glitter this NYE

For the past two weeks, my friends and I have been going back and forth about what to do about NYE, putting so much pressure on ourselves to have a good time. And, for those of you interested, whatever decision we made was really going to determine what I was going to wear because the location sometimes determines the outfit. (You have to coordinate appropriately of course!)

So we are going to put on our platforms and try not to fall, sparkly dresses and faux fur jackets and head out in downtown Cleveland (with or without snow mind you) with a bunch of other random people to ring in the new year.

Champagne!
Noise makers!
Sequin dresses!
Making out with random people!
Spilling champagne on the sparkling dresses!

Here's to 2011 going out with a bang!



P.S. I may be one of the few people who absolutely lovvvvvesss New Years Eve. I always have - any excuse to wear sequins, I'll take!

i'ts christmastime

wellllllcome back from the holiday weekend!

As I recover from eating way too many cookies for breakfast, chocolate-covered homemade candy and drinking one too many pints of Christmas ale, I figured I'd do a recap post via photos to explain what I did for the past four days.

I'm really serious about the cookies for breakfast thing - this HAS to stop.

To kick off the Christmas festivities, my cousins and I all went out on Friday night to Lakewood, which proved to reiterate the fact that we were too old to be there.

I failed at taking photos but here's our favorite beer and Keith and Greg.

Christmas Eve was spent with my family in Amherst and ended with a late night at a local bar with a group of my high school friends. Nothing says the holidays like an impromptu bar night.

fur, family and cookies

love these ladies - katey, danielle and steph

Christmas ales all around

high school crew

Because my brother and I closed the bars down and up super early on Christmas day, we enjoyed a Christmas day lunch/dinner and after my third mimosa I made the mistake of lying down on the most comfortable couch next to mine.

most comfortable couch

I was out for another hour then joined my family later in the evening to watch Hangover 2 - nothing says Merry Christmas like some good ol' fbombs and Thai strip clubs.

Somehow....it's almost January 1. Wow has this month (and year) flown the hell by......

giving back

At this time of the year, you read lots of articles about people being "secret santas" or paying off strangers' layway fees in the news.

While I was on my plane to Punta Cana, I was reading one of my many magazines and I came across a calendar of 31 ways to give back this holiday season.

As kids, my family would donate Christmas gifts at our local church and my brother and I would pick names from the tree for kids we would never meet and have even adopted families for the holiday season.

There were a few organizations that popped off the list of places to donate to like krochetkids.org to purchase crocheted hats or clothes to keep Ugandan women working and educated or faceaids.org to donate to an HIV  positive pregnant woman in Rwanda to provide drugs or forthesilent.org to fight against child sex trafficking or giveanhour.org to buy a counseling session for a soldier returning from war.

Shame on me but I haven't given back enough. I am a very lucky girl and sometimes pinch myself for all the success I've had both personally and professionally. Sometimes I still can't believe I live downtown or even in this fab apartment. It's still so surreal to me.

I'm making notes on my list of things to do for 2012 and giving back is one of many things on my list. Whether that's contributing to friends who run for cancer or donating to a friend's child's school fundraiser or donating my time to a charity of my choice.

So, how are you giving back this season?

almost tis the season

It's the most wonderful time of the year.......................

I just love the holidays and probably one of the few people who generally enjoy winter weather. Maybe it's because after Thanksgiving the holidays come which is quickly followed my birthday in mid-January but the snow this weekend totally put me in the holiday spirit. 

But first, we celebrated my college friend's birthday in Willoughby at Billy's Martini Bar for a few cocktails and moved to Willoughby Brewing Company.

Jeweled skulls and signs are a must.

smile!

Fur Friday!

After leaving the east side, I wasn't ready to go home and swung by XYZ to meet up with some friends where I was instantly made fun of for my fur coat upon sitting down.

"Uhhhhhhhhh. Ok Real Housewives of Cleveland," said as I grabbed a chair to sit down. (This faux fur jacket was sure the talk of the night, including the boys in my elevator who said, "I've never seen Cleveland girls wear jackets like that. Ummmmm. Ok.)

Saturday consisted of running around to actually start Christmas shopping way on the east side then came back to my apartment to hang out with some fellow residents and Twitter friends who I haven't seen in awhile, where we sipped hot toddies and champagne before I headed out to meet another group of girlfriends at Market Garden then Bar Cento to make plans for NYE, which we still need to nail down but we are getting close. Or, at least I hope so because I have a sparkly gold dress that needs to be worn.

A few things to note:

1) I didn't take any photos
2) Girls are still wearing shirts as dresses with high stiletto boots.

So, I ask you, how on earth do these girls' friends NOT tell them they are wearing shirts as dresses or leggings as pants!? Anddddddd, if you are going to wear a shirt as a dress, you MUST at least wear flats to hide the fact that you are indeed not wearing pants. Am I right???

