crafty

tuesday randoms //

September 15, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

Even though it’s been roughly 90+ degrees and humid out, I’m happy to see that Autumn is right around the corner! The arrival of Pumpkin Spice Lattes can only mean one thing, right? I love seeing the Halloween decorations out in stores and other signs that the seasons are changing.

It feels like as the seasons change, things are going to start getting real! First we have my birthday at the beginning of October, followed by Ari’s THIRD birthday (holy smokes!), then Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, and shortly thereafter is Christmas, and then New Years Day, and then the arrival of Baby Girl. HOLY SMOKES. Bring it, life! 🙂

I’m playing in my husbands College Football Pick’em league for the second time. The first year I played I beat every. single. person. My strategy? Go down the spread and choose “Win. Lose. Win. Lose.” and randomly assign confidence points. And after just one week in this year? I’m in the lead by thirty freaking points. 🙂 And yes, I’m totally rubbing it in his face already.

This weekend was so beautiful. It rained nearly the entire weekend, which made it ABSOLUTELY LOVELY. Bonus? I felt amazing! We pretty much just stayed indoors and watched movies & ate comfort food (I’ve been on a MAJOR soup kick as of late).

I may have spoken a tad bit too soon by saying I felt “great.” No sooner did I schedule yesterdays blog post did I end up throwing up pretty much nonstop. Yet again. Ughhh. Seriously, pregnancy!? OVER it. I can’t tell if I have a bug or if the hyperemesis hasn’t quite run its course. Either way, I’m discouraged.

Before I came down with this pregnancy plague again this weekend, I cleaned the house from top to bottom! And I even made my favorite Nutella Mascarpone Fillo Dough Bites! It’s been a couple of years since I made them, but they are just as delicious as I remember!

long weekend, big plans!

May 22, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

We have been busy busy bees as of late. But we’ve also managed to sneak in weekend naps and late PJ mornings on the weekends as much as possible.

This weekend, however, may be the exact opposite. There are so many exciting things going on and I’m going to try and squeeze in as many as possible! If you’re in Northeast Ohio, I hope you’ll check some of these out! Maybe I’ll even see you there?!

For The Fitness Fanatics //

Community Yoga // lululemon athletica Akron Showroom // Free // Saturday, 9 am – 10 am
A free all-levels class for the local yogis! Arrive a few minutes early, bring a mat and some water!
SUP Yoga // Portage Lakes, Release Yoga // $33 // Saturday, 9 am – 10:30 am
This is the second year that Release Yoga has offered a weekly SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Yoga class! What a fun and unique way to get a workout in! Pre-registration is required here.

Northcoast 5k // Kent // $30 // Saturday, 9:30 am
If you’re looking to fit in a fun run this weekend, head to Kent and squeeze in a quick 5k! Awards take place post-race at the Water Street Tavern where finishers enjoy a free beer (21 and over, of course!), a $2 happy hour until 9 pm, and admission into the NPC Northcoast Championship Fitness Show, which is taking place on KSU’s campus! Register here!

For The Locavores + Craft Show Lovers //

Crafty Mart // Thirsty Dog Brewing Company // Free // Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm
Head down to Akron’s own favorite brewery for live music, crafty finds from incredible vendors, food, and brews! These events bring everything wonderful about Akron to one central location and one time! If you haven’t been, I highly recommend stopping by! More information can be found via the Facebook event page!

Sunday Market // Hingetown, Cleveland // Free // Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
The Cleveland Flea Hingetown Market is back! And the focus is brunch! I’m incredibly excited to visit one of my favorite little places, Hingetown, for the second year of their Sunday Markets!

For the All-American //

Vicious Cycle, a Lynyrd Skynyrd Cover Band // Lock 3, Akron // Free // Friday, 7 pm
The Friday night concert series at Lock 3 is back and if rocking out with a lot of other people is your thing, then this is for you. Bonus? Free parking and lots of bars and restaurants within walking distance.
Marc’s Great American Rib Cook Off // Jacob’s Pavilion, Cleveland // $8 // Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 12 pm – 11 pm, Monday, 12 pm – 8 pm
Lots of options for BBQ, beer, and music. Kids 12 and under are free! You can find more info here.

However you choose to spend your long weekend, I hope you spend it surrounded by family and friends!

life lately // a wrap up

May 15, 2015 by Rachel 2 Comments

Life has been crazy pants over the last month or so. But isn’t that kind of always the case when you’re working and raising a toddler and taking care of family responsibilities and training for races and trying to actually fit in some fun, too?

