Buckhead Betty ... on a Budget

From Show Home, To Your Home

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 May 2015 18:26:00 +0000

While on our personal decorating adventure for our home (read: my adventure, with the hubs' approvals ha!), I have come up against a few obstacles. So, our house was built in 1991, the beginning of the open-floor plan era. This was high on our list of “must-haves.” What was not, but what we ended up with since it was all the rage back in the day apparently, were brass fixtures, light blond wood floors and carpet in the bathrooms (oh my, I am not lying). Some of these will be swapped out at some point in time (seriously, who puts carpet in the bathroom?!) and others, well, they just aren’t as important in the grand scheme of things. I am trying to focus in more on one room at a time – like, furniture to sit on (...kind of important), paint colors, and things to hang on the walls.

A few weeks back, I was invited to attend the grand opening of the Atlanta Symphony's Showhouse just north of Buckhead in Sandy Springs on Northside Drive. It is the Atlanta Symphony Associates’ 45th (!) consecutive year of presenting the Decorators’ Show House & Gardens. All proceeds go to support the ASO and its community outreach and education programs. An Atlanta spring tradition, ASA’s Show House & Gardens is the largest event of its kind in the Southeast – and one the longest-running in the United States! This year, the duly named "Chateau Soleil" is a sunny yellow, gorgeous 14,000 square foot French style estate.

Oh my goodness, y’all. This house is a stunner. It’s the real deal in terms of good bones. The main foyer is two stories tall, and there are rooms upon rooms upon rooms that ladder out to the left and right. The master-on-main features not only His and Hers closets, but His and Hers bathrooms, too. And the Hers closet was not just one room, but two, all of which were bigger than most of our old one-bedroom Buckhead condo! Le sigh.

If you haven’t been to a show home before, they are really vaults of ideas. Each room is typically “done up” by a different designer, to play off what was in there to begin with and create a livable space with a twist. While you might expect a clashing style with each room side by side designed by different people, somehow it always works. Maybe its the grander vision of the home that comes through, allowing a room of jungle chic to be right next to a modern laundry room with preppy prints. For those of you in need of decor inspiration, a show home is a great spot to check out.

I had so many favorite spots in this house (other than that two-room Hers closet, of course). The formal living room off the kitchen was designed by an old fav of mine, Vern Yip. He was in the room when I did the walk-through, but I was too nervous to go say hi! Love him from his HGTV Trading Spaces days. His room combined a preppy feel with comfort, and maximized the massive windows that lined the space. #fangirl

The upstairs hallway was my second favorite. Yes, a hallway! Not only did it feature the original blond wood floors (!) it also featured a ton of mixed metal elements, including the original brass fixtures. In particular, the gallery wall really inspired me. We have a ton of black frames and prints from our condo’s gallery wall, but they feel out of place in our new home. Now I am inspired to grab a can or two of spray paint, update a few to be silver and brassy/gold, and mix them up for a “new” look. “Brass is back,” so many of the designers told me, so I am also feeling less pressured to swap our fixtures over to brushed bronze or chrome. They can work how they are, with a little polishing!

Another fab space was the nursery. The designer in here mixed old and new, budget and top-line, and music and weddings. Um, hello, Katherine and BB central! The Cello Lamp was amazing, as was the framed print of lullaby sheet music. Both are totally DIY-able.

The baptismal gown was framed in a way that allows it to be un-framed and used by the next generation.

And how fun is the wedding dress bed?!

The last part of the home that made me smile was the story of its color. Apparently, not only the home’s exterior used to be yellow – the whole inside was too! That’s how OUR home is! While refreshing, our home’s yellow beige is overwhelming to me. To see how the designers stripped out that color in this home to make an entering fresh new space, reminded me that "the one room at a time” approach can work for us here, too. The ASA Showhome used all Benjamin Moore colors (my fav brand) and I got a few ideas for some new neutrals that we might be able to use in our place.

Interested in checking out the show home for yourself? It is open through Mother’s Day and would be a great girls-date idea, or a good present/fun outing with your Mom for her day (especially if you are looking for last minute ideas). Check out the details for tickets at their website.

Disclosure: I received free entry for the show home as part of their Media Preview Day, but all opinions are my own. Go see it for yourself! The last weekend is this coming weekend.

Decorating from Zero

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 17:48:00 +0000

Six months into this whole suburbanite home owner thing, and we are still so, so, so happy with life these days. It's been a never-ending adventure. Sure, we are battling weeds in a yard and weird bumps in the night that never used to be an issue in our one-bedroom condo. But, it's been such a fun adventure!! One of the biggest things I have loved about being in our new home is that we can make it ours. From paint to furniture and wall decor, we are starting from a blank slate.

Well, maybe not a totally blank slate. Take, for example, the lovely recessed ceiling wallpaper border and dual-color paint job that came with the house in the dining room:

I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture of the window treatments that were also in this room when we bought it. They were poofy and pleated, and didn't match either of the paint colors OR the trim. Tearing those things down was the very. first. thing I did when we walked in after the closing, I think even before we poured that celebratory first glass of champagne!

The laundry room has some similar earth tones going on, this time in pea green. See photo at left below. So clean and cheery, right? And the upstairs guest bath, the photo on the right? I can't even. Thankfully, it at least matches our shower curtain and towels, although I would have preferred a happy moss green to this shade of ... brown. This room in particular is on the short term weekend to-do list, no doubt.

No home is without its decorating challenges, and while some might be overwhelmed by it, I take it as a challenge (say that with a nice Eurpean accent, "shall-ange"). I have been scouring home decor magazines for inspiration, and I know that a coat of paint and something on the walls can make a huge difference without spending a lot of dollars.

What to put on the walls is a statement in itself. In our kitchen, we have two large canvas photo prints from our honeymoon. Upstairs, we have our monogram "guest book" above the bed in our room, signed by all the wedding guests. I have boxed up the rest of our old black-and-white gallery wall for now (and may resurface the art in new frames soon) while keeping an eye out for other artwork to freshen up our space.

Have any of you tried out Minted before? It's an online marketplace of independent designers. It has the feeling of a boutique shop with the resourcing of an established big online store. What I love is that everything can come pre-framed, and they offer up a ton of frames to match your decor. So, if you are like me and loving the more rustic dark wood frames right now, they have you covered. Take this Georgia photo artwork for example:

Or this foil-pressed map. I love foil-pressed things for a subtle shine and some local personality. This one is of Atlanta's downtown streets. They have a large variety of other cities and states to pick from, too. I like how the gold pops against the "distressed cottage white" frame.

For rooms like my laundry room, I know I am going to be looking for something light and fresh to liven up the space, since there are no windows in there. Prints like this cheerful flower are right up my alley, and would look cute paired with another similar one, maybe like these pretty ones, once we repaint with a new color (I am thinking something very close to white).

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Minted's stationery line. Minted has gorgeous cards and invites for all occasions. They have a brand new Save the Date collection for all of you brides-to-be (or party throwers extraordinaire, for that matter). I am loving so many of these cards. This one comes in a variety of colors, but then you can custom pick a color, too! This would be so fun for a fun event of any kind, not just a wedding.

I love the phrasing of this one. It's not just "a" date, it's "your" date and you should make it yours!

I think what I love the most about their cards is the use of cursive or loopy handwriting fonts (my fav), and so many foil-pressed options! They all look so chic. And, the focus on photography in the cards is fab. For those of you with some killer engagement shots, this site has you covered so that you can focus on the image, vs. the copy. This one is a good example, where the copy doesn't take away from the shot:

So, whether you are home decor shopping, like me, or planning the next big event, go check out Minted! Let me know what you find! Have you shopped Minted before? What did you buy?

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post by Minted, but all opinions are my own! I was already shopping their site to begin with, too :)

Out with the Old, and the Excess

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:23:00 +0000

What a whirlwind year it has been, friends. I don’t know about you, but I feel like as I get older each year, the time speeds by even faster. This year was a busy one, from work to home. There was a lot of travel for business …

And some for fun!

