That's Life

Saying goodbye is never easy, even when we're prepared for it.

By the time you've hit your 30s, you've likely dealt with some grief. Losing a grandparent can take the wind out of your sails, but it's something that is inevitable. The circle of life is an order of nature that sometimes seems unfair but manageable.

It's those moments of unexpected loss that can throw you for a loop.

My first experience with unexpected grief was the loss of my niece. While Maeve battled a litany of heart conditions and other medical calamities related to Noonan syndrome, I never accepted the thought we'd lose her.

But we did.

Her short, glorious seven-month-old life taught me volumes about what we're doing here on earth. And it gave me a solid foundation of convictions about where we go next.

Some of these thoughts were born out of the commingling of faith and belief - two entirely different influences. You and I may not see eye to eye on all of these; thanks for respecting my perspective.

• God made all of us. God loves all of us. God forgives everything that happens on Earth.
• We're all here to do something. Maeve was here to teach many that life is a short, miraculous gift, and that we should seize every occasion to live fully, love deeply and laugh often.
• Life is hard, but conquering our challenges gives rise to opportunities for growth.
• Surviving those challenges gives us a chance for learning, and that prepares us for whatever is next.
• We all go someplace after this stop on Earth. I don't know where that is, and I don't know what we do when we get there, but I believe there is something more and bigger than what we do on the rock that is this planet.
• When we get to the next stop on the continuum of being, we will see our loved ones again. I'm banking on that one.

Grief has recently made a new wound on my heart, but it has also revived many wonderful memories I haven't dwelled on in years. My heartache has reminded me of a wonderfully fun-loving friend who loved dance-offs, crazy costumes and random parties, and a wild game of Boones Farm races.

He was the same kind man who picked me up at jail after a wild night in my 20s.

We all need good friends from time to time. Sometimes we're the one who needs the friend, and other times we're called upon to be the good friend.

And so, for my friend Zack, a reminder in a favorite song from yesteryear.

One more time.

PS. Thanks for the couches. I'm still rockin' them.

Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Influ-what?

It pays to have a big mouth.

No, not in a I-can-fit-my-fist-in-my-mouth way (and in no way is that statement an admission of fact on that matter), but in more of an I-like-this-thing-so-much-Imma-tell-everyone-about-it way.

The latter. This post is definitely about the latter.

Influenster is a new site that allows you to turn your social media influence into opportunities to get free stuff. It takes more than social media clout (not Klout with a K, but bona fide clout) to enjoy the Influenster experience; upon receiving products, you're expected to use your social media channels to honestly review them.

I'm going to mention an aside here: In social media circles, it is considered in very bad form to accept a product or service and not deliver on some form of social media engagement, whether that be via blogging, tweeting, YouTubing or whatever social media channel you prefer. 

The exchange of goods is considered a payment for your service of review/promotion. You don't have to lie about your opinions - brands want honest to goodness perspective, but you are expected to deliver on your end of the transaction. You are welcome to decline the invitation or product if you are not interested in engaging with a brand.

And consider the FTC disclosure rules, which specifically highlight rules for blogger/social media compensation disclosures.

Okay, that's enough about that.

Influenster invites you to connect all of your social media channels to an online account, and then you're given the option to pursue different badges that highlight interests including cooking, travel, fashion, fitness, etc.

Once you connect your social channels and secure a few different badges, you're sent free products to review. The packages they send are very similar to Birchbox, a paid subscription service that sends product samples every month.

I received my first Influenster package last weekend - the Spring Fever VoxBox. Inside, I found:

• A full-size Secret Outlast Clear deodorant
• A tube of NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm
• A Tasty Kake Kandy Bar Kake
• A full-size bottle of Schwarzkopf USA Osis+ Gelastic
• Broadway Nails imPRESS press-on nails - Over the Moon color

Influenster asks you to try the products and use channels including Twitter, YouTube, Vine, and Instagram to share your thoughts with your personal network. 

I've shared some of my social media engagement with the different products below; the brands are interested in seeing Influenster participants share content about their products. I assume people who fail to participate will not receive future offers from the review service.

