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!

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.

Taking Local Love to a New Level

So this whole "concept" is something that Mandy and I have been talking up for a looooong time. And I am really pumped to finally be getting it out there. It's not anywhere close to being as content-rich as it will be soon, but it's at least a start.



Right now, the biggest features are the email newsletter (bringing local style and retail directly to your inbox - but no, not like Express/Banana Republic/etc. style... I refuse to harass you all daily), Top Picks, and the feature appearances from local readers, too!

If you have a few minutes, please stop by and check it out. Today our Black Friday content is still up, so you can check out what we liked for November... but tomorrow and over the next few days, December will be making its way in.

And if you're a local shopper, or just appreciate good style, please consider joining the email list, too :-)

And YES, I really DO want YOU to send me your tips, pictures, etc. I think this is going to be a lot of fun. A lot of work, of course - but most importantly... a lot of fun.

www.iheartretail.com

"Helloooooo Hangover"

I usually put Swagger's giveaways on the girly blog (all things retail, style, and trends), but this one can apply to many of you - girly or not, and it prefaces a later post on this past weekend's really awesome Riley-Dorn wedding extravaganza.

This week's Facebook Friday of the Week from Swagger's facebook page is a product that has gotten rave reviews and flies out of stock: Sprayology.

Sprayology Party Relief is one of our all time most popular items - and we FINALLY have it back in! Some of our customers (you know who you are) have been begging for it!

This Party Relief is a HANGOVER REMEDY and it works like a charm - I had to test it out for you guys! :) You will be seriously happy you found this product!

You can check it out here: https://www.swaggergifts.com/party-relief $24Would have been AWESOME to have some handy yesterday and this morning. My hangover (possibly second hangover of the day) hit around 2pm while we were having breakfast at iHop. Yep, breakfast at 2pm. (I had to go retrieve my car from the Sheraton parking deck while I still had a driver and a vehicle at the townhouse before he had to go to work before I could meet the gang for breakfast.)

PS - So how did I get home? White Horse! These are my boys (because they deliver me home safely on a regular basis) and I love them. Cabs suck - get in the truck! (That should be their new tagline.)Put the following numbers in your cell phone address book: 919-782-5893 or 888-62-HORSE (888-624-6773). You WILL thank me the next time you'd like a reliable ride home at 2am.

{Double Post} The Shop with a Conscience

I can't believe this is another thing I've never remember to blog about, because it's one of my Cameron Village favorites - Beleza: A Fair Trade Boutique.

Described on their website as a place where:...you will find unique and extraordinary textiles and hats, jewelry and art that catch your eye and touch your heart.

Beyond offering beautiful things, Beleza exists to provide hard working people from countries around the world – and here in the US – essential support to provide daily necessities for their families.

While the store is fair trade, the major emphasis of Beleza is to treat people as they should be treated, and assist in global economic development.Beleza is owned and operated by two of the most wonderful people I know: P. Dail and his wife Sara.

I received the following email today from Sara about a new addition coming to their store that I am really excited about:Recently we met Audias from Honduras. Born without arms, he paints with his feet. We will have his work in the store very soon and encourage you to come see this work. Audias has no other means of support. We plan to host a special event for you to meet him.I'll be sure to update when I hear more details!

In the mean time, go check out Beleza and become an addict of their amazing selection of goods with a heart, too.

What All You Well-Dressed Gentlemen Have Been Waiting For...

...and also for us southern girls who love a sharp-dressed man!

Southern Proper "Tailgates and Ties" Trunk Show
Preppy and Football...It's What We Do.

Date: Friday, September 19, 2008
Time: 12:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Varsity Men's Wear, Crabtree Valley Mall

Stop by Varsity Friday before the NCSU vs ECU football game to get all your tailgating essentials, bowties, neckties, Proper Polos, and more! There may even be a free gift with purhase like croakies and koozies!

Ladies, come by and pick something up to surprise your beau!

