There are a few splashy new attractions at the Georgia Aquarium.
It’s hard to believe the Georgia Aquarium is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
“We are so excited to officially open our new sea lion gallery and premiere our new dolphin presentation to the public today,” said chief operating officer and executive vice president of Georgia Aquarium, Joe Handy. “We’re celebrating not only the past ten years and the amazing achievements that we have accomplished, but the next ten years and all that lies ahead. We hope everyone comes out and is inspired by all the new and wonderful things at Georgia Aquarium this year.”
Guests can enjoy watching sea lions splash about at the new SunTrust Pier 225, while learning more about these social marine mammals as their trainers interact with them. This new exhibit will educate guests on the dangers they face in the wild and key environmental factors that impact them. Georgia Aquarium currently has four sea lions that were rescued from last year’s Unusual Mortality Event (UME), where record numbers of sea lion pups are stranding on California beaches in search of food.
Say it with me now y’all, “Awww!” Those are sweet sea lions!
It’s great to see the Georgia Aquarium doing its part to help take in stranded sea lion pups.
In addition to the sea lions, the newest residents at the Georgia Aquarium include dolphins!
The AT&T Dolphin Celebration presentation is a high energy, fun, and exciting experience.
While showing the relationships they create with their trainers, guests will learn more about bottlenose dolphins through a variety of new behaviors.
Juanina lives in New York City – Brooklyn to be exact – but truly she’s a Southerner at heart.
Her hometown is Athens, and she’s also a graduate of UGA. Red and black are definitely her signature colors, and yes, that was a reference to Steel Magnolias. This work is a labor of love and an homage to her Georgia roots. For her first cookbook, Juanina interviewed Athens legends including SEC football all-star Bill Bennett, and musicians Darius Weems, Widespread Panic and the Whigs. The Foreword for Classic City Cooking is written by Athens restaurateur Peter Dale, who apprenticed at 5 & 10, the very joint which helped to Athens fine dining on the map. Dale also co-owns The National in downtown Athens (along with Acheson) plus Seabear Oyster Bar in the Bottleworks and Condor Chocolates in Five Points.
Classic City Cooking features recipes from some of the most well-known establishments in Athens including:
“All of the recipes are my favorites,” she said. “We had a lot of help from our family and friends with the recipe testing, a lot of them we tested at home ourselves.” The stunning food photography by JP Bond is a perfect compliment to these delectable recipes. Here are a few of Juanina’s personal favorite recipes from Classic City Cooking:
1) Seafood Charmine from DePalma’s. “This dish was one of my favorites while I lived in Athens and continues to be a dish I crave when I’m back home,” she said. “I was thrilled when the DePalma’s team agreed to hand over the recipe for the book. The Charmine Sauce was perfect on the first try and just as good when made at home as in the restaurant.”
2) Scotch Egg from The Branded Butcher. “I love eggs and a Scotch Egg is a particular favorite,” she explained. “The recipe is super easy and oh-so-good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The celery root remoulade is an incredible (and genius) accompaniment.”
3) Bangers and Mash from The Royal Peasant. “My husband insisted we test this one ourselves. It’s elevated comfort food at its best. The flavors in this dish are amazing. The savory turmeric really stands out and is a wonderful compliment to the creamy mash.”
The official book launch for Classic City Cooking is Saturday, May 14, at LRG Provisions in Athens.
Purchase tickets here! The ticket price of $40 includes a copy of the book (a $29.95 value), open bar, and tasty passed bites from the talented chefs at LRG. Classic City Cooking can also be purchased from Avid Bookshop. For more information, like Classic City Cooking on Facebook and follow Juanina on Instagram. We’ll also give away one ticket to the book launch party. Leave a comment below to enter!
It’s Opening Day. Spring is here, and so is baseball season.
Cotton-Eyed Joe, anyone?
Yet, the typical excitement I usually have every year has been replaced with a feeling of nostalgia.
I was privileged to be part of The Atlanta Braves Tomahawk Team. Cheering on our home team, rallying up the crowds, and spending time under the bright lights of Turner Field is an experience I will never forget. Especially since this is the last season for The Braves before they move to Cobb County. Sites such as slot online are available for those who want to bet on the Braves or other teams.
