All Work and No Play?

Okay, you caught me! I'm taking a break and letting my kids do the housework.




You know with all this blogging, it is hard to get my chores done!   All kidding aside, my five-year old announced last week that he wanted to do chores so that he can earn money so "he can save money to take a trip."   He definitely takes after me, and wants to see the world.  He gets the savings part from his dad!

After talking to the blog's Facebook friends, I learned a few helpful hints.   Silly me!  I was actually going to pay him to make his bed and set the table because that is what I thought of as chores off the top of my head, but thanks to several posts, I learned my ideas were really "expected" behavior and should not be  paid chores.

When I told my husband what I learned he said, "I could have told you that!"  We are on the same page that some things need to be expected out of our child.    The Blog's Facebook friends suggested chores simple household duties such as dusting and sweeping, putting away dishes, and emptying trash cans. Some wise friend even suggested that he babysit his sister while I did some things around the house.

I decided to to put the babysitting chore to the test for ten minutes one day, and called it a "paid" job.   I guess it was a success, he managed to keep her from climbing on the table.



The troublesome twosome even had some fun with their new fireman hats given to them by my friend, Adrienne from The Rich Life (On a Budget).  Thank you Adrienne for the hats, fire safety books, and the wonderful olive oil from Figone's of California.  Adrienne is always going on the leisurely picnics in her wine county "neighborhood" and I tell her all the time how jealous I am.  With her note today, she told me to pick up "some wonderful  rustic Italian bread and have some balsamic handy to go with my olive oil."

Just so it's not all work and no play today, I'm going to take a leisurely lunch break, and not do any newspaper column or blog writing today, and  instead, link up with the Happy Homemaker UK's  Post of the Month Club.






Photobucket
 

Blogs joining her link today will showcase their favorite post in March.    I did 15 posts in March so it was hard to choose a favorite, but I'm going to showcase:
  



 

I think many people may have thought my post was a product review, and didn't read it, but it is actually a humorous little parenting piece.   I do have an update for you today. 
I still love our Roku!

Until next time, I'm going to grab a cup of tea, read some blogs, and enjoy my olive oil while the kids do their chores, I mean play.

Who Wants To Eat One of Fiona's Cakes?

http://www.fionacairns.com/

You knew I would look, right?  When it was announced that master cake designer Fiona Cairns was named to design the wedding cake for the royal wedding on April 29th, I hopped right to Ms. Cairns website.  Oh my!   The royal bride made a lovely choice.  At the time I browsed the site there was no mention of the upcoming royal wedding.

When I went back Monday to start writing my post, Cairns proudly displays the following:



Everything on this website looks so scrumptious.  I absolutely fell in love with the Easter display.



And you know I adore my tea time.  This makes me want to hop on a plane for London right now.



The teapot cake is an absolute delight, and would look adorable for my daughter's next birthday tea.  But, the star of Fiona Cairns creations will be the 2011 royal wedding cake.  I believe a wedding cake is one of the most important aspects of a wedding celebration.  I don't attend that many weddings any more because I've kind of "aged" out of that fun at the moment,  but I will look forward to getting back in the circuit many years from now when my sitters, children, and my friend's children marry.  You can bet that I will be first in line for a piece of wedding cake.



I have never attended a wedding though where the star attraction was a traditional fruit-cake.  They must be wonderful or why else have one?  For my wedding, I went the simple, classic, southern gourmet path. I wanted my favorite cake; a vanilla pound cake with buttercream icing.  It was delicious, priced over our budget, and was a copy of a design I liked in Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine circa 2001.


Our wedding cake was monogrammed with our initials

The three tier cake was made by the pastry chef of Second Empire Tavern and Restaurant in Raleigh . It was the site of our April 6, 2002 wedding.



The other night my husband and I stopped in the Tavern at Second Empire for a coffee drink and dessert.  I think I was secretly hoping to find a dessert as scrumptious as my wedding cake.   We took a lot of our cake home to freeze following our April wedding, but in December, we were out of power for seven days due to an ice storm.  Needless to say, we did not get to have our cake and eat it, too.

