Monday, December 28

calling all old ladies; well those with comfy shoes..


BEFORE
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AFTER
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notice how lazy i am.. i had yet to stud the right footed shoe when i took this..
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(boyfriend buttondown, doki geki vest, h&m tights, thrifted shoes)

picked up these shoes for $4 at the thrift store a few months ago in lieu of the legless boot trend, but couldn't bring myself to wear them as everytime i tried them on, my mirror just screamed "orthopedic GRANDMA". so, i finally decided to do something about it. i was actually planning on putting a lot more studs on them, but couldn't figure out an easy way to punch through the leather and wasn't much feeling like getting complicated and such, so i took the easy way out. but, if anybody knows of a quick way to stud the leather portion of these shoes, im all ears!
(always)alanna
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i meant to share this months ago, but forgot, and recently just stumbled on it in my pictures stored on my hard drive.. its too great not to share if you haven't already seen it..

(always)alanna

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the sickest bags ever.. too bad christmas just passed
you can buy them here

p.s. riverisland is having a crazy sale right now and there are giant markdowns. so, for everyone in the UK with the opportunity to shop this brand(who i am entirely jealous of for the record). go look NOW:
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via angeljackson, catwalk

Saturday, December 26

100TH POST!

i just want to say thank you to all of my readers, to all of my followers, and to everyone who has supported my blog! you guys don't even know how much it means to me to have made it to this point, and be recieving numerous comments daily. i hope that in the future i can continue to say the same thing of the success of my blog and i hope all of you can too! its the inspiring words that i so enjoy reading throughout the day that keep the posts coming. without all of you, this blog would be no where except as an empty page on the internet. its been the past few months, as i launched my blog, that have been the most rewarding, and for that, i thank you!
mom took me to the city today as a christmas surprise/blogging anniversary and we had SO much fun! this is what i wore shopping. it was inspired by topshop mixed with a little rock 'n roll flair.
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(bebe leather jacket, 21 cami, h&m skirt, bestsey johnson tights, michael kors boots, nine west purse)
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this is rachel, an adorable employee at lenox. shes aspiring to be a stylist at FIDM next year; i wish her all the best and i know she'll be successful. i mean, hell, i'd kill for her to dress me in an outfit as cute as her own!
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me & mom!
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and again, thank you for the support! and enjoy!


heres a foodie recipe to celebrate too-
AMAZING RASPBERRY JAM SHORTBREAD COOKIE SANDWICHES
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i say every cookie i make is amazing.. but i honestly think these might be the most amazing cookies i've made yet. they did take patience and i only made a few, but its SO worth it!
get the recipe here

(always)alanna

Friday, December 25

best ATLANTA food

heres the third edition of best atlanta food. i always include this city in my food series because its where i live! there are probably repeats for best greek, pizza... but thats because theres so many to choose from! send me your feedback if you try anything out and let me know if theres anything you'd like me to look up for you or add to the list. enjoy! (many of these recommendations are centered around food and most of the food only reccomendations (not cocktails, taverns..) are recommended for lunch. however, if you're shooting for atmosphere, check out my first food post, "best big-city eats")

best po boy sandwiches:

Just Loaf'n
3173 Roswell Rd; Buckhead; 678.701.6538

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Loaf'n is a New Orleans-during-Mardi-Gras-inspired, purple/gold/green-painted shack of Cajun cuisine for consumption on the small, steel-tabled front patio, plating snacks, dinners, and the aforementioned po boy, which would've closed that endorsement deal with Pillsbury, if only they were a little more ticklish. With the exception of 50-wing platters, all menu items're under $14; get those wings (lemon pepper, BBQ Cajun, HOTTTT!) in a basket w/ fries, slaw & hush "pups", or start with classic Louisiana eats like seafood/andouille sausage gumbo, jambalaya w/ dirty rice, and deep-fried fare like pickles, turkey legs, and gator bites -- well, at least one did last week, and he's probably still crying. Huge po boys're dressed w/ mayo, mambo sauce, and pickles, and served on N.O. Leidenheimer’s French bread; get yours stuffed with choice of seafood (fried shrimp, oyster, catfish, tilapia, soft shell crab, alligator), or go turf with fried turkey, roast beef & gravy, or Patton's Hot Sausage, which was previously only seen in the Director's Cut.
If all you want's a burger, snap up a Black Angus Cajun, or get even fatter with the seafood platter (fried catfish, oysters, shrimp, hush puppies & fries) or a crawfish or shrimp seafood boil -- guaranteed to be more enticing than the one you saw on that chick during Mardi-Gras that made you want to jump from the balcony.
check out the full menu here

best archaic-inspired drinks:

