So, if I were going to make a list of things that I would A) love to have but B) cannot (yet?) afford, having a professional chef and decorator would rank JUST below having a professional hairstylist move in and blowdry my hair on the daily. (I’m looking at you, HL.)  

Enter Taste by Sam, a new catering, design and event company by my friend Samantha Deitch that is bound and determined to show you that you don’t need to spend the big bucks to enjoy a taste of the good life. 

Sam does it all.  Catering.  Personal Chef-ing.  Organization.  Home Décor.  You name it?  Sam is on the job.  She’s just amazing. 

The next Martha Stewart?

Here’s the Q+DD on Sam:  After studying at the New York School of Interior Design in Manhattan, Samantha then went on to work for top designers in NYC and in Atlanta.  She has an immaculate sense of style and a great eye for putting together paint colors, furniture, and choosing artwork. The best part?  She’s geared specifically to a young professional crowd who like nice things but um, haven’t quite won the lottery…yet.  (I don’t know about you, but the phrase “champagne taste on a beer budget” sounds all too familiar to me.)  She’s also a self-taught chef with an outstanding talent for delivering fresh, smart, delicious menus.  Both Lindsay and I had her cater our bridal suites on our wedding day and not only did she deliver…but she DELIVERED.

Check out the menu she put together for me:

• Assorted vegetable crudités with lemon-basil hummus and buttermilk-herb dressing
• Shredded chicken salad with walnuts and golden raisins, whole grain toast points and lettuce cups for serving
• Turkey, brie, romaine, tomato and honey mustard on Cibatta (this was a huge hit)
• Penne pasta, sundried tomatoes, baby mozzarella, arugula
• Grilled zucchini ribbons and baby greens with toasted hazelnuts, crumbled feta, and red wine lemon vinegarette
• Roasted eggplant slices with balsamic reduction, goat cheese and pine nuts
• Seasonal fresh fruit skewers
• S’mores cookies 

Everything was outstanding.   There was literally something for everyone (she really took into account the whole “girl” part of the equation.  Nothing that made us feel gross or bloated and no garlic or onions in sight!)

And sometimes I still think about those s’mores cookies. 

(I miss you, s’mores cookies. Call me?)

So here’s when you need to call Sam:

For the home:

• Professional décor advice for a room, a condo, or a whole house
• Organizational needs
• Home staging

For the kitchen:

• Small to medium sized catering needs
• Sending meals to friends (babies, shivahs, surgeries, etc)
• Pretending like you cooked a homemade meal for your sweetie or family (don’t forget to destroy the evidence.)

Or, if you have a need that’s not quite covered here, give Sam a shout – I bet she’ll try and work something out for you.   

What I’m saying is this:  if she could get my roots straight and my ends bouncy with a round brush and a blowdryer, Sam would pretty much be the trifecta of luxury by my standards. 

But 2 of the 3 ain’t bad…

xx, L

Taste by Sam
www.tastebysam.com
Email: tastebysam@gmail.com
Facebook: Click HERE.  (go ahead, “like” her.  I dare you)

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Our good buddies and ketubah signers-to-be EXTRAORDINARE, the Shapiros, have been checking in at Treat Your Feet on Foursquare with some regularity over the past year for what appeared to Kev + I as creative date nights.  We had no idea what TYF was or what the heck they were doing, but it seemed different and we were intrigued.  So, we asked if we could tag along sometime.

chillin' w/ the shapiros

A few weeks ago, we joined them for a TYF date.  Stac instructed us to wear shorts and bring booze, and we trekked up Buford Highway past I-285 until we saw this flashing sign.

Massages on Buford Highway??  I mean, I guess I’ll try anything once…

As you may have guessed, it was not at all what I was anticipating.  Obviously, I knew that we were getting foot massages, but I did not expect TYF to look like an actual spa on the inside.  I kept saying to Kevin, “wow – this is so nice!”  He got it after the eighth or ninth time, I think.

inside TYF

Treat Your Feet Massage & Spa is an OTP haven for relaxation and therapy.  The spa offers comfortable massage chairs and purifying sauna and shower rooms.  You can select from a variety of one to two hour body massages (acupressure, lymph, sport, Thai, Swedish, etc.), 30 minute to one hour foot and reflexology massages, or candle ear wax removal.  And, the place is super peaceful and CLEAN!

We all opted for the one hour foot massage for $30 each.  Is that a steal or what??!

TYF massage chairs

Our massages began like this…

stac's toesies

…and ended like THIS.

= bliss

We didn’t want to leave.  Seriously.  If they weren’t closing for the evening, I am pretty sure that we would have stayed for a second round.  The foot massage was so fun and totally relaxing.  I felt like I was walking in a cloud when I left.  And in case you were wondering, the boys enjoyed it just as much – if not even more – than we did!

TYF makes for an very fun, out-of-the-ordinary date night.  I highly recommend the trip up to Doraville to check it out.  $30 is next to nothing for the luxurious experience, too!  I mean, where has this been all my life?

TYF: I have a maj. crush on you!! 

xx, L

Treat Your Feet – Buford Highway
5938 Buford Highway NE #103
Doraville, GA  30340
770.452.8688
http://treatyourfeetatl.com/

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Hot off the press!  Hot off the press!  Hot off the press! 

Target and Neiman Marcus are teaming up for an unprecedented limited-edition holiday collection of gifts featuring 24 of America’s most preeminent designers.

The two retail industry visionaries looked through their (not so) little black books and partnered with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to enlist designer friends to create a collection of more than 50 eclectic gifting products—from apparel and home décor to pet products, sporting goods, and more.  Just in time for holiday shopping, this one-of-a-kind collection hits all Target and Neiman Marcus stores (and Target.com and NeimanMarcus.com) on December 1!

Ranging in price from $7.99 to $499.99, with most items less than $60, the collection boasts an impressive designer roster: Alice + Olivia, Altuzarra, Band of Outsiders, Brian Atwood, Carolina Herrera, Derek Lam, Diane von Furstenberg, Eddie Borgo, Jason Wu, Judith Leiber, Lela Rose, Marchesa, Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, Philip Crangi, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schouler, Rag & Bone, Robert Rodriguez, Rodarte, Skaist-Taylor, Thom Browne, Tory Burch, and Tracy Reese.

How did I get this scoop so quickly?  Well, let me tell YOU - I met this famous pooch in the San Juan airport last year + we’ve been tight ever since.  Totally in the know, you know?

This is amazeballs, y’all!!

xx, L

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One of my favorite summer restaurant deals is BACK!  Summer Swag offers you the opportunity to dine at Concentrics Restaurants while saving some serious $$$!  Click on this link to print the Summer Swag certificate + you can save 50% off of your dining experience at any of Concentrics’ fantastic restaurants listed below!

 Just remember to bring your certificate with you and present it to your server.  The offer is valid Mondays – Fridays and cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.

Summer just got a little sweeter! 

xx, L

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Spent your Monday nights at Cucina Asellina (my new favorite Midtown restaurant – thank you very much) and get 4 wine samples/ 4 delicious light bites for $30.  Sounds like a deal to me! 

LOVE a Monday night out!  I will definitely be there next week… 

More on my recent visit to adorable Cucina Asellina HERE.  And, I’ll see you there!

xx, L

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