Life & Black Holes (In a good way!)

I want to tell you all that life has just been so stinking busy lately that I haven't had time to blog, but then I'd be lying... And who wants to lie?! Yes, I know, you pessimists, everyone does. But OK, not me. At least not right now. In actuality, I haven't been that busy. But I have been enjoying some downtime. Earlier last week, Cade and I went out for a quick date, but otherwise, we've been spending a lot of time at home (with the exception of this past weekend).

Friday night, we went out for a fun Friday night with friends finished off with dinner at Citizen Pie! The pizza is legit guys. There's one on the west side AND east side. So all Cleveland-ites should try it. 

Saturday was NON-STOP. Zoo, and Oktoberfest. It was fun. I miiiiiiiight have even got another (couple) of tattoos. And by "miiiiiiight" I mean I did. For sure. MORE ON THAT LATER.

Baaaaaaabes. Christine, Charlotte, me. all with fresh lipstick and all ready to have a Saturday night to remember. I will preach it until I can't talk anymore - FIND GOOD FRIENDS and keep 'em. Ladies, I love you. 

First, let me say that the giraffe exhibit is my favorite exhibit at the zoo. Second, let me say that my wonderfully fearless and always-happy niece also enjoyed the giraffes which further proves my point that her and I will be two peas in a pod as she gets older. She will (hopefully) love Star Wars and quirky-everything just the same as I. I can already picture it. She's my favorite. God, I love her. SO MUCH.

I mean, look at her! No pants, hanging out with the sheep. She is my spirit animal. 

I need like 4 or 5 more hours in my day because I have SO much that I want to write about, or share and before I know it, it's been almost a week and I haven't posted anything. It's not for a lack of trying, but I should try harder. I'll add it to my list. :P 

For now, let me leave you with this crazy thing I heard (actually, read)... If a black hole were to swallow the earth, it would take a very long time for it to happen. But there would be literally NOTHING we could do about it. Could you imagine? Just like, "hey I have to run to the grocery store real quick, if that black hole swallows us all while I'm gone just know I love you" is basically what you'd have to say every time you wanted to leave. Am I the only one with these thoughts? I KNOW GUYS, there is a lot going on in the world today. Sorry I added another (I know I didn't, but let me imagine). I hope the black hole doesn't swallow us all, but if it does just know that I love you. Now, I have to go get laundry detergent BECAUSE THE CLOTHES WON'T CLEAN THEMSELVES.

[Little] Life lately

Hi there! Hope you had a great weekend, and beginning to your week. It's been a little hectic lately and somehow in the last five days, I think I've felt all of the emotions! When I have crazy days, I always like to plan a little quiet time to relax and watch a movie. Sunday morning I woke up at 6:30 and could not fall back asleep. So I made the most of it and got up to find a good movie that I've not seen before. I chose ... (drum roll, please) ... Jackie! Wow, I know I've heard incredible things about it, but until you see it... Just, wow. Natalie Portman was perfect for this role. There were parts of the movie where I had to remind myself that she is not the actual Jackie. I'd highly recommend watching it if you get the chance. Later that evening, before bed, Cade and I watched Lawless and I also loved that movie (more than I thought I would, too!). 

Happy thoughts: The Indians won 22 in a row, and were coined America's Team. Yes! My Cleveland Indians deserve all the good attention, and hopefully it carries them well into the post season * cough * cough * World Series!

Neutral thoughts: I very much believed the fall weather was here to stay and then it turned into 80's every day. On one hand, I'm sad that I don't get those chilly fall days yet, but on the other hand, I like waking up and not being freezing cold. 

Angry thoughts: CONSTRUCTION IN OHIO. Will it ever stop?

Sad thoughts (and it might get a little deep here): When I was little, I thought you lived to be exactly 100 years old, and on your 100th birthday you just went to sleep like the lady in the movie "Titanic". I loved that idea, until I realized it's the farthest thing from the truth. Death is cruel, and hurtful and whether you're directly impacted by the death, or by the pain that someone close to you feels from it, it still doesn't seem fair. More than ever, I think this world needs love. For several reasons... Not just the obvious ones. 

And I'll close off with another happy thought: We are officially less than 100 days until Christmas!! I believe today (September 19, 2017) is 98 days. I know I can just "google" it, but I take pride in knowing the Christmas countdown by heart. (Sorry Cade!)

Have a great week guys and gals. And remember, give love! 