Moosh started a new session of tumbling at the YMCA. The class is PACKED, which makes me mega anxious. But it turns out his ‘girlfriend’ we met on Valentine’s Day at Café O’Play — Veronique — is in his tumbling class. These two are SO cute! They are a week apart in age; plus they are both pretty much exactly the same size (aka — tiny).

We took a short trip to Louisville, Kentucky to visit with Mimi and Poppy. And we jam-packed it with fun and adventures! The first of which was to the Zoo. Here is my review of the zoo in Louisville: dirty; packed; but we still had fun. Moosh wanted to walk everywhere, which was exhausting for us, but we were hoping it would wear him out so he would take a nap (newsflash: he didn’t.)

The zoo did have some cool Lego thing going on though. Moosh wasn’t nearly as interested in the Legos as we were. Ha! Some day, kid, you’ll realize how freaking cool it was.

Chad, my parents, Moosh, and I went to the Louisville version of the Cleveland Flea — which is appropriately named The Flea Off Market. It was like an early version of the Cleveland Flea. It was cute and crowded and full of local finds, foods and brews — which is pretty much my paradise. So while I was sad we were out of town for the Cleveland Flea, it was exciting to experience something similar as an out-of-towner!

I had the chicken and waffles from something that is not considered a food truck — it was a food wagon. And it was DELICIOUS. And I tried a (new-to-me) brew from Bluegrass Brewing Company — a red IPA! Perfection.

And Moosh ate the crap out of some plantains. This kid loves the most random fruits and veggies! My dad had this delicious cuban food. He loved it; I thought it was spicy-ish. I’ll stick to my chicken and waffles.

We took a family-friendly betting trip to Churchill Downs — just one week after the Kentucky Derby. My thoughts? Churchill Downs is huge; there were a ton of people (even for an “off” day); the horses are beautiful; and betting has never been my thang. It was still cool to experience all of it. Moosh ‘bet’ on the “orange horse,” aka the horse with the rider who was wearing orange.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6No4I_CHZY]It’s a good thing the chicken and waffles were small because we had a date night at an Ethiopian Restaurant, Queen of Sheba, — a first for us! I would be lying if I didn’t say I was skeptical. Sure, it sounded great; but my dad referred to it as a “hole in the wall.” Then recanted and said “Well, it’s not a hole in the wall…” and I was like…. Yay [sarcasm]. But when we showed up I immediately felt at ease.

The food was incredible. I mean that in the most serious way. I told Chad that I wish we had eaten at this restaurant for every meal while we were there. The meals come “family style” on the same big plate… really it’s a platter, not a plate. And there isn’t any silverware. You eat with your hands and the injera, the Ethiopian bread, serves as your utensil. Mine was the Shifta Chicken (the meal on the bottom) and Chad had the Gored-Gored (the spicy beef dish on top).

Moosh played HARD at the playgrounds in Kentucky. And he came back with the bruises to prove it. I seriously wonder if our sitter thinks we beat him. (PS. We did not. Dude just doesn’t know how small and fragile he is. Ha!)

Mother’s Day consisted of a long drive home. Which was accompanied by Moosh sleeping — HOORAY! The perfect gift. 🙂

But we did at least watch some Monsters Inc before we hit the road… <3 Chad happened to snap this photo of us. Too cute!

I took another canvas painting class! I’ve taken several (ie. SEVEN) Wine + Canvas classes. This time I used Paint Nite in Akron. I have to say, it seemed to be a bit more lively and fun; but the teaching of technique was severely lacking. However, I still love the outcome!

We celebrated Chad’s birthday with a low-key night. A quick trip to Café O’Play, then dinner at Aladdin’s new space in Portage Crossings, followed by cake and presents at home.

I think we try not to get each other “things” because if we needed something (or wanted something) we would get it. We try to celebrate with experiences that last a lifetime. So I got Chad tickets to see Joe Machi at Hilarities at Pickwick and Frolic. If you’re not familiar with Joe Machi, he was on Last Comic Standing and placed 4th. The dude is funny in just our sort of way — dry humor. However, he is not attractive like my boy Tommy Jonaghin. Sigh. I love that man (sorry Chad). Regardless of his level of attractiveness, it’s going to be fun. Too bad we have to wait until July to see the show!

