State of Devotion Apparel & Accessories

State of Devotion is a clothing company that makes a variety of Ohio themed t-shirts and accessories. State of Devotion started in 2011 and opened it's flagship store in Grandview Heights earlier this year. They use American Apparel fitted t-shirts and print their awesome designs right here in Ohio. 

Spring Storm

I like thunderstorms... and I hate them. They make me really nervous. I'm always scared that a regular thunderstorm will turn into a terrifying tornado. Despite my fear though, I find them fascinating. It's hard to not watch a spring or summer storm rumble by. The tall cumulonimbus clouds looming over you. The way the sky goes from a bright and cheerful blue to stormy grey and purple in what feels like only a matter of minutes. A flash of lightning and the whole sky lights up, bright as midday, followed by the crashing BOOM of thunder. 

I can't look away.

Ramps + Pizza

Harvest Pizzeria had ramps* on tonight's special! It was delicious! The special featured wild ramps from Ohio and West Virginia, truffled mushrooms from Athens County, fennel sausage, Taleggio cheese and local honey. We enjoyed it on top of a gluten-free crust - it was divine! 

To round out the meal, I enjoyed a very gingery Moscow Mule. Read my full review of Harvest Pizzeria, written after my first visit, here!

Spring at Battelle Darby Creek

Flowers. Frogs. Turtles.

Our Lovely View

The view from our apartment balcony. I'm so glad this rainy, dreary day ended with sunshine!

16th Annual Mid-Ohio JDRF Promise Ball to Raise Money for Type 1 Diabetes Research

Former Congressman, Zachary T. Space, 
is this year's honoree at the Promise Ball.

JDRF is a global organization which funds innovative research on type 1 diabetes. I was recently contacted by the Mid-Ohio Chapter of JDRF to see if I would be interested in interviewing the JDRF 2014 Promise Ball honoree and his son, Zachary and Nicholas Space. I'm glad to have this opportunity to learn more about JDRF.

Let's backtrack a little bit though. What is diabetes? I'm sure for most of us, if you don't have the disease yourself or have a close family member or friend with it, you don't give it much thought. A few terms might be familiar, like blood glucose and insulin. Let's fix that, together. 

Diabetes, or, diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease which results in the patient having high blood sugar. Diabetes is caused by the body not producing enough insulin or by the body not using insulin correctly. 


There are three types of diabetes: 

• Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin. Patients with T1D are insulin dependent and have to monitor their diet, exercise and stress levels to manage their blood sugar.
• Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) results from the body becoming resistant to its own insulin. T2D can be managed and even reversed with proper diet and exercise. 
• Gestational Diabetes occurs in pregnant women when they develop a high blood glucose level. 

Bees + Blossoms

Lovely Redbuds

Gluten-Free Rhubarb Oven Cake + Recipe

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate I made a gluten-free rhubarb oven cake for dessert. My Dad sent me home with some rhubarb from the garden on Easter Sunday and I was excited to put it to good use!

Harvest Pizzeria - German Village

Harvest Pizzeria is my new favorite place for gluten-free pizza! I can't believe I didn't try eating here sooner! I went to Harvest with my parents last month for dinner. We arrived at the perfect moment to be seated without having to wait. The dining area is small but very open. Large windows on two sides of the room let in a ton of natural light.

Saying Goodbye to Chester

We said goodbye last week to a very special member of our family. Our sweet Chester would have been sixteen years old on May 4th. Chessie had congestive heart failure and was struggling to breath. My parents had him put to sleep on Monday, April 14th so he wouldn't suffer anymore.

Dealing with the loss of a family member, human or animal, is always difficult. Chester had been in our family for nearly sixteen years. It will take a long time to adjust to life without him. I wanted to share some of my memories and photos of our very sweet and photogenic Chessie.

The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes at COSI

On our most recent visit to COSI, we went and saw The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes for Kenneth's birthday. Kenneth is a big fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing. He recently finished reading all of Doyle's work featuring Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson and is now working on The Lost World. We both love the BBC's Sherlock. We were both excited to check this exhibition out! Watch a short preview of the exhibition below:

COSI - The Center of Science and Industry

COSI, the Center of Science and Industry is a #1 nationally ranked science museum, right here in Columbus (Parent Magazine gave COSI this #1 rating in 2008). I first visited COSI on a field trip with my 6th grade class. I don't remember everything about the trip, but I know we had a blast! We watched an IMAX film about the Blue Angels and checked out COSI's various exhibits. The one I remember the most was the exhibit, Progress, which is still at COSI today. When I was a 6th grader I thought the 1898 version of the town was really cool, even though my friends and I spent most of our time in the 1962 side, making our own news broadcast and getting our picture taken at the vintage gas station. It was an exciting trip to Columbus for a bunch of small town kids!

River Walk

Kenneth and I took a walk along the Scioto River today at Hoover Reservoir Park. I'm glad we've had so many lovely days in a row here in Columbus!

Walking the Labyrinth

Kenneth and I finally walked the labyrinth at the Lane Avenue Gardens of Chadwick Arboretum! It was a beautiful evening!

Green Tutorial: Wedding Terrarium

Remember when I went to Galentine's Night at Whole Foods and learned how to make a terrarium? It was so much fun! Every glass jar I encounter has a new purpose - it could be made into an awesome terrarium!

I made this terrarium for my friends, Brittany and Matt, last month as a wedding present from Kenneth and me. The best part of the terrarium is the teeny tiny bride and groom! They're so little! I bought the figurine from HobbyLinc. HobbyLinc sells a ton of different figurines of people and animals - so many possibilities!

Kitty Sentry

Pumpkin Feast in April! - Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookie Pumpkin Pie + Recipe

Pumpkin pie in April? Why, yes please! I have three reasons for why this is an awesome idea:

1. It snowed yesterday - which made me want to go back into hibernation and eat lots and lots of pie. 
2. Pumpkin. I love pumpkin and if I could find canned pumpkin year round I'd just have 12 months of Pumpkin Feast every year. 
3. I'm trying to clean out our cupboard and I have one last can of pumpkin puree and I didn't want to hoard it any longer. 

A Clowder of Cats

Our three lovely ladies, Olivia, Emma and Amelia, decided to make mischief when I got home this afternoon. One of them (or possible all three, they've been known to collaborate when getting food is their goal) knocked over the food bag and spilled tiny kitty kibbles on the laundry room floor. I thought it would be fun to let them 'go fishing' and grab at the food pieces from under the laundry room door. I also thought it'd be funny if I filmed it. 

Before the Snow Returns