Places to Love: Paris on Ponce

Ah.....sweet Paris on Ponce. This is one of those spots in Atlanta that is perfect for a person like me. It has everything (and I mean everything) that you could conceive thrown under one roof - and sometimes spilling out onto an adjoining dock. Antiques, artwork, jewelry, reworked furniture, vintage clothing, a burlesque lounge, endless DIY project supplies and even a squirrel wearing pearls. If you can't find it anywhere else, you can find it here.

One example was the elusive framed chalkboard I searched for to use as a menu for our wedding day. Everywhere I looked this item was out of my price range. Enter Paris on Ponce where we found a beautifully framed etched wood picture in a gold frame. A few layers of Dap and coats of silver and chalkboard spraypaint and voila! Here is our fantastic chalkboard menu for under $20:

Bonus - it's now used to decorate our home.

I often find myself at P on P when I don't have a specific project in mind because - well because it's pretty damn cool. It's the ultimate digger's paradise with so much to titilate the senses. Here are some pictures from our latest excursion to the land of wonderment:

So, if you're in the Atlanta area and you have a project you're working on, looking for inspiration, or just want to see a stuffed wolf wearing a crown you should definitely stop by this in town gem. It's not something you would ever find in the surrounding suburbia and much like the people of this city - it's inspiring, unique and never boring. And our taxidermy is fancy.

Do you have a favorite spot in Atlanta? Where should we go next?

It's Game Time at acrewd

Last Sunday, I attended my first Falcons game which also benchmarks the most captivating football game in history (according to me). The atmosphere of the stadium - sweat producing lows mixed with the jump-out-of-your-seat highs - were everything I would expect out of a $100 football ticket and then some.

In case you weren't aware, my home team is set to potentially play in the Superbowl this year pending the determining game against the 49ers. Some are skeptical of our win, and we most certainly need to play the second half better than we did against the Seahawks, but I think we can do it. If Casey Anthony can beat a murder conviction despite incredibly obvious evidence supporting her guilt, then the Falcons can win a Superbowl championship**. We've come a long way and my city is quite proud to be gaining respect for our franchise and for Atlanta. Where do you think we get our motto?

Atlanta Falcons vs. San Francisco 49ers at 3:00 #riseup #atl

For those of you who really don't care but want to stay relevant today, I've compiled a list of my top NFL franchise uniform/brand picks. I myself have just recently jumped on the Sunday football bandwagon (or rather pulled onto it by the boyfriend) despite my years of cheering, which were spent worrying more about how I was doing on the sidelines rather than how the guys were doing on the field. For those of you who do care, I hope you're rooting for the Birds because the Niners don't stand a chance to the Dirty South! Samuel L. Jackson agrees with me :) - x kristin

** (Please excuse my controversial analogy. I couldn't think of anything PC.)

2013 Is a Year for Working Hard *Wink*

Shhh don't tell anyone, but I'm blogging on the clock.

Happy New Year, you crazy cats! As we are all making our New Year's resolutions and reflecting on the year put to rest, I can't help but to regret that my outfits weren't as rocking in 2012 as I had hoped. I had some moments, but there was always something missing... and then I realized what it was. THE SHOES. So,  among my many claims for the New Year like:

• Get fit
• Quit smoking
• Get a PMP certification
• Write a business proposal for my gramps
• Master rock climbing

The last and one and the one I hold dearest to my heart is to work on my growing my collection of heels and boots.

Now I know you're thinking, "What kind of New Year's Resolution is that?", but you must not know who I am.... or more importantly, my shoe size. I am a rare breed of lady that wheres a size 4 women's shoe. Most stores carry at the smallest a 5. This means that while my girlfriends are taking advantage of incredible shoe discounts, I cannot participate. Believe me, I have out of vain and it has resulted in a number of shoes given away after being worn only once.

I only recently discovered that Sam Edelman in fact makes a size 4 in most styles. (I've clearly been living under a rock). If you know this designer, you also know that this is not the "$20-wear-for-1-season-and-throw-away" type of shoe. SO I must RESOLVE to invest in my footwear and to not spend another morning/day/night wishing my outfit looked better or that I lived in a quiet hippie beach commune where shoes are optional.

Here are a couple of great finds though! The Michael Kors grey bootie with buckle was found by Heather in San Francisco in a ROSS on my birthday! (it's not wonder her store is filled with all kinds of goodies!) The Sam Edelman was found by my friend Jenni and her mom at a ROSS too!

xoxo - kristin

It's the end of the world as we know it...

...But you look fine!

