Do you buy local and organic? Turn the water off when brushing your teeth? Compost food and yard waste? How do you know when you’re living green?
What does it mean to be green? Sure, you might recycle, eat organic and use only reusable shopping bags, but does that mean you’re living a green lifestyle? With all the labels and messages floating around in the marketplace and media these days, it can be confusing to determine what “going green” really means — and when to know if you’re doing it.
As our world shifts to meet the reality of stressed resources, living green is becoming the new norm, but it can be challenging to balance living well with living green. The good news is that every green action, no matter how small, moves us forward on the journey to sustainability. There’s no one-practice solution or “easy button,” but each new commitment to integrate green products, services and technologies into our daily lives and businesses deepens our shade of green. Think of it in terms of Beaufort County: One action, multiplied by 150,000 (the rough number of residents in the county), adds up.
Enjoyable waterfront activities span a large spectrum, from thrilling sports such as surfing and riding personal watercrafts to leisurely afternoons sunbathing on the beach. For those who prefer relaxing by the water but still seek engagement, a perfect answer for you or a group is crabbing.
When you get down to brass tacks, there is one major reason Hilton Head Island is a beautiful Southern oasis. And lucky for us, we own it and it’s free, making it not only the best, but also the most economical source of summer fun. 
From golden mornings and coral sunsets to turquoise skies and florals in a rainbow of hues, the Lowcountry offers an abundance of natural beauty and inspiration for the area’s vast array of world-class jewelers, master craftsmen and fine retailers. On the following pages, Monthly’s special jewelry section showcases a few of the hottest looks this season.
To many of us, setting sail to chase the horizon for a few years may seem like an unattainable pipe dream. For the O’Grady family, it’s one of their most treasured memories.
Many people who live in the Lowcountry agree that the single greatest attraction here is the water. Some are content just to look at it – they relish the simple pleasure of knowing that it’s there. Others, however, enjoy getting out on the rivers, sea, sounds and tidal creeks that make this place what it is. If you belong to this second category, summer is here and there are plenty of boating adventures to be had.
It’s hard to imagine a more exotic trade than the sail maker. He designs and builds a defining archetype, the very thing that gives the sailboat its name. The sailing vessel itself extends back in time through the millennia, carrying fishermen, cargo, explorers and settlers throughout the known and unknown parts of the world. And the vast majority of these ships depended upon their sails and the wind to get them to where they were going.
