Detroit Restaurant Week 2014

It’s that time of year again…Detroit Restaurant Week! Restaurant week kicks off tomorrow and runs through September 28, 2014. During restaurant week, diners can enjoy three course meals at Detroit’s hottest restaurants for just $30 per person! It’s a great deal if you have time to dine. This year there are 21 restaurants participating in the event.

restaurant week 2014

The following Detroit restaurants are participating in this year’s event:

You can read about my experiences at La Dolce Vita, the Rattlesnake Club, Santorini Estiatorio and Ottava Via if you are interested in making a reservation. Those are some of my favorites, but Restaurant Week is about trying new things. I would love to try Top of the Pontch with my husband. I’ve also never tried Prism at Greektown and the menu looks delicious.

Are you excited for Detroit Restaurant Week? What restaurants are you planning to try out?

For more Detroit posts, click here.


Fall 2014 TV Preview

I could not be more excited for Fall TV this year! I am actually swapping in a new DVR this weekend and am going to get everything programmed in. Here is what I will be watching and I will note which ones I will be recapping. Let me know if there are any shows you would love to see me recap.

September 15

Dancing With the Stars (ABC)

So I ended up skipping last season’s DWTS because I didn’t have time to commit to watching 3-4 hours every week. I am 50/50 on watching this season. I love the show, but it is just soooooo long. There are going to be some good contestants this year like Alfonso Ribeiro (do you think he will do the Carlton?), Betsey Johnson (count on her doing the splits), Antonio Sabato, Jr. (this year’s eye candy), and Bethany Mota (YouTube sensation and probably my only hope of every being on this show, so I need to get more readers, lol).

abc_dancing_with_the_stars_cast_mt_140904_16x9_992September 21

Madam Secretary (CBS)

I love political dramas, but I love Tea Leoni even more, so this seems like a great combination. The show follows the life of a former CIA Analyst turned Secretary of State, Elizabeth McCord (Leoni) and looks like a winner. After watching the clip below, I know I will be hooked!

The Good Wife (CBS)

When we last left Alicia (Julianna Marguiles), she had just been asked to run for the State’s Attorney’s office. Pair that with potentially merging with Diane (Christine Baranski), we have a great new season shaping up. It also looks like Alicia may have a new love interest, but will she ever divorce Peter (Chris Noth)? I will be covering The Good Wife fashion again, you can see my previous Good Wife posts here.

September 22

Gotham (FOX)

Gotham is a new drama that is just what it sounds like, a Batman prequel. This follows Harvey Gordon as he moves up the ranks of Gotham PD and has an all-star cast including Jada Pinkett Smith, Ben McKenzie and Donal Logue among others. This looks like a great one to watch with the hubby!

Forever (ABC)

This show looked interesting and mostly caught my eye because it stars Ioan Gruffudd, who we last saw on Ringer. Gruffudd stars as Doctor Henry Morgan who is NYC’s medical examiner. Henry has a secret, he is immortal, alive for 200 years, but has no idea why.

Update: You can watch the pilot episode OnDemand. I liked it so far, looks like it could be a great series.

 September 23

Chicago Fire (NBC)

John and I are a little behind on this one, so I am just going to post the clip so I don’t ruin it before we get caught up.

Person of Interest (CBS)

This is another one that John and I haven’t caught up with yet. We stopped watching after Carter (Taraji P. Henson) died, so I am excited to get caught up and see where the show ended up.

September 25

Bones (FOX)

I have to admit, I was a little confused at the end of Season Nine, I wasn’t exactly sure what happened or how. Season 10 sees Booth (David Boreanaz) incarcerated for the murder of three FBI agents and Brennan (Emily Deschanel) trying to clear his name.

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)

And then there were two…can you believe that only Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Alex (Justin Chambers) are the only original interns left? This season opens with Alex and Bailey (Chandra Wilson) fighting over Christina’s board seat, Derek (Patrick Dempsey) moving to Washington DC without Meredith and new doctors on the scene it should be interesting how they keep this show alive.

