Mingei World Arts Oct. Events

Mingei is draped in bones and ready for The Day of the Dead!
This celebration which has roots in pre-hispanic times in Mexico is marked by making altars to honor and remember those who have passed, feasting and celebrating life and its end.
We have everything you may need to get into the spirit.
Muertos for all occasions and occupations!
Monarch butterfly skeletons, winged devils,
skulls hinged and magnetized, molds for sugar skulls, cards, papel picado for festooning, dangly skeleton earrings,
and yes, Virginia, there is a Michael Jackson!

We are also heaped with wonderful Mexican folk art-- Frida and Mexican luchadora wrestlers, jaguars, saints and demons galore!

Ninos
Featuring work by Vicki Ragan
Opening reception
Saturday, October 10
7-10pm

Black and white photos taken at fiestas in Mexico by artist-photographer Vicki Ragan. Her works are in international museum collections and permanent installations nationally. Ragan and husband Shepard Barbash have several books in print about Mexican art and artists, including Oaxacan Woodcarving: The Magic in the Trees (1993) and Changing Dreams: A Generation of Oaxaca's Woodcarvers (2008).
Signed copies of the latest book are available at Mingei.


AND:
Church Street's Annual FallFest
Sunday, October 25
1-4pm


Mingei World Arts
427 Church Street
Decatur, Georgia 30030

Decatur Education Foundation unveils new website

The Decatur Education Foundation works to help Decatur Youth realize their full potential, not only in the classroom but also through learning experiences that contribute to personal development. MORE >

Bring in The New Year Sinatra Style

This is my New Year's eve movie I try and watch every year.
It's a Classic New Year's movie. ( The Rat Pack hits Vegas.)








Click here to see Dean Martin sing Ain't That A Kick in the Head.
Click here to see Sammy Davis Jr. sing Eee-o 11

Click on photos for more movie clips.

Ex-Moe’s exec starts pizza restaurant @ Toco Hills

Moe's Co-Founder Opens Pizza Concept

2008-12-29] Moe's Southwest Grill co-founder Matt Andrew, along with partner Tony Lewis, is opening a new made-to-order pizza concept called Maddio's Pizza Joint in Atlanta on January 1, 2009 at 3027 North Druid Hills Road.

Andrews is billing Maddio's Pizza Joint as "New Italian" pizza joint. Customers will be greeted by a pizza maker who offers a choice of dough, sauce, and more than 45 toppings.

Guests can choose one of nine signature pizzas or personalize their pizza starting with the thickness of the crust.

Customers are also offered the option of choosing whole wheat or regular dough, then selecting one of six homemade sauces. Sauce options include Maddio's Signature Tomato-Basil, Herb Pesto, and Spicy Buffalo, among others.

"We have gone to great lengths to develop a recipe for craveable, fresh food topped with an engaging, inviting experience," explains Andrew, president of Maddio's Pizza Joint.

"We learned early on the importance of using fresh ingredients. Our vegetables, which we source locally when available, are delivered daily. We really stepped outside the category in delivering made from scratch products—dough, sauces, dressings … even our meats (chicken and beef) which are 99.9 percent hormone free, hand chopped and marinated fresh daily."

America's Fascination with Pizza

Like many foods, pizza isn't indigenous to America with claims of origin tracing back to Italy, Naples in particular. However no country has done more, not even Italy, to popularize it.

It is said to have made its debut 103 years ago in New York City, by Gennaro Lombardi, but it wasn't until the 1950s when Americans started noticing pizza, made popular by such icons as Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, and Dean Martin whose song, "That's Amore," inspired generations of singing and eating pizza.

Today, approximately three billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. annually. Pizza accounts for 13 percent of all restaurant orders, trailing hamburgers and cheeseburgers by just a few percentage points.

Creating A Next Generation Pizzeria Working closely with Andrew and Lewis is long-time restaurant design and commercial developer, Rob McKerrow, who was been challenged with creating a distinct atmosphere that delivers a vibrant, contemporary pizza joint experience that's a departure from the typical Americanized pizza parlor.

"Because our customers interact with the pizza maker from the time they enter, Rob (McKerrow) paid special attention to the personality of the kitchen—it's modern, clean and inviting," explains Andrew.

"He has done an amazing job of tying in marble, steel and woods to create a palette that's new Italian … something Maddio's can own. And he did it within the tight parameters Lewis set to meet the speed and flow requirements the operation team needs to fulfill the customer experience."

Maddio's believes customers will not only love the personalization, the food, the speed and the décor, they believe pizza lovers will appreciate the significant choices on cheeses (including Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Feta and Ricotta), veggies (including Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Red Peppers, Mandarin Oranges) and meats (including Chicken Apple Sausage, Jerk Chicken and Canadian Bacon). Of course, the team of pizza makers offers a proud menu of signature pizzas, including the Steak & Blue, Southwest Baja, Chicken Club and Portobello Pesto.

"We also studied the customer's experience with toppings at other pizza restaurants and chose to deviate from the category norm," adds Lewis, who shares a Moe's Southwest Grill history with Andrew among other restaurants. "All of our toppings are premium because they are the highest quality products, but our pricing is not. Also, we offer any three toppings with every pizza, reinforcing the idea of choice without surprises at the register."

