Oh, Hi! GHD Air Blow Dryer!

Let me just admit something really fast. It takes me about 90 minutes to get out of the house on a day where I am doing full (everyday) makeup and doing a full blowout....that's right....an hour and a half.  At least.

About 3 years ago I had purchased the Babyliss Pro Nano Titanium Blow Dryer, after reading tons of reviews, and there's a reason I've had it 3 years.  It works.  I can get a really great, glossy, pretty blowout with it, no problem.  The only thing is, if I start with right out of the shower hair, which is usually the case, it takes me a good 45 minutes or so to get it done.  This reeeeeally eats into my weekend mornings, not to mention that keeping heat on your hair for that long is not ideal.

I've been contemplating finding a new dryer for a while...but knowing that in about 9 weeks my personal prep time is going to get severely cut down for a while (helloooo....baby is due at the end of JULY! What ?!?!?) I decided it was time to bite the bullet and splurge.  

I was between the Bio Ionic 10x Ultra Light Speed Dryer, the T3 PROi Professional , and the GHD Air.  I went with the GHD....and couldn't be happier!

WHY?

Because my blowout today literally took 15 minutes.  It almost dried TOO fast.  It didn't get super hot, there was no "steam" coming off my hair like with my Babyliss, and although some reviews mentioned that this dryer was a little heavy, it's literally nothing that I even noticed. 

Oh...and I didn't even have to pull out the flat iron to tame or bend pieces...15 minutes and done.

I have had one bad experience with a GHD iron dying after about two weeks, so I am going to proceed with caution and see how this thing works as time goes on....but so far, BLOWN AWAY.

Beyond excited that I made this purchase.  DEFINITELY recommend!

Oh, Hi! True Food Kitchen!

There's a really delicious little brunch and lunch spot at Lenox Square Mall that we haven't been able to visit in about 8 months...but TODAY we brought back our Sunday tradition!

(and it was fabulous)

True Food Kitchen - Buckhead

With a slogan like "Honest Food That Tastes Really Good" and a mission statement that begins with "You don’t have to be a die-hard Yogi to dine at True Food Kitchen. You need only a desire to give your body nutrients, and your palate something memorable...", one might start to worry that you'll be sitting down to an unpalatable menu of raw, bitter greens and flavorless tofu, despite their insistence that this isn't the case....

Although their menu is based on Dr. Andrew Weil's "Anti-Inflammatory" diet, the dishes at True Food Kitchen are not lacking anything when it comes to taste and presentation, while the decor totally supports their healthy living theme.

We do have our favorites on the menu, including what we had today, and I tried out a new yummy beverage that is getting added to the normal rotation for sure!

Our MAINSTAYS:

Edamame Dumplings

Quinoa Johnny Cakes

Shaved Turkey Wrap with Sweet Potato Hash

And my new addition to the faves menu...

Grapefruit Cinnamon Soda

Other items we've tried and really liked include the Street Tacos, Teriyaki Bowl, Chicken Chopped Salad, and the Turkey Burger.

Service is usually pretty killer, and we LOVE that you can see the entire prep and kitchen area while dining!

So happy to be back to our old Sunday True Food routine, and hope you get a chance to try it out too!

DETAILS:

http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/locations/atlanta/

Address: 3393 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone:(404) 481-2980

Oh, Hi! REVIEW: Guaco Joe's Vinings!

After a super busy day at our restaurant this past Saturday, we decided to grab a bite at a place close by.  We looked at the options in Vinings that were open after 3pm, and found "Guaco Joe's"...and here's what it was like:

Guaco Joe's is located in the Vinings Jubilee Courtyard, and has a fair amount of parking as well as an ample dining area (we went at an odd time, between the lunch and dinner hours, so we were one of maybe three or four tables in the whole place).

Admittedly, when I'm going for Mexican (or any meal where I KNOW I'm going to be kind of bad) I really, really enjoy low lighting and a darker room, because, like, maybe the calories don't count as much?? J/K...but one can dream.  This place for sure had that going for it.

