• The Brazilian Blowout

As you might recall, I am a Keratin Believer.  Please witness my previous post here.   A wise woman named Mara once said to me after her own treatment, “Now I have more time to focus on world peace because I don’t have to wonder whether or not it’s going to be a good hair day.  They are ALL good hair days.”

It’s the truth – the treatment is amazing. But the three days you spend as a Gremlin while this stuff works on your hair? Torture. So when Lindsay informed me that her salon, Mint, was offering the 2 day Keratin Treatment you better believe I was all about it.  I figured, any second I could shave off that process would be a vast improvement so 24 extra hours?  Yes, please.  I was outrageously and pleasantly suprised when I called in and discovered they have also very recently started to offer the Brazilian Blowout, which is 100% complete when you walk out of the salon, no downtime!  AMAZING. It took about 3 hours, and the process was similar: wash, apply product, blow out, bake in strand by strand with a flat iron…

Mary Joyce at Mint Salon working her magic

…and the result is EXACTLY the same. I recommend 100%.  I’ll let you know in a month or two if it lasts as long as the Keratin, but for right now at 2 weeks out, I am THRILLED.  Oh, but please note: you must stay away from Sodium Chloride products (as you do with the Keratin) but you must also stay away from Sulfide products as well.  Mary, who performed my treatment at Mint, recommended Prive Concept Vert for my shampoo and conditioner:

You may remember how obsessed I am with Prive as a line, but this stuff takes the cake.  It’s 3 liters of product jammed into this little bottle.  Yowza!  The tiniest bit of this product, mixed with a little water, expands to an entire handful and definitely more than enough for one use. Plus, it smells SPECTACULAR.

Call Mary Joyce at Mint Salon for an appointment 404.724.9669.  Tell her the Q+DD sent ya!

• OPI Axxium soak-off gel nail polish
  

I didn’t think I could do this.  I am a commitment-averse person.  I can barely decide on a pair of shoes for an evening, let alone a nail polish color for 3 weeks, but I finally bit the bullet and tried OPI’s new gel colors.

Not to be confused with Gel Nails or Acrylics, this gel is painted on like a polish, but dries under the UV light to a smooth, hard finish like the aformentioned products, but with no damage to your actual nail!

A few things to note: once the polish is applied, it must be soaked off like acrylics or gel nails.

Also, the colors are MUCH lighter than they appear. If you are choosing a neutral shade like Bubble Bath, it will dry almost clear.

Now, since I am not and will never be a naked nail girl, AND since i was in an 80’s kind of mood when I was doing this, I went with HOT pink. I had to have them soaked off early because I could no longer stand the color, but I could have easily gone another week.  Check it:

After 2 weeks!

If you think gel color may be for you, there are several salons offering this in town including Nail and Toe Spa in Buckhead, Top Nail in Toco Hills, and Hammond Nails in Sandy Springs.

Finally, the last beauty product I need to share with you is…

• The Clairsonic Mia

From the creators of the Sonicare toothbrush, this little hand-held wonder ensures that my mug gets a thorough 1-minute cleaning at least once a day!

It’s completely waterproof, so if you want to use it in the shower that is a-ok and the charge lasts a REALLY long time! My mom brought it in as a gift when she came to visit, and I absolutely LOVE it.  I can definitely tell a difference in my skin and it makes my nightly routine SO much easier.  I use it with my glycolic cleanser from my dermy and plain ol’ Cetaphil…the Mia works great with both!

Ok, that’s all I’ve got for now.  I’ll continue to look into the open sea of beauty possibilities and report back.

Further bulletins as events warrant.

xx, L

the group over new years

I have to tell you, I really couldn’t be more excited!  Aside from the predictable awesomeness that I can expect from hanging out with these folks, the wedding is in the JERZZZ!

oh gosh, i really hope they're invited!

SO unbelievably stoked!  And, I’ve been practicing…

Okay, so, when I asked Slick this morning about the attire for the wedding, he alleges that he talked with the bride and she said “any dress will do…” which means he actually didn’t talk to the bride because no girl in her right mind would ever leave wedding-related attire so vague.  After I gave him a hard time about it, he consulted reinforcements and we now know that the attire is black tie (Bumpit) optional.

