Baxter Bark Twice

Do as I say, never as I do

Posts Tagged ‘BBT Recommends’

There are no small victories: BBT by the numbers

Posted by AllieB on April 10, 2014

Minus 10 points for missing last week – I don’t even have a good excuse and it will probably happen again, but I’m here today which I’d say is a victory – and not a small one because there are no small victories. Lots of exciting stuff going on: instead of using a standard bullet format to organize my thoughts, I am breaking them down by the numbers. And if that’s not enticing enough, there’s a really cool surprise when you get to the end…

24: 24 hours til I’m poolside in the Panhandle.

3: Three different sales people Pretty Woman’ed me at Bergdorf’s on Monday. I ordered something from Neiman Marcus online, and I didn’t like it. I also didn’t like the idea of waiting 14 days for my refund (there’s no Neiman’s in NYC), so I gave Customer Service a call and learned I could return my item to Bergdorf’s. Awesome! B-dorf’s is 10 blocks from my office. Things got a lot less awesome upon arrival – I totally get now how lousy Julia Roberts-as-prostitute felt when she went to that store and those bitchy ladies wouldn’t help her.

Sidebar Rant: I think there’s a required seminar all these employees attend where they learn how to make you feel like crap. First and foremost: the signature Eye Rake – this move actually has the same effect as that machine in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids except it shrinks your soul.  Anyone who is not toting an ostrich Prada bag or hasn’t had at least four plastic surgery procedures is subject to the Eye Rake wherein the sales associate rakes their eyes up and down your person, pausing to raise a single brow at especially offensive attire or accessories, such as a pair of Tom’s. Once they’ve robbed you of all self-worth, the employee will purse their lips in a smirky duckface and then, with a hugely exaggerated roll of their eyes, might they deign to answer whatever question you dared ask.

Perhaps one day I’ll go back in carrying not one but three Prada ostrich bags having spruced myself up with a face, brow, eye, boob, AND butt lift, then glide around with my nose in the air waving wads of cash saying, “Big mistake, huge.” Yeah….yeah.

I digress. Someone finally told me where to return the stupid dress, and I got my dollaz back in 48 hours. Mission: accomplished.

2: I’ve made two tomato pies in the last two weeks. Have you heard of the tomato pie diet? It’s all the rage – little known fact: mayonnaise and flaky pie crust are actually power foods.

tomato pie

4: I recently bought a pack of classes to Barry’s Bootcamp aka Torture Chamber Where You Pay $$$$ To Be Yelled At Then Almost Vomit. I’ve gone to four of them. Four is also the number of days since I’ve been able to stand up or sit down without crying a little.

0: I have successfully walked into the Men’s room zero times this week! Two weeks ago I moved up several floors to a new office, and the layout is literally identical to where I was with one exception: the men’s room is where the women’s room was, and vice versa. While I feel really good about my literacy and ability to identify the universal signs for MALE and FEMALE, I still find myself walking towards the wrong door…

5: …and last week I actually did walk thru the wrong door. Five times :(

2011: back in August 2011 the PGA Championship was at the Atlanta Athletic Club. I went to an early round and discovered the physical specimen that is Adam Scott. I spent much of the day stalking tracking his progress and I know I wasn’t the only one who felt our “connection” – it was palpable. Adam definitely needs another green jacket. What a smokeshow.

BBT and Adam Scott

See something you like, Adam? I think he might be jealous of my traps #hoss #mustbetheangle

19: Valeria, the human Barbie, has a 19 inch waist and maintains her inhuman proportions by way of plastic surgery and subsisting on an “air and light” diet. She’s freaking me the EFF OUT. Read more about how cool and normal she is in this GQ article. (Credit: Hilary.)

human barbie valeria

That’s a real person.

39: 39 Things That Only Girls Growing Up in the 80’s Would Get. This gave me almost physical pangs of nostalgia…Caboodles! Lip Smackers! Side pony’s! I actually still like a side pony…(credit: A)

23: So this what they mean by “heaven on earth” – the Annual Lobster Rumble on June 5 in NYC showcases 23 lobster rolls from 23 restaurants across the US, and I, the event attendee, am tasked to taste them all and choose a winner. Holy sh*t. There goes my “one lobster roll per year” rule. That was a really dumb rule anyway.

I was lying about the cool surprise – thought I’d lose you when I started talking about my “standard bullet format.” Thanks for reading!

I’m PCB-bound for a calm and relaxing wedding weekend with only a couple friends – we’ll go to bed early and there will be no dancing, especially not to Mustang Sally.

Spring is here!!!! TGIT!

