my favorite corner of savannah

Savannah, Georgia is one of the prettiest places to visit, and I try to get there once a year when our family vacations in Hilton Head, which is only an hour away from there. 

Driving into this gorgeous city is a real treat! The streets of Savannah are laid out in a grid pattern with 22 historic squares dispersed throughout the city. The squares are small tree-filled little parks filled with live oak trees, Spanish moss and unique historic artifacts and each square is surrounded by beautiful homes, churches and museums.

My favorite square is Madison Square, which has been around since 1839. Lovely architecture surrounds this neighborhood square and it’s also home to my first stop in Savannah, The Gryphon Tea Room, now simply known as Gryphon. This little restaurant is located on the corner in the gorgeous marble Scottish Rites Building, at the meeting of Bull and Charlton Streets. 

My favorite table is on an upper area that faces Madison Square. Through that window you can watch the locals and tourists passing by. It’s my favorite spot in the whole city!     

At one time this location housed an apothecary, and the interior still houses its carved mahogany bookcases and stained glass. The leopard carpet is fabulous!
   

Every time I visit, Gryphon changes slightly. They’ve been able to accommodate more tables recently, which means less of a wait, hopefully.

Everywhere you look is a treat for the eyes. And don’t forget to look up…

there’s a lot to see!

Here's St. John’s Episcopal Church, which was built in 1853 in the Gothic Revival style.

and next door...

Take a peek at this salmon-pink beauty behind all this fabulous wrought iron, the Green-Meldrim House. It's a great example of Gothic Revival architecture. This Savannah landmark features a beautiful cast iron front portico and is surrounded by ornate ironwork porches on three sides. 

This is where General Sherman wrote his famous letter to President Lincoln towards the end of the Civil War: “I beg to present you as a Christmas-gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton.”

I love all that Spanish moss!

Great details and gorgeous marble work!

I hope you'll be able to visit too!

ciao! fabiana

hilton head curb appeal

Sea Pines Plantation is a lovely community on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. It’s a great getaway from the west coast, and I really enjoy some of the gorgeous architectural style in our neighborhood. 

Most of my favorite homes are traditional in style with shutters on the windows, crisp brickwork and wrought iron details. The shady home above is across the street from where we stay.

This home is a few doors down. I love the transitional space between the garage and home. The back side of this home faces the lagoon, where you will definitely see the local alligators swim by daily. 

All the homes have subtle natural color palettes that blend into the lush forest surroundings. Of course, I love the look of the grayed shingles with the dark shutters!

Located near the Sea Pines Country Club, this home is  on one of my favorite roads. The live oak trees draped in spanish moss create a tunnel effect. 

Here's a view through the courtyard of a neighboring beachfront home. This one is designed in the traditional and historical lowcountry style that has first floors raised off the ground to keep out floodwaters and allow cool ocean breezes under the house. 

A stately beachfront house with a gorgeous front door and lots of palmettos, oaks and vines to keep it shady, this home towers above the street and is one of my all-time faves!

This is the walk to the beach from this home. The back side of this house is on one of the most amazing beaches on the island.

One of my favorite places for breakfast is the Harbour Town Bakery and Café. Not only is the food yummy, but the charming atmosphere of the brick fireplaces, hardwood floors and other vintage details inside the quaint cottage is so cozy! 

The structure, originally built around 1880 as a home for the lighthouse keeper, has great historical appeal, and my favorite spot to eat is on their front porch which has great views of the Harbour Town playground and old oak trees. 

ciao! fabiana

a little southern town called Bluffton

Rose Hill Mansion at the Rose Hill Plantation

My husband and I have visited Hilton Head Island, South Carolina every summer since we got married, and just about every year, I plan an outing to Savannah to soak up the culture and beauty of my favorite southern city.

Savannah is less than an hour away from our home in Hilton Head, and over the last two years, we’ve added an additional stop in our travels, Bluffton.

Bluffton is about half way between Hilton Head and Savannah, and recently has been part of a historical and architectural revival.

Of course, a handful of the old historic homes have been preserved, but we’re seeing more care taken with the new businesses to maintain that vintage architectural character.

A walk through the downtown area won’t take long as you wander through the Spanish moss lined streets that neighbor the May River.

Downtown Bluffton is as Southern as you can get! And it’s so safe that the local garden gift shop leaves everything outdoors without worrying about anyone taking anything!

For the first time last year, my husband and I toured the Rose Hill Mansion and it was quite a treat. In fact, I think we were on one of the last tours, as the house is no longer open to the public.

Here’s a little peek of it and you can read my story at Cottages & Bungalows to learn a little more about the history of what’s called the most beautiful plantation house in the south.

Lucky for us the Corner Perk opens very early and serves an amazing breakfast and great espresso drinks too!

We’re looking forward to our visit again to Bluffton later this summer, and I’ll be sure to share lots more photos and details about our visit.

ciao! fabiana

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For more on Bluffton, check out these great books...

   

a simple apple wreath for fall

This apple wreath is so easy to put together and makes quite a statement at the front door. I started with a simple circular twig wreath from the craft store, and embellished it with just three simple things. 

You may have seen this fun fall DIY in the Autumn 2019 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style on page 85. 

All I did was secure a layer of Spanish moss to the bottom part of the wreath as a foundation for the apples. I then used 18-gauge wire to attach miniature apples to the wreath.  

You’ll probably need wire snips or pliers to cut the wire. To finish off this look, I tucked leafy stems of Nandina from my garden in between the apples to soften the look. 

You can use any delicate leafy plant from your yard or the flower shop and add your own spin to this look.  

And speaking of apples, my recipe for "Apple Walnut Chocolate Chip Blondies" also made the pages of Country Sampler, but this time in their Autumn Decorating issue. It’s still available in stores until November 18, so you’ll be able to find this yummy recipe in that issue on page 110.

My friend Sharon shared this recipe with me years ago, and gave me permission to share it with Country Sampler. It's a keeper that's been handed down in her family for many years and hails from her home state of Massachusetts.

You won't believe how incredibly moist these these blondies are with the chunks of apples that are interspersed in each bite. And the addition of chocolate chips and walnuts makes this the perfect fall treat!      

A while ago, Country Sampler put together a group of twenty “Around the World” holiday treats on their website. You can check it out here, and don’t miss my entry for Italian Pignoli Cookies. Made with almond paste and pine nuts, these cookies are out of this world! I make them every Christmas for friends and family.

ciao! fabiana 

If you get a chance, check out my "Tablescaping Essentials" page on the Amazon, showcasing my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table. 

  

When time is of the essence, I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. They have so many amazing holiday table top items to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

  

*affiliate links used.