Confessions of a CLE Habitant

a few days off

2012-02-29T09:20:00.000-05:00

4 days off.

4 glorious days off.

Because I'm in the midst of a changing jobs, I was lucky enough to take a few days off in between to relax and catch up with friends and on my unorganized apartment. It's been awhile since I calmed down, caught my breath and took time just to bum around the city, lunch with friends and catch up with my mom and assorted group of colorful friends without hearing the beeping of my iPhone alarm clock.

What do I have planned?

What don't I have planned is the real question?

Hung out with baby Brooklyn an fab parents

received last minute cavs tickets from my favorite Nick

And there's more.....

A facial

A deep tissue and reiki massage

An afternoon with my mom and energetic little kids she teaches

Multiple afternoons with my friends who are new moms

An 80's concert

Lunch and a pedicure followed by a possible trip to a psychic and some day drinking to round out the work week

Anything else I should add to my list?

through the looking glass - jump back ball

2012-02-27T03:00:00.000-05:00

If you weren't at the Jump Back Ball this year, you really should mark your calendar for February 23, 2013 and get yourselves and friends to this event.

photo borrowed from Monina

Last week, Alexa and Cleshopaholic helped me choose from over 10 dresses that I ordered from sparkles to sequins to one shoulder to strapless. I couldn't make a decision and was up to my elbows in everything shiny so they saved the day and picked out a winner in a brand I never wear - Jessica Simpson. Who knew, right?

Why yes it's possible to have a winning dress and by winning, I mean that NO ONE else had the same sparkly, lacy navy dress that my friends decided was the one to rock.

Pre JBB, I hosted a few friends over to sip on cocktails before we headed down the street to the main event. There's nothing quite like getting ready with your friends, especially when your friend just happens to be your personal hair and make up guru for any and every occasion. (See the talented Danielle below.)

And the process begins....

How was the party? Fabulous. As always. While I've only attended the past two years, I will say it is an event that I look forward to and always try to recruit more friends to attend because it's that great of a time. It's like nothing I've ever been to in Cleveland. This year's theme was "Through the Looking Glass" aka Alice in Wonderland in my head and the committee pulled it all together from the decorations to the food to the props set up through the theater. (Side note: As a kid, I always thought people were saying "Allison's wonderland" so I never understand why Alice had blonde hair if I had brown. Clearly, my mother should've correct me and if she did, obviously I wasn't paying attention.)

Danielle, me and Carli

the stage - loved the theme and decorations

best dressed goes to Nick with his fashionable wife peeking from behind him

Radio Active - the lead singer loves her sequins too!

on the dance floor

clutches on the ground = better dancing

Lia, Danielle, yours truly and Katie

And we did.

When the party cleared out, we headed over to Touch Supper Club for old school hip hop night. Yes, we were incredibly overdressed and no we didn't care because even Snoop Dogg likes a fancy dress.

Sunday Funday began with a trip back to Touch because we didn't get enough of a fill the night before for brunch, a round of mimosas and bloody mary's with friends.

chicken and waffles, you win

Wrapping out this fashionable weekend, I joined a few friends to watch the Oscars Red Carpet live in a not-so-fashionable outfit involving leggings, oversized shirt, pearls and the same hair I had from the night before. My friends, I was doing the walk of shame all day and loved it - I thought adding the pearls helped! As usual if you follow any of us on Twitter, the critique session was filled with smart and witty comments from everyone but the oscar goes to Suzanne.

My best dressed goes to Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Ellie Kemper and Guiliana Rancic. Hate on J.LO but she always brings the glamour to the red carpet, even though that dress did have those random arm holes.

Ahhhhh, another successful weekend complete.

Editors note: Shout out to reader Sara(h) - it was great to meet you and your man and thanks for reading. Oh, and I also received one comp'd ticket for blogging about the JBB, in case the FCC wants to patrol this blog.

at the moment

2012-02-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

i'm in love with these girls. I can't get enough of Sophia Grace and Rosie.

chandelier earrings, can never have too many in my book

on sale makes it even better

new flat black clutch that I've been wanting for months. hello new friend!

complete with a gold chain arm strap

hmmmmm I could find somewhere to wear these, but, the question is will my friends want to go out with me?

Harem sequin pants are so in. well, maybe not.

all three of my favorite girl scout cookies - tagalongs, caramel delights and thin mints

somebody i used to know.

2012-02-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

there's that meeting.

the time where you picture seeing him out unexpectedly when you are looking your best with your skinniest jeans wearing your highest stilettos with a troop of your best friends.

you've played the scenario a thousand times in your head. who doesn't?

what you would say, what've you said a hundred times out loud, alone, to your friends and repeated another million times over and over in the mirror.

you anticipate his reaction, his comebacks and lies back to you.

you know it all too well.

then that scenario becomes reality and you see him and her when you aren't expecting it.

but at least you were wearing those heels, added that black eyeliner for the hell of it and had those friends with you.

your heart beats a little faster as you come close enough to kiss him while looking him in the eyes as you move through the crowd.

really?, you think rolling your eyes, this is going to happen tonight.

he approaches you almost immediately upon arrival and walks away from her to ask you meaningless questions. how are you? congrats on the new job. he just heard. are you excited? did you get a big raise? all questions which are none of his business but you answer in short responses, wondering why you don't feel something. where is it? where is the rush of anger? rush of emotion?

everything you wanted to say, all those words you prepared for that encounter, all falls to the wayside. you realize it doesn't matter anymore.

there's nothing more to say. all those thoughts crumble around him, all the jabs and insults you want to throw, you don't need to defend yourself, you aren't fighting for anything.

it just doesn't matter anymore.

and you realize he's just a shell of the person you knew. not the one you slept next to you for years. not the one you were planning the future with. he doesn't even look the same.

wasn't he taller? did he always mumble when he was nervous? who is that cute guy at the next table staring at me? wait, I think he is checking me out. how much longer can this last because I want to go talk to that guy?

he wishes you a good night and walks away, back to her, and you turn to your friends who crack a few jokes, buy you a drink and then you spend the rest of the night laughing, flirting and dancing feet away from them, knowing that he was just someone you used to you know.

case closed.

new chapter.

beads, beads and more beads

2012-02-21T10:24:00.002-05:00

While I'm only 25 percent Polish, my Hungarian grandmother used to cook all traditional dishes from both countries because her husband was 100 percent Polish. Growing up in Lorain, you ALWAYS had paczki on Fat Tuesday - I don't remember ever not eating paczki from Kiedrowski's Bakery.

Apricot and poppyseed are my absolute favorite along with lekvar but my good friend, Lindsay, reminded me that my non-Polish coworkers probably won't the traditional flavors, so I purchased a dozen of assorted jelly for them.

So, have a paczki, or three and eat and drink your heart out today! One of these years, I'll make it to Mardi Gras down in New Orleans, too!

Celebrating my Polish heritage with paczki from Stan's Bakery

Happy Fat Tuesday!

adventures in allison's weekend

2012-02-20T05:30:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love my Sunday night routine. I actually just love the night part where I'm all alone after running around all day, relaxing with a cup of tea and toast, watching Mob Wives and taking note of how NOT to act in public with a group of ladies and can finally blog about my weekend antics.

Friday:

Dinner with friends at XYZ Tavern where we waited almost an hour but it was well worth the wait, as always.

hello 16 oz of fun to kick off fun Friday

We headed over to Market Garden Brewery to celebrate Laura's fabulous birthday. (You know how much I love a birthday party, people, I take them seriously!) And, let's just say it was the place to be on what I thought would be your average low-key Friday night out where I ran into some blasts from the pasts from college. Oh, how I loved my days at Kent State......

Birthday girl, Laura, her BF Mike and yours truly

3 kick ass sidekicks for the night

Saturday:

My friends and I headed east to attend a reverse raffle for a friend's cousin where we all entered a million raffles and danced the night away in his honor complete with an incredibly off-key serenade to Whitney's "I Will Always Love You."

Phillip Devito Foundation

my friends were major winners, me not so much but there was an Aveda basket calling my name!

college friends Erin and Katie; post picture we sang our hearts out to Whitney

Sunday:

Let's not forget that the 21st annual Jump Back Ball is coming Saturday night at PlayHouseSquare and over the past two weeks, I've legitimately ordered 12 dresses from Zappos, Nordstrom, and Dillard's. That's fashion dedication!

CLEshopaholic and Alexa came over to throw our own runway show complete with shoes and jewelry while letting our very own Tim Gunn aka CLEshopaholic critique our choices. I needed honest opinions because I was swimming in a sea of glitter, sequins and one-shoulder dresses.

"I can tell you that at least a dozen girls would have tried that dress on and could be wearing it."

"No, it's TOO safe. Next!"

"Where did you get that? That looks like something you could buy at Forever21."

"No, next, it's been done before."

"I like it, don't love it, but very predictable. We don't do predictable."

Good news - we both settled on dresses with the help of our very honest and fashionable judge and have a little work to do before Saturday to complete our looks.

Next, I headed over to the Rock Hall because it only took me seven months to finally take myself over to the Women Who Rock exhibit. Oh, I heart all pop stars from the 80s and beyond and I completely got lost for an hour and half looking at Lady Gaga's Grammy costume, Britney's 2000 VMA sequin outfit and Cher's Bob Mackie creations.

If you have seen it, you will agree that those ladies are tinnnnnnnnyyyyyy. My god, they are all zeros or smaller with the exception of Donna Summer who has some cleavage based on the dress on display.

open until 2/26 and well worth it

I closed out this weekend with a takeout dinner with my family with entertaining and memorable conversation where they needed instant updates on my life - what I was doing this, what am I wearing to Saturday's event, how did I blow my tire out last weekend, what is going on with your dating life, etc. Apparently, I haven't been filling them in as much as I though I had.

Oh how I love this pizza.

Happy Monday, everyone! Let's get dieting in preparation for this weekend's events.

snowshow weekend part 2

2012-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

After a long day trip, a few games of flip cup and meeting new friends, most of the group was up and ready to kick some ass on the slopes on Saturday morning.

Well...my friend Amber and I had serious intentions of going skiing and then snow tubing, I swear we did.

