Wearing Mascara

Watermelon Cocktails and Fake Eyelashes

by Julie on May 22, 2013

Why, hello there!

How are you doing? What’s new? There is a lot new in my life, well, not really, but a lot of new experiences, etc. Recently, all I’ve been motivated to do is Bikram, {starting} running again {!}, hang with Todd, and sleep. Sounds exciting, huh?

Anyways, since I’ve been away from the blog for a little, I have a lot to recap. Instead of doing it all in one post each, I’m just going to touch on some of the high points!

Band Aid Bash 2013

When Katie invited me to be her date for the MedWish Band Aid Bash, I was so excited and couldn’t say yes fast enough! {See Katie’s recap here!}. Volunteering with MedWish is something I have enjoyed doing in the past and can’t wait to do it again. Being a part of the Band Aid Bash was so much fun. The food and drink were plentiful and the silent auction was really fun! Plus, Katie was my date so it was automatically super fun

The best part was this watermelon drink… holy yum and very refreshing. I took a picture so I could try and recreate it this summer.

We even saw Sarah {among lots of other bloggers and friends!}.

At the silent auction, I saw this Deagan’s gift pack {gift card, BEER, beer glasses, and a shirt!}, immediately put my bid in, and stalked it the rest of the night… Well, I won it and was so excited! Deagan’s very close by and one of my favorites.

Beauty First VIP Blogger Night

I was thrilled when I received an invite to a blogger event at Beauty First in Fairlawn, Ohio. They pampered us bloggers! From a manicure {using my new favorite… PixieDust from Zoya!}, to getting my eyebrows waxed {for the first time in YEARS}, and getting fake eye lashes. I must say that getting my eyebrows waxed was really nice, considering ho long it’s been {I usually pluck}. While there, everyone was RAVING about the eyebrow person and her name is Nafissa. I HIGHLY recommend her… she knows exactly what she is doing.

Nidhi was my date and we had a blast.

It was my first time getting fake eye lashes. Nidhi caught this on camera all while I tried not to laugh. Let’s just say that a LOT of red wine was involved.

This is me, trying not to laugh…

I must say that having fake eye lashes was a fun experience! They were on the sides and not all over. Sometimes, I forgot I had them and they lasted about a week. It would have been nice if they lasted a little longer. I would definitely get them again, especially for a special occasion.

I’ll be back soon with more recaps and fun! It’s so nice to be back in the swing of blogging

Disclosure: Beauty First Invited me to a VIP Bloggers night at no cost. All of my opinions are my own.

HUGS!

Julie

P.S. Valerie turned 25 this week. Happy birthday Val! I am so proud of you and can’t wait to celebrate this weekend! xoxo

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Touring a Rainbow: Exxopolis at PlayhouseSquare

by Julie on May 9, 2013

in Cleveland,Family

Hello!

Last night, some fellow Cleveland bloggers and I were invited to preview Exxopolis as part of the 2013 4th annual International Children’s Festival at PlayhouseSquare. The festival features live performances from around the world plus free and budget-friendly events that are perfect for all ages.

The Exxopolis luminarium is a sculpture of light and gorgeous colors. From the outside, it resembles one of those bounce castles that kids {and adults!} like to jump in. On the inside, the floors are smooth and created by very thin material. The colors are incredibly vibrant and will adjust to however the sun is shining that day.

Before we went inside, we were asked to remove our shoes. Many of us went barefoot but they do suggest bringing socks if you prefer.

A map of the Exxopolis was provided {I was thankful for this since I tend to get lost easily!}

The inside is made up of various paths, tunnels, and domes. As I suggested in my post title, it felt like we were inside a rainbow. We were encouraged to wander around freely, and even lay down and relax if we wanted to. They recommend enjoying the Exxopolis for 20 minutes to get the full experience.

The photos I took do not do justice. The colors were saturated, vibrant, and even inspiring. When comparing the pictures on my camera to what was in front of me, they were different.

I brought my friend Christina as my date We both enjoyed lounging around and looking up!

Our favorite part was the Tree in the center.

After our tour, we watched them take the Exxopolis down. It only takes about 20 minutes for them to take it down and set it back up in the morning! Not bad!

I really enjoyed touring the Exxopolis! I felt very calm afterwards and would love to walk through it again soon.

Afterwards, the PlayhouseSquare team invited us, along with the Exxopolis team and others involved with the festival, out for complimentary drinks and dinner at Cowell & Hubbard. The highlight was the Exxopolis Martini, which was created specifically for this event! It looked a little mucky but it was delicious. The drink will be available throughout the weekend.

Exxopolis Details

Be sure to check out Exxopolis starting today, May 9 – Saturday, May 11th. Tickets are only $5 {such a great deal!}. The exhibit is accessible to everyone, regardless of ability levels and ages. Children 16 years or younger are asked to be accompanied by an adult. As stated above, you will be asked to remove your shoes so come prepared with socks, if you prefer.

I really hope you have an Exxopolis adventure this week! Be sure to check out the other International Children’s Festival events too.

xo,

Julie

Disclosure: I was asked to tour Exxopolis as a preview to the event opening on May 9th. Both the blogger tour and the dinner/drinks at Cowell & Hubbard were provided free of charge through PlayhouseSquare. My review is my own opinion and may not reflect the view of PlayhouseSquare and/or Cowell & Hubbard. If you have any questions about my blog and/or review, please contact me.

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Mint Julep Soiree with Ballet in Cleveland

by Julie on May 7, 2013

in Cleveland,Entertainment

Hi guys!

