FENCE Holiday Barn Tour at the Derbyshire Stable

This past weekend, Derbyshire happily hosted a few hundred visitors during the FENCE Holiday Barn Tour. As one of three stops on the tour, the Derbyshire Stable was decked out in holiday decorations and provided guests with spiced apple cider and cookies as a nice little treat on a cool, post-Thanksgiving Saturday!

One of our property owners, who is boarding his horses in the Derbyshire Stable, was gracious enough to pitch in and brought down some wonderful holiday decorations from his home. The fox sconces are my favorite!

We also used the Holiday Barn Tour as an opportunity to announce the date of our Third Annual Derby Dash 5K and Fun Walk! It will held on Saturday, May 18th. It's never too early to start planning for the next Derbyshire event!

Now that we are all decorated (much earlier than usual) for the holidays, 

we're now able to enjoy the season even more!

Upcoming Event - FENCE Holiday Barn Tour

Derbyshire is very excited to be participating in the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) Holiday Barn Tour this year on November 24th. The event will begin at FENCE with exhibitions including jumping, dressage, and the Green Creek Hounds. Attendees will then continue on a self-guided tour of three barns in the area, including the Derbyshire Stable.

In preparation for the Holiday Barn Tour, we have decorated our stable both inside and out. We'll be welcoming attendees with refreshments and holiday music. If you are in the area, this is definitely a great way to spend the post-holiday weekend!

Derbyshire Community Event - Dinner Be Dammed

I've been taking just a short break from blogging over the past week or so, but it's only because things have been very busy here at Derbyshire! This past weekend, we hosted our Second Annual Dinner Be Dammed. It's our community where we bring together all of the Derbyshire neighbors so that they can enjoy a good dinner by the lake and have another opportunity to spend time with each other.

The idea for Dinner Be Dammed came from the fact that we were upgrading our earthen dam, which forms our private 33 acre lake, last year when we hosted our first dinner. Even while we were under construction we wanted to celebrate all of the new neighbors we had welcomed!

We’ve had so many great things happen this year: seeing families make Derbyshire their new home, welcoming new property owners, and hosting our second Derby Dash 5K and Fun Walk. We want to continue the tradition of celebrating the year’s achievements (and the name really is the most interesting one we could come up with!).

Everyone seemed to have a great time, and the rain held off (at least until after dessert). We can't wait to see how much this group grows next year. We're going to need a larger tent!

Landrum, SC - Ken's Meats & Seafood and Dutch Country Foods

This week, the blog started with a link to the Southern Living article that included Landrum, SC. This quaint town is located just down the road from the entrance to Derbyshire. 

Over the past few days I've shown some of my favorite places in the small main street area (which is technically Rutherford St. in Landrum). Today, I'm going to show two grocery shops that provide access to great locally-sourced items and some unique items that shoppers wouldn't have easy access to without these locations.

Ken's Meats & Seafood was my first stop. Situated in the same block as the hardware shop, an art gallery, and Lucy's Boutique, it's easy to get to while out shopping around Landrum. In addition to carrying fresh meats, they stock basic groceries (cheeses, potatoes, onions, etc.) that make putting a meal together simple, without having to venture into a traditional grocery store. 

They also function as a bakery featuring cakes, pies, precious little petit fours, and some peach cannolis. Many of their breads are baked in house, with others coming from a nearby bakery in Greenville, SC. 

Next to the breads and also in one of their cold cases, you'll find items that would be great in a gift basket. Many of these prepackage foods items are ones that I've had to travel to a larger store to find, and now I know where I can find them locally. It's a great thing to keep in mind when you need a fast hostess gift!

Once you've had a chance to stock up on all of the fresh meats and baked goods at Ken's, you can head down one block to Dutch Country Foods. All of the items found inside of this shop have been sourced from the Amish Country (Ohio and Pennsylvania). I specify inside of the shop only because the first thing you see outside are wonderful peaches from Strawberry Hill (which was also mentioned in the article from Southern Living). Not that the farm is very far away, but it's wonderful to be able to run down to Landrum for peaches instead of having to travel a bit farther to Strawberry Hill. 

They carry great little candies, which you can see in the picture above, and a huge aisle lined with every type of spice, candy, and baking ingredient imaginable. I'm sure they don't carry everything, but it certainly looks like they do!

I ended up picking up some unique root beer that I hadn't seen before and some crispy green beans that were really very good, and yes, that is an incredibly random assortment of purchases.

After I had checked out, a lady was raving about the ladyfinger popcorn that they carry. Apparently it's smaller, hulless and more tender when popped. Guess I know what I'll be grabbing on my next trip! For those who desire to shop in locally owned stores, Ken's Meats and Seafood and Dutch Country Foods are wonderful resources.

Landrum, SC - Lucy's Boutique

While continuing the virtual tour through Landrum, SC, which is just down the road from Derbyshire, I wanted to show you one of the newer shops downtown. Lucy's Boutique is a great clothing and accessories store for women. The store first caught my attention because they always have really cute dresses in the front windows.

Once I had a chance to go inside, I realized that not only do they have great clothes, they also have really reasonable prices. 

Lucy's Boutique is definitely a great option for the women living in this area who need to go and grab a quick outfit. They have everything from jeans and tops, to dresses and sandals. You can certainly find a complete outfit there, right down to a belt and jewelry.

They also offer on-site monogramming, so it's a perfect place to stop in for gifts too! That orange tote on the left there is an item I will definitely be stopping back by to grab. It'll make a quick and easy gift for my friend who is a Clemson fan (which is something they also cater to)!

So, for a great local store for women, Lucy's Boutique is a definite go-to!

Landrum, SC - Architectural Warehouse

One of my favorite stores to visit in Landrum, SC (which is located just ten minutes or so down the road from Derbyshire) is Architectural Warehouse. It is one of two locations (the other one being in Tryon), and they have so many unique items for the home.

When you walk in, you can't be quite sure what your plan of attack should be. I would recommend working your way to the right, around the back, up on the left, and then crisscrossing until you are absolutely certain that you have seen every wonderful item that the Warehouse has to offer. 

 

Each of the locations features antique and reclaimed items. The doors and windows are my favorite. We actually have two windows from Architectural Warehouse hanging in our Derbyshire sales office. They are such a great accent in a room.

I also loved the assorted hinges, door knobs and other small items. They have them all grouped together in this incredibly large white hutch. Can something that large still be referred to as a hutch? You won't have time to worry about that. You could spend quite a while, just in that section of the store, looking through every little detail in the cabinets and bins.

One area of the store that I also found myself particularly drawn to was the little English equestrian nook in the back. It can be seen in the middle of the pictures below. Every bit of that would fit so perfectly in a cottage at Derbyshire. I was also fond of the hunt and hound prints.

If you have a chance to visit Landrum, Architectural Warehouse is certainly one of the places that you will want to have on your "do not miss" list. You'll also want to make sure that you allow enough room in the car for all of your newly found, reclaimed treasures.

Local Town - Landrum, SC in Southern Living

This week we'll be visiting Landrum, South Carolina. It's a great little town that is located only ten minutes from the main entrance of Derbyshire. Landrum is the nearest downtown area for grocery shopping, drug stores, good restaurants, boutique shopping, and less expensive South Carolina gasoline!

The town was recently featured in Southern Living magazine. I think it's a great little starting point for the week. You can read more about it here.

Friday Photo - 10 North Trade Lunch

I stopped at 10 North Trade Cafe Bakery in Tryon for lunch today. As always, Friday was a popular day to go out for lunch, but I was able to squeeze in right before the crowd did. One of the quiches on the chalkboard was smoked salmon boursin. Well, they had me at boursin. I paired it with a cafe salad with housemade thousand island, and they added a little slice of the banana blueberry bread. Everything was fabulous, as usual. 

If you would like to learn more about this great little restaurant that is located only twenty minutes from Derbyshire, you can jump over to my original post by clicking here.

Friday Photo - Snickers

Yesterday, while I was photographing the new horses at the Derbyshire Community Stable, I also went to visit Snickers and Sir Wellington. They've been calling the stable their home for over a month now, and they're very comfortable in their new space. They're also becoming much more comfortable with me and my camera, and a bit more curious, too. Snickers may be too curious...

