Spring Mantle

For Luck

Cat Nap

Nom de Cat Grass

The Bull, The Dog + The Blimp

Saw this public art on High Street today in between 1st and 2nd Avenue. I'm sure The Bull, The Dog + The Blimp is not the title of the piece but my photo isn't clear enough to read the title (I figured it would be or I would have taken a closer look on site). 

Please share the name in the comments if you know it!

Author's Note: I discovered the artist who created this mural! The name of the piece is Domesticating the African Wolf and the artist is Maria DiFranco. Check out her website! She is currently the Ohio Art League's featured artist!

Scott Antique Market - Ohio Expo Center

Sunday afternoon last weekend we checked out the Scott Antique Market at the Ohio Expo Center. Kenneth and I were just at the Ohio Expo Center last month for the Home & Garden Show (read my review and check out some photos here).

Drawings in Progress

These are some drawings I'm working on in a journal that my sister, Brittney, and I share. The journal is called 642 Things to Draw. We pass it back and forth after making a few drawings in it. 

Working in the journal is fun. It's also a way to share an activity that we both enjoy. We don't live in the same city and are both pretty busy, so we don't get to see each other very often. 

Love you, Britt!

Spring (Snow) Showers

We've had some crazy weather in Columbus this March! Spring 2014 is just a baby, only five days old and we've had temps fluctuating between the 60s and in the 20s. On my way home this afternoon it started snowing like crazy! Once I got home I took these photos before heading inside. Ten minutes later, the sun was shining and the snow had started to melt. By Friday we're supposed to have 60 degree weather again.

Oh, Ohio, you're so finicky!

"Ch-ch-ch-chia!"

These aren't pebbles or beans - they're chia seeds! Chia seeds are very tiny (about 1mm) and nutritious. They contain omega-3 fatty acids as well as grams of fiber, protein, calcium, phosphorus and manganese. When wet, chia seeds become mucilaginous with a gel-like coating that increases the seeds size and changes their texture. 

Spring Crocus

Silver Maple Flowers

Precious Stones

Wine and Canvas: Toulouse-Lautrec Edition at the Columbus Museum of Art

Wine and Canvas events have become very popular lately. I've seen photos of the artwork my friends have made at these events and I've always been really impressed. I wonder, how does everyone's painting look so similar? I've even entertained the idea that maybe everyone starts out with a "paint-by-number" template on their canvas.

Spring is Here!

Happy first day of spring! I can't wait for warm weather and fresh flowers!

C'est Si Bon Cafe - Bexley

C'est Si Bon Cafe in Bexley serves sweet and savory crepes, all of which can be made gluten-free with buckwheat flour. My mom and I visited a few weeks ago before heading to the Columbus Museum of Art's Wine and Canvas: Toulouse-Lautrec Edition. The cafe is tucked in between the Drexel Movie Theater and Star Jewelers of Bexley on Main Street. It's a small cafe, but we went before dinner and it wasn't crowded.

GF Review: Glutino Honey Mustard Pretzels + Apple Cinnamon Toaster Pastries

Glutino is a gluten-free food company with almost 100 different delicious products! Their range of products is impressive - they create gluten-free baking mixes, bagels, breads, cereal, breakfast bars, chips, cookies, crackers, frozen entrees, pasta and pizza! I recently tasted two of Glutino's newer products, their Apple Cinnamon Toaster Pastries and their Honey Mustard Pretzels in order to review them for my blog.

THBPBPTHPT! - Love, Livy

THBPBPTHPT!

Livy's so sassy! She stuck her tongue out at me twice this morning when I was petting her and taking her picture. It looks like she was blowing a 'raspberry' at me.

TTTTTTHBPBPTHPT!

She's not a morning cat.

But she is adorable!

The Candle Lab - Grandview Heights

The Candle Lab is a local candle company that makes soy candles with over 120 fragrances! There are three locations, one in Grandview Heights, Worthington and the Short North. Pre-made candles and other products can be purchased, or you can make a custom candle at one of their stores. I made my own candle as part of the bachelorette party festivities for my friend, Brittany (read about our dinner at Spagio here). 

Sherlocked Mantle

Gluten-Free M&Minty Chocolate Cookies for St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My favorite color is green, so even though I don't have very much Irish ancestry (that I know of), I still like to don a green outfit for the day. This year I also made some 'anti-pinch polish' for some friends (I don't condone pinching someone that doesn't wear green though, that's just mean!) and baked some gluten-free M&Minty Chocolate Cookies. I got the templates for the 'anti-pinch polish' from the blog eighteen25. Check it out here to download the template: Anti-Pinch Polish. 

Ermahgerd - It's a Bird!

I am so excited about this photo I took this morning! This little guy (a Northern Cardinal) looks so surprised! I was using Kenneth's camera and was having difficulty getting it to focus on the bird instead of the large tree branch behind him - luckily the camera was focused on the cardinal at the moment he opened his mouth!

