Holiday Cheer from the RRAR Community Service Committee

(click to view video online)

On the third Tuesday of every month, I have the pleasure of having lunch and planning some great community service projects with one of the most talented, giving, and energized group of professionals in the Triangle: The Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Community Service Committee.

If you are a local REALTOR(R) (or affiliated member of the RRAR - including mortgage firms, contractors, appraisers, etc.) and want to commit to something in 2011 that will allow you to give more than just a donation, but also your time and personal service to our local community, then please join us at our first meeting in January (Tuesday, January 18, 2011) at the RRAR to learn more about our group and getting involved.

Happy holidays, y'all!

Another Simple Holiday Wish List!

via email forwarded by Brandon (thanks, B!):

Dear Santa: We've Been Good All Year

While you are out doing your holiday shopping this year, please consider donating a gift to the dogs and cats at the Wake County Animal Center.

This year, the animals are asking Santa for:
--Pet shampoo and brushes
--Cat litter
--Puppy or kitten formula
--Paper towels and bleach
--Blankets and towels
--Cat and dog toys (dishwasher-safe)
--Monetary donations

How could you say "No" to that? I can't!

{Image: via Wake Co. Animal Center enews}

Breakfast with Santa for FIVE Great Causes!

Dr. Tinney Railey sent me an email this week asking me to help spread the word about this Saturday's fundraiser and how could I not with so many great organizations benefiting?

The Third Annual Charity Breakfast Buffet with Santa
Saturday - December 11, 2010, 8-11am
at Spice Street Restaurant in Chapel Hill

This event is organized by the resident physicians at UNC and this year we are supporting 5 charities: Ronald McDonald House, SECU Family House, NC Children's Hospital, NC Food Bank, and Toys for Tots. Last year we had a great event with over $1,000, 400 canned goods, and almost 500 toys donated. This year same great venue and price but we added an additional organization. We are also bringing awareness to Kayla’s Closet, an organization that provides formal dresses to ladies who could not otherwise afford them.

Kids can take pictures with Santa (skip the mall lines and prices), make ornaments, and enjoy face painting all while benefiting the community. Spice Street will make a monetary donation to be divided between the Ronald McDonald House, SECU Family House, and NC Children's Promise for every buffet purchased. We are asking people to bring canned goods or new toys. Adults $10 and kids $5 including tax and gratuity (cash, check and credit cards accepted)!

Happy holidays, y'all!

Make a Difference this Holiday Season

Seriously y'all, it takes very little effort to do good things. And hey, you might even get to attend a party and see some folks you love in the process!

Tonight - Thursday, December 2nd, 7:00pm (like head there in the next hour) ;-)
4th Annual Downtown Santa Ball
The Downtowner Magazine is proud to sponsor our Downtown Santa Ball on Thursday, December 2nd, from 7-10pm in order to help children in need and to provide what might be the only gift they receive this holiday season. We’re pleased to have MeetandCompete.com as a co-sponsor for our fourth year. 100% of proceeds and all gifts will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Wake County. The event will be held at the Union Tavern located in the Depot building of the Warehouse District (directions below). Just bring a gift and enjoy amazing Downtown Raleigh and free beer and wine. Support the Union by purchasing other spirits!

Thursday, December 9th, 6:30pm
Jingle Ball 2010
Get your holly on at this year's Jingle Ball... and be sure to get there early. Suz and I got there last year as the food was finished and the open bars dry. So we donated, mingled, and headed over to Landmark for a few drinks. Couldn't complain though, because I was stoked to see the turnout continue to increase for yet another year! I would say that was a mighty successful Thursday night!

Thru December 18th
Donate at ANY local Toys for Tots collection point... get the local details at http://raleigh-nc.toysfortots.org/ or find your own local Toys for Tots details (for all of you non-Raleigh folks) online at toysfortots.org!

All December
Need stocking stuffers or gifts? For just $13.95 you can get a terrific gift and help Soroptimist International of Raleigh, NC with local service projects that benefit women and girls. Auto Bell Car Wash will donate 50% of each Full Service Car Wash coupon purchased. The coupons have NO expiration date and are honored at all 61 locations around the Triangle and the Southeast. To purchase, contact Joyce Rothchild at 919-518-1093 or by email at jrothchild@soroptimistraleigh.org.

Got more locally awesome ideas for me to share? Send 'em on and I'll list in a jiff! Email: ncsulilwolf@gmail.com.

A Top 10 Southern List

Roger Elmore, the main writer for HospitalityManagementSchools.com, dropped me a nice email to let me know about a Top 10 list his site had just posted that he thought I, as well as you readers, might enjoy.

http://www.hospitalitymanagementschools.net/blog/2010/10-ways-to-know-youre-a-true-southerner/

How many did you check off? Although I'm not a hunting fan and don't find myself in church on an extremely regular basis, I'd say that the list, for the most part, fit the bill!

And although I love my "not from the South, but I got here as fast as I could" friends, I had to laugh at the end of number 10: "Although you welcome them to visit, you wish they’d stop moving to the region."

Thanks for reading and for the email, Roger!

Put the Boys to Work... at Hardly Working

I realize Thanksgiving has just come and gone, but Christmas dinner is right around the corner. I love Andrea Weigl's suggestion of putting the boys to work!

Thursday when I serve Thanksgiving dinner to a small group of friends, everyone will contribute. I will bake a pecan pie and a pumpkin cheesecake. My husband will cook leg of lamb on the smoker. (One tip for holiday sanity is cooking the meat outside on the grill, in the smoker or in the deep-fryer. Luckily, many men who like to cook don't mind spending the day outside, drinking a beer and minding the meat.) A friend will make stuffed acorn squash and the homemade noodles that are his family's tradition. A third will clear the table.

She's right - it's not at all an up-hill battle to suggest that the man (and his buddies) hang around outside with beer, a fried turkey, and perhaps even a fire pit.

Country for Kids Concert on Thursday Night!

Thursday night... be there! Only $25.00 - proceeds to visit this amazing place: http://www.ncchildrenshospital.org/

Buy tickets online at http://www.dpacnc.com/default.asp?dpac=19&objId=371.

Details:

Country for Kids concert at DPAC to benefit N.C. Children’s Hospital

Curtis Media Group announced the addition of a charity concert, dubbed ’Country for Kids,” to the ninth annual N.C. Children’s Promise Radiothon/Telethon with proceeds benefiting North Carolina Children’s Hospital.

Presented by 94.7 WQDR, Country for Kids will feature live performances from four artists, Rodney Atkins, James Otto, Clay Walker and North Carolina’s very own Jason Michael Carroll. The concert event will be the celebratory culminations of a day full of miraculous stories being broadcast live from the N.C. Children’s Hospital lobby on nearly 20 Curtis Media Group radio stations and Time Warner Cable’s News 14 Carolina as part of the N.C. Children’s Promise Radiothon/Telethon, UNC Health Care’s largest fundraising event each year.

