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

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

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

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


bentonville's finest.

(“Is there anything more beautiful than a beautiful, beautiful flamingo, flying across in front of a beautiful sunset?  And he’s carrying a beautiful rose in his beak, and also he’s carrying a very beautiful painting with his feed.  And also, you’re drunk.” – Jack Handy)

I think not.

glamour shot (was happily COVERED in powdered sugar...)

Thank you, Nutella, for making my life so much more enjoyable + delicious! 

behold its glory

Fine, I’ll just come out and say it already…I LOVE CREPES!!

“Just say it Ricky Bobby…” “I…Love…Crepes!”

Well, that’s all I’ve got.  As a result of my weekend in Arkansas, my brain is barely functioning today.  “We are all now dumber having listened to you…  I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

xx, L

"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

Syracuse + Skaneatles:

d's wedding

hellloooooo from heaven

N. Georgia Mountains:

gorgeousness @ lake burton, but watch out for...

...this guy. eek!

Columbia (SC):

levin wedding @ columbia museum of art

dancing machines

Random Arkansas:

Even random-er New Jersey, where I really hope to see:

my fav. gym-tan-laundry homies, the cast of Jersey Shore!

(Love things + people + awesomeness from New Jersey as much as I do?  If so, you may want to know about Jersey Shore’s Mike “the Situation’s” first stab at literary excellence: http://tiny.cc/gj75j!  I digress…)

I’ve learned a few things here and there throughout my travels, and I am confident that I can reduce some travel-related stress with just five points to remember below:

5-  If you are flying out of or connecting in Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport and need food or want to waste away a few hours at a bar while waiting for your departure, head directly for Terminal E.  They have my favorite food selections, including some healthy options, and a really great wine bar located right next to the duty free store = dangerous.  Also, Term. E has the only fine dining restaurant in the airport, One Flew South, for you fancy-pants travelers, you.

One Flew South (Terminal E)

4- Go through security in the first class + medallion gate.  I am a Delta medallion flyer and always go through the security gates all the way to the back of Delta’s check in area, and I have NEVER had anyone ask me to show them proof of my status.  Don’t be a schmo, if you are in a rush to make your flight, take advantage of a faster line for security.  I promise I won’t tell on you…

don't do it.

3-  Need a last minute mani/pedi before the big trip, but don’t have much time?  No problemo.  Head on over to the XpresSpas in Terminals A + C for some quickie pre-flight spa services.

XpresSpa (Terminals A + C)

2-  Why waste $30 to check your bags when you can just be a thoughtful packer and save yourself some dough?  Carry on your baggage whenever possible – particularly if you are flying Delta, which has the highest incidence in the airline industry for losing traveler’s baggage.  Slick lost his luggage on Delta five times out of the last eight flights he’s taken.  Fact. 

Ladies:  Do not EVER pack your make-up or a bridesmaid dress.  Trust me – it’s never worth the risk.

delta hates you, slick

1-  Talk to your neighbor(s) on the plane – at least for a little while.  You never know who you’ll meet.  I’ve had friends who have met people who have set them up on dates, helped them to network for jobs and made some pretty cool random connections – even if it’s just a new book recommendation.  Who knows, you may even find a friend to chow down w/ at One Flew South in Terminal E… 

pleased to meet you - i am your new friend, lindsay.

Just, please, watch out for snakes.  (Don’t say I didn’t warn you, oh weary travelers…)

Snakes on a Plane

Safe travels this summer.  See y’all around Hartsfield-Jackson! 

xx, L

One Flew South
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
600 N. Terminal Parkway (Terminal E)
Atlanta, GA  30320
404.816.3464
www.oneflewsouthatl.com

congrats guys!!

However, when we weren’t busy with our numerous wedding festivities…

posing for pictures

spending time w/ the bride

being awesome

getting ICED (thx, slick...)

…we passed the time chowing down at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que!  There wasn’t a whole lot to do in Syracuse, but Dinosaur kept us busy + stuffing our faces for hours – and we anticipated each return over the weekend!

Salt Lick + Fat Matt’s, who??  Seriously.

