Cary, NC – Green Kangaroo is an e-commerce custom stationer with a store front in a new Downtown Cary location. Unlike other businesses in our local market, they don’t rely on foot traffic to do business. When they opened in March, I was curious to learn what resided behind the frosted windows down the street from our CaryCitizen office.

Green Kangaroo – Everyday Magic for Weddings

What I found behind the sign was a quietly intense work space of graphic designers who create magic every day for brides all over the country.

Owner Kristen Klett started the Green Kangaroo in 2002 inside her home where she designed custom ideas for weddings and other events. Her stationery goes way beyond pretty invitations, to include  placecards, signage, logos, menus and wedding program designs.

The Green Kangaroo moved to the new location after several years in offices within Ashworth Village’s second floor shops. The new space has given her greater visibility and the opportunity to grow in the future with a second floor. Design, production, order fulfillment, customer service and shipping take place in the Cary office. Printing is handled locally in a separate location.

Real People Behind the Website

What makes her business different from other invitation shops is the ability to accommodate special request items. Many times a customer may see a design they like, but it might be square or a shape that will require additional postage when mailed. Her shop can redesign the invitation to a rectangular shape at no extra charge. Another plus for the online customer is that there are REAL people that can be called to discuss any questions.

Kristen notes that “Brides pay special attention to all the details of their weddings, and don’t want to feel as if they have settled. ” The Green Kangaroo lets them have the detail of design that they can carry through the entire wedding. Many designs are even translated onto the wedding cakes.

Every Color in the Rainbow

Designs range from custom monograms to floral designs and type.  She keeps a large supply of  colored papers and special folded envelopes for use as samples. The office is lined with shelves bursting with samples of every shade in the rainbow.

Orders take about 2 days to receive a proof and after approval, production can be as fast as 5-7 business days. Complex custom orders may take as long as 15-20 days.

More than 90% of the Green Kangaroo’s business is done outside of this area. But local folks should know that Kristen is only a phone call away for personal appointments and consultations. There are no walk-ins.

Weddings and More

Although weddings make up the bulk of the business, Kristen also designs holiday cards, birth announcements, thank you notes and more. A good portion of her customers are satisfied repeat clients.

Why Green Kangaroo?

Kristen explained that as a child she and a friend were middle children in their families. The Judy Blume book “And the One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo” stuck with her. She liked that imagery and decided to use it in her business. She also uses the initials TGK Designs as an abbreviation.

So there you have it, another Cary Business revealed.

Story by Matt Young. Photo by Roland Hauck. Read more in our Wine & Beer Series.

Cary, NC – Mother’s Day is next Sunday, May 13, 2012. Don’t get caught unprepared, guys! Consider planning your celebration around a bottle of fine wine.

Wine for Mother’s Day

Wine makes a fine gift all by itself, but you can also pair it with flowers or a fabulous home-cooked meal.

Not sure where to start? I’ve got some suggestions for you.

My first suggestion is do not buy her a set of screwdrivers for Mother’s Day. Besides, your house (or your Mom’s house) has a whole drawer full of them in the kitchen, you just call them “butter knives”.

Here’s some interesting wines for under $20 (closer to $15) that might make Mom happy.

Syrah – RagApple Lassie, North Carolina Success Story

Several years ago Frank Hobson Jr., a tobacco (and other things) farmer converted his Yadkin (“Yapa”) Valley fields to vineyards. His wife, Lenna, is the winemaker.  They named the winery after a prize-winning cow that Frank raised in his former farming life.

At the base of Pilot Mountain, they make many of the traditional wines and grow many of the traditional grapes. They started with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and then added vines of other grapes.

“Transitioning from tobacco to grapes is not such a stretch agriculturally as one might think, and now other local farmers will begin planting this spring.  Profit per acre from tobacco and grapes is similar.  Profit per acre from grapes made into wine is significantly higher.  So Frank, Jr., and Lenna’s decision to build a winery is a good fit for them.  Frank, Jr., is the quintessential farmer, Lenna is a marketing professional, and both are very comfortable in their respective roles.” – From the RagApple Lassie website.

I tried their Syrah and was pleasantly surprised. It is bold and spicy with hints of cherries and plum and quite dry. Pair it with equally bold foods like Western North Carolina barbecue and roast beef. It can easily be sipped alone but is for wine drinkers that don’t want “shy wine”.