We sold one house …

And bought (and have been working on) another!

We skipped out on full-blown season passes in exchange for buying things for the house, but made sure to hit up some big games when we could:

Had laughs with friends and family alike …

And ate really well:

Whew! It’s only mid-way through another holiday season, and I have already had to put myself in check on health matters. All of that "good eating" has added up, especially when my new work commute has limited my options for workouts. By good eating, I don't always mean "good" as in "healthy!" The scale hasn’t moved too much, but I have not. felt. good. I have been straight up dragging, and spending my upcoming PTO time on the couch in recovery mode just isn’t going to work. I just don't have that kind of time and would rather make the most of my vacays.

So, starting this week, I threw myself back into Weight Watchers with all of my might. Yes, my office might be giving away free breakfasts and lunches. Yes, the social events have snacks and drinks and sweets out the wazoo. But if I am already feeling like I usually do on January 1, over-spent on food and under-spent on energy, I need to kick some serious Katherine booty, like, now. Otherwise, I am not going to enjoy the rest of the season at all.

Maybe I am taking this space as an opportunity to cyber-guilt myself, sure. But, I am pretty sure a number of you are in the same boat, and I thought that there might be strength in numbers, without the excess. The cookies from this past weekend’s exchange were delicious – but now they are in the freezer, ready for enjoyment at a later date, one at a time. Our kitchen is stocked and our meals are planned. Freebies at work, I am ignoring you. Instead of a daily Chai, I am going to treat myself to maybe one each week.

What are you doing to moderate yourself this season?

Feeling Famous in the Hall of Fame

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 21 Nov 2014 15:07:00 +0000

With the holiday break right around the corner, most of us are planning out what we can do when our loved ones come to visit us. Sure, there's the inevitable shopping trips and family meals, but what do you do when the food is all cleaned up, and the Big Game isn't on TV yet?

Last weekend, my cousin came into town for the annual Georgia Tech-Clemson bout, and I was faced with the same question and wanted to make sure she had a great time on her visit. Luckily, I had earmarked a page from the paper from months ago, about the new College Football Hall of Fame, so we were set with a fun place to go!

Located in downtown Atlanta right by Phillips and the Dome, the College Football Hall of Fame relocated from South Bend and our beloved Fighting Irish back in August, and the new location just couldn't be cooler. It's an entirely interactive experience, anchored around the "all access" badge you receive when you walk in. Pick your team, and go explore!

The entrance hall is pretty awesome alone. The helmets on the walls light up with a blue light as you pick your team. I picked Georgia Tech, Brad picked Auburn, and Erin picked Clemson. Then, as you walk through the museum, the badge is automatically picked up by the displays, and you get served up custom college content. Here's Brad checking out the interactive screen of Auburn videos and photos:

And then right down the way on the same big screen, a section lit up to show me some Georgia Tech content. My favorite was watching the Ramblin' Wreck enter the stadium with the team :)

This museum is super-connected. If you participate in any of the interactive demos, the video and photos are tracked on your badge, and everything gets sent to your email address when you leave. So, in case you are wondering, YES, you can re-live that moment when you accidentally signed up for Fight Song Karaoke in front of the entire. freaking. room. of. people. and then had to sing and clap. Yep.

Goodness. Gracious. But if I can do it, so can you. #GoJackets #noshame #sorryimnotsorry What team would you sing a fight song for aloud, no questions asked? :)

In addition to the interactive content, there is just SO much to read and explore on your own in over two floors of museum displays. History, legends and traditions in college towns across the nation. Spotting your favorite college throughout is pretty easy, since most big NCAA schools seemed to be represented.

One last BB tip: GO SEE THE MOVIE. It is, in one word, AMAZING. I got chills and nearly teared up. If you are a sports fan, you are going to love it.

Happy Holidays, all, enjoy your Thanksgiving! And, Go Jackets, and War Eagle!

Disclosure: I didn't receive any compensation from the CFB Hall of Fame for this post. We just had an amazing time, and I wanted to share this with you all!

Giveaway: Cirque du Soleil Amaluna

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 23:10:00 +0000

Part of my favorite part of living in the suburbs is the peace and quiet we have nearly at all times. This morning, a bird chirping woke me up. A bird. What has happened to me? I used to sleep through helicopters whizzing overhead, honks of cars on the nearby roads and the beeps of trucks backing up our high-rise driveway. Now? It's birds. Oh, and the school bus engine idling up the street at 6:42AM, every weekday morning. That's only if I am snoozing much past my alarm and not already walking out the door with this new commute :)

A part of me will always live in the city, though, and I just can't stay away for too long :) I still work in town, and most weekends, I am in town for something, whether it's hanging with friends, or checking out the big game (don't get me started on our Jackets this year, though. Sigh).

This past weekend, it was Cirque du Soleil that drew me into town, to the blue and yellow tents at Atlantic Station. We put on our matinee outfits, grabbed a quick pint next door at Meehan's, and strolled in for the Sunday afternoon show of Amaluna.

Side note: Isn't it amazing how quickly the Cirque du Soleil show seems to set up when they come to town? Those tents go up seemingly overnight, even though in reality, it takes eight days to set up, and three to take down, all via a team of 85 people. Either way, it always makes me think of that opening scene in Dumbo with the men singing as they raise the big top :)

ATLANTA, GA- OCTOBER 2: The cast of Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna performs during a dress rehearsal for the show. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing)

Amaluna was a fantastic experience. First of all, the vibe under the tent is awesome. The crowd sits really close to the stage, all 2,600 of us, and the seats go probably three-quarters of the way around the stage. That means that there is not a bad seat in the house! If you want to see the action really up-close, you can grab seats up front. Or, you can sit a bit further back to get some amazing full-picture views of everything going on. On top of that, there are circular parts of the stage that revolve so that everyone can see everything from every angle.

One of my absolute favorite parts was the band. I noticed a big part of the show was made up of female performers. I found out later that my hunch was right -- the cast is 70% female! The band was all-female, and they brought out the electric cello for a number of the great ballads. I am a cellist myself, so of course I loved it! I always thought it'd be cool to play the electric cello. This woman rocked it. Seeing a show that's a self-titled tribute to the voice and power of women was empowering in and of itself.

ATLANTA, GA- OCTOBER 2: The cast of Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna performs during a dress rehearsal for the show. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing)

From the costumes to the acts, the show was wonderful. Just wait 'til you see what this performer does with the pile of sticks at her feet!

ATLANTA, GA- OCTOBER 2: The cast of Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna performs during a dress rehearsal for the show. (Photo by Pouya Dianat/Allied Integrated Marketing)

Have you been to a Cirque du Soleil show before? What was your favorite memory? How about going to see Amaluna while they are in town? If you are game ... I have tickets to give away right here, y'all! So, get your raffle entry on because I am going to pick a winner later this week! First, read on to learn a bit more ...

About Cirque du Soleil

Celebrating its 30th Anniversary in 2014, Cirque du Soleil brings a new show to Atlanta. Amaluna invites the audience to a mysterious island governed by goddesses and guided by the cycles of the moon. Amaluna's Tony Award-winning Show Director, Diane Paulus, drew from a series of classical influences when creating the concept of the show -- including tales from Greek and Norse mythology, Mozart's The Magic Flute, and Shakespeare's The Tempest. Now playing under the famed blue-and-yellow Big Top at Atlantic Station until November 30, 2014, great seats start as low as $35.

Ticket Giveaway Details

I have four (4) tickets to give away to lucky readers for the Wednesday, November 5th show of Amaluna, at 7:30PM. Ready to win?! Be sure to enter your info in the below form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Not so lucky on the giveaway?

Buy discounted tickets here, thanks to Amaluna. Take advantage of this offer and buy four tickets for the price of three. Bring the whole family, or all the gals - and enjoy the show!