In the instance that pizza lovers or their friends want to opt for a fresh salad or toasted sub, the same attention has gone into choosing fresh ingredients, fresh baked breads and homemade dressings. Salads are healthy in serving size, including Maddio's House, the Basil Chicken Salad and the Santa Fe to name a few. With a choice of white or wheat baked sub rolls, guests can enjoy one of six toasted subs, including the Tuscan Meatball, Maddio's Cheese Steak (with steak or chicken), a Garden Veggie and the classic Italian. All subs and salads are priced at just $6.49.

Maddio's also serves a kids meal—six-inch pizza with one topping and a drink for $2.99. Its Apple Crisp Dessert Pizza is the featured treat, along with brownies and chocolate cookies. Maddio's also serves ice cold draft and bottle beer, wine, carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks, fresh brewed tea, bottled water and healthy juices.

http://www.qsrmagazine.com

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More on Maddio's


In the former Mama Fu's in Toco Hills will be Maddio's Pizza Joint. No word on why the name has already been changed from "Mattio's" to "Maddio's", but perhaps one existed already. Former Fu's and current Moe's franchisee Tony Lewis has brought on a few other former Raving Brands employees to launch the new concept. No word on an opening date but from the looks of it, an opening may take place sometime in January.


Repeat Atlanta!

Buy the White House for $9.88 million

Scaled-down replica in DeKalb County put on market
Photo:W.A. BRIDGES JR./AJC
Prospective buyers must demonstrate they can afford the White House before getting a tour.

COMPARE ORIGINAL WHITE HOUSE WITH REPLICA HERE.

By KEVIN DUFFY

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The White House is for sale.

No, not that one. The scaled-down replica on Briarcliff Road in DeKalb County.
Owner Fred Milani, a builder of luxury homes, has 10 finished houses in the area waiting for buyers, and a lender has threatened foreclosure. He needs money.

So he’s put his home of seven years, the White House, on the market for $9.88 million, the 12th most expensive listing in metro Atlanta. DeKalb’s valuation is much less — $2.8 million.

“I believe in Jesus. He’s always blessed me, and at the last minute he’ll come rescue me,” Milani said Thursday.

The local White House is less than one-third the size of the real thing, but at 16,500 square feet it’s a giant in the neighborhood.

Milani lives near the Clairmont Road/I-85 intersection where traditional ranch homes are giving way to big multistory dwellings. The 57-year-old native of Iran appeared last year on the television show “Nightline” to weigh in on the controversy over McMansions, which critics say is Milani’s specialty.

He last sold a house in September. The construction-loan interest on those 10 empty houses — their average price is $1.3 million — is costing Milani more than $50,000 a month, ReMax agent Shawn Ghiai said.

Another problem Milani faces involves a dispute with a lender over payment on a $1.75 million note. That’s led to the White House being scheduled for foreclosure auction Jan. 6, the research firm Equity Depot says. The sale won’t occur if a settlement is reached.

A November foreclosure sale of the White House was headed off when an agreement was struck on payment of a $1.675 million loan, Milani said.

Who’d want such an expensive property when some experts are saying housing is in a depression? “I only need one person for that house,” Ghiai said.

There’s no For Sale sign on the 2-acre site. And prospective buyers must demonstrate they can afford the White House before getting a tour.

So far, two parties have inspected the property, Ghiai said. A third prospective buyer, from Dubai, has submitted financial statements and plans to visit for a personal look, he said.

The Milani family moved into White House in 2001, about the same time George and Laura Bush took up residence in Washington, D.C.

An architect suggested they build a copy of the White House when Yvonne Milani said she wanted a house with a flat facade and columns, and her husband asked for large but cost-efficient rooms.

The couple visited the President’s home three times to become familiar with its interior and furnishings.

Milani, who’s built some 400 homes over a quarter century, said the next White House owner will be someone relatively unaffected by the country’s economic turmoil.

“Whoever buys it,” Milani said, “is going to be blessed.”

The original five and dime, an American export, failed to keep up with times, experts say

The original five and dime, an American export, failed to keep up with times, experts say

By SHELLEY EMLING

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Saturday, December 27, 2008

London — Just shy of its 100th birthday in this country, a beloved U.S. import — Woolworths — is about to vanish.

An enduring fondness for the retail chain’s mix of clothing and housewares — not to mention its popular pick-n-mix sweets counter — has kept it afloat here more than a decade after the business disappeared from the United States.

But the global credit crisis and changing consumer tastes forced Woolworths to file for a form of bankruptcy here last month. The administrators for the collapsed chain, Deloitte & Touche, launched a going-out-of-business sale recently after failing to attract a buyer.

Employees have struggled to keep shelves restocked as bargain hunters have poured into the chain’s 815 stores, eager to take advantage of 50 percent discounts.

One day recently at a Woolworths in Putney, a London suburb, some shelves were empty and clothing and other merchandise was strewn on the floor after being picked over by frenzied customers.

Everywhere, buyers were eager to find bargains. For example, a play kitchen set that was once about $91 had been marked down to about $36. Video games once priced at about $60 had been marked down to less than half that.

