To Bee or Not to Bee

Bz-Tsar \ba-z�r\ Exhibits at NC Museum of History: The Tsars' Cabinet - 200 Years of Russian Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs;  Windows into Heaven: Russian Icons (October 4 thru March 5, 2014)

Two, Two, Two Exhibits in One!:  What do you get when you combine two hundred years of Russian decorative arts under the Romanov Tsars with Russian Byzantine icon paintings from the 18th and 19th century? ... two magnificent NC Museum of History exhibitions showcasing the majesty and luxury of the Romanov reign and Russian Orthodox culture.  "The Tsars' Cabinet"  exhibit showcases more than 230 porcelain and decorative arts objects that exemplify the craftsmanship of artisans under the Romanov tsars.  The "Windows into Heaven"  exhibit plumbs the mystical depth of the Russian spirit and offers a glimpse into eternity via the dignified grandeur of the Russian Orthodox Church.  And both exhibits can be viewed for one low price - That's two, two Bz-Tsars in one!

World Shattering Event of July 17, 1918: Around 2 am on that day, in the basement of a    commandeered house in Yekaterinburg, a Bolshevik firing squad executed Czar Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, the couple's five children and four attendants. This atrocity ended 300 years of imperial rule in Russia. The House of Romanov - the imperial monarchy that ruled Russia from 1613 until 1917 included the reigns of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Nicholas II, the last tsar.

The Tsars' Cabinet exhibit includes porcelain services, glassware, enamel, silver gilt, and decorated eggs. See objects produced by the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg, one of the oldest porcelain factories in Europe, as well as wares made by the Imperial Glass Factory in St. Petersburg and examples of intricate enamel work from renowned firms such as Faberg� and Ovchinnikov. Many of the items are grouped by tsar, which helps to illustrate the major social or political trends of each tsar's reign.

Windows into Heaven: Christianity officially came to Russia from Byzantium (Constantinople) in 988, and Russian churches adopted the ancient tradition of Byzantine icon painting. This distinctive style of iconography features religious scenes in the Byzantine, or Eastern Orthodox, tradition. As conduits to God (and a focus for their prayers and meditation) these icons become "windows into heaven." The Windows into Heaven  exhibit brings together 36 Russian images dating from the 18th and 19th centuries on loan from the private religious art collection of Lilly and Francis Robicsek of Charlotte, NC.

NC Museum of History: 5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh; Contact: 919-807-7900; Website   

Produce Paradise - Reap What They Sow

Harvesting is like childbirth. You grunt, perspire profusely and curse the heavens and earth. And when you pull up a wrinkled purple cabbage, you cradle it in your arms because you worked so hard for the darn thing! Point being...It's well worth it. Which is why you should wrangle up your friends and go to the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market this Wednesday, October 2nd, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Reap the benefits from the work your NC farmers have sowed.

Not only will you be shopping for local fresh produce, but a Honey Buzztival will be taking place highlighting fresh local honey.

The event will be buzzing with activities including a beehive demonstration hosted by Beekeeper, Steve Hildebrand, to illustrate the importance of bees in our ecosystem; "honey -butter shakedown" where kids can create their own honey butter in a jar, tastings from local honey vendors, Bee Blessed, Carolina Bee Co., Creekside Farm, Hilltop Farms, and Steve Hildebrand. Beer tastings featuring Fullsteam Brewery and Ashley Christensen's Beasley's Honey White.

The festival will feature live bluegrass entertainment from Raven Ridge. To sweeten this year's Buzztival, the Market will host its "Buzztival Battle of the Sweet Tooth" to showcase local honey vendors of all stripes and downtown Raleigh pastry chefs. Market goers will have the opportunity to vote for the bee's knees of the honey-infused pastries. In addition to the contest, shoppers can check in with regular market vendors who will incorporate the sweet theme into their product selection.

Visit Website to learn more about the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market.

Location: City Plaza, 400 Block Fayetteville St. Raleigh.  

Sunday Supper...Come 'n get it!

Capital Club 16 will host a supper at Raleigh City Farm with proceeds going back to the City Farm to help them in funding farming equipment. The dinner will take place on the farm property at 800 North Blount Street on Sunday, October 6 at 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Chef Jake Wolfs' menu will showcase Raleigh City Farm produce. Tickets are $50 per person.

Raleigh City Farm's mission is to transform unexpected downtown spaces into beautiful and nourishing farmland. Raleigh City Farm engages city dwellers in the process of growing food, sparking imaginations about agriculture in the city. These highly visible spaces are educational tools to demonstrate responsible, intensive growing techniques as we move toward a restorative, community-based food system.

If not able to attend Sunday's supper, make sure you drive by the farm at 800 Blount Street and take a tour to see how a dismal empty piece of property turned into something productive. Website. 

Lisette Hasbun Designs - This Charlotte, NC Artist will be showing her functional and decorative ceramic art at the JLR Shopping SPREE on October 24-27 at the Raleigh's Convention Center downtown. Look for Booth # 636 and start your shopping! Lisette Hasbun pottery comes in beautiful serving pieces, plates, bowls, mugs, pitchers, teapots, vases, soap dishes and much more. Prices range from $18 to $150.  

The brightly hand-painted ceramics and tiles are all one-of-a-kind pieces. The patterns are eye-catching and fun... perfect for holiday gifts, birthdays, weddings, and don't forget to buy some for yourself! 

Dinner in the Village - On Saturday, October 5, from 6 - 10pm, join Cameron Village for Raleigh's most unique outdoor dinner party - all to benefit WakeMed Children's Hospital. Gather your friends and enjoy dinner and live music under the stars in Cameron Village at a themed table decorated by you, as simply or as elaborately as you choose. This year's theme is called "Kid at Heart". So get creative and decorate your table as a favorite nursery rhyme, children's book, movie, toy, or whatever you can dream up.

House for Sale: $625,000   

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!

Core Results: 1330 St. Mary's Street, Suite A00, Raleigh, 27605, Phone: (919) 946-1737, Email:info@coreresults.net, Website.  

Kenna Custom Painting 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.

How to Decorate When You're Starting Out or Starting Over

A Young Entrepreneur - Please Support! 

Car Wash Service  

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 businesses!  This is what the Beltline Buzz is all about.