We didn't order anything way experimental, but what we did chow down on was pretty delish.  Here's what we ate:

Black Bean Queso Dip: When ordering, I expected it to be a bit more black bean heavy, but hey, Queso is Queso and while it wasn't anything off the charts, it hit the queso craving spot!

Grilled Chicken Quesadilla: I was in the mood for a kind of basic dish - so I ordered a chicken, cheese, and sauteed onion quesadilla.  I will say that I was pleasantly surprised because they didn't overload it with cheese, so it really was quite palatable, and exactly what I wanted.

Shredded Chicken Tamales: This is the normal way it's served, COVERED in a ton of cheese - after we modified it and had it brought back to the table sans cheese, the hubs was thrilled.  He's a tamale connoisseur, and to get his stamp of approval means a BUNCH!  Way to go Guaco Joe's!

Mexican Street Corn: This was pretty good, but a little less flavor and a lot more onion was involved than expected.  

Roasted Cauliflower: This was the only item we ordered that we just were not into.  The seasoning they used was something we couldn't quite pinpoint, and even our waiter said that a lot of customers decide to pass on this because of it's unique taste that's totally unexpected.  

Shredded Chicken Taco Salad: This was DELISH.  I ordered it with a side of black beans and rice, and after I mixed that into the salad, it was perfection!  They give you a TON of chicken too, which was a great surprise. 

Shrimp Fajitas: Another dish that the hubs ordered, and was pretty darn happy with.  Portions were generous, and seasoning was on point! 

Bottom line:  

If you're looking for a satisfying, Mexican style joint with some unique offerings and a wide selection, as well as REALLY FRIENDLY service - we would definitely recommend Guaco Joe's if you're in the Vinings area!  As you can probably guess from the photos, we made two stops there, two Saturdays in a row, so obviously it kept us coming back!

The DETAILS:

Guaco Joe's

2950 New Paces Ferry Rd SE

Atlanta, GA 30339
770.801.0020

HOURS:

Mon-Thurs 11am-Midnight
Friday 11am-1am
Saturday 11am-1am
Sunday 11am-Midnight

xo-A

Oh, Hi! Seven Lamps Restaurant Review!

Oh, Hi! Seven Lamps Restaurant Review!

Situated in a cozy little corner at the Shops Around Lenox, Seven Lamps is a warm and inviting gem, perfect for a casual to semi-casual date night, get together with girlfriends, or dinner with a small group.  With  co-owner and Chef Drew Van Leuvan (formerly of Toast, Spice, Saga, Tap, ONE.Midtown Kitchen, among others) at the helm, Seven Lamps is serving up consistently delicious fresh, original, craft food and beverages in a perfectly realized aesthetic that makes the diner want to return again and again...and not just to work your way through the menu.

Friday night we were headed out to grab a bite before going to see a movie.  While our initial intention was to find a steak/seafood/salad type meal (apparently this baby is into really manly, macho style meals right now)...parking and traffic were of course a nightmare in Buckhead at 6:30pm.  We happened to turn into the Shops Around Lenox parking lot, and the husband suggested that we pop over to Seven Lamps since it was literally right in front of us, he enjoyed the food in the past, and hello...there was parking!

So, in we went...and had a fantastic meal that's got me having mad cravings to go back already! Here's the scoop:

We opted to sit inside with the benefit of a little A/C, although they have an adorable little seating area outside and the weather is just about perfect to enjoy it.  (I had also hit the highlighter/bronzer game a little heavy and didn't want to sit in direct sunlight...a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, right?)

After perusing the menu and ordering a Blackberry Citrus homemade soda, we decided to order and share the Steamed Lobster Bun, the Cottage Fries, the Scarlett Butter Lettuce salad, and the Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breast.

They brought a small plate of pickled green beans and house made creme fraiche to the table to get us started, which was actually quite yummy - the pickling spices were balanced and not too heavy, leaving you with a crisp refreshing bite of green bean, accompanied by the light, cool flavor of the creme fraiche. Yum!

