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Whether you loved it or hated it – you have to admit that The Material Girl looked pretty freaking amazeballs last night in Indianapolis during the Super Bowl halftime show! She’s 53 years old, too, people! (I’ll take what she’s having, por favor…)
love her. LOVE HER!
Personally, I was BEYOND impressed! Y’all just face it – it’s Madonna’s world + we’re just living in it. M.D.N.A. what, what whatttt! 
xx, L
Tags: "i like sports and i don't care who knows", Beauty is as beauty does., celebrities!, I'm just saying..., LMR, Moxie? We got it., music to my ears!, set your TiVo, very important people
Yep, canned sparkling wine. And, is it cute or WHAT?
I went to an industry event at the Biltmore Ballrooms on Tuesday and one of the vendors had these at their table. I was probably slightly too excited about the cute pink cans + I definitely took more than one…
Here’s the Q+DD (from the interwebs) on Sofia Blanc de Blancs Canned Sparkling Wine:
Niebaum-Coppola Winery, owned by film director Francis Ford Coppola, wanted to sell its Sofia blanc de blancs sparkling wine — named for daughter and fellow director Sofia — in a 187 ml serving, just big enough for one drinker’s thirst and a neat way to enjoy sparkling wine without opening a full-size bottle. For years, champagne and other sparkling wines have been served up in 187 ml bottles (about six ounces, or a quarter of a full bottle) known among wine types as splits. Coppola wanted to sell a split of Sofia, but couldn’t find anyone to package it in small bottles with corks of the same quality as their full-sized offering, which has been bottled since at least 1999.
Other ideas weren’t terribly appealing — a bottle with a screwcap looked too much like those airline single-servings; not bad, but not the hip image the winery wanted for Sofia Then they contemplated the can. “The more we kind of played with the idea, the more we warmed up to it,” said Erle Martin, president of Niebaum-Coppola. “We realized we could make a can very cool and very elegant.”
Part of the plan has been to market Sofia not merely as premium wine without a bottle but as a clubgoers’ drink: ordered by name, easy to hold at a bar and ideal for resort poolsides where glass is a no-no. Niebaum-Coppola’s intention is to target drinkers of beer or alcopops, those fruity mixes like Smirnoff Ice that have supplanted wine coolers as the choice for sweet-palated drinkers. The cans are meant to appeal to what Martin has described as a “Sex in the City” crowd: sophisticated female city-dwellers, from just over drinking age up to their mid-30s. It’s a different audience than most wine drinkers. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/)
After doing some light online research, I realized that Sofia blanc de blancs has been around for a while in the mini cans, SO I might be a little slow to the game. Whatever the case, I’m still excited about it! These little cans of sparking happiness are seriously super cute + have fully caught my attention. (Move over PBR…)
JUST love!
xx, L
Tags: blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, celebrities!, day drinking, don't judge, Festive, I'm just saying..., LMR, More culture than frozen yogurt!, Moxie? We got it., newsworthy, oh so hipster, PLU, The Happiest Hour, Things that are awesome..., things that are hysterical, Things we love!, very important people, wine-O, WineTime, Yowza.
I’m obsessed with this. With both of them. With her tiara. With the song. With it all.
Totally made my morning.
Enjoy + happy, happy New Year!
xx, L
Tags: celebrities!, Festive, funny people, I'm just saying..., LMR, new year's, oh so hipster, Things we love!, very important people
Next up on The Q+DD Bartender Challenge is none other than the amazing Eric Aarons of Ecco!
Ecco is a seasonally-inspired European restaurant in Midtown that LK + I frequent. It’s also cooked up quite a reputation recently for its celebrity customers… The food is fantastic, the wine is out of this world – and the bar, in particular, is one of our favorite places to hang out + people watch. So naturally, we HAD to interview Eric for The Quick + Dirty Dirty Bartender Challenge!
Eric, who is originally from DC, started working in the hotel and restaurant biz while in college. He began bartending in 1983 + enjoyed it so much he’s stuck with it since. Simply, bartending makes our lovely Eric happy. He joined the Fifth Group in 2005, and he helped open Ecco with the company in 2006. Eric is a trainer for Fifth Group, which keeps him super busy, but he makes sure to take four days off every month to travel and visit friends + family. This month, he’s headed to Anna Maria Island off the coast of Florida for some well-deserved R&R!
Now, if you do the math (he started bartending in 1983…), Eric’s age may suprise you. But let us tell Y’ALL, he looks f.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c. Witness:
So, LK + I DRILLED him for his secret to fabulousness: lots of H2O, lots of rest, a glass of wine every night, sunscreen twice a day + working out six or seven days a week. (Eric teaches spinning at local gyms.)
Chit-chatting with Eric is always splendid, but finally it was time to get down to business with…
THE DIRTY DIRTY DOZEN QUESTIONS
1 – Please state your name + place of employment for the record.
Eric Aarons. Head bartender at Ecco.
2 – What’s your drink?
Most often wine. But if I do have a cocktail, it’s a Hanger One martini – straight up, extra dry, extra cold, with a twist.
3 – What drink do you hate to be asked to make?
Any variation on one of my signature cocktails. They are my creations. Please don’t insult me by rewriting my recipes.
4 – What’s the best story you’ve heard in your bar?
I’ve been behind the bar for twenty-nine years. I could write volumes. A true professional keeps those stories confidential.
5 – Describe your clientele in three words.
Sexy. Savvy. Fun.
6 – If you’re not drinking at Ecco, where are you drinking?
At home. Sitting on my balcony. With my dog, Buddy, in my lap. Taking in the Midtown skyline.
buddy!
7 – If your bar was personified in a celebrity, who would it be?
George Clooney. Sexy (again). Stylish. Talented.
8 – Imagine you were stranded on a desert island + wanted to start a bar from scratch. You can bring 4 bottles and 1 type of glass. What would they be?
Three bottles of H2O for survival. One bottle of grain alcohol to light a fire, send smoke signals + get rescued! You can keep the glass – I ain’t stayin’!!
9 – Currently, what is the most popular drink at your bar?
“GiGi Says…” I just won a national contest with this cocktail: http://www.hangarone.com/blimp-tour/entry/14. It is my spin on a ginger gimlet.
(Side note: LK + I looooove “GiGi Says…”)
10 – What is your favorite area of town?
Midtown. It’s where I live, work + play.
11 – What is your secret weapon?
Depends on my target. I have an arsenal…
12 – The name of the cocktail is “The Quick + Dirty Dirty.” What’s in it?
Hanger One vodka martini with juice from San Agostino olives topped with a medley of three delicious olives all imported from Italy: San Agostino, Gaeta + Calabrese.
Thanks so much to Eric for participating in The Quick + Dirty Dirty Bartender Challenge! Visit him soon at Ecco – and wave to us at the bar. (Odds are LK + I will be sitting there sippin’ our “GiGi Says…”)
WHO’S NEXT???
Do you have a recommendation for our next contender? Are you a mixologist we need to meet?
E-mail us at thequickanddirtydirty@gmail.com or tweet us up at @Lindsaywhat44 + @LaurenKAtlanta!
Maybe we’ll see YOU next on The Q+DD Bartender Challenge!
xx, L+L
Ecco
40 7th Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
404.347.9555
www.ecco-atlanta.com
Tags: blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, celebrities!, day drinking, I'm just saying..., Lets hear it for the boys, midtown mavens, Moxie? We got it., PLU, q+, Q+DD Bartender Challenge, Q+DD friends, see and be seen, Table for Two, Things that are awesome..., very important people, wine-O, You Can Find Me in the A
…I have either sat next to or almost physically run into the following “celebrities” in Midtown:
marisa tomei
thomas everett scott
joe francis
Now this is getting kinda crazy, people! Celebrities are crawling all over Midtown Atlanta filming this or that + they’ve fully invaded my humble ’hood. (Rumor has it that the Kardashians are here, too.) With the tax break allowing folks to film cheaply in our southern city, stars are flocking to the Dirty Dirty in hordes. Marisa Tomei was incredibly cool to see – she’s gorgeous, Thomas Everett Scott was also impressive but I found it hard not to belt out singing “That Thing You Do!”, and Joe Francis – decidedly not cool. (Isn’t he supposed to be in jail or something??) Anyway, I’m getting used to Midtown stargazing + I’m ready for more.
Soooooo, here’s my OFFICIAL celebrities-in-Atlanta wishlist:
betty white
aziz ansari
the entire cast of the real housewives of new jersey
dave chappelle (where HAS he been?!!)
meatloaf
ke$ha
ron burgundy
jared
That’s all for now. Welcome to Atlanta, famous people! I’m on the lookout for you…
xx, L
Tags: careful cowboy!, celebrities!, don't judge, funny people, I'm just saying..., LMR, midtown mavens, MidtownMile, Movies, Moxie? We got it., newsworthy, PLU, Ridiculous., see and be seen, Things that are awesome..., Things that are GORG, very important people, You Can Find Me in the A, Yowza.
I missed it last week, unforch, but my DVR is set for tonight! Zooey Deschanel is my girl crush, after all… AND, she’s wearing an Anthro dress in the promo picture below that I heart. (Didn’t fit right in the store, but still super cute.)
zooey d is the new girl
New Girl is on FOX on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. EST. Apparently, the premiere last week was really well received. I just love her. I hope it’s like (500) Days of Summer every Tuesday night!
There’s that dress again…
I just really feel like we should be friends. I mean, I used to have bangs. I used to listen to Death Cab + she’s married to the lead singer. She & Him is super great and they’re on my regular iPod playlist rotation. She was in Elf and it’s one of my top 5 favorite movies… We both rock out in Anthro. I think she’d like me.
That’s all. Until we’re BFFs, I guess I’m fine catching her on the small screen. Watch New Girl tonight!
xx, L
Tags: Beauty is as beauty does., celebrities!, funny people, girl crush, I'm just saying..., LMR, oh so hipster, set your TiVo, Things that are awesome..., things that are hysterical, very important people
Hooray! It’s Music Midtown time, Atlantans!
We’re getting our pre-party on + are heading to Piedmont Park really soon!
See y’all there! EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!
xx, L
Tags: blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, celebrities!, day drinking, Festive, I'm just saying..., LMR, Moxie? We got it., music to my ears!, oh so hipster, piedmont park, PLU, see and be seen, Sorry not sorry., Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, You Can Find Me in the A
Being LK or my significant other is not an easy task. Not only do our men need to be game for packed social schedules – evenings filled with dinners, drinks, events + schmoozing; but also they absolutely have to be social media-friendly.
Just ask Greg! We’re a lot to keep up with…
Slick and I started dating shortly before LK and I created the Q+DD. He loved the idea and fully supported us…
…until I made it clear to him that we would be using our names and posting an excessive amount of personal photos on it.
"wait - what??"
Slick was in a pickle. He wanted to be part of the Q+DD, but he didn’t want his every move tracked and posted on the Internets. Naturally, LK and I (excessive Facebook, Twitter + Foursquare users) had difficulty comprehending Slick’s privacy concerns, but we had to respect his wishes.
After much deliberation, we reached a compromise. We would use pictures of him, but under the pseudonym: Slick. He was down with it.
For the past two years + some change, Slick has been a regular on the blog.
Enjoying fancy meals…
medieval times
Entertaining the locals…
chateau elan
Kissing babies…
fernbank museum of natural history
…so that he could support us while also feeling like he maintained some privacy + could keep it professional at work, etc.
UNTIL NOW.
Slick is tired of his alias. He’s grown weary of people referring to him as “Slick” in public settings. He’s now fully embraced his social media presence (+ trusts that we are not going to use our blog-writing-powers to humiliate him) and he is ready to let everyone know who he REALLY is!
"i'm ready, world!"
Slick, dear readers, is in fact KEVIN (Kev for short)!
KEVIN. KEVIN. KEVIN. Finally!!
So, there you go. Thanks for being such a great sport, Kev!
We heart you, babe.
xx, L
Tags: careful cowboy!, celebrities!, don't judge, fancy pants, G$, I'm just saying..., Lets hear it for the boys, LMR, Moxie? We got it., newsworthy, Ridiculous., slick, that's what he said, the man formerly known as SLICK, Things that are awesome..., things that are hysterical, Things we love!, very important people, You Can Find Me in the A, Yowza.
