Just Desserts

Warning: If you are ever given a week to plan and execute a home made gingerbread house, think twice before attempting it. That is just what happened the other week with Habitat for Humanity. We found out about a gingerbread contest going on at the Woodlands Inn Resort and the prize was too good to be passed up, worth about $3,000. The challenge was to create a gingerbread house that related to your business or organization. All materials needed to be edible on a 2x2 ft. board. For a prize that good no one was going to get away with a store bought kit and win. An extra challenge for us was that none of us had any experience making gingerbread or assembling a house with it.

We met to brainstorm our design and I did online research for tips and tricks. The easiest thing we could think of was making a replica of a Habitat built home, with little gingerbread people as workers dressing it up for the holidays. One of our volunteers took it upon herself to bake the gingerbread at home, the day after Thanksgiving. God Bless her. So a day to bake, the next day it was assembled with royal icing. It's more tricky than it sounds, the icing consistency takes some trial and error. Also we didn't attempt it because of the time constraint, but if we had wanted to use icing to decorate the sides of the house, that would've had to be done before putting the walls up. On the third day, six of us gathered to help decorate. Since we were on a budget we all emptied our pantries of leftover candy, crackers, even spices and loose tea.

The hardest part was getting started, the vast expanse of brown bread was intimidating. What if we screwed up? Two ladies decided to be in charge of making trees and shrubs for the yard. After some thought, I grabbed a box of WheatThins and began tiling the roof. What we discovered is that a multitude of sins can be corrected with the creative placement of candy. Our most interesting ingrediant by far, was Asian Shrimp Chips, used on the front porch roof.  The red and green colors were perfect.  Five hours later, we had the majority done. My back was killing me from standing and bending over. There was something lacking though, we had to brighten it up another way. We called it a day and decided to finish the next.

It was one of our volunteers young daughter who came up with the idea of making Christmas lights with a strand of Twizzler and small pieces of balled up fruit roll-up attached. Brilliant! It was just what we needed to complete our traditional look. A child's creativity will always trump an adult.

We delivered our entry with fanfare as the Inn's employees oohed and ahhed. The competition was stiff, some houses were professionally done. In the end we came in third, behind two other companies who had pros on their side. That's okay though, the Woodlands is a huge supporter of Habitat and promised to change things up next year. All entries will have to donate to Habitat! How's that for Just Desserts? :-)

Feast of Festivals

'Tis the season... no not Christmas, although retail stores will argue that. It's the season of festivals here in the Charleston area. The ideal weather during October/November encourages a different festival nearly every weekend to keep things interesting. Certainly does not help the waist line since many of them are food focused, but the temptation is too strong. Recently we've attended several major fairs that offered good times and good eats.

First up was the Taste of Charleston that took place at Boone Hall Plantation. A lovely location, and my first opportunity to see a cotton plant up close! This event is very popular and you can taste some really delicious high end food without the high bill. Food tickets are $2 each and generally you need about ten or twelve tickets a person since most restaurants charge three or four tickets a taste. I enjoyed an excellent crab cake from 82 Queen definitely my favorite of the day. I also tried the Shrimp Spring Rolls from the American Culinary Federation, and a Gyro from North Towne Grill & Seafood. Bringing your own seating is advised if you want to chill a while and listen to the live bands.

 

Next up was the Carolina Fair that goes on for two weeks in October. It's the largest fair in the area, well over 200,000 people attend every year. It is quite large, but I have been to bigger. Still we enjoyed the usual naughty fried fair food. Funny Northern/Southern terminology difference...Down here Fried Dough is called Elephant Ears. I had never heard it called that before. It is appropriate, they are definitely the size of an Elephant's ear. Remember when those used to be cheap food? Not anymore, $6.00 each! The profit margin must be insane. A slice of pizza which is less calories and much more nutritious costs less. Oh well, where else are you going to eat fried dough? The highlight of my night was getting up the courage to ride the mechanical bull! That's about the only ride I can handle since I have a roller coaster phobia. It's pretty bad, I've never been down hill skiing simply because there is no way I will get on a lift after reaching the bottom. The bull was fun, and I did pretty well, only fell in the last second.

