Something White’s Boutique Bridal Bazaar

When my lovely friend Amanda allowed me the opportunity to take her place at the Boutique Bridal Bazaar hosted by Something White, my first thought was, “Well, I guess I SHOULD probably start planning my wedding…”

My wonderful fiancé asked me to make it street legal in September, after 5+ years of happily dating and cohabitating.  I tend to err on the side of “if it ain’t broke…” but in this case, I was very excited that we decided to take this next step together.

That being said, the wedding planning scene is daunting. I didn’t know where to start or who to ask, and the internet, in this state of confusion, is not your friend. So, upon reading Amanda’s post about the Something White event, I thought, “This is it… professional help!”

Ali (left-center) with her friends at Boutique Bridal Bazaar

Accompanied by my three of my best friends (who are way better at this stuff), I went on Sunday, January 12 to the Tudor Arms Hotel, on the near east side.  For as many times as I’ve driven by, I had never been inside. I knew it was a historic Cleveland landmark, and that it had recently undergone a bit of a make-over, but I was still really surprised by the inside of the building.

It was really stunning, with huge ceilings (35 feet!), beautiful murals on the walls, lots of big, open spaces in the two separate ballrooms, and amazing windows that let in such wonderful natural light. It is a gorgeous space, and my friends immediately decided that I shall be getting married there, no questions asked.

When we talked to Michelle from Tudor Arms, she did tell us that they were already booked most of the summer and fall, with few Fridays and no Saturdays until November. Timeliness is key if you want a space like this, and since timeliness is my Achilles heel, we’ll see if that will actually work out for me.

Inside the Tudor Arms Hotel

The first thing we saw when we walked in was the “Etsy aisle”, which was basically Etsy sellers, bringing in all of their wares to see in real life. This was great for me, because although from time to time I am the epitome of the “Pinterest Fails” board, I am fairly crafty.

So while I will continue to buy lip gloss from professionals and not make my own everything, I did want a (semi) DIY approach to our fiesta, for a couple of reasons: 1) cost and 2) you only get to do this once, so might as well get down and dirty with it.  So, the Etsy aisle at the event was super awesome, because you couldn’t help but find cool inspiration.

Paper bouquets

The vendors ranged from calligraphy from Seaworthi Calligraphy & Illustration or beautiful paper flowers from Rose Gold Studio (along with a whole range of custom design options!).  And when talking with some of the sellers, they said that they are always glad to do custom work. Double bonus – small biz + local vendor = sweet deal.

The amount of culinary vendors there was honestly shocking, and incredibly filling (so much for that wedding diet…), but everything we tried was amazing, from the vegan cupcakes at Vegan Sweet Tooth or the mushroom risotto from Gatherings Kitchen.

If you are able to choose your own caterer once you find a venue, there is no shortage of amazing local chefs to make your wedding day snacks memorable.  Many of them were advocates of local and sustainable products, and embraced gluten free, vegan and vegetarian diets, which means all of your guests will have a delicious meal (because let’s be honest, the vegetarian options at most events are pretty sad indeed).

Packed house at Boutique Bridal Bazaar

Finally – my two favorite places to pop by (hah!) were the Chill Pop Shop stand, and Urban Orchid florist.  At Chill Pop, they came up with these awesome flavors that include everything from avocado to all the usual suspects (I had strawberry cream), but they also make these “poptails” – i.e. your popsicle would be in a drink!

I worked in Brazil for a spell, and had a caipirinha made with a fresh pineapple popsicle that I sometimes still have dreams about. And now, right here, in good ole Cleveland, my dreams can come true! These would be adorable for showers, rehearsal dinners, or dessert on your big day, and it was such a fun idea – little artisan popsicles served in, for example, a little glass of champagne!  Be still my heart.

And if you need flowers, whether it’s just boutonnieres or the whole shebang, Brandon Sitler at Urban Orchid is your guy.  Mixing succulents, fresh flowers, plants and whatever you can dream up, I’ve never been disappointed by anything he’s done, for me or for others.

Beautiful flowers at the Boutique Bridal Bazaar

Located in Ohio City, he is a great addition to the neighborhood.  You could smell the fresh flowers from his stand from 20 feet away, and while I know flowers can be a large expense for your wedding day, I can’t imagine not having a fresh bouquet (although all the paper bouquets I saw were super cute too).

All in all – it was a great, somewhat overwhelming day, full of delicious snacks, beautiful inspiration and lots of happy brides. LOTS.  Much thanks to Something White Bridal and to Amanda for kicking me into gear and helping me get started to plan our big day.  There’s a poptail with your name on it.

Disclosure: I was offered one ticket to Boutique Bridal Bazaar in exchange for blogging about it. Because I was out of town attending my sister-in-law’s wedding, I was unable to attend. My friend Ali attended it instead. Her and my opinions are 100% our own.

As a Cleveland blogger, event planner and food lover, any time that I get to combine those three personal passions is an a-okay thing in my book. So when Amanda kindly offered me her media passes to attend the 15th Annual Taste of the Browns
on Monday, September 9, 2013, I couldn’t be more excited or ready to say “let’s go!”

One of the biggest food and wine events of the season, nearly 1000 guests attended the event at FirstEnergy Stadium to benefit the Cleveland Foodbank.  Upon our arrival and checking in, my husband Hans and I rode the escalator to head straight to the happenings – and good friends – awaiting us at the top.