I cooked another Blue Apron meal. I feel like this needs to be documented every time. Because it doesn’t happen often. Technically, I cooked the meal pictured on the top — Baked Empanadas de Picadillo with Arugula, Queso Fresco, & Pickled Onion Salad! Chad made the meal on the bottom — Shrimp Tacos with Pineapple and Avocado salsa.

Basically, life has been busy, but perfectly lovely. When I look at this blog post and all of our pictures, it fills my heart up completely!

better late than never // our weekend wrap up

April 29, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Friday //

My BFF from high school, Carli, moved down to Akron over a year ago. As mucha s we SAY we’re going to get together now that we’re living down the street from each other, we just haven’t been able to as much as we’d like. ‘Cause life happens, y’all. But Friday night we had a date! We planned on hitting up The Office Bistro for a glass of wine and dinner, but the hostess was incredibly rude so we just left. (Note: this is not my typical experience at this restaurant; but her attitude completely justifies us leaving without a second glance).

I told Carli that I had had great experiences with Craft Beer Bar, right next door. Sure there was beer (hey, Bodhi!); but there was also an incredible spread of food.

I will say, Shawn and Dustin did not disappoint! Dustin was insistent that we try some of their new menu items and pretty much force-fed us. Ha! The potato pancakes (in the upper left hand corner) are not yet on the menu, so we were lucky to get a “sneak peak.” And they were delicious! As soon as we were completely full, thanks to the Bacon Queso (upper right), Poutine (lower right), and the Mac and Cheese (lower left), Dustin came out with yet another surprise — an orange creamsicle ice cream sandwich. I honestly don’t know the menu name for this dessert yet because I was in a serious food coma by the time it came out.

While we were out I got a call from my husband that he had a work emergency, so I quickly rolled home — ha! — so that he could run out to Cleveland for a night of work. Unfortunately, he was out ALL night and didn’t get home until 6am. I swear if we didn’t have events scheduled for Saturday, my poor husband wouldn’t have gotten out of bed. And I don’t blame him one bit.

Saturday //

We had a bit of a lazy morning. Between Chad working all night and Moosh sleeping in bed with me, we were all kind of exhausted. We did manage to make it to Crafty Mart, a local artisan and maker show located in downtown Akron, in time for Chad to go to a kombucha-making workshop with the Bearded Buch!

We’ve been fans of the Bearded Buch for a while now; and Chad has been itching to make his own Kombucha at home; so a workshop with the ‘buch guru himself?! Hecks yes!

While Chad was in his workshop, Moosh and I walked around Crafty Mart where the first stop was the Akron Art Museum! The art museum is one of my favorite places in Akron, so the fact that they open their doors for these local vendors to showcase their craft just is that much more awesome.

But it was definitely one of the most popular Crafty Mart locations. And my dearest, dearest, Crafty Mart — as a patron, the one piece of advice I would give you is that as this event grows (which it has!), please locate this event in one single location! 🙂

But one of Mooshie’s fave places is the Akron Art Museum. He ADORES this place. We bought a few things and headed over to Musica, a local music venue. Musica. Oh dear Musica. You are a beautiful location. I would love to see a show at this venue. Scratch that. My early 20-something-year-old self would love to go to a Taking Back Sunday show at your venue. Cause this gal finds herself in PJs by 6pm these days, let’s be real.

I didn’t get any pictures at Musica because it was way too crowded. Way too many vendors in such a tiny space. I think this does the vendors a disservice because people, such as myself, aren’t lingering nearly as long because they are getting quite claustrophobic. After one purchase, we popped out into the alley for some air.

Post-Musica, we ended up at Summit Artspace. It’s a little “off-the-beaten-path,” that’s for sure. It’s a spot I’d heard of in passing, but I didn’t really KNOW what it was.

Apparently this spot is one of Akron’s best kept art secrets. I’ve likely heard of it in passing, but I had no idea that it was a space where local artists have their own little ‘shops’ inside to showcase their art. It’s fantastic to have this, but sad that I had no idea it existed up until this point.

But back to the art and the vendors… I was majorly impressed with the fact that this space was a bit more open. Plus, they borrowed an idea from the way the Cleveland Flea is set up and had vendors on one floor and food and drinks on another (just like the last holiday flea). A HUGE thank you to Nuevo (remember that amazing mod mex restaurant we went to for our anniversary??) for providing tacos á la carte (along with amazeballs guacamole and homemade chips!), Thirsty Dog for the beer, and Stray Dog Cart for the ‘dogs and the (free for kids!) cannolis!

