To Bee or Not To Bee

Heartwarming Ways to Spread the Love - Valentine's Day Ideas

Feeling hot and bothered lately?  It could be the flu.  Or you could be feeling the Valentine's Day spirit.  Check out these ideas for scribbling love notes, romantic meals, and crafting up some clever tokens of affection.  This is one commercialized holiday you don't want to skip.

It Takes Two: Sure, all you need is love.  But food is pretty darn important, too.  Usually you don't need too much help in the kitchen but be willing to move over on Valentine's and enlist the one you love to participate.  If you both know how to cook, it's really fun to do it together.  If he can't boil water then ask him to assist as your 'sous chef'.

Here's a Valentine's dinner menu that's easy and will set a romantic mood for the night.  Start by serving a cheese plate and champagne, followed by Arugula Salad and Raspberries with a Champagne Vinaigrette.  Your main course will be Pork Tenderloin with Port Wine Reduction accompanied by a good bottle of Pinot Noir.  Don't forget to set a pretty table to create a romantic mood.  This holiday is all about celebrating by simply being together.  Click Here for recipes.  

Letterpress Valentine's Cards:  Six letterpress note cards give you six chances to convince someone to be  your Valentine.  Be careful though, you might have your hands full.  These designs are known to melt hearts.

Dear John Scarf:  Show the world you're a heart-breaker (even if you got dumped) with no time for a messy breakup speech.  Dear John Silk Scarf will be your favorite scarf.  The Dear John Scarf is Felix Rey's version of 'girl power.'  The words are brash but the material is luxurious (100% silk).  It's playful, it's fun and it's the perfect gift for any gal.  Website to order.

Calling Cupid: When a one-liner doesn't seal the deal, make like the Bard of Avon and try fourteen with a copy of Shakespeare's Love Sonnet.  Shakespeare's sonnets are revered the world over for perfectly capturing the torments and joys of love, requited or otherwise, in just fourteen lines of iambic pentameter.  This treasure of a book collects 29 of the bard's most romantic sonnets, each one lovingly illustrated by the talented Caitlin Keegan.  Pretty and contemporary, the illustrations tastefully accentuate the depth of sentiment in each sonnet. Website  to order online.

Sugarpova Candy:  It's all fun and games until someone gets a broken heart (or a cavity).  Until then, the game is on with Maria Sharapova's cheeky sweets.  Sugarpova is a premium candy line that reflects the fun, fashionable, sweet side of international tennis sensation Maria Sharapova.  Maria has created her own candy business to offer an accessible bit of luxury, interpreting classic candies in her own signature style.   A long time candy lover with a surprising sweet tooth, Maria is bringing a new level of quality to the candy category through fun, unexpected types and shapes - with playful names to match.  Available at It'Sugar at Southpoint Mall in Durham.   Or order online Website. 

Full of Hot Air:  When words just aren't enough... Blow your way out of the doghouse with balloons that beg for forgiveness.  Reserve a ride with Above & Beyond Hot Air Balloon.  Book your ride with this fun, reputable, safe company.  They would love to whisk you off slowly into those Carolina blue skies!  She'll be on cloud 9 with this Valentine surprise!

Call Above and Beyond Hot Air Balloon for reservations at (919)781-3433. Location:  432 Crescent Ct.  Raleigh, NC

Between App: No one wants to hear how in love you are on Facebook.  Share your inside jokes, gushy notes, and personal pictures on Between, an app built for two.  Between is a beautiful space where you can share all your moments only with the one that matters.  Send text messages and voice mails for free.  Share photos to create a timeline just for the two of you.  Check and plan your special days together and set reminders for them.

Available at itunes.com, free.

Don't Forget the Whipped Cream:  Sugarland in Raleigh's Cameron Village just created this naughty chocolate dessert just for you!  Think beyond cupcakes--Sugarland features a dizzying variety of sweet treats throughout the day.  Cannoli, Eclairs, tantalizing layered mousse cakes and more.  They make their treats from scratch--no mixes, no high-fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated fats.  They use local organic flour, eggs and dairy products to create honestly delicious baked goods.  They even have a special Valentine Menu for sweet lovers! Stop by and pick your Valentine's desserts.  They're irresistibly delicious!

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Fashion, Food & Fun  

Stop, Drop, and Hole - Rise Biscuits & Donuts to the Rescue

Addiction is Real.  So we apologize in advance for pushing the newest drug of choice: Rise - a new biscuit and donut shop that has gone from newcomer to institution in a few short months.  No hype ... just fact.  Rise is a new venture by Tom Ferguson, owner of Durham Catering Company and a pioneer of Durham's food truck craze (Only Burger).   He and manager, Brian Wiles, have combined two "rise and shine" favorites, biscuits and donuts and taken them to a new level.  Taking inspiration from two, Portland-based successes (Pine States Biscuits / Voodoo Donuts), Rise serves handmade biscuits, biscuit sandwiches, and hand-rolled and cake donuts from a menu that changes daily (posted on their facebook page).    For those looking to fill the early hunger gap, Rise has something for the traditionalist and the enthusiast ... with plenty of enticing options that make it "oh, so addicting!"

