27 Dresses Now on DVD!

Luckily, every bride that I've had the honor of being a part of her wedding day has FABULOUS taste and I've never been subjected me to some of the horrors featured in 27 Dresses. And I love each and every one of my girls for it!

I'm guessing that 99% of my readers have had their fair share of time served as a bridesmaid.

I'd even venture another guess that a good portion of those readers are probably booked through the next few years (I've got quite a few dresses on order now for my girls' upcoming shindigs). If that's the case, I highly suggest all of you see this movie with your teammates if you haven't already.

Part of the E. Riley-Dorn bridesmaids' team took a Sunday to go see this together and now I can't listen to "Benny & the Jets" without thinking fondly of my sisters and fellow bridesmaids.

(So how'd I know that 27 Dresses is on DVD now? When I was heading over to photobucket to post the S&tC photo in my previous post... 27 Dresses had taken over pb and it's adorable! It reminded me how much I loved the advertising for that movie, too!)

So Freakin' Fabulous I Could Spit Glitter...

...sometimes.

Which is probably why all the sparkly new promo (literally) for the upcoming Sex & the City movie is so darn appealing to me. I really can't wait for May 30th!

Full disclaimer: There is absolutely NOTHING Southern about the stories and characters from Sex & the City - but I still love it - and this is my blog, so I get to write about it. ;-)

(It also makes me SO excited that Buckhead is always on the ball when it comes to these things... Lindsay Bartels is the woman!) Check out our latest girl-friendly promo:

PS - The movie has a blog!!! Guess what SO just made it to my reader.

Update: Cameron Bar & Grill Coming Soon!

If you read my previous post on new additions to Cameron Village you might be as excited as I am to read that Cameron Bar and Grill should be opening in the middle of this coming week (the good news came from the always ahead of the game GoGoRaleigh.com blog).

Hopefully the food will be delish (a possibility noted in the GGR article based on the owners' history)... and some outdoor seating would be icing on the cake.

Update: We Spend Our Summers at the Creek

My original post, lives here.

Walnut Creek, (formerly Alltel Pavilion), Time Warner Cable whatever it is now - identity crisis aside - has done an EXCELLENT job putting together an exciting "season" (I mean, it does last from April to October) for 2008! Last year, I would have swore up and down they were on the verge of going out of business having lack luster events planned other than the standard six or seven country concerts and the loss of their title sponsor.

This year however, a better Mega-Ticket line-up including Tim McGraw, and incorporating Maroon 5, Tom Petty, Journey, James Taylor, and Jack Johnson into their schedule guarantees that less of my paycheck will ever make it into savings.

Are you an Outlook or Google calendar junkie like me? I added the events into a comma separated values file (perfect for importing) of almost all of the shows. Anything that gets added from here may or may not get updated... but I'm saving everyone a good 30 minutes.

Here ya go!

DowntownRaleigh.com Sponsoring This Weekend's "Salute To Our Troops" Parade and Festival

Those cool kids at DowntownRaleigh.com are at it again! This time they're sponsoring something near and dear to my heart... Salute To Our Troops. Not only is this great event aimed at saying "Thank You" and "We Support You" to our current servicemen, it's also meant to do the same for their families... the ones who make a sacrifice many can never begin to comprehend.

Here's what DowntownRaleigh.com's "What's Down...Town" weekly email newsletter says about the event (sign up here for the weekly dish):

On Saturday, April 26 at 1000 hours, North Carolinians will have an opportunity to show why their state is the Nation’s Most Military Friendly State as Salute to Our Troops kicks off with a parade in downtown Raleigh!

It will be the largest military parade in the history of the state. Personnel from every branch of the military and from bases across North Carolina will gather for the parade which begins at 10 a.m. on the south end of Fayetteville Street with a flyover by F-15E Strike Eagle jet aircraft from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. The parade formation will head north from the intersection of Fayetteville and Davie Streets to the State Capitol Building and then north to and around the state government complex. Military service members from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, North Carolina National Guard and each service’s reserve group will be participating.