This is exactly what we needed to ‘rest’ until we were ready to do more shopping. I hope next time there are even more food/beverages available.

After Chad was done with his Kombucha workshop I took a terrarium workshop with Land Of Plenty. It turned out beautifully and wasn’t nearly as difficult as I imagined it would be!

Sunday //

I was supposed to go to an event in the early afternoon, but after such a busy busy Saturday and severe lack of sleep, I decided to stay at home with my boys and get things done instead. It was just what we needed. <3 Sometimes you’ve just gotta listen to your body/family. 🙂

It was a wonderful weekend, but unfortunately our week has begun with a sick Moosh, hence the not getting this post up until mid-week! Sigh. Blog fail; parenting win.

The next weekend is just around the corner…

OH, HEY WEEKEND.

April 24, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

IT’S THE WEEKEND! IT’S THE WEEKEND! IT’S THE WEEKEND!

Okay, okay… I need to relax. But I am MEGA excited about this weekend.

First of all, I have my FIRST girls night in AGES scheduled for tonight. My BFF (like, BFF since we were 5) and I are going for dinner and drinks tonight. She had her first son about 6-months ago and I haven’t had a girls night in forever. WE NEED THIS. I’m excited for salad and wine. Which makes me pretty much the epitome of a mom. Ha!

Saturday is Crafty Mart — a local craft-vendor exhibition all-over downtown Akron. The most exciting part is that Chad is taking a kombucha-making class via The Bearded Buch (a local Cleveland-based company) and I am taking a terrarium workshop, from Yates Apothecary. GOD WE ARE SO NERDY. I love it. 😉 There is something spectacular about learning something new… something we can do on our own!

Last but not least, Sunday I’m headed to XHIBITION for a blogger event/fashion event (which seems funny considering I’m in no way, shape, or form a fashionista). However, visiting a new Cleveland business PLUS enjoying brunch via JackFlaps!? THE bomb.

Not included in this fabulous weekend lineup? Moosh. Well, Moosh will certainly be there… but for once, he isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of our weekend plans. This weekend is for US! 😉

get crafty // alternative easter crafts

April 3, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Easter in our house is a touchy subject. First of all, we don’t really *do* Easter. I mean, we do; we just don’t the church part. Because — surprise — we’re not churchy people. [PS. Let’s not get into the thick of it. It’s OK if you are; we just aren’t.] Also? Moosh has an egg allergy that definitely puts a damper on Easter related crafts. Dying hard-boiled eggs? That’s scary stuff ’round these parts.

So we found alternative “craffs,” as Moosh likes to call them, to do in our house. Turns out, this kid loves to help bake vegan sugar cookies. Luckily we have an egg cookie cutter and sprinkles. Which is all this kid needed to hold his attention.

PS. These sprinkles ended up ALL OVER the floor about 3 minutes after this photo was taken. Many bloggers wouldn’t be honest about this, but real life happens, y’all. And real life means thousands or sprinkles all over your kitchen floor. (Also? These cookies are incredible.)

I also found other inexpensive things to “craft” (thanks, Target!). Not excluding those silly little capsule-to-sponge animal thingys. We decided to try this “craft” (I’m using the term “craft” lightly here. ‘Cause let’s be real — this wasn’t truly a craft. It was a [welcomed] distraction).

He loved every second of it — which turns out to be lots of seconds. That warm water you’re supposed to use? Well, it doesn’t work. You need scalding hot water. Also? Every single one of these little sponges was affectionately named “Nemo.” Ha!

Our other go-to Easter craft is painting pottery. We are lucky to have not one, but TWO, paint your own pottery studios in close proximity to us.

We painted a LOT of pottery, friends. A lot. See those globs of paint? They do no justice to the actual globs of paint that were used during this paint sesh! 🙂

Besides that Choo Choo Train bank we also painted 2 eggs and a fish. Also named Nemo. Sigh. This kid watches Finding Nemo once and every sea creature is now named Nemo…

So, no, we haven’t seen the Easter bunny (yet). No, we haven’t dyed eggs. But we have celebrated in our own way. And that’s all that matters! 🙂