Goodbye 2010!

Hello Friends!

I hope you had the most wonderful holiday season this year. Can you believe it's New Year's Eve? I certainly can not. We flew back into Atlanta this morning after a wondrous week spent with family in NJ and NYC. We got into town just in time for NYC Blizzard 2010 -- in fact, our flight was one of the last to make it in on schedule, or even at all. I have never seen so much snow so quickly! We got 20 inches in something like 15 hours, goodness gracious. All that after our historic Atlanta snowfall here on Christmas Day, the first since the 1800's. Snow made a lasting memory for us this holiday season, and I am so happy that I was able to create those memories with the ones I love.

Speaking of memories, tonight is the night when we both reminisce and look forward, all at once. Here is a quickie list of some of my favorite 2010 moments. It has been such a fab year!

April: Seeing the new Atlanta Botanical Gardens Canopy Walk at the Member's Preview Party. This place is so gorgeous.

All Spring: Grilling out and experimenting with healthy and flavorful fresh foods, yum!

May: Old and new gal pals coming together in name of our fav ladies, the SATC crew.

May: My brother's graduation from GT. Yay Colin! What a fun weekend with family and friends.

June: Lazy nights at Braves Stadium. The team didn't have the best season, but their games were always a blast!

July: Doing my personal best on the Peachtree Road Race. It felt awesome!

September: Doing something I've never done -- singing Madonna Karaoke in front of the whole cruise ship!

September: Snorkeling and more on our Caribbean Cruise. Glor-i-ous!

October: Halloween silliness with some of my favorite men. We made a great "team!"

All Fall: Football tailgating and watching our teams win. Or lose, in GT's case. At least Auburn pulled it out in the end haha.

October: ASO Casino Night Fundraiser. Don't we look swank?

December: Exploring NYC at the holidays. LOVE.

What are some of your favorite 2010 memories? What are some memories you are looking forward to making for 2011?

Happy New Year!

After-Christmas Crafting

A Note to my Readers: I am going to be out of town over the next week, spending wonderful time with family and friends. We return on New Year's Eve, and I can't wait to share stories of our trips with you. Have a wonderful and safe holiday! XOXOX.
------------------------------------------
Everyone hears about the sales that go on the week AFTER Christmas. All holiday-themed items are all on huge discount everywhere you look. Actually, a trip to Cost Plus World Market last weekend proved that such things are already being slashed in prices. All holiday items there were at least 50 if not 75% off. That sure was beneficial for me as I picked up a last few gift wrap items!

I know a lot of people aren't ones to instinctively buy winter clothes in April, or pick up last Spring's picnic items when the temperatures hit 55 that Fall, but buying items after their season is one of the most budget-friendly ways of stocking up. This year, I pulled out a brand new set of snowmen salt and pepper shakers that I received last year. It was such a treat to have new items to put into rotation with my holiday decorations!

I highly recommend stopping by your local arts and crafts stores next week (or Sunday, if you are hardcore haha) to pick up some of the discounted items. Think wrapping paper, cards, ribbon, bows and ornaments.

While you are it, and especially if you are going to be at home with the kids or on vacation from work, why not spend that time doing some crafts with those items? There is nothing like having homemade items to give as gifts in 2011, or to put on display in your own home.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Pick up boxes of shiny ornaments (big YAY if they are only a few dollars each!), a plain green or grapevine wreath and a simple glue gun, and put together a gorgeous wreath for your door. This is one of my FAVORITE crafts I have ever made for myself.

2. Buy basic ball ornaments, and use some fine glitter and craft glue to turn them into sparkly balls to fill up your tree or give away to friends.

3. Make homemade gift tags to use next year with old Christmas cards. Cut off the back part of the card, and be sure to use cards without any written messages or 2010-type dates on them. Punch a hole in the upper left, thread in some ribbon and voila, done.

4. Surplus oversize holiday napkins from the sale racks can be turned into festive decorative pillows with a little stuffing and some thread. Check out an easy tutorial on one of my favorite crafty blogs, Bargain Hoot. 

Happy Crafting, and Happy Holidays!

Twenty Seven Big Ones

Image Source

Today, I turn 27.

This year, the number seems older than ever to me.

I realize that readers that are older than me are probably thinking, Oh whatever Katherine! 27 is sooo young, you are a baby!

But then I start to think about all the things that have happened to me in my 27 years, especially in the last few. I ...

• Went to a great school and graduated after 5 (gloriously fun) years.
• Lived at home and loved making “friends” with my parents as adults and roomies.
• Saved up for my first home all by myself.
• Launched a fun career in digital and social media.
• Made fantastic new friends, and also had many college friends get married, move, or simply move on.
• Met a pretty fabulous man ;)
• Learned how to manage my budget while developing a grown-up wardrobe, decorating my home and staying in touch with loved ones ... well, ok, still working on the "managing" part ha.

I think that with this birthday, more than other recent ones, I feel like an adult. And you know what? I can’t WAIT to see what Year 28 brings. Thank you to everyone for a fantastic year! :)

Christmas Decor Wishing

I have been loving the holiday season this year, especially since the condo looks so festive! And everywhere I go, I can’t help but also look at how other people have decorated for Christmas. Everything is just so joyous. Pottery Barn’s catalogs have been no exception. Like this house. Can I have this house when I grow up? Decorated just so?

That house makes me think of the fantastic homes featured in the John Hughes movies. He was a fabulous-home lover. Like in Home Alone. Oh, how lovely!

Image Source

And the Thanksgiving-themed Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I’d be happy to get home to this place, too, after the trip they had. So stately! I bet it looks grand done up for the holidays.

Image Source

I also just loved the tree-lined streets in that movie. They remind me of New Jersey (heading there in just a few days!!).

Image Source

The famed Christmas Vacation house was fantastic, all done up in lights a la the Griswolds, but of course.

Image Source

John Hughes is my fab home idol.

PS. Two other fav images from Pottery Barn I am lusting over right now:

#1 This masculine version of a sleigh bed. Love the dark leather!

#2 This work area. I’d be happy to get up and “work” on a weekend if I had that to look forward to!

Blow out the Candles

Another week of the 2010 holiday season is gone already (where is this month going?!) and with it brought my birthday evening out on the town!

I am a Christmas baby -- my actual birthday is this Thursday the 23rd. Since most people aren't usually free on my actual birthday, and since I also usually enjoy spending it at home with family instead, we usually go out with friends the weekend prior. This year, we went to the bar at Twist! and had an absolute blast.

Of course, all of my ladies were there too in high fashion. They dress to impress!

My Rent the Runway dress was a huge hit. The dress comes in adorable packaging, and it fit like a glove. And then all I had to do was just drop it in the mail this morning. No cleaning, no nothing -- so easy! Thanks RTR for the birthday coupon; it was well worth it!

After continuing the party at Ri Ra with dancing and singing along with the live band, I am now thoroughly enjoying a lazy Sunday today spent by our tree and with plenty of seasonal movies on hand. What a great evening on the town!

I hope you had a great weekend, too. Just 6 days until Christmas!

Wordle Me This

Some Twitter friends were employing the website Wordle to pull up fun graphical representations of web sites through word clouds. It will create a customizable cloud from either any text that you copy in, or using any web site RSS feed.

So I thought to myelf, let's see if Wordle knows what Buckhead Betty is all about!

Yep, I'd say they are pretty dead on with their algorithms :)

More Cowbell

I have been really thrilled with my blog and Twitter redesigns. They make me happy when I see them (the most important thing, I think), and I love the color and font combinations.

Well, the fun didn't really hit the high point until this week, when what arrived in the mail but my brand new business cards! I thought I might want something fun to hand out when I was out at conferences and functions on personal bloggy adventures separate from business :)

I decided on Moo.com to supply my cards, and the whole process was pretty painless. Lauren created the images for me, uploaded them for my review, and then I pushed Go! They looked fantastic on the site, so I figured I'd be happy with them in person. Plus mini cards are so much fun, don't you think?

Well, I am pretty much ecstatic with Moo right now. Just look at this packaging.

And YAY they are my favorites too! Thanks, Moo!