Slick + I spent the 4th of July in Nashville, his old law school stomping grounds, where he tried for four full days to convince me that it is a cooler city than Austin. (It was a losing battle from the beginning, but I humored him + applaud his effort.) While I’m not sure if any city could impress me as much as Austin does each visit, Nashville gave Austin a good run for its money + it was a solid 4th of July road trip.
We stayed in a downtown hotel (which was a converted bank + strategically selected as it was located next door to historic Printer’s Alley) with a bunch of Slick’s law school buddies. Our hotel was in the middle of all of this:
view from shelby street pedestrian bridge
The first night, we walked down to Broadway St. + had dinner at Jack’s Bar-B-Que. I had a pulled chicken salad that was just delightful and it sufficiently helped me to cushion the impressive amount of alcohol I was later to consume.
Our night consisted of four stops on Broadway to hear live music: Legends Corner, Robert’s Western World (my fav.), The Stage (Slick’s fav.), + Paradise Park Trailer Resort. I had a BLAST – and hitting up these touristy honky-tonks was actually a really great way for me to get a feel for the city.
legends corner
the stage
Broadway reminded me of a tamer 6th Street in Austin with more live music + less drunken debauchery. Everyone was very clean cut and there to hear truly impressive music. I had a lot of fun and strongly recommend checking out each of the four stops we visited.
As far as food was concerned on this trip, the approach we took was to eat stuff that would help us to drink in large quantities and not get sick. This mostly led us to some particularly noteworthy meat + threes. M+Ts are not typically my preference, but I was on board for anything and I certainly did not turn my nose up at them. We FEASTED at Sylvan Park Cafe + Nashville-famous Monell’s Restaurant in Germantown. We also had large + very satisfying meals at Sam’s Sports Bar & Grill + Bosco’s Restaurant & Brewing Co. (both in Hillsboro Village), sushi in The Gulch, + Mafiaoza’s Pizzeria in Belmont. All were good, but I definitely recommend checking out Monell’s.
Once well-fed, we headed to Tin Roof in Demonbreun where we partied it up + got to see Chris Young take the microphone for a song. THAT was very cool – and exactly what I’d imagined the Nashville experience to be like. Inspired by Mr. Young’s vocals, we headed back downtown to Printer’s Alley to karaoke it up at Nashville-famous Lonnie’s Western Room + Karaoke Bar. We were in and out of Lonnie’s for the following three days… Ahhh-mazing.
Here are the boys in action:
Other highlights included walking around the locally-owned stores in Hillsboro Village, having a pool afternoon at a friend’s house in Belle Meade, + driving around the Vanderbilt campus to see it through Slick’s eyes. We really had an awesome trip.
Even the drive home was gorgeous as we were scream-singing “Proud to be an American!”
I’m still exhausted and desperately need a diet + detox, HOWEVER, I had a blast getting to know Nashville and strongly recommend visiting. Music City is a totally driveable weekend road trip from Atlanta and sure to be a good time. (It’s no Austin, but it’s much closer + has a whole lot to offer.) Hope everyone had a fun 4th, too!
xx, L
Tags: almost famous, blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, careful cowboy!, celebrities!, comfort food, country road - take me home, day drinking, don't judge, Festive, holiyda, I love America!, I'm just saying..., Lets hear it for the boys, LMR, More culture than frozen yogurt!, music to my ears!, oh so hipster, Ridiculous., ROADTRIPPIN', see and be seen, slick, Table for Two, Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, vandy law, vay-cay, very important people, Yowza.
Y’all! I’ve been waiting for this week for months…
Check it:
Rihanna performs tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Chastain Amphitheatre as part of her Loud tour! Do I care that it’s going to be 98 degrees outside today? I care not. I’m going to be an amazingly sweaty mess of white girl dancing it up with colleagues (yes, colleagues; again - I care not) at Rihanna tonight. I’ve had “Rude Boy” stuck in my head all morning…
BRING IT, RiRi! This concert is going to be red hot – literally. And, it just recently went up in flames in Dallas, also literally, so it should be an exciting evening to say the least.
chastain
But wait, there’s more… Thursday night, I’m taking colleagues to the High Museum to see the Modern by Design exhibition. We’re starting with drinks + hors d’oeuvres at Table 1280, then moseying over to the museum to see modern masterpieces from the MoMA + High’s growing collection of contemporary design.