The highlight of my husband's evening that night was when we were walking through the vendor booths. We looked at a terrific WWII collection display this gentleman had out with several personal items from when his uncle served and died in battle. Clayton is fascinated by WWII and we spent a good half hour chatting with Eugene Lundgrin about his collection and going through his picture album of places he's been. It was refreshing because he wasn't trying to sell anything like everyone else.

One more event I went to was the Cupcake Camp that took place at the Aloft Hotel lobby in North Charleston. This was a really unique idea someone put together and the best part was that it was completely free! The concept is for bakers of all kinds to come together and share their best creations to all and be placed in the running for Best Cupcake in one of three catergories. It could be any at home baker or professional pastry chefs. Since I have a major sweet tooth I could not pass this event up.

Aloft is a cool location, designed to look like an industrial loft, with a sunken bar that had changing LED lights embedded on the top. All that was very cool, however the space was not big enough to accommodate the crowd that showed up. I waited in line for half an hour before reaching the table of cakes. Also because many bakers entered, the table had an ever changing line up of cakes. There was no way anyone could have tried all of them, and who could have the appetite for that? I did not envy the judges. I tried five cupcakes and the only one that I really enjoyed was the Margarita Cupcake. The lime flavored cake was moist and scrumptious. Decorated on top with green and clear sugar to resemble a salt rim, and a candied lime wedge. Unfortunately, I could only eat 3 full cakes and a couple bites of two others. I was stuffed and riding a sugar high and could not imagine trying any others. One entry I saw on the judges table made me want to hurl what I just ate....shrimp on a cupcake?! Barf.

Winners were Amatuer Division: Corinne Citrolo's Vegan Raspberry Tiramisu; Best Decorated (Best in Show); Most Unique Ingredients: Bill Stewart from Spirit Moves Studio with "West Popular Pamplona Passion" Cupcakes; Best Charleston Theme: Nikki Riley with "A Charleston Bloom" Cupcakes. Professional Division: Allison Galentine from Caviar & Bananas, Best Decorated (Best in Show), "Pecan Pie Charleston" Cupcakes; Most Unique Ingredients: Brenda Hill from Peach Tree Bakery with "Chocolate Peanut Butter" Cupcakes; Best Charleston Theme: Cindy F. Baker from Franchesca's Custom Cakes with "Sweet Welcomes" Cupcakes. Hopefully next year's venue is much bigger so we're all not on top of each other.

As if that was not enough for festivals I know of several through the winter. Oyster season is starting and of course Oyster roasts are very popular. I am actually on the planning committee for Dorchester Habitat for Humanity's River Roast. I'm not an oyster fan myself, but there's always chili and other options available. I'll just have to work it off in the gym later!

Making a Difference

Summerville is more than historic places, excellent restaurants and unique shops. Certainly, that helps quite a bit and one of the reasons I moved here. Summerville is more than that though, it's about the people here. Whether they are born and raised lowcountry or transplants like myself, something about this place makes people friendlier, more generous and considerate.

Volunteering is something I had wanted to get involved in up north, but something held me back. It wasn't just that I was working full time either, there was a lack of spirit in the area we lived in. It's hard to put your finger on. The change in atmosphere here was what I needed to fully commit to putting my skills and time to use at Dorchester Habitat for Humanity.

After speaking with Terry Epps the Volunteer Coordinator at DHH about what I could offer, I was welcomed with open arms and immediately asked to join the Special Events and Public Relations Committees. Our objective is to plan, advertise and execute fundraising events to help realize the dream of home ownership for one deserving family at a time.

My first event was the Fall Festival that took place October 16th, at the Flowertown Garden Center. DHH was lucky enough when owner Paul Moore and employee Charlene Sharkey contacted them with the idea for this event. Flowertown Garden Center welcomed families for the day to check out the plants and garden accents but also had a number of activities for kids to enjoy, while the proceeds went to DHH. The big hit was the Batman bounce house, Flowertown provided. Watching kids run and hurriedly take off their shoes to hop in always brings a smile to my face and a little ache for my own childhood.  Children also had fun at the face painting, and pumpkin painting tables in addition to the hot dogs and baked goods DHH provided. In total Flowertown Garden helped us raise $400 which will go towards the current house being built.
 