Disclosure: I received two free tickets to the Amaluna show in exchange for this post. However, all opinions are my own! Thanks to Amaluna and Cirque du Soleil for the great afternoon!

The Letter

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 23:32:00 +0000

One week ago yesterday, we walked into an office, keys in hand. The night prior, we stood in an eerily empty living room, hearing our footsteps echo against the bare wood floors and voices ring on the bare concrete walls.

When we walked into that office, pens were raised and names were signed. In just an hour, my very first home that I purchased all by myself almost exactly six years prior, wasn’t mine anymore. We went from that office, to another, and did it all over again. Except that time, we left with the keys, rather than leaving them behind.

One week ago yesterday, Brad and I sold our condo in Buckhead, and bought a home in the gorgeous suburb of Roswell, GA. What followed have been seven days of absolute whirlwind, only just now slowing down now that we have most of the boxes unpacked. I find it hard to think that all of these things once fit around us in 1,000 square feet in the sky! Where did I keep these things then?!

Before moving in, six years ago this summer!

These days, we are going to bed hearing the sounds of crickets, and waking up to the sounds of chirping birds. It’s amazing how quickly one can adjust to new surroundings, if it’s something you have been waiting for. We loved the hustle and bustle of town. But something about this change, right now in our lives, is just right.

It was really hard to say goodbye to our first home. It seems like just yesterday, I was sitting in the middle of an empty living room, only a TV and a camp chair to be had. I was so proud and so happy that my hard work had paid off, and that the condo was mine. Today, we feel similarly. This home is ours, and we can’t wait to fill out these rooms here, too.

In honor of our first home, I have a letter to share. Our (amazing) realtors suggested that we write a letter to the visitors coming in while the unit was on the market, sharing why we loved the home, and what made it special. A little personal touch when we couldn’t be there in person. A single unit in a high-rise might not seem extraordinary. But, ours was, and we hope it will be for the next homeowner, too.

And you know what? The letter worked! The buyer said she loved it, and it was one of the reasons that made her want to buy our place! So, lesson learned, y'all, for anyone else thinking of selling soon. Write a letter!

XOXO I will miss you Buckhead! More to come soon. From the ‘burbs :)

The Letter

Welcome to the Paramount! We are so glad you stopped by. We’re excited to share with you a little bit about why we love this neighborhood, this building and, most importantly, this amazing home in the city, Unit “XYZ.”

The Paramount is a perfectly situated high-rise, located right in the heart of Buckhead. Buckhead is known for its celebrities, shopping and restaurant scene. But we love Buckhead and Paramount Unit XYZ even more for the less-noticeable traits.

Quiet weekend mornings on Peachtree Road, perfect for an early morning run or a quick stroll to the nearby Starbucks.
Late-summer dinners on the patio, overlooking the amazing sunsets against the Buckhead skyline.
Quick walks to Bistro Niko, our favorite restaurant in town. The patio and the mussels are to die for, and the staff always makes you feel like a VIP.
Lazy weekends spent reading outside in one of the cabanas, with the breeze blowing past as if you are at the beach.
Hardwood floors, granite countertops, built-in desks and shelves, arched doorways and tray ceilings; a modern feel, but with a traditional touch.
Summers spent grilling out with friends on the Viking Range, or laying poolside, gazing up at the skyscrapers.
Living at the start line of the world’s largest 10K, the Peachtree Road Race. And even better, living here for one of the city’s biggest fireworks displays, that 4^th of July night!
Early mornings or late nights spent in the gym, with the in-house trainers ready to go whenever you are.
Taking MARTA into town for the football game on a fall weekend, to the airport early on a Monday morning, or just to the office in Downtown.

On the last day. <Tear>

As we prepare to make the move closer to our families, this is a bittersweet time. This home has meant so much to us. It was our first home, and we have loved hosting friends and family here for events both small and large.

But, most importantly, not many homes can credit introducing a couple. This home did that for us. Brad came as a friend of a friend to Katherine’s housewarming party, nearly six years ago, and, as they say, the rest is history!

Unit XYZ will always be in our hearts. And we hope that soon, it will be in yours, too.

Brad and Katherine Lehmann

Popping In, Popping Up

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 May 2014 05:31:00 +0000

Eeeek time has flown by this spring, friends. I have SO many things going on that I can't wait to tell you about oh so soon! It's been a great few months.

In the meantime, I wanted to pass along word of a fun shopping experience, over at ADAC in Buckhead this Wednesday, May 7! Pop-up shops are so fun. This one is timed perfectly for all of the spring and early summer events coming up, too. I also am excited to check out the insides of ADAC in general! That place is super cool.

Anyone want to pop over to this pop-up with me?! :)

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:00:00 +0000

A few months into my thirties, and so far, so good. Not much changed overnight, of course. I didn't wake up with wrinkles, and I long ago switched to 10PM bedtimes on weekends. In general, life continues to zoom past. It feels like just days ago, I was turning 25, really understanding what John Mayer sang about a "quarter life crisis." Ha.

Time may be running past me ever quicker, but I have been trying really hard to step back and take in the little moments when I can.

Like the view from our couch, my favorite view in our home.

Or, a lazy, impromptu lunch at home with my BFF and her 8-month old daughter. No need to worry about the menu in moments like these; chicken and roasted pepper roll-ups with a herby spread do just fine.

Discovering the sassy feeling a lipstick can provide. Why this took me until nearly 30 to realize, I have no idea.

Getting home early to make dinner. And having time enough to sit down at the table with my husband and eat said dinner over good conversation.

Snapping photos of things that inspire me. Especially when budgets don't allow a splurge, I keep the photos as a reminder for the day that I have some fun money to burn.

Open doors and windows as Spring peaks around the corner. Spring cleaning and purging. Late night conversations filled with dreaming and planning. Happy laughs with coworkers, at the office and after the office. Going to bed early on a weekend with zero FOMO. Hugs.

It doesn't have to take a lifetime transition to bring happiness or change. What little moments are fueling your springtime ahead?

Laughs for Ladies Nights

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 00:30:00 +0000

As we have all continued to grow up since our early days of entry-level jobs and internship projects, our PR Girls crowd has gotten more refined in our get-togethers. And by refined, I really mean, simplified.

Early days of happy hours at local restaurants shifted to our single girl apartments, where the wine flowed cheaper and we tried out new appetizer recipes. Now, we have shifted things to our homes, while the husbands are tossed out for the night. Fancy appetizers have given way to quick runs past the store for prepared hummus and chips to add to a few "semi-homemade" treats (since we all know that the wine is the true star!).

We don't go out for PR Girls nights very often anymore. Every so often, though, we break habit and head out onto the town. A girl's gotta live it up every once in a while, after all! Plus, it's fun to throw on some heels and sparkles and have a true ladies night.

We did just that a few weekends ago, ditching the men and hitting up our former stomping grounds over at East Andrews. We weren't heading out for a crazy late night at the bar, however. Or at least, not totally :) We went to have a few good laughs at the Atlanta Improv Theater!

About the Improv: Founded by Budd Friedman in New York in 1963, many know the Improv from the A&E show “An Evening at the Improv”. Over the decades, the talent who has played center stage include Billy Crystal, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Jamie Foxx, Adam Sandler and Dave Chappelle, to name a few. Today, the Atlanta Improv Comedy Club & Dinner Theatre hosts national touring comics with up to five shows per week.

The comedians that performed the night we attended definitely brought the laughs. The headliner act was my favorite. Ryan Singer had a fun blend of topics that appealed to the mixed audience there that night -- something that's important to me. I enjoy comedy, but don't want to hear raunchy or off-color jokes all night. I like it when a comedian can read the audience, and blend jokes together, from witty to raunchy with a little silly throw in.

One thing to note for your visit is that the Improv has a full food and drink menu. There is a two drink minimum (not hard for us to hit that, ha) and then the food comes from fellow Andrews Entertainment District restaurants, including Stillhouse, Cellar 56, Czar Bar and Stout. Good to know in case you are combining dinner and entertainment for date night at the 8PM show, or have a case of late night munchies at the 10PM show. We stuck with easy champagne and wine, but the full bar looked promising, too.

All in all, it was a great change of pace for the night! We finished out with late drinks at the bar downstairs, part of the old East Andrews -- pretending to be 22 again, but smart enough now to know that the easiest way to head home on a late Friday night is to call Uber ;)

More info:
56 East Andrews Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30305
(678) 244-3612
www.theimprovatlanta.com

Disclosure: I was compensated with tickets for the Improv, but all opinions here are my own.

Dinner Party Prepping

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 02:01:00 +0000

The hubs and I did something very grown up this weekend. We hosted my parents for a nice, sit-down dinner party. Homemade pie, coffee and tea and all. Totally acted my 30 years of age ;)

When we got married, I knew that wedding china was definitely going on our registry list. I love to entertain, and have dreams of throwing big, lavish sit-down dinners for friends and family. Some day.

For now, our tiny, non-expandable, condo-sized table for four will have to do. Two to three guests at a time, check. Once, we tried the awkward "add a bigger table next to the circle table" thing. But that wasn't so successful. No one wants to sit on the curve of the table!

I haven't had many opportunities to use the wedding china since the big day. If I had my act together more, I'd do what my friend Lisa does and use it on the 13th of the month, every month. That is such a nice thought. I think we have managed to use the china a handful of times so far, probably more like once every three months :)

So a dinner party was in high order! And hooray, sure enough, the china definitely upgraded the experience, from first course to coffee service.

I did what I always do, a trick that I learned from my mom - set the table first thing that morning. It not only gets the atmosphere right, but it's usually something you will want to take time with, so why not get it done first? I ironed the tablecloth and napkins, spent time pulling out the right plates and utensils, and then put it all together. The weather was gorgeous, the door was open -- it was pretty much a perfect start to the day.

This dinner party was a lot of fun. We enjoyed a few different cheeses with crackers and beverages before the main meal. We decided on the following recipes --

* Mahi Mahi with Braised Tomatoes - Based on a Bacchanalia recipe from a cookbook we received, filled with famous dishes from tons of great restaurants around the country. The fish was light, and finished in the oven, making it easy to prep.

* Gratin of Belgium Endive - A Cooking Light recipe I tore out in 2009. Made it for the first time, and would definitely enjoy this one again! It paired well with the lighter fish and tomatoes, but as a Cooking Light recipe, it wasn't too heavy, like a true gratin might be.

* Malted Chocolate Pecan Pie with homemade whipped cream - Recipe from the Four and Twenty Blackbirds cookbook that I received at Christmas (thanks, Adrienne and Tim!). Oh my. The filling was amazing. The crust, I need to try again, now that I have made it once, but I could tell it will be stellar when I get it just right.

It was all so good together! We chose the recipes partially by what would be seasonally appealing -- no need to make a stew when it is going to be 70 degrees outside! -- and also easy for us to prep while still spending time with our guests. The pie was the most time consuming, but I could make it in advance, along with the tomatoes. The endive, we also prepped in advance and just threw in the oven to brown when guests were due to arrive. That way, it was done around the time we were ready to eat. The fish was the one item that needed a little last minute attention, but it was a quick task, and one that the hubs could do while talking about beer with my dad.

All in all, it was a great night. And now, I can't wait to have another party and use that china again soon :)

Have you thrown any dinner parties recently? What did you choose to make? How did it go?!

Cooking with Empty Cabinets

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:30:00 +0000

The deep freeze finally left us, y'all. A week of frozen streets has warmed up into a beautiful late winter with hints of early spring. One can only hope that a true spring is right around the corner at this point. That, or gosh, let us enjoy the winter weather instead of being stranded indoors for days by it!

While we were fully prepared for the first snow-week here in Atlanta, we unfortunately were not for the second. In fact, the second week came as a surprise to me. I really didn't pay attention to the weather reports, and, as a result, we were a bit low on our pantry supplies just one day into the ice-down. Nothing like a short-stocked pantry to get the creative cooking juices flowing!

After a few days of buffalo chicken sandwiches born out of freezer supplies, we were itching for a dessert. Something sweet to go with what was soon going to be freezer meal #5. Something that we could pretend was an early Valentine's Day treat. And something that didn't require any box mixes, baking soda or anything more than just half a stick of butter.

Thankfully, a quick web search came to the rescue! These red wine truffles were SO easy. Seriously. I am almost regretting giving this one up to you all, because then I won't be able to as easily "impress" when I show up with them at a party to come. But in the true spirit of stranded cooks everywhere, everyone should have a "gimme" recipe like this in their back pocket when the pantry goings get tough.

Enjoy, everyone!

"Atlanta Ice Storm" Red Wine Chocolate Truffles
Adapted from Two Twenty One

Note: the real version of this recipe on the Two Twenty One blog sounds lovely, if you can make it to the grocery store for the actual ingredients :) But chocolate chips did wonderfully in a pinch!

8 oz. of chocolate chips
6 oz. of light cream or half and half
2 Tbsp. of whatever red wine you have on hand
1/2 c. of cocoa

Bring cream to a simmer over low heat, and pour over chocolate chips and red wine mixture in a medium mixing bowl. Mix together until chocolate chips melt. Place bowl in the freezer for one hour, or the fridge overnight. Using a small spoon, scrape out enough chocolate to roll small 1/2 inch sized balls in the palm of your hand. Roll ball in cocoa before placing on serving plate. Store truffles in fridge, as they soften quickly at room temperature.

Southern Life Living

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 21:55:00 +0000

Part of being Southern-raised means some givens in daily life. You say "yes, ma'am" and "yes, sir" to anyone who could be even remotely your age or older. Monograms are present in your home, in some form or fashion. Wearing white is really hard to do outside of the Memorial Day/Labor Day realm, no matter what Fashion Week says.

Southern men and women also turn to certain things as go-to guides for everyday life. Southern Living recipes are passed down from generation to generation. When all else fails, turn to Emily Post. In Atlanta, stores such as Festivity or The Chandlery can be counted on for the perfect hostess gift, even if you, gasp, run past there right before the party [guilty on multiple counts over here!].

Along those lines, Garden & Gun's magazine has been a Southern store shelf staple since 2007. I haven't been a reader of the magazine, but couldn't help but snatch up the latest issue after seeing the navy and kelly green cover (my fav combo) with a gorg mint julep. Fabulous!

Right around the holidays, I read about Garden & Gun's new book, The Southern's Handbook. As you know, I am proud of my Northern heritage, but am proud of my Atlanta "hometown," too. I ordered the book right away, and have been (truly) pouring through the pages ever since. It's a book that touches on everything I have grown up with all these years, from my early years in Richmond to current life here. Included within, secrets to things like making the perfect fried chicken (never tried it, but now definitely want to) and the "finger salute," familiar to anyone who has raised a hand to others as you drive by in a smaller town.

All in all, the writing is solid, with some Southern snark wrapped in alongside what could be mistaken for a friendly chat with a neighbor.Whether you are a multi-generational Southerner, or someone new to the area, just looking for a little perspective, I say this book is a quick, light read and a worthy add to your night table. As a bonus, it's also a perfect addition to the Southern coffee table in between and after reads :)

Disclosure: The editors at Garden & Gun didn't ask or tell me to write a review of this book. I just am a fan and wanted to pass the word along!

Future Becomes Reality

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 23:36:00 +0000

You know how sometimes life can sneak up on you, and all of a sudden, weeks have flown past since you last saw your friends and family? That's how I have been feeling this month. January, a month notorious for the winer blahs, (attempted) exercise regiments and snow days, sure hit me over the head this year. A bad respiratory cold knocked me out for almost two weeks, including a few sick days at home. Busy days and some travel sped me forward another week. Snow days and the epic Atlanta traffic nightmare that resulted locked us all down for a few days.