Scandal (ABC)

Last year’s season finale was jam-packed with surprises, from Fitz (Tony Goldwyn) and Mellie’s (Bellamy Young) son dying, Fitz discovering her secret and then winning a second term, the first family has gone through a lot. Harrison (Columbus Short) is dead, killed by Eli (Joe Morton) who now has everything he wants, including revenge on Fitz. Huck (Guillermo Diaz) came face-to-face with his family and Olivia (Kerry Washington) and Jake (Scott Foley) jetted off into the sunset, but not before sending David Rosen (Joshua Malina) a smoking gun for B613. So where on earth is Olivia Pope? I covered Scandal fashion last year and will again this year. To catch up on my previous posts, click here.

How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

This is the new show from mastermind Shonda Rimes. This show follows Professor Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) as she teaches her law students how to help their clients get away with murder. From the preview it looks like they will have to put her advice to good use. This looks pretty good and the clothes look great to, so I may have to cover this one as well…

September 28

Revenge (ABC)

When we last left Emily (Emily Vancamp) her plan has finally succeeded. The Graysons are ruined…but not without a price. Aiden was poisoned by Victoria (Madeline Stowe). It also looks like David Clarke (James Tupper) is still alive! What will happen this season is anyone’s guess.

September 29

Castle (ABC)

When we last looked in on Castle (Nathan Fillion) and Beckett (Stana Katic) it was their wedding day…but Castle never made it to the altar. He was kidnapped by someone in the finale cliffhanger. Will these two ever get their happy ending?

October 2

The Vampire Diaries (CW)

Is Damon (Ian Somerholder) really gone?

Reign (CW)

Mary (Adelaide Kane) is officially the Queen of France, just in time to deal with the plague. I’m curious to see how this show will continue as history tells us that Francis (Toby Regbo) doesn’t live very long after their marriage.

October 3

Kendra on Top (WE)

I’ve loved watching Kendra for years, I thought her story of finding Hank and growing out of her party phase was touching. I feel terrible for everything she has had to go through recently and couldn’t watch this clip with out getting goosebumps. I am interested to see how she will react this season.

October 5

Homeland (Showtime)

Last season was heartbreaking as Brody was executed with a devastated Carrie (Claire Danes) watching pregnant with his unborn child. After killing off the main character, I’m not sure where the show goes from here.

October 6

The Originals (CW)

The season finale was surprise after surprise, with Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin) giving up baby Hope to Rebekah (Claire Holt). There are lots of new faces this season and it will be interesting to see where it goes. This show most surprised me last year, I like it so much more than the Vampire Diaries.

October 12

The Affair (Showtime)

The only thing I know about this show is that Joshua Jackson is in it and that is enough for me. The preview looks pretty steamy…

October 24

Grimm (NBC)

In the season finale Rosalee (Bree Turner) and Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) got married, Nick (David Giuntoli) lost his powers and Adalind (Claire Coffee) is trying to get her baby back. I also forgot that Nick slept with Adalind while she was pretending to be Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch)! In this clip, the producers talk about what to expect in Season 4.

November 6

White Collar (USA)

I am so sad to see White Collar go! The show was cancelled, but USA is giving the writers six episodes to wrap everything up. When we left off, Neal (Matt Bomer) had been abducted by a mystery group and Elizabeth (Tiffani Thiessen) accepted a job in Washington, D.C. possibly leaving Peter (Tim DeKay) behind. I followed all of Elizabeth’s fashion last season and plan to so so again for the final episodes. You can read my previous recaps here.

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Covert Affairs (USA)

We just finished the last season of Covert Affairs, but it was renewed for a sixth season and will follow White Collar on November 6. You can catch up with my recaps of the most recent season here.

covert affairsWhat fall shows are you most excited for?