Bryant Park 1And one day, not too far from now, those trees might even grow some leaves…

 Take a minute and count your blessings today. I say that in all sincerity.

 

Posted in Arbitrary | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

I have a new hobby!

Posted by AllieB on February 13, 2014

If there is one thing I know to be true it is that idle hands and minds are the devil’s playground. Are they ever. The solution is simple: stay busy – duh. Here’s how I am keeping the devil at bay…and then just some other stuff, because there’s always other stuff.

-I have a new hobby: gambling! I bought upwards of 10 squares for the Superbowl ($50 out, $0 in – that went well), and I’m filling out my ballot now for the Oscars . Perhaps I’ll even look into that billion dollar bracket that Warren Buffet is doing…but probably not because I can’t even pretend I care about college basketball, and I can pretend to care about most things.

-I am watching the Olympics. Well, sort of – sometimes I get bored – but I’ve observed the following:

First: mogul skiing should be illegal.

mogul ski NO

Second: Bob Costas is my hero. 

-I am in love with Jimmy Fallon. I watched the 1.5 hour Jimmy Fallon Goodbye Special (it’s OnDemand), and I loved it. I haven’t had that much fun watching a television program in a long time. If I was a celeb, I’d tell my agent, “GET me on Jimmy Fallon and tell him I want to play Beer Pong and Catch Phrase and also do some sort of dance.” You can tell everyone is having an awesome time – Jimmy is the most genuinely entertaining and easily entertained person I have ever seen; he loves people and they love him. Will Ferrell is a frequent guest, and this is my new favorite thing: Will Ferrell and Jimmy Fallon Fight Over Tight Pants. (PLEASE WATCH!) My second favorite thing is this tumblr of all his Thank You Notes – sometimes the internet comes thru in amazing ways. I have very high hopes for our Jimmy.

thank you oatmeal

Thank you, Oatmeal, for looking like I already ate you before I eat you.

-Ah yes, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day…kewl…better get to Duane Reade and stock up on the holiday candy. If you’re in a bad place re: your Valentine’s sitchy, I encourage you to check out the post I did last year – your morale will skyrocket; my VDay’s of yore leave much to be desired. I think it also single-handedly fulfills BBT’s “personal sharing” quota for the next decade.

-I am accepting of Fashion Week this season, minus the huge stain it is on my Instagram. Also, the below was chosen as a “Best Look of the Day” by NYMag. Have they no eyes that can see?

The Row fuzzy sweater and slouchy pants

If this were shown with a bowl of popcorn and a remote instead of patent Oxfords and a briefcase, I could possibly reconsider.

-I am very much looking forward to a return trip to France in August. Is that annoying? You’re annoying. Our 2010 stay at the chateau was delightful, and I can’t wait for Round 2. I am already planning some activities, and, amongst other things, I would love to visit a vineyard, see Mont-St-Michel, and have zero women die on my airplane. (Hey, E Rock – have I told you that story?)

BBT + chateau; #wine; Mont-St-Michel; death

BBT + chateau; #wine; Mont-St-Michel; death

-Speaking of death, I am plotting the very slow and painful demise of Old Man Winter.

-I have been going to spin class on the reg,* and I like it. Well, I don’t like it – obviously I hate it – but it seems like a very efficient way to exercise if one must exercise. The downside is that, upon completing a single, 45 minute class, I say to myself, “Done!” and feel as though I have achieved my apex of physical fitness, an ass that won’t quit, and will never have to exercise again. That’s not right.

*Because BBT is not a fitness blog (say what?!) and because I am not lame, I will leave this open to interpretation. But I’m kind of proud of myself so if you’ll allow me a little humby brag, I will say that I have gone to more spin classes in the 44 days of 2014 than I did in all of 2013 and 2012 combined. And you should know that still doesn’t say much.

-Happy late/early BIRTHDAYS to Sis & A & Mims. Mucho love. Mucho.

favorite people

I just love this pic in general. Hazy pic….hazy night. xoxo

Happy Thursday, Happy Valentine’s Day, Happy…whatever! Except you southerners – y’all are really starting to piss me off with all these snow days, so I wish you no happiness. Read the previous sentence as: Thursday, Valentine’s Day, …whatever. If you don’t have power I am sorry.

P.S. I know most people reading this are dealing with crappy weather right now, but this happened on my way to work today: living near the water means more wind, it’s just science, and I was literally blinded by horizontal snow coming at me in gale force gusts on my way to the subway. As I turned the corner onto Hudson I ran smack into a woman, also blinded, and it was like something out of a movie except not. We both involuntarily reached out and grabbed one another to keep our balance, and we wound up locked in a sort of standing embrace – she was about a foot shorter than me, so I basically had her nestled in my bosom - and then, once we gained our footing, continued on in our respective directions without exchanging words besides a muffled SORRY. Now that I am safely ensconced in my office, I can kind of laugh about it…but at the time: only tears.

do you see?? real human tears.

do you see?? real human tears.

Posted in Arbitrary, Celebs | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

The arsonist has oddly shaped feet

Posted by AllieB on August 6, 2013

Happy August 6th! Do you feel as I do, that 2k13 is going by super fast? This summer especially – it’s been a big one: I turned 30…went to Africa…I joined Snapchat…Georgia football kicks off in 24 days…things just keep happening! The mind reels.

To segue from my African adventures to just good ole normal weekly BBT posts, here is a bunch of random stuff – pop culture and what have you.

Watching: Orange is the New Black (exclusively on Netflix). I guess I should say “watched” instead of implying it’s something I’m still doing…I’m already finished. It’s definitely not for everyone, but it’s good – something to note is that it’s created by Jenji Kohan, who brought us the cluster that was Weeds. Do keep in mind that I’m not always right about things and that I often retract my opinions – hey, I’m flaky. But today, right now: BBT says to tune in. Also, look at this list of 23 Surprising Facts about OitNB – I think it might sell it even more.

I happened upon this last night on my yog along the Hudson River…

I saw this exactly as you see it - no enhancement. How?! Sometimes Mother Nature really nails it

I saw this then exactly as you see it now – no enhancement. How?! Sometimes Mother Nature really nails it

Reading: Suffice it to say, I’ve had some time on my hands recently to get through a few books. God bless the wonder that is the Kindle. Here, I even ranked them.

1. Where’d You Go Bernadette – I lol’ed a lot; it’s not your typical novel format, but I LOVED it

2. Beautiful Ruins – modern day movie business combined with 1960’s Italy – it works, I liked this

3. The Engagements – really like J. Courtney Sullivan, this one tracks intertwining stories over several decades

4. The Silent Wife – the dissolution of a relationship handled in a rather interesting way…this, along with many other books, has been heralded as the “next Gone Girl” – I’m not saying that it is, but the comparison didn’t bother as much as it usually does

5. The Cuckoo’s Calling – this crime mystery penned under J.K. Rowling’s pseudonym is really good – I’m always skeptical of authors writing under different names, but this is a page-turner

6. War Brides  – WWII-era historical fiction

What not to read: Revenge Wears Prada. I wanted to quit after like 8 pages, but I forced myself to stick it out for 60 more before I gave it up altogether. Andy is the least likable character ever, and I found myself wanting to go find her and yell at her, and then maybe shove her around a little. Skip it. Fortunately it has not affected my undying devotion to Devil Wears Prada, the movie. That’s all.

Also, I’m going to do a better job managing my Goodreads account – I just downloaded the app! – so if you’re interested in more suggestions you can go here instead of writing me emails (Caro, you’re not the only one). Bookmark it or something. I am interested in reading some more non-fiction and biographies/memoirs, so you may send me emails with suggestions for those.

News from my alter-ego, Alessandra: the discovery of this mascara, VOLUMINOUS by L’Oreal (grey tube w gold cap), is the best thing that’s happened to me in my 15 or so years of wearing makeup. It’s better than Diorshow, 1/4 of the price…pizza for everybody!

SPOTTED: Hugh Jackman and I were at Equinox last Wednesday at 545 am, getting our days started off right. We made eye contact and he smiled – he was smiling at everyone, and my goodness but is he handsome. Then, a couple of hours later as I sat on my desk and ate Fage yogurt with granola, I looked up, and – whaddya know – it’s Hugh on Good Morning America. The following evening K and I (K was in town!!!) saw Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) from Modern Family and his new husband at Commerce. We considered taking a pic with them until we saw some podunk tourists doing it, so we instead engaged his sweet husband in a convo while he waited for Jesse to finish up with silly people who wanted a photo with the famous person. I hope you’ll note that both of these celeb encounters occurred without me doing anything bone-headed. With age does come maturity??

Blindsided by: I am still recovering from the shock that Kate gave birth to a boy. It hadn’t even occurred to me that this was a possibility: Kate would have a princess and she would have hair just as glorious as her mum’s. After some thought, I realized how it was totally typical of classy, level-headed Kate to go ahead and get the heir-to-the-throne out of the way, thereby eradicating any potential pressure or undue criticism from the Royal Fam or the brutal UK tabloids. Well done you, Duchess, on controlling your own biological settings.

dang

this, them, her..

I wish I wrote this: fellow FOMO victim Will Welch offers step-by-step treatment for curing FOMO in this month’s GQ. Spoiler Alert: there’s no cure, but there are coping mechanisms.

Shack Attack: you peeps in ATL are really lucky – Shake Shack is headed to Buckhead in mid-2014. It is hard for me to talk about Shake Shack without going overboard, but it’s…it’s amazing. Yeah, Bocado and HF are great, but Shake Shack is different. And it’s cheap and easy and it’s like heaven in your mouth. So…y’all have got that going for you, which is nice.

Is Tuesday the new Thursday on BBT?? I hope not, I hate Tuesdays.

*re today’s title – I couldn’t come up with anything on my own and Anchorman happened to be on this weekend…really looking forward to #2. Plus, the arsonist really does have oddly shaped feet.

Posted in Arbitrary, Imparting Wisdom, Princess Kate | Tagged: , , , , , | 13 Comments »

L-I-V-I-N

Posted by AllieB on February 7, 2013

If I didn’t love it so much here, a relocation to Austin, Texas would definitely be something to consider. What a great city. I’m sure my super-positive takeaway was bolstered by the perfect weather, our luxe accomodations, and the priceless companionship, but Austin is everything it’s hyped up to be. I won’t give you a play by play of the weekend because that would be weird, but I’ll give you some highlights.

A, Erika, K, Nando, and I rendezvoused in Austin because we just kind of felt like it, and it was one of K’s very best ideas – K gets credit for orchestrating the whole gig. The most important thing that happened to me, personally, over the weekend is that Erika teased my hair, and I loved it. I’m definitely going to start teasing it up here in the Big Apple – bigger is better, right? We were trading make-up tips (just girls doing what girls do! We had pillow fights, too, and A brought her Oujia board) and I think it’s time I look into some sort of lip color or tint…I went to Texas and came back with a bouffant and pink lipstick – sounds about right.

Erika tells an enthralling tale; we all listen closely (not picture: us not listening at all, it took her like 20 mins to get thru the whole thing. Sorry, Erika. Credit: K!)

Erika tells an enthralling tale; we all listen closely (not pictured: us not listening at all, it took her like 20 mins to get thru the whole thing. At first glance I thought I was kind of smirking in skepticism, but then I remembered the story you were telling and realized I’m actually covering my mouth in horror – that really was a doozie. Credit: K)

On Saturday morning one of my most favorites, Miguel Egan, took me to the best dog park  ever – it was what imagine doggy heaven probably looks like. Maybe people heaven, too. We brought Skydog along and played with pups all morning – it was pretty perfect. I could have stayed there forever…kinda wish I was there right now… Dogs rock.

Austin skyline as seen from dog park; THAT corgi puppy named Paisley; Skydog.

Austin skyline as seen from dog park; THAT corgi puppy named Paisley; Skydog.

For apres-patio beers/pre-cocktails and dinner at La Condesa, the five of us ventured over the bridge to the Hotel San Jose, a very cool hotel where there’s much more than meets the eye – that there ride shown below sums up the vibe pretty well, check out the website. It definitely has a motel-y exterior, but inside it’s like a fairyland of cheese plates and seductive lighting and sustainable materials.

san jose motel

Looking back down South Congress at Saturday night rush hour; the Hotel San Jose Mobile

I’d also like to give a shoutout to our driver, Markus, who we co-opted from the Four Seasons for the weekend. Markus had endless patience and a great sense of humor and knew exactly what I was talking about when I was explaining to everyone the song “Cantaloop.” 

So…the end. I loved seeing everyone (Bo, if you’ve deigned to read this week’s post, this includes you), and I loved going on a trip that was actually relaxing. I feel like the new standard is that I go on vacation and return in need of a vacation. I’m going to make weekend jaunts like this a real priority, so it’ s a good thing that money grows on trees! I will say, however, that the change from beautiful and balmy to cloudy with a chance of two feet of snow has left me at less than 100%. There’s an alarming pattern in the works: everytime I fly I lose my voice, and when it comes back it’s only coming back to like 3/4 of what it was. Basically, if this continues, it’s only a matter of time before I sound like James Earl Jones’s slightly more feminine but no less iconic twin. Hotness.

 This next item has been on the BBT docket for awhile now, and today I am finally giving it notice: J-Dig Cards. Are you familiar? I went to college with one of the founders, Josh Henry, and he runs the business with his brother Peter and sister-in-law Cathy. The cards are made in America on recycled paper and, most importantly, they are all awesome. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Happy Birthday! & Thank you!

