Why? MOCA Cleveland!

The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland is on the move to a shiny new home. Yesterday, I got a hard hat tour of the new MOCA and got to hear about all the exciting things planned for the space.

I think this is a good look for me…

The building is located on the corner of Euclid and Mayfield. MOCA hopes that the location will serve as a gateway between University Circle and Uptown. The new MOCA space is focused on being open and welcoming to the public. One thing that strikes me about the new MOCA is that – along with Case Western’s Lewis Building – the University Circle area is becoming an architecturally interesting blend of the very traditional and the very modern.

Most of the building will be cover in black reflective steel, in order to reflect the community that MOCA is in.

The main entrance, however, will be a four-story glass wall. Passers-by will be able to see installations going up and get a peek at what’s inside the museum before even entering the doors.

The first floor of MOCA is designed to be an “urban living room.” It will be free (admission prices begin on the second floor) and designed for people to gather to talk, shop in the museum store, and eat from the cafe kiosk provided by Marigold Catering. The museum and its urban living room will be open until 10pm on Fridays, making this a great stop before or after dinner in Uptown.

The first floor also houses a performance space.

The second, third, and fourth floors are dedicated to galleries, a media production studio, an education room, and administrative offices. One of the coolest aspects of this new building is the interior and exterior staircase, which will allow people to wind through the building and, at the top, look down on the main gallery.

One of the main goals of the design of the new MOCA is to allow art, from its production and installation to its display to be transparent. From the view from what will be part of the four-story glass wall, art’s home has never looked so good!

MOCA Cleveland has its grand opening on Columbus Day weekend. The first exhibition features 13 artists from all over the world and is titled, “Inside Out and From the Ground Up.” On October 6, there will be a spectacular grand opening party. On Columbus Day, October 8, the entire museum will be free to the public. Stay tuned here for more details on MOCA’s grand opening celebration!

***Disclosure: I was invited by MOCA Cleveland to take a hard hat tour of the new museum building. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Upcoming Events!

Can you believe it’s almost Memorial Day Weekend and the unofficial start of summer?! There are tons of great upcoming events going on to get you out and about and active in CLE!

Akarui

May 24-June 9

Cleveland Public Theatre

Image Source – cptonline.org

Come experience this interesting and haunting play about a group of people thrown together in a rave cave at the end of the world. Tickets are only $10! For showtimes and to purchase tickets, click here.

Ronald McDonald House Night Ride on the Towpath

Saturday, June 2 at 8pm

Thornburg Station

Join Century Cycles for a 12-mile night bike ride on the Towpath Trail. There will be goodie bags, t-shirts, and snacks for participants. Proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Cleveland. Fee to participate is $20 in advance and $25 the night of the event. Click here to learn more.

ZippityZooDoo

Friday, June 8 at 6pm

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

The Cleveland Zoological Society hosts the 39th annual ZippityZooDoo fundraiser. The theme of this year’s event is “Zoolin Rouge,” with a night in Paris feel. There will be cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, live entertainment, a charity auction, and a five-course dinner featuring amazing appetizers, fish, steak, and more. Tickets are $250 per person and can be purchased here.

Copper River Salmon Run

Saturday, June 9 at 10am

Pier W

Image Source – hermescleveland.com

Join Pier W for their first ever 5K race to benefit Malachi House. After the race, there will be a party on Pier W’s gorgeous deck overlooking Lake Erie. Nibble on salmon burgers or vegetarian options and enjoy being healthy and active for a good cause! Pre-registration cost is $25 and race day registration is $30. The first 300 participants receive a t-shirt. If you want to skip the race and just party at the Pier, lunch is $8 for non-runners. Click here to register.

 Blondes v. Brunettes Flag Football Game

Saturday, June 16 at 2pm

Cleveland State University Krenzler Field

Image Source – facebook.com

Come cheer on your favorite team as blondes take on brunettes in a powder puff football game to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association. A donation of $20 gets you a ticket to the game. It’s sure to be a fun event and lots of CLE bloggers are participating, including Nidhi from Cleveland Socialite, Charlene from Life in the CLE, Julie from Wearing Mascara and Stephanie from Hungry in Cleveland. Click here for more information on the game.

Which upcoming events are you most excited about to kick off summer?

***Disclosure: I was asked by both Cleveland Public Theatre and the Cleveland Zoological Society to help promote their upcoming events mentioned in this post. In exchange, I was offered ticket(s) to these events, but declined both due to scheduling conflicts. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Bachelorette Party!