The Garden Center has a very unique vibe to it's atmosphere.  The plants are set up in meandering paths, with pergolas overhead, lovely garden benches and statuary tucked in, perhaps next to a water feature.  It's more like walking through someone's backyard garden, so different than the utilitarian aisles of the big box stores.  I was definitely tempted and yearned for my own yard to plan and create.  Several DHH members left with beautiful hanging pots of mums and hay bales for fall decor. 

It is so satisfying to see efforts come to fruition with a terrific bunch of warm-hearted people. The spirit of giving is alive and well in Summerville.  I feel it all the time and can now say I'm a part of it.

Friday Night Lights

South Carolina does not have any professional sports teams, which may explain why high school and college teams are so crazy popular here. Last month we were driving through town which was jammed with traffic and people parking in every available area. Crowds of people were walking in one direction, and our curiosity was peaked. We followed the trail of people and cars. Was it a fair I hadn't heard about? A live performance in the park? A zombie outbreak? Nope, the trail ended at a medium sized stadium, people were cramming in for a high school football game! And they were paying $8 to get in!

This is pretty much unheard of in the Northeast. High school games up north are generally only attended by parents of players, some schoolmates, and a few diehard alums. The games are always free. Well, this Friday we had to see what all the hubbub was about and decided to go see the game.

The Summerville High School's The Green Wave team has a long a winning history, as I found out from our ticket booth lady. Coach John McKissick is a vertiable legend throughout the region, and is the nation's most winningest high school coach, a title he has held since 1986. He has been coaching Summerville since 1952, and is still at it, proving age is more than a number. The stadium is named for him, as is another one in North Carolina. Folks here are mighty proud of that and it shows. The players arrived with a police escort! The game we attended was against West Ashley. I struck up conversation with the gentleman behind us, and he filled me in on some of the history. Apparently, every school wants to play the Green Wave, because if you beat us, it's something to put in your scrapbook.

You could tell Summerville was the superior team right from the warm ups. The home team was sharper, quicker on their feet, a testimony to synchronization as one unit. A small chill of awe shivered down my arms. My instinct was true, once the game started Summerville scored on the second play! West Ashley gave up the first quarter 28-0. They only managed one touch down towards the end of the game. Summerville ran away with it. There's room for improvement of course, we fumbled quite a few balls, and there were two interceptions. Thankfully, the defense squashed out the threats.

Even when Coach McKissick fully retires his son will be there to take the reigns, as well as several of his best players from the 80's who are now assistant coaches. Perhaps the north ought to take note of the system here. With spectators paying to attend, the football team, band, cheerleaders and exchange club all are well funded without having to worry about a hand out from the state. They are able to afford a terrific stadium, and excellent coaches to help them succeed. If my high school had such a great team and facilities I'm sure I would have been a better supporter. Although I have to say it, the Green Wave as a mascot, is pretty ridiculous. There's a silly smiley face in the middle of the costume, not exactly striking fear in our challengers hearts. It's a laugh though. Sorry to say my camera is not up to action shots, so I couldn't provide some visual candy this time. I'll have to remember to bring my video camera next time.

Third Thursday's

Another great summertime activity in this area is a once a month mini-festival in Historic downtown Summerville called Third Thursday's. Every third Thursday during the summer/fall months the shops stay open late till 8pm, there are two or three bands playing in different areas, an art show with local artists and crafters, as well as an antique car show. It's a wonderfully relaxing and social experience. The Art Walk takes place on Short Central Ave. a street that oozes charm and grace. The street is set with brick in a herringbone pattern, probably original. Since the street is closed to traffic there are tables outside for the restaurants. Unique and fun shops line each side, two of them had just opened this week. The Candy Bar, a welcomed candy store, and Four Green Fields, a local artisans shop.

We chose a table and had dinner at The Eclectic Chef, while our pooch Katey soaked in the constant attention from passing families. The Eclectic Chef is a great lunch or dinner spot serving, salads, paninis and other sandwiches, but also gourmet-to-go dishes that you can take home if, like me, you sometimes can't come up with the motivation to cook. A little further down the street there is also an Italian restaurant, I haven't yet sampled, as well as an Irish Pub.

