Constantly fascinated by the world around me. I've got the dreamer's disease... and I believe that a truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

I spend most of my time reading, writing, cooking & planning my life on Post-It notes. Music, wine, food, art & travel are my favorite fuel; spending time well wasted.
I began writing this blog because I think that every day we have something to be celebrated, shared, something that sparks creativity, inspiration & ideation.
Although I'm quite optimistic, I'm more judgmental than I'd like to admit. Here's to overturning assumptions.


Thursday, January 19, 2012

René of the Day // 12.5.11 // Fireplace DVD


Perhaps the best $5 I’ve ever spent. I think I got it on sale at Border’s after the holidays a few years ago. Since I refuse to have cable (did you know you burn less calories watching TV than sitting in a chair doing nothing?) it’s nice to have some motion in the background as I’m cooking and reading. I like the jazz music selection best, without the crackling noise feature, but more than anything it’s a great backdrop. We only had a fireplace when I was really little and my parents just bought one of the fireplace entertainment centers – I love how it actually produces heat! But search on Amazon – a fireplace DVD truly is the next best thing to the real deal. 


René of the Day // 12.4.11 // Pinterest Crafts

What was going to be a boring, rainy afternoon turned into a fun and crafty afternoon at my Haley's house. Her family was in town from Illinois and I'd had the pleasure of meeting them at her birthday party at Coney Island in the summer. She and her sister had chosen a few Christmas crafts from Pinterest and they invited me to join them.

First we made Christmas wine bottles - super simple and affordable. Soak the labels off empty wine bottles with hot, soapy water. Spray paint them white or silver. Allow to dry. Spray with adhesive. Roll in a cookie pan filled with epson salts. They sparkle! Stick festive floral arrangements or other decor inside.
[Note: they do tend to "shed" a lot, so place on a pretty tray or prepare to clean up some salt.]

Get full instructions with photos here.

Our other project was Starched String Ornaments - or string balls, you know, whatever. This was a bust (pun intended for the Beck girls but it worked for me!) Blow up a balloon and wrap string all around it... once it's densely covered, paint craft glue over the string until it's saturated. Hang dry then pop the balloon and pull out with a pair of tweezers. (I think because they were hung outside from the porch while it was raining they stayed moist. I took mine home and hung it over the tub then took a blow dryer to it for a few minutes.) It was a little lumpy on one side but depending on how it's hung, you can't see it.

This can also be a great idea for wedding decor and you can make them large enough to slip a light bulb inside for a pretty hanging lamp.

Get the full instructions with photos here.


And to take a break from our busy projects, Haley's husband George made Skinny Taste zucchini enchiladas which are amazing!

Get the recipe here.
[Note: buy enchilada sauce in the can at the store. The time and effort aren't worth it - the can is super cheap and has the same ingredients.)




Enchilada break!
Final product

René of the Day // 12.3.11 // Aloha!

I’m just jealous. My parents and my niece are in Maui for the week. They’ve rented a condo at Maui Eldorado for a few years in a row and I’m hoping to go in the next few years. In high school I dreamt of going to the University of Hawaii and even ordered a sweatshirt.

The condo is on a golf course and has a full kitchen with granite counter tops, a private patio and a cabana on the beach with a web came so we can watch them play in the surf. There’s great snorkeling nearby and with a car rental, a decent drive to the craters and waterfalls. They took a boat cruise and Chip and Kylie took surfing lessons – cowabunga! They attended a traditional luau with a suckling pig and Kylie picked up the fallen plumerias from the bushes each day and they strung a lei with the sewing kit they packed – how fun! They said it smelled wonderful but unfortunately you can’t bring them back home.

Ky is such a lucky little girl to go on such an amazing trip at this age. I think she loved the adventures – Mom said she was a great traveler and she would choose her to go with her on the Amazing Race because she can bolt through an airport with a backpack and a rollercase like a pro! LOL Hopefully I can take her on a fabulous trip some day, too.

It sounds and looks like they had a wonderful Hawaiian Christmas holiday – mali kaliki maka! Here are some of my favorite photos from their trip:


Kylie hanging ten! 







Wednesday, January 18, 2012

René of the Day // 12.2.11 // Christmas with the Rat Pack

The Thanksgiving holiday has passed, December has arrived and that means we can listen to Christmas music without backlash from the Bahumbugs! My absolute favorite holiday album is Christmas with the Rat Pack, featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. They swoon you with the season’s most classic tunes. I listen to it on repeat in my car throughout the month of December. It’s perfect party music and for a tree-decorating soundtrack. Though it’s been said many times, many ways, merry Christmas, to you.



Listen to the song and order the album here.

René of the Day // 12.1.11 // First of Tha Month


I have to post this song, since the first of every month, these lyrics are texted to or received from MR, his sister, Lindsey, Becca and Sanker. Wake up, wake up, wake up…


René of the Day // 11.30.11 // The season in review

We celebrated the season for the I'd Hit That softball team at El Rancho Grande (AKA "The Big Nasty") and enjoyed margaritas, chips + salsa and queso sticks (served with ketchup - WTF?!) Of course, what's an event for our office without the commentary of our former "Two and a Half Men" copywriter??? I had to share his intro and my bio so I can capture it for always:

The year in review: copy-only collector's edition


How does one define "victory?" With "runs?" With frivolous little "points?" We often tell ourselves that the team that "scores the most" is the team that "wins" - but is this really the case? We of the 2011 I'd Hit That softball team think otherwise. We say that victory belongs to those who dominate in the fun department. And in this regard, we never knew defeat. Our roster included the following all-stars:


René "René Brunelle" Brunelle:
René was often seen wandering around in the outfield, leisurely weaving daisies into chains, or perusing magazines in search of the latest news on corn refiners. But this lackadaisical facade belied the heart of a ruthless competitor. When anything was hit in her direction, she'd strike like a deranged cobra before instantly returning to her private happy world.


I have to say, it made me giggle. I did not in fact futz around in the outfield - I was proud of some of the plays I made and enjoyed the comments on how fast my little legs ran to first base. It was a hell of a season - but I just realized, we didn't have a mascot....

René of the Day // 11.29.11 // Gin Buck


The new cocktail of choice – a gin buck. Gin, lime (or lemon) juice and ginger ale. Simple, sparkly, crisp – perfect. I drank a lot of gimlets in college and gin and tonics are my favorite pick of poison so this fresh twist is fun. MR’s uncle in Nashville introduced him on Thanksgiving and we’re hooked. Cheers!


René of the Day // 11.28.11 // You are...

... the cheese to my macaroni ...
... the horizon to my sky ...
... the bacon to my eggs ...
... the laces to my sneakers ...
... the jelly to my peanut butter ...
... the gravy to my mashed potatoes ...
... the smile to my face ...
... the bubbles to my bath ...
... the milk to my cookie ...
... the ink to my pen ...
... the ketchup to my french fries ...
... the water to my ocean ...
... the icing on my cupcake ...

... and the head of my turkey! :)

René of the Day // 11.26.11 // Ky's Luau!

The adult's bar
We threw a luau party for Kylie's 8th birthday, in preparation for her trip to Maui with my parents in December! She had a great time with some of her friends from school and of course the adults enjoyed the festivities, as well. We all dressed in Hawaiian gear and enjoyed local fare - Mom made kalua pig (not the drink, it's a salty savory shredded pork dish). The hula girl cake was so adorable!

With her American Girl doll, Kanani
Birthday girl!
Mom made a hula girl cake!





René of the Day // 11.25.11 // A Great Day

Lunched at Senate with Mom + Kiki and did some shopping in OTR
(Poutine: fries, local cheese curds, braised shortribs + gravy - NOMS!)

North Carolina BBQ sandwich


Visited Spring Grove Cemetery and laid wreaths and Gigi's and grandpa's graves

Late afternoon cocktail on the rooftop at O'Bryon's, enjoying the balmy day with Kiki

Bowling at Star Lanes* in Newport with the Loveland gals 
(*Loved this place! A smoke-free bowling alley? Finally! And their appetizers were above par, for sure.)

One word: poutine




Tuesday, January 17, 2012

René of the Day // 11.24.11 // Thanks!


René of the Day // 11.23.11 // T-Gives Eve

It's tradition! For at least the past three years, Becca and I go to R.P. McMurphy's on Thanksgiving Eve. Usually her favorite musician, Paul Otten, is playing. This year there was another band but we still came and invited more friends (Vale, Maura, Dave, Alex...) to join us. With our plastic green and pink Mug Night cups filled, we sang and had a great time, enjoying the friends for whom we're thankful. Cheers!

René of the Day // 11.22.11 // Healthy Cincy Chili

My hope of making a new soup every week has been a challenge with work, JLC and other evening activities but I'd still like to share some. Hungry Girl has great books and a website with healthy and appetizing recipes. When I found this post for a healthier version of Cincinnati chili, I had to share. Her Chew the Right Thing posts are sort of like Eat This, Not That.

318 calories per serving - Skyline is 760 calories per serving - woof!

Get the recipe here.

Skinny Cincy chili by Hungry Girl

René of the Day // 11.21.11 // Unbirthday!

A very merry unbirthday to me! Today is my half birthday (26.5 to be exact). So I had to share this fun video from the classic Disney movie, "Alice in Wonderful." These cats are cra.

René of the Day // 11.20.11 // UT vs. Vandy


I’d had plans to stay in Cincinnati and go to a surprise birthday party this weekend. But Vale decided to take Maura to the Tennessee game so of course MR insisted that he brought me, too. We drove down Saturday morning in Vale’s big funeral home pick-up truck with his friends from work. We tailgated in our usual spot, the park on Lake Ave. Once we got to the game, the three couples spilt into different seats – it was the first time I sat in MR’s season ticket seats (see photos below).  They have an awesome view! Second row of second level, slightly to the left behind the goal post. It was the most fun UT game I’ve gone to…  Great view of the field and scoreboard.

At this game MR introduced me to Petro’s Chili & Chips (I’m still trying to figure out why he waited so long!) It’s a Tennessee tradition, with chili in a little bucket, topped with sour cream, onions, tomatoes, chili cheese, Fritos, olives, black beans and hot sauce – ah-maz-ing! Oh, and their hint of orange sweet tea is wonderful, too. (Even more wonderful when you dump airplane bottles of vodka in it, since SEC stadiums are dry and you start dragging ass at third quarter after tailing for four hours before the game. Oof.) MR had some chili and I had to taste it. Then later I got one – and he got another. Oy! (Or oink?) The game went into overtime so we went to sit with everyone else and it was unreal… a 90-yard interception return to touchdown in the last seconds of the game!!! We were all jumping up and down and yelling – so exciting! I know that a close victory over Vandy isn't anything to be overly proud of but it was still a fun game.

We went to Cool Beans after the game (of course) and MR met a UT alum who now plays for the Texans. After a few pitchers and catching up with their old college friends, we took a cab back to the hotel and passed out hard – very happy I decided to make the last minute trip to Knoxville.



View from MR's season tickets




René of the Day // 11.19.11 // Kylie's 8!


My Baby Binks is growing up… I remember babysitting her after school during my senior year. Being an aunt is one of my favorite parts of my life and I love watching her become a young lady. She loves to sing and dance and draw… Her questions make me laugh and it’s so interesting to listen to her vocabulary advance and her understandings of the world deepen. I’m so lucky to have her brightness in my life.


René of the Day // 11.18.12 // Happy Annivvvvversary!

"Happy annivvvvvversary!" My mom and step dad are big cruisers and one year they had a server who sang this with his wonderful accent and so now I always hear it this way in my head. It seems like a lifetime ago (1995) that I wore that off-the-shoulder black calico and lace dress my mom made, with my short blond poufy hair and sausage-roll bangs. 

The only photo I can find of them together, since they're always the ones taking photos!

René of the Day // 11.17.12 // La Poste


The former Tink’s space off Ludlow in Clifton exceeded my expectations. Mrs. (!!) Kris and I went to catch up post-wedding and since they just moved to Indy and she was back home for the week. We had to celebrate her job, too! As soon as we walked in the door, we ran into one of my fav sommeliers, Eric Faber, who I initially met with my mom at A Bottle or Two. He also took Amy Scalia of Cincy Chic and me on a hot air balloon ride last summer… I loved the tempranillo that was his current featured selection on the menu and we decided to split a selection of appetizers. We chose scallops, salad, crab cake and flat bread.

Kris surprised me with the cutest painting of a Westie that looks just like shaggy Findlay – it is so sweet! (See photo below) I think he likes to look up at “his” masterpiece above the armchair in the studio.

One amazing aspect of the restaurant is they use their wall space and as a rotating art gallery of work by local artists. The current paintings of Cincinnati was sensational -  by Cole Carothers, the owner was happy to discuss with us. The name of the restaurant is also charming – the building was originally built as a post office. The check was neatly folded and presented in a time hand-stamped envelope – little touches like this make a cute place unique, inspiring and worthy of a return visit.

Read the menu on the La Poste website here.

*As always, I’m not a food critic, just a lover of food and fine dining.

The salad of the season

Painting of Findlay

Sunday, January 8, 2012

René of the Day // 11.16.11 // Serious Eats


Two words: food porn. Working in marketing and knowing email response rates, a high number of recipients of email newsletters delete them from their inbox without opening the correspondence. But Serious Eats is one email that I look forward to receiving every week. The recipes are off the cuff and delicious. There’s always at least one that I bookmark – and now I’ve started pinning them all to Pinterest to save and share. It includes around 10 new recipes each week and the issues around the holidays are divine. They’ve also included a fun feature with signature cocktails from different restaurants in other cities each week – cool concept. It’s definitely worth signing up for if you’re a recipe hound like me! I'm looking forward to making Thai coffee bread pudding, orange blossom cheesecake and bacon-wrapped jalapeno and cheese-stuffed shrimp. I also LOVED the spicy ginger chicken noodle soup I made and a co-worker loved the recipe, too!

Check out Serious Eats website here

René of the Day // 11.15.11 // One point five


Today marks a year and a half with MR. :) I have learned that God tends to pour blessings on people going in a direction He wants them to go.


René of the Day // 11.14.11 // Mirror scripture

When I experienced the Freedom journey with friends through Crossroads in 2010, one of my friends inspired me to write an influential scripture or psalm on a mirror to have an omnipresent reminder of this special message. Although it may sound ‘high school’ to write on your mirror, it really is a wonderful way to begin the day – to read and reflect on this as I brush my teeth in the morning, and also before bed. I’ve continued to change it and sometimes I leave it clean for a while until I find something that really speaks to where I am. It’s a fun conversation starter when friends are over and I love how it encourages my heart and mind every day. Try it - it's the ultimate example of "reflection."

René of the Day // 11.13.11 // I understand...

René of the Day // 11.12.11 // JLC Tour of Kitchens



In an effort to raise money and sell the latest Junior League of Cincinnati cookbook, Cincinnati Seasoned, the league held a tour of fabulous kitchens in Cincinnati. Beginning at Keidel, a beautiful showroom of bathrooms and kitchens to purchase for your home, participants were given directions for a self-guided tour around the city. For $25, you could visit incredible kitchens – from contemporary to classic and LEED-certified, they were truly amazing spaces on display. Additionally, the cookbooks were available for purchase at a discount priced at each home and an array of recipes from the cookbook were sampled. Some homes had cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, features from local restaurants and the homes architects were present to discuss the kitchens.

The event was a great success and next year I look forward to taking the entire tour. This year I volunteered and sold cookbooks from one home for half of the day enjoyed getting to know more League members and promoting our efforts in the city.

Order Cincinnati Seasoned cookbook for $32.95 here
Keidel showroom


René of the Day // 11.11.11 // Make a wish!


You know what I mean. It’s 11.11.11. Make a wish! That is all.


René of the Day // 11.10.11 // Girl on a Budget


Piperlime.com has a hell of a great thing going with their Girl on a Budget site. Like most e-stores, you can categorize your search and I came across this brilliant section. I love to have clothes in my closet, ready to wear, but I’m not a fan of shopping. I think it’s an inefficient use of time, dealing with many retail employees can be frustrating and I just don’t enjoy it. Also, I always feel guilty spending money on clothes. I think this came from my mom’s rants in college when I didn’t have much money to blow and knowing she has five closets full of things we can share, that’s generally where I “shop.” But I digress – this site is amazing because everything – boots, accessories, dress, everything – are under $100. I’m a gal who can get behind that – it’s all stylish and most of it is from recognizable brands at reasonable prices. It’s great to know I scroll down the entire page and everything I like will not break the bank – score! Splurge without the guilt. I've also discovered new designers here, like Tinley Road and Hive & Honey. Style and savings = double dream. Here are some recent gems I’ve found:

Check out more items on this page for those ballin’ on a budget here.  

René of the Day // 11.9.11 // Annabell's Brunch

This adorable hole in the wall in Mt Lookout has been calling my name for years but I’d never managed to make it there until now. My friend Angie called me to do brunch and great minds think alike as we both threw it out as an idea. The key is to get there early – there’s less than 10 tables in this etsy-esque little café. But even if you have to wait – it’s worth it! Loads of options with fresh local produce,  cheeses and unique dishes. The huveous rancheros was phenomenal. It was hard to choose this over the egg scramble with fall squashes (pumpkin, butternut) and two other people in our party loved it. The vintage tables, glass pastry domes on the counter filled with goodies and cute artwork on the walls make this sunny spot the ideal start to a weekend morning. The only down fall, which is why I’ve yet to take MR, is that people wait inside the door for a table so they’re hovering over you as you eat – which he despises. It can be difficult to relax and enjoy a meal when you know you’ll be hustled out.

So go early and enjoy this gem – I can’t wait to sample more of the menu.