And bam, now here we are, a week into February and my oh my, I can already feel the spring itch. Are the daffodils blooming yet?!

Something else that surprises me is that I have now been married for almost a year. 10 months, and if time continues at its current pace, we will be at a year in just a blink. Over the last number of months, I have been feeling a little "off" here on the blog, and truly, I think that it's been all part of the settling down that's happened after the wedding. The honeymoon effect has been in full swing, and we have be growing into our home in Buckhead, just enjoying being the Lehmanns. It's been awesome, and this site, well, it has just slipped past me a bit :)

This blog was created when I was still new to the neighborhood, and it was the perfect outlet for all of my design/decor desires, cooking attempts (some wins, some not!) and my new budget-focused life with the new mortgage under my belt. Now? The blog is morphing into something a tad different. It's not something I have planned, but I know that change is right around the corner. No longer am I just a "Buckhead Betty," spending nights on the town with my ladies before date nights every weekend. Those ladies are now married, some with kids and others with little ones on the way. Most of them have mortgages now, too, so budgets are tighter while all those plans for the future are becoming actual reality. Some have moved away, while others have moved OTP.

As for us? Date nights have been stretched out to special occasions, while we save up for what we are terming "the next big thing." Don't judge, but it's not uncommon that we have a "nice little Saturday" at Costco and Home Depot ... and we are ok with it! Meal planning meets pre-planning while the husband finishes out one last semester of night classes for his Masters. Entertaining must be in my blood, because I love having our friends over to the condo, vs. meeting up on the town.

Life just keeps going. As does this blog, in some form or another. It's never been a DIY blog, a cooking blog or a budgeting blog. It's been a lifestyle blog ... of my own life! And it will continue to be just that. I wouldn't change any of this for the world. I turned 30 last year. If 29 was any indication, 30 is hopefully going to be a good one. That "next big thing?" We have some ideas. More to come in the coming months! But right now, we are going to continue to focus on "us," and today. And today, I am ready for the spring, and with it, the change that it always seems to bring :)

Hi, and Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 18:40:00 +0000

Hello Friends, and Happy New Year!

It's been, let's say, a wee bit longer than planned since the last time I blogged. I am so sorry! Apparently, my mind needed a bit of a blogging break, so I gave it one. And while I stayed on social networks, I didn’t take too many photos or post too many updates. A bit of an unplugged season, I guess. All in all, the mental rest did a body good! In the meantime, it was a busy fall and holiday season, and life sped on.

Football games were lost … and won! [War Eagle!]

Trees were lit … and taken down … last night. Ha! We held out until the Epiphany. That's my excuse :)

We saw pretty lights …

And city lights …

I may have turned 30. [How's that for the downplay of the year?!]

And we just capped it all off with a weekend in the mountains with good friends to celebrate other good friends.

What have you been up to these past few months? I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday season.

As always, the New Year is bringing some New Starts in the Lehmann household, including early mornings at the gym (2 for 3 so far. Today, it was 20 degrees outside, so the bed won in the end) and reconnecting with our home cooking skills. It will be time to start thinking about bathing suits again before we know it, so I am trying to get a head start on fitness now, while mid-winter social plans are quiet.

Yesterday, in efforts to banish the cold already seeping into town, we cooked up a batch of Italian Wedding Soup. Extremely fitting as we had just returned home from said wedding in the mountains, this soup was the perfect cozy soup for a chilly winter day. Since it's homemade, you can keep things low-sodium and low-fat depending on the type of meat and amount of pasta you throw in. Plus, it tastes amazing. Hard to beat that. Below is our recipe – we loosely adapted things from a recipe we found online, enough that it is now "ours" :)

Happy New Year, everyone! Looking forward to a fun 2014 ahead!

Lehmann Italian Wedding Soup

Serves 4-6

1 small onion, finely diced

2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 lb. ground beef (80-20 blend or your choice)

1 c. Italian breadcrumbs

2 eggs

3/4 c. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

1-2 tsp. each salt and pepper, to taste

3 boxes low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. pastina

1 c. baby spinach

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender and translucent. Set aside to cool slightly as you prep the other meatball ingredients. Combine beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, parsley and salt and pepper in a large bowl; add in cooled onions and peppers and mix with hands. Form small meatballs (half inch in diameter) and place on wax paper on a baking tray. Place meatballs in freezer for 15-20 minutes.

While meatballs cool, heat up broth on the stove in a large pot. Bring to a boil and carefully add in the meatballs, a few at a time. Simmer over reduced heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add pastina and cook an additional 5 minutes, folding in spinach towards the end. Enjoy!

Burgers and Boozy Libations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 00:02:00 +0000

Whew. What a busy October it has been! You know when you look at your calendar, and you think to yourself, when is the next free day?! Yep, that's been our world over here. We're busy at work, the hubs is also busy at school, and both of us were topping it all off with crazy busy weekends including two football road trips, a cabin getaway and a wedding.

Seriously, though, I always love October for this scheduling. Every year, it happens again, and every year, POOF we are thrown right into hard core Fall with the holidays right around the corner. Just like that, the trees are turning colors, tomorrow is Halloween and family comes into town in a few weeks for Thanksgiving. It might be busy, but it's always a gateway month leading into a few months of holiday fun. Long time readers of this blog know that I am a sucker for this entire time of year, from Fall to New Year's, so I do love the rush of it all.

Amongst that busy schedule, we found time to try out a new restaurant in town, Stillhouse Craft Burgers and Moonshine. The restaurant was kind enough to invite us to a media tasting, and so we had fun testing out the various burgers ... and of course, the moonshine :)

Photo courtesy of Stillhouse

One of the first things we noticed was that Stillhouse has taken over the space previously occupied by the East Andrews downstairs bar, making it a great spot for a late evening bite, perhaps before heading to a concert at Andrews Upstairs. The restaurant opens out onto a patio area that you can see from the street. Plus, the bar area has seen an awesome upgrade, complete with barrels filled with Stillhouse's signature moonshines and whiskeys.

We tried out a few different items on the menu. The pimento cheese, smoky as described, was quite good -- and that's coming from this Betty who of course has a recipe of her own momma's that she stands by! ;) We also tried out a few drinks. I really liked the Thyme to Shine -- herby and not too strong a flavor of moonshine, a nice late Summer/early Fall drink.

Photo courtesy of Stillhouse

Brad tried out the "Smoke Your Drink" feature, where the bartender infuses your selection of bourbon, whiskey or 'shine with the smoke from woods like Cherry, Apple or Pecan. They did the smoking effect tableside for us, which I don't think is standard, but I told them it should be -- it was cool to watch!

Our burgers were tasty as were the sides. We tried out the PB&J, which featured peanut hummus and fig jam, and the Southern, which had collard greens and gouda. The sides were really, really good -- try out the fries with gouda and the Spicy Mac and Cheese. Then (as if we had room in our stomachs to fit this, ha), we also tried out some desserts. The Chocolate Marble Cheesecake S'mores were decadent.

All in all, we had a good meal. The restaurant staff was really nice and helpful, and eager to share more about the restaurant's burger and moonshine theme. A quick side note to you Medium/Well burger types, their standard is Medium-Rare ish, they told me, so remember when you order to ask for what you'd like :)

Have you been to Stillhouse yet? How did you enjoy your meal? I also noticed that they are on Scoutmob, which would be a fun way to try out the menu with a cash discount, if it's your first time.

Disclosure: We received a complimentary meal from Stillhouse in exchange for this review. However, all opinions are my own!

Fallish Feelings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 22:40:00 +0000

Great football, cool air and cold beers. Yesterday, we had two of the three, at least, down on the Plains for the Auburn - Ole Miss game. The air might have been a bit warmer than expected for early October, but we made the most of the day with our family trip to cheer on the Tigers as they faced the Rebels!

What a fun day! This was my dad and brother's first Auburn game, and the hubs had fun showing them around the campus and reliving his glory days as an undergrad. We grabbed a spot in the shade to tailgate for the afternoon, right near the Auburn Hotel. Brad's dad, one of his friends and my brother's girlfriend joined us for the fun. I took advantage of the tailgating occasion to try out a few new desserts. The Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars had fantastic flavor, but the crust was troublesome to cut -- I am going to try these again with a graham cracker or gingersnap crust. Recipe to come once I perfect it :)

Then I also made Tiger Tails -- white chocolate-covered marshmallow sticks, with a chocolate drizzle on top. Hello, sugar rush! These were fun to look at AND eat!

We saw an exciting, big win before a late night caravan home to Atlanta, and so today, we are all a bit slow moving. The cloudy sky-outskirts of Tropical Storm Karen are setting the perfect weather mood for a snuggly afternoon on the couch. I made a pot of Bacon Cheeseburger Soup to top off the weekend as we settle in for some pro football hangout time tonight. This one of my own recipes that is just too good not to share. Enjoy, friends, and have a great week ahead! War Eagle!

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Serves 5-7

1-1.5 lbs. lean ground beef
6-8 slices turkey bacon, diced in large pieces
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
15.25 can corn, undrained
14.5 can diced tomatoes, undrained
15 oz. can red kidney beans, undrained
1 lb. 2% milk Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 Tbsp. steak seasoning or seasoning of choice
Corn chips, such as Fritos

Cook ground beef and bacon over high heat in a Dutch oven until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Add jalapenos halfway through cooking time, stirring with meat to soften the pepper. Add remaining ingredients, bringing to a boil before reducing heat. Cook over low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the cheese from sticking on the bottom. Serve with corn chips on top.

Note: can also be made in the slow cooker. Prepare beef and bacon on stovetop first. Add all ingredients other than corn chips to a greased slow cooker. Cook on High for 3 hours, or on Low 5-6 hours. Top with chips.

Riding Around Town: Deal Alert for 10/3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 16:33:00 +0000

I have been trying to spend every possible second of the recent early Fall weeks outdoors whenever I can. It has been just gorgeous here in Atlanta! Mild, low humidity and full of sunshine (finally, after that rain-filled summer!). On weeknights, we are taking walks, and on weekends, hanging out at local parks and outdoor venues. Tonight, the hubs and I are headed to see the scarecrows in the Botanical Gardens at Fest-of-Ale. Can't wait to see the creations and test out a new beer or two!

Being out and about a lot means that usually one of us is driving so that the others in the group can enjoy that adult beverage or two, though :) For those days or nights where we all want to relax, Uber is our go-to stand-by. I have posted about Uber here before. But now we also have uberX here in Atlanta, the ridesharing version of their standard black car service. uberX is Uber's most affordable product. They have a big focus on rider safety and as a result, it's become their most popular platform in California, Seattle, Chicago and Boston.

To kick off their Atlanta service, Uber has been giving everyone in Atlanta free uberX rides all this week! To grab the ride, tap the uberX button on your Uber app and the free ride applies automatically. To top it off, local businesses all around town are offering up bonus discounts when you show your receipt. El Taco, Murphy's, Park Tavern, Tap and Andrews Upstairs are just a few of the spots participating. Since you can get up to four free uberX rides during this promotion, that means you can take a free ride TO the restaurant/bar, use the receipt while there to get some bonus swag, and then take another free ride home FROM the restaurant/bar. Clutch!

The promotion ends tonight, though, so cash in on it if you are headed out for your own Thirsty Thursday somewhere! If you’re not signed up, download the app or register here https://www.uber.com/go/ATLLOVESuberX. Check out the full details on their blog post and here are a few quick caveats:

Your free rides will automatically apply, just request an uberX.
Rides are NOT valid on UberBLACK and UberSUV.
Free rides only valid from 8am 9.30.13 through 11:59pm 10.3.13.
Share this great promotion with your friends with #ATLLOVESuberX
Be on the lookout for #ATLLOVESuberX signage at participating partner locations.
While enjoying the freebies, snap photos and share with #ATLLOVESuberX for a chance to win some awesome giveaways.

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this blog post. I am just an uber Uber user and want to spread the love!

Be Yourself, Together

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 01:57:00 +0000

We are entering into the end of wedding season. I can't believe another one has nearly come and gone! It seems like just yesterday we were walking down the aisle ourselves, and now here we are, five months into married life and heading into the last month or two of wedding mania for 2013.

Fall is a super popular time to get married. The cooler weather and pretty leaves add up to a gorgeous weekend for the party and photos alike. I always thought I might get married in the Fall. Although, the Fall is not an ideal time to get married here in the South. We take our Football Game Days seriously, y'all. So it worked out just fine that we got married in the stunningly gorgeous month of April instead ;)

We have just one more wedding to attend this year -- the wedding of one of our own Best Men, actually. We are so excited to celebrate with him and his fiance, and have already been thinking about all of the great wedding gifts we can give them to help them celebrate together as newlyweds.

When I shop for wedding gifts, I love finding something that fits the couple just so. Most of the time I shop from their Registry, since I know those are things that they really need and want. That's what the Registry is for, after all! Also, I will confess: I always have fun checking out what everyone has registered for. It's like getting a little, secret glimpse into their life-to-come, all via their flatware, china and bedding.

My favorite types of gifts are the ones that combine something "Registry" with a little "bonus" something that says something about them as a couple. Like a set of their rocks glasses paired with pretty cloth cocktail napkins -- the guy can enjoy his evening beverage while the girl enjoys playing hostess with gal pals. We got a fun gift along the same lines; bath towels combined with bubble bath and a book all about love. Utilitarian towels for him; girly relaxation time for me. Hooray! We both win!

This is why I love this year's Target Wedding theme of "Be Yourself, Together," which celebrates the unique qualities each individual brings to a relationship that, when combined, result in something beautiful. The Target Wedding Registry line includes traditional wedding items like vacuums and stand mixers, as well as some fun, non-traditional items to help make that gift extra special.

I went shopping around the store this week for my own Be Yourself, Together gift idea, and had fun pairing up these two items --

Gorgeous Fieldcrest bedding (who doesn't love that line, seriously? I have eyed that brand for YEARS, am telling you!) with ...

A yoga set! Sleepyhead snoozer meets early morning gym rat. This is such a fun way to look at gift giving, and takes shopping off the registry to a whole new, personalized level. Plus, in this case, who's to say that the snoozer can't appreciate the yoga set as an evening routine, instead? It's not all about sun salutations, after all!

Follow along on Twitter for inspiration on other fun "Be Yourself, Together" gift ideas by searching the hashtag #TargetWedding. And be sure to check out the Target Wedding Catalog for even more fun ideas, and the Target Wedding website as you finish out shopping for these last few 2013 weddings -- or if you, yourself, are on the list to get married next!

Happy Shopping, and Best Wishes!!

Disclosure: I received compensation in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own. I truly love both Target AND weddings :) Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

Lazy Meets Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 21:29:00 +0000

Fall 2012 football. Yay cooler temps!

It's so easy to fall right into food traps. For me, when I am trying to be on good eating behavior, I have a few solid standbys. Slim-fast chocolate shakes make for a great, fast snack, as do bananas with some peanut butter or a yogurt. I stick with healthy cereal and fruit for breakfast, and I do my best if I have soup in the freezer to pull out on that day where we are short on leftovers to bring for lunch.

One week into our Challenge, and I am already getting antsy, though. And this, my friends, is why we were in such a bad spot this summer. It gets all too easy to call the local pizza place on a lazy Monday like today.

That's the key word – lazy. We went grocery shopping this week already. We have a fridge stocked with dinners for all the nights of the week. And yet, here I am, hungry in the late afternoon (my own fault for not packing a snack) and I am already thinking, "oh man, pizza would be sooo good tonight."

