Southern Living has returned to Bryan for the second year to announce another Idea House as one of the four selected to be in the 2009 Choose Your Home Giveaway.

This year the magazine featured a casita at Traditions.

A casita, meaning a small house, is the style choosen for this year's Southern Living giveaway. The casitas were designed as a Texas lodge style, using warm earthtones as a design factor. A conventional home in Traditions was selected as a Southern Living Idea House in 2006 and appeared as an editorial feature in the August 2006 issue.

"The Idea House in 2006 had over 30,000 visitors, which was more traffic than Southern Living had seen in any house in over 20 years," said Martha Lynch, Traditions Contract Administrator and head liason with Southern Living.

With such success the first time, Southern Living decided to select Traditions again, this time for a giveaway.

"Southern Living contacted the 12 top listed Idea Houses, brought people in from each of them for an interview, choose the top four, and the Traditions casita was one of them. We are quite honored and thrilled. Anytime Southern Living wants to be a part of your community, its an honor," Lynch said.

The three other selected locations for 2009 were Camp Calloway Cabins in Calloway Gardens, Ga.; Sugarberry Cottage in the coastal town of Habersham, S.C.; and Whisper Creek Cabin in the mountainous terrain of Whisper Mountain, N.C.

When entering the giveaway contest, which ended June 30, each participant chose one of the four locations as their desired future home. The winner was announced this month: Penny Hawkes of LaPlace, La. As a North Carolina native, she selected the Whisper Creek Cottage.

This means that the giveaway Casita in the Traditions is still available, and will be available for rent until it sells.

The December issue of Southern Living will include a spread about Penny Hawkes and her new home, along with the three properties that were included in the contest.

The casitas have two master suites, two-and-a-half baths, an open concept kitchen, dining and living area with fireplaces in the living room, and outdoor living area.

The Southern Living giveaway Casita is open for tours through Aug. 31 on Thursdays from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. The cost is $5 and some of the proceeds will benefit Twin City Mission.

Casitas are available for rent year-round, and during the duration of the stay the renter is given member privileges at Traditions.

Traditions officially opened in June 2004, but since March of this year it has been under new Aggie ownership by the Traditions Acquisition Partnership -- made up of Peter Currie, Billy Pete Huddleston, Spencer Clements and Mike Rupe.