• 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 a Keratin treatment thwhich required a reduced amount of time for the product to set in, you better believe I was all about it.  I figured, any second I could shave off that process would be a vast improvement!   

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

I will make this very simple + quick so that you can get back to checking your Fantasy baseball stats.  And, I’ll use lots of pictures.   Seriously, though, I’d like to help plan your third date with that special someone, so please allow me two minutes of your time…

My rule of thumb is that the first date is always for weekday or Sunday night drinks.  Apres Diem, TAP, the bar @ JCT Kitchen and Top Flr are my suggestions for that.  Drinks only.  Food complicates the first date, you have the potential to get something stuck in your teeth (heaven forbid!) and you want to be able to escape quickly after that second drink if the date is less than ideal.  Let’s be realistic, folks, time IS money.  Also, if you are a serial dater, it’s much easier on the wallet than shelling out for a dinner when the date stinks.  Date #2 is a weekday or Sunday night dinner.  Anywhere reliable is fine, but don’t do tapas.  It’s too much decision-making too early into the relationship.  If things go well, the third date should be upgraded to a weekend and should include more than just dinner.  Which brings me to…(drum roll plz.)…FUNTIME BOWL!

guaranteed to impress or your money back.

You don’t have to drop a wad of cash to do well on this date, boys.  Obviously know your audience, but I personally think that the third date should be a fun one where you can kind of let loose and get out from behind a bar or dinner table.  Take your date to Taqueria del Sol or Pancho’s – anything on Buford or Cheshire Bridge will do (again know your audience) and afterwards head on over to Funtime.

Slick + I went with some of his coworkers + my brother when he was in town recently.  Although we were with a big group, I kept thinking that it really seemed like a fun place for a date night*.  Unlike 300 (which is super far away) or Midtown Bowl (which is fun, but always packed during the evenings), Funtime is right up Buford Hwy and never too slammed. 

*Note for you super-competitive guys: Let your date win once or twice.  I always have to remember this when I play with Slick.

he talks a big game...

Check out Funtime on a Friday or Saturday night after 8:00 p.m. for Cosmic Bowling: black lights, music, glow lanes, etc.  It’s really fun!  Promise. 

Also, Funtime offers more than just bowling.  Please witness from our recent visit:

air hockey

arcade games

beer

(Just here to help, guys.)  Best of luck to you!  And, you’re welcome.

xx, L

Funtime Bowling
3285 Buford Highway
Atlanta, GA  30329
404.636.7548
www.funtimebowl.com

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

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


My two most beloved online-shopping-deal-finder sites are:

Gilt Groupe: www.gilt.com or join for free @ www.gilt.com/invite/lindsayrob
(I’ve gotten Diane von Furstenberg shoes, Amrita Singh jewelry, Cole Haan + Vineyard Vines purses for next to nothing.)

Smart Bargains (Loehmann’s online):  www.smartbargains.com
(Recently got a really killer deal on a Sir Alistar Rai handmade scarf!)

As far as bargain shopping in Atlanta is concerned, I’ve been very impressed with the extensive shoe and purse departments at Marshalls near the Peachtree + Piedmont intersection, where I’ve seen Badgley Mishka, Furla and Michael Kors purses, and L.A.M.B. and Diane von Furstenberg kicks.

Slick’s been out of town for a week, and I always find that when he’s away on a business trip is such an excellent time for some retail therapy.    Last month when he was gone for two weeks for work, I went out on a Saturday afternoon to buy a new swimsuit for our upcoming cruise over Labor Day, but instead accidentally came home with a new Phoebe Couture dress, two work shirts from J. Crew and a pair of Tory Burch sunglasses.  Oops..

I decided to reel myself in just a little bit over his business trip this week, and went to Target instead. 

I’m usually not a big fan of their shoe department, but I found two pairs of the greatest shoes on sale there yesterday!  Feast your eyes on:

These pumps…

+ these sandals…

And, surprisingly, I have to say that both were priced under $20 – and they are COMFORTABLE!  I’m wearing the pumps to work today, and my feet feel just fine. 

The Tarjeys in Buckhead and Atlantic Station (rumor has it that it’s the largest one in the U.S.) are my personal favs.  I’m just sayin’…  Retail therapy works wonders for me, but it’s not always as pleasant for my wallet as it is for my well-being and wardrobe.  Tarjey made that a whole lot easier this week!

i mean, we're just tight like that.

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

In retrospect, I feel like I did pretty well for having extremely hunger-impaired judgement in the TJ’s aisles.  I wasn’t thrilled with my decision to pick up a loaf of freshly-baked raisin walnut bread or TJ’s rice pudding (insert Adam Lambert’s ballad “What Do You Want From Me?!”)…

trust me - shopping while hungry can be a recipe for disaster...

