CUBA 2017

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In 2014 I returned to Cuba, forty-three years after coming to the USA. I reunited with my father in Havana and I have done my best to visit him every year since then... In mid-December of 2017 I planned a trip to Cuba with my partner Alex Page - his first visit! While I made sure Alex got to see Old Havana, El Malecon and the Morro Castle, it was important that he/we also toured through small towns. If you want to experience the "real" Cuba, then you must travel beyond the glamour of classic cars and hand-rolled cigars. We were in Cuba for only five nights, but we packed in a tremendous amount while still enjoying quality time with family. Photos by E. Vincent Martinez and Alex Page.

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Where to Rise and Dine on New Year's Day

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new years dinner

After a night of popping champagne, it’s time to say “hello” to National Bloody Mary Day on Monday, January 1, 2018. Imbibers can cure those pesky post-NYE hangovers with Bloody Marys and brunch, lunch and dinner options on New Year’s Day at a myriad of local haunts around the city. From a football-inflused brunch, complete with an expansive build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar at Dantanna’s, to a hearty, traditional brunch in bustling Inman Park at PARISH, and a not-to-miss Party in the Park at Park Tavern, there’s plenty of ways to feel replenished for the New Year. 

Dantanna’s Serves Football-Infused Brunch  

The perfect place to catch the full line up of college bowl games, football fans are invited to visit all three locations of Dantanna’s, in Buckhead, Downtown and Sandy Springs, as all locations will all be open on New Year’s Day, Monday, January 1, 2018. In addition to serving up New Year’s Day traditional favorites like blacked-eye peas and greens, Dantanna's Buckhead will delight all tastes with signature brunch dishes including: Shirred Eggs in Tulips - two eggs baked in crepes with Maine lobster, shrimp and crawfish in brandy-lobster cream sauce; served with asparagus; Three Little Pigs - fried Niman Ranch pork scallopine, griddle honey ham and apple wood smoked bacon on toasted Kaiser bun with dijon aioli; and Oysters Rockefeller and Eggs - two poached eggs on flash fried oysters and Sambuca creamed spinach topped with sauce hollandaise and chopped apple wood smoked bacon. Dantanna’s Buckhead will be serving a Bloody Mary Brunch on New Year’s Day featuring an expansive build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Dantanna’s Sandy Springs will also be hosting a special Bloody Mary Brunch on New Year’s Day, in addition to the regular menu. Available from 11 a.m to 4 p..m, Sandy Springs' favorite brunch dishes include: Pesto-Egg Sandwich - scrambled eggs, grilled tomato, basil pesto, provolone cheese and a eelera bun served with potatoes and asparagus; Dantanna’s “Super” Bowl - Texas toast, grits, scrambled eggs, bacon, house made chicken sausage, potatoes and a jalapeno cheese sauce; and shrimp & grits - andouillie, onions, peppers, Sriracha cream, and thyme infused logan turnpike grits. 

The Neighborhood Café and Brasserie at PARISH Extends Weekend Brunch: 

Brunch lovers can recover from New Year’s Eve festivities at The Neighborhood Café and Brasserie during PARISH’s brunch on Monday, January 1, 2018. Featuring a hearty and flavorsome menu, brunch lovers can celebrate the New Year with favorites like the American Breakfast - scrambled eggs, a choice of country sausage or applewood smoked bacon, grits or potatoes and a biscuit; The Burger - grass fed beef, benton’s bacon jam, dijonaise, grilled onion, cheddar and house cut fries; Chicken and Waffles - fried chicken, blueberry waffle, Sriracha butter and peanuts, and much more. With inspired, familiar American food, an inventive beverage program, and warm hospitality, The Neighborhood Café will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and The Brasserie will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. PARISH will be closed for dinner. For more information or to make reservations, call 404.681.4434 or visit parishatl.com.  

Park Tavern in Piedmont Park Presents New Year’s Day in the Park

Football fanatics are invited to visit Park Tavern in Piedmont Park, located in the heart of Midtown, on Monday, January 1, 2018, for a special New Year’s Day Party in the Park. The perfect place to catch the full line up of college bowl games, Park Tavern’s renovated covered patio boasts plenty of seating, stone fire pits, hi-definition, flat screen TVs, a 20' x 10’ big screen, private cabanas and much more, where sports enthusiasts can cheer on their favorite teams.  Beginning at 11:30 a.m., revelers recovering from New Year’s Eve can take advantage of Park Tavern’s 'Hangover Helper Bloody Mary Bar' and celebrate National Bloody Mary Day in style. Patrons can also cozy up and watch their favorite teams go head to head while noshing on fan favorites including: burgers, wings, chicken baskets, and Park Tavern’s fresh, seasonal oyster bar. Guests looking to take on challenges of their own are welcome to enjoy games of corn hole. Free to attend and with no reservations required, fans can enjoy open seating. For more information, visit www.parktavern.com.  

