Just a Trim Dress

I got this light-weight, black and green dress at a consignment shop when I was in high school. It hung unworn in my closet last summer so I decided to do something with it. The original plan was to take the whole top off of it and replace it… that was the plan up until I put it on to take a before picture.

Looked less “meh” than expected.

I decided that it just needed a bit of a trim… so to speak.

Dress to Date Night Top

I bought this dress on a super clearance from Target, in all honesty I needed to spend just a few dollars more for free shipping or something and I liked the print.

I wore this once as a dress over the winter with tights, boots and a sweater. I felt a little awkward, it came to a “midi” length on me which isn’t my best length option and felt just a bit too busy. I decided to change it up that day.

Old image via Target

I really liked the soft jersey material and the cowl neck, so I literally just chopped it off a few inches below the belt loops. I’ve now worn it several times to work with dress pants or with jeans. Last Friday, I wore it with jeans and my favorite green flats. After work Brad and I headed out for a date night.

Our New Spot

I ran across an article on my Twitter feed about a new place close to home called Brewco {This Article} located in Parma. Since we usually go to another suburb for dining out and we like local brews, I filed Brewco in the to-visit part of my brain.

In the middle of a stressful week last week, I had no desire to cook and wanted to just have a break so I went back to the to-visit list and looked Brewco up on Facebook. Come to find out it was burger night so Brad and I headed over there after work with a couple of our friends. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect from a bar that’s next-door neighbors with Dollar General, but the moment we walked in we were pleasantly surprised.

The brick interior and multiple dining areas felt open. Our party of four was seated at a booth, but most of the other patrons were at the enormous bar.  There was an Ohio map at each booth and if memory serves correctly, the breweries for their local brews are marked. The local brews were reasonably priced and we all tried something new, even though they had “familiar” beers available as well. Most of the items on the menu sounded good, but since it was burger night and all four of us ordered burgers.

Birthday Weekend

My birthday was Friday so I got to spend the whole weekend celebrating it!

Friday evening, armed with our Foodie Cleveland cards, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Lock Keepers in Valley View with our good friends. Afterward we all came back to our house for a movie on the big screen and Main Street Cupcakes (that I had decorated myself at a work event).

A Tasty Lock 39

Aren’t they pretty?

The Auto Show, a Birthday Tradition

My husband is officially older than me for the next week and a half. We had a whirlwind couple of days in celebration.

On Friday, we unexpectedly received tickets to the Cleveland Auto Show preview night. So we got some Mexican food and margaritas (Did you know Friday was National Margarita Day?) with our friends before heading to the IX Center. We had a good time checking out the cars and I got to do the Jeep Experience.

Here’s Brad’s video from the 2012 Jeep Experience (it didn’t change much… just the years of the vehicles)

I also rode the IX Center Ferris wheel for the first (and last) time. The view of the airport at night is pretty cool, but the gondola-style seating freaked me out. We were up very high and there aren’t seat belts!

On Saturday (Brad’s actual birthday) the guys went back to the auto show to do the ride and drive events. They got to drive a Cadillac CTS-V, which was the main event as far as the guys were concerned. That evening we introduced my in-laws to the Great Lakes Brewing Company and their amazing food (and beer, but that’s a given).

We capped off a wonderful evening with birthday cheesecake.

–  –  –

When given my Pinterest board of recipes last year, Brad decided that he’d like the Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake. This year he requested it again and I’ve gotten the recipe tweaked to where I like it finally!

Rachel’s Coffee Bailey’s Cheesecake (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

Stormy Weather

I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about the storm, but it’s at the forefront of our minds right now.

I woke up this morning in a  warm home that had power. I made the drive into work to a warm office that has power. Considering what things are like for the rest of Cleveland and those on the East Coast, I’m very blessed. Before I launch into some new grown up things I’ve learned from being affected by a hurricane all the way in Northeast Ohio, let me first say a couple of things.

1. Drive with your headlights on. Not only is it safer it’s the law. In Ohio, if you have your windshield wipers running, your headlights should be on. It’s been a few days since we’ve seen the sun here, so turn them on so we can see you! Seriously. Be safe.

2. Traffic lights that are out become ALL WAY STOPS. Got that? People get hurt when you ignore traffic laws, so be patient, be considerate and follow the law please.

