Top Flr Decor

The other night Lar and I decided to check out Top Flr in midtown. It's been open for a couple of years and we've been meaning to go ever since we read about it on Daily Candy Atlanta. It's a hipster's dream come true: Domino Magazine-worthy interior, a perfect blend of comfy and chic, and a simple à la carte, fusiony menu.

We sat upstairs that had this great wallpaper and black laquer floors:

On Lar: F21 tunic dress, necklace from Salon Red in Decatur, Jeffrey Campbell shoes.


On me: June Shin necklace, H&M dress, shoes from Eviva in Decatur.

Here's what the Top Flr looks like:


I spend way too much money eating out each week, but it's hard not to when there are so many great restaurants in Atlanta/Decatur. My boyfriend and I just discovered Ra Sushi on Peachtree and 11th (a sushi chain based in Arizona that serves surprising good sushi for it's overly-polished decor) and Ri-Ra Irish Pub on Crescent and 12th (also a chain, but has the best historically-preserved bar in town).

CL

Working Girl

This outfit is definitely on the conservative side of office dressing for me, but I suppose it's not half bad to try to look like an actual adult every once and a while. My smile in the photo on the bottom right does a better job of capturing my happiness after another delicious meal at Taqueria del Sol.



Outfit details: Jacket (Lauren's) and dress (mine) from H&M, BCBG shoes purchased at Ross.

Hope you all are having a great week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all are enjoying delicious meals of cranberry sauce, mash potatoes, yams, turkey and/or toferky.


Image courtesy of the New York Times.

Ever wonder what Mark Twain craved on Thanksgiving? How about the very first meal between the Pilgrams and the Wampanoags? Find out in this lovely Times op-ed piece by Andrew Beahrs.

With love,
The AsianCajuns

Weekend Delicacies

There's almost nothing better than eating your way through the weekend with friends.

Outdoor concert picnic: grapes, cheddar cheese, guacamole with tortilla chips and wine from Trader Joe's (nothing but the best!).

(Dress from Rockit in Decatur and boots from Newport News)


Cherry and grape flavored sno cones at the company picnic and Lauren's bf enjoying some champagne grapes.



A breakfast of pastries and coffee at Parish: almond and chocolate croissant, pistachio custard tart with strawberries and apricot/white chocolate scone.


Yummmm....

CL

Parish Atlanta

Parish (as in Louisianian county, not an ecclesiastical district) has become one of the most popular places to eat in Atlanta this summer. It's a restaurant/market that serves New Orleans inspired dishes and pastries. Being part Cajun, Lauren and I felt it was our duty to check out the place, so we dragged some friends with us one Sunday morning for the restaurant's deliciously rich brunch. The best part was the complimentary beignets - just like our mom makes them (from the Cafe du Monde beignet mixture).

Lauren has a huge sweet tooth. After a very filling brunch in the restaurant she promptly visited the market on the ground floor and order some more coffee and pastries.


The whole establishment reminds me of what an Anthropologie store would look like if it turned into a cafe: crumbling, exposed-brick walls, chic furniture, lots of greenery, quirky gifts, and antique signs.


I love how someone kissed the bum of the statue located in the middle of restaurant. And no organic market would be complete without its own reusable tote.


CL

I.C.E. and Globe

After having such a great time at last year's Indie Craft Experience (I.C.E.), we knew we couldn't pass it up this year. The 7th Annual I.C.E. took place a few weekends ago and its shameful that I'm just getting around to posting about it now because it was bigger and better than ever. There were over 100 tents (click here for a list and links of all the vendors), workshops, a craft library and live music.

The only drawback was the heat. Lauren and I got so hot we ran out of steam and didn't take too many pictures.


Cute stuffed octopus by fattycakes and the lovely hats by humblebumbleb.

Of course the heat didn't slow down our shopping! My great purchase of the day was this lovely "fascinator" hat (held in place by two hair pins) made by Brenda of Humblebumbleb. I love the feathers and retro feel of it, but the best part is that it was less than $20! I'm considering it the deal of the century. $12 for a well-made, handcrafted, fabulous hat. Are you jealous? No need to be - you can purchase a similar one from the Humblebumble website.

I took the images below right after I bought the hat, so my hair isn't styled for it. I'll probably sweep my bangs to one side and pull my hair back when I wear it for real.