With 25 restaurants participating, we had to be ready to make smart selections in our eating plan – and we were pretty pleased with what we found from our Cleveland restaurateurs.  Here’s – for the most part – what we sampled that evening.

Clockwise from top left:

• The Greenhouse Tavern/Sawyer’s Street Frites’ display
• GHT’s sweet chili peach confit wings
• Cleveland Browns Hospitality Group’s Pan Seared Lake Erie Walleye
• Little Devil Cupcakery’s assorted cupcakes

Clockwise from top left:

• El Carnicero y Momocho’s house smoked trout and pork belly guacamole
• A Brut/Chardonnay blend care of Vintage Wine Distributor
• Players on Madison’s Caribbean tuna tartar with spicy plantain chip
• Sans Souci’s Ohio City Rosemary Truffle pierogi

Clockwise from top left:

• Market Garden Brewery’s crab and corn salad
• Deagan’s Kitchen & Bar’s jerk chicken drumstick with pineapple mango salsa
• Lago Restaurant & Wine Bar’s potato and basil wrapped tuna
• Pier W’s Hawaii big eye tuna with local corn polenta and tomato jam

Our tip top favorites of the night?

For the lady: All of the tuna options, especially from Pier W and Lago.

For the gentleman: GHT’s confit wings, Cleveland Browns Hospitality Group’s Pan Seared Lake Erie Walleye and the chocolate peanut butter brownie from Little Devil Cupcakery.

Mutually? We both loved Deagan’s Kitchen & Bar’s chicken drumstick – and the super sweetness of their staff serving the food.

But I couldn’t forget to mention a PIP favorite – AMP 150 Restaurant and Bar  – and Chef Jeff Jarrett’s tasty offerings in the VIP Lounge:

Left to Right: AMP 150’s braised short rib slider with vegetable slaw and fresh tomato soup and salad combo

By this point, we were stuffed and ready to check out the other event features.

The Silent Auction featured 64 packages including unique Cleveland experiences, signed Browns memorabilia, vacation accommodations and more. Raffle prizes included club level tickets to an upcoming Browns game, and a “Tailgater” Dining Package for 30 people courtesy of a pretty well known Clevelander:

That would be from Browns legend Al “Bubba” Baker (not my husband, although Hans is gaining quite the NASA following these days).  Fans mingled with Cleveland Browns alumni and current players all night long, including event chair Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, Greg Little and more.  I might have got a bit excited when chatting with Bubba – sorry if I left a bruise on your arm, Mr. Baker! This opportunity is a very special feature of this event, making an extra delectable Taste of the Browns extra memorable.

LONG STORY SHORT: In the process of all the dishes being served and the pictures being taking, there was some serious money being raised for the Cleveland Foodbank.  For every dollar donated, the Foodbank provides enough food for four meals. That is going to allow the organization to serve thousands upon thousands of Greater Clevelanders. And that is better than any house-made, house-cured foodie favorite that I could buy. Congrats to the Foodbank for another successful fundraiser, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to enjoy the experience!

Keep up to date with all the happenings at the Cleveland Foodbank by following the non-profit on Twitter and on Facebook.

Connect with Alicia from Poise in Parma on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Disclosure: I was invited to attend Taste of the Browns in exchange for previewing the event and hosting a giveaway. I was unable to attend, but was able to give my passes to someone else in exchange for guest blogging about it.

Guest blogger: www.DogsintheCLE.com

First of all, I want to thank Amanda for letting me guest post on her blog. As a blogging newbie I am excited to be featured on her blog – one of my favorites to read to find out what’s going on the CLE.

One of the reasons I started blogging about dog-friendly places in Cleveland was to find more places I could take my dog. Before I got a dog I had no idea the guilt that I would feel leaving him for long periods of time. Lucky for me I have discovered there’s enough dog-friendly places in Cleveland that it’s possible to spend your day with your dog and still get out and enjoy the city.

Cleveland parks are among the most dog-friendly in Ohio, bars and patios spread across the city welcome dogs, and tons of local businesses cater to the dog-loving crowd. Here’s my rundown of how to spend a day with your dog from sunrise to sunset and still get everything you need to do accomplished:

Pomerian-about-town Hunter and his buddy Sampson enjoy brunch at Luxe

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

Any weekend or day off should start with brunch, at least in my opinion. There are lots of great patios to take your dog, but for an everyday dog-friendly brunch, you can’t do better than Lucky’s. This is one of my favorite brunch spots in Cleveland, and the casual patio is great for hanging out with your dog. It does get crowded on weekends, so your best bet is to go early or on a weekday. If you’re spending the day with your dog on a Sunday, Luxe and Rocky River Wine Bar, two of the best patios on the west side, also hold dog-friendly brunches.

SHOPPING

Have some shopping to do but don’t want to leave your dog at home? Bring a friend along and hit up Crocker Park with your dog. The outdoor shopping complex welcomes dogs, providing a “Fido Station” with bags to clean up after your dog. Although I’ve heard that you can bring your dog into some stores if they’re in a bag or carrier, if you do plan to do more than window shop, you may want to bring a friend to hang out with your dog. There are a lot of outside seating areas to hang out, and Aladdin’s and Chipotle will allow you to eat on their patios with your dog.

If you need to get some grocery shopping done, you can make a stop at one of the local farmer’s markets with your dog. The Downtown Farmers Market in Public Square, Gordon Square Farmers’ Market and Tremont Farmers’ Market are all dog friendly. Tremont Farmers’ Market, held on Tuesdays, also hosts many dog-related vendors and holds a Dog Daze of Summer event featuring speakers and dog demos.

