Grassroots Productions

Resolutions

2012-01-12T11:40:00.002-05:00

Well, it is now 2012. If you can believe it, yet another year has passed us by. I, and I'm sure many of you, have spent the past few weeks preparing for 2012. I bought a new calendar, I started planning vacation, I cleaned my house. There is something about January that makes me want to start out with a clean slate. An emptied inbox, a paid off credit card, a full tank of gas. The other

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-07T12:58:00.005-05:00

The community tree is lit, the entire Greensboro population has News & Record reindeer antlers and FestQuest prizes have been mailed out. Yes, sadly the Festival of Lights is over, but what a great year it was! The weather was perfect throughout the whole day and I am hearing that we had record breaking crowds. Of course this also means that now we are all going to melt into the holiday funk

Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T12:59:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The one day of the year dedicated to eating, football, and watching TV specials. The one day of the year that you don't have to feel bad about eating seconds of everything and then falling asleep at 4 in the afternoon. The one day of the year that doesn't require anything of anybody except that they be hungry and lazy. What a

Black Friday Survival Guide

2011-11-10T12:50:00.002-05:00

In my last post I mentioned that one of my favorite things about this time of year is Black Friday, and it is coming up fast! Now I know that the majority of people would rather swim in a pool of scorpions than go anywhere near the mall on Black Friday. But hear me out. You don't have to be in line for days to get good deals. True, this is necessary to get a good deal on a TV or a computer.

Happy Holidays!

2011-11-02T09:49:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. I am worse than Target putting out bathing suits in January to "get ready for summer." But I just can't help it. I love the holidays and with Halloween being over and it already snowing in New York, I feel that there is no better time than the present (pun definitely intended) to start getting excited!This holiday season is going to be one of firsts for me. My first

Cute Animals Everywhere

2011-10-11T13:28:00.002-04:00

Based on how things are outside today, you might have forgotten that the weather this past weekend was beautiful. Not too hot or too cold, bright sunshine, hardly any wind. The leaves are just starting to change colors. Fall in North Carolina is one of the best things in the world. But if there is one thing I have learned in my many years of living here, it is that Fall is usually gone faster

Hot Hot Holidays!

2011-10-04T13:35:00.003-04:00

Every time I explain my job to somebody they respond with, "Oh, I bet that's a lot of fun!" Which is mostly true. I'm like a party planner, but for very, very big parties. From March to July things are never slow and never boring. But, there is that time between when Fun Fourth ends and when we start gearing up for Festival of Lights where things can be a little dull. Until today.For this

Historically Significant

2011-09-27T11:58:00.002-04:00

My friends and I like to play this game called "What Were You Like In High School?" Since most of us didn't meet until college, we really like to guess at who was popular and who was a jock back in the day and see how accurate we are. The funny thing is, most of us fit into multiple cliques, so it can be pretty hard to figure out who we hung out with and what out interests were back then. For

2011-09-19T14:04:00.002-04:00

In this twenty-third year of my life I have started to get to know myself a little better. It makes me feel settled to know that there are clear cut lines about what I do and don't like and that I know what those things are now. There are also some things that I just love. I love sweaters, I love basketball, I love pandas. I have also discovered that there are a lot of things that I just hate

You Made Your Bed...

2011-09-13T13:59:00.002-04:00

...now lie in it. Taken a little less metaphorically and a little more literally, this phrase is the main topic of a Real Simple article I want to share with you about how to make a perfect bed. This might seem a little off topic, but I assure you, after reading this you will see its importance.I love making the bed. That is not a joke, it is serious. So serious in fact that it is a joke

What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

2011-09-06T10:58:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 23rd birthday. I love my birthday because it is the one day of the year that is important because of me and only me. All the other holidays have to be shared with Santa or America or a leprechaun. Even my wedding day I had to share with my husband. But my birthday is all about me, so it is the best day of the year.The funny thing though, is regardless of how

One of the Guys

2011-08-29T14:45:00.002-04:00

I wish there was a way to know how our readership shapes up gender wise. How many guys read this blog versus girls. My guess would be this. It is probably mostly female. Men, please correct me if I am wrong. But based on the fact that our office is entirely female, and I write mostly about girly stuff, I would say that any boys who were reading this blog jumped ship a long time ago. Which

A Greensboro Weekend

2011-08-22T15:35:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I recently became an official resident of this lovely city we call Greensboro. Now I am not completely new to the area - I grew up in High Point - but it is a very different experience living in a city than living next to a city. I've had to find a new pharmacy, a new grocery store, a new Target. But most importantly, I have had to find new things to do. My friend Alex,

Fun Fourth Make-Over

2011-08-08T13:52:00.002-04:00

Next year is going to be a year of changes for the Fun Fourth. We've been putting on this festival in some shape or form for over 30 years, and recently we've been thinking of ways we can give it a bit of a face lift. Although she looks good for being 36 years old, we've found that Fun Fourth might not be as cool and hip as she once was. So we are looking to you, our loyal followers for

Fun Fourth 2011

2011-07-07T13:42:00.002-04:00

Several local news stations did some great coverage of our event. If you missed any of these clips on the news, you should definitely check them out here!

2011 Fun Fourth: Drums, Clowns, Pudding.

2011-07-07T10:50:00.001-04:00

The day we had all been waiting for has come and gone, but before we start the countdown for next year's Fun Fourth, I want to share a few of my favorite moments from this year. I hope all of you realize that the fact that I have favorite moments at all means that this year's festival was a huge success. I have been avoiding the Fun Fourth like the plague most of my life. I've always

The Best Thing I Ever Ate

2011-06-29T13:36:00.003-04:00

You know the feeling you get when you eat something truly delicious? Like you know that you will never taste anything else like it and even though you're full you can't stop eating it. This is one of my favorite feelings in the world. I love to be full. Because I am an eater. Now an eater is not to be confused with a foodie. A foodie is someone who knows a lot about food, who is picky in

Once when I was little...

2011-06-22T15:45:00.003-04:00

As you can imagine, things are getting pretty busy around our office these days. I personally enjoy it when things get a little crazy. I'm not a huge fan of down time at work...it makes the day go by SO much slower. But besides the fact that I'm not bored, the other thing about this busy time I love is when people here at Grassroots start to get a little tired and delirious after hours and

Hello Friends

2011-06-16T14:15:00.002-04:00

Hello again amigos! My hiatus from blogging has finally come to an end. I know you are all so relieved.As many of you know, I got married a couple weeks ago. I promise not to make this a super gushy post about how great it was and how pretty I was, but the whole weekend did make me realize something that completely applies to what this blog and our organization in general are all about. I

Princess Aislinn of Spain

2011-06-07T09:17:00.004-04:00

As you know, Aislinn, our blogging maven, had the audacity to abandon us last week to go off and get married and honeymooned. She'll be back at the end of next week, and I'm sure she'll have great stories to share as we start our final countdown to the Fun 4th.In the meantime, I thought I'd share, not only some great shots of the happy couple (just click on the link in this blog title), but the

Bye, Bye, Bye

2011-05-26T16:13:00.003-04:00

Sadly, this blog is going to be abandoned for the next couple of weeks. That's right, no highly entertaining/fascinating posts from yours truly. I know what you are thinking, "How will I ever get by?!"First, you should know it's nothing personal. I'm getting married. And then I'm going to Jamaica. Yay me!Second, here are a few things you can ponder while I'm gone.-Fun 4th-Cow licks. This is

Bring Your Friends and Get in the Picture

2011-05-25T15:06:00.003-04:00

This year, the theme for Fun 4th is Bring Your Friends and Get in the Picture. Seeing as the festival is only about five weeks away, we are really trying to get the word out about every exciting aspect...starting with the theme! Today I went to Tunes At Noon at Center City Park (which you should definitely come check out by the way! It's free!) and spread the word about Fun 4th by having

The Evolution of Dance

2011-05-24T12:48:00.002-04:00

I have a friend who likes to add validity to his statements by prefacing them with, "If there is one thing I know, it's..." Sometimes it is legitimate, like "If there is one thing I know, it's Carolina basketball." But most of the time it is ridiculous, like "If there is one thing I know, it's interior design." Or "If there is one thing I know, it's plaid shirts." Keeping that in mind, you

What Will You Be Watching?