Me & The Braves Tomahawk Team at Turner Field
This year, April through October will not represent a period of familiar sights, sounds, smells, and activities that I typically associate with those months. They will not mean spending almost every night at Turner Field, surrounded by the sport that I love. I will not only find myself admiring the game from the stands rather than the in-game action as a Tomahawk Team member, but I will also find myself attending the final Opening Day ceremonies at Turner Field. For other sports-related news that are not to be missed, you can turn to sites such as Jimmy John Shark.
Freddie Freeman & I at Turner Field
For 20 years, I have known Turner Field to be my second home. For 20 years, I have grown up watching legends perform the art of baseball. For 20 years, I have admired my team and been a loyal part of Braves Country.
A throwback picture of me in my very first Braves uniform around age 9.
For the last three years, I have worked alongside people who have made a lasting impact on me. From late nights in the locker room during rain delays, to early donut and coffee runs before day games, I couldn’t have asked for a better Braves family.
I went to visit a Children’s Hospital with some of The Braves players. The kids faces were priceless!
When you spend 81 home games each season together, the memories that you make are endless, and they will always hold a special place in my heart. My last three years working within the Atlanta Braves organization has also proven to me how baseball can be a genuinely enjoyable activity that people of all ages can enjoy.
To think that the sport of baseball is slowly dying out brings a pain to my heart. Each season brings with it something new and exciting, yet familiar and recognizable. Each game supplies unique experiences, traditions, and memories. I love the historic atmosphere that surrounds the game. I strive to hear the cheers and chants among fans. I yearn to see the amazed faces of young kids admiring their heroes from afar, and the ecstatic smiles when they get to meet them.
I LOVED volunteering at the Special Olympics Baseball Camp
Baseballunites us, yet separates us. It excites us, yet infuriates us. It captivates us, yet liberates us.
Baseball is recognized as America’s national pastime not only because it was one of the original sports in the country, but because it has grown to be one of the most popular as well. For generations, baseball has brought excitement and entertainment to wide varieties of people, ranking highest among family-friendly environments.
Like a lot of fans, I appreciate baseball as more than just a sport. I have realized that following and interacting with the game has become a passion that can be shared not only among people all over the country but around most of the world as well.
I think that is what I find so exhilarating about the game. It can be so many unique things among so many countless moments. It can mean so many distinct things to so many diverse people, yet it still finds a way to unify us into something larger: a team, a league, a community, a generation.
The Home Depot Tool Race – a tradition at Turner Field
As Atlanta Braves season ticket holders, my family never turned down an opportunity to go to Turner Field during my childhood years. Between the face painting, peanuts and popcorn, and our favorite usher, “Sunny,” we were guaranteed to have a blast at the ballpark, rain or shine.
My time as an Atlanta Braves Tomahawk Team Member may be coming to an end, but that only means that the rest of my life is just beginning. Additionally, just as the Atlanta Braves time is coming to an end at The Ted, they are rebuilding for something far more exciting in the future.
So ta-ta, Turner Field.
You will be missed, but never forgotten. Cheers to Suntrust Park for the promise of a World Series Championship.
It’s just over a month into 2016 and Mother Nature has already blessed us with a big blizzard. Fortunately Chattanooga didn’t get hit too badly, but my friends and family in other states are still digging out.
Winter stinks. It’s just not a fun three months. It’s cold, gray, dreary and colorless. And then there’s snow and icky winter weather. As soon as the s-word is mentioned, my mind goes into overdrive. The weather forecasts often change, and snow accumulation ranges aren’t always descriptive enough. The meteorologists on TV say your area will get six inches of snow. What does six inches of snow look like? How do you prepare? How long can you expect to stay inside? Will schools be closed?
What does that even mean? #SouthernProblems
Snow in my parents’ backyard, ca. 2013
This is where my years living in the Great White North come into play. I hate snow, but I know how to deal with it. My sweet mother hates winter almost more than I do.
So, with inspiration from my sweet mother’s snow-fueled sass, here’s a more accurate and more descriptive snow accumulation scale. In fact, it’s probably the only snow accumulation scale Southerners need.
The Only Snow Accumulation Scale a Southerner Needs:
0 – 6 inches: No worries. You can shovel your way out easily, and it’ll probably all melt by the end of the day, if not before. You might not even need a shovel (but buy one just in case). Oooh and ahhh at it while it’s around. Schools will probably still close, or at least run on delays.
