No Comprendo

Umm..... the fabric of my "magic dress" looks cute but I'm going to need about two hours with the instruction manual (which could be more detailed, by the way) and maybe a "phone a friend" before I figure this out...

Katy

Latest Ebay Experiment

While looking for 80's dress for Maria on eBay (she's still on the market for the 80's theme party we're co-hosting with Megan in March), I came across some funky finds. I had been doing searches for "taffeta dress," "80's prom dress," "1980 dress," "vintage dress," etc.

In the midst of my last search, I stumbled upon a unique seller's store. This seller had a variety of interesting wraps and dresses, some of which used vintage fabrics. I was intrigued by a dress that claims it can be worn some 15 different ways. I decided if I could find one for a decent price, I would experiment with a magic wrap skirt dress of my own. 

I bid on a few, some of which ended up out of my price range. Then... I snagged one in its last hour of bidding. Once my dress arrives in the mail (and I spend a solid two hours with the instruction manual), I'll let you all know if the $18.50 plus $4.00 shipping was worth the risk. Judging from the feedback, it seems there are many happy customers. Who knows? It could be a fun summer frock...

You should be able to locate other dresses using the keyword search "Reversible Vintage Silk Magic Wrap Skirt Dress" or by clicking on the seller's store link above.

6pm — No Better Time (or Place) to Shop

I couldn't resist the really bad pun...

6pm is actually a retail closeout site, mostly for shoes. I was turned onto it by my Atlanta shopping soulmate (Jessica Shops Atlanta) while listening to the Bert Show a while back.

My first visit to the site had a simple mission: find sandals to wear in my best friend Moeko's wedding. My few criteria were silver color (to match our lavender dresses), low heel (the groom's sisters are very petite so the taller girls are wearing shorter heels to offset the height differences) and moderate price. From what I heard Jessica say, I didn't think it should be a problem.

Voila! Found 'em in under five minutes, and for a fabulous $15.01, nonetheless. 

While I was at it, I decided to peruse some career heels. My simple, black, medium-height heels had long been in distress and expired long ago. Found those, too! A pair of Fitzwells for $25.46.

Grand total with $6.95 standard shipping was $47.42. I ordered my shoes Sunday night and they arrived today (Wednesday). The shoes fit well, are uber comfortable and arrived in a flash. I'm one satisfied customer.

Decatur Restaurant Review: Zucca

We're all about supporting the local establishments. I try to keep up with the Decatur Metro blog and recently saw a post about Zucca in downtown Decatur. While Zucca is a chain, we decided it was worth a try since one just took up post on the downtown square (where Zocalo once was, next to Brickstore Pub). 

With our kitchen in shambles, Saturday night seemed like the perfect night to give the place a whirl. We parked by the high school and made a brisk walk over to the square. Zucca seemed crowded (the long wait at Brickstore probably works to its advantage) yet we were still able to be seated right away. The spacious booths and TVs at every table were a hit with us. Dan was able to find some ESPN channels and ordered a Guinness (they were out of Bass). He was set.

I saw the relatively impressive draught list but still asked the waitress for a recommendation. She asked her bar manager then came back and said that the Terrapin "Wake and Bake" seasonal was excellent. And delicious it was! The dark beer wasn't too bitter and had an ever-so-slight taste of coffee and chocolate. Mmmm.

Seeing in that we'd had late lunches, we opted to split an appetizer, salad and entree. We ordered all three at once and proceeded to talk/watch TV... for a little longer than I'd planned. After about 20 minutes, I asked the waitress to check on our appetizer. Not 30 seconds after I inquired, our calamari arrived. Served with a spicy marinara and lemon wedges, the calamari wasn't overly breaded and seemed to be cooked just the right amount.

We had barely eaten half of our calamari when our classic/house salad and entree arrived in a one-two punch. The house salad (olives, parmesan cheese, tomato wedges, mixed greens, onions, etc.) seemed fresh and was complemented by a homemade vinaigrette. 

The lobster ravioli didn't live up to expectations, though it wasn't bad by any means. The bits of lobster were overwhelmed by the cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, etc.) and the rich-but-tasty tomato-based sauce. The pasta was reminiscent of the high-end frozen variety (think Bertolli) that you buy at your local Publix and cook at home. It was good but not $15 good.

In the end, the damage for four beers, one appetizer, one salad and an entree was $52 plus tip. Not bad. I would say you're more likely to find us drinking beers, watching sports and having bar food at Zucca than treating ourselves to a full dining experience. 

To Zucca's defense, we didn't try their pizza. Maybe it's excellent.