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Cure Couture: Breast Cancer Awareness Month Promo!

10/04/2011 in Baby Chic, Deals + Steals, Health by Lauren | No comments

It’s October…Breast Cancer Awareness month!  (Don’t forget to look for Linds and Gorms showing the 3-Day who’s boss in less than 3 weeks!)

What better time than now to tell you all about Cure-Couture – the most fabulous frocks your hospital has ever seen.

Started by my friend Ashley Segal and her business partner Linsay Alvarado, Cure-Couture was the brainchild of the late fashion designer (and Ashley’s sweet mother) Linda Segal.  The line was born to provide women a stylish alternative to the drab standard-issue hospital gowns and perhaps an extra spring in their step!

Ashley (left) and Linsay

So whether you or someone you love is undergoing medical treatments or giving birth to a precious new life – there’s a cute gown made specifically for every need (and Cure-Couture promises to cover your “assets”)!

Check out some of the fashions:

Please click HERE to see all of their styles

In September of last year, Ashley’s wife, Kristin, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at a VERY young age.

This is Kristin. She’s my favorite. I’m just kidding. (Except I am not kidding.)

She’s now, thankfully, in remission, and in honor of Krisitin and Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cure-Couture is offering 10% off the Pink Calipso print gowns!  Check it:

Just enter “FIGHT” at checkout to receive the discount!  (Normally $49)

I think a CureCouture gown is an incredibly thoughtful and uplifting gift idea for the women in your life undergoing treatment or as a maternity gift!

I mean, I don’t know a whole lot of ladies dying to rock the standard-issue blue smocks, right?

xx, L

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My Friends Are Pregnant + I’m Getting Drunk…

06/30/2011 in Baby Chic, Cocktails, Entertaining, Gifts, Parties, Random Musings, Vacation, What we're Doing, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | 7 comments

An overwhelming majority of my friends got married between 2008 – 2010 + are now starting their families.  I’m so very happy for them and have embraced the rapid switch from buying wedding shower gifts at Bloomingdale’s to purchasing baby shower gifts at B Braithwaite (where I happen to be the Foursquare mayor, thank you very much), AND visiting their respective cities to meet their adorable newborns instead of traveling to far away places for wild bachelorette parties. 

Here’s me two weeks ago with 8-months-prego Anjali as we were celebrating her pregnancy in DC.  Check out our awesome traditional outfits:

She had two parties that weekend (one a religious Indian ceremony + the other a Western baby shower for friends).  Anj spent the weekend opening gifts and chatting with folks who can’t wait to meet her little bundle of joy arriving in late August.  I spent the weekend supporting her (SO excited to meet the baby!) + sipping on Captain Kurt’s custom adult beverage he created for me over the weekend entitled: “All My Friends Are Pregnant + I’m Getting Drunk.”  Witness:

Here’s what was in it: Bols Genever (about 2 ounces), lemon juice (about .75 an ounce), a splash of grenadine + two drops of cherry bitters.  Shaken and strained and topped with blood orange soda.  Sweet, sour + pink…just like my iPhone case.

Drinking these over the weekend was delightful.  Bring ONNNNN the babies, I say!!

Anyway, over the past few months I’ve thrown a handful of baby showers + attended a number of others.  While I am still really uncomfortable setting foot into Babies ‘R Us (OMG – that place is s.c.a.r.y), I can tell you what My Breast Friends is, I can recommend bella bands + maternity jeans, and I consider myself to be an expert on fun baby shower games. 

Let’s take Anj’s shower for instance, because it was recent + she had a slew of fun games.  First was the Never Have I Ever College Fund Game that I thought was super cute.  All you need is a decorative piggy bank + shower goers who are willing to donate their wallet change.

Everyone goes around and says baby shower-related (+ appropriate) Never Have I Evers like “Never have I ever changed a baby’s diaper” or “Never have I ever given dirty looks to a crying baby on an airplane,” etc, and those who have done that walk up to the piggy bank and drop in wallet change to start the baby’s college fund.  Here’s Anj with her baby’s piggy bank:

Although it’s not actually a game, I thought this was a really sweet idea: Anj’s sister put out a baby’s bedtime book + pens for shower goers to flip through and write a note to the baby.  Such a thoughtful little keepsake for folks to work on over the course of the shower.

