Love the shoe, love the company’s One for One movement, love it all.  They are one of my favorite pairs of shoes that I own, in fact!

my gold sequin TOMSies

The style isn’t for everyone, though.  Good news is that TOMS is now making super cute ballet flats!  Although they aren’t available quite yet, you can pre-order them.  Just adore these: so cute + feminine.

Pre-order at Nordstrom here: TOMS ballet flats!

Super, super cute.

xx, L

I’m pretty sure if you ask Greg, he’d suggest a lovely Orange Savings Account or a Roth IRA but if I were you, I might opt for the following: 

1. Oribe Royal Blowout

I am pretty much obsessed with Oribe.  It all started with the Anti-Humidity spray (blogged about here) and then the “Beautiful Color” shampoo and conditioner.  But I was recently introduced to Royal Blowout and I’m never turning back.  You just spritz a little of this weightless-greaseless product into damp hair and bampf! – perfectly straight, glossy-yet-somewhat-voluminous hair.  And of course it has the signature Oribe scent which is AMAZING.  I love this stuff.

2. Trish McEvoy Beta Hydroxy Pads  

These are the most amazing exfoliating pads…ever.  I used them forever ago, but I quit because at $65 for 40 pads…they’re pretty pricey.  But I’m back on the bandwagon now.  My skin looks absolutely amazing and I feel like these babies take care of those hard-to-exfoliate places like around your nose and such.  Basically, they dissolve dead skin cells to make your face glowy and help to prevent breakouts.  So worth it.  

3. Hammitt Viper Holiday Clutch  

You guys – I had never even HEARD of Hammitt before I fell in love with this clutch and now I’m planning nights out just so I can carry it.  The leather is DELICIOUS, it’s SO spacious (I love the new “oversized clutch” trend.) and it’s the perfect amount of glam and rock and roll.  The entire line is to die for – but this clutch made me really happy.  (I got mine at Gus Mayer in Birmingham– but you can find them on Facebook or search for them on your Google Machine)

4. Alora Reed Diffuser in Due 

G got me one of these as part of my Hanukkah gift and I LOVE IT.  First of all, it’s gorgeous.  Secondly, it smells absolutely AMAZING – jasmine, cucumber, basil and ylang ylang.  (What is a ylang ylang, you ask?  I have no idea.  But it smells good.)  The best part is how the scent fills my whole room without overpowering it.  I recommend.

So there you have it.  Nothing you need…but all fun stuff.  Happy December 29^th!

xx, L

But first, I need to give everyone else a little Auburn 411…

The intersection of Magnolia Avenue + College Street in Auburn, which marks the transition from downtown Auburn to the university campus, is known as Toomer’s Corner.  Hanging over the corner are two massive old-growth oak trees, and whenever there is cause for celebration in the Auburn community, the trees are festooned with toilet paper.  (Oooh, I like the word “festooned.”)  The TP rolling of oak trees started in the early 1990s after the power lines were moved under ground.  Traditionally only used as a way to celebrate football victories, in recent years it has become a way to celebrate anything good that happens concerning Auburn.  (www.wikipedia.com)

toomer's corner

Here’s the Q+DD on Toomers Rolls:

LK + I are Texas fans, but since Texas is in a different conference we feel like we can jump on the Toomers Rolls bandwagon! 

who's got school spirit??

We just love scarves (esp. scarves worn in summer), we totally support small businesses, we think toilet paper is v. necessary, and we’re on-board with anything M. Reynolds is about!  (P.S. She’s the adorbs model on the far left of the photo above.)

Get your Toomers Rolls here, War Eagles: GO AUBURN!  Follow Toomers Rolls on Facebook!

And, good luck this season! 

xx, L

We&Co is a free iPhone app (Atlanta-based, too!) that allows local businesses to register their employees.  Visitors can rate those employees (with an emphasis on positive criticism) and add them to your “favorite people” collection – kind of like Yelp.  

Presumably, the aggregate score will encourage others to frequent the employee’s place of business, thereby gaining them popularity and ultimately, more tips.  It also puts a name to the faces you see every day at your local eateries, drinkeries, and provisionaries.

You sign in with Twitter, Facebook, or a distinct We&Co account.  The app picks up current locations and employees, and allows you to add locations and employees to various locations.  You then select the employee in question and give them a virtual pat on the back, high five, fist pump, you get it…  The system allows you to follow your favorite employees (bartenders, for example, or hair dressers) from location to location, and employers can choose to reward you for your ratings.  (P.S. Many thanks to Tech Crunch for all the good info!)

As the bright orange business card says, “So give it a go.  See if it brightens your day.  See if it brightens someone else’s day.  We’re betting it will.”

That’s the Q+DD spirit!  We just love.

xx, L

Friday, Friday. Gotta get down on Friday.

And get down we did.

First stop: We picked up Ellen and Matt…otherwise known as BarChila…who came well-prepared for the evening:

Next up: Amazing pizza at Pizzeria Vesuvius.

We started with breadsticks (Joy: they are cheesy!) and the Greek salad (the dressing was super interesting…I liked it.) and then we went for the following:

Vesuvius
Our spicy buffalo pizza with smoked chicken breast, mozzarella, blue cheese, jalapenos, celery and buffalo sauce.

The Mighty Vesuvius

Kilauea
Grilled chicken, red onions, roasted red peppers and barbecue sauce.

Alpine
Ricotta, mozzarella and goat cheeses, sprinkled with fresh oregano and olive oil.

The Vesuvius was my favorite (I’m a sucker for buffalo sauce and blue cheese, what can I say?), followed closely by the Alpine. The Kilauea was a little too BBQ Sauce-y for Terch and me, but the boys did not agree. Gotta love a guy who loves a condiment.

After dinner, we went downstairs to the “Music Room” for a little ping pong action

Ellen demonstrated the proper ping pong stance

and I attempted my first Plank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were also privileged to hear the musical stylings of “Mumford’s”– a very interesting, very spirited band with a lot of brass and apparently a cult-like following! By the end of their show, 75% of the players were shirtless and the boys had purchased their last 2 t-shirts for Ellen and me.

Mumford's newest fans!

All-in-all – huge fan of Pizzeria Vesuvius. Bonus: there’s a ScoutMob right now!

Were we done? Oh no we were not. Our ping pong itch had not been scratched, so we headed a block over to Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium.

In the interest of full disclosure, this place is VERY religiously irreverent and I can appreciate how some could be easily offended by the tongue-in-cheek, sacrilegious artwork and elements such as a confessional booth turned-photo booth, but I have to tell you – I LOVED the general flavor of this place and some of the artwork really made me laugh.

Just like mama always said

Plus, we made some really great friends waiting for the ping pong table upstairs. Next to a Q+DD Koozie, this is about the coolest thing I have ever seen:

Seriously...where can I get one of these?

What a totally random and fabulous night in Edgewood!

I love you, Atlanta.

xx, L

Until now.

meet the OSTRICH

The OSTRICH offers a micro-environment in which you can take a warm + comfortable power nap at ease.  It is neither a pillow nor a cushion nor a bed nor a garment, but rather a bit of each at the same time.  Its soothing cave-like interior shelters and isolates our head + hands for a few minutes w/o needing to leave our desk.

More info on the OSTRICH here: Studio KG

Ummmmmm, obsessed…  I NEED this immediately.

xx, L 

I mean, besides chat on the phone, all the girl seemed to do was  shop… and yet she rocked the exact same midriff-bearing pink space suit every. single day.

The bigger mystery for me, however, is how she bleached her hair to ultimate platinum levels and never, ever seemed to have as much as one split end!

I’m not sure… but I’m pretty sure Judy Jetson’s haircare is available today…at Muse Salon in Alpharetta. (BTW – Muse is absolutely gorgeous and full of pretty people.  I like that in a salon.)

I went up to Muse and placed my tired tresses in the hands of salon co-owner Daniel and stylist Megan and I am here to tell you my hair did a 180.  I am talking noticeable, marked difference.

Enter Kérastase Chronologiste  and the Kérastase Diagnostic Camera.

First, Megan analyzed my hair and scalp with the super magnifying camera and it…was scary.   Breakage everywhere.  Witness:

My actual hair. Yikes.

Then they hooked it up to this bigger computer and I answered a few short questions and it was able to make recommendations on products and treatments based on both the health of my hair and my personal beauty priorities.

That’s when the magic began.  First of all, the Chronologiste treatment looks like a little dish of caviar:

Megan mixed all the ingredients into a paste a paste and massaged into my hair (which was heavenly!) After a few minutes under the heat lamps and a fabulous blowdry… my hair was healthy, bouncy, swingy perfection. More than that – my color looks brighter and my blowdry was quicker. Facts, both!  I totally recommend this treatment.

Bonus: they’re also doing that “Featherlocks” thing up there.  Have you seen this?

The first person I saw with a feather was Greg’s brother’s incredibly stylish lady-friend Emma. Check it:

Since then, I have seen no less than a bazillion girls with all kinds of different colored feathers secured to their own hair with silicone beads.  Apparently, the feathers perform just like your own hair for 8 weeks!  “Bundles” go for $35/bundle and the average “Featherlock” is 2 bundles.

They are pretty discreet, but f I can figure out how to completely hide a hot pink feather M through F I am ALL ABOUT IT. Just saying.

Listen, go check out Muse.  They’re incredibly cutting edge, elegant and…high tech.

Just like my girl Judy.

xx, L

Muse Salon

4620 Kimball Bridge Rd # 5
Alpharetta, GA 30005

THE SLARF

hey there, sad hipster.