The little box comes with dividers so I can store mini cards from other people right back in here. This is convenient since they might get "lost" in bigger business card storage boxes.

The colors of the three backs are vibrant and trendy, and hint back at the design of my blog.

And then here is the info side! With my cell phone number blocked out for you all, of course :) I wanted to recreate the handwriting font, but then still make them "professional." This picture doesn't show it very well, but the pink matches the other side's pink, and same with the blue.

What do you think? Did we do good?

I am so excited to give these little babies away. Too bad I missed out on the most fabulous Lavish! blog conference this past weekend. Who is planning the first 2011 blog conference? I am in!

Stop the Peer Pressure

I have talked a lot about how much I love living here in Atlanta. It is the right place for me at this time of my life, and the city and it’s people have treated me really well.

However, there is something about Atlanta’s culture that has begun to irk me a bit.

First, some background on me. Someday, I will live in New York City – whether in the metro area or actually in town. It’s not even a matter of “if” but “when.” One of the biggest things I love about that town is that you can live your entire life in one spot on a city block, and never get close to trying all of the restaurants around you. There are close to 19,000 eating establishments on that little island alone, compared to 12,000 in the entire metro Atlanta area, which spreads some 8000 square miles and 28 counties.

Image Credit

In New York, sheer volume and turnover rate combine into a never-ending food quest. It’s no wonder sites like Serious Eats have trouble picking just one “favorite bagel” or “favorite cookie shop” in a place with hundreds of choices for each. No one person can say they have eaten at all the best places in town. Everyone can explore on their own agendas.

Here in Atlanta, the “quest” is ... well, not so much. Sure, you can venture thirty minutes OTP and check out places in Milton (cute little area with a great pub, by the way) or Fayetteville. There are adorable mom-and-pop places dying to be found, and some of the best food in the city can be discovered in a historic home somewhere off a city square.

But here’s my issue. Sure, it’s awesome to find those cute little places. But due to the size of our fair city, those places come in relatively small numbers. And thus, every other foodie in town is also headed to that exact same little place. Even worse, if you don’t make it out to said little place (e.g. Me to Miller Union or 4th and Swift ... yet), I have noticed a distinct feeling of being part of an “out” crowd.

My confession: In Atlanta, I feel pressured by food blogs and foodie people on Facebook and Twitter, and whenever talk of restaurants comes up in conversation with foodie friends. This is how those exchanges go: I should have already gone to Super Pan months ago because omg they are the best sandwich place EVER. How have I not been to that fantastic Asian place on Buford Highway? I am missing out!! And that new meat-and-three place on the West Side is juts to-die-for, everyone is loving it and you can't get a reservation for weeks.

And this is me at the end of those conversations: Totally overwhelmed.

I know it is the duty of the restaurant columnists and bloggers to keep us, the public, informed. And I really do love hearing about the latest and greatest in our fair (little) city, especially places with affordable 5-star menus. I just wish the general tone of those conversations would be less haughty about where to eat out. I happen to love my neighborhood pub’s menu, and enjoy hitting up some of my other favorite places over and over. If I don’t make it to that new place with the little plates of trendy food, I don’t want to feel like I am going to be labeled as boring or not hip enough by default.

So fellow foodies, you may not realize you are doing it, but it's gotten to a level of peer pressure. Enjoy your meals, share your tips, but just be aware of how you phrase things in the end. Just because we aren’t brunching with you at that hip new place in town, doesn’t mean we aren’t off enjoying an equally great meal somewhere else, be it at the cheap neighborhood place or in our own cozy homes :)

Feeling Like a Million Bucks

Last week was the big yearly Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on CBS. While I didn’t catch it, a lot of my bloggy and Twitter friends did. What I immediately noticed that following morning while reading through posts was that a lot of the ladies out there felt self-conscious, slighted and less-beautiful while watching those Amazonian women walking around in their undergarments. And it wasn’t just women feeling like this. I’d bet plenty of guys, while otherwise entranced with those beauties, were also more aware than usual of their imperfections, too.

I am here to say, please don't feel like that.