Crocker Park makes it easy for shopping dog-owners to pick up after their pup

EXERCISE

Hate to leave your dog at home when you go to the gym? Thank Dog Bootcamp is a dog-friendly workout option held on Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings either at South Chagrin Reservation or Beachwood City Park. In the winter months, they move indoors. My dog and I tried this recently and loved it! It was great to be able to work out with my dog. The boot camp also focuses on dog obedience, so it’s a great way to work on training your dog as well.

DINNER

On the west side some of my favorite dog friendly dining spots are Nano Brew in Ohio City and Clifton Martini and Wine Bar in Lakewood. Not only is the food delicious at both places, but the patios are large enough to feel comfortable hanging out with your dog while you eat. For a list of dog friendly patios check out: http://www.dogsinthecle.com/#!patios-bars/c1c2t

Disclaimer: Since I live on the west side, this dog day is very west-side focused. But don’t worry, if you’re an eastsider there’s still plenty of dog-friendly things to do. Some of the best spots for eastsiders to spend the day with their dog – Holden Arboretum, Fairport Harbor for swimming and Legacy Village for shopping.

Ann McDonald blogs at www.dogsinthecle.com. At the age of 14 she was finally successful in convincing her parents to get a dog (a crazy beagle named Daisy) and it’s been a love affair ever since. When she’s not checking out dog-friendly spots with her curious and social Pomeranian, Hunter, she can be found planning trips she can’t afford and thinking about what she is going to eat next.

Hi! I’m Jessica and I’m a recent marketing graduate from Kent State. I recently got to check out my first Cleveland American Marketing Association (AMA) event and now I’m here to tell you all about it.

On August 15th, the Cleveland chapter of AMA hosted an Urban Picnic featuring the Cleveland Metroparks.

Source

The AMA brought in the Cleveland Metroparks’ Chief Marketing Officer, Sanaa Julien and Director of Communications, Sue Allen to discuss their recent acquisition of over 450 acres of lakefront property including Edgewater Park. The event was hosted at the riverfront Rivergate Cafe in the Flats, and attendees were provided drinks and dinner from the StrEat Mobile Bistro Food Truck. The weather was absolutely gorgeous for an evening spent by the river!

Myself, my boyfriend Mike, and my friend Dawn met up, got drinks, and mingled while people were arriving. We sat in the sunshine and enjoyed the river views!

 Dawn & myself and Mike & I

Then it was time to eat! StrEat Mobile Bistro had a delicious menu prepared for us:

 Source

 Dawn and Mike ordering a delicious meal! (Photo by Helen Harry from Cleveland Print Room)

I had the Broccoli Mac & Cheese and the “Truck Made” Potato Chips – they were both great!

After dinner, it was time for the presentation to begin. Patty DelMonico, the President of the Cleveland AMA chapter, started things off with an introduction and some background on AMA.

For those of you who aren’t familiar, the American Marketing Association is a volunteer organization and is one of the largest marketing associations in the world, with over 30,000 members who work, teach and study in the field of marketing across the globe (via AMA’s website).

“The AMA is a professional association for individuals and organizations leading the practice, teaching and development of marketing knowledge worldwide.

Our principle role is to serve as a forum to connect like-minded individuals and foster knowledge sharing, provide resources, tools and training and support marketing practice and thought leadership around the globe.”

–AMA’s website

The event was also sponsored by CLE Clothing Co, who has a new t-shirt partnership with the Metroparks. We learned that CLE Clothing Co was started in October 2008, and they opened their first store in 2010.

Next, the planner for this event, Kasey Crabtree, told us about the AMA’s next event – Mix at Six: Speakeasy Party on September 26th at Society Lounge on East 4th. I don’t know about you, but this sounds F-U-N to me! Plus, it’s the day after my birthday and I have been wanting to check out Society Lounge… count me in!

Patty then introduced Eric Barnett, who is the Metroparks Marketing Specialist and also President-Elect for Cleveland AMA, to be the moderator for the Metroparks discussion.

Sue Allen and Sanaa Julien started off by talking about the process the Cleveland Metroparks went through to acquire the Lakefront Reservation. The process really began almost 100 years ago, with the story of William Stinchcomb and his vision of connecting the lakefront to the surrounding community (the “Emerald Necklace”). The Metroparks of today began the acquisition process with discussions with the state (who owned the lakefront properties). The acquisition would transfer approximately 455 acres of lakefront property, including the following properties: Villa Angela, Wildwood, Euclid Beach, Gordon and Edgewater parks and the East 55th Street Marina that are spaced out along 14 miles of lakefront property. The state no longer wanted (or had the means to) operate these properties, and the Metroparks were approached to take them over. On June 6th, 2013, the state turned the property over to the city, who then turned it over to the Metroparks.

“The 455 acres that make up the six properties will be split into two Park District reservations. Edgewater Park, East 55th Street Marina and Gordon Park will form Cleveland Metroparks’ new Lakefront Reservation. Euclid Beach Park, Villa Angela Park and Wildwood Park will become part of its existing Euclid Creek Reservation.

To facilitate the transfer, the State of Ohio first had to agree to terminate the lease it had with the City of Cleveland to manage the parks. The agreement included $14 million from the state’s transportation and public safety budget to pay for lakefront park improvements. Cleveland City Council then voted unanimously to transfer management of the parks to Cleveland Metroparks in a new lease agreement.