Last evening we went out in the weather and got our normal weekly groceries and made our normal monthly stop at Costco. When we returned home, we had some very anxious kitties. They didn’t like the wind blowing, the rain hitting on the windows or the other strange sounds. They seemed much calmer after we’d been home for a bit.

Being first time homeowners, we made some plans of what to do if we lose power. We charged up our phones and laptops, then before heading off to bed, Brad took a walk around the house and checked all of the windows and doors for leaks. We haven’t had crazy storms since moving in, so he figured after a couple of days of rain, it’d be worth checking out. He found a minor leak in the glass block beside the front door that can be easily fixed once it’s dried out.

I didn’t get much time to assess for damage this morning. We have a disconnected downspout, but the downspout is still attached, my pumpkin is still sitting on the front porch so I suspect not much has blown away. This morning was supposed to be trash collection so all of the bags and cans that were put out last night blew down the street. That’s probably the most annoying thing is being careful of garbage in the streets.

Some schools were canceled, but being an adult means that you get in the car and go to work if you can. Brad woke up to an email informing him and his colleagues that today would be business as usual. The commute in was rough, not entirely due to the weather, but due to the other drivers who got confused by traffic lights not working. There were downed branches and street closures, half of the traffic lights on my route were dark and there were about half as many cars on the road than usual.

It’s a quiet day in the office, but things are getting done. I know it’s not over. Watching the live stream of Lake Erie waves tells me that it’s not over. But I’m hearing about people already getting some power back, so I’m hopeful.

Stay safe, warm and dry friends.

Related Posts:

Snow Wimps

No One Wants Gray Pictures

The Power of Weather

Friday Five

Bullets, bullets, bullets! Five things I’m thinking about this lovely Friday before a holiday weekend.

1. I have a secret… and I think I’ll come clean now. I drink my beloved coffee with holiday cream in it all year long! As fall approaches, I take comfort knowing that as my current stash runs low, I’ll be able to replenish it before it runs out.
2. I’m checking things off my list! I attended my first NFL game last night. It may have been preseason, but it still counts! I went to football games in high school and college (go Purple Raiders!) so now I’ve been to a Browns game.

Workaversary

The significance of today snuck up on me last yesterday afternoon.

Today, July 6th, is the one year anniversary of starting my “big girl job.” It’s a little crazy to think that at this point last year, I showed up to this agency with a combination of nervousness and excitement. I was amazed that I had my own office, with a window and a real door and I loved it.

On my very first day I was assigned several projects and I was amazed by the responsibility that I was given. In my internships, I wrote a total of about 5 news releases. By the time I finished my first week here (at part time) I’d already written more than that.

What can I say? I’m neat and tidy.

I later learned how lucky I was

Take me out to the ball game

I had the opportunity to attend my first Cleveland Indians’ game on Sunday. The sad thing is, I’ve lived in Northeast Ohio for more than 12 years and had yet to see a Tribe game (it was also my first MLB game).

In fact, my first visit to Progressive Field was for a PRSA event at the Terrace Club in April.

My friend’s dad received four tickets and a parking pass for Sunday’s game against the Marlins. So they invited the K-couple to join them (fun fact: in just over a year, they’ll also be a K-couple). And here is where I stop you. You can fill maybe a teaspoon with the entirety of my sports knowledge. I hear that our seats were pretty good, they were in the View Box.

See:

You didn’t expect pictures of the players from me did you?

Small World Syndrome

Once upon a time, my father did a lot of traveling. I remember him commenting that when you travel within your own state, people will ask where you’re from then ask if you know someone from the same city/region as you. When you travel within the US people will ask  if you know someone that lives in the same state as you. When he was in Europe, he was by chance on a train with a British passenger, who upon finding out my father was American, asked if he knew an acquaintance of theirs who was also an American.

Our world is vast, yet it is small. When meeting new people in college, we found out where the person went to high school and it usually brought you to say, “I know someone who went to your school, do you know [insert name here]?”

I was at a Cleveland PRSA event and happened to be sitting with a nice girl who moved to Cleveland from Chicago. She moved for love, and explained that her fiance was from Canton. “Where in Canton?” I asked. I then found out that her fiance and my husband grew up in the same town. But like us, they say Canton because not very many people know where the town is.

We dined with other Ohioans here!

The farther from home you go, the small the world seems.