.
• Check out new stuff at Revente from Blue-Q, including eco-stylish water bottles.
• Shop Tart Deal Alert: Ashley Hayes, a certified Pilates instructor with a great reputation, is offering Shop Tart readers an Introductory Pilates session for only $30. This would be a private, one-on-one session with the Pilates machines. That is an incredible deal. if you haven’t tried Pilates, this is your chance. Even one session on the machines will help you bring more to your mat practice. Call 803-800-6726 for your appointment as soon as possible, as she will get booked.
• The Vidalia Casserole from Simply Savory was mouth-wateringly delicious. Call and see what they have in the freezer or just stop by. This is the easiest way to enjoy a home-cooked meal!
• Thursday night, pack up your lawn chairs and head over to Riverbanks Botanical Garden for Rhythm and Blooms. Enjoy live music by the J’ouvert Steel Band, wine and tapas available for purchase, pre-prdered picnic baskets and gorgeous spring weather. Picnics must be ordered from Riverbanks by 5 pm the Tuesday before the show. You can also browse local art while you sip, chat and listen to music. Rhythm and Blooms is the perfect way to kick off your weekend and this is the last one! 6 to 9 pm.
  
• Friday evening, Sprummer is the place to be. Great time, great cause. The Shop Tart and her husband went last year and can’t wait to go back. Edwin McCain and the Blue Dogs are playing, the food will be fabulous and so will the company (ahem.) Get your tickets now.
  
• On Saturday, wake up early and head down to Hyatt Park at the Eau Claire clock tower for the Ribs & Renaissance Festival. According to their Facebook page, “this will not involve people running around in Medieval costumes, but there will be a ribs tasting.” There also will be other types of food, cheap beer, local music, indie movies and - most importantly - Crafty Feast, an independent craft fair. Love Etsy? This is the live version. The festival lasts from 11 am until 8 pm. Enjoy music by American Gun, Magnetic Flowers, The Unawares, Mystic Vibrations and more. Crafty Feast will include fifty-six vendors. Bring some spending money because most of these yummy goods only will be offered in Columbia once. See you there!
• Friday from 6 to 8:30 pm, head to Frame of Mind to “Investigate Mike Krajewski’s DNA.” Enjoy an evening of his art, music and film.

Happy Shopping and don’t forget to tell them you read it on the Shop Tart!

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