Thank goodness for the Ohio Blogging Association blog swap yesterday! It gave me an extra day to rest up before telling you all about my bachelorette party on Saturday.

First, four of my lovely bridesmaids got together at my house to decorate me for the occasion. This was the end result:

A pink feather boa, a sash, a crown with a mini veil, a light-up pin and a light-up ring and I was set! We then met up with the party bus for an afternoon at the wineries. Tammy from Miss WineOH was our tour guide and organizer for the day, along with my bridesmaid Beth.

Not only did Tammy lead us through all our tastings, she also kept track of 18 boisterous ladies, organized fun games for the bus, and handed out prizes. She did a great job!

Our first stop was Buccia Vineyard in Conneaut, which is not just a winery, but also a bed and breakfast. We got to taste 4 of their wines, plus have a quick bite for lunch.

Overwhelmingly, the favorite wine was the Reflections of Lake Erie white blend. It was perfect for sipping outside on a hot day, with just a bit of sweetness.

Oh, and if you make it out to Buccia, make sure you do the B&B tour and read the hot tub rules. You won’t be sorry…

Back on the bus and we were off to Ferrante Winery in Geneva. This is one of my favorite Ohio wineries, with fabulous wines, delicious food, and beautiful outdoor patios.

The group’s favorite wine seemed to be the Golden Bunches Riesling.

Pro tasting tip: pour these little shot glasses into your wine glass to appear classier. If you don’t like the wine, give it to the bride-to-be.

Our last stop was Grand River Cellars in Madison. We had more wine and some munchies, including a delicious baked brie and pear appetizer with blackberry jam. The Grand Red was a definite favorite wine here. We also got a tour of the Grand River wine cellar.

The winery tours were over, but the drinking was not! The bridesmaids and I headed for some dinner at Willoughby Brewing Company. Outside at the bar, we met Janet, who will be married 50 years this week. Janet shared some advice and we shared a shot too!

From there, we headed back to my house for more wine, food, girl talk, and chick flicks. Oh, and decorating the dogs…

It was the perfect day! The wineries made for great locations for relaxing with my friends and Tammy did a wonderful job planning our day. More than that, though, I’m overwhelmed by a bus-full of lovely ladies who came out to help me celebrate getting married (in less than 2 weeks!). From knowing people 13 years to knowing them for 6 months, everyone there is so special to me and helped make the day a truly memorable one! Cheers!

Why? Beauty!

***A bit of blog-keeping: today bloggers from around Ohio are participating in the Ohio Blogging Association’s May blog swap. Today’s post on Why CLE? is written by the fashionable and fun Kimberly of Smitten…in Cleveland. Much thanks to her for a fantastic post on on a place to go pamper yourself in CLE!

Check out Smitten…in Cleveland today for a post written by yours truly. For a complete list of bloggers participating in the blog swap, click on over to Poise in Parma.***

Hi, I’m Kimberly from SMITTEN…in cleveland. I blog about everything I’m smitten with, from fashion and beauty to food and home. We all need a little pampering and here in the CLE we are lucky to have many salons and spas offering just about every service imaginable. But where do you go when you need the best in makeup and skincare?

Powder Room Boutique

Located on the east side of Cleveland in the Eton Shopping Center, Powder Room Boutique is an oasis of high end makeup and skincare. Open since 2007, Kelly Miron has been providing Clevelanders with a unique experience that offers professional makeup application, brow sculpting, specialized facials and treatments. This is not your department store beauty counter. This is a serene environment that you just want to tuck into. Having trained and worked as a makeup artist under Laura Mercier and Francisco Nars, Kelly’s mission is to educate clients on makeup application and keep you updated on the latest in cosmetic and skincare trends – all while having a bit of fun (and perhaps a bit of bubbly!)

I stopped in a few months ago because I heard Kelly was an expert brow sculptor. Tired of being burned with hot wax or having my brows threaded within an inch of their life (leaving them thin), I sat in her chair and watched as she pulled out her tweezers. No wax here. Kelly believes tweezers are more precise. She tweezes (quite painlessly) each and every stray hair, leaving the ones that needed to grow. We were having such great conversation, I barely noticed I was in her chair for 20 minutes. She’s a perfectionist. I walked away with glorious brows and a few at home tricks.

This is one passionate woman. She’s been in this business for over 20 years and has seen it all. She has a talent for showing women how to build confidence by highlighting their best features. You’ve most likely seen her work as she does a ton of press and editorial makeup. Kelly features some cosmetic lines that aren’t available anywhere else in Northeast Ohio, like Face Atelier, Kevyn Aucoin and Girlactik Beauty and Ellis Faas.

