A traveling pop-up women’s boutique? Mais oui! And you know it’s très chic. Providing a platform for brands and customers alike for a face-to-face client-to-product experience, La Soeur is an ever-evolving pop-up of unique (and vintage!) brands, themes and locales that is planted in North Hills until July 7. French for “the sister,” La Soeur serves up super sibling vibes via its sisterly MO of partnering with sustainable, small-batch brands—sourced both locally and the world over—to save makers and retailers the hassle of a brick-and-mortar and serve you a range of selects all in one. NTM, once you’re hooked on the fab finds, you can still find them online. So in the famed words of French poet and screenwriter Jacques Prévert, “Plus tard ce sera trop tard. Notre vie c’est maintenant”—aka “Later it will be too late. Our life is now.” Shop on. Lassiter District, North Hills, lasoeurpopup.com
We get a look inside the homes of some of Raleigh’s top media titans—and the juxtaposition between their big colorful on-air personas vs. their more muted, elegant and sophisticated spaces. Meet CBS17’s Bill Young, WRAL’s Amanda Lamb and ABC11’s Kim Deaner.
Bill Young CBS17 In TV news, it’s not typical to put down roots—so when CBS17’s Bill Young decided to buy his first-ever house in Raleigh after nearly 20 years in television, he couldn’t wait to renovate and personalize it to make it home. “I’m really proud of finally feeling settled,” says Young. Here, Young dishes the details and accoutrements of his living room/dining room refresh—and gives us a look inside his life.
Amanda Lamb WRAL Behind the 30-plus-year-veteran TV reporter—not to mention podcaster and author—is a married mother of two “amazing college-aged girls and one precocious poodle, Dolly Parton,” says Lamb. As empty-nesters, she and husband Reginald “Grif” Griffin recently swapped their Cary home of 26 years for a DTR downsize with a view: a three-bedroom condo situated in a Boylan Heights high-rise that now lends her the invaluable time, space and money for experiences, not things. Here, a look at Lamb’s new locale. @alamb
Kim Deaner ABC11 Kim Deaner fell in love with weather at the age of 7 and always wanted to be a meteorologist. Ergo the degree in atmospheric science from NC State University and 18-plus years as a meteorologist in the Raleigh market. So, “how I ended up reporting on traffic at ABC11 for more than six years now is a mystery.” An avid reader with a self-described “simple style,” the wife of 28 years and mom to one boy, two girls and two fur babies gives us a glimpse of her fixer-upper. @kimdeanerabc11
What’s plane awesome? Icelandair’s new nonstop service from RDU to Reykjavik taking flight May 12. Serving as a midway point between North America and Europe, the Land of Fire and Ice makes a great pit stop (or main stay) for your lofty adventures. Once you jump the pond to Iceland, insiders insist you dive into the culinary scene, including taking a bite out of fermented shark (a local delicacy Anthony Bourdain called the worst food he’d ever tasted, alongside Namibian warthog rectum—hey, when in Iceland) and, more appetizing, Icelandic street food hot dogs. Use the fuel to brave an ice cave tour (brr!); take in a show at the dazzling waterfront landmark Harpa; find respite in the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa; and chase waterfalls after all via the natural wonders of the Golden Circle tour (NTM gushing geysers, volcanic craters and more). And, promising to be, well, lit are those legendary northern lights, best spotted from a viewing deck aboard a Northern Light Cruise from Downtown Reykjavik. Wheels up! icelandair.com
Oh, the places you’re going! Finally answering the call that is our intense delayed wanderlust are a flock of flights ready to jet set you nonstop across the globe. First up, RDU’s newest super-fly airline partner, Icelandair, ready to go wheels up with its debut service to Reykjavik May 12.
Serving as a midway point between North America and Europe, the new seasonal route servicing from May to October provides passengers with easy nonstop connections to 25-plus destinations across Scandinavia, the U.K. and Continental Europe—plus an op for a seven-day Icelandair stopover for no additional airfare.
This first new international route to be added since 2019 “signals that demand for international travel is increasing as we head into… a new phase of recovery,” says Michael Landguth, president & CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority.
Those looking to puddle jump directly to the U.K. can do so June 3 as American Airlines relaunches its uberpopular nonstop flight to London. And summer brings bonus ops for practicing your French (oui, oui!) as Air Canada plans to resume its Montreal service in June (service to Toronto has already been restored), and, after many delays, Delta Air Lines is scheduled to bring back its highly anticipated nonstop flight to Paris with increased frequency Aug. 1.
Back stateside, Avelo Airlines adds to the RDU airline roster with its inaugural May flights to New Haven. Meanwhile, Allegiant Air just began its jump to New Orleans in April, and giving us air, Frontier Airlines has resumed—and continues to add—several nonstop domestic flights, including Albany, Buffalo, Cleveland, Hartford and Portland, Maine.
Shameless plug. ICYMI we have a podcast—and it ranks in the top 10 of all podcasts (!)… so you’re gonna wanna hang with us. You’d be surprised what doesn’t— or can’t—make it into the mag. New episodes drop every Tuesday wherever you stream your faves. raleighmag.com/office-talk
RememberThis Is Love? Well before there was “love” there was crime (we know—it’s usually the other way around). From the makers of the warm & fuzzy podcast is its older sibling—the highly acclaimed and addictive award-winning true-crime podcast Criminal about people who’ve “done wrong, been wronged or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.” Getcha popcorn ready. thisiscriminal.com
If you’ve ever looked for answers in a bottle (no judgment!) this one’s for you. After a hiatus, spirited cocktail bar owners Mike Stojic and Joey Barbour (of Revival 1869 and Blind Barbour fame, respectively) make their eagerly anticipated return to deep dive into the curiosities that comprise bar life as they sip their way through “spirit, history and culture.” Like didja know our first prez had a distillery and loved rye whiskey and stout beers? We’ll cheers to that! barcurious.podbean.com
Don’t bop it till you’ve tried it. This much-missed Cards Against Humanity-styled pod—but with music categories (think: songs to sing to your ex via voicemail)—is back in all its hilarity, hosted by local stand-up legends Benjamin Malone and Jake Weddle. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” FTW! @battlebopspod