PS: Jason Michael Carroll also has a new five song holiday album out from his very own label - Stray Records. Download it on iTunes today! (I can certainly approve the playing of his holiday music prior to Thanksgiving. ;-))

PS #2: Jason is the Grand Marshall at this year's Raleigh Christmas Parade taking place on Saturday. Get excited!

{Image: http://www.dpacnc.com/default.asp?dpac=19&objId=371}

2010 NC State Fair in Review

Went a total of four times this year - all four were fantastic, per the usual.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncsulilwolf/sets/72157625109184059/

Tuesday: The boys wanted to go for dinner. Saw a cow utterly object (nice play on words, right?) to practicing in the show circle any longer by hopping over the fence and running out of the building... with about 10 folks chasing her. Classic! Kicking myself for being too engaged in watching the action to take a video or get a picture of this.

Thursday: We went again for dinner, dragged Little Sister along for the fun, too. It was Can Day, but we forgot to help out this great cause and just paid at the gate. (Darn it!)

Saturday: Saw Hoooootie! (Aka: Darius Rucker). One of the best country shows I've seen in quite some time. Included Darius songs, a Toby Keith song ("God Love Her"), a few classic country hits, and three Hootie hits. Perfection!

Sunday: Breakfast and lunch with the family - NC State fair style! Did the Turkey Shoot. I missed the entire paper target, naturally.

Got a little education in under my belt, too - courtesy of this Deep Fried (NC State Fair) blog post:

NC is ranked 2nd in egg production in the U.S.
NC produces about 25% of the nation’s Christmas Trees
NC grows 45% of the nation’s sweet potatoes…Also, I found the following items to be newly-vegetarian approved at this year's State Fair (in no particular order):Mt. Olive pickles, peanuts, fried pickles, fried Oreos, fried honey buns, Al's French Fries, candy apples, egg biscuits, hush puppies, veggie plate at the Amran Shriners tent, etc.
PS - I also just read that the NC State Fair had 1,000,000 visitors this year... a NC State Fair First!

What are You Doing for Lunch or Dinner Today??

The Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® Community Service Committee needs your help to raise money for our annual Project Angel Tree, where we purchase and donate Christmas presents for hundreds, sometimes thousands of children in Wake County's foster program. We are proud to partner with BOCCI ITALIAN TRATTORIA & PIZZERIA, MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL and TEXAS ROADHOUSE in order to raise funds to support this amazing cause!

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Simply visit this link, print the flyer and present it when you dine out at one of the participating restaurants on THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7th -- that's TONIGHT! The restaurant will donate 10% of their food sales from October 7th to Project Angel Tree. For more information, click here or contact Priscilla Erwin at priscillae@rrar.com.

PS - Nick and I are going to Bocci because it's in Cary next to Swagger Gifts and I love Italian. Let me know if you want to join us!

Yabba Dabba Do!

Once again, totally loving Google's change for the day to celebrate something special... the 50th anniversary of The Flintstones!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2010/09/the_flintstones_at_50.html
http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2010/09/30/the-flintstones-hit-50/

When I got to Shoeboxed today, Caitlin and I were sitting in the marketing room confessing that we both DVR it regularly since it airs on the Boomerang TV network from Cartoon Network (along with The Jetsons and other longtime favorites).

Any other "timeless" classics you love? I'm also a sucker for Alf and Disney animated classic movies that are NOT in 3-D.

Never Too Busy for a Little Brian Davis and Brantley Gilbert!

My pals at City Limits Saloon in Downtown Raleigh are having a FREE concert tonight (courtesy of Bud Light's One Night Stand... thank you Bud Light!) featuring Brantley Gilbert who I posted about earlier here. Who is opening for him? None other than our good buddy BRIAN DAVIS!

It's already shaping up to be a busy week, but who could turn this lineup down?

Not this girl!

Renee's already in for the Monday night fun. Who else wants to join?

PS - You can find Brantley on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/BrantleyGilbertMusic and City Limits at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Raleigh-NC/The-Official-City-Limits-Saloon-Raleigh/105498752816348! (Don't forget BD at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Davis-Live/20712075596, either!)

Restaurant Review: The Cherry Bomb Grill

(Click to enlarge - It's not the best picture in the world, but it's a fun "panoramic" courtesy of Nick's Droid cell phone.)

On Thursday night Nick and I ventured to the new Cherry Bomb Grill - now in the space of the former Joe's Place, which for the record, I cannot remember going to once in my 26 years in Raleigh. (Maybe because I never saw it open during dinner or weekends?)

Based on the early marketing for the restaurant and bar, I didn't think I was going to be much of a fan. It was a little too pin-up cheesy for me. Luckily, I am all for giving a local venue a first chance, because once we got there, it was a lot more toned down inside on the original concept - which I think was a great move.

Seating - +
The restaurant has a really accommodating open layout and bar. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the hostesses and waitresses and taken to a high-top table for two. (They were overstaffed for the evening, however - so the girls were just hanging around up front with not a lot else to do. Not necessarily a drawback, just an observation.)

Service - +
Our server was a little shy, but by the end of the night she finally became a little more personable with us (although I think it was mostly due to asking her what she had tried and liked on the menu so far).

Atmosphere - +
As I noted before, it was much better than I had originally imagined it to be based off the concepts they marketed before opening. The bar setup was accessible and had a nice TV display - great for game day. The restaurant is on the corner of a busy street in Downtown Raleigh, so I was bit surprised when all of the street-facing windows were covered with heavy, dark red curtains. (From a marketing standpoint, I'd rather see them left open so those driving by can see everyone inside having a great time.)

Food and Beverage - (neutral)
http://cherrybombgrill.com/dinner.php
The bar also features three walls of draught brews - mostly micro-brews. Nice! (They lost points and a few dollars revenue for being out of Shotgun Betty, however, because that's Nick's go-to choice. With Lone Rider Brewing Co. being here in Raleigh, it should be the most readily in-stock brew. Maybe an early-opening oversight?)

The menu features a wide selection of appetizers, salads (with meat), entrees, and desserts. Nick had a burger and fries (fries were good!), but unfortunately I was left with few options as a vegetarian. I opted for the macaroni appetizer (sans the bacon) and that was it. (And obviously not fulfilling.) Our server noted that the lack of vegetarian options was brought up by their staff and would likely be remedied in the full menu being offered in the coming weeks as the restaurant gets situated and "fully open". I am kicking myself for not having dessert, though! There were four dessert offerings, including a peach something or another dessert that I sure would have sealed the positive deal for me. ;-)

Nick liked his burger just fine, and that's about all you'll get out of him in regards to a "review". It's not necessarily somewhere he'll be asking to go back to specifically for a burger like Tribeca Tavern in Cary (that review to come later). My macaroni was fine, but it tasted more like an Italian mac and cheese than a cheddar or some other based-dish. My preference goes to cheddars, pepper jacks, etc. So again, it was fine, but not something I'd go back just to have that one dish (very similar to Capital Club 16 - again, another review to come!).