I mean, we even left at 10 a.m. to head up to the town to look around and then met the larger group for lunch knowing that we'd plennnnnntttty of time to snow tube because based on the wind, we wouldn't actually be skiing.

snowshoe!

proof - we were out in the snow

longest lunch of our lives

After the three-hour lunch with the group, Amber and I headed down to the snow tube area because we were determined to tube but we had to be back up to the town to catch our ride back and ultimately didn't actually snow tube. So, to make up for the fact that we did no actual snow sports of any kind, we climbed up a mountain of snow with a group of kids and slid down on our asses to get snowy and to act like we participated in some kind of winter activity.

The group spent the last night at the house with another dance party but this time to the one and only Whitney Houston. After a friend received a text she died, I took over as DJ and we danced around celebrating Whitney by singing our asses off key like only a bunch of white girls can.

I wanna dance with somebody from Allison Peltz on Vimeo.

the boys didn't dare ask us to move our dance party

I don't think security could've gotten up the driveway

some new friends

of course we didn't actually use the shovel for snow

Cheeseeeeeee!

This trip pretty much rocked and a big thanks to my friends Gretchen and Mike for organizing the whole thing and gathering a fabulous group of friends from DC, Charlotte, PA and Cleveland to for an incredibly memorable weekend.

See you girls in April for our annual girls' DC trip!

the big Vday

2012-02-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

Ha ha - Let's get real - Do girls really do this?

Sh*t, let's hope not. Leave them in the past, ladies!

Happy Valentine's day to you and your significant other!

happy vday - who doesn't love candy hearts?!

What will I be up to? I will be wearing some red or pink and thought it would be hysterically cliche to go see the most lovey dovey movie out there right now - The Vow - with another single girlfriend.

Who doesn't want to look at some eye candy for two hours? Channing Tatum, I'm lookin' at you!

snowshoe weekend trip part 1

2012-02-13T05:30:00.000-05:00

I don't even know where to start as I sit here drinking tea and watching a tribute to Whitney on NBC. Because my weekend was filled with too much fun, I figured I'd divide my recap into two posts mostly because a) I'm tired and b) the Grammy's are going to be on and you knowwwww I love me some music!

The trip to Snowshoe started just like another trip does with an early wake up time to make the 6 hour drive to the snowy mountain. I was packed and ready to hit the open roads with my iPod and best singing voice of course.

colorful outfit ready to go

Somewhere around Marietta I decided to stop, fill up my tank and run to the restroom and it was about this time where I pulled an "Allison" and totally ate the curb on my way out of the gas station.

How did I manage to do this? I don't know.

How do I do anything I do? I still have no idea and Dad don't answer that!

As I crossed over in WV, my tire pressure gauge light came up and I do believe I said, "mother of god, you have got to be kidding me!," knowing full well what I had done. I drove a few miles realizing that I probably messed up the tire more than I actually wanted to know, pulled over, saw the nice little tear, immediately turned around and looked up the nearest tire center to hopefully make it there before my tire went flat.

proof I can't drive

So, I hung out in the pleasant Glotfelty Tire Center, checked up on my current events, sent a few emails for work and was on my way $129 later to the awaited ski house, where I couldn't wait to get a beer in my hand.

I made it and so did the snow

What was supposed to be a six-hour trip turned into an eight-hour trip so this --------> girl was ready for several beers, a meal and lots of laugh with all the housemates for the weekend who I had yet to meet.

assigned sleeping arrangements

been dying to see these fools - Gretchen and Amber

I dominated at beer pong, sadly, my teammate Amber did not

boys waiting their turn

reliving our college days with a game of flip cup

cooking with jello shots. always a great idea.

everyone does the skinny elbow....

Somewhere between flip cup and the dance party to my sweet mix of old school hip hop and pop music, I called it a night to prepare the next day which was supposed to involve skiing and snow tubing. Oh, how easily we got distracted.......

i'll show you a ski bunny

2012-02-09T23:15:00.004-05:00

That's right.

This girl right here is heading skiing over the next few days. We are staying at the house below with 25 friends of friends this weekend in West Virginia.

how much fun does that look!

I'll be joined by a few of the usual suspects pictured below and a lot other people I don't know. But we all know that makes for a great party!

Have I ever skied?

I don't think you can count Camp Fitch in 6th grade........

However, I am somewhat athletic so hopefully I will be able to pull it off. Maybe for an afternoon. Or for an hour.

While I'm not a ski bunny yet I am REALLY good at sipping cocktails in a hot tub or sitting at the bar with a bunch of people I don't know and socializing into the early hours. Either way, we will all have an amazing time together.

So, that will be my weekend - here's to coming home without any broken bones, sprains or any other crazy fluke accidents that would only happen to me and navigating myself to and from the destination by myself.

who doesn't love a new pair of heels?

2012-02-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

OMG how I heart shoes.

My coworkers joke that I receive the most Zappos shipments to the office. (This is sadly true but it saves me so much time from trying them on in stores AND if you order enough, they upgrade you to next day delivery. It's ah-mazing!)

Only 2 of 4 pairs fit

Ever since I dropped down to a smaller size over the past few months, I've had to literally update my entire wardrobe from jeans to leggings to dresses to shirts. I'm talking donating a quarter of my wardrobe and rebuying all the basics. (By no means am I complaining. And I'm a sale shopper. I own the BCBG sales.)

Not only did my actual wardrobe need a face lift but so did my shoe collection. Major overhaul was needed.

What happened to me? How did I go from having a closet full of heels to owning mostly flats?

Everything flat - flat boots, knee-high flat boots and ballerina flats. It's almost like recession had some kind of effect on my shoe choices and I took away the height. Butttttttt since we are finally coming out of that, I'm raising my own heel height back up to 4 inches, too.

heels galore

Let's be honest here - ladies, our backsides can look ahhhhhhhmazing in heels. It's perfectly OK to admit it - it's true. They prop you up, instantly giving you more confidence and perfectly toned legs in a matter of seconds.

new heels, ready to wear

Throw on your favorite pair of skinny jeans, cami or fitted T-shirt with a blazer for fitted jacket with a pair of platform stilettos and that is my perfect outfit. It looks classic yet chic and one of my favorite outfits because of the structured look. Plus, heels always glam up even the most casual outfit!

Guess black pumps, Nine West leopard and grey peep toes

Nine West black booties, two toned and cognac booties

Indirectly only one of those pairs isn't Nine West but when I find a comfortable pair, I run to get them in other colors. Other favorite brands include Steven by Steve Madden, Guess and Sam Edelman and if you watch, you can snag them at killer prices, too. I am obsessed Dolce Vita and Kelsi Dagger but they never quite work out.

What are your favorite heels? Brands? Colors? Do tell because you know I love to shop!

Disclaimer - In case there was any confusion, I'm in no way affiliated with Zappos, but I love a company with an excellent return policy and kick ass customer service. So I'm a fan for life.

the one where I don't have a clever title that includes Madonna, juke boxes and bar hopping

2012-02-06T06:30:00.000-05:00

Who didn't love that halftime show!

I don't care that she lipsynched.

I don't care that she almost fell on those bleachers. (She was in heels for god's sake!)

I don't care that she is bringing back pom poms. (I can wear a fingerless glove or two but I straight up draw the line at pom poms.)

Visually, I thought it was stunning for viewers.

Pom power!

I sat with my friend, Erin, glued to the TV and dancing on the bed and singing at the top of lungs, texting with CLEshopaholic as we are already planning to attend her unannounced concert tour this year.

Between Lady Gaga, her and Britney, I'm a fan for life of Madonna's. I can remember my aunt giving me her "True Blue" tape all those years ago and my mom bringing me home the only "appropriate" poster from her Blonde Ambition Tour to tape up on my bedroom door.

My friends and family know my love for all things Madonna and made sure to text me during and after the performance -

From my friend, Ryan, who hearts pop music but denies it- "decent."

From my brother - "So yeah there was no continuity with the songs. it just kinda stopped and started."

From my friend, Jessica - "MADONNA WAS AMAZING."

From my friend, Katelyn - "Please don't tell me you liked that halftime show."

From my cousin, Bryan -"Wow, Madonna is more geriatric than I thought. She can't even move her hips and is just walking around!"

From my mom - "I loved the halftime show. I had predicted 2 of the 4 songs she sang. She snuck in open your heart."
(Side note: How cute is my mom with her texts! She knows her Madonna too!)

So, what did I do this weekend beside spends the evening with friends and this cute little baby?

Little BKE

I joined a friend at the Cleveland Aquarium for a networking event on behalf Hahn Loeser & Parks where I ran into a fellow Twitter friend and a few fellow Kent Staters too. Hi @Billablesean! The group had the whole place to ourselves to take our time to walk through the exhibit at our leisure. P.S. Apparently you will be able to swim with sharks soon.

lobsters, Nemo and stingrays

Such a cute captain and my dress totally matched indirectly with the setting

Friday was a mix of lots of work and a little play, where I joined my coworkers for the last few minutes of glass blowing on w. 25th and then had a few drinks and snacks at Market Garden.

Bet you've never had a conference call in the bathroom? Yep, that's right, this girl did because my phone had AMAZING service in there but not outside, in say.....the rest of the place.

Nic making an octopus

instagram makes all food photos look better

Saturday night was pretty hilarious in its entirety because it started off with a classy belated birthday dinner for Lisa at Parallax and ended with a dare game with complete strangers in ABC Tavern, which included galloping like horses and convincing someone to do the worm.

In between a delicious and equally entertaining dinner conversation and our late night trip to ABC, the group held an impromptu dance party in Hotz Cafe. I've never been to Hotz but leave it to that Alexa to direct us to an awesome little dive bar with a kick ass jukebox. You want Blink 182? Check. M83? Duh. Rihanna? You better believe it.

dancing till the world ends

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be navigating through a week completely scheduled out with something every single night (and definitely blogworthy content let me tell you) and counting down the days until I will be ~~falling on my ass in the snow~~ skiing and hot tubbing with a group of of 20 friends and friends of friends for the whole weekend. Maybe a few of them are even cute and single....

Here's to hoping I come back in one piece with no broken bones!

at the moment

2012-02-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

Just a few things I'm feeling at the moment in no particular order.....

After signing up to run my second half marathon, I was in desperate need of new workout gear. Pants, tanks, jackets and still some new socks and possible shoes.