My favorite shop is called Marigolds, which is a virtual treasure trove of gorgeous antiques, vintage dishes, accessories, even cabinet pulls. It's the kind of store you take at least a half hour to make sure you haven't missed a corner or sparkly bauble. It makes me itch to buy the house we want, apartment life really cramps my style.

Supporting local businesses is what it's all about, and it's just an excellent opportunity to get the family or just yourself out of the house. Strolling along and striking up conversation with business owners or neighbors is always entertaining as well as a way to glean the community gossip! Get out there!

Strikes

Well it can't all be wine and roses here. There have been a few places we've been to so far that have decidedly not been worth our money. Although I approach everywhere and everyone with a positive attitude, sometimes pointing out the negative is necessary, if only to save someone else a bad experience. There are three restaurants that do not have my pineapple approval.

• Hibachi Fusion, Ladson Rd. Summerville, SC

The other weekend I was dying for hibachi. I did a quick search online to see what we had close to us. Off we went to another end of town we hadn't been to yet. Now as we all know, hibachi style restaurants ought to be entertainment as well as delicious stir fried awesomeness. Sadly, Hibachi Fusion is none of those things. By the time we got there, it was too late to scout out somewhere else to go. It's location could be ideal for this type of restaurant, it's next to a movie theater and residential apartments. However, this place seems to be a converted plain old Chinese restaurant. There's absolutely no atmosphere. The grill, that should be the main feature is tucked away in the back, you can't even watch your food being made, which is the whole point of Hibachi!! We ordered two bowls, one rice and beef and one shrimp and rice. Ho hum. You can bet the shrimp is frozen. I have a good imagination for re-purposing spaces, and as I ate I thought of how it could be overhauled to be a true hibachi experience. Step one, clear out all the tables, and tacky Chinese décor. Step two, build the grill in a square shape with seating all around. Step three, get rid of the grill in back, put the drink area, and cash register there. Step four, bring in natural Japanese zen décor. Of course there's the small matter of menu refinement and hiring chefs with personality. If they have any hope of staying in business they should consider it.

• El Rosarito, N. Cedar St. Summerville, SC

We went here on a recommendation from another local who said it was great cheap mexican. Well, they were only half right, it was cheap. We were the only ones there during the dinner hour, that should have been a strong sign to leave. This place had lots of personality, maybe too much, every wall has a different wall mural. We ordered the taco and enchilda combo. Unfortunately, the enchilda tasted like cardboard, and the sauce was barely more flavorful. The taco meat seemed to completely lack any seasoning. Where was the zip of cumin and chili powder? The tacos at Taco Bell are better! I drenched everything with the homemade salsa (pureed tomatos and onion and not much else) and made the best of it. Take my advice and go to Margarita's on N. Main St. instead. It's probably where everyone else was that night.

• Saffron's Cafe and Bakery, East Bay St. Charleston, SC

This weekend we left Libery Square after getting off the Fort Sumter ferry. The National Monument was terrific, why couldn't history have been this interesting in school? At any rate, it was closing on 2:30pm and we hadn't had lunch yet. Saffron's is a short walk from the dock. I had actually heard good things about this place, but the food and service was very inconsistent. We had a total of four waitresses. With all that service you would think getting our order in quickly would have been easy. Not so. The hostess seated us, another girl took our drink orders but not food. The waitress that was supposed to take our order was too overwhelmed by the other tables even though it was not packed. After waiting 15 minutes the hostess had to come back and take the order. I went for the She-Crab soup with a grilled cheese, my husband ordered a Chicken Gyro. The simple fare should have taken a short time to come out, but we waited at least 20 minutes. I saw a couple people who ordered after us, get their food first. The soup was pretty good, although I must admit it's my first time trying She-Crab soup so I have no basis to judge on. There were a few pieces of shell I encountered. I give benefit of the doubt on this though as I imagine its very difficult to de-shell all the crab needed for a soup. Other food critics would tear them apart for it though. The grilled cheese was nothing special, needed more cheese and the edges were really dried out. Clayton did not enjoy the gyro, because the chicken and pita were very chewy. The pita was not the traditional soft flexible wrap. It was thinner than usual and really took a lot of effort to chew.

