Pretty Southern

Author: Lauren

  • RAOK

    Lauraine spread the love at brunch on Sunday tipping her server the amount they spent.

    This week is a milestone for Southern lady, Lauraine Frank. Her 30th birthday is on Saturday, July 20, and it’s a day she thought she might not get to see. At only 29, Lauraine has beaten cancer four times in the past decade. In celebration of her 30th year of life, Lauraine is participating in 30 random acts of kindness (RAOK) over the next few days leading up to her birthday. She’s asked for her friends, and others within the sphere of social media, to join her in her quest to make the world a happier place. 

    “I’ve always believed in spreading positivity, happiness, and laughter to the people around me. When I was diagnosed with cancer at age 21, and then relapsed three times over the past eight years, it was vital that I remained optimistic and hopeful for a cancer-free future,” Lauraine said.

    Tracy Jonson Manning’s son Daulton was standing in line at Target and he asked the cashier what her favorite candy was, then bought her one!

    “Now almost a year past my stem cell transplant, I am healthy and able to thank everyone for the love and positivity shown to me in my times of need. Instead of paying it back, I have decided to pay it forward by performing 30 random acts of kindness in honor of my approaching 30th birthday. I’ve asked my friends to join me by doing their own act of kindness, and together we can do a little bit to make our world better. Even if it’s just one small act for one person, it makes a difference.”

    A few examples include cooking a meal for someone, let someone in front of you in a line, giving a homeless person $1, helping someone take groceries out to their car, bringing some canned goods to a food bank, leave a “You’re awesome!” note on a car, or buy the person’s Starbucks behind you.

    To join Lauraine’s Spread The Love Birthweek Challenge, join her Facebook event and see updates throughout Lauraine’s birthday week. You can also follow worldwide RAOKs using the hashtag #spreadthelove. Here are a few RAOKs courtesy of Lauraine and her amazing friends.

    From “On our way home from baseball in Dalton, we stopped in this tiny bait shop for a bottled Coke and found ice cream. We overheard the guy in front of me who was paying for his cone by card but there was a limit. He was trying to find cash so bought his cone too and told him about my friend Lauraine. He thanked me and when I said ‘It’s my pleasure, just pay it forward,” he said “I sure do…and I will.”

     

  • Wedding Party Takes a Spill

    In what’s affectionately become known as the “Wedding Wetting”, bride Patricia Andrews, groom Frank Fearon, and their wedding party of 27 attendants (13 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen) took a plunge into Lake Lanier on Sautrday, May 18, after the dock breaks under the weight of the entire 29-person wedding party. “Thankfully this was after the ceremony!” writes videographer Aaron Chewning. He and his sister, Callie Chewning Murray of The Not Wedding and Achor & Eden photography were on hand to document the occasion. “Luckily the entire group had a sense of humor about the accident,” the team wrote in their YouTube post. “Everyone got dried off and the reception went on to be one of the best celebrations to date. Only minor injuries and a lot of wet iPhone 5’s. A fractured humorous, was the only thing not humorous about this.”

    Watch the “Wedding Wetting” here. We wish Mr. & Mrs. Frank Fearon the best of luck, and much grace, in their future endeavors!

  • No More Toll on GA 400

    It’s official. The Peach Pass Press announced via email on Sunday, May 19, that the toll on Georgia 400 will be ending the weekend before Thanksgiving this fall. From the e-mail:

    “In July 2012, Gov. Nathan Deal announced that the state would pay off its bond debt and end tolls on GA 400 by December 2013. The ending date for GA 400 tolls has been set for Thursday, Nov. 21, weather permitting. This date was selected to lessen the impact on Thanksgiving holiday travel. In the case of inclement weather, the ending date will be moved to Nov. 22 or 23. Plans for the demolition of the toll booths and other aspects of the project are still being finalized. However, preliminary plans call for all GA 400 traffic to shift into three general purpose lanes where motorists currently use the electronic tolling lanes. Construction activities will likely begin in October 2013 to make preparations for the traffic shift in November.