My product reviews: 

• I liked the Secret deodorant. It didn't leave a mark on a LBD I wore out and about this weekend. The product may sting a bit if you apply after shaving/showering, but the stinging subsides in a moment.
• The NYC New York Color lip balm was great. Felt nice on the lips, and the tube features a cute apple logo designed in the center of the balm. Check the Vine video below to learn more.
• Tasty Kake: Haven't had one of those in years. It was delicious but probably too decadent for day-to-day snacking.
• I tried the Schwarzkopf Gelastic hair product. I don't have short hair, so I'm not sure I'm the target audience, but it did seem to give me good body when I applied it to my roots before drying.
• Broadway Nails: I'm probably not the target for this product. The set I was sent is very wild - maroon and taupe swirls all over the nails. I'm a classic clear/red/pink nail kind of girl, so I may test these out purely to see how they apply and last, but this was not a win for me.

Applelicious Lip Balm Vine video

Instagram pic of the Tasty Kake product

Tasty Kake Kandy Bar Kake Vine video

Tweet about the Schwarzkopf USA hair product

Instagram pic of the Spring Vox Box products

YouTube video of my first impressions of Influenster's Spring Vox Box

Tweet about the Influenster delivery with brand hashtags

(Disclosure: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.)


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Summerfair Cincinnati

It's time to roll out the seersucker and celebrate summer.

With a swift Memorial day weekend under our belts (did yours go by quickly, too?), it's time to celebrate the true, unofficial start of summer.

Forget what the calendar says - no need to wait until June - the calendar's fairest season has arrived.

And with it, Summerfair Cincinnati. This event celebrates artists from around the Tri-State area and helps promote year-round art across our region.

To kick off this weekend's Summerfair event, you're invited to a special Little Black Dress event and fashion show this Friday at Coney Island's Moonlite Gardens at 7 pm. Click here for more information and ticket details.

I am humbled to be one of the event's Honorary Fashionistas (along with the fabulous Ilene Ross of 513 Eats and the equally amazing Peggy Shannon of Queen City Cookies) and can't wait to don my favorite LBD (it's magic, I tell you) and some fabulous shoes.

The Summerfair folks asked me to write about how I inspire others, and I am afraid that's a mantle I'm not fit to wear. However, I told them we each have the power to inspire others with everyday actions; you can read that message here.

Here's an excerpt:

It might sound terribly old fashioned and contradictory to my ever tweeting, technology lovin', modern woman self, but there's a part of me that deeply treasures the thoughtful, intentional actions that arise in moments of transparency and selfless kindness. Sometimes those occasions get lost from behind the computer screen, and that’s why living In Real Life is so important.

See you on Friday, with your best LBD!


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Sandy Safari

The desert offers up a perfect combination of some of my biggest fears.

For one, I hate isolated areas. I've joked before that I like to stay within a 15-mile radius of the nearest Starbucks, and there's some truth to that. No, I'm not a big fan of the Seattle coffee with the green mermaid on the cup, but I do enjoy the urban population that surrounds it.

I can tolerate bucolic, pastoral scenes for an hour or two, but any longer and I start itching with hives that can only be cured by ambulance sirens and traffic congestion.

I also really dislike dry climates. I don't know if that is in part because of my Midwest/Northeast upbringing, but I historically prefer mild climates with lots of natural bodies of water.

And deciduous trees. Lots, and lots of deciduous trees.

So, a desert safari 30 minutes outside of Dubai was a bit nerve wracking for me. Compounded by the arid surroundings of sand dunes and singeing, 100 degree heat, and I knew I was well out of my comfort zone.

Our driver, Mushtar, met us at the hotel in a reinforced all-terrain vehicle. Roll bars and plush seats for seven - we crammed into the Toyota and headed far away from Dubai's gleaming glass skyscrapers and mirage-like water features.

After a quick stop at the requisite roadside souvenir shop, we guzzled water and set off for desolation.

The lady bobblehead pictured above now proudly sits on my bookcase

Mushtar drove off the main road onto the sand. The ride was quite tame in the beginning, but then the dunes turned into towering hills with steep grades. We careened up and down the dunes, zigging and zagging to avoid sandy cliffs carved out by the desert winds.