Open for Dinner on New Year’s Day

Atlas and the Tavern at Atlas at the St. Regis Atlanta will be open from 4 to 10 p.m on New Year's Day, Monday, January 1, 2018. With a kitchen headed up by Executive Chef Christopher Grossman, New Year’s Day diners are invited to revel in a fine dining experience in the dining room or relax in The Tavern featuring chef-driven small plates menu and hand-shaken cocktails. With a focus on curating fresh ingredients from local farms, this chef-driven restaurant brings unparalleled culinary experiences to the capital of the South. For more information, visit atlasrestaurant.com.   

New comers and local diners alike can continue the 2018 New Year celebrations by visiting ONE. midtown kitchen, a Midtown staple known for its impressive wine offerings, craft beer selection, handcrafted cocktails and high energy, American cuisine created by Executive Chef Matt Weinstein.  For more information or to make a reservation, call ONE. midtown kitchen at 404.892.4111 or visit www.onemidtownkitchen.com. ONE. midtown kitchen is located at 559 Dutch Valley Rd, Atlanta, GA 30324. 

TWO urban licks will be open for New Year’s Day dinner. From 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. patrons can enjoy fiery creations by acclaimed Executive Chef Michael Bertozzi, including his seasonal and classic favorites. To make a reservation, call 404.522.4622 or visit twourbanlicks.com. TWO urban licks is located at 820 Ralph McGill Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30306.  

ROOM, located in the TWELVE Centennial Park hotel in Downtown Atlanta, is open on New Year's Day for breakfast, lunch and dinner until 10 p.m. ROOM will also be serving Executive Chef Juan Carlos Huerta’s $4 select sushi rolls from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., including fresh favorites like the Spicy Tuna Roll, California Roll, Sakura Roll and more. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.roomattwelve.com or call 404.418.1250. ROOM at TWELVE is located at 400 W Peachtree St, Atlanta, GA 30308.  

ALLORA, the newly opened Italian concept at TWELVE Hotel Midtown, will be open on New Year’s Day for breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., for lunch from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Celebrating the flavors of Italy, guests are invited to slip into ALLORA where the art of dining and drinking is rediscovered. Blending Italian classics with modern techniques and seasonal ingredients, Executive Chef Chris Maher offers an impressive menu filled with house made pastas, specialty pizzas, creative insalatas, small plates and more. For more information or to make a reservation, visit www.alloraatl.com or call 404.961.7370. Complimentary valet up to three hours and two hours free parking in the parking deck are available. ALLORA is located in Atlantic Station at 361 17th St NW Atlanta, GA 30363.  

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Ignite Date Night at ONE.midtown kitchen

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New comers and local diners alike can take date night to the next level by visiting ONE. midtown kitchen, a Midtown staple known for its unique wine offerings and high energy cuisine, before or after visiting the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s spectacular Garden Lights, Holiday Nights.

While noshing on mouth-watering American cuisine created by Executive Chef Matt Weinstein or indulging in full bodied wines, sipping on local craft brews and handcrafted cocktails, diners and imbibers can receive 50% off their check with a Garden Lights, Holiday Nights ticket stub, now through Sunday, January 7, 2018.

Offer is valid on the ticketed day only and cannot be combined with in-house promotions, such as New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, or other discounts.

One discount per table per visit and the maximum discount is $20 per check.

ONE Holiday Lights atlanta botanical

For more information or to make a reservation, call ONE. midtown kitchen at 404.892.4111 or visit www.onemidtownkitchen.com. ONE. midtown kitchen is located at 559 Dutch Valley Rd, Atlanta, GA 30324.

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The Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation

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doggies on the catwalk

We are excited to share some very BIG news with you. Doggies on the Catwalk is now a registered 501(c)3 and will operate as the Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation. For ten years, we have passionately produced an event whose purpose was to raise and donate funds to a selected non-profit. As a foundation, we will be working year-round on raising and supplying funds to various organizations. Canine Assistants and Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) are among those foundations who stand behind our mission and values. We will continue to support them.

Our mission, through the use of the element of fashion, the Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation will support the efforts of those making a difference in the lives of individuals living with disabilities and animals in need. It is also our mission to facilitate the career advancement of college students in fashion design programs through the Fashionado Fashion Fund coming in 2019.

The Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation is equally excited to announce that we are participating in Giving Tuesday on November 28th. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving to non-profits world wide. In Georgia, we refer to it as Ga Gives Day.

We all know of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and let's not forget about Shop Small Saturday, but please save a few dollars for us and the all charities you care about and show your support by making a donation on Giving Tuesday.