If you would like to share your wedding cake with me then post a photo on the blog's Facebook Page for us all to see.  Be sure to tell us what type of cake you selected in terms of flavor.  Yum!  I'm gaining weight thinking about it.

And to learn more about William and Catherine's royal wedding cake designer, this great article from Homes and Gardens  takes you inside Fiona Cairns's home kitchen in 2005.

Until next time, I'm going to grab a cup of tea and check my Facebook page for your cake.

Playing Hard and Eating Well!

Spring is upon us!  My "to do" list gets longer, and I'm lagging behind on my blog writing due to the demands of being a stay-at-home mom.   As I take a few more days to write, I wanted to share with you some quick snapshots that I've captured in our house lately, and also tell you about a healthy recipe contest in conjunction with National Nutrition Month.

I'm so blessed to have two healthy children who play hard and eat well.




Apparently, I was told this was a sleeping car on a train in my closet.   All of daddy's shoes were in the way! My neat husband is not a huge fan of his shoes being dumped all over the floor, but sometimes you've got to let them be creative, and give yourself a moment to put on some mascara.





My son had some creative name for this little get-up that I certainly can't remember now.   I got called away from writing, and was told, "to take a picture, and put it on my blog."  Guess he doesn't mind being in the spotlight!






Wait, it seems like she was just born!  How is she old enough to play Candy Land?





And sometimes, we sneak chocolate into our days when we are cooking together.    It's not the healthiest eating, but it sure is yummy in moderation.  Later this week, I'm going to share a sweet sixteen cupcake recipe, but today, I have a treat to share with you from Destination Hotels and Resorts .

Courtesy of Destination Hotels and Resorts

The luxury hotel brand launched a  "Kids Healthy Recipe" contest this month in conjunction with National Nutrition Month.  They want to hear about your favorite healthy recipe that your kids love and eat.

The grand prize winner will receive a trip for four including airfare to a full-service Destination Hotels & Resorts property and see their recipe featured on the company's Kid's Café Menu for a year.

Additionally, the winner will receive dinner for four featuring your winning recipe prepared by the chef.  Two runners-up will have their recipes featured on the company's Kid's Café webpage as well as a visit from one of Destination's executive chefs to the winner's school for a class room cooking lesson.  All three winners will receive a Destination Hotels & Resorts kids chef coat.

So put on your chef's hats and let Destination Resorts know what's cooking in your kitchen.   You may enter and vote for the recipes already entered at this
link.   Even if you don't enter, you may be inspired to make some of dishes already submitted.   You can submit recipes up to March 31, and vote on your favorites through April 7th.

Until next time, I'm grabbing a cup of tea and plan some kid-friendly meals courtesy of parents like you.

Dr. Spock, Help! I have a “Baby Cling-On” in my House

(I am pleased to announce that I write a blog column for the Raleigh News and Observer's Triangle Mom2Mom website on Sundays.   This post was featured on March 20th without photos. If you have visited the Mom2Mom site, and are now visiting my blog, thank you for reading the Hines-Sight Blog and I hope you visit again.  I also have a Facebook page, and I would love to interact with you more there.  We share recipes, talk about a variety of topics as I conduct research for posts, and we even share some laughs from time to time.)

My house may not be the USS Enterprise, but lately, I feel as if I’m Captain Kirk of the Star Trek series battling the infamous Klingon clan, but I’m calling my new nemesis, “Baby Cling-On”.  My 16-month-old daughter talks very little, makes a guttural noise while pointing to something that she wants, and clings to my leg a good portion of our day.



I don’t know if my 42-year-old mommy brain has left me in a state of a constant fog or if too much time has passed since I was at this same stage with my son, but I don’t remember it being like this with him.  My children are almost four years apart so it is possible that I have forgotten some things.  I do know that some of the things that I did for him such as giving him his own kitchen cabinet to explore while I cooked dinner kept him occupied and happy, whereas, she hates that same cabinet.   As soon as I try to put her in front it, she throws a “toy pan” across the room, stomps her feet, and heads toward my spice rack cabinet, which is off-limits.

