Every now and then you just want a chillax night out with your friends. This has happened more recently than not, especially considering the ridic snow, rain and general winter nonsense here in the Tri-State area. Thus, the CT girls were at it again at the newely reopened ZZ's Pizza. And when I say at it again, I mean we've been there like 5 times this year to celebrate Champagne Tuesday.
ZZ's in conveniently located on Gilbert Avenue close to Downtown and has fabulous pizza and lasagna. If you save enough room, their desserts are delish too. Check 'em out on Facebook. More importantly and not-so-secretely now..they a BYOB policy! YES. Hot, fresh, veggie loaded pizza on crispy crust..and all the booze you can drink! WE HEART ZZ's.
Sitting next to the window, watching the beautiful snow fall while noshing on food and sipping our drinks, it's assumed we have it all. And sometimes, that's true.
- Lauren
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
New Year, New Us?
Not really!
It's been a whirlwind of celebrations from last time's postings but as far as new news on the CT front is concerned, there really isn't any!
As our holiday celebrations came to a close and a new year was born, we probably realized something that none of of felt before or may have felt a long time ago at one point. We're dang lucky. We've got our health, our family, employment and true friends. I may not have been lucky enough to win the Powerball, but I was lucky enough to have those things.
For me, parts of 2009 were notsogood. I lost my job. I fell behind on my Home Depot credit card payments. My dog's leg broke. My 401K became a 201K. I actually went to the Bramble Patch more than once. I smelled like coffee for a good portion of the year.
I have the best friends I could possibly ever imagine having and continually count these blessings every day. I'll go alphabetical here with my accolades. Amy has shown me what hard work and determination can buy. Her dedication to Cincy Chic is something I strive to have with all sorts of aspects in my life. Does she ever sleep? No. She's amazing and makes me feel proud to call her my friend. And believe me..I've called her. At any hour she has answered and was happy to help. She's one of the most saavy, smart, generous, reliable, trusting, beautiful woman I know. How freakin' lucky she's my friend! That being said, I still want to kick her ass at Wii.
Aymie is one of the most connected people I know. She has introduced me to so many new people and has done it with open arms. You go out with Aymie and you feel good. I go out with Aymie and feel good! She is so accepting, exciting, open, trend-setting and willing to make you part of her crowd, whomever that crowd may be. No matter how crappy of a day I've had, Aymie would rectify it with a Hot and Dirty or some free champagne she scored.
Monika, THE RedKatBlonde, to put it mildly...is fabulous. She loves her job industry and stays on top of the newest trends like white on rice. Monika knows her stuff inside and out. If she doesn't, she'll find it out! Monika is everywhere at everytime everyday. I can count on her to show up, which says a lot. If I'm in a pinch, Monika would be there. She don't take crap from anyone. She's truly a go-getter with bright ideas, a big inviting smile, a shoulder to lean on and some kick-ass shoes to match. Plus, she helped me set up IM and taught me how to use an iPhone.
Renie is a Rockstar. She's probably the most awesomely anal friends one could ever have. She gits-er-dun and does it well. Renie is there for me morning, noon and night telling me great stories with an open heart and willing to listen to my great stories. Her sense of humor cracks my sh*t up. I've developed more smile lines and eye-crinkles just thinking about how she lights up a room and has truly lit up my life. Aww!! We all wouldn't be as cool without her, nor would we have been able to do things that require more than 10 minutes of planning.
That being said, I'm ready for 2010. I may be a little rounder around the middle and a little softer around the heart, but I'm ready to take this year by storm! My New Year's Resolutions are written down. And Champagne Tuesday embarks on a 2010 adventure. I can't wait.
- Lauren
It's been a whirlwind of celebrations from last time's postings but as far as new news on the CT front is concerned, there really isn't any!
As our holiday celebrations came to a close and a new year was born, we probably realized something that none of of felt before or may have felt a long time ago at one point. We're dang lucky. We've got our health, our family, employment and true friends. I may not have been lucky enough to win the Powerball, but I was lucky enough to have those things.
For me, parts of 2009 were notsogood. I lost my job. I fell behind on my Home Depot credit card payments. My dog's leg broke. My 401K became a 201K. I actually went to the Bramble Patch more than once. I smelled like coffee for a good portion of the year.
