Category Archives: explore

{May 21, 2013}
  Martins Deli

Morning everybody. Surviving this humidity patch okay? Looks like they say the weekend will cool off in the high 60′s low 70′s…perfect for planting flower, yard work, cleaning out the garage as well as a long bike ride/bar hop and picnics with good friends. Can you tell I have lots planned for the three days off?

Today I just wanted everyone to know about Martin’s Deli in Rocky River…in case you’ve never been in there. It’s a little deli that sits off of Detroit Rd near the high school field. The other day when I was prepping for a road trip so I stopped in to pickup a handful of made to order deli sandwiches and some snacks but to my surprise found a wonderful wine shop as well.

Such assortment, very helpful staff and even a row of chilled wines…perfect for the last minute summer party. If you’ve never been into Martin’s plan to swing in this weekend for some picnic supplies… and when the Heinen’s parking lot looks just too much to bear you can get your malbec fix just up the street! :) Happy Tuesday everybody.

 

Posted on May 21, 2013 by charity
Posted in eat, explore, food, shop, shopping, wine | Tagged | Leave a comment

{May 15, 2013}
  giveaway : Ohio City Home Tour Tickets

It’s Wednesday folks and that means we are halfway to the weekend…hip hip horray! Lots of fun happenings on the books for this weekend? It’s supposed to be a stunning weekend weather wise.

One thing going on around town this weekend is the annual Ohio City Home Tour. The trolley tour consists of six historical, chic, unique designed home of the OC. You can choose to take Lolley the Trolley around while exploring the neighborhood or wander on foot to discover small details you may have overlooked if by car. It really is a wonderful late morning/afternoon Sunday happening. Pair it with a bubbly brunch at Market Garden, Flying Fig or Le Petit Triangle (get a reservation now!) and your are in for a sure Sunday funday!

Want to win a pack of FOUR tickets to the home tour for you and 3 friends? Tweet me @iheartclev and let me know you want the 4pack to Sunday’s @ohiocitytweets home tour. Winner to be announced Friday, plenty of tie to make a brunch reservation! If you don’t want to wait, get your tickets TODAY here! Good luck.

Also, the winners of last weeks promotion @PatCatans, @Prizm_stores for the 2; $50 gift cards are @KellyBrouse (can’t wait to see some new comics!) and @McCarthyGarland (for your summer garden sign!) Congrats you two and thanks for playing! email me at editor@iheartcleveland.com with your mailing details and we will get those gift cards out to you…Let the crafting begin!

Posted on May 15, 2013 by charity
Posted in explore, giveaway, historic, home, homes, tour | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

{Apr 18, 2013}
  Happy Superman Day!

In honor of the 75th Anniversary of Action Comics SUPERMAN Mayor Frank Jackson has declared April 18th, National Superman Day!

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound this guy has stole the heart of not only Clevelanders but children and adults all over the globe.

For activities throughout the city that “heart” and promote our superhero check out this nice article that The Plain Dealer published. Some of the activities and events include comic book readings, free comic books and a not-to-be-missed a convention. Check it out!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by charity
Posted in celebrate, celebrity, community, event, events, explore, free | Tagged | 1 Comment

{Apr 9, 2013}
  Cleveland FLEA

Morning CLE! How is everybody doing today post Tribe Opening Day antics? We were so lucky to have such great weather. While I still wore a few layers just in case, there were many rocking the tank top and “jorts” (jean shorts!) look at the stadium…it’s still April people, I’m just sayin.

Anyhow. It’s been a few wild and crazy weeks over here. Slammin jammin at work, lots of company in town, the Film Fest (get your tickets for this weekend it’s gonna be crazy packed!) planning a home remodel and a vacation…bring it on!

Have you heard about the Cleveland flea? Well from what I know it’s a great place to score some sweet vintage finds on the second Saturday of each month. Lots of great vendors coming together  in the St Clair Superior neighborhood looking to offer you a special find for your home or that unique spring accessory. There are artisan food vendors, people who make stuff and a great vibe for our city. It’s happening THIS SATURDAY morning and you should for sure check it out. For details check out their facebook page!

