Unfortunately I have a busted modem and am sans Internet at home. Boooooo!!
From the number of entries, it appears that you are as excited about Madewell as I am!! Thank you all so much for entering!!
That said, the winner of a $100 gift certificate as chosen by random.org is.....
ALICIA COSTELLO!!!!
Alicia please email me at cleshopaholic@gmail.com and I will send you instructions on how to get your gift card!! Happy shopping!!!
Monday, August 20, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Listening Now: Paloma Faith
If you haven't entered the $100 Madewell contest, you should definitely do that here. Remember that you can tweet and post on facebook every day for additional entries. Don't forget to leave your email so I can get a hold of you!!
If you flipped through the August issue of any of the major fashion magazines, chances are you saw her looking back at you
Who is she, you might ask... Well, she is Paloma Faith, British singer-songwriter who was compared to Adele in one of these magazines. I think the Adele comparison is taking it a bit too far- I don't think she has quite the voice of Adele or Florence Welch or Amy Winehouse but she is very enjoyable nonetheless: I would compare her more to Duffy (remember her of 'Mercy' fame?).
Her album is due in the U.S. sometime later this year, but it is available as an import via amazon. One of my FAVORITE songs off her new album is called Picking Up the Pieces, and is also available for download. ENJOY!!
If you flipped through the August issue of any of the major fashion magazines, chances are you saw her looking back at you
Who is she, you might ask... Well, she is Paloma Faith, British singer-songwriter who was compared to Adele in one of these magazines. I think the Adele comparison is taking it a bit too far- I don't think she has quite the voice of Adele or Florence Welch or Amy Winehouse but she is very enjoyable nonetheless: I would compare her more to Duffy (remember her of 'Mercy' fame?).
Her album is due in the U.S. sometime later this year, but it is available as an import via amazon. One of my FAVORITE songs off her new album is called Picking Up the Pieces, and is also available for download. ENJOY!!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Madewell and an AWESOME giveaway!!!
If you're a fan of J. Crew, then perhaps you've heard of its sister brand, Madewell. Madewell has a more casual look than J. Crew, and while it does many things well, it is probably best know for its denim. Lucky for us Clevelanders, the Madewell stores opened at Beachwood Place on August 1st, and I stopped by a few days after the grand opening in the name of, umm, research (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).
The store is on the second floor, sorta close to J. Crew. I can't remember what store used to be there, but I think it used to be Metropark.
I walked in the store and immediately spotted at least 10 things that I wanted. Top on the list are the black boots pictured in the window above. They retail for about $300 and are the most sumptuous leather I have ever felt in a boot. They're made it Italy, naturally...
I also fell totally in love with a couple of necklaces, a few adorable scarves, and a silver sparkly cardi.
I walked through the store taking mental notes of all the things I was going to add to my Amazon wishlist (which, btw, you can use for things not sold on Amazon as well- highly recommend you use it and keep it updated for anyone looking to gift you something LOL), and yet resisted buying anything (I was trying to be disciplined). This worked pretty well, until I brushed my hand across a pair of jeans. One touch of the blue, soft, rail-straight fabric and my resolve FELL TO PIECES!!! I'm only human, and those jeans were just waaaaayyyy to much temptation. AND, with a price point of $98.50, they were just too good a deal to pass up!!!
Madewell:1; My resolve: 0
Here comes my favorite part of this post-- Not wanting to leave my readers out of the experience of these jeans (which I have worn almost every day over the past week), thanks to Madewell, I'm giving away a $100 giftcard to Madewell, to use on whatever you like at the store!!!!
Here's how you enter (each gets you 1 entry):
1. Leave me a comment letting me know of your one must-have item for fall
2. Tweet about the contest and link back to this post (please make sure you mention me @cleshopaholic in the post)-- you can do this once a day for more entries
3. Post a link to this post on your facebook page (and please leave me a comment saying you did so)-- you can do this once a day for more entries as well
Contest ends at 9:00 pm on Sunday August 19th, with a random winner picked and announced August 20th.
Madewell is also hosting an in-store event on Thursday August 16th, featuring a Madewell stylist to help you pick your outfit!! AND, if you bring in a pair of gently worn jeans for donation, you will receive 20% off a new pair of jeans!!!! But wait, there's more: starting at 6 pm, if you're one of the first 100 guests to stop by guest services at Beachwood Place, you will receive a $10 giftcard to Madewell.
You know where I'll be (donating my old jeans) on the 16th, I hope I see you there too!!! Good luck to all who enter!!!
Disclosure: Madewell is providing the $100 gift card for the giveaway. All other opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own!!
The store is on the second floor, sorta close to J. Crew. I can't remember what store used to be there, but I think it used to be Metropark.
I walked in the store and immediately spotted at least 10 things that I wanted. Top on the list are the black boots pictured in the window above. They retail for about $300 and are the most sumptuous leather I have ever felt in a boot. They're made it Italy, naturally...
I also fell totally in love with a couple of necklaces, a few adorable scarves, and a silver sparkly cardi.
I walked through the store taking mental notes of all the things I was going to add to my Amazon wishlist (which, btw, you can use for things not sold on Amazon as well- highly recommend you use it and keep it updated for anyone looking to gift you something LOL), and yet resisted buying anything (I was trying to be disciplined). This worked pretty well, until I brushed my hand across a pair of jeans. One touch of the blue, soft, rail-straight fabric and my resolve FELL TO PIECES!!! I'm only human, and those jeans were just waaaaayyyy to much temptation. AND, with a price point of $98.50, they were just too good a deal to pass up!!!
Madewell:1; My resolve: 0
Here comes my favorite part of this post-- Not wanting to leave my readers out of the experience of these jeans (which I have worn almost every day over the past week), thanks to Madewell, I'm giving away a $100 giftcard to Madewell, to use on whatever you like at the store!!!!
Here's how you enter (each gets you 1 entry):
1. Leave me a comment letting me know of your one must-have item for fall
2. Tweet about the contest and link back to this post (please make sure you mention me @cleshopaholic in the post)-- you can do this once a day for more entries
3. Post a link to this post on your facebook page (and please leave me a comment saying you did so)-- you can do this once a day for more entries as well
Contest ends at 9:00 pm on Sunday August 19th, with a random winner picked and announced August 20th.
Madewell is also hosting an in-store event on Thursday August 16th, featuring a Madewell stylist to help you pick your outfit!! AND, if you bring in a pair of gently worn jeans for donation, you will receive 20% off a new pair of jeans!!!! But wait, there's more: starting at 6 pm, if you're one of the first 100 guests to stop by guest services at Beachwood Place, you will receive a $10 giftcard to Madewell.
You know where I'll be (donating my old jeans) on the 16th, I hope I see you there too!!! Good luck to all who enter!!!
Disclosure: Madewell is providing the $100 gift card for the giveaway. All other opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own!!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Listening Now: The August playlist
No need to send out a search party!! I'm still here; just been busy with both work and my social life, neither of which are reasons to complain! I will post about some of what I've been up to over the next week, but I wanted to share my August playlist with you today! I have been listening to this playlist multiple times a day over the past week, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!
(As usual, its song name- artist)
1. The King and All of His Men- Wolfgang. I fell in love with this song the very first time I listened to it.
2. Satellite- The Wanted. My love for the Wanted is well documented.
3. Runaways- The Killers. This is new by the Killers, and makes me very excited for their new album. I've seen them twice in concert; Brandon Flowers was very shy with the audience both times.
4. Settle Down- No Doubt. Can't wait for this album!!! Gwen is AMAZING and they are SO FUN live!!!!
5. Promises- Nero. Had this in my library for a long time; not sure why I waited so long to put it into a playlist!
6. What Girls Are Made Of- Garbage. LOVE LOVE LOVE Shirley Manson. This is from their new album.
7. Sleep Alone- Two Door Cinema Club. I've said this many many times, and I will say it again- if you have an opportunity to see them live, DON'T MISS IT!! This is from their upcoming album, due September!
