Hello again, Heritage

April is such a magical month in the Lowcountry. For me, it means I can plant my herb garden, get my deck ready and feel the warmth of the sun again. But most of all,  it means Heritage! And as always, Hilton Head Monthly heralds the tournament with a special issue dedicated to all facets of the island’s biggest event. For us locals, it’s fun to spend a weekend under the national spotlight, surrounded by celebrities, cameras and excitement. I’m not a golfer all, but the tournament is still the highlight of my year. Ask most residents and they will say the same thing.

It’s easy being green

At last the signs of spring are here! I’ve been here in the South for 24 years, and this has easily been the worst winter I’ve ever experienced. Don’t get me wrong: I love winter, and I love sitting by the fireplace at night to relax. But this winter I had to make a fire every evening just to stay warm.

Still, the signs of spring are definitely here. In years past our March issue has celebrated the onset of this glorious season, but in 2010 we introduced our first “Green Issue,” which was such a hit that we brought the idea back and included even more green stuff.

Hello, lovebirds

In preparing for our annual February love/bridal issue, we found ourselves wondering what effect the current economy would have on the local bridal industry. But as we pulled together our editorial and began talking to local vendors, one thing became evident: Even in down times, brides still want gorgeous weddings.

Our 14th January spotlighting the intriguing

It’s our 14th time opening the year with the Intriguing People issue — and it’s a little hard to believe that we haven’t featured everyone who lives here by now! To this day I am amazed at the sheer number of people with incredible backgrounds, talents and interests who choose to make the Lowcountry their home. And this year is no exception: Wait until you read about Chris Garniewicz, the fire captain on the cover who, when he’s not out keeping the county safe, sews tutus designed by his wife, Lara. Only on Hilton Head!

‘Nutcracker,’ Taste of the Season herald the holidays on Hilton Head

What could be a better way to kick off the holiday season than celebrating the Hilton Head Dance Theatre’s silver anniversary? If you’ve been around here for a while, you probably have some history with this island institution. I remember taking my kids to see “The Nutcracker” when it was performed at Dunnagan’s Alley, before it moved to its home at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. And I remain impressed that even in hard times, the HHDT is still kicking and able to celebrate this very special anniversary (see page 42).

In this issue: Meet the mayoral candidates, preview the Concours and visit gorgeous homes

Despite all the work involved with interviewing and photographing seven mayoral candidates (and six aspiring new Town Council members), and despite containing a giant picture of a wolf spider, our October issue was simply a blast to put together, and if you flip through the book I think you’ll see why.

Fall at Monthly: Big plans, big changes

I love the fall. It’s such a great time to be in the Lowcountry, which is why we traditionally theme our September issue the City Guide and offer a guided tour of the people, places and natural beauty of our island. But this issue is doubly exciting because it marks the debut of Monthly’s new editor, Jeff Vrabel (he says hi on page 14), and art director,  Jeremy Swartz, whose face might not appear but whose work graces every page.

Who adopts whom?

It was Dec. 31, 2006, when we decided to get a kitty from the Hilton Head Humane Association.

We had Addi, our Golden Retriever, and Brock (a former pound dog), and thought a kitty would be a nice addition. My husband, David, was not a cat fan but agreed it would be okay. Ashley, my oldest daughter and a huge animal lover,  was so excited, we left early that morning on our quest for the perfect little kitty.

Time flies by

It’s hard to believe that I’m writing this column for our July issue.

Where is the time going? I told my daughters that I have a theory that the world is turning faster, thus the days, nights, weeks and months are much shorter. Although they agree that time does fly, they don’t buy into my theory. It truly does seem that as we grow older, we just blink and the season is gone.

Memories of summer fun

Like most of us, I fell in love with the Lowcountry as a child when we spent family vacations on Hilton Head. We started coming here sometime in the late ‘60s, and often stayed at Turtle Lane Cabannas in Sea Pines.

Upon arrival we would pull Spanish moss off an oak to proudly sport on our car antenna. Then we’d run to the lagoon to check out the alligators.