Kaiser 5K @ Turner Field

This past Thursday, September 16th, Renee, Hollie and I ran the Kaiser Permanente 5K @ Turner field! I have never done a 5K (or any sort of race before) so this was new territory for me. My company sponsored a tent and we had about 4 runners and 10 or so walkers from my company. Hollie signed up under our team.

A view of the massive number of tents @ Turner Field blue lot.



Walking around and saw the Chick Fil A cow!!



Team Waffle House had the BEST shirts!



My friend, Jangmee and myself hanging out at the VeenendaalCave tent!



We got there around 5 PM and hung out with some gatorade, chips and salsa and live music! Renee got there a little while later and it turns out that her company tent was right next to mine! Hollie literally got to the race at the very last minute due to ridiculous traffic - we were lining up and she didn't even have time to stop by the tent so she had to run the whole race with her cell phone in her sports bra! Haha.

I was a little overwhelmed at first by the amount of people running the race - it was in the thousands and we were all packed in at the olympic rings in downtown waiting to run. Once they signaled for us to go, it took about 5-6 minutes for us to even get started running. Hollie and I stayed together for probably 70% of the race. I slowed down at a huge hill right by GA State University and Hollie went on. She waited for me at the finish line but somehow missed me! I caught up with Renee right before we hit the finish line. I was exhausted! My time when I crossed the finish lines was in the 34 minute mark, but you should subtract about 5 minutes from that due to the fact that we ddin't get started right away.

When we got done I was SWEATING my butt off! Renee and I picked up our t-shirts and headed back to the tent. Ryals came to support me and was waiting there with Powerade when I got back - so sweet! The 4 of us hung out, drank beer, ate Jimmy John's and talked about the race. I am so glad to have finished my first 5K and will be continuing to sign up for more in the future! I had some pretty good running buddies too... :)

Thanks to Ryals for all the encouragement! Next year he said he will run :)





So glad to be done with THAT...now when's the next race???

College Gameday: UGA vs. Louisiana Lafayette

I'm a little behind on my blogging...don't shoot me.

So as you all know, the Stones like to do it up for tailgates @ UGA. The opening weekend of football season was no different. We had a long weekend in Athens for Labor Day and took full advantage. Friday night we hit the town, starting @ East West Bistro. We then hit BOURBON STREET for some freshman-in-college style partying (which included dancing on the booth). We headed home early because it was a noon game the next day - BUT I woke up the next morning with a Smirnoff Ice in my purse...must have been a good night.

Saturday we got up early to set up the tailgate. I was feeling so cute in my new gameday dress (thanks to Hollie B's post on the adorable dresses @ Festivity). We had a huge spread that included Chick Fil A biscuits and minis, dips galore, Subway platters and a fully stocked bar. I started the day off with a mimosa...deliious!

Atlanta Design Chick & Ryals



Big crowd at this tailgate!



Mom and the Mitchells



Look @ Dad's face...hahaha!



The Stone Bros out in full force:



K-Rea stopped by!



Mom and her college buds (they all look alike)!



Muller Family Christmas card:



The Dawgs were victorious and pulled out a 55-7 win. Saturday night was spent @ DePalma's (where Ryals and I both almost fell asleep in our pasta).

Sunday (after hitting up Porterhouse brunch) we hit the road to head back to Atlanta. We spent the day running errands, shopping, etc. We hit up JCT Kitchen for their infamous "Sunday Supper" and then finished the night @ Craft Bar for some drinks. I was exhausted! What a great holiday weekend!

I'll be back soon with tales from Columbia, SC and this weekend's UGA matchup vs. Arkansas...Stay tuned!!

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Cutest Movie Ever...

Tonight for Monday Night Girl's Dinner we changed it up a bit and went to see the movie "The Switch". I had seen previews and had been wanting to see it. It did not disappoint! I thought it was precious and one of the cutest movies I have seen in a while. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who loves chick flicks!





Glad to spend time with the girls as usual! It was funny to see what everyone snuck in the theater as their dinner. My favorite was Maggie whipping out her rubbermaid container full of homemade lettuce wraps, complete with real silverware. I <3 MNGD!

XOXOXOXO

My Closet: For Sale

Okay I am selling this dress:



It would be such a cute game day dress! I have worn it only 1-2 times. It is from Anthropologie and is a size 0. It is $35. If you are interested, please email or leave a comment!

Let the Countdown Begin!

This past week was absolutely exhausting. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't really that bad, I'm just venting. It was just a bunch of stupid little things that all added up to one annoying week. Ryals recognized that I was having a rough time so he surprised at work with these to cheer me up:



A few weekends ago when we drove to Alabama to visit with his brother, we drove by a HUGE field of sunflowers and I had commented on how pretty they were. He is such a sweet, thoughtful person!