Here's to a short work week, more holiday parties and drinking and laughing with out-of-town friends and family for the next week.

pamper away

Every girl loves to be pampered.

And, I for one, haven't made it a priority over the past year but I vowed to focus more on me and one of those ways is at the salon.

Maybe it's a biweekly nail appointment, monthly facial or massage but every girl has her beauty routine down to a science or is always looking for new ways to improve it.

Over the past few months, I've taken my pampering very seriously by scheduling shellac appointments, pedicures and a facial to get myself back in a routine.

I understand that due to my years of tanning every two days for about two years, I'm going to need some serious work down the road. I'm not opposed to plastic surgery. I'd do botox, fillers and I used to want a nose job pretty bad but I'm slowly getting over that one. (I have a bump and I don't love it and often think that a nose job would be a good solution.)

Anyway, from one girl to another, I thought I'd share my go to beauty team around Cleveland.

First, my hair. My friend Danielle has cut, colored, curled, straightened, shaved, and mohawked my hair for the past 10 years. I have a complicated mane that most hair stylists don't understand how to cut into it - I have serious horse hair. I have a lot of fine, thick hair and would need double the extensions to pull off any long hair look until my mane grows out. She is well worth the drive to the west side at the Lorain location at HeadQuarters Salon & Spa.

When it comes to my face, my friend Shawn fixes my skin on the east side at Studio MZ with facials and whipping my eyebrows into the perfect arch shape. I don't know about you, but I always read about how important your skin care routine is in your 20s, 30s, and beyond and how it's all about starting young. Like 10 years ago. Oops. Way back when, I always used Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion and an occassional eye cream but I went to Shawn and said, "Give me a damn facial routine - I need to prevent any wrinkles I can at this point." Did I mention I used to fake and bake.....

Her first thought, "Well, do you exfoliate?" No, no I don't. "Well, that's a great place to start......"

For the past two months, I've been using the products below for my facial routine and I seem to have less blemishes on my face all around. Every night, I wash my face with the Swell bar and then add a few drops of seabuckthorn oil at night. (Not going to lie, when she used it on my face, I was weirded out by the smell because it has this funky earthy scent but you get used to after a few uses. No worries.) And, as a bonus, Swell was created by a local Beachwood woman, Kelli Klus. Buying local my friends!

Swell facial bar and seabuckthorn oil and GlamGlow

Once a week, I use GlamGlow Mud Mask for 15 tingling minutes usually on a Sunday while I watch a DVR'd show and drink tea.

Sexy, right? Now THAT is going to land me a date, I know it!

It's tingling - let's get that out of the way, the first time Shawn used it she had to fan my face because holy hell was it TINGLING. After about a minute, that burning feeling goes away and then you rub and exfoliate your skin. It has chunks of green tea leaves (yes, chunks) and I normally feel like I break out from exfoliaters but not in this case. No random break outs or little bumps anywhere. If it's possible, I think I have less blackheads but I'll have to defer to Shawn on my next facial visit where I'll know based on how much time she spends with that evil little tool.

Next on my list is to find a spray tanner in the downtown or west side area (use Callie at Glow Tan and Spa if you are on the east side) and a masseuse.

So, dear downtowners and west siders, any recommendations you can send my way? What is your skin care routine or products you can't live without?

parties, parties and a giveaway

It feels like a million years since I've been back from Punta Cana but in all reality it's been 10 days. The week back at work was hectic, trying to juggle everything I missed out on while preparing for hosting and attending a few this weekend.

On Thursday, I hosted a party for B. Lux party for friends to catch up on their holiday shopping but randomly picked the day of the Steelers/Browns game - Fail on my part.

B.Lux accessories and clothes

On Friday, a group of coworkers came over to slurp on noodles from Noodlecat, lots of red and white wine and watch Bridesmaids, where we laughed our asses off and all agreed our coworker does a kick-ass rendition of Kristen Wiig's plane scene.


Fast forward to Saturday night where I headed to annual Christmas P.J. Jammy Jam party at Lindsay and Ryan's house. Seeing as I don't normally wear pajamas I purchased a new sleep shirt to party the night away in a comfortable holiday shirt.

Self shot, Shotts in all pink and the girls

Left, right, center - I lost, the holiday host and baby G had too much fun

I vote Jill for the best pajamas!

To kick off your Monday to a caffeinated start, our friends at Keybank will be buying EVERY cup, yes you read that right, buying EVERY cup of coffee, latte, cappuccino, frappuccino and any other coffee drink you order at the following Starbucks locations below ALL DAY LONG:

• West 6^th Street, 1374 West 6th Street 
• Hanna Building, Euclid Ave
• Cleveland Clinic, Euclid Ave
• Cedar & Fairmount,12405 Cedar Road
• Chagrin & Green, Chagrin Blvd
• Rocky River, 19555 Detroit Road 
• Westgate Mall Drive-Thru, 20645 Center Ridge Road 

For one lucky reader, you can buy even more Starbucks if you'd like because Key Bank is giving me a $25 Key Possibilities MasterCard Gift Card to give to one of you lovely readers.