What surprisingly arrived the week of my birthday? New workout gear courtesy of Gap Fit.

Surprise! I live in the yoga pants

5 new pairs of pants, a tank and a new running jacket

I kept hearing this song on the preview of a show ~~Khloe and Lamar~~ I'd rather not mention and instantly fell in love with it.

A few years back I saw Chris Mann perform at Mom 2.0 and look who is all grown up, a Warbler on Glee and singing on The Voice this season.

Back in August when I was on my way to my first BlogHer, I needed some reading material for the plane and randomly picked up Elle, which happened to include an article about Gabrielle Bernstein which couldn't have come at a better time.

Upon landing, I ordered a copy of Add More -Ing to Your Life and have read and reread sections of the book and even bought a copy for a friend. That girl speaks my language.

It's winter and I need boots. Not just knee-high ones or Hunters but a pair of dressy boots too. And I found the perfect booties from Nine West via Zappos.

sassy and stylish and only $97!

Disclaimer: I'm a Gap Enthusiast, which means from time to time they send me surprises in the mail from Gap. Full review to come!

taming the weekend

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

The weekend, oh the weekend.

Since I've moved downtown, I've had plans almost every night since October for every weekend night. I've wanted to stay in and relax but I've pretty much been on the go for the past three months straight whether it's going out to bars, dinners or entertaining friends at my new place. (Don't worry, I'm not complaining at all!)

I finally spent my first Friday night in with a date night with my DVR and sushi for dinner. A night in was so needed after a busy week and fighting a cold that I believe is still coming on now. (Seriously, this snow then rain then 45 degrees then wind storm isn't helping my sinuses.)

Philly, spicy scallop, crab salad and miso soup. OH MY!

I passed up happy hour invites, invites to east side and movie nights to stay in to lay on my couch, catch up on Grey's Anatomy, Prime Suspect and the Mob Wives while enjoying sushi from Sushi 86, which is a stone's throw away from my place.

Saturday night I turned things up a notch and joined a group of friends at Touch Supper Club for Old School Hip Hop Night. Holla!

Hip hop hooray,....hooooo....eeehhhhh...ohhhh

That's my best Naughty by Nature impression of course.

We busted a move in the basement for a few hours but my god it gets crowded as hell down there. And, I can't tell you how many guys were in layers after layers with even winter coats on and were dancing in them. In full winter gear! I had on a silk shirt with a blazer and leather leggings and I was DYING after a few minutes of bopping around on the floor.

How the hell did those boys last the whole night in those coats?!?

The back view of my all black ensemble courtesy of Sean

After waking up without the help of an alarm clock, I headed to the wayyyy eastside to my old stomping grounds of Chagrin Falls and joined two friends for a belated birthday brunch at Yours Truly where we were joined by one of their adorable and incredibly animated almost 4-year-old daughter.

little cutie!

I finished Sunday off visiting my friends and little Brooklyn because she just celebrated her 2 week birthday. They just grow up so fast! She's already walking and talking. Just kidding!

apparently i'm more popular when I'm single

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

While I don't normally pay attention to analytics from this blog, I will occasionally peruse my stats and see when and where people are reading and what seems to be better days to post versus others. (Yes, my dear, I see you!)

When I took a blogging break back in September, everyone took a liking to my new single status and must've shared this blog with everyone and their mothers but I'm not complaining. Keep on reading, friends!

The most popular question I get now from friends is - "Are you dating yet?"

Me: "Nope, not yet."
Random friend: "Youuuuuuu haven't gone any dates."
Me: "Ahh, no, just not really interested quite yet."
Random friend: "How is that possible? Noooo guys have asked you out yet ?!?"
Me: "Nope, none. I'm pretty sure I have an invisible force field around me that says, 'stay away, stay far away!"

social dating at its best

Hmmmm. Let me be honest here. I'm not going to pull a J.Lo or a Madonna and start dating someone incredibly younger than me to where you all will think, "What the hell has gotten into her?" Will not be happening.

But with the end of a very serious relationship, I'm taking time for myself and doing whatever the hell I want, when I want. I was consistently in relationships for the last eight years, compromising my wants and desires way more than the boys did, and I promised myself I would take at least six months to relax, unwind, reconnect with new and old friends and refocus on what I want before I even think about hopping on the dating scene. No dating, just me, myself and I. (Sing it, Beyonce!)

And........I'm still on the fence about putting myself out in the dating scene, depending on which day it is of course.

Even thinking about it causes some anxiety because I'm not even remotely interested in a relationship. Commitment. None of it. At this point, I am to dating as what kryptonite is to SuperMan. And, not to mention this all seems so complicatedddddddd and sooooo much work. Don't text me if you get my number, call me.

Pick. Up. The. Phone. And. Dial. My. Number. Really, what is so hard about that?

Anyway, I'm on the defense and my walls are up pretty high around me. While the walls won't stay up forever, I'm hesitant to take any of my friends up on introducing me to guys, going on blind dates or even calling back those numbers I have mostly because I'm just interested in having fun without the commitment. The last thing I want to do is hurt someone because I'm not in an open and truly trusting mindset quite yet.

I'll get there, I know I will, but I'm completely content and satisfied relishing in my newly found freedom and refined version of myself, which is more fashionable than ever before, if I do say so myself.

So, friends, hold onto those guys that will be PERFECT for me because you know never, I just may take you up on that offer sooner than I even think.

And, of course, I will share about alllllllllllllllllllll the good, bad and ugly dates that take place because if nothing else, I can laugh about the stories I'll have to share.

Update: Shout out to reader Marie who called in last night when Alexa and I appeared on This City show on CSF Radio. Glad I can entertain you and your coworkers!

i heart a birthday celebration

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well, that was amazingly exciting weekend.

The birthday week has ceased and what a kick ass week it was as all the celebrating is complete.

Knowing Saturday was going to get bat shit crazy (and it did), Alexa, Jenn and I decided to stay in and avoid snowmaggdeon by eating Noodlecat, drinking champagne and devouring not one but splitting three ridiculous decadent sundaes from Sweet Moses.

We owned these sundaes.

We thought it would be a great idea to watch a movie, so we rented "The Ides of March" but Alexa and I passed out incredibly quick and I slept over because we were too lazy to move cars - adult sleepover!!! The next morning we continued our relaxing day with brunch at Latitude 41 where we laughed, picked guys who Jenn and I should consider dating and discussed other important topics over coffee.

best brunch ever

Saturday night I gathered a group of friends from work, high school, college and social media peeps and we drank and partied the night away at Market Garden Brewery. Apparently, everyone thought it was my 21st birthday, not my 29th, because several friends thought it would be a GREAT idea to start buying shots for me.

Sidenote: I can't drink like I used to. Not even close. A few drinks and I'm done for it - if I were to take on a bottle of vodka, chances are I'd lose. Very badly. And, I lost to the shots too.

Danielle, Meredith, Katie and me

before the shots, I'm standing tall

Apparently Sean was sleepy, Charity and Ben

Alexa, me and Ahmed - photobomber

And, two friends thought it would be a great idea to scope out the scene for guys and capture as many numbers as they could for me by letting every guy know it was my birthday. I would like to apologize to the bartender who put up with my talkative friends, incessantly asking for his number and giving mine out.

I finished out the weekend with most of it spent in bed on Sunday, then on the couch and then my weekend roommate Danielle and I were functioning by mid afternoon to take ourselves out of my apartment to grab dinner at Tremont Taphouse for some macaroni and cheese and burgers.

We killed it.

A big thank you to everyone who came out on Saturday night, sent a birthday tweet, gave me a sparkly birthday card and made this a fabulous weeklong birthday celebration for me. And, I apologize in advance if I didn't say goodbye to everyone because I KNOW I didn't. I'm pretty sure of that as I recall what happened that night.

most hilarious and appropriate group of cards

one year older.....

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

.....and a lot wiser, smarter, more sparkly, vivacious and excited for my year as a 29 year-old.

So as I thought of ways to celebrate my impending birthday, I made a pretty extensive list on my iPhone called "presents to buy myself." Pretty straight to the point.

It's been a list I've been building and dreaming of items to add to my wardrobe since the summer time. Just a handy list of shoes, clothes and purses I add to my Pinterest page or something I read about that I must have. Or dream about buying one day.

And on this iPhone list includes.....

Tory Burch flats

Louis Vuitton Neverfull

Tory Burch clutch

Alexander McQueen scarf

Marc Jacobs rose gold watch
J Brand skinny jeans
Laptop bag

Because I don't have an unlimited bank account and as my dad says, "Money doesn't grow on trees," I can't pick up everything on my wish list at once but I love having a list to work toward. To reward and treat myself. Treat yo self!

Off my list, I chose a nice piece of jewelry to rock on my wrist alone or with a group of other bracelets depending on my mood. Accessories are key my blog friends. Absolutely key to any outfit.

I can tell time now!

Happy 29th birthday to me!

onto the next

2012-01-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

My weekend kicked off on Thursday night this week with a birthday dinner to celebrate three birthdays because each of my two friends and I turned 29 within the last two months - November, December and now mine in January.

The girls and I hit up Ginko, sipped on complimentary champagne because they overheard me explaining the most lame ticket I've ever been given in my entire driving career minutes before I got there and tasted some of their delicious rolls (thumbs up to the Ginko and Royal crab rolls and spicy scallop chips).

Sushi and drinks! Yes please!

Earlier in the week, I received a text from my friend Carrie asking if I wanted to go see Last Call Cleveland - you know, the group behind some of our the hilarious Cleveland videos. We laughed our asses off for two hours then grabbed a few drinks to round out a busy work week for all four of us.

Saturday night one hundred of Sean's closest friends headed down to the Harbor Inn for Sean's Yacht Club Party (26 + 4). If you follow this boy on FourSquare, you know he was doing something new every night working up until this 30th bday party. Everyone showed up in their nautical best consisting of popped collar polos, striped shirts, top siders and even the occasional shark costume.


Party people!

Lisa, Kelly, Alexa, me and Janet

birthday boy, a dancing machine

Sunday brought an early morning filled with cleaning up all 800 square feet of my apartment, catching up on my DVR and knocking some work out of the way. After all that was complete, I headed to the east side for a few hours to my very good friends' house to meet their baby girl who was born on Friday the 13th. (This girl knows how to make an entrance already after arriving 5 days late.)