She knows the good skincare from the over-hyped and over-priced and within a few minutes, can determine exactly what you need. Powder Room offers cosmeceutical-grade skincare, usually found at the dermatologist’s, like Cellex-C & Natura Bisse. No pressure to make a purchase, she’d rather send you home with samples to make sure you love it before you buy it.

Powder Room offers an array of facials to meet any skincare need along with makeup application, lessons and custom spray tanning. This is the perfect oasis to celebrate a birthday, bachelorette or simply a pampering girl’s night in!

Why? Five Things This Friday!

It’s been a long week, CLE and finally the promise of the weekend and beautiful weather seems to be here. So, let’s keep it light and breezy with Five Things This Friday!

1. You’ve probably already seen it, but it bears repeating. Check out Michael Symon’s awesome love letter to the city of Cleveland. As a two-time boomerang, so much of this rang especially true for me!

Image Source – cleveland.com

2. Looking for something fun and inexpensive for your Friday night? Check out the FiveOne Experimental Orchestra tonight (May 18) at 8:30pm at The Sculpture Center on East 123rd Street. They will be performing “Like She Said, Everything’s Fine,” a psychoacoustic piece. Admission is only $3!

3. Mondays suck, but free cookies make even Mondays better! This Monday, May 21 the DoubleTree by Hilton “Little Things Project” is coming to Willard Park from 11am-5pm. There will be free cookies, free wi-fi, a laptop/cell phone charging station, and deals to CLE attractions.

There will also be a DoubleTree “Swarm Car” delivering requested little things to lucky folks who tweet to @doubletree using the hashtag #littlethings.

4. Tuesday, May 22, Pier W is hosting a Mad Men happy hour. Aside from the normal fabulous happy hour deals, there will be giveaways and prizes for the best dressed. So break out your 60′s attire and head on over! For more info, click here.

5. Tomorrow is my Bachelorette Party! Woo-hoo! I encourage you to take my tweets and Facebook posts tomorrow with this information in mind.

Image Source – umbrellagrouplv.com

What are your Five Things This Friday?

***Disclosure: I was asked by DoubleTree to help promote the Little Things event. In exchange, I was invited to ride along in the Swarm Car, but declined due to scheduling conflicts. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Cleveland Marathon Weekend!

This weekend, the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon is taking over the streets of our city. Good luck to all the runners and congrats on making it through your training!

Image Source – my.clevelandclinic.org

So, what if you’re not a runner? Or, like me, you tried running and figured out that if you’re not being chased, you don’t really want to do it…

The weather is supposed to be fantastic and there are plenty of ways to participate in the excitement of Cleveland Marathon weekend!

Cheer!

There are lots of great spots to watch the runners do their thing. Here’s a list! Make a sign, show some love, give out high fives, and just generally encourage these awesome people.

Image Source – ncpreventionpartners.org

There will also be entertainment along the course, with everything from high school bands to jazz to rock to a dance party to John Adams, the Indians drummer.

Eat and Drink and Play!

If all that cheering makes you want to refuel, plenty of Cleveland restaurants will be open to serve you and the famished runners. Last year, Matthew and I had brunch at Latitude 41N right around the time the race finished up. It was packed with medal-wearers, their friends and family, and other spectators.

From Latitude 41N to Luxe to XYZ the Tavern to Sweet Moses, Gordon Square offers some great options for race day munchies.

As the runners make their way through Ohio City, you can be enjoying brunch at SOHO Cleveland, Market Garden Brewery, or Heck’s Cafe.

Also, you may have heard a little something about the brand new Horseshoe Casino, which will be open all day. Who needs to win a marathon when you can win at the slots?!

Image Source – multivu.com

Congrats and go get ‘em to all the runners! Whether you’re running the half or full marathon on Sunday or the 5K on Saturday, you deserve mad respect for your effort and dedication. And to all the spectators, friends, and proud Clevelanders, get out there and have some fun with a great event happening in our town!

Why? Fashion Week Cleveland Runway Show!

Saturday night was the pinnacle of Fashion Week Cleveland: the black-tie gala and runway show. My giveaway winner, Amy, and I split the recap to give you two different perspectives on the evening.

