It’s time once again for the annual Carolina Renaissance Festival.

Sooo much to see and do!

Games & Rides are pay as you play, and typically run betwee $1 and $5.

DaVinci's Flying Machine

Slider Joust

Entertainment: Crowds of costumed characters, jousting, arts and crafts demos, shows and food are just a few of the surprises that await you!

Jousting is one of our favorite shows!

JoustingKnights

 Twig the Fairy is absolutely my daughter’s favorite character.  She told me tonight “when I see Twig, I’m going to run up to her and say ‘Do you remember me?  I was younger the last time you saw me.’”  You can follow Twig on Twitter, too!

Twig the Fairy

The Dungeon Museum

Festival Marketplace: Hundreds of vendors selling handmade wares.  Perfect for Christmas shopping!

You can buy nearly anything here that comes from the middle ages…My children prefer the shields/swords and fairy wings.

Burnt Mountain CraftsFairy Wings from Fairywinks

Dates & Times: 

We all love being scared, so long as it is a controlled environment.  Here are some fearful fun places to explore your thrill seeking side:

Haunted Statesville in Statesville, NC

Midway Wicked Woods in Statesville, NC

Hickory Grove Haunted Trail in Gastonia, NC

Scarowinds in Charlotte, NC

Spencer Mountain Haunted Mansion in Spencer Mountain, NC

Terror by the Creek in Lincolnton, NC

The Haunted Mill in Belmont, NC

Haunted Pyramids in Lawndale, NC

Warped Forest in Kings Mountain, NC

These treats will make your wee ones howl with delight!

Bloodshot Deviled Eyeballs

Adorable for your adult parties, the bloodshot look comes from red pepper strips and the pupil is a black bean.  Cute!

Funny Bones

These funny bones are a yummy mix of sweet and salty.

Halloween Mummies

This blog is adorable and had me reading for about 20 minutes.  I love how homemade these look, and actually think I might be able to do it!

Spooky Brownies

Aren’t these just the cutest?  I love brownie anything…even if it has a creature on top.

Originally uploaded by to ang, with love

I’ll admit, I gave in to the hype.  When my son got sick this past week, I didn’t wait to see if we had any other symptoms, I was front and center at the doctor’s office the next day.  Three boys on his football team tested positive for the H1N1 virus and I didn’t want to take any chances.  Even though it was a false alarm, our doctor said that he’d seen quite a few cases and most were milder than what the show on television. 

The question that comes to my mind is how wonderful is all of this “information” we are given daily.  They whip people into a frenzy over something that basically has been around for quite awhile and poses no real threat to most people.  The only people who truly need to be worried are the same ones who should be worried if they contract the regular flu:  the very young, the very old and those with a compromised immune system.  If you are concerned about someone you love having the swine flu, you can check the symptoms here:  Swine Flu Symptoms.

Why should you visit the  Coldwell Banker United, REALTORS booth at Denver Days?

WHY NOT?

1. Free Tax Credit Information.  Credit Expires November 30th!

2. Free suckers for the children with a chance to win a prize.

3. Free balloons.

4. And you don’t want to miss a…

FREE RAFFLE FOR A NIGHT AT THE GREAT WOLF LODGE!  ($225 VALUE!)

My in-laws travel nowhere (if they can help it) without their 3 dogs.  Those Boston Terriers live a life more lavish than most people I know.  My mom-in-law clued me in on one facet of England that the Brits have all over us: their acceptance of dogs in public places.

Apparently, in Merry Ole England, dogs are welcome in most establishments, especially ones that have outdoor seating.  I found a nifty site that lists some of the canine friendlier parts of Lake Norman: DogFriendly.com

If you want to make sure that your pup remains welcome wherever you go, you should follow a few puppy etiquette rules.  Keep your dog leashed at all times.  Business owners and people with a fear of dogs will appreciate this gesture.  Secondly, always clean up after your dog.  You can keep Ziplocs in your pocket very easily for this purpose.

Here’s a full list: Dog Etiquette

If you don’t have a pup, but this post has got you jonesing for one, why not visit the Lake Norman Animal Shelter?  You can save a rescued pet and get a great pet for very little cash output.

Guest bedroom

Originally uploaded by Chenxi Wang

If you live far away from your family, you may benefit from the use of a guest bedroom in your home.