Wind + Water

The Prince

I just discovered PicMonkey's overlays - there are so many! This free photo editing site just turned two year's old! Happy birthday PicMonkey!

Spagio - Grandview Heights

Spagio is a restaurant in Grandview Heights which serves European and Pacific Rim Cuisine. I've been wanting to try it out ever since I found out that they have a gluten-free menu. Two weeks ago I had my chance - it was the restaurant my friend, Brittany, chose for her bachelorette party!

Feeding the Fox

This would have been more dangerous had Emma not had her claws trimmed recently.

Amelia says "HI!"

Open Sky Day Spa - Grandview Heights

Open Sky Day Spa in Grandview Heights is a lovely little spa that offers massages, facials, waxing and tinting. I was recently asked to review Open Sky's services for my blog. I was given the option of choosing a massage or facial. I always enjoy the mini facials I receive as part of my haircut at the Aveda Institute, so I chose the Custom Signature Facial.

10 Things I Like About Myself - inspired by Hey, Hollywood

Holly's post, "10 things i like about myself," on Hey, Hollywood really resonated with me. I definitely feel like as a society, we expect women to be both confident/strong and humble/modest. The way we portray these qualities can easily be misunderstood. A woman displaying confidence might be called a bitch, while a woman who has low self-esteem is thought to be humble and modest. 

DIY Vanilla Extract

Today I made my own vanilla extract! I've been wanting to make my own vanilla for a long time so I asked for a Homemade Vanilla Extract Infusion Kit and Ugandan Vanilla Beans from Beanilla for my birthday this year. My mom got me the kit and beans, she also threw in a bottle of Bacardi Select Rum (mostly because she knows rum is gluten-free and because Bacardi has one of my favorite animals on the bottle, a bat!).

Kingmakers - Short North

Kingmakers Board Game Parlour is a great venue for date night or an evening out with friends. By paying a $5 Library Fee, visitors have access to over 250 different board games, instruction and tips from Kingmakers staff - Board Game Sommeliers. To apply to be a part-time sommelier you must be able to confidently teach at least 30 board games!. 

The Home & Garden Show - Ohio Expo Center

Last weekend, Kenneth and I went to The Home & Garden Show at the Ohio Expo Center. It was refreshing to be around plants - it looked like a well manicured neighborhood of beautiful backyards were growing in the center. We browsed through vendor tents and tables and checked out landscapes designed by local gardening and landscaping companies. I wanted to stay in some of those landscaped backyards and pretend it's summer already! 

Soaking Up the Sun

Mission Coffee Co. - Short North

Mission Coffee is a small coffee shop in the Short North. Located in a former garage (the windows in the big garage door let in a lot of natural light!), the coffee shop has a cool yet cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Mission opened its doors in 2011 by coffee enthusiasts Jonathan Starr and Jared Williamson.

Pretty & Pink Smoothie + Recipe

I'm thinking warm, spring thoughts today! It's so lovely and warm outside! I enjoyed the sunshine and this pink smoothie for lunch today.

Paint Night

Yesterday's photo of the day is of the paint we used in last night's Wine and Canvas: Toulouse-Lautrec Edition at the Columbus Museum of Art. I'll be posting a review here soon! Read my review of the Columbus Museum of Art from when Kenneth and I visited in September here!

Waiting for Spring

Downtown Columbus looks like it's still in the grip of winter - 14 days until spring! I can't wait!

Dressed Pt.1: Body Cartography by Azmara Asefa

This past Friday my sister, Brittney, and I attended the launch of Dressed, the new multi-media concept fashion series by Azmara Asefa. Azmara is a local Columbus designer and alumna of the Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) program that my sister is currently in at the University of Cincinnati. Part 1 of Dressed is Body Cartography and the concept launch was held at The Garden Theater this past Saturday.

Glue All The Things!

Alternative titles for this blog post: 

• Have you bought your tickets for the (glue) gun show?
• My fingerprint-less life begins!
• It's getting hot (glue) in here!

I bought my first glue gun! I feel like an official crafter now! Get ready for more craft tutorials and DIY goodness to come your way!

Spring Salad

It's still cold and snowy here in Columbus... spring feels so far away! To help myself think warmer thoughts, I had a bright green salad for lunch. I'm not usually a big salad eater (I'm working on it though!), but this Sweet Kale salad from Eat Smart is delicious! It is advertised as having seven superfoods: kale, chicory, green cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and a poppyseed dressing. 

Spring is only 15 days away!

Pixie Cut!

I got a new haircut today! I had short hair four years ago, but decided to grow it out after Kenneth and I got married. This was the first time I had really long hair and I wanted a change. It's going to take some getting used to - but I like the new cut and am excited to play with it!

Radiant Redbuds!

How did I see these gorgeous redbuds blossoms at the beginning of March in Columbus? Kenneth and I went to the Home & Garden Show today - I took a ton of photos which I will share with you on the blog soon. It was wonderful to be around so many green and vibrant plants!