Pizza & Pinot

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful dinner hosted by Ladies Lounge Columbia, a meet-up group for 20/30-something professional women in the Columbia, SC area. We all enjoyed Pizza & Pinot @ Terra in West Columbia and let me tell you - - I've attended meet-ups before, but this was by far the BEST event I've experienced while living in South Carolina. It was a diverse group of ladies, all full of personality and blessed with the gift of gab. I also had the pleasure of finally meeting fellow bloggers Shanika of Life is Pichey, and Ebony of Make Me Over Eb in person. I'm always excited to meet the faces behind the blogs I read, so putting an actual face with a blog/twitter/vlog is nice.

Pizza & Pinot @ Terra

One of the highlights of my dinner? Finding out I was sitting next to two fellow cancerians! June 25th, June 26th, and June 27th all sitting happily next to one another. I have a soft spot for cancers...

If you're new to the Columbia, SC area or have been living here for a while and genuinely interested in meeting other ladies, please take a look at this group. All the ladies are super nice, professional, and have PERSONALITY!!! It can be hit or miss meeting people online, but I assure you that this is a super fun group and I'm kinda sad I'll be moving. Seriously, why didn't I meet all of them months ago! lol...

This isn't a group that's interested in collecting a bunch of inactive members. If you decide to join please be ready to put yourself out there and have a good time. Participation on a monthly basis is expected, and after one event with these ladies you'll be eager to come out for more.

For more information on Ladies Lounge Columbia click here.

Grand Opening: Forever21 @ Columbiana Centre

Forever21 will finally be opening their doors tomorrow - Saturday, May 21st @ 10AM!!!

The store is the first for the midlands (located at the Columbiana Centre) and will feature the WNOK street team, in-store DJ from 10a-6p, along with 10% off all purchases over $40 for the entire day. They'll also be giving the first 200 people in line gift cards valued up to $210 - - and we all know you can buy a new wardrobe with $210 at their store.

I've been desperately yearning to get my Forever21 fix since moving to SC and am hoping I can make it out for this grand opening. Now, if they could just add an H&M and Nordstrom Rack I'd be in heaven lol.

Will you make it out for this event?

2011 Rosewood Crawfish Festival

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 6th Annual Rosewood Crawfish Festival and tried the festival's namesake for the first time.

Crawfish (or crawdads) look like small lobsters and can be very intimidating to a newbie. Although I love seafood and can throw back shellfish with the best of them, the idea of eating crawfish freaked me out. Their eyes, tails, and antennas are all intact so handling the "mud bugs" can make a person squeamish.

The festival featured over 5,000 lbs of crawfish that were shipped in from Louisiana, along with other Southern foods like Alligator!!  $16 bought you a meal which included 2.5 lbs of crawfish, which I found to be expensive, but after thinking about the time it took to ship, cook, and serve the critters I felt the price was justified.

Crawfish remains - - they looked hideous but were SO good... and yes, you MUST suck the head!

A lovely gentlemen at our table demonstrated how to eat the crawfish and by the end of the day I felt like a pro. This is definitely a messy food and best enjoyed outside wearing clothes that can handle a few splashes. It took me a few tries to perfect the art of squeezing the head and sucking the juices... I had a few gnarly splashes all over the place lol... but it was a lot of fun.

 If you live in the Columbia area definitely put this on your list for next year.

Southern Social: Opera Noire of New York

With their angelic voices and superb orchestra backing, one listen is all it'll take for the the Opera Noire of New York to hook you. They'll be coming to Columbia on Friday, January 28th for an 8p performance at the Township Auditorium. Tickets are only $15 - - a ridiculously LOW price for such an amazing, talented group of performers.

Supporting a culturally rich event like this is a must! It's an amazing thing to be in the company of such classically trained musicians... African-American musicians at that... and I think it's crucial to support organizations like this.

Now, what do I wear to the Opera? lol...

Southern Social: World Beer Fest 2011

Beer lovers rejoice! All About Beer magazine is rolling into town Saturday, January 22nd for their annual 2011 World Beer Fest. Attendees will be treated to beer samplings from over 100 breweries, industry expert led educational seminars, and cuisine from local restaurants as well as musical entertainment.


Ladies - - Most men are beer lovers so this could be a great idea for a date night!!


Place: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Date: Saturday, January 22nd, 2011
Time: 2 sessions to choose from: Noon - 4pm OR 6p - 10p
Cost: $40 in advance ($50 at the door, $85 VIP - online only) Click here to purchase tickets.

Southern Social: Kevin Hart Comedy Show

Comedian Kevin Hart is coming to Columbia! He will be performing at the Township Auditorium Saturday, January 22nd. Doors open at 7p with the show starting at 8p. Tickets are only $39.50 and can be purchased here.

Southern Social: Restaurant Week Columbia

I hope your palate is cleansed because next Friday kicks off the beginning of Restaurant Week Columbia! This 9 day event celebrates the best in Columbia cuisine with participating restaurants featuring dinner specials at huge deals. This is the perfect time to try out a new restaurant or even a new item at an old favorite. Last year I participated in Scottsdale's Restaurant Week and it was quite yummy!!



Due to the popularity of this event reservations are recommended.

To see a list of participating restaurants and their menus click here.

Restaurant Week 2010 - Scottsdale, AZ - Modern Steak (one of the most gorgeous restaurants I've ever seen)