We Love Durham NC

Voting Evening

We drove out to our voting location right before the polls closed tonight. I had to wait in line! Yes, the Boy laughs, but just for a second because both voters’ names were in the second-half-of-the-alphabet book. It took us longer to get out of the parking lot onto the main drag, what with all the construction of townhouses and roads and shopping centers, than it did to vote.

While on that side of the neighborhood, we peeked into the Hope Valley Commons center. The Harris Teeter signage is up, along with a Now Hiring sign. Also hanging in one of the windows is a Japan Express Coming Soon! banner. The Girl looked and found trees in the landscaping…parents like trees, she said. Or maybe she said parrots. One never knows with that one.

Durham Library Book Sale

We made it out to the library bag sale at the Main Branch on Sunday. People were grabbing paper bags and stuffing them with armloads of mainly novels for $7 a bag. Outside, under the tent, non-bag sale items were available for $.50 per paperback and $1 per hardback. The children’s section was slim, but I bet on Friday there was a much fuller selection.

I snagged several books of photography, an inspirational Circus Techniques guide, one from the eighties titled Ventriloquism Made Easy (aka Dummies for Dummies), a book on trees, a St. Louis Cardinals baseball card guide, and a delightful spiral-bound collection of essays by an Ellen Holmes Baer, a local in perhaps Rougemont?, called Lessons from Apple Trees, Rainy Days, and Johnny Woodchuck. A very soothing read. I’m surprised she hasn’t published more.

Durham Library Book Sale

This weekend at the Friends of the Durham Library book sale:

Friday, June 20, from 4 - 7 p.m. Members only; Memberships sold at the door.

Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Everyone welcome.

Sunday, June 22, from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Everyone welcome; $7 bag sale in the auditorium only.

Friday & Saturday, paperbacks 50cents, hardbacks $1, special prices on a few special books.

Auto Zone

Over in that shopping center on University Drive near MLK where the K-mart is–the one I think everyone calls the K-mart Plaza–where the old, small El Rodeo used to be, there was a Pier 1 Imports forever. It used to be the best place to buy holiday gifts for girlfriends, but then Durham grew more shopping options. Then they made it a Pier 1 Imports Outlet. Then I think they moved that over near Southpoint. But anyway, it’s a big orange Auto Zone now, and I am as happy as could be. I asked for two things in SW Durham (and one of them was not a Dunkin Donuts): an auto supply store and a nice office supply store (perhaps one that has a red logo and is named after an office supply, but only if Not Just Paper won’t open a branch).

Durham Mothers Club Yard Sale

The Durham Mothers Club is having a yard sale tomorrow at Pineywood Park 8am to noon. Pineywood Park is off of Woodcroft Parkway. Go to the Woodlake subdivision and look for signs. Last year this yard sale was very busy and there were lots of good deals, especially on items for kids… toys, puzzles, clothes, shoes, baby equipment. I expect the same this year.

Check out the new Durham Yard Sales page, and feel free to post yours there.

Fair Trade Store

Visit Twig this Saturday and you can designate your favorite nonprofit to receive a share of 20% of that day’s receipts (or 5% of the week’s receipts). Don’t have a favorite nonprofit? Choose the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science here in Durham.

More local shopping in DurhamÂ

No Plastic Bags at Whole Foods

As Ginny pointed out, Whole Foods no longer offers plastic bags. The default is paper bags, but they really want you to bring your own bag, with an incentive of 10 cents per bag. That rebate could pay for a nice Chico bag (available locally at the Museum of Life & Science Butterfly House shop for $4.95) in short order.

Also… and we haven’t been to the Durham Whole Foods in a little bit, so this may not be a very recent development… the whole crowded bread, olive bar, beer, and wine area is gone in favor of an expanded hot and cold prepared foods slash salad bar setup. We were on a milk & bread run this evening, but I look forward to exploring that soon.

Durham Consignment

Kids have a way of growing overnight. The boy found himself with a lack of shorts for the warmer weather, and I found myself uninspired by the current clothing trends, so we headed to Baby Bear on University Drive. Bingo! Also found a pair of water-friendly shoes for the creek and a Lego table.

Baby Bear is pretty packed with items, and you have to pick over things a little bit, but there’s good stuff in there. Sizes go up to 14. Excellent quality of gear. Toys, too.

They also do a good job of keeping things seasonal. There were, for instance, many bathing suits.

Members Only

This is the weekend for the 20-30% off members-only sale at The Regulator on 9th Street. Lifetime memberships are only $10, worth it for this kind of deal.

Gourmet Grocer in Southwest Durham

This is exciting news: the University Marketplace developers have selected an anchor tenant for the project on University/Shannon, Poppies, a gourmet grocer with outdoor seating and garden space. A gathering place that the SW Durham folks could bike to! The grocery will be LEED-certified, apparently the first of its kind in North Carolina.

Step this way

The cashiers at Tuesday Morning (who were dancing to the Muzak–symptom of being at work too long and almost closing time, if I remember correctly) said people were lined up on the sidewalk this morning for the Sketchers shoes sale. LINED UP!