When I open up a VS catalog, I like to flip through their clothes to get inspiration on what would look good on ME. Um, of course that sweater is going to look ridiculously good on that girl who is all 36-24-36. But you know what? It might also look good on me too, belted and worn with my favorite go-to jeans.

Side story: While catalogs really have a way of portraying items in a way that makes you think it will work on you, it’s important to realize that not every thing works on every person. I will never forget ordering a pair of what I thought to be incredibly hot VS stilettos, only to have them delivered and realize wow, these things look like something they’d wear in “Showgirls” (which by the way features my long-lost cousin “Nomi Malone” aka Elizabeth Berkley LOL). And I am a shoe fiend, willing to take shoe fashion risks! Oh well. You live and you learn, right? Return!!

Ok back to my real point. What this whole VS thing really made me think about was how I feel on days when I think I look attractive, pulled-together and professional, versus the days when I throw something together as I am running out the door that isn’t too cute. On days when I am in black pants and some blah top, I am most definitely feeling blah myself as a result. It makes such a difference in my emotional stance for the day, actually, that I try to spend a few minutes each night pulling my outfit together for the next day, laying out my options and ironing or fluffing what I need. And even if I am just at home alone on a weekend, I know I feel ten times better about myself if I put on a cute (yet relaxed) outfit, wash my face and do my hair even just a little bit.

So of course we (men and women alike) might not all feel like a million bucks watching the VS Show, or when we are flipping through their catalogs. But we all know when we do feel awesome in that tailored suit, or that perfectly-fitting shift dress, or in those gorgeous shoes. So why not capitalize on those items in our wardrobes more often?

What’s your go-to outfit that makes you feel like a new person?

Shoes for the Cure

Every year around the holidays, our office has a drive for an area cause. Past drives have benefited local shelters and groups looking for toys, clothes and canned goods. I am especially excited this year, because we are coming together to raise items for a new cause -- Shoes for the Cure.

So what is Shoes for the Cure? They are a professional recycling program specializing in collecting new and used footwear. They host shoe drives, placing recycling bins like the one to the right at any location at no cost. All shoes collected are used either as gifts to the less fortunate, or as raw material to be used as surface material for tracks, tennis courts, playgrounds etc.

I even love their tag line: “Have a soul, give a sole, save a soul.” How fantastic!

The best part, though, is that it isn't just our office participating in the name of this great cause. The entire Peachtree Center complex, all seven towers of us in Downtown Atlanta, is helping out!

So while you are busy wrapping gifts and visiting with family over the next week or two, take a look around your closets and your garages, and see if you have a few extra pairs laying around. Let me know if you'd like to donate them to the Peachtree Center shoe drive, and I'd be happy to pick them up from you if you are nearby. Our drive goes through Dec. 15, but of course I know Shoes for the Cure would love to set up a similar bin at a church or school near you, too.

Weekly Binder Challenge Wrap-Up: Derby Day in December

I let the entire weekend slip by without posting about last week’s Binder Challenge. But you will forgive me, won’t you? After all, I was busy transforming the condo into Winter Wonderland:

I won't lie -- I have been struggling with continuing the Binder Challenge amidst the crazy holiday season, and it’s not even a week into December. But I did fit in two new recipes last week, and here are the outcomes!

The first was a NYT Frittata featuring ricotta cheese and mint. I cooked and flipped it on the stovetop because I was too hungry to wait the 30 minutes for the oven method, and it turned out fine, if only a little less puffy and pretty.  

Verdict: A keeper. Six eggs and low-fat cheese make for a filling brunch or light dinner dish without a lot of calories, and it was great as leftovers at lunch the next day.

The second recipe was a smashing success. I earmarked Bourbon-Marinated Pork Tenderloin earlier this year around Derby time, but decided against hosting a race-watching party in the end. The recipe went back into the folder, and there it stayed until I pulled out the Maker’s, picked up tenderloins on sale, and went to town. 

Verdict: A keeper. The result was a somewhat boozy yet pleasantly sweet tenderloin full of moisture and flavor. It paired perfectly with quinoa (cleaning out the cupboards!) and wilted spinach splashed with soy sauce, and was again a great leftover meal for lunch. This would be fantastic on Game Day, so I am marking this one to have with biscuits at tailgates next year!

