fun

atlanta glam night!

kdavis 1 Comment

last night a whole bunch of us from work, 24 to be exact, met up to do some more birthday celebrating at “atlanta glam night.”  okay, so my birthday was almost two weeks ago.  what i’m talking about now is celebrating a birthday month.  let’s all get on the bandwagon!

my coworker whitney also had her birthday earlier this month, and we decided that celebrating with everyone was a no-brainer.  we started out the evening with a fantastic dinner at einstein’s in midtown.  i’ve been there before for my friend kiley’s birthday, so i suppose it’s only appropriate that we continued the tradition.  our semi-private dining space was perfect for our group.  al and i arrived early to disperse the favors, and then the party got rolling.  i don’t even think we ate until almost nine!

the preset menu was the perfect idea for our large party, and from what i could tell, almost everyone was in the clean plate club.  there was steak and fried chicken and salmon all around!  the medium steak i had was cooked quite well, the asparagus was flavorful and grilled perfectly, and as for the mac’n’cheese?  to quote al, “let’s just order a trough of mac’n’cheese for dessert.”  i’m onboard with it!

i looked around the space, and everyone just seemed so happy.  i am glad that we all like each other so much that we want to be intentional about seeing each other outside of the office.  looks like we had a pretty great time, don’t you think?

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after thanking the wait staff and piling outside, some of us wound our way to front page news to continue the festivities.  front page news is a good go-to whenever you’re looking for some live music and patio drinking, and it delivered last night as well.

al & me.

al & me.

out next and last stop was just caddy-corner on 12th and crescent at ri ra.  although a bit of a mess, this bar is one of my favorites in town.  i have fond memories there with my siblings and friends, so i am always up for a drink or two or three there…did i say three?  maybe it was four?  regardless!  al, vinh, andrew, and i shut the place down!  hugs and handshakes were given among us all, and then al and i waved down a yellow chariot to whisk us home.  such a great night!

andrew & me.

andrew & me.

this morning i awoke with some hesitation.  i was ready to keep those blinds closed and climb right back into bed, but i didn’t want the entire day to be a waste.  i met up with kyle and kari for some post-night out brunch at buttermilk kitchen, just up the road from me.  buttermilk kitchen is a brunch spot i love to take folks to when they are in town, and it was just the ticket for me this morning, if you know what i mean.  i enjoyed some pimento cheese, toast, and sausage.  so delicious, and so perfect after a night of going hard, living young, and living free. yolo!

1920 tavern – roswell, ga

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a couple weekends ago our friends kyle and lisa were finally tying the knot up in roswell, ga.  after the beautiful ceremony at st. ann’s, some of us guests had time to kill before the reception.  to the bars we go!

downtown roswell was just the ticket considering the reception space was right there as well.  lots of folks were out and about that sunny june afternoon; we weren’t the only ones with a good idea!  our large group moseyed into the 1920 tavern off of canton street, and it was a great pick.

1920 wasn’t too crowded since it was that funny time between lunch and dinner, so they gladly seated us in the back room where there was plenty of space and plenty of tables.

we didn’t want to fill up too much, but some of us were a little hungry and thirsty.  the drink menu and food menu both looked awesome; i’m kind of amazed we didn’t order one of everything.  beverages were the first order of business, and after taking a good bit of time to decide, daniel and i both ordered the smoked rose while kari gave the opulent sparkle a try.  the whiskey, mint, pineapple, and wood chips in the smoked rose were an unexpected but delicious combination.  the pineapple wasn’t too strong and neither was the mint.  the whiskey gave a nice finish after each sip, and i liked it so much i had two!

daniel and the smoked rose!

daniel and the smoked rose!

i remember kari’s opulent sparkle being bubbly and fruity and quite refreshing.  cheers, kari!

hey, gur.

hey, gur.

meanwhile, you have kyle and liz.  love ’em!

wearing your shades inside is still cool.

wearing your shades inside is still cool.

we also enjoyed an order of the blue crab and shrimp dip.  it was hearty and cheesy and paired well with the crispy baguette slices.  tasty!