My dress is set, but one very important question remains:  To Bumpit or not to Bumpit?  

totally bumped

Although the Texas girl in me always defaults to my vintage cowboy boots as my signature way to jazz up an otherwise blah outfit, I am REALLY considering trading in my country kicks in for my very own Bumpit for the occasion!

bye, bye my beloveds

I’ve just been so inspired by my favorite Jersey Shore party girl, Snooki:

And, my favorite Jerseylicious villianess, Tracey:

Plus, hair height is kinda in my Roberts’ blue jeans…

mother.

I think I’m going to BUMPIT!  Heading to CVS in 10…wish me luck.  Ahhhhh! 

xx, L

I'm pretty much Donna Reed.

On the menu: jalapeño raspberry salmon, Brussels sprouts, and tomato avocado salad.

I know many of you who know me well may be raising an eyebrow since you know that DK was in town mere hours earlier and I have been known to pass her creations off as my own…but this dinner was so easy I was able to pull it off solo! (ok, fine.  Greg chopped a few things.  Big whoop.)

I have to tell you, the true hero of the evening was the Emily G’s Jam of Love Jalapeño Raspberry Jam we found at the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market!  

Easy peasy: I just threw a couple of salmon fillets in the oven for about 10 minutes at 375 degrees, took them out to spread a dollop of this amazingness on the top of each, and popped them back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so while the jam caramelized and worked its magic.   DELICIOUS.

Here’s the Q+DD on EGJoL: DK and I got the full story from a very adorable Emily (though not THE Emily) on Saturday at the Farmer’s Market.  Local to Dunwoody, Emily G’s jam is not mass-produced, but made in small batches and hand-poured into the cutest jar you have ever seen!
They use the freshest, most seasonable ingredients available and patronize local Georgia farms whenever possible. The jams are all-natural and Emily promises you will “taste the love in every jar!”

At $8 a jar, I wish I had picked up a few more flavors. Among their most popular: Jalapeno Raspberry, Blueberry, Triple Berry, Tipsy Onion + Garlic and Roasted Red Pepper. I also tried the Chipotle Strawberry and it knocked my socks off.

I just had no idea jam was so versatile! The Emily G’s website has LOTS of recipes for each of their jams. DK purchased a jar of the tomato jam for use on BLTs, scallops, and meatloaf.  Bonus: lots of Atlanta restaurants are using EGJoL in their menus, witness by clicking here!

I’m in LOVE!  I’m a believer! Jalapeño Raspberry is my new JAM!  (Pun intended.)

Enjoy!

xx, L

P.S. Complete the meal:
1.    Salad: SO simple, SO delicious:  Romaine lettuce.  Halved grape tomatoes.  Chopped avocado.  Fresh lemon juice.  Olive oil.  Salt + pepper.  Fin.
2.    Brussels sprouts: (for the record, I was going to do asparagus.  But they were so teeny I made a game-time decision for the BS.  So glad I did because I love them and now I believe Greg is now a Brussels sprouts convert!)   I just halve ‘em, toss ‘em in a little e.v.o.o., and throw them on a tin-foiled and Pam-ed cookie sheet with a little salt and pepper and pop ‘em in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes or so.  (Sometimes I’ll dice a green apple and throw it in there for a little variety.)
3.    Bodega Norton 2007 Malbec.  (ok, ok and half a bottle of Trader Joe’s Two Buck Chuck Shiraz.)

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

Ok, here’s the Q+DD on Olive and Sinclair: O+S is a “bean-to-bar” chocolate maker based in Nashville, TN. Per their blog, “our Chocolate is made with select single origin cacao beans, slow roasted, stone ground with only Pure brown sugar for a robust flavor unique to Southern Artisan Chocolate™”

Scott Witherow, the “Founder – Owner – Maker” at Olive and Sinclair was there handing out bites of his seriously delicious and VERY unique chocolates

I tasted the Sea Salt, the Coffee Bean and the Salt and Pepper and while each one was better than the last…(and while Julie and Dana couldn’t get over the Salt and Pepper) my FAVORITE definitely the Cinnamon Chili (“Mexican style”) chocolate.  I am begging you to run over to Star Provisions and try this chocolate.  It blew. my. mind.  Fact.