Western Reserve Meadery [Cleveland Series]

OK, so many things have been established in my lifetime. Of those many things, two are that I love talking to people and making new friends (all the time), and also that I enjoy a good glass of mead. This past Friday night, I got to do both of those! And the cherry on top was that it was during a date night with my mister. Lucky me, lucky me! We went to have a quick drink at Forest City Brewery and on our way back to the car, we stopped in at Western Reserve Meadery. Honest to goodness, I intended to have one quick drink to try their mead and it turned into an hour+ visit, chatting with the co-founder (owner? creator? master of mead?) Jason. He let me sample every mead they had, and chatted with us about some upcoming meads they're releasing, as well as some events they have coming up. Of course, I had to photograph the beauty of the place... Which, by the way, was all hand made by Jason himself! He's a wood worker and a good one at that. See what I'm talking about below...

I would recommend trying them all. If I'm being honest.

The Hefe-Mel was quite a unique one. It's a sparkling mead and has a very refreshing taste to it! I had it at Forest City before we stopped by at WRM!

(psst!.. I went home with this bottle.)

ALL HAND MADE. Can you believe it? If you're ever in the area then you should absolutely stop by and appreciate everything this shop is. Truly... their hard work should be recognized!

I know what you're thinking and yes... He made that handle too. I know!?! Right?

Just Jason (the mead-genius) and Cade (the husband) chatting about meads. Aren't genuinely good people that can hold great conversations the best? 

Thanks for the Friday night date night, sir Cade. And thanks for the tour, samples, and conversation, Jason! 

Changing of seasons [Entering: Fall Renee]

Summer time Renee enjoys dinners on patios, sunsets that give me crushes, iced coffee/teas, dresses, sandals, hiking, etc... Fall time Renee loves blankets, candles, cuddling on the couch with sir Franklin, waking up and putting a sweater on, chai lattes, and basically everything spiced. You'd be hard pressed to find me in the dumps on a beautiful fall day. I know sun light is good for you (a.k.a - vitamin D), but I think I enjoy vitamin "fall" much more! 

It seems like summer kind of ended abruptly this year and went directly to the 60's, which is kind of my dream! Here's to hoping it's not just some crazy fluke and that fall is actually here to stay. 

As I mentioned above, there are some things that I feel pretty nostalgic about when it comes to fall and the biggest one is comfort. For some reason, I always relate fall and cooler weather to being more comfortable. I think it's because I'm constantly wrapped in a blanket or a thick sweater. But hey, I don't hate it! That is me, in my element. Hashtag: comfort.

On any given evening you will find me crocheting something. A blanket, a scarf, a satchel (my latest project). It's just so peaceful!

TAKE NOTE: I am wrapped in a giant scarf and so happy that I can't even make a normal face. 

Of course, saving the best for last... Sir Franks also loves fall! I swear this dog is always just thinking of his next cuddle. If you cover him up with a blanket, or cover yourself with a  blanket then he's yours! It takes him all of .2 seconds to get up and walk over to you to cuddle when a blanket is involved. 

Ok, what would you say? Have I done my part in letting Fall know how much I love it? Just wait until the leaves start changing colors. AUTUMN COLORS ARE THE BEST COLORS. 

Double dates [Saucy Brew Works]

A few weeks ago, Cade and I got dinner and drinks with another couple who we are friends with and we met up at Saucy Brew Works for some pizza and drinks with lots chatting and laughs! It was a Tuesday evening after possibly the worst Monday (EVER) so it was much needed. I brought my camera along (of course) and took advantage of the opportunity to snap some photos. 

They definitely win the awards for most unique glasses. I love that stemless one on the left and am always tempted to accidentally walk away with it (I swear that I have not, but the temptation is there!). 

Oh, their pizzas. Honest to goodness. So good! I've had this one (above) a few times now and somehow it always tastes better and better. The one below is Cade's favorite (something to do with the bees knees?), they drizzle honey over it and it's also incredible! 

The location is also ideal. Across the street you can grab some deliciously refreshing juice at the Beet Juice Bar, or you can hop over to the Cleveland Tea Revival. Directly across from Saucy is Jukebox which is where we headed after dinner to sit on the patio and had a quick drink before ending the night. I tried this Kombucha beer and gotta tell ya' it was good! Very ginger-y, but I like ginger so it worked out perfectly! 

One more quick brag on this area; do you remember these photos? They are both right around the block and worth checking out! 

Life Lately (Exciting! Busy! Did I mention busy?)

I still can't believe May ended so quickly... So I am nowhere near being convinced that September is already here! Is it just me or is 2017 going by nearly 2x faster than any other previous year? This is insane! But it should also be noted that I like slower paces. I like to enjoy every little detail. 

