Thankful for my Friends (giving)

Eat, drink & be merry! That's my motto any time I get together with some of my closest friends. And last weekend was no exception. My dear friend, Erica (of Eating with Erica), hosted a holiday chic Friendsgiving at Einstein's!

I knew when I received the invite, that I had to bring my A-game! Rent the Runway always comes through and with all their options for this time of year, it was hard to choose. But I settled on this lovely Slate & Willow number. Perfection. As with any event (especially one that Erica is throwing), you know we had the #GlamSquad in full effect. Once hair and make-up was complete, it was time to make our "fashionably late" entrance at Einstein's!

Einstein's, located in the heart of Midtown, could not have been a more perfect venue for Erica's Friendsgiving. Upon our arrival we had mini bottles of champagne waiting for us! If you know Erica, it's the attention to detail and her love of life, that make everyone feel welcome. As we mixed and mingled, we were asked to find our seats as the evening of fellowship and food (mainly, food) was about to commence.

As we all nestled into our private room and found our seats, the procession of food begun to file out. To start, we were all served family style plates of tempura green beans with sriracha aioli, seared scallops with butternut spaghetti squash, crispy prosciutto, and red wine reduction, and a mushroom & brie flatbread with roasted garlic, house-pickled peppers, and arugula. If you follow me on Insta and/or Snapchat, you know about my love (er, obsession) with sriracha. Plus, anything fried is fine by me!

With each course served the ever gracious Goza Tequila, paired a craft cocktail with our scrumptious plates. I love tequila, so I was thrilled to have Goza have a hand in the evening! All apart of the "drink & be merry" mentality!

As we dove into our entree, I could hardly contain my excitement. Food tends to do that to me! Another blogger bestie of mine, Tierney (of Fashion to a T), and I opted to split each of our entrees. After all, sharing is caring! We went with the Coulotte steak over mushroom risotto, sautéed baby bok choy, au poivre and chipotle salmon with adobo mashed sweet potatoes, roasted corn salsa, and crispy avocado. I can officially say I can die a happy woman after indulging in both dishes. The mushroom risotto was out of this world! So creamy and the mushroom were cooked to perfection. I also loved the salmon dish! The crispy avocado and adobo mashed sweet potatoes complimented the chipotle flavoring nicely.

For the grand finale aka dessert aka my favorite part of any meal, Einstein's sent a couple of their favorites for us to try! Chocolate mousse cake with fresh raspberry sauce, chocolate ganache, strawberries, whipped cream and Griddled peach pound cake with vanilla ice cream, candied pecans, bourbon caramel. That peach pound cake was incredible! Such a "sweet" way to cap off such a enjoyable evening!

Erica did have one more trick up her sleeve (not literally, since she was looking like a Grecian goddess in her festive maxi gown), as we each departed she handed us a stocked swag bag! Have I mentioned she knows a thing or two about throwing an event?! From a Spa Sydell gift certificate to the most gorgeous tea set, I will putting all of my goodies to use this holiday season!

Thank you again to Erica for hosting a lovely Friendsgiving that I will remember for years to come! And thank you to all of the official sponsors for making it happen -- Einsteins, Spa Sydell , Goza Tequila, Cooks Warehouse, Woodbridge Wine, and Peters Brew!

Xo,
Kel

Athleta Holiday Gift Guide | For the Ladies

Fashionista / BFF / Barre / Cathy / Sister / Mom

It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is this week (headed to Seaside #hallelujer)! In lieu of the holiday season, I thought I'd help y'all out a bit with a gift guide for all the ladies in your life. I absolutely adore everything about Athleta. And being the fitness enthusiast that I am, they do such a great job at having something for everyone! Whether you enjoy yoga or a casual walk at your neighborhood park, you will always find something (or several things) to fit the bill. 

As a Brand Ambassador for the company, I thought it would be fun to round up a few of my favorites, a la Oprah's Favorite Things, if you will. You're welcome.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving & eat lots of yummy things (I know I will)! Follow along on Snapchat @kellymcgill3 for all the "Boring" adventures.

Xo,

Kel

What They Carry ft. Darling Down South's Cynthia Davis

I know they say you can tell a lot about a person by how they carry themselves. Well, I say you can tell a lot about a lady by what she carries in her purse! Happy to announce the launching of a new series called "What They Carry," spotlighting bloggers that I adore and taking you a step closer to what's in their bag! With that, I'll let Cynthia take it away!