Listen, there is just no way to describe how good this stuff is, but I can tell you that each of us left with a bag FULL of bars of all varieties.   Not only are they outrageously amazing but they are dressed really well, too !  Witness:

They make really cool and memorable gifts! Julie doled them out as host and hostess presents and I’m bringing a stack of them tied with a simple piece of twine home with me (along with a bottle of Square One vodka) to Birmingham this weekend to give to DK for Father’s day…I know Pops will be THRILLED.  (Not to worry: My dad reads this blog quarterly- I’m not giving anything away!)

Plus, I LOVE that it’s a southern product made by nice, down-to-earth folks. Scott couldn’t have been sweeter (pun intended) or more gracious and, well, you know how I feel about things named Olive!

(even though we had her boyfriend Oscar in tow instead that day!)

Go, give them a whirl, then become a fan on Facebook by clicking HERE, follow them on Twitter – @OliveSinclair, and check out their blog by clicking here and enjoy!

DOUBLE DANG!

xx, L

Olive will be there along with her friends Lola, Cooper, and Sebastian…

Sebastian will be dressed to impress.

…and maybe you, too? Hope to see you there!

xx, L + O

We had a great time!  The three main festival highlights for me were:

3 - Seeing Bob Schneider for FREE on the Summerfest Main Stage!

the best.

2 – Cheesecake-on-a-stick-dipped-in-chocolate-and-sprinkles.  (ohhhh yeaaaaa.)

not for festival-beginners...

1 - Lorri Honeycutt’s Big World Photo.  BWP was my favorite vendor, by far, this year at Summerfest!  Lorri absolutely stole the show with her unique + whimsical photos.  She’s so talented – and is from Austin, so that certainly didn’t hurt!  I had no problem with taking a 15 minute break from desperately seeking shade + cold beverages at Summerfest to peruse her booth and admire her creative brilliance.  Love!

Definitely check her out:  www.bigworldphoto.com
BWP slogan:  “Art that makes you think, then smile.” 

(her store in NC)

Do I really have to wait 365 days until next year’s Summerfest?!  Ugh…

P.S.  The awesome reader who spotted me at Bob’s show and came over to say “hello” - YOU rock.  Thanks for making my afternoon!!

xx, L

(That's my sister's game-face)

…Sunday morning Greg and I decided to revisit the general scene of the crime for sustenance: back to the Westside for brunch at Urban Pl8.

Well, that and because we had both a Scoutmob AND a Groupon for Urban Pl8. (For the record: we had been dying to go there anyway.  I am seriously TRYING not to let SM and Groupon dictate all my activities but it’s just becoming so darn hard not to!  Especially with the iPhone apps!)

Anyway, after calling to see if Urban Pl8 is dog-friendly…

(they are!)

…we made our way over to the decorator district. Now, you should know that Urban Pl8 is all the way down Huff Road in a bit of a random location.

Luckily, we knew where it was because we had both, on separate occasions, tried (unsuccessfully) to dine at Urban Pl8 during their afternoon siesta (please note somewhat funky hours of operation below.)

Here’s the Q+DD: Urban Pl8 was opened last July by chef and owner Betsy Pitts, former sous chef at Bacchanalia and Floataway Café.  Betsy aimed to create a restaurant that focused on “high quality, affordable food in a casual, cool, friendly atmosphere…an everyday kind of place with exceptional food and service.” She says, “It’s about local, sustainable products, healthier options, and affordability.”

I REALLY enjoyed my brunch.   After we checked in on Four Square,

Greg ordered a bloody mary

I snapped a photo just in case you forgot what a bloody mary looks like. Ta dah!

I opted for a Greyhound.  (I forgot about Greyhounds!   Vodka + grapefruit  = perfect brunch cocktail!)  They also offer “bottomless” mimosas for $10 and “bottomless” bloody marys for $15.  Hello!

