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Have you ever wanted to learn how to knit?

Posted in Retail & Restaurants on February 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

In case you aren’t on Homegrown’s mailing list…

HomeGrown is pleased to offer Knitting for Beginners with

Heather Branham of crafty and lu.

In this hands-on class, you’ll learn the basic techniques to start knitting the projects of your dreams. You’ll learn how to cast on and make the knit stitch and have lots of time to practice with help from an experienced knitter. No previous experience or proof of hand/eye coordination necessary. Lefties welcome!

Sincerely, Lori Ronca & Beth Thompson HomeGrown Decatur

For more inforrmation, go here!

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Have Happy Valentine's Day Weekend in Decatur!

Posted in Retail & Restaurants on February 11, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Decatur's Valentine statue

For those of you who grumble at the thought of Valentine’s Day, don’t continue to read on and we’ll see you next week. For those of you who love the holiday, we encourage you to celebrate in Decatur – of course! Here are some local suggestions:

Eat

Parker’s On Ponce – Valentine weekend specials include 6oz filet with lobster mashed potatoes, black truffle demi, asparagus, 14oz NY strip Rosemary-potato galette, herb demi, grilled scallops, Pan seared sea bass with snow peas, soba noodles, giner wasabi glaze, Chocolate strawberries and shortbread cookies. Call ahead at 404-924-4430 for reservations.

Wahoo! – Special Valentine’s Day menu on Saturday, Feb. 12 and Monday, Feb. 14 including Risotto Croquette, Crab Bisque, Lobster Ravioli, Pistachio Crusted Grouper, Filet with Crab and Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake. Call 404-373-3331 for reservations.

Carpe Diem – Chef Juan Luna is pleased to present a special 4-course Prix Fixe menu priced at $45 per person in celebration of Valentine’s Day on Monday, Feb. 14. For reservations call 404-687-9696.

Iberian Pig – Offering a special 3 course pre-fixe menu Saturday through Monday for $59 per person, which includes a special gift from The Iberian Pig as well as a Cava toast for you to take with you. You will receive a gift certificate for Salon Red in Decatur as well as a gift certificate to use at your convenience any day in March. Call 404-371-8800 for reservations.

Buy

Decatur CD sent out a great list of Valentine’s Day gift suggestions: Cee-Lo Green’s The Lady Killer, Drive-By Truckers’ Go-Go Boots, Nicole Atkins’ Mondo Amore, R. Kelly’s Love Letter, Iron & Wine’s Kiss Each Other Clean, Belle & Sebastian’s Write About Love, The Sound of The Smiths, Alejandro Escovedo’s Street Songs of Love and many more! Just stop by the store and ask the staff for their recommendations.

Piece of Cake is staying open until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12.

Greene’s is offering custom candy boxes, custom nut boxes, decadent truffles, chocolate covered strawberries and gourmet chocolate roses.

Mingei World Arts just got an order in from Thailand bringing silk, silver, beads and bags = one-of-a-kind treasures for your Valentine.

Decatur Market and Gallery wants you to bring your love to the special reception for “New Beginnings – Expressions of Love” this Saturday, Feb. 12 from 5-10 p.m.

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Great Badda Bing Lunch Specials

Posted in Retail & Restaurants on February 9, 2011 | 1 Comment »

This has got to be one of the best kept secrets in town. Badda Bing recently reopened for lunch and now has a set menu for each day of the work week: BBQ Monday, Fat Tuesday (Creole/ Cajun menu), Italian Wednesday, Eat Clean Thursday and A Taste of the South on Friday. The best part? Each meal is only $6.54 – that’s $7 even with tax. And check out all the food you get:

(click on the images to enlarge)

I stopped by last Friday for the Southern food plate:

It really was enough for two people – and delicious!

This week you can choose between a salad or soup as a starter.

I would recommend getting to Badda Bing no later than 12:30 p.m. since the meals sell out most days.

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10th Annual Oakhurst Wine Crawl

Posted in Events, Retail & Restaurants on February 3, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Please come join your neighbors and bring lots of friends to the 10th Annual
Oakhurst Wine Crawl on Feb. 26th from 4-7pm. The Furbus will be back in service
again for the exciting trip to our businesses on College Ave. Tickets will go
on sale Tuesday Feb. 2, 2011 at the Universal Joint, Karvarna, and Steinbeck’s.
Tickets in advance will be $25 and day of sales will be $30. Limited number of
tickets available. Remember all proceeds go to the Oakhurst Neighborhood
Association and our community!

For more information, click here.

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Lots to do at Little Shop of Stories

Posted in Events, Retail & Restaurants on February 2, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

As a mom, there are very few places that are as magical as Little Shop of Stories. The store is so welcoming and fun, lots to see and do, and always a friendly face to help you pick out the perfect book. On top of all of that, they are constantly holding special events to keep kids intersted in reading…just look at their line-up for February!

Write a Valentine to Your Favorite Book Character

February 1st until Valentine’s Day

Did you know that there’s a little mailbox on the side of the purple house at Little Shop of Stories? Well, all month long (until Valentine’s Day) that mailbox will be the place to send Valentines to your favorite storybook characters. Drop off your letter anytime, and on Valentine’s Day we’ll display all the great cards you wrote!

Chinese New Year Storytime

Thursday, February 3rd at 7 p.m.

Join us for a special Chinese New Year storytime! We’ll make paper lanterns and eat fortune cookies, and since it’s the Year of the Rabbit, we’ll be reading all our very favorite rabbit stories.

Love Storytime

Thursday, February 10th at 7 p.m.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Come to our Love Storytime

And make a Valentine or two!

In honor of the Day of Love, we’ll have a very love-ly storytime. In addition to eating special Valentine cookies and reading our favorite books about love, we’ll also make our own Valentines for our favorite book characters. We’ll drop them in the Little Shop mailbox and then on actual Valentine’s Day, they’ll be on display them for all to see.

Alex Finn Author Appearance!

Friday, February 11th at 7 p.m.

Remember how much you LOVED Beauty and the Beast when you were little? (C’mon, we know Krista wasn’t the only one with a Belle sleeping bag.) Well, Beastly, by Alex Flinn, is a modern YA retelling sure to captivate you as much as the original. Kyle is a rich, popular high school hottie who humilates an outcast at a school dance. Turns out she’s a witch, and she curses him to look as ugly on the outside as his arrogant, selfish inside. The only way to break the curse is to find someone who can love him despite his horrifying appearance. Come see author Alex Flinn at Little Shop of Stories as she talks about her awesome new book, which is soon to be a major motion picture!

Noel MacNeal

Saturday, February 12th at 2 p.m.

Noel MacNeal, who has worked on Sesame Street for almost thirty years with such puppetry legends as Jim Henson and Frank Oz, will be talking about his (totally fun) book, 10-Minute Puppets. Come check it out and meet a true puppet master!

Fancy Storytime

Sunday, February 13th at 3 p.m.

Everybody’s favorite storytime, Fancy Storytime, is here again! Ladies and gentlemen, you are cordially invited to enjoy the festivities as we partake of fancy snacks and learn how to be extra-fancy. Remember — and this is extremely important — you MUST come fancy! Even grownups. Ball gowns, tuxedos, tiaras, top hats, gloves, boas, you name it. Nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING is too fancy for this extraordinarily fancy event! We look forward exceedingly to the pleasure of your company.

Valentine’s Day!

Monday, February 14th | All Day!

It’s Valentine’s Day! And a lot of you are off from school! Come by and spend the Day of Love with your friends who LOVE books! We’ll have special treats all day long, and we’ll also display the Valentines to book characters that you made earlier in the month. So come on by anytime! We’d love to see you!

Mini Camp Half Blood

Thursday, February 17 | 1 pm-5 pm

Calling all demi-gods! Can’t wait until summer for Camp Half Blood awesomeness?! Join us for an afternoon of mythology, crafts, games, storytelling, snacks, and capture the flag. This special mini-camp costs $20 and is open to kids ages 9-11. Space is limited, so sign up as soon as possible. No, you don’t have to wait for Feb. 5th for this one, and yes, you can register over the phone. You’ll just have to pay the balance for us to hold your spot.

Black History Month Storytime

Thursday, February 17 | 7 pm

It’s Black History Month and we’re celebrating with a special storytime where we read our favorite books by and about famous African Americans. We’ll read about Hank Aaron, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jerry Pinkney, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Lewis, and many more !

Presidential Storytime

Sunday, February 20 at 3 pm

From George Washington to Barack Obama, let’s celebrate the men who have helped make our country great! Join us for a special Presidential Storytime where we’ll read stories about (or even written by) our nation’s leaders!

Fairy Tale Storytime Thursday, February 24th at 7 p.m.

In honor of Wilhelm Grimm’s birthday, we’re having a fairy tale storytime. Join us as we read our favorite fairy tales. (As tempted as we might be, we’ll avoid the scarier original versions!).

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The 2nd annual Farm to School Dine Out – Monday, January 31st,, 2011

Posted in Events, Retail & Restaurants on January 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

I almost forgot that this is happening on Monday. You can be sure I won’t be fixing dinner for my family on Monday night…

The second annual Farm to School Dine Out is set for Monday, January 31st,, 2011! This is a great night to bring the whole family out to dinner, or grab your friends for dinner to promote healthy foods in our schools. Participating restaurants are Farm Burger, Iberian Pig, Watershed, Cakes & Ale, Brick Store Pub, Leon’s Full Service, Universal Joint, Steinbeck’s Ale House and Farmstead 303. So come out, support our schools and enjoy Decatur’s restaurants!

The Farm to School Dine Out hopes to create more awareness of ongoing efforts, raise money and encourage parents and students to participate in the school lunch program. Each restaurant will have a unique “Farm to School” menu or menu options and will donate 10% of sales to Decatur Farm to School.

The 2010 Farm to School Dine Out was a huge success and raised nearly $3,000 to help put healthy foods in the Decatur schools. The funds were used to purchase kitchen equipment and knives for the employees to make some food items from scratch and helped to fund training and school gardens.

Decatur Farm to School is a branch of the Oakhurst Community Garden.

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What to do This Weekend and Beyond

Posted in Events, Retail & Restaurants on January 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

See DecaturDoc’s Hey Boo this Saturday evening at Decatur High School (image)

Friday, Jan. 21 • 7-9 p.m. – Join HomeGrown in celebrating the works of six 2D artists: Holle Black, Penny Treese, Dawn Kinney Martin, Nick Madden, Helen Ferguson Crawford and Martha Ebener. Meet the artists and see their latest works while enjoying complimentary small bites and beverages.

Saturday, Jan. 22 • 8 – 10:30 p.m. – View the third film of the Decatur Docs series, Hey Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill A Mocking Bird. The documentary explores the impact of Lee’s novel in depth with interviews and readings by Tom Brokaw, Andrew Young, James Patterson, Oprah Winfrey and Mary Bedham.

Tuesday, Jan. 25 • 7-9 p.m. – The Iberian Pig will be hosting its first wine dinner with Jesus de Madrazo of CVNE in Rioja, Spain. Managing Partner and Chef Chad Crete will be preparing a five course chef’s tasting with eight wines. Jesus de Madrazo will be present to discuss the wines of CVNE as well as three wines from its sister winery Cotino.

Thursday, Jan. 27 • 7 p.m. – Sign up to attend Parker’s on Ponce’s Scotch Dinner featuring nine different scotches and five small plates. For reservations call 404-924-2230.
Noon – Lunchtime in the Studio at Core Studios. The first 40 guests can enjoy a complimentary lunch so make sure to come early!

On-Going – Sign up to go on a backstage tour of Decatur’s Chick-fil-A. Learn about the history of Chick-fil-A, see firsthand how they hand-bread each piece of chicken, freshly squeeze lemonade daily and much more. Call the store at 404-371-1466 and speak to any manager to schedule your tour.

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What To Do This Week in Decatur

Posted in Retail & Restaurants on December 28, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Do you hear that? That’s the lull between Christmas and New Years. It’s pretty quiet around here, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do in Decatur this week. If you’re looking for something to do with the family or if you have some Christmas cash burning a hole in your wallet, here are a couple of suggestions:

Watershed is continuing its Southern Afternoon Tea into the new year. Tea time occurs weekly every Thursday through Saturday from 3-5 p.m. Southern Afternoon Tea includes organic loose tea and a variety of savory and sweet snacks. Reservations by phone are required and can be made by calling the restaurant at 404-378-4900. $15 per person.

Shopping Deals:

Greene’s Fine Foods is currently offering 25% off all pre-packed tins of nuts and candy. Qualities are limited so stop by to check out the best selections.

Stop by Big Peach Running Co. this week and you’ll receive a new Peach flavored mix1 (see photo above) with any purchase. Mix1 is an all-natural protein shake great for recovery after a long run like the upcoming Peachy Party (see “Looking Ahead” section below).

Mingei World Arts will have discounted holiday merchandise including stockings, cards, ornaments, CDs and nativities this week so you can get a frugal head start on next year’s holiday shopping. The store’s new winter hours are noon to 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Local New Years Celebrations (I’ll add to this list throughout the week):

Celebrate the arrival of 2011 at Wahoo! Grill with featured dishes like caramelized scallops over chive polenta, crab bisque, black truffle ravioli with lobster, pistachio-encrusted grouper with sauteed spinach and Kahlua mocha cheesecake. Call for reservations, 404-373-3331.

McGowan’s Oakhurst Pub is hosting a New Year’s Even Party and Bonfire that includes free champagne at midnight. No tickets or cover and casual dress is encouraged.

On New Year’s Eve, Iberian Pig will be offering a three course pre-fixe menu for $59 per person that will include a split bottle of cava, champagne flute, a Castellucci Hospitality Group gift certificate and a gift certificate to Salon Red in Decatur. On New Years Day, The Pig will be serving suckling pig and lobsters beginning at 5 p.m. Call for reservations, 404-371-8800.

Eddie’s Attic will be hosting its late show on New Year’s Eve at 10:30 p.m. featuring Matthew Perryman Jones, a long-time attic favorite and former employee.

Looking Ahead:

Big Peach Running Co. is hosting the First Peachy Party of 2011 on Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. Join the Decatur Peachy Posse for a twisted take on a resolution run. There will be a 3 mile route set up with a couple of smiling volunteers posted at a few key places holding a bag with “resolutions” inside (including some that you can redeem at the store when you return). After the run, Twain’s is hosting a party where 15% of the night’s proceeds will go to Decatur’s Team Challenge. Register online here.

Be the first to try Chick-fil-A’s new Spicy Chicken Biscuit. Chick-fil-A in Decatur is giving a limited number of FREE Spicy Chicken Biscuits the week of Jan. 3-8 to customers who make a reservation. Spaces are limited so don’t delay!

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Some Last Minute Things

Posted in Retail & Restaurants on December 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

I can tell by the lack of emails in my inbox that most of you have already started your holiday celebrating today. For those of you with four-legged friends, make sure to stop by Taj Ma Hound from 5-7 p.m. tonight for the shop’s Holiday Party. There will be doggie cake and Beg Nog ice cream for pups and poinsettia cocktails for us humans.

Iberian Pig is not only offering its popular holiday catering this season, the restaurant will be open Christmas Eve until 10 p.m. and the bar will be open in 11:30 p.m. Finish up all of your last minute shopping, gift wrapping, and dinner planning and unwind with a glass of wine and some tapas.

If I get any more emails about happenings around town I’ll add to this post until I leave the office for the day.

City Hall will be closed this Friday and next Monday for the holidays.

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Decorate Decatur

Posted in Events, Retail & Restaurants, Uncategorized on December 21, 2010 | 9 Comments »

Sunday night was cold and bright…a perfect night to look at lights! The Decorate Decatur judges were out and about and were quite impressed with what they saw!

Businesses:McGowan’s in Oakhurst and Taste on Church Street

*****Commissioners Cup: Charles & Sandra Gollmar 176 Garland Avenue*****

212 4th Avenue

228 3rd Avenue

440 & 442 Sycamore Street

323 Mimosa

312 Huron Avenue

207 & 135 Glenn Circle

428 Sycamore Street

The judges would like to recognize and thank a few of the “lifetime achievement winners” who, year after year, help spread Christmas cheer with their love of the holidays and decorations.

252 Kings Highway