I have the best friends I could possibly ever imagine having and continually count these blessings every day. I'll go alphabetical here with my accolades. Amy has shown me what hard work and determination can buy. Her dedication to Cincy Chic is something I strive to have with all sorts of aspects in my life. Does she ever sleep? No. She's amazing and makes me feel proud to call her my friend. And believe me..I've called her. At any hour she has answered and was happy to help. She's one of the most saavy, smart, generous, reliable, trusting, beautiful woman I know. How freakin' lucky she's my friend! That being said, I still want to kick her ass at Wii.
Aymie is one of the most connected people I know. She has introduced me to so many new people and has done it with open arms. You go out with Aymie and you feel good. I go out with Aymie and feel good! She is so accepting, exciting, open, trend-setting and willing to make you part of her crowd, whomever that crowd may be. No matter how crappy of a day I've had, Aymie would rectify it with a Hot and Dirty or some free champagne she scored.
Monika, THE RedKatBlonde, to put it mildly...is fabulous. She loves her job industry and stays on top of the newest trends like white on rice. Monika knows her stuff inside and out. If she doesn't, she'll find it out! Monika is everywhere at everytime everyday. I can count on her to show up, which says a lot. If I'm in a pinch, Monika would be there. She don't take crap from anyone. She's truly a go-getter with bright ideas, a big inviting smile, a shoulder to lean on and some kick-ass shoes to match. Plus, she helped me set up IM and taught me how to use an iPhone.
Renie is a Rockstar. She's probably the most awesomely anal friends one could ever have. She gits-er-dun and does it well. Renie is there for me morning, noon and night telling me great stories with an open heart and willing to listen to my great stories. Her sense of humor cracks my sh*t up. I've developed more smile lines and eye-crinkles just thinking about how she lights up a room and has truly lit up my life. Aww!! We all wouldn't be as cool without her, nor would we have been able to do things that require more than 10 minutes of planning.
That being said, I'm ready for 2010. I may be a little rounder around the middle and a little softer around the heart, but I'm ready to take this year by storm! My New Year's Resolutions are written down. And Champagne Tuesday embarks on a 2010 adventure. I can't wait.
- Lauren
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Champagne Tuesday Spa - Monika's Mani
Sometimes the most fun you can have with your BFF's is weeknight spa/pampering. With the CT girls, we not only do spa night, but we do it up right! Whether we're doing mani/pedis, paraffin wax dips, makeup tips or hairstyle ideas, we all are girly enough to love it! One recent CT we did manis, and by popular demand (Amy, Lauren) I'm sharing my tips for a perfect at-home mani.
Monika's Perfect Mani
1. Remove nailpolish (self-explanatory)
2. Shape nails with a medium-grit file. The best ones I've seen are the blue files available at any CVS, Walgreens. Decide if you want to do a round tip or a square. To determine what works best for you, look at the shape of your hands. NOTE: File in one direction! If you go in different directions, you'll wind up with little nail bits on the tips.
3. Use a buffer block to smooth out any splits in your nails or any weird chips in the surface of your nail.
4. Grab the olive oil out of your kitchen cabinet and pour a little into a small dish. Take a small paint brush and swipe the olive oil over your cuticles. You can brush all the way up the side of your nail if you want extra moisturizing. Let this soak into your cuticles for a couple minutes.
5. Take an orange stick and gentle easy cuticles back. Don't push too hard that you cause yourself pain.
6. Go to the kitchen sink and wash your hands. Wash them thoroughly...don't leave any dust or oil on the nail itself.
Here's the point where you start the actual manicure. Line up your polish bottles on the table and make sure you have the lids loosened so that you don't mess up your mani. Each coat is done one after another...don't wait between. Think of your polish as doublesided tape...the bottom coat adheres to the next coat, etc. Don't do thick gloppy coats either...a simple thin coat is sufficient. Finally, don't worry about color not looking bright. You'll need to do two coats of polish. If you go outside the lines, again, no worries. The color will either come off after your polish is dry and you wash your hands, or you can use polish remover.
You'll need the following:
-Chip Skip
-Nail Envy
-Polish
-Top Coat
7. Start with a coat of Chip Skip or something like it to keep polish chips to a minimum.
8. Immediately after the Chip Skip, use a coat of nail strengthener like Nail Envy or one of the Sally Hanson Hard as Nails products to encourage nail growth.
