merry & happy to you!

Hello Clevelanders!

I am taking a few holiday days off to visit with family and friends but I wanted to make sure to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy new year. Enjoy your time off with friends, eat lots of cookies, sip some nog and get lots of rest.



xoxo
i heart cleveland

Peaceful holiday weekend.

Well folks, where has December gone? As I grow older I realize how the term "time flies" is so very true. One day it's the 4th of July and the next is Christmas. I mean don't get me wrong, I've cherished each gingerbread man and peppermint stick...I've mixed and mingled. I've indulged in sweets and savory treats. I've stayed up late painting the town red. All the while...jingling all the way.

But with all this said..I'm ready for a weekend of peaceful holiday cheer. I'm one of those lucky few to be done shopping, all wrapped and shipped and now I get to enjoy the reason for the season.



A few things that are on my non-crazy holiday weekend MAY include...
- Wearing my "caterer-friend" hat and working a swanky holiday party with Cleveland's richy rich.

- An impromptu brunch with ELEVEN really great women.

- A sampling of fine cheese and wines at Baricelli Inn.

- If I realize I forgot someone on my list, maybe a stop into the Last Minute Market at the Lake Erie Screw Factory.

- Perhaps dinner "Christmas Story Style" at Touch...including Peking Duck.

- A bit of caroling with the Ohio City Singers at Happy Dog.

- Sunday jazz brunch with artists and friends at Flying Fig

- Maybe I'll even go see Santa to sit on his lap and let him know that for Christmas this year all I really want is a glittering of snow and peace of mind in the new year...okay, and maybe a sweater or two from J.Crew! :)

Happy holiday weekend to all and to all a good night.

Cleveland Greeting....cards

The USPS is a happening place these days, but there is still time to drop that special someone a holiday greeting. Didn't stop to pick up cards the moment they hit the shelves? Look to these Cleveland designers to help you find that perfect card for your special someone.



oddballpress is based in Cleveland these cards are elegant with a twist. You can find them on their Etsy page or at Paper Trails, Room Service, Shoparooni or Sobella.

Designer Sara of Small Screen designs makes whimsy greetings of puppies and french iconocgraphy...perfect for all your gal pals...why not tuck a gift card for a afternoon glass of wine or mani-pedi into one of these, what an AWESOME gift. You can also find Small Screens on Etsy as well as Music Saves and Vanity Lab.

Another Cleveland favorite would be Claire Mojher. By day Claire creates for American greetings but she also produces many unique designs for her Etsy customers. Check out her Winter Bear Series.

What Cleveland Wants for Christmas

A few weeks ago I sent out a request to some area bloggers, business owners and personalities asking them what they wanted under their tree on Christmas morning. Thank you to the many emails I received, I really appreciate you sharing with us!

See their spirited answers below...



Michelle V. : Cleveland Foodie
“I want a night away with my husband, maybe something local like gambling in Detroit coupled with dinner at Roast and then to sleep in past 6 a.m., something I haven’t done since I had my daughter. Plus, I wish Clevelanders would skip chains in the New Year and make a conscious effort to eat and support local.”

Mark Nolan : Anchor on Channel 3 News Today
“I just turned 40 (which I’m told is the new 30) so, I’ve become more and more nostalgic over the past few years. I think a simple light snowfall, no “Black Friday”/”Cyber Monday”, no holiday traffic, lots of sleigh bells ringin’ type Christmas would be just fine for me. I just want quiet. Lots of smiles from friends as I pass along the perfect gift. That’s what I want… Here’s Hopin.’ Merry Christmas!”

Tammy Lyons : yogi & owner of Inner Bliss Yoga
“My wishes for all this holiday season... A little more forgiveness...a little less anger. A little more faith...less hopelessness. A little more love...less fighting. More listening and less defending. More Love, More Joy, and a vibrant, white holiday!”

Danielle Deboe : owner of Room Service & Made in the 216.
Cooking lessons....one on one weekly cooking lessons! I do not think that anything less...say a class scenario or a monthly lesson would actually stick....and of course, in this dream scenario, I would also have the time, to do a weekly cooking lesson...but alas, a girl can dream can't she!

Amanda “Lilly” Montague : creator of Lilly Handmade Chocolates
1. An Anti-Griddle so I could create fun, frozen molecular gastronomy confections 2. A traveling vacation to every craft brewery in the states! Dogfish, Stone, The Bruery, Great Divide, etc. 3. Another Pembroke Welsh Corgi for my lovely little Lucy to play with (she's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi too! One can never have too much love in their lives!) Happy Everything to Everyone!

