Nick's Cigar & Wine Bar!

I posted the other day that I would be having my Grand Opening for my new Cigar Bar last week.  A couple of you wanted to know how it went.  I have decided to post our new commercial.   Hope you all like it! "Smoke em' if you Got em"......

XOXO

JAMIE

What I love Wednesday!

It's that time of the week to link up with Jamie over at This Kind of Love!

I am loving that my two cousins are coming to visit!  They mean the world to me and I love as we get older we get closer.  To bad we live so far away but they are so great to come see me since I am too swamped with work to get to the Northeast this summer.  

I love that I had the best weekend in Pinehurst with D.  We got to surprise our friends who live there and we also got to play Pinehurst #5 which was such a treat since I have never played there.  

The whole weekend was just terrific!

Pinehurst CC

Pinecrest Inn

I love that this weekend I am having my personal grand opening for my new Cigar Lounge.  I am so excited for my friends to see all of the hard work that went into it and to break the place in...(not break the place)

Lastly, I am loving that it's Father's Day Weekend and the US Open. I kind of feel like they go hand in hand.  I can't wait for beach time and a cookout with my family.  I am so lucky to not only have my Dad live by me, but to get to work with him everyday and "make it work".  It's a special relationship we have and I am so thankful for Big Nick!

XOXO

Jamie

First Wedding of the Season!

As I have previously stated, I have a lot of weddings this spring/summer season.  The first one is this Saturday in Athens, GA.  I have never visited Athens and I am really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see the Univ. of Georgia campus and will be stopping by the campus shop to pick me up a little bulldog gear and bring something back for D. who is a DIED HARD Georgia fan.  He can't make the trip with me due to work and is upset that he won't be there for my first "Athens" experience but I promised him & my friend Ashley (another die hard fan) a play by play recap when I return.  GO DAWGS!!

 

  There is nothing I love better then warm weather and some good ole' Southern Tradition. The wedding will take place at the Ashford Manor which is just way too cute!

I can't wait to hang with some old friends from Elon and my Cigar boys.  It is sure to be a great time.  Can't wait to get my dancing shoes on!  Have a great weekend everyone...

XOXO,

Jamie

Nick's CIgar World & Lounge Part II

So things are crazy in my world professionally.  Not only did I have to hire two new employees at my Superstore location, but we are also opening a Cigar Lounge next door to that location. I made the announcement a while back when we signed our lease.  So I thought I would update you on the construction process and some of the fun decorating I get to do. I am also documenting on our Facebook Fan Page so you can "like" us and check it out there too!  

This is the space before hand. It was a hair salon (which someone was living in), then a liquor store and now it will be my cigar lounge.

The walls are all beat up

The ceiling is completely jacked up!

The Bathroom/Shower

Terrible Mirrors

Closet

Now I know what you all are thinking...this place is a DUMP!  And yes it is...

 

 

Got the mirrors down

Framing out the Bar

Well we are 5 days out from opening day!  I can't wait to show you the finished product.  Once you see it, I think you will understand why I have been MIA.

Nick's Cigar World & LOUNGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I made a big announcement to the world today that included, friends, family, business associates and customers.  It was both exciting and scary all at the same time.  So it's Official...

Coming to 2707 Hwy 17 South, North Myrtle Beach, SC is the newest addition to Nick's Cigar World.  We are opening a cigar lounge.  The new LOUNGE will feature over sized chairs, plenty of televisions, the best cappuccino and espresso.  Extensive beer and wine list and for all the golfers....a golf simulator for rainy days!!!!!!!!  We are so excited!  Hope to be open by April (pending the approval of a liquor license).

 Over the last 2-3 years my father and I have wanted to expand with a cigar lounge but the timing was never right or the deals fell through.  Just when I had come to the realization that it just may not be in my cards, fate stepped in like some crazy cosmic being and the opportunity couldn't had better timing.  The last two weeks I have been swamped with running around getting contracts and leases signed, not to mention filling out the ridiculous state application to submit for our beer and wine license.  I took this weekend off to meet some old college friends and when asked what is going on, I just blurted it out.  In that moment it had become very realistic, so I felt it was time to tell everyone.  Hey I'm excited, Big Nick is excited, so we want our customers to get...EXCITED! 

