St. Patrick's Day '12

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day 2012 in Carrollton with some dear friends. We even managed to bump into a few more friends during the course of the evening's festivities. We are really lucky to have such wonderful peple in our lives. There were lots of laughs, which is always the case when we all get together. Some at ourselves, lots at the foolishness happing around us. All in good fun. I hope you found luck on this fun holiday ... even if you aren't really Irish!!

{dinner at the corner cafe ... my favorite!! green beer at plates & the pub.}

 {two of my favorite bar tops ever -- pennies @ the pub and corks @ plates/uncorked}

{here's just a little something extra} 

An Irish Prayer

May God give you... For every storm, a rainbow, For every tear, a smile, For every care, a promise, And a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, A faithful friend to share, For every sigh, a sweet song, And an answer for each prayer.

IT'S 2010!!

The first month of 2010 is over halfway gone and I have yet to do a new year’s update!! Geez – way to start out on the right foot huh? So far this year has been amazing. I, like most people I know, made some goals for 2010. I won’t bore you with the details of listing them all out. Suffice it to say the overarching theme is health and happiness. Doing things that make my life balanced and enjoyable. I know it will be a struggle for me to reach some of my goals but I feel like I am up for the challenge.

2009 ended in style for the Boatmans! We were fortunate enough to be invited by friends to celebrate the New Year in VEGAS BABY!! It was spectacular. This particular group of friends holds a special place in my heart because we all share a love of two things … laughter and delicious food. This trip was full of both. The added bonus for us was actually celebrating together for Scott's Birthday and for New Year's - that is unheard of for the Boatman's! For the past 5 years work has kept us apart at the stroke of midnight. Our kiss to start another year has traditionally taken place closer to 2 a.m. This year was so much different. On a 38^th floor balcony of the Chrysler Tower at New York New York in Las Vegas we watched fireworks sparkle above us and sea of people celebrating below us. It was a magical view and pictures really don’t do it justice.

A huge party on the “Brooklyn Bridge” capped off our evening of merriment. The music was incredible and everyone was having a blast. We threw beads out to the crowd - I can tell you that catching seemed to be a very difficult concept and many a string hurled through the air and subsequently whacked its intended target in the face! Unfortunate for them, funny for everyone else.

There is a beautiful new live, work, play complex in Vegas called The City Center. It is breathtaking. I can’t help it. I am a total nerd when it comes to textiles and décor. I was absolutely blown away at the level of detail that went into designing this place. You have to see it to believe it. And because I am a total nerd about technology too … check out their website. The virtual tour of the condos is enough to make me gasp aloud. Our evening at Aria just didn’t last long enough. A delicious meal at Jean George’s Steakhouse (I had ate a Kobe Beef Burger that was mouth watering!), followed by the new Cirque show VIVA ELVIS! and then a guided tour of some amenities in the hotel. It was a great vacation and a spectacular way to start a new year. VIVA VEGAS!!

Oktoberfest 2009 - Helen, GA

I have taken a bit of a blog hiatus lately. This is such a busy time of year that unfortunately my little blog seems to have taken a back-seat to more pressing matters on the to-do list. Scott & I work ourselves to death this time of year. Yes, more than usual :). We made a pact at the beginning of the year to try harder to enjoy some of the things that we kept putting aside because of work. More trips, more adventures ... more fun! We did that very thing this weekend and went up to Helen to enjoy Oktoberfest. A couple days off from work would have been nice enough, but top that off with cool mountain air, delicious wine, pumpkin picking, people watching, scrumptious fudge and all the lederhosen you can bear and that equals one perfect fall getaway weekend!

Georgia Wines, Inc. - everything we tried from this winery was good, but these two were delicious! I am not a wine person and not a fan of the red, but this was like nothing I have ever tasted. I highly recommend picking up a bottle if you get the chance. This vineyard is located in Ringold, GA.

Fox Winery - had many a tasty selection as well. We picked up a bottle of Scupperdew for Scott's dad to compare to his own home-brew. Located in Social Circle, GA.

We also stopped by Habersham Winery. The family that owns this winery also owns and operates the Nacoochee Grill.

The Hofbrauhaus bar had these hilarious beer steins displayed above it. At some point the "locals" and regulars could pay to get a customized stein to use when they came in. The photos that some people chose of themselves were HILARIOUS. There was many a stellar mustache displayed.

We stopped by the Gooseneck Pumpkin Farm on the way out of town. We picked out our normal sized pumpkin to take home, but were so impressed with the size of some of these things that we stopped for a quick photo op. WOW.

Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival at the FOX

It's that time of year again ... summer movies at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. I am excited about the July lineup for the Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival and look forward to seeing what they have in store for August! I think Slum Dog Millionaire, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Night at the Museum are all in my future. If you haven't experienced summer movies at the Fox, you are missing out on a fun Atlanta past-time. Last year I attended my first show with some friends and was really surprised at what an "experience" it really was. There is a sing-along portion, classic cartoons instead of regular movie previews and the atmosphere alone is worth the trip! You can CLICK HERE to see the latest schedules, purchase tickets and sign up for email alerts.

Get Outdoors Georgia

In our ever growing battle trying to balance work life & personal life, Scott and I are trying to do more fun things to livin' it up a bit. While searching for some festival information, I ran across a very cute site called Get Outdoors Georgia. It provides listings of all different kinds of outdoor activities - everything from picnics or mini-golf to hiking and camping. You can also sign up for the monthly newsletter. Check it out if you are looking for some fun summer activities on the CHEAP!!

Susan G. Komen :: May Race @ Atlantic Station

We walked on Marsha's Team "Girl Fight" and in honor of so many others that we have loved. Over 15,000 people came out to Atlantic Station to support this amazing cause. I was so privileged to just be a tiny part of it all. Keep up the fight!!

Marsha's sweet husband wore this on his back in honor of her!

Help Home Depot build a DREAM

Help Raise money to build a home for the King Papers.
The home Depot is proud to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the advancement of his dream. that's why we are working to build a permanent exhibition home for the personal writings and papers of Dr. King at the Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta. You can help!! Purchase a collector's editions "DREAM" gift card between January 9 and February 28, and we will make a donation equivalent to 5% of the value you put on the card, up to one million dollars.

If you are purchasing a gift card for someone during this time, please consider participating in this effort and help support this wonderful cause. Thanks!

Be a facebook friend of the Center for Civil & Human Rights and receive listings of support & volunteer opportunities you can participate in.

Way to go South Cobb HS Marching Band!!!

I love that they made it there and so many people in the community played a tiny part in getting them there. What a wonderful memory each of these kids will have with them for the rest of their lives. Amazing!!

Family photo shoot

I was hired to shoot some special family pictures on Sunday. I spent a few hours with the family and had so much fun with the daughters. I never knew how funny a set of pre-teen fraternal twins could be. Them ganging up on the oldest sister was hilarious. They had me in stitches. It reminded me of a time when things were simple and laughter was easy to come by. It was a much needed reality check. Life is as humorous as you make it. Sometimes it is hard to remember that you even have to laugh when it hurts. Sometimes laughter is the only thing that gets us through.

-- thanks girls! --

ICE is here!!

Well almost. The The Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular 2008 is this Saturday, Nov. 15 from 11 am - 6 pm at Ambient + Photo Studio (Located at 585 Wells St. SW Unit A * Atlanta, GA 30312). Please come out and support independent artists and crafters!! You can check out photos from past shows at the ICE Flickr page.

Election Day

I have made it a point not to talk politics here, however I felt like this was the only day appropriate to say a few words about our democratic process. This is by far the biggest and most widely anticipated election that most of us will witness in our lifetime. There have been heated debates, passionate speeches, an abundance of promises, mountains of anxiety and more "enthusiasm" than anyone could have predicted. This election will define our country today. No matter which way the people of our nation swing the vote, we will all be affected. Do whatever you feel is right. If you're uninformed, or for that matter mis-informed, stay home. Voting is a privilege. Don't haul yourself out to the polls to vote for this guy just because you are afraid the other guy might win. Do not feverishly denounce one candidate and yet, when questioned about your righteous indignation, not even possess the capability to articulate why. Don't vote based on the content of chain-letter emails and slanderous Internet messages. Don't vote for your party because that is what you've always done. Don't vote for that white guy because he's the status-quo. Don't vote for that black guy just because he's not. Know the issues at hand. Know what you stand for and choose the candidate that most closely reflects your ideals. Do not be lulled into a false sense of acceptance with your choice for President. Do not let yourself forget for one minute that he is not a one man decision making machine. Our President is pushed, pulled, swayed, bullied and bought by the advisors, government leaders, lobbyist, media, corporations, analyst and us that surround him. They all "aid" him in making the important decisions he faces while in office. The campaign has been important. This election day is a huge deal. Do not forget though that the "change" will be made over the span of the whole presidential term. I've heard people say vote with your heart. Please, I beg you, engage your brain in the process. Do not be fooled. Do not be apathetic. Do not be ignorant. Please. Happy Election Day.

-- oh how i LOVE google --

Fighting for the BOOBS!