After I.C.E. we hopped back on MARTA and stopped by The Globe restaurant in midtown for lunch.


We love the decor at The Globe. It has a sleek, modern look with its white walls and Eames chairs, but it also has a cozy feel to it with a huge back wall of books and a lounge area filled with coffee tables and couches. And our sandwiches were delicious!



CL

Weekend Recap

With 3 dance performances and the parents in town for a few days we jammed a lot into the weekend. Below are just a few of the highlights.

Our dance friends are ridiculously stylish. Not only can they drape Ikea sheets like pros (see earlier post), they're also true fashionistas off stage. Below Becca and Stacey prove my point. Becca is dressed in vintage finds and Stacey is head to toe in Target - and they both look fabulous! You can check out another dancer friend's style on her own blog: Hiking in Stilettos.


A weekend would not be complete without a few stops in some local boutiques. DressCodes is one of our favorites - great clothing and a super cute (and friendly) guard dog.


After the Saturday night performance we celebrated with dessert at Cakes & Ale - Decatur's newest restaurant. The pistachio and strawberry ice cream Baked Alaska (left) is the best I've had. The Phatty Cakes (right) are soft ginger cookies with a creme filling - perfect with a cup of coffee from a French press.


While stuffing our faces with Phatty Cakes, we met fellow blogger and local jeweler extraordinaire June Shin. More on that in another post!

To sum it up, a good time was had by all. I wouldn't mind having more weekends like this one.

CL

A Modest Proposal

A little random blogging whilst entertaining the parents and dancing in togas... Trader Joe's now sells baby kiwi (even more delicious than their grown-up counterparts). I bought them because/despite of this sign. Hmmm... maybe Jonathan Swift was talking about baby kiwis...

LL

Yoforia

Yoforia has become my new favorite snack place. The yogurt creations are what frozen yogurts of the 1980s should have been: simple, yogurt-y and served with fresh toppings. There's only 3 locations in Atlanta, but I'm hoping they'll continue to expand - preferably right next to where I work.

My favorite mix is the original with fresh strawberries, almonds and dark chocolate chips. Yum...

CL

2 Things that Go Together: Bad Baby Pie and Amy Sedaris

Cath and I just discovered "Waitress" this past weekend. We love cynical comedies that turn out to be unconventional love stories... especially if there is pie involved. The movie wasn't a treasure trove of fashion goodies (it shouldn't be. That's what the Sex and the City movie is for), but I do like the crinoline enhanced waitress outfit that Keri Russell wears at the end. And no, this is not a throw-back to pre-women's "liberation" - Russell plays a very independent, confident young woman... and wears a poufy skirt while doing it. That's the way to keep a baby and just throw out the bath water.
And who else would come to mind when thinking petite, spunky, crafty, crinoline-wearing females? Amy Sedaris of course!

(excerpts from Amy's effervescent entertaining book "I like You: Hospitality Under the Influence").

Amy's apartment is featured in this month's House and Garden magazine.
Photo courtesy of designsponge.

LL

Faulkner with Strings Attached

Marionettes and Faulkner. We're Serious, it's Genius! Trust Us...

We promise we will return to our fashionista selves shortly, but we beseech you, if you are anywhere in the Atlanta area this is not to be missed. Sept. 6-Sept. 23 at PushPush Theatre, Haverty Marionettes are performing an adaptation of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying.

I know, I know, we thought the same thing that you're thinking now. We were not particularly big fans of either Faulkner or marionettes (or so we thought)... but we promise you, the creativity of Haverty Marionettes and (we hate to say it) the genius of Faulkner, really work. The marionettes, the shadow puppets, the musicians, the actors/puppeteers, the set design all kept us entranced for 2 hours of southern gothic greatness on strings.

PushPush Theatre is located right in East Decatur Station off of College Ave. Conveniently, one of the best restaurants around, Duck's Cosmic Kitchen (home of the most amazing doughnuts ever- yes better than bliss itself, the KrispyKreme) is located just by PushPush. We stopped there for dinner first and were pleasantly surprised to find it was half-price wine night on Thursdays. What are you guys waiting for? We totally planned the perfect evening for you and your eccentric, foodie buddy. Enjoy!