So in conclusion, I officially will now be a workaholic (not like I wasn't before), cause she works hard for the money!

Cigars for Women - The Heiress Cigar

So I have been working on a new project that I have been keeping very hush, hush!  I decided last year that I wanted to create a cigar for women to smoke.  Now there are flavored cigars out there, but they are so sweet and you really can't appreciate the tobacco and the greatness a good cigar when its disguised by cognac or vanilla.  I wanted to create a cigar for everyone woman to try and yet not cough.  It will be every woman's first starter cigar and after many samples smoked I think I came up with just that!!

There are three steps to creating your own cigar.  1. Pick the blend of the cigar and the sizing if your only doing one size.  2. Create a design for the band.  3.  Create a box design and packaging.  

My cigar band was designed last fall so next will be the box design.  So ladies, what would you like to see in a box design?  It will hold 10 cigars in a petite corona size.  For those that don't know what that means it will be about 4.5 inches long.  What would make you keep the box?  All thoughts and comments would be appreciated. 

I hope you like the design...here are some meanings behind the name and the band...

1.  The name Heiress came from my dad (Big Nick).  No, I do not think I am Paris Hilton.  When I started in the family business at my first trade show about 6 years ago, my dad introduced me to everyone as the Heir Apparent.  So thus the term Heiress was coined, later on Cigar Heiress to differentiate what kind of heiress.

2.  The "H" in heiress is bigger for my mother, whose name is Holly

3.  The colors of Maroon, Lavender and Gold signify my sorority colors for Sigma Kappa and my school colors at Elon University

4.  The String of Pearls was our sorority jewel and I have been been wearing pearls probably since I was five. 

So there you have it.  I said it out loud and you all know about the Heiress Cigar and how it has come about.  Updates on production to come....

 

All Things Charleston

So I decided I needed to get away this weekend to just relax and be foolish, so I went to one of my favorite cities in the world, Charleston, SC.  I don't know what it is about this city that makes me go Ga-Ga?  Could it be the old low-country feel with a bit of a modern city twist.  The shopping, restaurants and hotels all FAB!  Everything you look at is amazing, with all cute Carolina Boys (which I seriously cannot say "NO" to), great historical architecture and beautiful gardens.  I drove into the city at sunset which is one of the most wonderful things to set your eyes on.  Things like that make me LOVE living in South Carolina and could never see myself anywhere else! 

 FRIDAY:

I started the night out with a visit to a very good friend's brand new cigar shop Town Center Tobacco at the Shops at Oakland in Mt. Pleasant.  They just opened the doors and it is going to be "the place" to go in the city.  A great dinner at Langdon's, where I had the steak and it was FAB!  I pride myself on my knowledge of all things beef (thanks to my father's obsession and constant teachings) and this was one of the best Filet Mignon's I have ever had!  We decided to go downtown to my friend's other location on E. Bay St. called Charleston Tobacco and Wine! We had a great time enjoying Cigar Box Wine and I smoked a La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial.  I would say Friday was a good night!

SATURDAY:

Now the main purpose of my trip to Charleston was to see two of my Sigma Kappa Sorority Sisters and go to the Elon vs. Citadel football game.  At least that was the plan....  Now there is something that has to be known about Elon football games, you never make it into the game.  I think in my four years at Elon I may have attended 4 games and I had either left at halftime or came in at halftime.  Now it's not because they suck.  It's because students at Elon would rather tailgate then see sporting events.  Plain and simple!

So I went and picked up Bekah and we went and met Anne.  Both girls I adore.  Bekah is a traveling marketing rep for a golf club in Ireland (click here for her blog)  and Anne is working towards her Property Management license.  Three of us are so completely different (like colored sprinkles, Anne) but there is this lame sorority mystic bond that will make us pick up right where we had left off!  Next thing I know we are not in the stadium and two bottles of Champagne went down REAL quick.