In addition to service members and their families, there will be military bands, drill teams and honor guards as well as marching bands from the universities, colleges and high schools of North Carolina. Vehicles including military armored personnel carriers, mobile missile launch systems, medical transport equipment and other tactical assets will also be featured in the parade. Riders on the floats will primarily be military family members.

The parade is just the start of the day’s events! Public and military access to an open static display area of equipment used by the modern day military will begin at the conclusion of the parade. Including weaponry, armored vehicles, marine rescue, climbing walls and other equipment. These displays will be provided by active military bases, military branch recruiting and military contractors/suppliers. Also, there will be at least four maybe six NASCAR team’s show cars sponsored by various branches of the military. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series show cars for 2008 will be on exhibition and in the parade.

So be sure to come on out to line Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh at 10am to show the nation that North Carolina is the most military friendly state!

Detailed information on the parade and the day’s events is available at the official event web site: http://www.saluteournctroops.org/.

Vote Swagger For Best of the West!

As many of you know, I'm all about local businesses!

If you will (you know... when you have some "free" time at work tomorrow - or you're bored - or whatever....) please cast your votes in Cary News' Best of the West! This is all about small businesses in Cary, Apex, Fuquay-Varina, and Western Wake in general and I would SO appreciate any votes for Swagger (as I know owner Mandy Becker would!) that any of you would like to contribute!

What's Swagger you say?

Swagger is hands down my favorite gifts and accessories boutique located in the heart of Lochmere and its owner, Mandy Becker, is pretty much one of the most fabulous girls I know. I started doing eNewsletters for Mandy over a year ago and now I help her manage Swagger's growing website and creative development including product content, blogs, and more on an almost daily basis.

So why am I asking my blog readers to vote? Simple: because I recommend the girls at Swagger to EVERYONE I know! I know that anyone I send that way will leave as one very, VERY happy shopper.

If you are one of my many friends who's ventured in to Swagger, shopped online at SwaggerGifts.com, or even purchased something Swagger at Accessorize with Pi Phi, please cast your vote and let others know as well!

Are Parking Lot Parties a Southern Thing?

I think they might be... if not, I don't care. I'm still going anyway.

Just some real quick info for my Buckhead (official site) fans out there:

Tomorrow evening (as in Thursday, April 24th) Buckhead Saloon - my favorite bar on the face of this planet... OBVIOUSLY - is kickin' off one of the most ridiculous weekends in Raleigh (Beer Festival, TBMF, Salute Our NC Troops, etc., etc.) with a good ol' PARKING LOT PARTY!

Buckhead's partnered up with The Preiss Co. to kick off this weekend's un-official start to summer and put "dead week" to bed!

Come out from 5pm to 9pm at University Woods on Trailwood Drive (just off Tryon Road or Avent Ferry Road). You guys know how we roll on college night and how The Preiss Co. loves to throw a party for their residents... so naturally it's going to be a great time!

It's going to be a BYOB parking lot party. There will be food, beer pong, live music and it will be a lot of fun.

See y'all there!

PS - We're taking it back to Buckhead after for Ladies Night (no cover for girls, $3.00 Buckhead Martinis, and $3.00 glasses of wine) and Group Therapy ($10 for a beer tube of 5 pints and 5 shots - for groups of 5 or more) and you guessed it... MORE BEER PONG!

Movies by Moonlight at Koka Booth!

Thanks Ashton!

I think taking in a movie outside under the stars sounds just darling! If you're game (and who wouldn't be for only $3.00!) check out: Movies By Moonlight at Koka Booth Amphitheatre at Regency Park.

