December 13, 2013

The Blog of the Week is... From Calling Cards to Pokes & Posts by Renae Brabham. This got us thinking a little differently about our birthdays, for sure.

"I prefer to have birthdays pass stealthily, like two ships in the night. Or do I? Why do I post my birthdate to Facebook (minus the year, of course)? Am I leaving an inconspicuous s-elfie... elf on the shelf… find me, claim me—because secretly, I don't want to pass into obscurity? Do I yearn for the childhood clarification of the daisy? He loves me... She loves me not. No, not really. For me, it is a yearning to keep an increasingly distant world closer. There are still people who like to wish glad tidings, Happy Birthdays and Thank Yous—and I am one of them. And receiving is not so bad either. It's like getting a mailbox full of cards or a bag full of Valentines. Subtle reminders that we can still reach out to each other in ways that are socially acceptable."

Speaking of spreading glad tidings, if you're like us, you're probably in the middle of gift-buying, well-wishing, and all sorts of mad holiday mayhem right now. And given we've hit the tail end of Buy Local Month—Lowcountry Local First's initiative to shift holiday spending to our local economy—it occurs to us that this weekend is a great opportunity.

Susan Lucas

Why not take a page from Renae's post and find ways to keep things real. As in, instead of dashing off gifts at the speed of light, maybe slow for a second. Look around. Think hard about all the goodies you've got right around you. It's part of the culture, right? Independent garden shops and stationery stores; local bakeries, wine shops, and toy stores; super-hot clothing boutiques... These are shops that you can't find anywhere else in the country. Because they're ours, part of our landscape, our communities. 

In other words, we do indeed love Charleston. Now, let's all SHOP like we love Charleston. See you out and about this weekend, folks! 

>> Unsure where to start? Click here for a list. Happy Shopping!