sandhillsDig.com - Pinehurst, Aberdeen, Southern Pines - Golf, Events, Restaurants, Shops, Concerts

Today started with a realization that a haircut was long overdue.  Anna very sweetly suggested that I go see Ashley at Studio Elite Hair Gallery in downtown Aberdeen.  After a good time catching up with Ashley while she gave me a stylish and much-needed cut, she suggested that I check out Aberdeen Cafe for lunch.  That's all it took.  I walked a few doors down and ordered a sandwich.

After being welcomed by the friendly staff at Aberdeen Cafe, I chose a seat near the front door looking out onto the sidewalk.  I went with the Carolina Chicken Salad, which the cafe is famous for, on toasted wheat bread.  The tender chicken is mixed with apples, raisins, celery and pecans and garnished with lettuce and tomatoes.  My meal was top notch as was the service and the atmosphere.  I always enjoy downtown Aberdeen and local business seems to be really popping.  

One of our favorite family outings is taking a drive on a pretty weekend afternoon.  This past Saturday, we drove out towards Whispering Pines and saw the progress being made on the new Food Lion on Hwy 22 that will open later this year.  It is located behind the Subway/Domino's Pizza development and it looks like there will be space for other shops and businesses as well.  

Also, just down the road if you take the Whispering Pines exit on the roundabout (instead of the Carthage exit to get to the Food Lion) you will also see the site of the new Harris Teeter! It says it is opening in 2011, but looks like there is still a long way to go!

We recently hosted a baby shower for a dear friend. It was a huge success but I couldn't have done it without the help of friends, family and a few key Sandhills businesses.

First of all, if you ever are meaning to get things done at home, there is nothing like hosting a party to help overcome some procrastinated projects. Tanya at Renee's Fabrics & Accessories on Main St. in downtown Aberdeen turned some fabric I'd been saving into some beautiful pillows for my living room sofa in record time. 

Next, I made some pom poms to add some festive flair.  Thanks to my friend Ginger who writes the Happy House Blog, I read a tutorial she found and posted on how to make and hang these tissue paper balls.

Last night Vince Gill took the stage and entertained over 5,000 people from the Sandhills with his phenomenal guitar picking, sweet singing "high voice," and his spot-on humor as part of a fundraising concert for The First Tee Sandhills (thank you Vince!).  His concert will be remembered by locals for years to come and has now set the bar for future concerts at the Pinehurst Village Arboretum.   

Thousands came early with picnic baskets, coolers, blankets & their favorite chairs. At eight o'clock, Gill and his talented band played for two hours which featured a mix of his greatest hits plus a few new ones including the unforgetable track "Red Words."  And a surprise highlight of the evening was when Gill welcomed his newly-married daughter Jenny to the stage to sing a few songs with her dad.

To us, the most memorable thing of all was when the sun went down leaving us under a starry sky (with a few lightning bugs) and we looked to our right and to our left and saw that we were surrounded by our friends, listening to our favorite songs and that we were HOME. 

In less than 24 hours, Vince Gill will be in Pinehurst.  We are super excited to hear our favorite songs (These Days, Feels Like Love, The Reason Why, etc.) live on Saturday night and, on our daily walk with Nina, we drifted over to the Arboretum this afternoon and spied on all the setting up that was going on.  Get excited, because here's what we saw...

A huge, awesome, enormous, legit stage

Cool VIP area... 

Tons of lawn (aka General Admission and room-for-the-whole-town plus blankets and low-backed lawn chairs) seats

Here's a great view of it all (don't worry, the truck left)

I've been doing all of my reading online lately...there is a blog out there for just about anything.  But since I've been working on a few decorating projects around the house, I've especially been interested in some interior design blogs like the Happy House Blog by my friend Ginger Monroe of Ginger Monroe Interior Design.  Each morning I wake up to a fresh new thought in my inbox from the Happy House Blog - anything from cool new light fixtures and bedding ideas to party planning tips and furniture 101.  All of course with fun pictures and links to take you off into the blogosphere...

Check it out for yourself and if you're like me, you'll want to subscribe right away so you don't miss a single day of happy reading.

It was a rainy Monday night and we decided to get out of the house and try out the newest restaurant in the Sandhills - Hickory Tavern. You've seen it up on the hill in the development along 15-501, next door to a sandhillsDig.com favorite, Pretty N' Bliss. 

When we arrived, we ran into our good friends Lorna & Mike Martin (you've heard Mike on MooreSportsRadio.com) and their precious daughter Mia.  They invited us to sit with them at one of the longest tables I've ever seen.  This giant table is first-come, first-serve seating and the cool thing is you end up sitting with other people - a perfect concept for here in the Sandhills. I'm thinking older couples, singles and people like us who otherwise would eat alone can now share a table with fun (and entertaining) people like little Mia!  Of course there are plenty of other seats too if this just isn't your thing.

Now, on to the dinner menu...there is a wide variety of food and I finally settled on the crab cakes which were great.  My favorite part was the side of sweet potato fries that came with it, drizzled with a delicious, warm honey-butter sauce. Wes had the shrimp and grits and the Martins were kind to let us take photos of their food too - check out that wood-plank grilled salmon.  Talk about tasty omega 3s.  Yum.

Last week I went to almost every consignment and "junk" (aka treasure) store I could think of in search for a particular chair. I've got the fabric but just can't find the perfect chair.

I began my search at the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care's Sullivan Furniture Shop located on W. Pennsylvania Avenue in Southern Pines.  While I did not find what I was looking for, I did see this chair and ottoman that would be great to recover as well as a funky set of desk chairs.  The prices (especially if you are recovering the fabric) are unbeatable.  The chair was $30, the desk chairs were $10 each and I also spied some nice lamps also for only $10.  

A new store just opened in Southern Pines and we've got the scoop.  Yes, it's the one with the cute pink and black sign you've seen from 15-501 just before the traffic circle.  Welcome Pretty N' Bliss! The store's savvy owner, Jessica Morgan, stays late (open until 8pm!) on Fridays and Saturdays so that folks waiting to eat at the new Hickory Tavern or Fratello's (coming soon) can browse while they wait.  While I'm excited about the prospect of being able to shop while Wes orders our dinner, I'm even more psyched that when I wait until the last minute to buy a gift, I'll still have a few extra evening hours and not be left with Walmart or T.J. Maxx as my only options. 

I went in the other day looking for a birthday present and found way too many cute jewelry ideas...like this cream and yellow necklace (don't worry little necklace, I'll be back for you...)

I absolutely love this little girl's dress (and all of the children's clothing and shoes)

The buzz about the upcoming Vince Gill concert in Pinehurst has been fueling enthusiasm from local residents and fans throughout North Carolina.

If you haven't already heard, Vince Gill and his band will perform a concert entitled "An Evening with Vince Gill" to benefit the The First Tee Sandhills at the Village Arboretum in the Village of Pinehurst, NC on Saturday May 29, 2010. 

Not only do we love spring, but we love the things that come along with it...like strawberry season.  We are fortunate to live in an area that offers several options for fresh strawberries - you can even pick your own!  We got an early start at Pressley Farms in Cameron, NC.  Pressley is open Monday - Saturday from 7am-6pm (Click here for directions).  While picking your own is high on fun and low on cost, if you don't have time to pick your own, you can find Pressley Farms at the local Moore County Farmers Market. 

Wes was having a great time and, although you may ask, "Who's the better strawberry picker?" I can't say.  But I can tell you that my bucket filled up faster.  

It has been a while since the last date night, but the wait was well worth it.   Recently, Wes took me on a date night out in the Sandhills, and our first stop was for some fine American Fusion food from restaurant 195. The meal hailed as one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten in Moore County. I’m serious. The meal (and the date) was so amazing that I forgot to take pictures!!  

Organization is everywhere right now.  The IT thing.  Everyone is doing it.  So...what happens if you are a born organizer and then all of your friends begin to notice how organized you are and, one by one, ask you to come and help? Organization Essentials hatches.

Liz deVore, owner of Organization Essentials, has a knack for getting (and staying) organized.  Liz helps her clients implement a system for filing and for maintaining tax records with labeling systems that help you to know what you need to save.  I recently decided to tackle organizing my kitchen and asked Liz for a few tips. Here’s what she had to say:

Last week we took Nina to Dave's Dirty Dogs, a new (and brilliant!) business in Pinehurst. Dave, who also owns the laundry mat next door, renovated the other half of the building into a save-your-home-from-the-mess place for people to actually have FUN washing their dogs! We sure did. And Nina was thankful for the free bones and head scratches. The rates are reasonable and if you don't want to roll up your sleeves, the friendly staff will wash your dog for you.  We'll let the pictures (and a short video) show you around...

Step one: bring in your dirty dog

Step two: walk the plank (just the dog) 

The Sunrise Theater is offering sandhillsDig.com subscribers the opportunity to WIN 4 FREE ENCORE TICKETS good at  at any of the remaining 3 shows listed below.  To be entered to win, all you have to do is subscribe to receive our email updates.  We'll keep you current with what is going on locally in the Sandhills - restaurants, shopping, movies, events & more.

Live in HD Metropolitan Opera Encores:

Hamlet, Wednesday, April 7 at 6 pm

Simon Keenlyside in the title role with Natalie Dessay as Ophelia

It is a good day when your younger brother comes home to visit and treats you to lunch. It's even better when the lunch he treats you to is a warm wedge of yummy goodness. I'll recount for you in photos:

Yep, the name "Wedgies" is a perfect fit considerting the Sandhills' famous pastime.  Not only are the sandwiches and pizzas made from wedges of pita bread, but all of the menu items have clever names too.

Wedgies is conveniently attached to the Exxon gas station next to Dairy Queen and behind the Pinecrest Plaza in Southern Pines.

Here we see Sam Franklin enjoying great conversation and the "Pitching Wedge" with his sister (or he's telling me to put the camera away, I can't remember...)

It looks like more rain is on the way and nothing cures a rainy day like a good time out with friends. The sandhillsDig.com suggestion for tonight?  Dinner with friends at your favorite local restaurant and then head over to The Jefferson Inn in downtown Southern Pines to hear the amazingly talented, up-and-coming band Old Avenue.

Old Avenue has been causing a stir in Raleigh (they recently opened for the Embers at North Hills) and have set out on tour with the release of their cd "Knockin' on Doors."

"With a sound that can only be described as funky, jazzy, infectious grooves that will make you dance, with melodies that were meant for sing alongs, Old Avenue is the essence of the upbeat happy tunes we've all been missing..." 

Old Avenue will be playing from 9pm - 1am.  Just what we need to cure these rainy day blues.