Giveaway: Cirque du Soleil Amaluna

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)

Copyright:2014 Pouya Creative/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)

Copyright:2014 Pouya Creative/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)

Copyright:2014 Pouya Creative/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! 

Holiday Libations

Tonight, I am hosting the Fourth Annual Girls Night Cookie Exchange at the condo. To say I am excited is an understatement. I have been thinking about this for weeks, and it's finally here!

While I will be making a special mulled wine for the ladies tonight, I think we all appreciate a good beer here and there, too, and especially at the holiday season. That's why TAP 1180's upcoming beer dinner caught my eye. Sweetwater beer paired with an awesome seasonal menu? I love it! 

Photo via TAP website

Check out the menu: 

420 + Seared New Bedford Scallop
Fennel puree, grapefruit bubbles, cucumber & mache

BROWN + Adam's Gnudi
Rosewood farm's Billy ragout, crushed pecorino, olive oil

LowRYEder + Curried Chicken & Sweet Potato "Pot Pie"
Springer Mountain Farms Chicken, coconut curry, sweet potatoes, flakey pie crust

Exodous + Roasted Venison Loin
Caramelized parsnips & carrots, sprout leaves, date and coffee puree, coriander jus

Festive Ale + Chocolate & Banana Éclairs
Chocolate ganache, banana custard, crushed macadamia nuts, banana chips

Nom nom nom. My nearest and dearest know that 420 is my go-to beer of choice (lo be the day that I don't live within Sweetwater distributor regions ... they just MUST expand nationally by then!), but any Sweetwater is good by me. 

This special dinner at TAP will be held next week, Tuesday, December 18th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55 per person, all inclusive ... not a bad deal for five courses plus beers! I think this would make an excellent "holiday gift" for that special someone if you are still early in the dating spectrum  -- no need to stress over finding that perfect gift. 

Happy Eating (and Drinking!)!

Disclosure: No connection to TAP -- just wanted to share a great deal! 
 

Meal Deals to Come

I am back in regular-Katherine mode after being in Bachelorette-overdrive all weekend, and what a fun one it was! We celebrated for our BFF Laurie who is just weeks away from becoming a Mrs! Stay tuned: more to come this week on how I decorated and cooked for the fun Girls Weekend just for her.

After so many weeks of socialness, I am attempting to cook a bit more (healthy) at home, but that doesn't mean that this Restaurant Week notice from Concentrics didn't catch my eye this morning. You can grab up a three course meal for $25 at all of the restaurants during the week of September 4-11. Fantastic! To satisfy your Concentrics cravings before this deal hits, don't forget to use their Summer Swag voucher for 50% off your meals until September 1.

What is your favorite stop in this restaurant group? I am partial to TAP and their Numbers Ale, myself :) 

 

Park Central Party

Have you hobbled over to HobNob Neighborhood Tavern yet?

Located at Monroe and Piedmont in Midtown down the street from Piedmont Park and the Botanical Gardens, this place is a perfect after-work spot with their pub cuisine and high gravity beers. Don't live or work nearby? It's also a possible weekend brunch destination on Sundays after you get done with your walk around the Park.

HobNob has been open for a year, and they are getting ready to celebrate in honor of their big birthday. While it's not a free party ($15 suggested donation at the door or online covers you and a guest), they will be dishing up some complimentary appetizers in addition to the cash bar and DJ music pumping in for the party. But you can feel good about where that $15 is going, though, since all proceeds benefit the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (I'm a member - LOVE THAT PLACE) and the Georgia Restaurant Association.

Ready to get down with your bad self and throw back on a Monday evening? RSVP online here.

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!

Exploring the Hidden Temple

Kirk Fogg: Are you ready, Olmec?
Olmec: Let's rock. 

We came. We explored the challenge. We triumphed over the others.



Well, actually, not really. We never really made it to the costume contest portion of the pub crawl. But if word-of-mouth was a factor in winning, we would have been all over it. Our Legends of the Hidden Temple costumes were a HIT with our immediate age bracket +/- 4 years. You just can't beat early-90's Nickelodeon.



We even found a missing team member -- a Purple Parrot! She wasn't so excited to take this picture with us, but we made her. I mean come on, what are the odds!



If our team hadn't pretend-won the evening's costume contest, I think these boys would have been right there at the top. Our friends are just so creative, aren't they? :)

In the end, the Scary Party Pub Crawl was a HUGE success. I would nominate this evening as one of the best Halloween events we have done here in town. Low crowd levels (it was Friday night instead of Saturday) and flexible drink specials at each bar all night cut down on the bar-to-bar smash that usually accompanies a crawl, and we hit up great Midtown destinations -- who knew Koo Koo Room was so awesome?!

Oh, and of course, a great group of friends! Thanks for the Happy Halloween, you guys! And I hope all the rest of you had a great weekend of celebrating, too :)

Spooky Social Outings

I can't believe Halloween is right around the corner. I feel like it was just last year that I was a flapper, or the year before when I was an American Gladiator.

(You know you are jealous of that idea. I used my GT degree to come up with that PVC pipe and towel jousting stick, too. The mullet made the outfit, I think.)

This year, though? We are going all. out. Think: old school meets ... old school, I guess.

Here's a hint:



Stumped? How about this?



I know, best idea ever, right? Plus, I don't have to wear heels for once, yay.

You can't just get all dressed up in such awesome outfits without hitting the town, though. But what's a (cheap) gal to do when Halloween ranks right up there with New Year's and St. Patrick's Day as Biggest Rip-Off Nights Ever to Go Out?

Thanks to my friend Matt (he rocks), I want to share with you some of the options around town for those of us looking to have a fun and spooky time on a dime. House parties rock and are obviously the cheapest option, but sometimes you just have to hit the town, so here's the run-down:

If you are hoping to party it up on Friday night ...

Scary Party Pub Crawl
$8 now, $15 at the Door
Deadwood Saloon / Midtown
Details: Gets you into multiple bars on Friday night as long as you are in costume. Costume contests, drink specials, cash bar.

Halloween @ Andrew's Upstairs
Price TBD
East Andrew's Upstairs
Details: TBD. I am only including this because I know some of you are die-hard EA fans and will probably end up here. PS. I did this two years ago and it was a cluster, just sayin...

The biggest night looks like it will be Saturday ...

Most Legendary Halloween Party Ever (Katherine's #1 Pick!)
$15 now, going up as the date approaches
Center Stage Music Park
Details: Free drinks from 8-10PM. Bands, cash bars, easy access to MARTA and other Midtown locations.

Atlanta Halloween Ball
$135 per Person
The Fox
Details: This is for you high-rollers looking for a potential tax deduction for your party night. Think tuxes and gowns, masks, unlimited cocktails and food. Benefits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Horror Hotel
$20 per Person
W Midtown
Details: 5 distinct clubs/rooms to party in with the normal cash bars open in W Midtown.

Halloween Boo-nanza 
$10 per person
Buckhead Theater
Details: Culture Sol cover band, cash bar of some sort, costume contest. Right in the thick of it all with Buckhead bars right around the corner for the after-party.

If you insist on going out on the night-of, here's one for Sunday ...

Halloween at Tap
No Cover
Tap Midtown
Details: Drink specials and such. You can't beat TAP for a good throwdown that also has a down-home feel!


Check out this website for other options. Any others that you are thinking of attending? And who is staying in and handing out candy to the kiddos?

What Are Your Atlanta Favorites?

I am not even going to bother trying to summarize this year's Creative Loafing "Best of Atlanta 2010" lists. There are just too many goodies in the multiple lists, both from the Critics and the Readers.

Here are just a few highlights, though -- then, you can click through and see them all yourself :)

First, some Critics picks ...

Best New Restaurant and Best Pizza (I guess they won both categories? Haha) -- Antico Pizza (swoon)

Best Bargain Women's Haircut -- Aveda Institute (I hear this place rocks in both price and quality)

Best Bet for Next Hot 'Hood -- Old Fourth Ward (I might agree, I keep hearing things about that area...)