NO! I am not letting myself succumb quite yet. We have too many things coming up this Fall where I can let loose a bit if I want. Football games, weddings and trips take precedence over laziness if I want to splurge. So today, on this lazy random Monday, I am trying to focus on our pre-planned, healthy meal we have ready to make tonight. I am pretty excited for this, too -- Tilapia packets with carrots, peppers, onions, potatoes, lemon and herbs. Julia Child easy yet chic French cooking style.

From one healthy-wannabe to another :) Let's keep up the good food mojo! Here are some of the other healthy, WW and budget-friendly recipes on my radar.

Pork tenderloin in the crock-pot – I grabbed apples from the store to use in this Fall-inspired dish this week. I am a crock-pot lover. This is going to be clutch for both dinner and lunch leftovers, since tenderloins come in packs of two. Plus, how good will this smell as it cooks?!

Image Source: Martha Stewart

Homemade enchilada sauce – We made this last week and it was. SO. GOOD. I honestly probably won't buy the canned stuff again, unless I am strapped for time. This took about 20 minutes to make, and you can flavor it to your liking. I am going to cut the cumin in half, since it was a bit much for me, and we might add some more heat. This topped shredded chicken, spinach and mushroom enchiladas. We threw the onions from the sauce into the filling, too.

Sandwiches – these are one of my favorite standbys for lazy nights. Plus, they are super cheap to make. Tuna salad BLTs top my list - add a sliced egg for an indulgent feel! These other options from Martha sound delicious, too. Ham, brie and apple, yum!

Flank steak steakhouse salad – This cut of meat was on sale this week, so I am making the most of it with a "fancy" salad, restaurant-style with minimal effort. I love salads because I can "wing" it and usually end up with a satisfying mix with whatever ingredients we have on hand.

What have you made recently that helped keep you on track with healthy eating?

Our Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 17:25:00 +0000

It was a big weekend in the our household. We saw the Yellow Jackets go 70-0 on the Flats (an ACC record, woo!). We yelled "War Eagle!" virtually via our laptops while we watched a big Clemson late-night win over the dirty dogs (note the correct spelling) on TV. Then we did the Tomahawk Chop not once, but twice, at two Braves games.

Whew. To say we are sports-ed out for a few days would be an understatement :) But what fun it all was! We loved seeing our friends and family and so many great games. We are now going to rest up and then do it all again, albeit on a much smaller scale, with the next GT home game in a few weeks. By then, the leaves will be starting to turn. Cool weather or not, Fall is here, y'all, and I couldn't be happier.

Well, ok, truth be told, I could be happier. Since the wedding, we have enjoyed a Summer full of leisure. Social gatherings, drinks and amazing food. Thinking back to April, when we were both a bit maniacal about healthy eating and working out, it's no big surprise that neither the hubs nor I have been feeling "great" these days. In fact, after this long holiday weekend of food and festivity, we both felt a bit physically exhausted and ready for a serious jolt of nutrition.

We have both been struggling with motivation to get back on the healthy train. Attempts to workout have been halfhearted, at best, and while we've tried to keep meals mostly standard-issue healthy, we have slipped up with enjoying more desserts, snacks and adult beverages than usual. Now that the hubs is heading back to classes a few nights a week, we both need something to hold us honest to eating right and working out, whether solo or in tandem.

Enter our own personal Biggest Loser Challenge. We have always loved that show, and figured it's time to star in a version of our own. We set our individual goals, took our initial measurements, and each have our own approach to tallying up a "win" at the end of 90 days. While we did set a fun little "prize" for the winner, we both agree that it'd be awesome if we just both hit our goals. For me, I think this might be my ultimate 30th Birthday present to myself. What the wedding did for us in April, we'd like for this Challenge to do for us as we head into my 30th year, and continue with our first year of marriage – be at our physical best and enjoy life that much more.

We designed this Challenge just for us, so while I won't be publicly sharing updates, I am going to continue to share our new favorite healthy recipes and workouts and activities. After all, it's not just a number on the scale. It's a full-person approach -- body and mind!

What keeps you motivated to stay healthy? How clothes fit? A workout buddy? The scale? Or just how you feel? Let's keep each other motivated as we all avoid that upcoming winter weight :)

Falling into Routines

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:23:00 +0000

Oh thank goodness, Fall is nearly here again!

My fellow Atlantans know that we have been plagued with a seriously wet summer. Usually by this time of the year, we are all desperate for cooler temperatures. This year, though, we are all just ready for some sunshine! It has rained here more already this year than our usual entire yearly average. I am pretty sure the entire city is Vitamin D deprived right now. We aren't even totally sick of the heat yet either, since the rain has kept things here pretty low-temp (knock on wood). While I am definitely ready for the cooler weather ahead, I will take some sunshine alone for a bit right now.

But of course, I hope that cooler temps are still right around the corner! There's nothing worse than hot, humid days in October!

Source: Pinterest

I can thank the season change for us starting back with serious meal planning this past weekend. Fall means back to school for the hubs, so evenings will be quiet at the homestead a few nights per week. If I don't have a menu planned for myself to cook solo, that can mean takeout orders and frequent grocery store stops. Now that we are back in regular, post-wedding, school season life mode, we are hoping to cut back on our food spending. A quick synopsis of the budgets revealed that we have been buying double the amount we normally would at the store … but somehow also eating out double as well. It doesn't take a genius (thankfully, since I am no math whiz) to realize some seriously wasted funds. Even just a few small changes can help us out here.

Polenta with Roasted Vegetables and Fontina; Source: Pinterest / Williams Sonoma

So we set a weekly budget for food at the store, as well as a weekly budget for eating out. Our "eating out" budget includes expensive lunches, too – another common side effect of not meal planning. My lunch in-town, for example, can easily be $12 if I opt for my fav Pad Thai. Ridiculous!

We are … three (ha) days into our budget, and so far, so good. I haven't bought anything outside the budget yet, and we have a TON of food at home ready to take to work, with supplies for more meals this week. We made already BBQ in the slow cooker, and WW soup on the stove. It feels good knowing I can go home tonight and already have a dinner there waiting for me.

Even though pizza sounds divine tonight, too. That's just my hunger talking, I guess ;)

What is your Fall routine or ritual? My next step is to inch back into regular work-outs before any "winter weight" has a chance to start hanging around. With these low-humidity late summer days we are having, evening walks are my new fav!

Boxes and Boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Aug 2013 16:55:00 +0000

It's no secret that I like a good adult beverage. I have a few stand-bys that I turn to. A Cosmopolitan or a Martini are my special occasion drink -- fancy nights on the town, a special happy hour with friends, holidays, etc. Then I am a Makers and Diet gal for football game days. You better believe we are stocking up this week since football kicks off this weekend!! Beer is good for tailgating and brewery tours. White wine is nice with a fancy dinner here and there. And then, for pretty much anything else, I like red wine. I'm not picky about the brand or type of red wine, just red in general works for me.

Lately, the pools around town have been cracking down on glass at pools. Apparently, there is some sort of state law that says when glass breaks inside pool gates, whether or not its near or in the water, the entire pool has to be drained and cleaned out. Our highrise has cracked down on the policy in an effort to avoid shutting down the pool on a regular basis thanks to partying neighbors -- and to avoid charging all of the residents for the resulting HOA charges. Now, residents who violate the no-glass rule are fined, and any resident who breaks glass, or has a guest who does so, is responsible for paying the fine for the pool draining and cleaning. We are talking multiple, multiple hundreds of dollars. Oh my! We will gladly amend our late-summer poolside drinking habits to avoid that expense :)

While the guys can easily shift to canned beer, I have been hearing a lot of great things about boxed wine recently from my girlfriends.

I know. I can hear you all saying, ick, boxed wine?! The hubs said the same thing. But trust me on this one.

I got a stellar recommendation on this brand from a colleague, and OMG, it is so good. You would never. ever. know. that this is boxed wine. Bota Box is actually wine in a bag in a box, so there is none of that cardboard taste that plagues most other boxed wines. We grabbed the Malbec, and everyone who tried it at the pool party raved about it.