So enjoy the rest of this weeks nice weather. Happy spring Cleveland, happy finds at the FLEA!

Posted on April 9, 2013 by charity
Posted in antiques, cleveland, deal, deals, event, events, explore, fun, public, shop | Tagged | Leave a comment

{Mar 21, 2013}
  family : mall kid “date”

Another great monthly post from my friend and mom extraordinaire, “i heart cleveland families!”

Hello CLE! With a few peeks of springtime weather, the kids and I are ready to get out and be done with the winter hibernation mode. Being inside for long stretches of time makes for lots of “what can I do’s?”….so every once in a while it takes a “date night” with one of the kids to keep them engaged and enjoyable to be around; if you know what I mean.

This past week it was my turn with my oldest, who is 9. Instead of the usual movie I decided on a trip to the LEGO store in Beachwood Place. For some reason, my kids think the mall is way cool probably because taking all three of them there is so daunting to me so we never go. But on this occasion it was a delight. The LEGO store creates that instant spark of creativity and child-like wonder – “you can build that out of legos?” They have hands on stations to create; a few computer stations to play and then walls of Lego “kits” to choose from to take home and build. To my delight, the store also has one whole wall, dedicated to just bricks, of every color and size. You grab a container and fill it with whatever you want, a lá salad bar style and get busy building. Let’s say we went home with a few blocks. MORE! →

Posted on March 21, 2013 by charity
Posted in explore, families, kids, shop, shopping | Tagged , | 1 Comment

{Mar 11, 2013}
  1-tank trip : Columbus

This past weekend I had the opportunity to take a Saturday, 1-tank trip to Columbus. The skies were bright blue and while 71S was swarming with police cars we managed to make it there in just over two hours with no stops.

We arrived to a quiet Columbus starting our morning with breakfast at North Star Cafe on High Street. Not only was the breakfast yummy, the unlimited magazines and people watching was even better. After breakfast we headed to the new Rothko exhibit at the Columbus Museum of Art. It was awesome, a three room intensive on the life of the artist and how his works once more figurative morphed into intense color studies. Also along with the Rothko exhibit there is this fascinating exhibit of Czech puppets on display in the other galleries, almost as cool as Rothko, but also sorta creepy. You have to check it out! MORE! →

Posted on March 11, 2013 by charity
Posted in adventure, artists, arts, artwork, cities, city, drink, drive, eat, events, exhibit, explore, fashion, ohio, outside, shoes, shop, shopping, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

{Mar 6, 2013}
  excitement for aloft

The other day I had the opportunity to get a birds eye view of the soon-to-be aloft hotel nestled in the Flats East Bank Development.  See the wall of windows at the far end of the photo? That will be where the swanky lobby and the w xyz hotel bar will be. See the concrete square in the courtyard? That will be the area for the outside fireplace, all weather lounge furniture and a great spot for outdoor entertaining.

It’s coming friends, so reserve your room for this fall’s Browns home opener…or next years Jump Back Ball…this hotel is gonna rock, time to start collecting your Starwood Hotel points today. Cheers!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by charity
Posted in explore, hotel, neighborhood, new, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

{Mar 5, 2013}
  Luna Bakery = love

Morning CLE. The other morning I had a the opportunity to have a pre-work breakfast at this bakery that only existed in my wildest dreams. It was tiny, filled with light and tucked away in the corner of a thriving neighborhood. Upon entering  the scent of butter wafts through the air like a spring perfume. The pretty bakery creations are displayed on the counters, the coffee is perking and the friendly staff wait to serve you a morning meal with a smile. Luna Bakery was not in my dreams but instead on Fairmount Boulevard in Cleveland Heights.

MORE! →

Posted on March 5, 2013 by charity
Posted in bakery, breakfast, brunch, explore, food, french, restaurant, Uncategorized | Tagged | 3 Comments

{Feb 27, 2013}
  Restaurant Week treat!