Another one of the baby shower games that I think is a big hit is Guess How Big Momma’s Belly Is.  We purchased string from Michaels + passed it around to everyone with a pair of scissors.  Shower goers cut the string to the length that they thought was Anj’s belly circumference.  Then, everyone measured their strings around Anj + the shower goer who cut the string closest to the size of her belly won a prize. 

We also had a station running for shower goers to personalize onesies for the baby.  We purchased paint pens + markers and iron-ons (we set up an iron and ironing board for those) from Michaels to encourage folks to be as creative as possible. 

Shower goers ate, drank, chatted + made adorable onesies (in a variety of sizes) for the baby.

This one was mine.  :)

We hung them up with twine and clothespins in front of the area where Anj would later open her gifts.

This was another onesie I loved…

Finally, we did not play this game at Anj’s shower, but I have to admit that it’s my favorite.  I call this one: Identify the Poop!  To set it up, all you need is a variety of candy bars + diapers.  Open the diapers and inside of each one place a different candy bar.  Write a number outside of the diaper corresponding with the candy bar within it, i.e. Milky Ways in diaper #1, Twix in diaper #2, and so forth.  Microwave the candy bars until they are melted.

Have everyone gather around and pass out the candy bar-filled diapers + pens and paper.  Shower goers have to taste each one and try to identify which candy bar it contains.  Whomever is the most accurate gets a prize.

It’s a total blast + SO funny!  And, definitely not for the squeamish…

That’s all I’ve got for now.  There are several more babies on the way, though, so Aunt Lindsay may have more to share in months to come.  In the meantime, I’ll be sippin’ my pink martinis + jet-setting to meet new additions to my friend’s growing families…while tightly holding on to my B Braithwaite mayorship.

xx, L

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Warning: Serious Update OVERLOAD!

05/05/2011 in Baby Chic, Beauty, Buckhead, Cocktails, Deals + Steals, Events, Exercise, Festivals, Guilty Pleasures, Hair, Hotels, Inman Park, Maintenence, Midtown, On the Street, Out of Town, Random Musings, Spa, Trader Joe's, Vacation, Vendors, What we're Doing, What we're Reading, Where we're Eating, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | 5 comments

Oy.  You might need to sit down for this one.

I didn’t post for an entire week + now I feel like there’s almost too much to update you all on and it’s not exactly stringing together clearly…  So bear with me, folks.  I’m just going to lay it all out there + make of it what you will. 

The weather is getting gorgeous, the hemlines are getting shorter + there are more and more reasons to play outside, try new restaurants + spring into summer!  (I feel like I just wrote an Old Navy commercial.)

Ready or not – here I go!  Wheeeee…..

Ms. Reynolds, Sayako + I recently recruiter summit-ed at Victory Sandwich Bar in Inman Park, which has been all over Urban Spoon, etc., and we really enjoyed it!

Pictured below are our sandwiches, all of which are meant to be eaten in multiples (i.e. you don’t order just one sandwich – they are small-ish) at only $4.00 a piece.

We tried the New Bomb Turkey: turkey, arugula, avocado spread + baconaisse; The Hambo: prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, apple + reduced balsamic; and the Castro: slow-roasted pork, ham, fontina cheese + yellow mustard. 

I love this place for a casual lunch and strongly recommend trying it out!

Victory Sandwich Bar
280 Elizabeth Street
Atlanta, GA  30307
770.676.7287
http://www.vicsandwich.com/
Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Victory Sandwich Bar on Urbanspoon

Next up, Bloomingdale’s just started showing some gorgeous turquoise-y blue stone necklaces.  So cute for summer!  Here’s a shot of the one I bought on Monday.  It’s my new favorite accessory.

Moving right along…

On my Palm Springs/ L.A. flights, I started reading John Kennedy Toole’s “A Confederacy of Dunces.”  I will admit that I fall in love with most books I read + can’t put them down until they’re finished, and that remains the case with this Pulitzer Prize winner.  It’s so thoughtfully written and a great (albeit very wordy) read.  The story of how the book came to fruition after JKT’s suicide is super interesting, as well. 

Let’s talk food trucks.

Slick + I got tacos at Tex’s Tacos recently, the new food truck in Buckhead, which urbandaddy.com dubbed the “Antonio Banderas” of food trucks.  Cute.

Tex’s is a fully-equipped kitchen + restaurant on wheels serving up an array of “Nueva Texicana” eats w/ “style + grace.”

While I’ll admit that they weren’t the best tacos I’ve ever eaten, they did the job.  Tex’s will be a goldmine for late night Buckhead frat boys who need to cut through the alcohol a bit before stumbling into bed.  And it’s not just stationed in Buckhead, which is why food truckin’ is so exciting.  Check out Tex’s schedule here: http://www.texstacos.com/

Speaking of food trucks…  When I was in Palm Springs, the Nom Nom truck drove up from L.A. and I got to try it!  Not familiar w/ the famous Nom Nom truck?

It’s a L.A.-based mobile food truck specializing in Vietnamese food, especially banh mi.  Nom Nom was the runner-up in season one of the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race.

Their food is RIDIC. 

On Easter Sunday, Slick + I had a date night at Ecco, one of my favorite Midtown restaurants to order up a load of small plates + drinks.  (Also, to potentially spot the Vampire Diaries cast…)

As usual, our meal was predictably delicious.  To accompany it, I ordered a glass of pinot gris.  Slick, however, ordered one of the most interesting cocktails I’ve ever seen.  Here’s the description of it from the menu:

ZAFARAN: Gabriel Boudier Saffron Gin, housemade Shindeldecker tonic + a custom icy hot cube will remind you that, while temptation is a reality, there are repercussions in all things we do.

It was so different and had a very special, unique flavor.  You guys have to try it!

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again.  I’m obsessed with mochi ice cream.  Recently, I’ve been satisfying my sweet tooth with an all natural strawberry flavor found at Trader Joe’s.  Um, yum!

Y’all, today is Thursday which means…

So, back to food trucks + street food.  Can we?  Thanks. 

My favorite Midtown Street Food Thursday vendor is definitely The King of Pops!

I get so excited when I see the Pops cart!  And you know who else does…

slick: king of the mountain (stone mountain, that is)

He LOVES KoPs!  Our favorite flavors are: Mexican Chocolate, Banana Pudding, Sea Salt Chocolate + Pineapple Ginger.  You must, must try a pop!

It really is perfect popsicle weather, too.  Speaking of perfect weather, I had it in California.  The entire week was truly gorgeous!  Although the main purpose of my trip was to meet Mrs. Wolkove’s adorable new addition to her family, I did have time to enjoy the outdoors when I went on a hike at Fryman Canyon Park located in the Santa Monica Mountains with Mrs. W’s madre.  The views were amazing + the workout was seriously intense.  I work out quite a bit in Atlanta, but I almost never go hiking.  I have to say that my legs were throbbing the morning after our hike.  If anyone knows of good hiking spots in Atlanta, please let me know. 

Even while hiking in the heat, my hair looked pretty perfect.  (OMG, what a bragger!)  But, I have to credit that to Daniel Carter at Mint Salon who does my 2-day keratin treatments.  (LK goes to Mint, too, for hers.)  Daniel is a fantastic stylists who has also started to do my cuts + color.  If you happen to be looking for a new stylist, I highly recommend Daniel!  Tell him you heard about him on the Q+DD!

Mint Salon
Stylist: Daniel Carter
404.724.9669
www.mintsalon.net

Since we’re focusing now on “maintenance,” I’m really looking forward to my spray tan today at RAW Organic Bronzing Studio.  (LK is a fan, too!)  I adore the owner, Tiffany Terranova, and have been very pleased with my tans!  They are made from 100% organic ingredients that are actually beneficial to the skin.  Read more about RAW Organic Bronzing Studio here: LK’s post about RAW.

And, RAW is conveniently located right next door to Victory Sandwich Bar in Inman Park!  Bringing it all together.  :)

Skipping around skipping around…

I’m in the market for a french press.  I drank french pressed coffee several times during my L.A. trip + don’t think I can go back to my Keurig any more.  It’s like two entirely different planets of coffee!  This Bodum one is pretty cute.  (Hint, hint.)

OH!  And isn’t this the most precious picture you’ve ever seen or what?!  Mrs. Wolkove, her one week old (who obv. cannot fit into those yet) + I all rock the glitter TOMS!  Love.

We’ll focus on this much more as it draws closer, but who’s pumped for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival?! 

THIS event is going to be nothing short of incredible.  Can’t wait! 