    “Once traffic is shifted, there is no heavy demolition work expected to take place during the winter holidays. Toll booth demolition is expected to be completed between January 2014 and the following May. Once the cash booths and the structure overhead are removed, traffic will shift over so that the rest of the toll plaza can be taken down. Once that happens, traffic will shift back over and remain there permanently. Top priorities for the project are: safety, traffic maintenance and communications.

    More details about the GA 400 demolition project will be available later this spring in future issues of the Peach Pass Press enewsletter, and at www.georgiatolls.com and www.PeachPass.com.”

  • Rainy Days & Lemonade

    We all know that lovely adage. When life gives you lemons make lemonade. Well, a lovely young Southern lady named JoAnn Anderson took this a step further. On a rainy day in Georgia in the summer of 2012, she captured this image of red shoes crossing the street beneath a cheery ruby umbrella. Why not turn that rain into pink lemonade via Photoshop? So that’s what she did, using a combination of Photoshop edits in Vibrance, Saturation, Shadows/Highlights, Sharpen, HDR – Photorealistic and then used pixlr-o-matic to add vintage filters to it using another combination of Effects (Hagrid) and Overlays (Rain). The result: this lovely image which we decided to share on this rainy day in May when the South is getting a dose of Blackberry Winter. To see more of Anderson’s stunning work, check out her website Sidewalk Chic, and follow her on Twitter. Here’s the full image for your rainy day viewing pleasure.

  • Lamb In His Bosom

    Pop quiz: who was the first Georgian to win a Pulitzer Prize for the Novel? Here’s a hint: it’s not Margaret Mitchell. In 1934, Caroline Miller’s “Lamb in His Bosom” – a Southern novel about a pair of young newlyweds in rural Georgia on the brink of Civil Warfare – took home the esteemed honor. “Gone With the Wind” would win a few years later in 1937 and it was because after reading Miller’s work, Harold S. Latham, editor at Macmillan Publishing Company, sought out other Southern novels and authors, then found Margaret Mitchell.

    Mitchell wrote in a letter to Miller, “Your book is undoubtedly the greatest that ever came out of the South about Southern people, and it is my favorite book.” Like “Gone With the Wind” Miller’s novel is a testament to the power of a Southerner’s spirt. Her heroine, Cean (pronounced Cee-Ann) who married and gave birth to 14 children (mostly girls!) in the antebellum South. Cean grows before the reader’s eyes as a young, naive bride to mature as a wise woman who (like Scarlett O’Hara) relies on her gumption to survive. The novel’s title is taken from the Bible: “He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom,” (Isaiah 40:11) and reflects the Cean’s faith in God despite the harshness of her life. If you’re wondering what is the will of the father in heaven, visit neverthirsty.org.

  • 10th & Piedmont

    The corner of 10th Street and Piedmont Avernue in Atlanta was home to Outwrite Bookstore for more than 18 years serving as a symbol of strength and diversity in Midtown. Although it’s changed hands, the appropriately named 10th & Piedmont continues the tradition of being a destination for locals and visitors focused on Southern hospitality…but no longer a bookstore, it’s now a restaurant and cultural hot spot. Brothers Sean and Gilbert Yeremyan of Communitas Hospitality (who also operate HOBNOB Tavern and Gilbert’s in the same neighborhood) brought in Executive Chef Brett Ring who crafted a menu using multi-cultural flavors and organic ingredients to execute global cuisine with a regional, Southern influence. Pretty Southern caught up with Sean and Gilbert to chat about their new enterprise.

    Q: With already having Gilbert’s and HOBNOB in your portfolio, how is 10th & Piedmont different from your existing restaurants? What’s similar?
    A; 10th & Piedmont is an extension of Gilbert’s, designed to make this corner a complete evening out destination. While the styles and menus of each restaurant are different, they are all similar in terms of friendly service and a commitment to excellence.