Certain times of the day, her clinginess is worse. Usually as the day winds down, I have an even longer list of things that I didn’t get accomplished because she was attached to my pant leg.  Like any good mom, I work to engage her in play, and then back away slowly in hopes of finding her in total playtime bliss.   However, by the time, I reach for that shirt to fold, she’s back on me with vengeance.

I’m getting fairly good at walking with a toddler straddled to my leg while folding laundry, putting on my make-up or even making the bed.   For really complicated maneuvers like preparing her lunch before her nap, I’ve learned to do everything with one hand with my daughter sitting on my left hip.   Depending on my daughter’s mood, and if she is tired of playing, it is not uncommon for me to finish the last five minutes of my exercise video this way, too.   I’m secretly hoping that carrying the extra twenty pounds will make up for that little piece of chocolate I sneak in my mouth during her naptime.  It’s my reward for getting rid of my “static-cling”. 

Preparing dinner can be a little challenging when there is a “Baby Cling-on” in the house.  I sometimes rely on my five-year old son to help me out while I do some chopping or sautéing.   Sometimes, he is help, and other times, I’m asking for more trouble. I often find “Baby Cling-On” clinging onto a toy that my son claims he had first.   That doesn’t end well.


Courtesy of HappyBaby

My daughter may balk at first, but sometimes, dinner preps can be a success if I can get her in her booster chair, and let her munch a little.    On occasion, she’ll put up a fight, arch her back, and stiffen her legs as a way to avoid sitting, but a good Starship Captain is always prepared.   One shake of the “HappyMelts Organic Yogurt Snacks” package, and “Baby Cling-On” surrenders.  

I’m sure Baby “Cling-On” will soon turn into “Miss Independent.” and I’ll have a whole new set of problems on my enterprise and still not get many things done in a day.   I think that may just be part of parenthood!



Pulling Me Right Back In

A lot has changed in thirty years.  I'm now a busy wife and mom, full-time blogger, and some would even say I've approached middle age.   I certainly don't think I act middle aged, in fact, some would say I'm acting more like a teenager lately.  You see,  I'm guilty of wasting valuable minutes of my day not to mention taking time away from my precious children by reading about Catherine Middleton.  I guess you could say that "I've been pulled right back into the royal watching hoopla AGAIN".

The royal wedding is in 42 days, but who's counting, right?   I've actually gone way beyond reading about wedding preps though.   I now like to see what the future princess is wearing on her public engagements.   I guess if I wore something besides jeans and a slim fitting long-sleeved tee then maybe I would dress similiar.  I like her classic, simple style.

Courtesy of Hello Magazine

Courtesy of Hello
The other day I was in CVS to pick up some items, and I had to take both children for the trip.    I didn't even bother to put my daughter in a cart because it was to be quick.  I let her walk with me.  CVS has their magazine section in the back of the store near the pharmacy.  This is where they keep the good stuff; not the tabloids.   

As I walking by the rack, I spied Life Magazine's Royal Wedding Issue.   My son had my daughter's hand so I grabbed this thick magazine quickly to thumb through it.   Unfortunately, my children kept walking, and when I told them to stop, no one listened.

I flipped through pages at rapid speed with one eye on them and one eye on Kate.   It got to the point that I actually let them get five aisles in front of me at the pharmacy counter.

My heart was saying, "Oh, this is good.  This has some great historical background and articles. You should get this!"

By this time, my daughter who is still five aisles in front me with my son starts pulling things off the shelf.  I make a face, and turn the magazine over to look at the price.  It was $12.99. 


Magazine cost equaled the cost
of Two Gallons of Organic Milk

My head was saying, and I probably heard it in the tone of my husband's voice, "You don't need the clutter, you don't have time to read it, and that price equals two gallons of organic milk."

