Ask me anything: http://formspring.me/rnbcincyyp
Formspring is a platform that allows people to directly ask questions in anticipation of the recipients response - it's a fun way to share insights, learn more about one another or just be entertained by the answers to random inquiries. I know this blog receives around 50-100 hits per post so I think it would be fun to allow the opportunity to ask anonymous questions if you're not comfortable leaving comments. Who knows what it will produce but I'm happy to share any Q&As received back here on my blog.
So, feel free to lay it on me!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
René of the Day // 7.4.11 // BOOM!
Happy Independence Day! Happy 4th! Happy Birthday, America! You look damn good for 235 years old.
Every year my family celebrates this special day along with my cousin Elise's birthday and by shooting off the old family cannon that was made in 1911 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. Around the turn of the century, cast iron cannons such as this were used as signal cannons for the start of boat races and yachting. By pulling the yellow string in the back, it hits the primer cap of the 10-gauge blanks filled with blank gun powder and makes a spark that ignites and it goes BOOM! As kids, we would stuff our ears with cotton balls or plug our fingers in them, then run into the grass to stomp out the smoke...
This year after the party, we went to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Pop's Red, White and Boom in really good seats at Riverbend. We listened to classic patriotic tunes with features of opera and a military band and watched great fireworks - the grand finale was the best I'd ever seen - loads of blue, then red & white!
Every year my family celebrates this special day along with my cousin Elise's birthday and by shooting off the old family cannon that was made in 1911 by the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. Around the turn of the century, cast iron cannons such as this were used as signal cannons for the start of boat races and yachting. By pulling the yellow string in the back, it hits the primer cap of the 10-gauge blanks filled with blank gun powder and makes a spark that ignites and it goes BOOM! As kids, we would stuff our ears with cotton balls or plug our fingers in them, then run into the grass to stomp out the smoke...
This year after the party, we went to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Pop's Red, White and Boom in really good seats at Riverbend. We listened to classic patriotic tunes with features of opera and a military band and watched great fireworks - the grand finale was the best I'd ever seen - loads of blue, then red & white!
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| Elise's chocolate ganache birthday cake with berries & white chocolate... and we had red velvet cake ice cream, too! |
Monday, July 4, 2011
René of the Day // 7.3.11 // Cajun Shrimp
This OPI color is my favorite summer nail shade. It pops against tan toes and compliments so many of the bright colors I wear. It receives so many compliments - and like most OPI polishes, it has such a zesty name! OPI is always my top choice because they have shiny, fabulous colors and it's long-lasting - I can do a self-pedi and it lasts over two weeks! And when I paint my fingernails they look great, without chips, for at least a week...
Cajun shrimp is a coral-orange-red color (paints on less red than the photo of the bottle below). It's perfect for hot weather and sandals - bright & sassy!
Cajun shrimp is a coral-orange-red color (paints on less red than the photo of the bottle below). It's perfect for hot weather and sandals - bright & sassy!
René of the Day // 7.2.11 // Words of Wisdomish
Can you believe how much Facebook has changed? From the interface to the capabilities, it's practically nothing like the Facebook we signed up for in college that was strictly for students - I think the only thing that hasn't changed is the profile picture. Remember the little box for a comment or quote under your photo? And bumper stickers? Those were the days... I had glanced at my info the recently and realized I had this novel of quotes on my page and thought, "Okay René, you've graduated from college, no need to share the philosophies of others that you admire on your social networking platforms." But some of the words are ones I don't want to lose, so I'm posing them here to keep for future reference.
"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me." - Jack Nicholson
"The best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at something worth doing."
"The core of one's spirit comes from new experiences." - Alexander Supertramp
“I’m not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.” - Marilyn Monroe
"Failures are worth more than successes. You learn more from those experiences. You work for success, but it's the failures that will help you get to the next success." - Charlie Trotter
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"LET IT BE." - The Beatles
"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."
"O ba la dee, o ba la da, life goes on, brah, la la la la life goes on" - The Beatles
"Cincinnati, I thought was the most beautiful of the inland cities of the Union." - Winston Churchill
"I didn't invent the rainy day - I just own the best umbrella."
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities." - Albert Einstein
"Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open." - Thomas R. Dewar
If you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."
"When you've got nothing left, all you can do is get into silk underwear and start reading Proust." - Jane Birkin
"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me." - Jack Nicholson
"The best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at something worth doing."
"The core of one's spirit comes from new experiences." - Alexander Supertramp
“I’m not interested in money. I just want to be wonderful.” - Marilyn Monroe
"Failures are worth more than successes. You learn more from those experiences. You work for success, but it's the failures that will help you get to the next success." - Charlie Trotter
"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"LET IT BE." - The Beatles
"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart."
"O ba la dee, o ba la da, life goes on, brah, la la la la life goes on" - The Beatles
"Cincinnati, I thought was the most beautiful of the inland cities of the Union." - Winston Churchill
"I didn't invent the rainy day - I just own the best umbrella."
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities." - Albert Einstein
"Minds are like parachutes; they only function when open." - Thomas R. Dewar
If you don't paddle your own canoe, you don't move.
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts."
"When you've got nothing left, all you can do is get into silk underwear and start reading Proust." - Jane Birkin
Saturday, July 2, 2011
René of the Day // 7.1.11 // SHARK TANK!
Slightly embarrassed to say I've lived within 3 minutes of O'Bryonville for nearly 5 years and although I frequent The BonBonerie, Kismet boutique and Bob Ronnecker's Running Spot, I've said for years that I have to go to O'Bryon's Irish Pub and have a "Shark Tank." Voted Best Novelty Cocktail by Cincinnati Magazine, this bucket of booze tastes like a Shirley Temple for adults - I believe it's vodka & Sprite, then the fun part is pouring grenadine into the cup via a small plastic shark - dunuh, duhnuh, dunuh! The red syrup swirls through the ice and looks like a victim has suffered a slow death in your drink. Delicious!
Lindsey mentioned how she missed the way we used to walk about O'Bryonville in college and thought it'd be a great spot for our plans to catch up on Friday night. We sat on the rooftop deck and enjoyed our shank tanks and were joined by Becca, Mark, Julie and Nick - we cheers to him for his birthday and I also cheers to my dad who turned 60 today! Ole man is in Gainesville for the week with his buddies that he grew up with but I called to tell him I bought Florida/Kentucky football tickets for his gift - we're hyped!
It may have taken me a long time to cross this one off of my to-do list but I'm certainly go back for more... I only had one but I hear these things sneak up on you!
The other highlight of our evening was a random goatee-d man who dropped this note in front of Lindsey and walked away... I mean, really, who does that?! If you call the number, leave a comment below! LOL
Lindsey mentioned how she missed the way we used to walk about O'Bryonville in college and thought it'd be a great spot for our plans to catch up on Friday night. We sat on the rooftop deck and enjoyed our shank tanks and were joined by Becca, Mark, Julie and Nick - we cheers to him for his birthday and I also cheers to my dad who turned 60 today! Ole man is in Gainesville for the week with his buddies that he grew up with but I called to tell him I bought Florida/Kentucky football tickets for his gift - we're hyped!
It may have taken me a long time to cross this one off of my to-do list but I'm certainly go back for more... I only had one but I hear these things sneak up on you!
The other highlight of our evening was a random goatee-d man who dropped this note in front of Lindsey and walked away... I mean, really, who does that?! If you call the number, leave a comment below! LOL
René of the Day // 6.31.11 // When the sun goes down...
"It's a smile... it's a kiss... it's a sip of wine... it's the summertime!"
It always a fabulous start to the season when you have tickets in hand for a show at Riverbend! I had the Kenny Chesney, Uncle Kracker & Billy Currington concert on my iCal for months... Last year MR introduced me to Billy - texting me his lyrics as he played at the CMT Festival in Nashville. Then he bought me some of his CDs for Valentine's Day. It's too bad he wasn't able to come home for the show but 4th of July is one of the busiest weekends of the year for Pepsi, so naturally he's working through Monday.
Sid and her roomie Michelle knew I was dying to go and called me to say her friend had a ticket for $52 - I jumped on it like Kenny's gal on his sexy tractor. We had margaritas and beers in our shit kickers for happy hour then headed to the sold out show... We had a great time! Saw my sister and Phil and ran into some other friends... And when the sun went down, things did get hotter - Brett Michaels appeared on stage and played "Every Rose Has it's Thorn" - a classic NéNé fav!
It has never happened to me before but all the songs from the show were in my head as I slept that night and all the next day... they put on a damn good show, fantastic summer memories made!
It always a fabulous start to the season when you have tickets in hand for a show at Riverbend! I had the Kenny Chesney, Uncle Kracker & Billy Currington concert on my iCal for months... Last year MR introduced me to Billy - texting me his lyrics as he played at the CMT Festival in Nashville. Then he bought me some of his CDs for Valentine's Day. It's too bad he wasn't able to come home for the show but 4th of July is one of the busiest weekends of the year for Pepsi, so naturally he's working through Monday.
Sid and her roomie Michelle knew I was dying to go and called me to say her friend had a ticket for $52 - I jumped on it like Kenny's gal on his sexy tractor. We had margaritas and beers in our shit kickers for happy hour then headed to the sold out show... We had a great time! Saw my sister and Phil and ran into some other friends... And when the sun went down, things did get hotter - Brett Michaels appeared on stage and played "Every Rose Has it's Thorn" - a classic NéNé fav!
It has never happened to me before but all the songs from the show were in my head as I slept that night and all the next day... they put on a damn good show, fantastic summer memories made!
René of the Day // 6.30.11 // Dancing Wasabi 2: Hyde Park
Could it be? Great sushi in walking distance of my place - for half price? Reason #213 to live in Hyde Park. It's incredible how when I worked at Beluga, the uber-trendy sushi pan-Asian restaurant off the square, they would never succumb to half price deals. But as the economy slid and their former sushi chef Charlie opened Dancing Wasabi on Mt. Lookout Square, it became apparent that they'd have to sack it up and do half price, at least once a week. I think Cincinnati loves that almost ever sushi spot in this area now offers half price to stay competitive - people wait over an hour on the sidewalk for their maki in Mt. Lookout. Charlie made a brilliant business decision. So brilliant that Beluga closed it's doors and Dancing Wasabi recently opened their second location there - you know you're going gangbusters when you can open a second location literally less than 2 miles away and still fill the house in both restaurants.
Of course, the former Beluga space is much bigger and still has a lot of the pricey decor. I do think they've cheapened it up a bit - massive TV over the bar, huge plants lining the stairs as you walk in and they've replaced the dj booth in the corner with a round white wood table. But this is what the people want - it's fun, affordable and decent food. They've expanded their menu now that they have a larger nicer kitchen but I think I'll always stick to the sushi. I think I've tried all 20+ rolls at this point and there's never been one that I wouldn't try again. The service was fantastic - every employee we passed greeted us warmly and our server was attentive without being annoying. To be honest, I doubt I'll go back to the Mt. Lookout location - it has a tinge of a funky smell and I can walk to the new one. Arigato, Charlie!
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