…but I DID end up with some healthy staples: flattened bananas, hearty trail mix, frozen shrimp and organic blueberries.  My three most impressive items, however, seem pretty unhealthy, but actually aren’t that bad when you really look at the nutritional breakdown:

Trader Joe’s Fat Free Crumbled Feta (recently featured in the AJC)

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1 oz
Calories: 35 g
Fat: 0 g
Carbs: 1 g
Sodium: 260 mg
Protein: 7 g

Trader Joe’s Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 1/8 container, 2 Tbsp
Calories: 45 g
Fat: 3 g
Carbs: 2 g
Sodium: 170 mg
Protein: 6 g

Trader Joe’s Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips

hi, i'm blurry.

Nutritional Facts:
Serving Size: 10 oz, 7 chips
Calories: 130 g
Fat: 8 g
Carbs: 13 g
Sodium: 50 mg
Protein: 6 g

Not too terrible, huh?  The items that took the cake, though, were definitely THESE guys:

love

love even more!

Moral of the story:  It’s always smart to follow my Rule #84 (just here to help, y’all!) and avoid the grocery when you’re feeling hunger pains, but if you absolutely HAVE to go  – go to Trader Joe’s.  The healthy nutritional content of your seemingly-bad-for-you-thrown-into-the-cart-in-a-hunger-rage loot just may surprise you! 

xx, L

Trader Joe’s – Midtown
931 Monroe Dr. NE  30308
404.815.9210
www.traderjoes.com

After I went on another tour of Oakland Cemetery + had dinner @ Tin Lizzy’s Grant Park last night…

should be on your atlanta bucket list, folks

…I came home and flipped on MTV to watch the premiere of Teen Mom (don’t judge), and ended up crying-like-a-BABY watching MTV’s newest show which also premiered yesterday evening, If You Really Knew Me.  Seriously, tears streaming into my wine glass.  Everyone really, REALLY needs to watch this show.

Here’s the Q+DD on If You Really Knew Me:  MTV’s If You Really New Me is a show centered around Challenge Day, a revealing high school program in which trained Challenge Day staff visits schools and tries to demolish social boundaries, emotional walls, and inevitable cliques so that high school students ultimately feel less alone and more understood.  The show, which has replaced The Hills in the 11:00 p.m. EST time slot, tackles serious issues like race, sex, and identity in front of not only peers, but also a national television audience.  

Challenge Day was founded by high school teacher, wrestling coach, family therapist and drug intervention specialist, Rich Dutra, and his wife, Yvonne, who has special training in working with at-risk youth.  According to their official site, “The Challenge Day mission is to provide youth and their communities with experiential programs that demonstrate the possibility of love and connection through the celebration of diversity, truth and full expression.”

Challenge Day’s MTV website:  http://www.challengeday.org/mtv/

If You Really Knew Me trailer:  http://tiny.cc/sdq02

What’s being said about the show:  http://tiny.cc/8yg8w

To me, it was kind of like a one hour reality version of The Breakfast Club. 

"screws fall out all the time; the world is an imperfect place" - bender

I just read online that MTV has committed to 12 episodes of the show, and I strongly encourage everyone to check it out.  Knowing MTV, it will be looped 45+ times throughout the next week – so it shouldn’t be difficult at all to catch again.  Set your TiVos + grab a box of tissues, b/c I am pretty sure that this show is going to change your life.

xx, L

Big, Huge P.S.:  Happy 500th post to us… 

what, what, what!

…and THANKS SO MUCH to all of our readers! 

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.)

red velvet cupcakes

peanut butter french toast

turkey sausage + egg + cheese on a croissant

peanut butter + chocolate cupcakes

mini cinnamon rolls

Highland Bakery’s Old Fourth Ward location on Highland Ave. is consistently delicious – and always packed.  So predictably packed that I’ve started completely avoiding it on Saturday and Sunday mornings for brunch…  However, my carb-craving prayers have been answered with Highland Bakery’s new Midtown location, which officially opened last week.  Food blogs were listing the opening date as “the last quarter of the year,” but I called the OFW location this morning to confirm that I did, in fact, see people eating in there on Friday.  And, I did.

Visit Highland Bakery – Midtown in the 1180 Peachtree Building around the corner from TAP, where TROIS used to reside.  And, please, do yourself a favor and go ahead and order that cupcake.  It’s worth it. 

P.S. All you Midtown suits:  H. Bakery is great for a quick workday lunch, too!

xx, L

Highland Bakery – Midtown
1180 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA  30309
404.586.0772
http://www.highlandbakery.com/