As usual, I’m getting antsy. I’ve been blonde for over a full year, which is very unusual for me. I’ve also been growing my hair out for awhile. Which for some reason, is also making me antsy.
And then I see my good friend Amelia rocking out her sassy new do.
Or I have a bad week and my immediate thought is to chop off my hair.
And now I’m turning 30 and am anxious for a new look.
I have options. Now I need opinions.
Thoughts? Keep it long (mind you this is the first time in years that I’ve been able to curl my hair..), chop it? What to do? (Note: Hair has to stay blonde until after BvBCLE 2013.)
It’s just around the corner folks. My 30th birthday. Which I’ve been dreading. And then I see both of these videos and realize this may already be my life:
(shout-out to my coworker Marina for sending me the one video)
But on the bright side, I have a fantastic 30th birthday weekend ahead which includes brunch with my parents, dinner at Hodge’s (of course!) and the Indians game with friends.
One of my favorite Cleveland holidays is St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, I’m super Irish and love it. One of my closest friends Shaunte and I, yearly make plans to go Downtown. We take it serious. Map out where we’re going, what time to leave and what time to head out of Downtown (to avoid the mass chaos).
This year, we were pleasantly surprised to be able to hop right on the Rapid and head into Downtown. First stop, The Greenhouse Tavern for drinks and our annual first shot of whiskey. It’s just how we do things.
Stylish! (Shaunte’s daughter)
We ventured down East Fourth and visiting a few favorite spots before walking down Euclid to see some great food trucks and Hodge’s. Plus we got to see so many favorites – the entire Hodge’s crew and one of my most favorites Mark Zinni (from FOX8 News).
Love, Love, Love
We even managed to see some of the parade this year (last year was just too nice apparently?) before heading back on the Rapid and back to the West Side for one more.
Green Beer anyone?
How did you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the CLE? What are your SPD traditions?
It’s that time of year! One of my most favorite times…the announcement of the Broadway Series at Playhouse Square. I was invited by Playhouse Square to attend the donor announcement on Monday night and literally was squealing with excitement with every announcement of the next musical coming. If you don’t know, we’re so lucky to Playhouse Square in Cleveland. In the 2013-2014 Season you can expect to see seven musicals, ranging from 123 years ago till today. We’ll have Tony Award Winners and hot new talent.
The best part? The theme of this year’s series?
You will be following the journey of…some serious…leading ladies! From femme fatals to underdogs, you’ll see it all. You’ll be a part of their stories, feel their emotions and walk through their journeys with them. So what musicals will you be seeing?
Currently in London, with hipsters lining up to see the show, Sleeping Beauty is enchanting, while also seductive. Before you see the show, Gina from Playhouse Square suggests reading the book again. So yes, I did just add it to my library.
The story of Guy meets Girl. This musical brings you in and lets you be a part of the story, really…you will be able to hop on stage and grab a drink from the bar. As Gina explained, this is the soundtrack of our life. It’s won 8 Tony awards, including Best Musical.
The most complex heroine in the musicals, Porgy and Bess recently won best revival at the Tony’s. The show features passion, humor and love.
No one has brought more people to Playhouse Square than Andrew Lloyd Weber. In Cleveland alone, the revenue for the musicals/plays of Weber, has been above $200 million. You’ll be in a concert like setting, enjoying all of the memorable songs that have helped to shape the theater experience.
I have a thing for the 80’s so when this musical was announced, I was immediately excited. With songs like What a Feeling, the musical will show women (and men) everywhere that even when you think you can’t reach your goal, you need to always hang on to your dreams. Get ready with your fishnets and stilettos!
Telling the story of the legendary band, Jersey Boys dazzles audiences. I’ve seen the musical once before with my mom and we both walked away singing along. Even if you are 65 years old, you will feel like a teenager again.
One of my top three favorite musicals, when Wicked was announced I literally squealed with excitement. The show is spell-binding. The imagination that brings you in while telling the story of a friendship, as well as the underdog, has you walking away knowing that you can do anything. The Wicked Witch shows you that you not only have the power, but you need to accept it. Like Gina said, it’s timeless story telling and it’s impossible to walk out of the theater not feeling that energy.
To finish the evening off, Gina answered questions…including one that I had asked! As always, this is some of the most anticipated news in the state. As someone that regularly attends the musicals and plays at Playhouse Square, I can tell you that the Broadway Series is completely worth the money. Shows will sell out.
And trust me…you don’t want to miss Broadway in the CLE.
Gina from Playhouse Square
Disclosure: As a Playhouse Square Donor/Partner and an official blogger, I was invited to the announcement on Monday evening. I was also invited to host a giveaway. All opinions are my own.
(First things first…congrats to Whitney for comment #5 and Jess for comment #8 for winning a pair of tickets to the Playhouse Square Broadway Announcement! Please email or DM me your contact info!)