Our food was delish. Greg had the grilled chicken pesto omelet:

made with 3 farm eggs, goat cheese, roasted red peppers and pesto

Which was served with a whole wheat English muffin and creamy polenta. Not grits. (in case you thought they were secretly the same thing…a la Superman/Clark Kent…: Polenta = yellow cornmeal.  Grits = hominy. Thanks, TK!)

I had the veggie burger

made with pinto beans, jalapeños, shitake, roasted corn, and cilantro topped with mixed greens, spicy tomato salsa, and spicy sour cream

I don’t know if the consistency would be for everyone – but I liked my v. burg a LOT. It was served with a fresh little green salad with golden raisins and sunflower seeds and I thought it was perfect.

We also split a slice of the peanut butter French toast which was To. Die. For.

I took this pic with my glorious iPhone to send to TK to make him jealous...it worked.

I don’t really have words for this.  I just think you should try it.  And bring me with you. Please.

There were a lot of things on the menu that I’d like to try, plus, the menu changes almost daily – I am excited to go back for any meal!

Also worth mentioning: the crowd was really cool.  Funky little hipsters brooding over coffee, a table full of mimosa-swilling girlfriends, cute couples of all varieties, post-church patrons, solo brunch diners– it was a nice little slice of Atlanta life there at Urban Pl8 that day.

"Europe? I know that place."

Plus, I loved that the patio served as a patch of green among all the surrounding buildings. Sort of a little urban garden.  All-in-all, it was a lovely brunch – a gr8 way to start the day! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

xx, L

Urban PL8
1082 Huff Road, Atlanta, GA 30318
404-367-0312
Hours:
Lunch – Tuesday – Friday 11-2:30
Brunch – Saturday + Sunday 11-3
Dinner – Wednesday – Saturday 6:30 – 9:30

happy almost anniv., p!

In ‘06, I moved my stuff into Paige’s fully furnished + decorated home.  Not a bad deal for me at all – I only had my bedroom and bathroom to handle.  We have very different personal style regarding home furnishings, but it’s never bothered me.  However, one day, I definitely look forward to decorating a condo or house of my own, and when I do, I hope that this vendor I found at the Inman Park Festival is still going strong.  (Yikes, there were a lot of commas in that sentence…)

Of the hundreds of vendors at the Inman Park Festival this year, Go Jump In The Lake was my favorite.  Their rustic, cedar signs can be custom made or you can browse their online selection here:  http://www.mapledriveworkshop.com/

slick liked them, too...

Love!  The signs are perfect for a lake, mountain or beach house, an urban cottage or a rustic patio.  (Also, they’d make a fun housewarming gift!)  Sadly, I have no free space or actual need for any of their adorable signs at the moment, but I’m definitely stocking GJITL away in my trusty mental filing cabinet for when I do!

So cute! 

xx, L

much like Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding...

Two cups of Earl Grey to wake me up* in the mornings, Peppermint Tea if I have a tummy ache, Lemon Flavored Tea if my throat hurts – and my secret weapon is Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime Herbal Tea.

*Note: I never drink Green Tea.  Tastes like hot grass to me…

This stuff is magical.  I drink it straight, w/out the requisite Splenda packet I stir into all my other teas, because I find it to be really soothing and I like tasting the chamomile.  It puts me out light a light.  I don’t really have issues falling asleep, but if you do, I recommend trying this natural sleep aid at least once.  I swear by it.  Plus, it never hurts to drink more water – however you can get it.

I volunteered to dog-sit for Guinness this weekend. 

baby guinness

I love the pup, but he whines constantly throughout the night and I happen to be a light sleeper.  In anticipation of this, I drank two bags of Sleepytime before bed last night and I was out for 11 hours.  I didn’t wake up once!  While I think one bag will definitely do the trick – if you ever REALLY need your beauty sleep, try two.

Pick up Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime at your local CVS for $4, Kroger for $3 or WalMart for $2.

Sweet Dreams!

xx, L