8. Back to Back- Wolfgang (again).
9. Warrior- Kimbra. I like this song, with its slight 80s vibe
10. All About Tonight- Pixie Lott. Ok, I love that her name is Pixie. File this under my shameless love for Brit-pop
11. Like a Prayer- Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. Allison and I are going to see her live in December (House of Blues CLE), and I CANNOT WAIT. She was so so SO good last year!!!
12. Sunday Drive- Ladyhawke. I really enjoy this band. Their album was available for $5 on Amazon a few weeks ago, so you may want to check to see if the deal is still available.
13. Sexual Healing- Maxamillion. So, I first heard this version of the song over 10 years ago- I was visiting my grandparents in London, and this was used in a car commercial. As you can tell, I absolutely fell in love with it!!
14. Call my name- Cheryl Cole. This is the Cheryl Cole who had a brief (blink and you missed it) appearance on the US X Factor. She was using that series as a launching pad for her US debut, but that isn't happening any time soon. Its a shame-- more shameless Brit-pop love.
15. Let the Sun Shine- Labrinth. I searched high and low for this album and had to order it used on Amazon. I first heard this song in the middle of winter 2010/2011, and it made me happy on those VERY grey days.
16. Spectrum (Say my name) - Florence + the Machine, feat Calvin Harris. OMG. I cannot even begin to tell you how AWESOME she was live at Nautica. This mix with Calvin Harris is just.too.much.
As you can see, a long playlist, but well worth the downloads!!
(As usual, its song name- artist)
1. The King and All of His Men- Wolfgang. I fell in love with this song the very first time I listened to it.
2. Satellite- The Wanted. My love for the Wanted is well documented.
3. Runaways- The Killers. This is new by the Killers, and makes me very excited for their new album. I've seen them twice in concert; Brandon Flowers was very shy with the audience both times.
4. Settle Down- No Doubt. Can't wait for this album!!! Gwen is AMAZING and they are SO FUN live!!!!
5. Promises- Nero. Had this in my library for a long time; not sure why I waited so long to put it into a playlist!
6. What Girls Are Made Of- Garbage. LOVE LOVE LOVE Shirley Manson. This is from their new album.
7. Sleep Alone- Two Door Cinema Club. I've said this many many times, and I will say it again- if you have an opportunity to see them live, DON'T MISS IT!! This is from their upcoming album, due September!
8. Back to Back- Wolfgang (again).
9. Warrior- Kimbra. I like this song, with its slight 80s vibe
10. All About Tonight- Pixie Lott. Ok, I love that her name is Pixie. File this under my shameless love for Brit-pop
11. Like a Prayer- Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. Allison and I are going to see her live in December (House of Blues CLE), and I CANNOT WAIT. She was so so SO good last year!!!
12. Sunday Drive- Ladyhawke. I really enjoy this band. Their album was available for $5 on Amazon a few weeks ago, so you may want to check to see if the deal is still available.
13. Sexual Healing- Maxamillion. So, I first heard this version of the song over 10 years ago- I was visiting my grandparents in London, and this was used in a car commercial. As you can tell, I absolutely fell in love with it!!
14. Call my name- Cheryl Cole. This is the Cheryl Cole who had a brief (blink and you missed it) appearance on the US X Factor. She was using that series as a launching pad for her US debut, but that isn't happening any time soon. Its a shame-- more shameless Brit-pop love.
15. Let the Sun Shine- Labrinth. I searched high and low for this album and had to order it used on Amazon. I first heard this song in the middle of winter 2010/2011, and it made me happy on those VERY grey days.
16. Spectrum (Say my name) - Florence + the Machine, feat Calvin Harris. OMG. I cannot even begin to tell you how AWESOME she was live at Nautica. This mix with Calvin Harris is just.too.much.
As you can see, a long playlist, but well worth the downloads!!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Eating in Cle: A review of Charkha
Congratulations Fizzgig, you have won a pair of tickets to CLE Wine Fest this weekend!! Please email me at cleshopaholic@gmail.com, with your full name, date of birth, email address, and preferred date of attendance (July 27th or 28th). Don't forget to take ID to the event!!