Part scarf + part sleeve – the functionality of this fashion item is pretty lost on me; but I want one.  I know that.

kim k rocks a slarf

Although Kim K can make almost anything look good, the chick really knows how to pull off a slarf.  Man Repeller material?  Probably.  Worth the risk?  I’m thinking so.

can you dig it? i can dig it!

Bring ON the slarf! 

xx, L

Serena Williams’ OPI line looks awesome under Shatter, too.

And, here’s the effect:

It’s certainly not for everyone, but it’s a-okay by Fergie…

..and of course, Mrs. Perry (Brand?).

LK + I swear by our nail salon, Lily’s Nails, on Piedmont + Monroe in the shopping center with RuSans + they’ve recently started using OPI’s Shatter.  Last week, when I was getting the OPI Axxium gel nails, Lily + another one of the technicians were trying it on themselves over various bold colors.  It looked really cool, I must admit, for the right time + place.  (Concert, Halloween, bachelorette party, etc…) 

Here are some other crackle ideas:

What do y’all think??  It’s not for everyone, but whomever it IS for – I want to be friends with them… 

xx, L

In no particular order…

1) RYAN BINGHAM: My favorite singer of the moment.

Ryan Bingham

Never heard of him?  You’ve been missing out, buddy…

This 30-year old singer sounds like what I would think the Marlboro man would sound like if he could sing.  For such a young age, his voice is weathered like Ray LaMontagne after three packs of cigarettes and a bottle of whisky.  He sings country + bluegrass-y music, but he’s not over-produced Nashville, and he doesn’t seem to polarize anti-country music folks.

well, hello there.

He’s also more than a little attractive, if you ask me.  (Although, he is no Slick.)

Ryan won an Academy award for the music he wrote for Crazy Heart, and Slick + I have been big fans of his ever since we saw the movie.  In my humble opinion, some of his best tracks are: “Southside of Heaven,” “The Weary Kind,” “Long Way from Georgia,” “Country Roads,” and “I Don’t Know.”  It’s the kind of music you want to listen to while getting ready for bed or driving home after a long day at work.  If you hear some of his stuff + like it, check out his new CD with his band, The Dead Horses, called Junky Star.

Ryan Bingham Tour Dates
Watch Ryan Bingham on YouTube
Follow Ryan Bingham on Twitter
Stalk Ryan Bingham on Facebook

2) ASK MISS A: My favorite advice-giver.

Andrea Rogers, a.k.a. “Miss A,” is the editor-in-chief + publisher of the national lifestyle e-magazine AskMissA.com. 

Miss A

AskMissA.com provides heartfelt – rather than commercial – content for women’s well-rounded lifestyle interests – political and social issues; art and cultural events; charity galas and volunteer opportunities with nonprofits; women’s organizations and networking events; art and literature; design and entertaining; local fashion and beauty. 

Readers turn to “Ask Miss A” for advice + recommendations on everything from style to self-help, and are assured to get an answer that is heartfelt with a touch of Miss A’s Southern charm and sass.  AskMissA.com tosses aside the superficial and shallow to deliver sensibility and substance with style through authentic, informative and witty editorial voices of women-in-the-know across the United States.  AskMissA.com informs, inspires and entertains an audience of more than 70,000 unique monthly visitors. 

And, I’m a newly-inducted contributing writer for AskMissA.com!  Check out my Valentine’s Day post about Norman Love Chocolates!  I’ll be posting several times a month, along with some other fabulous Atlanta women, so check back frequently!

Read AskMissA.com
Follow Ask Miss A on Twitter
Check out Ask Miss A on Facebook

(photo credit: The Man Repeller)

The Man Repeller is brilliant + hysterical, and has been featured in The New York Times, Lucky Magazine + a number of other impressive publications. 

Read w/ Caution:  Once you start reading TMR’s blog…you won’t be able to stop!  (Don’t say I didn’t warn you…)

Read The Man Repeller
Follow The Man Repeller on Twitter
Like The Man Repeller on Facebook
Tumble with The Man Repeller

4) CHUNK HANDLER: My favorite “person” to follow on Twitter.

Chunk + Chelsea Handler

As I’ve made very clear over the past year and a half, I’m kinda obsessed with Chelsea Handler.  So, it’s expected that I’d be a fan of her dog, too.  In fact, he’s my favorite celebrity dog – for sure.  What a cutie pie!

Here are some of my favorite of Chunk’s recent tweets:
“I just saw a cloud that was shaped exactly like a cloud.”
“I zone out therefore I aren’t.”
“Remember that movie where Arnold Schwarzenegger was pregnant?  “Junior” I think it was…that was pretty underrated.”
“That skateboarding bulldog pisses me off for whatever reason.”

who's a good boy???

Follow Chunk Handler on Twitter

(I’ll bet he was watching The Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet last night, too!)

Congratulations, everyone!  You are now officially in the know. 

xx, L