All glam on the red carpet with Amy

Amy’s Recap

When I won the tickets from Why CLE? to Cleveland Fashion Week’s Black-tie Gala, I made a bargain with Jen: in return for the two tickets she provided, I would help her write the recap of the event and provide a few pictures.

My favorite part of the evening was dressing up and going out with my husband for a night on the town. I also enjoyed meeting new people like the writers of some of the Cleveland-based blogs I follow. I think everyone who attended the event felt like the evening was a perfect opportunity to people watch! The fashion show itself was fascinating, and my favorite designer was Lotty Lewis.

It’s Nidhi from Cleveland Socialite!

 There were a few suggestions I would make for next year’s show. The doors were scheduled to open at 7:30 p.m., but they didn’t open until almost 8:15 p.m. This seemed to set the tone for the evening, and it felt like we had a lot of time to stand around. I think there are opportunities to tighten the schedule – perhaps shorten the reception, but have some of the models walking around throughout the reception with the looks from the runway…just to give us a “teaser” for the show itself. I think there was a lack of organization too – I received a lot of questions from other attendees about where they could find the bar, the restrooms, the VIP section, etc.

I also would like to have seen more about the FWC organization and what they are doing to answer the question “Why CLE?”

My Recap

Before we headed to all the glamour, Alicia (my date for the evening), Kimberly, her husband, and I decided to grab some appetizers and cocktails at Pier W. The restaurant just lends itself to dressiness. We snagged a spot in the bar and were able to get in on happy hour prices. Yes, they have  happy hour on the weekend: $5.75 martinis and  glasses of wine and half-off almost all appetizers.

The food and cocktails were delicious (lobster bisque, calamari, and short rib pierogies, oh my!), plus we were able to have a mini photo shoot on the deck overlooking our beloved city.

From there, we headed to the Halle Building. Our tickets said the doors opened at 7:30, but word on the street – literally, we were all waiting on Huron – was that the time had been changed to 8:15. We certainly got in some good people-watching, though!

Once inside, we made our way first to the champagne fountain. Good thing we started there because by the time we went for a refill about half an hour later, there was no champagne left and the fountain was all packed up!

From there, we checked out the nibbles. Stone Mad served up mini sandwiches of their famous beef brisket, Flour served up pasta, and L’Albatros served up three different cheeses, pate, taurine, and homemade sausage.

In keeping with the late entrance to the Halle Building, the runway show started about half an hour late. By the time we made our way through the line and downstairs, we weren’t able to see any of the fashions from our seats. Literally, we saw models from the shoulders up. Perhaps if the runway had been raised, it would have been easier for all the attendees to see the clothes.

I love that Fashion Week Cleveland gives a forum for local designers to show off their talent, but overall, the event could have been better organized and executed. VIP tickets cost $100. While I was fortunate to have received a pair of tickets, I think that the value for people who bought tickets is compromised by late starts, running out of champagne, long drink lines, and not necessarily being able to even see the runway show.

However, I never have a really bad evening when I’m with these ladies, so cheers to getting glammed up with my girls!

Did you attend Fashion Week Cleveland’s runway show? What’s your take on the evening?

***Disclosure: I was asked by Fashion Week Cleveland to help promote the Runway Show by running a giveaway and blogging about the event. In exchange, I received 2 VIP tickets to the Runway Show. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.***

Why? Weekends, Part I!

Hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather this weekend! Since it was so nice, Friday seemed the perfect night for patio time at Momocho. I had three of my favorite Momocho menu items: the spicy mango margarita, the corn and crab guacamole, and the duck taquitos with pomegranate barbacoa. Delicious!

While we were sipping and dipping, my friend Chrissy asked me if I would be a bridesmaid in her wedding in June 2013. I was so honored and of course immediately accepted! I also had to tell Chrissy that Momocho has a history with me and bridesmaids…my friend Beth asked me to be one of her Maids of Honor there and I asked Beth to be one of my bridesmaids at Momocho as well. Maybe it’s something they put in the margaritas?!

On Sunday, it was time to celebrate Mom. The whole family went out to dinner at Salmon Dave’s. The restaurant is known for its fresh seafood and fish. We started with sharing the seared ahi tuna appetizer and the calamari appetizer.

Many of the dishes at Salmon Dave’s have an Asian influence. The seared ahi tuna is served with seaweed salad and spicy sticky rice. The calamari came with a delicious Thai peanut sauce.

For our entrees, there was no question what Mom and I wanted: the king crab legs special.