My parents lived about 10 hours away when we had our first child, so that room was all but a necessity for us. I wanted the room to be warm and comfortable for my parents or guests so I did some research on how to make the most of your guest bedroom.

The wall colors should be neutral, of course.  Not everyone has the same reactions to colors, but bold colors typically can make a person feel antsy, and dark colors can have the effect of making one feel morose.  Better to stick with a warm neutral and accessorize with colors.

Furniture that your guest bedroom has is also important.  The bed, is of course, key.  Some people opt for a futon, as it saves space, but I prefer comfort over space.   A nightstand is another essential piece of furniture, as guests need to have a place to put jewelry and other personal items.

Accessories to help your guests feel more at home are important, too.  I like having an alarm clock available, if for no other reason than to let me know the time.  In that vein, a wall clock would perform the same function, but your guests may enjoy the option of setting the alarm to get an early start on their days as well.  Perhaps the most important accessory is a reading light!  I have to read every night before I go to bed, so this is a necessity! 

Because I keep my home colder than some, I like to have extra blankets within easy reach for my guests.  That way, they don’t have to ask you for every little thing to make them comfortable.  I also provide extra pillows for my guests.  I also try to clear out the closet for my guests so they will have plenty of space for their clothing to hang.

To gild the lily, you can provide miniature bottles of toiletries, books and magazines, a mirror and a small television.  But beware: your guests may never want to leave!

Denver Days is back!  Celebrating its 7th year, this festival of fun put on by local businesses is bringing food, music and a little bit of shagging to this side of the Lake.

Bands slated to perform this year are as follows, per Lincoln Times News:

The Craig Woolard Band will kick off the festival with a performance at 8 p.m. on Sept. 25. The Entertainers will take the stage at 4 p.m. Sept. 26, with Mark Roberts and Breeze at 6 p.m. The Embers will close out the concert series at 8 p.m. that evening. An Interdenominational Evening of Gospel and Inspirational Song is new to the festival this year. The Sept. 23 event will feature various churches showing off their talents.

While the music plays, walk around to enjoy free goodies from area businesses, Midway rides, games, food, dancing, and exhibits from local artists.

It’s located just off of Highway 16: Directions

Schedule:

Dates: September 23-26th

Times:  Wednesday and Thursday, September 23 & 24   5-10 pm (one price, ride all night)

Friday, September 25  5-11pm

Saturday, September 26  10am-11 pm

Football season is finally here, and for foodies like me, that means Tailgating! 

Many colleges allow you to park your trucks, 5th wheels and RV’s in a special place for the ultimate party with like-minded fans.  Want to see if your college of choice has a special place to party?  Go to Tailgating.com to get all of that info.  Looks like my alma mater has one!  Roll Tide!  For NFL fans, the Carolina Panthers have a ton of different sites to choose.

The most important ingredient to a good tailgating is always the food.  I’ve seen foods from the simple hot dog straight up to gourmet spread, it only depends on your fan’s level of cooking techniques!  The only requirement is that it taste good and be plentiful!  Here are a few fan favorite recipes:

• Alabama Mustard Vinegar BBQ Sauce
• Amaretto Bread Pudding
• Apple Cider Wolverine Style
• Bama’s Black Eyed Pea Dip
• Bama’s Steak and Potato Bites
• Corn Salad NASCAR style
• Game Day BBQ Sauce
• Mountaineer Fire Bites
• Parking Lot Punch
• Pig Sooie Spinach Dip
• Saurkraut Balls
• Skippes
• Tailgating Breakfast
• Texas Aggie Sangria
• The Commissioner’s Dip

If you want to join the Panthers for a Tailgate, here is the schedule: Panthers Football Schedule

If you like landscapes, and you love North Carolina, you need to check out the artist Cotton Ketchie.  He recently requested my friendship on Facebook and I’ve seen his work hanging in some of our agents office.  I decided to look him up online to see some other works and he is truly amazing. 

Another artist many people truly enjoy is Thomas Kinkade.  The acclaimed “Painter of Light” can be found in nearly every gallery this side of the Mississippi and has some beautiful landscapes.  Thomas Kinkade’s is a heartwarming story of an artist of modest means making his mark in an art world that is sometimes hard to break into for new people.

Robert Dance has done some beautiful landscapes, but his still life portraits are my favorite.  I love this one with the apples, it reminds me of this time of year in North Carolina.  This accomplished artist is also the author of a well received book.