9. On to the color! Pick whatever color you like. Note that darker colors will be a bit tougher to paint on because they can look streaky after the first coat. You'll do two coats, one right after the other. Start with one swipe of polish up the middle of the nail, pushing down on the nailbrush gently. You'll get a nice stripe of color. Then, angle the brush slightly and paint each remaining side. You don't need to go all the way to the side. It's a visual trick - most manicurists don't actually paint all the way to the skin. They leave a little space on the sides, which makes your nail look longer and thinner. The bonus is that this helps keep painting outside the lines to a minimum, so keep this tip in mind!
10. Once you've done your two coats, take your top coat and do a thin layer on all your nails.
You're done! I like to let my nails dry for a full hour to make sure they don't get nicked or dented. Any questions? If so, leave them in the comments. My disclaimer is this - I'm not a manicurist, but as someone who likes pretty nails, these tips work for me. Enjoy!
- Monika
Monika's Perfect Mani
1. Remove nailpolish (self-explanatory)
2. Shape nails with a medium-grit file. The best ones I've seen are the blue files available at any CVS, Walgreens. Decide if you want to do a round tip or a square. To determine what works best for you, look at the shape of your hands. NOTE: File in one direction! If you go in different directions, you'll wind up with little nail bits on the tips.
3. Use a buffer block to smooth out any splits in your nails or any weird chips in the surface of your nail.
4. Grab the olive oil out of your kitchen cabinet and pour a little into a small dish. Take a small paint brush and swipe the olive oil over your cuticles. You can brush all the way up the side of your nail if you want extra moisturizing. Let this soak into your cuticles for a couple minutes.
5. Take an orange stick and gentle easy cuticles back. Don't push too hard that you cause yourself pain.
6. Go to the kitchen sink and wash your hands. Wash them thoroughly...don't leave any dust or oil on the nail itself.
Here's the point where you start the actual manicure. Line up your polish bottles on the table and make sure you have the lids loosened so that you don't mess up your mani. Each coat is done one after another...don't wait between. Think of your polish as doublesided tape...the bottom coat adheres to the next coat, etc. Don't do thick gloppy coats either...a simple thin coat is sufficient. Finally, don't worry about color not looking bright. You'll need to do two coats of polish. If you go outside the lines, again, no worries. The color will either come off after your polish is dry and you wash your hands, or you can use polish remover.
You'll need the following:
-Chip Skip
-Nail Envy
-Polish
-Top Coat
7. Start with a coat of Chip Skip or something like it to keep polish chips to a minimum.
8. Immediately after the Chip Skip, use a coat of nail strengthener like Nail Envy or one of the Sally Hanson Hard as Nails products to encourage nail growth.
9. On to the color! Pick whatever color you like. Note that darker colors will be a bit tougher to paint on because they can look streaky after the first coat. You'll do two coats, one right after the other. Start with one swipe of polish up the middle of the nail, pushing down on the nailbrush gently. You'll get a nice stripe of color. Then, angle the brush slightly and paint each remaining side. You don't need to go all the way to the side. It's a visual trick - most manicurists don't actually paint all the way to the skin. They leave a little space on the sides, which makes your nail look longer and thinner. The bonus is that this helps keep painting outside the lines to a minimum, so keep this tip in mind!
10. Once you've done your two coats, take your top coat and do a thin layer on all your nails.
You're done! I like to let my nails dry for a full hour to make sure they don't get nicked or dented. Any questions? If so, leave them in the comments. My disclaimer is this - I'm not a manicurist, but as someone who likes pretty nails, these tips work for me. Enjoy!
- Monika
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Lexus and Chez Nora, That's How We Roll
Fall is here! I cannot believe we've been celebrating Champagne Tuesday for about a year and a half now (that's like 8 seasons of clothes too). Last night my Girlfriends and I sauntered over to Lexus Rivercenter to check out their local farmer's market. Walking into the oh-so-swanky car dealership we found ourselves greated with endless bottles of wine and a plethora of fresh produce and delicious homemade (well Jean Francios made) Belgian Waffles and cheese plates. Amy was happy with her fermented jars of kimchi, my sweet tooth was happy with the delicious waffles and fresh apples, Renie was happy talking about Napa and winning a large new bag via a silent auction and Monika was pleased to learn we would be grabbing some real food at Chez Nora later to curb her growling stomach after her second day on a new job. Thus, Champagne Tuesday was in full effect. We did have to call our other Aymie to wish her a happy day, after finding out she was in Diamond Seats at the Reds game without us. We all have very sad and lonley lives, I tell you.