Rosé – Steele Cabernet Franc Rosé (2011)

Steele Winery is just north of Napa Valley and the wine makers at Steele are quite frankly known for other varieties of wines. But this wine is real nice.

This rosé is made with Cabernet Franc grapes – a black-skinned French grape often used in blended wines for its unique character.

When red wines are made, the skins are left on the grape and in the “must” (the grape juice) during fermentation. When rosés are made the skins are removed to give it a lighter color.

Rosés should be chilled. The Steele Cab Franc Rosé has a nose of cherry and is quite pleasing. The wine has a fresh, crisp, fruity-berry almost sweet (but not quite) flavor.

This is a good wine for sipping on the porch on a warm day. I’d pair it with good Brie or Camembert. Or maybe with a Panini at lunch.

Three Wine Ladies – La Perlina Moscato D’Asti

This Italian winery is proud of the fact that it is run by three moms. So much so that the winery is called “Tre Donne” (Translation: “Three Women”).

Tre Donne winery is located on the top of a hill into the Langhe area (Piedmont-North/West Italy). The Lequio family started to grow vines on this soil in 1850.Today the three sisters (Rosanna-Daniela-Antonella) with the help of husbands (Piernicola, Mauro, Gianni) and four employees continue this oenological tradition.The brand Tre Donne is dedicated to the 3 sisters, the last generation of winemakers. Will their 3 daughters do the same? – The Tre Donne web site

This is a sweet, lightly effervescent wine made from Moscato grapes. It has a low alcohol content (think beer) and is fruity and almost lemon-y. It looks almost like Champagne in the glass, but is not as bubbly.

You will impress with this one. Categorize me as one who does not like dessert wines, this one is great. It’s not overly sweet. And it would go beautifully with light desserts – like strawberry shortcake. Or lemon meringue pie.

Don’t forget – May 13th  is Mother’s Day!

“God could not be everywhere and therefore he made Mothers” – Jewish Proverb

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The Wine & Beer Series on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Triangle Wine Company on Davis Drive in Morrisville.

Story and lead photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – This spring, our friends at Garden Supply Company are sponsoring the Gardening column on CaryCitizen. In this installment, I’ll talk about annual summer flowers to plant now.

Annuals and Perennials

Annuals are basically flowers that bloom this year and die in the winter. Perennials are flowers that sleep in the winter and come back year after year.

The well-planned garden has some of both. I think of perennials (along with shrubs and trees) as the foundation of my garden. I add annuals for long-lasting color pop during the warm months.

This story focuses on annual flowers to plant now for summer bloom..

Pots or Beds?

The first question to answer is whether you want your summer flowers in pots or garden beds.

I use both, but especially pots. For me, pots are easier to keep watered and I can move them around as the season changes.

Placement is key – I put them near the hose and in places they’re easily seen from inside the house or by visitors. A lot of my flowers are on the back deck, visible from my kitchen table.

Prepare the Dirt

For pots: it’s best to use a fresh bag of potting soil. Old dirt in pots gets depleted of nutrients quickly and can even concentrate things like salts. I put a few rocks or pot shards in the bottom of the pot to help drainage and keep the soil from running out.

For garden beds: Piedmont soil is loaded with clay. It can also have an acidic pH.

• Best best – dig out your flower bed and replace it with a few bags of commercial garden soil (available at the garden store).
• Next best bet – add a few soil additions to improve the clay. A couple of bags of Black Cow (compost and cow manure) does wonders. I also like gypsum to lighten the soil and lime to correct the pH.

Marigolds

I just love marigolds, especially the French type. French Marigolds are less frilly than regular marigolds – more daisy-like and less like a mum.

Every year, it seems like they come out with a new hybrid, taking marigolds from traditional yellow and orange to crimson and mahogany.

Marigolds grow low and spread – perfect for borders in the garden or trailing from a big pot. They’re great for Cary gardens because they love it hot and dry.

Petunias

Another staple of the Piedmont garden is the Petunia.

Like marigolds, most varieties of Petunias want to sprawl or trail.

Petunias tend toward reds and purples with a color range extending all the way to white. So, you’ll see hybrids that are pink, lavender, eggplant or maroon.

