Want another Raleigh cafe option to Starbucks?  …Hereghty Patisserie and Café has been in Raleigh for 4 years.   Over the weekend,  I compared Starbucks coffee to McCafe coffee. Well…today I’m comparing Starbucks to Glenwood Village’s Hereghty Heavnely Delicious Patisserie and Café (that’s a mouth full) . The place is owned by two Suisse brothers. I met co-owner Brian pictured here.

French Patisserie in Raleigh

Seaboard Station is a shopping village in Raleigh’s Glenwood South area. Take a driving tour with me:

ESPRIT has a PRIVATE MOTHERS DAY SALE UNTIL tomorrow (Sunday, May 10) only!! To save 30%, at checkout, use Coupon Code: MA5TKBPS.   To enter the Private Sale, just click on the ESPRIT Logo/Graphic here:

At Mickey D’s as I grew up calling it, coffee is about half the price of Starbucks’ specialty coffee or any coffee joint in Raleigh, plus you don’t have to go inside if you’re feeling lazy (it’s usually quicker just to go in).  But Starbucks does have a promotional deal through June for a Grande iced brewed coffee for around $2.  I’m pretty sure this will not be their only promotion or “value menu” item in the upcoming months ahead…

Raleigh's waterfalls

Today I’m very inspired. Most days I am. But I thought I’d take a moment to share another side of Raleigh besides our great shopping!

Have you discovered the beautiful waterfalls in Raleigh? …

Raleigh designer boutiques are small time compared to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive and New York’s Fifth Avenue. If you go to Cameron Village or North Hills, you’ll see a dotted row of designer boutiques. But some of these designers  have unrecognized names…ones you may never have heard of. They’re shall we say… up and coming.  Not like for example, Louis Vuitton whose brand name is so recognizable.

The Raleigh boutiques to me are more like the ones found on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue or New York’s Bleecker’s Street in the West Village (where the famous Magnolia Bakery Cupcake shop is ). Both these areas carry chic and trendy one of a kind clothing items. I remember Melrose Ave. was where I bought my first designer Betsey Johnson dress that I wore to a Los Angeles wedding I attended. And I bought this dress I’m photograped below from a boutique on New York City’s Bleecker Street.  I’d never remember the name of the boutique. I’m sure it had a cute name though as most of them do…

It’s a tough year for Mexico with the swine flu going on. But nonetheless any Mexican Cantina or restaurant today in Raleigh and around the US is celebrating Cinco de Mayo! My Veracruz friends photographed below tell me that the real celebration is Sept. 16. But today is the official independence day for one of the Mexican states, Puebla. And many people from Puebla have made the US their home so that’s how Cinco de Mayo got celebrated on this day in case you wanted to know.

Over the weekend I went to the Handmade Market in downtown Raleigh at Marbles Museum. Like most Raleigh small shopping events… and there are a lot of them which is awesome for shoppers…this one was very intimate, but busy, and you got to meet the owners and in this case, the owner/designers. I enjoy looking around unique bazaar (not bizarre) environments. I get a lot of inspiration and it’s visually stimulating. I remember in Charleston there’s an area downtown that has something very similar but I think it’s year round. There is a lot of pottery and women weaving baskets right in front of you. Similarly at this handmade expo, I saw handmade cards, clothes, jewelry, photographs, bags, candles, and anything else you can think of making… these creative entrepreneurs at this expo had created them and were now displaying them for sale.

Handmade Jewelry made in Raleigh

Here’s a photo of a woman named Marcia (pronounced Mar-cee-ah)…

A Raleigh Baby Clothes Designer

Even before I got to Raleigh, I liked to make paper things like cute cards. Maybe ‘cause I’m a scrapbooker. That’s such a strange way to classify myself but there are many women out there doing the same thing. I mean I like to travel and try new restaurants too, but I’d never say I’m a traveler or restaurant tryer. But anyway…

These days, I admit I’m more a scrapbook collector. In other words, I own scrapbook stuff and a lot of it!

Hey Raleigh, T.G.I.F.! And don’t forget, tomorrow is the big official Raleigh Belk Charity Sale…today is the last day for the pre-event sale.  It’s a good way to kick off the weekend.

 Here’s a shopper anxiously waiting for the Belk doors to open at the Cary Towne Center…