2009 Richmond Hill Holiday Tour of Homes

The RICHMOND HILL 2009 HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES—sponsored by Richmond Hill Friends of the Library, Garden Club, Historical Society, St. Anne Council of Catholic and Women and Arts on the Coast—will be taking place on Sunday, December 6, 2009 from 1:00 PM – 5:00PM.

Click HERE to download a PDF brochure!

Save $5 by buying your tickets early at $25, whereas tickets purchased on the day of tour are $30. Included in the price is Tea at St. Anne Catholic Church, plus the opportunity to the raffle for one of three prizes:
• Weekend for 6 at Cocoa Beach Oceanfront condo,
• Catered dinner for 6
• $50 gift certificate to Fish Tales Restaurant at Ft. McAllister Marina.

To purchase tickets in advance:
Call Laurel Home Furnishing & Accessories for credit card purchases. Tickets will be mailed or held at Richmond Hill Museum for pick up.

OR pick up tickets at the following businesses in Richmond Hill

Laurel Home Furnishings & Accessories
11258 Ford Ave. Ste 13
912-756-7460

Richmond Hill Pharmacy
2409 Coastal Hwy 17
912-756-3331

The Pink Closet
11392 Ford Avenue
912-445-0197

Richmond Hill Historical Society Museum
Ford Avenue (Rte. 144) & Timber Trail
912-756-3697

Tickets are available the day of the event at the museum, cash or check.

This is a self-guided tour. No public transportation available. The Richmond Hill Tour of Homes reserves the right to cancel touring of any site on the day of the tour due to unforeseen circumstances. The RHTOH and tour homeowner participants assume no liability for any person’s injury or loss incurred on any site. RHTOH reserves the right to refuse admittance to any person at any time.

Check out the Tour of Homes in the Savannah Morning News!

RICHMOND HILL 2009 HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES

A    St. Anne Catholic Church
10550 Ford Avenue (Rte 144)

St. Anne Catholic Church was built by Henry and Clara Ford in 1936, and was originally used as a chapel for students at the high school for daily worship and non-denominational services on Sundays for the whole community. In 1955, the newly renovated chapel of St. Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was dedicated. From a small parish of five registered families and a handful of Catholic soldiers from Hinesville, it has grown to include more than 600 families.

B    Richmond Hill Historical Society & Museum
Ford Avenue (Rte 144) & Timber Trail

The school was a voluntary project of Mr. & Mrs. Henry Ford, who had a winter home in Richmond Hill. The Fords ran this school because the local school system made no provision for pre-school education at that time. It is now the Richmond Hill Historical Society Museum. Displays of the Colonial Era, Revolutionary War Era, Civil War Era and the Henry Ford Era are located here. The building is currently owned by Magnolia Manor. They have graciously allowed the Historical Society to use the building for their meetings and museum displays.

C    Home of Bob & Victoria Nickolson
80 Hickory Street

This 4,000 s.f. plantation-style home was built just this year by Mock Construction Company and sits in Hickory Hill Estates in the Richmond Hill Plantation subdivision. This home features 5 bedrooms, a bonus room, 4 1/2 bathrooms, and two huge covered porches. This is a unique open floor plan with 12’ ceilings on the first floor and 9’ interior doors. Luxury is obvious in this quality built home with granite, hardwood floors, an old-fashioned claw-foot tub in the master bath, four columns in the dining room, two in the kitchen, custom-built mantle with granite surround, custom bookcases in the family room, all custom wood shelving in the closets with automatic lighting; the list goes on and on. The trim in this house is exceptional, with 13” baseboards, and layered crown molding everywhere. Tray ceilings and rounded corners add so much charm to this beautiful home. Gas lights on the front and back porches create a warm, welcoming feeling. The owners enjoy sitting on the porch for morning coffee and watching the hummingbirds, and in the evening, the sound of crickets adds a peaceful note to the quiet atmosphere.

D    Home of Ryan & Paige Glazer
130 Bark Branch Road

The newly constructed cottage-style home of Ryan and Paige Glazer is located in the new Richmond Hill Plantation subdivision. The master-planned community was designed by Johnny Murphy with the intent to combine historical architecture with modern day practicality and luxury. Built by Saturday & Warnock Construction, this four-bedroom cottage is reminiscent of the style of the Henry Ford era.
The owners both grew up in Richmond Hill and have a true love for all things coastal. The greens and browns of the nearby marshes and river banks provided inspiration for the colors used throughout the home. At Christmas time, the classic silver, gold and pearl coastal decorations are neatly arranged to bring back memories of their childhoods.

E    Diner at Rabbit Hill
290 Rabbitt Hill Road

The “Diner at Rabbit Hill” is the creation of Mr. Wayne Jackson, a local home builder and developer. In searching for a property on which to build a new home, he found an older home with a large outbuilding on 3 acres of land surrounded with majestic oak trees. After renovating the home and adding to the outbuilding structure, he envisioned decorating it as a bright and cheerful place in which to entertain family and friends. Thus, the “Rabbit Hill Diner” was born.
Following a theme of a 1950s diner, it is decorated with red and white booths and tables and chairs. The diner has been used for among other things, wedding receptions, church gatherings, karaoke parties, company and children’s parties. It has a projection room, a full kitchen and bathroom, a karaoke setup, and will hold 150 people. This unique building is a great addition to this year’s tour! Come and enjoy.

F    Home of Chris & Jolene Lea
460 River Bend Road

460 River Bend Rd is a multi-generational home that welcomes visitors and family alike. The front of the home has welcoming arms to embrace her guests and the rear of the home overlooks the beautiful Ogeechee River. The modern outline of the home masks the old world interior. This home has five generous bedrooms with 4.5 baths, 2 home offices, a gym, and a space affectionately called the man cave. The dock house offers exceptional views of the river at dawn and dusk and a place for quiet retreat (and fishing).