And then some Reader favorites ....

Best Local Blog and Best Local Blogger(s) -- Lauren and Lindsey over at the Quick and Dirty Dirty (Love these ladies! Kudos to them!)

Best Neighborhood Bar -- Brick Store Pub (hands down, one of my favorites around for beer AND fab food)

Best Place to Throw a Party That's Not Your House -- Graveyard Tavern (officially now on my To-Do list)

Congrats to all the winners! You all are awesome, and deserve the praise!

Hot Times, Living in the City

I love, love, LOVE my condo.

Note: I have been told I repeat things when I am emphasizing a word. Like big-big means BIG. So in this case, I would say LOVE like 20 times for emphasis. Got it? Good :)

When I was searching for my first home, I already knew from a few years of apartment living what I did NOT want.

*  I didn't want the hassle of poor office management and sloppy lease agreements.
*  I didn't want to deal with obnoxious neighbors and poor community morale. The more social the complex, the better.
*  I didn't want to have to deal with hauling groceries from the car to a walk-up. Elevators were a must. 
*  I didn't want to feel unsafe opening my door at night. This one was applicable while in an apartment off Marietta St. back before that area was revitalized a bit. Single girl in scary area = not so much.
*  I didn't want to have to drive in traffic for every part of my daily life (hellooo, Midtown at rush hour)

What I did want, I was lucky enough to ultimately find in my home today -- peaceful, swank, upscale living close to public transportation, stores and restaurants all in walking distance. Something centrally-located with my friends, family, and my job. A place with lots of amenities to make me and my guests feel pampered. Somewhere that I can come home to now, two years later, and still look around and be extremely happy where I am.

Are any of you out there are searching for new homes, be it a new lease situation or a new place to buy? What are your Wants and Don't Wants in your home?

In related news, I want to tell you all about my friend Annemarie's condo, located on the Westside by Collier and Howell Mill. Annemarie is looking to rent out her 3-bed, 2.5-bath home at a steal of a price. It's a perfect home for anyone hoping to be close to the social scene of Buckhead and Midtown, while also feeling like a residential area with cute houses and sidewalks. This isn't your typical young-person apartment with cheapo decor, either. She has it partially-furnished and decorated in super swank Buckhead Betty style, the stylish gal that she is, so you don't even have to worry about buying things like couches and tables when you move.

If you know of anyone looking for a great place to rent, please help us pass on the word!





Image credits: Georgia Tech Success Programs, Annemarie's Facebook Marketplace listing

Keep Out That Seersucker

Ormsby's, you officially have competition in Midtown for a games-slash-late night bar-slash-gastropub.

Enter Empire State South, soft-opening early next week at 999 (that's cool) Peachtree Street.

A meat-and-three kind of joint, this new Southern-appeal bar has tasty-sounding drinks like the Georgia Mint Julep, and even better-sounding food, like Grilled Georgia Quail.



Add to that some bocce ball in the courtyard outside, and well, we have a new winner in where you can go to find the preppy crowd in town.

Ormsby's, you will still stand as my fav for your Ultimate BLT and fries with gravy (OMG), darts and skee-ball. But Empire State South, you are calling my name ... and I just got new boat shoes, too, how appropriate.



Image Credit: Urban Daddy

They Promise Washboard Abs!

I heard about a fun new workout opportunity today thanks to the Reynolds Group, and wanted to share it with you all, in case you are looking for a new calorie-burning option to try this week ... for FREE!

Pilates meets cardio and yoga in Core Fusion, and the Loews Hotel in Midtown is offering a free preview class on Tuesday and Wednesday evening to anyone that would like to attend. It asks that you bring a mat, but that parking and towels will be provided. Click on the picture below to see all the details.

If it's anything like pilates, this class would be sure to remind me how weak my core muscles really are. Though I have noticed that these classes really do work if you go consistently.

Let me know if you attend -- I'd love to hear how this class is!