Chris Allen : Musician
Since I can't see world peace anytime in the next several years, for Christmas I would like a weekend in Florence, Italy to forget that fact. The most beautiful city in the world, I would like to take a Saturday stroll walking the brick alley ways, view amazing works of art, sip a little wine and have a prosciutto and brie samwhich from a street vender.

Me : i heart cleveland
I’d like an old record player that I could bring to the beach in the summer and play old records while I soak up the Ohio sun! (Do they make old players with batteries?)

Cleveland...what do YOU want...tell me. We will post it...and then you can refer your family to the blog for your wish list! Sounds fun, right? :)

Chocolate & Art Walk (12/11)

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Looking for a night of good food, great art, and even better chocolate? Schedule time to swing by the December, Tremont Art Walk.




While you are perusing the galleries stop into Lilly's Chocolate for her special holiday flavors and "lilly barq."

Merry strolling, happy christmas cocktails, and joy to the chocolate! :)

Get your Santa On (12/12)

Saturday, December 12th, 2009

Ever wanted to dress up like Santa, but just don't have the extra time to spend your Saturday afternoons in the local mall? Time to steam and or febreeze your velvet and white fur costume for the Night of 1000 Santas...Cleveland Style!



Join the holiday bar crawl through the city's near West Side for a night of Christmas cheer.
The schedule (as it stands today) is as follows...
7:30 : Reddstone
8:30 : Parkview
9:30 : Happy Dog (no cover for Santa suit-wearers)
10:30 : Garage Bar
11:30 : Bier Market
12:30 : Touch (no cover for Santa suit-wearers) and dancing included.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Happy Santa and cocktails to everyone and to all a goodnight. :)

Bazaar Bizarre (12/12-13)

Saturday, December 12th, & Sunday, December 13th 2009

A yearly holiday shopping tradition, you won't want to miss this years Bizarre Bizarre! From wacky indie crafts, to the unique art of area locals...it's a great place to check off every gift on your list.



Dissatisfied with stencils of country ducks and painted wooden slices of watermelon, a hodge-podge of friends started the Bazaar Bizarre craft fair in Boston in 2001. years later this community based event is still growing in popularity and has now spread to Cleveland!

78th Street Studios: 1300 W. 78th St to 1305 W. 80th St., north parking lot, north entrance (behind the building) -- accessible from W. 78th OR W 80th St. Noon to 9:00 pm, and Sunday December 13th from noon to 6:00 pm.

Glog on the Blog

Happy Monday Cleveland!

Hope everyone enjoyed the cool winter weekend as much as I did. With my visitor in town I sure did pack a lot into the holiday weekend. One of the things I wanted to "report" on was this funky little drink I experienced at the Greenhouse Tavern..."Glog!"

Glog, defined in the dictionary as a "hot spiced wine and liquor punch and it is a delicious warming drink. Glog is a traditional drink of the Swedish & Finnish Advent season. Traditionally made with red wine, and each small glass has a few almonds and raisins in it as well as the drink. Glog's origins are with mulled wine - wine heated with spices. Glog also tends to have more sugar as well as a heavier alcohol content. It is said that Glog cures the common cold.



The bartenders at The Greenhouse were kind enough to show me how they made their new holiday drink. The drink is assembled using special house made glog mix & honey liquor, steamed and then accessorized with little golden raisins.

Be warned...I took a big sniff (from my brandy snifter) and wow...I thought I burned off my nose hairs...let's just say it's potent...in a good way! :)

I still can't 100% say I loved it, but I can't stop thinking about this potent hot toddy, so I guess it made an impression on me. Let me know what you think!

friend in town!

I am so excited the weekend is here!

My college roommate is in town from the big apple and I am always SO THRILLED to share with here the fun and fabulousness of the "land of Cleve!"



We have tons planned for the weekend, from good eats & swanky drinks to a Broadway show, holiday art fest, to a cruise with Santa, perhaps a walk in Ohio City, a light festival and maybe a rockin flea market!

There is so much to do here, I gotta run, let the weekend begin! Cheers. :)

Vintage Holiday

The other day I made a quick trip to one of the areas BEST vintage shops around, Flower Child. The holiday windows of old sleds and Xmas cheers drew me inside like a mosquito to a buzzing blue lantern.

Although I had expected to see a mirage of decorations of days gone by, I had no clue the intensity and overwhelming shimmer and glitz that was about to come before me.



