Lisa Brown Atlanta- Closing its doors :(

So sad, Lisa Brown Atlanta is such a great store- they will be missed! Make sure you visit them this week and next week to stock up on jeans, tops, dresses, etc. Everything in the store is 50% off. I would go ASAP so that you can get the best selection.
Thanks for a great store Lisa!



6301 Roswell Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30328
(404) 255-4949

Gilly Hicks- Online Store now open!

Gilly Hicks (Abercrombie's answer to Victoria's Secret and Gap Body- see past post) recently opened their e-commerce site!

Check them out and stock up on adorable unmentionables (well, I guess I did just mention them). So many cute things- I especially love their camis and the signature scent- La Perouse.

http://www.gillyhicks.com

New Consignment Shop- Labels Resale Boutique

Ok, you need to check this place out! I've lived in Atlanta for over 4 years and I had yet to find a good consignment shop with decent brands up until yesterday. Labels Resale Boutique in Buckhead (by the Whole Foods and across the street from Richie Arpino Salon) is amazing. They have tons of high end brands at ridiculously low prices. On top of that, they are very good about editing what comes in, so all the items I saw were in amazing shape. Anne Fontaine tops, 7 and True Religion jeans, Monolo and Prada shoes, BCBG tops and dresses, lots of organic tees (which are brand new and $10-$15).

When I was there yesterday they had a ton of Anthropologie items that were just brought in- I got an awesome skirt for $20 that looked like it had never been worn (I heart long skirts). In addition to the skirt I got a La Rok cropped jean jacket that was only $15 (it was probably over $200 when it was new) and a kick ass snake ring. After I trading in 2 pairs of jeans and a cotton skirt, I only ended up paying $6 for all three of these items.

The store works like a regular consignment shop- you can bring in your stuff to sell on consignment, or you can bring in and trade (what I did) or you can outright sell it. As you would guess, if you sell on consignment, you can get more $ for your items, but you have to wait for them to sell. If you trade for other items in the shop you get a little less for them, but you also walk out of the store with something new. And lastly, if you take the cash, you get the least amount for you clothes, but you do get $. I personally like the trade option.

So make sure you stop by and bring any of your high-end jeans, tops, dresses, etc. that you don't wear anymore and walk out with fun new stuff! Trust me, this blows Plato's Closet or Psycho Sisters out of the water. I will be taking my mom when she comes in May for sure. I highly recommend checking Labels out.

Labels Resale Boutique
202 Paces Ferry Place
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-446-6700

(photo source- Labels website)

Salon Review (and free deal!)- Richie Arpino Salon

A few weeks ago, I went to Richie Arpino salon for a deep conditioning treatment and a haircut.

(Check out this blog for an amazing FREE deal on a deep conditioning treatment plus 20% off all other services now through the end of March at Richie Arpino- Jessica Shops Atlanta. I don't want to take any credit for this offer since it is through her site, so check out the blog and support Jessica Shops. It is a great site to bookmark).

I will say that I had a really positive experience. Everyone at the salon were very friendly and it wasn't snooty or intimidating, like many salons around the city who like to think they are tragically hip. The vibe was very warm- stylists and clients were all taking about TV and current events all together. It didn't feel like a "hair factory" which many larger salon are guilty of.

I actually had Richie himself cut my hair (I felt very special). He did a great job and listened to what I wanted. He did take off a little more than I expected at first, but overall I am really happy with the haircut. I would recommend checking them out if you need a new stylist.

Richie is known all over Atlanta and has been featured in a TON of magazines as well as a stylist for the TBS show Movie and a Makeover.
I also found out that he is a talented photographer and was impressed with his work behind the camera as well as his "work" on my head :)

Salt Sunglasses

OK, I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things have been really crazy, amongst other things, I moved (yay Toco Hills).

After wearing glasses for over twenty years (I got my first pair in kindergarten. They were blue with the Pink Panther on the sides. And yes, my mom has saved them all these years) I finally got contacts. Now, besides being totally overjoyed that I don't have to wear glasses all the time, I am also ecstatic that I can buy any pair of sunglasses I want, without having to get them made with custom lenses.

I have always wanted a pair of aviators and found the most perfect pair at Salle Opticians at Phipps. They have an amazing selection of high-end designer frames and sunglasses. Additionally, their staff actually know what they are talking about (though I will say not super friendly).

