Classic City Postal Service // Cyber Monday

Athenian Erin Lovett's Classic City Postal Service cards slay me, and they're all $1 today for Cyber Monday.  Get them here. 

Who run the world?

Photos: Rachel Eubanks

Athens is full of amazing women. They're creative, professional, musical, and at times intimidating. As an exercise to bust through the temptation to feel competitive or jealous, Rachel Eubanks made an awesome blog celebrating Athens, GA women. My roommate Rachel Bailey (executive director of My Athens, freelance writer, and photographer) and I were so flattered to be photographed for Boss Bitches of Athens and to have a chance to talk about female friendships and the dangerous fuel social media can give us to make fun of people we don't actually know.

Read the full post here.

Publicity Lunch 'n Learn for Athens Area Arts Council 11/11

Photo: Paige French

On November 11th at The Lyndon House, I'll be presenting a Lunch 'n Learn for the Athens Area Arts Council as part of their monthly series focused on professional practices for artists.

Over the years I've secured coverage for my clients in national publications like NPR, Vogue, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Pitchfork, late-night television programs, and tastemaker blogs. I've also written for Paste, The Daily Beast, Design*Sponge, Urban Outfitters' blog, and more, and I teach music PR at UGA. I'm excited to adapt my knowledge to DIY tips for musicians, visual artists, and creative types.
Full event info here.

Hope you can make it! 

And, a big thank you as always to Paige French for taking the photo above. I can't recommend her enough for professional photos that don't look stuffy. 

CLOSED: GIVEAWAY: My_Athens' Projections fashion show tickets

Necklaces at Red Dress Boutique by Courtney Cooper Johnson/Whiskey Tango Studios
Similar necklaces

I'm excited to give away a pair of tickets to My_Athens' Projections this Sunday night! The event fuses fashion and film as teams of local boutiques and stylists present looks inspired by iconic, style-inspiring films.

If you'd rather not leave things up to chance, you can order tickets here. As of yesterday, only 6 VIP tickets were left. That extra $10 for VIP gets you seating an additional drink.

The giveaway will take place on my Instagram account.
To enter: 
- Follow @my_athens and @myathensfashion
- Tag the name of the friend you'd take with you in the comments of the Instagram post 

Winner will be chosen and notified Friday afternoon using Random.org.
CLOSED. Thanks for entering!

The full scoop on Sunday night via My_Athens: 

"My Athens presents its fall fashion show, Projections, Sunday, Nov. 8, at Stan Mullins' Art Studio (650 Pulaski Street) from 6-9 p.m. Projections will spotlight eight teams of local boutiques and stylists, each drawing inspiration from an iconic style film. A dance party, hosted by DJ Immuzikation, will follow the runway show. We'll also have beer from Creature Comforts and cocktails from Tito's Vodka and The National.

Featuring:
• Boutiques: Agora Vintage, Atomic Athens, Cheeky Peach, Community, Dynamite Clothing, Encore, Flirt Fashions and The Red Dress Boutique

• Stylists: Allison Skinner, Carlee Ingersoll, Elizabeth Herrin, aka Mz Savvy Style, Lucie Reynolds, Rachel Barnes, Shawna Lea Maranville, Stephano Diaz of Necklush and Trevor Blake

My_Athens exists to creatively celebrate the city through photography, events and the stories we tell on our blog, where we cover fashion, food and the arts. We love hosting events like this fashion show to showcase all the amazing talent in this city and create a sense of unity for the people who live here. Follow us on Instagram at @my_athens and show us your vision of the city by using the hashtag #my_athens!

Benefitting Habitat for Humanity"

A look from Atomic. Photo by Courtney Cooper Johnson/Whiskey Tango Studios
Similar dresses

A look from Cheeky Peach. Photo by Courtney Cooper Johnson/Whiskey Tango Studios
More tassel necklaces
More fringe boots

Carlee Ingersoll for Community by Courtney Cooper Johnson/Whiskey Tango Studios

A look from Flirt Fashions by Courtney Cooper Johnson/Whiskey Tango Studios
More fringe vests

Trevor Blake for Flirt by Courtney Cooper Johnson/Whiskey Tango Studios
similar hat
Shop Necklush

CLOSED: GIVEAWAY: Wildwood Revival :: July 19

My friends Wildwood Revival are hosting their inaugural happening this month. They were sweet enough to give us a pair of tickets to give away. Full event info is below. Stay with me til the bottom of the post for entry rules, and ready your camping gear. If you don't want to leave it up to chance, tickets are still available here, but going fast! 