OK, so let's see if I can sum up my life lately in one quick post. Think I can do it? (Probably not.)

My beautiful friend (Christine) got married! I remember the first time I met Rustin, (her (now) husband!) and I told Cade that I already liked him so much and wanted to double date with them more. Not only am I happy that they're married, but I'm happy at how happy he makes her and vice versa. Ugh, I'm such a sucker for love and friends and friends in love! 

I summoned a shark... When there's thick plexiglass between you and a shark then there is not a lot of fear. 

I was fortunate enough to be in Christine's wedding and it was an incredible experience for me! I have known all of these bridesmaids, and bride-dude for a very long time (up to 9 years!) so everything about this wedding and leading up to it was so enjoyable and filled with happiness! Why can't all wedding parties be this great?!

I've been begging Cade lately to go on a trip and this place has been on my mind during every conversation. Wish me luck in this plea! 

Part of the reason that we have to put off a new vacation is because Cade recently accepted a position at American Greetings! I'm so proud of this guy but I know how overwhelming a new job can be. So we're laying low for now and only dreaming about vacations in the mean time. 

Uh, has anyone been keeping up with the Cleveland Indians lately? They're on fire! I would imagine that they're going to have no problem making it to the post season, however my poor heart might explode from anxiety. I still remember having to calm myself down last year (re: this post).


Saving the best for last... I watched Moana a few weeks ago and it immediately became my favorite Disney movie! I downloaded the soundtrack the next day and did my very best to memorize every word. Recently, I stumbled upon this Buzzfeed article and got a good chuckle out of nearly all of them. So true! 

Hopefully your short work week is going great! Usually with the cooler temps comes a slower, less exciting calendar. Cade and I are going to plan some fun dates and ideas for me to blog about in the cooler months. For now though, I am just going to enjoy relaxing a little bit. 

Wade Oval w/ The Ohio Weather Band!

Oh, hey Kelsi! (and the Ohio Weather Band,)

Apparently during the summer (between Memorial Day and Labor Day) Wade Oval park near University Square hosts live music with food trucks on Wednesday nights. It's BYOB, and the atmosphere is crazy relaxing and exactly what you'd picture for a summer evening in the park. Unfortunately, I found out about it too late and was only able to catch the last one of the summer this year. I fully intend on going back as much as I can next summer though! This night was one to remember and I loved every single minute of it. 

I brought a bottle of wine and then forced everyone to do a "clinking" photo with me. They "happily" obliged :P 

There were so many food options to choose from but walking through them all I saw Turkey Sandwich from Slyman's Deli and had to have it. I've only ever heard of them, so finally getting to try them was more than I could've imagined. SO GOOD. Again, pair it with wine in a park on a nice summer evening and it doesn't even seem like a real thing that people can do in this lifetime.

Of course, Mitchell's! This was black raspberry chocolate and I still haven't stopped talking about it. 

Kelsi got this beautiful artisanal, handcrafted flower crown (joking, of course.. it was a neon, light-up one) and swapped hats with the bassist during the last performance. Doesn't he just look like the perfect angel bassist with that crown?! 

Let's jam! (Figgy stonefruit) [we cook!]

Howdy, hey there! Remember in my other post where I talked about how I made a jam and I wanted to talk about it more in it's own post? Yeah, this is it! 

OK, so if I had to pick one fruit that held the most nostalgia and meaning to my childhood then I think I'd pick the fig. I remember my summers in Louisiana and eating figs all. the. time. Just pick them fresh and bite in to them right then and there. Nothing beats a fresh fig eeeexxceeept for my pawpaw's fresh fig jam (or preserve) over cornbread with some milk. I think that would be my last meal if there ever were one. Incredible and I'd encourage everyone to eat it at least 100 times in their lifetime. You won't regret it! 

Enough of my ramblin's... Let's jam! 

This kind of ties in to the mead that Cade and Ryan made, I ended up using some of the leftover fruits to add to my jam. They used a hybrid of cherries and plums, with plumcots and peaches! 

I added them to the sugary water that I made (all by myself, yes!) and waited for them to boil. Once that happened I reduced the heat and let them hang out in there for about an hour. 

After that, I let them cool on the counter then threw it all in the blender for a quick 5 seconds (just enough to make it not so super chunky) and then poured them into cute little mason jars! Voila! I had jam.

I liked loved making this. It's such a great feeling knowing exactly what you're putting in your body. Throw this over a nice piece of sprouted bread and you've got yourself a good, guilt free snack! I'm already brainstorming for more jam ideas. Can someone fund my stay-at-home-dog-mom-and-jam-chef lifestyle?