Pricing - (neutral)
Our bill for two was less than $20, but had I opted for an entree it would have tipped just over that. I would say it's "about norm" for casual dining in Downtown Raleigh.

Overall - +
Their facebook marketing is a bit overkill (I'll "like" your page, but please get away from the "be our friend" kick... it's just too much), but I'll venture back for a drink when near the Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater again. I'd also give them another chance when they expand the menu to see if they offer more non-meat options. The new owner(s) have invested a great deal in upfitting the restaurant and you can tell that they've put some time into it. The music played when we were there was not as rockin' and rollin' as I expected (but I liked the music nonetheless).

The only other "hitch" in the evening was that an owner or manager never approached us to see how our experience was (even though I noticed him sitting at a table on his laptop during our visit). I have come to expect it in independently-owned restaurants, but it's not something that would keep us from coming back... it's just a nice touch that I think really ensures a positive experience when the owner thanks you for coming in and asks for feedback.

Other Cherry Bomb Grill Links:
http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/cherry-bomb-and-pin-up-costumed-servers-to-replace-joes-place/
http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/cherry-bomb-to-open-later-this-week-on-martin-street/
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/business/cherry-bomb-grill-opens-in-downtown-raleigh
http://trioutnc.com/Cherry-Bomb-Grill-Raleigh-7181
http://www.facebook.com/cherrybombgrill
http://cherrybombgrill.com/

So Many Options this Weekend

The only problem will be finding time for them all!

Retail, etc.

SmartMomma Grand Opening (in their new location!)
Saturday - 9/25 - 10:00am until 6:00pm
http://smartmomma.com/Locations-Raleigh-NC-sp-6.html
First 100 families to arrive are getting a nice free gift, which may or may not include a VERY nice discount from SmartMomma's neighbors at Fred's Beds. Just throwing that out there... ;-)

Downtown Designers Market (is back!)
Saturday - 9/25 - 9:00am until 3:00pm
http://www.designersdowntownmarket.com/
Jewelry, crafts, apparel, and other fab vendors in the Ornamentea parking lot!

The Green Chair Project Fall Furnishings Drive
Saturday - 9/25 - 9:00am until 1:00pm
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/greenscene/green-chair-project-holds-fall-furniture-drive
http://www.thegreenchair.org/
Got stuff? Donate it to keep it out of landfills - and help those who need it!

Festivals

Ray Price Capital City Bike Fest
Friday and Saturday - 9/24 and 9/25 - 10:00am until 10:00pm
http://CapitalCityBikeFest.com/
I don't personally "ride", but my family and LOTS of friends do... so I'm always game for going along for partaking in the sights, food, and fun.

Hillsborough Street Reopening
Saturday - 9/25 - 1:00pm until 10:00pm
http://hillsboroughstreet.org/event/
http://www.technicianonline.com/news/campus-buffer-to-get-proper-reopening-1.2337841
In true Raleigh fashion, let's close a street to traffic to celebrate it being re-opened to traffic. (It's what we do.)

Triangle Uncorked
Saturday - 9/25 - 2:00pm until 6:00pm
http://www.triangleuncorked.com/
Wine tasting event benefiting the Frankie Lemmon Foundation and Rotary!

Local Raves: The Produce Box

Nick and I (and really mostly me in that equation) have a weekly CSA (community-sustained agriculture) service we can buy from and have delivered -- The Produce Box. I totally forgot to login before 9pm tonight and pick out which Produce Box I wanted for this upcoming week. This girl certainly lucked out, however! Check out this week's goodies:

Box A (Double share of sweet potatoes)
Lots of Sweet Potatoes
1/2 # Salted "ready to eat"peanuts
Tomatoes grape or cherry
Assorted apples (6-8 depending on size)
Cucumbers 4-5 (depending on size)

SO excited. Those are probably my most favorite NC produce items! (Although I'd certainly take big tomatoes, too.) I case you were wondering, here are the other offerings I could have picked from:

Box B (Fresh basil and cider!)
Large Onion
1.5 oz Fresh Basil leaves
Local Muscadine Grape cider
Tomatoes grape or cherry
Butternut squash
Sweet pototatoes
Cucumber

Box C (Oregano and Thyme)
Sweet Potatoes
One bunch Fresh Oregano
One bunch Fresh Thyme
Large Onion
Peaches 4-6
Cucumbers 4-5
Tomatoes cherry or grape

Add-ons
1 case (12 jars) $56
Tomato Salsa
Jalepeno Pepper Jelly
Spicy sweet dill pickles
Pickled okra
Pickled Habanero Pepper

Shitake Mushrooms (larger portion this time: 1/2 #):$6.50
John Toogood's Chocolate Chip Bread: $6.75
Garlic Ristra Wall Hanging: $11.00
.50 donation to help with shipping all our donated shoes to Haiti: .50

Mmmm... peaches would have been stellar, too. Wonder when the fall apple cider will show up?

Come Check Out the DTR Water Tower on Wednesday!

Who has $685,000 to lend me? I think this would make a GREAT location for my first restaurant... no?

My friends at Glenwood Agency have listed this very cool water tower (and current home to the NC chapter of the American Institute of Architects) and are having a little open house/tour on Wednesday of this week (ie: tomorrow). Consider this your official invite, via Ann-Cabell's post on my facebook wall:

Okay, so, it's official - invite whomever you'd like! 115 W Morgan Street - Wed from 4:30 - 6:30 pm at the Old Raleigh Water Tower! We're going to serve some champagne, too! I sent out a post card to some folks, but, am eager to get as many people there as possible since it's such a cool building!

Click here to read up on the history and join me on Wednesday afternoon to check out this cool property!

Click here to watch the video about this piece of property going up for sale on News14.com!

{Image: Downtown Living Advocates blog post}

Last Call for Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week!

It's the last day to get out and enjoy Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week... so if you haven't, get to a DTR restaurant today and make it count :-)

Indulge your palate during the Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week — a week-long dining extravaganza showcasing the culinary talent in the heart of the capital city!

Select restaurants will offer tantalizing, three-course prix fixe dinners for either $20 or $30, depending on the venue. Savor the delectable dishes prepared by downtown Raleigh's finest dining establishments from Monday, August 23 through Sunday, August 29.

Prices are $20 or $30 per person, depending on the venue (tip, taxes and beverages not included).