Happy Birthday! & Thank you!
Images courtesy http://shop.j-digcards.com/

I’m a real big card giver – I don’t buy birthday gifts for friends and I certainly don’t expect any from them, but I take card giving very seriously. A thoughtful card chosen with a specific person in mind can mean a lot – you can keep your candle. Actually, no, give me the candle, but I really do love an “only-Allie-would-appreciate-this” gesture. SO, check out J-Dig! They have them for every occasion you can think of, and also for no occasion at all, and they’re sold at Sam Flax in Atlanta and a whole bunch of places in NYC and just all over – here’s a map of vendors across the country.

Winter Storm Nemo is about to dump a whole bunch of snow on us Northeasterners. Kind of incongruous, don’t you think, naming a snow storm Nemo? PIXAR does not approve, and neither does BBT.

Hope y’all all have a very thirsty Thursday (MC – see you shortly; I’ll have a marg on the rocks w/o salt), and I also hope, for your sake, that you’re having as good a hair day as I am… I don’t know what’s going on up there, but it looks fabulous.

Posted in Arbitrary | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »

w.port atlanta: a boutique & a lifestyle

Posted by AllieB on August 15, 2012

w.port is the type of store where you walk in, fling your arms out wide, and announce, “I want everything!” Upon further perusal, you’ll find that you really do want everything – including the furniture – and begin to contemplate how you might purchase the effortlessly chic aura of owner, Emily Bean, as well. Emily is a Westport, CT native (hence the name), and she’s selling a lot more than just clothes in her new Buckhead boutique; she’s selling a lifestyle.

W.Port Boutique Atlanta; owner Emily Bean Livezey

I barged in on Emily earlier this week to hear more about the store and get a sneak peek on what all she’s been doing in there…she basically had to kick me out. Between the sumptuous clothing and the inviting, bright space, I felt like I was suddenly a lady of leisure relaxing in a beach house on the coast, probably enjoying a crisp beverage and wearing a breezy blouse (she’s got some great breezy blouses – hello, Equipment) with nary a care in the world…

WASHABLE leather jacket; button down galore; the coziest sweater ever – all will be available this fall at w.port

However, in spite of this effortlessly chic persona put forth by Emily and her store, it goes far beyond that. Diagnosed with leukemia several years ago, Emily has devoted endless hours since her recovery giving back to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by running half and full marathons to raise money on their behalf. The launch of her store will impede on her time to train, so instead she will donate two percent of her profits to the Society, as well as hosting Team in Training events for those still competing.

w.port features some lines that you can only find at the mall, thereby eradicating any need at all, whatsoever, to go to the mall (THANK GOD) such as Rebecca Taylor, but Emily, with her northern roots, is also bringing in lines that aren’t even found in the south, such as Emerson Fry. What’s more, her jewelry and accessories are truly one-of-a-kind in Buckhead, featuring some gorgeous pieces from a designer who resides in the mountainous town of San Miguel, Mexico, where she personally chooses her stones and designs her wares. She carries Presmer leather goods – of which I would like one of each – and has cultivated a new, surprise concept, one that will set her apart from any other Buckhead retailer – to be revealed upon store opening. Emily isn’t the only fashion maven behind w.port, she says she couldn’t have done this without her business partner, Pat Mastandrea, who still resides in Westport. She is a successful business owner in NYC and believed in Emily and her vision of w.port and has been an invaluable voice of reason and expertise.

One-of-a-kind earrings; Presmer leather goods

w.port ranges from casual to cocktail, from a variety of colors/fabrics of Mother jeans and cords to dresses by Camilla & Marc, but focuses mostly on clothing that supersedes a specific occasion. As someone who has recently decided to get rid of pretty much everything I own and start over with classic, timeless pieces, this store is ground zero for my new wardrobe. The store, much like Emily herself, is seemingly impervious to short-lived trends – I feel like Kate Middleton would probably like to shop at w.port which, as anyone who knows me knows, is truly the highest of compliments. In the words of Emily: “[w.port is] classic and timeless and what you purchase here you’ll wear season after season after season…”

The store will open Monday, August 20 with a Grand Opening event on Thursday, September 13. To check out the newest wares, like w.port on Facebook and/or sign up for the mailing list on her website. Me, I’m looking forward to her happy hour Thursdays where she’ll stay open til 7 and have wine – with a sitting area like this, area restaurants will need to watch out…

INFO:

w.port ~ 3232 Roswell Road ~ Atlanta 30305 ~ 203.216.8073

FACEBOOK / WEBSITE 

Posted in Arbitrary, Imparting Wisdom | Tagged: , , , , | 7 Comments »