Cookie Krumbs Presents: The Daniel Island Club

The girls from Cookie Krumbs are back with a short tour of the Daniel Island Club. Check it out!

A Dream Within Reach

Kristen and Jay Odell are no strangers to Daniel Island.  After living in Pittsburgh for several years, and with family in Texas, the couple really wanted to move south. They relocated here with their two young sons in 2004 so Jay could take advantage of a job opportunity at Blackbaud, a software development company located on Daniel Island.

“Daniel Island was the most obvious place for us to live because of the close proximity to work,” says Jay.  “However, we also looked at a few other communities in neighboring Mt. Pleasant. Daniel Island really stood out, though, because of the close-knit community that it had to offer.”

That was seven years ago.  Since then, the couple has been enjoying their home in the Codner’s Ferry Park neighborhood, along with the Daniel Island lifestyle.

“We have two boys, ages 9 and 11, and we can’t think of a better place for them to grow-up,” says Kristen. “They love to play all types of sports, particularly flag football and soccer. There’s plenty of opportunity for that through Charleston’s Recreation Department (which operates programs in Daniel Island’s parks), and it’s really nice being so close to the Daniel Island School.”

Not too long ago, the Odells received a brochure in the mail that mentioned the deepwater homesites being offered at Mitchell Wharf in Daniel Island’s Smythe Park neighborhood.

“Jay and I have always wanted a home with a water view,” explains Kristen.  “A few years ago, we looked at deepwater homesites on Ralston Creek and Beresford Creek, but they were out of our price range.”

“But after looking at Mitchell Wharf, we kept thinking, what are we waiting for? The deepwater lots at Mitchell Wharf were within our budget.  Plus, we have a lot of friends that live in Smythe Park and I really like the neighborhood’s close proximity to the school.”

With the help of the Daniel Island sales team, the Odells chose a homesite that offered sweeping views of the Wando River.  The next step was to choose a builder and design a home that would take advantage of the water views while meeting the needs of their family’s lifestyle.

“The building process can be overwhelming at first,” says Jay.  “However, Carson Homes has been doing a great job and everything has gone very smoothly.  There are a million questions that need to be answered when you build on the water, and the entire sales team has been extremely helpful in helping us navigate the process.”

At one point, Jay was concerned that the backyard was not going to be big enough to play baseball with his two sons.

“Then, one day I came out to look at the house and I noticed that a pitcher’s mound and base plate had been taped-out in the backyard!  Proof that the yard was plenty big enough to throw a ball and play a real game of catch,” he said.

The Odells’ new home will be ready to move into this September.  There will be a study boasting panoramic water views for Jay and a second floor recreation room will be the perfect retreat for the boys.  With five bedrooms and more than 5,000 square feet of living space, there will surely be plenty of room for everyone.

“The one thing that I’m really looking forward to is sitting on the dock and watching the dolphins play and the pelicans dive for fish.  Who knows, there might even be a boat in our future.  It just can’t get any better than that,” said Jay.

“Pork n’ Pearls” – Oysters and More for a Great Cause

During the winter months in Charleston, locals can typically be found enjoying their weekends at one of many oyster roasts being offered across the Lowcountry.  In particular, the annual Daniel Island Oyster Roast has become a popular event for residents and friends alike.  This year, Daniel Island will be offering an alternative twist to this tradition as it hosts the “Pork n’ Pearls” Pig & Oyster Roast. The menu will feature not only oysters, but roasted pork and chicken as well as an array of savory sides.  All proceeds of this scrumptious event will benefit Windwood Farm.

“Windwood Farm had previously been hosting the ‘Pork n’ Pearls’ as a fundraiser on their own at various locations,” says Barbara McLaughlin, Manager of Community Services for the Daniel Island Property Owners Association. “After discussing the opportunity with Kristin Power, Director of Development for Windwood Farm, I felt confident that this event would be a good match for our community. Based on the popularity of our previous annual oyster roasts, we should be able to help raise a lot of money for this outstanding non-profit organization.”

Hundreds of families and friends are expected at Pierce Park Pavilion on Saturday, February 26th from 3:00 – 6:00 pm for an afternoon filled with lively entertainment, great food and lots of camaraderie. This party — one part “swank” and the other part “down home” — will surely appeal to everyone’s appetite while helping out a great organization.  Get ready to shag to the sounds of the “Shem Creek Boogie Band,” which will be playing a variety of beach music, R & B and some good old rock and roll.  There will also be a kids’ zone featuring a climbing wall, jump castle and balloon artist.  Additionally, plenty of door prizes and drawings will take place throughout the afternoon.

“We hope that this event, while definitely being a wonderful social event, will serve to educate those who might not know about Windwood Farm and their services and needs,” said Barbara.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.windwoodfarm.org or by calling (843) 884-5342 ext. 225.  Or, stop by the Daniel Island Property Owner’s Association.  Cost is $30 for adults, $10 for children ages 4 – 17, and kids 3 and under are free.  Adult tickets include all food items and two drink tickets for beer and wine.

About Windwood Farm
Windwood Farm is a residential treatment center for boys ages 6-16 who require therapeutic intervention due to emotional or behavorial problems caused by abuse, neglect and/or family trauma.  This year, Windwood Farm celebrates 26 years of service to the community and is expanding its program to include out-patient services to reach more children and families than ever before.