Sheila's Birthday

Today is Sheila's birthday.

Hello everyone. Rob here.

Today is Sheila's birthday. I don't have the best memory, and Sheila's family must be aware. In fact late last week, Sheila's daughter reminded me. Truthfully, I knew her birthday was February near the middle of the month. However, the exact day escaped me. My family and friends know that I am the gift card king. I love buying them. I love getting them. Some people say gift cards aren't personal enough. I say, "BALONEY." You can find gift cards for all sorts of stores, restaurants, even to movie theaters. I discovered during Christmas, that Kroger is the best place to buy them. They are all in one spot. There's no running from store to store. It is truly one stop shopping. The small gift bags with tissue paper can be bought from the very same rack. The special bonus I discovered this morning, double gas points. I now have 525 points. With gas hovering at $3 bucks a gallon, it's a nice gift. A win for Sheila and a win for me. I was also able to do some grocery shopping.

Happy birthday Sheila.

Music Monday : 10 songs about love

For Music Monday I'm doing a little something different to celebrate Feb. 14th. I'm sharing 10 love centered songs that I really like -- some you may have heard, some maybe not...( in no particular order).



1. Adele's cover of 'Make You Feel My Love' gives me the chills. Her voice is incredible. (above)
2. Be My Man: Love ASA's modern yet classic sounding voice and the quirky dancers in the video.
3. Home : beware... this song gets really, really stuck in your head!
4. Addicted to Love cover : I heart Florence & the Machine.
5. Inside Out : Holy cow this song/cover is amazing live!
6. Had to throw this one in, haha.
7. A classic : go guitar fingers, go.
8. No words to describe this guy and song...no words, one of my ultimate favs.
9. Real Love : Again, another great live performance.
10. This has remained one of my favorite love songs, I sang it to my husband on our wedding day, I can't believe we are coming up on ten years in a few months, wow-wee!

What about your favorite songs about love... Shout 'em out!

Happy Music Monday!

scarlett's bob

Ok, it hit me. The February blues. Always on Valentine's Day, I want to just chop suey my hair right off and get a whole new look. I might be thinking a bit too drastic, and falling prey to the serious grey skies that linger over Toronto, BUT SERIOUSLY, what do you think about Scarlett Johanssen's new bob? It's like a longer, more modern bob. Like, the top pictures (but I do like the second and third pics too...) Eek, is it too risky? I mean, hair always grows back right?

Romantic Press...

Being Valentine's Day, I thought it was appropriate to share my recent magazine press in the February issue of Romantic Homes. They asked me to talk about what I believe Romance is and I am very honored to be included in their annual "The Romantics" roundup with such amazing ladies, wow ... thank you Romantic Homes!

Since it was tricky to get a good readable shot, you can read what I wrote below if you are interested... What about you, what does romance mean to you?




"Romance to me is often about experiencing unexpected surprises. Some of the more memorable and romantic times of my life have included these serendipitous moments while traveling. Exploring new and interesting ingredients in a farmer’s market, seeking out vide-greniers (flea markets) throughout the French countryside, and discovering a new city with my camera and journal in hand are all experiences that have greatly enriched my life.

Although these grand experiences and surprises don’t occur as often as I would like, by pausing each day for what I call ‘beautiful moments’ I have found my life instantly fill up with more meaning and ‘joie de vivre’. Some of these simple moments include sipping a cup of hot herbal tea while flipping through a gorgeous book, bringing home freshly cut flowers, lighting candles while listening to a lovely piece of music, taking a nice long hot bubble bath, hand-writing letters to loved ones, and enjoying a nice meal with my husband.

He and I surprise each other with thoughtful gifts at unexpected times. Once he gave me a journal full of letters that he had written to me each day. This is one of those gifts I thumb through often and will forever cherish. It is a secret to him, but I am currently working on a response to those daily love letters he wrote me.

The most romantic thing I've ever done is blindfold my husband and take him on an adventure up in the mountains that included a personalized music soundtrack and picnic."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you are having a LOVE-ly morning! Happy Valentine's Day!

1: Jonathan Adler Needlepoint Pillow

2: Elephants in Love 

3: Heart Cross Stitch Earrings

4: Heart Romper

5: Quotes Heart Measuring Spoons

6: Chalkboard Heart

We Did It...TIME TO SHAVE

Marzullo Here...So last week as we were forecasting highs in the teens I decided to not shave until we hit 55 degrees, well guess what we hit it on Sunday. Yep, 57 degrees was the official high yesterday out at CVG. It only took a week of not shaving but even just 7 days and I am already itching. Now I have had many people on facebook tell me that it is way to soon and I should change it to 60 or 70 degrees! I look at it this way, it warmed up because I decided not to shave, so you can thank my beard for the warm up! We did not hit 55 degrees until the first week of March last year, in fact this time last year we were in the middle of a cold snap. So stay tuned at 7:30am get ready for ground breaking television as I will shave LIVE on the air. I am a little nervous that I will cut myself so I may have little tissue pieces on my face by 8am! Get ready for 60 degrees by later this week.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! Here are some brilliant things that made me smile this week...

1: Goggle Umbrellas -- awesome! (via fubiz)
2: Minibar for the mind -- how cool are these? Genius! (via designworklife)
3: Music Philosophy Posters -- See the entire rad collection here. Maybe your favorite band is in the mix?

I hope that you will all have a most beautiful weekend!

Salad Toppings

My last suggestion for how to use Weight Watchers new cheeses (see previous posts here) is in a yummy salads. Do you ever come up with different salad combos? My husband thinks I'm hilarious for sometimes putting everything but the kitchen sink in them, but salads are great place to put in some power veggies and fun ingredients. Unless I am going with a particular recipe, the salads I make are usually different every time. This one has cucumbers, pinto beans, tomatoes, carrots, arugula, baby spinach, and some Weight Watchers cheese. I like how you can add flavor with their cheese without the extra fat and calories and it is nice to throw a little more calcium in there too.

What do you put in your salads?

Friday flowers (crafty edition - take II, the evolution)

I'm still playing with these. I added some succulents and mixed in some candles.

{succulents, candles, paper flowers}

I think we'd need to use clear glass cylinders instead of mason jars. The jars photograph well, but in real life the embossed writing obscures your view of the succulents. I'd also use something other than dirty gravel that I scraped out of the yard, in case you were wondering about that.

{succulents, candles, paper flowers}

I'd like to have taller candleholders that could fit actual votives instead of tealights, but we have about 200 of these already (leftover from my sister's wedding). I'm still trying to decide how likely it is that the candles will set the paper flowers on fire. (Probably likely, if the flowers are loose and people start playing with them. Potentially less likely, if I glue all the flowers in place.)

The succulents weren't chosen specifically - they're just pups (baby succulents!) that my mom had lying around, waiting to be planted. That's part of what makes the succulents do-able for us. My parents already have a huge native garden to pull from.

This prototyping part is fun. Figuring out how many square feet of space you need per person for different seating layouts? Decidedly less fun. But much more important. So we're doing that stuff too. 

Valentine's Day Ideas!

Good Friday Morning....

I hope this note finds you guys well and in good spirits!

Today in my blog it's all about Valentines Day preps!

Whether you're looking for the perfect roses, the most decadent dessert, or just a one-of-a-kind way to say "I love you," flowers, cards, gifts, and sweet treats, it's all out there, but do you want to celebrate Valentine's Day in a different way?

If so I think I have some answers.

We've collected a bunch of unique ideas - special ways to show how much you care about your spouse, family members and friends you cherish.

Check it out and Happy Valentines Day!

- Heart-Felt Valentine's Meal

Make up a batch of heart-shaped pancakes for a Valentine's breakfast or brunch. Just pour the batter in the frying pan in a free-form heart shape and serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

- Balloon Goodies

Insert candy surprises into balloons before inflating them - add a folded-up Valentine's message then inflate each balloon. Tie with a red ribbon and attach to your loved one's chair for them to find Valentine's morning.

- Family Affair

Have the kids help you prepare red Jello with cinnamon hearts mixed in, mashed potatoes colored with pink food coloring, heart-shaped cookies and any other creative ways to present your Valentine's Day meal.

- The Gift of Time

Give a hand-made coupon for some work you can do to free-up some time for your spouse or parent. For example, a coupon good for cleaning Dad's garage or for a full-house vacuuming for your wife. How about a coupon for your best friend - you can walk her dog or baby sit one evening.

- Coupon Day

Each of you can create individual notes, say 4 or 6 each, to describe a special surprise - a back rub, a special meal, etc. - fold up the notes and toss them into a jar. You can take turns having fun plucking a coupon from the jar and doing what it says.

-Less Fortunate

Visit a hospital or chronic care home to pass out small Valentine surprises to the residents. They will enjoy the care and attention from something so unexpected.

-Valentine Sharing

Plan some community work - help out at the local shelter, volunteer at your local church, work with other volunteers to spread some caring amongst your community.

Anyway, I hope this is food for thought as the big "love" holiday approaches!