A Sea of Learning Supplies

I resisted the temptation to visit the new teacher supply store in the Renaissance Center (across from Southpoint mall) long enough. Until today.

Half of the store is focused on teachers (including homeschoolers)… posters, bulletin board themes, workbooks, manipulatives. The other half is focused on parents… Melissa & Doug, Alex, dollhouses, puzzles, puppets.

The bathroom is clean and bright, with a small stool, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes. Also in the store are a saltwater aquarium, TV, trains table, and table with puzzles.

If you need a reason to go, at the end of the month (2/29 and 3/1, starting late morning through the afternoon*) they’ll be hosting a Dr. Seuss Birthday Extravaganza. Readings, movies, snacks, crafts, parade of costumes (dress as your favorite character–we’re going as fish). Have your picture taken with the Cat in the Hat.

*I would post exact times, but my newest goofy dog ate half the flyer–no, really. Call 361-2525 for more info.

Northgate Hopping

Northgate Mall is hopping on the weekend. The Boy did backflips on the bungee jump, and we all rode the Carousel (having kids is such a convenient excuse), ate pretzels and orangeade for dinner, and did a lot of people-watching. At 7pm, an announcement came over the intercom alerting us to the Northgate Mall Curfew…all those under 16 years old without an adult had to then leave the mall. We also played the surfing and driving videogames and found various technological wonders at Tiger Direct, which is quite a geek hangout (no offense; takes one to know one) on a Saturday night. What fun!

A Sale for Everyone

What does the Yard Sale Addict do on the off-season? Why, estate sales and auctions. Here are two happening tomorrow:

—————-

TRIANGLE ESTATES SALES – OUTSTANDING DUKE FOREST HOME ESTATE SALE - FRIDAY DEC. 7 AND SATURDAY DEC. 8. 2722 Spencer St.,  Durham, NC 27707. Numbers given at 8AM, door opens at 9AM-4PM.

Come join us for an exceptional estate sale in beautiful Duke Forest. This 1967 contemporary style home features great mid-century Eames era furniture mixed with quality antique and vintage pieces.

Sampling of contents: Pr. Of Saarinen womb chairs, set of 4 Breuer style Italian leather and chrome chairs, set of 4 Breuer style leather and chrome bar stools, Eames era leather couch, 75” soapstone sink (perfect for garden or darkroom), paintings (including an original Laxman Shreshtha OOC, well listed Indian artist), prints, German grandfather clock, paperweight collection, old books, Victorian photo album, vintage and costume jewelry, Hitchcock style bench, antique French dining table, set of 6 Louis XV style dining chairs w/ original paint and caning, walnut stepback cupboard, Victorian cradle, antique coffee grinder, Roseville pottery, NC pottery, Waterford, sterling silver (including Redlich, R&B, etc ), linens, kitchen items, beds, office furniture, foreign coin collection, Gilbert 1950’s robot erector set, more toys, Wallace Nutting photos, Pitts and Spitts smoker/grill, garage items, quality1940’s four piece painted vanity set, old tiles, vintage blanket chest, Mason Hamlin pump organ, pair of alabaster table lamps, Christmas china, several mantle clocks, Weller wall pocket, woodworking tools, English antique lapdesk, 1940 World Series baseball signed Lew Riggs, and lots more…

Directions: From Chapel Hill, take 15-501N bypass to Cornwallis Rd. exit 106. Turn right. Go .6m to 3rd left onto Spencer St. 4th house on left. From Raleigh, take I-40W to exit 270. Turn right onto 15-501N. Follow directions above. From NC751 (Academy Rd.), turn west onto Cornwallis. 3rd right is Spencer to 4th house on left. Plenty of parking on street.

Sale agent: Sandy Stallings, Triangle Estate Sales. 919-357-1161 or email tarheels2300@embarqmail.com

———-

www.305Southantimall.com

Anti-Mall Closing Sale!!

Sat. Dec. 8th 9am-2pm

We have filled up the 4700 sqft music venue with all kinds of great treasures,

furniture, vintage knick knacks, & all kinds of great goodies.

All kinds of great vintage holiday decorations, retro bicycles, and tons of

great X-Mas gift finds. Do not miss this!! This is years of collecting

& pack ratting. Please help spread the word and forward this newsletter

on to everyone you think would enjoy and appreciate this sale.

Thanks again to everyone for all the support!!!

Black Friday

We did our part to bump the consumer economy into the black today. Drove the kids and my mom over to Guess Road to the Black Friday Yard Sale for a little reduce-reuse-recycle and then to Everything But Grannies Panties, also off Guess Road, for raw materials for making gifts–vintage glass jars for cocoa mixes and linen napkins for embellishing. Score of the day was a pillow set that, as predicted, coordinates that purple painting to our not-purple couches; 4 bucks, sweet!

Honey conquered a small bit of his Do list and reports that the auto parts store was having a huge sale and it was a madhouse. The idea of a bunch of men elbowing each other over tire rims tickles me. But the headlights were 25% off, and who can argue with that?