Here’s the Q+DD on Dinosaur Bar-B-Que:

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is a restaurant, blues venue, and biker bar in Syracuse, New York.  Opened in 1983 on Willow Street in downtown Syracuse, it specializes in authentic barbecue using a wood-fueled barbecue pit.  The restaurant markets its sauce, pulled pork, chili, and baked beans at local supermarkets, and at Wegmans, Fairway, D’Agostino’s, Price Chopper, and Shaw’s Supermarkets across the Northeast.  Two additional locations have also opened in Rochester, New York (in the old Lehigh Valley Railroad Station) in 1998, and Harlem, New York in 2004.   In May 2009, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was voted America’s best barbecue in ABC’s Good Morning America poll, beating out entrants from across the United States.  Approximately 4,000 out of the 7,500 participants in the poll selected Dinosaur Bar-B-Que as the best in the nation.  (www.wikipedia.com)

Words do not do it justice.  You must witness…

I know I can be a bit of an exaggerator from time to time, but I MEAN it when I say that this was some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had.  It was even better than it looked!  I can’t believe how much I ate there - I really can’t.  The ribs.  Oh, the ribs! 

P.S. You can buy the Dinosaur cookbook + BBQ sauce online here:  DINOS!

Point of this prehistoric post:  Next time you are in NY, you absolutely must, must, MUST make a point to visit The Dinosaur!  Honestly, booking a special trip for it might be necessary…  DO NOT pass up an opportunity to get down and dirty w/ some BBQ there!  Trust me. 

RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

xx, L

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
246 W. Willow Street
Syracuse, NY  13202
315.476.4937
www.dinosaurbarbque.com

(the ones that look like ants running around are my personal fav)

Well, look no further!  Check out the Atlanta Citysearch July 4th Guide here:  FIREWORKS!!

LK + Slick + I will be traveling up to Syracuse, NY this weekend to watch these two loooove birds tie the ol’ k-n-o-t.

dana + scott

Congrats D+S!  We can’t wait! 

Even though we won’t be in Atlanta to celebrate with all of y’all, we wish you many sticky R+W+B popsicles…

don't forget your shout wipes!

…and we hope you have as much fun on your 4th as Dana had at her bachelorette party!

yeahooooooo!

(Just please don’t end up like this dude…)

eek! orange jumpsuits are NOT flattering, ladies.

Happy 4th, everyone!  Be safe + have lots of fun! 

xx, L

Here’s the Q+DD:

What:  American Apparel’s Factory Flea Market Sale!

Where:  Atlantic Station, 20th Street + Fowler, Atlanta, GA  30363

When:  10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Cost:  FREE ENTRY!  All sales are final.  Cash and all major cards accepted.

Other important scoop:  Tens of thousands of your favorite styles up to 85% off.  Men’s + women’s wear, plus California Select vintage pieces.  Prices starting @ $1 – nothing over $25!

More information + RSVP:  Click here!

I won’t be able to make it, however, as I have an all-weekend appointment to relax in a lawn chair on the beach in Ponte Vedra w/ Slick’s family.  (Love them!)  Grab some good sales for me, though! 

see you this weekend, PVIC!

ANDDDDD…You’re welcome.  Happy bargain-hunting! 

xx, L

Ann Arbor

…to watch these two crazy kids tie the old k-n-o-t. 

BENATORS!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!  Catch ya on Tuesday.

xx, L

I was in P.R. for a wonderful week, but I am pretty sure that I can sum it up for you all in a mere five points.

5- On my Delta flight over to San Juan, I met this little guy:

yo quiero taco bell...

He happened to have an actual seat in first class with his make-up artist.  Yes, that is correct, his make-up artist.  They were in town for the Latin Billboard Awards.  AMAZING! 

I also met these two characters:

the resident peacock roaming around my hotel

found him just chilling next to my beach chair

4 - I drank my weight in pina coladas.  Here’s my first one:

"BRING...ME...TWO pina coladas/ i want one for each hand/ let's set sail w/ captain morgan/ we'll never leave dry land..."

As previously mentioned, the pina colada was invented and debuted at the Caribe Hilton*, my lodgings for the week. 

fact.

*Side note: Christopher Walken (love!) apparently stayed there the week before. 

i hope he packed his cowbell

3 – I ate a lot of plantain.  Sweetened, unsweetened, fried – you name it. 

mango + mahi mahi ceviche w/ fried plantain = heaven

2 - We spent a lot of time sightseeing + playing around Old San Juan.

old san juan city wall

governor's mansion

old san juan

city art

san juan cathedral

1 – I spent an serious amount of QT here:

private beach @ caribe hilton

the scenery was perfect for me to repeat my new fav. musical addition to my iPod "Carry Out" - Timbaland + J. Timberlake...over and over and over again...

My only regret from trip, however, was that I was really hoping to meet THE MOST INTERESTING MAN IN THE WORLD:

I really thought this was my chance.    (You blew it!)

