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

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. 

Donald Ross is well known for his influence on golf in the Sandhills and around the world.  But did you know about his famous "moonlight golf" match in 1906?  After sharing a meal in Pinehurst, Ross and Jack Jolly, a guest golf pro from New York, challenged one another to 18 holes under the stars.  Ross won the match with a score of 88 while using hickory-shafted clubs.  

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.

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....

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)

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.  

sandhillsDig.com has an exciting announcement - we now offer CLASSIFIEDS!  That's right, we were tired of having to use the Raleigh or Fayetteville networks on Craigslist (not so fun to drive 45 min. only to find out it's not the lawn mower you thought it was) and, after a suggestion from some of our readers, we set to work and are excited to launch sandhillsDig.com CLASSIFIEDS as one more way to help "keep it local."

The best thing about sandhillsDig.com CLASSIFIEDS -- it's FREE to list and FREE to browse! 

So clean out your closets (or in our case, the garage), be creative about the services your job provides, sell your house, your car, that wedding gift that is still in the box...you get the idea.  And you never know what treasures you may find right here in your own neighborhood.  sandhillsDig.com CLASSIFIEDS offers the following main categories (and over 100 subcategories) for you to search or list your stuff:

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)

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.  

The Sly Fox

Yesterday, we lunched on chicken and manchego croquettes with roasted red pepper coulis and shepherd’s pie at what will soon be The Sly Fox in Southern Pines.  sandhillsDig.com was fortunate to be “in the way” as owner, Chef Mark Elliott, Sly Fox Executive Chef Dan Piotrowicz and General Manager Andy Heisinger tested out some of their latest pub fare twists on innocent bystanders (landscapers, construction workers, etc.) But no one complained. We were also able to get some answers to the questions everyone has been asking...

Where is this new restaurant located?

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 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.

The house is finally cleaned up from the holidays and I just couldn’t bring myself to get the cutting boards, pots, pans and dishes back out. Exhausted from getting the house this way and with no energy to fix up and go out (Fix up? Yes, you can’t go out looking too bad in the Sandhills as you are always guaranteed to see 5+ people that you know!). 

My mother-in-law, Carolyn, taught me an important method for exactly this type of evening. Call your husband shortly before he gets off work and say, “Well, what would you like for dinner tonight?” And after he replies, you simply say: “Sounds great, just pick it up on your way home!” Thanks mom. No cooking, cleaning or make-up tonight.

We like to see all of our options before we decide. Check out the sandhillsDig.com restaurant guide to help you make your dine in or take out choices.

Tonight’s take out choice = Vito’s Ristorante & Pizzeria
• One large “Vito’s Special” pizza
• Salads with creamy Italian dressing (also good for dipping your pizza crusts)

sandhillsDig.com wants to wish all a happy and joyous 2010.  May this new year be prosperous to our local restaurants, shops, businesses & full of blessings to our community.  Enjoy your black-eyed peas and bring it on 2010!

Going over my list this week (& checking it twice) I realized that with all the Christmas and New Year's celebrations ahead that I needed to go see Tad at Uncorked to stock up on a holiday selection of wine & champagne.  Located off Linden Road beside Elliotts in Pinehurst, Uncorked offers customers the opportunity to sample wines before you buy.  Too long of a "to do" list?  Uncorked even does home delivery within the Sandhills.  Here are some more facts sandhillsDig.com has learned about Uncorked:

• Over 200 wines & 100 different beers to choose from
• They can special order any wine
• 90% of their wine & beer labels you won't find anywhere else in the Sandhills

Check out these upcoming events at Uncorked:

Last Minute Shoppers (Free tasting) - Saturday Dec. 19th - Noon to 4pm - All wines will be 10% off, 15% off all case purchases.  Santa says you may mix and match.  Call 910.295.3663 for the details.

I had the whole thing planned out, Wes and I would go back to Italy this year to celebrate our engagement there 7 years ago. We’d fly to Rome, train to Florence, then the coast, Cinque Terre, rent a car…but I’ve been unable to find that perfectly priced pair of airline tickets and the value of the dollar isn’t helping much either…

In the meantime, I’m getting my Italian gelato fix here in Southern Pines at Henry's. When I walk in and see those colorful mounds of authentic Italian gelato, I’m transported back to my favorite Florentine gelato joint near the Palazzo Vecchio.

Word has it that the owner’s of Henry’s traveled to over 50 countries to bring a wide range of flavors and recipes here to the Sandhills. The best part about Henry’s is that although you can only fit one or two flavors in a cup, you can sample as many as you’d like.

My favorite flavor (this month) is pumpkin spice.  What's yours?  Tell sandhillsDig.com readers.

Positano, Italy, 2002

In preparation for some out-of-town guests (when you move back to Pinehurst and everyone wants to come and visit!) we decided some of our area rugs needed cleaning. Where do you go to get an area rug cleaned? After a few phone calls, we found Victor at Neighborhood Cleaners on Hwy 5 (next to Sandhills Bowling Center). His dry cleaning business not only takes care of your clothing, outerwear, linens and bedding but also cleans area rugs. Victor will give you a quote based on size and thickness of the rug and the cleaning takes about a week.  Neighborhood Cleaners continues to impress us with their friendliness and customer service.

Got a question about where to go for something in the Sandhills? Let sandhillsDig.com investigate for you.

Recently we noticed our water developed an odd smell. Our dishes smelled terrible after going through a cycle in the dishwasher and we couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Yes, this was bad news but I knew whose number I needed to pull up on my Blackberry. I quickly called Ray's Plumbing Service in Aberdeen. “Boz” and the team from Ray's was able to come that day, diagnose the problem (an old and faulty water heater) and got my water supply back to normal...clean and odor free. From toilets, to tubs, to leaky pipes, family-owned Ray's Plumbing has been servicing the Sandhills for over 30 years and always focuses on satisfying its customers – that gets a thumbs up from sandhillsDig.com!