Tuesday night I had the pleasure of attending a reception for my fabulous friend, Shameeka Shy Ayers aka The Broke Socialite. This gorgeous fete was held at the very prestigious hotel, The Mansion on Peachtree, in the heart of Buckhead. I implore you to peruse their website so you can feel the opulence.

From the moment bestie Crystal and I stepped out of the car, aided by the most pleasant Darrell, our valet, to the doormen on our way out, we were treated like royalty.

Once inside the hotel, you sense that no expense was spared to make this a spectacular getaway.  Designed by noted architect, Robert A.M. Stern, this 42-story beauty rises like a queen from her throne. And Tuesday night, the queen’s name was Shameeka.

Honoree Shameeka Takes A Moment For Photos

The occasion we gathered to celebrate was Shameeka’s empire building venture.  And I am not kidding when I say empire. Between her blog, her Sugar Coma tours (going national very soon, so look for them!), more fun foodie tours including Freeze! (ice cream, y’all) and Graze! (small plates – but if you are going to book this tour, do it soon – the afternoon tour is already booked), and the release of a new novella, Instantly!: How Quickly I Realized I Hate My Job, Shameeka has her Prada bag full.

In the luxe bar of the hotel, guests were treated to a cocktail created just for this event, the Wisdom Martini (which I renamed the Shameekatini, because I like how it sounds). The charming Celetia at the bar mixed vodka, lemon, fresh blackberries and lavender, shook it all up and into a martini glass it went, creating the loveliest color imaginable. And was it ever tasty!

Mixing Up The Wisdom Martini

Ready To Toast Shameeka!

Orchestrating the entire evening were Miller Jackson, Marketing Manager of the Mansion and Dwight Sanford, Director of Rooms. Two of the most charming people I have ever met.

So many of Shameeka’s friends and family were there to support her. And lots of familiar faces, too. Tami Hardeman and Tony Clark, Spencer and Allison of Black Tie Barbecue, popped in to toast our girl. And there was the delightful Lynn from Mama Says, who I really enjoyed meeting.

Shameeka's Glamorous Aunt Karen (Glamour Must Run In The Family!)

A Bevy of Guests To Celebrate Shameeka

Tony Clark and Tami Hardeman

Making The Rounds - So Many People!

The Bar at The Mansion

The Bold and The Beautiful

Shameeka Visits With Denise, The "Wind Beneath Her Wings"

Listening To Shameeka

Toward the end of the evening, Shameeka read an excerpt from her novella, Instantly!: How Quickly I Realized I Hate My Job, a hilarious tale of two cubicle mates named Nia and Harper, who could not be more different.

Author Shameeka Reads Aloud From the Novella

Shameeka also introduced her two new interns, Brittany and Maggie, who are going to learn so much in their time with Shameeka. Lucky girls!

From the Left, Brittany & Maggie

Shameeka floated through the evening with style and grace. But of course, all the best loved queens do.

Congratulations, Darling!

xoxo, Patti

I know I have been a bit incommunicado lately, but I have been so darn busy! This weekend Eric and I kicked off Friday with a very quiet evening for just the two of us. Saturday was an up and at ‘em kind of day busy with Sugar Coma, the first of many event-based soirees planned and executed by my friend, Shameeka, also known as The Broke Socialite, and the “Gail to her Oprah”, the adorable Denise. We had to be at the site by 8:30 a.m., and if you didn’t know, we are not really early riser types. But this was also Holly’s birthday, so it was well worth it. Chioke and Taruan picked us up by 8 a.m. and we were off. Sleepy, but on our way.

The meeting spot was at Fais Do-Do, a fabulous event space in West Atlanta. Once there, we were given our car assignments. Not just any car, mind you, but the 2010 Cadillac SRX. Oh boy, was it swanky! Perfect wheels for the perfect chauffeur – my darling Eric. He was so sweet to get up so early to squire us all around. So off we went, Eric driving, Holly kind of navigating (the vehicle had On Star!), and Chioke, Taruan and me in the backseat, playing with all the buttons like Tom Hanks in the limo from the movie “Big”.

Our Crew - Eric, Me, Taruan, Chioke and Birthday Girl Holly

Our Sophisticated Rides For The Day - 2010 Cadillac SRX!

The Divine Miss TBS, Mapping Out The Day For Us

The World's Sexiest Chauffeur

Taruan and Chioke Gear Up For A Day of Sugar

Holly, Your Carriage Awaits!