Although I was kept up-to-date via Facebook and pictures from my friend (the new mom!), I couldn't wait to get over and meet this adorable baby who it felt like took forever to come into this world. I'm now to the point where the majority of my friends are married and we are onto babies. (Sounds so adult, right?)

It's so surreal to see my friends have babies, especially after you've been talking about the unnamed baby girl for months! Well, the wait is over and baby Brooklyn is finally here. She is healthy at 7 pounds, some ounces and all sorts of adorableness.

Baby Brooklyn, making her blog debut!

After successfully holding a very cute infant without being too weirded out by it (they scare me!), I joined a lovely group of ladies to judge, critique and ultimately determine that every celebrity should've asked us what they should've worn at the Golden Globes at Charity's house.

champagne, sugar free jello and wine

group shot checking phones and Twitter

Two things -

1) All the ladies apparently had two color choices - Nude or Navy.

2) All the men apparently wanted to go with the "glow look" and were all specially spray tanned today.

While this weekend has come to a close, this week kicks off my birthday week with me officially turning 29 on Wednesday!!!! I'm super pumped, love celebrating birthdays and may or may not take a whole week to celebrate my birth with friends and end the week with a party on Saturday night.

where you should be on February 25

2012-01-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

Where will you be on February 25th?

Do you know?

Do you want plans?

I will be with 800+ other people dancing the night away, sipping martinis out of ice luges and hanging out at the 21st annual Jump Back Ball. The party consists of two amazing bands, Tricky Dick and the Cover Ups (late night band) and RadioActive (main stage), who played the event last year.

So much fun.

There's also delicious food and open bar which is included in your ticket price, and the VIP food will be catered by AMP 150 again this year. All this fun can be yours for either VIP tickets for $200 or general admission at $170 each. (That's my best Price is Right impersonation!) The money raised from this event goes to PlayHouseSquare's not-for-profit mission and raised $140,000 last year.

Last year, I was chosen as one of the JBB bloggers where I shared about the event and kicked myself for not going sooner to this party that I heard all my downtown friends talk about.

Typically overheard from my friends:

"You'vvvvvvvvvveeee never been?"

"How is thissssss even possible?"

After attending last year and inviting a group of new attendees, that same group purchased tickets again for this year and we've already started to plan our outfits as to what we will wear. (Fascinator anyone?)

My friend Katie found her dress last year at Nordstrom's and realized she needed to pick that up for this year's party upon seeing a girl wear it at the event and she looked hot. The theme is Through the Looking Glass and some people do get dressed up in theme, which is totally awesome by the way, so I hope someone comes dressed as the Queen of Hearts or the Mad Hatter or even Alice for that matter.

So last year, I posted a few dresses as possible options and I'm leaning toward officially doing Rent the Runway for reals this year.

Black Tibi Black Mini Dress

Gold Glimmer Herve Leger

Navy Yigal Azrouel with chain shoulder detail

Nicole Miller from the front

From the back

While I have over a month to find a dress, I guarantee you that I will be scrambling last minute to find something to wear out of my friends' closets as the date comes closer.

And, if you are interested in coming, I suggest you purchase your tickets very quickly. If you are on the fence, you should come and here's a first timer's guide to answer any of your questions. The event sells out so it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when the event sells out and you don't want to miss this either.

Disclosure: I received a free ticket in exchange for blogging about this fabulous event I was going to attend. I'm bringing a girl friend who hasn't been and is equally excited to attend her first JBB.

party rock

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Allison of four months ago -

While you are debating on moving downtown or staying in your comfort zone on the east side, your future self is loving her downtown life and is thanking you on a daily basis for taking the leap.

You will make excuses that it's too much money.

It doesn't make sense.

Maybe you should buy a condo somewhere instead of renting.

But ultimately you take a chance. You have more parties to attend, happy hours to hit up and bars to go to then you know what to do with.

Jenn's birthday dinner at Crop on Friday

Shibani, Jen and the birthday girl in green and 28!

Your downtown friends are super cool and since you only hang out them once in awhile based on your current zipcode, you will hang out with them all the time and love and appreciate them more than you know. A bunch of cool kids indeed....

Damn Alexa for introducing me this amazing beer to replace my Lambic addiction

While you have to drive farther to work, your car will stay put in the garage most of the weekend, which causes you confusion when trying to find said car on Monday mornings because you often forget what floor you parked on.

Saturday night fun

So when you do make the move, live it up like you are 25, drink too many vodka sodas, stay out to make it to after hours and dance the whole night away because you deserve it. After all, it's about time you relax, soak in your success and how much you love the present.

Thanks,
Your future self

what didn't happen last year...

2012-01-04T22:57:00.000-05:00

It's about that time when everyone starts reflecting on the past year, making new year's resolutions or just plain breaking them after only a few days. (Sidenote - I can't believe it's 2012 and I have yet to make a resolution.)

By having this blog, I can look back over the past year and recount what I did with friends and family and where my head was at in March, May or July. That's one great thing about having a blog - you can always read through the past events whenever you want.

Looking back at my posts, I had a pretty kick ass time (yes, I said kick ass and mean it) and I wouldn't take anything back. Not a damn thing or wish anything happened differently because it was a roller coaster of a time.

I attended the Jump Back Ball for the first year with friends and realized how much I was missing by not attending sooner and a Lexus Dark Ride event at the Playhouse, where we saw Dev and Jay Sean perform a few songs. My high school friends and I met up in DC for a weekend of laughs, wine and dancing and I sang my ass off to my third Lady Gaga concert. I watched my younger brother's law school graduation (he did it!) and purchased the LV bag I've been dreaming of for four flipping years. I continued my summer of concerts with attending both Britney Spears and New Kids on the Block in the same week.

In August, I started the beginning of my summer/fall travel with heading to BlogHer for the first time to meet up with fabulous bloggers followed by attending two Indians games in the Social Suite and then celebrating two friend's birthdays to round out the month.

In September, I jetted down to Folly Beach, S.C., for a very good friend's bachelorette party for Labor Day weekend and what a weekend it was then got up bright and early to tailgate for the Browns home opener.

In mid September, I shared my most personal post in all four years of writing this blog about my break up. And, it turns out that the demise of my relationship proved pretty popular with all of you because I had a daily record of people visiting!!! I kid you not.

I took some much needed time off and came back a month later with a new design, new apartment and a refreshed perspective and a hot new style to boot.

In November, I celebrated one of my best friend's birthdays and headed south to Punta Cana with another friend to get our grooves back after experiencing ridiculous eerily similar breakups within months of each other. With the holidays approaching, I finished up most of my apartment decorating and only have a few more things to purchase until I'm onto the bedroom.

Phew.... Are you still with me?

So where will this year take me?

Up to the fabulous age of 29. 14 days and counting!

A ski trip. Check!

Jump Back Ball. Check!

Girls' weekend in DC. Third year in a row!

(And that's just the first three months.)

Dating cute boys. Well, not yet.

So, I'll let you friends play match maker. Why not, right?

the one where we partied all night long

2012-01-02T19:21:00.003-05:00

What a new years that was!

To ring in 2012, I spent two days going to parties including a Holladays party on New Year's Eve Eve and spending the night with a group of girls for New Year's Eve - one of my favorite nights out.

The fabulous Lisa and Alexa hosted their third annual New Year's Eve Eve Holla days Festival of Awesomeness (best event name ever!) and I joined 100 other peeps to drink, be merry and wear sparkles in the new Spice Kitchen and Bar.

Me and Shibani; One half of the hosts; the crowd

Dance party to Rihanna

For New Year's Eve, I hosted a group of girls at my place for apps and chocolate martinis and then we hit up W.25th and W.6th bars and drank enough champagne, vodka martinis and Coronas for five guys.

friends; Best tux of the night; Touch; me and Danielle

We were at Market for a few shoreway coolers then ran across the street to Bier Markt and Speakeasy but that place was CRAZY packed like it was a summer night on the rooftop of Velvet Dog. .

Group shot at Market

We ditched that place to head to Touch to ring in 1/1/12 and catch the end of Lady Gaga's performance (you better believe I watched it then next day hungover) then danced like it was 1998 to old school hip hop in the basement.

Like fools, we went to W.6th and met up with my brother and his friends at Liquid. He is essentially my wing man since I've moved downtown because he's either out with me and his friends or he's calling me to come over for "breakfast" when I don't even know he's down here. Guess that's what older sisters are for.....

Yep, that's him!

What turned out to be a late night turned into another lonnnnngggg day that started with a home cooked breakfast then a walk to Panini's down the street to watch the Browns with my brother and his friends, which then turned into receiving impromptu Cavs tickets (Thanks Amanda, Kristina and Kandis!) to watch them win against the Nets.

Go Browns!

For some reason, everyone was booing Kris Humphries but I still don't understand why because if they boo him, they better be booing Kim for the sham wedding that is still covering all the gossip rags.

My pseudo roommate, Danielle; go cavs!

Like so many other people, I was lucky enough to have the day off on this lovely Monday to pull my apartment back together, take down my Christmas decorations, organize my overflowing closet all while watching a Sex and the City marathon.

Have I mentioned I love living downtown? Because I do! Here we go 2012!

glitter this NYE

2011-12-29T16:50:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-28T00:56:00.002-05:00

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

2011-12-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-18T22:49:00.002-05:00

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

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000-05:00

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

2011-12-11T18:39:00.001-05:00

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?

2011-12-09T09:17:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-06T22:50:00.001-05:00

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

2011-12-04T22:25:00.001-05:00

....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!

pass me another mojito

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-05:00

Don't throw anything at me when you read this. Because, if you are, I'm sitting on a beach in Punta Cana with one my best friends, Danielle, for a week of sun, 80 degree weather (hopefully!) and endless mojitos.

See! I told you you may throw something at me.

This is trip couldn't come at a better time for both of us. My pasty body needs a tan like no other and she needs to get the F outta here since she is going through a rough break-up too. I mean, who wouldn't want me as their vacation friend? I'm super fun, up for anything and can lay out with the best of them for 10+ hours. Don't dare me....