I listened to my head instead of my heart, reluctanly put the magazine back on the shelf, and ran to catch up with my children before they caused devastation to the pharmacy's candy counter.

I have refrained from actually spending money on my royal obsession, but I do take some daily quiet time with my English Breakfast tea with milk and sugar to see read news about the royal couple.   One article I read today said that this upcoming royal wedding is causing the news media to spend more money than they have these days to cover the actual wedding on April 29th, and it's taking funds away to cover real hard news.

Courtesy of People Magazine

On the FLIP side, businesses are trying to make money off the royal couple.  And when you read a lot about the royal wedding then you can find little jewels like this china mug made in China.  The manufacturer didn't know one royal brother from the other.  Look carefully!  Go to the Guandong website for an even better view.



They used Prince Harry's photo instead of Prince William.   This error really made me giggle, and I still giggle each time I see it.   I wonder if the person who made this flub still has a job?  This is just one of the many wedding trinkets on the market that is not endorsed by the royal family, and it's such a goof that I bet people will snatch it up and hope that it will be worth something some day.   I'm leaving it in China though.

However, Prince Harry is still on the market,  and I'm going to play matchmaker.  I've got the most perfect date for him, and in my opinion, she even resembles his soon to be sister-in-law.

Prince Harry meet my great babysitter and adopted "little" sister.   Some would even say I am "middle-aged" enough to be her mom, but I like the sound of sister better.



I bet with my children being part of their wedding party if love blossomed, I would have GREAT seats at that royal wedding.

Until next time, I'm off for a cup of tea, more reading, and perhaps some matchmaking.




I Need My Hour Back, Please!

I've lost something! It's just one hour, but apparently, the loss wrecks havoc on me for a week. I run around saying, "New Time, Old Time, I don't have enough time!"

I heard the alarm at 6:20 am (New time, that is. Old time would be 5:20 am), and I was so (insert curse word of choice here) comfortable. My covers were just right. Pure perfection. I ignored the alarm, and dozed back off to sleep. You know how it is, right? It's some of the very best sleep of your lives. You wish you could have sleep like this all night long.

At 7:15 am, my husband comes into our bedroom. He wakes me.

I yell, "I can't. I can't get out of bed. I need my tea water. Please turn on my tea water!"

I finally roll out of bed at 7:20 am, and stroll down the steps. I rush my tea water, and have to heat the Twinings tea in the microwave. Go ahead, true tea lovers, GASP!

The kids are still asleep so I waste even more time by checking my blog, my facebook accounts, a new social networking site for moms called "MomnBaby" plus the Southern blogging network, "Southern Mommas".

Can I waste any more time? Sure! A really good mom would have showered and got ready. Instead, I made a second cup of tea. I would have had a third, but I seriously ran out of time.

My son gets up.  We get him ready for school, and he ate breakfast while I woke sleepyhead.  I fed her quickly, and off to school we go at 9:15 am, a good five minutes after we should have left to be on-time.

My son's pre-school teachers laughed at me. They've always seen me with wet hair in a clip, and at least some make-up on my face. Not today! They got bedhead crazy.

Enjoy! Get a good laugh. My hair stylist will NOW know why I have to wash my hair daily.



As for baby girl, she must be like her mommy. She'll adjust eventually, and she'll soon start loving the early evening hours where she can swing in daylight and have dinners on the screened porch. Spring is almost here!

Hope you're adjusting to the new time!

Until next time, I'm off to shower, and drink some more tea.

The Love of the Game


Every March, I can’t help but think of my dad.   He loved all collegiate sports, but he was a die-hard March Madness basketball fan.  Being from Durham, NC, it was no secret that the Duke Blue Devils were his favorite team, however, he happily cheered on the Tar Heels (my alma mater), and gladly accepted a NC State Wolfpacker in the family when I married my husband.   Even though he had favorites, he always pulled for teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, which was established in 1953. 