I would say if you go here, go only for the desserts which are all tantalizingly displayed in front. I tried an eclair, my favorite type of pastry. Although, again I was plagued by a slightly negative experience again. I specifically asked the waitress if the eclair was custard or cream filled. I am very partial to yellow Italian custard and not the whipped cream filling. She assured me it was custard. I ordered it to go, to have later that evening. Sure enough when I cut into it later that day it was cream filled!! Argh! I wanted to run back there and throw it at their window. Is it too much to ask that people serving food be well informed on it's ingredients?


Well that's three strikes by my book. Try them only if you're desperate. Cheers!

Isle of Palms

Took another drive to the beach this past weekend, this time to the Isle of Palms. It's a bit further out than Folly Beach, but not inconveniently so. A very different atmosphere than Folly Beach....a good description would be upscale minus the snootiness. Beach houses line the coast of course, and there seems to be a contest of who has the brightest house. Pink, yellow and lime green most stand out but it's charming in that Caribbean way. We especially appreciated the very civil parking system. You can either park in the county park lot for $7 for the day or continue on to the Public Parking area that is metered, $1 per hour. We've usually had our fill in 3 or 4 hours.

Had to cut the actual beach time a little short this time, it was a very windy day and the sand blew on us the whole time. I felt like a powdered doughnut with none of the pleasantness. The beach itself is not as wide as others. The waves are a little more aggressive here, not sure if that is the usual. Parents should keep a sharp eye on their kids though. We saw one child get swept up by a large wave and was being pulled away, but luckily a surfer saw it happen and scooped him up. Phew!

There are beach volleyball nets that seem to be very well maintained, great for a pick up game. You can also rent bikes, umbrellas, etc. at a local shop. Not to be missed is the Windjammer bar which has a killer deck over looking the beach, a great place to chill and sip your Corona. They also have a variety of live music every Friday and Saturday night. All in all worth the trip!
 

 
 
 
 
 
I want the green one!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Summerville Perks

One of the best parts of living in Summerville, is it's adorable and historical downtown area. I find myself down there at least a few times a week. In addition to the variety of unique shops, there are several well attended restaurants all in about a two block radius.

One thing that caught us by surprise when we moved down here is that the price of food is as high or higher than the Northeast. That's why I was so happy to hear that Summerville has a Farmers Market every Saturday starting in the spring till late fall, from 8am to noon, right behind the town hall. With $20 I am able to buy all of my fresh fruits and vegtables for the week, a loaf of organic bread, eggs, cheese and homemade dog biscuits for my faithful hound, Katey. Everything there is sold tax free and wholesale...what a bargain! There are also several local crafters present, which is nice if you want to splurge a bit. The downtown farmers market is well established for many popular years and sometimes the vendors change over. I hear there's a very long waiting list if you want a booth.

However, the market is more than just a place to buy your produce for the week, it's an entire social scene unto itself. It's an excellent way to meet and catch up with your neighbors. Last week I brought Katey and was instantly the hit of the hour. It's amazing how a cute and friendly dog raises your social standing. We talked and introduced ourselves to everyone. I think it's safe to say we'll be a big supporter of the local farmers for years to come.

Can I get an Amen!

My mother in law was a real trooper and shared the drive with me when I moved down here. Thank God, the drive down 95 is a real snore. She stayed with us a few days, and her and I took in a bit of downtown Charleston. Her one request was to have a really good seafood dinner. Well, nearly every restaurant downtown has seafood, but we had no recommendation to go on what was worth it.

As the dinner hour approached we found ourselves taking in the Charleston Place Hotel shops and it's very classy lobby. Now having worked in hospitality for many years I knew the Concierge would be able to make an excellent recommendation for a seafood restaurant. I approached Rick at the Concierge desk working the evening shift and told him we were looking for the best casual seafood place nearby. Rick's advice was a restaurant called Amen Street Fish and Raw Bar on East Bay St. A little known tip...although lots of casual restaurants do not take reservations, including Amen, they will make exceptions for Charleston Place Hotel guests. Score!

