by Lauren Kruchten | Nov 20, 2017 | November 2017, Polish, Stuff
With fall in full swing, temperatures are finally dropping, leaves are changing colors and, perhaps most thrilling, your favorite clothing and shoe brands are coming out with their new Fall lines. Monkee’s of Raleigh has just released its latest Fall shoe collection, which hails all the way from Italy, providing chic, stylish shoes that are both high quality and affordable.
The RaleighLabel X Monkee’s shoe collection delivers a variety of trendy flats and slides in colors ranging from bright red and yellow for the attention-getter, to blush, black and navy for the minimalist. Owner Kristi Koren says the simple designs offer a multitude of ways to be styled—with a flare leg denim jean, long maxi skirt, skinny pant or whatever you already own in your closet.
“I truly feel like these are timeless,” Koren says. “They are simple in design, but so much more in how well they are made and the color palettes we have chosen.”
Each shoe in the collection is made of high quality, lightweight Italian suede fabrics, with a padded footbed that provides comfort along with style. Snag a couple pairs yourself this season in order to feel like you’re truly walking in an effortlessly beautiful Italian shoes. monkeesofraleigh.com
by Lauren Kruchten | Nov 20, 2017 | Buzz, November 2017
Each year as the days get colder, downtown Raleigh transforms into a mystical winter wonderland. Multitudes of colorful, flashing lights and decorations line the streets and the huge, dazzling Christmas tree tops it all off in front of the State Capitol building.
The man behind this magic is Sam Hardwick of Mosca Design, a Raleigh-based commercial holiday decorating consulting firm that has decorated the city for 25 years. Mosca Design supplies occupants of downtown’s buildings with holiday decorations, including giant ornaments, topiary, large-scale displays, garlands, wreaths, lights and more.
Hardwick is in charge of putting all the decorations together each year to make downtown the premier spot for residents getting into the holiday spirit. We talked with Hardwick, who has worked as decorator for four years, about how he makes Raleigh so festive.
Industry Insider
Name:
Sam Hardwick
Title:
Territory Sales Manager
Company:
Mosca Design
When do you start decorating downtown?
Typically in the first part of November. The businesses will start setting up and just won’t turn them on until December. There are a few applications we started way back in September.
How long does it take to set all the decorations up?
About four or five days to do everything, depending on the timing. Most of our guys come in overnight so they have full access to what needs to be done. They can do the big tree in a couple of days.
What all goes into making Raleigh festive for the holidays?
On Fayetteville Street, we use a lot of wreaths on the light poles. Those have been a standard, tried-and-true tradition because it looks so nice when you view them from a distance. The trunks of the 90 trees lining Fayetteville Street are wrapped in LED lights and those are the first to go up and the last to come down. We also do the lighting on the Plaza tree, which varies year to year in size and has anywhere between 2,000 and 3,000 lights. It changes if the tree gets larger, but we always use a natural tree. We also use low, steady-burn twinkle lights, which really make a statement.
How do you make each year’s decorations new and exciting?
First, we’ll go into a municipality or business and see what their interests are, if they want something traditional, or more of a “Griswold” level of Christmas. We look at those wants and try to meet them as best as we can. If you’re looking at a more traditional [location], we go with the typical leaves and garlands. If you’re in a high-tech area, we’ll do more lights. We come up with a plan depending on where it’s going but we try to keep the same general thing, as people become accustomed to them. Instead of making drastic changes every year, we just add onto what was already done. However, new things for Fayetteville Street are currently in the works.
What’s the most important aspect of decorating downtown? What are the most essential decorations?
Dependability. We want to make sure what we put up is going to operate correctly. Second, we want to make sure nothing is going to hurt anybody, that nothing is going to fall or electrocute someone. And we don’t want to damage any of the trees or other existing structures. But most important of all is that “wow” factor. We want people to look at the decorations and go, “Wow, that looks nice.”
What year has been your favorite holiday decoration in downtown?
Every year is really a favorite. Everything looks better each year to me because you learn something new every year. But I would like to see more lights; I think that’s kind of the public consensus. I look forward to the next year every year.
What kind of innovative decorations do you use that Raleigh residents wouldn’t ssee anywhere else?
Typical lighting in the Christmas decoration industry has been C-7 lighting. That’s just a bulb you screw into a socket to light up a decoration. Coming in from overseas are these miniature rope lightings and we’re seeing more of that. It’s a different type of rope than what you’d see in a hardware store; the rope lighting has a smoother, rounder look and they’re more flexible and you can curve them around structures so they appear more modern-looking. It’s more expensive but it’s a more progressive way of doing Christmas decorations. Additionally, there are designs coming in that are going to look different and add more to the holiday season.
What’s your favorite part of decorating Downtown Raleigh for the holidays?
Going downtown when all the lights are on and seeing the kids, and seeing the parents watch their kids. It’s great seeing people look at the lights and go, “wow.” It’s really nice to watch people take their family Christmas pictures in front of our lights. It’s just a neat thing to see, and it’s something I’m extremely passionate about.
by Lauren Kruchten | Nov 20, 2017 | Eat, November 2017
Check out these spots in Raleigh for special dinner deals every night of the week.
Monday
Monday Mayhem – On Monday’s at Margaux’s guests can enjoy a 3-course dinner for a fixed price of $21.95 per person all evening. This includes your choice of one of their appetizers, main dishes, and desserts. What could be better on a Monday?
