I Love Sugar - A Fantastic Fun Candy Store In Myrtle Beach, SC

Look! Mermaids! Their tails are made from candy

I don't have enough words to describe how much I love this store. It is I Love Sugar - a candy store in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Fun, colorful, kooky, sweet, happy, huge I could go on and on. I get so much energy and inspiration from bright fun colors and when I walk into this store I can't do anything but smile.

Candy filled tables and very comfortable chairs

It is located on the main "strip" of Myrtle Beach very near the boardwalk. This store is gigantic. The first time I went into the space, mouth just dropped. It is beautifully appointed with all kinds of fun treats to each for children and adults.

Look at how organized everything is. I love how everything has it's place and it does not feel cluttered at all. I don't know how in the world they keep it so neat and clean. The creative merchandise displays and art are an big part of what makes the store so appealing.

If you have been following my blog for a while (and please do on Blogger LOL!) you know I am obsessed with mermaid. I look up and saw this beautiful mermaids and knew this place is going to be one of my favorite places to visit in Myrtle Beach.

 



Hopefully one day I will meet the owner. I would love to ask him where he came up with the store's concept and who designed layout and displays of the store. It is a happy place that kids will love on sight. It is so much fun to watch the kids run around and enjoy the store.

Usually I don't like cement flooring, but it really works in this colorful crazy decor. It actually calms down and centers all the many colors and grounds everything.

 

 

 You can buy the candy in boxes or individual wrapped pieces. But I always get the loose candy sold in the self serve bins that you put into cute clear plastic bags with tongs or a scoop. There is a huge selection of loose candy in several display units around the store. Then you take it to the register and the sales associate will weight it.

It is a little pricy but I always just get a little bit at a time. Also along the store's back wall is a very impressive row of tall jelly bean dispensers. Just be careful not to pull the lever too hard or a huge splash of jelly beans will fall into your bag.

These tables face the street next to a floor to ceiling window. I enjoy people watching especially seeing how people's faces light up and smile when they look in at the all the candy and the bright colors. I was so inspired by this. I want to create things (words and art) that make people smile and laugh.

Mermaids are my spirit mystical beings. When I see a mermaid random somewhere, I think that mermaids find me where ever I am. I was really impressed with how these mermaids were done. I am very picky about mermaid art. I love this concept of photos of women with the candy creations for the mermaid parts.

A very close up shot of the preserved rock candy enclosed in the glass table top. I would love a table like this at home.

The gummy bear table close up. Followed by the M&M table. The tables are not very big in size. They are definitely eye catching. I wish I had thought of this idea.

To top things off there is even a Gelato ice cream counter beside the cash register. All the bases have been covered for any kind of candy you could think of .

I prefer visiting when it is off season and not very crowded. This store is special. You have got to see it for yourself and have fun while you are there.

Thank you for reading my post.

Thomasina

Sunrise At Myrtle Beach

Watching the sunrise at Myrtle Beach, SC  yesterday morning was not only an awe inspiring sight but it reminded me of how blessed I am. 

I am inspired to paint sunrises over the ocean. I actually became emotional watching that glowing orange and gold  ball of light rise out of the ocean. 

There was a time when I longed to be able to travel to the beach but I did not have the finances or transportation. As a result, I never take for granted being able to travel outside my city limits. 

Roadtrips help me clear my mind, inspire and motivate me. I definitely have a travel bug. 

Thankfully, I did not give up my dream of going to the beach again and after a lot of hard work I visit the beach more than I ever had.

During hard times and dark sad moments, it is easy to want to give up on your dreams. Do not ever give up on your heart's desire. 

You might have to change your plans or revise your strategy but stay focused on getting what you want.

Everyday do something to reach your goals. Believe it is possible. 

If you don't think you can, you are definitely right.

Thank you for reading my blogpost.

Thomasina

Myrtle Beach 2014 - On The Way To The Beach

South of the Border - It's a lot of things: It's a rest stop, motor inn (another word for motel?), souvenir shops, amusement parks and attractions, and they sell fireworks. I'm always glad to see the big sombrero tower because I tell myself I'm half way to Myrtle Beach.

 
                                                           The tower with the sombrero on top.

I loved  this t shirt with the glitter accent on the sandals. This picture does not do it any justice because it looks so much better in person. But twenty-one dollars for a regular t shirt - no way. Maybe ten dollars.

