Trips | The Southern Graduate

I recently got to visit the Mast General Store in the capital city with the boyfriend and the in-laws. I’ve heard a good bit about it, but never been in this particular store. I snapped away a boat-load of pictures just for you…Or for the boyfriend should he need any ideas for birthday gifts. ;)

Can you read what that jar is? It’s most definitely ComPOOst from the local zoo. From the elephant exhibit. So, yea… After seeing this beauty, I knew deep in my heart what a treat I was in for as I toured the rest of the Mast General Store.

I love all things Tervis Tumbler. I’m a hoarder of all things with a South Carolina flag on it. Thus, my loud squealing when I saw this cup. And, no, I did not buy it, but I will own it one of these days.

If I could sum up what I want my house to look like in one piece of fabric, it would be this napkin (the one on the right, although the other isn’t so bad). The blue and green are strikingly similar to my living room and bathroom paint colors, so I’m trying to see how I can build up the rest of my design around these colors. It’s my very own Sue the Napkin!

Hehehe…because every jar needs a bonnet. For a whopping $1.49, this could be yours to top any jar (it’s elastic, you see). I do love the south, but maybe I’m missing some vital component to storing items in my pantry.

I want a biscuit bowl. Not a premade one like this, but a real-older than my grandma-used one. The end.

Since we’re talking about all things southern, how would you like your very own Confederate States of America tie? No?!? But, it’s an illustrated history of the Civil War!

I guess a Declaration of Independence tie will have to do. In case you ever forget the words, you can always just look at your tie. Perfect!

I want to leave you with this beauty. It was not found at the general store, but at the shop next door. I’ll admit that it was the shine that caught my attention first. But, oh my. Did you notice the details on the tips? That’s high quality right there!

We’ve spent the past week on Hilton Head Island with my family, a necessary break from all that’s been going on here. It was nice to just get away from the normal everyday life worries and focus on relationships and having fun. I could write a week’s worth of posts about everything we did down there, but I’ll refrain. If you want more detailed information or recommendations, feel free to e-mail me and I’ll answer any questions you have.

We spent about 2 1/2 hours (4.5 miles) walking through a portion of the Pinckney Island Nature Preserve. We saw tons of animals and enjoyed the scenery immensely. I’d suggest visiting at high tide and touring on bikes, but doing it our way was fine as well.

We spent some time at Coligny Plaza, but I didn’t love it at all. It was a little too touristy and kitchy for me, so I enjoyed Harbour Town so much more. The shops were a bit nicer even though they were also catering to the tourists. Nearby, Salty Dog is an institution – one that can’t be missed if you’re in the area. I’d go for the shrimp and grits, personally.

Speaking of food, we stopped at One Hot Mama’s for supper one night, home of Orchid from Food Network Star. The food was phenomenal; everyone at our table was happy with their order. This is my plate of rib tips and smoked chicken, but I’d also suggest the rack of ribs and the Big Daddy. The best part was seeing Orchid walking around talking to the guests. She’s definitely very down to earth and happy. Wish she had won!

Other places of note: Of course no trip to Hilton Head is complete without some time at the beach. I have no daytime pictures of it, oddly enough, but HHI has the best beach around. We also really enjoyed eating at Pino Gelato (try the Tiramisu) and drinking at Wine Times 4. Pino Gelato was a random find, but one of the best gelato places I’ve been to. I read about Wine Times 4 on another blog, and dragged my family along to try it. The concept is great (you choose your wine by the glass size and use a card to keep track of your balance), and I loved trying all kinds of different wines.

So, there’s the short version of our trip to Hilton Head. Have you ever been to HHI? Do you have any recommendations for the next time we’re there?