More info here: Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

And finally (have I worn you out yet?), the Q+DD has some very special news to share!  One of our best readers, Jessica Gorman: Concierge at the Ritz Carlton – Buckhead, was featured in the newest edition of The Atlantan Magazine!

Click here to see the article mentioning Jess on page 36 of the new issue today!  (Reading Instructions for the Online Version: Click on the link mentioned in the previous sentence.  Type in page 36.  Full screen view + click magnifying glass to zoom in.  Silly technology…)  We are very proud of you, Jess!

So…did you get all that?!  It was pretty beastly.  (TWHS? Sorry, mom…)

There WILL be a quiz later.  It’s great to be back! 

xx, L

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Um…Adorable.

12/15/2010 in Baby Chic, Random Musings, Trend Alert, Where we're Shopping by Lindsay | No comments

Spotted in the children’s section @ Bloomingdale’s – Lenox Mall:

the best. ever.

Is that adorable or WHAT?!  Gosh, I wish North Face made a pink onesie in my size…  I’d be all over that.

P.S. Atlanta is freezinggggg!

xx, L

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New(ish) and Noteworthy

08/02/2010 in Baby Chic, Cocktails, Downtown, Midtown, Westside, Where we're Eating by Lauren | 3 comments

I’ve been doing a LOT of eating out lately and not enough writing (or working out for that matter…) I’ve hit up quite a few new (or new to me) restos that are definitely worth mentioning.   In light of the fact that this is a blog and not a novel…here are 2 for now:

Of all the restaurants in Atlanta, Top Flr will always hold a special place in my heart.  I have never had a bad meal or a bad time there…and you’ve just got to love a place like that.

So, as you can imagine, I was very excited to give The Sound Table, Darren Carr’s new restaurant in the Old Fourth Ward, a try.  Bonus: (and I don’t want to name-drop…but I’m-a gonna)  Greg and I enjoyed our meal with supercute and understated-yet-ultrafabulous DanaPop.com, the Atlanta editor of Daily Candy (!!!!!) and her hilarious and adorable hubs, Dan.

Here’s the Q+DD on The Sound Table: I absolutely loved it. The concept is “street-to-table”, focusing on the exploding street food trend and like Top Flr, TST is also a small-plates restaurant.  The vibe is laid-back and trendy and the food was, in my opinion, superb.

Dan and I both started with the Pho (pho real!) which came with fun little bowls of condiments: oxtail, bean sprouts, cilantro, and shitake mushrooms (while I gingerly played with these items…Dan happily dumped them all in at once, announcing, “everybody in the pool!”)  we each followed it up with the steamed pork belly buns… both dishes were per-fection.

Other memorable dishes on the table included a citrus-y ceviche, a shrimp salad, the chorizo burger (actually, it was 2 chorizo sliders…cute AND delish!) and my favorite, the Arancini. If you’re not familiar with Arancini, they’re basically fried balls of risotto and The Sound Table’s were made with black truffle, pecorino, and roasted garlic.  YUM.

Note: The Sound Table is located on Edgewood at Boulevard and the signage is not great.  In fact, we drove right past it several times before Dan had to come out and wave us in.  FYI: this is what you’re looking for:

juuuuust a little TOO discreet, if ya ask me!

Also, parking is a little bit difficult.  You MIGHT get lucky and get a spot in the lot right next door, otherwise…don’t forget your quarters.

All in all, I give it two freshly manicured thumbs up.  Can’t wait to go back!

The Sound Table
483 Edgewood Ave. SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
www.thesoundtable.com
The Sound Table on Urbanspoon

NEXT:

Miller Union opened up late last year, so it definitely falls under the New(ish) category or just plain old New to Me; and though neither La, Dr. Amy or I had ever been, Miller Union somehow seemed like a perfect place to celebrate…and we had a LOT of celebrating to do. Dr. Amy finished residency, had an outrageously gorgeous baby girl, and returned home to Atlanta just as darling La announced her pregnancy!

The 3 of us with "our" new addition...and one on the way!

I know this is a bold statement to make about a restaurant I have merely tried once, but I think that Miller Union could easily become one of my favorite restaurants in the city.

I dig rustic-chic décor and I always love a scene-y bar (and believe me, it was scene-y.)

So immediately upon walking in the door, I had high hopes. From the time we were seated at our enormous wooden farm table, my expectations were met.  First of all, the cocktail menu is amazing.  I tried not one but TWO specialty cocktails…very unlike me as usually I tend not to stray from vodka or red wine…but they were both outstanding.  First, the Miller Thyme: miller’s gin, lemon, thyme syrup then the Gold Digger: muddled tomatoes, gin, lemon, and ginger-honey syrup

get down girl, go 'head get down

I didn’t have one BITE that wasn’t outstanding.

Every part of this meal was fresh and fabulous.  We started with the grits fritters with country ham (to DIE for) and the simple yet delicious feta snack…

Then, between the 6 of us, we had the rest of the menu pretty well covered.  My favorite dishes were probably the grouper, the NY strip, and the pork loin…

scamp grouper, summer squash, sweet corn, fennel, tomato

grilled pork loin, field peas + tomato salad

but I think the best part of the meal, for me, were the fresh vegetables.  I want a VAT of their succotash to eat at home at my leisure.  If someone could make that happen for me, I’d be forever in your debt.  The food just did me right; it actually felt good.

You guys, I LOVED Miller Union. It was a great place for a large, somewhat rowdy group such as ours, but I saw several love-birds there on romantic dates as well.

Great times, GREAT restaurant. I recommend it 100%.

Miller Union
999 Brady Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30318
www.millerunion.com
Miller Union on Urbanspoon

Ok, that’s it for now!  Stay tuned…more to come!

xx, L

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Empire State of Mind

07/26/2010 in Baby Chic, Beauty, New York, Product, Tricks of the Trade, Vacation by Lauren | No comments

You know my heart belongs to Atlanta and ever since I traded the Big Apple for Georgia Peaches in July of ’05, I’ve never looked back.

However, that didn’t stop me from having the TIME OF MY LIFE this weekend celebrating Randi’s BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday, Randela!

If you happen to be making a trip to NYC anytime soon, let me point out a few highlights from my trip:

1.    Soul Cycle – It’s like a dance club and a spin class all rolled into one.  My girls have been RAVING about it forever and now I know why!  It’s an AMAZING workout and we had a BLAST.  If you have the opportunity to try it out, I recommend it 100%.  3 NYC locations: Upper East, Upper West, and Tribeca (even one in the Hamptons!) Visit Soul Cycle for more information and be sure to reserve a bike well ahead of time, there wasn’t a seat to be had!


2.   Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa – Jess and I had massages at the Flagship 5th Avenue Red Door Spa

between 54th and 55th

…complete with complimentary makeup touch ups by Monique…a Sophia Loren lookalike who has been working at the spa since…well…suffice it to say she’s been there a long time and has done a TON of makeup. So when Monique recommended the Flawless Finish Mousse Makeup, who were we to refuse?  SO glad we took her advice, it’s perfect for summer. The makeup comes out light and airy and it doesn’t sit on your skin like most foundations will in hot humid weather.  LOVE.

3.    Blow-Outs at Salon Nouvelle – I hesitate to tell you because I think this is the city’s best kept secret. Amazing hair for a mere $30 at this discreet little salon on 1st Avenue at 61st street.  (212) 813-0736 for an appointment.

(Another option: if you’re closer to Murray Hill…I used to be a blow-out regular at Monhair on 3rd Avenue between 36th and 37th.  I heard today my girl is still there!  Ask for Lolita and tell her Lorena sent you! (212) 447-7744 for an appointment)

4.    Dinner at Lure Fishbar – It was love at first bite. Lure is the cutest little seafood restaurant located directly underneath the SoHo Prada store at Mercer and Prince. I chose the miso-glazed salmon over crispy soba noodles and it was to DIE for.  I was able to steal bites of the girls seafood platters, scallops, and various other fish dishes – everything was excellent.  Plus, inside is cute and swank all at the same time…perfect place for our perfect dinner!


Lure Fishbar
(212) 431-7676
142 Mercer St
New York, NY 10012
Lure Fishbar on Urbanspoon

5.    Drinks at Betel in the West Village– LOVED Betel.  This Asian-Fusion resto was a really fun location for post-dinner drinks.   It’s very nondescript (in fact, you could easily miss it!) and understated and with ample bar seating for a small-ish joint, it was the perfect place to accommodate the flood of people who showed up to celebrate Randi’s birth!  The drinks were DELICIOUS – we especially liked the Tart ‘n Tasty – made with lychee juice and ginger (You know how I usually shy away from anything with a kitchy name…but this drink was fantastic and not too sweet!)

(The cutie in the middle is Randy's Mister!)

Betel
(212) 352-0460
51 Grove St
New York, NY 10014
Betel on Urbanspoon

6.    Brunch at The Smith – catty-corner from my old East Village Karaoke standby – Nevada Smith’s – The Smith really hit the spot for brunch. Mostly, I just loved hanging with 4 of my favorite people over egg white mushroom and fontina omelets and complimentary bloody marys!

The Smith
(212) 420-9800
55 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10003
Smith on Urbanspoon

I’m so glad I had the opportunity to see my girls and the wonderful guys they love…

but I have to say – of all the cute couples I know in The City, my favorite pair is undoubtedly these two:

…Don’t worry, A+E…Aunt LK will be back soon!

xx, L


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Announcements:

07/23/2010 in Baby Chic, Big Favors, Vacation by Lauren | No comments

"If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter!"

announcements announcements annooouuunnnceeements!  a terrible way to die a terrible way to die a terrible way to be bored to death a terrible way to die! (Does anyone else still sing that in their head when announcements are made?)

Anyway.  Now that’s out of my system…

1. Lindsay and I will both be out of town this weekend.  Please hold down the fort.

2. Don’t forget about Spiral X-Mas in July this Saturday night at Red Door! Use promo code “kraselskyxmas” for $5 off your ticket! 

3. Also, PLEASE don’t forget to vote for us in Creative Loafing’s “Best Of” Survey.

Remember:

Being the Best of Atlanta is pretty much our life goal and we can’t do it without you!

Please vote for us by clicking here:

http://bit.ly/bu3bo8

Best Local Bloggers: Lauren Kraselsky and Lindsay Roberts
Best Local Blog: “The Quick + Dirty Dirty” or “Q+DD”

You have to vote for 5 things in order for your ballot to count.

3. While we’re shamelessly self-promoting: Make our day by “Liking” us on Facebook by clicking here!

(I have over 1600 Facebook friends and the Q+DD has just under 200 fans. I’m about to start deleting friends. Kidding!   Sort of.)

4. You’re awesome.

5.  I CAN’T WAIT TO BE IN NYC THIS WEEKEND and stomp around my old stomping ground see all my PEEPS!

Happy BIRTHDAY, Randi!

A+E, Aunt LK's a-coming!

Leaving the peaches behind for a weekend...I’m heading to the BIG APPLE!

xx, L

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Nifty Gifty…Gift Giving Ideas!

06/29/2010 in Baby Chic, Gifts, Tricks of the Trade, Weddings, Where we're Shopping by Lauren | 2 comments

Recently, I was a little tardy to the party when buying a wedding gift for a particularly popular couple and while I usually like to stick to the registry when purchasing gifts (and trust me, the bride prefers it as well), theirs was so picked over that all that was left was a few odds and ends at Bed Bath and Beyond!   I could barely piece them together to make a decent gift and…well…that’s not fun.

So I started perusing my favorite gifty sites and I thought I’d share them with you!

1. Someone Spoil Me

This?  Is my go-to.  It’s great.  At someonespoilme.com, you can shop by price, by recipient, by personality, by occasion, by theme, whatever!  This is always my first stop.

Disclaimer: Lately, some of the gifts have been a little too cutesy for my taste, but it’s always worth a scroll through first.

2. Incidentally, SSM.com is how I stumbled upon Harvard Sweet Boutique…my FAVORITE cookies by online order.  They are DELICIOUS and the customizable packaging is absolutely precious.  Witness:

However, if you’re giving a sweet-toothed loved one a gift here in town, you really MUST call up Cari at Sugar Sugar.  I swear the chick is part magician.  Her desserts are absolutely amazing and unbelievably creative.  Please see Lindsay’s previous post here, one from dear ol’ FoodieBuddha here and “Like” her on Facebook here.  The girl is a genius.