Petunias also like it hot and fairly dry. The newer varieties are “self-cleaning” – that is, the old blooms drop off without dead-heading.

I use petunias in window boxes.

Zinnias

Another very useful sun plant. Zinnias grow about 18-24″ tall in a variety or yellows, reds and oranges. They bloom well into fall.

Dwarf Sunflowers

I admire people who have a spot for tall sunflowers. I have no such spot.

But dwarf sunflowers have always worked well in my garden. These smaller varieties (24-36″) have sturdy stems and produce heads 4-6″ across. Goldfinches love them.

Great in pots or beds – needs a sunny spot.

I grow sunflowers from seeds. Ask at the garden store. Plant them now for your summer bloom.

Begonias

Begonias like a fair amount of shade. If you have a partly sunny to full shade spot, try begonias.

Begonias usually come in a limited color variety – green leaves or bronze leaves, white flowers or red flowers. Some newer orange shades and even yellows have been making their way to market over the past few years.

I like begonias because they produce color in shady spots and bloom until frost. The grow tender green spikes in the autumn, adding interest to the garden. Mature size is about 12″ wide by 15-18″ tall.

Impatiens

Impatiens are another shade flower. They have simple white or pink flowers on dark green foliage and are a good bed and border plant for the shade.

New Guinea Impatiens, however, like it sunny and come in bold colors and stripes.

Check out both types of Impatiens and see what works in your garden.

Plan Your Spot

There are so many beautiful plants for our easy climate in Cary. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices.

Start with a specific spot. Make notoe of the light, water and soil condition. Go to the garden store with a mission to improve your chosen spot. Only buy as much as your can plant at once.

Pick another spot and go back to the garden store. Rinse and repeat. I make at least six trips to the garden store during the spring.

What Are Your Favorite Summer Flowers?

What works for you in your Cary garden? (Apex or Morrisville readers too, of course. Heck, I’d like to hear from people in Nome and Nyack).

Leave some advice in the comments to this story. And happy gardening!

Photo Credits

Marigold by Scarlatti2004; Petunias by Dauvit Alexander; Zinnias by BlueRidgeKitties; Sunflowers by NC DOT; Begonias by Mark Blasingame; Impatiens by Julie. Thanks to all for using a Creative Commons license on Flickr.

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The Gardening Column on CaryCitizen is sponsored by Garden Supply Company on Old Apex Road in Cary.

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photos by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC- Environmental Art gets life size at Cary’s 19th annual Spring Daze Festival in Bond Park Sat. April 28th from 9 am-5 pm. Environmental sculptor Michael Roy Layne is putting the finishing touches on his “Stoneleaf and Fairy Circle” installation down at the boat house which debuts at the opening of the festival with a lakeside procession.

Stoneleaf and Fairy Circle

The sculpture includes several larger than life fabric mushrooms and smooth rocks that festival goers may help install. Most of the sculpture will remain permanently at the Boat House area, the fabric pieces may be brought out as colorful additions for special events. Layne works with areas that pose an environmental concern (here: drainage and run-off) and creates art that assists in solving the problem, while also enhancing the surroundings.

Earth Day Celebration

Spring Daze traditionally occurs at Bond Park and the outdoor theme ties in with the Town’s annual celebration of Earth Day (which this year occurred the week prior). Environmental themes will be seen throughout the event. In the Story Teller area at Buehler Shelter, hear all about composting.

Hop aboard the Town’s hybrid trash truck. Check out the WakeMed Cary Fitness Trail and get your fitness passport stamped.

Vote for your favorite Heart Healthy concessionaire. Food trucks serving up the healthiest fare will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize ceramic pieces made by Cary Art Center’s Ceramicist Andi Dees.

Art of Course!

There will be over 180 artist booths to visit throughout the park. The Children’s Village returns again to the Lazy Daze Playground area at the center of the park. Many fun child friendly activities are planned including make and take “Bond Park Fish”, “Spring Daze Kites” and contact paper mosaics. Volunteers will help children with their creations which are free to the public.

The Artist Demonstration area has enlarged this year and includes the Cary Clay Cooperative, Fine Arts League of Cary and the Gifted Hands of Cary Embroiderers Guild. The Cary Jaycees will be announcing the winners of their annual photo contest over by the Boat House.

