Hi, there. Christine here. I recently went on a trip to Charleston, SC, and Savannah, GA, with my sister and Mom. In both cities we had a great time exploring the historic districts, walking cobblestone streets, and enjoying fabulous foods like macaroni and cheese and collard greens (yum!).

We went to Charleston first, and took a walking tour of the city that really gave us a nice overview of buildings and the preservation movement to maintain them. In this city, they started saving old buildings in the 1920s, very early compared to most cities, and the mayor makes keeping the city clean and well kept a priority.

Next we went to Savannah, and I have to admit we were a little disappointed at first. They are still very much in the process of preserving and maintaining parts of their historic district (although the areas around the famous squares are beautiful). But the cool part about their current preservation movement is the involvement of the Savannah College of Art and Design. It seems like every large old building in the area has been renovated by SCAD and turned into part of their campus. It's great to see the impact that one organization can have on a city.

In one of the buildings we happened upon shopSCAD, a store of handcrafted items of the college's students, alumni and faculty. It was filled with funky jewelry, screen printed t-shirts, collages--really artwork of every sort.

You, too, can shopSCAD, without having to travel to Savannah (although, I do recommend it) by going to their online shop. Check it out!

Until next time,

Christine