Hooray, it’s time to reward one deserving mom by making her a celebrity for a day! We’re going to wine her, dine her, pamper her, photograph her and feature her on the spring covers of Little Black Dress/Little Red Wagon Magazine. But, first, she has to WIN!

To VOTE for your favorites:

• Simply scroll down and check the picture(s) you like. (You can choose more than one, and you can click a pic to enlarge it.)
• Then click “Vote.”
• Come back and vote often now through March 20. You can vote as many times as you like. (It’s like American Idol. Only better.)

A winner (mommy + children) will be announced on March 21.  The winning cover mom will receive:

• A photo shoot with Little Black Dress/Little Red Wagon photographer extraordinaire Summer Adams. Photos from that shoot will appear on the spring covers of LBD/LRW!
• A signature, customizable spa package (including childcare!) at The Spa at Governors Towne Club ($235 value)
• A $100 gift certificate to Mojave Southwestern Grill and Margarita Bar
• A haircut, color and design from Avanti Color Salon

So, let the voting begin!

For official contest rules and guidelines, click here.

Sponsored by:

To call these ingenious little accessories “belts” is a gross understatement. They’re more like small works of art–for your waist! To win one of your CHOICE (yay!), simply:

1. Visit www.princessandbutch.com and click “buckles” to check out the AWESOME options.

2. Then, just leave a comment on this post, telling which one you’d like to win. (I’d pick Gretal. No, Le Paris. No, Marsha. Aw, nuts. I can’t choose.)

One winner will be selected randomly by March 15, 2010. So, browse away and get ready to “take your outfits from hohum to fabulous!”

Photography by Captures by Summer.

Girl, you’ll be lookin’ fine this spring break with a fabulous new Vera Bradley tote from PerryWinkle’s Gifts.

Here’s how to win:

1. We love, love Vera’s four adorable new spring patterns! Check them out: www.perrywinklesgifts.com/main/category/events-and-news
2. Which is your fave? Simply leave a comment below, letting us know which one YOU’D like to take on spring break!

One lucky winner will be randomly chosen on April 1, 2010, announced on blackdressredwagon.com, and notified via e-mail.

And if you aren’t the lucky duck who wins, you should just take your little ol’ self to PerryWinkle’s in Marietta to check out one of the largest selections of Vera Bradley in all of Georgia. So many options…so little time ’til spring break!

PerryWinkle’s Gifts . 3718 Dallas Highway, across from The Avenue at West Cobb . Marietta, GA . 30064 . 770-795-0075 . info@perrywinklesgifts.com

Tell me if this scenario has ever played itself out in your house:

You wake up from a decent night’s sleep. You and your little darlings head downstairs to read classic literature (watch an obscene amount of cartoons) and have a healthy, organic breakfast (out of a box).

However, when you pop open the pantry, you notice that the box of Apple Jacks (Apple Dapples if you are frugal) are all gone. First you look harder… maybe they just ended up behind something else. So you start pulling everything out–off the shelf–in hopes of finding that lime green box. Only it is not turning up!!!!

Meanwhile, Child senses your emotional crisis and starts asking for his breakfast. Mommyyy, I am STARVING!!! Can I PLEEEASE have my cereal?? Pleeeeease!!!

The pseudo polite and pseudo whiny request turns into a full on tantrum. (Insert lots of crying, lots of whining, lots of negotiations, lots of pleading, begging, desperation, etc.) It is not pretty and you are not proud. But in all fairness, you get pretty miffed when SOMEONE drinks the last cup of coffee before you have had enough, so you understand your child’s frustration a little bit.

Eventually Child is placated with a bowl of Rice Crispies (Rice Poofs if you are frugal) and order is somewhat restored to the house. Then Daddy comes downstairs. He pops open the pantry and grabs the box of Rice Crispies. And then he says, “Oh yeah, I ate the last of the Apple Jacks last night. Can you pick up some more at the store?”

Boo. Hiss. Glaring evil eye looks. Mental death threats.

Inside your head (and possibly out loud) you scream “HOW COULD YOU?! You know the Apple Jacks are for Child! I wanted Apple Jacks, too, but instead I had oatmeal. Plain. Do you know what I just went through??? (No, you were sleeping.) Why would you eat the last of the Apple Jacks? Why?!! Okay, so you live here and have just as many rights as Child. And, okay, so you have a great job that pays for pretty much everything we have. And, yes,  you are a wonderful husband and father. BUT DON’T EVER EAT THE APPLE JACKS AGAIN OR I WILL RIP OUT YOUR EYES WITH A PLASTIC TODDLER SPOON.

There is a secret code that certain food items–although you, the adult, purchased them and also love them–ARE NOT FOR YOU. It is just understood. You open the fridge for an afternoon snack, or midnight snack, and see that cup of chocolate pudding. DON’T TOUCH IT! It is not really for YOU, the caregiver, the provider, the nurturer. The plain yogurt with absolutely NO flavor is for you. Know your place.

Allison is a mother of two…almost three, and will probably have up to five if her sanity holds. She and her hubby live in Atlanta, Georgia, and are enjoying the joys and pains of being parents. Mostly, they just laugh a lot. To read more by Allison, click here.

The Grub:

Gabriel’s Restaurant and Bakery, renowned for its mouth-watering desserts and daily helpings of fresh veggies, announces its expanded new dinner menu, new hours and a new chef.

Chef Brian Charles has joined the culinary team at Gabriel’s Restaurant. Brian, along with owner and cookbook author Johnnie Gabriel, has developed an expanded dinner menu that debuts this week. Rotating dinner specials will include Shrimp and Grits, Chipotle Maple Barbeque Beef Brisket, Fried Tilapia Over Cheese Grits and Fried Chicken. Gabriel’s will also offer such favorites as meatloaf, roasted chicken, and country fried steak and salmon cakes nightly.

Brian graduated from the Art Institute of Atlanta’s Culinary Program and gained popularity during his time as a chef at Marietta Country Club and Pinetree Country Club. His followers will be pleased to know his culinary creations can now be found at Gabriel’s.

“Our goal is to provide a warm, friendly restaurant where you can bring your entire family for delicious, southern comfort-food at a good price,” says owner Johnnie Gabriel.

Gabriel’s will now serve dinner Tuesday – Saturday nights until 9 pm. To celebrate the new menu, kids 10 and under will eat free with each paying adult on Friday and Saturday nights through March 27th.

Johnnie Gabriel, along with her husband, Ed, opened Gabriel’s in 1996. They started with a small bakery which has since tripled in size and evolved into a full-service restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts six days a week.

Gabriel’s reputation for mouth-watering desserts and homemade southern cuisine has been recognized with numerous awards in Atlanta Magazine’s Best of Atlanta editions along with publication of recipes in national magazines such as Cooking with Paula. Johnnie has cooked with Paula Deen, America’s beloved chef and Johnnie’s cousin, on Paula’s Best Dishes and Paula’s Party. Johnnie’s cookbook, Cooking in the South with Johnnie Gabriel, is in its second printing, and Johnnie just announced that her second cookbook, Second Helpings, would be available in the fall.

The Guide:

Gabriel’s Restaurant and Bakery, located at 800 Whitlock Avenue in Marietta, is open Mondays from 7 am – 6:30 pm and Tuesdays – Saturdays from 7 am – 9 pm. They can be reached at 770-427-9007 or found online at www.gabrielsdesserts.com.

The Gig:
A date? What’s that?! It’s what you get when you drop off your kids at Little Bears Indoor Playground in Kennesaw on March 12 for Parents’ Night Out!

The Guide:

When: March 12, supervised care from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Where: Little Bears Indoor Playground, 2655 Cobb Parkway NW, Suite 105, Kennesaw, GA 30152

How Much: Cost is $25 per child (additional siblings $20 each). Includes a child-friendly meal, snack and juice. A deposit is required to reserve your spot. Reserve your spot by Wed. March 10, 2010.

Make Your Reservation by March 10: For more information or to make your reservation, please contact Anna Rincon at Little Bears Indoor Playground, 770-429-0331, anna@LILBEARS.com, www.LILBEARS.com.

Take a much-deserved night on the town and leave the kids at Little Bears.  You will enjoy some quiet time with your sweetheart while the kids play in a safe, clean and nurturing environment!

The Gig:
Being a recessionista is definitely a learned trait. Start early with your wee ones by teaching them the value of a bargain at WeePeats Consignment Sale.

The Guide:
Clothing from baby to adult, toys, cribs, books, shoes and more will be available! There is still room for sellers, too, if you want to offload any gently used items. Tags from other sales are also accepted!

March 26, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

March 27,  9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.  (most items half-off!)

287 Mount Calvary Road
Marietta, GA 30064-1921

Please contact Martha Leatherwood with any questions at 770-422-5450 x 121.

The Gig:
Come on, ladies, we all need a break! And here’s a way to get one without interviewing a babysitter or twisting the arm of your in-laws. Just drop the kiddies off at Little Bears Indoor Playground in Kennesaw for their Mommies’ Morning Out! They’ll have a blast in a safe, age-appropriate environment…and you’ll get a break without breaking the bank.

The Guide:

When: Tuesday, April 6, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Little Bears Indoor Playground, 2655 Cobb Parkway NW, Suite 105, Kennesaw, GA 30152

How Much: The cost is $18 per child and includes juice and a snack.  Reservations are required.  Little Bears Members receive a 10% discount.

Make Your Reservation: For more information or to make your reservation, please contact Anna Rincon at Little Bears Indoor Playground, 770-429-0331, anna@LILBEARS.com, www.LILBEARS.com.

Drop the children off and get a couple of hours to yourself!

The Goods:
Can’t afford a plane ticket to France? Côté Soleil in Acworth offers the next best thing. Simple and elegant home furnishings like this dining arrangement will lend a romantic touch of Provence to your home. Ceramic salt and pepper shakers with French country design, $10.75 each. Ceramic hand-painted coasters, $9.95 each.

The Guide:
Cote Soleil, 3335 Cobb Parkway, Suite 210, Acworth, GA 30101, 678-574-7050

Tagged: acworth, home decor, decorating, shopping

There would have been a better chance of winning the lottery. The odds would have been more in my favor to be recruited by a professional basketball team as a starting center or to get struck by lightning in a passing thunderstorm than the fortuitous events that occurred Friday afternoon.

We were headed to the lake for the weekend. About an hour outside of our destination, we stopped at an Oriental rug warehouse well known for the deep discounts offered to the public. With fabric swatch in hand, I joyfully bounded from the car in search of the perfect rug for our bedroom.

Upon entering the store, I was greeted warmly by the Egyptian owners, who quickly assessed my needs, and led me to a large collection from which to choose. Poles attached to the ceiling suspended the large area rugs with heavy-duty metal clips. Customers were encouraged to browse through each section of Orientals by “turning” one rug to another, like the pages of an oversized periodical, in order to fully view each selection.

Business was slow so the owner – Jafari – offered to assist me in finding the size and design I desired. I pointed to a rug that I liked, and Jafari placed his hands on the edge of it, turning it so that the full length and width could be displayed.

And that’s when I felt it.

It took a few seconds for the pain to register, but the searing sting at the top of my noggin immediately made me dizzy. I sat down on a pile of nearby rugs, and placed my hand on the throbbing area of my head. The look on Jafari’s face was a mixture of astonishment and horror, and then quickly transformed to one that was almost cartoonish in appearance when he saw the blood seeping through my fingers.

Really, what are the chances? Never had it occurred to me that shopping for Orientals could be a dangerous sport. If only I had known, safety precautions would have certainly been considered. When we ride bikes, we wear helmets. When we ride in cars, we wear seatbelts. When we ride in boats, we wear life vests. We are safety minded like that.

Holding my head in my hands, I leaned over my knees, partly because I was somewhat light headed, but mostly to keep the steady stream of blood from staining the pile of rugs on which I rested. The large metal clip from one of the rugs had popped free, swan diving 25 feet below, the corner of which punctured my scalp.

The owners and my physician husband instantly surrounded me. Chase, my tender-hearted 10-year-old, ushered his two younger siblings to a different area of the store, protecting them from witnessing the remnants of my losing battle with the metal clip.

Someone handed my husband a towel to put direct pressure on the wound while the owners spoke rapidly to one another in their native tongue. After a few minutes of conferring, they tried to insist that an ambulance be summoned, but luckily, John pulled the Doctor card and convinced them that the injury wasn’t as serious as the puddles of blood would suggest. After about 15 minutes, the bleeding subsided and I slowly started to regain some sense.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that I had most likely earned a “slightly injured customer” discount. Surely, suffering the impalement of a metal object to my person warranted some sort of price concession. With renewed purpose and sights set on row after row of Orientals, I informed the very surprised Jafari that I was ready to proceed.

With a questionable gait, slightly blurred vision, and a head of hair matted with blood, I perused the store with a very nervous Egyptian man, determined to buy a rug with my injury coupon. My family walked behind us, and I overheard Chase say to his dad, “Only mom would bleed all over someone’s floor and then continue to shop.”

After looking for the better part of an hour, I finally accepted with much sorrow and regret that there was not a rug to match the swatch of fabric in my hand. With great relief, the owners accompanied us to the door, firmly clicking the lock in place after our departure.

Although I was still in a little bit of pain, I immediately began thinking of other potential rug dealers that I could visit the next weekend. You may even see me if you happen to be in the Atlanta area.

I’ll be the one flipping through rows of rugs wearing a helmet.

Joni is the mother of three, the wife of just one, and a willing passenger on the wild, roller coaster known as motherhood. Sometimes it is thrilling and other times her stomach could hurl, but she wouldn’t miss one second of the ride. She and her family reside in Georgia. To read more by Joni, visit her blog at www.jonisjoy.blogspot.com.