So here we are pretty deep into our Cleveland winter weather. The novelty of boots and sweaters is starting to wear off and the thrill of open toe sandals is looming on the horizon. The food that I craved in October like hearty warm stews and casseroles are loosing their flavor and salads, fish taco’s and anything grilled is starting to sound good.

Know what else sounds good? Downtown Cleveland Alliance Restaurant Week. Now I know it kicked off last week (February 22nd) but it runs until Sunday (March 3rd) so you still have time to a get a reservation for lunch or dinner out this week/weekend. Tonight I am going to explore a new place I’ve never been with a friend I haven’t seen in a bit. I can’t wait for a slightly spring-forward menu paired with a glass of mid-week wine and some great girlie chat to round out this otherwise busy Wednesday.

Go ahead Cleveland, get out there and treat yourself to a bit of mid-week fun. After these last few days of cold windy rain, we all deserve it.

Posted on February 27, 2013 by charity
Posted in deal, deals, event, events, explore, food, local, restaurant, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

{Feb 13, 2013}
  Last minute sweetie gifts!

Have you got your special someone a little something for tomorrow’s holiday? I just heard a radio commercial for getting your sweetie a gift at your neighborhood CVS…I almost died inside. I mean, not that I am above a huge box of Dove chocolates, a cheap bottle of red wine, an InStyle or Us Weekly Magazine, some new black liquid eyeliner, an itunes gift card or a few new lipsmackers…However, why would ANYONE shop at CVS for a gift when Cleveland has a plethora of talented creatives, hot spots & activities to support?

Looking for last minute…gifts that you can call an order in for or pick up tonight? Check out a few of my suggestions…

Flowers : Don’t call 1.800.Flowers, but instead support your local florist. Shops like V2V (Lakewood) and Urban Orchid (Cleveland) are two very stylish floral design shops. Give them a call for something unique for your sweetie. Also, there is also Heinen’s (also a local family owned  business) flower department which usually has fun little bouquets and plants, at a much more affordable cost than turning to the web.

Chocolate : This morning I saw a small plane in the air pulling a “CHOC” flag; I knew it was Malley’s right away. There is nothing like a Malley’s Chocolate covered pretzel and we all know they have chocolate covered strawberries for special occasions! besides Malley’s there is also the fine art of chocolate made by Lilly’s Handmade Chocolates (Tremont), a few of these make an impressive gift. Or, you could cure the chocolate craving with a red velvet cupcake from Cookie and A Cupcake or the recent America’s Best Chocolate Chip Cookie (by Food & Wine Magazine) at Blackbird Bakery (Lakewood.) Seriously, so many wonderful options.

Jewelry : If you’ve ever been to any of the holiday indie craft shows you know there are so many wonderful jewelers in the area. But just as a reminder….guys…my friend Erica of On the Lookout Jewelry makes such detailed beaded pieces, your Valentine would love a necklace by her! Or “she” also loves Oceanne creations (especially the cupid earrings) (wink wink) Both of these jewelers sell to many of our little area boutiques so check out their websites or drop them an email to find out where you can score a last minute gift.

Food & Drinks : There are so many local places, I can’t even begin to list them all. However, I will say one option  I think is really cool is from Gatherings Kitchen located in Lakewood. Where you reserve your dinner, swing by on the way home and pick it up, reheat and voila a 4-course romantic dinner (including short ribs!) at home with NO clean up! $50 for the dinner feeds two lovebirds. Call NOW and you might still be able to reserve a dinner!

Activities : From the events at the Rock Hall, to a night out with the fish at the Aquarium, you could get all yoga twisty at a hot yoga class together or relax to the orchestra…find something special to do with your friends or honey to celebrate the day together. Get creative!

I hope some of my last minutes ideas were helpful and while I don’t mean to knock CVS…please people, we can do better than that! Happy (almost) Valentines!

Posted on February 13, 2013 by charity
Posted in etsy, event, events, explore, fashion, favorites, friend, fun, hand made, holiday, holidays, local, love, neighborhood, orchestra, passion, promotion, relax, seasonal, shop, shopping, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment