Category — Around Decatur/Atlanta

Cath and I are sooo excited! We get to be part of The Society Stylist’s Little Black Dress Experiment! What is that? Well, check out Valerie Elizabeth’s Dress Diaries from last August here. She wore the same Ann Taylor LBD 31 different ways during the month of August.

This year, Valerie Elizabeth and her crew have asked 31 fashion bloggers from around the nation to be part of her experiment. A different blogger wears the Ann Taylor black dress each day during the month of August.

We’re not sure which day Cath and I will be posting in August, but we’ll make sure it will be up on AsianCajuns as well as the Society Stylist. Anddd…. there will be a way for you guys to enter your own LBD photos and win some goodies! Details forthcoming.

Happy Monday! We hope you all had a lovely weekend and that this day slips by painlessly.

Atlanta gets the kind of heat that just sits on you and makes you sweat. What do you wear when wearing anything sounds heavy– especially at work where sitting in your underwear is not an option? I’ve mentioned the discreet crop top method and the obnoxiously-sized accessories to mask the fact that you are just wearing a tank top. How ’bout more accessories (a belt!) and light, light layers (see embroidered vest).

I went shopping in my closet and found: an embroidered vest from Urban that I usually don’t wear because it’s a little boho for me, a Tara Jarmon for Target tunic, Target skirt (I usually use this as a petitcoat of sorts), belt from Rockit in Decatur, shoes are from Cinti in Florence.

I’m sure I’m not the only one strapped for cash (I feel like I’ve been “shopping” in my own closet for months). Wouldn’t it be nice to have the money fairy deposit a generous sum under our pillows tonight. If that doesn’t happen you can try this:

Atlanta Magazine is holding a fashion contest: upload a photo of yourself here, and you are entered to win $250 and be in Atlanta Magazine! Cath and I are both going to enter. We’ll let you know what outfit shots we choose- and let us know what you enter too!

A few weeks ago Lar and I attended a party at 1010 Midtown (my bf was playing music for the event and got us tickets). The party was like a taste of Atlanta, open house and networking event all rolled into one. We had fun eating our way around the open condos and oohed and ahhed over the interior decorating.

Dress Urban Outfitters, necklace from Moxsie (gift from Lar), Dolce Vita shoes.

Note to self: start making more money and buy a place in midtown with floor to ceiling windows and a view of the Atlanta skyline. Also paint the bedroom a blue/gray color with white accents.

Lar is wearing a Forever 21 maxi dress and Nine West shoes.

Speaking of living spaces, I’m still putting the finishing touches on my new place. The painting is done and about half my pictures are hung. Has anyone ever nailed into plaster walls before? Do you find it alarming when you hear bits of the plaster falling inside the walls? Is this normal?!

Also congrats to Maritess for winning this lovely Shabby Apple dress:

Thank you to everyone who entered! We used this random student name generator to choose the winner. We’ll be emailing Maritess soon with the details!

One of the best things to eat in this world: the cinnamon rolls at Ducks Cosmic Kitchen. Locals, go eat one this weekend and you will never stop dreaming of these. Non-locals, I swear it’s worth the plane/car/train ride.

Last weekend at Scott’s Antiques: F21 tunic, Deux Lux purse, necklace from Mingei, sandals from Italy, and my new down pillow.

Great “Porking” signage for the Art-B-Que.

I’m doing a little light hiking in southern Tennessee this weekend, and wish to gawd it was practical to look like a Rag and Bone girl rather than a North Face girl.

Happy End of the Week! (A little sneak peak of a give-away contest to come next week from Shabby Apple. Stay tuned!)

Photo courtesy of New York Magazine.

• Watch Lady Gaga’s latest video directed by Steven Klein, and tell us what you think. It’s my favorite gaga so far, but not everyone agrees. This and this are two interesting interpretations of the vid.

• Locals: 1)hit up the American Apparel Flea Market (prices start at $1) at Atlantic Station; 2) eat barbecue and buy art (delicious!) at the annual Art-B-Que in Avondale; 3) visit world-famous Scott’s Antique market, make like Eddie Ross and score some great deals.

• Drool over some gorgeous set design by Shona Heath.

Produced, designed, written, styled and directed by Brian Patrick Flynn with photography by Sarah Dorio

• The AsianCajuns would like to be Decor Demon’s interns. We hope he’s hiring. Check out his stunning stuff here.

Happy Weekend, Everyone! Tell us what you’re up to!

For some reason people always assume Lar and I are vegetarian (do we look extra pale for our AsianCajun heritage?!), but we’re pretty far from it and we were stoked when Farm Burger opened up this week in downtown Decatur. They serve amazing burgers made from grassfed beef and locally sourced produce.

We had to wait in line for about 40 minutes before ordering, but it was well worth it. I loved my burger. The homemade pickle was perfection – not too vinegary or too sweet.

Boater hat from Nasty Gal, Bitten button-up, American Apparel skirt, Dolce Vita shoes.

I thought my straw boater and denim shirt were appropriate “farm” restaurant wear. Is it sad that I dress according to the theme of a restaurant? Either way, the piggies in the photo on the wall seemed to like my hat.

I think Lar’s bf Matt also had a great outfit for the restaurant too, although I’m pretty sure he didn’t plan it out like I did. Matt built an amazing burger: swiss cheese, roasted garlic, caramelized onions, mushrooms and spinach. Delicious.