It has been 10 years since we've last gone on a vacation together. 10 years........Seriously, the last time we were on a beach together was when we were 18 and in Myrtle Beach for our high-school spring break. We somehow convinced our parents it was an amazing idea to let five 18-year-olds drive a suburban down to South Carolina for a week.

Our parents were sooooooooooo naive or incredibly trustworthy of us. We stocked that car full of liquor, food and stayed in a condo for a week together. No arrests, just a lot of bad hangovers and a few noise violations.

some things never change

that's me, being creative w/ ketchup and paper towels

check out those hotties!

So........we head to Punta Cana for the week a little older and wiser with nothing to do but lay out, relax, sip mojitos, reminisce on this past year filled with the amazing ups and downs and come back refreshed with glowing tans and a hot new game plan for the next year ahead of us.

Now, pass me another mojito......

i heart thanksgiving

2011-11-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

I feel like this applies to all us bloggers, don't you?

Eat too much. Seconds, thirds, go for it.

Drink too much. On the biggest bar night of the year. Everyone's a star tonight.

Laugh too much. With crazy family members and long-lost friends.

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

name that meow

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

I think I've officially been living downtown a month and definitely don't have a shortage of places to go or people to hang out with on any given night. Plus, with the holidays coming up, I somehow have almost every weekend booked leading up to Christmas and New Years, which isn't a bad thing when you are a single girl living in the city.

On Friday, my friends surprised our beautiful and pregnant friend, Erin, on her 30th birthday. Leading up to this day, she was unsure what she wanted to do, "I'm soooo pregnant" she'd tell me over and over and over. I had to remind her that she wasn't the first person to be pregnant on their birthday.

Her husband decided to throw an "Impromptu Birthday Party" so a group of us were ready and waiting when they came from dinner. I thought we nearly sent her into labor when we all screamed at the top of our lungs surprise! Saturday a group of girls got together and joined Erin at Santo spa in Pepper Pike for some pampering and relaxation.

Erin cutting her rainbow cake

Celebrating 30 is Ah-mazing

These toes are ready for Punta Cana

Post spa day, three of us went and relived our teenage years watching Breaking Dawn Part 1, where I proceeded to fall in love all over with Edward Cullen. Holy hotness! I really could have sat there to watch another two hours if they would've made the movie into just one part versus two. That night, I met with up with Alexa, Sean, Suzanne and a bunch of other peeps at Market and then Tina's Nite Club - two weeks in a row!

Did I slow down on Sunday? Hell to the no. I met up with the usual suspects - Lisa, Sean and Alexa- to brunch it up at XYZ tavern prior to Sean's first browns game. Add mimosas and it turned into quite the laughing, table slapping session, which continued at the game where I taught them the fun game of "name that meow." You meow a song and everyone has to guess what it is. Yes, it's a fun game invented by my coworkers. (Yeah Kelly and Nic!) Initially, you think, "Is she f'ing serious with this?" because that's what I said to Kelly and Nic. Yes, why yes, I am. Try it. It's addicting and equally hilarious and if you are at the Browns game while meowing, just expect the guys in front of you to get weirded out. It's cool. A little meowing never hurt anyone.

1st game for Sean, good luck charm right there

Go Browns!

Now, onto a three-day work week followed by my favorite holiday and then vacation for a week of pure bliss. Ahh....get us on that flight already.

because it's Friday...........

2011-11-18T04:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a long week for me and I have a feeling for a lot of you there too.

With Thanksgiving coming up next week, we are all trying to get every last-minute detail completed so we can (or at least I feel this way ) walk comfortably out of the office for the next few days and enjoy the long weekend and crazy day that is Black Friday.

Or, in my case, a week and a half because I'll be vacationing it up starting next Friday. One week from today. It is lonnnnnnng over due. On a beach. With one of my best friends. Ah....bliss, relaxation and serenity now.

new placement for hair extensions

Feel free to add a caption to the above photo because it's absolutely ridiculous that I did that and, secondly, that it was captured on film.

I can only imagine what else was snapped throughout that wedding weekend.....

running around town

2011-11-13T21:38:00.001-05:00

So I'm coming off an exciting weekend spent downtown (just loving my new apartment I tell ya) - beautiful weather followed by great times spent with friends. Oh how I love them all.

Friday, I met up with friends at Edison's Pub in Tremont to meet up with Jenn and Sarah and met a whole new group of interesting people. While you may have heard about this secret little place called Tina's Niteclub from reading Alexa's blog, it seems like all the cool kids end up there late night to sing their favorite songs.

While I didn't actually sing, mostly because I wasn't drinking enough and I started to lose my voice as it got later, there were some ammmmmmazing song choices from my friends but some of those people can sing! Seriously, some of these peeps can belt out some tunes.

On Saturday, I headed way east to Chagrin Falls for my cousin's wife's baby shower and their baby is due on my birthday. Yay for January 18 birthdays!

adorable cake

Mom to be

Staying in the theme of throwing apartment parties for the week, I had some college friends over to see my new place and had a group of friends over to watch Gossip Girl earlier in the week. Let's just say we didn't do a whole lot of TV watching but lots of laughing ensued and that's exactly what happened Saturday night too.

Katie with baby Olivia

A few of us headed out to the W.25th area to Market then Bier Markt then Speakeasy and for some reason we decided to head to W.6th. (Yes, I know, but we were going with the flow and the people we were with.)

We went to Drop Bar which I'm still going to call Mercury no matter how many times they change the name, and this is about the time where my two friends and I thought we could be on the show "So you think you can dance?"

See, proof, we thought we could dance

I would really hate to have been anyone there watching us or, mainly me, dancing around like a bunch of fools to Rihanna, Britney Spears and whatever house music they played. (You people know I can't dance!)

The weekend went by too fast and another really busy week is ahead of me with no sign of stopping until I'm on a beach with a mojito in hand. Sun, sand and one of my best friends for a whole week of relaxation is just what is ordered for both of us right about now.

P.S. Shout out to readers Zoe and Erika who I met in real life this weekend!

a few of my favorite things

2011-11-08T23:15:00.000-05:00

Ever since I lost some much needed lbs., I've been making a list on iPhone of clothes I need to buy to glitz up my fall wardrobe. I'm also a HUGE fan of Pinterest and literally build my wardrobe within my boards. Check out my "what I want for fall" one.

Anyway, I like to find a good balance between buying trendy pieces at Forever21 and H&M and mixing in some quality pieces that will last for season after season. It may cost a little more but I know I'm making a serious fashion investment for my future. (Or at least that's what I tell myself when I look at the price tags of some of the things I pick out!) I've checked a few of my items off my list already and have a few more to add to my closet.

I was in desperate need to replace my 5-year-old Uggs, which were Oprah's favorite things mind you, with a boot that I can wear in the rainy days and through Cleveland's rough winters. Alas, behold my new Hunters. I picked these up on an amazing Gilt sale a few weeks ago.

Glossy black for me

I love my winter coats and like to have different options. You need a pea coat, a bomber, a winter white dressy one and I needed a new black coat too. I bought a Tahari coat like this one from Gilt too but the collar is different and flips around my face. I flipping love it!

Love the high collar!

I've been wanting a structured blazer - something not so typical. A jacket to throw on with jean leggings with pumps to dress up what would otherwise be a casual work outfit.

The grey pants don't do this coat justice.

What's next on my list you ask? Well, it's pretty long but this scarf has quickly risen to the top.

I've been dreaming of this scarf for over a year in multiple colors. The black, or navy with red too - I'd wear the hell out of it. Every day I swear. RIP McQueen.

McQueen scarf

As we enjoy the last month or so of fall and head into winter, what do you want you to add to spice up your wardrobe? New riding boots, winter coat, fur vest?

sickness becomes me

2011-11-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

Well........ I was down and out for the count this weekend. I have always only known two speeds - 0 or 100 - one or the other. There's no in between with me and every time I tell myself, "Allison, you are running yourself into the ground and going to get sick," it happens at the worst possible times. Without fail.

Sure enough that's what happened after running at 100 mph for the last month. Between moving, traveling to back and forth from the west to east coast and just plain running on empty, my body shut the eff down. Friday night I desperately tried to fight back the head cold from hell and fever to meet my friend Danielle for a celebratory dinner and drinks.

Cheers to tying up all loose ends.

It finally caught up with me on Saturday morning and I spent the majority of my weekend in my apartment, moving between the couch to the kitchen to make myself tea after cup of tea with kleenex in hand.

my medicine for the weekend

my view for most of the weekend

Caught up on some reading material

Found fascinators from Nordstorm to wear to the Jump Back Ball in February

While I did manage to leave my place to pick up a few things for my Gossip Girl party this week, I also had two of my favorite visitors over to wrap up a very much needed low-key weekend.

Mira is adorable, even though she peed on my tile floor

Here's to a busy week and one more week closer to vacation. Where to go, where to go......

party weekend

2011-10-30T11:44:00.001-04:00

While I've been in my apartment for only two weekends, I've yet to spend a true weekend actually in Cleveland with friends. With the wedding, traveling and moving, I haven't spent a lot of time even in my lovely new apartment or even in Cleveland.

On Friday night after a long week of work, a group of us headed out to celebrate my wonderful friend Lia's 27th birthday.

dinner and drinks at Bar Cento

On Saturday, my lovely family came over to help me set up the apartment AKA hang all my pictures because I'm not patient enough to use a level or hang anything even remotely close to straight. And, if I were to hang it incorrectly, it would bother the hell out of me everytime I looked at the crooked mirror.

a little preview of apt

Then at night, I transformed into the very fashionable Rachel Zoe to head to my first Halloween party at the Harbor Inn at the infamous @timmybennet party I've read about on Alexa's blog for years followed by first trip to the Big Egg. (It's a popular place after Halloween festivities I tell ya.)

BANANAS with Zoolander

Chucky and his bride

Twitter bird

dance party revolution

Now, it's back to reality to the work week and to my last week of travel for the month. I've been everywhere this month from LA to Charlotte to Houston to Denver to LA and then back to LA this week for a few days. Phew! I'm building miles to go somewhere fabulous, that's for sure.

and like that.......I'm back.

2011-10-26T02:11:00.000-04:00

Well.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk!

THAT was a much needed blogging break, if I do so say myself.

Notice anything different? Not only have I been busy over the past month but so has a certain local designer extraordinaire named Ashley creating my new look for my new name - Confessions of a CLE Habitant.

I feel like I'm getting back from summer break. Considering I've never really taken a formal "break" from blogging, I would highly recommend it - I feel incredibly refreshed and have so much to post about. I feel a bit more relaxed now. A little less weighed down if you will.

Want to know what I did over the last month? Here's my month in picture review.

I discovered a new love for tailgating with friends and family.

I heart my cousins and brother

I said goodbye to the suburbs, homeownership and a yard and hello to my new loft apartment.

Living room view

I lost a few much needed lbs. and started taking some QT for me, including pampering myself with spa treatments, which will be something I consistently treat myself to moving forward.

Skinny friend Danielle. Not so skinny Allison

Same skinny friend Danielle and newly skinny Allison

I celebrated an amazing friend's wedding with my high school crew of friends in Charlotte. It was the perfect end to a busy week of traveling for work to the west coast.

Amber and Joe

Causing trouble for over 15 years

finally married

With that, I'd like to give a special shout out to Ashley over at Our Little Apartment who helped give me quite the face lift and bring this blog back to f***ing life. It's about time and I couldn't be happier with the final product. Thanks again!.

the one where we break up

2011-09-19T07:07:00.002-04:00

If you've followed my blog for the past few years, you've probably noticed something, or someone, is missing from my posts as of late. I've gone back and forth contemplating whether I write this post or not but considering this blog was created to share my life, I'm not going to stop now. (What's the fun in that?) Some readers/friends have put two and two together, asking some mutual friends "are they together?" or "she hasn't written about him in awhile, what's going on?"

Well, I can't fool you guys - there is no more BF which is why I haven't been writing about him.

Would you like know what happened? I bet you would :)

Am I going to share it on here? Hell to the no. Ask one of my close friends for all the juicy details.

But you own a house? Yes, yes we do. Lesson learned, my friends, lesson learned.

I've learned a lot about myself and other people in the last few months and received some of the best advice from my family and friends both online and offline. I also learned that my Dad reads the horoscopes everyday, which is just hilarious and odd in and of itself if you knew him in real life, and texted me one morning with '"Read your horoscope, it's spot on."

It reads: "You might need to do something very different from what you originally intended. Others seem very awry, encouraging you to walk in a different direction."

4 stars

With that said, I'm walking in a very different direction - away from the lies that would make a kick ass Lifetime movie - and going to take a little blogging break to reboot and recharge as I pack up and head downtown to my new digs in a month. I'm incredibly excited, nervous and overwhelmed to move but I'm making the absolute right decision for me- new building, new people and new adventures.

I'll be back online in a few weeks (you won't even know I'm gone!) with a new look and name - Confessions of a CLE Habitant. You like?

I hope you continue to read and follow along on all my new adventures because I can assure you - I'm still the sort of funny (or at least sometimes I think I am) and witty girl without that little boy.

And just THINK of all the funny dating stories I'll have to share.

Editor's note: The funny thing about the truth is it always has a way of coming out, when you least expect it and when you need to see it the most. :):) :) kisses

and football season has started

2011-09-12T12:30:00.001-04:00

So I joined a touch football league.

Long pause.....

While I know I don't "scream" athletic football player, I would everyone to know I caught the ball. Although I run around with what probably looks like my head cut off, I'm tricky - I can catch a ball. Now, throwing - that's a whole other thing but let's just focus on what I can do and that's distract the team with my crazy antics and catch passes when they least expect it. See - nobody expects it.

Cut to Sunday where I tailgated in the Muni lot for the first time. I can hear "WTF - are you serious, Allison? How is that possible?" Well, friends, it is but you better believe I'm going to make it a goal to get my behind down to every home game to tailgate. My friends and I got down there at 9 a.m. and it worked out perfectly as we joined several different tailgating parties.

partners in crime since 2001

coolest beer bong

best tailgating purse ever complete w/ jello shots

Look mom - we are getting along!

9/11 tribute

I couldn't have asked for better weather and the rain held out most of the game until I had to run to my car all the way over on Lakeside. Good thing I wore Pumas versus flip flops - nothing is worse than wet jeans, am I right?

Fashion Night Out at Saks

2011-09-08T23:04:00.002-04:00

Shopping? Check. Fabulous food. Check. Fun blog friends? Check.

After just finishing up my first FNO event at Saks, I will say it was quite the success. I did arrive a few minutes late but I made the most of my two hours in the end with shopping partners, Cleshopaholic and Alexa at Cleveland's a Plum.

watching Burberry, loved the snow finale

There was so much to do and look at from going on the scavenger hunts around the different departments from shoes to handbags to beaut with free gifts galore.

Alexa sampling The Chubby Cook's dishes - holy He-Man fingers

Modeling my future Theory jacket -LOVE it

We made our way down to the beauty department where I snagged a new M.A.C. lipglass and blush since my NARS Orgasm was running down to the last bit of color. While we were relaxing in the shoe department because our feet hurt, I took the liberty of browsing the shelves and found my other future purchase, a pair of Tory Burch flats. From what I'm told, they will eat your feet in the beginning but will become comfortable after you get through the initial discomfort. Fashion over function!

I'll take one of each

Next up this weekend is the Roar on the Shore on the event and the Browns home opener. Now, what to wear to tailgating........

Disclosure: Special thanks to Positively Cleveland for the invitation.

i'm sober as a goat

2011-09-06T08:55:00.001-04:00

The title of this is dedicated to the one and only, Amber. Of the many quotes that were from this past weekend, this one pretty much stuck out for all of us. She uttered this bit of wisdom after taking one too many blow job shots, trying to convince us that wouldn't get sick in the cab. Oh, Amber!

I'm slowly recovering from three days of sun, fun and friends from Folly Beach, SC.

Having never been there, I have to say I've been missing out on a great beach location. Why the hell haven't I made it there sooner? It was any easy trip from Cleveland, a 20 minute drive from the airport and we were at the beach.

Here's a rundown of our weekend:
1 - beach house filled with 18 girls and one hilarious soon to be mother in law
53 - the number of times people tripped walking in the door from the hidden step
48 - number of bottles of water consumed
1- batch of "Skip and Go Naked" otherwise known as Electric lemonade (beer, vodka, lemonade)
8 - cases of beer (or so I think)
6 - pairs of fingerless lace gloves
2- crimpers going nonstop for 3 hours
36 - number of bathing suits worn
2 -bottles of Advil
4 - people who napped or slept outside on the porch
2 - parking tickets

Unless you want a $250 ticket per person, put the beer in a cup

10 am - 5 pm every day

Making Skip and Go Naked for lunch

Amber - all 80s up

Nominating myself for best Tina Turner hair

The whole gang - can you stop the prego mother-in-law?

After our night spent in 1984, we were somehow recognized as we walked through the beach bars the next day in casual gear. "Hey, aren't you guys the 80s bachelorette party from last night?"

How, oh how, could they have recognized us without all the hairspray and fishnets?

beach bachelorette weekend

2011-09-01T17:51:00.000-04:00

It's finally here! The bachelorette party I've been so ridiculously excited to attend for one of my closest friends from my hometown.

On a beach, staying in a beach house.

With 17 new "friends." I only know three of them.

A weekend of sun, beers, sand and the ocean, where my biggest decision will be "which bathing suit do I wear?" or "which beer would I like to have with lunch?"

I can't believe it's finally here.

She has no idea what surprises are in store for her.

With Amber, the bride

this picture fits her perfectly

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Fashion Night Out - Cleveland Style

2011-08-29T22:06:00.000-04:00

If you are obsessed with New York Fashion Week, then you probably follow the #nyfw hashtag on Twitter, check Women's Wear Daily and the Refinery29 34 bizillion times a day throughout the week for minute by minute updates.

Oh, and let's not forget the beautiful photo montages that the New York Times put together so you can preview the collections over and over and over or following your favorite bloggers like The Glamourai's updates.

While I won't be going to NY Fashion Week this year, (although read all about the hottest nail trends from Michelle at All Lacquered Up) I will be joining a group of other fashion obsessed Clevelanders at Saks next Thursday for a Burberry show.

In a fabulous partnership with Stylelist, Aids Taskforce of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic Innovations and Positively Cleveland, all these people are making this night happen, my friends, so where will you be?

I think you should join me at 6 p.m. for drinks, light refreshments, a flipping fashion treasure hunt, makeover photos and more.

Tickets are $50 and you'll receive a $50 Saks giftcard to use that night and 10 percent of all proceeds are donated to the Aids Taskforce. (Personally, I'm eyeing this sweet pair of Tory Burch flats or this TB clutch because I need both of them. Duh.)

Event details:

FNO at Saks, Thursday, September 8 at 6 p.m.

Purchase tickets here - http://bit.ly/ATGCatSaksTix

See you there!

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary ticket to attend the event courtesy of Positively Cleveland. Fact: I would've purchased a ticket anyway. Fact: I'm going to have to pulled away from the shoe department.

super hero slumber

2011-08-25T09:16:00.000-04:00

I didn't hear the raging storm last night that hit Cleveland and I also didn't feel the quake. I got nothing. I only knew about the 5.8 quake based on all the tweets I saw way before anything showed up on news sites. Then, I laughed as all the mock videos were made from everyone on the west coast - we aren't used to these kinds of things!

A friend suggested maybe it's my sweet sleep mask, but I think it's because I must have super hero capabilities in where mother nature just doesn't wake me from my slumber. Of all the super powers, apparently mine is sleep. Not flying, being invisible or seeing the future - just sleep.

Or, maybe it's because I'm burning the candle at both ends, says my trusty daily horoscope, where I'm doing too much and packing too many things into the day. I've always been guilty of this. I say YES to everything and I need to stop and be more selective because a) I will drive myself crazy and b) I'm really not a super hero. And, if I was, apparently my super power isn't really working if I'm still tired in the morning.

How do you manage a crazy schedule without losing it in the process?

adventures in babysitting

2011-08-22T09:53:00.000-04:00

In case you aren't aware or brand new to the blog, I don't have any kids but lots of my friends have kids under 3 now. Some are little and tiny infants and some are toddlers. All of whom I've never actually babysat but visited with for hours on end.