Hey, y'all! My name is Cynthia and I blog over at Darling Down South! I met Kelly at an event in Atlanta, and seeing as we're both taller than your average girl, we bonded instantly on how hard it is to find long inseam jeans and other #tallgirlprobs like always being asked if we played basketball... I'm so honored to be a part of this fun series! While the picture's you see on this post are very clean and organized, don't let that fool you. There are also about 400 receipts for coffee (cappuccino's mainly), restaurants and parking receipts exploding out of every pocket at any given time in my purse. My purse tends to vary with the outfit I'm wearing. Lately I've been loving my Barrington Gift's St. Anne tote in black and white herringbone but I also love my Large Longchamp in black for fall because its a timeless classic!

I try my best to be as minimalistic as possible with the items that go in my handbag. Here are some of my daily essentials!

• Camera - I carry my camera with me wherever I go in case I get inspired for last minute blog posts or just for a random one-off practice during my lunch break. 
• Notebook - I like to carry around a little notebook with me to jot down ideas, plan future content and series on my blog. 
• Matchbooks - I have a hobby of collecting matchbooks from restaurants that I've eaten at so you can typically find a couple of matchbooks lingering in my purse at any given time. 
• Snack - I'm almost always verging on #hangry throughout the day and I love to snack, so I try to keep something healthy-ish and satisfying on me. I love these chocolate batons from Trader Joes! The raspberry dark chocolate one is really excellent and I'm excited to try the espresso dark chocolate one next. 
• Business cards - I always have business cards on me because you never know who you're going to meet throughout the day that might be a good connection.
• Dior Lip Glow Reviver - For a quick lip refresh I carry the Dior Lip Glow Reviver in Sheer Pink. 
• Sunglasses - A year ago, I found out that I have Pinguecula on my eyes so it's extremely important for me to wear sunglasses every day to minimize irritation from increased sun/ wind exposure. 
• Pinch Provisions mini-mergency pouch - Finally, I love toting around my Pinch Provisions mini-mergency pouch because it has everything I'd need in case of emergency: Advil, fingernail polish remover, emory board, breath spray, hair ties, etc. 

Hope you've learned a little something about me snooping through my purse! You can learn a lot more by following along on Darling Down South where I try to post every day about fun things going on in Atlanta, restaurants, style and travel!

xo-Cynthia

SculptHouse Exclusive with Katherine Mason

Last week I gave you the 411 on the 'Fit for Fall' event SculptHouse put on. Such a fun intro to what Atlantans can expect with SculptHouse! As promised, here is part deux of my interview with the beautiful girl boss Katherine Mason!

For those that are unfamiliar with SculptHouse, what kind of workout can they expect? 

SculptHouse is set up in a class format, with a maximum of 11 participants, you’ll always get individual attention from an instructor who’s dedicated to helping you sculpt a powerful physique. You may also find yourself building strong relationships with your fellow workout members that drive you to reach the next level. Sessions are 50-minutes of maximum result, low-impact workouts that shred calories – not joints. Our classes are ideal for men and women at all fitness levels who are looking for a uniquely effective workout. We have two class formats, CardioSculpt, our signature class, and StrengthSculpt, which is formatted in the standard Lagree Fitness method. 

CardioSculpt: Craving a little extra cardio? Incorporate heart-pumping running intervals with NFL-endorsed Woodway® Curve treadmills with resistance training on the Megaformer​. No buttons or motors – completely powered by human motion – the Woodway Curve is unlike any other treadmill you’ve ever used. Control your pace with the patented curved running surface and nearly frictionless slat belt system, a combination that engages more muscle groups – and burns 30% more calories – than motorized treadmills. Twenty-five minutes of strength and conditioning on the Megaformer, twenty-five minutes of cardio on the Curve. ​ 

StrengthSculpt: Get long, lean muscles with Megaformer™ stability training. Utilizing a spring system that allows for a full range of motion with resistance and counter-resistance, the Megaformer targets every inch of your body with slow and controlled movements that strengthen and lengthen muscles. And you power every movement. Jumpstart your metabolism, increase your flexibility and improve your posture with the Megaformer – all with very little stress on your joints. Fifty minutes of strength and conditioning on the Megaformer. ​ 

I noticed you all have tons of fitness apparel, some I've never heard of. What sets SH apart from the other studios that carry fitness apparel? 

Yes! What makes SculptHouse so unique is that it is both a fitness studio and an activewear boutique. We will have about 1,000 sq ft of retail space so we legitimately have a full-scale boutique in addition to our studio. When I was living in NYC I was introduced to lots of athleisure brands through my fitness modeling career. I became completely obsessed with the fitness fashion industry and wondered why it wasn't better represented in the Southeast. This, along with the Megaformer/Woodway combination, is how SculptHouse was born. One day I had an ah-ha moment where I thought 'Why is nobody combining the Megaformer with a HIIT treadmill workout? Why are there no activewear boutiques in the Southeast?

