Happy Labor to you! 

xx, L

Sage  (Midtown)
Midtown Brookwood Place
1745 Peachtree Street NE Suite L
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.815.0555
www.sageclothing.com

Sage  (Buckhead)
Buckhead Market Place
37D West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.233.8280
www.sageclothing.com

Hello, I love you.

Now that that’s out of the way, I need to tell you about your new Favorite Thing: Chay J’s Creole Pretzels. These delicious little salty, crispy pretzels, coated in delicious buttery caramel, tossed with enormous pecans, are about the best things I have ever tasted. 

I must have done something seriously right in my past life to have deserved superstar treatment (usually reserved for your highness!): darling New Orleans-born Channon “Chay” Powell made them especially for The Q+DD and delivered them right to my doorstep along with your next Favorite thing: Creole Popcorn!

Both bags were gone before you could say Pat O’Briens. Trust.

Bonus: Chay also makes other goodies such as pies, tarts, brownies, pralines, strawberries, and peanut brittle and as much as I’d love to have you here in the Peach State, O – you can have Chay’s delicious treats shipped right to your Chicago doorstep at Harpo.   I’m not sure Dr. Oz would approve, but hey – you only live once, Opes.

Double Bonus: Delivery is available within Metro Atlanta.  Just another reason for you to own a home down here. Just sayin.
So, seriously Oprah – give them a whirl, I just KNOW you’ll want to invite  Chay to your Favorite Things episode taping.  (It’s her life goal!) Feel free to invite me too. I LOVE stuff and things.

Almost as much as I love you.

xx, L

PS Check out ChayJ’s New Orleans Candies here!

I love you.

And also to the rest of the West Beverly gang. Happy 90210 Day, Kelly and Steve!

Happy 90210 Day, Dylan McKay and Brenda!

Happy 90210 Day, Donna and David!

And what the hey? Happy 90210 Day to you, too, Andrea.

Let’s all head to the Peach Pit and swap boyfriends in celebration!

xx, L

PS  Feeling nostalgic? Check out this link (link!) for some more 90210 Day love!

I could hardly believe how much nicer it was than the old Roxy, where I went to see G. Love approx. 4 1/2 years ago and I witnessed a hardcore drug deal go down + someone peeing in the corner of the venue.  True story.  What a dump!  The newly-renovated Buckhead Theatre, however, is a venue fit for an amazing party of almost any sort, a fun corporate/industry event or an awesome concert where people aren’t confused if the line for the bar is actually a line for the urinal…

So, on Saturday, we went to the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Young Leadership Council’s Signature Event at the Theatre.  And, it was a blast! 

We had cocktails in the prefunction area for an hour or two, and then headed into the main theatre space for the event.  The stage was perfect for the DJ, and the set up was just superb.  I was really impressed with the seated lounge areas with plush couches + tables in the upper part of the space closer to the main doors.  And, the bathrooms were immaculate- absolutely without a hint of the old Rox.  The whole time we were there I was envisioning throwing an event for work in the space.  It’s THAT put together.

I have to admit that my heart truly belongs to the event space @ 200 Peachtree, but if it was booked I’d be calling up The Buckhead Theatre faster than you could say Rumpelstiltskin.  No seriously, that word has four syllables.

Info abt. Upcoming Shows @ The Buckhead Theatre: HERE!

I really, really heart you Buckhead Theatre!  Welcome.

xx, L

The Buckhead Theatre
3110 Roswell Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.233.7699
http://www.thebuckheadtheatre.com/

I heart you, Antonie Dodson. I do!

I just can’t choose which one is my favorite…  Life is so hard sometimes.

Check out the comprehensive selection here:  “YOU ARE REALLY DUMB FOR REAL!”

Completely out of the pop culture loop and don’t know who A.D. is?  Shame on you…  Dude’s got his very own website now and is destroying Lady Gaga in iTunes sales: http://www.antoinedodson.net/

hi.

Thank you, ThrillistATL, for bringing these gotta-have threads to my attention!  I NEED one.

xx, L

1. Oreo Truffles

2. Red Velvet Cake Balls (please see Lindsay’s recipe/instructions here):

3. Strawberry Cake Balls (I used the same recipe with strawberry cake and vanilla icing and dipped in white chocolate bark):

Note: If you feel like making these balls soon-ish, Michael’s Crafts is having a “buy-one-get-one-half-off” sale on Wilson’s Chocolate Bark.  This stuff is amazing – it comes in all different colors and flavors.  I went with plain ol’ milk chocolate and white chocolate, but I think that the possibilities are endless!  (Thanks for the heads-up, Cari!)

I also got some spankin’ white tins at Michael’s.  G asked me if there was an advantage to using tins over tupperware last night…um, yes! 

They’re CUTER!  DUH! 

Witness:

I’m such a baller.  (Had to.)

xx, L

PS thanks for introducing me to Cake Balls, Linds!  I’m just sad it took me so long to get on the bandwagon! 

PPS can you believe I stretched my baking escapades into 2 posts?