CLOSED: GIVEAWAY: M. Ward and Mount Moriah at 40 Watt Club 5/5

M. Ward is playing 40 Watt Club tomorrow night with some of my North Carolina favorites, Mount Moriah. The 40 Watt was nice enough to offer us a pair of tickets to give away. 

Hear: Pinecones new tape "Plays Cosmic Hits"

The Atlanta/Athens band's new release "Plays Cosmic Hits" was recorded live on WUOG 90.5 this past February, and is out on cassette now on one of my favorite names to rally around, Southern Vision. If a live radio session sounds this good, I can't wait to hear what's next.

Reminds me a little of Pontiak, Ex-Cult, Wire, and Dead Meadow at times.

Sunday: From Pure Brunch to Pure Barre

Flexing my Jello arm

This past Sunday, the crew at Pure Barre Athens invited me out for a complementary class. Instead of my usual Sunday routine of brunching and errands, I got to really do it bit this week with Pure Brunch AND Pure Barre. I'd taken a few free community classes over Christmas, so I was excited to come back. There are around 200 Pure Barre studios nationwide, and the Athens studio in the Alps Kroger shopping center is less than a year old.

Copper & Torch

My friend Lindsay of Copper & Torch makes pretty glass nature-keepers to wear or fill your home with. 

CLOSED: GIVEAWAY: Tickets to The Noodle Bowl 2014

A few months back, my friend Andre had an idea: a ramen showdown. Not the kind of ramen you ate in college (unless you spent your formative years in Asia eating authentic noodles.) Instead, some of our town's best chefs facing off over bowls of meticulously simmered broth, topped with fresh noodles, pork belly, nori, slow cooked eggs, and whatever else they dream up. With chefs like Momofuku's David Chang or Ivan Ramen's Ivan Orkin popularizing the traditional dish in the States, and few ramen options in Athens, why not spend a day celebrating the stuff?

Guest Wish List: Morgangster

This holiday season, I gathered gift guides and wish lists from local businesses, creative-types, friends, bloggers, makers, and do-ers I admire. Gifts are by no means the important part of the holidays, but I wanted to give local makers a chance to toot their own horns, and it's fun to peek into friends' wish lists. So far we've heard from beautyeveryday, Edith on Fashion, ScoutMob, Community, Laurel Hill, Dear Hearts, Seed and Plate, Treehouse, Recipe for Press, and Double Dutch Press. Don't forget to check out the exclusive discount codes many of these shops included in their posts! 

Today's guest post comes from one of the first people I met in Athens, GA (Russell Hall dorm buds!), Morgan Cogswell of Morgangster. Morgan is one of only a handful real-life Tina Fey's in my life, which you should know is one of the highest compliments I could give. 

Morgan works in Athens as a graphic designer and loves shirley temples, bike riding, breakfast foods, and Netflix. She dislikes olives and writing about herself in the 3rd person. She writes regularly about living in Normaltown and other such things over at her personal blog, Morgangster  and is the music columnist for The Lovely Project. Follow along with her Normaltown Instagram project at #normaltownproject 

"The holidays always stir up a certain amount of nostalgia for me: the traditional decorations, the songs, the unspoken gift-giving rivalry amongst my siblings... 

Though I try to outdo them by coming up with the best, coolest gifts for the best, coolest people I know... mostly I love the look on their faces when they open their gifts. The saying stands... it IS better to give than to receive! Here are some gifts that are on my radar for the many best/cool people in my life." - Morgan

1. evo Haze Styling Powder: If you or someone you love suffers from "baby-hair-mopville" (as the bottle suggests) this stuff is your new best friend. // You can find it here or, if you live in Athens, at Model Citizen Salon. // $29.95

2. Stainless steel wine glasses: The Great Outdoors + Wine. Nothing more needs to be said. // Find them here // $13.52

3. Crosley Cruiser Turntable: Not only will this cool little guy play your records, but also there's a jack for your iPod. // online here // $99.95

4. Encyclopedia of the Exquisite: I received this beautiful book last year for my birthday, and I have enjoyed thumbing through the pages a little at a time ever since. It's exactly what it says it is: "Cleverly illustrated, Encyclopedia of the Exquisite is an ode to life’s plenty, from the extravagant to the eccentric. It is a cele­bration of luxury that doesn’t necessarily require money." // online here // $21.83