The final agreement gives the Park District a 99-year lease on the 14 miles of lakefront property at a cost of $1 a year, and three years to spend the $14 million in state funds on park improvements.”

-Cleveland Metroparks Press Release

(Photo by Helen Harry from Cleveland Print Room)

The next part of the discussion focused on the marketing aspects of the acquisition. One of the Metroparks’ main challenges was managing the public’s expectations. The state did what it could with Edgewater, but they wanted people to realize that even though there is new ownership, there wasn’t going to be an immediate/overnight difference. The Metroparks did promise to uphold the park to their reputation/standards.

During the acquisition process, the Metroparks placed high importance on listening to stakeholders and the community who would be using the reservations. They worked with LAND Studio to ensure a smooth transition by using surveys and meetings to find out the public’s opinion and what they really wanted from the new reservations.

Partnerships were increasingly important for the Metroparks during this time, including one with CLE Clothing Co. They also partner with the North East Ohio Regional Sewer District, who manages the cleanliness and quality of the waterways by monitoring the water and letting the public know whether it’s safe to swim or not. The Metroparks purchased a beach cleaning machine to help get the Edgewater property up to its standard. In the past, the state cleaned Edgewater Park 2 times per year. With the new beach cleaner, the Metroparks can clean the park 6 times per week. The new beach cleaner digs down 6 inches into the sand and the difference is noticeable. So far, they’ve been able to remove a lot of debris as well as clean up plant overgrowth.

 (Photo by Helen Harry from Cleveland Print Room)

Other communications issues the Metroparks had to deal with were keeping the deal private until it became 100% official. They didn’t want to spoil the deal, so working with the media was difficult because they had to explain how even though the city council approved it, it wasn’t a “done deal” – they still had to present it to the Metroparks board for approval.

The staff wasn’t able to comment on any media stories and had to deal with the media trying to release the story too soon. Once the deal was official, they had a huge design communications issue to deal with: all of the park signage had to be changed to reflect the Metroparks branding.

This was a lot more complicated than it probably sounds. There are hundreds of different signs throughout the lakefront properties, but the priority was put on the main signs with the name of the reservation, as well as updating all safety and emergency number signs so the public would be safe in the case of an emergency. Each Metroparks sign takes 2 months to make because they are hand carved from special wood and are made to last a very long time. They had to create temporary signs to put up immediately after the acquisition was announced so there wouldn’t be any confusion. There are a lot of partnerships with other organizations and entities to ensure public safety (which most people probably don’t think about).

During the acquisition, the Metroparks hadn’t created new marketing materials yet to reflect the new land. Replacing all old materials and adding new maps to the materials is an ongoing monumental task. They also had to become very familiar with the different uses for each park. For example, Edgewater Park is primarily an urban beach, whereas Gordon Park is used mostly for fishing and birdwatching. In marketing Edgewater Park, the most important factors were safety and cleanliness.

The Metroparks want to stay engaged with the community by being very communicative and visible. They want the community to know that even after the acquisition, they aren’t going anywhere. It’s a long process, but we’re all in this together. They’re in it for the long haul and they are part of our community. The main idea for the future is that the Metroparks can’t do this alone – they need community engagement, private partnerships for fundraising, and help generating excitement. Fundraising will be an especially important initiative for the future, and they want to increase programming for the community (but that takes money and volunteers).

One really interesting thing I learned is about how the Metroparks measures visitation. Growth of visitors isn’t specifically in their marketing plan, but it is obviously an objective of theirs. They are actually able to count cars in parking lots with tracking meters at the entrance/exit. They again reiterated that safety and cleanliness are their two most important marketing messages, and their focus is on engagement with the community.

Having a strong lakefront means so much to a city like ours. It means greater health benefits (with exercise and recreation availability), a sense of community and togetherness, as well as bringing more businesses to the lakefront. It’s about revitalizing the city, making it thrive, and connecting the local communities so they can embrace the lakefront for all that it has to offer.

I had such a great time at this event, and learned so much about how amazing and lucky we are here in Cleveland to have the Cleveland Metroparks. It is an incredibly unique asset and we should be very thankful!

I encourage you to help support our Emerald Necklace in any way that you can, and if nothing else, go out and enjoy the parks! I’d also highly recommend checking out the opportunities within the Cleveland AMA chapter – especially if you are in the marketing industry.

Thank you to Amanda for the opportunity to guest post and share about this great event!

Hi! I’m JAM! I’m a fellow CLE blogger and I write about all things positive in our great land of CLE!! A big thank you to Clue Into Cleveland for allowing me to guest post here!

Fun CLE fact: Did you know that CLE boasts nearly 22,000 acres of green space? WOW!! Much of that is thanks to the Cleveland Metroparks (aka The Valley for west siders).  As a mid-size metropolis, CLE offers tons of great outdoor parks, beaches and green spaces to enjoy throughout all four seasons. Find out more about the outdoor spaces CLE offers on Positively Cleveland.

Whether you’re in the mood for hiking, biking, kayaking or sunning (some of my personal faves) there are plenty of fabulous parks and green spaces to access in our city and surrounding areas.

Most recently, I’ve been going to Rocky River Park—which offers public access to Lake Erie, fantastic vantage points and a bit of peace and quiet, in comparison to other public CLE beaches and parks. I’d recommend a nice cup of coffee and heading down there on a Sunday morning to take in the tranquility and beautiful scenery from the bench swings by the water.

JAMmom enjoying her morning coffee on the waterfront bench swings at Rocky River Park.

View from the bench swings

Or you can head up the stairs to take in some views from the west bluff in the park:

How about this for a view?!

Atop the bluff, you not only get these gorgeous views, but there is also a grassy area for picnics and grilling out. Yum!

The pretty backdrop and less populated beach also serve as one of CLE’s favorite spots for family, engagement and wedding photo sessions.

Frame-worthy photos for the family!

So whether you’re looking for a green space to escape the hustle and bustle, a fun picnic in the park with the kids, a serene spot to drink your coffee and read the newspaper, or just want to dip your toes in the water—I highly recommend this little nook to take in the natural beauty in CLE.

Looking for other green places and spaces to visit in CLE? Check out some of my nature-loving posts like:

•  “Capturing the Cleveland Sunset” post at Gordon Park where other CLE bloggers suggested to check out Rocky River Park too
•  “Valley Memories” at Rocky River Metropark
• CLE’s nature/animal lovers’ paradise:“Earthfest at the Zoo” at Cleveland Metropark Zoo
•  “Bloom Lagoon” at Wade Lagoon!

Or

• Downtown Cleveland Alliance’s parks and green space in the downtown area
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• Cleveland Metroparks

What’s your favorite urban oasis in CLE? Do you have a favorite green space to take in a great sunrise or sunset in CLE? Share your positive thoughts!

The crowd fills in for “Weird Al” Yankovic at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights

There are three things every concert needs, and these three things will make the difference between a disappointing event and an amazing evening.

One, of course, is an audience. A concert without an audience is just a sad musician with a microphone. And an audience is something that no one has any control over. So it is the remaining two items that I will dedicate the majority of this post to.

First I want to touch on venue. Location can make or break an event. Whether you are stepping into the basement concert space of Mahall’s Twenty Lanes or the classical wonder that is Severance Hall, the venue creates a tone before any instrument does.

The Evans Amphitheater in Cleveland Heights’ Cain Park is a wonderful space. I find this to be because of the eclectic atmosphere.

The Cain Park Colonnade overlooking the Evans Amphitheater

Celebrating 75 years of operation, the Amphitheater gives off the impression of a secret location that you and approximately 1,500 of your friends stumbled upon. Walking by the beautiful, old brick construction and peering back to a Roman-inspired colonnade, one feels like their ticket was passed to them by the friend of a friend who says that, while they don’t know exactly what is going down that night, they are certain it will be epic.

As I took my assigned seat under the very comforting roofed section of the theater, part of me envied the happy group of people who had spread out on blankets and lawn chairs on the grass and cracked open their coolers. The brisk air blew through the seats, rustling the vines that crept up the brick and threatened to overtake the lighting crew perched in their catwalks.

An “anything can happen” vibe, somehow perfectly reined in by the helpful Cain Park crew guiding people to their individual spots, emanated from the old red bricks towering before us.

The tone had been set by Evans Amphitheater.

We loved escaping into the wooded setting of the Evans Amphitheater

The final piece to the concert puzzle is the performer. No matter how much you love a musician, there are concerts that don’t live up to the hype.  Maybe the performer gets swallowed by the venue, ignores the desires of their fans, or just phones it in.

Going into last week’s “Weird Al” Yankovic concert, I wanted the crazy wonder and energy that I had enjoyed in his music ever since I was a kid.  It was a tall order, filled with nostalgia and childhood idealism.

And boy, did he deliver.

Al has the ability to simultaneously bring to the forefront of your mind decades of music you’d thought was forgotten, while completely vanishing two brand new hours. I’d thought his show had an intermission which would break up the 120 minutes printed on my ticket. As Al played his final song (before the encore) I almost looked to my phone, thinking that intermission had come too quickly.

“Weird Al” Yankovic and his trademark accordion

“Weird Al” Yankovic defined my childhood. Legend says that Dare To Be Stupid was the first CD purchased for the Hicken Family’s brand new CD-playing stereo system. And I know for a fact that Bad Hair Day was the first compact disc ever bought with my own money.

Through Al’s songs and medleys I was introduced to music I had no idea even existed. I listened ad infinitum to “Weird Al” albums through high school and into the first year of college, when my purchases suddenly ceased.

Al’s concert proved to me that whatever I’d spent that money on, since it hadn’t gone towards “Weird Al” Yankovic albums it had been grossly misplaced. While at points I was happily singing along to I Want A New Duck and Amish Paradise, at other times I was thinking to myself how sad it was that I was only now hearing the brilliance that was Party In The CIA. I have a lot of catching up to do.

I must stress the fact that one reason this was easily the best concert I have ever been to – and I have been to some great concerts – was that Al and his band pull out all the stops, regardless of their personal comfort.

Weird Al in full costume for Perform This Way

Do you remember that music video where Al is dressed up in a full fat suit and make-up? Oh yeah, he performs in that. Speaking of performing, his Lady Gaga parody has him dancing around the stage in a giant peacock outfit. Most singers would be happy to let the song conjure up the audience’s memories of iconic images from album covers or videos. “Weird Al” is dedicated to bringing that memory to life for you. And it is greatly appreciated.

Covering for all of these costume changes is a multimedia smorgasbord of all things “Weird Al.”

Want the chance to see almost every “Weird Al” pop culture reference? It’s been collected for you.

Want to go line for line with the audience as you relive the hilarious “Wheel of Fish” segment from the under-appreciated “Weird Al” film UHF? It’s there.

