March 6, 2010

A chilly start today but we should be warming up into the 60s, almost to the 70s tomorrow. Another pretty day in the                            Lowcountry.

The new Obliquemagazine is out. I’ve got an article about the Stiletto Stampede inside. What a great concept. Everyone in the race, male and female, must wear spike heels. There’s also a costume contest for the runners. You won’t believe the get-ups these people run in. It’s all for a very good cause, the MUSC  Hospital. Brainchild of Cooper River Bridge Run race director, Julian Smith, the race is held on Houston Northcut and there are big money prizes. It’s next weekend and the kickoff to Charleston fashion Week.   

The pier at Folly Beach saw a nice sunrise this morning. No waves so the fishermen won’t have the surfers to contend with.  Nice weather for the Berkeley Flower Clubs show at Cypress Gardens this weekend. Starting the next two weeks the tourist/festival season pops wide open so get ready. Two big things to note this month. The 14th is spring your clock forward to Daylight Savings time and the traffic patterns for the 27th will be crazy because of the Cooper River Bridge Run.

March 5, 2010

We’re in the middle of a string of Carolina Bluebird days. It’s such a relief to see the sun and that endless blue sky. Plants are beginning to sprout and the dolphin are popping up in the creek. And people are showing up to shop for homes. I’ve been busy showing houses.

 We go to the gym pretty early. Crossing the connector can be  an eye opener as the sun comes up over the city. I snapped this as we were driving into town in the wee hours.

   

The BB+T Food and Wine Expo is in town and corks are popping on Marion Square. Thousands of folks are lining up to taste, sip and learn from some of the bright lights in the culinary world. 

But Charleston has some of the best cooks that can be found anywhere. Maybe those bright lights will learn a thing or two while they’re here.

The Lowcountry Today – March 3, 2010

Your Favorite RealtorIt’s a grey day today. Maybe March showers bring May flowers, but personally I could use a shot of sunshine. It would certainly help my disposition. I just got back from the gym. I love the way people are recycling their magazines to those of us on the thrifty side. With spring coming close I found an article saying that 19% more people are planting their fruits,herbs and vegetables this year over last. It also said that spending $70 on planting a food garden can yield $530 worth of produce per season.

With the trend of eating locally for freshness as well as community support, that certainly fits. But for those of us that don’t have the space, Making It Grow suggests that you go vertical. The tomato cages can be used for lots of other fruits and vegetables.

Those of us with not enough time can always support a community farm project. The produce my son got from his local farm was consistently excellent and a good variety each time. His sons enjoyed going out to the farm to pick it up too.

I just heard this morning that there’s a reason we feel like there’s not enough time in our lives. Each time there’s a large quake, the earth shifts on its north/south axis which effectively shortens our day by microseconds.  Makes as much sense as any other reason.

Red Buds on Tradd StreetI saw these red bud trees blooming downtown. Now there’s a more reliable harbinger of our spring than some animal in a hole in Pennsylvania. Red buds and tulip trees always come each year to let us know the wait is just about over.

What’s Happening in March

         We’re beginning to see the first hints of spring in the Lowcountry. It’s been an odd winter this year. How long since we had snow? Kids young and old enjoyed a brief flirtation with the white stuff. It didn’t stick around long enough to really get in the way, but the chance to build a snowman was one that very few folks could pass up. Remember Daylight Savings Time starts this month.     There’s a lot going on in March. The big blockbuster early this month is the BB&T Charleston Food + Wine Festival bringing together the best of the country’s chefs, authors and lots of incredible food and wine. It’s all happening the 4th-7th around Marion Square and benefitting  Louie’s Kids and Slow Food Charleston.     Fish Restaurant will be hosting their 100 Mile Dinners throughout the Festival. If you are more of a beer imbiber, you’ll want to ease up to Myrtle Beach for their Beer Fest on the 26th and 27th.     Alligator and Etoufee, anyone? Yes, it’s time for the Cajun Festival at James Island County Park on the 28th. Renofest Bluegrass Festival will be in Hartsville on the 26th. Now that’s a weekend even the kids will enjoy.

      It’s also time for the children’s favorite The Cat in the Hat as Dr Seuss never imagined. The Charleston Ballet brings the whole cast to life at the Black Box Theatre, 477 King St., on the 6th, 7th and 13th

      Dancing for clean water? The First Annual Water Ball will be on the 25th at the Aquarium. The Waterkeepers, a grass roots clean water movement, will host.

     Can’t get enough dancing? You can Shag on the Cooper at the Mt. P Pier on the 13th. Myrtle Beach will host the National Shag Championships the 11th-13th.