I fear that this week is going to be rough as well. Work is crazy - we have so much to do, which is actually a blessing because most design firms are laying off, cutting hours, etc. We are actually HIRING (seriously - if you know anyone who needs a job in commercial interior design, let me know - I'll split the referral bonus with you hahahahaha). I will be working late on Tuesday and Wednesday for sure. Monday night I am having to miss MNGD (Monday Night Girls Dinner) for a work sponsored event at the Braves game. Thursday night I have another work event @ Pappasitos off of Windy Hill. Friday night I have something to do as well (will tell you about it in another post - shhhh surprise). BUT the big thing is that at some point this week I need to pack for our CRUISE! We are leaving Saturday alongside the Wages, the Griffins, the Kings and the Campbells to cruise the Bahamas! Wahoooo!!! Ryals and I booked our tickets to the waterpark at Atlantis today and I can hardly wait. I feel like this week is going to DRAG by!

I have been a slacker on blogging in the past week or so...I promise that once the cruise is over I will be more regular.

Let me leave you with some pictures that are helping get me through the week:

I can't wait to be sitting on this:



Drinking one of these:



And playing here:



Ciao Bellas! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

I have a PROBLEM!!!

I went in TJ Maxx and Homegoods again this weekend. I should stay away from that place because every time I go, all I want to do is buy LAMPS! What in the world? Why am I so obsessed with cute lamps?

They all look so adorable just sitting on the shelves like that! The patterned blue one had a matching friend that went with it. They could really make a room. The bright green one would be good by itself and the green one with cutouts was very unique!



More sophisticated neutrals - these could be used in any room in your house!



They all look like friends sitting on the shelf! They most always have pairs of lamps (which I love - the more the better). That is where I got the lamps for my room. The prices are right too!

Grillin' with Gena

This past weekend was very low-key. Ryals is taking the bar exam on Tuesday and Wednesday (let's all say a little prayer!) so we were in town with not many plans!

Friday night, we planned on cooking out and using his Weber charcoal grill that I gave him for his birthday. I was really in the mood to cook and try something new, so who did I turn to, but our good friend Gena Knox! We had never tried grilling with cedar planks, so I picked a recipe that included that type of cooking. I hit up Fresh Market (best grocery store ever) and was pleasantly surprised to see an entire Gena Knox display with grilling accessories and cookbooks. I selected her "Herb-crusted Lamb Chops with Feta". I had never cooked lamb before, so this would certainly be a challenge! As side dishes, I chose freshly picked corn and asparagus. As a starchy side, I chose another Gena Knox Favorite, "Cheese Polenta".

Starting off with delicious ingredients. The recipe involves zesting two lemons and I almost 'zested' my knuckle off.



Soaking the cedar planks for a few hours before use. They smelled so good!



Ryals doing his part and pouring me a glass of wine. Everyone knows wine is vital to good cooking.



The mixture that goes on top of the chops is a delicious mix of feta, panko bread crumbs, lemon and herbs. it was so good and could be used on other recipes too.



Chops and mixture are finally done.



Cheese polenta's on the stove - delicious! The Fontina cheese really made it!



I'm not going to lie, the asparagus kinda sucked...



Bubba wanted in on the action!



Gettin' the chops on the grill and using the cedar planks. It's not as easy as it looks kids.



Checking on the chops. Gena recommends cooking for 12 minutes...YEAH RIGHT. After 12 minutes, they looked the same as when we put them on.



Executive decision - remove the cedar planks and cook directly on the grill for faster cooking. Still took forever, but the cedar taste stayed with it.

***Side note: Please notice that I am wearing the purple Tracy Reese shirt I discussed in a previous post. Well, after I posted that blog with all the items I coveted, my sweet mom called Heery's to see if they had it in my size. As luck had it, the bi-annual 70% off sale had just started and they just happened to have my size (last one)! She surprised me by sending it to me (with another shirt from that post) at work. I had no clue what it was when I opened the package and she included a note that said "To our Atlanta Design Chick"...how sweet! I have the best mom ever!



Chops done! Delicious gourmet meal a la Atlanta Design Chick and Ryals (he needs a stage name - how about Atlanta Lawyer Dude - hahahah...stupid).



Here are the recipes - try them out:

Herb Crusted Lamb Chops with Feta

Ingredients
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
Grated zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 lamb loin or rib chops, each 1 1/4inches thick
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs


Directions
Preheat grill to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine parsley, rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Combine half the mixture with bread crumbs and feta cheese; set aside. Rub remaining mixture on lamb chops.

Place soaked planks on grill; close lid and heat 3 minutes. Using tongs, turn plank over and place lamb chops directly on heated side. Close lid; cook 6 minutes. Pat equal amounts of feta topping onto each chop. Close lid again and continue cooking 5 to 6 more minutes or until desired doneness (meat thermometer should read 130 degrees). Remove chops and plank from grill. Cover with foil and let sit for 5 minutes before serving!

Cheese Polenta

Ingredients
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup cubed Fontina cheese

Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth and water to a boil over high heat. Whisk constantly, slowly stirring in cornmeal. Stir in salt. Lower the heat and cover. Cook polenta at a gentle simmer, stirring frequently until creamy and not grainy, about 25 minutes. Remove polenta from heat, stir in cheese and serve.


XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO