Hi Raleigh Lover!

We’re deep in the holiday season now - its reached that stage, blink and you’ll miss it! There are still so many festivities for you to enjoy.

There’s something magical about this time of year in Raleigh that makes me fall in love with our city all over again. ❤️

Raleigh knows how to do the holidays right, and it’s just another reason why I adore calling this city home.

What do I love most? The sense of community and vibrant spirit that brings us all together. Whether it’s cheering at a tree lighting ceremony or catching up with friends over hot cocoa, it’s these moments that remind me how special Raleigh is.

Last night, we attended the State Capitol Tree Lighting for the first time, and it was a simple yet elegant and heartwarming ceremony. I especially appreciated the thoughtful inclusion of our Western North Carolina neighbors as we continue to support them in their recovery. The trees provided by farms in WNC were truly magnificent. (see more here)

Did you know that North Carolina is ranked second in the nation for Christmas tree production? This year, the White House Christmas tree even comes from Western North Carolina—a proud moment for our state!

After the tree lighting, we visited the Holiday Open House at the Governor’s Mansion. While we’ve toured the mansion before, it’s always a treat to see it adorned for the holidays. If you’ve never been, this is the perfect opportunity to experience this beautiful executive home. My favorite spot is the coffee sunroom, especially with its unique plank-style tree—it’s such a charming touch!

It’s only open for the next two night so don’t delay in getting down there this weekend! See what it looks like here. 

As always we hope you have a weekend steeped in holiday magic. We appreciate y’all so much!

Caroline

💖 FAVORITE FINDS

• Boylan Art Walk: Always a favorite every year, especially with the gorgeous weather we had. I love the communal atmosphere walking around this historic neighborhood appreciating our many talented local artists. And wow to the color of that Japanese maple tree! (below)

• Dreamy Tahini Latte from Boulted Bread. This was everything you didn’t know you needed. I’m so glad I took the risk on this coffee mad with date/cumin syrup, tahini, and orange blossom water.

• Vault Craft Beer We popped in after the art walk for one drink and stayed for more because everyone was so friendly, including Eric the owner!! I love a neighborhood bar with this kind of community vibe.

• Downtown Cary Tree Lighting: Downtown Cary Park has a special kind of magic, especially for the holidays. The tree lighting was a wonderful event and I loved seeing the park all lit up. The streets of Cary are filled with holiday light displays. We’ll be exploring it more in depth this week.

• Tator tots At Albatross Bar in Downtown Cary. I loved the three dipping sauces they came with. And it still remains my most favorite old fashioned of all time!

⭐DID YOU HEAR?

• It’s Chapel Bill (Belichick) time! Even if you aren’t a UNC fan, you have to be a little excited to see what happens here and grateful such a legend is coming to the Triangle.

• Dreamville has announced 2025 will be their last year putting on this amazing music festival. It’s sad that' it’s going as it brought so much to this city and will live a giant hole!

• Benchwarmers Bagels will open a third location in the Innovation District of North Hills in 2025.

• Young Hearts Distilling on Wilmington Street in downtown Raleigh will close at the end of the year.

• It was only a matter of time before the auto shop in Downtown Cary (next to Hank’s) was going to be transformed. Next year it will become a new eatery from the peeps behind The Durham + Mayton Inn. We eagerly await more…

🖋 ON THE BLOG

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👍ON THE GRAM

• LISTENING: Kingfishr - a band I discovered this week out of Ireland. The longing in my heart to return to the Emerald Isle. | Dr Joe Dispenza on the Lewis Howes Podcast on becoming the creator of your life.

• READING: My new book club book is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It’s off to a great start!

• WATCHING: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

• DOING: Creating a guide to relocating to Raleigh, filming at Butcher’s Market, MAA Nixie & North Hills, attending our friends annual Christmas party, enjoying Christmas break with my girls!