The pair I ended up getting is made by this great independent company out of California called Salt Optic. Their sunglasses are worn by all the stars and have been in tons of magazine. I have to admit, I had never heard of this brand, but am now a huge fan. Check out their site to learn about how much effort and detail go into each pair. I think they are worth the $$ for sure. I got them because I just love how they look, but after reading about the company, I am very happy to have purchased such a well-crafted pair of glasses. Now I just need to pray that no one sits on them!

CYOA at Shaun's tonight PLUS a chance to win 50% off!

Do you miss those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books? Haven't you wished that you could do that in real life?

Finally, as an adult, you can! And it will be even better than you imagined because it involves wine and food from Shaun's! Take a gander:

Choose your own wine country adventure with winemakers Kate

Michaud of Covey Run and Jeff Stewart of Buena Vista.

$60 per person plus tax and gratuity, wines inclusive in pricing.

Reception at 6:30, seated at 7:00.

Appetizer

Cauliflower soup, green garlic, smoked trout, buckwheat sprouts

Covey Run Riesling

Or

Warm brussels sprouts salad, sweetgrass dairy goat cheese, guanciale

Buena Vista Chardonnay

Intermezzo

Lemon ricotta raviolis, wild nettle pesto

Buena Vista Pinot Noir

Or

Ricotta gnudis, wild mushroom broth, jasmine

Covey Run Gewuritztraminer

Entrée

Porchetta, sea island red peas

Covey Run Cabernet

Or

Amish chicken, grits, turnip greens, pot likker

Buena Vista Merlot

Dessert

Parsnip cake, white miso ice cream

Reserve Semillon Ice Wine

Or

Lemon curd, homemade graham cracker crumbs

Covey run Late Harvest Riesling

This all happens TONIGHT so don't delay in making reservations!

Don't want to among one of the common folk at dinner tonight? Would you prefer the DI treatment? Fine. The first two people who write me at Disposable Income and mention this post will get 50% of tonight's dinner for themselves and a guest!

Amazing Designer Discount Site- Gilt.com

This site is fantastic! It is a members-only shopping club that gives you access to designer sales each day that are over 70% off regular price-It is like an online sample sale every day. How it works is that each day, they pick 3-4 designers to feature at 12 noon (ET). The sale continues for 36 hours or until they sell out. Here is the blurb the site gives:

Gilt Groupe provides fashion enthusiasts online access to designer fashion from top brands at sample sale prices.

• You'll find apparel, accessories and jewelry for Women, Men and Children at prices up to 70% off retail.
• All items are guaranteed to be authentic and sourced directly from the brand.

Just to give you an idea of the brands, here are just some of the ones coming up this week- Marc by Marc Jacobs, Kooba, Oscar de la Renta, Just Cavalli, 7 Jeans, Gryson, White and Warren ... and those are less than half of the sales that will be going on this week.
I recently bought a Me & Ro bracelet for 70% off. Yay!
Since it is members only, I am inviting you to join now for free. I promise you will be addicted. Just click on this link to register:

http://www.gilt.com/invite/annaavery

Threading and Henna at Lenox?

While GrabMol and friends are having a very frugal week (that is an understatement!), I just got tricked into spending $6 on a cup of tea at Teavana. I think Grabmol spent less on food in the last 3 days than I did on that stupid drink.
Anyway.... I digress....

While drinking my overpriced beverage at Lenox, I did see that they opened a new store, Da Arches, that specializes in threading, waxing and (so excited!) henna tattoos. It looks like there are other locations around the city, but the Lenox location is across from Crate and Barrel on the lower level (behind Wolf Camera).

I have several friends in NYC that swear by threading. Basically it is a hair removal method that uses a little string to pluck out unwanted hair. Click here if you want to know more about the process. Everyone says that it hurts much less than plucking or waxing and is more precise. I must admit I haven't tried it myself, but have heard great things about the method.

I am excited to try the henna tattoos that they offer. Click here to learn more about henna. Basically it is a plant-based "dye" that is applied to the skin in an intricate pattern that last from 2-3 weeks. Henna tattoos are popular all over the Middle East, Morocco, India, Iran, especially for the wedding ceremony. I love all things Middle Eastern (take that however you want... :) ) so I have always wanted to get a henna tattoo (maybe not as elaborate as the picture above), since I would NEVER get a real tattoo (come on, I'm Yenta Girl!) The prices are really reasonable at Da Arches. I am thinking about going to get one soon, so I will make sure to report back.