When we arrived at Chez Nora, we popped open two bottles of 1/2 priced Korbel and ate our 1/2 priced apps. Tuesdays are great for special prices and discounts. We don't complain.
People may wonder what girls do for hours upon hours of this Champagne Tuesday celebration. What we do can be answered by what don't we do. We've done it all, talked about it all and will live on to tell our children about it all. I do know for certain, we are all very different and come from very different backgrounds, living in very different stages of our lives with different goals and ideas of happiness. We are all striving to better ourselves while trying to reach our goals and find happiness in life's twists and turns. Without these ladies I would not feel satisfied. It's all very Jerry McGuire, they complete me.
I know I can rely on my friends to bring out the best in me. They call it like they see it, care how I feel about it and will tell me if my ass looks big in last years pants. It's eight shoulders to lean on, eight ears to talk to and eight arms to fall into and hug out life's circumstances. These women rock.
Tuesdays are my favorite night of the week. It's easy to see why. I'm already anticipating the next one.
- Lauren
When we arrived at Chez Nora, we popped open two bottles of 1/2 priced Korbel and ate our 1/2 priced apps. Tuesdays are great for special prices and discounts. We don't complain.
People may wonder what girls do for hours upon hours of this Champagne Tuesday celebration. What we do can be answered by what don't we do. We've done it all, talked about it all and will live on to tell our children about it all. I do know for certain, we are all very different and come from very different backgrounds, living in very different stages of our lives with different goals and ideas of happiness. We are all striving to better ourselves while trying to reach our goals and find happiness in life's twists and turns. Without these ladies I would not feel satisfied. It's all very Jerry McGuire, they complete me.
I know I can rely on my friends to bring out the best in me. They call it like they see it, care how I feel about it and will tell me if my ass looks big in last years pants. It's eight shoulders to lean on, eight ears to talk to and eight arms to fall into and hug out life's circumstances. These women rock.
Tuesdays are my favorite night of the week. It's easy to see why. I'm already anticipating the next one.
- Lauren
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Bras And More..
Although last night was missing some lovely ladies from the CT Group, we managed to drink up and enjoy the atmosphere at Tino Vino. They served wonderful drinks and allowed us to freely create all of the Bras for the Square that our little hearts desired.
As for next week's plans...we don't have one. Any ideas are welcome!
Cheers!
- Lauren
As for next week's plans...we don't have one. Any ideas are welcome!
Cheers!
- Lauren
Monday, September 21, 2009
We HEART Champagne...and Boobies
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we will be celebrating. Last year we all participated in Bras with Flair on the Square, each creating a special bra to remind everyone the importance of getting your boobies checked. These specially crafted bras were all on display on Fountain Square and up for auction. The proceeds from the auction benefited the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Some people left with some fancy bras, I tell ya! And, we had a blast styling our bras for auction and drinking the bubbly to get our creative juices flowing.
Tomorrow, we will be raising a toast to boobies. And, we will remind ourselves to get checked and make sure all of our Girlfriends get checked.
- Lauren
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Champagne at Oktoberfest?
We came from different areas of town and congregated on the wonderfully redesigned Fountain Square to not only celebrate an annual festival, but to also celebrate each other. I'm so proud to call these amazing women my friends and more importantly very proud that I didn't have to drink beer at Oktoberfest after finding a Barefoot wine booth. Pinot Grigio and I get along. And, thanks to Amy, we got a long for at couple more sips than I anticipated. But that's the thing...being spontaneous, having fun, sharing stories and laughing about life's misfourtunes on a beautiful end-of-summer evening among an entire group of amazing ladies happens even when it's not planned. And that's what I love most.
Taking the Shuttle back to Newport, I couldn't stop smiling. My friends make me happy.
-Lauren
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