I was craving Indian food yesterday, so N and I headed over to Charkha on W 9th to give it a shot. Now, I will preface this post by saying that I have VERY high standards when it comes to Indian food. Having grown up eating Indian food at some of the finest Indian restaurants in Mumbai, its completely natural. Most Indian restaurants in Cleveland do not meet these standards, so its all a relative scale.
So far, my top 3 Indian restaurants (and please keep in mind this is personal preference) in Cleveland are:
1. India Garden (Love their Chicken Biryani and naan and their ambiance)
2. India Delight (Chicken Biryani is a close 2nd to India Garden, and their tikka's are pretty good too, but the ambiance is umm, very basic)
3. Cafe Tandoor (I've only been to the East Side location, and while the food is fine, I think the other two are better)
I have NOT yet tried Jaipur Junction, and I've heard that its supposed to be very very good. That's next on my list of places to try.
Anyway, the point of visiting Charkha was to see if it would change the top 3 as it stands right now. N and I checked out menu and were very excited by two things in particular- the house recommended thali, and the dinner for two. Thali literally means plate, and in an Indian restaurant, a thali includes a sampling of the best dishes of the restaurant, a sorta tasting menu, but all on one, very large plate. The samplings come in individual little bowls, and you typically end up trying somewhere between 6-10 different items.
Unfortunately, the Thali and Charkha didn't include as many items as we wanted to try, so we decided on the Non-vegetarian Dinner for Two.
But first, beverages---
The dinner for two came with appetizers: chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and seekh kebabs. The tandoori chicken was not the best I've had, and the presentation was a little odd; typically, kebabs are served with thinly sliced red onions (sometimes these are small pickled bulbs) and limes. This was served with sliced white onions and green peppers. The portion size was appropriate, but I wish they had brought out the naan with this course instead of with the entree course.
So this was our entree. I REALLY like the presentation in the copper containers. As you can see, it was quite a bit of food; a lamb curry, chicken makhani (translation= butter chicken) and paneer with peas.
I really really liked the lamb curry (middle). The chicken makhani was a little too strong on the tomato flavor (its usually less tomato-y in Mumbai) and the paneer was average.
There was also a dessert course, but N and I were so full that we skipped it completely.
Here was the odd part- typically when you eat at an Indian restaurant, at the end of the meal you are presented with a bowl filled with warm water and lemon, and maybe even rose petals. You're supposed to rinse your fingers in the water and rub the lemon to get any grease and curry smells off your fingers. I don't know if they were thrown off because we didn't do the dessert, but there was no bowl!
Overall, I guess I would rate the experience a B-. As I mentioned before, I have very high standards when it comes to Indian restaurants; the mis-steps in presentation and some taste issues (again, personal preference) combined with a just-ok ambience made sure my top 3 remained intact.
Is it worth checking out? Sure. I would probably go back to try the lunch buffet and give it another shot. Interestingly, there's another Indian restaurant opening across from the casino in a few months... I'm very pleased to see more diverse cuisine downtown, and you can be sure I will be putting the new restaurant to the test as well!!
I was craving Indian food yesterday, so N and I headed over to Charkha on W 9th to give it a shot. Now, I will preface this post by saying that I have VERY high standards when it comes to Indian food. Having grown up eating Indian food at some of the finest Indian restaurants in Mumbai, its completely natural. Most Indian restaurants in Cleveland do not meet these standards, so its all a relative scale.
So far, my top 3 Indian restaurants (and please keep in mind this is personal preference) in Cleveland are:
1. India Garden (Love their Chicken Biryani and naan and their ambiance)
2. India Delight (Chicken Biryani is a close 2nd to India Garden, and their tikka's are pretty good too, but the ambiance is umm, very basic)
3. Cafe Tandoor (I've only been to the East Side location, and while the food is fine, I think the other two are better)
I have NOT yet tried Jaipur Junction, and I've heard that its supposed to be very very good. That's next on my list of places to try.