Here's a quick look at the Thursday night summer schedule:

June 5: The Bourne Ultimatum
June 12: The Bee Movie
June 19: We Are Marshall
June 26: Gremlins

July 3: Hairspray
July 10: A Prairie Home Companion
July 17: Twilight Zone - The Movie
July 24: Jurassic Park

August 7: Breakfast At Tiffany's (Yay!)
August 14: Shrek The Third

According to the website: "For a mere $3, kids under 12 are free, patrons can bring a blanket/chair and picnic dinners inside the venue as the spacious lawn at Booth Amphitheatre is transformed in to an outdoor movie theatre.

Venue Gates/Box Office Open at 7pm and the movies start at dusk. Come early and enjoy live music by some of the regions most talented artists!"

For All You Boaters Out There...

You'd think I would have been aware of this... but it's good to news to me nonetheless:

"Falls Lake may be full, but boaters are still facing high gas prices. The marina is charging $3.80 per gallon.

Poole recommends that boaters save their gas receipts. Boaters are being charged a highway tax, but since they are not burning the gas on the highway, that money can be recouped during tax time.

The amount averages between 42 and 50 cents savings per gallon, she said."That's from the WRAL story on the booming marina business out at Falls Lake this past weekend! Read the full article online.

Nappy Roots Tonight!

After you get your fill of The Embers at North Hills, join me at Buckhead in supporting SUCH a great cause and those boys from Alpha Sig who hold a special place in my heart :-)

The Brothers of ΑΣΦ proudly present Nappy Roots

TONIGHT - Thursday April 17th 2008.
Buckhead Saloon, Raleigh NC

Tickets $10 presale/$15 at the door

Proceeds benefit Canine Companions for Independence!
http://www.caninecompanions.org/

Buckhead has the following age requirements.
Girls 18+
Guys 21+

DRINK SPECIALS FOR THE CONCERT
$2.00 Miller Draft
$5.00 Bombs
$10.00 Beer Tower + 5 Shots
$3.00 Wine
$3.00 Martinis
$2.50 Miller Products

Race for Charity at Rush Hour

Disclaimer: Before any of you engage in any reckless driving on I-40 between 5 and 6pm... I'm referring to the high-speed go-kart track down in Garner!

Rush Hour Karting is SO much fun! For any you who haven't had the chance to get down there yet and drive a go-kart that goes 35 miles per hour... you need to ASAP and unleash your inner Danica Patrick (ok, ok... or your inner Kasey Kahne - that's for you boyfriend).

If you need a little more encouragement, they're doing a fabulously civic-minded charity race league every Tuesday night from 7-9pm that includes 15 practice laps, 15 qualifying laps, and a 20 lap race for the top 12 qualifiers! It costs $30 to join in and 100% of proceeds go to the St. Baldrick's Foundation: Shaving the Way to Conquer Kids' Cancer.

Join us out there sometime!

Steel Magnolias

After "google-ing" Buzz & Berly last night, I stumbled upon this blog: Puttin' on the G.R.I.T.S.

I love the random goings-on this fellow southern belle writes about and the collection of "Steel Magnolias" she links to! Her description, is one of my favorite southern girl quotes that I had not yet included here:

"If anyone tries to tell you a Southern girl shouldn't drink, just tell them the truth: we don't drink, we sip...a lot."

April 26th... FANTASTIC OVERLOAD!

If there were ever a day where too much was going on... this is certainly how I'd like to have it!

Millbrook Exchange Park's 19th Annual Bark Around the Park
A favorite for Raleigh dog owners, the festivities will take place on Saturday, April 26th from 11 am to 3 pm at the Park. Bark Around the Park is organized by Raleigh's Parks and Recreation Department.Participate in the Dog Show that has an event for every dog or get your frisky pup to show his skills in the Frisbee contest. Prizes will be given for first place in each event. Also, there will be demonstrations and information vendors at the event.Interested in sponsorship or being a vendor? Contact Nikki Speer at 872-4156. Learn more about the day's activities, sponsors and vendors at RaleighNC.gov.

World Beer Festival
More info to come!

Salute or NC Troops
More info to come!

Triangle Beach Music Festival
More info to come!