This “old-school” ACC print hung in my dad’s office for at least thirty years.   I always loved it as a child, and following his death almost six years ago, it is the one thing I specifically asked to have of his, and the print now hangs in my home office.  It features the Maryland Terrapin, the Clemson Tiger, the UVA Cavalier, the Wake Forest Demon Deacon, the UNC  Ram (Tar Heels), the NC State Wolfpack, and the Duke Blue Devil.  I’m not sure when the print was created, but based on some clues, it was made sometime between 1972 and 1978.   The University of South Carolina Gamecocks withdrew from the ACC in 1971 so that gave me my first clue when I tried to research the history of the print.   The Gamecock is missing from this photo.

I also know that this guy, Buzz the Yellow Jacket, from Georgia Tech, didn’t become part of the ACC until 1978.    He’s missing from the print, too.  That was my second clue for the print's time period.

Courtesy of Georgia Tech Website

My friends love to tease me about my love or my unique fascination with mascots.   I think it stems from all that early exposure to college sports.  My dad’s best friends were coaches of about every sport.  As a result, I traveled with sports teams, had dinner with players, cheerleaders, and even mascots (out of uniform) since about five years of age. It was just part of our life.   I also have to admit that I was kind of a prissy little girl, and cared nothing for a ball, but loved all the sideline entertainment.   Sure, the boys are the stars on the center court, but without the cheerleaders, pep band, mascots, and the college crazies, it wouldn’t really be a GAME.  All of those elements work together to form team spirit and school tradition.

Photo Courtesy of the Chatham Journal

In 1991, 2004, and 2005, the Atlantic Coast Conference expanded once again, and new mascots, I mean, teams came on the scene.  A Seminole, a Hokie Bird, a Duck, and an Eagle joined the “old school” ACC mascots.   It’s quite a crew now!

I’m not going to lie to you.  I do have my favorites.  I’m always a sucker for any type of cat.  So, the Clemson Tiger was always a favorite of mine growing up.   Now, I’ve moved on to howling as opposed to growling.

2008

NC State has not one, but two mascots to love.

2009
Note: I was to be in the photo, too, but my husband said the sun was in his eyes
and he cut off my head.  I was NOT happy, and I never let him forget it either.

I would feel like a traitor if I didn’t love my alma mater’s mascot.  I think my college friends would give me too hard of a time.

The North Carolina Ram
I guess a foot with Tar on its Heel would be kind of odd as a mascot

Grover Powell
1933-2005

The funniest story of all about mascots though came from my own father.  As I told you earlier, he traveled a lot with the teams, and on this particular trip, the mascot was not feeling well and someone needed to step into his suit.   The team asked my father and another man if they would mind putting on the mascot suit for the game.   My dad, who was quick-witted, immediately looked at his friend and said, “I don’t think I’m tall enough. You’re going to have to do it!”   If only I had been there.  I so would have made him put on that suit for the team!

In 2005, my dad was glued to the TV during March Madness while undergoing chemo and radiation treatments.   That year, one of his ACC teams, North Carolina Tar Heels, became the NCAA champions.  He lost his battle with brain cancer a few short weeks later.  I have always been so glad that an ACC team became the champions that year.   I’m sure he was mad that Duke didn’t win the title.

As another March Madness basketball season approaches, my family will be thinking of my dad as we cheer on our teams this week.  In order to keep my dad's collegiate sports tradition alive in my family, I have also found University mascot books for my children.  They love to read about Mr. Wuf’s adventures across the NC State campus.  These adorable books feature some of the most well known University mascots across the country.





It would really be great if dad could be here to read these mascot stories to my kids or take them to games like he did me.   He didn't get to meet his grandchildren, but they are getting to know him one story at a time.

Until next time, I'm off to watch some NCAA basketball.  Go, Team, Go!





Shake It, Baby, Shake It!


I'm so not a craft mom, and I certainly don't pretend to be one in my blog, but occasionally, my hormones go in overdrive, and I feel guilty for not doing more artistic activities with my children.  So once in a blue moon, we get creative with our hands.  Today, my children present  to you a musical tube made simply from your recyclable TP roll.   So, let the good times roll, Baby!  Get that toilet paper or paper towel roll our of your recycling bin, and "Shake up" an activity to keep everyone busy in your house.  This is so simple, and my motto is, "if I can do it then anyone can do it!"

The really good news is that my son does a lot of crafts and art in pre-school, and since crafts are not my forte, I gladly send him to school, and pay for others to work with my child.   He has  fabulous teachers, and they like to do "Free Art" in his classroom.

They collect toilet paper rolls, food boxes, and any other items that I would normally put in the recycling bin and create artistic masterpiece with them that end up on my kitchen counters for weeks.  Each Friday, I take a bunch of things to his teacher, and feel elated that I'm doing my part to help boost my child's creativity. 

However on a very rare day, I will put some of this "free art" to use in my own home.  The last time, I let my son work with free art in my home, he made the most savvy pirate ship ever out of an old TAMPAX box that I stupidly gave him, and it sat in my living room for weeks because he wanted to play with it and was so proud of his creation.  Every day, I kicked myself for taking the Nabisco box to school and only be left with what I could find on a whim in my bathroom.  With no Tampax boxes in sight this time, I got out the free art bag with things waiting to go to school, and decided to help my son make a Musical Percussion Tube from the Crayola website.   For once in our lives, we had everything needed to do a simple craft, and if we didn't, we could make adjustments as needed.  I'll go ahead and tell you that Crayola suggests making the tube with a paper towel roll, but our roll was still being used in the kitchen, so we resorted to a toilet paper roll as a substitute.  It worked!

I drew two circles on a piece of paper, and my son cut out the pattern.  The circles need to big enough to cover both ends of the tube.  He did need the help with this part of craft.  So, I ended up cutting out two circles while he complained.





Next came the really easy and fun part.  Your kids can decorate the toilet paper roll.  We had stamps so my son used those for decoration.  He had the most fun with this part, and if I had done this craft during my daughter's naptime then I could have read a magazine during this easy part.  Instead, I waited until my daughter was up so I was busy keeping her out of the craft area.




My son then used Crayola "Washable" markers to further decorate his tube.  You can use anything you have in the house for decoration.   We did not have stickers or any metallic markers to use like the original directions suggested.




Once the tube is decorated, rub a glue stick on one end of the cardboard tube.  Cover the end with a circle, fold the edges over, and secure with a rubber band.  Carefully pour a handful of rice, beads, or small buttons into the tube.


And he overpoured!  Once you get the rice in your tube, and clean up the MESS, place the second circle on the other end of the tube, glue, fold over, and secure with another rubber band.   Tie a colorful ribbon over each rubber band. 




I'm sure a really good craft mom would have the most beautiful musical percussion instrument ever, but my son is happy with his creation, and hopefully, we created some special memories along the way, too.

Until next time, I'm off to grab a cup of tea, and feel good that I, at least, tried to be creative with my kids.   The musical tube is still sitting on our countertops!




My Southern, Blue Heaven: Make it a 2011 Favorite Distinctive Destination

The skies are so blue in Chapel Hill, NC
My college town, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has the honor of being named as one of a dozen distinctive destinations in the US by the National Trust for Historic Preservation this year.  Now, through March 15, 2011, the voting is up to us, and we can make this North Carolina town, a favorite Distinctive Destination.  Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destination program has recognized cities and towns that offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and revitalization.  

I live about 40 minutes away from this beautiful, scenic college town and it is one of my favorite places to visit.  The quaint town in Orange County of North Carolina has the nickname of "A Southern Part of Heaven" following the publication of a book by William Meade Prince in 1950.  In fact, my husband and I have only been away overnight from our children five times in the past five years, and Chapel Hill, NC actually accounts for two of those trips.   It was heavenly!  We chose it because it's a quick drive for us, the town is adorned with some of the best restaurants in both NC and the US, and it just exudes such Southern, charm.  It's no secret that I find any excuse to go there.  You should, too!