Did you not know there are a series of 5 Second Weird Owl movies? You get to see them.

With all of this technology, it was inevitable that technical difficulties popped up once. But they were immediately addressed by Al’s clear concern that he was disappointing his fans with the one brief delay during an otherwise very complicated and well-choreographed concert.

Speaking of well-choreographed, Al even hired local talent to dance as the gothiest cheerleaders you’ll ever see during his performance of Smells Like Nirvana. It was a really cool touch.

Weird Al’s epic Amish Paradise

Despite all of this awesome on stage, Al and his band managed to outdo themselves for the encore. Now, I feel that the “Weird Al” parody of American Pie entitled The Saga Begins is the only good thing that the Star Wars Prequels brought into existence. Al’s song is also part of a fond memory from my high school senior year marching band, when – during a particularly terrible football game – we sang it in its entirety in the stadium bleachers.

The song will always have a warm place in my heart, and now I will never forget the evening when I – and 1,500 other people – sang the song with Al himself. He then followed it with an epic version of Yoda.

Although I’ve not seen Al perform anywhere else, I like to think that the design of Evans Amphitheater and the crowd’s willingness to allow his escapism to pour over us was what brought Al into the audience during one particularly colorful song about terrible pick-up lines.

Weird Al getting close and personal with the audience at Cain Park

His trip through the aisles was what prompted my post-concert text: “This evening I was 18 inches from Weird Al’s ass. Sorry, Wedding, I have a new favorite Day.”

In all seriousness my Wedding Day is still the best day of my life. But the “Weird Al” Yankovic concert at Evans Amphitheater is a close second. And I did tear up during both.

So, if I have to bring all of this together into some sort of point or purpose (and I’m being told that I do have to), it would be the following:

I’d highly recommend that if someone you enjoy is coming to Evans Amphitheater, go and see them there. It is an amazing space that can allow a performer to really be everything they could be.

And if “Weird Al” Yankovic is playing near you, please go get tickets and set your expectations high.

I’m certain they’re not as high as Al’s.

***

In the mood to catch a concert after reading that review? You can stay up-to-date on Live Nation concerts coming to Cleveland at https://www.facebook.com/livenationcleveland and you can view Cain Park’s full events calendar here.

Disclosure: I was invited to host a giveaway for LiveNation in exchange for 2 tickets to the concert of my choice. The opinions expressed here are 100% Scott’s own.

While I’m enjoying the long car ride to Pennsylvania, you can enjoy this guest post from Bite Buff with her list of Cleveland ice cream shops. Have a double scoop for me!

Hello! I’m Katrina, and I share my Cleveland dining adventures over at Bite Buff (www.bitebuff.com). I’m thrilled to be guest posting over here today.

With the warmer weather trying to peek through here in Cleveland recently, I’m already thinking ahead to summer and ice cold treats. I’m not much a “sweets” kinda gal, but my boyfriend (fondly referred to as “R”) has a serious sweet tooth. He considers himself a connoisseur of ice cream, which I don’t think is possible since he inhales it all so quickly. For this post, I wanted to share some of our spots to grab an ice cream cone this summer.

1. Churned Ice Cream Shop

Located on Kenilworth Avenue, in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood, this gourmet shop focuses on all-natural and organic product. They feature unusual and creative flavors like Maple Bacon French Toast, Wasabi Ginger, Brown Butter with Lavender Brittle, Cap’N Crunch, and Grapefruit Sorbet. “R’s” personally favorite is the Carrot with Cream Cheese and Coconut Swirl. It reminds him of carrot cake.

2. Tremont Scoops

In the same neighborhood as Churned, but totally different ice cream. Under new ownership this spring, the ice cream shop has had an overhaul, with new branding and a new ice cream distributor. Located on Professor Avenue, the signature wire ice cream cone still stands on the sidewalk outside.

This shop is highlighting classic flavors and traditional treats. The hard ice cream is so soft and creamy, that I was immediately a fan. Don’t forget to try other treats like chocolate-covered cheesecake and homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches!

3. Honey Hut 

Open for business since 1974, Honey Hut now has six locations (Brecksville, Cleveland, Parma, Edgewater Beach, Solon, and Brunswick). The look and feel of the locations are very nostalgic, and the portions can be HUGE— particularly any of the sundaes. “R’s” favorite is the Strawberry Shortcake from the Special Treats section of the menu. It comes in a tin, it’s so big. Honey Hut is full of classic cone flavors, shakes and malts, and soda and floats.

4. Sweet Moses Soda Fountain and Treat Shop 

In the heart of the Gordon Square Arts District, this Cleveland gem is like a time machine. Their homemade ice cream and treats are served up from behind an authentic soda fountain. Classic recipes bring you ice cream and confections “the way they were meant to be.” My personal favorite is the Brownie Sundae, but don’t miss other treats like ice cream floats, malts and shakes, pharmacy-era soda fountain drinks, popcorn, homemade pies, or treats from the candy case. It’s like taking a walk back in time. They also have late hours, so it’s a perfect after-dinner stop.

5. Rosati’s Frozen Custard

My personal favorite! I grew up as a soft-serve kinda kid, so this soft and whipped frozen custard is exactly what I like. Down to just one location in Northfield Center (by Great Northern Mall), it has a rotating Special Flavor Calendar. Here’s a hint– Don’t miss the Drumstik!

6. East Coast Original Frozen Custard 

They opened the first location in Parma Heights in 1985, and it still gives you that classic feel with big neon signs, colorful menu boards, and young kids behind the counter.