6 – 12 inches: Girl Scout mode. Be prepared, but it’s not the end of the world. The shelves at the store won’t quite be empty. Go out and play in the snow. Build a snowman. Get some cookies, too, because, you know, Girl Scout mode and all.
12 – 18 inches: Grocery store, Target and Chick-fil-a run. Make those runs as early as possible. Shelves will empty faster this time. Make sure you have bread, eggs, milk, canned food, batteries, blankets, etc., and charge all of your electronic devices. Grab some extra layers of clothes. Schools will definitely be closed. Get a chicken sandwich and waffle fries while you can. Maybe even buy an extra one for the next day.
Snow at Elon, January 2015
18 – 24 inches: Hunker down. It might be a while before you can get out. Accept that cabin fever will set in eventually. Break out your favorite board game for entertainment. Yeah, remember board games? Scrabble is my jam. Coloring books are also great. I’m an adult, I promise.
24 – 30 inches: Hope and pray that maybe the weatherman missed it and it won’t be so bad. They’re wrong sometimes, you know. But if they’re right, schools will probably be closed for a week.
36+ inches: Just pray. Pray and wonder how unfair it is that people can get paid six figures for being wrong, one way or another.
Once you’ve assessed the appropriate accumulation, you can prepare and plan accordingly. Now if only the meteorologists on TV could get behind this, then winter might be more bearable.
Until then, I’ll be sitting on my couch, wrapped in my heated blanket, drinking frozen hot chocolate and waiting for winter to go away. I really hope that groundhog was right.
I’ve always loved writing “year in review” columns.
Before I sat down to write this year’s recap, I took a look back my top 14 moments of 2014. Last year, I wrote it was the best year yet for Pretty Southern; clearly, I had no idea what this year would have in store.
Here are our top 15 moments of 2015 on PrettySouthern.com
1. Breaking the internet in Charleson – I’ll go ahead and say it: I’ve never had an adrenaline rush like this before. Our contributing blogger, Jenn Ciccarelli, wrote a post about her experience living in Charleston as a 30-something single girl. Her story gave us the biggest traffic day in the history of this blog. We got more than 43,000 hits in one day! We had 80,000+ hits for the week plus reached readers in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. We ended up having to take the post down. I went on Charleston’s local radio, Mix 96, to talk about the experience.
2. Our “home block party” with Tex’s Tacos – this event easily makes one of my top food blogger experiences…ever! Earlier this year, the lovely Katherine Kimbrell reached out to me asking if we’d do a post about her food truck, Tex’s Tacos, for the blog. We got the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society involved to host a tasting at Pretty Southern headquarters. Having a food truck parked in my own front yard is definitely a highlight of my time as a food blogger.
Editor’s note: Before continuing, quick shoutout to Mara Davis and Hilary Harmon for the opportunity to collaborate on launching Tastemade in Atlanta!
3. Brunch with Hugh Acheson – Thanks to Erica Key and the team at Yellow Pages (YP), we had the opportunity to brunch with renowned chef Hugh Acheson at his first Atlanta restaurant, Empire State South. “Being in Georgia has meant a ton to me, and Atlanta has really come to terms with itself,” he told our group who gathered to celebrate his new book, The Broad Fork.
Hugh Acheson with yours truly
4. UGA vs. Alabama – Granted this football game was literally a wash for the Dawgs, but we had a blast partying in the rain. Kudos to Lynn Lilly and her team at Craft Box Girls for hosting the perfect #GameDay tailgate with Georgia Beef Board. Check out this awesome recap video with us tailgating in the rain!
5. Trying to lose #15in15 – this year started off with a goal of losing 15 pounds in 2015. By spring, I’d lost 8 lbs. thanks largely in part to spinning at Cyc Fitness. Huge shoutout to the Cyc Atlanta team, Kelsey Walker, and Liz Lapidus PR for letting me participate in the #SpringIntoChange challenge.
Cycologist Annie Czarnecki and yours truly after a ride
6. The first-ever Shaky Boots festival – The inaugural Shaky Boots festival rocked Kennesaw like no other music festival has in North Georgia ever before. Katy Ruth Camp and I had a blast covering this two-day event. We even shotgunned a beer with the guys from Eli Young Band!
