Eat, Eat, Shop, Shop, Eat, Eat

Atlanta might not be the fashion capital of the world, but it has a number of good places to shop and eat, which we'll highlight on this blog.

The following images map out how we enjoyed a fine weekend day in ATL:

Chick Fil-A milkshakes are heaven in a Styrofoam cup! We were determined to test out the newest flavor, Mint Cookies & Cream. It really just tasted like the regular Cookies & Cream shake with mint syrup in it. Nevertheless, it was pretty delicious.

A cuppa at Indie Coffee. The shop has organic teas and a great selection of books - also delicious coffee. Nice outdoor seating as well.

Quick stop at Decatur CD - one of the best music stores in Atlanta. You won't find any stuck-up store clerks here! Our favorite thing about Decatur CD is the frequent free in-store concerts (complete with free beer).

DressCodes is like a slice of Manhattan in Atlanta. The items are fairly expensive, but we found some great deals on the sales rack: one linen/cotton Stella-McCartney-ish tunic and a sheer black graphic tee from Thailand.

Bison burgers at Ted's Montana Grill. We usually try to stay away from chain restaurants, but we make an exception for the environmentally conscious Ted Turner establishment. Even the toilets are environmentally friendly: you flush up for "liquids" and down for "solid waste" (no joke, visit one of Ted's and you'll see for yourself!).

Round off the evening at The Chocolate Bar. We went all out with an order of Cava, a rubarb, pickled strawberry tart and brownie with peach ice cream. It wasn't as delicious as we hoped, so next time we'll stick with coffee or some hot chocolate.

Oh Fashion Magazines, How I Love Thee

My love of fashion really stems from an obsession with fashion magazines. It all started very innocently at the age of 15 with In Style, but I soon turned to more serious stuff: Vogue, W, WWD etc. Regardless of the situation, a fashion magazine always puts me in good mood. Call it sick or pathetic, but I'm not ashamed! After years of building up a massive collection (some I just can't part with), frequent purges (I make trips every month to the local recycling center after I've cut out my favorite fashion spreads), and complete knowledge of each local bookstore fashion magazine stash, I have become highly dependent on the classics: American, Italian and UK Vogues, U.S. Elle and U.K. Elle. Other favorites include Domino, Teen Vogue (my non-fashion oriented friends make fun of me all the time for reading a "teen" magazine) and Nylon.

House Museums (and The Mount)

Since we were about 3, our parents used to drag us to every house museum in the metropolitan washinton d.c. area. I don't mean to apply we didn't enjoy these excursions (we were particularly fond of the gift-shops) and Monticello, Mount Vernon, and all of Williamsburg, Va. hold happy memories for us. Perhaps our favorite was the lesser-known Ladew Gardens. Not only did they have an excellent gift-shop and a very memorable raisin-bread creme cheese sandwich at their teashop, I distinctly remember lovely fountains and topiaries.
However, after googling Edith Wharton (see post below) I've realized I might have really enjoyed growing up in Massachusetts because of The Mount.

From this angle it rivals Pemberly (or at least as close as we'll get on this side of the Atlantic).

Woman of the Moment: Edith Wharton

So you knew she was/is the Grande Dame of Literature, but did you also know that she was a designer, decorator, gardener, traveler, philanthropist, and active in politics (particularly during WWI)? Well, neither did I until this morning while reading the review of Hermione Lee's new biography on Edith Wharton. It's always impressive and inspiring to hear about such a renaissance woman. It makes me feel that instead of spending so much time on facebook or watching youtube videos, I should endeavor to read more about the great and industrious Edith Wharton (and perhaps read more than just Ethan Frome and The Custom of the Country).

Hello

Mom's seafood gumbo - yum...

Stay tuned for more pictures of food, style and daily life.