$30/week Challenge - Day 1

The first day seemed pretty daunting. Eating on less than $5 a day hardly seemed possible. I was nervous.

I wasn't the only one who was skeptical. One person in a meeting told me flat out, "You won't last a day." Thanks for the vote of confidence, guy!

Nevertheless, I wasn't off to a bad start.

Instead of getting ready and then grabbing a latte on the way to work, coffee was brewed at home for about 20 cents a cup.

mmm...home brewed!

It was actually quite nice to drink coffee at home. It made me feel like that time in the morning where I sit in bed and hit refresh on Facebook for 10 minutes straight ("Hello?? Where is everybody?!") wasn't wasted.

For breakfast, I ate some of the corn flakes I bought for only $2.70 for a 1 pound box! In fact, it was sooo good, I had it for lunch. (Either that or I didn't get my shit together to pack a lunch the night before.)

seriously - this box is HUGE!

When I went for seconds during lunch, I began to gaze longingly at the sliced nectarines in the picture on the corn flake box. Man, I really wanted one. (I kind of still do, actually.)

By the time the end of the day rolled around, I was so hungry. I probably need to plan better, as corn flakes don't really stave off hunger.

For dinner that night, Extraface and I cooked up some beans and rice. I was so hungry at this point, I was hovering over the stove, stealing beans from the hot pan and burning my mouth.

don't worry - I didn't let that dog get any of MY dinner!

By the time I ate the beans and rice, it felt close to the best meal I'd ever had. I was that hungry. (I'd like to point out that my hungry probably had more to do with poor food choices on my part than the amount of money spent. In fact, I'm sure Tami - who made a mushroom and spinach burrito for dinner on her Day 1 - did not experience the hunger pangs that I had. I didn't get too creative with my food.)

mmm...gotta love the beans!

Day 1 Totals

Breakfast: Coffee & corn flakes at $1.30

Lunch: Corn flakes and diet cokes at $1.32

Dinner: Beans & rice at $1.03

TOTAL: $3.65

Full disclosure: I did have some Starbursts from a coworkers candy stash and a homemade cookie for dessert that was given to me as a gift. I feel that these shouldn't count towards the total but feel free to debate within the comment section!

$30 a week Challenge

When Tami of Running with Tweezers asked if anyone was interested in participating in a challenge to only spend $30 on food for a week, I was totally on board. The $30 is a small bump up from the $23 national average per person that those receiving federal assistance receive for food per week.

doesn't seem like much, does it?

This couldn't come at a better time for me as, lately, I've been spending money on food with wild abandon. A not out of the ordinary day for me can look like this:

Breakfast: Latte & oatmeal from Starbucks at about $7

Lunch: Soup and fruit from Metro Fresh at about $13

Snacks: Diet cokes and/or some cereal from the work cafeteria at about $3

Dinner: Delivery ordered from Zifty.com at about $20

TOTAL: $43

Spending like this puts me at almost 10 times my budget this week - and that doesn't even include what I would spend to eat out on the weekends. Oy.

Yesterday, Extraface (who is also participating) and I went to the grocery store for some cheap eats for this week. We got some bread, peanut butter, beans, and corn flakes.

I'll document my participation on the challenge here. Anyone have any ideas on how to keep my spending on food down this week? How about any ideas on how to get fruit and veggies in?

Food 101 Morningside & Zaca Mesa Wine Pairing Dinner

I got the heads up on a really yummy wine pairing dinner that Food 101 Morningside is putting on next month:

"Food 101 Morningside is partnering with Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards (Santa Ynez Valley, CA) to feature a 5-course dinner paired with Zaca Mesa's award winning wines. Zaca Mesa is a Santa Ynez Valley estate winery dedicated to Rhone varieties. Since 1972, they have hand crafted wines from grapes grown in their vineyards to express their distinct character and genuine quality, offering you a unique experience to share. In 2007, Wine & Spirits named Zaca Mesa the Estate Winery of the year.

Chef Ron Eyester, Food 101, and Mike Ramsey, Zaca Mesa, will be presenting their dishes and wines. The dinner is only $65 for the 5 paired courses and is on Wednesday, March 4th at 7pm"
(Scroll down to see the menu for the night.)

I am going to be there and hope to see some Disposable Income readers there, as well!

As a thank you for coming, All DI readers (and ONLY DI readers) will be entered into a drawing for a free bottle of Zaca Mesa's Z3. Just be sure to mention that you heard about the dinner through Disposable Income when you call the restaurant (404.347.9747) to make reservations.

