Leesburg, GA’s Phillip Phillips was the big winner of the night!  (Kev is totally obsessed with this guy and threatening to change his name to Kevin Kevins in honor of him… Oy.)

AND, former Idol contestant Ace Young proposed to Snellville’s own Diana DeGarmo (another former Idol) on the show!!  It was sooooooooo exciting to watch!  I still have chills!

Congrats Lady Di!! 

What a great night!  Let’s hear it for state pride, y’all!  Georgia!  Georgia!  Georgia!

And now I’m ready for this to dominate my DVR… 

= SYTYCD addict.  Don’t judge.

xx, L

And, I can’t wait!! 

xx, L

Please tell me that you are watching this show.

I’ll brilliant.  I love it.  Thank you, HBO, for such extreme cleverness + awesomeness neatly wrapped up into a glorious 30 minutes.  I’m a big fan – HUGE! 

Please watch everyone.

xx, L

I. AM. TOTALLY. OBSESSED.  What a great way to jazz up some empty wall space!

These are some of my personal favorites…

Check out Minted’s Art Collection HERE!  I want it allllllllll.

xx, L

This is one of my favorite summer events, y’all! 

Not to be confused with the youth soapbox derby, Red Bull Soapbox Race is a national race for amateur drivers, which is fueled by creativity and competitive fun – not to mention the need for speed.  This unique non-motorized racing event challenges both experienced racers and amateurs alike to design and build outrageous, human-powered soapbox dream machines and compete against the clock in a downhill race. 

Did I catch your attention??  If so, click HERE to find out super-fun info about the event like what the cars typically look like, how many Red Bull Soapbox Races have been produced, entrance fees (spoiler alert: FREE!), how teams are chosen to participate, the rules, what the winners get, etc. 

Soooooo, mark your calendars for Saturday, June 9th at Piedmont Park.  Pits open at 10:00 a.m.  First race is 12:00 p.m.  You do not want to miss this awesomeness!

Here are some pictures from previous races…

CK + I were there in full force two years ago!  See you again this year!

Can’t. Even. Wait.  Visit Red Bull Soapbox USA for more info!

xx, L

OMG, y’all, it was DELICIOUS!  Ben & Jerry’s Greek Frozen Yogurt tastes just as good as the real thing!  No lie – I would never.  They’ve combined the creamy richness of Greek yogurt with their notorious colossal chunks + swirls.  B&J GFY comes in four decadent flavors: Peanut Butter Banana, Strawberry Shortcake, Blueberry Vanilla Graham, and Raspberry Fudge Chunk.

This is seriously the best ever.  Enjoy! 

xx, L

I’m sorry I’m not sorry. 

I can’t even help it. Please don’t judge. And I am EXTRA excited because I LOVE EMILY MAYNARD.  

I don’t care if you think she’s boring. She’s so pretty and classy (please don’t let me down, Em) I can’t WAIT to see the degree of idiocy these guys reach over her.  It’s going to be amazing.   Plus, I can stare at her and her amazing clothes for 12 episodes.  #GirlCrush

Tonight at 9:30PM CANNOT come soon enough! 

I love you Emily…

xx, L

I loooooooooved them!  Gobbled them up!  (Took several weeks because I’m a v. slow reader.)  I even dreamt about them.  I was totally transported to Panem for WEEKS!  Needless to say, it was exciting to find out what happened to Katniss + Ko., but I’m SUPER bummed that it’s all over.  Blahhhhhhh.

So, what am I supposed to do now? 

Shall I read these bad boys??

May the odds be forever + ever if your favor…

xx, L

Anyway, I had a lovely dinner with The Jessicas recently at Kyma, and two of their already-delicious menu items stood out to me even more than usual because they were topped off with a delightful dollop of sorbet.  They were divine.  Witness:

1 – Watermelon Salad: dodonis feta, vidalia onions, Kyma garden herbs + watermelon sorbet.

2 – Kyma’s Baklava: baklava with pistachio sorbet.

AHHH-mazingggg!

I wonder how sorbet will do on my Lean Cuisines… 

xx, L

Kyma
3085 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta, GA  30305
404.262.0702
http://www.buckheadrestaurants.com/kyma/

barkley

Barkley’s owners are our great friends, the Sands.  We wanted to see them, too, of course.  They recommended that we have brunch at nearby Atmosphere Bistro and then head down to the Chattahoochee River Trails for Barkley’s first swimming lesson.  To me, that sounded like the best. day. ever. 

So, we met at Atmosphere pre-church crowd rush.  It was my first time at the restaurant, but even before setting foot inside I knew four things about it.

1 – I pass by it driving on Piedmont (Morningside intersection) almost every single day.
2 – It’s a French bistro that has won a lot of local dining awards.
3 – The patio looks like a great place to have dinner or brunch cocktails.
4 – Everyone I know who has tried it has recommended it to me.

Here’s a picture of Atmosphere at night.  So impossibly cute.

Anyway, we successfully snagged a table on the patio and ordered up some champagne cocktails + coffee.

We literally wanted to order everything on the menu.  It all sounded so splendid!  We ultimately decided on two appetizers to share – both of which I strongly recommend.

Crab with avocado, tomato + pineapple chutney served in a martini glass.

Breaded + fried brie with an arugula salad.  OOOOMMMMGGGG.  Awesomesauce, y’all!

After we’d effectively wet our whistles with a few cups of coffee, brunch-y cocktails, and delicious appetizers, we quickly eased on to our entrees.  The Sands both settled on Benedictine: poached eggs benedict over toasted bread, ham, and hollandaise sauce, served with homemade French fries and mixed greens.  A perfect brunch-on-a-patio dish.

Kevin selected the L’Omelette du Jour which happened to be filled that day with thick cut bacon.  There were no complaints from his side of the table.  His omelet arrived with French fries Oeufs and mixed greens, as well.  Kev thought that Atmosphere’s French fries were spectacular!  (Obviously cooked in duck fat and with love.)  He was thoroughly impressed.

I ordered the Carpaccio de boeuf: thin slices of raw Kobe beef with shaved Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon juice.  Simple and delightful.  I was very pleased with my selection.

By the end of the meal, we were completely stuffed.  I was so glad that the Sands suggested we try Atmosphere, and now the delicious restaurant is no longer just a quaint house with a sign that I pass by on Piedmont each day, but rather a destination for really enjoyable French cuisine.  I am looking forward to going back to try their dinner menu, and taste their famous French Onion soup!

Shortly after brunch, we headed out to the Chattahoochee with Barkley – who had been patiently awaiting our return. 

I’m sure you will all be pleased to know that he is a total water pup and had a very successful first swimming lesson!  The Sands are sure to become river regulars!

Hoping that everyone had as lovely of an Easter as we did! 

xx, L

Atmosphere Bistro
1620 Piedmont Ave.
Atlanta, GA  30324
678.702.1620
www.atmospherebistro.com