Needless to say, I think Lar and I will be coming back soon – at the very least to try the adult floats like vanilla porter with root beer, nom, nom, nom.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Did any of you Atlantans head over to the Inman Park Festival today? Our friend George had an awesome party at his Inman Park house today and you couldn’t have asked for better weather after such a rainy Saturday.

We ate ramen (real ramen!) on Sunday and Cath and I ended up wearing very similar necklaces to the restaurant although we got dressed in two separate locations without previous consultation. It’s a twin thing I ‘pose. Oh, and it also might have to do with the fact that we went shopping at Rockit Boutique together and bought said necklaces on the previous Friday (see Cath’s above).

White tees, black jackets and clear bauble necklaces. Great minds think alike (or two minds think alike, especially when they’ve rarely been separated since birth).

Oh nom nom nom… delicious ramen from Umaido in Suwanee, Georgia. The only ramen-ya in the Atlanta area! I first heard about it through The Blissful Glutton and Chowdown Atlanta (we have some wonderful foodie bloggers in the ATL). Both lovely ladies give excellent reviews of Umaido, so read their posts for deletable details.

The bf and I slurrrrrping.

I traveled up to the wilds of Suwanee, Georgia with this rowdy gang: my bf, Emily, Adam, Troy (eating a giant pair of door handle chopsticks) and Cath.

To wrap up the day we stopped my the local H Mart next door and drooled over the mochi aisle. Nom nom nom…(all this inarticulate “nom”-ing and drooling is why I could never be a good food blogger).

Happy weekend, Everyone! We hope you all are enjoying lovely springtime weather (sans the allergies)! What are plans? Do tell!

Dress is Jean Paul Gaultier for Target and shoes are from Cherry Bomb (in L5P).

So the title of this post is a liiiittle misleading. Jean Paul Gaultier did not dine at the scrumptious West Midtown restaurant Urban PL8. Nor do I actually own anything truly Jean Paul Gaultier, but! I did wear my new Jean Paul Gaultier for Target dress to consume the deliciousness offered at Urban PL8. (Luckily the dress has some stretch in it so I could happily chug a beer and eat three courses without a problem).

My bf and two of my lovely (recently engaged- so sweet!) friends decided to join us at Urban PL8- encouraged by our 50% off coupon that we scored through Scoutmob (I am my father’s daughter- the Asian in me loves a good coupon).

Old Chub Scottish Ale:

The Lily Nutburger (so deeelicious and very spicy- I swear even meat-eaters would love this vegan-friendly burger):

The best pizza I’ve ever had (duck confit):

And the pièce de résistance! a halved, toasted Krispy Kreme served over vanilla icecream (and why I needed the spandexy dress):

Apart from its ability to stretch, there are other qualities to recommend this dress: stripes (I love stripes, especially ones that look french-i-fied), the drape-y piece that wraps from the front to the back neckline, and the fact that there is so much going on with the dress, I don’t have to worry about accessorizing (unless you count Sally the hair pouf).

The dress came on the hanger with the sashy/drapey bit coming straight down- so i tired it on at first with the sash between my legs. It looks like a jumper/harem pant combo- yipe! So not what Jean was going for, I think.

If I could figure out a way to wear the sash as a hood (without feeling too self-conscious), I totally would. I ended up belting the dress to shorten it and show off the sash (see top photo in post), and I think that’s the way to go with this dress out in public. One day I’ll work up the chutzpah to think I look good in a harem pant jumper- in the mean time… a girl can dream (and/or just take photos for her fashion blog).

Happy Monday, lovely readers! This weekend went by way too quickly didn’t it? After this delicious meal on Saturday night, the bf and I met up with more friends and ate our way through Japanese cuisine all of Sunday (next post you will see a bowl of piping hot Ramen- yum yum yum). I know it’s not just me… who else thinks fashion and food go really well together?

ps- Thanks for featuring me last week, Chicisimo!

I’ve been pretty annoyed with Atlanta’s spring weather lately. We’ll have one gorgeous, warm, sunny day followed by a week of cold, drizzly days. This weekend isn’t going to be too much better – high in the low 60s (that’s cold for this time of year in Atlanta) and rain on Sunday.

Since I won’t have a great weather weekend, I’m going to make my own pretend weekend from photos that I’ve taken with my phone throughout the past few weeks on days that had perfect spring weather.

Eating brunch at Sun in My Belly with Lar (she’s wearing a dress from Target, the bottom half has a floral pattern on it).

I approve of any place that serves water in mason jars and long, skinny sugar packets always remind me of Europe.

My bf has about seven jobs and one of them is photographer. A few weekends ago he took some head shots for our friend in East Atlanta Village.

I use to study at Joe’s in EAV all them time in college. It’s the type of place where you share tables with strangers when it becomes too crowded and kind of reminds me of the Elephant House in Edinburgh. I couldn’t capture it in this shot of the ceiling, but God is reaching out for a cup of coffee.

My bf sitting outside of Sun in Belly (on a separate occasion).

So for my pretend spring weekend I’m taking two trips to Sun in My Belly, a photo-shoot in East Atlanta Village and coffee at Joe’s. Not too shabby! What do you guys have planned for the weekend (pretend or real)? I hope you’re having some real spring weather!