s.s.s

Awhile back, I was at my parents' house talking with my mom and the subject of me dating came up in between her asking me something about my outfit, yelling at my adorable cat, Captain Jack, for biting her and inquiring if I was traveling the following week for work. (No surprise where I get my ADD from, ladies and gents.) She has this way only mother's do of slipping in questions when you are least expecting them, tagging it on a question or completely unrelated topic.

Our conversation went something like this....

"Allison, are those new jeans?" she asks in her regular I'm-assessing-your-outfit kind of way, wondering if she can go and get the same ones.

"No, mom, I've had these for awhile, they aren't new," I answer, sipping my tea in the kitchen.

"Hmmmmm, new shirt maybe then but you look cute today, so have you been on any dates?" and she slips it in there like only she can, in between opening up cabinets to act like she's really not that interested in my answer but totally is as she glances over her left shoulder.

"Nope, Jules, I haven't," I say, using a certain term of endearment only when she reaches that point of fishing for information, then I take a gulp of my tea as I sit on her kitchen counter crossing my legs as I ready for the firing line of harmless questioning.

"Hmm, well why not?" she asks, putting her hands on her hip, waiting anxiously for my answer while she taps her foot.

I laugh to myself and sigh, "Mommmmmm, I'm really looking forward to having a single sexy summer - a S.S.S," I quickly shoot back, and then realizing it sounds like a terrific idea all at the same time.

Thinks about my S.S.S idea for a minute then adds matter-of-factly, "Well I'd make it an S.S.S.S."

Laughing at her bizarre addition to my newly coined phrase, I ask, "What is the extra S for?"

"Sports car - a single sexy summer in a sports car," she says as IF I should've known what the extra S was added in for and she walks off into the living room, pleased with herself and our conversation for the moment.

I shared this story with a few single friends and over many hey tells and vodka sodas later, we all agreed that we are in serious need of a single sexy summer of friends, late nights, dinner parties, new prospects, new happy hour spots, wine tours, Indians games, even later brunches with mimosas, bloody mary's, eggs benedict and french toast followed by lazy Sundays at the beach, on a patio or at a pool where we safely tan ourselves with oversized hats and SPF 50.

(That's right, 50 people, because you can always add more bronzer if needed.)

And, of course, a few outdoor concerts and weekend getaway trips thrown into the mix to make this an eventful summer worth remembering and laughing about in years to come.

Me to a T.

it's that much better if it's caught on an iPhone

So, in the words of Jules, I should be on the look out for a guy in a sports car.....

Editor's note: Dear Lisa - it was a hilarious breath of fresh air running into you outside of my building the other day. You had me laughing hysterically and I loved how truly excited you were to meet me in person. Thanks to you and your friends for continuing to read my blog. And, I assure you ladies - I'm not dating anyone at the moment. Even IF I skip blogging a few days.....

you can't beat a holiday weekend

After a last-minute NYC trip for work, I was running through LaGuardia like a mad woman to make sure I was on my new flight because my other one got cancelled because I had a serious three-day weekend ahead of me.

Did you love yours?

Because I thoroughly enjoyed myself for three long glorious days with friends.

Saturday day I joined a group of friends for a surprise party for Johnny P. He was the big 3-0 so family and friends celebrated with the most ridiculous spread of food from hotdogs to sausage to baked beans to taco dip to deviled eggs to dirt dessert to birthday cake to nutella chocolate cupcakes with bacon on top.

Look who is 30!

KSU boys reunited

3 photos to get one right

Saturday night I joined three girlfriends at Market to talk and laugh over a few vodka sodas where we noticed that most of the guys in there were all kids. KIDS, I tell you - I swear to god I thought they were going to come up and ask us to buy beer for them. They didn't, but it would've made a great story.....

On Sunday, I let CleShopaholic talk me into attending my first real yoga class at Inner Bliss Yoga at 8:30 in the morning. Two things here - 1) I don't get up early after a night of drinking 2) my morning workouts start at 10. THAT is morning to me and somehow I was up and in Lakewood at 8:30 a.m.

So, I set a new record of making it to yoga, which might as well have been hot yoga, because I legitimately sweat my ass off doing poses and contorting my body in ways I didn't know possible.

I drove over to Edgewater Park to catch some rays but I didn't get quite the tan I was hoping for since the clouds seemed to hang over the lake for a good two hours. My friend Cortney joined me with drinks and I proceeded to read excerpts from the third 50 Shades book and then imitated a scene where he cuffs each leg to corresponding wrist - think happy baby pose for all you yoga lovers. How awkward!

move out the way

Cortney brought the good stuff!