To enter: Tell me what you'd buy me for an XMAS gift and leave your email address too. The funnier, the better! I'll choose a winner on Tuesday night.

Disclosure: I was compensated for this giveaway but you better believe I'll be in line at the West 6th  location tomorrow AM on my way to work to get my caramel brulee latte.

we can just be friends. right?

ahhhhhh, the age old debate - can women and men just be friends?

Oddly enough a few weeks ago, a few male coworkers and I were having this exact discussion at the lunch table. We discuss all important topics at lunch at my work like was Kim Kardashian's marriage a sham, has Gaga jumped the shark and other important headlines in pop culture. It keeps us on our toes!

I can't recall how this topic came up but I swear my coworker Kevin keeps these topics in his head ready for when a group of us gather and actually eat lunch instead of in a meeting or at our desks. I believe we netted out somewhere where this video did, but we had a bit more yelling, finger pointing and laughing.  I, like the naive girls on camera, thought, "well yeah, we can just be friends," (duh!) as I clearly pointed out all my male friends and my male colleagues pointed out that, in fact, I was wrong because no guys just want to be friends. (Apparently married guy friends don't count in their book.)

I can count on several hands how many male friends I have who a) I've never hooked up with b) never thought about hooking up with and c) who are just friends who happen to be guys. Men act like they want to be friends but according to my trusty male coworkers, if they had a chance, most guys would make moves on their supposed friends.

While this video is shot at a college where the median age is probably 20, we were anywhere from 26 to 31 at the lunch table and still had similar reactions. Apparently, all guys would hook up with girls they deem friends but really it's just girls they haven't hooked up with, if they had the opportunity.




So, for a serious discussion on a Friday, can girls just be friends with guys and vice versa?

the new place

It's almost been two months since I've been in my new digs.

Two flipping months!

The time has flown by because it's somehow almost Christmas and I can remember thinking that was so far away from the time I moved in here.

When I moved in, I literally had to purchase EVERYTHING except for some bedroom furniture because I left the furniture in the house. The idea of a new place with new things was incredibly appealing so the move was pretty light on my part.

I was able to purchase whatever the hell I wanted.

What I liked and what I wanted. Brilliant concept! It was such an exhilarating feeling after being part of a couple for so long with agreeing or disagreeing and trying to combine our tastes. No need for that.

My lovely mother helped me along with my friend, Danielle, who has impeccable taste in all things, including decorating my abode. I don't know exactly what you would call my style (I do love shabby chic as my Pinterest page shows) but it typically involves sparkly things - notice the lamps, the beaded pillows and some of the picture frames. While my decorating isn't complete just yet, the apartment definitely feels more comfortable and completely me with as many sparkles as I want! You know what I mean?

Couch from Macy's complete with sparkle pillows from Pier 1

Obsessed with the lamps from JC Penney of all places and the cabinet from Kaplan's

Off white chairs marked down to $300 from $1,000 from Kaplan's - STEAL

favorite gold chest from Kaplan's too

The place is coming together slowly but surely and there are still several items to purchase like a leaning bookshelf, some wall art, a new bed and some furniture for the bedroom. BUT with Christmas coming up, I will be taking a little shopping break until January for now.

Where else should I look for furniture, wall art and other decor? Send your favorite places or pieces my way. I will have some post-holiday shopping to do!

how we got our grooves back

....like Stella did but not with the guy - we all know how that turned out....

If we are friends on FB or you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen a few beach photos posted over the course of last week and possibly unfriended or unfollowed me. I couldn't help but share the beach! After a delicious Thanksgiving meal with my family,  my friend Danielle and I jetted off to Punta Cana for a week of sun, sand and mojitos and we accomplished all of that and more.

Having never been to Punta Cana, all I really needed was a damn beach and cocktail in my hand for the week and I'd be set - I've been dreaming about this trip for weeks and that's exactly what we had waiting for us.

Our day consisted of applying sunscreen, hitting the beach right outside our door, drinking coconut water and passion fruit coladas then heading to the pool to eat lunch of fresh fruit, fish and manchego cheese then we laid out at the pool with more coladas and ice cream followed with more tanning until the sun went down.

It really was the perfect trip with perfect 83 degree days and the right mix of interesting people including some rowdy Brits, quirky Americans and NY Dominicans who still love LeBron.

daily pool view

peacocks at the pool

fresh coconut water from my friend w/ the machete

what a view

if I could just bottle up that white sand...

I'm tan but Danielle is Snooki status

So I'm back in Cleveland where I missed the first snowfall but can't wait for the weather to get colder to put me in the holiday spirit. I spent the weekend reorganizing my place and putting a few decorations around the apartment to prepare to for two parties over at my little abode later this week.

Here's to a busy week ahead!