21. dear sandy

While all my Yankee friends have stocked up on bottles and bottles of wine (if you live in the South, there's no need for this as you stock up for the apocalypse every time you go to Costco), I'm enjoying the breezy weather. Except for those five seconds I had to endure walking from my car to the elevator, where you heard me shout, "Holy s***!" as the wind gust through my flimsy trench coat to reveal the nothingness underneath. (Kidding. I have clothes on, I swear.)

edit: This storm is for real. I feel very reassured knowing that my friends have enough dry goods and wine to last them throughout the week. Stay hydrated, b's! And if you run out of t.p., I know somebody who has enough to last them for the rest of next year, if 2012 doesn't get us all first. Txt me.



Uniqlo trench coat (similar here or here)
Stella McCartney 'Kate' faux leather platform boot
vintage Gucci doctor bag (similar here or here)

review: hudson north, atlantic station

There's a new pop-up at Atlantic Station.




Filling in the spot that was once the be-seen place for the tackiest people of Atlanta (read: Real Housewives of Atlanta), Hudson North is a restaurant backed by the same people who run Cypress Pint and Plates and an inventive menu unlike that of any tavern/restaurant I've ever seen in this rather unadventurous town.



The interior is impressive. I mean really impressive. I wish my interior designer friend had come with us to this dinner, because she would have flipped and then spent the rest of the night uploading photos onto Facebook. Running with a nautical theme, there are anchors, rope, and natural wood everywhere. Latitude graffiti dot the table and walls, and simple mason jars with floating candles hang from the ceiling. Romantic, understated, and casual.





The drink menu is good. I felt like there could be a few additions to the wine list, but the wines that were available were a fine line-up. The Malbec was stunning. The champagne cocktail was delicious. It was perfect for taking the edge off a crazy Friday.

While the food menu could add a few more options for vegetarians (who are currently relegated to appetizers), it provides a number of options for all taste buds. We began the meal with the figs, which were mindblowingly delicious. I love the idea of sweet and salty, and adding bacon really gave the dish another dimension. But adding the spicy flavor was really a stroke of genius.



As for mains, we ordered the seared tuna, scallops, and the steak. All three were good, each with their own blend of flavors that melted nicely. I would've preferred a rawer tuna, but I know Americans have very different views on raw seafood than I do. One thing we all loved was that everything tasted really fresh, especially the vegetables. But one complaint that we all had was that the food was salty. Extremely salty. The only thing that wasn't salty was the hanger steak, which ended up being the envy of the table.

One thing that worries me is that I know a kitchen needs time to really perfect the menu, and I wonder if 3 months is long enough to get the flavoring, cooking, and everything else just right before Hudson North goes away forever.

Scallops

Seared Tuna

Hanger Steak

The ambiance and services gets an A Plus. I feel like there really isn't a rival to Hudson North when it comes to maximizing the restaurant space, and really sticking with a theme. (Although I was slightly confused by the hostess who was dressed as a flapper. I couldn't decide if it was a Halloween costume or part of the restaurant decor. God, I would've flipped out if all the wait staff was dressed in striped Breton shirts and had a red kerchief tied around their necks.) The food needs a little tweaking, but I see a lot of potential.

If you do end up going, don't forget to add your name to the wall to show that you've dined there! Also, could you look for my name while you're there?

Hudson North
Atlantic Station (across from the theater)
264 19th St., Ste. 2140
Atlanta, GA 30363
(404) 747-2297

atlanta: stuart weitzman trunk show

I stopped by the Stuart Weitzman store today to peek at their upcoming spring 2013 collection, and was really surprised at how much I liked it.



I usually tend to stay away from shoe brands my mother gravitates towards, so brands like Ferregamo, Cole Haan, and Stuart Weitzman - albeit classics - don't really register on my radar. But despite being a hardcore shoe girl (and I am a total shoe girl), there were a lot of elements that caught my eye.

This particular collection had a lot of subtle details that embellished and redefined a classic design. The classic black pump shown here has a very familiar shape. The pointed toe, the patent leather finish - all expected, but then there's the skinny silver stiletto peeking out from the back as an unexpected little twist. It's the perfect day to night heel to add to your staples.





Other designs that caught my eye were these raffia weave loafers that came in Easter ready colors. Ideal for the quirky Buckhead mom or upscale hipster. (They would also work wonders during the monsoon season in Asia, although I might opt for those studded jelly flats because of their tough girly charm.)

And my quest for a comfortable high heel brought me to eye two particular designs. One of them was a transparent heel wedge (we all know I'm a sucker for transparent heels), and the other was this magnificent cut out wedge with neon accents. With more cushion than a baby's bottom, I might be tempted to trade in my red Chloe platforms for a shoe I can wear for more than three hours.




The next Atlanta trunk show will be at Stuart Weitzman's Perimeter Mall location on Nov. 7 & 8, but you can pre-order the styles until December.

20. movie theater etiquette

I went to the movie theater recently to watch "Sinister" and sat next to the two worst groups of people to encounter at the movies. ESPECIALLY if you're watching a horror film.

On my left, I had two ladies who spoke through the entire thing. All two hours. Most of it was useless commentary like, "What's in the box? What do you think is in the box?" thirty seconds before Ethan Hawke opened the box. Then there were a lot of "mmm-hmm"s and "oh no"s. Let's not mention the countless times they said "Awww" every time a child was on the screen. (There were A LOT of children. A LOT.)

To the right was the most douche-tastic couple in the history of everdom. I got treated to a few rounds of Basic Movie IQ 80 where he answered questions about Harry Potter's nemesis and the director of "Kill Bill." The real treat came during the film when he would point out obvious things as if they were incredible revelations. "I bet that box is going to be important." Or "the house is haunted." Somebody got dropped on the head as a baby. Bless your heart.




Club Monaco 'Carlye' leather jacket
Equipment 'Adele' polka dot shirt (also here)
Tibi 'Paloma' skirt in Navy (alternative here)
Loeffler Randall suede mesh booties
Celine boston bag

oh hey: stella mccartney 'kate' boots

Stella McCartney 'Kate' platform boots (or here and in black croc)

My dream shoes of FW12 have finally arrived. Thanks, Matches for the beautiful packaging and the fast shipping. Shoe ban for the rest of the year.

style files: g-dragon

Okay, I'm not going to lie. G-dragon is a source of fascination, disgust, and shock for me. He probably serves as much purpose in my life as Lady Gaga does to the general public. Most of the time, I'm trying to figure out what part of him is presentation and where he becomes reality. Half of me feels sorry for him (in that his stage persona overtakes his "real" self, probably) and the other half envies him like crazy (mostly because he can get away with saying, "Yes, sir, I'm one of a kind" without coming off as totally narcissistic).

I also spent an inordinate time debating over whether or not he's gay. Over the past 3-4 years I've gathered a hefty mental file of evidence supporting either position but have yet to come up with a decisive conclusion. I'm leaning towards yes, because out of all the Big Bang members, he seems the most likely. But who knows, maybe muscle-man Taeyang has been hiding out all along?

But let's move on to dissect this enigma's fashion.

Do you remember when G-dragon was a little baby YG rapper like this? I do. Those were the yesteryore years when he featured on songs with then big YG artists like Masta Wu and Gummy. I'm almost ashamed to write down the year so I won't date myself.

But with the release of his new solo album, "One of A Kind," we get to enjoy a motley of styles. Meet Boy-Next-Door/The-GD-You-Can-Bring-To-Your-Parents with his "That XX" (essentially, That Bastard) video. This is probably the most normal I've seen G-D in recent years, although can you really call a white turtleneck as "normal?"





Then with "One of a Kind," we have the traditional extravagant rapper video with girls, a baby tiger, and bright yellow cornrows. (God, why, WHY with the cornrows??? WHYYYYY??) We also have a segment in the middle where he wears a ton of Chanel while carrying a Chanel tennis racket. I guess he's utilizing that friendship with the Kaiser (Karl Lagerfeld) to its fullest.






To round off the set, "Crayon" exhibits lots of color associated with k-pop (as I've stated previously). Here, we've got the weirdest collection of outfits. There's the colorful pop stuff like below, then there's this bizarre drummer boy outfit. But that doesn't even close to the creepiest pastel color circa 1940s football outfit he dons at some point. And no, that's a Givenchy hat. It's a GiYONGchy hat, a nod to his real name, Gi(or JI?) Yong. (Note: the "chy" pronounced as "shi" could be interpreted as an honorific title given to strangers/anyone older than you.) Okay, that hat is kinda really brilliant.

Acne 'Sinclair' quilted jacket
Versace silk shift dress
Michael van der Ham leopard brocade tapered pants
Givenchy Pearl and Jet Strass Tusk Earring (x2)
Givenchy 'Obsedia' bracelet
Givenchy Black Glass Stone Ear Cuff
YSL Malibu Leopard Sneakers
Pierre Hardy leopard print suede backpack

And for the rest of the population who doesn't want to drop 10G on an all leopard outfit, here's something that might be a bit more tasteful. Confession: I love rose gold jewelry. It's ruining my life right now.

Topshop knitted leopard sweater
Topshop Moto drum print skinny jean
Topshop textured wool biker jacket
ASOS mini mismatch star earrings
ASOS just access three pack cross ear cuffs
Topshop 'Trek' leopard sneakers
Topshop leopard pork pie hat
Topshop oversized leopard snood
ASOS triple spike bracelet
ASOS spiked arm cuff
ASOS chunky cross bracelet

19. jjak (match)

While I was in Korea, I got addicted to this dating show called "짝" (Jjak). In the format of "Temptation Island," they pick 6-7 guys and 5-6 girls (always less girls than guys) to stay for a week at a house in the Korean countryside. There, they have opportunities for dates and activities. The only difference is that there's no sex (maybe some scandalous hand holding and some cheek pecking) and lots of talk about marriage. LOTS of it.

They recently aired a celebrity special where they had D-list, washed up celebs from 10-15 years ago bear their souls and reveal to the nation just why they were nearly 40 and still single. Some of it was just tragic, especially this guy, named Big Joe, who once weighed 400 lbs. This number is appalling for Koreans (and probably for most Americans, though it's definitely less shocking after watching all those TLC specials/Honey Boo Boo), and it showed when he failed to get picked for a lunch date.

So, this lunch date. The show takes turns in having the girls and guys pick for the dates. In the first round, they had the women choose a lunch partner. In a tragic twist, the women had the side dishes in their lunchboxes while the men had white rice in theirs. So, if you didn't get picked, you had to eat a tin filled with white rice all alone. Poor Big Joe. Eating all those carb calories solo.



Fleamadonna pearl studded polka dot shirt
Zara flare skirt (similar here)
Chloe red laser cut wedges
Vintage Gucci doctor bag
Chanel sunglasses