July 2025
On the HouseAgain I must say—I love my job. From digging into all aspects of life in Charleston while developing article ideas, to the puzzle-solving exercise of assembling them into an issue, to geeking out of over word usage, it’s all deeply satisfying. Even the nitty-gritty task of making copy fit the page brings me joy. As a curious (read: nosy) person, I especially enjoy scouting homes—meeting the owners and seeing how their personalities and experiences shine through their design and decor choices. And in my quarter century with the magazine, I’ve seen some amazing ones.
June 2025
Golden SeasonSummer is on the horizon, and I’m finding it hard to believe we’re almost halfway through 2025. As I’ve mentioned before, this is a big year for Charleston magazine—the big 5-0!—and in our annual Summer issue, the celebrations continue. This time, it’s the jam-packed “We Dig Summer!” list of 50 ideas for getting out and enjoying all the season has to offer (page 82). Frequent contributor Lauren Johnson did a bang-up job unearthing interesting experiences, including a wellness sailing excursion, cheese-making classes on a John’s Island goat farm, and staycations in geodesic domes.
May 2025
Chaos TheoryAt the start of this 50th anniversary year for the magazine, I shared with readers what a disaster my office is. Well, here’s proof (right). There are quite literally decades of issues pulled from my archives, either stacked, tagged, or strewn about the floor in the kind of organized chaos that only an editor can claim. There’s a method to the madness, I can assure you. But first, I must thank my neatnik husband, Wally, for enduring months of this mess.
April 2025
Planting a SeedMany, many moons ago, I fancied myself a hobbyist gardener. Back then, I tilled and nourished silty soil, planted beds, separated bulbs, nurtured tomatoes, and even grew a 10-foot avocado tree from a pit! I also dreamed of transforming my sandy beach of a front yard into an Eden, like the many gorgeous green spaces we have featured in the magazine over the decades—from Sullivan’s Island to West Ashley, downtown, and back again—gleaning ideas from each.
March 2025
Spring AheadAs we put the finishing touches on this issue, the sun’s shining in a baby-blue sky, and temps are warming. Hallelujah! It’s a welcome reprieve from our uncommonly frigid and gray January and a harbinger for beautiful spring days ahead. For me, March always marks a return of the city’s vibrancy with its plethora of events and celebrations—Charleston Wine + Food (March 5-9), Historic Charleston Foundation’s expansive Charleston Festival (March 13- April 13), and the many home and garden tours—luring me from hibernation to get out and explore.
February 2025
Shell, Yeah!When it comes to oysters, there’s not a whole lot of wiggle room—people either love them or hate them. I’m happy to report I’m from “Camp Love ’em!”—whether they’re roasted, fried, smoked, broiled, or (my personal favorite) chilled and briny on the half shell.
January 2025
Golden YearY’all should see my office right now. It’s the kind of chaos only a half-century of content could create. You read that right; Charleston, “the city magazine since 1975,” is turning the big 5-0 this year! For many months, I have been flipping through my archive of back issues, from the very first in August 1975—with its watercolor of the French Huguenot Church by Virginia Fouche Bolton on the cover (below)—and through the decades. So you can imagine the piles of magazines, dog-eared and sticky-noted, that surround me.