     The Moscow Festival Ballet, a combination of the Kirov and Bolshoi, will bring Sleeping Beauty to the Gaillard on the 8th while the Jitterbug will reign on the Yorktown on the 13th. The WWII Hanger Dance with guests in 40’s attire will honor the greatest generation. If you need to stretch out on the way, stop by the new Vibrant Living Yoga Studio in Ansonborough Square.     Who couldn’t use a laugh these days, especially a wickedly funny comedy. The Hat Ladies are sponsoring Five Women Wearing the Same Dress at the Footlight Players the 12th-28th.

     That surely won’t be the case when Charleston Fashion Week gears up for its fourth year. Local boutiques and emerging designers from the Southeast showcase their spring lines the 16th-20th.

     And right in the midst of fashion frenzy is St Patrick’s Day in all its green glory of parades and good old Irish fun on the 17th.

     If alpaca is you material of choice and you like your animals fleecy, visit the Palmetto Alpaca Classic Show on the 13th and 14th in North Augusta. But if you’re more partial to the strange and exotic, there’s a new inhabitant in the Backwater Swamp at the Aquarium. An albino alligator, one of fewer than 50 in the world, visits starting the 20th until mid May.

     Cypress Gardens is the site of the Berkeley Area Garden Clubs Spring Flower Show on the 6th and 7th. The public can bring their horticultural entries on the morning of the 5th. The SC Midlands Master Gardner Spring Symposium will be held in Columbia on March 18th.

     Looking for a free family event on the 26th-28th? Head to Summerville for “Flowertown Festival” held in Azalea Park.  This nationally acclaimed event is one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the SE Tourism Society. There’s a Hummingbird Festival in Wofford on the 19th and 20th.

     Beaufort will hold their Spring Tour of Homes in the historic Old Point neighborhood on the 19th while 20 plantations around Georgetown will be available to see during the Plantation Tour of Prince George Winyah Parish  on the 26th and 27th. Yes, it is definitely the beginning of the season in the Lowcountry. 

     The Moscow Festival Ballet, a combination of the Kirov and Bolshoi, will bring Sleeping Beauty to the Gaillard on the 8th while the Jitterbug will reign on the Yorktown on the 13th. The WWII Hanger Dance with guests in 40’s attire will honor the greatest generation. If you need to stretch out on the way, stop by the new Vibrant Living Yoga Studio in Ansonborough Square.     Who couldn’t use a laugh these days, especially a wickedly funny comedy. The Hat Ladies are sponsoring Five Women Wearing the Same Dress at the Footlight Players the 12th-28th.

     That surely won’t be the case when Charleston Fashion Week gears up for its fourth year. Local boutiques and emerging designers from the Southeast showcase their spring lines the 16th-20th.

     And right in the midst of fashion frenzy is St Patrick’s Day in all its green glory of parades and good old Irish fun on the 17th.

     If alpaca is you material of choice and you like your animals fleecy, visit the Palmetto Alpaca Classic Show on the 13th and 14th in North Augusta. But if you’re more partial to the strange and exotic, there’s a new inhabitant in the Backwater Swamp at the Aquarium. An albino alligator, one of fewer than 50 in the world, visits starting the 20th until mid May.

     Cypress Gardens is the site of the Berkeley Area Garden Clubs Spring Flower Show on the 6th and 7th. The public can bring their horticultural entries on the morning of the 5th. The SC Midlands Master Gardner Spring Symposium will be held in Columbia on March 18th.

     Looking for a free family event on the 26th-28th? Head to Summerville for “Flowertown Festival” held in Azalea Park.  This nationally acclaimed event is one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the SE Tourism Society. There’s a Hummingbird Festival in Wofford on the 19th and 20th.

     Beaufort will hold their Spring Tour of Homes in the historic Old Point neighborhood on the 19th while 20 plantations around Georgetown will be available to see during the Plantation Tour of Prince George Winyah Parish  on the 26th and 27th. Yes, it is definitely the beginning of the season in the Lowcountry. 

      A rare chance to visit one of Edisto Island’s most significant federal homes celebrates the 200th anniversary of the William Seabrook house. The Charleston Preservation Society fundraiser will be held on the 13th.

     March is the month to celebrate the architectural and landscape history of our home. The 63rd Annual Spring Festival of Houses and Gardens does just that. 150 of the city’s colonial and antebellum mansions and gardens are on display from the 18th to the 17th of April.

      Beginning the festival is the Charleston International Antiques Show with more than 30 of the country’s most prominent dealers with lots of period pieces to drool over on the19th-21st.

      The incredible American-made furniture collection of the Heyward Washington House will be showcased during the 18th century furniture tours on the18th-20th.

     On the 21st at 3pm the Circular Congregation Church will host “Jane Austen’s Music and Literary Society” with Chamber Music Charleston and the Actors Theater of S.C.