The Steamed Lobster Bun was ABSOLUTELY to DIE FOR.  Generous lobster pieces cooked in a decadent celery aioli, served on a steamed brioche bun (a.k.a. the carb that dreams are made of)...and just the right size.  Honestly, we could have each had one on our own, but we wouldn't have had room for the other dishes that we indulged in.  This has to be hands down the best lobster bun/lobster roll in the city right now.

The COTTAGE FRIES. So - when I asked the waitress to describe the fries, her explanation was that they were hand-cut, fried to order fresh fries.  While I would have explained them as more of a lightly friend and seasoned potato slice dish...this dish was a welcome little surprise.  The fries are served with Duke's mayo to dip in, and while I did mix it up with some ketchup...even just eating the fries sans sauce I was obsessed.  

The Scarlett Butter Lettuce salad was an easy, mixed green style salad accompanied by a light "Green Goddess" dressing that gave the dish just enough flavor without ruining the "I'm being like so so healthy and eating my greens" feeling.  Would definitely order this again, and totally think it would be perfect for lunch (maybe with a side of Cottage Fries??)

The only thing that we ordered that neither of us were in love with was the Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breast.  It WAS the juiciest piece of chicked, like, ever...but it was totally lacking in flavor. Maybe we were spoiled by our other tastes of the evening, maybe they had an off night with the cook in charge of the chicken...who knows.  Maybe it just wasn't our thing.  It's not that it was BAD...just didn't leave an impression or make us want to have it again.  

We totally loved the experience from the time we walked in the door, to our fabulously friendly waitress, and of course the FOOD.  We will definitely back (probably sooner than later!) and you should swing by and give it a try too!

DETAILS:

www.sevenlampsatl.com

Address:

SHOPS AROUND LENOX
3400 AROUND LENOX RD.
NO. 217
ATLANTA GA 30326

Phone: 404 467-8950

xoxo-A

Oh, Hi! Lip Kit By Kylie!

Oh, Hi! Lip Kit By Kylie!

Confession time.  I downloaded the Kylie Jenner app. 

And I'm NOT EVEN SORRY.

What I AM sorry about is that I deleted the darn thing before realizing that this was how she would be announcing the launch times of her ridiculously crazy in demand lip kits.

I missed the first launch, the second launch....but NOT THE THIRD!

Seeing on her Instagram that she was announcing the launch time on her app, I googled my little heart out to find a blogger (don't you just love those blogger ladies??) who had posted the launch time.

Once I had that super important piece of info, (3pm....they were re-launching at 3pm!), I set my phone alarm, and logged on to the site 5 mins early...then kept on clicking away trying to get that KOKO K lip kit in my shopping cart!

EXACTLY at 3pm, the page reloaded, I entered my payment info, and BAM! my lip kit was on the way!

No more than 4 days later, my package arrived, and I am THRILLED with this product!

The packaging was SUPER fun, not overdone, but still cute and totally keeps the branding on point!

I've been using the liner and the color each time I've worn it so far, and they blend seamlessly together, dry super fast, and have the most perfect matte finish without making your lips look or feel dried out.

I also experimented with throwing a little GLAMGLOW Plumprageous Lip Treatment on top, which didn't mess with the color's staying power at all but gave my lips a little moisture and tingle halfway through the day.

The first night wearing the Lip Kit By Kylie, we went for dinner at Seven Lamps in Buckhead (more on that later kiddos), went to see a movie, and stopped for a little Fro-Yo afterwards.

That said, the color stayed totally true and consistent through the whole evening and when we made it home, looked like I had just applied it!  WINNER! 

I've tried SO MANY "long lasting" lip colors that end up either cracking because they turn into a weird shellac, beading up and looking like dry skin, wearing off in weird spots...you get the picture.

This stuff doesn't go ANYWHERE and the color is beyond perfect for a natural, pretty, saucy nude.

I wore it again today ALL DAY while at the restaurant, and again, made it all day looking fab!

I'm giving this stuff FIVE STARS all the way... (cost and quality are EXACTLY what they should be, heck, I'd pay more!) ... and will be devising a strategy to be able to order multiples and more colors at the next re-launch!

Thank you to the Kylie Cosmetics team for such a fantastic product!

xoxo-A