When the Moon Hits Your Eye

One of the things that I love about Atlanta are the little neighborhood spots that beg to be discovered. Of course, our neighborhoods are much more spread out than the neighborhoods of Chi-town or NYC, but they are no less full of charm and fun.

One of my favorite neighborhood “secrets” is Pasta da Pulcinella in Midtown. Most people walk right past this adorable house on their way to Cosmo/Lava next door or any of the other Crescent Street bars, but if you are smart enough to get a seat inside, you do not regret it.

This pasta-house has been around for many, many years; I actually celebrated my 21st birthday there many moons ago, complete with a Grey Goose martini and a dessert finale of Limoncello on the house :)

With the likes of Figo and La Tavola (both also favs of mine) around town, Pasta da Pulcinella might be overlooked when you are craving some Italian on a wintery night. But what Pasta da Pulcinella boasts is a small-home feel that just can’t be matched elsewhere. It has only about 20 tables inside, with room for just a few big groups. Make your reservations ahead of time, because you won’t be likely to walk in on a weekend and grab a seat. While you wait for your table to be ready, grab a drink at the bar with the entertaining staff; they make you feel like you’re a member of a secret Pasta da Pulcinella family.

First, fresh bread comes out warm with homemade rosemary-infused oil. And then the menu – oh the menu! You can’t go wrong picking off their menu of “Favorites,” dishes all offered since 1994. A hands-down solid choice is the Tortelli di Mele (at left), ravioli filled with browned Granny Smith apples, sausage, and parm, topped with browned butter, sage and an apple-cider reduction that you will want to lick off the plate. Rustic yet swank, all at once. Chicken Cannelloni is another goodie, as is the Bolognese Tagliatelle.

Every day, there is also another full other page of seasonal offerings like a house risotto or gnocchi. And save some room at the end for coffee and the crème brulee. Theirs comes crisped tasting like a s’mores marshmallow fresh off the fire. I die.

Pasta da Pulcinella is a wonderful second, fourth or hundredth date night spot. Groups of foodie friends will also feel right at home here. Add them to your Restaurant To-Do list, and you won’t be disappointed.

Salud!

Auld Lang Syne Research

Each year at the holidays, we are lucky enough to get to travel to Northern NJ and the NYC area to visit with almost our entire family on both sides. A large majority of them live up there in Jersey, the homestead of both of my parents. Whoever doesn’t live there tries to make it into town during the week after Christmas, staying usually through New Year’s. I love marking these days off my vacation day list each January -- it gives me something wonderful and family-oriented to look forward to as a vacation. Plus, um, it’s NYC at the holidays. You can’t beat that!

I have many a fab memory spending New Year’s Eve hunkered down with family, lavish meals, drinks and music. Times Square? Pssh. That’s for amateurs and people who think it’s cool to stand in one place all day to count down to midnight while temps are in the teens and it’s snowing and you can’t move and someone over to your left is getting ill. No, thanks. I’d much rather spend it watching the ball drop on TV with a drink in hand :)

This year, the holiday days land on weekends, and most of us start back up again at work on January 3. So our trip up North is going to bring us home again the morning of NYE ... And since I am never here on that evening, I am clueless as to how on Earth we are going to celebrate this “holiday” in a town with A) fairly inept public transportation or cabs, and B) budgets that don’t want to be blown on the huge hotel parties.

Here are my immediate (budgetable) options for that evening, as I see them ...

• Stay in for the evening at the condo, perhaps hosting a few friends for the same type of low-key soiree we’d usually have in NJ. Canapes and champagne and Carson Daly’s Countdown make for a delightful evening, after all ...
• Head out in Buckhead somewhere in walking distance, since we all know cabs are impossible to grab on this night in town. I hear a few parties are taking place around Lenox Mall area, and a few restaurants are doing reasonably-priced all-inclusive menus ...
• Take MARTA into Midtown or Downtown for a shin-dig at someone else's place. That would require battling the Peach Drop crowds though ...

So as you can see, I am a newbie to this. What is your favorite way of ringing in the New Year? And ATLiens, what’s your favorite go-to destination for this big night?