Sad To See Iatria Go

...from Leo's RalCon Tumblog... a link to Sue Stock's (The N&O) "Raleigh Pioneer Pulls Out".

It seems that Iatria will be leaving Downtown at the end of this month :-( They are definitely one of their kind in the heart of Downtown on the ground-level of the new Progress Energy building.

There are other similar salons on Glenwood, but Iatria is a true day spa. I've worked with the Downtown manager, Traci, doing cross-promotions for Buckhead and setting up some fabulous bachelorette pampering parties and she is FABULOUS, so if she'll be moving to one of Iatria's other locations... that's where I'll be getting pampered from now on!

Also noted in the article... Cody's Chinese Bistro will be closing at the end of this month.

So... is anything new coming or is it all bad news? There is a new retail boutique opening up shop at Five Points...

Got Plans for Saturday?

I'm SO going. Who wants to join?

Second Chance Pet Adoptions Annoucnes Open House and Yarn Cutting for New Cageless, "No-Kill" Animal Adoption Center - from Carolina Business Connection

Here's the main info:

Who: Second Chance Pet Adoptions

What: Second Chance Pet Adoptions has opened a larger adoption center to help continue the organization's goal of finding new homes for stray and abandoned Triangle animals.

When & Where: The Open House and yarn cutting ceremony is set for Saturday April 12, from 11 am to 3 pm in the Tanager Center at 6003 Chapel Hill Road Hwy 54 West in Raleigh. The yarn cutting ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m.

Why: "As the Triangle's first no-kill facility, we've helped thousands of animals find permanent, loving homes," said Brian Darer, a Raleigh attorney and volunteer president of Second Chance Pet Adoptions. "Our cageless cat rooms and dog adoption room allow the public to interact with all of our animals. The new facility should help increase the number of animals we can save, and also create a warm and inviting place for the public to meet their new family members."

Well Crap...

Looks like the industry rumors are true... Nelson's is closed (but it's reopening, as Ashton says, as Foster's ... again).

Check out the N&O article on all the happenings in Cameron Village. We'll shall see what will become of the Nelson's Late-Night and if Foster's will offer something similar.

In all honesty though, the same article reports the closing of my favorite little organizational shop - Hold Your Own - in Cameron Village. That's what I'm really bummed about. It notes that their other store in Durham is remaining open... but we all know that I can rarely be found venturing to Durham for anything. (There was that one time freshman year where I wandered over for the last iPod in a two-county radius... but that was a special exception.)

This Is A Very Important Topic These Days...

Where to go for lunch/dinner and where can we sit outside to enjoy doing so (bonus points if the dogs can join, too!)?

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Ashton's daily email update and to the following blog for gathering all the info into one blog post for us:

Raleigh Philosophical Society: Best place to enjoy outdoor dining?PS - I hope everyone will join me for lunch AND dinner at Hard Times Cafe (one of my favorite places to dine outside in the whole city) on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 between 11:00am and 10:00pm! If you tell them that you are there to support NCSU's Relay for Life (AND THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!), they will donate a portion of your bill to this year's Relay event. Let's kick cancer's butt together my friends :-)

13 Coastal Projects Will Get State Funding

Personally, I'm very glad to see that some effort is being made to ensure that our NC beaches remain accessible to ALL.

13 Coastal Projects Will Get State Funding

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — State officials have approved funding for 13 projects to improve public access to the water along North Carolina's rapidly developing coast.

Marine Fisheries Division Director Louis Daniel has approved about $20 million for sites that can be used by commercial and recreational fishermen, recreational boaters and the marine industry.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reports $1.5 million has been approved for a $17 million fishing pier at Nags Head. An $18 million pier proposed for Emerald Isle will get $2.2 million.

The Legislature approved one-time funding for the projects based on recommendations from a Waterfront Access Study Committee. That panel said rapid development has brought higher property values and taxes that have resulted in the loss of traditional maritime industries and public access.