Ever been insanely proud of your friends? Cause that’s how I’m feeling right now.
Chef Chris Hodgson, owner of Hodge’s Cleveland (my go-to) and the ever popular food trucks Hodge Podge and Dim and Den Sum, is nominated for Food & Wine Magazine’s People’s Choice – Best New Chef, announced today! I’m lucky enough to know Chris and consider him a great friend, so obviously I’m thrilled for him.
Best New Chef Nominee!
But Chris needs our support to bring home a win to the CLE.
So why #Vote4Hodge?
Well, he represents everything that is great about this city. Hard-worker doesn’t even begin to describe him. If you’ve been in Hodge’s, you’ve probably seen him running around, even if he’s not working in the kitchen (like this past Saturday when he was seating guests, filling waters and checking in with tables). He’s one of the nicest people you will ever meet. And he absolutely loves Cleveland. If you missed seeing him and his crew on The Great Food Truck Race 2, you missed him spreading the C-town love. He gives back to this city the way you hope every individual would. Not to mention, he’s just an all-around great friend!
One of my favorite summer nights of 2012 – thanks to Chris.
How can you support Chris? Well first and foremost – vote here. Then share the love. Tweet about the contest using hashtags: #Vote4Hodge and #PeoplesBNC. Share on Facebook – if you share the link on Hodge’s Cleveland, you are entered to win a dinner for 10 in your home, cooked by Hodge. Email your family and friends. Take a screen shot of your vote and show your Hodge’s server and receive a free snack!
Let’s show the Food & Wine magazine how lucky we are in Cleveland to have Chef Chris!
Congrats again Chris! CLE and I couldn’t be prouder of you – even when you hack into my Facebook page and make false statements 😉
Disclaimer: I’m friends with Chris and am insanely proud of him. I am receiving nothing in return for posting about this contest through Food & Wine Magazine.
Did you know that Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts center outside of New York City?
By now, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you are well-aware of my love of Playhouse Square. I donate to this Cleveland institution, as well as attending a number of shows. Whether it’s the Nutcracker, Legally Blonde, Wicked, Beauty & The Beast (don’t knock it – it’s my Disney fave), Lion King, Anything Goes and more, I always have a fantastic time at the theater. I’m anxiously awaiting this summer when I’ll be going to see Book of Mormon as part of the Broadway Series that comes to Cleveland every single year. And this weekend, I have tickets to go see Sister Act as it comes to the Palace Theater.
Photo: Playhouse Square
And Playhouse Square is now starting to gear up for the 2013-2014 Broadway Series. I’m already anxiously awaiting the announcement of what plays/musicals will be visiting Cleveland.
And I have a treat for you!
Playhouse Square hosts two events to announce the Broadway Series to donors, the media and friends of the theater. As a Playhouse Square Partner, I’m so excited to have been invited to both events. And as a friend of Playhouse Square, they have graciously given me two (2) pairs of tickets to giveaway to the announcement, held on March 19th at 7pm. You’ll be one of the first to hear what seven shows the Playhouse Square team will be bringing to The CLE.
Here’s how you can enter:
1. Tell me what your favorite musical/play is and if you’ve seen it at Playhouse Square.
2. Tweet the following: I want to be the first to see what Broadway shows @playhousesquare is bringing with @cacoughlin and you can join too. http://wp.me/p1o7Bm-tH
(You can tweet everyday, but leave me a comment letting me know you did so.)
3. Share this blog post on Facebook and leave me a comment letting me know you did. (Again, you can enter once a day this way, just be sure to leave a comment.)
Winners will be selected Sunday, March 10th at 7pm and announced on Monday, March 11th.
Best of luck!
Disclosure: I was invited by Playhouse Square, as both a Partner and a friend of the theater, to the announcement of the ’13-’14 Broadway Series. Playhouse Square also asked me to host a giveaway, again as a friend of the theater. All opinions are my own.
After months of planning, this year’s 2012-2013 American Advertising Federation ADDY Awards finally came together on Thursday. I loved working on this event and was so happy to see it all come together throughout the day. The ADDY Awards are essentially the Advertising Community’s version of the Oscars. Awards are handed out in a wide variety of categories, showing off some of the very best talent our city has. That’s right, just like New York and Chicago, some amazing advertising is created right here in Cleveland.
Big thanks to: Fahrenheit, Driftwood Restaurants and Catering (Hodge’s), The Greenhouse Tavern, Good 2 Go Cafe, Light Bistro and AMP 150 for providing food (and plenty of laughs).
Speaking of laughs, Allan Fee from Fee’s Kompany on Q104 provided plenty as our emcee for the night. (Plus he kept the show to an hour and fifteen minutes so he gets bonus points for that right off the bat.) He made sure to highlight the open bar and that we were all essentially just a bunch of liquored up ad execs and creatives (just like Mad Men).