After the unsuccessful beach trip,  my friends and I  dined at Barrio in Tremont for pitchers of margaritas, guac and tacos for the evening as we planned a 50 Shades night out in CLE. I'm still not quite sure what exactly we were planning to do but we ended up on the patio Treehouse to close the night. We did not find a Christian Grey - but the search isn't over just yet.

pitchers of margaritas

While this photo doesn't do it justice, Lisa is short.

On Memorial Day, I headed back to Edgewater to sweat my entire body weight off because it was 90 something degrees for the 2 hours I lasted outside then headed over to my BFF's house for what I hope will be an annual party with friends, babies and cornhole.

the food

baby brooklyn is getting so big!

Insert yourself here, skully!

And with that....here's to a what will no doubt be a long and exhausting four day work week. But it's summer people, let the summer of fun begin!

here we come, summer

Well, hello long three day weekend ahead of me.

How did you come up so quickly? And, please don't go too quickly!

Ohhhh how I love Memorial day weekend....

Even as a kid it was awesome because it signified that school was almost out, not quite, but you only had a few short weeks to endure and then school is out for the summer. For good.

Remember how longgggggggggggggg summers used to feel when you were a kid? I can only imagine how dramatic I was when I got bored with summer after being out for a week even though it felt like 2 months- I probably drove my mother insane with my incessant questioning and constant need to be doing some type of activity. What I would do now for a whole summer off! As a kid, I remember most of my summers at the pool, riding bikes and catching fireflies. Sounds pretty amazing to me.....

Fast forward to college summers which were equally amazing and still so stress-free with the only real hurdle was to get out early in enough time to get ready and go out with your friends. Summer nights at Shooter's were the best - what fun memories.

Funny how not so long ago, I was looking forward to the entire summer and now I crave for a good three-day weekend filled with red, white and blue desserts, fresh fruit salads, burnt hot dogs, endless glasses of homemade margaritas and even a fire to end the evening.

So, this Memorial Day I'm looking forward to sweating a lot and laying out at a pool with a few girlfriends, catching up on my magazines and talking all about my favorite new couple from 50 Shades of Grey, grilling out with friends and possibly incorporating a slip and slide into the action, maybe a Put-In-Bay trip and a visit to hang with my family for a few hours and maybe even catch my mom's favorite parade in my hometown.

Ahh.... memorial day weekend.

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

if the rest of summer is anything like this weekend, it's going to be a fun one

Who knew this weekend would prove to be an absolute blast from the amazing 80 weather to a beach trip to a kick ass race to seeing long lost friends. Not to mention on Sunday, I was up at 5:45 a.m. and went strong -  I mean college strong, people - all day until 8:30 p.m. That's one for the record books when you add in 13.1 miles in 80 degree heat, drinking and walking all over to local watering holes.

Where was I? Well if you followed me on your FourSquare, you are probably tired of seeing all my checkins - I couldn't help it. I just kept going and going, especially with friends in town.

1 Indians game on Friday

3 boys, 1 girl - I'm a great wing woman  and don't forget it!

1 trip to the rooftop of the Velvet Dog

(Really, there are no pictures needed.)

1 run in with the infamous Super Pimp who is from Lorain - duh, I was born there!

west side meets east side of Lorain

1 morning football game

1 trip to Edgewater park where I was hit on by 14 year olds and saw a couple dressed up as a Transformer and Cinderella.

such a relaxing 3 hours

1 half marathon which brought in friends from Chicago, DC and Texas where it was hot as hell, my right foot was some serious pain from mile 3 to 9 until it went numb and the pain transferred to my left knee. But I finished, refused to stop and probably have indirectly created some kind of stress fracture. Go me!

post race with my running partner, Melissa

part of the crew post race

2 trips to the casino

Enter through Tower City or Public Square to avoid lines

5 trips to various bars from downtown to Ohio City

beers = reward

bud lights; her first panini; piggy back rides

group pushing strong after 12 hours and 13.1 miles later

Another weekend quickly gone by, another week ahead of us but after I make it through that, there is a possible Put-In-Bay trip in my future with a three-day weekend. THREE-DAY WEEKEND!

Does it get any better than this?

50 shades of I'm addicted

So it's true. I have finished the first book in the trilogy of sexual novels for housewives as everyone has been calling it, even though it's about a couple in their 20s. A very attractive couple in their 20s mind you.
I've also shared my opinion of the book with several friends who picked it up and have finished the whole damn trilogy already while I still need to start book two.

Well, since Alexa is sunning herself away way down in Florida, check out my first opinion of the book over on her blog today where she kindly asked me to contribute whatever I wanted to her blog. And, I chose this book as it is top of mind for everyone at this point.

I'll be starting the second one this weekend.

second book in hand

After, of course, I kick the half marathon's ass this Sunday morning - bright and early - with a few friends coming into town where we will eat and drink our way through some of favorite joints post race. We are planning an all day Sunday Funday with a possible Indians game, maybe lunch in Ohio City, maybe a trip to the beach and possibly some guac at Momocho.

Considering we would have burned 1,300 some odd calories - I think I can have a burger, don't you agree?

D.C. for the weekend

5.5 hour drive each way.

72 hours with my friends.

What a weekend.

On Friday, my friend and I toured downtown D.C, had a leisurely lunch at Zatinya and then toured the Newseum for a few hours, stopping in the Pulitzer Prize room, 9/11 room and the Presidents room, before heading back to meet the bigger group.

hello from DC!

refreshing cucumber vodka drinks

9/11 room

recognize these suits from SNL?

We met an ever larger group for a late dinner at Lyon Hall where we sipped on wine, snacked on mussels, beet salads, amazing burgers and pommes frites.

We headed over to Whitlow's on Wilson for a little rooftop patio action to wait for the rest of the girls to arrive who were driving in from Charlotte.

We finally made it.

On Saturday, a few us were up to spin and go for a quick 40 minute run in prep for that looming half marathon and then we were on our way to the DC 101 Chili Cook Off to drink endless bud lights, eat fried food, people watch and listen to our boyfriend - Brandon Boyd of Incubus sing to us.

group shot preshow

someone had a little too much fun

i heart incubus

Post show, we tried to catch a cab, which quickly turned into us walking for almost an hour through a not-so-great part of DC then into Capitol Hill area. Picture it - four very loud girls walking through a serene neighborhood looking for a cab after drinking in the heat for four hours because we couldn't get through with our apps and phone calls to a cab company.

We were laughing hysterically, running out of breath and kindly serenading the neighborhood with our version of the Petey Pablo song, "Northhhh Carolina,...come on and raise up, take your shirt off, spin it around your like a helicopter" because we were walking on that dreaded street for what felt like a lifetime.

and we walked

and there is Gretchen with the John. quite literally.

After the longest and most hilarious walk known to man, we were showered and ready to head out for our final dinner at Zengo to sip on pomegranate and kumquat caipirinhas and eat a few tuna sushi rolls and then out with an even bigger group to a few clubs in the area.

sparklers rule

what a great group

So, there you  have it - a weekend with my friends. Don't you feel like you were there?!?

equal shoe opportunist

Because I just had an amazing three days with a great group of girls, I'm too tired to recap at this very moment but holy sh*t did I have a blast.
 
And, that's an understatement.


But first, in case you missed it, check out Cleshopaholic and me sharing our love of shoes, shopping and online sites like Rue La La and Gilt.

16 years of memories and counting

girlfriends.

volleyball 2000

You love them, laugh with them, want to strangle them for being bitchy or moody, yell it out and then love them again and forget you wanted to strangle them.

new years eve 2000

I have a group of girls I've known since I was roughly 13. That's 16 years of memories starting in junior high through high school, proms, first highs and hangovers, sport championships, the careless summer before college, trips between colleges that carried into the early morning hours with little sleep, bachelorette parties across the east coast, showers and weddings from Cleveland to Vegas.

halloween 1999 - my genius idea with flippers

There have been sleepovers, underage arrests, first time boyfriends, trips abroad, summers in our hometown, cancer, funerals, walking on fire, roommates and trips like this weekend that we make time for in our busy lives because they are incredibly important.

We commit to a weekend a year (or maybe even more) to gather back together to make new memories and inside jokes only we know to text, Hey Tell or Facebook with each other simply because we can.

OU visit 2004

Thanksgiving 2006

Vegas 2010

We fall back together like we haven't been apart, reminisce, drink too many martinis and take too many shots, laugh so hysterically that we snort, rock shoes that hurt our feet but look down right killer with our outfits and throw any organized day schedule out the window to see where the day then the night takes us.

DC trip 2010

DC trip 2011

I couldn't imagine spending this particular weekend with a group of more supportive, loyal, hilarious, passionate, smart even sometimes dramatic and high maintenance chicas.

I don't know what it's like to have a sister, but I do know what's it's like to have friends who act like sisters and are there along every smooth, bumpy and straight up knock-you-on-your-ass step of the way. You need them to help pull you up, smooth out the kinks, fix your hair and march forward like you didn't skip a beat.