Oh well.  Maybe I’ll run into him at a Cinco de Mayo party tomorrow – who knows?  He’s very elusive I hear…  I’ve also heard this about him:

“His personality is so magnetic, he is unable to carry credit cards.”

“His organ donor card also includes his beard.”

“He takes his salad dressing right on the salad – so there’s no going back.”

“He lives vicariously through himself.”

“He once had an awkward moment, just to see how it feels.”

“Every time he goes for a swim, dolphins appear.”

“Even his enemies list him as their emergency contact.”

“He owns four sports cars and rents five.”

“He once made a weeping willow smile.”  (That one is my personal favorite…)

Keep an eye out for him this Cinco!  (It’s good to be back.)  Ay!  Ay!  Ay!

xx, L

My vacation personality is much more “push your toes into white sand, drink a cocktail, and chill” than “bingo and poolside games on the lido deck.” Additionally, I don’t like fruity drinks (except for the tiny umbrella part) and I loathe buffets.  Sorry, not sorry.

I am here to tell you that the Celebrity Solstice was anything BUT a floating conga-line in the sea.

From the ENORMOUS staterooms…

(stocked daily with chilled champagne, fresh raspberry or peach iced tea, and fresh fruit)

to the SPECTACULAR spa and gym area…

I enjoyed some amazing pilates mat classes, a fabulous mani/pedi and an incredible massage…all Bliss products… and took full advantage of the truly heavenly relaxation areas complete with eucalyptus steam rooms and heated stone loungers

to the unbelievable food and beautiful restaurants…

I think everyone’s favorite was the Asian-themed specialty restaurant where we ate our weight in dim sum and polished off a bottle of some of the best unfiltered sake I’ve ever had…but I think my favorite was the French restaurant…I can’t remember what I ate, but I certainly remember that I loved it!

to the beautiful décor, it really was a breathtaking ship.

space after gorgeous space…they even had genuine muppet-fur curtains!

Fancy!

Also wonderful were the excursions that my dad planned in each port! If you are ever in the following places, here are my recommendations:

1.    San Juan, Puerto Rico. YOU MUST CALL Leslie Wiggins who owns Flavors of San Juan.  Leslie, a native of EAST COBB, fell in love with her Puerto Rican husband and they moved right into the heart of San Juan where she guides small groups on a boutique restaurant and food tour.

OK so first of all, Leslie is precious. Total PLU. And each restaurant we went to was better than the next (and I was THRILLED to have resto recommendations for Linds’s trip this week!)

I can’t decide whether my favorite part was the mojito demonstration we received at Café Chic

Or all the delicious tapas we ate at each of the other adorable restaurants

or the whiskey shot we took as a family at local dive bar El Batey!

She also did a great job of giving us the lay of the land and educating us on the history of Old San Juan…without boring us in the least. If you ever find yourself in San Juan you’ve gotta call Leslie Wiggins!

Flavors of San Juan
info@flavorsofsanjuan.com
(787) 964-2447
www.sanjuanfoodtours.com

2.    St. Kitts – we booked an open-air Jeep tour of the countryside through Greg’s Safaris. We had a fun day, even though we kinda got the bait-and-switch from an open-air Jeep to an SUV with the windows rolled down…

…and if you like botany, this is the tour for you.   We learned a LOT about the plant-life in St. Kitts.

Right, B?

3.  St. Maarten – Ok so I LOVED St. Maarten. We all did.  I want to go back ASAP and park myself on the coast there.  We spent the day on a private boat with Carlos of Captain Alan.   

We went snorkeling  (well, Dad, Brian, and Katie went snorkeling while DK and I chatted on the boat and sipped cocktails), ate fresh fruit and sandwiches on an amazing French baguette (St. Maarten is ½ French and ½ Dutch so it was the real deal, yo) and went tubing

(I finally broke down and got my hair wet, oookaaaay?)

We had a wonderful, memorable, fabulous day and we all fell in love with Carlos!

Before we went out, the owner of the company asked Carlos to go over the day’s itinerary with us, to which Carlos winked – “I like to wing it!”

Kudos to my awesome dad for doing such a great job planning our non-sea days!

As far as our sea-days were concerned…we spent a LOT of QT with each other, some cocktails… oh, and Chelsea!

(I tore through this baby the first day while Katie burned through Are You There Vodka… and we and passed them around to the group!)

In conclusion, as it turns out, I may just be a cruise-person after all.  And true confession…

…nothing goes with a steel drum quiiiiiiiiiiite like a fruity cocktail. Trust.

Oh and happy 61st, Dad!

xx, L