For the map of all things Spring Daze click here

Ride For Free

Worried about parking? With tight quarters and plenty of visitors parking and maneuvering your car can get tricky in Bond Park. The Town is operating C-Tran on a normal schedule – riders to the festival can ride for free. There is also a FREE shuttle that leaves from Downtown Cary (at 101 Wilkenson Avenue beside Town Hall) to take festival goers straight to Bond Park. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes between 8:30am- 5:30pm

OR Walk: With the new Greenway connectors linking up the Black Creek Greenway and White Oak Creek Greenway many subdivision dwellers can make it to the park without driving their cars, or even walking on a street. I’m spoiled, I live in a subdivision that backs onto the White Oak Greenway. For years I have biked or walked to the Spring Daze Festival.

We’ll Be There Too

Look for Hal Goodtree (CaryCitizen Publisher) and his band, A Fifth of Blues at the stage near the ballfields. They play twice, first at 10:15 am and again around 1:00 pm. He may need a cold drink! Stop by and say “Hey.”

I will be over in Cultural Arts Row with the Non-Profit groups early from 8-10am passing our info about the upcoming Downtown Cary Children’s Museum that we’d like to see built. Stop by and grab some info, or make a donation if you can!

See you at Spring Daze!

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Community coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Studio 180 Salon in Downtown Cary.

Cary, NC – Saturday was blazingly sunny in Cary, North Carolina. I pulled out the camera for the opening of Cary’s two farmers markets and the first-ever Easter Bonnet Festival at Waverly Place.

Western Wake Farmers Market Opens

Big crowds and lots of vendors heralded the opening of the Western Wake Farmers Market in Carpenter Village on Saturday.

People were fairly streaming out of the surrounding neighborhood at 9:30 in the morning.

The first attraction was an exhibition of chickens. Live ones, not the kind on a plate. If you are a chicken devotee (in the backyard or on the plate), considering buying a CaryCitizen Chicken t-shirt.

Within the market itself, there was a stupendous assortment of things to buy – fruit, vegetables, bread, cheese, meat, plants, flowers, soaps, even dog treats. I bought locally grown honey for my 12 year old who has pollen allergies.

As I left WWFM, there was a low-key Easter Egg Hunt. A few dozen kids all rushed onto the field, then just kind of moseyed around searching for eggs. It was a nice change from the massive crowds that turn out for the Town’s hunt in Bond Park.

Downtown Cary Farmers Market Opens

Also on Saturday morning, I visited the return of the Downtown Cary Farmers Market.

This year, the market has a new home on Academy Street in from of the Carying Place, diagonally across from First Baptist Church.

Fresh strawberries were seeing brisk sales. Lettuce was in season and japanese maples were on offer. The Heart of Cary Association had a booth and so did the Downtown Cary Childrens Museum.

Waverly’s Easter Bonnet Festival

My final stop on Saturday was the first ever Easter Bonnet and Hat Festival at Waverly Place.

The Easter bunny was there and lots of kids and adults all dressed up in their Easter finery. A DJ was rocking the Promenade and Waverly merchants were handing out tasty treats and samples.

It was a good Saturday in Cary.

Story and pictures by Hal Goodtree.

Stonecreek, Cary, NC – On Friday, about 30 people got their heads shaved for charity at J.F. Gemelli in Stonecreek Village. The effort, on behalf of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for research into childhood cancer, raised over $28,000.

Bald + St. Patrick

St. Baldrick’s is a play on Bald + St. Patrick’s. There is no actual St. Baldrick.

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation was started in 2000 when three Irish American reinsurance executives in New York decided to elevate the traditional St. Patrick’s Day party in the office. The 20 “shavees” at the original event planned to raise $17,000. Instead, they raised $104,000. The money went to pediatric oncology research and a movement was born.

Since 2000, more than 189,000 people have shaved their heads for St. Baldrick’s, raising more than $117 million.

The Shaving at Stonecreek

J.F. Gemelli Salon in Stonecreek hosted the St. Baldrick’s event in Cary. The top shavee was Donna Moynihan who raised $6,140 for her shave.

Reina Lawrence, a hairstylist at Gemelli, was a shavee, barber, team captain and lead organizer of the event. Reina had a goal of $1,000 and raised $3,461 for her bald head.

Big Fun

It was definitely a party atmosphere with 70-80 people, food, a DJ, kids with ballons, face painting and lots of laughter.

The goal for the great shave at Stonecreek was $25,000. Before I left, the DJ announced that more than $28,000 had been raised for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Pictures: St. Baldrick’s in Cary

Cary, NC – Whether you like Pad Thai or sashimi, Thai Sushi and Spices has been serving up some of the finest Asian cuisine in Cary for four years. To celebrate, they’re offering a special coupon to readers of CaryCitizen.

Coupon: $10 Off at Thai Spices & Sushi

Print this coupon and get $10 off orders of $50 of more at Thai Sushi and Spices.

Eat in or take-out. Offer good through April 30, 2012.

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC- On April 7, Downtown Cary will again have its farmer’s market.After a couple years, when the market had to move to Chatham Square Shopping Center from its former spot at the Amtrak train depot, the  Cary Downtown Farmer’s Market will once again call downtown home.

New Location

After sorting through a lot of speculation, market manager Michele Blackley confirmed the new location will be at the corner of Park and Academy Streets.

The kick off on Saturday April 7, 2012 will include the Town’s new portable stage for some entertainment, local produce vendors and activities for kids. Michele confirmed the market has signed up 22 vendors! Look for signage at the new site.

From the Market:

Our vendors will be selling produce, baked goods, plants, jewelry, mushrooms, coffee,custom made clothing just to name a few! We plan to have entertainment and special events with the help of volunteers from the community. We are very appreciative to the Carying Place for sharing this space with us on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Civic Partnerships

The move to the new spot has been accomplished through civic partnerships. Doc Thorne, president of the Heart of Cary Association (HoCA), said his group will be providing support with publicity. Ed Gawf, Downtown Development Manager and Mike Bajorek, Assistant Town Manager both worked closely with the group to finalize a location. Lyman Collins, Cary’s Cultural Arts manager, is committed to having activities happening Downtown on the weekends.

If Cary’s market is like others we’ve visited across the nation, it will help spur lively weekend activity in the Heart of Cary.

Downtown Cary Farmer’s Market

Kickoff: Saturday April 7, 2012
8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Corner of Park and Academy Streets
Cary, NC

Story and photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – Want to know how to make social media work for your business? Check out this example using dessert as a catalyst for social media.

Social Media (Can Be) Free

Social media works best when it is social – that is, people talking about me, not me talking about myself.

Using Dessert as a Social Media Driver

In this example, I’m imaging a restaurant.

I want to encourage people to talk about me on Twitter.

So I put table tent (small ad in a frame) on all the tables in my cafe or saloon.

The table tent reads:

Tweet Me

Get 50% off Dessert

In the small type, you set some simple rules:

• Use @CafeHal
• Use these two hashtags: #food #triangle
• Say something nice about your experience. Whatever you liked best.
• Show the tweet to your waiter to get 50% off your dessert

Now, you’ve got other people talking about you. And, you didn’t have to pay hard cash to a smart aleck like me.

That’s how you use dessert as a social media driver.

What’s your innovative idea for social media?

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Sam Ley.

Cary, NC – CaryCitizen is pleased to announce its newest directory page: Pizza in Cary. The new Directory lists almost 50 pizza restaurants in the greater Cary area.

The Cary Pizza Directory

As a former New Yorker (by way of New Jersey and Connecticut), one of the first things I asked when I moved here was “where can I get a good slice of pizza?”

Of course, everyone has their own opinion about what makes pizza good. Some like Domino’s and others swear by the local who learned to make pies at Famous Ray’s.

There’s Forgetaboutit Pizza, Marco’s, Sal’s, Volante, J.S. NY Pizza, Dominic’s NY Pizza, Johnny’s, Daniel’s, Anna’s and about 40 more. Interestingly, there is no Cary Pizza.

For now, our Pizza Directory is a simple affair. Restaurants are listed by town, alphabetically, with street address and phone number. Who knows – maybe someone will be inspired to go on a Pizza Odyssey, visiting every purveyor of slice and pie within the town.

Visit the Pizza Directory - you’re sure to discover some unknown places. Or let us know your favorite spot in the comments to this story.

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Other CaryCitizen Directories:

• Cary Non-Profits Page
• Downtown Dining
• Cary Parks