$5 Build Your Own Burgers – For a juicy burger that’s all your own, head to Hibernian Pub on Monday’s to build your dream burger for only $5. Top your burger with any or all of their toppings, including bacon, bleu cheese, jalapenos, a fried egg, avocado spread, and more. Additionally, all burgers come with Hibernian’s crispy french fries, making for a classic meal you already know and love.
Tuesday
Wine and Sake Social (5-6:30pm) – Certified Sake Advisor James Yang and his team will be providing guests with tastings of 5 to 10 wines and sakes for $10 a glass. Complimentary sushi will also be served by Chef Hyunwoo Kim. Reservations and walk-in guests are accepted for the event.
Taco Tuesday – What better way to celebrate Taco Tuesday than at Flying Burrito with $2 tacos? Load up with a variety of their selected $2 flour tortilla tacos, including the Rooster with pulled chicken, the Mayan with mashed sweet potatoes, the Outer Banks with crispy fish, or the Carolina with pulled pork and Carolina BBQ sauce. With so many delicious options to choose from, you’re definitely going to want to take advantage of this scrumptious deal.
Wednesday
Agriturismo Wednesdays – A four-course dinner for $38, featuring mixed appetizers, pasta, a Sardinian-style Porchetto (suckling pig), and dessert. Guests can also receive a wine pairing for an additional charge. The dinner is served family-style at the table, making this a great option for larger parties.
Thursday
Dinner For 2 – Grab a date and head to Kimbap on Thursday’s for their Dinner For 2 special, which includes three entrees dishes and a bottle of wine for $59.
Sunday
½ Priced Spaghetti and Meatballs – Come in to Gravy on Sunday nights for a traditional Italian dinner of spaghetti and meatballs for half the original price of $15.45. Every Sunday features a new kind of meatball, so go in every week for a different, tasty flavor.
Ramen and Gyoza or Crudo for $20 – Every Sunday, Sono features a $20 dinner special for a bowl of ramen served with your choice of crudo or gyoza, making this the perfect excuse to go out rather stay in.
by Lauren Kruchten | Oct 30, 2017 | November 2017, Polish, Stuff
Imagine taking the framework and materials from a building or some other structure and embedding it into a fine piece of jewelry. You might think this process would create an end result that looks pretty unattractive, but jewelry designer Lauren Markley makes it anything but.
“I’ve always been inspired by my surroundings,” she says. “There’s a lot of beauty in that industrial look.”
Markley, who takes an unorthodox approach to jewelry design, reveals that most of her pieces are inspired by architecture, which she expresses in her jewelry through the use of textures that resemble concrete or scaffolding that you’d typically see on a building or construction site. Markley’s work involves translating her immediate environment into sculpture first, then finding a way to fashion that sculpture into a wearable piece of jewelry.
A Kansas native, Markley first started beadworking as a hobby around 10 years ago, then moved on to the more advanced techniques of the trade in order to assimilate herself in the jewelry-making business. She took classes on metalsmithing, which involves welding and soldering materials like copper, brass and iron, and applied what she learned from those classes to her jewelry designs.
Markley owns a studio at The Carter Building in downtown Raleigh where she crafts her unconventional, yet stunning, contemporary jewelry. In their final forms, her pieces exhibit rugged and geometric qualities that are eye-catching and unique, and Markley sells her jewelry online and in boutiques and galleries across the country. However you choose to wear Markley’s pieces—enamel post earrings, slate roof necklaces, wooden bangles or metal bracelet cuffs— they’re bound to make a bold statement.
laurenmarkleyjewelry.com
by Lauren Kruchten | Oct 23, 2017 | Eat, October 2017
There’s no shortage of nightlife here in Raleigh—from bars to art shows to music performances and more, every night holds a wide variety of events to entertain residents of all ages.
With so much going on, however, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly where and when all these events are occurring. That’s where Have A Night comes in, a website that details the latest drink specials, events, and other happenings in the city, all in one place.
On the site, visitors can find a range of information on different locations and events, including a list of the city’s best spots to eat, drink, dance, play trivia, sing karaoke or fundraise. You can also navigate the site by day and find daily drink and food specials, trivia nights, and the times and locations of special events happening in your neighborhood or community.
The website hosts a monthly “happy hour” social event where residents can congregate and meet new people. Occasionally, they’ll hold a bar crawl or charity event that gives people another opportunity to socialize with fellow Raleighites. Mostly, however, Have A Night focuses on serving as the most up-to-date community platform for what’s going on in Raleigh and when.
“Our mantra is to save you time, so you can have more fun,” says CEO Adam Smith. “It’s a resource for people who live in and visit Raleigh who want to be educated in terms of what’s going on.”
Have A Night also contains a travel section, which provides guides on what to eat, where to stay, and what to see on trips to the top destination cities of the moment. There, you can find tips on travelling to your desired location as well as special events that occur outside of the cities the website currently highlights.
At the moment, the website features goings-on in four major cities and neighborhoods: Jersey City, N.J., Williamsburg, N.Y., Manayunk, Pa. and Raleigh, but the website developers hope to expand to more cities in the future. You can find the most up-to-date specials and events on the group’s website, haveanight.com, or on Facebook or Instagram @haveanight_raleigh.