Fortunately, since he decided that my camera probably wouldn't be a tasty as the "cookie" he had just consumed, I'll be back next week with more photos. I'll show you a little tour of Landrum, SC, which is located only 10 minutes from Derbyshire. A quaint town with some good restaurants and great antique shopping, it's going to be a fun assignment for me. Until then, happy weekend!

Derbyshire Community Stable - New Residents

Last Thursday the Derbyshire Community Stable gained two new residents. Both horses were adopted through the racehorse adoption program New Vocations. They came from their facility in Lexington, KY, and their new owners, Andrea and Peter, couldn't be happier. 

 

 Below is a picture of Fairmont, or as Andrea and Peter prefer to call him, Monty. He is nine years old and retired from racing last November.

His next door neighbor is Tuxedo Lady, who is affectionately known simply as Lady. She had been a school horse for the North American Riding Academy and is fifteen years old.

Andrea, an equestrian prior to her move to Derbyshire, will be schooling Peter in the care and training of their horses. What an exciting new start in a new community!

The Derbyshire Team is so excited for all of them (both the people and the horses). Welcome to Derbyshire, Monty and Lady!

Local Eats - 10 North Trade Cafe Bakery in Tryon, NC

One of our favorite places to eat in Tryon is the 10 North Trade Cafe Bakery. It is always one of our top four restaurants that we recommend. They serve breakfast and lunch Tuesday through Saturday and are conveniently located right downtown, mixed in with all of the little shops and fun places to visit on Trade Street.

 

Yesterday, I met up with mother and grandmother for lunch, and 10 North Trade was just as good as ever. Their lunch menu features salads (with amazing housemade dressings), soups, sandwiches, and a quiche of the day (which is actually always a choice between two). 

All of their sandwiches are served on bread from the bakery. They even have a make your own sandwich option which includes a ridiculous amount of choices, all the way from housemade pimento cheese to artichoke hearts. By the way, we finally decided on a Reuben, a chicken club, and a salmon wrap. The creamy pasta salad won out as the favorite side that day, but if you go and the apple walnut salad is in season, you should definitely get that. Guess we'll just have to go back again, darn.

One very neat thing about their menu is that you can always order a half of a salad or a half of a sandwich, which is great for smaller appetites (or those who are trying to save room for dessert)!

Speaking of dessert, we ordered the Chocolate German Cake. It was just as good as it looks! They always have at least ten cakes to choose from, not to mention the entire other bakery case with cupcakes, brownies, scones, and all other kinds of incredible.

If you're in the area, make sure you stop by 10 North Trade. It's just about twenty minutes from our office, and it's certainly a trip that we like to make often. Oh, and pick up a loaf of the sweet potato pecan bread while you are there!

Derbyshire Community Stable Grand Opening Pictures

Our Derbyshire Community Stable Grand Opening Tour last Friday was quite a success! It was attended by over 150 people, and also five beautiful dogs who are available for adoption at the Foothills Humane Society. Everyone had a chance to check out the new facility, mingle with other local equestrians, and introduce themselves to the newest members of the Derbyshire community.

And now, the official blog debut of the completed
Derbyshire Community Stable!

 Rick and Sandie, the owners of the first horses to live in the stable, joined our managing partner, Brian Carroll, for the official ribbon cutting.

Once things got started, we were quite busy giving tours of the stable, but I did manage to take a few pictures of the precious pups that the "On the Road" team from Foothills had brought to the event.

And Jack, he was my favorite.

We were so happy to have everyone join us for this exciting event! 

For more photos of the new stable, click here.

This Week at Derbyshire - Stable Grand Opening Tour

It's been a little while since the last post on here, but that's because it's been quite a whirlwind week at Derbyshire! Our Stable Grand Opening is this evening, and everyone has been working very hard to finish up the final details our our beautiful new stable! Below are a few pictures of the finished project. Please visit again on Monday to see pictures of the event tonight and the official ribbon cutting. Oh, and I'm sure we'll have some of the pups from Foothills too!