Who doesn’t love Allan Fee? (plus @LZone and my co-chair Anthony) (Photos Courtesy of Q104 – Fee’s Kompany)
A night of ADDY wins, Sean and Lisa working the red carpet, awesome committee members and an awesome crowd = a fantastic night!
Not only was it a great night to see so many marketing and advertising professionals that I’ve had the chance to get to know through AAFCLE, but it was also a great night to hang out with some very supportive co-workers. Not only did they help out throughout the day/night and kept me laughing, they also provided more than enough beers.
Co-workers! (photo – Fee’s Kompany)
Attempts 1 and 2 at a group shot in the Nauti
And finally a huge shout-out to Anthony and Bob for being killer co-chairs. The months of planning were totally worth it and so much fun – with lots of laughs in committee meetings, hilarious emails and non-stop brainstorming to make this year’s ADDYs fun for everyone.
Note: I’m an Associate Board Member for AAFCLE and this was my first (and hopefully not last) year as the ADDY Co-Chair. For all of you marketing, advertising, PR Pros or Foodies – keep your eyes open for the next event I’m working on for AAFCLE in April….it may include some of those very chefs pictured above.
Another fantastic Cleveland weekend in the books kids, and as usual, this one went way too quickly. Friday typically includes at least a small coworker happy hour. This week’s happy hour started at one bar and by the end of the night a few of us ended in Willoughby. As in the east side. As in this girl finally made it out past Cleveland Heights (and didn’t get lost).
Saturday it was time for Jump Back Ball 22 prep. Monina and I took in Restaurant Week and stopped by Hodge’s Cleveland to see our favorites before heading over to Playhouse Square (shout-out to Beau for a great new drink!)
Monina and I after some drinks made especially for us by Beau.
Happy to catch up with this great friend! So proud of him!
This year’s theme of Board Games meant that around every turn at Playhouse Square you could see decorations representing Monopoly, Candyland and Twister. Every year the Playhouse Square Partners pull out all the stops to make sure this annual fundraiser sends everyone home happy. There’s nothing like dancing on the stage, having your fortune told in the aisle of the theater where you’ve seen some of the very best Broadway plays/musicals, enjoying speciality cocktails and laughing the night away with friends.
Hanging out with the girls
The Stage
One of my Cleveland favorites – Amelia.
If you haven’t attended this event, I highly recommend marking your calendar for next year’s event. Not only is it a way to get dressed up and have fun with friends, it’s a way to give back to one of the gems that we are so lucky to have in Cleveland. To learn more about Playhouse Square, I highly suggest checking out Staging Success – The Playhouse Square story. We are so lucky to have this great establishment in Cleveland.
Have you attend JBB before? Did you attend this year? Favorite moment(s)?
Disclosure: I was asked to blog about Jump Back Ball this year and in return for my promotion of the event was given one free ticket. I’m also a Playhouse Square Partner and would be attending JBB22 either way.
It’s one of my favorite times of the year (minus the cold, because I think I’m officially ready for spring) – award season. It seems like every Sunday, I’m curled up ready for another award show and last week was my favorite, the Grammys. I spend a decent amount of money each year to attend concerts coming to Cleveland and this was just a preview of some of the shows that I wanted to see.
One of the best parts – watching the arrivals and seeing the fantastic (and not so fantastic) fashion coming down the red carpet. My favorites this year:
Carly Rae – she’s not just the Call Me Maybe singer anymore (okay she is, but this dress was fantastic. Love the sparkle!)
Carrie Underwood – always one of my favorites.
Rihanna – the hair, the makeup and the dress were all flawless.
Justin Timberlake – never a disappointment and just looked like perfection for his comeback.
Adam Levine – another one that rarely disappoints me. Gorg!
And my favorite performances:
Maroon 5 and Alicia Keys – a great match-up of two of my favorite songs
Kelly Clarkson – hands down, one of the very best voices around.
Rihanna – Stay is one of my current favorite songs and the performance didn’t disappoint.
Justin Timberlake – is there any question why this was my favorite? That man….
Who were your favorites?
Justin Timberlake – Need I say anything about this one?
Well, after procrastinating, the dress has been purchased and I’m starting to feel slightly more prepared for this year’s Jump Back Ball. A returning Jump Back Baller, I know what to expect but still cannot wait for all of the fun, laughter, dancing, drinks and great food that Playhouse Square has each year.
Mo and I Jumped Back in 2012
Once again, JBB has sold out and I know so many friends are excited. This year’s theme – board games – is giving everyone a chance to be creative with their outfits. While I’m not dressing according to the theme, I know I can’t wait to see what people come up with!
JBB has quickly become one of my favorite, go-to events, especially since I’m a Playhouse Square Partner (if you aren’t a Partner, I highly suggest checking it out – especially if you love the theater). Next week, I’ll have a full recap of the event (and hopefully I’ll walk away with another raffle prize like last year!)
What’s your go-to event that you look forward to each year?
Life in the CLE 