2011-05-18T11:45:00.003-04:00

As many of you know from reading this blog, I watch a lot of "guilty pleasure TV." I plan my weekday evenings around it and I have been known to cancel plans with actual human beings in order to see said shows. Now I know that most of you are thinking, "Hey blog girl, get a life!," but I would say that is completely unfair. Look at your life. Look at your choices. I would imagine that you

Snare A World Record

2011-05-11T11:11:00.002-04:00

Some exciting news! This year at the Fun Fourth we are going to try and set a new world record by having 1,776 drummers perform a five minute snare drum roll. The drum roll will take place at 11 am on Monday, July 4 in Downtown Greensboro.Obviously, a feat like this is going to require the help of all of you! We are in need of 1,776 participants who can successfully perform an open drum roll

Aislinn's Book Club

2011-05-10T10:33:00.003-04:00

It probably won't come as a shock to you that, as a writer/journalist/daughter of an English major, I like to read. But I always seem to have a problem coming up with what book to read next. When I was in college, it was easy. Sign up for a class that sounds interesting, like Contemporary Literature, and by the end of four months I would have read a handful of new and interesting prose

May the Fourth Be With You!

2011-05-04T15:00:00.002-04:00

If you have been on Facebook or Twitter at all today you have probably figured out that it is Star Wars Day! May 4th is the day when all Star Wars fans come together and share their favorite quotes, scenes, and memories from the films. And of course greet each other by saying "May the Fourth be with you!"Now I wasn't alive when the first Star Wars film came out, but from what I understand, it

Where in the World?

2011-05-02T16:04:00.002-04:00

I hate flying. I know the chance of dying in a plane crash is basically zero, but until it is actually zero, I will continue to be completely terrified. I hate that feeling when you are taking off where your stomach lurches around and the similar feeling when you are landing where the air pressure pops you ears. However, I have an adventurous streak. I have a thirst for thrill and a desire

April Showers

2011-04-27T10:15:00.004-04:00

I know everybody always says that the best way to kill a conversation is to start talking about religion, politics, or the weather. But I have a topic in mind that I feel needs discussing. Spring.What the heezy is up with this season? Is it hot or is it cold? Is it sunny or is it rainy? Is this North Carolina or the Land of Oz? Seriously. I checked weather.com one day last week and their

Best Week Ever!

2011-04-25T15:36:00.002-04:00

As you probably already know, it is Royal Wedding Week. Friday morning at 4am (our time) Prince William will be marrying his long term girlfriend Kate Middleton. I could not be more excited. I spent most of the day trying to think of something deep and thought provoking to blog about, but I just couldn't. Not only that, but I stayed up way past my bedtime last night watching the Lifetime

2011-04-21T14:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was not so good of a day. I stayed up too late the night before, so I was exhausted and then I threw up on myself on the way to work. True story. So in honor if today being good, we are going to lighten things up a little bit.If you are anything like me, you love a good laugh. I procrastinate with You Tube videos all the time. It is so good, that feeling when you have a laugh that

Grassroots Playlist

2011-04-18T13:54:00.002-04:00

I personally think the best way to get to know someone is to steal their MP3 player, go through it, and see what kind of stuff they have going on in there. You can tell a lot about a person based on their taste in music. And I have found the best friends are actually the ones that have the opposite musical interests as your own.I love music. I have tons of it. I can't go anywhere without it.