________

Zaca Mesa Winemaker’s Dinner at Food 101 Morningside Wednesday March 4, 2009

George’s Bank Scallops
Red Curry Aioli & Apricot Chutney

Zaca Mesa Viognier 2007

________________


Benton’s Country Ham & Goat Cheese Ravioli
Spiced Pear Butter & Ashland Farm Arugula

Zaca Mesa Chardonnay 2007

___________________


Fricassee of Duck Confit
Pearl Onions, Baby Fennel & Riverview Farm Grits

Zaca Mesa Roussanne 2006

_________________________________


Lamb Meatloaf
Sweet Potato Hash & Balsamic Mushroom Jus

Zaca Mesa Z Cuvee 2005

____________________________________________


Brioche French Toast Sandwich
Nutella, Sage & Blackberry Syrup

Zaca Mesa Syrah 2004

______________________________________________________


executive chef/partner ron eyester

$65 per person + Tax & Gratuity

Orla Kiely at Target!!!

I was ecstatic to hear that Orla Kiely was going to be designing kitchen and home items for Target this spring. But my excitement pales in comparison to my dear friend LD, who is a Orla Kiely aficionado and huge fan. I invited her to review the new line and loop us in on where to find these items here in Atlanta, as the line is now available online and in stores:

As YentaGirl knows, I am a big Orla Kiely fan. Her classic handbags are cotton with PVC coating, but she has spread out to leather bags as well. Her line also includes wallets, cosmetic bags, clothing, housewares, and stationery. She's fashionably taking over the world in a big way, and her new line at Target is proof! Check out her website.

Check out a NYC blog about her new line of Target tableware. The line includes melamine and ceramic cups, plates, bowls, serving pieces, and more! Keep in mind that the melamine pieces are not microwave safe and are only dishwasher safe in the top shelf. That key piece of information led me to buy 2 apple & pear plates and hang them on my kitchen wall. They look super cute, but I'm too attached to my microwave to use them as plates. I did get a couple coffee mugs that are ceramic (hence microwave safe).

So far, the tableware line is available at Atlanta-area Targets - it's definitely at the Caroline Street location off of Moreland and on 18th Street near Atlantic Station, but they were already running low! The housewares line will include pillows, doormats, storage containers, and kitchen linens - not yet available in Atlanta.

And if you're looking for a handbag, check out Star Provisions on Howell Mill. Besides an amazing selection of housewares, cheese, desserts, charcuterie, and more, they also have an entire wall of Orla Kiely bags!

Taste Boutique giant sale!

'Nuff Said. Check them out when you are at Atlantic Station using your 20% off coupon for H&M. I love this store- they have a great selection of tops, jeans and unique jewelry. Def worth checking out, especially now that they are having a fab sale.

H&M Discount!!! Yay for Coupons

Even more of a reason to shop at H&M! Click here for a 20% off coupon on the bottom right of your screen. Their prices are ridiculously low, so now you have no excuse not to check them out at Atlantic Station. I think H&M is the perfect place to get a cute new outfit for a party this weekend or a Valentine's Day (night?) outfit. Now if Atlanta could get a Top Shop then we would be set.
Enjoy!

Woo Skincare and Cosmetics- New Store!

I recommend you check out Woo Skincare and Cosmetics in Buckhead. They are a new make-up boutique (in the same vain as Entebello and Tracey Ewell). I was very impressed with the general knowledge of the staff and the well-edited selection of products.

If you read my post on Bobby Brown concealer, it was their staff that took the time to help me find the right shade and taught me how to apply it properly. What I think sets Woo apart from a Sephora or mall make-up counter is the personalized attention. I also like the relaxed atmosphere and they offered me a warm cup of tea right away, which was a really great plus!

As for the selection of products Woo has many of better cosmasutical lines like Skinceuticals (I got their eye balm, it is amazing), Darphin, DDF, Perricone, Peter Thomas Roth, Caudalie, etc. For cosmetics, they carry Bobby Brown (of course), YSL, Darphin, and several others. I also thought Woo had a really great selection of hair care lines.

In addition to their boutique, they also have a wonderful skin spa. I personally haven't tried any of their services, but their prices are very reasonable and they are one of the few places in town that have diamond micro-derm abrasion. Comment if you have had one of their services, I would love to hear about your experience!

Check them out:
Peachtree Battle Shopping Center
2339-A Peachtree Rd
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 477-5000

Blow-out HELP!

