Friday, May 31, 2013

5 Things To Try This Weekend in the Triangle

Food Truck Shabbat

Celebrate the end of the work week while you meet new friends and enjoy dinner from Mama Dukes and Big City Sandwiches. This event will also feature frozen yogurt, music followed by Shabbat services at TBO.

When: Friday, May 31, 5:30pm
Where: Temple Beth Or, Raleigh
Social: Facebook | Twitter

Durham Bulls vs. Buffalo Bisons


Cheer on the home team with friends and then visit the American Tobacco Campus for post-game drinks.

When: Friday, May 31, 7pm
Where: Durham Bulls Athletic Park
Info: www.durhambulls.com
Social: Facebook | Twitter


Happymess Art Studio's First Annual Hoedown 

Help raise funds for an art outreach project at fun filled night in Durham. Ride a mechanical bull, play in a corn hole tournament, and party like a cowboy or cowgirl!

When: Friday May 31, 7pm
Where:
Shooters II, Durham
Info:
www.happymessart.com

Social: 
Facebook | Twitter 


NC Symphony Summerfest: At the Movies

Enjoy a special performance of Oscar-winning music from some of the greatest movies of all time, including the James Bond films, “Out of Africa,” “Indiana Jones,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Gone With The Wind.” Wear an outfit inspired by your favorite movie character for your chance to win prizes.

When: Saturday, June 1, 7:30pm
Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
Info: www.ncsymphony.org
Social: Facebook | Twitter


Fuquay-Varina Celebration of the Arts 

Support your local economy by shopping this town-wide arts festival. The festival features artists and  craftsmen producing original work including jewelry, basketry, ceramics, soaps, candles, decorative paintings, fine art painting, garden art, metal work, furniture, drawings, and folk art.

When: June 1, 10am - 4pm
Where: Downtown Fuquay-Varina, 108 Raleigh St.
Info: www.fuquay-varinadowntown.com
Social: Facebook | Twitter

If you have a chance to try any of these this weekend let me know! Share a tweet or photo by using the hashtag #5thingstriangle on Twitter and Instagram! 

Hope you have a great weekend!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Wedding Wednesday

We are so close to finishing our "big ticket items" wedding to-do list! We booked our wedding DJ over the weekend, so now there are only a few more big decisions to make before our big day! Don't get me wrong, there is still a lot of planning and work to be done, but it's mostly working on the details that will make our day special. Here is a collection of images that I have found inspiring while we work on planning out the details.


 



Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Currently


I hope that you had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend! Aaron and I booked our wedding DJ, saw Star Trek Into Darkness with friends, enjoyed fresh grilled kabobs at home and traveled to Greensboro to celebrate with the class of 2013! Since I didn't really have a post scheduled for today, I decided to type up a "Currently" style post since I haven't done one in awhile! 

Watching: Mad Men! The Crash has been one of the best episodes this season. Watching the two ad agencies go through a merger, seeing sad (always so sad) Don Draper go through trippy life realizations and Sally Draper getting her sassy face on has been good, but I still wish there was more Joan!

Listening To: "Thinking of You" by Ke$ha from her new album Warrior. Yep. Favorite album of the summer so far. I can't help it. Her music makes me feel so good! We have been watching her show, My Crazy, Beautiful Life on MTV and it makes me love her even more. My amazing fiance bought me concert tickets to see her show here in Downtown Raleigh as a WAY early birthday present. I can't wait!

Reading: I have just started reading Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts. It is the 4th title in the Chesapeake Bay Saga, a series about the Quinn family who live in St. Christopher, MD.  

Making Me Happy: Thinking about our trip to Greensboro yesterday. We were lucky enough to be able to drive out to Gate City for the day to attend the graduation ceremony for the class of 2013. We reconnected with so many students, staff, and friends who we were close with when we worked there. After graduation we had lunch on campus and then went to enjoy a few drinks out on the patio  at Natty Green's overlooking Elm St. in downtown Greensboro. I can't wait to go back!

Looking Forward To: So many things! For this week I am looking forward to attending the Food Truck Shabbat at Temple Beth Or. This is an event organized by The Raleigh Tribe, which is the local organization for young Jewish professionals and graduate students in their 20s and 30s who are interested in meeting new people, exploring Raleigh and getting involved in the community. There will be a food truck dinner featuring Mama Dukes and Big City Sandwiches followed by evening Shabbat services. Word on the street is that Mama Duke's falafel tots are legendary.

What did you do to celebrate this weekend?

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Simply Saturday



Friday, May 24, 2013

5 Things To Try This Weekend in the Triangle

Animazement 

Animazement is an annual convention in Raleigh, NC that celebrates the world of Japanese visual culture through anime, manga, video games, J-rock, martial arts, traditional crafts, and more! Live tweet a Guest or Fan Panel Session from the convention and collect as many autographs as you can from your favorite Cosplayers!

When: May 23 - May 26
Where: Raleigh Convention Center
Info: animazement.org
Social: Facebook | Twitter

Glenwood South Monthly Market


Get involved in supporting your local economy by shopping local Triangle businesses at the Glenwood South Monthly Market. The markets will feature 40 vendors set up along North Street and will be held on the last Saturday of each month until October. 

When:
Saturday, May 25, 2013 10am - 3pm
Where:
Downtown Raleigh, Near Hibernian Pub on North St.
Info: legacyeventplanners.org/monthly-markets
Social:
Facebook | Twitter




Motley Tones at the Downtown Cary Farmers Market


With their unique blend of classical and folk harmonies and off-kilter sense of humor, The Motley Tones have emerged as a popular local street show. Join in and sign a sea shanty and then take a picture with a pirate! Bonus: It's also Cooking Sample Day!


When: Saturday, May 25, 8:00am - 12:30pm
Where: Downtown Cary - Park & Academy St.
Info: www.caryfarmersmarket.com

Social: Facebook | Twitter



Summerfest Opening Night


Wear your summer whites, pack up a picnic with friends and celebrate the beauty of North Carolina and music at this outdoor summer kick off event. Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre offers a dramatic backdrop for music that is out of this world – as well as costume contests, instrument zoos, picnics, games, prizes and so much more. 


When: Saturday, May 25, Gates Open at 5pm, Show Starts at 7:30pm 
Where: Koka Booth Amphitheatre - 8003 Regency Parkway, Cary, NC

Info:
www.boothamphitheatre.com

Social: Facebook | Twitter


Cocktail Taste Test Party

Throw a Memorial Day backyard cookout or pool party and test out a few cocktail recipes like the Oak City Summer or the Franklin Street Fizz using locally brewed Slingshot Coffee.
 


Info: slingshotcoffeecompany.com
Social: Facebook | Twitter

If you have a chance to try any of these this weekend let me know! Share a tweet or photo by using the hashtag #5thingstriangle on Twitter and Instagram!  

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Great Glow Run: My First 5k


On Saturday May 11, 2013 I participated in my very first 5k! I was called the Great Glow Run and the proceeds went to the Easter Seals UCP an organization that is committed to providing services to children and adults with disabilities and their families. 

I ran this 5k with my friends Cathy and Cassie. I could not have done it without their support and encouragement! Running with friends made it so much fun! The run was at Dorthea Dix Park in downtown Raleigh. Below is a map of the 3.2 mile course.


I decided to participate in the Great Glow Run because I want to experience a 5k, but let be honest, it's intimidating for a first timer who only recently started running on a regular basis. I thought running my first race at night would make it easier and more exciting, and I was right!

My goal for this race was to show up, run/jog as much as possible and make it to the finish line in under 1 hour. My official time was 47 minutes and 48 seconds and I came in at
780th place out of 1,000. I count that as a victory! The race results were counted electronically by a chip that was attached to the back of every runners bib. Once the data was uploaded I was able to access my results online. This totally may be standard for all races, but I think it's really cool. Hey, I'm newbie, I'm allowed to get excited!

A really fun and unique aspect of this race is that since we were in the middle of the pack, we were constantly picking up glow sticks that other runners had dropped along the way. Cathy ended up with a ton by the end of the race!

My favorite thing about the course was that as we were running we could see the Raleigh skyline at night from the park. It was beautiful!
 
The parts that didn't shine as bright were poor parking direction coming in and going out, having to pay for glow sticks, (I feel that at least one glow stick should have been included in the packet with the ticket price) and having the course double back and overlap at times so there were people coming toward us while we was running.

Here are some fun shots from the race taken by the event staff:
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Participating in this was not a walk in the park (haha) for me. It really pushed my athletic capabilities and I even got a chest cramp about half ay through, but I felt so good as I sprinted across the finish line with Cassie and Cathy. I am so glad that I signed up and I hope it comes back next year!

Have you ever participated in a 5k? Share your experience in the comments! 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

What Do Your Glasses Say About You?


I have been wearing glasses for the past 14 years - ever since I started squinting at the chalkboard in middle school. Over the years I have worn through several pairs of regrettable wire framed glasses before I settled on my latest dark green plastic pair (fun fact - Aaron and I wear the same glasses just in different colors <3). When I was in high school I could not get fitted for contact lenses fast enough. I hated my glasses and the way that they made me look. Now I love being a girl with glasses even though I usually wear contacts during the day, but that's mostly so I can rock my sunglasses!

According to this infographic by Peeperspecs.com my glasses style is the "Tina Fey" (woo!) which means that I am quiet and geek-chic. I'm okay with that. Take a look at the celebrity-inspired eyewear below to see what they say about you.


bifocal reading glasses

What Do Your Glasses Say About You?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Nautical Notions

You Anchor Me created by Nan Lawson Illustration
 
Sailing Ship at Night Sea by Vladimir Mesheryakov

Monday, May 20, 2013

Weekend Recap


You probably didn't notice, but I have decided to take a little step forward and buy a legit domain name! My blog is now officially accessible via www.theanchoredelm.com! It's a tiny upgrade, but it makes me feel 110% more official and excited to put more work into this blog!

On Friday afternoon Aaron and I drove over to our wedding venue to meet with our coordinator. We set a tentative menu for the reception and talked about ceremony details as well as napkin colors, timing and other details that go into planning a wedding. 

After our meeting we drove up Six Forks Rd. to explore a bit. We were meeting my cousin, Caitlin, for a 7pm movie, but we had some time to fill before then. We used my Yelp iPhone app to find a place to have dinner. On a whim we decided to try Zest Cafe in Six Forks Station. It was perfect! The cafe has a very fresh menu and it shares a space with a home decor shop. We both had delicious meals and I left with a mermaid post card that will be framed and hung on the wall soon!

We decided to walk to the theater from the cafe and discovered a large patch of honeysuckle bushes! I couldn't resist...


After running a few errands on Saturday morning we drove out to Chapel Hill to visit our friend Jacob. We watched the 1st J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie in preparation to go see Into Darkness. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and cuddling with Skwisgaar, as usual.

On Sunday we were planning on going to Artsplosure downtown, but a massive thunderstorm arrived just as we were about to leave. We decided to stay home and watch a movie instead. I cooked up spaghetti and meatballs and we took ourselves out for a double scoop at Fresh, a local ice creamery.

Hope you had a good weekend! Congrats to all of the graduates!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Simply Saturday



Friday, May 17, 2013

5 Things To Try This Weekend in the Triangle

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Got to Be NC Festival

Celebrate the goodness of North Carolina agriculture and have an animal encounter! Make a friendly bet on a pig race and take a picture with the winner! Bonus: Cheer on the Carolina Rollergirls as they compete in an exciting all day tournament at Dorton Arena.

When: Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19  
Where: NC State Fairgound
Social: Facebook | Twitter

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Greenhouse Vegetable Day

Stock up on local produce and enjoy a FREE, fresh & delicious NC Tomato Sandwich!

When: Friday, May 17 11am - 1pm 
Where: State Farmers Market
Social: Facebook | Twitter

Artsplosure 

When you are ready to take a break from exploring art galleries and watching live performances, challenge someone to a game of life-size chess! Use the opportunity to play on the oversized version of the classic board game to make new friends or show off your strategy skills to old ones.

When: Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19  
Where: Moore Square – Downtown Raleigh (map)  
Info: www.artsplosure.org/artsplosure2013
Social: Facebook | Twitter
Tour de Coup 

Visit 21 backyards of Raleigh area chicken owners for a first-hand look at keeping chickens in an urban environment and make a photo collage of each coup. Learn the ins and outs of back yard poultry and urban farming. 

When: Saturday, May 18 10am - 4pm, rain or shine
Where: Various locations around Raleigh (map)
Info: tourdcoop.com
Social: Facebook | Twitter

Trophy Brewing Company 

Bask in the beautiful spring weather while you enjoy one of the creatively named draft beers and a freshly baked pizza on the brand new patio at Trophy Brewing Co. in downtown Raleigh. 

When: Mon-Thu, Sun 5pm - 12am, Fri-Sat 5pm - 2am
Where: 827 W. Morgan St. (map)
Social: Facebook | Twitter 

If you have a chance to try any of these this weekend let me know! Share a tweet or photo by using the hashtag #5thingstriangle on Twitter and Instagram!

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Favorite Thursday Things

I'm switching it up this week and moving my favorite things post to Thursday! I want to try out a new type of weekly post on Fridays so stand by for new content tomorrow!





Modern Family had one of the best season finales this week.




I recently added this colorful Xhilaration® Juniors Braided Waist High Low Maxi Dress to my closet. It's so comfy and light!

I have been studying this Game of Thrones Families chart like there will be a test. Aaron and I recently started re-watching season 1 with the commentary on and I can't believe how much the characters have changed. Daenerys is still my favorite!


This dreamy iPhone case created by Jillian Audrey Designs makes me want to jump in the car and go explore the beaches on North Carolina with friends! I still have the same one that I bought at 5 Below the same day that I got my iPhone. It has held up surprisingly well, but maybe it is time for an upgrade...

I'm feeling so sleepy today, but it looks like it's going to be another beautiful day so I am going to fuel up on coffee and work it! I hope you have a lovely Thursday!