Fifteen minutes later we found ourselves seated in a cozy nook. You can feel the history emanating from the aged bricks. The décor stays true to the architecture of the historical building, with a few surprises, like the chandeliers made from oyster shells. Service was friendly and efficient and we cooled off with some iced beverages to start.

We ordered the Jumbo Crispy Calamari as well as the Shrimp and Vegetable Spring Rolls for appetizers. Both were delicious, I found myself scraping the plate from the spring rolls, cleverly shaped as triangles and served with hoisin sauce, sriracha, and lemon aioli. For entrees my mother in law chose the Peel and Eat Shrimp, my husband ordered the special Seared Tuna, and I got the Lump Crab Cake with a side of green beans. We all shared some of our plates with each other, which made for a varied and fun dinner. The crab cake was very well done, with nice chunks of fresh meat. I especially enjoyed the green beans, which were seasoned and cooked to perfection, just a hint of snap when you bit in.

Normally, I don't have room for dessert, but the offerings were so tasty sounding we had to sample. Executive Chef Todd Garrison sent us a sample plate of the Chocolate Mousse, the Strawberry Shortcake and my husband's favorite Key Lime Pie. We didn't leave a crumb on the plate.

If you find yourself near The Market and hungry for lunch or dinner, give Amen Street a try. It definitely made my favorites list.

Secret Garden

So one of the negatives of living in an apartment again, is having a big dog that needs room to run. Katey, our sociable collie mix has been taking the change mostly in stride, proving to us again what a terrific pooch she is. However, I know being reigned in on leash everywhere sucks for her, and she actually gained two pounds since being here! That's a lot for a dog. The woods here are not the friendly kind you can easily walk through like in New England. It's dense and jungle like. Visions of creepy crawly things dance in my head. Hell no. Not to mention any body of water that's not the ocean probably has alligators waiting to pounce.

So, we are motivated to check out all open spaces near us that we can take her to. I had spotted one of the schools nearby that had a big grassy area, so we got up early the other morning and took Katey there. That's great, but school's about to start again, and that spot won't be an option anymore. As we were headed back home, all of a sudden my husband exclaims “What's that?!” and points to an area I hadn't really noticed before or dismissed as some rich person's yard. He insists I pull over to investigate. Sure enough, he was right, it was a park almost hidden from the main road, access to the parking lot is actually on a side street.

Azalea Park, as we discovered, is a secret garden with shady winding paths across 16 acres. Around every corner is a surprise and beautiful areas to sit and reflect. There is a gazebo, with impatiens planted all around, that is apparently used for garden weddings. A little further on we came upon a reflection pond with a bronze sculpture of a crane. There are several sculptures in the park. The best part is since it was early, Katey was able to run free and chase any squirrels that unwisely crossed her path. We can't wait to see the park in full bloom come this spring. The pictures I took can not really convey the beauty and oasis like feel of walking through. Accidental discoveries like this are the best, and moments in life you really treasure.
 

Folly Beach

Sunday we took a drive to Folly Beach, just a quick hop over from downtown Charleston. We arrived around 11:45am and that seemed ideal, we snagged a sweet parking spot on the the side of W. Ashley rd. It saved us a little money, the beach parking area is $1 an hour, and the county park lot is $6 for the day. Some beach rules to be aware of, if you park on the street you must be completely off the pavement, or you will be ticketed. Stick with plastic bottles and cups while soaking up the rays, no aluminum or glass allowed.

The atmosphere was very relaxed, casual. Although it was naturally hot, the sea breeze made the afternoon very pleasant. Even better was the water, which had to be 85 degrees. There was a bit of a rip tide to be aware of, but that was mostly in the shallow end. We hit the Food Lion on the way for a cooler lunch. Is there anything better than cold fried chicken, while your toes are in the sand? I think not.

When you've gotten your fill of the sand, head down to Center St. and hit one of the many seafood restaurants or bars. We found some ice cream, and took a walk to the Fishing Pier...definitely the highlight of the day. Walking 1045 feet out into the Atlantic, and leaning on the rail while the breeze cools you off, we felt like we were on the deck of a cruise ship. There's a fishing contest in progress, and the fishermen abounded looking for anything between Trout and King Mackerel.

We skated out of there just before the rain. Can't wait to check out Edisto and Kiawah island next!
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Weather and other thoughts

I will never grow up. I can't help it, I'm over 30 and still love going into a candy shop and filling a bag with cheap sugary treats. That sense of awe and wonder can still hit me coming upon a colorful display. Honestly, just about every vacation we've ever been on, we'll find the candy shop and spend at least $20 between the two of us. We were coming out of the deli near us after dinner when a thunderstorm suddenly erupted. We ran into the nearest store which happened to be a candy/party store. 15 pieces for $1! How can you resist?! Doesn't matter that it's crap for me, I'll work it off some other way and pay whatever I need to at the dentist. Screw it, life's too short.


Speaking of the weather, let me give you a little lesson on what we've discovered about South Carolina weather. As you expect it's hot and humid, but unless you're a real winter lover, you really do get used to it. Plus, everywhere you are has central air. Average summer temp is 91 degrees or higher. We've been told to expect that well into October. Also, we get a thunderstorm here nearly every day. You can almost set your watch to it, right between 4 and 6 in the evening. According to the locals, it's not unusual to be wearing shorts for Christmas. For a summer girl at heart, that's music to my ears. I plan on cackling obnoxiously when “winter” really sets in and the locals start complaining how “cold” it is, or freaking out about the inch of snow we may get. When Clayton was interviewing for his position, the conversation steered towards winter here, and they said how last year was a “bad winter” cause they got 3 inches of snow. LOL!! That is adorable. Connecticut had received 2 feet of snow before the official winter solstice!

Stay tuned next week, for posts about Folly Beach, and what to expect for moving expenses. Have a great weekend!

Single Smile Cafe

I am currently sitting in my new favorite hangout, in the quaint downtown of Summerville, Single Smile Cafe. Located just over the train tracks off Rt. 17, this new coffee and tea house stole my heart the moment I walked in. The design and décor is a beautiful blend of classic Charleston architecture and modern display and furnishings. It is just the kind of place I was constantly wishing I had in Norwich, CT. I am an avid tea lover, and the selection here is quite good, I am currently enjoying a pot of Almond Biscotti black tea. It's as delicious as it sounds and really curbs the craving for something sweet.


The owner offers a daily tea service, a 12 oz. Pot is $2.50 and a 20 oz. Pot is $5.00. If you'd like dessert with that it is $12.88. Same prices apply for coffee lovers. The owners have done a very nice job with their window displays, showcasing tea service sets, table linens, and coffee/espresso paraphernalia. There is also an entire wall bookcase with magazines, newspapers and books to enjoy. Not to mention a small flat screen TV and DVD player with a few movies, and I assume can be used for an impromptu meeting. There is also free wi-fi.

Breakfast and lunch specials are offered as well and change daily. Examples include a Jimmy Dean sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich on a croissant or biscuit for $1.38, or for lunch, chicken salad on a croissant, served with a small salad and chips for $4.98.

All of their teas and coffee beans are available for purchase to enjoy at home. The only thing I would recommend to this new business is to make better signage detailing their tea selections, and dessert offerings. It can be a bit confusing and daunting to make a selection from the wall of coffee and tea on display. Stop in if you're in the area for a cuppa, and watch downtown Summerville life pass by from the huge windows. If you would like to plan a get together, or catering event you can contact the owner Dawn Keltz at 843-875-7745.

Sit a spell...

Enjoy a good book!

Sell it, baby!

You might have done some thinking on the timing of things and be wondering how it is we sold our house in CT so quickly, in this lagging and uncertain market? Well, I'll take this opportunity to give you my advice. A good motto is: Research, Preparation, and Negotiation. I'll start off by saying, our house was well cared for to begin with. We had done several improvements over the 7 years of owning and regularly maintained the bones of it.