Now they have five locations, to give you a taste of the “good old days” (Fairview Park, Lyndhurst, Mentor, Painesville, and Parma Heights). Make sure to check their Flavor Calendar to see what’s being offered that day before heading out. “R” loves all ice cream, so he’s not a good judge, but I just don’t care for East Coast as much as Rosati’s.

7. Sweetie Fry 

Located in Cleveland Heights, this hand-crafted ice cream shop offers something that no one else does— fries, and several different versions. This combination of menu options may sound odd, but it is oh so good! They feature some classic, but more inventive and modern flavors of ice cream. They, too, have late night hours if you have a craving or want to stop in for a treat after dinner.

Well, this certainly isn’t a full list of the ice cream shops around town. I considered including Jeni’s, but they are in a whole league of their own (don’t miss the Brambleberry Crisp this summer!). I hope that you enjoyed my post, and that you’ll share any locations that I missed in the comments. Bring on the good weather permanently, Cleveland!

Thank you to Amanda for allowing me to guest post over here today. It’s been fun, and I hope that you’ll follow my dining adventures over on my blog. I’m always up to something good.   – Katrina

When Amanda asked me to submit a guest post for her blog I was a little surprised. You see, Amanda and I know each other IRL. We both work in the same office and we both happened to move to Cleveland from out-of-state in order to follow our jobs. But whereas Amanda is a woman-about-town, visiting the local Cleveland-area establishments and enjoying all Cleveland has to offer, I’m pretty much a hermit.

I’m married with two children. My wife works two part time jobs and I work a full time job M-F 6-3. By the time I come home from work my wife is usually on her way out the door and we pass like ships in the night. We don’t get to spend a lot of time together as a family so when we are together we usually just hang out with the kids or do some stuff around the house together.

But, I accepted Amanda’s request as a challenge to leave my hermitage and venture out into the great big world outside my door. My destination: two blocks away to the Miller Nature Preserve.

Located in Avon, OH, the Miller Nature Preserve is one of the recent additions to the Lorain County Metroparks system.

The preserve consists of a Rose Garden, a Demonstration Garden, an Herb Garden, a Conservatory and a Visitor’s Center (with a cafe and a gift shop).

As with almost any new place I take my kids, the first place they have to visit is the bathroom. After the kids were done visiting  the bathroom, we paid our $2.00 donation and I wrangled them into the Conservatory.

The Conservatory is a Green House which houses all of the preserve’s collections. There are various types of plants and the kids enjoyed looking around at all the flora. My son Chris would point out various plants to me and tell me about them.  Here he is telling me about the flowers blooming on a cactus:

Their favorite collections were the Desert Plants and the Carnivorous Plants. They had many different breeds of Pitcher Plants, as well as other carnivorous species.

Some of the plants have placards so you can learn more about them, and there are even some that have QR Codes on them, which take you to a mobile site to give you more information. My son had fun using my smartphone to read the QR codes and read through the additional information.

While we were there the staff was preparing for their next program, which started May 17 and focuses on Carnivorous Plants. They were setting up information, information centers and activities and games for kids. Chris and Sam got to play one of the games while we were there:

After we were finished in the Conservatory, we walked around the grounds and checked out the Herb Garden, the Rose Garden and investigated where there will be a walking/nature path that will connect the surrounding community.

I feel that it was still a little too early in the season to really get the full experience out of the nature preserve. There were no roses in the Rose Garden and there is a Butterfly Exhibit they do inside the Conservatory but that doesn’t start until July 1.

Our trip was short but it was nice to get out of the house and take the kids someplace new. They enjoyed the visit and seeing a lot of different plants from all over the world; plants that they might not have seen otherwise.

If you’re looking to kill an hour or two some afternoon and you’re in the Avon area, I recommend stopping by the Miller Nature Preserve and supporting the Lorain County Metroparks system.

Brian Edsell is a father of two, self-proclaimed nerd and zombie movie aficionado. He moved to OH in 2006 and the first place he went to was a local comic book shop. He spends his spare time with his family and enjoys playing games and watching movies. He also writes about his life and fatherhood at BEaLittleWeird.com (Dadstractions.com).

Fortunately, Katie O. was able to attend for me and share her experience.  Once you’ve enjoyed her recap, go check out her blog Call Me Trouble!

First and foremost, I would like to thank Amanda for the opportunity to attend MedWish’s BandAid Bash. MedWish is an international philanthropy that collects and re-packages medical supplies to send abroad. Founded in 1993 MedWish is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year and the energy in the air at the event was palpable.

I felt so lucky to be a part of the event with my lovely date, Julie from Wearing Mascara. This event somehow made me feel like a red carpet celebrity while not disguising the meaningful work MedWish does each and everyday.

Location: The Bash was held in MedWish’s warehouse facility. It’s located on the east side of Cleveland and my GPS did not do a great job of taking us directly there. Our scenic route through the east side of Cleveland was an exciting way to begin the evening and was a good initial reminder of how lucky we are to be in a place where we’re not worried about basic needs of food, water, and shelter.

Instead of a red carpet you walk up a concrete sidewalk into the warehouse lined with volunteers, registration tables and the backdrop of rows upon rows of the supplies that are awaiting shipment to go change lives.

The way they transformed the space of the warehouse into a high class club was breathtaking. If they ever need to move to a bigger space I think we could open Cleveland’s hippest nightclub there. The party space was the result of some very talented visionaries.