Parade History

2011-04-14T11:37:00.002-04:00

Here at Grassroots, we plan a lot of events. Parties, festivals, 5Ks. So the other day we got to thinking about parades and where they come from. Who first thought it would be a good idea to line up hundreds of people and have them walk through the streets? I did a little research and found out a few interesting things that I will now share with you.1. Parades are old. There are records of

Roots Here

2011-04-12T11:41:00.003-04:00

For obvious reasons, I spend a lot of time talking about Greensboro in this blog. What there is to do here, why you should come visit, how you can be more involved in the city. For many of you, Greensboro is your home. You may have grown up here or you may have moved here later for a job or a spouse or just because you heard it's a fun place. So, when I am trying to think of ideas to share

150 Years

2011-04-11T10:19:00.003-04:00

For those of you who may not know, tomorrow marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War. If you didn't know that, it is also likely that you didn't know I love the Civil War. Obsessed. I used to have a giant poster of Abraham Lincoln in my bathroom. Creepy obsessed.I find it fascinating that a country so young, so experimental, so revolutionary, could put brother

With A Little Help From My Friends

2011-04-04T10:37:00.002-04:00

It is hard to turn on the news these days without seeing images of tragedy and destruction. From natural disasters to murder and war, it can seem like the world is ending right before our eyes. It is times like this that I feel the need to do. To help others, to enhance my own life by participating in something greater than me.I have a dear friend who used to say, "Do you ever wonder who

New Location for Fun Fourth Fireworks

2011-03-17T13:03:00.000-04:00

The 37th annual Fun Fourth Festival will move its grand finale News & Record Pops Concert and Gate City Fireworks Spectacular to a new home at White Oak Amphitheatre at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex on Monday, July 4 from 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. “We are thrilled to be a part of one of the signature events in our community, the Fun Fourth Festival,” said Coliseum managing

Madness

2011-03-11T09:01:00.000-05:00

Spring, in my opinion, is by far the best season. The weather isn’t too hot, the flowers are blooming, and during the month of March you can’t turn on your TV without hearing about basketball. It is hard for me to imagine a North Carolinian who doesn’t go nuts for the ACC tournament this time of year. Even if you didn’t go to one of the four ACC schools in our state, you probably still pull

Psalm of Joy

2011-02-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

Most people associate the Fourth of July with traditional patriotic songs such as “The Star Spangled Banner.” However, many might be surprised to find that this song did not come about until the 1800s. So how did those musically inclined people vocalize their patriotism before Francis Scott Key was able to put it into words for them? They got by with a little help from their friends, the

Common Thread

2011-02-15T10:21:00.001-05:00

So, what do Carolina Chocolate Drops, Train, Fantasia and the Avett Brothers all have in common? Yes, many of you would say the 53rd annual Grammy Awards this past weekend....while true, that is not the only common thread among these musicians. What ties them to each other for Greensboro is the Fun Fourth Festival! Yep, that's right! Train -- 2010 Grammy Winner, Best Pop Performance by a Duo

Our Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor

2011-02-14T09:48:00.001-05:00

The Declaration of Independence is one of the best known documents in American history. It, along with the Constitution, defines the nature of this country and its words are what we celebrate on the Fourth of July. One of the best known phrases in the English language is “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” which in many ways is what it means to be an American. On the Fourth of July

There are bands and then there are THE ROGUES

2011-02-10T15:05:00.001-05:00

The Fun Fourth Festival is in full planning mode -- we are talking to bands, food vendors, crafters, bands, amusement providers, volunteers, bands, city staff, vendors, and oh yeah bands! One of the bands already booked for the 2011 Fun Fourth Festival -- The Rogues. If the 78th Fraser Pipe Band sat down with the Waterboys, the Chieftains, the Rolling Stones, and the Dave Matthews Band, and

Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations

2011-02-09T15:12:00.003-05:00