The ladies got together this weekend to participate in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk at Atlantic Station. I was incredibly tired and little loopy from the medication, but it was incredibly important to me to participate. My incredible grandmother is a 19 year survivor of breast cancer and I kept thinking that the very least I can do is walk for the cause, her cause. It is amazing when I think of the medical miracles and advances that have taken place in the fight against breast cancer since my granny was diagnosed. So many lives have been saved, but there is still such a long way to go to eradicate this disease. Almost everyone I know has been touched by this frightening disease in some way. Every woman you know is someones mother, sister, daughter, family or friend. I hope that in my lifetime I am able to see even more progress and may be even a cure. It takes support for the research and the people. I'll keep trying to do my small part. 

In support of Granny and my amazement that every year she makes sure to participate in as many ways as she can, I decided to make shirts for our group. After a very long, complicated and disappointing exchange with one company I finally gave up and found someone else to work with. A quick recommendation for Velocity Screenprinting in L5P. They were so wonderful to work with and helped me out of a very tight spot. For all your t-shirt (whatever) screenprinting needs I absolutely recommend Velocity! Check out our fun Team Granny shirts!

Special shout out to my friend Fallon who saved the day by going to pick up the shirts, since I was on the disabled list for the evening. Thanks!

We also ate an incredible brunch at J. Christopher's. The omelets, turkey bacon and hot chocolate were all FANTASTIC!

Cool as I.C.E.

The holiday season is swiftly approaching. If you are done with gift cards or tired of relying on old reliable (completely unoriginal) gifts ... you should check out the Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular! This year's event is Saturday, Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Ambient + Photo Studio in Atlanta. Every year more and more incredible independent artists display their latest and greatest goods at this event. From gorgeous jewelry to quirky t-shirts and handcrafted journals to inspired art pieces ... there is something for event he most unique person in your life.

Come check it out and support independent artists and crafters (especially my friend Christy, organizer and founder of I.C.E. and creater of a bardis).

Chomp and Stomp

Chomp and Stomp, Cabbagetown's chili cook-off and artists market will be November 8 starting at 10 a.m. in Cabbagetown Park. Many ICE vendors are participating in the artist market! It a great day of fun and good food. If you've never been this year's event sounds like it is going to be the best one yet. Check it out.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

Last night my dear friend Fallon and I made the long haul up 400 to the new(ish) Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park to see Ryan Adams & the Cardinals. I love going to new venues and checking out their operations. I can't help but view everything with a bit of a critical eye since being in the venue biz myself. 

Getting off 400, no problem. Finding will call, no signage. Finding the correct parking lot, way to far away and no signage. Well, that is until you get in the parking lot and then it's excessive. Walk to the venue, respectable. It seems longer since you have to drive all over creation to even find the parking lot, but it really is a short walk. Bag checkers & ushers, eh. Decent I guess, less than enthusiastic but efficient. We didn't check out the concession or restroom areas, but they seemed well placed inside the venue and there appeared to be plenty of choices available. The seating in the orchestra section was great!! The acoustics were wonderful, in my opinion some of the best in an outdoor venue that I've heard. It  was really difficult for people who arrived after the show started to find their seats due to the low lighting under the canopy. The ushers had flashlights, but folks still looked confused. Overall the venue was very nice. I would recommend going to a concert there, just allow some extra time to figure out the parking debacle. 

The show started great. They played some of my favorite Ryan Adams songs and lots of the new stuff coming out on soon. Ryan was apparently feeling a little under the weather and had to end the show early. :( That was a bummer, but it couldn't be helped I guess. He was great live while he played though!! 

On a quick side note .... The Cheesecake Factory is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. They have a crazy tasty treat to celebrate the occasion. If you happen to go there I would HIGHLY recommend getting a slice of the anniversary cheesecake ... two layers of original cheesecake and two layers of creamy chocolate fudge cake filled with chocolate cream and finished with crunchy pearls of chocolate. GOODNESS!!

Fun times to come

Along with a very hectic work schedule full of meetings and project updates, I have committed to having more fun time with my friends. I work too much, that's the bottom line. Since it doesn't look like that fact will change any time soon, my goal is just to infuse fun whenever possible. Sleep is optional right?

So this week's fun activities include ...
Thursday night dinner @ Dante's Down the Hatch


followed by Screen on the Green @ Centennial Olympic Park -- the movie is E.T.


Friday fun lunch with some new friends at my fave new Taco Mac @ Philips Arena


followed by a night time tour of the Sweetwater Brewing Company


Saturday is potential yard sale goodness with my domestic goddess of a sister-in-law. (two work events which shall remain nameless)

Come out and play. Better yet, let me know what fun thing you are doing and I will come if I can.