Have a great weekend - Dan

Paper Twins

Check out this fun street art by the Paper Twins that is just awesome. See more of their work on flickr -- couldn't find a website. What type of street art do you like?

(Spotted on Unruth)

photos: Paper Twins flickr stream

best dad photographer ever!

I saw these photos on a link posted on my friend Iain's facebook page...how cute and silly are they? Their dad, Jason Lee, is a wedding photographer who CLEARLY likes to have fun with his little munchkins. I definitely will want to have silly shots like these with my own munchies one day...very glad Craigger is silly and a good photographer!
On a separate note, I really like this guy's house! So simple. Dark wood floors, white walls, and I like those blue couches. Coolness! I'm pretty sure I like Jason Lee :) You can read an interview with him and see more pics at Modern Met.

Granola I did not make

D makes big batches of granola so that he can eat it all week. He uses this recipe (which is from Molly, but he didn't know who that was until I told him) but I think he leaves out the dried fruit and maybe adds a bit of lemon zest.

{d's granola}

I don't usually eat it for breakfast, because I'm loyal to eggs. But I like snacking on it at other times of the day.

Wedding Planning

“Going to the chapel, and we’re gonna get married..”

That’s the song that’s been in my head lately… Katy here, good morning!

After recently getting engaged, I’ve walked into the wonderful world of wedding planning. It’s funny, though, because I’ve never been “into” weddings before. While my other girlfriends were picking out their wedding dress at age 10, I was in the backyard throwing a baseball around. But now that it’s happening, I’m really into it!! I never realized how big the wedding industry has become. It’s not just about the dress anymore. From cake to flowers, bands, and reception sites, it’s a little overwhelming at first. But I’m plugging through, checking items off my “to do” list one at a time. Ceremony site, Reception site, dress, photographer, band… check! I’m well on my way, but The Knot reminds me I still have 456 items left on my to do list. October will be here before I know it.

Mostly importantly, though, I can’t wait to be married to my best friend, Tom (everyone together) Awww! But really. It’s going to be an exciting year! Drop me an email if you have any wedding planning suggestions!

Wedding Planning

“Going to the chapel, and we’re gonna get married..” That’s the song that’s been in my head lately… Katy here, good morning! After recently getting engaged, I’ve walked into the wonderful world of wedding planning. It’s funny, though, because I’ve never been “into” weddings before. While my other girlfriends were picking out their wedding dress at age 10, I was in the backyard throwing a baseball around. But now that it’s happening, I’m really into it!! I never realized how big the wedding industry has become. It’s not just about the dress anymore. From cake to flowers, bands, and reception sites, it’s a little overwhelming at first. But I’m plugging through, checking items off my “to do” list one at a time. Ceremony site, Reception site, dress, photographer, band… check! I’m well on my way, but The Knot reminds me I still have 456 items left on my to do list. October will be here before I know it. Mostly importantly, though, I can’t wait to be married to my best friend, Tom (everyone together) Awww! But really. It’s going to be an exciting year! Drop me an email if you have any wedding planning suggestions!

Clear Baby Cribs

This may one of the coolest slices of baby crib/bed design I've ever seen since this  ... How rad is it that a child would be able to see the world around them without bars?! They also have another selection which is nifty and is less pod-like but equally as cool. Some great designers have their thinking cap on over at Ubabub in Australia.

In case you are wondering, which I did at first they are safe too.

Lovey, Dovey...

Inspired by all of the red lovey dovey things around...

1: This Is for You* by Rob Ryan (on my wish list)
2: Kiss Stamp -- how great is this?! (via Eat Drink Chic)
3: Pretty Heart Scarf
4: Foxy Valentines Tutorial : How cute!
5: Volcano Candle in red!
6: Butter London Nail Polish*
7: Heart Hot Water Bottle Cover
8: Cute converse red heart sneakers: that heart face is adorable!
9: Mon Oncle* awesome movie if you haven't seen it, I want to watch it again soon. Not really love related but on here just because.


*FYI : purchases made from the asterisk links support B*E

Valentine's Day 2011

This year I decided to play with crochet thread for the Valentine's Day cards. I just drew little lines with plain Elmer's glue and then stuck the thread right on. It looks like the glue will be really obvious but it flattens out a bit as it dries and it's fine. The balloons are just red felt hearts.

{valentine's day card 2011}

I was searching through my archives to see if I've adequately explained my Valentine's Day thing (obsessed, platonically) and I think I've covered it. In 2009 I gave it a whole week, complete with garlands, cookies, and cards. Oh, and I participated in Amanda's swap and Lauren and I became instant internet friends.