This gorgeous tree was located in the South Carolina Visitors Center. I gathered a lot of brochures not just for Myrtle Beach but other cool places to visit in the state.

Driving into downtown Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I love the feeling of driving down this street and knowing I am finally back in the city and beach I love so much.

                                   Close up shot of the South Carolina Visitor Center's Christmas tree.

LOL! This is a mechanical mermaid in a miniature golf amusement park across from the McDonald's. She was the first mermaid I saw on my trip. Her tail moved up and down. 

One of my first pictures of the beach. I grabbed some McDonalds and headed to the beach to eat with an ocean side view. 

I was at Myrtle Beach only for two days and this day had sun and the next day was gloomy (but still beautiful in it's own way). Thankfully I took a lot of pics on the day with the most sun. It was perfect temperatures for both days. Comfortably cool or outright warm temperatures in December? Strange but wonderful.

A walkway to the beach. I love peaceful pictures like this. Crowded beaches are not fun for me at all. Very few people were at the beach. It was mostly me and lots of cute old people. 

McDonald's in Myrtle Beach. I loved the beach themed decor. Surfboard tables and water reflection picture tables. This actually reminded me of a scene in Veronica Mars where Veronica and her dad are having breakfast in a really tacky super decorated beach themed restaurant.

More pictures from my trip are on the way. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanks for reading!

Peace At The Ocean

Last year about this time I was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

I have such a peaceful spirit when I am at a beach. The first time I ever went to Myrtle Beach was during a vacation bible school trip with my church many years ago. Nothing can describe the feeling I felt when I first saw that huge expanse of blue water for the first time.

Myrtle Beach has changed so much over the years. I remember the small but busy beach town of my youth. Today Myrtle Beach is a city with many high rise hotels and lots of things to do and places to eat. After years of being away from MB and going back after it had been built up, shock is the only word to describe looking at how densely packed the buildings are.

But the ocean is my solitude, my peace, my calm, and my creative inspiration. No matter how touristy or frustrating the traffic is, my mind will always slow down and zen out when I walk out onto that beautiful sand.

Off season is my favorite time to visit the beach. I really don't like crowds and I don't like crowded beaches at all. I've never understood how people can go to the beach and not actually ever go on the beach.

I wish I could figure out a way to duplicate the peace I feel at the beach at home. The closest I ever get is when I visit the rivers and lakes near my home. I guess it is the mermaid side of my spirit that craves being near water.

Very soon I will be visiting Myrtle Beach and Wrightsville Beach, NC. I will be taking lots of photos to share with you on this blog.

Thanks for reading!

A Picture Tour of Raleigh North Carolina

Wells Fargo Building on the left. These are some of the tall buildings in downtown Raleigh North Carolina.

This is a display in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences

Christ Church - I love these beautiful columns.

I used to walk to this church to calm my stressed mind. Very peaceful here.

Courtyard of the church

This is part of the NC Museum of Natural Science building and a restaurant.

State Capitol building

State Capitol building - front view

Hunger Games Capital Citizen Costume and NC History Exhibit Pictures

 I saw this Capital Citizen costume on exhibit in the NC Museum of History in Raleigh.

 

 Two reasons I love watching movies: costume and production design. Every single movie I watch, I am studying in detail the costumes each actor is wearing. While everyone is looking at the actors, I'm looking over and around the people at the sets and the props. "That's the coolest carpet or desk blotter" I will tell people and I always get the "you are so strange" look. LOL!

 

 To be completely honest, one of the reasons I didn't like the Hunger Games movie is the costume and production design. Hated it. The costumes were over designed strangeness and looked cheap on screen. If a movie doesn't look amazing to me, I just become uninterested in watching it.

 

 Model of  what Blackbeard's pirate ship Queen Anne's Revenge might have looked like. Info next pic.

 

This exhibit was one on the most informative and balanced view of slavery and civil rights I have ever seen in a museum. I really enjoyed walking through the beautifully rendered displays and thoughtful written information about each exhibit. 

I had a wonderful time visiting the Museum of History. There was no charge for the exhibits. Beautiful building inside and gorgeous architecture outside. The gift show has a wide range of gifts from inexpensive North Carolina souvenirs to very expensive handmade jewelry. 

Other pictures from my day trip to Raleigh are here. Enjoy.

Thank you for reading!