I wanted to create something different from all the big-box players that are already out there. SculptHouse hopes to provide a New York-level fitness studio and boutique to an area that is craving something new. Atlanta has been ready for something like SculptHouse and I wanted to be the person who brought it! 

Katherine Mason is the brains and the style behind the transformative SculptHouse studio. As a lifelong athlete and former Wilhelmina fitness model, she has both the passion and expertise to help others build better bodies through the Lagree Fitness Method. 

Katherine has worked at some of New York City’s most prominent luxury fitness studios, and has represented many global brands – Nike, Under Armour, Reebok and Adidas to name a few – and was named by Shape Magazine as one of the “50 Hottest Female Trainers in America.” You also may have seen her in many fashion and fitness publications, too: Fitness, Women’s Health, Runners World and Vogue. 

Her experience in the fitness fashion arena gives her a unique insight into the trends, functionality and sizing of activewear. She hasn’t just modeled the latest looks; she’s worked out in them! Katherine’s eye for detail shapes the selection at SculptHouse where you’ll find only the hottest athleisure brands. 

Katherine is confident that SculptHouse is the workout experience you’ve been looking for to catapult your fitness routine to the next level – no matter where you’re starting! She’s thrilled to return to her southern roots (she’s a proud graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications) and share this game-changing opportunity with the Atlanta community.

Stay tuned for updates on SculptHouse and when you can expect for the studio to open its doors!

Xo,
Kel

Fit for Fall w/ SculptHouse

With #SweaterWeather season here, most of us would throw in the towel and bulk up for winter! But Atlanta is getting ready to experience a new and innovative workout with the fitness studio, SculptHouse.

Katherine Mason, former fitness model and UGA grad, is bringing this exciting new concept to Atlanta, and I for one could not be more excited (ok, and a little intimidated). In preparation for the grand opening, Katherine and her team recently held an event in Charlie Loudermilk Park, and companies in the Atlanta-area came out to support Katherine and SculptHouse.

Being that I enjoy a balanced lifestyle, I typically start the day with a workout. This event in particular was one that I was looking forward to for a number of reasons, a) great location, b) fun girls c) exclusive preview of SculpHouse’s workout method (and active wear) and d) supporting local businesses in town!

After the successful event, I caught up with CEO of SculptHouse, Katherine Mason! Hope you enjoy my interview with her!

How did 'Fit for Fall' all come about? And are events like this something you plan to do frequently in the Atlanta community?

We felt that it would be fun to partner with some favorite local health/fitness companies for an event centered around wellness while the weather is still nice. Fit For Fall was a way to introduce ourselves to the Buckhead community as we gear up for launch while also forging partnerships with other key players in the fitness community.

Since our equipment and clothing are different from anything out in Atlanta right now, we feel like it is so important for us to get connected with potential customers before we launch to allow people to see and try the machines and look and touch the clothes for themselves. Providing some background on what SculptHouse is and doing some demonstrations gave potential customers the chance to see what we are about so we can get people to try the workout when our doors open, or to come shop in the activewear boutique!

I do think it is super important to connect with the Atlanta community outside of the studio so we will have more events in the future. I think it is so important to support other fitness studios and health/wellness spots in our community so you will definitely hear about more partnerships like this down the line!

Katherine Mason is the brains and the style behind the transformative SculptHouse studio. As a lifelong athlete and former Wilhelmina fitness model, she has both the passion and expertise to help others build better bodies through the Lagree Fitness Method.

Katherine has worked at some of New York City’s most prominent luxury fitness studios, and has represented many global brands – Nike, Under Armour, Reebok and Adidas to name a few – and was named by Shape Magazine as one of the “50 Hottest Female Trainers in America.” You also may have seen her in many fashion and fitness publications, too: Fitness, Women’s Health, Runners World and Vogue.

Her experience in the fitness fashion arena gives her a unique insight into the trends, functionality and sizing of activewear. She hasn’t just modeled the latest looks; she’s worked out in them! Katherine’s eye for detail shapes the selection at SculptHouse where you’ll find only the hottest athleisure brands.

Katherine is confident that SculptHouse is the workout experience you’ve been looking for to catapult your fitness routine to the next level – no matter where you’re starting! She’s thrilled to return to her southern roots (she’s a proud graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications) and share this game-changing opportunity with the Atlanta community.


Xo,
Kel