{via http://www.godowntownraleigh.com/restaurantweek/index.html}
The girls (Denise, Adrianne, and Jess) and I made it out to Irregardless Cafe on Thursday night and enjoyed wine, appetizers, and dessert for less than $30 a person. I, recently vegetarian, enjoyed the vegetable curry (and had leftovers for dinner last night) and the vegan fruit crisp for dessert. SO good! (I also ordered the Mediterranean platter as my appetizer and shared it with the table - it included hummus, lima bean pate, olives, and other goodies.)

Irregardless takes pride in being the oldest (consistent) restaurant in town, but I'm ashamed to say my first visit was only a few weeks ago for breakfast with the Shop Local Raleigh gang. I won't be waiting too long to return again - breakfast and dinner have both been excellent, in my opinion! I also heard no complaints from lovely ladies that I enjoyed a night out with on Thursday! :-)

Check Irregardless out online and stop in soon for a meal:
http://www.irregardless.com/
http://www.facebook.com/IrregardlessCafe
http://twitter.com/IrregardlessNC

Holy Crap

This girl has the best idea EVER.
I freakin' LOVE sandwiches!
(And love even more that she will downright bring it to you!)



http://www.porchrockin.com/

Essentially, she posts a menu on Sunday night. You email, call, or text to place an order. Lunch arrives at your location on sandwich day.

How cool is that??

The breads she offers and the creativity are downright appetizing.

Talking Football Already?

What's that you say? There are less than 2 weeks until college football starts?

How did this happen??

(And where did my summer go?)




GO PACK!

PS - For those who are wondering, I did not renew my season tickets this year. Our schedule is kind of lame, honestly. Between the games at UNC that Nick has season tickets for - and Thursday night games usually being hard to get to in a timely fashion - it just didn't make sense. But I'll be buying some single game tickets, as available!

Southern Adventures: King's Sandwich Shop in Downtown Durham

Yes, ya'll - this is the perpetual Raleigh kid bloggin' about Downtown Durham. But, it's my blog... and that makes me the boss :-)

Just a quick post so that Adrianne can make her lunch time plans today!

Yesterday I ventured just a few hundred feet (give or take) from the Shoeboxed.com offices to check out King's Sandwich Shop with a few fellow Shoeboxed-ers. Sonny brought food back last week and the fries smelled so good, I had to check this out myself.



I have gone vegetarian, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a black bean "burger" on the menu, alongside regular burgers, hot dogs, bbq, and more. I resisted all urges to add on a milkshake and cookie, but definitely got the fries!

It was a delish $7 lunch and my only complaint is that I asked for "no onions, add jalapenos" and only got jalapenos on my black bean burger. It definitely needed the King's sauce, lettuce, and tomato I was anticipating to avoid being too dry.

King's Sandwich Shop
500 W. Geer Street
Downtown Durham, NC


PS - I don't think that's the exact address, but if you can get there, you'll be able to see King's. It's what was printed on the street sign I was standing by when taking the picture above.

PS #2 - Bring cash. They don't take cards. (Bad form!) So, big thanks to Laura for paying for me :-) I've got your next lunch, Laura!

What are YOU Doing on Saturday?

I have two great options for you fellow Raleigh kids!



1 - Raleigh Wide Open
Specifically, the 11:00am parade through Downtown... where you can see yours truly (and Nick will very likely get volunteered, too) volunteering with Shop Local Raleigh!

PS - Go see my buddy Mike for great prizes from Triangle.com, too!




2 - Second Chance Pet Adoptions' Auction for the Animals
This fun event taking place at 7:00pm features several ways to get in on the fundraising fun!

• Buy a ticket!
• Bid on over 150 silent auction items
• Bid on over 40 chance auction items
• Bid on over 10 live auction items
• Purchase raffle tickets for some cool items including:
• Disney World Park Hopper Passes
• Sightseeing Plane ride
• Tickets to Carowinds
• $100 Bailey's Fine Jewelry Gift Card
• Gift Certificate for a Pet Portraits
• 2 Air Tran Airline Tickets - anywhere in the US
• Doggie Daycare Gift Certificates
• Original Engraving from Clark Art
• NC Symphony and Ballet Tickets
• Private Dance Lessons
• Topsail Beach condo - 1 week
• And, much, much more...

Individual tickets are only $35.00 and open bar tickets are $125 for two!

Tickets include a wonderful selection of cold and hot hors d'oeuvres along with a fantastic dessert buffet. A selection of Pepsi products, along with water will be available. Wine and beer will be available on a cash basis.

Wines for Humanity will be doing wine tasting of select red and white wines during the evening. Wines for Humanity is an in-home wine tasting company dedicated to introducing the public to the joy of fine wines while raising funds for charity. Their wines are sourced from award-winning vineyards from all over the world.

Purchase your tickets online here!

See you there!

More Ways to Support Letters for Lyrics

In June I told you about Letters for Lyrics from Zac Brown Band and Dodge, which was a campaign I loved in its original format then. But my friend Amber sent me a tweet today letting me know about a new component they've added to this campaign and I love it even more now!

via http://www.zacbrownband.com/news.html?n_id=762:

Zac Brown Band and RAM Trucks Letters for Lyrics Continues to Salute the Troops

By saluting the troops you can receive a free CD Breaking Southern Ground. This exclusive compilation, not sold in stores, features Southern Ground Artists Zac Brown Band, Sonia Leigh, Nic Cowan, and Levi Lowrey.

Here's how it works:
• Write a letter to a soldier
• Take it to a RAM dealer
• Receive the free CD

Please help us reach our goal of sending one million letters! If you cannot make it to a RAM dealer or Zac Brown Band concert, you can write your letter online and donate your copy of the Southern Ground CD to a soldier. Every letter brings us closer to our goal of 1,000,000 letters.

While you are on the Letters for Lyrics page, watch Part IV of the exclusive film "For Those Who Serve." The documentary follows Zac Brown Band on their April USO Tour in the Persian Gulf and features the band performing for the troops, meeting individually with the men and women overseas, and sharing their thoughts on the experience.

Visit the RAM Letters for Lyrics page now!

If your prior excuse was that you had no time to get to a Dodge dealership (or that you didn't care to get the CD), it's now easier than ever to participate! So... get to it! :-)

Talk Southern to Me: Peach On, Dolly!

The title of this here blog is "Growing Up Southern...", so I assume I don't have to preface this post with a little ditty on Dolly, right?

@Dolly_Parton: "Love is something sent from HEAVEN to worry the HELL out of you!" :) - Dolly

And just in case you need a little Dolly education: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton.

{Image via: http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/archive/2008/08/05/dolly-parton-tackles-britney-lindsay-and-miley.aspx}

Tweet for the Troops!

Let me just start out this post with a full disclosure-esque statement: I am so privileged to be associated with the team at Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q. (I provide marketing and PR services for the NC-based restaurant brand.) Even if they weren't a client, this post would so be happening!

Today is the last day that you can Tweet for the Troops and support Smithfield Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q's week-long fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project... appropriately deemed "Freedom Week"!

Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q® (website | facebook | twitter) sends bar-b-q all over the map through its online store, and this year’s Freedom Week campaign encompasses the internet in a whole new way for the company.

Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q® kicked off its annual seven day “Freedom Week” campaign for its restaurants on July 2nd, focusing efforts on one initiative—supporting the troops.

Via its huge social media following, the company is undertaking a pretty audacious goal in its Twitter campaign: Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q® will donate 10¢ to the Wounded Warriors Project for every mention or retweet of #FreedomWeek (that’s a Twitter “hashtag”, used to monitor topics on the microblogging service) during Freedom Week (July 2nd-July 9th).

The Wounded Warriors Project raises awareness and assistance for the needs of severely injured service men and women with the objective to provide tangible support to get them on the road to healing, both physically and mentally.

If you're not a twitter user, you can also support this campaign by purchasing a commemorative t-shirt available in their online store! (The shirt design is pictured above in this post.)

Click here to tweet about this to contribute! http://twitter.com/home?status=Check+out+@SCNBNC's+FreedomWeek+to+support+our+troops!

LOTS of First Friday Options - Even on a Holiday Weekend!

My twitter question today:

Ok Raleigh kids... what's on the agenda for #FirstFriday in #DowntownRaleigh? I'm making my list now!

Appropriate responses included:
@artspacenc - Artspace has it going on! We've got our Summer Artist in Residence here setting in Gallery 1- come on down!

@_huddy_ - Come on down to @Fragmentlabs and check out the jewelry on display from Jaclyn Anthony.

This girl right here! RT @FireflyVodka: Who is in the mood to celebrate family, friends, and summer?! #fireflyfriday #fourthoffirefly


Also on the list:

Music on the Porch at Seaboard Station
(This is where my gang is starting!)
Event opens at 6:00pm, band starts at 7:30pm – tonight featuring Peter Lamb and the Wolves.
Music on the Porch is a grassroots community event featuring free music every Friday night this spring, summer and fall.




First Friday Market… presented by IndieNC.com
The place to visit for LOTS of unique local finds tonight! Located at 131 S. Wilmington Street (in Downtown Raleigh), this once-a-month market features emerging designers, iced coffee, and live music from Mike Roy and Rob Watson this evening from 6:00pm until 10:00pm.


WKNC First Friday Dance Party at Jibarra
(You might be able to find me here for the tequila!)
10:30pm - 2:00am

WKNC is launching a series of Raleigh Afterhours dance parties at Jibarra starting on July 2.
These events are meant to showcase the Afterhours DJs and are free and open to the public for anyone 21+ and only $3 for those 18-20. All of the money collected at the door goes straight to WKNC.

You can find the Facebook event here.


Need to get around to all of these great events?
Park your car once and then hop on the R-Line -Raleigh’s free downtown circulator bus! Check out the mobile site and pick up the bus when it gets to a stop near you: www.yourhere.com/mobile.

Currrolina Saturday Night

The words are actually "Carolina Saturday night", but Sunny Ledfurd sings it with a drawl. Sunny has been a fixture in the NC bar rocker scene for quite sometime (especially in Charlotte, but also in Raleigh at City Limits Saloon) and I am SO glad to hear him on XM Radio's "Nashville" station now!

Check out the new video for "Pontoon Boat". I would like to dedicate this to my pontoon friends...


(Above: That was the boys' "cursed" boat via Summer 2008. They called it "cursed", I called them "rookies". I still love them all, though!)


(Above: The entire "Buckhead Saloon and Friends" crew celebrating Kite's birthday out at Falls Lake... circa Summer 2008.)



My sister and I are heading to the beach this afternoon for a mini-vacay... see you suckers next week!

And PS - While pontoon boats are a NC lake fixture, I'd be lying if I said that I have not asked Nick if we can take a pontoon boat out in the ocean. ;-)

Happy Birthday to the SPCA of Wake County!

If you've been thinking about adopting a critter, this would be the weekend to do it!

As I've written here before, I am a fan of the SPCA of Wake County (as well as the county adoption center and the many local organizations that pull from shelters regularly until an animal can be placed in a forever home). Our Delta dog came from the SPCA many years ago :-)

The SPCA Birthday Adopt-a-thon will run Saturday, June 12th from 11:00am-6:00pm, and Sunday, June 13th from 1:00pm-5:00pm.
The SPCA Curtis Dail Pet Adoption Center
200 Petfinder Lane (just off S. Wilmington Street and Tryon Rd)
Raleigh, NC 27520

Some of the programs offered at the SPCA that I think are worth noting:

Check out the new SPCA Pit Crew! SO cute. Just look at those sweet faces!


The Saving Lives Spay/Neuter Animal Clinic: Preventing tomorrow's animal suffering today!
Learn more about this low-cost spay/neuter option that is saving thousands of our community's animals from euthanasia.


Keeping Families Together: Resources for pet owners in tough economic times:
* Pet Food Pantry Program
* AniMeals Program (for Homebound Seniors)
* Money Saving Tips for Pet Owners
* Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Services
Find out more about each of the above programs here!

So, who's ready to adopt or donate? :-) Many thanks to the Raleigh Downtowner for sharing this news: http://raleigh2.com/default.asp?smenu=1&sdetail=2428!

PS - You can also vote once per day through July 31st to help the SPCA try to win a $50,000 donation... how easy is that? http://petloversvote.com/

{Images: All images via the SPCA of Wake Co. website at http://www.SPCAWake.org}

Music on Main Tonight!

Jim Quick and the Coastline Band are in Downtown Garner tonight!

(If the insanity and strollers at North Hills aren't your thing, you can still enjoy live beach music on a Thursday just a few minutes outside of Raleighwood.)

The Garner Revitalization Association
presents the 2010 Music on Main After Work Concert Series

Join us on Main Street in Downtown Garner for Live Music, Great Food and Lots of Fun!

6PM – 9PM

Bring your chairs. No coolers, please.

May 27th – Brickhouse
June 10th – Coastline
July 8th – The Fantastic Shakers
August 12th – Spare Change
September 9th – Craig Woolard

more info: http://www.downtowngarner.com/musiconmainstreet.htm
facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Downtown-Garner/135200129404
facebook event listing: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123826920971747&ref=mf

Sunday Funday: Pi Phi Love

(Click to enlarge.)

Man, I miss college. And I seriously miss every single one of these gorgeous ladies. This picture, ladies and gentlemen, is my senior class of the NC Delta Chapter of Pi Beta Phi.

The only thing that's missing? A few rockstar juniors (paging Hannah, Rach, Sesh, Sarah, Regina, Ave, Liv, and any other baller-ettes I have accidentally left off the list!).