5. Artifact Uprising Books: This may be one of the things I'm most excited about this year. I take a lot of photos (Instagram and otherwise) but never really know what to do with all the pictures. These beautiful little books are just perfect for storing all your memories. // online here and via their app // $16.99

6. Glory Glory Prints:  I'm a designer here in Athens and have been selling these Georgia themed prints for a while now. I've just recently moved to having them printed here in town, so this is an exciting new development for my tiny Glory Glory shop. For the holidays, I'm currently offering free shipping on these guys! 11x14 and available in both gray and black. // online here // $18.00

Keep up with Morgan! // blog // shop // design

Guest Post: Recipe for Press Gift Guide

This holiday season, I gathered gift guides and wish lists from local businesses, creative-types, friends, bloggers, makers, and do-ers I admire. Gifts are by no means the important part of the holidays, but I wanted to give local makers a chance to toot their own horns, and it's fun to peek into friends' wish lists. So far we've heard from beautyeveryday, Edith on Fashion, ScoutMob, Community, Laurel Hill, Dear Hearts, Seed and Plate, Treehouse, and Double Dutch Press. Don't forget to check out the exclusive discount codes many of these shops included in their posts! 

Today's gift guide comes to use from Recipe for Press. Recipe for Press is the brainchild of Amy Flurry, also of paper-cut-project. Her book, workshops, and products offer DIY PR education to entrepreneurs in the Athens community and beyond. 

Not much is cozier than curling up with a great book and a cup of tea, especially around this time of year. Recipe for Press intern Claire has picked out a few of her favorite gift ideas that will thrill any book lover! All of the items featured below are from Recipe for Press DIY PR workshop grads!

DEAL********also, if readers type "thankyou" in the coupon code upon checkout, they will receive 20% off Recipe for Press and the new Pitch Wheel

www.recipeforpress.com

Guest Post: Seed & Plate's Gift Guide

This holiday season, I gathered gift guides and wish lists from local businesses, creative-types, friends, bloggers, makers, and do-ers I admire. Gifts are by no means the important part of the holidays, but I wanted to give local makers a chance to toot their own horns, and it's fun to peek into friends' wish lists. 

Today's guest post comes from my The Seed & Plate. The Seed & Plate is an independent magazine in Athens, Ga. with a focus on food, farming and community in the Southeast. 

The holidays are the perfect time to show support for the local businesses and talented craftspeople in your community. It’s the personal touch that comes with these gifts that always rings true with loved ones. Plus it’s a great way to show pride in the bounty of your hometown. Through our wanderings with The Seed & Plate, we have encountered so many unique products that we’d be thrilled to find in our stockings this year. Here are just a few!

Guest Post: Treehouse Kid & Craft Gift Guide

This holiday season, I gathered gift guides and wish lists from local businesses, creative-types, friends, bloggers, makers, and do-ers I admire. Gifts are by no means the important part of the holidays, but I wanted to give local makers a chance to toot their own horns, and it's fun to peek into friends' wish lists. So far we've heard from beautyeveryday, Edith on Fashion, ScoutMob, Community, Laurel Hill,  and Double Dutch Press. Don't forget to check out the exclusive discount codes many of these shops included in their posts! 

Today's gift guide comes from Treehouse Kid & Craft. While Treehouse has lots of great items and classes for kids, I find a lot of gifts for grownups (I use this word loosely :) at there, too. Remember when I took a needle felting class at Treehouse? Owner Kristen Bach is also part of beautyeveryday, who we heard from earlier this month. 

Guest Post: Community's Holiday Gift Guide

This holiday season, I gathered gift guides and wish lists from local businesses, creative-types, friends, bloggers, makers, and do-ers I admire. Gifts are by no means the important part of the holidays, but I wanted to give local makers a chance to toot their own horns, and it's fun to peek into friends' wish lists. So far we've heard from beautyeveryday, Edith on Fashion, ScoutMob, Community, and Double Dutch Press. Don't forget to check out the exclusive discount codes many of these shops included in their posts! 

Today's guest post comes from Community, an Athens boutique that balances style with sustainability.

