Baxter Bark Twice

Do as I say, never as I do

He figure skates, and it is glorious

Posted by AllieB on August 31, 2011

If you don’t already know about this (and you live in Atlanta), then either your friends don’t like you very much or you live in a hole:

Reserve yours today! There are still plenty reservations left…hopefully it’s not just oatmeal. Betsy and MPvZB shared this with me Monday, and I’ve been meaning to post…my bad.

Speaking of fine dining, it’s Midtown Restaurant Week. My laziness has precluded me from sharing this, also, but…better late than never. It ends Sunday.

Pardon me while I climb up on my soapbox…there we are. Ok, music on websites. There is nothing more off-putting than opening up a web page  and being BLASTED by some techno bullcrap – particularly when in the office or library or just would rather not have a heart attack…PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE THIS. Aqua Bistro: GUILTY. 9 of out 10 hair salons: GUILTY. I remember one Friday morning back in the day when I rolled into work sufficiently under the weather, was browsing lunch options and happened upon a web page whose music was so loud and offensive that I vomited. True story. Except it’s not true, but it very easily could be. Just ask me first…is all that I ask.

I miss JBax :(

So, because I want a new car, new clothes, and window treatments, I’ve started babysitting more. Kids say the darndest things! Cut to: the other night:

I was babysitting these cute little blonde kids – Jackson, age 4, and Grace, 2. They are two little peas in a pod and seriously so adorable I wanted to just gobble them up. We watched Toy Story 2, took baths (they did, not me), read our favorite books (Spider Man comic books – questionable…how about Where the Wild Things Are or something), and even played paddy cake. Anyway, we were hunkering down for bed, when Grace announced she was missing Jessie. Jessie is her nighttime friend. Jackson and Grace are very self-sufficient and insisted upon finding Jessie themselves. I said sure, go ahead, and began my manhunt for the pantry while they searched. After not hearing anything from them for awhile, I called to Jackson, “how are things going?”

“Well, Miss Allie, they’re going great – but they’re not going super great.”

I die. And I never did find the pantry…either they don’t eat anything but refrigerated food or they have like a secret revolving book case – I swear I looked everywhere.

WordPress has just recently allowed me to change the color of my fonts. It’s a veritable RAINBOW of FUN!

Also, I was reading BBT on an iPad recently – it really doesn’t translate well to mobile devices, does it? Sorry. I’m right on top of that, Rose.

Posted in Arbitrary, Food & Drink | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Fashion & Football

Posted by AllieB on August 30, 2011

Sorry, I’ve been busy.

Last night, G-force and I decided to be good people and volunteer at the Jeffrey Fashion Cares event supporting Susan G. Komen for the Cure—Greater Atlanta Affiliate and the Atlanta AIDS Fund. It was on the 32nd floor of the still-not-full office building on the corner of 12th and Peachtree next to the Loews hotel and had sweeping views of the city – stunning! Our first job was to people watch man the silent auction. I observed the following observations:

  • if you can’t zip your skirt up all the way, don’t wear it. Venture up a size or maybe just avoid white stretchy satin altogether
  • TRENDING: handbags with your children’s photo silk-screened onto them. Nope. Stop that now. Ok for birthday cakes – maybe – but find another way to bring up your offspring than literally wearing them.
  • having interpretive dancers randomly seizing dancing throughout a reception can be cool, but maybe mention that in the program. One guest nearly administered CPR on the male dancer whose three-piece suit was evidently not made of a breathable fabric…it seemed like he was about to have a heat stroke.
  • Jeffrey of Jeffrey is a fabulously charming, polite, friendly, and well-dressed human
  • people – women, namely – of a certain social set, could use some pointers about dressing their age…if you’re over 60, let’s leave the Herve Leger at home, shall we….