Carolyn Fincham was just one customer who said she was sad to see the stores go.

“Woolworths was a place I could go to get just about anything, whether it was shoes or socks or a last-minute birthday gift,” she said. “It’s just a real shame it won’t be around any more.”

Many Britons remember buying their first vinyl single record at a Woolworths. Many mothers say it was where they bought their child’s first school uniform. In recent years, Woolworths became one of the first sellers of Halloween costumes and decorations in Britain. Often it was children who packed the stores on weekends, seeking to spend money on toys and candy.


Remember F.W. Woolworth store located on E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
just to the right of where Parker's on Ponce is now located.
This is a photo/drawing of Decatur's F.W. Woolworth when they did a remodel for the store front.

Parker's on Ponce

Christmas Time in Decatur, GA.

Parker's on Ponce
116 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA.
404-924-2230

Paolo's Gelato Italiano Ice

Paolo's Gelato Italiano Ice
1025 Virginia Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
Phone: (404) 607-0055

Dekalb Students to get new school bus schedules by Dec. 12

This looks like its for dekalb schools starting with Champion Theme Middle School.

By KRISTINA TORRES

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution



DeKalb County students facing busing cutbacks next semester should by Dec. 12 receive detailed packets that tell them their new busing schedule as well as maps of their new route.

General maps of all the new routes are also available on the system’s Web site, http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/

Starting Jan. 6, busing will be cut back for most students who attend schools outside their neighborhood; the busing cutback will start next school year for Champion Theme Middle School.

The change affects about 5,600 of the school district’s 99,600 students. It’s one of several budget-cutting proposals approved this month in the wake of a sour economy and further cuts in state funding.

THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR 1968 music -Steve McQueen

This was one of my favorite Steve McQueen movies.
It's a Classic.
The music is great. MICHEL LEGRAND does the music soundtrack.

Decatur Bulldogs vs Avondale Blue Devils Saturday Night @ Avondale

Decatur Bulldogs have only won 2 games this season so far.
But Saturday night they plan to change that.

GO DECATUR !

Trick or Treat from that Pottery place.

That Pottery Place
412 Church St.
Decatur, GA
404-371-4557

That Pottery Place is Decatur's neighboorhood paint your self pottery studio.

Terrific Thursdays Return to Decatur

In November & December
Terrific Thursdays Return to Decatur



Remember to make Decatur your shopping and dining “mallternative” this holiday shopping season, especially on Terrific Thursdays in Novemberand December. You’ll find cool deals at Decatur's hottest shops, galleries and restaurants, from the west end of Ponce to the east, along Church Street and College Avenue, downtown and in Oakhurst village. Participating businesses will stay open late, offering beverages, snacks and special offers.

Decatur Fire Station No. 2 Construction on Hill St.

The new Fire Station is being built on the same site as the old one on W. Hill Street.
Here is some info:
Construction of the new fire station is being funded by the City’s capital bond program. LP3 Architects of Decatur designed the building, which is expected to be the City of Decatur’s first LEED certified building. Construction is expected to begin during the week of July 21, 2008 and to last about 10 months.

Sarah Palin face on dog on Ponce de Leon Ave building.

Bloggers of Decatur must think alike or they know something of interest.
I took this picture 2 week ago and Decatur's Asian Cajuns took it over the week-end.

inDECATUR and Next Stop...Decatur took the same 2 photos of Leon's Full Service Pub on Saturday.

I thought the face on this dog looked like Sarah Palin.
What do you think.

Halloween front yard decorations

Here are some photos of Halloween decorated front yards in the Winnona Park area.

Babar the Elephant is a popular French children's fictional character

This morning on the CBS Sunday Morning news show they had the story of Babar the Elephant a kids fictional character that started in 1933 an almost ended in 1946.


Babar the Elephant is a popular French children's fictional character who first appeared in L'Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff in 1931, and enjoyed immediate success. English language versions, entitled The Story of Babar, appeared in 1933 in Britain and the United States. The story is based on a tale that Brunhoff's wife, Cecile, had invented for their children. It tells of a young elephant called Babar who leaves the jungle, visits a big city, and returns to bring the benefits of civilization to his fellow elephants. Jean de Brunhoff published six more stories before his early death in 1937 at the age of 37. His son Laurent de Brunhoff was also a talented writer and illustrator and he carried on the series from 1946 with Babar et Le Coquin d'Arthur and many more. An animated TV series was produced by Nelvana Limited and Clifford Ross Company, and originally ran from January 3, 1989 to June 5, 1991. There were 78 episodes.

You can buy from Amazon

Leon's Full Service Pub Starting to show how it will look.

Notice the round window facing E. Ponce de Leon.

DECATUR MELLOW MUSHROOM POSTER

Great looking poster for Decatur's Mellow Mushroom.

R & R Exchange Decatur's Best Kept Secret

Foxy Coffee Talk n Shop
first wednesday of the month
8:15-2pm
Coffee and Snacks served
A percentage of all Sales today will benefit Oakhurst Elementary
****
R and R Exchange
533 W Howard Ave B-2
Decatur 30030
404-759-6582