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Vision

The vision of the Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation is two-fold. We provide financial assistance to non-profit organizations whose mission is to enhance the lives of individuals living with disabilities and other special needs, and to those organizations who provide safety and loving homes to animals in need. In addition to supporting non-profit organizations, the Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation is committed to providing educational assistance through the form of scholarships for college level Fashion Design students.

Our Mission

Through the use of the element of fashion, the Doggies on the Catwalk Foundation supports the efforts of those making a difference in the lives of individuals living with disabilities and animals in need. It is also our mission to facilitate the career advancement of college students in fashion design programs through the Fashionado Fashion Fund.

Our Values

  • We value the importance of being an advocate for those living with disabilities and special needs. 

  • We value the power of the human-animal bond and support finding loving homes for pets in need and those in need of service animals.  

  • We value the desire for students to be able to follow their dreams of obtaining a higher education and for them to know financial assistance is not a barrier.

Our Goals

  • To supply funding for 501c 3 organizations which provide assistance to those living with disabilities and pets in need.

  • To award scholarships to deserving Fashion Design students through the Fashionado Scholarship Fund.

  • To partner with corporations, foundations and individuals who support and stand behind our mission and values.
  • To raise funds and awareness through the annual Doggies on the Catwalk event.

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Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour chat at Vogue

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The opening of the video has a somewhat familiar flair that will resonate with Devil Wears Prada fans. It's something incredible to watch these two powerhouses chat.

"The pair had a frank and far-ranging conversation filled with humor and insight. Much is revealed in the interview above, between the Pentagon Papers and the Mueller investigation, sexual harassment, female empowerment, and what Meryl and her daughters talk about around the dining room table." Vogue

meryl streep vogue magazine cover

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Dress Best On A Budget

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off the rack

Dressing well and finding good clothes in your size doesn’t have to be a hard game anymore. We’ve all walked into a shop and realize absolutely nothing on the rails is our style, or that a size 8 jeans that fitted us in one shop isn’t going to be the same size in this one. It makes going shopping incredibly annoying, and you end up forking out a huge sum in order to get something you’ll love and will love you in return. So we turn to bargain bin shopping, but that often means we have to sacrifice that class element we’re always in search of. However, we can combine the two when we really know how to shop. So here’s a few tips for finding something that’ll hug you in all the right places, and still not cost you an arm or a leg.

Stock Up on ‘Basic’ Items

Just because you’re shopping a supermarket’s own brand doesn’t mean you can’t look incredibly good in what you wear. This means you can go all out on the basic items you can grab, as they work as the base for any glamorous outfit, especially when you’re headed to the office for a day at work.

When you’re buying undershirts or simple cami tops or a good pair of leggings, they can last forever, and never go out of style. Even if they do run thin or break, replacing them is cheap, and they come in versatile colors. Of course, depending on your personal style, for work you’ll either want some good straight laced skirts or trousers, and basic style lines have plenty of different styles of those to offer.

If you’re crafty with a sewing needle or machine, you can even patch some of these items together to create yourself a designer dress, or use the material for your own outfits. It’s quite an old style habit, but it’s an incredibly useful skill to have if you’re trying to live on a wardrobe budget. You can imitate a lot of the bigger brands at an affordable level, and look absolutely fabulous in the end result.

Rely on Your Accessories

When you have plenty of jewelry, scarves, or gloves to swap in and out with an outfit, you can use the same clothes for a lot of pairings that look entirely different from any other. This is already the secret of all good wardrobe makers, but being versatile in what you put on top of your main outfit can turn you from executive to fashionista.

You can even use accessories for other purposes, such as using a scarf as a belt or having a good hair wrap when you want to keep your curls and waves intact in the windy weather. Try looking for bundle deals in the shops, such as two for one on necklaces or chokers, and half price sales on handbags, and take full advantage of them. If you buy now, you won’t regret your lack of choice later on.

Look for blog posts like that at www.stylishlyme.com, as they have some good tutorials on pairing accessories with dresses and skirts, and looking good whilst not feeling cold or unbelievably sweaty. Your designer clothes can still suffer from impractically after all.

Use the Web for Some Bargains

Sure, the net has some scams when it comes to following facebook page deals, and the shipping costs can get a little hefty, but the world wide web is your best friend when it comes to knowing how to shop and finding some classy bargains.

Use some shopping comparison sites such as www.doingup.com to find the best deals on common items you could pick up in high street retail shops, as often we can find cheaper prices or alternatives online. Even if you find something you love and can’t realistically afford to get it delivered straight to your door, you now know which shop to frequent! Either that, or keep an eye on the piece until it gets a deal put on it, which happens a lot more online than in store.

So you can see that having a good wardrobe that makes you feel good about yourself doesn’t have to break the bank, nor does it mean you suffer from a lack of shoes or constant ladders in your tights. Try some charity shops and own brands for hidden gems, and you’ll soon score yourself a fantastic new item to show off when out and about.

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