By Courtney O’Leary • aka Grace Smelly • #08 Taking a deep breath, I force myself to close my eyes and contain and control the growing nerves in the pit of my stomach. My palms are sweating and I swear my hands are trembling. I don’t get nervous often, but, right now, my entire body is humming with energy. My life as a stay-at-home mom in Mount Pleasant’s Old Village is a … [Read more...]
How Does Your Garden Grow? With a Team of East Cooper Residents
Life as a magazine writer and editor sometimes means imagining things in their prime that are still a little ways off. Take, for example, the day I visited the community garden at I'On on a January afternoon. It wasn't difficult to envision the mounds of dirt erupting for fresh vegetables and colorful flowers to burst forth, but for that particular day I had to use my mind's … [Read more...]
A Ride to Remember
I cornered my black Toyota sedan into the scenic I’On community one Saturday afternoon in June. Among the precariously-parked Range Rovers and Mercedes’ driven by distracted moms, I noticed the golf carts. They were everywhere. After nearly getting lost, I eventually pulled behind what is known around the neighborhood as “the Rolls Royce of golf carts.” It’s actually a golf … [Read more...]
Small Movements, Big Ideas – Clay Rice’s Many Art Forms
Clay Rice, a popular artist who resides on the Isle of Palms, travels all over the United States to create silhouettes – and he can snip a profile in as little as one minute. “I began cutting silhouettes and traveling to share them with others in 1982,” he told me over lunch at Triangle in Mount Pleasant. “From there, I began working with department stores, boutiques and toy … [Read more...]
Have Yourself a Pleasant Little Christmas: Add These Ideas to Your List
If the kids are lucky, they’ll find goodies to cherish for a lifetime – or at least until the new year - under the tree. Even in a world driven by electronics, children create their own realm with unique toys. Skip the big box stores and shop local. For the mini-mogul in your family, invest in the Grocery Store/Lemonade Stand by Melissa and Doug. It offers the charm of … [Read more...]
Shooting Stars – Movie Filmed Locally – The Ripping
From May to November of 2011, in quiet residential areas and other spots around Mount Pleasant, a dedicated group of talented locals was gathering regularly, often at night, to exercise their craft. These filmmakers, actors and crew members met at locations including a Belle Hall neighborhood, houses in Park West and Hamlin Plantation, U.S. Highway 17 and Pitt Street … [Read more...]
Local Film Gets Distribution Deal
As announced on November 13, 2011, Mount Pleasant production company Reserve Productions' first film, “Documenting the Grey Man,” was signed to a distribution deal for North American DVD and digital distribution with Camp Motion Pictures/POP Cinema. The film was written and directed by Wayne Capps and produced by Matthew Slechter. “Documenting the Grey Man,” a feature … [Read more...]
Craft Beer Industry Growing in the Lowcountry
Of the more than 1,700 breweries in the United States, better than 95 percent are small, independent craft brewers known for their business innovation and their passion for brewing full-flavored beer. While overall U.S. beer sales were down 1 percent by volume in 2010, craft beer sales were up 11 percent. In fact, whether they know it or not, most Americans live within … [Read more...]