Last year Circe got a new bandanna and I sent goodies to Lily and became obsessed with her work (and eventually purchased two paintings that I treasure) and we became friends and I got goodies from cevd, who was already a friend. I can't find any record of my cards, but I definitely made brownies. Shaped like hearts.

In summary, Valentine's Day is good for friends.

Also, I haven't decided what to bake yet. But I still have several days for that.

Opening Day Is 50 Days Away!

Just 50 days until Opening Day!

Hi, it's Sheila, and I don't know about you, but I can't wait!
Our Cincinnati Reds and the folks behind the Findlay Market Opening Day parade are getting everything ready for Cincinnati's unofficial holiday.

It promises to be more exciting than ever, and this year, Opening Day in Cincinnati is making history. For the first time, we'll welcome our Reds to the field on a Thursday! Major League Baseball threw Cincinnati a bit of a curve ball, but our Reds stepped up to the plate, and Findlay Market is right there with 'em.

There are a few events leading up to the 92nd annual Opening Day parade, like an ice cream social at the market on Mar. 26.

And right now at the parade website, you can read some Opening Day memories. Reds CEO Bob Castellini was there to see Hank Aaron hit his 714th home run in Cincinnati back in 1974, and he shares the story. I wrote some of my memories too.

Opening Day is second only to Christmas in my book, and I can't wait to see our Division Champion Reds again! Find out more about the parade, the memories, and more by logging onto: http://findlaymarketparade.com/

Cave Hotel

There is something quite surreal and mysterious about people who used to live in caves and places carved out of rocks back in the day. I've always been fascinated by them especially after seeing caves while traveling to Petra in Jordan. Three cheers for the Yunak Evleri Cave Hotel in Turkey, so quirky and interesting, this is going into my travel files. Would you stay here?

(photos from Yunak Evleri)

just sittin' on my pearl swing

So, what do ya think of this? A little piece of furniture jewellery?! A strand of pearls to swing or frolick in...perhaps a little extra seating? It's a beautiful piece, designed by German interior designer, Johanna Richter. But do you think you'd have the guts to put it in your home? {via Dwellinggawker via The Designer Pad}

The weekend, briefly

{colors, photos}

{puppy feet}

{breakfast with d}*

{impromtu tea strainer}

{pups, avocado}**

{snowy, avocado}**

{orange}***

{tape, hearts}

* I may do a lot of the cooking during the week, but Dustin is all over weekend breakfast, always. I love it. 

** I'm not the only one obsessed with avocados this season - the pups were eating them all weekend. They can't finish one in a single sitting, but they are afraid to leave them lying around in case the other one steals it.

*** Currently averaging four oranges a day. This is the only time of year that I eat fruit on a regular basis. I'm more of a veggie person normally.

Mondays have not been happening around here lately. I mean, I get up and go to work because there isn't any way around that. But if I don't feel like looking over photos on Sunday evening, then I don't. I've been trying to institute a two hour pre-bed cutoff, wherein I don't do any work for at least two hours before I go to bed. No computer, no filling orders, nothing. I have intermittent bouts of really annoying insomnia (I fall asleep with no problem, but I'm wide awake at 2 am and can't fall back asleep), which I think mostly flares up when my mind is still running too fast at night, so I'm hoping this will help. So far I'm managing to stick to this 2/3 of the time, and I think it makes a difference when I do.

Whew. The point is, sometimes there will be photos on Mondays and sometimes they won't be here until Tuesday. My random and unsolicited sleep musings were just a bonus. You're welcome!

Grocery Shopping

I stop by Kroger almost everyday before work.

Hey everyone. Rob here.

Most people think it's crazy that I stop by Kroger before work. First because it's so early. Before work for me is around 3 a.m. They also think it's crazy because of the frequency. I stop by Kroger just about everyday. There are very few people there. Usually just employees maybe a few police officers from Newport and Fort Thomas. I can take my time and figure out what I want to eat for the morning. First stop is produce. Sometimes I get grapefruit. Maybe some cut up pineapple. This morning I settled on a honeycrisp apple. Now on to protein. I chose Faye brand greek yogurt. (read my earlier blog about why I am a fan.) I also bought some oat bran which is a nice alternative to oatmeal which I won't eat. Oat bran is closer to Cream of Wheat, but healthier. Working the Fox19 morning news is fun but it's long. The only time to eat is on set or between commercial breaks. My early morning stop at Kroger is the best way to nourish myself through the show in a healthy way. It may seem crazy, but early 3.am grocery shopping is a nice way to ease into my day.