I'm Fixin' To: Weekending: Lots of Celebrating {+ a Giveaway}

Saturday, I woke up early and crossed everything off my to-do list by noon. I'll be honest, I've really been struggling with time management this month, so this was exactly what I needed. I also headed to Durham to check out Chet Miller. After all the thing I had heard about the shop, I decided I needed to head there and shop. I picked up a wedding gift there, but also picked up a couple of things for our house. Rifle Paper Co. even featured the shop on their Insta for their wallpapered walls.

Saturday night, DG & I headed to Raleigh to celebrate our friends' wedding. We are so excited for them and they had a beautiful night.

And Sunday, I met up with 9 of my former students and another teacher friend to catch up with these kids. I was overcome with emotion and pride when listening to them talk about their interests, majors, volunteering, beliefs, and memories from my classroom. I am so proud of the adults that they are becoming and I am so fortunate that I got to spend time with them. I can't tell you the satisfaction I feel in watching them become adults.

P.S. Local friends! I've teamed up with The Wine Feed to bring you an awesome giveaway for this weekend. The giveaway runs from today until Friday. Winner will have 24 hours to claim prize. Passes will be emailed to winner. Must be 18 or older and live in the United States. Here's more information:

RALEIGH, N.C. – March 21, 2016 – Triangle-area foodies and wine enthusiasts alike will get a taste of North Carolina and the world this April at the Hook + Vine seafood and wine festival scheduled for April 24, 2016 from 12 – 4 p.m. in downtown Raleigh. Hosted by The Wine Feed, a wine retailer and wine bar located off Glenwood South, and Locals Seafood, a Raleigh-area retailer and wholesaler focused on delivering North Carolina-caught seafood to the Triangle, the third annual festival will focus on pairing fresh seafood with high-quality wines found from around the world.

The tented outdoor event will take place at The Wine Feed’s downtown Raleigh store located at 602 Glenwood Avenue. A part of Johnson Street will also be blocked off for the festival. Chefs from well-known area restaurants, including Centro, Capital Club 16, Provenance,Plates Neighborhood Kitchen and Boiler Room Oyster Bar, will each prepare five North Carolina seafood tasting plates. Dishes will highlight a variety of flavors and options ranging from wild, sustainable ocean species to classics such as shrimp and flounder. Each seafood plate will be paired with a thoughtful pour of high-quality wine from The Wine Feed’s extensive selection.

“The Hook + Vine festival is a great way to celebrate North Carolina’s seafood industry and showcase its unique flavors through carefully crafted wine pairings,” said Phillip Zucchino, co-founder of The Wine Feed. “We are excited to have such a talented lineup of chefs for this year’s festival, including James Beard finalist chef Vivian Howard of Boiler Room Oyster Bar and the Chef & the Farmer restaurant in Kinston. This event is truly a top notch culinary celebration full of flavor, fine wine and fun.”

Tickets for Hook + Vine are $40 and VIP tickets are $50, which allow guests to enter the festival one hour earlier and includes a complimentary glass of sparkling wine in addition to the other offerings. All tickets are timed entries and can be purchased online atwww.thewinefeed.com or by calling 919-374-0036. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to The Wine Feed’s non-profit partner the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.

For more information on the festival, visit www.TheWineFeed.com.

About The Wine Feed
The Wine Feed is wine retailer and wine bar located off Glenwood Avenue in downtown Raleigh. Founded by two wine enthusiasts who have studied under world-class winemakers in both Europe and Australia, The Wine Feed provides an intimate, diverse selection of affordable, unique wines that help customers determine their own sense of quality and taste. The Wine Feed cultivates an appreciation of wine through educational classes, personal interaction, wine clubs, community events and wine tours. To learn more about The Wine Feed and its many offerings, visit www.TheWineFeed.com or connect with them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.