"Rampant, Like Herpes..."

"...but for positive."

So I'm pretty much anti-politics campaigning (sheesh, you'd think we could've cured cancer, saved A LOT of puppies, and clothed/fed/housed many others with the $300 million spent by one party on their campaign and the $200 million spent by the other party on their campaigns - which I'm betting are low-ball figures) but I don't hate this "public service" campaign and it's star-studded funniness.

I also really love that it doesn't include "register to vote for (insert candidate sponsoring said ad here)".



Thanks for emailing that to us girls, Renee!

PS - "Don't" vote.

Homecoming Breakfast Brunch

SO many of my favorite people in this world are going to be back in Wolfpack Country this weekend for Operation T.O.B. - Homecoming 2008!

Game time? Noon... ugh. Another breakfast tailgate it is - hopefully not so chilly this time!

I'm going to experiment with this for the tailgate dish a la Lil Lisa (maybe I'll substitute raspberries or strawberries for the blueberries to keep it Wolfpack red!):

French Toast BakeI'll be sure to update after as to whether this resulted in a domestic adventure or a domestic misadventure!

Recognize that Little Curly-Haired Girl?

Readers of the NC State Fair's blog may have recognized a familiar face yesterday!

http://2008ncstatefair.blogspot.com/2008/09/fair-fan-lisa-jeffries.html

(Note: Fall 1987 was just before the first appearance of my younger sister, Mandy.)Check out some of our family's fair pictures from the 22+ years we've been going together (18 since my sister was born) in the following slideshow.

View Album

Get your own

The NC State Fair - definitely one of my favorite family pastimes!

Hard Rock <3

I really want to go to this Three Doors Down benefit and I've never been to Biloxi, so I figure... why not?

As I was checking out Hard Rock's accommodations website, this caught my eye:

From the website: "Two select 'Pink Sheets' guestrooms at each hotel will be outfitted in special pink-hued Sleep Like A Rock bedding, with 25% of the nightly rate benefiting The Breast Cancer Research Foundation."Cool, huh? I think so. I'd so request the pink rooms. (Too bad they can't turn every room pink for the promo!)

Catch and Release

So my good friend JD just called to let me know that he's going to be on a little fishing expedition from November through February in Florida, then to Mexico, the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and on after that.

It's barely even turned cold here and I can't wait to get out of here and do something like this!

Click on the link above for a great 2 minute video... you won't be disappointed.

Costa Rica... here we come! (Hopefully...)

PS - Did I mention JD called from the boat (still in NC though)?

Update: Hot Sauce Festival

Remember my surprise (and enjoyment) at how NC event boasts a Hot Sauce Festival?

Triangle Brewing Company has a cool video on their blog with pictures from the event... take a look!

Looks like it was a beautiful day in Oxford for it - would've been nice to check it out in person!

You Stay Classy, Carter-Finley

Two thumbs up from me:

State Salutes the State
"When the Wolfpack football team ran out of the tunnel on Saturday, 'two Wolfpack players were given the honor of carrying onto the field the United States' flag and the flag of North Carolina,' writes our good friend James at Yet Another N.C. State Sports Blog.

'It was classy, respectful and mindful of who we are and what our role is as the Land Grant University of the state of North Carolina. We serve the state, first and foremost; this entrance echoes that mission.'"I like it.

Be sure to click through to find out how the players are selected to carry the flags on to the field.

Cherry Bounce

What a true Raleigh-kid tradition!

If you're not a big Downtowner, here's what you've missed the past few weeks (err... months) in the blogosphere:
Drink Cherry Bounce at Deep South (The Raleigh Connoisseur)
The drink that started it all (Raleigh Philosophical Society)

"Cherry" is alraedy a major part of my drink and dessert vocabularies... can't wait to give this a try at Deep South the Bar, soon! Here's a list of 6 different recipes for Cherry Bounce from cooks.com - be sure to report back if you give any a try!

Could be an interesting fall cocktail experiment for me to take on, as well...

11/10 Update: I've had the Deep South cocktail... it was yummy. (Skip the martini glass, ask for a rocks or pint glass. It's my own little trick to not spilling red drink all down a white top.)

Aaaaand Leo's back with his own success story - which includes another save-worthy recipe from a commenter!

Ok Triangle Ladies...

I expect to see you ALL here!

I hope that all of you Raleigh readers can come join this great event. I can't wait to meet you there, if you do make it!

Party with skirt! and Dress for Success

Update: We’ll be giving away some great prizes at our event! Tickets, jewelry, gift certificates...watch this space for more info!

The most awesome party ever happens this month, and you are so invited. skirt! has teamed up with the Triangle chapter of Dress for Success to hold our first-ever skirt! After Work event.

What is it? A skirt drive to benefit Dress for Success.

What should I bring? Skirts, of course! But we’ll also be accepting jewelry, scarves, belts, and other interview attire.

Where? The gorgeous, delicious 518 West Italian Café on Glenwood South.

When? 5:30 til 7:30pm. Tuesday, September 30.

Why? Because it’s a benefit for an amazing women’s cause, a chance to meet the skirt! team, as well as some of the men and women who have appeared in our issues. Oh, and did we mention we’ll be giving away prizes?

How much? It’s free to get in, and the signature skirtini will be $5 for those of you with donations. Other drinks will be regular price.

If you’re wondering what a skirtini is, this is where you come in. We’re currently running a recipe contest for the signature drink of skirt! Is the skirtini sassy, light, and fruity? Dry and witty? Or rich, elegant, and chocolate-y? You decide!

Come up with a recipe for the ultimate skirtini, and enter it here. The winning beverage will be christened The skirtini, and will be served at our skirt! After Work events every month, starting with Skirts for Success on September 30. See you there! And get mixing!Be there or be boring!

How Pretty is Google Today?!

Guess who will be doing a lot of Google-ing today?

Capital City Bikefest

Can't believe I almost missed this (not that Mom and Dad would've let that happened though)!

(Capital City Bikefest)

What: Capital City Bike Fest
When: Friday - September 26th (10am until 11pm) and Saturday - September 27th (10am until 11pm)
Where: Downtown!
Cost: Free Entrance
More Info: CapitalCityBikefest.com/Even if you're not a Harley-enthusiast, this is still a VERY cool event to head out to just to check out some of the amazing custom bikes (a huge draw if you have young boys - this actually is a very family-friendly event). There is lots of live music, entertainment, good food that can be purchased from vendors, merchandise for sale, BEER, and more.

See you there!

(As always, this event has been added to my "Raleigh & More" google calendar!)

PS - Sorry, can't find my pics from last year's event, but bonus points are up for grabs if you can spot my Uncle Bruce (should be an easy one for any bona fide Jeffries) in this video here! Hint: He's within the first 30 seconds.

Halloween in Wolfpack Country

I loooooove Halloween - and all that it entails: decorating, parties, costumes, and other devilishly fun stuff.

This is must-have for any Wolfpack household. ESPECIALLY the house divided so that the significant other never forgets which team is really tops. ;-)

(FootballFanatics.com)Thanks to CottonCandy from the NC State Fair blog for sharing this great pumpkin carving tool!

Chi Phi Thai

This funny little segment from this weekend's Good Morning America really makes me miss my sorority days - and want a Red Bull really bad, too.

Note: This took place at UNC, but all local letter-wearers can still support the awesome Greek system in the Triangle and our brothers and sisters in Carolina Blue. Well, that is... until November 22nd... then it's ON!

Click here (http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5846165) to watch the UNC ADPi vs. Chi Phi cook-off on GMA since there's no embed code.

PS - Best tie-breaker, EVER. Watch the video!

Reminder: Southern Proper "Tailgate and Ties" Trunk Show

(original blog post)

Check out the facebook update from Southern Proper or the facebook event to RSVP for this great event!

Host: Southern Proper®
Date: Friday, September 19, 2008
Time: 12:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Varsity Men's Wear - Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh, NC

Contact Info
Phone: 9197822570
Email: reagan@southernproper.comBe sure to track down NCSU's Southern Proper "Belle" (and my little Pi Phi sister!) - Mary Lauren - and tell her how awesome of an event it is... because I know it will be!

Exciting News for Wolfpackers & V Foundation Supporters

Thanks for the email scoop to my favorite V Foundation volunteer, Aunt Deb!

Jimmy V Golf Classic returning to Triangle
from WRAL.com

"The Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic is returning to the Triangle in 2009, with the golf tournament being held at the new N.C. State course and other events designed to highlight the fundraiser.

The classic started in Cary in 1993 and has raised millions for cancer research, organizers said. It moved to Pinehurst in 2007 and 2008.

The event will be Aug. 12-16, 2009 and commemorates former N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano. Valvano’s final season at State was in 1990 and he died of cancer in 1993.

The V Foundation for Cancer Research will introduce several new events to coincide with the annual golf tournament and black tie gala, including a V Wine & Spirits Celebration, a concert, and a cancer symposium at the new Raleigh Convention Center, organizers announced.

'We felt it was important to return the Classic to the Triangle where it started,' said Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation and brother of the late coach."Be sure to click through to read the full story with lots of great info.

While you're at it, visit the V Foundation's official website and sign-up to volunteer your time and talents with any of their great event throughout the year!