The store is filled with every type of holiday decoration you can imagine. From vintage lights, holiday cocktail glasses, delicate glass bulbs, ornate holiday linens, something from the 40's, something from the 80's (see ET stockings!), a pink themed room, a green themed room, a candy cane and mistletoe room....whatever you holiday dreams they have the decorations for you.



This weekend will be a big "get ready for the holidays" weekend. Why not shop local and recycle the past by adding a touch of flair from Flower Child. BUT, be prepared...this store will suck up hours of time on the weekend, so wear comfy shoes and a good friend for hours of fun.

FYI, there is a Starbucks across the street in case you need a gingerbread jolt of energy to make it through the entire newly expanded basement of the store. Happy holidays!

Flower Child : 11508 Clifton Blvd, Cleveland OH 216.939.9933

Lime Ribbon Launch (12/07)

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Nothing to do on a Monday night besides hang out with Blair, Chuck and Serena? Plan on attending the launch party for the new Lime Ribbon! A new social media shopping site that allows you to create your own gift lists for you, your family and friends, and share those Lime "Ribbons" with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. You'll be able to shop online at many different stores.

A NEO-based team of entrepreneurs, designers, marketers and idea people are inviting you to share in the celebration, log on and share.



LimeRibbon.com Launch Party $10 admission includes:
* Complimentary beer (Cash bar will also be available for wine &cocktails)
* Complimentary Spirited CROP Bistro & Bar Special Punch, tinted lime green in honor of the occasion!
* Raffle for two round-trip airline tix anywhere that AirTran Airways flies in the domestic USA!
* Hot hors d'oeuvres featuring: CROP’s savory Lamb Sliders, topped with blue cheese, pickled onions, fresh mint, and coarse-grain mustard, Assorted Flatbreads dressed with seasonal toppings, Veggie Kebabs with local, artisanal cheeses, Chef Steve Schimoler’s signature popcorn, capped with a tasty toss of sautéed veggies, shredded Asiago, and balsamic glaze

Crop bistro from 5:30-7:30, Warehouse District. at 1400 W. 6th Street

Get your tickets HERE!

Ride opening (12/04)

Friday, December 4th, 2009



ride. AN EXHIBITION OF CYCLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Spin is proud to present ride. AN EXHIBITION OF CYCLE PHOTOGRAPHY by RUSSELL LEE and featuring prints by GREY CARDIGAN. December 4th, 2009 thru January 2nd, 2010.

Opening reception Friday, December 4th, 6pm with award winning beer from Fathead's Brewery.

Frenemies (12/04)

Friday, December 4th, 2009

FREE yoga (12/5)

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

As an expression of gratitude to all of their students and the community… Inner Bliss Yoga Studio is delighted to offer a day of free yoga and more!!!

Come and enjoy one, two or more classes with your favorite teacher, bring friends! Come experience it for yourself!

GREAT Give Back Schedule of Classes
7:30-8:30 : HOT Powerful Flow with Shannon
9:00-10:00 : HOT Powerful Flow with Tammy, Dawn assisting
10:15-11:15 : Yoga Flow for All Levels with Laura, Lanie assisting
11:30-12:30 : Powerful Flow with Lanie, ginny assisting
12:45-1:45 : Beginners Yoga with ginny
2:00-3:00 : Yoga Demonstration by your teachers!
3:15-4:15 : HOT Powerful Flow with Kristen
4:30- 5:30 : Powerful Flow with Kathy
5:45-6:45 : Yoga Flow for All Levels with Jen, Kathy assisting

There is no pre-registration for classes on this day, just show up!

More Treats for YOU!
Lululemon Trunk Show from 10 am – 3 pm! (credit cards only, please)
Delicious Deals on Inner Bliss boutique threads!
Buy any class package and get a free class for a friend of your choice!

Trot Home Grand Opening (12/05)

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

There is a new kid in town...a new home decor destination that is celebrating their Grand Opening this Saturday. What could be more fun than an afternoon trip to downtown Peninsula to explore the new store, Trot Home, while you are there, visit Winking Lizard for a Christmas Ale or Cranberry-tini to kick off your holiday festivities!

I won't give you all the details because my friends over at Orange Beautiful posted the complete story and some great photos of the store, so make sure to read the entire article there.



I plan on visiting the store at some point from now until Christmas..a new lamp, a throw pillow, perhaps a reupholstered stool...you can never have too many! PLUS, if you visit THIS Saturday during the open house, Trot Home is offering a 10% discount, every penny counts!