I selected the lobster mashers and steamed asparagus as my sides. I love when seafood is so fresh and tasty that it can just stand on its own and these crab legs certainly did. They were sweet and tender and completely delicious. Everyone else seemed happy with their choices as well, from Maine lobster tail to diver scallops to Alaskan king salmon. For straight-up good, fresh seafood and fish, Salmon Dave’s is a win.

Most importantly, though, we had a wonderful time as a family honoring a very special lady. Cheers, Mom!

Tomorrow, I’ll fill you all in on my and my giveaway winner Amy’s takes on the Fashion Week Cleveland Runway Shows. What did you do to celebrate Mother’s Day? Did you get a chance to take advantage of this lovely patio weather?

Why? Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all the moms and moms-to-be! I wanted to take a moment to celebrate my mom.

Photo Credit – J.A.S. Photography

Here are just a few of the things she’s taught me over the years:

That even when life should break you, you can’t let it. In the span of eight months when she was only 25 years old, she had a baby, her husband left her, and her mother died after battling cancer. Any one of those things would be enough to completely overwhelm a person. She is amazingly strong. And she taught me that no matter what life hands you, you find the inner strength to keep going.

How to appreciate the finer things. She has good taste, my mother. From fine restaurants to nice clothes to travel, she taught me how to recognize quality and how sometimes it’s worth splurging for.

To be a woman of faith. And I don’t just mean because she asks if I went to church, although she does that, too. She raised me to understand that faith, however you define and practice it, can center you in a way that few other things can.

Value your girlfriends. Long before Sex and the City, my mom would have luncheons with her girlfriends where they would sit and talk and drink and laugh. And I usually got to sit there too. I understood from an early age that girlfriends are precious and that making time to nurture these relationships is crucial.

That being passionate about your job is more important than the paycheck. She taught Catholic elementary school for 17 years. She wasn’t in it for the money. But I still see her tear up around the first day of school. She loved her job and not because of prestige or money. Finding that kind of passion for what you do is rare and important.

You don’t need a man. Operative word being “need.” The point is that she taught me to be strong, independent, and able to take care of myself.

Sometimes love comes from the most unexpected of places. I never thought she’d end up with my stepdad. I’m not sure she did either. But they are a wonderful couple and an amazing example of what can happen when two people who have been hurt let down their guards and genuinely get to know one other. She taught me it’s important to look beyond the superficial “list.” Also that the person who finally treats you how you deserve to be treated is more often than not the right person for you.

Family will never fail you. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, it doesn’t matter what you need, it doesn’t matter how long you wait to ask. Family will always be there for you.

 

I love you, Mom!

Why? Near West Theatre’s Ragtime!

It was bloggers, burritos, and Broadway in Ohio City last night. First, I met up with Kimberly from Smitten…in Cleveland, Sarah from Cooker Girl, and Amanda from Clue Into Cleveland for dinner at Ohio City Burrito.

Ohio City Burrito works on the same concept as Chipotle: walk down the line and pick out your burrito or taco toppings. But the end result at OCB is much tastier! Everything is homemade and delicious.

I chose the Naked Burrito (no tortilla) with rice, black beans, pork carnitas, guacamole, medium salsa, jalapenos, corn, and cheese. The pork was tender and flavorful and the toppings were so fresh. Seriously tasty!

From there, we met up with Nidhi from Cleveland Socialite and headed to Near West Theatre to see Ragtime. Our blogger pal Sara from Sara Finding the Time was performing in the show. Near West Theatre’s shows are held in the old St. Patrick’s Church on Bridge Avenue, which was transformed into a gorgeous set for this musical.

Ragtime is three hours of wall-to-wall music with everything from playful rags to soulful ballads. The story is set at the dawn of the Twentieth Century, when men like Henry Ford and J.P. Morgan were gods. The musical explores issues of racial tension, social injustice, unions, immigrants, feminism, and more.

Image Source – sarafindingthetime.wordpress.com

The cast and crew of Ragtime did a fantastic job with this monster of a musical. The show’s energy never dipped. And we have some amazingly talented people in community theater in Cleveland! Wow! As I was watching the show, I thought about Sara and the rest of the cast: people with “regular” jobs, who give up their free time to perform for the love of the theater.

Image Source – sarafindingthetime.wordpress.com

Ragtime runs through May 20 and tickets are only $8! You can see great theater for a song (haha). For show dates, times, and tickets, click here.

Congrats to Sara and the entire cast and crew of Ragtime! You gave us quite a memorable night at the theater! Break a leg on the rest of your run!

Where is your favorite place to see community theater in Cleveland?