Sugar Sugar's signature Cupcake Bouquet

3. MoMA Store Online

The Museum of Modern Art Store was my favorite gift spot when I lived in NYC and nothing has changed.  From sleek and original to quirky and fun, MoMA is a good place to peruse when seeking a memorable gift.  I found this beautiful Alessi olive oil pourer for the aforementioned couple: I would LOVE to have this not just for olive oil, but also for dressings, etc, so I figured they would too.  (My barometer for good gift-giving: Am I having a hard time not ordering one for myself?)

4. For Baby: Hip LittlesOr RuffleButt personalized ruffle bloomers and such:

5. Newsflash: They are actually still selling things in stores these days.  So if online shopping isn’t your thing, here in town my favorite gifty places are Fragile in Sandy Springs, Belle Chambre in Buckhead, and Star Provisions on the Westside for wedding/showers and Precious Cargo in Vinings, Izzy Maternity in Buckhead (and Alpharetta), and Dabberdoo in the Highlands for baby/maternity gifts. (Don’t forget there is a Scoutmob available for Dabberdoo through almost the end of July!)

Precious Cargo storefront in Vinings. Say hi to Dana!

Happy gifting!

xx, L

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Haute Mama!

03/23/2010 in Baby Chic, Events, Tricks of the Trade by Lauren | 1 comment

This bulletin just in from the Department of the Obvious: Women tend to have strong preferences when it comes to their personal style.  Especially their clothes. Further bulletins as events warrant.

(Thank you.)

So yeah,  we’ve all got very particular ideas about what we’d like to look like at almost any hour of the day. Save the precious sweat pant clad evening on the couch with your DVR or the quick workout in your old sorority t-shirt, I think it’s fair to say that we are disinterested in removing ourselves from the world of fashion for almost any length of time and this definitely applies to the 9 months a woman spends while being pregnant.

Now, I don’t know this from personal experience (I mean, yes, I do have a baby, but she’s furry and instead of giving birth, I simply picked her up from a Yorkshire terrier breeder south of the airport)

However, I do know some pretty fashionable ladies who have totally rocked the “with child” look.  For example:

Jess at her baby shower in NYC...mere weeks before the twins

Always fabulous Gretchen on her last day before being a full-time mommy!

Amy lookin’ gorgeous while being a total trooper at LK/EZ Bday Bash this year

Yep, it seems that the modern woman is trading in the tent dress for maternity Sevens…and from what I hear, it’s not easy.  Enter Amy Koch, author of BUMP IT UP:  Transform Your Pregnancy into the Ultimate Style Statement. 
Here’s the Q+DD on AK: She’s a NBC Trend Reporter, Vogue Style Expert, Twitter Mom Style Expert, Contributor to The New York Times, Town & Country, Travel + Leisure, INC., New York Observer and the Huffington Post and a mother of two. Her book, Bump it Up, promises to help “turn nine months of potential frump into mega maternity moxie” by offering style tips and tricks through each trimester and beyond.  BONUS: the book includes sketches from today’s most popular fashion designers, including Nicole Miller, Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, and Isaac Mizrahi.

In celebration of her super awesome book, Amy is on tour and will be making her way to the A on March 30th and all you gorgeous pregnantistas (and your friends) are invited!

Here’re the deets:
When: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 from 7pm-10pm
Where: W Perimeter 111 Perimeter Center West ATL, GA 30346 (770) 396-6800
What: Pampering treatments (oxygen blasts, neck massages) by BLISS Spa, faux glow bar by LANCOME, bra fitting and shapewear tutorial by WACOAL, book signing by Amy Tara Koch, fashion demo by Amy Tara Koch with Izzy Maternity, mega gift bag & raffle of Britax car seat, Medela breast pump, Baby Bjorn, Sittercity Membership, Babymoon at W, Pre-natal spa service by Bliss.  Sponsored by PAMPERS, TIDE, BRITAX, BABY BJORN, and WACOAL.

Awesome!

I LOVE that she is pairing up with Izzy Maternity! If you’re not familiar with this store and you are even considering having a child – you just have to go visit our friend Hannah at the Peachtree Battle location of this fabulous Atlanta-only maternity boutique chain that she and her family own and operate.

Hannah!

Hannah is fabulous, and from what I hear, totally the girl you want in your corner as you’re sporting the bump! Click here to view the website.

So, if you’re expecting, I think you can expect to have a great time at the Bump it Up event on March 30th!

Oh, baby!

Hope to see all you haute mamas there!
xx, L

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