 

The lantern over the front entryway runs on natural gas. Derbyshire actually offers natural gas to all of the homesites in the community, provided through PSNC.

All of the main exterior doors were handcrafted by Randy Greenway, a local woodworker. He is the same gentleman who created our front gates. The front doors of the barn at ten feet tall and weigh approximately 400 lbs each. 

These are the side doors to the barn. The back doors feature the same style with the crossbucks. 

This is the beautiful sixteen foot wide center aisle. The Derbyshire Community Stable features eleven 12x12 matted stalls. 

 

The Derbyshire Community Stable also features Woodstar stall systems. 

We've added a beautiful wrought iron chandelier to accent the large aisle.

 

This is the indoor wash bay at the stable, and there is also one located outside. Not pictured here are the feed room, tack room, bathroom, and kitchen.

If you have any questions about the Derbyshire Community Stable, you can contact us at 828.863.2660 or info@DerbyshireNC.com. You can also visit our website for additional community information. www.DerbyshireNC.com

Local Eats - Giardini in Columbus, NC

We are so lucky to have quite a few great restaurants near the Derbyshire community. One of those is Giardini, a wonderful farm to table Italian restaurant location about twelve minutes from the Derbyshire main entrance. The owners, Joe and Mary, focus on using locally produced foods in their dishes, and many of those foods come straight from the Giardini garden located behind this quaint yellow cottage.

I chose this past Tuesday to stop by the restaurant because I knew it was officially Pizza Tuesday. Of course that is one of the first things you see as you walk in, along with the tempting list of desserts (look closely at the bottom of the chalkboard) and the hard-to-resist cookies on the counter. Never has it been so difficult not to embrace the "eat dessert first" philosophy.

I resisted, however, and continued my photo tour through the restaurant. Giardini offers both indoor and outdoor seating. (They also have a pavilion that can be used for groups of twenty-five or more, but you'll see that in a bit.) Normally they have quite a busy dining room, but I chose to go right during the golden time between lunch and dinner so that I could be guaranteed to see the next part of the tour.

This is the built-in brick oven that stays very busy on Pizza Tuesday. The temperature stays at over 800 degrees, which allows these eleven inch pizzas to cook in just three minutes. For your information, this was a Drunken Fig pizza that belonged to someone else. I became overwhelmingly hungry after seeing this and headed upstairs to order my own.

While I was waiting a few minutes for my pizza to cook, Joe, who you will remember is one of the owners, sat down to have a little chat. They are such friendly, fun to be around people. We've had them cater several events and dinners at Derbyshire, and we always enjoy having them there!

One thing I would like to point out is the list of local suppliers that they use. If you'll notice at the very top of that list is the Giardini Garden. One really neat thing about that is that if you look at the top of the pizza menu it lists the Drunken Fig pizza, which you had just seen in the brick oven. Well, it's about time to be harvesting figs from the Giardini garden, and those will go into the pizza, and, well, I just thought that was pretty awesome. There aren't too many restaurants that I've been to that are able to say they grow their own figs that go in to a fabulous woodfired pizza.

This picture makes me hungry just looking at it. That was my portobello and porcini mushroom pizza with goat cheese. It has to have been the best pizza that I have ever eaten, and, yes, I ate it all.

After I finished trying to strike a nice balance between inhaling my pizza and savoring the delicious flavors of that pizza, Joe took me on a tour of the rest of the property. There are two more really unique things to point out about Giardini. One, they also have a portable woodfired pizza oven that can be taken to events for catering. You can enjoy any of their pizzas, or create your very own combination, anywhere!

 

The other very cool offering at Giardini is their tennis court! Joe plays tennis several times a week, and decided that a private tennis court would be a perfect addition to the back of the property (behind the garden). They even offer a tennis club where local residents can become members and play as much as they like.

Sidenote, the covered pavilion on the right of the tennis courts is the area I had mentioned before which is used for larger catering events. Right in front of that, which you cannot see in this picture, is a lighted bocce ball court. I told you Joe and Mary were fun.

Giardini creates wonderful, authentic Italian dishes, not just the pizza that I have fallen in love with. If you are in the area, stop by, check out their menu, and order something that you will be telling your friends about later.