Our second job was getting payment from people who won things in the Live Auction. This, as I know from my tenure in non-profit events, is very important. People bid, win, then skirt out before you can get money from them and then you have to stalk them down and it’s awkward and uncomfortable. Solution: divebomb them the moment the auctioneer declares, “SOLD!” One of the items was a cruise by Azamara. Yes, please. The gentleman in the center was the winner. In order to get to him, I had to claw my way over the woman seated on his right. Oh, hi, Nene. Didn’t see you there – hope I didn’t stomp all over you as I attempted to my launch my clipboard into this gentleman’s lap. If you know me at all, you already know that I definitely stomped all over her as I attempted to launch my clipboard into the gentleman’s lap. Allie….no.

Source: The Buzz.

Because I knew someone on the inside (Lacy), my mom and I were able to take home a swag bag each….holla! One week at the Exhale Spa and Gym in the Loews Hotel, a facial at Derma-Luxe, a free bottle of Sinless Margarita mix, some Kerastase products, and $25 to Three Sheets in Sandy Springs. (I actually wound up with three of those Three Sheets things…? Oops. I guess we’ll go thrice.) I’m really excited about the Exhale one, in particular…Tina, are you allowed in there still?.

I kind of missed the boat on VMA commentary – in a nutshell: Lada Gaga is a freak; Beyonce and Jay-Z’s kid is already the luckiest kid in the world; Britney was waaaay underplayed; Kim Kardashian’s rear end deserves it’s own zip code/tax bracket.

Source: Go Fug Yourself

Last, and by far the most important thing I’ve said on BBT in ages: FOUR DAYS TIL FOOTBALL. I am very excited for The SCS Event on Saturday that I will be attending with 900 of my nearest and dearest. I’m really really excited about trying Melissa Fontaine’s Athens-based Hip Pops and, of course, getting my fix of carne asada from Tex’s Tacos (their schedule for the week).

GOOOOOOO DAWGS!!!!

Posted in Arbitrary, Celebs | Tagged: , , , , | 7 Comments »

Nothing nefarious here

Posted by AllieB on August 25, 2011

If I was hooked up to some kind of heart monitor or similar right now, there’d be flat line – flat line -flat line – teeny tiny blip – flat line…and so on. I did BLAST 900, which I’ve always thought was something of a cult. Honestly, I think this about all exercise trends, from yoga to boot camp to core fusion to jump roping – it’s all a load of BS; if you want to get in shape, go for a run. Well, be that as it may, I’ve had a hard time getting my act together in this suffocating heat. I may as well put a sopping wet comforter in the dryer for 15 minutes, take it out, wrap it around my face, then go running – it’s the exact same thing.

Anyway, so Blast: it was hard. I feel pretty good now, but I’ve been done for over an hour. I think I blacked out – I remember lying on my mat after the last segment and then suddenly I was in my apartment gchatting. So…I guess I got home safely. If I can scrounge up the cash monay I’ll for sure go back – given my tendency towards laziness and a markedly short attention span, it’s definitely up my alley.

I wish I could say, “up my alley” without feeling like a pervert.

Candles are nice for both scent and ambiance and I have a new found obsession with having one going in every room of my house. It’s a fire hazard, mayhaps, but damn if my place doesn’t smell divine. I just got this Lucia candle from Scout for the Home, the store my BFF Nancy Duffey owns and my go-to for gifts, knick knacks, and just general hanging out when I wish to be surrounded by pretty things. I highly recommend:

It’s just lovely.

I got some other random kind of candle on clearance at Target earlier – sea salt or something…it is decidedly less lovely.

Blast 900…candles…sheesh, what have I become??

That’s better I’m terribly sorry….

TGIT!!!

I leave you with this new(ish) song from Florence + The Machine…LIKE:

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Stranger’s Day

Posted by AllieB on August 24, 2011

In the same vein of what I think we can all agree is one of the more brilliant holidays – Make Someone Uncomfortable Day (it goes Christmas > my birthday > MSUD > T-Giving) – I bring you the under-publicized, under-valued, and certainly under-celebrated: Stranger’s Day.

The point of Stranger’s Day, from what I can gather (I’ve been doing some goog’ing, and it seems that SD hasn’t really taken off – YET), is to share garbage valuable and cherished items with someone you do not know. It’s almost like doing a Random Act of Kindness, if you think about it. I’m not sure how you go about actually sharing said item, so for now we’ll keep it viral – i.e., photo sharing via the interweb. Bob Mankoff, author of this article from the New Yorker, has shared some things that he might like to share with a stranger, including but not limited to:

Another flea market find I’d like to share with you, dear Stranger.

That shiz is creepy. I am still unpacking my apartment (BAXTER, finish the drill), and I’ve come across an assortment of items I think I will share in honor of Stranger’s Day, including but not limited to:

Here you will find some items great for any home: a bedraggled poster from a food festival I attended eight ago as well as a piece of original art by moi. Value: priceless.

You are welcome, Stranger.

This veritable smorgasboard is just plain useful. From top left: a lei for your wrist or ankle, an only slightly used, fragrance-free candle, a wallet for your shoe, and Happy Birthday!

That is the ugliest f-ing candle I have ever seen. I’m embarrassed that it’s even in my possession.

Sorry for that one, Stranger.

Here, Stranger: my friends and family can be your friends and family, too.

That is a particularly nice headshot of JBax on the lower left – treasure that one.

Stranger, here is a New York notepad (gifted to me by MCL, I believe) that is not only useful, but is also imparting some wisdom that I some borderline illiterate idiot scribbled on it…

Someone’s getting lucky today, these are some hot ticket items…I recommend browsing your desk drawer at work, or that basket where all the crap goes that you don’t want to look at – one person’s trash is truly another person’s treasure.

There was an earthquake yesterday on the East Coast – people are making light of it, but really? Have you seen the devastation – the horror??

Seriously, you need to be eating Eggo nutri-grain waffles. They are the bomb.

Posted in Arbitrary | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

You’re going to want to bookmark this one

Posted by AllieB on August 23, 2011

CREDIT: Hadley P. Click here to enlarge.

This is the schedule for Fall premiers on the major networks. I know not how to spell “premiere” and it seems it’s acceptable with or without the “e.” Ok then.

I spent an afternoon watching trailers for the new tv shows recently, and there is a LOT for us to be excited about. Note to Sister, Kara, Lacy, and probably a lot of you: these are scripted television shows with sets and fictional characters and plotlines, so you may or may not be interested. For those of us with standards, continue reading:

YES:

  • Two Broke Girls: that busty girl from a bunch of movies is kind of annoying, but I laughed at the trailer…I”m sure I’ll watch it even if it’s awful
  • Up All Night: Christina Applegate is one of my top 5, and Will Arnett is weird but in an awesome way, and Maya Rudolph – when she’s not overdoing it – is great, too. IN!
  • Revenge: fiesty! And I like that actress – Rebecca from Brothers and Sisters.
MAYBE:
  • Pan Am: I’ve never been a fan of Christina Ricci (her face is weird), but I like the premise
  • Hart of Dixie: I think this has already premiered? It wasn’t horrible
  • Charlie’s Angels: I’ll definitely try it out – I have that girl crush on Minka Kelly…

I am LIVID that Cougar Town doesn’t come back on until January 2012. WTF, ABC? KMA. Fortunately Happy Endings is making a timely return…I’m serious, that show is hilarious. Hopefully they’ll continue to minimize the roles of Elisha Cuthbert and that d-nozzle she left at the altar. His only redeeming quality is that he runs a cheesesteak food truck…I love food trucks that serve cheesesteaks.

SPEAKING of food trucks: Tex’s Tacos schedule for the week.

Did you know that Zara will be selling their clothes online as of September 7th? They are. Neat.

Posted in Arbitrary, Imparting Wisdom | Tagged: , , , | 6 Comments »

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