Jam Up & Jelly Tight: Rise has become a popular spot with quite a hungry crowd of regulars awaiting biscuits and donuts.  You must take a number when you arrive to order, but it moves quickly.  The menu display shows the daily donut specials on the left and the biscuit specials on the right.  In the middle are their standard menu items but are no means any less special.  Biscuits can come with fried chicken brined and breaded, sausage, pig in a blanket, chicken fried steak, NC collard greens and many others.  Donuts come in flavors like Cr�me Brulee, Oreo Cookie, Apple Fritter, Maple Bacon Bar and so much more.  

Decadence Never Tasted So Good:  This is no Dunkin Donut / Krispy Kr�me affair.  The donuts are prepared more like a French pastry.  The cr�me br�l�e donut is filled with loose pastry cream, dusted with sugar and blow-torched  thus creating the caramelized crunch.  The combination is bliss.  Each flavor is unique which means that they aren't just the same base donut camouflaged with different toppings.  Instead, each is a special creation and is made using local ingredients as much as possible. Their Peanut Butter Cup donut is made with Big Spoon Roasters, Peanut Butter creme  from Durham and topped with Videri chocolate icing from Raleigh.

Tips for Managing the Queue:  The crowd at Rise can grow pretty large during the morning rush hours on weekends so be prepared for the "take a number" system and a few minutes wait.  There's limited seating inside but tables outside.  If you need to get in and out your best bet is to go off period times or on weekdays.  if you're just ordering donuts, there is a special display case (and helper) for donuts only orders that don't require taking a number.

This says it all: Stated on the menu board.. "At Rise we're trying to make the best dang Biscuits and Donuts we can, using ingredients that make sense to us and incorporating what the Great State of NC has to offer.

We're trying different things everyday, so you'll never step into the same shop twice.  We're glad you're here and we hope you'll be back soon."   

Once you go you'll rise to the occasion and become a regular...where you'll stop, drop and rise. 

Rise (Biscuits & Donuts):  Location - 8200 Renaissance Parkway Suite 1003, Durham; Hours - Monday - Sunday 7am - 2pm; Contact: 919.248.2992; Website,    

The Insiders - Would you like to know the activity in your neighborhood, specific to your home?  Sign up for automated email reports of homes for sale in your neighborhood, prices of recently sold homes as well as overall market stats for homes comparable to your specific home.  This report includes interactive maps, charts and home details.  You can choose to receive the email every 2, 4, or 8 weeks, or just view it one time. Want to Get IN the Know for the real estate market in your neighborhood?  Sign up for your free report. Click Here 

Core Results Personal Training is teaching people from all over the Raleigh, Cary and Triangle area how to meet their fitness goals. From kettlebells to TRX, everything is top of the line and brand new at the private Core Results studio. Call and make your first appointment for a Complimentary Session!

Band Together NC - The Last Band Standing: Band Together NC, a Triangle- based    organization that uses live music as a platform for social change, is hosting a concert at Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh for four of the best NC-based bands (Big Fat Gap, Mac & Juice Quartet, The Beast, The Deluge). The bands are slated to go head-to-head in the Triangle's most energetic and philanthropic music battle. All proceeds from the event will go to support Band Together's 2013 nonprofit partner, Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities. For more information about Band Together, please visit their Website 

St. Timothy's School (Pre-Kindergarten-Eighth Grade) - Located in the Heart of Midtown.  OPEN HOUSE - Tuesday, February 12 - 4:00-7:00 pm Bring the family to tour the campus and meet with faculty and administration. They look forward to showing you their school. Phone: 919-781-053, Website.  

Kenna Custom Painting, Inc.  is available to tackle your residential painting needs.  With their great crews that perform very professional jobs on residential homes, you won't believe how quiet and unobtrusive they are.  So if you have that "itch" to freshen up your home, interior or exterior before springtime, contact them now.  Call 919-855-0082 or Email: kennapaint@bellsouth.net.  Website. 

Join My Blog Simply-Refined: We are an Interior Design team that can inspire and help you with your designs and decorating needs.  We have been designing and decorating homes for over 20 years.  Please call for a consultation. We can serve with a whole design package, or just consulting only...no job is too small.    

Call  Zaytoun Interiors if you're finally ready to decorate or re-decorate your home or office.  What's your style?  If you're not sure, we can help you tap into your inner self and find what makes you want to come home again.  Website, Email, Phone: 305-793-8510.  

An Invitation to Consign - Leland Little Auction & Estate Sales, LTD is proud to announce that their Three-Day Winter Estate Catalogued Auction was a great success, selling over $1 Million in Fine Art, Jewelry, Antiques, Fine Wine, and other collectible objects to buyers around the world.  This exciting auction was in pace with their previous catalogue-level sales and marks their eighth consecutive $1 Million+ auction. The complete auction results for most recent sales can be found online.

Specialists are now evaluating estate collections and other fine objects for inclusion in the Three-Day Spring Estate Catalogued Auction to be held March 14-16, 2013.  Please contact the gallery to schedule an appointment with one of their specialists today, or tell them about your object or collection by completing this online consignment form.   

Did You Know?  For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $68 stays in the local economy compared to only $43 if spent at a national chain. Please support our local business!  This is what The Beltline Buzz is all about.   

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