7. Tori Allen’s Monthly Meetups – Talk about a mover and shaker in this town, Tori Allen is a lady-in-the-know. She’s doing fabulous work representing Atlanta’s drinking and dining establishments, plus working her tail off to raise awareness the Atlanta Community Food Bank. In addition to all her PR efforts, every month she hosts a networking mixer for our group of writers, editors, bloggers, and social media mavens. Here’s my favorite pic from our September meetup at Gypsy Kitchen.
8. Georgia Grinders Dinner – The lovely Jaime Foster, founder of NaturAlmond prepared a multiple-course dinner featuring her products for the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society. Thanks to Jaime and Debbie Rosen of The Rosen Group for this opportunity. Check out this recap from Roger & Eve at Friday Date Night. From left to right: Lia Picard, Debbie Rosen, Jaime Foster, Roger Strauss, Linda Carmical, Jennifer Harris, Denise Romeo, and Eve Kofsky
9. McKendrick’s Media Dinner – We named McKendrick’s to our list of the Top 10 Atlanta Steakhouses, and were tickled pink (or should I say medium rare?) to attend their VIP media dinner. The first course was an oyster trio, followed by a seafood sampler of crab, shrimp, and lobster. The salad course was a tomato, basil and mozzarella salad drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. Our entree was a perfectly cooked filet mignon, for dessert we had chocolate & peanut butter pie. Did I mention the wine pairings with each course? Thanks to Noelle Jackson and the McKendrick’s team for the best meal I had in 2015!
10. Grady College Centennial – my beloved journalism school, UGA’s Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, turned 100 this year! The #Grady100 was a huge success. At the black-tie gala this year in Athens, Governor Nathan Deal attended as keynote speaker. Big shoutouts to Diane Hill Murray, Karen Andrews, Dr. Parker Middleton, and Dean Charles Davis for this amazing year celebrating our college.
From left to right: Dave Perez, Brooke Stevens Perez, yours truly, and Kevin Patrick
11. Chama Gaucha opening – another fabulous foodie outing this year was the opening of Chama Gaucha in Buckhead. Thanks to The Reynolds Group for inviting us to the VIP opening dinner. Check out our Tastemade recap.
12. Taste of the Nation- This annual event has been on my Atlanta blogger bucket list for awhile. Ever since I worked at Jezebel magazine in 2008, I wanted to attend Taste of the Nation. This incredible evening benefits Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry. This year more than $740,000 was raised in hopes of bringing an end to childhood hunger. Thank you to Denise Romeo for letting me be your plus one!
13. Jeffrey Fashion Cares – This is another event which has been on my blogger bucket list for years. Jeffrey Fashion Cares is one of Atlanta’s biggest charity events of the year benefitting both the Atlanta AIDS Fund and Susan G. Komen Atlanta. It was one of the best nights of 2015. Thanks to Caren West PR and her team for including us.
14. Taste of Atlanta – Since we launched Pretty Southern in 2011, the team at BRAVE PR has kindly partnered with us for promoting #TasteofATL. For Taste of Atlanta 2015, I was part of the #FoodPorn patrol! You can check out all of our delicious pictures here.
15. Working with y’all! Pretty Southern wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you, dear reader! I have to take a moment to highlight our contributors: Kate Robertson, Katy Ruth Camp, and Mandy Morgan. Double kudos again to Jenn Cicarelli for breaking the internet in Charleston. I also want to introduce our newest contributor, Rachel Perkins! A senior at the University of Georgia, we’re excited to feature Rachel’s stories about life in Athens. Check out her first post here.
Thank you once again to our public relations partners at BRAVE PR, Caren West and Lauren Klopfenstein of Caren West PR, The Reynolds Group, Baddish Group, Morgan Dyches and Emily at Melissa Libby PR, Noelle Jackson, Tori Allen, Pineapple PR, Liz Lapidus, Kelsey Walker, Kitsy Rose, Lorrie Dixson, Jody and Debbie Rosen of the Rosen Group. Granted 2015 isn’t quite over yet, but we can’t wait to see what 2016 has on deck!
Nestled in the back roads of Bartow County is the stunning, picturesque Barnsley Resort.
Stepping onto the resort property was like entering a fairy tale world…and in north Georgia, who knew? Your stress melts away in the spa. Each meal is perfectly paired with its wine companion. The entire resort drips in Southern charm. Before I talk about my perfect girls’ getaway at Barnsley Resort, I’d like to give y’all a bit of history about the resort. If you need to travel by plane in order to unwind on resorts like this and there were some flight mishaps, you may read here about compensation for delayed flights.