     Charleston Chamber Opera and the Gibbes will team up  for “Whistler’s Women- Songs Of a Life Well Traveled” on the 7th at 3pm in the rotunda to complement the exhibit.

      Cocktails for a Cause…Enjoy art, drinks and hors d’oeuvres at the Robert Lange Studio on the 12th to help the 2010 Women Build Project of Sea Island Habitat for Humanity.

     SC Maritime Foundation will host Spirit Night at the Love Me Again Clothing Shop at 183 Coming St on the 26th. Revamp your closet and support the Spirit of SC educational programs.

     My Sister’s House will benefit from the sales at Carolina Consigns on the 26th and 27th.

     For the equestrians in the house, it’s the Aiken Trials on the 13th, the 20th brings the Aiken Spring Steeplechase. Then on the 26th-28th the Aiken Horse Show will be held to benefit Hitchcock Woods, the largest urban forest in the country. 

     The Carolina Cup with steeplechase horse racing and elaborate tailgating parties will be held in Camden on the 27th.

March Energy Boosters

     The Palmetto Sportsman’s Classic– 300 exhibitors in Columbia 26-28th. It’s all about fishing, hunting and there’s even an outdoors show.     The Charleston Angler’s Spring Fling Fishing Expo celebrates their 10th anniversary in all 3 locations. Classes might just help you in the Spring National Championship Catfish Tourney at Santee Cooper-Manning on the 27 & 28th.     March means it is time to run in the Lowcountry…The Carolina First Reedy River Run in Greenville the 5th and 6th: March for Meals 5K at  Riverbanks on the 6th and the 7th brings the Clemson Off-Road Triathlon.     The Flowertown Festival 5K,10K or 1 mile is on the 13th.  Also on the 13th, Hilton Head hosts the Shamrock 5K and Greenville will present the Run for Thought.     The Stiletto Stampede puts the laughter into running on the 13th.  Houston Northcutt on Mt P is the venue. Costumes make the day!     You can Catch the Leprechaun on the 17th in Mt P. The 20th gives you a chance to compete in the Beaufort Twilight 8K/5K and Oyster Roast; the Electric City 5 Mile Run in Anderson; the Little River Bridge 8K/5K; or the Palmetto Swamp Fox Adventure Race in McClellanville with kayaking, biking and hiking.     The Race to the Rock: the President’s Race for the Library a sanctioned 5K at Clemson runs on the 27th. And our crowning glory, the 10K world class Cooper River Bridge Run on the 27th will depart Mt P on Coleman Blvd, cross the Ravenel Bridge and head downtown. The afternoon of the 26th the children run takes place at Hampton Park. There’s a festival at the finish. Plan your driving day accordingly.Remember to Spring those clocks forward at 2 am on the 14th!    

Looking into 2010…

  Things to look forward to in 2010: Check out Carnival Cruise Lines online for the Charleston cruises. Southeastern Wildlife Expo will be here February 12-14th.If you happen to find yourself at Middleton Plantation Stableyards, check out the new pair of Guinea Hogs, a rare and almost extinct breed. BB&T Charleston Food+Wine Festival celebrates its 5th year Mar.4-7th.New restaurants: Chef Brett McKee is heading up Highway 17. His new venue is called 17 North with an eclectic farm-to-plate fare.Cork, is now open in Park Circle’s Olde Village of North Charleston serving local foods with a French twist.Amen Street opened on East Bay serving wonderful seafood.The Gibbes Museum of Art, with its completely remodeled its Museum Store, will open its Lure of the Lowcountry exhibit on January 22nd.The Aisle Style: 150 years of Wedding Fashion has been so well-received, the Charleston Museum has opened its complimentary exhibit, Preciousness Preserved- Jewelry from antiquity to modern times.The King Street Streetscapes project begun in 1998 is finally finished and the sidewalks, curbing and underground utilities look great.Don’t forget the Marion Square New Years Eve family event from 4-10:30 pm. The alcohol-free event is fun for all ages. 

Christmas Music and Plays

       If it’s going to take a musical extravaganza or two to get you in the holiday mood, never fear. The Charleston Christmas Special at the Charleston Music Hall on St John St. will run from the 10th through the 20th. Twenty of the country’s best singers, dancers and musicians showcase a brand new 2 hour musical.     A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas brings together a cast of fifty in Charleston Stage’s adaptation at the Sottile Theatre from the 2nd to the 20th. The Footlight Players answer with The Sound of Music by Rogers & Hammerstein at 20 Queen St. the 4th through 20th. The Village Playhouse in Mt Pleasant brings us Shipwrecked-An Entertainment through the 19th, a chance for the whole family to roam the seas with Louie during the late 19th century. It’s good old fashioned story telling at its best. PURE Theatre presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Lance Hall on the grounds of the Circular Congregational Church. A fresh take on the movie classic, it’s set in a 1946 New York radio station.     And the season wouldn’t be complete without the Nutcracker Ballet at the Gaillard Auditorium on the 13th and 14th.     On the 22nd and 23rd, Actor’s Theatre of S.C. and Chamber Music Charleston return with the highly acclaimed Christmas memoir of the famous Welsh poet. Dylan Thomas’ Christmas in Wales will be performed at the Circular Congregational Church. 