G    Home of Alan & Angie Mock
197 Briarwood Lane

Built in 2007, the beautiful home of Alan and Angie Mock sits amongst the gorgeous oak trees on the great Ogeechee River in the Briarwood Subdivision. The classic architecture of their home evokes family living reminiscent of times past. With a stunning balcony overlooking the marshes of the old antebellum rice plantations, a side porch with an outdoor fire place to enjoy the brisk river breezes, and the modern luxury of a fabulous media room, this home exudes Southern comfort and hospitality from every corner.
Alan and Angie along with children, Summer and Michael and their two dogs, Hunter and Lily, found Richmond Hill to be the perfect place to call home before building their residence. As with many residents, the Mock family fell in love with the lifestyle of Richmond Hill and made sure to encompass those feelings in every part of their home.

H    Home of Allen & Donnie Lancaster
Buckhead North Subdivision
320 Shadow Moss

Built in 2005 by TDS Custom Homes, and designed by the homeowners along with architect Monica Mastrianni, this custom-built two-story home features 10 foot ceilings and crown molding, with 4 bedrooms and 4½ baths. The spacious master bedroom connects to a bath area with a walk-in shower and deep bath tub for relaxing. A second walk-in shower off the guest bedrooms features a steam sauna for additional relaxation after a long day. A spacious dining room provides plenty of room for family gatherings. The upstairs features an open and spacious bonus room with a bar area and a sitting deck leading out under the oak trees in front of the house. Roofing slate was used for the first floor covering. Most of the window treatments and bedding in the home were designed and made by Donnie. There is also a three car detached garage with a covered walkway and spacious porches around the home.

Tagged with:
 

North Carolina Christmas with the Smiths

01 North Carolina Christmas with the Smiths

My computer is moving slow after I’ve uploaded all the pictures taken over the holidays spent in the South, so it’s taking a while for me to process this all still. Since I only get to see my family a few times a year, I tend to go a little photo and video crazy when they’re around, so that I’ll be able to browse through the picture collections until the next time I’m able to fly back and see them again.

Guitar Hero was the entertainment of choice for the evening, with a seriously pregnant Nina (due the day these pictures were taken) thrashing through the songs while her guitar rested comfortably on the top of her big belly. Isabella received three babies on Christmas from Santa, the stork, or however you’d like to imagine that happens, and was every bit the proud mommy as she carried them around in a firm headlock. That is, until Oswald the Octopus came on the TV and they were promptly tossed aside.

She loved the classic wooden building blocks I got her, as well as the kitchen her parents got her. Her favorite items to prepare in the kitchen were microwaved grapes, ice cream cones baked in the oven and a chicken drumstick that alternated between storage in the freezer and in the refrigerator.

Also, I think I may have kick-started Taylor’s Twilight addiction.

02 150x150 North Carolina Christmas with the Smiths03 150x150 North Carolina Christmas with the Smiths04 150x150 North Carolina Christmas with the Smiths05 150x150 North Carolina Christmas with the Smiths

Tagged with:
 

flying lax christmas day main Ghost Town LAX on Christmas DayThe recent airport delays across the country had both Keegan and me concerned that we might have to stand in long lines at security on our flight to Georgia. But, as I had suspected all along, traveling on Christmas Day was a great decision because there is NO ONE at the airport. At least not at 4:30 in the morning. If I wasn’t sure that tumbleweeds don’t get up this early, I would guess that I would see some rolling through out terminal.

Food places aren’t even open, so we sat and watched some It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and I then discovered that I can hop on some wireless Internet. Keegan’s off to the line at Starbucks to snag us some breakfast and here I am blogging, because I clearly am addicted to the practice.

My first real day off work from having to blog and I can’t seem to help myself. I’m desperate to broadcast what’s going on with me.

flying lax christmas day 01 Ghost Town LAX on Christmas Day

Tagged with:
 

Great Balls of Christmas

burbank downtown christmas ball decorations main Great Balls of ChristmasMerry Almost Christmas, Burbank!

So, Keegan and I went on a stroll to downtown Burbank, an act that always gets me at least a little nostalgic since my first apartment in Los Angeles is within walking distance. We were on our way to go see Twilight, so I already felt as if I had to be extra special appreciative to Keegan, since he was totally indulging me with the movie selection for the evening.

But that didn’t stop me from pushing my luck and asking him to pose in front of the giant Christmas tree decorations posted up just outside the movie theaters. I’m pretty sure that I promised not to make public the photo of Keegan standing underneath the oversized lights.

So, yeah…don’t tell him.

Tagged with:
 

new skinny santa 001 Santa Claus Got a Gastric Bypass

Have you seen the new commercials for this Palm Centro thing? It’s some kind of phone and at the forefront of their marketing campaign is a thin, young, hipster Santa Claus who is so cool, you can spot him on any given night spinning at a rooftop party in the city.

I don’t know how I feel about this youthful view of Santa. As artificial of an image as he’s become, there was still something comforting about the “bowl full jelly” around his middle. Did he have a mid-life crisis? Do I have to worry about running into Santa at my gym and putting me on his naughty list because he’s noticed that I’m skimping on my cardio training? Or even worse, does Santa now have ABS??? Please God, tell me he doesn’t have a Bowflex at home and Zone bars in his pockets.

Call me old-fashioned, but I like my Santa like I like my worthless drunks—red-nosed, with a gut and convinced that he can squeeze himself into my house through the chimney. I refuse to serve the man low-carb cookies and skim milk.

Tagged with: