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

Vikings Head Football Coach Ryan Riggan and Offensive Coordinator Drew Anker bring us this week's Wednesday What's Up from Woodrow Wilhoit Stadium at Union Pines High School in Cameron. 

Coach Riggan and his 2010 Viking squad travel to Pinecrest High School this Friday night to take on Coach Chris Metzger's Patriot team in the annual "Battle of the Pines."  School officials expect that over 5,000 fans will pack John Williams Stadium for the much ancipated matchup between these county rivals. 

Co-chairs Tim Copper and Rob McVay want the Sandhills to know about the 2010 Backyard Bocce Bash to benefit the Sandhills Children's Center.  Team spots are still available so put together a team of four to compete for great prizes and local bragging rights.

Laurie Holden and Wendy Dodson, on behalf of the Moore Co. Literacy Council, bring us this week's Wednesday What's Up from The Wine Cellar and Tasting Room in downtown Southern Pines.  They want you to know about the MCLC's upcoming "Sip for Success" wine tasting and auction fundraiser.  Here's the dig:

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!

I had to get out of the heat and decided to go shopping in the sandhillsDig.com Classifieds (Dig Classifieds is like our local version of Craigslist).  Here's what I saw...

This beautiful Drexel desk & chair would definitely inspire some creative work.  It is in great shape, so I think all it needs is a bright pillow in the chair!  Check out the listing here.

I also found a gorgeous home on Dig Classifieds that this desk would look perfect in...check out the listing AND the great view of the 10th hole at National Golf Club. 

The Sunrise Theater's Annual Blues Concert and Crawl is back!  Here's the dig:

The 7th Annual St. Joseph of the Pines/Coalition Golf Classic is set to take place Monday, July 26, 2010 at National Golf Club in Pinehurst.  The event is a fundraiser that benefits the Sandhills/Moore Coalition for Human Care located in Southern Pines. 

Individual player spots, four player teams and sponsorship opportunities are still available.  Here's the dig:

sandhillsDig.com was recently in downtown Southern Pines and noticed a good looking couple being whisked away in...a pedicab!!! Naturally, we wanted to get the scoop and tell our readers about this fun and enviromentally friendly local business.

sandhillsDig.com loves celebrating and we hear the Town of Aberdeen has planned another great event to celebrate the 4th of July.  For over 40 years Aberdeen has welcomed family and friends throughout the Sandhills to celebrate America's independence.  Plus, there is always something for everyone to enjoy...including your Uncle Ned!

This is what we dug up:

Andy Heisinger of the The Sly Fox brings us this week's Wednesday What's Up from their much-anticipated local restaurant on the corner of Broad Street & Morganton Road in downtown Southern Pines. 

The Sly Fox is a gastropub focusing on quality food with a European influence and an unmatched beer selection. It is Mark Elliott's (Elliotts on Linden) second restaurant in the Sandhills and first in Southern Pines. 

We've been in the house for a few years now and still hadn't replaced the rotted window box (actually we just took it down and left it blank for a year...).  I searched local stores as well as the internet (Lowes, Frontgate...you name it) and couldn't find a window box long enough to fit our extra-long space.  A reliable source recommended we give Randy Cranford, of Cranford's Quality Home Repairs, a call.  

Randy was able to custom-build a simple window box exactly the way I specified AND he had it done in time for a special baby shower we were throwing for a friend.  

I was talking to Randy about what other types of services he provides and as it turns out, he also does any small home repairs. Basically, if you have a "honey do" list at your house, he's the man for the job.  I almost didn't want to write this post if it meant sharing what a great find this is - but then I reminded myself that this is why we have sandhillsDig.com.  To share the great stories and people we have right here in the Sandhills -- people who make this place special.

So...if you have any Randy Cranford's in your life, speak up.  Let us tell more stories like this.

A beautiful new window box (see how long it is!)

Adding plants...always the most fun part....

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.

Bob Burwell of Robert's Golf Shop in Aberdeen brings us this week's Wednesday What's Up to talk about one of the most anticipated events ever in the Sandhills. 

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.

We have launched a new feature on sandhillsDig.com!  We now have CLASSIFIEDS...Yes, you can now list "your stuff" online locally in the Sandhills for FREE! 

Simply go to sandhillsDig.com and click CLASSIFIEDS.  Browse through the categories (over 100) and see what's been posted.  Buy and Sell...we all have things to sell (look in your closets, attic & garage) and other locals are looking to buy. 

Given on the Green is this Saturday night May 15th from 7pm to 10pm on the Village Green.  Experience fine food, spirits & entertainment in a setting modeled after "Table on the Green" in Central Park, New York City. 

Enjoy a "progressive style" evening amongst intimate lighting and beautiful tents. Plus each guest will be able to vote on the best tent, appetizer, entree & dessert as they walk through the historic Library & Archives grounds.