Anyway, the point of visiting Charkha was to see if it would change the top 3 as it stands right now. N and I checked out menu and were very excited by two things in particular- the house recommended thali, and the dinner for two. Thali literally means plate, and in an Indian restaurant, a thali includes a sampling of the best dishes of the restaurant, a sorta tasting menu, but all on one, very large plate. The samplings come in individual little bowls, and you typically end up trying somewhere between 6-10 different items.
Unfortunately, the Thali and Charkha didn't include as many items as we wanted to try, so we decided on the Non-vegetarian Dinner for Two.
But first, beverages---
Indian beer
Mango Lassi
The dinner for two came with appetizers: chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and seekh kebabs. The tandoori chicken was not the best I've had, and the presentation was a little odd; typically, kebabs are served with thinly sliced red onions (sometimes these are small pickled bulbs) and limes. This was served with sliced white onions and green peppers. The portion size was appropriate, but I wish they had brought out the naan with this course instead of with the entree course.
So this was our entree. I REALLY like the presentation in the copper containers. As you can see, it was quite a bit of food; a lamb curry, chicken makhani (translation= butter chicken) and paneer with peas.
I really really liked the lamb curry (middle). The chicken makhani was a little too strong on the tomato flavor (its usually less tomato-y in Mumbai) and the paneer was average.
There was also a dessert course, but N and I were so full that we skipped it completely.
Here was the odd part- typically when you eat at an Indian restaurant, at the end of the meal you are presented with a bowl filled with warm water and lemon, and maybe even rose petals. You're supposed to rinse your fingers in the water and rub the lemon to get any grease and curry smells off your fingers. I don't know if they were thrown off because we didn't do the dessert, but there was no bowl!
Overall, I guess I would rate the experience a B-. As I mentioned before, I have very high standards when it comes to Indian restaurants; the mis-steps in presentation and some taste issues (again, personal preference) combined with a just-ok ambience made sure my top 3 remained intact.
Is it worth checking out? Sure. I would probably go back to try the lunch buffet and give it another shot. Interestingly, there's another Indian restaurant opening across from the casino in a few months... I'm very pleased to see more diverse cuisine downtown, and you can be sure I will be putting the new restaurant to the test as well!!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Tuesday Tune: Let the Sun Shine
If you haven't entered to win a pair of tickets to the Cleveland Wine Festival this weekend, please do so here.
I'm on my way out to celebrate my 29th birthday (ahem), but not before I leave you with this...
to celebrate this sunshine filled day!!!
I'm on my way out to celebrate my 29th birthday (ahem), but not before I leave you with this...
to celebrate this sunshine filled day!!!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Food & Wine AND a Giveaway (for wine lovers!)
This contest has ended. The winner, as decided by Random.org, is #1, Fizzgig! Congratulations Fizzgig! Please email me at cleshopaholic@gmail.com, with your full name, date of birth, email address, and preferred date of attendance (July 27th or 28th). Don't forget to take ID to the event!!
A few months ago, I was contacted by Chateau Ste. Michelle gauging my interest in reviewing a cookbook written by John Sarich, Culinary Director of Chateau Ste. Michelle. I luuuurve Chateau St. Michelle wines and I enjoy cooking, so I figured, why not?
The book is set up sorta like a winery tour of the Pacific Northwest and California, featuring 10 wine estates in tool. Each estate is represented by a chapter giving some background, visitor details, and menus prepared the executive chefs at each of these estates, including wine pairings, obviously. You know the white meat = white wine rule? Well, the book helped bust that myth for me. Turns out that besides lamb, game, and beef, there's pretty much at least one white and one red that can be paired with your food!
Overall, I would say that the book seems suited to special occasion dinners, and by that I mean celebrations, date night, etc, not necessarily everyday food. I really like that each recipe gives you wine pairings (and not each recipe includes wine as an ingredient), so you could plan a TOTALLY FABULOUS dinner party with wine pairings for each course and DAZZLE your guests. Given that the book is west-cost based, there's a good number of seafood receipts for you seafood lovers.