Prohibition
At Andrews Square: 56 E. Andrews Dr; Buckhead

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All ice is freshly chiseled from a 300lb block to ensure optimal drink temp and consistency in whiskey bevs like the Sazerac (w/ Sazerac Rye whiskey, rye bitters, Herbsaint liqueur rinse), and gin "Prescriptions" like the Pegu Cocktail (London Dry, lime, bitters, orange Curacao), the Corpse Reviver "hangover cure" (fresh lemon juice & absinthe rinse), or the gin/lemon/Creme de Violette "Aviator", a classic recipe from the good old days when pilots were lauded for their drinking. The libation assault continues with tequila/mezcal drinks like the Delores Park Swizzle (agave tequila, Lustau Sherry, Velvet Falernum, ginger syrup), rum sips like the Golden Girl (aged rum, pineapple, Port Sherry), Italian/Eastern Bloc "Remedies" like the Four Oh Four (Van Gogh Blue vodka, St. Germain elderflower, lemon, Aperol), and "Vaccines" like the Absinthe Drip (130 proof; louched at the bar) and the Alabazam, made w/ brandy, lemon, orange and Curacao, pulled from 19th-century cocktail recipe book "The Flowing Bowl", the sequel to "Plunger".
Super-rare cigars come from one of the partner's personal collection and're priced near retail (e.g., Fuente Opus X can run $120 in cigar bars; they've got 'em for $45). Because the joint's just that classy, there're house rules printed in the leather-bound, polished oak covered menus, such as "You are responsible for the behavior of your guests", and "Gents always offer seats to a lady" -- if only Marilyn Chambers knew, before offering her seat to all those men.
check out the full menu here

best thai:

Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft
1745 Peachtree Rd, Ste Y; Buckhead; 404.249.0099

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Quietly open at 25th and Peachtree, Tuk Tuk's a spacious Thai street food sanctuary with an open kitchen featuring authentic noodle-cooking street carts, a main dining area smoothly decked with white leather banquettes, a glass-enclosed VIP zone w/ private balcony, and an 80-seat wrap-around patio. Small plates include Hoy Tod (crispy Bangkok pancake w/ mussels, bean sprouts & sweet chili sauce), and Northeastern Thai beef jerky w/ coriander; there're also bigger bites like a whole catfish grilled in a banana leaf w/ chili lime sauce, and noodles like Ba-Mee Moo Dang: egg noodles w/ BBQ pork, yu choy, and crushed peanuts, who just can't get over finding shots of hot nuts on its GF's phone.
check out the full menu here

best bbq:

Community Q BBQ
1361 Clairmont Rd; Decatur; 404.633.2080

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Eats're sourced from regional farms, and everything but the Brunswick Stew's cooked fresh daily (with leftovers given to food banks); the feasting commences with sammies like sliced beef brisket, pulled pork, chicken (pulled or bone-in), or mild smoked sausage, which you'll just have to settle for, cause they refuse to do straight menthol. Bun-less meat includes ribs of beef or St. Louis-style pork (caramelized w/ BBQ sauce) with sides like collards and rigatoni mac-n-cheese; you can also feed a four-man posse or a one-man you with take-out-only family packs, which come with 1.5lbs of chicken, pork, or beef, two pints of sides, and burger buns -- also the "cute" nickname that got your dad banished to sleeping on the couch.
check out the full menu here

best beer (and cocktails) tavern:

The Fred
At Taco Mac Prado: 5600 Roswell Rd; Sandy Springs; 404.941.1503

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enclave of exclusive beer, cocktails, and snacks, named after their longtime beverage manager; the only way in is to become a member of Taco's "Brewniversity" beer club, by getting a special card punched to prove you've drank 13 beers, and if you do it in one sitting, it's even more like real college. Once that card's full, go around the back of the Mac and hit a secretive walkway, press the red button near the unmarked door (not the door to the right w/ a "No Deliveries" sign), and the bartender'll buzz you in, after which you'll scan your card on a wall-mounted kiosk inside (curtained off from the main area), where you'll either be given the green light to enter the aforementioned room and imbibe 45 high-ABV beers and cocktails not available upstairs, or be scolded, and ordered to go back up and drink more. 20 taps include Duck Rabbit Schwarz black lager, Spaten Pilsner, and barleywine Victory Old Horizontal, and there's bottles like Belgium's Scaldis Noel Belgian red amber (12% ABV) and Czech's Zatec Pilsner; cocktails come from either their "Classics" (Rogue Rye Sazerac, made w/ Rogue's Dead Guy Rye) or "Signature" menu, which includes the Spruce Cuke (Junipero gin, Thatcher's Organic Cucumber liqueur, tonic), and the Absolut Vanilla, Thatcher's, soda, lime, and fresh dill/chili-flake-rimmed Showtime, which is way more fun to drink once your parents go to bed.
They've also got small bites like an bratwurst & caramelized onion egg roll, and warm ciabatta & Genoa salami w/ Swiss & cherry peppers -- a sandwich whose frequent eating will reward you with little more than your own roll.
check out the full menu here

funnest place to drink and eat apps:

Ormsby's
In White Provisions: 170 Howell Mill Rd; West Midtown; 404.968.2033

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Starters include baked Apalachicola oysters w/ applewood bacon, hand-dipped corn dogs w/ Sriracha mayo, and house-made pickles (balsamic eggs w/ celery salt, okra w/ sweet onion, sweet/sour watermelon rind); next, move to hoagies like the horseradish sour cream and pickled red onion-topped "Uncle Lenny's Shaved Roast Beef", or get the White Oak grass-fed ground beef, caramelized onion, shrooms & Provolone-topped Bruno burger, which Eminem will pretend he never saw coming, but actually knew all about. Every day has its own dinner feature, like shrimp & grits on Mon, horseradish prime rib on Tues, and veal & mushroom meatballs on Wed; they've also got Guinness-braised bratwurst (w/ kraut & stout mustard, on pretzel roll), chicken & apple sausage w/ Taleggio fondue, or the potato-bunned spiced lamb merguez w/ tzatziki, all part of a category called "Bangers, Links, & Wieners" -- also your diverse high school gang made up of kids who got laid, some who were way too into Zelda, and those whose parents couldn't afford pants. Or underwear.
The carefully selected beer menu includes rare drafts, from North Coast Brother Thelonious, to Schmaltz Albino Python, to Stone Ruination Ale, and they're stocking 40 bottled brews typically not found in ATL, including Boon Geuze, Lefthand Sawtooth, and Corsendonk Brown, the very bathroom activity that caused you to fall out of favor with the masters of a certain robot mouse.
check out the full menu here

best carribbean food:

Carisoul Cuisine
2025 Peachtree Rd NE, Ste 2; Peachtree Hills; 404.254.0509

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Having completed its move into The Darlington after previously operating as a Lilburn catering service, Carisoul's serving Caribbean eats in its own modest-sized ITP space for 12, featuring thick golden brown curtains, stone-tiled flooring, and a glass trophy case with a happily random homemade magazine photo collage of Obama. Everything's under $10, from quick bites like pastry crusted patties (chicken, beef, veggie), to rice & beans-mated entrees with sides (collards, mac & cheese, fried plantains...) like island-spiced BBQ ribs, curry goat, braised oxtails, and jerk pork, whose entire pen was just fine with it when he went to slaughter.
check out the full menu here


the best food and dancing combo:

Inferno Atlanta
393 Marietta St; Downtown; 404.399.4387

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The bar delivers staple domestic and imported brews, while offering specials like $5 Long Islands/$4 Sex on the Beach on Thurs; until 1am you can grub on small bites like chicken wraps (Buffalo, Caesar, teriyaki w/ soy ginger dressing), empanadas like the La Plata (ground beef, black olives, onions, raisins), or brick oven pizzas like the Marathon, w/ smoked Provolone, mozzarella, ricotta, Fontina & Parm, and the mozzarella, Ricotta, tomato, Kalamata olive, red onion & sun-dried tomato Olympus -- though abstain to up your odds of Mount'n.
Inferno's currently lining up its DJ staff, and's planning a recurring weekly schedule of theme nights, including college, Latin/Salsa, techno, and hip-hop -- a genre which also describes how Plax walks since the last time he went out to get crazy.
check out the full menu here

best italian food:

Teela Italiano
227 Sandy Springs Pl, Ste 502; Sandy Springs; 404.497.9997

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tell them you're Hungary, and they'll surely give you the Boot. They exclusively employ imported ingredients like "00" Italian white flour and San Marzano tomatoes to replicate old country flavor in antipastis like the crisp seafood fry (scallops, shrimp & calamari, w/ lemon-pepper mayo & spicy tomato sauce) and mussels steamed in a spicy white wine, lemon & garlic broth; there're also paninis (Caprese, tuna, meatball Parmigiana...) and pizzas, from the Panchetta (w/ shrooms & Parmesan cheese), to the Stagioni, with cherry tomatoes, shrooms, anchovies, artichokes, and kalamata olives -- call it what you want, but just don't try and call a mata anything. Dinners include Fruitte de Mare (seafood medley in spicy tomato sauce) and a fish of the day served w/ roasted Parmeggiano reggiano potatoes; you can also create your own by picking a pasta (tagliatelle, gnocchi, mac & cheese, butternut ravioli...), meat (chicken, meatballs, shrimp, salmon), and sauce like Amatriciana (pancetta w/ pomodoro & fiery pepperoncino), or the cherry tomato, black olives, garlic, and virgin olive oil Rustica, which also comes with a touch of chili, and'll have to do until they get their next shipment of T-Boz. Teela's got 16 bottled brews (Moretti, Peroni, Stella, Brooklyn Lager...), plus a vino list with four Proseccos and 18 reds/whites, including Argentina's Antis Malbec, and Italy's La Bastarda Blend, which four out of five men prefer, cause there's always one guy who just had to have those parents who were married.
check out the full menu here

best mexican:

Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar
3280 Peachtree Rd; Buckhead; 404.892.9292

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Mexi-gorging commences with starters like lump crab fritters w/ sweet/sour chili sauce, then moves to taco dinners (shrimp, fish, pork, chorizo, brisket, etc), entrees like the tomato pepper-sauced Salmon Veracruz, house specials like the slow-cooked beef/smoky peppers/onion Carne De Res Al Chipotle, and chicken, chorizo, veggie Mexican pizzas, which everyone who's taken Spanish knows are called pizzaos. Boozing's handled by 30 tequilas, including platos (Partida, Corzo...), reposados (Casa Noble, Asombrosa la Rosa...), and anejos like Don Julio 1942, plus they've got great drink deals: Tecate's always $2, Bud Lights're a buck on Wed and the same goes for Dos Equis on Sun; their 14-deep marg menu includes the $5 "Peso Little" (get it?!?), and specialties like the Corzo, made with Thatchers Trace Chiles liqueur, Key Lime & house jalapeno-infused tequila called Tara's Kickin' Rita, named after a bartender who really needs to take it easy on those meter maids.
The only thing over a Jackson's "The Whole 5lb Chihuahua": a gargantuan $25 burrito w/ roasted pork or chipotle chicken. Finish it solo under an hour and it's not only free, but they'll also throw in a t-shirt with an Aztec-style eagle -- also the symbol of America, which you've recently seen the whole of in a shiny new Devastator IV.
check out the full menu here


best thai:

E@T 2
225 E Ponce De Leon Ave, Ste 100; Decatur; 404.963.0190

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apps range from the lemongrass fish cake w/ cucumber dip, to sweet & sour crispy fried chicken bites, to marinated wonton-wrapped blanket shrimp, which really wishes people would just call it by its normal-person name, Prince Michael Shrimp II. For more resolute consumption, you can toss beef, chicken, shrimp, or all three into spicy basil fried rice, noodle dishes like Pad See Ew (brown-sauced, stir-fried wide rice noodles w/ broccoli, sprouts & egg), or white-rice Thai curries (red, yellow, Masaman, or Panang); they're also dishing specials like Siam Chicken (batter-fried over sweet & sour sauce, w/ cashews & pineapple) and the spicy sautéed filet fish, sea scallops, shrimp & squid Sea Madness -- named for the poorly produced government propaganda flick to discourage people from getting stoned at the beach, once people getting stoned proved inevitable.
After all that's wrapped, 2'll happily fatten you up with fried ice cream, mango sticky rice (w/ fresh mango & w/ sweet coconut milk), or the wonton-wrapped, honey-/ground peanut-topped fried banana, which is exactly what you have to avoid while trying to perk your boy up with some warming rays post-pool.
check out the full menu here

Thursday, December 24

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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made all these delicious gingerbread men today! the batch was huge; it looks like an army! can't wait to give them to some friends and get raving reviews because seriously- they're the MOST AMAZING cookies i have EVER tasted. get the recipe here

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and all the hard work and labor put into the christmas tree! it doesn't look too great in the picture because of the christmas lights/flash.. but it's gorgeous. i promise!
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and the new garland i bought for the fireplace mantle; what do you think?

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christmas eve party- im headed out in my little black jumper!

i hope everybody wakes up with a boatload of presents under the tree, and everything you could ever wish for
peace and love
(always)alanna

Monday, December 21

DIY military jacket

i thrifted this jacket and fell in love with it.. but after visiting the army store in the city, i decided that it was just a bit too plain. so i added some vintage patches and made it a military jacket, literally.

BEFORE
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AFTER
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its a super easy DIY- honestly, you're supposed to sew on these patches (obviously) but i wanted to wear this tonight, and i had like 10 minutes to do it, so i just decided to hot glue them. i might sew them just to reinforce later. get creative, and send me pics with your results if you try it out

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Image and video hosting by TinyPic

(always)alanna

p.s. just made these cookies and edited the recipe a bit ( add another tablespoon of lemon zest and i switched the fruits to dried apricots and dried cranberries and used 1 cup each. i also added an extra 1/2 cup of walnuts) - DELICIOUSS!




get the recipe here!
enjoyyyyy!

Friday, December 18

..fly me to the moon

here it is! the wishlist i've been compiling minus a few things i couldnt find pictures of. sorry for the superimposed photo job- im not too savvy with picture collages on the computer..obviously

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(classic maxi by alexander wang, silver hunter wellies, marc jacobs resort 2010 platforms, nasty gal power shoulder dress, velvet dress, michael kors goldtone watch, AA bandeaus, studded heels, alexander wang t,leather mini, MAC volcanic ash mask, OPI matte nail color in russian navy, a rockin' oversize vintage tee)












(this absolutely amazing gary graham dress.. which i cant find anywhere!, BCBG mendel wedges, black lacy shawl)

















oh yeahh... and everything erin wassons wearing here

(via olsens anonymous, shop bop, nasty gal, style.com, hunter, fashiontoast, shopalexanderwang, americanapparel.net, michael kors)

xx

.. not to mention i wouldn't KILL for a pair of the alexander mcqueen s/s 2010 shoes

Thursday, December 17

rodarte line.. LEAKED!

the rodarte collaboration with target was leaked today in the store a few minutes from my house, so naturally i was a bit frustrated that they didnt wait until sunday to debut it. i was only upset because i found out at about the last minute before the store closed and was afraid all the sizes would be gone! and of course, when i arrived, the entire line was picked through and there were only large and x-large sizes left. and as i sullenly took a large with me to the fitting room all the while promising myself that oversized clothing was in, i spotted my size on the fitting room rack! and upon finding one size, it seems i found them all.. so thats where they keep the rodarte (hiding in the BACK)- cheaters.. all those employees are hogging it for themselves haha. but i walked out with the black tulle dress and the mohair/sheepskin cropped jacket and couldnt be happier. although, i would have liked to try on the exoskeleton dress and a few of the other pieces (this target didn't have the full collection)
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everyone else- go check out the line sunday; i promise it wont disappoint!
good luck on hunting!
xx
(always)alanna