    Q: How did you determine the restaurant’s style?
    A: It was about knowing the neighborhood, respecting its needs, and knowing what they wanted. We held a focus group to get feedback and gain a deeper understanding of what the community desired.

    Q: Are there any tributes to Outwrite in the new space?
    A: Not physical tributes, but the spirit continues. We do commemorate Outwrite on our menus. We embraced the essence of Outwrite, their role as the center of the community, and continue their legacy, emphasizing diversity and flying a rainbow flag.

    Q: Are there any local vendors you call favorites for produce, meats, booze, etc.?
    A: My produce guy puts a lot of emphasis on working with local farmers. We also use Inland Seafood to ensure we serve sustainable products.

    Q: What are your favorite foodie features on the menu?
    A: Sean: Definitely the Diver Scallops – you can share the dish or have it as an entrée for yourself.
    Gilbert: The Chicken and Waffles: it’s our innovative version of a classic dish.

    Q: Atlanta is truly making a name for itself in the culinary scene. Besides y’all – who are your other favorite players in the game?
    A: Buckhead Life. They are the leaders of food in this city.

    Q: What made you decide to get into the restaurant biz?
    A: Sean: The movie Cocktail with Tom Cruise. Once I saw that, I knew I wanted to study culinary arts to become a bartender and restaurateur.

    Q: What are your favorite memories of Atlanta?
    A: We have had so many good times at Piedmont Park. It’s just a block away from the restaurants, so it’s a great place to go relax.

    Q: What are your signature cocktails at 10th & Piedmont?
    A: Gilbert: The vodka selection, we are a vodka bar, and it’s very extensive.
    Sean: The vodka flight for sure.

    Q: Are you from the South originally? If not, where?
    A: No, we are from Northern Turkey, Istanbul.

    Q: What’s your greatest accomplishment?
    A: Sean: Certainly my kids.

    Q: How would you define a Southerner in the 21st century?
    A: Gilbert: Southerners are more open to new ideas and more aware of the world. They’re more adventurous with tastes and flavors.

    Q: What’s your definition of a lady?
    A: Sean: In Gregorian times, it meant a high status woman, someone who is above other girls.
    Gilbert: It’s a female with confidence and self-respect who knows how to act in different environments without putting anyone down.

    Q: How about a gentleman?
    A: Same as above, but a man. He has manners and is respectful to himself and others.

    Q: What’s the biggest piece of advice you can bestow?
    A: Enjoy new flavors and explore the culinary scene of Atlanta. Always remember to support local and read Pretty Southern!

    Join 10th & Piedmont for daily dinner, lunch, weekend brunch and late night bar menu till 2 a.m. (except Sundays closing is at 11 p.m.). There’s so much fun going on every day including:

  • Daily Lunch combos for only $10 and y’all get tons of food including a Yum Bun, chips, dessert and drink! Individual Yum Buns are only $5.
  • 1/2 price wine on Mondays
  • 150+ vodkas for speciality hand-crafted cocktails every day of the week including vodka flights
  • Bellini brunch is served on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. followed by a tea dance at 4 p.m. with Live Music Brunch starting at 11 a.m.
  • $4.95 Bellinis, Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas all day long (note bellinis are only available during Sunday brunch service)

  • Live DJ entertainment is featured Friday through Sunday nights.
  • Big Table Big Screen Tuesdays start at 8 pm. For $15 per person you get a menu of Salad plus 2 Plates and Dessert. Since it’s sponsored by Absolut Vodka, select cocktails are only $6.

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    10th & Piedmont is located at 991 Piedmont Avenue. The restaurant serves dinner Monday – Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday-Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lunch is offered with counter service Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the dinner menu is offered with table service on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A late night menu is offered once dinner service has ended and is served Monday-Saturday until 2 a.m. Editor’s Note – Thanks to 10th & Piedmont for the stellar photos. To see more, Like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and check out their website, or call (404) 602-5510.