I sampled a couple of recipes: the Oven "Fried" Chicken and the Avocado and Orange Salad, which I paired with the Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay. While I would probably adapt the recipes if I were not serving it with wine, as presented they paired REALLY REALLY well with the wine. You can see the results of my handiwork here (please excuse the lack of "prettiness", this is why I'm not a food blogger).
Overall, a winning combination! I'm looking forward to trying some more recipes in the upcoming weeks!!
Now, for the SUPER FUN part--- A GIVEAWAY!! This giveaway includes TWO TICKETS to the Cleveland Wine Festival on July 27th or 28th, where you will get to same Chateau Ste. Michelle for yourself (among other wines of course).
Here's what you need to do to enter:
1. Leave me a comment letting me know of your favorite wine (and leave me your contact info if I don't know how to reach you), or
2. Follow @SteMichelle on Twitter and let me know that you did so in the comments, or
3. Tweet: I entered @cleshopaholic contest to win tickets to @CleWineFest via @SteMichelle http://tiny.cc/g9sphw
(You get 3 entries if you do all 3 things)
Rules: You must be 21 to enter, and should you win, you must provide your full name, date of birth, email address, and preferred date of attendance (July 27th or 28th).
The contest ends at 7:00 pm on Wednesday July 25th, with the winner announced later Wednesday night. Good luck, and Cheers!!
Disclosure: Chateau Ste. Michelle provided me with the cookbook in exchange for my review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. They also provided the two tickets to the Cleveland Wine Festival for the Giveaway.
A few months ago, I was contacted by Chateau Ste. Michelle gauging my interest in reviewing a cookbook written by John Sarich, Culinary Director of Chateau Ste. Michelle. I luuuurve Chateau St. Michelle wines and I enjoy cooking, so I figured, why not?
The book is set up sorta like a winery tour of the Pacific Northwest and California, featuring 10 wine estates in tool. Each estate is represented by a chapter giving some background, visitor details, and menus prepared the executive chefs at each of these estates, including wine pairings, obviously. You know the white meat = white wine rule? Well, the book helped bust that myth for me. Turns out that besides lamb, game, and beef, there's pretty much at least one white and one red that can be paired with your food!
Overall, I would say that the book seems suited to special occasion dinners, and by that I mean celebrations, date night, etc, not necessarily everyday food. I really like that each recipe gives you wine pairings (and not each recipe includes wine as an ingredient), so you could plan a TOTALLY FABULOUS dinner party with wine pairings for each course and DAZZLE your guests. Given that the book is west-cost based, there's a good number of seafood receipts for you seafood lovers.
I sampled a couple of recipes: the Oven "Fried" Chicken and the Avocado and Orange Salad, which I paired with the Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay. While I would probably adapt the recipes if I were not serving it with wine, as presented they paired REALLY REALLY well with the wine. You can see the results of my handiwork here (please excuse the lack of "prettiness", this is why I'm not a food blogger).
Overall, a winning combination! I'm looking forward to trying some more recipes in the upcoming weeks!!
Now, for the SUPER FUN part--- A GIVEAWAY!! This giveaway includes TWO TICKETS to the Cleveland Wine Festival on July 27th or 28th, where you will get to same Chateau Ste. Michelle for yourself (among other wines of course).
Here's what you need to do to enter:
1. Leave me a comment letting me know of your favorite wine (and leave me your contact info if I don't know how to reach you), or
2. Follow @SteMichelle on Twitter and let me know that you did so in the comments, or
3. Tweet: I entered @cleshopaholic contest to win tickets to @CleWineFest via @SteMichelle http://tiny.cc/g9sphw
(You get 3 entries if you do all 3 things)
Rules: You must be 21 to enter, and should you win, you must provide your full name, date of birth, email address, and preferred date of attendance (July 27th or 28th).
The contest ends at 7:00 pm on Wednesday July 25th, with the winner announced later Wednesday night. Good luck, and Cheers!!
Disclosure: Chateau Ste. Michelle provided me with the cookbook in exchange for my review. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. They also provided the two tickets to the Cleveland Wine Festival for the Giveaway.
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