Today, we're going to take a quick tour of Chapel Hill and go over some fun facts so that you are well-educated before you place your vote.

Chapel Hill is the only place where I know you can find fire trucks that are Carolina Blue.  Fires may be red hot, but fireman will arrive on scene driving these cool, blue trucks that supports the University town's athletic teams.


The Town of Chapel Hill's Fire Department


Chapel Hill derives its name from the highest point where a Church (of England) was located in the 1700s.  Originally called New Hope Chapel Hill, the name was later and wisely shortened to Chapel Hill.  The historic and elegant Carolina Inn, established in 1924  is located on the old church's property today.

The Carolina Inn

I have had the great fortune to attend weddings and other functions here throughout the years, and it is one of my favorite places to have afternoon tea.  My son had his first "official" high tea at The Carolina Inn shortly after my daughter's birth as a little royal treat.

Tea at the Carolina Inn was Divine!


Franklin Street, the main street throughout Chapel Hill, was named after Benjamin Franklin.   I lived off of Franklin Street in college, and one of my favorite places to go was the charming, Carolina Coffee Shop.


Carolina Coffee Shop


The Carolina Coffee Shop was established in 1922 as the Carolina Confectionery, making it one of the oldest original restaurants in the town.


Courtesy of the Carolina Coffee Shop


Of course, being in college means being on a pauper's budget, but occasionally, my friends and I would splurge and have dinner at Spanky's which is located on Franklin Street.  There was always a wait, but it was worth it.  This was the days before reservations were big, or maybe we were just all too impromptu to make them.

Spanky's Restaurant and Bar, est. 1977


Or we would walk down the west side of Franklin Street which when we were in college from 1988-1991, it wasn't as built up as it today.  We would have dinner at our Italian favorite, 411 West.



411 West Italian Cafe

There are so many wonderful dining options in Chapel Hill now that the town is truly a gastronomic delight.  It's also home to the the nationally known gourmet store, A Southern Season.  I love to eat at their restaurant, The Weathervane, and then walk down their store aisles an "Ooh and Aah" at the delicacies.  Their coffee, tea, wine, and chocolate sections are absolutley amazing.


The Best of NC Section highlights products made
in NC. Photo Courtesy of A Southern Season. .


When you stroll down Franklin Street, you will find cute and eclectic boutiques.  During my college days, we primarily shopped at Johnny T-Shirt since it was the days long before the "Sex and the City" fashion craze.  T-shirts, Tarheel sweats, and tennis shoes were in place of designer jeans and Manolo Blaniks.

Johhny T-Shirt Store

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill provides the backdrop for this distinctive college town.  UNC-Chapel Hill is the oldest public university in the US, founded in 1793.  UNC was the only public university in the U.S. to award degrees to students in the 18th Century. Today students at UNC come from every one of North Carolina’s 100 counties, all of the other 49 states and more than 100 countries worldwide.  I know I may be partial, but it is truly a beautiful campus, and during every season, it's picture perfect. 

The Old Well

The Old Well was the primary source of campus water for more than a century. In 1897, President Edwin A. Alderman had the ramshackle shelter over the well rebuilt in Greek Revival style, and it became the unofficial symbol of the University.  This well is one of the University's most photographed landmarks, but my husband who graduated from the rival university, NC State, tells me that someone would be very foolish to drink from it.  Oh, those fraternities!!!

As I've stated before, I'm proud to be a North Carolinian, and am so glad that Chapel Hill, NC has been a part of my life. And as the song says, "I'm a Tarheel Born, I'm a Tarheel Bred, and When I die, I'll be a Tarheel dead".   I think this lovely, historic town should be everyone's favorite destination so please vote today!

UNC's Mascot Ramses and Me in Spring of 1990


Click here to vote for Chapel Hill as the 2011 Favorite Distinctive Destination.  You will have to register with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's website to vote.  You can vote once a day til March 15th.

Until next time, I am going to grab a cup of tea, and perhaps call my friend who never left the college town for a visit.

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