Me n’ Eddie Ross

My daughter Katie and I spent a fun-filled day this week with Top Design contestant and lifestyle blogger superstar Eddie Ross. Oh yeah, Jaithan tagged along too. Shh. He so doesn’t realize it’s over between them. The boys were in town over the weekend to lead another of their wildly popular treks through Scott’s Antique Market, so Katie and I caught up with them for a day of shopping, dining and dishing at the Westside district here in Atlanta. We met up at Ballard’s Backroom, the Ballard Designs catalog outlet on DeFoor Avenue. Eddie loved all the fresh fabrics and great accessories and furnishings at this outlet, which is off Howell Mill Road. Katie and I scored some pillows–marked down 40 percent! Then it was over to the fabric stores on Huff Road, which is just a few blocks away from Ballard’s. We checked out the bargains at the newly relocated Silk Trading Company–found some great summery striped seersucker for five bucks a yard, and Eddie was loving some of the other silk fabrics. Then we cruised on over to Lewis & Sheron Fabrics, which, along with Forsyth Fabrics just up the street, offer shoppers a ginormous variety of decorator home fabrics. Of course, at every stop, people recognized Eddie, and reassured him that he shoulda won Top Design last summer. After agonizing over whether he could fit one more thing into his already bulging suitcases, we motored over to Star Provisions, where Eddie and Jaithan marvelled over the gorgeous cheeses and giftwares. Eddie was tempted to buy some tiny pastry tins, which he described as perfect for appetizer tarts. After strolling around a little more, we settled in for lunch at Taqueria del Sol, the super casual, super cheap Tex-Mex spot in the shopping center. Over lunch, Eddie and I cooked up a little contest to celebrate next week’s publication of THE FIXER UPPER. So watch this space for all the details!