First off, you must research who will be your selling realtor. Do not make the mistake of calling the closest or biggest agency and accepting the first agent you talk to. It helps if you have a recommendation or two from family or friends, but keep in mind what works for them doesn't always work for you. In my case, with the time crunch we were under, I gave myself a week to interview realtors. During that time I looked up and interviewed three realtors. A good website for a list of questions to ask is: http://homebuying.about.com/od/realestateagents/tp/Agentinterview.htm  Mainly, I was looking for someone who was an aggressive internet marketer, a proven track record of sales within %3 of list price, an excellent communicator, and just friendly and easy to get along with.

Now if you don't already know what houses in your area are selling for you can find this out easily, a great site is http://www.zillow.com/. It will detail your whole neighborhood and the current market value of every house. Of course, your realtor will also do this research and give you a recommendation on your starting list price. Listen to them. You must ask yourself what is more important to you...getting out or pride.

Next, you must prepare your house for showing buyers. I will admit I'm an addict of HGTV and there are a few shows on there that will show you what to do to make your house really stand out from your competition. The main concept is de-clutter, depersonalize (but not too much) and finish projects. We took two weekends to get the house ready. One weekend for painting, somehow although I loved the light lavender in the living room, it probably wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. Another weekend was devoted to packing up personal photos, clutter and thorough cleaning. Even if you're a neat person there is always something you can lose. Generally, buyers don't want to see your stuff and notoriously lack imagination on how to set up a room. So make sure all of your space is defined well, have a little color, and is clean. It is best to do this before your realtor shows up to take pictures for marketing. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, in your case it will be dollars.

Finally, when that offer comes in, be prepared to negotiate. Typically, if your house does not need any major renovation, a buyer will start off with an offer ten to fifteen below asking price. Don't be upset by this, its just a starting point and hopefully you can meet them in the middle. You can throw in appliances or furnishings in great condition as an extra incentive to get that buyer to agree paying a couple thousand extra. First time buyers especially appreciate this. Have your rock bottom price you'll accept in mind, and if there is a lot of back and forth you can end it by saying, that is your final offer. Be careful though, if you pull that bluff too soon, the buyer can just walk away. My final comment is regarding the home inspection. There's always something an inspector will find that the buyer will ask to be fixed or get money at closing to deal with themselves. For the small stuff, it is better to fix yourself or even hire a licensed contractor to do. We had a few minor electrical issues that were brought up. The buyer asked for a licensed electrician to fix it or two thousand off purchase price. It would've been ridiculous to adjust the purchase price when hiring an electrician only cost us $350.00 for a few hours of labor and parts.

Using this knowledge we were able to sell our house in just over a month. Our closing is today in fact!  Lucky for us attorneys can take care of the paperwork, and we don't have to physically be there. I expected to feel a sense of loss when selling, but I was so focused on packing and moving there was no time or energy left to mourn. I'm here now and excited for the future!

New Beginnings

So is it crazy that four months ago, I quit my job of 6 years and packed up my lovely little ranch starter home in Norwich CT and moved 800 miles to Charleston, SC? Where I have never even visited before, and have no family or friends? Some may think so, but I have longed to get out of Connecticut where I was born and raised and experience living somewhere else. College doesn't count. Secondly, my husband had been pretty unhappy with his previous job for quite a while. He was being run ragged, with hardly a day off and no relief in sight. There just weren't any other opportunities in his field where we were.

He was religiously surfing the job sites, and I had also started the habit of looking for him when I had time. So there I was just scrolling through careerbuilder, expecting the same ol'crap, when something jumped out at me. Oh my God, I said to myself, this is right up his alley! It was the College of Charleston, what the hell I thought, I've heard great things about the area. It was a long shot, what were the chances of them considering someone currently so far away?

As it turned out, pretty darn good.  Clayton, my husband, seemed to say all the right things and by the end of April it was official. It was time to dig up our roots and transplant! The pineapple is synonymous with welcome and hospitality and is a popular theme down here. Hence, The Pineapple Transplant!

My idea on this blog is to reflect on what it's like to start over in a place so different than New England, and also share my discoveries of the area for those that are visiting or thinking of moving this way as well. I have worked in hospitality for 9 years, and I am always excited to find those places to see or eat at that are worth it, whether it's on or off the beaten path. I hope my musings are entertaining and informative for you!