Southern writer, editor and lover of all media. I enjoy meeting people and sharing ideas. Reach me at denisekjames@gmail.com.
Landscape painter Mickey Williams stages a comeback
Mickey Williams is well acquainted with 54½ Broad, a sparse yet elegant space soon to become a second home to his moody landscape paintings.
Evolving With the Island: Frank’s Restaurant & Bar and Frank’s Outback
In the 1940s, Frank Marlow opened a small grocery store and gas station in the seaside resort of Pawleys Island. Marlow’s Supermarket sold the usual assortment of items typical for a grocery store, as well as freshly butchered cuts of meat. Frank’s mother lived in the little house at the back of the store — a hallmark of a family business in those days — and Frank and his wife, Faye, both hard-working business owners, were acquainted with everyone ...
Tick Tock, It’s Time to Move!
We were experiencing a rare early May cold snap the morning I talked to TikTok star Claudia “Ravioli” Chiavaroli, but I just don’t have the heart to tell her about it. The 33-year-old moved to South Carolina just a few weeks later...
It Takes a Village: Carmen Waite has big plans
Carmen Waite began working on her leadership prowess soon after earning her bachelor’s degree. With roles in manufacturing and shipping, which required “managing people much older than herself,” she gathered important skills that would serve her later as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Plateau—
Dumpster diving: Is it illegal? What beginners need to know
Quick question — what comes to mind when you hear the term “dumpster diving?”
A sketchy stranger in the night, feeling down on their luck, scrounging around in desperation for someone’s grimy box of leftover French fries?
Pillar of the Community: Cane Bay Plantation
Cane Bay Plantation offers the quality of life families are seeking
Learn to meditate and improve the quality of your mom life
This may come as a revelation, but if you’re a mom who is stressed, overwhelmed, and overworked, you don’t have to stay that way.
Meditation is a stress-relieving tool that works, and it’s easy to learn. The best part? You can meditate in the comfort of your home — or car, or local park, or a quiet corner of your office.
Over Yonder and Back Again: My Life in Southern Cities
By the time I left my home state in my late 30s, I’d lived in a few of its towns and cities, and I’d visited pretty much all of them on various road trips. Charleston was where I lived longest, with the Lowcountry’s fun-loving lifestyle drawing me in for years after graduate school ended. My writing and editing career was doing okay there, and Charleston was close to other points of interest, including other cool towns like Beaufort and Hilton Head, plus Pawleys Island, the locatio...
A Road Trip for Foodies: Johns Island Restaurants are Worth the Drive
If you’re anything like me, you’ll joyfully make the drive to another coastal town just to check out what it offers to do, see, and eat. Johns Island, South Carolina, one of the Charleston metro’s most unspoiled portions, is about two hours by car from Hilton Head Island and well worth a foodie road trip this fall. I spoke to a few of my close friends in the area, who all moved to Johns Island in the last few years (it’s the new “cool” place to be), and they were kind enough to brief me on th...
Selling Your Rental Property? Be Aware of These 15 Tenant Rights
You may have already decided to sell your rental property in a seller-friendly market or are weighing the possibility of it. However, if your property is occupied, you need to be aware of a tenant’s rights when a house is for sale as they pertain to your area, as well as the specific terms....
25 gifts for your boyfriend’s mom she’ll love
There’s no better sign that your relationship is going somewhere than meeting your boyfriend’s family — specifically his mother.
Whether you’re trying to make a great first impression or build a relationship with your boyfriend’s mom, a well-thought-out gift could be just the thing to make her your biggest fan — and get your new relationship off to a strong start.
7 Tips to Sell Your San Jose House Faster than a Growing Startup
Need to sell your home fast in San Jose, California? You’re in luck: Silicon Valley is one of the hottest real estate spots nationwide, with beautiful San Jose right at the center. As the third most expensive housing market in the U.S. — behind only San Francisco and Manhattan — the tech-focused San Jose boasts opulent property values thanks to its abundance of jobs and enviable Mediterranean climate.
Bright Ideas: Katelyn Brewer leads organization that helps prevent child sexual abuse
Katelyn Brewer grew up in a small town—“fairly homogenous,” in her words. With her Irish-Catholic family and sheltered upbringing, the current CEO of Darkness to Light set her heart on a wider perspective and decided to major in French and international relations at Wheaton College in Boston.
There, she spent her junior year abroad, living in Paris and Dublin and working for two different nonprofits that dealt with develo...
A Hammock Coast Travel Diary
My husband Daniel and I arrive at Litchfield Beach after an easy drive and are delighted to find thoughtful touches throughout our vacation rental—brochures with information about the area, chocolate truffles, and a friendly note from the owners welcoming us.