Holiday Doings round Town

         New tours around town include one featuring the characters and locations of Pat Conroy’s latest book, “South of Broad.” It’s a 2 hour walking tour, professionally narrated leaving from the Mills House.      Firefly Distillery is offering tours and tastings on Wadmalaw Island. You can also visit the Irvin-House Vineyards and Winery at the same site.      Charleston Art Tours offers 2 hour walking tours led by professional artists.     Based on the popular pub tours in Europe, The Original Pub Tour of Charleston has arrived in the Holy City.     And finally, the Charleston Pirate tour leads explorers through the city. Don’t miss Capt. Bob the blue & gold macaw.       All month, the Nathanial Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House will be dressed for the season and ready to show off. On the 4th and 11th, you’re invited to a Christmas 1860 Candlelight Tour—The Story of Christmas Past at the Edmondston-Alston House at 21 East Battery. You can interact with the costumed interpreters as they tell the stories of Christmas in the 1860s. See the home lit as it was then from 6:30-8:30.          Drayton Hall’s Spirituals Concert will be on the 5th and 6th at 5:30 and an additional concert at 3pm on Sunday. On the 18th, from 6:30-8:30, Middleton Plantation will come alive by torchlight, candlelight and starlight as their costumed interpreters take you back to Christmas1782.  

Tis the Season

  We’re heading into a most stressful time of the year when we all want to Get IT Right: the right gift, the right decorations, the right dinner, the right clothes for this event and that.      We lose sight of the fact that no one cares what we put on the table as long as we serve a big portion of happiness just being in the company of friends and that time is the most valuable gift we can give. So relax and enjoy your friends and family this holiday season.     There’s plenty of opportunity to do just that in the Lowcountry in December. We may be as stuffed as the Thanksgiving bird, but an evening stroll at the James Island County Park Festival of Lights will still delight young and old. Over a half million lights along a 3 mile driving tour is just the beginning. There’s all sorts of magic waiting there, even a train so the everyone can see the sights. The lights are up through the 3rd of January.     Holiday fun is on tap in Downtown Charleston. Marion Square is the center of all the activities. There’s a 60 foot Christmas Tree of Lights, a Hanukkah Menorah and a Kwanza Kinari. Each will be lit in a ceremony at the appropriate time in December.      Our nautical holiday launches on the 5th with the Parade of Boats. Beginning along the Mt Pleasant side of the Harbor at 5pm and ending in the Ashley River about 7:30pm after proceeding down the Charleston side of the Cooper. Midway there’s a fireworks display shot from the Harbor. Anyone can enter and prizes will be awarded.     Just before the Parade of Boats, help Mayor Riley and Santa Light the Tree at Marion Square from 4-6:30. The Christmas Parade will be on the 6th Downtown 2-5pm. 

    Chanuka will be celebrated on the 13th from 4-6pm at Marion Square. Mt Pleasant’s 14th Annual Christmas Light Parade will begin at approximately 5:30pm on Coleman Blvd. on the 13th.

     Summerville has a full holiday calendar. The Holly Days will be held each Saturday with caroling to help get you in the festive spirit in Historic Downtown. The Christmas Parade will be held on Sunday the 13th from 2-4pm with a Southern Christmas theme.      Folly Beach has its crazy Christmas Parade with lots of local floats on the 19th at 1 pm. Remember you can’t get on or off of the beach during the parade. Prizes for Funky Folly, Beach theme and Golf cart and Alternative transportation will be given.       If you’re looking for holiday food fare the Woodlands is offering a Champagne and Sparkling Wine Gala on the 8th and the 12th. A wine tasting with over 12 wines and then a 4 course paired dinner will follow. There’s a Wine under the Oaks holiday wine, food and gift expo on the front lawn at Boone Hall on the 13th.      The 24th Annual Progressive Dinner is an annual tradition that takes diners by horse drawn carriage to 3 of historic establishments for the courses of a 4 course holiday meal until the 20th.     The award winning Charleston Farmers Market will wind up its Saturday season on the 19th. Great local produce and local crafts make it a perfect stop after 8am. 

Happy Fourth!!!

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