A Trip To Findlay Market

Shortly before my birthday, Kyle and I decided to take a long-overdue trip to Findlay Market in downtown Cincinnati. Opened in 1855, the market is the oldest continuously operated public markets and one of my hometown's favorite hot spots. I had always heard great things about the vendors and atmosphere of Findlay and since I had never been there before (which is a travesty having lived there for 27 years) I decided to put it on last years "26 Things to Do Before I'm 27" list. Right before my birthday, I got to check it off my list!

Findlay Market Entrance

Kyle enjoying his gyro

Mmmm... hot cinnamon apple cider!

Delicious gyro!

Yummy savory crepe from Taste of Belgium

Me, loving the cider

A close up of my delish veggie crepe

One of the many vendor stands offering scrumptious goodies

The Market is bustling!

Taste of Belgium! Sooo good!

One of our market purchases- Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese pasta sauce...

... to go on our made-from-scratch fresh pumpkin pasta. HEAVEN!

And to top off a yummy Fall meal, a yummy Fall beverage!

We had such a great day! We will definitely be back to the market soon, but next time we plan to make up a list of items to pick up before we get there. If you're visiting for the first time, the variety can be overwhelming so it's best to have a general idea of what you're looking for beforehand. Can't wait!!

Birthday Reflection

Artwork by ArtPaperGarden

Yesterday was my 27th birthday (where did ages 23-26 go!??) and I got to spend it with some of my favorite people. It was pretty low-key but it was exactly what I wanted. I wasn't in the mindset to have a "go out and get crazy" kind of extravaganza or even a huge party at home with all of my friends.

Kyle worked all day (booo) so I spent the day doing little things for myself. I spent the entire morning finishing up some mini-paintings for an upcoming show at the Redtree Gallery. On the way to my parent's house I picked up some Skyline for lunch. I got to spend some time with the fam which was nice and my aunt, Rose, gave me a gift-- 4 different photos of me with various family members in frames. They'll go great on our great room gallery wall! After family time, I dropped the paintings off at the gallery, then headed home. Kyle and I went out to bd's Mongolian BBQ for dinner. He had never been there before (I practically lived there in college) and we got some yummy stir-fry and an apple cobbler to share for dessert. Yummm.


As some of you may know, I like to take each birthday to re-evaluate my goals. Often times these goals are business-related but I think it's very important to have personal goals as well. On my 26th birthday I wrote up my list of "26 Things to do Before I'm 27".

So let's see how I did over the past year!:

1. Display my work at a Cafe/Gallery I was lucky enough to be featured in the Redtree Gallery's Bike Art Show for the Month of May!
2. Pay off my Credit Card
3. Host a Giveaway on my blog Completed in November, 2010!
4. Run 5k without stopping
5. Visit a place I've never been Cape Coral, Florida Summer 2011
6. Start an herb garden Ordered some delicious herbs from etsy shop, cubits
   
7. Create something wearable my Zazzle Shop is now open and shirts, aprons, etc are available!!
8. Visit Findlay Market Visited on Sunday 10/23 and got some delicious fresh pasta, pork chops, crepes, and gyros. Mmmm!
9. Bake a pie from scratch
10. Create a sign for my massage business
11. Have 150 Facebook Fans for MoKoPo accomplished thanks to the purchase of a FB ad. Worked like a charm! 
12. Reach 40 Etsy sales accomplished on 3/17/11 after a front page appearance on Etsy!
    
13. Sew something not exactly what I had in mind but I sewed up Sadie's dogbed after she ripped it to bits
    
14. Make my own granola I made Alton Brown's granola recipe (here) making some minor adjustments (I used whole wheat rolled oats and craisins instead of raisins) and I will never buy store granola again-- DELISH!
15. Sleep outside
16. Volunteer somewhere
17. Read one fiction and one non-fiction book fiction: House Rules by Jodi Picoult nonfiction: The Big Moo by Seth Godin and others
18. See a movie I've never heard of in the theater
19. Send a hand-written letter Sent a handmade postcard to my friend, Jess, in South Carolina
20. Create MoKoPo greeting cards holiday notecards were introduced 12/10, general cards introduced on 3/15/11
21. Get dressed up and go somewhere fancy for dessert
22. Go vegetarian for 5 days 1/3/11-1/7/11. It wasn't difficult to not eat meat, more difficult to remember that I wasn't eating meat. But I did it! And feel great! It worked really well as a "restart" button after eating really unhealthily at the end of 2010.
23. See a play even though it's not technically a "play" I'm counting the fact that Kyle and I went to see "Shrek: The Musical" on 4/13/11
24. Add at least 3 more prints to my "Gallery of Other Artists" #1- "Do What You Love" ,#2- "Dream Until Your Dreams Come True" prints by letterhappy and #3- She Believed She Could by valentinadesign
25. Build a snowman
26. Upcycle something from a thrift store

Stay tuned for my new list of "27 Things to do Before I'm 28"!! I'm excited for another year!

26 Things...

My 26th Birthday has come and gone and it's time to make my new list of things to do before my next birthday! Luckily, this time I have an entire year to get things crossed of my list (my last list was created only a couple of months before my birthday). SO! Here it is...

1. Display my work at a Cafe/Gallery I was lucky enough to be featured in the Redtree Gallery's Bike Art Show for the Month of May!
2. Pay off my Credit Card
3. Host a Giveaway on my blog Started! Get your entries in by 11/26/10!!
4. Run 5k without stopping
5. Visit a place I've never been Cape Coral, Florida Summer 2011
6. Start an herb garden
7. Create something wearable my Zazzle Shop is now open and shirts, aprons, etc are available!!
8. Visit Findlay Market Visited on Sunday 10/23 and got some delicious fresh pasta, pork chops, crepes, and gyros. Mmmm!
9. Bake a pie from scratch
10. Create a sign for my massage business
11. Have 150 Facebook Fans for MoKoPo accomplished thanks to the purchase of a FB ad. Worked like a charm! 
12. Reach 40 Etsy sales accomplished on 3/17/11 after a front page appearance on Etsy!
    
13. Sew something
14. Make my own granola I made Alton Brown's granola recipe (here) making some minor adjustments (I used whole wheat rolled oats and craisins instead of raisins) and I will never buy store granola again-- DELISH!
15. Sleep outside
16. Volunteer somewhere
17. Read one fiction and one non-fiction book fiction: House Rules by Jodi Picoult nonfiction: The Big Moo by Seth Godin and others
18. See a movie I've never heard of in the theater
19. Send a hand-written letter Sent a handmade postcard to my friend, Jess, in South Carolina
20. Create MoKoPo greeting cards holiday notecards were introduced 12/10, general cards introduced on 3/15/11
21. Get dressed up and go somewhere fancy for dessert
22. Go vegetarian for 5 days 1/3/11-1/7/11. It wasn't difficult to not eat meat, more difficult to remember that I wasn't eating meat. But I did it! And feel great! It worked really well as a "restart" button after eating really unhealthily at the end of 2010.
23. See a play even though it's not technically a "play" I'm counting the fact that Kyle and I went to see "Shrek: The Musical" on 4/13/11
24. Add at least 3 more prints to my "Gallery of Other Artists" #1- "Do What You Love" ,#2- "Dream Until Your Dreams Come True" prints by letterhappy and #3- She Believed She Could by valentinadesign
25. Build a snowman
26. Upcycle something from a thrift store