Altuzarra for Target

Target is releasing a new special collection, this time with 31-year old designer Joseph Altuzarra, whose line is just six years old. The collection launches today, September 14 and includes nearly 50 pieces. Here is the secret with these special collections, they will sell out immediately, but you have to shop them on eBay. Within hours of the release, people will be selling their purchases on eBay and these are brand new items with tags. I have done this for a number of the special collections allowing me to get any piece I want.

hero-slide2Here are my favorite pieces from the new Altuzarra collaboration:

Black Ankle Strap Pump ($39.99)

black ankle strap pump

Python Short Sleeve Shirt ($17.99)

This would look great under a blazer, with a suit or going out in jeans.

python short sleeve shirt

Python Trench Coat ($89.99)

The detail on this is gorgeous. This is a great classic piece.

python trench coat

Blazer with Peplum Detail ($54.99)

You can always use another black blazer and I love the detailing on this one.

blazer with peplum detail

Sleeveless Sheer Bow Blouse ($29.99)

bow blouse

Striped Oxford Shirt ($29.99)

oxford shirt

Sheer Swiss Dot Bow Blouse ($34.99)

swiss dot blouse

Satin Floral Maxi Dress ($69.99)

I have no idea where I will wear this, but it is gorgeous and I love it!

satin maxi dress

Python Bow Blouse ($34.99)

python bow blouse

Trench Coat with Back Detail ($89.99)

trench

Over-the-Knee Boot ($79.99)

These are just gorgeous!

over the knee boot

Faux Fur Jacket ($69.99)

This would be perfect in the winter over a fancy dress.

faux fur jacket

Ruby Hill Wrap Dress ($39.99)

This would be a perfect dress for holiday parties.

ruby hill

Sweater with Crane Embroidery ($49.99)

crane sweater

Orchid Print Satin Dress ($49.99)

orchid satin dress

Python Pencil Skirt ($34.99)

python pencil skirt

Jacquard Pencil Skirt ($34.99)

I love the detailing on this pencil skirt!

jacquard pencil skirt

Cami Sets Sheer or Satin ($34.99)

I think these are so cute and even come with a travel bag.

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What are your favorite looks from this collection?

For more fashion posts, click here.


Friday Favorites: Cute Desk Accessories

When I was in school, I loved getting new binders and folders and color coding all of my classes. As an adult, you don’t really get a first day back to school, so I thought it would be fun to share some cute fun desk accessories that would help give a fresh start to any office. Here are my top five favorites (warning…this post might be all Kate Spade focused, because she just makes really cute stuff!):

1. Kate Spade Talk is Chic Notebook ($18)

For my job, I have to track billable hours. Some people do it differently, but I like to write it down in a notebook and then enter it into the system at the end of the day. What PR gal doesn’t need a fabulous notebook?

talk is chic

2. Kate Spade Let’s Do Lunch Business Card Holder ($20)

I had a faux leather business card holder, but it tends to get gunked up in my purse, so I needed a new one and this is just darling.

lets do lunch

3. Kate Spade Pen Set ($19)

Each pen has a fun saying. Green: from the desk of, Purple: so well composed, Red: to whom it may concern, Pink: yours sincerely, Blue: what’s the word.

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4. Kate Spade Acrylic Pencil Cup ($24)

Now that you have pens, you are going to need a fun pen holder. This one says “Stroke of Genius.”

pencil cup

5. Kate Spade Picture Frame ($29)

I can’t have a desk without have a picture of John on it and I love pink, so this works for me.

pink_frame

What are your favorite desk accessories?

If you would like to join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

I am also participating in the Friday Favorites Linkup with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. You can click the button below for more information and to join the linkup.

Momfessionals

For more Friday Favorites posts, click here.


Throwback Thursday: Our Engagement Story

I mentioned in my Blogiversary post, that I had a few new post ideas up my sleeve. Since I started this blog two years after my wedding, I never got to share any of those fun memories here. I wanted to do this Throwback Thursday series to share a little bit more about myself so you could get to know me better. This is so much fun for me to write. Pulling out our engagement album made me so happy remembering how I felt at that moment.

