No April Fooling

Okay, so I am finally starting my blog! I didn’t dare post it yesterday lest everyone think it an April Fool’s prank. No joke, but I have to admit I’ve been dragging my feet on this blog thing because, frankly, I have perceived the concept as, well, self-indulgent.

But then I realized that there are so many interesting things going on here in the Lowcountry that don’t necessarily make it into the print version of Charleston magazine, whether due to deadlines, no room in the issue, etc. Why not let you all know about those cool tidbits here? So on a weekly to biweekly basis, I will be posting my Editor’s Picks: from not-to-miss events and recent discoveries to interesting locals and great food and drink.

This past week saw the end of Charleston magazine’s third-annual Charleston Fashion Week. If you missed the celeb-studded, fashionista festivities, no worries: you can catch up at www.charlestonfashionweek.com. And if you want to plan ahead for next year, CFW 2010 dates have been set for March 16-20.

Last week, I had a ball hanging out with our magazine editors and watching the fantastic runway shows (loved, loved, loved the Emerging Designer: Southeast competition—unbelievable talent there!), but I’m happy to be trading my stilettos for running shoes for this Saturday’s Cooper River Bridge Run (http://www.bridgerun.com/).

Okay, so I’m not a runner (yoga and Pilates—yes, running—very questionable), but I will be walking the 10K with the group of kids from Louie’s Kids Fit Club (http://www.louieskids.org/). They have been training for this for several weeks as I’ve been sitting at my desk. I just hope I can keep up. Wish us luck!

Knowing that I may not be ambulatory from Saturday afternoon well into Sunday, I’m hoping to make it out to Smith Killian Fine Art tomorrow night (Friday, 4/3) for the reception of artist Shannon Smith’s latest work, “Live Catch” including photographs by Leigh Limehouse. Definitely worth a drop in. (9 Queen St., 5-8pm, http://www.smithkillian.com/)

Also, the new hip restaurant/bar Shine, where the official CFW 09 kickoff party “Fashion Is Art” took place two weeks ago, is having its grand opening tomorrow night. (58 Line St. at King St.) (Full disclosure: I should note that Shine co-owner Misty Lister Johnson is a friend and Charleston magazine’s marketing director.) If you were at the “Fashion Is Art” party and could see beyond the throngs of people, you know that the space is sleek and eco-friendly, the menu is comprised of international street foods (meat on a stick anyone?), and it has a parking lot—how novel! I plan on going and will report back next week.