Love you girls! xoxo

the opportunities are endless

"Allison, you are looking at this all wrong. It's about making everyone an opportunity," says my adorable male friend as the ever popular topic of dating comes up.

Opportunities, eh? I should be looking at everyone I meet as an opportunity he says........

This conversation started on a lazy Sunday when we were day drinking at a favorite bar in Tremont when the topic, as it always does, turns to dating among my single friends.

Who am I dating? Am I dating? You haven't met anyone as we go around the circle asking what is new and interesting in our dating lives in between sips of our favorite summer beers.

Almost at the same time,  we started comparing the single dating options versus the gay dating options.

Jesus - the gays have soooo much more available to them! Honestly we, or as my friend says "breeders," need something to the equivalent of that Grindr app. (Editor's note - we do, it's called Blendr.) It's this magical little app that people share all the photos beforehand so it takes out the guessing game, to say the least. No doubt your gay friend has shown you this app, and I'm always amazed at what people will share on it, more power to them for putting it all out there. Right up front.

"Opportunities....." he repeated and we all started laughing.

Here is his advice for a night out - scope out the bar scene and as the night goes on, you weed them out one by one and they may even start to look better with a few drinks. Well, duh.

As my one friend points out, "I look like Heidi f*ing Klum after a few beers," so anyone can look like a damn opportunity.

So, I ask you - do you look at everyone as a opportunity?

adventures in my weekending

Kicking off the weekend festivities on Thursday, I attended a benefit at the House of Blues for the Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital for the 1st Annual Save a Child, Save a Smile fundraiser organized by a friend.

friends at event

co-chair and friend Meredith

On Friday, I had no real plans set because I was prepared to be up early the following day to prepare brunch for my aunts at my apartment and this is typically how my most fun and random nights come about.

I joined friends at the Greenhouse Tavern for impromptu dinner and drinks to enjoy the beautiful weather for as long as it lasted.

smile! check out Nic's stylish little curl

french 75 "it's patio season biatches" is the name of the game

I headed down the street and joined friends for a quick stop in Flannery's to catch up and see the fireworks from the Indians' stadium then walked a bit farther to meet the three amigos at Thirsty Parrot post game.

Anndddddddd, here is about when things got a bit more random because we ended up on W. 6th and sort of did a quick bar crawl to pick up a credit card at Liquid, which we never even picked up and then headed into Bar Louie where I was one of 3 girls in the whole place. Ladies - apparently it's a hot spot for guys on Friday night.

the boys insisted on shots - salty pretzel fyi

dance party in the car

We continued our crawl to Ohio city for a beer stop into Market and then the boys needed onnnnnnneeeee more stop to "dance" in Speakeasy.

Good thing I didn't leave earlier because these boys saved their best performances for last - who knew they could dance like the Jersey Shore to a dub step remix?

photo really doesn't do his dancing justice

On Saturday, I was up soooooo early to get ready to host brunch with my aunts for the afternoon. Let's be honest here  - I don't really cook or bake a lot.  For all you doubters out there, it's not that I can't bake or cook, it's just that I'm surrounded by so many good restaurants, it's only me and cooking for one isn't that much fun.

I whipped up a fresh fruit salad with lime juice/sugar drizzle, a baked french toast from the one and only Pioneer Woman and sausage and broccoli egg muffins with mimosas. We were too busy catching up and sharing stories that I didn't snap a single picture of the final product but based on the empty plates below, you know it was a hit!

who doesn't love mimosas?

While I didn't watch anything related to the derby (but really want to go one year and wear the largest hat ever, so large that people have to move out of my way as I walk by them), I did join two friends for a Cinco de Mayo celebration with Skinnygirl, guacamole and shrimp fajitas.

of course swedish fish go with cinco de mayo

On Sunday, I headed to Rocky River to run a daunting 12 miles to prepare for the Cleveland Half Marathon in two weeks. Before this, I had only ran 8 miles at about a 10 minute pace. Two things - that's not fast and really not that far seeing as I had to add another 5 miles fairly quickly. My trusty running partner Melissa and I headed out on the trails, conquered the bitch of a hill and dodged the large group of leisurely cyclists several times.

Post run, we rewarded ourselves with mimosas and a delicious brunch at Burntwood Tavern, where the three of us plotted out our reality TV show with characters and we added in cameos from my parents because we really think they add a hilarious voice of reason to a dysfunctional show.

12 miles in 2:02, give me a damn drink

brunch with the girls

Phew. What does this week hold? An interview about my love for Zappos and shoe shopping and a trip to DC to visit my high school friends as we mark our third annual trip together.