Guest Gift Guide: Beauty Everyday

This holiday season, I gathered gift guides and wish lists from local businesses, creative-types, friends, bloggers, makers, and do-ers I admire. Gifts are by no means the important part of the holidays, but I wanted to give local makers a chance to toot their own horns, and it's fun to peek into friends' wish lists. So far we've heard from beautyeveryday, Edith on Fashion, ScoutMob, Community, and Double Dutch Press. Don't forget to check out the exclusive discount codes many of these shops included in their posts! 

>>------>

Today's guest post comes from Beauty Everyday, a group of women in Athens, GA who document their creative lives and the unique Southern places they encounter. Rinne Allen has been my friend and neighbor for years. Her studio is a magical hideaway nestled beneath my house (just look at this gorgeous photo set from Trouve Mag) and just running into her in our shared backyard making sun prints or on a stroll with her cute kids leaves me with a little inspiration every time. Kristen Bach owns one of my favorite shops in Athens, Treehouse Kid & Craft, offering craft supplies, gifts, and creative classes for kids and grown-ups alike.  Rebecca Wood is the creative force behind R. Wood Studio Ceramics. 

They just released a book together (pick one up in town at Avid Bookshop), and are having a book signing at 5&10 Wednesday, December 11. 

Images from Beauty Everyday

These women know Athens inside and out, and have a wide network of local and regional makers, so I'm extra-excited about their gift ideas. If you're outside of Athens, you can still purchase from Beauty Everyday, Treehouse, and R.Wood online stores, and pick up some daily inspiration from the Beauty Everyday blog. 

This year we are encouraging folks to support local businesses as much as possible.  Our city has so much to offer, it's easy to support our local peeps!  For our Arrowhead VIntage gift guide we have made a little gift basket with some of our local favs.  Bon Appetit! - Beauty Everyday

1.  Autumn Print by Hope Hilton available at Double Dutch Press

2. Arrow Print by Megan Fowler available at Arrow

3.  Cine gift card available at Cine

4.  3 Porch Farm goodies  available at the farmers market and at 3 Porch Farm

5.  Our Book Beauty Everyday by Rinne Allen, Kristen Bach, and Rebecca Wood available at Avid, R.Wood Studio, and TREEHOUSE kid and craft
6.  Take Root Calendar by Brown Parcel Press available at TREEHOUSE kid and craft

7.  Homemade Catering gift card  available at Homemade  

8.  Red Mule grits available at Red Mule Grits and the farmers market

Guest Gift Guide: Double Dutch Press

This holiday season, I gathered gift guides and wish lists from local businesses, creative-types, friends, bloggers, makers, and do-ers I admire. Gifts are by no means the important part of the holidays, but I wanted to give local makers a chance to toot their own horns, and it's fun to peek into friends' wish lists. 

Photo source: The Red & Black

Today's gift guide comes from Double Dutch Press, a print making studio and shop in Athens, GA, providing workshops and equipment rental to our community. Their physical and online shop stocks so many great gift items from totes to blank journals. After talking about it for a year, sometime in 2014 I WILL make it to one of their screen printing workshops. 

CLOSED: GIVEAWAY: Tickets to Canopy's EPICer aerial arts performance

Photos by ZoomWorks / Shannah Montgomery

Athenians: if you've never been to a Canopy Studio Reperatory Co. aerial arts show, you're missing out. It's like Cirque du Soleil without having to go to Atlanta and deal with the Atlantic Station parking deck or clowns trying to get some audience participation out of you. 

CLOSED: Giveaway: Model Citizen hair products & Heads Will Roll tickets! ($80 value)

This Thursday night, All Hallows Eve, my favorite holiday, Model Citizen Salon is throwing a party to benefit Community Connection of Northeast Georgia at Stan Mullins art space on Pulaski Street (walkable to and from downtown!) Dead Confederate and The Powder Room are performing, and 20 of Model Citizen's hairdresser mannequin heads were transformed by local artists and will be auctioned for charity.

CLOSED: Giveaway: Chelsea Light Moving at 40 Watt TONIGHT!

Chelsea Light Moving (lead by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth) is playing the 40 Watt Club tonight with Cinemechanica (I don't think they've played a show in Athens in about 2 years, and I hear it's their first show with Jordan Olivera, of Manray.) We've got a surprise pair of tickets to give away. Winner will be drawn at 4PM, so be sure to share the giveaway with your online friends, and enter fast! Check out the video for "Burroughs" below, off their debut full-length released earlier this year on Matador.

Tonight is an early show! Cinemechanica goes on at 9PM, and I hear this one won't be running "Athens time." Heads up!