The world may be ending in the next few hours, but there's still plenty of hot hot inventory to choose from at shopacrewd.com! And while you're pondering if the Mayan calendar takes into account years and years of modern daylight savings hours, check out some of our great holiday and winter accessories below:



You can find these and so much more at the e-boutique. Which accessory is your favorite?

Finding a Forever Home

Ah, it's tough to let go of favorite find, but happy to send this houndstooth beauty to a new home today! Looking for a fabulous fashion find to gift your loved ones with this holiday season? Look no further than right here!                                                             

Ok....maybe right here also.

Have you finished you holiday shopping yet?

All In the Details

What makes a great purse great? Personally, I think the details are what really distinguish just some bag from your favorite one. Something that makes it distinct and speaks the unique qualities of the owner. Who wants to blend in? Who wants to accidentally grab the wrong purse at the bar because it looks like everyone elses? You want your bag to add flair to your wardrobe and to pull it all together. To keep with the season or to last all year round. You want it to represent you.

Here are a few purses from the shop that showcase awesome detail. Check them out in the accessories section of shopacrewd.com and add something new to your accessory arsenal!

    



Places To Love: Atlanta's Goat Farm Arts Center

In another installment of Places We Love, Kristin attended a Halloween party held at one of the hippest joints you never heard of in the A. Read on if you want to be one of the cool kids to check out this spot:

by: Kristin

Alas, a homegrown Halloween party to DIE for! Acrewd focuses on hidden consignment gems, but we've found a hidden gem in the event arena!

The Goat Farm Atlanta and Atlanta's own Scoutmob hosted a unique Halloween party that boasts an experience like no other. Among the typical Halloween parties that encourage Playboy-esque costumes lies an intriguing event filled with the most unique DIY Halloween costumes in the city. We felt right at home with our own DIY costume masterpieces that I wrote about last month. Adorned with extreme art installations, food trucks, and live music, The Goat Farm Atlanta and Scoutmob created an adult Halloween themed playground that party goers will be talking about for weeks!

Pulling up to the gravel parking lot across the street, we walk about half a mile to the mostly outdoor party. After checking in and handing over our liability waivers (yes, they requested for these to be filled out prior to arrival and were required for entrance) we stopped by the first indoor area to grab a drink with our first of 2 free drink tickets. Terrapin and Spiritual Sangria were on the menu at our first stop, however, one of our group members found a bar with the most delicious Hot Toddy later that night. A huge half robot, half dinosaur made of (what looked like) cardboard hovered from the ceiling. Electronic versions of top 80's hits played in the background and after a couple of pelvic thrusting dance moves, we ventured on to the next discovery.

The Avante-garde Lounge donned candles and antique furnishings and also included mad science experiments by MASS Collective. These guys knew how to grab the audience's attention, blowing smoke ring cannons at the guests during the beginning of the night and running high voltage lightning shows later. Luckily, no one got hurt.

As we walked from the lounge to the food truck area, we found a live action art exhibit to set the Halloween mood even more. A burlap scarecrow with a wooden arm ridden with nails. A ghostly lady looking off into the distance, probably an old war widow searching for her love. An exuberant but scary farmer. These guys welcomed us on our trek towards the food truck and sound stage area.

To our right, there was another art installation filled with all the horror movie scenes you'd expect which are ready for you to take part in. Smilebooth set up just beyond this area and by this time we were in need of a professional to handle the photography. So, we bypassed the DIY photo ops and let the folks at Smilebooth snap a few pics. Photobooths are always a good addition to any party.

Next stop on our adventure through Halloween-land was a hot dog cart as we got ready for Noot d'Noot. Scoutmob describes this band's genre as "psychedelic booty bouncing" and boy do we agree! Layered instruments, a soulful voice, and some jamming beats got us moving and grooving, regardless of our bulky costumes.

OH and the costumes! Creative and DIY were the dress code. You wont find many sexy police officers here, however we saw everything from Quail Man to Flo the Progressive Insurance girl to Jellyfish made of umbrellas. Extravagance was all around but to my surprise, no costume contest. My favorite? A couple who engineered a mini DJ booth out of an amp and probably a smart phone. As I spoke into the mic, the DJ mixed your voice into the beats thumping from the amp. Seriously fun given my fully developed obsession with karaoke.

Around 1 am we had had our fill of Halloween fun and headed back to the car, but this party is one that will not be forgotten. I'm already thinking about what I could be next year.

And now, for the pics:

Have you been to the Goat Farm Arts Center yet? What are your thoughts?