On Sunday, my friend and I spent a good portion of our Sunday funday hanging out with my other friend's adorable kids, drinking margaritas and "watching" the kids while their mom put each kid down, one by one. Shame on me but it was my first time meeting Presley in person and she is already 10 months old! (I know, I know, I'm a bad friend but at least I got to meet her before her first birthday, right?)

After the rain let up, Jagger needed to get his butt outside so we played a little game of "open the door and shut the door."

weekend of surprises

2011-08-15T08:03:00.002-04:00

I can't remember the last time I had back to back surprise birthday parties for friends, let alone celebrating three birthdays in one weekend. But, apparently December was a popular month for the parents to get busy to have August babies.

Friday kicked off with my late entrance to my friend's husband surprise 30th Indians game. Erin (the best friend a girl could ask for) arranged over 25 friends to come to the game to surprise her husband. People kept walking into the bar - Surprise!

Surprise! Brian is 30!

Erin, the best party planner

Surprise #2 was held at Lopez in Cleveland Heights for my friend Shawn. Her BF said they were meeting there for dinner and she walked in to about 15 people yelling "Surprise!" I missed the picture but the pure shock on her face lasted pretty much the whole night, even when they brought out the cake to end all cakes.

Surprise!

Doesn't it look delicious? Red velvet inside

Sunday started off low key with a brunch with a group of friends. I'm so happy we opted out of going out and held a little impromptu brunch at her house where we were able to hang out with her adorable twins.

The spread - strata, monkey bread, fruit, donuts and mimosas

Now this is a tutu

Me, the baby whisperer, she is out cold

Lastly, this weekend ended with my little brother's (while not that little anymore) 27th birthday dinner at Market Garden Brewery where I didn't snap one damn photo! Oh well, here's to a busy week!

social suite time

2011-08-11T23:18:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, I joined a group of lovely social media ladies to attend my first Indians game in the Social Suite. You know, that Social Suite that everyone should sit in every game because of the amazing seats.

A group of us were invited to come to support Wahoo Women, where $3 from every ticket of that night's game went to the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign.


view from the suite

Group shot stolen from Alexa's phone

rain delay!

While it rained, we talked about really important things like the weather as Alexa watched the radar explaining when it would pass, ran back and forth between the terrace club and discussed our favorite spanx brands. Really. Here's a tweet to prove it.

told you!

Jen and Janet's cute red shoes

Thanks Time Warner for the food.

Even with the rain, I had an amazing time for my first invite in the suite and oddly enough, I'll be back at the park this weekend for another game. Only I indirectly head to two concerts and two Indians games in one week!

Bloggers take San Diego Part 1

2011-08-10T13:39:00.000-04:00

While I'm fighting one hell of a head cold after my return from my BlogHer, this doesn't change how much absolute fun I had over the three days with my blogger friends.

So much fun and so little sleep.

I was finally able to meet Jen and Rachael in person and reconnecting with a long lost friend from my table waiting days. Such perfect timing for meeting everyone in a beautiful city.

In case you weren't following my crazy foursquare checkins, I figured I'd share my trip via a few pictures from Day 1 and 2.

Finally here!

If you know anything about BlogHer, you know that brands go all out from lavish yacht parties to bringing in celebrity spokespeople -nothing is too extravagant at this event. I mean nothing! Well, as you know me, I'm not one to shy away from meeting a celebrity or three so I made sure to get in line and meet each of them. ( I somehow missed meeting Jane Lynch in a sexy track suit!)

With Giuliana - so beautiful and genuine in person

Who doesn't love a Bieber cut out? My friend Lia does!

Bob Harper - you have some sexy tattoos

Wendi from Reno 911 - I told her how many classes I skipped to watch the DVDs hung over

There you have it - a day and a half of attending sessions and meeting some celebrities at brand booths but my friends and I made sure to take advantage of the weather and beaches. More on that and my favorite booths in my next post.

off to BlogHer

2011-08-03T17:21:00.000-04:00

While I had great intentions of writing about my fascination with the TLC show "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding," I simply don't have time. I am obsessed with that show from the dresses to the accents I can't quite understand to the Rave-like outfits the teenagers wear to a wedding! It's a wedding after all and they look like they walked off the set of Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty."

I have managed to cram five days of work into 3 days as I'm off to BlogHer for my first time in San Diego. My goals are pretty simple - to meet up with the bloggers who I work with for my day job as well as meet some of the chicks I've been reading and ~~stalking~~ following along on Twitter for the past few years.

It is going to be a blast I tell you. One freaking bloggeriffic blast!

My agenda of places to go is pretty short.
-Coronado Island. That's it. That's all I've got.

So, what places/stores/sights should I see when I have some down time in sunny San Diego?

...the right stuff

2011-07-28T10:29:00.000-04:00

In the battle of the concerts between NKOTBSB and Britney Spears, NKOTBSB won it hands freaking down. They out danced, performed and sang circles around her - it was such a good show. While I swore I managed my expectations when we were going to see her this time around after Circus, I still wasn't wowed. Ok - I know she doesn't sing, I get that but there were enough lasers and kick ass background dancers to hide the fact that she doesn't do a whole lot besides walking and hair flips.

But that still didn't stop me from singing along to every song......

view from our seats

Slavvveeee for youuuuu

I saw them in 2008 when my friends and I surprised a friend with tickets for her birthday and I'm sooooo glad I didn't miss out on it again this year with Michelle, Suzanne and Jess. We all sang our hearts out to both groups and who knew I would remember so many of the Backstreet Boys songs. They sang all their hits and pulled girls up on stage to one song where one of them was excited to be up there and the others looked like deers in headlights. I'm talking nervous shaking and no smiling! If only we would've been on the floor...... but we were lucky enough to get upgraded to a lower section - woo hoo!

Opening sequence

all together again

yeah nick carter

Jordan is still my favorite

hangin' tough in sparkly jerseys

Finale - what a freaking blast!

busy with a capital B

2011-07-24T23:45:00.000-04:00

So I don't have this crazy and wild weekend of activities to share but I do have one hell of a busy week ahead of me. As usual, I enjoyed the ridiculously hot weather outside and then had dinner at Ballantine with friends and saw Horrible Bosses. Ever since the BF saw previews and the extended trailer, I knew this would be the next movie we saw even though I'm all about Ryan Gosling and his abs in Crazy Stupid Love. Oh my god - I can't wait.

I was mentally preparing myself for what will be a hectic and loonnnnng (but very exciting) week. On Tuesday, I head to Britney Spears to basically listen to her album played through the Q's sound system where she will dance and lipsynch her way through my favorite pop songs.

Complete with screened t-shirts for the Circus tour

Post concert, I'm meeting up with high school friends who I haven't seen in months and some who I haven't seen in a year, but I'll take the lack of sleep anytime to hang out with this group of friends.

On Wednesday, I'll be back at the Q with Michelle and Suzanne to dance our asses off to New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys, but I think we all agree we are more pumped to hear Step by Step and Hangin' Tough. (Although, seriously I will sing at the top of my lungs to I Want it That Way any time. You want to karaoke - I'm there.)

Oh Joey McIntyre circa 2008

Group shot

By Thursday, I'll be sleep deprived and possibly deaf from the loud music but I'll have to rally together to take my brother for dinner after he completed his bar exam. Two days and 12 hours of testing later, I think he deserves a dinner out, don't you?

Good luck, Greg!

And, it will be the weekend before I know it. Here's to a full week!

sun hangover part II

2011-07-19T22:27:00.000-04:00

Even though it was a bizillion degrees out this weekend, I managed to be out and about Friday through Sunday which may or may have not had to do with a hose and a beach chair during the super hot hours.

For us Clevelanders, we have this amazing little comedy club on East 4th that I always forget about for some reason - Hilarities. The last time I was here was for my 24th surprise birthday to see Rocky Laporte. Um, yes, that was four years ago - it's been too long.

yeah pink boas and surprises circa 2008

A group of 12 or so decided to see Frank Caliendo after a long week. I only remember him as the impression guy and the BF wasn't sure how he would be in person but he was hilarious! (He wore KSU gear too.) He did everything from Bush to Obama to Charles Barkley to Morgan Freeman. (Just thinking about his impression of Charles Barkley makes me laugh now.) Seriously, how the eff does he do some of those voices?! After checking out the lineup for the months to come, I'm going to talk everyone to coming back to see John Caparulo (the guy who wears KSU stuff on Chelsea Lately - Go KSU!) and for this murder mystery show they have through the end of August. I've alllllwwaaays wanted to go to one of things. Remember the Saved the by the Bell episode? Yeah, that's my only reference to a murder mystery other than Clue.

After our Veggie U trip, I traveled down to Tremont with Christina and her adorable sun to brave the humidity in the name of food.

I'm sweaty just looking at the kid with long sleeves and jeans.

We hit up Lolita, Bac and Dim and Den Sum before we called it quits. We only lasted 1.5 hours but it was a great end to a fabulous weekend. Now, what to do this coming weekend? I do believe a pool is in order.

sun hangover

2011-07-17T23:40:00.001-04:00

Way back when, a group of bloggers attending the patio opening at Washington Place Bistro and owner Scott Kuhn introduced the group to Farmer Lee Jones and Veggie U. He surprised the group with tickets to the event and off we went! On Saturday, that same group headed west to the country for the Veggie U Food and Wine Event with a bunch of other fabulous people in Jeff's sweet sexy van.(Yep, we took a party van to the event.)


Van in background, group in front

If you followed any of us on Twitter or #veggieu, you probably saw a lot of tweets and photos from the group on the way there, at the event and on the sing along van ride back to the Lakewood. Because I've had a sun hangover weekend from all day in the heat on Saturday and a short trip to Taste of Tremont today, I think a photo recap post is in order!

Me and Christina in the back of the van

Nothing says fancy like busch light and macaroons

Champagne anyone?

Jeni Britton Bauer and Govind Armstrong signing books

Jeni's ice cream, mmmm, maybe I tried 3 flavors

Sweets by Maggie from my hometown of Amherst

Taking a picture of Charity taking a picture

It was a fabulous event - great food and people and so glad we all ended up making the trip out for it. And, a big thanks to Charity and Ben for organizing the van and for bringing friends who bring hors d'oeuvres
on the ride. Clutch, very clutch.

