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Last night over a basket of fried pickles at Tin Lizzy’s Grant Park, Ashley and I discovered the greatest thing ever…margarita flights!
For $8 you can choose four flavors from their extensive list…so you can make an educated decision before you commit to one!  Now THAT is smart drinking.

We had the Texas, the French, the Pear, and the Mango and while I still prefer my margs skinny, I gotta say, the French was pretty darn tasty!

So tasty, in fact, that I may or may not be heading to Tin Lizzy’s Buckhead right this moment!

That’s right.  I am celebrating Cinco ALL WEEK LONG!


xx, L
Tin Lizzy's Cantina on Urbanspoon

Oh, and PS

(thanks, Mark)

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You know the drill: I don’t cook. The best thing I make is reservations. I use my oven for storage. Yadda yadda yadda…

However, I recognize that there are times in which cooking is necessary and a smart girl always has a few tricks in her arsenal. For instance, last week was The Ginger’s birthday and and excellent excuse for my famous cupcakes!

Plus, making cupcakes is a RIOT:

Funfetti!

I’m hesitant to give away all my tricks of the trade, but doctoring up a cake mix is pretty darn simple. If I can do it, you can, too! (If you’re a super cook, you can just skip this post, because I’m going to write it r.e.a.l.l.y. simple for the culinarily challenged…like myself.)

Here’s what you need:

2 boxes yellow cake mix (I like Duncan Heins)
6 eggs
2 sticks (unsalted) butter
2 packages vanilla pudding mix
1 tub of milk chocolate frosting
1 tub of vanilla frosting
2c sour cream
Coarsely ground sea salt
Vanilla extract
Spatula
Muffin tins
Muffin cups
Hand-held mixer (I know, I couldn’t believe I had one, either!)

Suggested accoutrements:
Some type of round candy: I like the salted caramel balls by Choxie…found at Target…IF you can manage NOT to eat them all before you ice and decorate your cupcakes
Black and white sprinkles (separate)
Teeny tiny funnel

Ok, then it’s easy-squeezy. I do this in 2 batches.

1. Combine 1 box of cake mix, 1 stick of softened butter, 3 eggs, 1 package of pudding mix, 1c sour cream and a dash of vanilla extract, mix well and fill the muffin cups in your muffin tins about 3/4 full

(The box says it will make 24 cupcakes, but what they don’t mention that they will be weeny cupcakes. Fill ‘em fuller and each recipe will only make about 18 or so. Particularly if you, um, “taste” the batter. A lot. Don’t judge me.)

2. Bake according to the instructions on the box.

3. Repeat and let all cupcakes cool on cooking racks (I can’t believe I had these, either.) You’ll have about 32 nice, big cupcakes.

4. While the cupcakes are baking/cooling, spoon your chocolate and vanilla icing into two separate bowls. To each: add a tablespoon or so vanilla extract and a few grinds of sea salt. Make sure you taste along the way, so it doesn’t get too vanilla-y or, yuck, too salty. But ton’t be shy, either. The salt is perfect for cutting the supersweet frosting (Thanks to Cari of Sugar Sugar for the tip!)

5. Once the cupcakes have cooled, ice 1/2 with chocolate and 1/2 with vanilla. Then I decorate like this:

  • 6 chocolate frosting with white chocolate round candy on top
  • 6 chocolate frosting with white sprinkles JUST in the middle of the cupcake (use the funnel)
  • 6 vanilla frosting with chocolate round candy on top
  • 6 vanilla frosting with chocolate sprinkles on top

Then I arranged them in my double-decker cupcake caddy (also found at Target) and voilà!

BONUS: You’ll have about 8 extra cupcakes. Throw a couple of those bad boys in some Tupperware and a nice little note and BAM! Perfect “just because” gifty-gift for doormen, fabulous coworkers, neighbors, etc. Luckily I had some hot pink sprinkles on hand, perfect for Kindredly’s birthday last week!

I may not be a domestic goddess…
…but, as DK says, “fake it till you make it!”

xx, LK

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After a slight hair emergency (don’t worry. It’s ok now.) derailed my original plan to spend the day in McDonough with Kindredly, I found myself starting my journey to the southside at 4:00pm. Two days before Christmas.

Yes, traffic was a nightmare but me give you 5 reasons it was the best night…ever.

5. The drive, the DRIVE! As you know, I am strictly an ITP kind of girl, but I felt my mood lift almost instantly as I drove down to McDonough. There is just something about rolling hills and meadows and horses that does it for me! If you are feeling a little uptight, a drive down to the country will do a body good. Trust.

4. I FINALLY got to see Chez Kindredly. I wasn’t shocked to see that she has the MOST adorable home I have ever seen.

tip of the iceberg

tip of the iceberg

The girl has a major talent, I would move into that house tomorrow. Plus, I finally got to meet Mia and Marley, their amazing beagles.

Ash + Marley

Ash + Marley

3. QT with JG. Kindredly has the most adorable hubs ever. As the superintendent of  Canongate Golf Club (please click here to see his amazing work) JG knows just about anything there is to know about grass. And constellations. And all kinds of other useful things. Just ask him.

Knowledgeable.

Knowledgeable.

2. Christmas Lights Tour. I finally got one! And this was totally the way to do it. There were big gorgeous plantation homes with tasteful candles and beautiful wreaths and twinkly white lights and darling little  ranch homes Griswald-esque with with primary-colored strands of lights, multiple illuminated manger scenes, and even enormous blow-up Christmas Winnie the Poohs. Loved it.