First stop: No Mas Cantina.  I have been a fan of Steve and the boys from No Mas for years. Way before they moved into their spectacular digs on Castleberry Hill. The charming Doug was our host this morning and did No Mas ever pull out all the stops for us! They not only had the yummiest Mexican Hot Chocolate (my absolute favorite), but the most fabulous breakfast buffet. There were Eggs Benedict, Breakfast Burritos, Poached Eggs on Potato Cakes topped with Salsa Verde, Blueberry Corn Cakes and Quesadillas stuffed with Strawberries and Cream Cheese. They also gave us a lovely gift bag with gift certificates for our return visit! And of course, we’ll be back, we live 3 minutes from this gorgeous restaurant. Oh, and we shopped. If you visit No Mas, try to go early before the store closes. You will not regret it. They carry my favorite candles on the planet (Trapp #13 – Bob’s Flower Shop, in case you were wondering…)

Just Some of the Exotic Decor at No Mas!

I Was So Excited For Breakfast That I Forgot A Photo of the Buffet - Oops!

Denise Kept Us On Schedule

But there were many more stops yet. Next up…

Cacao Atlanta. A lavish little chocolate laboratory owned by Kristin Hard. Kristin and I go way back to our days working together at The Warren City Club when she was the General Manager and I was the Event Coordinator. Chocolate making was Kristin’s passion then and it is wonderful to see the fruits of her labor. This space is uber-glamorous like Kristin herself and the chocolate was to die for. There were cups of delicious hot chocolate for us topped with homemade marshmallows (have you ever made a marshmallow? I will show you how later this week.) Kristin gave a most entertaining talk about how her cocoa beans are procured (she is tramping through major global forests for these beans, y’all) and how they process the beans to become the city’s most high-end confections. Even though the shoppe is tiny, you could spend hours in there, just coveting everything.

Isn't This the Cutest Sign Ever?

Kristin Explains The Process

Look At the Size of This Cocoa Bean!

Second Stop, Yet Eric, Taruan and Holly Look Wide Awake

Eric and I Bask In The Sweetness of The Day

Time to get back in the SRX for a luxurious ride to our third shop – Joli Kobe Cafe and Bakery in Midtown.  I have loved Joli Kobe’s curried chicken salad for years, but had never sampled their pastries. Oh, the joys I was missing! Their beautiful execution and flavor! Yummy! The strawberry cake was so amazing, I have sworn to Eric that I will try to replicate it at home. This lovely shop had a splendid spread for us – it was all so lovely! Let’s let the photos tell the story:

Can't Miss That Sign!

Huge Collection of The Prettiest Treats

Sampling The Pate a Choux Swans

Fourth Stop – The Cookie Studio in Decatur – “Cookies With A Cause.” We were set to see how they make their luscious cookies, but time was running short (not anyone’s fault but the rain…)  I loved this little shop. The folks were so nice, the cookies were so good. Before we arrived, we were polling each other in the car about our favorite cookies. Ginger was bandied about…and lo and behold, guess who had some delicious ginger cookies? Yup, you guessed it, The Cookie Studio. They also had some killer lemon bars….I love lemon bars. It was a shame we couldn’t spend more time here…but I know where to go for cookies in the future!

Time To Eat The Cookies!

No One Could Resist The Cookie Cabinet!

Lets Just Call It Like It Is - Cookie Porn

Last sweet stop before lunch, Sweet N’ Sinful in Avondale Estates might have been my favorite (but it’s so hard to choose!). Layne Whitehead-Lee struck me as one of the kindest people on the planet and everything I sampled (and trust me, I sampled EVERYTHING) was beyond compare. The brownies were sweet, but not too sweet, the mini ganache cupcakes thrilled me and all of us were crazy for the french toast cupcakes topped with maple frosting. Thanks to Layne, I might just stop baking all together and just pick up the phone to order from Sweet N’Sinful! Also, she had the coolest “Cookie Corner” with every type of cookie cutter known to man on the wall. I love that!

Nothing But Net As These Goodies Flew Into My Mouth

How Would You Like Your Cookies Cut Today?

Lovely Chef Layne (photo from Sweet N' Simple website)

And then, it was time for lunch back at Fais Do-Do. Black Tie Barbecue was our caterer for this portion of the tour and they did a fantastic job.  With platters of spicy chicken, savory salmon, tasty rice pilaf and some of the best bok choy I have ever eaten, they put a delicious cap on a wonderful day.

Pretty Tablescapes

Chioke, All Ready For Lunch

Chef Spencer From Black Tie Barbecue

This day was as close to Willy Wonka as adults ever get. And that is a precious, precious thing indeed.

Thank you, Shameeka and Denise. I can’t wait to do it all again! And bring more friends with me next time!

xoxo, Patti