After we got engaged, I wrote down our story so I wouldn’t forget any of it:

John had decided to propose during our trip to Anna Maria Island, Florida for a wedding in April 2009. This was our first long trip together and we had a lot of fun making the plans. The wedding was beautiful and we had a great time! John even mentioned to the groom that he was thinking about proposing.

Over the next month, John started researching rings. He wanted to get a ring that looked similar to a Tiffany ring that I had admired. While I was in San Diego for a friend’s wedding, John was busy going to five jewelry stores, shopping around and trying to find the perfect ring. He finally purchased a beautiful ring. John also took a trip to my parent’s house to ask my father’s permission to propose to me.

We both had 4th of July weekend free so John planned a trip to Toledo where we would go to a MudHens game and take a trip to the Toledo Zoo to see the elephants. This was something we wanted to do for a long time and John planned the entire trip and sent me an email with all the trip details.

When I returned from San Diego I noticed that John had lost weight and I was surprised that he hadn’t spent the week partying with his friends. I had no idea that he had been worried about getting the ring on time and nervous about the proposal.

Every time John and I went on a trip or took a long weekend, one of my coworkers, would ask “Do you think he’s going to propose?” I would always laugh and say “Oh no, he’s not going to propose for a long time.” When I told her that we were going to Toledo for 4th of July weekend she asked if I thought he would propose to me. I said “Oh no…he’s not going to propose in TOLEDO!” I had no idea that he was even thinking about proposing, I just assumed that the trip was something nice for my upcoming birthday.

On our drive down to Toledo I spent the whole trip talking about weddings and what I would do if we ever got married. I told him that my coworker had asked me if I thought he would propose on our trip and told him “I said, oh no, he wouldn’t propose in TOLEDO!” I even suggested a song that we should play as we were entering our reception. I was reading US magazine which happened to be Kendra’s wedding album and I kept running my mouth about weddings, weddings, weddings. I also saw an ad for a shirt that said “He put a ring on it” and thought that was hilarious. The whole time not knowing that John had a ring in his suitcase.

When we got to the Crowne Plaza and walked into our room I was so surprised! It was a beautiful room with a river view and we would have a great view of the fireworks later in the evening. When we walked in I said “This is pretty nice! I guess you could propose in TOLEDO!”

We had a few drinks before the game and while I was admiring the view, John retrieved the ring from his suitcase. When I turned around he started telling me how important I was to him and how much he loved me and then he got down on one knee to propose. I thought he was joking because of all the comments I had made throughout the day. I told him to be serious. I didn’t realize he was actually proposing until he presented me with a beautiful ring and asked me to marry him. I almost fell over before saying yes!

I took a few pictures in the hotel before the proposal, and I think this captures it perfectly. He must have been so nervous at this point because he proposed about two minutes after this photo:

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After the proposal, we had tickets to the Toledo Mudhens game and we could not stop smiling.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The next day, I wanted to walk down by the river and take a few photos to commemorate the occasion:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThen we headed off to the zoo and had some fun with ring pictures:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASince we went to see the elephants, we had to get this picture:

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This was the most wonderful trip and one of the best weekends of my life. In the morning at breakfast, before the zoo, we made a lot of wedding decisions about what we both wanted. I remember walking around the zoo just beaming the whole time…I was on cloud nine!

We had a blast telling all of our family and friends that we were engaged over the following week. When we officially announced our engagement on social media, I shared this picture:

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I hope this gave you a little peak into who I am. I am a romantic at heart and would love to hear your engagement stories, whether they are recent or from years ago!


Wine of the Week: Banrock Station Moscato

Disclosure: I received this wine from a PR firm on behalf of Banrock Station to provide an honest review. 

I was thrilled to receive a bottle of Banrock Station Moscato to review for Wine of the Week. I hadn’t had a moscato in a while and this was the perfect thing to test while watching Bachelor in Paradise with my friend Tracy.