blue crab and shrimp dip.

blue crab and shrimp dip.

after a couple of rounds we had to call it an afternoon and head to the reception.  oh darn!  would i come back to the 1920 tavern, though, for another occasion?  or maybe just another day ending in ‘y’?  absolutely.  1920 is a speakeasy-inspired spot, not just with its décor but also with its cuisine, taking old classics and bringing them into the 21st century with market-driven and locally sourced ingredients.  it is refined and approachable, sophisticated yet playful, and it is a great place to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

perhaps you should stop by the next time you are in downtown rozzie…just a suggestion.

a feeding frenzy – dallas, tx

kdavis 1 Comment

i’ve recently spent time in dallas, texas for work, and although we have been keeping quite busy, we always find time for a good meal.  cranky consultants are not happy consultants.

dallas is quite the foodie town, and i feel like we’ve done a decent job of exploring it.  of course, i wouldn’t be opposed to a return trip to find and try even more local spots.

these restaurants are presented in no particular order.  and i am warning you now, we did a lot of eating.

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an american weekend

kdavis 1 Comment

happy birthday, america!  and let’s give a quick thanks that this year’s anniversary was on a friday.  hellooooo, three-day weekend!

we started the party this year with the 45th annual running of the peachtree road race.  for most of us, this year was our fourth running, and it may have been the best one yet.  the weather was just gorgeous, and the spirit on the streets was high.  personally, i didn’t have the highest expectations for my race since injuring my back in april, but the energy from all the other runners was infectious.  i could do it!

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mexico – day 3

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our final day arrived!  and i was looking quite forward to doing a lot of relaxing, as it was our one and only day at sea.  i rolled out of bed, and we met everyone on the upper deck for a little breakfast.  as we were chomping down on handmade omelettes and bacon and fruit, the emcee from the dance floor announced that music trivia would be starting shortly.  music trivia?  we should be able to dominate!  ali went to get our answer sheet and pencil, and we all waited as the questions were asked.  there were a total of 20 questions, and we answered 14 correctly!  we soon found out that we were the trivia winners, which of course is deserving of some kind of reward.  i suppose on a cruise ship there’s only so much they can give away, so we walked away with a sweet trophy replica of the carnival imagination.  go team!

such a good looking group.
a winning team!
victory!

just a few minutes later, bingo was being hosted in the grand theatre, so there was no time to lose.  uncle jeff, aunt cindy, milo, ali, and i trotted downstairs, bought our bingo sheets, and settled in for some good ole’ fashioned fun.  the host was a hoot, and although none of us got the chance to yell “bingo!” during the game, a couple of us walked away with a few bucks with our scratch-off cards.

bingo!

bingo!

after two exhilarating activities, i was ready to bum around.  i joined uncle craig and aunt janie back on the upper deck.  the sun had finally broken through the overcast morning, hooray!  i lathered on the spf 30 sunscreen, adjusted the beach chair, and closed my eyes to just be.  the weather was as beautiful as it was when we arrived, and i honestly could just not get over it.  what a treat!

we enjoyed vodka lemonades and some snacks throughout the afternoon.  at some point, people-watching just could not be avoided, as the dj was hosting a party out on the dance floor.  at least they played some iggy azalea, my jam!  i only wish we had one more day out here!

as the late afternoon turned into the early evening, we gathered our things to spruce up for the night.  as i got changed, i realized my sunscreen “lathering” wasn’t quite as thorough as i had thought.  i had some sweet tan lines, and my face was quite red.  nothing like a little natural sunshine on those cheeks, right?  sure…

the theme this evening for dinner was nautical, so blues and reds and stripes were perfectly in order.  erin even brought captain and sailor hats for us all to don!  aren’t we just the most adorable bunch?  everyone else thought so, as we were receiving the sweetest compliments throughout the night.

 

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our final meal together was really quite lovely, and i had to push out the thought that it would be a few months before i would see everyone again for my brother’s wedding.  “stay in the moment!” i told myself, and that is just what i did.  we reminisced on our favorite moments with uncle craig and aunt janie, the guests of honor, and indulged one last time.

after finishing our desserts, we quickly made our way port side to the comedy show.  although the comedian was a bit inappropriate, we were laughing the whole half hour he was up there.  sometimes things are funny because they’re true, and sometimes they’re even funnier when we call them out and make fun of them.  at least the crowd had a good sense of humor for him!

we cousins weren’t ready for the night to end just yet, for that meant the vacation was coming to an end soon, too.  it just so happened that some of the crew members were hosting an 80’s throwback concert onboard, the perfect distraction for us.  sara, ali, kate, brian, and i danced and sang along to michael jackson and eddie money and many other fabulous bands.  although i was right on the verge of all-night raging, we all silently consented that it was time for the night to end as the band began to pack up.  it is always too soon, yes?  well, that is what they say when you are having fun.

mexico – day 1

kdavis 4 Comments

“kelsey, is it 5:30?”

“hm.  yes…OH!  whoopsies!”  we had planned to wake up at 5 a.m. to get packed and off to marta, but clearly that was not the case.

“well, let’s get a move on then!”  my dad and i hopped to it all, quickly scrambling to get everything together.  makeup would have to wait until later, as we really were running quite behind.

out the condo we shot, over to the parking deck, and through the marta gates.  as we fumbled down the stairs in the most graceful of ways, i heard the screeching brakes of the approaching train.

“dad, we really should make this train.”  that was enough to get him moving, alright.  we swept through the train doors and threw ourselves into the seats.

“just in time!” i rejoiced, smirking at my dad.  if you know anything about ‘ole milo, it’s that he really likes to be early and really hates being right on time.  oh, and if you were wondering, being late with him isn’t even an option.

“yeah, great.  we’ll call this weekend the just-in-time tour.  jit tour!”

“that’s it!  that’s the theme for the weekend!”  all he could do was shake his head.

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chicago – day 1

kdavis 1 Comment

girls’ weekend!  that’s right, kari and i were taking an early weekend as of last friday around, say, one p.m. to make a visit back to the windy cindy.  mark and kathleen’s son, and our good friend, gregory moved here to chicago earlier this year, and we decided he needed some company.  here we come!

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’tis picnic season!

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picnic

a couple of weeks ago, i had the brilliant idea for kyle and i to surprise kari, his fiancée, with an impromptu trip to piedmont park, where they would just happen upon a wonderfully laid out picnic with goodies for a fun-filled afternoon.  i was up quite late pulling everything together, but it was certainly worth it.  we spent a delightful day under a tree as the rain lightly fell down around us.  there was no shortage of people watching, giggling, story-telling, and good company.  and then when i thought it couldn’t get any better, we went to the dog park afterwards to watch all the pups romp around in the sun.  the perfect saturday afternoon with my favorite people.

the treats we dined on were so delicious that i knew i couldn’t keep them to myself!  the antipasto pasta salad and pineapple-mango salsa were delicious, but my favorites were the blackberry lemonade, lady marmalade chicken salad, and homemade rice krispy treats.

p.s.  my secret for the rice krispy treats is to double the marshmallow filling.  YES.  you know it’s what you want.  for the rice krispy treats, melt six tablespoons of butter on the stovetop.  add 16 ounces of mini marshmallows and melt.  stir until combined.  measure out six cups of rice krispy treats into a large mixing bowl, add the melted marshmallow mixture (say that five times fast), and fold with a spatula until incorporated.  mash mixture into a 9 x 13 pan that has been liberally coated with non-stick spray.  NOMS.

i might be obsessed

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polish

i grew up watching my two sporty brothers in all of their athletic endeavors.  there were all-star baseball seasons, basketball games, and post-victory snacks.  so i made it through my middle and high school days as somewhat of a tomboy.  umbro running shorts and hand-me-down t-shirts were my staples.  it wasn’t until i graduated from college and into young adulthood did i discover my personal style.  it was somewhere in my mid-20s that i uncovered the wonderful world of nail polish.

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