1. El Durango. I said it. We drove into Griffin so that I could experience El Durango. Ash + JG only went there about 4 nights a week when they lived in Griffin and I have been hearing about it for 3 years now. I am here to tell you it was everything I dreamed it would be and more. JG got the Cowboy Chicken (it’s not on the menu, y’all.) But it was some kind of cheesy rice with amazing chicken on top which he kindly let me dip my tortilla chips in more than a few times and Ashley and I split the chicken nachos. I don’t know how to explain it, but they were so good that I think they were seasoned with magic. In fact, I am sure of it. PLUS: the wait staff and owners are now personal friends of the G’s and totally treated us like family. I loved it and I can’t wait to go back. If you ever find yourself in Griffin, I am begging you to check out El D. Tell ‘em Ashley sent you.
El Durango
(770) 229-1555
650 N Expwy
Griffin, GA 30223

El Durango on Urbanspoon

OK, I am off to sleep, but Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

See ya at the Bagel Bash!

See ya at the Bagel Bash!

xx, L

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My fabulous colleague, Ashley, took the week off to go sit on a beach with her adorable husband and supercute friends.

ash

So, I agreed to take a break from poking pins in the voodoo doll I made of her out of spite (I kid, I kid!) to guest post for her today!

Please see my post here (link) on Kindredly…

xx, L

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For my birthday (01/21…write it down) my fabulous colleagues gave me a gift certificate to Bliss Spa…which has Atlanta locations either in the W Midtown or W Downtown.
blissI had been saving it for a special occasion, but it was this Saturday when I finally got around to noticing how dull and tired my skin was looking after all of this running around, so I booked an appointment in Midtown for the “triple oxygen treatment™” immediately.

Y’all. Now THIS is a spa.

I walked in to their adorable reception area and my ADD kicked in at once. Their products have the cutest packaging, they really suck you in. (But bonus: they’re also amazing. I have been purchasing their skin masks for eons at Sephora. DK turned me on to them and homegirl does NOT mess around when it comes to her skin.)

blissreception
The bubbly and gracious receptionist led me to their lounge area and showed me where I would wait for my esthetician – a bright, cheery, lavendar-scented room where an array of herbal teas, chilled water, and snacks (brownie bites, cucumber slices, wheat crackers, and a cheese tray!) awaited me.

She then directed me to the bathroom where I found a spacious locker in which to store my stuff and a velvety robe and “spa slippers” in my size. (The “spa slippers” were a pair of blue Havianas. I slid my silver ones off and theirs on…) She also showed me their pristine showers (complete with a eucalyptus button and a steamer) and their sauna. Oh, and the sinks are equipped with pumps with every kind of Bliss product you could ever wish for. I’d move in tomorrow.

Anyway, I sat reading all my favorite magazines (they even had Oprah!) for a few moments and then Tamiko, my esthetician, came to get me.

Then I proceeded to have THE BEST FACIAL OF MY LIFE.

Ok here’s what Bliss has to say about this facial:

the triple oxygen treatment™
Our most famous (and red-carpet-revered) facial!

Get your glow on with this perennially popular all-around complexion reviver. It includes an intensive cleansing, exfoliating fruit acid wash, pre-extraction oxygen wrap, necessary extractions, calming oxygen milk mask, hydrating enzyme pack, and vitaminized oxygen spray. It’s like a breath of fresh air for your face, literally.

I had to really try to stay awake for all of it, I was so relaxed. All of the treatments felt (and smelled!) divine, you also receive a neck and shoulder, scalp, hand, and foot massage over the 75 minute treatment.

Oh and my skin? Amazing. I’m a new woman for real.

At the end of my treatment, Tamiko discreetly mentioned that she remembered that I said I felt like my skin was dull and suffering from my stage makeup, so she suggested I try the “Steep Clean” masque once a week to combat that problem.

steepcleanmaskI decided to purchase this product, but I really appreciated the fact that my facial did not feel like a prolonged marketing presentation, as it sometimes does with other spas. I’m picky about my skincare and while I appreciate suggestions, I don’t want to come out of there feeling pressured to buy an entire new skin regimen and…I kind of don’t want to talk while I’m having my facial. :) Tamiko was perfect. I adored her personality and she really knew what she was doing.

It IS a little pricier than most facials around town ($160 as opposed to $130 for the custom facial at the Spa Intercontinental at the Intercontinental Hotel in Buckhead, my other favorite, or $85 at Natural Body which is also lovely) but it really was fantastic and amazing and precisely what I needed. I recommend Bliss 110%.

Happy spahhhhhhh day! (oh, and thanks again for the gift, girls!)

xx, L
schedulesomeyoutime

Bliss Spa Atlanta
www.blissworld.com
188 14th St NE
Atlanta, GA 30361-2003
(404) 685-3510

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FYI: If you work/live downtown, be warned: AmericasMart (www.americasmart.com) is holding it’s Gift and Home and Rug shows this month. The Gift and Home show is July 08-15 and the Rug show is July 12-15. The greatest volume will be from July 10-14th when the temporary exhibits as well as the permanent stores will be showcasing.

What this means: retailers from all over will gather right here in downtown ATL to do business at the largest wholesale marketplace of its kind in the world.

What this really means: traffic will be a nightmare, parking will be jacked up and SCARCE and you will see a daily sea of ladies trolling the streets of downtown with rolling suitcases, teased out hair, badges and Giraffe Purses.

Lord knows it’s not the teased hair or even the rollies that irritate me. It’s not even the grosgrain ribbon-adorned flip flops! It’s the suburban lady’s Louis that kills me. I LOATHE the Giraffe Bag.

giraffebag

For more information on the subject, please visit Kindredly.

http://kindredly.blogspot.com/2009/01/dont-get-me-started.html

I can’t even talk about it.

xx, L

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