Not that I’m complaining…but still.  It seems like every time I turn around it’s another RW.  (P.S. It’s impossible for me to write “turn around” w/o breaking into song in my head.  “TURN AROUND…every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you’re never comin’ round…TURN AROUND Bright Eyes!” )  Excellent.  Will have that in my head for the rest of the afternoon.  Similarly, I can’t say the word “situation” any longer without thinking of my favorite Thursday night guilty pleasure.  GTL 4 Life, yo.

mike "the situation"

Okay, okay – back to business…

My personal favorites included in this list are Ecco (don’t forget to get a bottle of my favorite wine!), Pacci and Serpas, but overall this is a nice selection of restaurants for an excellent deal.  Don’t miss out, but honestly if you do, I’m sure that it will be Midtown RW again in a month or two.  Just sayin’… 

xx, L

I can’t WAIT for this union

But before Richmond, we’ll be spending 5 glorious days in Charleston with 14 of our nearest and dearest!

Hopefully we will recreate this conga line

In preparation for my trip, I thought now would be a good time to try my hand at making cake balls (darling Cari is coming to my aide tomorrow…stay tuned) and tonight…Jaimi, Stephanie and I tackled (a couple of bottles of wine and…) OREO TRUFFLES!

You guys. They are DELICIOUS and SO SO EASY!

Here’s what you need:

1 package of Oreo cookies
1 block (8oz) cream cheese
2 (8oz) packages of Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Here’s what you do:

1.    Take out 9 Oreos

2.   Try really hard not to eat them

3.    Separate the remaining 36 Oreos and stick them in your food processor:

4.    Crush them into a fine powder

5.    Throw in your block of cream cheese and blend

6.    Roll into little balls (Note: it’s easier when your Oreo/cream cheese is colder, so I would occasionally stick it in the freezer for a moment or two while rolling and dipping)
7.    Dip into melted chocolate
8.    Crush up the reserved Oreos and sprinkle on top

9.    Voila!

Give ‘em a shot!  They are totally adorable and totally addictive! Yowza!

The best part?  I didn’t even have to turn on my oven!

xx, L

Check it out:

Single Mingle
September 9, 2010, 6-9 p.m.
Robinson Atrium – HIGH Museum of Art

Muy Caliente!  Meet fellow singles and learn to salsa with live music + salsa lessons from the Salsambo Latin Dance & Entertainment company.  Your ticket includes one drink ticket and admission to Dalí: The Late Work.

Fine print: $20 admission ($10 for High Museum members)  Additional beverages and nibbles available for purchase.  Advance tickets recommended.  Space is limited.

Ay!  Ay!  Ay! 

xx, L

Heirloom tomatoes. Fresh peas. Fried okra. Corn. Applewood smoked bacon. Balsamic vinegarette. Chive aioli. (+ crack cocaine?)

Of all the great restaurants in all the cities in which I’ve lived – NYC, Austin, Atlanta and Birmingham – The Hot & Hot is still the reigning king of my little wanna-be-foodie heart.

It’s always my first choice when I’m home to visit.  I love everything about it. I love the open counter with a direct view of the chefs in the kitchen wearing long-brim fly-fishing hats,

the historic building it’s in (once was the home of “the Upside Down Plaza” – apparently a seedy, yet supa-popular nightclub from “back in the day”), the AMAZING amount of hometown gossip you can glean from loitering in the ladies’ room long enough, and, of course, the SPECTACULAR food that I’ve enjoyed there for years.

BONUS: Last night we got to have a little chat with chef and owner Chris Hastings!  He’s such a cool guy – we chatted restaurants and food and he filled me in on his favorite Atlanta spots and asked me about mine.  We had a brief convo about restaurants with beautiful food and snotty service, during which Chris made a comment that “Food church is dead.” I couldn’t agree more…  these days it really is all about good food and an earnest attitude – which is exactly how I’d describe his restaurant.

Food church may be dead, but chef as a celebrity certainly is not.  I heart you, Chris Hastings!

Chris Hastings and Greg!

If your travel plans ever take you to Birmingham (or you have an extra couple of hours to spend on a dinner commute from Atlanta) I suggest Hot & Hot 100%.

Sidebar: in other Birmingham news…

1.    Gus Mayer is moving to the Summit somewhere around February 2011 and the plans for the new digs are unREAL.

2.    Speaking of Gus Mayer, I came home with the MOST amazing Pour la Victoire black suede pumps, Mark Nason over-the-knee boots, and most importantly, I GOT GREG IN SOME PSYCHO BUNNY! Happy day!

3.    Last but not least, some Jewish Guilt: My gorgeous Grandmother is one of our #1 readers and casually dropped the fact that though she reads daily, her mug has never graced the pages of the Q+DD.  Well, Miss Henni?  This one’s for you!

Love that my grandmother will sip bloodys with me on a Sunday morning..

What a wonderful weekend.  I miss Sweet Home Alabama already! Thanks DK+DK!

xx, L