Exclusive in CLE: The Cleveland Orchestra Gala

As many of you know, I serve on the Board of Directors for The Circle: The Cleveland Orchestra's Young Professionals. I've been a member of The Circle since February of 2014, and over the past 18 months, I've had some incredibly special experiences with The Circle. 

One of the most special, and most exclusive experiences was participating in The Cleveland Orchestra's annual Gala fundraiser. The Circle was invited for the first time last year, and what an amazing night it was! The evening started with the fanciest cocktail hour I've ever been a part of: some of the best wine I've ever tasted, with delicious passed hors d'oeuvres all in the incredible lobby of Severance Hall. 

Following an hour of deliciousness, we made our way to our seats to listen to the amazing pianist Lang Lang perform with the Orchestra. His performance was truly magical - his energy and charisma really flowed through all of Severance Hall. 

After the performance, the "adults" made their way to a seated dinner (tickets for the dinner start at $500/each) while us YPs made our way back to the lobby for some Asian-market style food and mingling. 

What I didn't expect was what happened next: Lang Lang came to hang out with us!!!!! I guess he got a little bored upstairs and wanted to hang out where all the fun was :) 

This year, The Circle has been invited back to The Gala, but with an upgraded experience. Like last year, this year's event includes valet parking, a pre-concert cocktail hour, and a concert by the AMAZING Renee Fleming. And in an upgrade from last year, The Circle will have dinner and dancing with a super fun DJ! 

Here's the best part: If you're a YP in Cleveland (i.e. under the age of 40), you too can get tickets to the Gala by emailing ypgala@clevelandorchestra.com or calling 216.231.7558. You MUST call by September 19th. 

Event details:

When & Where: October 3rd, 2015, 6 pm at Severance Hall. 

Dress Code: Black Tie (this is NOT optional)

Ticket prices: Circle Members $175/couple; non-Circle Members $250/couple

If you're not a Circle Member, but would like to learn more and/or join, please call 216.231.7588, and visit our webpage! 

Summer Solstice 2015: What to Wear?

This weekend marks Summer Solstice, and along with various yoga studios that celebrate with extraordinary amounts of sun salutations (108 to be exact), there are of course, solstice parties. This year, as in every year since I've been blogging,  I will be attending the sold-out Summer Solstice at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

This year, unlike other years, I do not have a "what to wear" dilemma. As I've mentioned, I'm in my "All White Everything" phase, and so surprise surprise, I will be wearing white. I have a few different options: one is a long white and cream vintage dress, the other is a lace mini, and the third is a printed white and blue and gold with a full skirt. With either of these outfits, I'm keeping the same accessories-- gold sandals, gold jewelry, and a pop of color with my bag.

My inspiration board:

Solstice inspiration by shibani-dalal-faehnle 

If you're looking for more Solstice inspiration, look here, here, or here.

CLE Events: Balance & Brews

A couple of weeks ago, I attended my very first Balance & Brews event as part of Engage! Cleveland's YP Week. Founded by Melissa Klimo-Major, Balance & Brews combines an hour-long, all-levels yoga class with beer! The events take place in local breweries, and include a brewery tour (if you are so inclined). The classes themselves are really fun-- the unusual location paired with Melissa's humor and playlist make for a fun, low-key experience.

Photo credit: Thanks to Balance and Brews' Facebook page for the two pictures on the top.

Balance & Brews is hosting its first ever yoga weekend retreat in Ohio later this month. I'm not quite ready to commit to a whole weekend yet, but its definitely something I would like to try in the near future. They also have a practice and a pint option, which is exactly what it sounds like. And on July 11th, they are hosting a Balance & Brews practice at Great Lakes Brewing Company, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Secondhand Mutts. If you recall, I used to serve on the Board of Directors for Secondhand Mutts, and they continue to hold a very special place in my heart, so naturally, I'm signed up to attend!

I love that fun, active events like these are becoming more common-place in Cleveland. I LUUUUURVE a good detox-retox experience! I'm still looking for an event that pairs yoga with a wine/champagne tasting--- maybe someone will create one soon? Or maybe I should partner with someone to create one?

Scenes from my Weekend

Whoever decided that weekends  should only last two days demonstrated a serious lack of sound judgement in coming up with this decision. Because weekends and awesome, and they should be longer, damn it! This weekend I managed to fit in a lot of relaxation (read: naps) with a lot of fun, so I feel ready to tackle the week ahead.

Friday, Nick and I attended a super fun event on the GOODTIME III-- it was a white party for AIA,  which fit in perfectly with my "All White Everything" theme this summer. My white seersucker dress (in the middle) is from the Gap, and BONUS, its on sale. Amazing views, perfect temps, and great friends made for a really fun evening. Post, cruise, Nick and I stopped in at Luxe for dinner. If you haven't been lately, its worth a visit-- they have a revamped menu, and the wings are AMAZING.

Saturday was a really nice detox ride at Harness, followed by some meandering and lunch at The Cleveland Flea with Allison. Post nap, Nick and I went to Humble Wine Bar for dinner-- seriously, this place has never failed me-- some rose, some pizza--- a lot of perfect summer evening. I also reached a decision this weekend-- I'm not a fuchsia nail kinda person (even though that's what color my nails are painted right now).

Sunday was a tough day-- it would have been Otto's 7th Birthday. We hung out with Clair and Webster and spoiled them silly with a special breakfast, trip to the pet store, and fun and the dog park. It was a good way to remember Otto and celebrate his life. And then I bought myself some peonies and rose. Because I deserve both. As I type this, I'm a nervous wreck watching the Cavs in Game 5--- by the end of this week, there will be a new NBA Champion, and I really hope its us!

This week is going to be packed with activities--- Cavs games, NKOTB + Nelly + TLC, an Indians game, all leading up to the sold-out Solstice Party at Cleveland Museum of Art! Stay tuned!!

PS: If you're impatient like me, follow along on Instagram for live updates of my week!

CLE Events: Rooted In Cleveland

My relationship with yoga is a weird one-- I always love it when I practice, but I'm terribly inconsistent.  Over the past few months however, I've tried to incorporate yoga into my routine at least twice a week. And even with this minimal effort, I can feel myself getting stronger. Anyway, as part of my yoga routine, I've attended a few yoga workshops, and the workshop coming up on May 15th may just be my most favorite one yet.

Hosted by Harness, Rooted In CLE combines an hour of Slow Flow Yoga presented by 3Sisters Yoga + Fitness, followed by COCKTAIL HOUR!!! Combined with the amazing views of downtown from the BurkleHagen loft, this promises to be a really fun and mellow Friday night.

Now for the details:

When: Friday, May 15th at 6:00 pm

Where: BurkleHagen Photography at 3500 Payne Ave, Cleveland

What: An hour of Yoga followed by cocktails and finger foods. Water provided by People Water. Cocktails will include wine, beer, and "garden to glass" cocktails in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic forms. Finger foods will tend toward heavier appetizers-- perfect for mingling!

Dress Code: YOGA PANTS!!! Is there such a thing as cocktail yoga pants? Can we make it a thing?

How: Tickets are available here. While normally $50, my dear readers, you can buy the tickets for $40 (a 20% savings) by using the code shopaholic. Note that this is an intimate event-- only 60 spots are available, so get your tickets as soon as possible!

Disclosure: I was provided with one ticket to Rooted In CLE in exchange for helping spread the word about the event. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for continuing to support vendors like Harness that allow me to create fun content for this blog! XO