Also, get the chance to meet the original belles of the business. Emmie and Reagan will be visiting from Atlanta for this special event.

Feel free to invite all your friends!Kisses to my lovely little Pi Phi - and fellow NCSU COT girl - Mary Lauren for sending me the scoop!

Local Round-Up

A collection of some good to know local info from yesterday's blogosphere...

From the retail business news goddess, Sue Stock:
North Carolina's Fresh Market stores have started stocking fresh shrimp that have been caught in NC waters.

Add this to the ridiculously long list of things to do this Saturday:
the Town of Cary's Lazy Daze festival!

Another from Sue Stock - the business news writer who keeps us on our retail toes:
Replacements will be selling more than 100,000 pieces of overstocked merchandise. Unlike previous years, shoppers will pay a $5 entrance fee and then $5 for a box that they can then fill with as much yard sale merchandise as it will hold. (Yes, you can buy multiple boxes.) Items in the separate sidewalk sale section of the event will still be priced per item.Love it all.

Holly Aiken's Shop is Back!

From my other blog (and originally from NewRaleigh.com):

New Shop on the BlockSuper exciting!

Independent Retailers Week

As always, keep it local... there are SO many great choices... there is really no reason not to!

If you need suggestions on where to keep it local - for anything - my good friend Mandy @ Swagger (fellow independent retailer, wooh!) is divulging all of her staffs' favorites this week on her blog in celebration of National Independent Retailers Week - which started this past Sunday and runs through Saturday!

Check Swagger's blog out here and add it to your daily reads for not only the local recommendations, but also the special sales that are only for Swagger's blog readers (which... get excited... is moving to Blogger SO SOON!).

PS - You'll even catch me blogging there from time to time, too. So if you enjoy reading my blog now, just imagine it with a monogrammed-spin on it.

Avoid CBW Like the Plague...

I've never experienced such poor retail management and customer service as I have with Carolina Bridal World in Smithfield (Wal-Mart included... and I hate that place)!

I wish I had read some of the reviews on local websites (CitySearch, etc.) since the issues my BFF bride-to-be is having now with CBW seems to be their M.O.

Once we have the bridesmaid dresses in hand and they're not conveniently "lost" or "damaged", I'll divulge the full dirt... but I just wanted to warn as many locals as I can ahead of time. Don't make the drive to Smithfield just for this place!

(I should have known we were at the wrong type of store when I saw a girl trying on a prom dress that looked like it'd be the dress of choice for any contestant in the Miss Ghetto pageant.)

Soon-to-Be Tailgating Favorites!

Mandy from Swagger is at market this week... and the good stuff is already coming back to town via her market update blog posts!

I have a feeling these southern collegiate essentials she blogged about yesterday are going to be totally necessary come football season:

Market Watch July 08 - Day 3
Today we found some really great collegiate gifts! One of my favorites was this grill cover! I would have been in the photo but I the sample was a UGA grill cover and I went to Georgia Tech so there was NOOOO way that was going to happen! I forced my mom to be in it but I think she dislikes them as much as I do!:)



One of my other favorite gifts was a really cool coozie that was magnetic so you could stick it to the side of your car when you are tailgating - now that is a great idea! The salesman said you can even stick it to the side of your lawn mower - now you might be a redneck if.....:) I will let you guys know when we actually get this stuff in the store!

MandyI am really excited about the koozies that you can have your car hold for you... you know, for when you don't have a free hand thanks to the plate of bbq in one, and your fork in the other! It's freakin' genius I tell ya.

I double love the redneck inspiration to have your lawnmower hold your beer while you cut the grass. (Chad from A-1 Lawn will be getting one for Christmas this year no doubt!)

New Retailer in Downtown Raleigh

From my retail therapy blog, just a bit about a new retailer downtown that will be changing up the merchandise regularly - constantly offering up new merchandise to Downtown shoppers!

Purple Armchair in Downtown RaleighAnyone had the pleasure of shopping here yet?

Sleep-In for the Cure and Get Your Beauty Sleep, Too!

A freebie for Lisa S. - because I really love Fred's Beds' commitment to Komen for the Cure.

Fred’s Beds Continues Partnership with NC Komen for the Cure as First Corporate Sponsor for Sleep-In for the Cure

Raleigh, NC – In 2007, Fred’s Beds celebrated the grand opening of their 11th store during the months of October and November with a special shopping campaign that benefited the NC Triangle Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. In continuing that partnership, Fred’s Beds Vice President, Lisa Stansbury, has announced that Fred’s Beds has joined the NC Triangle Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® series. Fred’s Beds is the first-ever, and sole sponsor of Sleep-In for the Cure® for the Komen NC Triangle Affiliate.

For race-day participants who aren’t spending the morning catching up on their beauty sleep, the Raleigh-based specialty sleep store, with locations across the state from Kannapolis to Wilmington, will be on-site at the race with a special display of their most popular futons and coordinating covers with a special emphasis on the color pink. Giveaways and special contests are just part of the line-up during the special event. The family-owned business is also looking forward to being able to connect with this very important part of their community in such a personal setting. “This is such a unique way for us to connect with our customers”, says Lisa Stansbury. “It is one thing to raise awareness about breast cancer and the dedication to finding a cure in our stores”, she says, “but this is an opportunity for us to stand along side so many other individuals, groups, and businesses who share the same vision of a world without breast cancer.”

Savvy-shoppers may have noticed that pink striped futon covers aren’t the only tool used by Fred’s Beds to highlight their dedication to the search for a cure for breast cancer: the newest locations in Wilmington and Garner, NC both sport pink parking lot lines. These bright parking lots not only create a positive vibe when shopping for specialty sleep products, but also remind consumers who notice the bright color, of the importance of early detection in the fight against breast cancer.

“We have been really inspired and humbled by the support that we’ve received from our customers and our peers in this industry”, Stansbury says, “and we were thrilled to have another opportunity to work with the NC Triangle Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure in a new capacity. From a marketing-perspective, you could not ask for a better fit for Sleep-In for the Cure than Fred’s Beds and the importance of sleep for your health. From a family perspective, I could not ask for a better way to honor my Grandmother and other close friends.”

Sleep-In for the Cure® gives interested participants a unique opportunity to support the race while not actually being in attendance. “As a working-woman, with a busy schedule like so many other people, I encourage those who want to support the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, but who may not have the time or the availability on June 14th, to consider Sleep-In for the Cure® as an alternative”, says Stansbury. Interested participants can register to Sleep-In for the Cure® and not only receive an event t-shirt and support the cause, but also get their beauty sleep.

For more information about Fred’s Beds, contact Vice President, Lisa Stansbury at LisaStansburyFB@BellSouth.net or visit their website at http://www.fredsbedsonline.com/.

For more information on the NC Triangle Affiliate of Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure, call 919-493-CURE (2873) or visit their website at www.komennctriangle.org/.

About Fred’s Beds
Fred’s Beds is a specialty sleep store founded in 1985 at the N.C. State Fairgrounds by owner Frank Stansbury. Since then, the company has grown to become a local, award-winning favorite of customers in search of a knowledgeable bedding retailer with a commitment to unparalleled customer service. Fred’s Beds boasts 16 reader-selected awards from such publications Metro, Encore, Wilmington Star, Independent Weekly, and others. With 9 locations throughout North Carolina (including Raleigh, Wilmington, and Greenville), there is almost always a Fred’s Beds close by where buyers can trust that “nobody knows beds like Fred”! For locations, hours and additional information, please visit Fred’s Beds online at http://www.fredsbedsonline.com/.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we have invested nearly $1 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-800 I’M AWARE.And once again (like in my other blog), in the interest of full-disclosure: I wrote and distributed this press release for Fred's - but it's totally blog worthy!