Annie Griffin Collection

We just received our Fall ‘12 samples!! Here is a peek of one of our new favorite fabrics for the season!

We could not be more excited with the launch of our new website Annie Griffin Collection. Just wanted to say thank you to our cousin, Taylor Gerber for all of her hard work building the site; Abby Smith Photography for taking all of the awesome photos; and Ginny Branch Styling for her beautiful styling!!

And yes, if you are looking for that certain style and aren’t able to find it locally…you can now shop online! Check it out

Check out a few of my favorite things from 2011.  What were some of your favorites this year?

Happy 2012!

Favorite Gear

Lululemon is officially taking over the world, and I’m starting to understand why… The details, fit, and construction are beyond any athletic gear I’ve ever worn. Oh, and it never stretches out.

Favorite Actress

Emma Stone. If you’ve seen The Help, and Crazy, Stupid Love you’ll know exactly why she’s my favorite.  She is stylin’, down-to-earth, and not to mention, hilarious.

Favorite Jewel

     
McGowan and McClain I guess I’m a little biased because the McGowan and McClain girls are my cousins, but I am completely in love with their jewelry.  Each piece is cast from organic materials (such as a banana peel shown here).  I love the natural, yet bold shapes, and the gold that they use is to die for.

Favorite (New) Activity

Yes, that is a mountain bike.  My husband got me one for Christmas, and I can’t wait to try it out!   We love biking, but I think I’ll need a little practice on the trails.

Favorite Color(s)

Blood Orange and Raspberry.  I can’t get my mind off of these rich colors.  You’ll see these pop-up in the newest collection, Fall ‘12. 

Favorite Fall Staples

Maddie Dress in Purple & Lindsay Blouse in Black with Liza Skirt in Olive.  These are some of my absolute favorites from 2011.  I love pieces that can be worn many different ways and to occasions across the board.  I love the drape and the effortless vibe!

Favorite Atlanta Restaurant

HF has been a consistent favorite for a few years now.  It’s close by, has a great vibe and offers a great selection of unique & tasty food. 

Favorite Recipe

Light Molten Chocolate Cake. I never thought such a thing could be “light”, but I promise these are light & absolutely amazing! We made these for Robin’s birthday this year, and they were a huge hit.

You’ll need:

• 5 oz bittersweet chocolate (plus 4 chunks for the cake centers)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee or espresso (optional)

How to make it:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter four 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups.
• Bring a few cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Place a glass mixing bowl over the pan (but not touching the water) and add the chocolate and butter.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until both the chocolate and butter have fully melted. Keep warm.
• Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs, egg yokes, sugar, and salt until pale yellow and thick, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the melted chocolate mixture, the flour, vanilla, and instant coffee if using.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins.  Stick one good chunk of chocolate in the center of each ramekin.  Bake the cakes on the center rack for 8-10 minutes, until the exterior is just set (the center should still be mostly liquid). The cakes can be eaten straight from the ramekins, but it’s more dramatic to slide them onto plates (after letting them rest for a minute or two), where the molten chocolate can flow freely.

Makes 4 servings / Cost per serving $1.20 / 360 Calories

Happy New Year!!

Last week Shanna, Marcie and I made a short trip over to Hong Kong.  If you haven’t been introduced to Shanna and Marcie: Shanna works in Atlanta and oversees all company operations, financials and is starting to help me out with production. Marcie handles all of our accounting.  These two make a great team, so I felt very fortunate to get to travel with them to Hong Kong!

We arrived late on Saturday night and spent 3 days in Hong Kong and 1 in Mainland China.  We did a lot of sourcing while we were there.  It was very productive & everyone we met was so welcoming.  We also had a lot of fun (although we were totally exhausted from all of the traveling when we got back). See pics below!

Hotel

Causeway Bay in Hong Kong

Sogo, the busiest shopping area I’ve ever seen!

Ferry to mainland China.  Don’t worry, we found a Starbucks!

Traditional Chinese meal “Dim sum” !

New food!

We went on a tour of Hong Kong our last day there & here is a pic of burning incense in the ceiling of a tradional Chinese temple.

Fishing village in Hong Kong

Amazing view of the city

Photo from our Hong Kong tour the last day!

If you haven’t heard RA’s new album… now’s the time!

We just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that came out to the Holiday Party!  Y’all are the best! We had a blast.

If you missed this one, there will be more to come soon :)

The Cults

Reptar, Oblangle Fizz Y’all

Kings of Leon, Come Around Sundown

Futurebirds, Hampton’s Lullaby

As usual after Fashion Week, I was online checking out all of my favorite designers Spring ‘12 collections & came across this (and I just had to laugh).  Although I was a little disappointed to see something so similar to our collection, I was also excited to see that DVF approves.  It’s always funny to see how designers come up with similar things each season.. we see it happen all the time :)

To shop the newest UAPO Collection click here http://akolaproject.org/

All of these ladies are wearing Annie Griffin Spring/ Summer 2011.  We love pairing the solid silks with the vibrant UAPO jewels.  Great job UAPO! 

PS: Get ready for some exciting news.  Think joint trunk show in NYC before the Holidays.  Details coming soon!

http://backnnola.blogspot.com/2011/10/nola-fashion-week-ss-12-1021-annie.html

click on the link to view the article

http://www.scoopcharlotte.com/2011/10/25/annie-griffin-trunk-show-at-coral-this-thursday/

Click on the link below (our runway show is shown at the beginning and end)

http://www.wwltv.com/video?id=132363138&sec=554497

http://thinktwicestyle.blogspot.com/2011/10/nolafw-ss12-part-2-annie-griffin.html