So, with that said, I dedicate today's Sunday Funday to my college sisters. I love you all and I hope life is being fabulous to each and every one of you - even those of you who I do not have the pleasure of seeing regularly :-(

Heading to Natty Green's in a bit with Adrianne (who I just realized is not pictured... A - where were you?) to wish Ashton (top left corner) bon voyage as she sets her sails for Italy for an extended period of her life! (Let's wish her the best and extra luck in finding a place to live that will accommodate guests... because I'm going to visit!)



Above: One of my favorite Ashton and Lil Lisa pictures. So us.

Lots of Options Tonight!

Yay, it's First Friday again!

Music on the Porch at Seaboard Station
http://musicontheporch.com/

Laura Ridgeway and The Livewires will be playing for us this Friday June 4th.

(And yes, this is a first Friday so we have bounce rooms again.)

Laura Ridgeway and The Livewires want you to come out to relax, have fun, and dance, dance, dance (if you want to) - this seasoned troupe of musicians will cross the gamut of swing, upbeat jazz standards, blues, Latin, and oldies pop (Stevie Wonder, etc. and lots of stuff that grooves).........everything is danceable, tail-waggin', foot-tappin', family-oriented fun. Laura is one of our local musicians out of Cameron Park.

Save the Neuse Campaign Kick-Off with SweetWater Brewery (and Old Habits) at the Pour House
http://savetheneuse.com/

Come out to The Pour House of Raleigh this Friday, June 4th, to help SweetWater Brewing Company kick start its campaign to SAVE THE NEUSE. Swift Creek Revival will open up for Raleigh favorites Old Habits. Ticket sales go to the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation.

We’ll also be raffling off some gifts that were graciously donated by our Participating Accounts. Please check them out and support them. They are doing a great service by participating.

Grassroots Opening of the new Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater
http://www.raleighconvention.com/amphitheater/

You're invited to the Raleigh Amphitheater's Grassroots Grand Opening: Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Raleigh Music from 5 pm-11 pm on Friday, June 4. Admission is FREE!

Event Schedule
5:20 to 5:50 - Th' Bullfrog Willard Mcgee
6:00 to 6:25 - The Small Ponds
6:45 to 7:10 - Sleep Control
7:30 to 7:55 - Old Avenue
8:15 to 8:40 - Mosadi Music
9:00 to 9:35 - I Was Totally Destroying It
9:55 to 10:55 - The Connells

Conservation Meet-Up at Isaac Hunter's Oak City Tavern
http://www.huntersoakcity.com/ | http://www.triangleland.org/

After (or before) stopping at the Mahler Gallery reception, head one block north on Fayetteville Street to join Triangle Land Conservancy staff for a conservation meet-up at Isaac Hunter's Oak City Tavern (112 Fayetteville Street) from 6 to 8:30. Thanks to Isaac Hunter's for offering the space, and to Conservation Trust for NC for inviting us to be part of it.

"Letters for Lyrics"

I'll be sending a handful of letters.

How about you?



Kudos to the Zac Brown Band boys for their support.

Check out the full video of "Free" which includes a longer look at their USO visit.

Just Sayin'...

Miss ya cuz...






Stumbled upon this great memorial written to Henry online:

"I had the honor of going to high school and graduating Garner Senior High with Henry. I joined the Marine Corps a few months ahead and remember the day I hear of his passing. I was so proud when I stumbled upon an article about his Bronze Star. He was an amazing person and truly held up the highest honor and tradition of the Marine Corps. I wear a memorial bracelet in his memory everyday and I am honored to share his story of courage and sacrifice for our nation. Semper Fi Sanchez, always missed but never forgotten." --
Ryan Glenn of Kansas City, MO

And in case anyone needs a reminder of why we have this extended weekend to enjoy:



Just sayin'...

Welcome to Alum Status, Sis!

I swear NCSU made the grad attire red just so she couldn't reuse mine (which was black).

And while she may be an undergrad alum, she's heading back to NCSU in the fall for four more years. At the end of those four years and a board certification or two, you may call her Dr. Mandy and you will take your puppies and kitties to her for all their TLC and veterinary needs... when she's not taking care of the Army's animals!



If you didn't know, I'm her official part-time paparazzi. You can peruse 153 photos here :-)

PS - I realize I'm a weekend and some change late on this post, but the day after graduation she and her pals hopped on a cruise from Florida to Mexico, then she came home and hopped in a car bound for Atlantic City, and then flies back tomorrow and then goes to D.C. for the weekend... so she won't see this until next week (or today on facebook) anyways. Who knew she'd graduate and become a lady of leisure?

A New Raleigh Restaurant and New Crafty Website Addiction

Renee and I were chatting on the way to Cafe Caturra last night about how we both have sewing machines, but wish we actually knew what we were doing in that department.

Now granted, I had to take a class or two in garment construction for my TATM degree... but my awesome momma may or may not have helped me with my final project after I broke TWO sewing machines in the process. (Read into that as much as you'd like.) I can rock out a design and the pattern construction. But, the actual garment construction? Notsomuch.

Nonetheless, it hasn't kept me from stumbling upon BurdaStyle.com:



The site, "for people who sew", has patterns, projects, skills, tutorials and more. I signed up for their eNews, so let's see if Renee and I actually improve our lack of crafty skills in this department sometime this summer :-)

Oh yeah, back to the wine!



Renee and I may or may not have sampled mmm... say 5 or 6 of the wine bar and restaurant's 10 reds, 10 whites, and 5 dessert wines... many of which are seasonal which means enjoy them now, because come fall there will be some new wines to love. You can buy any of their wines in several sizes, so we opted for the 3 oz. pours, which is perfect if you don't want a large pour of wine or want to indulge in several smaller. (I'm sure you can see where this is going.)

I profiled the pre-opening of this place on i heart retail and was glad to read in TBJ yesterday that it finally opened. Renee and I just enjoyed the wine last night, but they do a full fresh food menu, so I'll be back to try the food soon. Cafe Caturra is in Cameron Village near Talbot's.

Mondays

I typically despise Mondays. Since I can't stand having a crappy outlook on anything, I'm changing the way I start my week.

I picked up Every Monday Matters a while back and decided yesterday that I'm going to start making Mondays matter... TODAY!

I'm on Week 1 - Making a list of what matters most to me!

Also in Week 1, I've made a list of things things that waste time in my life and making a plan to reduce those things so I have more time for the important stuff.

I've added this little tidbit to the sidebar of this blog so that anyone reading out there who cares can keep up with my new Mondays. I'll probably group a few Mondays together here in there so that way it doesn't take me a whole year to finish this project. If you want to borrow this book after me, just let me know!

(Just so you know, I'm definitely not a "self-help book" kind of girl... which is good... because this is not one of those books. Each week the goal is really simple and complemented by facts about why one should take on this goal and then resources for doing so. I can get behind that!)

I linked the book image above to BooksaMillion.com if you're interested in getting a copy yourself!

Happy Birthday, Niki!

Happy birthday to my hometown girl, and fellow fabulous blogger, Niki over at Single Bubble Pop!



Check out her blog to wish her a happy one and to subscribe... seriously, the girl's artistic talents and effortless style are worthy of the Google Reader addition :-)

http://singlebubblepop.blogspot.com/


{Image: From Niki's "What I Wore" Series... LOVE it!}

Pumped!

Renee and I are working on our game plan for tonight and it definitely includes City Limits Saloon for the Brantley Gilbert (sorry, it's a MySpace link) show.

Brantley is one of those artists that I have the pleasure of hearing on XM Radio, but if you're stuck listening to just local stations, you probably aren't hearing enough of this guy! He's got a voice that's a little country, a little rock 'n roll... untainted by Nashville's increasing lean toward pop.



PS - It's also NEB/the boyfriend's birthday today... so happy birthday to him :-)

PS #2 - Our local homie, Brian Davis (LIVE!), will be opening for Brantley. Now THAT'S a good lineup!

Happy First Friday, Everyone!

I love First Friday in Downtown Raleigh - it's a shame I'm usually busiest on Fridays and don't get to participate in the fun more often.

I am tonight however!

On my list:

Half-price menu at Sauced Pizza from 4:30pm until 6:30pm and $5.00 Three Olives cocktails (this happens every Friday, by the way).

Rhapsody art show at CityGate from 6:00pm until 8:00pm (don't you just love the dog paintings?).



Cupcake Shoppe for sure after.



And adding vino into that mixture somewhere :-) I haven't been to Mosaic or Amra's in ages... maybe those will be the wine destinations!

{Images: Rhapsody image via Pizer Fine Art, Cupcake Shoppe image via LusterStudios}

Local Country Music Events to benefit Nashville Relief Efforts

Two posts in one day? Looks like somebody (this girl right here) is back on the bloggin' wagon!



Just a quickie for country music fans who'd like to do something to help our country neighbors in Nashville, courtesy of local country radio station 94.7 WQDR:

Stop by tonight (Thursday) 8p-10p at the Longbranch for Throwdown Thursday. $5 gets you in to see JMC perform an intimate acoustic set and the LCI truck will be there to accept item donations. Also 100% of the door goes straight to Nashville! Also have a chance to win tickets to the Country Throwdown on May 28th and we will auction off a JMC autographed Cowboy hat from the Country Connection.

Friday night JMC will be helping Marty co-host Party Radio at City Limits! The guys with LCI will be on hand with the truck for item donations and City Limits is donating $1 for everybody through the door, so let's pack the place! Also, you have a chance to win a signed hat by JMC donated by Country Connection and qualify to win a trip to the CMT Awards!!

I will either be at Altar Ego at the NC Museum of Art or JMC's benefit concert tonight... so many worthy events going on, so little time!

{Image: examiner article "Historic flooding a true disaster"}

If you've ever had lunch or dinner with me...

... then you've probably observed that everyone who does not eat pickles will give me theirs. (Love my friends!)

I am also a potato chip connoisseur. Not just any potato chips will do. I'm a big fan of the really crunchy ones - generally known as kettle-cooked chips.

I picked up lunch from Durham's Parker & Otis the other day and found something that was made JUST FOR ME (or at least it seems).



You can order them in bulk on their website: http://www.rt11.com/cfmodules/ObjMgr.cfm?Obj=OrderHere.

So much for that eating healthy thing! ;-)

PS - And don't think that I won't take a side trip on my next DC visit to go watch them make these small batch wonders of the potato chip world. That ok with you Adrianne?


FTC blogger disclosure: I was not contacted by Rt. 11 to blog about this post or compensated. But I would SO not object to a box of dill pickle potato chips. Nom, nom, nom! :-)

My Durham Friends Just Got Real Lucky!

If you've been around for a while, then you've certainly read a post or two from me about one of my Raleigh favorites... Tobacco Road.



Well guess what Durham kids... you just got reaaaaaal lucky!

From an American Tobacco Campus facebook update:

Tobacco Road Sports Cafe opens today in Diamond View II, 11am-2am, 7 days a week. Great food, a champion view of the ballpark and the coolest wall of TVs anywhere: http://www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/about/index.html
And if you're a Durham Bulls fan who has no taste for stadium food (like myself), then you will certainly enjoy being able to catch the games right from the Tobacco Road patio overlooking the Durham Bulls field!

Maybe Nick and I will "catch" dinner there tomorrow afternoon or Thursday - we already have plans for trivia and $0.25 wings at Sauced Pizza tonight in Raleigh with the gang!


{Image: http://www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/atmosphere/index.html}

Weekends of Epic Proportions

I'll just preface this post by saying, "I can sleep when I'm dead". (Thank you JMC!)

Today - E. Riley Dorn (pictured below, on the right) is at the hospital about to welcome little "G Baby" into the world. Pretty wild stuff. I am not nearly as spazzed out about it as the rest of our little mafia, as I've had several friends to take on this responsibility since senior year of high school (shout out to Steph, Amanda)! The rest of the girls in our college gang? Well they're another story. (And really entertaining to observe their reactions right now.)

(Katie Pi Phi, me, E. Riley Dorn at a bar a few years ago)

Congrats Hot Momma E. Riley Dorn and Daddy Dorn!

Tonight - Nick and I are volunteering with Priscilla and her hubby Chase, and lots of other volunteers from the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Community Service Committee (you know I also have a real estate license, right?) at Miracle League. Pretty pumped to be volunteering to help some fantastic kids play baseball!

Tomorrow- NC State Spring Football Game, possibly a visit to CueGrass, and definitely attending Redress Raleigh.

Sunday- Bridal show w/ Brezey*B, Am*Bam, etc.

(Me, Brianne, Amber - summer after senior year of high freaking school)

NEXT Weekend

TBMF with Katie Pi Phi, Mr. Katie Pi Phi (who will have a snazzy nickname after next weekend, surely), F'in Jess, Grubey and her brother, NEB, Nate, Big Cam, Renee, and the whole rest of the drinkin' team. Best day of the year!

(Yes, that is also E. Riley Dorn in that picture... less than a year ago... SO not pregnant, obviously ;-))

PS - Going to the TBMF and still need tickets? Buy them from my friends at the Me Fine Foundation - they get a donation from every single ticket sold! Give them a call or send them an email to arrange!

And that will consume the entire weekend - no lie.

Why on Earth would I live anywhere else in the world?
I love this place and the people that make it what it is!

Scam Alert

Back Story: I got an email this week from Mandy's husband Nathan that he had received a call this week asking for my employment information and a social security number, from a company which he didn't recognize.

I called the number he had been left to see who this was doing an unexpected "background check" on me and was consistently was connected to voicemail. The number called me again the next day and when I answered it, a woman named "Wanda" with "DCS, Inc." told me she worked for an agency that had been "hired" to collect over $24,900 in student debt that I had "neglected my obligation" to fulfill.


UMM NO.

I explained to her that it was impossible as I had attended NCSU on a full scholarship. She asked me my birthday and then decided they had "made a mistake"... and then she hung up on me! I called her back to ask for some sort of confirmation by mail or email that they had realized their mistake and she wouldn't provide one. [I had yet to use the "b" word, but I was quite close to it at this point.]

This all still sounded super scammy to me, so I called Mom to let her and Dad know what had gone on in case anything goes to their house or is called in on their phone number. Mom said I should actually see if I can get a mailing address for the number and file a complaint with the Attorney General, especially since they went as far as to call an employer (which I have no idea how they would have gotten that information or who else they may have contacted).

So long story short - big props to Nathan for not handing out my information without being cautious, and if you're a recent college grad, be on the lookout! I wonder how many people this "business" has contacted demanding payment...

Accessorize with Pi Phi on Tuesday!

In Raleigh? Ready to do a little shopping for a great cause?

PERFECT! Come join us :-) Renee and I will be there all day with I Heart Retail and mark. and would love to see any of you local readers!

LOTS of great vendors including Swagger Gifts, Beleza, Undertoad, Sassy Sorority, Cute Buttons Gift & Paper Boutique, Clothes Hound, Carolina Silver Co., and more!

Some of my local favorites including Sono, The Oxford, and Sauced Pizza have also provided some very DELICIOUS door prizes and I have a few extra tickets if anyone would like one! (You can also buy them online for only $5.00 on Eventbrite!)

The event is from 2pm until 8pm at The State Club on Centennial Campus. All ticket sales and 10% of vendor sales will be donated to First Book, an organization that provides books to children.

How to...

Got this email today from E. Riley... SO appropriate!

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED

Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, 'You're next.' They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.
Of course, I would never say that. But still... so appropriate ;-) I know Adrianne, Lisa S., and Blackeyed Susan share my sentiments and probably got a great laugh from this, too.

Any Local Twilight Fans Here?

I typically - as a rule - only watch one genre of movies: funny movies. (This hasn't always been the case, but several years ago movies seemed to have just gotten a lot more graphic and I just can't deal with that.)

I've rarely hopped on the bandwagon for "must see movies", but I have a confession to make. I just added all of the past Twilight films to my Netflix queue. Happy Jess and Grube? I'm sure I will now jump at the chance to see a movie at midnight when it comes out.

This can totally be attributed to the fun the girls at Swagger are having right now in anticipation for the release of Eclipse (the third in the Twilight film series) this summer. There is just no way I could join in the fun without knowing which team to join, right?

Here's the skinny from Swagger:

With the release of Eclipse, the third movie in the series, we decided to have a little fun with it and raise money for a great cause at the same time!

Who is the event benefiting?
The RED CROSS (get it - vampires,blood - yeah we know we are cheesy but this is going to be fun!:-) )

What is the goal?
To raise $1000 for the Red Cross by the premiere of the Eclipse Movie on June 30th, 2010. We have installed a "countdown" so we know how much longer we have!

When is the event?
The event is ongoing and is happening EVERY DAY at Swagger between NOW and JUNE 30th.

Where is the event?
At Swagger Gifts in Cary, NC

How can YOU get involved?
Do you love Edward or Jacob? Would you like a picture with "them"? Come by Swagger and take one! We are just asking for a donation - anything you want to give! Make your friends jealous and post it as your FB profile or frame it and keep it by your bed - we won't tell!
So, are you Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team Undecided? Check out all of the pictures on Swagger's blog and stop in and join the fun for a great cause if you're local!

Best. Email. Ever. - Saturday Edition

Subject: Dear Lil Lisa

Email: Can we pregame at your house tonight after dinner?

-- Adrianne
Happy (early) birthday to one of my favorites... and cheers to everyone who never gets too old to pregame!

{Picture}: Pi Phi Famous Couples Grab-A-Date, February 2007
I was Faith Hill (Nick was Tim McGraw) and I'm pretty sure Adrianne was Lisa Turtle (now, which DU guy had the pleasure of being Screech?).

Let's Go Pack!

If you're not in Wolfpack Country, the statement "Let's Go Pack!" might mean that you're about to go somewhere. For those of us who are in Wolfpack Country... it means we hope to go somewhere with our TEAM! ;-)

Tomorrow is the NCSU vs. UNC basketball game and I am co-hosting one of the Alumni Association's three Raleigh-area watch parties. If you're a fan (alumni or not), please come hang out and feel free to bring some friends!

Wake County NC State Alumni Network
Choose the game-viewing party closest to you!

Join local alumni and fans as we cheer on the Pack against the UNC Tarheels this Saturday. We'll be at three locations for the 4 p.m. tip-off.

Bucks Sports and Spirits at 5625 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh 27612. Click here to register.

Backyard Bistro at 1235 Hurricane Alley Way, Raleigh 27607. Click here to register.

Kickback Jacks at 1405 Garner Station Boulevard, Raleigh 27603. Click here to register.

Are you Red & White for Life?
Your Alumni Association membership supports the Wake County NC State Alumni Network. Your membership is important! Join at www.alumni.ncsu.edu.
PS - I will be at the Kickback Jack's location! I have facebooked/tweeted about this place before. It replaced the Rock Ola Cafe in the Raleigh/Garner area. It's a great sports bar with a huge menu selection. And it is ALWAYS packed. Come see what the hype is about - they've reserved half of the heated patio for us!

Yee Haw, Y'all!

I found out about this because I am subscribed to Eric Church's RSS feeds for his upcoming tour dates. When I saw he would be playing Raleigh at TWC this summer, I clicked through to see who he was with. The Country Throwdown Tour is DEFINITELY on my calendar!

May 27th in Charlotte, May 28th here Raleigh!

You could say I was pleasantly surprised. Just check out these details

I <3 MG, Jack, EYB, the Trailers, and Heidi. I can't wait to see what other talent they add to this kick ass lineup!

See y'all there!

I Knew I Liked Her...

Carrie Underwood just seems like my kind of girl. If someone was to ask me "Who would you like to be for a day?"... I think she'd probably make a good answer.

From my pal Broadway on Air (we don't actually know each other either, but Broadway also seems like my kind of guy and I used to love listening to him on 106.1FM when they were country):

While chatting with media on the red carpet at the People's Choice Awards, Carrie Underwood told People.com what she hopes to have for her wedding day.

"[I want] a groom, good food and an open bar,"

Carrie also plans to channel her deep southern roots when it comes to her wedding day 'do.'

"I’m Southern," she says. "I like big hair and eyeliner. I want my wedding day to be me, so I’ll probably be rocking some big hair and some eyeliner."Read the whole feature here!


{Image: Baltimore Sun}