Sunday! 2nd Sunday on King Street

It’s Restaurant Week in Charleston. Come downtown if you’re not already here, and savor the history, culture, cuisine and art that is King Street. Or shop… whatever. Smoosh your face into a flower by Sweet Jessamine or Vanessa.

Every Day is Cyber Day

Remember the lessons of the pandemic. Watch for the silver linings. Be thoughtful in your holiday gifting. Build back better.

1. Give books for the holidays!
2. Buy them from your local bookstore or Bookshop.org
3. Return to Step 1 until your list is complete!

Free Shipping today! Okay, that’s not “every” day, but it’s a great deal. All orders can be gift wrapped with a custom message on the card! The bookstore you select will receive the full profit margin from your purchase.

Now on to your favorite downtown holiday thing:

2-Hours Free Parking Downtown

Even homebound you have to clean up every once in a while. Here’s the place for all good smelling things and gifts and made-in-Charleston!

Old Whaling Co., now with three retail locations in downtown Charleston and a hefty online catalog as well. We love every single thing!

We love whimsy, happy go lucky, playful designs. This guy…

Davis Foster Designs

Your child/grandchild happens to be an artist. Just ask Daniel Buchmeier, who’s Shmooka turns each child-crafted creation into forever art.

Shmooka

How cool is this… playing cards! Charleston’s queen of lowcountry sky, winding waterways, and colorful marshland, Blakely Little has added fun to her portfolio. Lowcountry Five Card Stud anyone?

Blakely Made

Literally PACKED with Charleston!

Charleston Magazine

Pieces of History: Charleston Nostalgia Reigns

Charleston Rice Beads

Rice has a long history in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Rice originally came to the United States in 1694, when a ship sailing from Madagascar was blown off course by a storm. 

Landing in Charleston for repairs, the captain expressed his gratitude by giving the governor of the colony a handful of rough rice grains. From this small amount, rice became a dominant commodity and export of the coastal rivers. 

Today, the shape and texture of rice beads symbolize Charleston's long and bountiful history from humble agricultural beginnings.

Like the sun setting over the water, Charleston's own Gold Creations continues to welcome locals, new visitors, and longtime client friends who return year-after-year for irreplaceable mementos of their time here, timeless pieces that add joy and meaning to milestone moments and the treasured gifts of kindness, laughter, and good stories.

Many captivating pieces can be found in Rick Reinert's Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden at 179-181 King Street. Whether you're looking for one of Rick's American impressionist paintings or one of Lorri Acott’s impressionistic figurative sculptures, The Garden is the place to find it. Or online, today.

Rick Reinert's many accolades include a cover story in Time Magazine in 2000, when his commitment to painting caught fire, and he began creating seven days a week, nine hours a day, establishing the unique and passionate style that he is known for today. One of America's most prolific painters, his work has won distinctions across the country. 

Acott's sculptures reside in private and public collections throughout the US and abroad. A favorite of collectors and critics alike, her work receives a powerful emotional response wherever it is placed. Above: Who Rescued Who?

Philanthropic Artist Fer Caggio has made coloring pages available for those of us who are feeling artsy and need a shove in the right direction. Creativity is frequently the way out of depression, boredom, ennui, and a host of other demons. "Clinical psychologists sometimes encourage patients to use artistic expression as a way to confront difficult feelings," Psychology Today.

Click here to select images and send them to your download cart free of charge.

Share your co-creations on social media, tagged #Icoloredwithfer. And more will come soon! Mine is at right. I've always had trouble staying inside the lines.

Fer Caggiano shows her work at Lowcountry Artists Gallery at 148 East Bay Street. Open by appointment 843-577-9295.

As it Turns Out, Soap is One of the Heroes

Charleston's own Old Whaling Co. soap has a gentle, creamy lather that is great for shaving, bathing, hands and faces. It is cleansing, moisturizing and lovely to use from hair to toes! The handcrafted soap bars are large, weighing around 5oz each.

Just a few examples are Coastal Calm, French Lavender, Oatmeal Milk & Honey, Seaberry & Rose Clay, Seaweed & Sea Salt. There are so many beautifully packaged, delicious smelling soaps available. The downtown store at 43 Broad Street downtown is temporarily shuttered, but their beautifully crafted, effective and affordable modern bath and body products, inspired by the sea, are available online, with free shipping over $40. 

One of our all-time favorites, Savannah Bee Company will have you finding every excuse possible to wash your hands, just so you can relish in the luxurious lather and fresh fragrance. Wash all you want because Savannah Bee hand soap is made with skin-softening pure honey, a gentle but highly effective cleanser and moisturizer.

The bottle says hand soap, but it's gentle enough for your face, Energizing lemongrass and cooling spearmint, sweet orange blossom, rosemary lavender, too. 276 King Street is closed for now, but order online here and these sweet smelling saviors will come to your door at discounted shipping rates.

When your hands are clean and you're looking for something to do, here's another hero, our public library, CCPL. Free audiobooks, free internet access in the parking lot, virtual programs for kids and adults, audiobooks, streaming music, magazines, TV and music.

You can get your library card online, and the app is free too! Click here for CCPL'S extensive learn-at-home program.

Berkeley County has a similar online library program, and here's Dorcester.

Here's to us! Keep clean, healthy and in touch.

All the News

It’s the first 2nd Sunday of 2020! Here are just a few of the things that will go on.