Holy City Sinner’s 2012

The past 365 days have treated this website quite well. I’ve reached many personal milestones and made the site into something that I can be proud of.

Thank you so much for supporting HolyCitySinner.com. It is my passion to talk about, promote, experience and celebrate the city of Charleston. I hope you had as much fun reading this site as I had creating it.

Here’s a look back at the past year…

Milestones

• HCS reached its 1-year anniversary.
• Year-over-year the site shattered all previous highs in page views.
• Busiest month was August with December being a close second.
• The busiest day was August 28th.

Top Story

The top story (as far as page views were concerned) was the “Charleston Flooding” entry from 8/28/12.

Other Top Stories

• The SC Department of Revenue was hacked.
• Folly Beach Bans Alcohol.
• Charleston was named the Best City in the WORLD.
• Nick Collins’s accident and subsequent recovery efforts.
• Mt. Pleasant resident Elise Testone made it onto American Idol.
• Actors Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively wed at Boone Hall Plantation.
• The Ravenel Bridge was shut-down by a seemingly suicidal man.
• #26Acts launched in the wake of the Newtown, CT shootings.
• Vice President Joe Biden stopped traffic a couple times.
• Kate got her dog!

Big stories I didn’t cover extensively, but were quite newsworthy

• Jim DeMint resigns and Tim Scott replaces him,
• Skip Reville was sent to prison
• James Island became a town.
• The I-526 completion was approved.
• The first SC-made Dreamliner was shown by Boeing.

Some of my favorites from this year  (in no particular order)

• The Orange Spot Coffeehouse – From a dream to reality. I’ve loved watching the growth of Laura and Julie’s idea and getting to know them on a personal level as well.
• Dulce Truck – Delicious desserts, refreshing beverages and an excitable and personable owner – what more could you want? It was great getting to know Erika as we crossed paths at a few events. Be sure to stop at her truck when you see it – you will NOT be disappointed.
• Old You – The first time I heard them play was this year and I’ve been hooked ever since. Amazing musicians who are also really down-to-Earth and friendly.
• Dangermuffin – Loved the album they released this year (Olly Oxen Free) and enjoyed seeing them live a couple of times.
• The Charleston Pour House – I had fun working on their Street Team and seeing some great shows there this year. They also give my site a lot of love via Twitter and Facebook.
• Haypenny Confections – A new business that makes a great product. I love their s’mores and ingenuity. I was also drawn to the fact that Danielle and Tanner have day jobs, but dedicate a lot of time to their passion. That is something I can certainly relate to.
• No Rules, Just Mics – I was happy to join my friend Topher Cassidy as a co-host of an internet radio show. In the new year we plan on interviewing some Charleston folks.
• Foodmancing The Girl – Always enjoyed the website and Twitter feed, but was happy to meet Charles, the man behind it all, late this year.
• Charleston Onion – I was glad to watch Brandt grow his snarky Twitter feed into a full-fledged website with Charleston-based satirical news. I got plenty of chuckles from him this year.
• Crowfield – I did a lot of work promoting their album release show because I really enjoyed their music. I was able to briefly talk to Tyler (the lead singer) on a couple occasions and he was always willing to speak with me and appreciative of the support I gave them.
• Kacie Faulling Event Hair & Makeup – Kacie, besides having a successful business and being a nice person (and Giants fan to boot!), was extremely accommodating after the Ryan Reynolds/Blake Lively wedding. She provided me with pictures of her work on Florence Welch and answered questions despite being flooded with interview requests.
• SquidCloud – The owner, Jeff, was really helpful with questions I had about additions/formatting/etc. for this site. I highly recommend him if you need any help with your website.
• Adam Crisp with Mount Pleasant Patch – Adam asked if I’d like to blog for Patch to help cross-promote our sites. It has definitely been mutually beneficial and gave me another readership to reach.
• Ken Hawkins with The Digitel Charleston – Ken has supported me by posting (or allowing me to post) many of my pieces on his site. This has also lead to an increase in my readership.
• The Wolf 96.9 – Mentioned my website on-air on Election Day. It was one of the most exciting things to happen to my website this year. Thank you to whoever did it!

BIG THANK YOUS

• Crystal Bruce (ABC News 4)
• AshPash (WRFQ/WEZL)
• Jonah Jeter (The Becket Agency)
• Ryan Nelson (Nelwater Consulting)
• Ashley Caldwell and Jessica Turner (The Modern Connection)
• David Regan (Regan Management Group
• “Exposur3” (Charleston Reddit page)

…for providing me with info and/or their support via social media and blog postings that have gotten me plenty of views and new followers.

A GIGANTIC Thank You

To Ms. Holy City Sinner for constantly supporting this strange passion I have and allowing me to do something that makes me happy.

I’m sure I missed plenty of folks, but it has been a busy and incredible year. I apologize for any oversight(s).

And finally, Thank YOU – yes YOU!!! Seriously, thanks to each and every one of you who read my pieces, retweeted me, shared an article or just glanced at my website. You rock my socks.

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