How are you doing? I am doing well. The weather has been SO BEAUTIFUL in Cleveland and I think the overall mood of happiness has been contagious. I’ve been in a good mood every single day. It must be the Vitamin D that we have all been missing. This is one of my favorite parts of the year. The summer is just around the corner and there is so much to look forward to. Gone are the dreary winter days and ahead are the beautiful days filled with patios, campfires, and sunscreen

**********

Earlier this month, I was honored to attend Ballet In Cleveland‘s Mint Julep Soiree with members of the ballet company, Ballets With A Twist, from New York City. Ballets With A Twist is a production which brings classic American drinks to life. The martini, mai tai, gimlet, and other famous cocktail drinks are represented by dance. Isn’t that such a cool concept? I can’t wait to see the production in Cleveland!

My beautiful date for the evening was Nidhi, and we enjoyed hanging out and learning about this wonderful ballet company!

The event was held at Alex Bistro and Bar {and I am convinced they have some of the best cocktails in Cleveland}. There were four Mint Julep drinks featured, plus appetizers and desserts.

Jessica is the sweetest gal ever and she’s such an inspiration to go after your dreams, no matter what. As the founder of Ballet in Cleveland, she has worked so hard to bring the presence of ballet back into Cleveland, all with a smile on her face and a great attitude.

Throughout the event, we listened to featured music from the ballet, Cocktail Hour, which Ballet in Cleveland is bringing to Ohio Theater in Cleveland on September 19th {stay tuned for more info about that!}.

Nidhi and I made some new friends! This is dancer, Aengus Ortiz, and he is posing with his picture in the Cocktail Hour program.

This is another new friend, dancer Michael Dominguez, also posing with his picture! Both Aengus and Michael are very nice guys and we loved getting to know them.

Jim Sabastian {Ballet in Cleveland’s Business Manager} and Jessica Wallis {Founding Director}:

We were able to see a sneak peak of the ballet via a Mac…

…and Nidhi and Aengus became bffs.

This was a really fun event! The drinks were delicious and the company was even better. I already have September 19th on my calendar to enjoy Cocktail Hour in our city of Cleveland. Put it on your calendar now! I guarantee you won’t want to miss it!

Hugs!

Julie

FYI and disclosure, Ballet in Cleveland invited me to this event free of charge. All of my opinions are of my own.

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Virtual La Croix Date

by Julie on May 2, 2013

in Deep Thoughts

I’ve seen some other bloggers do a Virtual Coffee/Wine Date where they blog about what’s been on their minds as if they were having coffee/wine with you. I really like this idea…

If we were having La Croix or some other sparkly beverage, I would tell you how exhausted I am. It’s 11:00 pm and I just finished writing some reports for work. For the past three days, I’ve been in an intense work training and it has felt like graduate school all over again. The only difference was that it was one class, with little breaks, and no windows {which especially sucked since the weather has been so beautiful}.

If we were having La Croix, I would tell you how crazy last weekend was! The theme? MOVING. Nope, no me, but my two bffs Nidhi and Ali brilliantly decided to move on a Saturday and a Sunday {sense the sarcasm?}. And no, they are not roommates. I helped Nidhi move out of her 4-story apartment building with no elevator on Saturday and did the same thing {4-stories, no elevator} on Sunday. I pulled a neck muscle and cried a little. All in the name of friendship. I swear that the moving ~~crew~~ friends deserve big gold stars.

On that same note, as I was walking away from Ali’s apartment, tired and sweaty, I started balling my eyes out. The weekend was incredibly emotional because, while Ali is staying put in Cleveland {thank the lawd}, Nidhi is moving to Chicago. She’s moving in with my little sister and I couldn’t be happier for her, but she’s one of my best friends and it’s so hard to let her go. Sheesh, I sound like a baby.

If we were having La Croix this morning, I would tell you how wonderful my Bikram yoga classes have been going. I am trying to go almost every day, which isn’t always possible, but my motivation is there. I am struggling with a couple postures and rocking out a few others. I’m sure that will change, as it always does in yoga. Who knows where I’ll be with it in a couple months. I feel like I owe you a blog post about my Bikram progress thus far.

If we were having La Croix, I would tell you how thankful I am that Todd is home. He’s been home for about a week and it’s so wonderful. He really brings out the light in me and we have so much fun together. The best part about him being home? Watching a months worth of our favorite DVRed shows. We have The Americans, Nashville, and Revolution to catch up on. He was gone for 35 days, and it made me thankful that he isn’t gone longer than that. I can’t imagine what someone goes through if their significant other goes overseas for a long period of time.

If we were having La Croix this morning, I would be grinning ear to ear when you ask me about my summer plans. Todd and I are headed to Florida for about three weeks for a long vacation filled with a wedding and lots of beach time. The school year is coming to a close and the beach is so close I can smell it.

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Getting My Ears Lowered for Wigs for Kids

by Julie on April 24, 2013

in Cleveland,Life

Hi everyone!

Long time no see How are you doing? I’m doing very well. I am missing Todd {a lot} but I am hoping he will be back on Thursday. He’s been gone for over a month now on a trip that shouldn’t have been this long. Granted, I know it could be worse but I still miss him.

Over Easter break, I got my hair did. You see, my long locks just weren’t cutting it anymore {pun intended} and I needed a major change. I discussed it with my sisters and they suggested donating my hair. I didn’t even realize my hair had gotten that long to be eligible for donation.

After a quick Facebook status update, I had so many people give their two cents about hair donation. There were a lot of ideas of where to donate, but Wigs for Kids stuck out to me because it’s a local nonprofit. Wigs for Kids was founded by Certified Cosmetic Therapist, Jeffrey Paul, with the goal of “serving children suffering from hair loss.” To learn more about them, visit their mission page.

Since I was in Hudson visiting family, I went to my favorite salon in Northeast Ohio, Salon 180 where my trusty stylist Natasha works. She cuts my entire family’s hair and is really good at what she does. The fact that she knows me and my hair is a plus.