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Banrock Station is an environmentally responsible Australian winemaker. Every glass of Banrock Station wine purchased helps to support environmental projects such as restoring natural assets in Europe, saving salmon in Canada and preserving waterways and wetlands in Australia. I love the premise of this because wine is such a natural drink – grapes from the earth coming together to form a beautiful wine and by drinking it you are giving back to the earth. Sort of symbiotic.

I had a lot of fun drinking this wine, because it wasn’t too sweet. It was light and fruity with a natural sweetness that was refreshing. I would have loved to continue drinking this, it was a fantastic bottle to share with friends and the perfect summer wine! It would be great with cheese platters or desserts.

Have you tried Banrock Station Moscato? What did you think?

For more Wine of the Week posts, click here.


The Art of Detroit

Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets to The Art of Detroit. All opinions expressed are my own.

John and I were invited to The Art of Detroit at Saks Fifth Avenue a few weeks back. We had a blast and I wanted to share some of the pictures from the event.

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When we arrived at Saks, they literally rolled out the red carpet for us!

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IMG_2993When we arrived, we each received four vouchers that we could use to enter for a number of amazing prizes! I entered mine for a Prada Handbag, Gucci Handbag, Vhernier Earrings and His & Hers Shinola Watches. John entered all of his into the Shinola bucket.

saks prizes

We didn’t end up winning any of them, but we did get to enjoy some fantastic food and drinks from Two James Distillery, Atwater Brewery, Slows BBQ, MGM Grand Tap, Taste Love Cupcakes and Sanders Hot Fudge. YUM!

art of detroit food Collage

Saks had an awesome TapSnap photo booth set up and John and I took a great picture, one of my new favorites!

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I also got to catch up with Shannon Lazovski, from Glamorous Moms, who I hadn’t seen since before I started my blog, so it was fun to get some blogging tips from her.

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Next up, I spent some time at the ReVive Skincare Counter. Now, I wasn’t really familiar with ReVive before, but after I got home I realized that I had some of their Fermatif Neck Renewal Cream and Volumizing Serum that I was gifted by a friend. I didn’t know what I had, but am definitely starting to use these. While at the counter I got a sample of the brand new Intensite Line Erasing Serum, which I was told is like Botox in a bottle. I don’t have a ton of wrinkles yet, but I am all about preventative measures.

revive

We were almost on our way out, when I got asked by someone at the Cellcosmet counter if I wanted a massage – I thought they meant a neck massage, but it was actually a foot massage! I had never heard of this brand before, but whatever she put on my feet made them feel fantastic after an evening of standing in heels. It was seriously amazing!

foot massageAt the end of the night, my wonderful husband snagged us some American Coney dogs for a late night snack to take home!

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We had a wonderful time! This is definitely an event I would go to next year. A big thanks to Saks Fifth Avenue for inviting us!


Chili’s® at Home Heats Up the Frozen Food Aisle

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Bellisio Foods, but my love for their tasty, bold and quick meals is all my own!

You may remember my post from a few weeks ago when I mentioned that our basement flooded with sewage. Well ever since then, our house has been a disaster while we are waiting for our basement to be re-carpeted. Because of all this, I haven’t really felt like entertaining. Since football kicked off, my husband decided that he wanted to have a friend over to watch some of the games. Normally, I would send them down to the man cave to enjoy the game and maybe bring down some snacks. Since I haven’t been shopping since the flood, I didn’t really have anything to offer them. Enter Bellisio Foods to my rescue!

Earlier this year, Bellisio Foods partnered with Chili’s® Grill & Bar to introduce a new line of licensed Chili’s®-inspired frozen meals — boldly flavored and deliciously prepared to enjoy at home. I was able to whip up a few of these great frozen entrees for the boys and myself to enjoy while watching the game.

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I ran up to my local Meijer and stocked up on a few different options and the boys decided that they wanted to try them all. If you don’t have a Meijer close by, you can get them at Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Food Lion, H-E-B, Giant Eagle, Schnucks and pretty much any major retailer.

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There was quite a selection of bold, southwestern flavors and I decided on the Cheesy Chicken Pasta Florentine, Chicken Bacon Ranch, Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo and Pepper Jack Mac ‘N’ Cheese.

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Chili’s® at Home has a variety of different entrees to choose from and they also have multi-serve meals in case you are having a few people over. You can choose from:

Single-Serve Entrees

  • Bacon Mac ‘N’ Cheese
  • Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo
  • Cheesy Chicken Pasta Florentine
  • Chicken Bacon Ranch
  • Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl
  • Island Chicken & Rice
  • Mango Chicken with Rice
  • Pepper Jack Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Multi-Serve Meals

  • Bacon Mac ‘N’ Cheese
  • Chicken Bacon Ranch
  • Chicken Fajita Rice
  • Nacho Potatoes with Beef & Bacon
  • Seasoned Chicken Bites with Honey Chipotle Sauce

I thought Chili’s® at Home frozen entrees were so convenient, but the best part was that they had big, bold taste and weren’t bland like some other frozen foods. John loves spicy food and you definitely got that flavor with these dishes. In his words, he loved his entree! He tried the Cheesy Chicken Pasta Florentine. I tried the Chicken Bacon Ranch, our friend Mark tried the Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo and we all tried the Pepper Jack Mac ‘N’ Cheese. I really liked the taste and that none of the entrees were over 500 calories (a big plus in my book).

Chilis Collage

I could have probably been sneaky about it and they would have never know that I made frozen dinners – you don’t normally get that kind of bold seasoning in regular frozen foods.

The new line of Chili’s® at Home frozen foods is inspired by some of the restaurants most popular dishes. If you are an avid Chili’s diner you will definitely see some familiar combinations.

I was thrilled to be able to serve something delicious and not spend the day cooking. Until we get the house back in order, I will definitely be getting more Chili’s at home meals to tide us over.

If you are interested in trying Chili’s® at Home, you can head over to the website and get a coupon for your favorites.

Which Chili’s at Home meal would you have for a big night in?


Friday Favorites: I’m So Fancy

As the title says, I LOVE the Fancy song by Iggy Azalea and it inspired me for this week’s Friday Favorites…but you already knew…

1. I’m So Fancy Shirt ($16.99)

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2. JCrew Roxie Glitter Suede Pumps ($328)

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3. Ily Couture Bouquet of Flowers Necklace ($36)

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4. Michael Kors Pin Dot Logo Scarf ($40.99)

michael kors

5. Kate Spade Skinny Mini Bow Ring (on sale for $32.16)

bow

What items make you feel fancy?

If you would like to join the Oh Hey Friday Linkup with The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm just click the button below for more details.

I am also participating in the Friday Favorites Linkup with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. You can click the button below for more information and to join the linkup.

Momfessionals

For more Friday favorites, click here.

Cleveland Recap – Day 3

Disclosure: I was invited on a two night/three day blogger tour of Cleveland in exchange for writing about my experience. Opinions in this and other related posts are 100% my own.

Sunday morning in Cleveland was what I imagine my perfect Sunday to be like. Food, yoga and shopping!

We started our morning at the Cleveland Flea and it was so much fun! I was hungry, so we hit up Elise’s Crepes for a Nutella and banana crepe.

Elise's Crepes

We then scoured the Flea for some goodies. There were a number of jewelry boutiques, including Red I Jewelry from my Day 2 recap! I also found this cool perfumery called Indigo Perfumery. They have classes where you can make your own perfume. I would love to do this the next time I’m in Cleveland!

Flea

After shopping at the Flea, I got to join a rooftop yoga class hosted by Harness Cycle. This was so refreshing and a great way to close my weekend.

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This was the view from the roof. Thanks for an awesome weekend Cleveland! See you soon!

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UPDATE: I was included in one of the tourism videos, check me out!

Day 3 was so relaxing and refreshing! Here is Day 1  and Day 2 in case you missed them.

For more information on Cleveland, visit Positively Cleveland.

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