MedWish warehouse transformed for Band Aid Bash

Food & Drinks: They were  everywhere. The best part? They were everywhere throughout the evening. I wasn’t feeling my best but the good news was I brought along an expert taste tester.

I enjoyed the Dutch Mule Cocktail, a simple concoction of Ginger Beer, Grapefruit, and vodka. Other recommended drinks included the Zombie, watermelon punch, and cherry cider. No one was going thirsty.

Hodge & company were on scene to keep our bellies full. There was some mushroom gnocchi to die for, asparagus risotto (my favorite), and mac’n’cheese. (Can you tell I pay attention to carbs more than anything? Oops.) The food areas were always buzzing but not quite as much as the auction tables…

Mushroom Gnocchi from Hodge’s

Auction Items: The spread at the silent auction table was fit for Kings and Queens and fortunately for MedWish, so were most of the the bids! Julie did manage to score a Deagan’s gift basket, complete with beer mugs and gift card. The only item I was really dying to bid on was the labradoodle puppy but I know she went to a nice family!

Puppy Auction (yes, this was real life)

People: Yes, the food was yummy. Yes, the auction items were wicked. However, my favorite part of the evening was the company I was in. Hosted by Mark Nolan, held together by a lovely lady I met, Reanna, and pulled off by the most active group of volunteers, we were well taken care of. The volunteers cleared plates and empty glasses more quickly than at a nice dinner.

I was also able to feel the blogger community love, as always. In addition to being at the event with Julie, whom I know through Twitter, I also got to see Julie from ROJ Running and her hot date, Jason. We met Sarah & Derek from Our Journey for the first time, what a lovely lady! Last but not least, I got to meet Jess from Jess{ly} and her mom. It’s always wonderful to finally pose for a picture with the people who (it feels like) can write just the post you needed that day.

Sarah, Julie and Katie (photo courtesy of Sarah at Our Journey)

P.S. There was also an event called a Wine Pull! I had never heard of this, so…there’s a wall of wine (great start, right?). You pay a flat rate for a chance to randomly pull a cork with a number and then you get to open up that bottle number and the wine is all yours, baby!

I pulled a red wine, from Italy. I don’t know much more than that because I can’t read Italian, but I’m sure I’ll love it. Rarely have I ever met a red I didn’t like!

Band Aid Bash Wine Pull

MedWish’s 2013 Bandaid Bash was a great success and I had an amazing time. Major thanks to Amanda for trusting my reporting skills and allowing me to take over her blog for a post. It’s been an honor!

Disclosure: I was invited to attend this year’s Band Aid Bash but was unable to because I was out of town. MedWish graciously allowed me to pass these tickets to Katie O. in exchange for her writing a guest post. Opinions expressed here are 100% the post’s author.

Today is the Ohio Blogging Association‘s All State Blog Swap where bloggers from all around the state are swapping posts.

This guest post is by Danielle from Find Time for Fun. Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Danielle wanted to share her love of the area with her two young children but  struggled to find information about family friendly activities. Visit FindTimeforFun.com to learn about events, attractions and ideas for fun at home.

Then visit Poise in Parma to read the rest of today’s All State Blog Swap posts and check out my post Clue Into Cleveland’s Top 5 for Out-of-Town Guests.

***

Winter is right around the corner, which means the snow will be here before we know it!  While winter certainly isn’t my favorite season, I do try to make the best of it.

Thankfully, Cleveland offers many fun wintertime activities; some will have you playing outside while others will help get you into the Holiday spirit.  Below are my five recommendations for winter fun in Cleveland.

The Chalet in Mill Stream Run Reservation (photo from www.clemetparks.com)

Tobogganing at the Chalet in the Mill Stream Run Reservation – Remember how much fun it was to go sled riding when you were young?  Channel your inner child this winter and go Tobogganing in the Cleveland Metroparks.  The Chalet has two 1,000-foot refrigerated ice chutes that can operate with or without snow and are open from the end of November to the middle of March.

Snowshoeing at Penitentiary Glen Reservation – Lake Metroparks offers nearly 7 miles of snowshoeing trails for guests to explore.  Beginners can start with the Peppermint Trail, a short quarter-mile loop.  Snowshoes can be rented by the hour or by the day, and rental is available daily from the middle of November through early March.

Rink at Wade Oval in University Circle

Outdoor Ice Skating at the Rink at Wade Oval – There is something about ice skating outdoors that makes it even more enjoyable.  This winter, get the full ice skating experience at the outdoor Rink at Wade Oval.  Admission is FREE and Skate Rental (if needed) is only $3 per person.  The Rink is open from the end of November through the middle of February.

Lolly the Trolley Holiday Tours – Riding through Cleveland on Lolly the Trolley is a great way to see the city.  Add Christmas lights and decorations to the mix and you have a truly unique and memorable experience.  During the month of December, there are a number of Special Holiday Tours including: A Christmas Story House Tours, Silver Bells Plus Tours and Family Fun Night Tours.

2012 Glow at the Garden (photo from www.cbgarden.org)

Glow at the Garden – While visiting The Cleveland Botanical Gardens is always a great option, it is especially enjoyable during the holiday season.  From late November through the end of December guests can view the decorated trees and gingerbread houses while listening to Christmas music, ride on the garden express train, decorate their own gingerbread houses, and do some holiday shopping at the gift shop.

Those are just some of the events and activities that make winter in Cleveland fun.  Leave a comment below and let us know some of your favorite wintertime activities in Cleveland.