January 3, 2011 · 12:33 pm

Return To The Triangle After Snowpocalypse 2010!

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Car buried in the Snow

You may have noticed things have been a bit slow on the blog these past two weeks.  I took a short break for the holidays and spent time with family up in the northeast.  As luck would have it, I was staying in an area on New Jersey that took a direct hit  from Snopocalypse 2010 and was buried under 2 feet of snow.

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Clearing the sidewalk of 2' of snow!

As you might imagine, my flight back to RDU airport was cancelled and I spent the better part of last week slowly shoveling my way out of NJ.  Thankfully, flights back to Raleigh were running on schedule by Thursday and I am now back in the Triangle and ready to get out and do more exploring (and blogging) in the New Year!

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Roads looking better by day three!

I’m sorry I missed the White Christmas here in the Triangle, but I think I’ve had my fill of snow for the winter already after being snowed in for three straight days.  Even though New Jersey has a lot of road equipment to deal with this type of weather (unlike the Triangle), it still took several days to get many of the primary and secondary roads clear.

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Snowpocalypse 2010!

It sure was nice going from this …. to the balmy 60 degree weather we had here in Raleigh on Saturday.  It’s good to be back home in the Triangle!

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December 18, 2010 · 7:37 am

Pet Pictures with Santa and Food Trucks! Phydeaux Grand Opening Celebration December 18th 10am-4pm

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Phydeaux, an independent, locally-owned pet supply store is holding its Grand Opening party for their new their Raleigh store today Saturday, December 18, from 10-4 PM.   Their new store is in the space formerly occupied by the Capital City Grocery Store in downtown Raleigh in the Shops at Seaboard.   The event will provide an opportunityto get your pets picture with Santa and will also feature severla local popular food trucks.  A full description of all the planned activities is listed below.

Grand Opening Events include:

  • Photos with Santa! Bring your pet by for photos with Santa from 12-4 PM. A suggested $5 donation goes to the Wake County SPCA.
  • Food trucks will be on site!
  • Complimentary drinks and snacks from our Raleigh neighbors J. Betski’s and Peace China
  • Animals that need homes will be on site from:
    • Carolina Care Bullies
    • Safe Haven for Cats
  • A live police dog (K9 unit) demonstration from the Raleigh Police Department
  • Live music (lineup TBA).
  • Games and prizes! Door prizes every hour.
  • Meet exotic animals from the CLAWS animal rescue.
  • Manufacturer’s reps from Merrick, Natura, Wellness and others will be on hand to answer questions and to give out samples.
  • 10% off everything in the store!

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December 6, 2010 · 10:17 am

Free Wine Tasting at Taylor’s Wine Shop December 9th 6-8pm

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The nice folks at Taylor’s Wine Shop will be hosting another free wine tasting this week on Thursday December 9th from 6-8pm.  Taylor’s is located in North Raleigh on Six Forks road just north of I-540.  If you haven’t been to by the shop yet, I recommend you check them out when you get the chance.  Taylor’s is not your typical convenience store. 

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Taylor’s has been around for over 30 years and is an institution of North Raleigh. Long ago, the savvy owners realized the need to diversify and have developed a great little shop offering  an impressive selection of wines, local and other craft beers, local coffee (From Larry’s Beans, Carrboro Coffee and, Tradewinds Coffee), and even sell locally made Escazu chocolate along with an assortment of other items like handmade jewelry and Faerie Made Soaps.  Of course, you can still pick up bait there for your fishing trip to Falls Lake as well.

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Taylor’s is the type of shop every town needs.  It isn’t just a place to fill up your tank and pick up a gallon of milk.  It is a neighborhood store that supports the local economy by offering locally made products sold by people you know.  It isn’t just that you need to go there; you actually want to go there.  I’ve made a habit out of making a Sunday morning trip to Taylor’s just to grab cup of Larry’s Beans coffee and say hello to the owners while browsing their latest offerings.  It is a great way to start the week.

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Oh, by the way,  did I mention I will be at the December 9th wine tasting playing Christmas Carols on my trombone out on the porch from 6-8pm? Come on by and say hello!

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December 3, 2010 · 3:31 pm

Downtown Raleigh Ice Skating Kicks Off Saturday December 4th!

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This weekend marks the return of Raleigh’s outdoor ice skating rink (The AT&T Raleigh Winterfest Rink) after a it’s successful inagural run back duing the winter of 2009.   The rink is located in the Downtown Raleigh City-Plaza across from the Marriot Hotel along the southern tip of Fayetteville Street.  The opening of the rink kicks off with an all day celebration on Saturday December 4th from 4-10pm.  

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The grand opening event on Saturday will feature performances by two headliners, Jaron and the Long Road to Love and Christian Kane along with a special holiday performance by The Embers. These performances along with acts from local choirs and bands, dance groups and a multitude of other entertainers, a visit by Santa Claus, carriage and carousel rides and a dazzling holiday tree will be featured in a half-hour long holiday special on ABC11.  A  schedule of the December 4th performances is posted on the winterfest website here.  This free kickoff event will be followed by two months of additional programming.

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Last year there were several nightly events throughout the month of December including musical performances, movie nights, and sledding (provided by snow my yard).  Check the winterfest website for future updates, but right now they have sledding events listed for 12/19, 1/9, and 1/16 from 12-4pm each day.   As I recall, the sledding is included in the price you pay for skating on the rink.  You can view some other great photos from last year’s kickoff to winterfest on Luster Studio’s Facebook Fanpage.

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November 29, 2010 · 5:45 pm

Shopping Made Fun ~ Rock & Shop Market Returns to Durham Saturday

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Rock & Shop Market Returns to Durham Saturday, December 4, 2010
Event combines North Carolina designers with local bands, beer and food trucks

How do you make a flea market hip? Bring together more than 50 local designers selling everything from hand-forged jewelry to sustainable T-shirts, throw in beer from Fullsteam Brewery, serve up food from trucks such as Only Burger and mix everything together amidst rock tunes at Motorco Music Hall.

The Rock & Shop Market, an indoor fashion, art and music market featuring independent, emerging designers and bands from North Carolina, returns to Durham Saturday, Dec. 4, from noon to 6 p.m.  Admission is $5.  The market, now in its seventh year, will be held at Motorco Music Hall near downtown Durham.  Fullsteam, located across the street, will serve drinks for the event, and local food trucks such as Only Burger, Klausie’s Pizza Truck and DaisyCakes cupcakes will circle up in the brewery’s parking lot.

Taking cues from other urban markets across the country such as Chicago’s Renegade Craft Fair and Boston’s Bazaar Bizarre, the Rock & Shop Market began in 2004 to support and celebrate the state’s burgeoning indie arts scene of professional designers, artists and musicians. Designers are chosen through a juried application process and hail from across the state, resulting in a diverse mix of fashion, art, jewelry, stationary, furniture and more.  Learn more about the Rock & Shop Market online at rockandshopmarket.com, on Twitter @rockandshopmkt and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rockandshopmarket.

About the organizers
The Rock & Shop Market is organized by Raleigh designers Michelle Smith and Regan Wood.  The pair also curates window displays in unused storefronts in downtown Raleigh and Durham and offers creative design and marketing services to emerging boutiques and businesses through their joint venture, Sprout & Flourish. Outside of the Rock and Shop Market, Smith also runs indieNC, an online shop and blog that features products from North Carolina artists.

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