Of course the topic of men is going to always come up in conversation and since the three of us ladies are single you can imagine all the laughs we were having about our dating history.  Just as I am sure we were commenting on how stupid boys are, two Citadel Cadets approach us and the "hot mess" they were became our entertainment for the next hour!

Nick (I have the longest Greek name ever) Pappageorgio and Keegan (I have a chipped tooth)

It all started with "hey do you have a cigarette and a key".  The key was to show Mr. Half Tooth Keegan how to shotgun his first beer.  His first attempt was not graceful and when he finished the beer ran all the way down his jacket.  Which we later learned about their uniforms that the jacket may only get washed about 2-3 times a year  (GROSS!) and we asked if they didn't believe in "no white after labor day faux pas".   Now when he went for beer number  two and still couldn't figure it out I knew this kid was hopelessly wasted and would probably fail out considering he is a Physics major and couldn't figure out how to balance a beer with a hole on the side..hmmmm?

Now the best thing about this situation was the fact that they thought we were 24 years old.  That was a great thing to hear considering I haven't been 24 in 7 years...After much convincing they asked our names and when Bekah told her name, Nick "the Greek" fell to his knees and started bowing to her like Wayne's World "We're not worthy routine".  We look at each other like what the hell is this kid doing.  So when asked he goes "her name is Mecca so I am praying to her, aren't you Muslim?"  ..pause...hmm...Bekah is a blonde protestant....exactly. 

Well they left to go relieve themselves and also left one of their hats.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to snag it in time to keep as a momento of my trip but they came back for it...dear lord.  But the kicker comes at the end of course.  Just as we are packing it up to head to the Mad River in downtown, Nick the Greek shoves his phone at me.  So I assume that he wanted to show me something...nope number pad was out.  I looked at this drunken, confused 20 year old and simple said, "oh honey, I'm not giving you my number."  Upset he turns to Bekah who is on the ground hysterical and just breaks the kids heart ...again.  Needless to say they peaced out REAL quick. 

 We had a great time warming up at the Mad River an old church converted into a sports bar.  We had some dinner at a FAB! place called Pearlz Oyster Bar (more champagne) and then headed to Charleston Tobacco and Wine.  I showed the girls how to smoke a cigar, drank probably another couple bottles of champagne (I think onto bottle 5) and listened to a great musician.  The ambiance was incredible.  I had old friends, a comfy seat, great champagne, great smoke (Butera) and a great night.

The comfy couches!

It was sad leaving my favorite city on Sunday.  As I drove through the low country I thought why don't I do this more often it's only a hour and half drive,  The girls and I have decided to make it more frequent that we see each other then 7-9 years.  Just wondering if next time will top this visit..for some reason I think how could it not, it's my favorite place!

What's the big deal, it's just a cigar!

So I have been working like a mad woman the past couple of weeks and decided that I needed a break!  I had one of my cigar reps in town, her name is Jaime as well.  It was raining and humid as can be but we were determined, so off to the Liberty Tap Room we went.  Us ladies decided to go have a couple, okay a lot of Mirassou Pinot Noir, some seared Tuna, Spicy Eggrolls and a couple of Rocky Patel Cigars.  We then decided to dub ourselves "Two Smokin Jamie's"...like I said there was a lot of WINE!

The Culprit to My Hangover

Two Smoking Jamie's

And I see nothing wrong with women smoking cigars.  In fact I think its way beyond FAB! and it's not like its a new concept.  However it still gets me when random men will just come up to you because they really can not believe your are actually smoking a cigar...get over it!  We came to the conclusion that this concept is more of  "I'm too afraid to smoke a cigar, yet that girl is doing it".  What do you all think...are men infatuated with women smoking cigars because they think it's intriguing, sexy, odd or are they jealous because they don't have the cojones to smoke one themselves?