Barnsley Resort’s namesake, Godfrey Barnsley, was a wealthy Englishman who came to Georgia to work in the cotton industry. Barnsley purchased the land, some 4,000 acres that once belonged to Cherokee Indians, in the 1840s. He dreamed of building an estate to please the love of his life, Julia, but she died young and did not get to see his hard work. Barnsley devoted the rest of his life to creating the perfect estate and gardens to honor Julia. Barnsley’s later generations kept the estate up and running until the 1940s. It became Barnsley Gardens Resort in 1991, after being purchased and restored by a Bavarian prince.
Now, Barnsley Resort is a destination for hundreds of families in the region. Needless to say, it was the perfect place for a girls’ weekend with a wonderful group of Atlanta-area bloggers. I suggest to pack overnight bags women and book a trip now. I was fortunate to experience the beauty and charm of the resort with the #BRGirlsGetaway gals, and did we have a fantastic time.
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The girls’ getaway kicked off with an incredible lunch at the Woodlands Grill. When we sat down, we had cheese and charcuterie plates waiting for us, on top of ordering our entrees. And, on top of that, they treated us to small plates of their other appetizers, including fried green tomatoes, shrimp, foraged mushroom flatbread and more. I hardly had any room for my (enormous) Woodlands Burger after munching on cheese and treats.
After lunch and a short tour of the resort property, half of the group headed to the spa, while my group hopped on horseback for a trail ride through the meadows surrounding Barnsley. That was my first time on a horse in at least 10 years, and I think I handled it pretty well! I didn’t fall off, so that’s a step in the right direction. Boating is a wonderful way to enrich your lifestyle. If you’re ready to buy a boat, make sure to check out the used and new models on Zeboats.
Another highlight of the day was my hour-long “Inner Peace” spa treatment. Talk about relaxation! My specialist dry-brushed all my dead skin away, treated me with anti-inflammatory ginger oil, gave a foot massage and finished off with a face treatment with Thai herb balls. I didn’t fall asleep, but I came mighty close. That was definitely the most relaxed I’ve felt in a long time. The other ladies spoke highly of their detox treatments, full massages and facials, too.
Before the evening’s activities, I had a chance to explore my romantic guest room. Barnsley Resort offers 90 guest rooms and suites, each inspired by 19th-century European village cottages. Each guest room is decorated differently, making each one uniquely luxurious. Adding to the European flair was a plate of orange-cranberry scones, apple cider butter and crabapple jam waiting for me as I walked in the door. Had I been whisked back to England? I’ll never say no to scones and jam, even if I know a wonderful dinner is fast approaching.
Dinner at the Manor Ruins was magical. We were welcomed with small appetizers–mini lobster rolls and deviled eggs–and met the resident historian and storyteller, Clent Coker. He shared a history of the resort and told a few treasured stories before we sat down for a five-course dinner prepared by executive sous chef Roberto Guzman. But not only did we enjoy an amazing meal: each course was paired with a wine by Barnsley’s “wine snob” Greg Teague (seriously, “wine snob” is his actual job title). I’m usually not a red wine person, but the Corte Alla Flora paired wonderfully with the braised duck appetizer. I absolutely loved my bison ribeye entree, and I could have eaten three helpings of the chai creme brulee.
And all of that was just in one day! I didn’t get to stick around for day 2 of shooting clays and more delicious food, but I know I’ll be back again. There’s so much more to Barnsley Resort than can be experienced in one day alone. Chattanooga isn’t but an hour away. Want to see more from the #BRGirlsGetaway adventures? Check it out on Twitter and Instagram!
Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern and a Virginia Tech alumna. She also holds an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.
Born in North Carolina and raised in Georgia, Kate hopes to further her career as a social media maven and kick-ass writer in the lovely southeast.
Hugh Acheson with yours truly
From left to right: Lia Picard, Debbie Rosen, Jaime Foster, Roger Strauss, Linda Carmical, Jennifer Harris, Denise Romeo, and Eve Kofsky 
Kate Robertson is a features writer for Pretty Southern and a Virginia Tech alumna. She also holds an M.A. in Interactive Media from Elon University.