Disclaimer: I was given a ticket to attend the event along with everyone else featured in the photo.

apparently I was a Kardashian

2011-07-14T14:38:00.001-04:00

I had a very vivid dream Tuesday night that I was Kardashian and woke up thinking, "OMG, did I really just dream that?" It involved a really sweet mansion with pool and a bunch of Kardashians running around and apparently I was one of them. (Because that's pretty normal, right?)

Apparently that's what happens when you go out on a typical Tuesday with a bunch of blogger chicks and one guy. Waving hi Seanski! If you would like to see what we look like according to Alexa's 3rd grade drawing, hop over here to take a peek. Who knew that girl was an artist!

This was a pre-event mixer for us because about half of those present will see each other this weekend for the Veggie U food and wine event on Saturday all the way out in Milan. A group of 15 or so of us will trek the distance west to eat, drink and hopefully not sweat through our clothes. (Weather please cooperate and don't be too humid - I'm a mess in humidity. Who isn't?)

So what did we do?

the menu - we did order food

We ate. We drank. We laughed. We talked too loud and probably laughed too loud but luckily we didn't get any ugly stares. We drank some more and probably ordered the most "Shoreway Coolers" for one table. Ever.

Sadly, I woke up from my Kardashian-esque dream with the same size butt, no hair extensions or Louboutin's and continued to have equally as descriptive dreams the next night too.

Do you dream in celebrities too?

summa summa time

2011-07-11T09:30:00.002-04:00

This weekend finally felt like it took the right amount of time because normally I find my weekends flying by between cookouts, parties and pool days. For once, I had to remember what we did on Friday night, which isn't a bad thing at all.

Friday night we were acting 10 years older than we actually are and had a drinking game night with friends where I kicked some serious a** at mexican dominos. It's all about the domino that you start your train with my friends....

the game that brings grown men to tears

strategizing with a baby and a beer

A few of my friends joined me at Made in the 216 held at the new Dredger's Union on E.4th but not before brunch at Vine & Bean in Shaker as a way to kick start our Saturday with omelettes, biscuits and coffee. Because nothing says breaking your diet like the biscuits with gravy but it is so damn good!

After seeing all the checkins from my fellow bloggers, I was dying to see the new store and check out what the private label looked like. From the tailored shirts and dresses I saw, ranged from $60 to $90 but fit really nice and I was sooooo close to buying a shirt but I stopped myself. It had my name written all over it so I'm hoping they have it available later this month.

Lia checking out the jewelry

My purchase

amazing candles displayed on a piece of furniture we all want

not your grandmother's apron

Sunday funday was lazy which included a car wash and laying out while reading the second book in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Editor's note: I can't put those books down. We finished up the night by taking a ride to Chagrin Falls to wait in line for Jeni's Ice cream - it was jamming down there for a Sunday night complete with a kid rock band, lots of bikers and dogs.

Monday - Bring it on.

puppy love

2011-07-05T23:36:00.000-04:00

I really need to restart my blogging again. I've only been posting once a week for the past few weeks but staying busy, bopping around all over Cleveland.

This past weekend, we celebrated with our friends as two of them got married over the holiday weekend. The crazy storm that hit Cleveland held off until the reception was well under way.

Yay for Chris and Kelly!

The rest of the weekend was filled with a cookout, fireworks and the most adorable dog that I want to steal from my friend Danielle.

Meet Mira, the cutest bulldog.

While I love both cats and dogs, the BF is extremely allergic to both animals but this little puppy makes me want to give him some shots and pick up a puppy of my own.

Mira is one of the girls - she's the best and agrees with whatever decision you make.

You want ice cream? She's game and won't complain about the extra calories.


she's a fan of vanilla

Feel like laying out? She'll join and jump in the pool with you and then chill out on a towel if you want to sunbathe.

She will even hang out to see fireworks and only mildly shakes as she experiences loud noises for the first time.

Even though Mira bites my ankles and hands on a regular basis and doesn't listen to me, I will gladly take her off my friend's hands if needs me to puppysit or own Mira for life. Don't you want to go get a puppy now?

too much fun

2011-06-26T23:01:00.000-04:00

While I should be blogging about what fun I had this weekend, which included a bachelorette party and a relaxing and lazy pool day with my friend and the most adorable bulldog puppy, Mira, instead I'm done. Stick in a fork in me - can.not.blog.tonight. Too much laughing, drinking and not enough sleeping.

I'll leave you with a little humor from the Real Housewives franchise - the hilarious trainwreck from the DC show.

What is Michaele doing? Is that how I look dancing because I have no rhythm and clearly neither does she?

Bump it?

Really?

While the song isn't about the hair accessory, wouldn't it be ah-mazing if someone sang a song called "scrunchie?" I think it would be hysterical. AND, even better if Rebecca Black sang it.

the bambinas have arrived

2011-06-12T22:38:00.000-04:00

This past Friday, I was taking some PTO in the afternoon to lay poolside with a very pregnant friend. In the morning I got a call from Lia, my very pregnant friend, to let me know that the weather looks like we wouldn't be laying out. Damn the weather I said. She then informed me that not only was the weather the problem but that she was being sent to the hospital to possibly deliver the twins.

"They aren't coming," Lia said. I agreed - probably just a false alarm I thought. "True, your kids aren't about to show up early to any party."

After not hearing anything all day, I get a text saying "C section is being done tonight!! Don't put it on FB please." (She knows me too well.)

The girls are officially two days old so I did what I said I wouldn't do and showed up to the hospital with another friend who NEVER goes to the hospital. We both don't want to be those people inviting ourselves up to visit with our friends who haven't slept in a few days and are new parents.

Baby Olivia Marie

Baby Gabriella Rose

celebratory cakes

Everyone is doing fabulous, even though my friends describes herself as "cut in f'ing half," and the girls will be home with their parents in no time. Because they were little, I was nervous to hold them - I feel like the babies need to be a little older until I hold them. Weird, I know, but I'm nervous! They are so damn tiny and fragile! But, I can't wait to visit them all the time, buy them ridiculous outfits, headbands and shoes because that's what pseudo aunts are for!

it's paw-ty time

2011-06-09T23:54:00.000-04:00

Meet my friend Erin.

Rocking out together in Vegas

She is one of the crazy dog people that I make fun of and love at the same time.

Ever since she purchased Winston, her boxer, she's been uploading pictures like crazy to Facebook and texting me with funny messages of the dog. Texts I'm sure I received in the last year - "Winston rolled over!" "Have you ever seen a cuter dog!" "Winston says smile - it's party time!" She even created his own Facebook page with 183 friends mind you. Only her.

Well, this weekend I will be attending a party to attend in her dog's honor. A Paw-ty if you will at a dog park. I'm laughing as I type this because she's so hilarious some times.

Winston - almost 1

the bone cake for the party guests

Apparently, there will be quite a few "guests" who will be diving into this cake.

Here's to the weekend!

patio opening with a shot of vodka

2011-06-08T12:58:00.001-04:00

In the past month, I've been invited to two local Cleveland events and I haven't had a chance to catch you all up on those. If you follow me on Twitter (and some other peeps), you may have noticed a group of us helped "open" the Washington Place & Bistro's patio a few weeks back.

Scott invited the group for the grand opening back to the opening of the patio where we had a kick ass pig roast. I was too busy drinking and mingling and didn't snap any photos. However, I heart Cleveland and Suzanne did so check out out some of their photos of the delicious roast. I've been to Washington Place a few times since the opening including New Years Eve as well as Mother's day for my mom. My parents are always up to try new restaurants and she really wanted to stay at the Inn after I threw it out as an option. VERY bad but my dad quickly nixed that and also didn't believe me that they didn't serve all Italian food.

After I told him I made reservations for a restaurant in Little Italy, I believe his text back was something along the lines of "I don't do Italian." I explained it wasn't and he clearly didn't believe me because the next text was something like "looks like a good menu with pork and other fish choices. I'll go."

On a very different weekday night, I was invited with another fab group of bloggers to a CLE vodka tasting. That's right - a Crav vodka tasting. Brand new vodka available made my Clevelanders. The group headed to Pier W (which I've never been to by the way because I feel I'm too young to go in there) for a private tasting with two stellar drinks.

Craving Ginger Rogers is AMAZING

Founder Tom Rini shared that developing a vodka was an idea he and his friends came up in college. And an idea that he couldn't get out of his head so voila - he created Crav vodka. He explained the high-quality distillery process which to me makes the vodka sip-able. Or easily drinking on the rocks without that burn taste going down your throat. (Remembering all those terrible lemon drop shots back in the day - what were we thinking!) Anyway, the fabulous mixologist mixed up two drinks and I heavily favored the Ginger Rogers because it was absolutely refreshing and both me and Alexa agreed these could get dangerous. So, so good! Drink includes Crav vodka, ginger & orange blossom infused syrup, prosecco and a twist of lime.

Tom explaining the distillery process

Crav is making its way to local Cleveland bars slowly but surely and is available in 50+ restaurants and bars like Bier Markt, Dragon Fly, Fahrenheit, Harry Buffalo, Sushi Rock and Barley House. I think it will be great in my dirty martini! You can also purchase it state liquor stores - just ask them to special order it for you if they don't have it in stock.

Here's to drinking martinis on patios this summer!

Avoiding words with "s" in them

2011-06-03T09:26:00.001-04:00

I feel like I'm 13 again because I decided to get another retainer to fix some minor (and I mean minor) teeth alignment with my bottom front row.

Look, I have a teeth thing. Without the braces I received years ago, I never would have had a chance of having straight teeth. They were coming up from my gums in all sorts of weird angles. (We can blame my dad for the horse teeth and my mom for the small mouth.)

After seeing my dentist for a routine visit, I explained how that tooth is bothering me so after the gross and quick teeth molds, I have a new retainer bringing me right back to 8th grade.

Now, let's just hope I don't throw it away on my lunch tray on accident once or three times.

Case makes it official.

Can you spot the retainer?

P.S. I don't remember the pain being this annoying. Here's to a month of wearing a retainer.

Happy weekend!

Update: Want to pull it out after 6 hours of wear. OMG, it's going to be a long month.