The other great part is the price. The box is only $20, and is equal to FOUR BOTTLES of wine. That rivals any good Trader Joe's wine pricing. Even better, the wine stays fresh, since no air can get inside like a bottle. They claim it stays fresh for 45 days. As if I would let it hang around that long to test the theory, but you know, still a good benefit ;)

Bota Box looks to be distributed around the country, but they offer a zip code search in case you want to be sure to find it at your local store. I did a quick search for the Malbec, and how convenient, it's offered right around the corner from me at our Publix. Score! :)

What's your go-to beverage? And have you tried Bota Box or any other boxed wines that we should try out?

Friday Fotos

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 20:08:00 +0000

I must be losing my mind. The days -- they just keep slipping away!

One thing that helps me with my sanity is my photo stream on my phone. It was important to me when I was phone shopping last that it have a great camera. It really lets me capture those little daily moments that otherwise just slip past, when I might not have my real camera on hand.

A few of the recent snapshots from my brain, aka my phone ...

The Starbucks up near my parents' house in Roswell sure has upgraded since the days we used to study there as teens! They have an "afternoon" menu that includes wine and food, and a whole new layout for chairs and tables. If I lived anywhere near there, I am pretty sure I'd be right there in that comfy leather chair in the corner all. the. time.

How adorable is this groom's cake set-up! The bride, a fellow GT gal, and the groom, my husband's Auburn roommate, gave a nod to the fun college rivalry world they live in. I loved it! I totally clapped along for the War Eagle song, and then STOOD UP (yep ha!) to sing along with Ramblin' Wreck when they were both played at the wedding. A girl's gotta show her pride! Hooray both teams!

I really do love my coworkers. One of our teammates went down to the Caribbean for a family vacation, and was SO NICE to bring us back awesome bracelet souvenirs! A few of the ladies on our team each got a different color. So thoughtful. I have mine tacked up next to my computer. It's awesome working with awesome people :)

At the same wedding as up above, the bride and her florist created these amazing arrangements for all over the venue. I didn't get a shot of the amazing arrangements inside, but these ones by the entrance table and escort cards grabbed my eye. The lemons and big leaves look so cool on the bottom! This could be fun to create on a smaller scale at home.

Apparently we live in a highrise full of third graders. Look this monstrosity! The ENTIRE set of pool chairs were "reserved" by people's bags, towels and sunscreen on a recent early Saturday morning. And there was not a soul in site. Seriously. So, I did what every older fourth grader would do. I stole a chair and claimed it mine :) Ha! It felt awesome. Especially when all of the 50 year old neighbors leisurely strolled down an hour and a half later, thinking they were set, and had one less chair to sit on. First come, first serve, y'all. Can't save seats with this many people in the building!

How cute is this?! I ordered my very first thing from One Kings Lane recently (I know, I know -- but I have been a big window shopper all of these years!) and look what they sent for free as a little "Thank you for becoming a customer" -- a multi-color, prim and proper notecard set. I love writing handwritten notes, so this is just perfect. How thoughtful. And great customer service!

What memories have you been catching on your phone (or real) camera recently?

Nice Little Saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 16:57:00 +0000

It's one of those low-key, few-plans, lazy-living kind of weekends over here. Last night we went to Callanwolde for one of their Jazz on the Lawn evenings. It was so relaxing! The music was James Bond-themed, performed by my brother's old jazz piano teacher and his group, the Ted Howe Trio. We went with my parents, who brought an amazing picnic dinner and chairs, and we supplied the blanket and wine. Easy! We ran into Lisa and Bo while we were there, too. All the cool kids know where it's at for a casual in-town Friday night :)

Today, much less is planned. I dropped my brother and his girlfriend at the airport earlier (so jealous, they are headed to Mexico!), got my nails done and soon am going to get my hair did. Later, a trip up to Roswell to see my parents. Yep, a nice little Saturday over here, folks -- I am loving it!

A few weekends ago, I had a similar day, and decided to spend it being crafty. I had a few supplies on hand as well as my trusty glue gun, so I poured some wine (another key supply for any craft) and got to work on making a new wreath for our door.

I am such a fan of door decor. You all may remember the Christmas wreath I made many years ago that we still hang out each year. I always get a little sad when it's the mid-summer months and I don't have a spring/summer wreath to take the place of the patriotic star I usually put out for Memorial Day and the Fourth. I also am in need of a good "house divided" Georgia Tech-Auburn creation. That may be my next project.

For this one, I grabbed up a wreath from the leftovers of our garage sale in early June, stripped off the former decor and gave it a good hose down.

What I love about this wreath is that it is decorated entirely using leftover goodies from our wedding. The white letters were used on a door wreath made by one of my bridesmaids for our couples shower. I also had YARDS of green ribbon on hand from the Williams Sonoma registry gifts we received. I was saving it for just such an occasion!

The "L" base is made from cardboard from a few leftover wedding gift boxes. I used tape to keep the fabric in place on the back, which let me move things around if the wrapping didn't look quite right.

Once I had the main letters in place, I glued on fake flowers on that were formerly centerpieces at another shower. Green, navy blue and pink -- our wedding colors!

I am pretty happy with what I made for free in about an hour. It's been fun coming home to see our joint monogram on our front door, and it also brings back to mind that great day in April and all of the celebrations with friends before that day, too.

Happiness and Hellos

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 17:33:00 +0000

Source: Pinterest

Days have been whizzing past recently. I have been settling into newlywed life with lots of joy and lots of fun. Social life is great, work life is great, our home is looking great ... and in all honesty, the only elements not pretty pulled together right now have been my workout life and my blogging life :)

I have been trying to live out every moment of every day in the recent few weeks. Saying "sure" when sometimes I might have said "maybe," and trying to do things now instead of later. When happiness abounds, you should live it up, right? Sometimes, you have to let go of the schedules and the lists, and just relax and be in the moment. From leisurely mornings with the paper and a cup of chai to impromptu weekends spent with friends, I have been trying to be that girl that I've always wanted to be -- the Yes Girl.

That said, I have missed blogging (running, not so much, but that's a whole other story!). While I haven't been posting a lot, I think it is just a small side effect of what is starting a new transition in my life. I am heading towards the big 3-0 later this year, full steam ahead, and I am realizing a lot of time has gone past without me ever doing the things I've told myself I would.

Some bloggers wrote fun July 1 posts in honor of the six-month mark after New Year's. Resolutions abound in January, but how often do you take a reality check once a few months have gone past? I decided to make a Resolution List of my own, but this one centered around closing out my 20's with as much happiness as possible. Enter, my Happiness List.

My 2013 Happiness List

* Host dinner parties at least once a month. We love hosting, and even more so now that we are all grown up with matching plates and serving platters :) Whether one friend or many, this is on our radar for the months coming up, busy football season and all. Now the goal is to get the invites out and dates on the calendar.

Source: Pinterest

* Scrapbook a little more. My Post-College scrapbook, all well and good pre-wedding, immediately got pushed under the bed as soon as wedding planning started. I am about 70% done. Better get that one wrapped up so I can start in on my Wedding Memories one!

* Unplug and read a book at bedtime. Right now, it's my fav Pat Conroy. Then I need to head to the library to pick out the next one!

* Really hug people. They are just so restorative! A good bear hug goes a long way.

* Sit by the pool. No explanation needed here!

* Do nothing for a weekend. So far, I am at a pretty high success rate for this. It's amazing how much more zen I feel when I get back to work on a Monday following a quiet weekend :)

* Sit on our patio. We have a very lovely porch. Why do I not sit out there more?! That cup of chai or glass of wine would be just as nice outside.

If you had to pick one or two things, what would be on your Happiness List? Are you trying to live life to the fullest, too, or is life flying past you each day? It's crazy how fast time can go by when you aren't paying attention. How can you slow things down in your world?