Here’s the Q+DD on Modern by Design:
As part of the High’s ongoing collaboration with The Museum of Modern Art, Modern by Design presents groundbreaking designs of the past, present, and future. The exhibition features a selection of works chronicling three key moments in MoMA’s design collection and exhibition history—“Machine Art” (1934); “Good Design” (1950-1955); and “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” (1972). Nearly 150 objects created by over 120 of the most influential artists + designers of the twentieth century are included.
See for yourself! The exhibit is running through August 21.
I. can’t. even. think. straight. I. am. SO. excited.
It’s going to be a long night, but it will be worth it. (TWSS.)
I feel like the next day I’m going to need some time for reflection: who am I? what does all this mean? what do I do now? and so on + so forth… I’ve been seriously invested in + excited about the Harry Potter stories for well over ten years! It’s hard to believe that it all comes to an end this week.
Whelp, let’s get it started, shall we? We shall. Happy week to you all!
xx, L
Tags: Artsy-Fartsy, careful cowboy!, celebrities!, don't judge, hot hot hot, I'm just saying..., LMR, More culture than frozen yogurt!, Movies, Moxie? We got it., museum folks, music to my ears!, newsworthy, PLU, see and be seen, Table for Two, Texas Texas yeehaw!, That's what she said, Things that are awesome..., very important people, You Can Find Me in the A, Yowza.
Thanks so much to everyone who joined us last night at Pura Vida to celebrate the Q+DD 2 Year Blog-iversary! We had so much fun with y’all!
And, we seriously heart Pura Vida. It was our favorite Q+DD happy hour yet!!
We’d like to extend a very special thanks to Hector + Leslie Santiago for embracing all the Q+DD excitement and allowing us to invade their incredible restaurant for the evening! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Q+DD + the Santiagos
An excellent time was had by all.
Slick + Greg…
…and lots of our amazing friends + readers! Thank you all so much for your support!
Another big THANK YOU to Pura Vida bartender extraordinaire, Paul Calvert, who did a phenomenal job taking care of our thirsty Q+DD happy hour-ers! You rock, Paul. We loved the shout out on the cocktail menu, too! The best.
Finally…DID YOU GET ONE OR WHAT?!
the Q+DD has koozie FEVER!
They’re the hottest summer fashion accessory for your beverages. Just look:
Drinks just don’t get sexier than that…
Thanks again for celebrating with us last night + toasting to many more Q+DD-filled years to come!
xx, L
Tags: any excuse to party, blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol, celebrities!, Costumes + Parties, Festive, I'm just saying..., Moxie? We got it., oh so hipster, PLU, Q+DD friends, RECAP, see and be seen, Things that are awesome..., Things we love!, very important people, You Can Find Me in the A
Last night, I watched the two hour American Idol season 10 finale + it was quite the star-studded event!
The show was overwhelmed with celebrity guest singers including Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Judas Priest, Marc Anthony…the list goes on. My favorite two performances of the night were:
American Idol contestant Casey Abrams + Jack Black singing “Fat Bottom Girls”…
And, Steven Tyler singing “Dream On” right before the winner was announced.
In case you didn’t watch last night or haven’t been glued to Perez Hilton this morning (like me) the winner was…SCOTTY MCCREERY! (Slick’s pick from audition week!)
Scotty McCreery - American Idol Winner Season 10
It was a pretty big upset because the judges (+ I) had picked Georgia girl Lauren Alaina to win it. In fact, I even voted for Lauren! (I’ve NEVER done that before for a reality show!) Both Scotty (17 years old) + Lauren (16 years old) are sure to have Nashville knocking on their doors as soon as they get return home from L.A. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of these kids in the future…
Congrats, Scotty! Now time for So You Think You Can Dance!
Can’t wait.
xx, L
Tags: almost famous, american idol, celebrities!, don't judge, I'm just saying..., Lets hear it for the boys, LMR, music to my ears!, set your TiVo, slick, so you think you can dance!, Things that are awesome...
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