Winter: An Ode.

Today has been a cold one for Charleston, South Carolina. The high was 40 degrees and the low is 20. To those of you who live up North, it may not seem like much. But this particular winter has been so dang warm, it's pretty much a shock to all of us. Unfortunately, the weather will return to highs around 70 this weekend--which is par for the course this year, it seems.

As a southern gal, I've never had a big dose of "winter." Sure, we still get those three months that we CALL winter, but it's not the same. I suppose the fact that I've never really had much winter in my life explains why I sometimes pine for a real winter--wool socks and all. I don't particularly like snow ('cause it's wet, and cold and wet make a bad combo) but I do love the cold air. Oh, but believe me, I've had plenty of people tell me that if I lived in Vermont, I'd be hating life. That's probably true. But a Charleston cold snap? That I think I can deal with. Call me a fan of "Winter Lite" or "Yankee Autumn" if you'd like, but it's still more than what a few folks around me can handle!

I appear to often be alone in my love for brisk air, especially in the southern region. My sister shivers if the mercury dips below 50. My ex-boss would always exclaim "We need BEACH weather!" if there was a slight nip in the air.  Just about everyone I know would rather drink Pina Coladas beside a swimming pool year round, than experience four distinct seasons. So I decided to write this blog about my love for cooler weather. There are a number of things I appreciate about the season, including but not limited to: good hair days, oysters, creative fashion, cute socks, poignant novels, roaring fires, gooey marshmallows, beer you can't see through, and makeup that doesn't melt away.

But it's the mood of winter that I crave, even more so than the perks i just mentioned. Winter has always seemed like a reflective time; it's a time for writing, for planning and for figuring out the coming year. Spring is so progressive and action-packed, I need these weeks to daydream and ponder.

Don't you?

Resolution Accomplished!

It's not often that I can claim I finished a resolution the first week of January. (Heck, I usually forget about them altogether.) But this year, I actually made one that I was able to stick to.

I decided to buy subscriptions to three of the magazines that I buy every dang month. This might not sound like a big deal, but I gotta tell ya, I never subscribe to anything--I just pay cover prices! When you're a die-hard mag addict like I am, that gets expensive! Stupid, huh?

So, today I finally filled out those annoying card inserts that flutter everywhere when you're in the middle of reading an article, and placed them in the mailbox to be picked up. I'm super proud of myself.

It sure beats trying to lose fifteen pounds.

Two Thousand Twelve.

Happy New Year, Friends!

New Year's Eve was great fun. It started with amazingly beautiful weather, so Stefan and I took a bike ride around the James Island County Park. The park Christmas lights were having their last hurrah and we saw them one last time, late in the afternoon. We also spent time on the Fisherman's Dock by the marsh. So peaceful.

That night, we made the rounds. First, delicious local oysters at Bowen's Island. Then we headed to Folly Beach and saw the glamourous, sparkly pair of flip-flops that the City of Folly dropped on its NYE crowd. Just like Times Square, according to Genessa.

We finished the night with fireworks and hellos to our neighbors. Yesterday was lazy; today has consisted of cleaning and clearance shopping. I can't decide if I'm 100% ready to have a normal week this week, but it's coming whether I like it or not!

Here's to 2012...May we all follow our hearts.