So on Saturday, I wanted to get my hair shampooed and blown out. Of course I could do this myself, but it NEVER looks as great as when a professional does it.
ME + Round Brush + Blow-dryer = rats nest hair. It isn't pretty and I end up just using the idiot-proof flat iron.

I called around to get general prices and most places were $35. I did find one salon that charges $65 for JUST A BLOW OUT!!! Vidal Sassoon in Lenox...are you nuts??? You are in a mall for goodness sake! I can get a haircut at Carter Barnes for less than that! Am I paying for the extra "O" in your name? What gives??
I almost laughed at the girl when she said $65. I actually called back later to double check.

Now I don't mind spending a few dollars on this, but I would love to find a place that charges less than $35. HELP! Can you all suggest some great places that charge a little less? Or throw in some kind of fun perk? Note- I'm not a huge fan of the Aveda Institute because they are always booked and their talent can be hit or miss (which I totally understand, they are a school). I would like to see if you all can come up with any other.
Can you help!?

In local coffee news

Latte Deliciousness: If you haven't been to Danneman's and tried out their Salted Caramel Latte, you are missing out! Co-owner Kate Pedrick created this latte after reading that Obama loves salted caramel candies. It is super good!

mmm!

No glove, no love: Aurora Coffee is now carrying reusable coffee gloves handmade with love by friend of Disposable Income, Glue & Glitter.

the lovely little coffee glove display

The coffee glove is being sold at both the Little 5 Points and Highlands locations. I recently stopped in to the Aurora in the Highlands to pick up some for me and a bud:

cute, huh?

There is a reason why Siren songs should be ignored

Typically, I'm not one to get any of the baked goods that Starbucks serves. In fact, I usually don't buy any food there, although I do enjoy their oatmeal from time to time.

This morning, however, I could not resist the siren song of the Reduced-fat Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake. It looked tasty with its chocolate chips sprinkled throughout and, while I know that reduced-fat baked goods still have plenty o' fat, it was still reduced-fat. So, I couldn't feel SO horrible about it - right?

at least the latte was good

Oy. I will not be ordering it again. It was moist and cakey, as coffee cake should be. But, the overpowering fake banana taste could not be surmounted. Blech.

Don't let the siren song of chocolate chips and reduced-fatness trick you, people!

A foodie's worst fear realized

Food Poisoning.

Yeah, it doesn't get much worse than that.

Over the holidays, I decided to check out one of the newish restaurants to hit Atlanta. I was excited, tried a lot of dishes, and got very, very sick later that night. So sick, in fact, that I didn't leave my bed for several days. It was miserable. (On the bright side, it did give me uninterrupted time to watch all of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in one sitting!)

I should point out that my date also got sick that same night. Which is why I feel positive it was food poisoning from the restaurant.

a picture from the offending restaurant

Almost everyone I talked to asked me if I got in touch with the restaurant to let them know. Some even asked if I contacted the health department. It was my intention to do both but, instead, I did neither. Through the worst of it, I was just too ill to do it. Then, once I was feeling better, there was much to catch up on. Plus, the holidays were over and, with work starting, I let it go. They're all excuses but also somewhat valid, I think.

So I began to wonder what other people have done in similar situations. Have you gotten food poisioning? What did you do about it? Did you contact the restaurant or the health department? What do you think I should have done?

a scene from the happier times that fateful night

Sad News- Tracy Ewell Store Closing!

I have been really happy about all the sales and great deals out there... but my tune changes when great people with a beautiful vision are forced to close their stores due to the economic times. Sadly, Tracy Ewell Cosmetics and Skincare are closing their doors very soon. Go ahead and visit them for last minute make-up tips and to stock up on some of your favorite products that are now on sale.

Tracy and Natalie- you will be greatly missed and we wish you the best of luck on your next endeavors!!!

We are offering 50-75% off the following:

Caudalie (body care)

Select FACE STOCKHOLM items

Lexi Lu Jewelry

Charles Albert Jewelry

Lamp Berger (we mostly have lamps)

Makeup Brushes

Pursekets

Makeup Bags

Purses

Better get 'em while they're still around! Closing has been the hardest thing Natalie hand I have ever done. Everyone has been so kind with their hopes and wishes for us. We want all of you to know we love you and are grateful for your undying support!

Our hours are 10-6pm Tuesday-Saturday. Call if you need to come in later

We hope to see you very soon

Tracy & Natalie