At times we motioned to grab the rooftop handle bars, jostling and sailing through the sand.

We met our group of cars, five or six in all, and jumped out of the dunes for a photo op. Some couples posed with sandy hills in the foreground, the sun beginning to dip toward the horizon in the distance.

A few of the women in the group dropped their LV Neverfulls to strike glamorous poses in the desert, reclined and waving silky scarves in the wind. These women were a regular embarrassment to the group, and their hackneyed photo session was par for the vacation's course.

We had to wait a good 20 or 30 minutes to allow the vehicles' hot engines cool to a safe temperature before we journeyed on. A man and boy came to entertain the group and talk about the region's tradition of falconry. The bird was a beautiful creature, but I was not inclined to spend 10 dirhams ($3) to pose with it.

I preferred the candid shots of the boy and the man interacting on the top of the sand dune. The desert gives way to stunning shadows and light.

We piled back in our vehicles and set off to cross the rest of the desert. Up and down we sailed, clutching our stomachs and letting out mild yelps when a sandy crest got the best of us.

We had to make another pit stop in the desert - yet another engine cooling opportunity - and we got to snap more beautiful photos of the region's vast expanse. Dry, desert air and sand as far as the eye could see.

Thank goodness for bottled water.

By this point, Mushtar asked us to call him Mushi (or Mushi-Mushi for the ladies). He was very generous with humor and consideration - always offering to snap photos for us, handing us chilled bottled water. Mushi was a great driver and tour guide, and I'd head into the desert with him in a heartbeat.

We stopped for one more picture before we headed back to civilization, or, a destination with paved roads. Back on asphalt, Mushi took us to a side excursion - a camel farm!

Mushi gets dangerously close to the camels

In a future post, I'll tell you about the next leg of our desert journey, which included a camel ride, belly dancing, and a fantastic oasis barbecue.

But first, enjoy a little video of our wild ride on the dunes. Warning: you may want to avoid this video if you experience motion sickness. Truly.



Click here to see my Flickr set for the entire trip.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Three Nights in Bangkok (And Several More in Dubai and L.A.)

So, I got lost in the world a little bit.

After ten days of traveling around the globe (the wrong way, I might add, but that's another story for another time), I am safe and sound in the confines of Over-the-Rhine.

I have so many stories to tell - about delicious food, beautiful Thai silk, the progress of Dubai, and the discovery that I am easily excitable.

To tide you over, take a look at the Flickr album of my recent adventure and enjoy some sights from the Middle East and Asia (and the Left Coast).




More to come. Promise.



Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Money Honey

Money makes the world go 'round. 

That's what Sally Bowes said in the Broadway musical "Cabaret". And as trite as it sounds, I'd tend to agree with Liza's character. Money gives you freedom, opportunity and the security of knowing you can stay afloat during a rainy period.

I remember my 20s, when my income was low and Maslow's needs were expensive, and I didn't have the opportunity to save for a rainy day.

Those were the days when I had to choose between auto repair and paying a late utility bill. I didn't manage what money I did have, and I got stuck in a cycle of poor financial decisions.

There is a bit of an upside to those woes. I learned to live on cash and within my means. To this day, I only carry one credit card with a $300 credit limit. Everything I have or do is paid for with money I've already made. Otherwise, I have zero debt.

Nothing lost, but nothing gained, I suppose.

At 36, I'm finally ready to take control of my finances; it was easier to live in a state of denial when I was younger and I felt like retirement was a million miles away. These days, I realize I'll likely be retiring in 30 years or so and that I need to make some smart decisions to ensure I'm not living in my sister's attic and eating Kraft Singles and Spam.

My sister would hate that. And truth be told, so would I.

Ready to take stock of my future, I met with my financial advisor to roll over a 401k from a previous employer and get some advice on my current employer's retirement options.

The meeting set me ablaze.

I used to think money matters were a boring and scary entanglement, but this weekend I've crawled the internet to find sound advice and make some big decisions.

1. Set a budget. I can't believe it took me this long. A lovely friend of mine tried to help me a couple years ago, revealing an extensive spreadsheet she developed with her husband. I remembered hearing her say the budget hurt in the beginning, but she was inspired and excited as she watched her savings and investments grow.
   
   I'm finally in a place where I can be more truthful about my expenses and savings.
   
   
2. Remember the 50/30/20 Rule. LearnVest says you should designate 50 percent of your budget to life's essentials (rent or mortgage, e.g.), 20 percent to savings, and 30 percent to lifestyle choices like charitable giving, fine dining and hobbies.
   
   LearnVest goes on to more explicitly define those categories; my expenses and lifestyle are a little non-traditional (no car, no kids), so for now, I'm designating my expenses to each of those categories on my own. Regardless, I'm most excited that I've earmarked 20 percent of my income for savings and have managed to designate an additional savings budget to buy a condo next year.
   
   
3. Diversify your savings. This is a no-brainer for you financial types, but it's a bit of a new thing for me. As part of my savings, I've designated eight percent of my income to my Roth 401k (this option involves contributing taxable income now as opposed to getting squeezed by taxes when I'm older), as well as nine percent savings to savings account at a bank, and three percent savings to a portfolio managed by my financial advisor.
   
   This second savings effort will give me access to liquid cash; the other investments carry penalties if I decide to dip into the well before retirement. I can use this cash to cover things like unexpected medical expenses or planned vacations.
   
   Let's hope it's more of the latter and less of the former.

I know this is going to hurt a bit in the beginning - the discipline, the choices in the name of frugality - but the end result is the difference between my living in a retirement community with a margarita fountain and living in my sister's sweaty attic in Atlanta.

Easy decision.




Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Those People

"Why do those people downtown even want a trolley?"

It's a statement some whisper under their breaths at dinner parties, dripping with condescension and disdain.

On lush, kelly green golf courses, at book clubs and beauty salons, people around Greater Cincinnati critique and criticize Downtown Cincinnati's streetcar plan.

And I wonder how many of these folks have recently visited Over-the-Rhine and the Central Business District.

They might have a different impression of who those people are. And why they want more public transportation.

I'm one of those people.

Raised in the suburbs of Cincinnati, I grew up going to private swim clubs and excellent public schools.  Ours was a four-bedroom, four-bath house. It had a back deck and lush, sprawling lawn.

My family was like everybody else's in insert Cincinnati suburban name here.

Make no mistake, I am grateful for everything my parents gave me. A great education, opportunity aplenty - I am the product of my parents' hard work and sacrifice.

But things have changed over the years. Just last month, the New York Times reported on a study that shows Gens X and Y won't do as well as our parents.

I won't even begin to discuss the rapidly retiring Baby Boomer generation and its ramifications on the future of Social Security and Medicare.

Life was good in that four-bedroom house in the 'burbs, but it's not a realistic dream for my generation. We're learning to live with less. We're retreating to the Urban Core, where we can live smaller and more affordably.

Yes, we're learning to live without cars.

The suburban model is not a sustainable one for us.

Even Fox News reported on the great migration back to American cities. People are moving back to the urban core because they want to experience a walkable lifestyle.

And a note to my suburban/exurb readers - that Fox News link also mentions that urban crime stats have plummeted (yes, the reporter used the word plummeted) in the past 20 years.

It's probably safer down here than it is behind the wheel of your car on Interstate 75.

So. Streetcar. Why do those people want one?

They want one so they can get around the urban core a bit easier. They want one because our larger public transportation initiative has to start somewhere, and they believe this streetcar is a great way to get moving. They hope for even bigger public transportation offerings - Light rail! High speed rail!

We know this streetcar will integrate beautifully with future trans offerings.

Cincinnati has voted on the streetcar twice. Both times, the residents of Cincinnati voted in favor of the streetcar.

And we will continue to champion this until the rails are in the ground.

Join Cincinnati's streetcar supporters for a special hearing on the status of the streetcar project - Monday at City Hall at 6 pm. 



Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Grab A Seat

What is old is new again.

Many of the residences in Over-the-Rhine are a blend of antique features and modern trimmings. My own home is a melange of distressed oak floors, brick walls dating back to 1877, and shiny, silver duct work.

It's a beautiful space that blends old and new, and it presents some interesting opportunities where home decor is concerned.

The clean lines of Ikea work well with the modern metal kitchen racks and exposed beams, but the old brick and flooring do well with antique wood and warm lighting.

And that's where crafting comes in.

I've become quite good at reupholstering chair seats to blend modern fabrics with the traditional lines of old chairs. It's easy, affordable, and can leave you with a sense of accomplishment.

Things you'll need:

• Wooden chair
• Screwdriver
• Sharp scissors
• Foam padding - 1 to 1.5 inches thick depending on your preference
• 1.5 yards of upholstery fabric
• 1.5 yards of batting
• Staple gun

First, find a well made wooden chair in great shape.

Turn over the chair and unscrew the seat, separating the seat from the frame. Put the screws to the side - you'll need them later.

 Seat and frame - ready for a renovation

Use the end of your scissors to pry the staples out of the old upholstery and batting.

This stuff looks like it's been through the ringer

You can buy foam padding at your neighborhood craft store; I think I got this piece for $7. I like my chairs on the fluffy side so I opt for thicker foam; it's all based on your preference. 

Cut the foam to fit a half inch beyond the seat. Any smaller and the wooden seat will protrude beyond the foam. That could feel funny and it would look horrible.

Next, you want to lay down your fabric, batting, foam, and then the seat. Trim the fabric so that it extends a couple inches beyond the perimeter of the seat.

Affix the fabric using your staple gun. Make sure to pull the fabric taut as you staple - this will ensure your finished product is firm and the fabric is tight around the foam and seat.

A word about corners. They are tricky. It's somewhat similar to folding hospital corners on a bed. I usually staple down one side of the seat, play around with how I fold a corner, then begin stapling this perpendicular side.

You might want to start with the corners that face the rear of the seat to allow a little practice before you tackle the front-facing corners. If worse comes to worse, you can rip out your staples and try again.

Voila - finished product. I spent about $20 on the chair itself and less than $15 on the fabric, batting and foam.

Antique chair with an Ikea bookcase in the background. You can't get more OtR than that.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

It's the Wurst. Really.

Cincinnati is in love with its sausage.

From the homemade links at Avril Bleh to Bockfest's much heralded Sausage Queen competition, the Queen City is infatuated with its wieners and franks. 

Enter Wurst Bar in the Square.

We strolled down Linwood to this new gastropub a few weeks ago a few days after its opening last month. A cozy spot with high top tables and wood paneled walls, the Wurst Bar is one of the best things going in Mount Lookout.

Moscow Mules garnished with fresh mint in a frosty copper mug

A mix of great cocktails, inventive sausages and hot dogs, and other delicious offerings, the Wurst Bar brings handcrafted offerings to a neighborhood that needed a new shiny on the strip.

We split:

• The All Time Wurst Burger - a blend of veal and ground beef stuffed with cheddar wurst, topped with onion straws, tangy mustard, American and cheddar cheeses atop a pretzel roll
• The Roonie - chicken, garlic and truffle sausage topped with fried onions and Boursin cheese
• Vinegar-based homemade cole slaw
• Traditional French fries

The Wurst Burger was absolutely out of this world - it was prepared beautifully and packed an assortment of zippy and sweet flavors. 

The Roonie was also a great choice; how can you go wrong with anything boasting truffles and Boursin cheese?

The cole slaw was a colorful blend of thick strips of white and purple cabbage. Homemade and a nice, light choice to balance the meal's heaviness.

Good to the last bite.

The Wurst Bar does a great job of blending traditional German flavors with trendier ingredients and handcrafted techniques. Seating is limited; the space is small and cozy and the epitome of that German feeling of gemutlicheit.

Details:
The Wurst Bar in the Square
3204 Linwood Ave.
(513) 321-0605
Hours vary: Dinner seven says a week, lunch Thursday - Sunday


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Sex and Feeling Sexy

So, I got this book in the mail last week.

Not Tonight Dear, I Feel Fat is available beginning May 7. A PR rep offered me an advance copy and I quickly accepted; sex and body image is something every woman can relate to easily.

It's my duty to review this, right?

Some of us spend hours and hours in the gym, others go under the knife for regular nips and tucks. Some women carefully watch their intake, counting calories down to every last piece of lettuce.

Still others grapple with the darker side of body image - eating disorders, diet pills and other less wholesome ways to manage weight.

Those sticky dynamics of body image can dramatically impact a woman's ability to enjoy a healthy sex life and shared intimacy with another person.

And that's a damn shame.

I'm trying to crank through this book before I go on vacation (the title alone would likely lead to my arrest in Dubai) and will tell you what I think.

Until then, Big Os and strong swagger for everyone.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Have Taste Buds, Will Travel

Wanderlust is a funny thing.

Once you get your first taste of far-flung adventure, it's easy to spend the rest of your days dreaming of new lands to discover, new cultures to savor.

No matter how much you love your hometown (and, boy, do I), we travel bugs seem to have a one track mind.

Words can't express how grateful I am to my parents for exposing me to the deliciousness of travel at a very young age. Ever since those first bites of torte at the Hotel Sacher, I've been dreaming of international travel.

It's almost time to pack my bags, grab the passport, and brace for long haul flying.

Wingman and I are setting off for another whirlwind trip. This vacation is not for the faint of heart or the inexperienced - we are traveling to Dubai and Bangkok during the same itinerary. It makes our trek to India look like child's play.

CVG to LAX to DXB to BKK; back through DXB to LAX and then to CVG.

Six flights, 55 hours of flying time, eight hours in layovers - this is the epitome of marathon travel.

We have some fun excursions planned, including a trip to the top of the Burj Kalifa, the world's tallest building, and a desert safari with a barbecue dinner and belly dancers. In Bangkok we'll visit several amazing temples, enjoy a tour of the city's extensive canal system, and try to work in a ladyboy show.

But I'm most excited about some of the edible offerings we'll uncover.

In Dubai, we've booked a culinary flight at the Burj al Arab, the world's only seven-star hotel. Six courses in six different restaurants, this will surpass last summer's dinner at Charlie Trotter's as the most expensive meal of my life.

It better be worth it; I've been dining on a lot of canned soup and spaghetti and red sauce to save my pennies for the occasion.

Along the way, we'll visit the spice souk to buy saffron, frankincense and other unusual flavors.

Bangkok brings us to two meals of extremes.

First, we'll dine at Nahm, recently voted the third-best restaurant in all of Asia. Chef David Thompson is from Australia and regarded as an expert of Thai cuisine. We're excited about the restaurant's adventurous prix fixe menu and the chance to experience some of Thailand's best.

But what I'm really tickled about is the chance to experience Thai cooking in more authentic surroundings. Chote Chitr is billed as one of the best unassuming spots you can find for good Thai cooking. A hole in the wall with dogs running around in the kitchen and surly service, I can't wait to taste every bite.

We've also worked in a half-day class at the Blue Elephant Cooking School. I'm excited to learn more about the vegetables, flavors, and techniques used in Thai cooking; I have a feeling I'll be treating my friends to some more exotic meals this summer.

Some people make their travel destinations based on the whereabouts of prominent museums or historical sites. Those are well and good, but I can't help but let my taste buds lead the way.

Until then, back to my can of black beans and hard boiled eggs.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

No Vanity in Clapping

The crowd roared to a fever pitch.

Clouds sailed overhead in a big, azure sky. More than 20-thousand people waved and clapped, celebrating at a game of baseball. An American pastime stitched with tradition and determination and revelry. The baseball players, the fans. The guys in the press box.

They were all focused on what was happening on that dusty diamond.

And for a moment, I was focused on how we're all going to die someday.

I sat there, watching Reds fans swathed in crimson, mugging for photos, all the while wondering if we all looked like a bunch of shallow fools for grinning and glad-handing as the minute hand stroked closer and closer to death.

Shouldn't we be panicking? Running around and outfitting ourselves in armor or signing up for every vaccine known to man? Should we be crying in the streets, wrought with fear over the inevitable fact that our days are literally numbered?

Good, bad or indifferent, I fall victim to morose thoughts from time to time. They strike at the oddest occasions, but those moments of introspection remind me how tender and fragile we each are.

It's easy to chalk up life's levity as foolish. Around this blue pearl of a globe nations wage border wars, destitute children know the depths of hunger and hopelessness. Our fellow man toils with real tragedy.

It's true - life can hand us a bag of shit sometimes.

But in between those crises of heartbreak and devastation, we are given opportunities to connect with others, chances to taste success. We are offered moments to lead with love.

And that's what makes the rest of this mess worth it. Taxes, long lines at the DMV, traffic jams and meetings that feel like purgatory. I'd take it all to know the balance of my life tipped with more hugs with loved ones, nights of wicked laughter with dear friends, and fleeting chances of genuine human connection.

Will I get to play all nine innings of my life? Is mine a game The Ref will call short for stormy weather?

I won't know until I get there. And I can't worry about how long my game runs because it could force me to miss out on some great hits.

Until that time comes, I'm having a ball just playing.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Globetrotter

What shoes do you wear when you're circling the earth?

It was an innocent question our department intern recently asked me. She was getting ready to gallivant to Europe for more than a month, and her adventure made me wistful I didn't do much traveling during and right after college. But it also reinvigorates me for an adventure of my own.

Whereas most men likely don't give too much thought about what footwear is required at a far-flung destination, we ladies are torn over an ages-long debate.

What's more important: form or function?

In my 20s I would literally pack the kitchen sink to take a trip. I think the second time I went to London (my first adventure without help or escort by my parents) I packed five pairs of shoes. It was only a week-long trip, but I wasn't sure five pairs would be enough to get me through St. Paul's Cathedral, Abbey Road and Tower Bridge.

My, how things have changed.

Over time, most travelers experience a sort of epiphany: you never really need to bring as much stuff as you think you'll need.

I did my best to pack as light as I could when I went to India in 2011. I believed that traveling from New Delhi to Agra to Jaipur wouldn't be as fun if I was lugging a 50 lb. suitcase with me. I was right. Dead weight is the last thing you want to deal with after suffering through a 16-hour flight with Delhi Belly.

I have a new adventure on my travel itinerary and I am already mulling what will go in my suitcase. As much as I'd love to show up in the desert with nothing but a rucksack and some sunscreen, I will need a few extra items that will help me navigate "seven star" dining, camel rides and a Thai cooking class.

Flip-flops just won't cut it, methinks.

My packing list involves a few basic items:

• Birkenstocks. Ugly as all get out, these sandals are the height of comfort when traveling internationally, and the ergonomic brand has come out with a few versions that amp up the style quotient. Mine look like glorified flip-flops made with a silvery material. I can dress them up, dress them down and wear them almost anywhere.
• Flats with a "tennis shoe" sole. I have a couple pairs of the Cole-Haan shoes with Nike soles (I've heard rumors that partnership has dissolved) that are worth their weight in gold, or the retail price at the very least. These shoes are cute but super comfortable, and that's the name of the game when traveling.
• Wedge heels. If you must tote along a pair of heels, make sure they're wedges. Traveling usually involves a lot of walking, and your stilettos likely won't even survive a trek down a third-world-country sidewalk. I plan on bringing some wedges with me but will stow them in my purse and wear my walking shoes as we make our way to a dinner reservation. Taxi/tuk tuk drivers typically don't mind if you change your shoes in transit. 

I typically don't pack sneakers because they take up a lot of space in the suitcase and I don't plan on exercising while trekking to Dubai and Bangkok. Unless you're a beach babe, you likely rack up a lot of walking miles when traveling, and your flats with athletic soles are just fine.

What shoes do you bring along when traveling? What are some other must-have packing items? I'm starting to make my list of travel essentials and I'd love to read your suggestions.

Twenty years from now you will be mores disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Palm Wednesday

Mother Nature must be going through the change.



The calendar says we're two weeks away from spring, but this morning's snowfall would lead you to believe otherwise.

I couldn't help but think of Lent and Easter when coming across this palm in Washington Park. Its lemony leaves were a welcome departure from winter's contrast of dark and light. Charcoal shadows cast across the face of Washington Park and gleaming white snow dashed atop the park's open spaces.

My Lenten sacrifice has been a struggle, as it should be, and I wish I could stay I've held strong since Ash Wednesday, but I'd be fibbing.

But challenge is a good thing, yes?

Eager for for the return of spring and its promise of new opportunity.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Teasing Spring

The cooler months have brought me in touch with my inner Domestic Goddess.

The desire to nest and hibernate has revived a relationship with my kitchen. My stove, my pantry, my cluttered refrigerator, my Professional series KitchenAid mixer (the only really nice thing in my kitchen) - I've reacquainted with every nook and cranny.

And it feels damn good.

Methodically slicing, chopping, stirring and measuring helps remind me of stillness and a simpler time when our actions were examples of intentions, when kinder emotions ruled our motions.

The simple act of making a soup from scratch gives me time to think about where my food came from and where it's going - an extension of that old marketing slogan, "Put good in. Get good out."

I'd love to give my loved ones a million dollars and all their dreams served up on a silver platter, but sometimes a homemade something is even richer.

My latest culinary experiment was an effort in summoning a sunnier season. A dozen Meyer lemons waited patiently inside my Green Bean Delivery, promising tart, lip smacking acidic singe.

I winced at the thought of dredging my ragged, cracked cuticles through a bowl of biting lemon slices, but my taste buds knew the eminent stinging was just a means to an end.

After a good bit of peeling, scraping, slicing and squeezing, I have two large glass jars full of my hard work. Little science experiments that will pay off in several weeks. In one jar, a bunch of almost-quartered lemons coated in coarse sea salt. The result will be tangy, salty preserved lemons perfect for preparing vegetables, fish and other savory dishes.

Fingers crossed on that one.

I have more hope for the second, sweeter effort. I'm working on a homemade limoncello that needs four weeks of darkness to draw out the peel's essential oils. Beneath my kitchen sink, somewhere between the bucket full of dish towels and the dishwasher detergent, is a giant mason jar full of Meyer lemon peels and four cups of vodka.

Every once in a while the jar gets a good shake to move the peels around a bit. Otherwise, it will sit there in darkness, enjoying its own winter hibernation.

I intend to bring it back to the surface on Wednesday, March 20 - the first day of spring - to marry it with some simple syrup. The results will be utterly delicious.


Homemade Limoncello
8 Meyer lemons (or conventional lemons, mandarins, tangerines, grapefruit or kiwi)
4 cups of vodka or pure grain
3 cups sugar
3 cups water




Gently peel the lemons to ensure you scrape no pith with the peel. If you do, go back and scrape off the pith with a knife.

Put the citrus peels and alcohol in a mason jar and allow it to steep for four weeks.

After four weeks, strain the mixture into a funnel covered with cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

Meanwhile, stir together three cups of sugar and three cups of water in a sauce pan while on medium-high heat. Allow the solution to come to a boil and then turn down the heat for five minutes, bringing the mixture to a simmer. After another five minutes have passed, turn off the heat and allow simple syrup to cool.

Blend strained solution and syrup in a bottle and seal and chill.

Sip as needed.

Repeat.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Post No Bills - Jack Wood Gallery

Week by week, 14th and Vine becomes the new 12th and Vine.

Kaze and Quan Hapa have already put down edible roots in that section of Over-the-Rhine, joining established businesses including Mannequin (really, the first retail business in these gentrified parts), Pet Wants, Reser Bicycle and our pathetic beloved Kroger outpost.

Art lovers can now head to Jack Wood Gallery (right beside Pet Wants) to pour over beautiful vintage posters while they wait for their dinner reservation to open up.

You may recognize the gallery's neon lights and iconic posters from Jack Wood's previous spot in O'Bryonville. Wood says he had to move when the owner of his space in O'Bryonville wanted to return to the storefront. He reached out to friends at Mica (12th and Vine) and Mannequin (1405 Vine St.) and after ringing endorsements decided to make the move to OtR, too.

Wood has been dealing vintage posters for 15 years and collecting for five years more. Spend five minutes talking with him and it's clear he knows his stuff. We popped in for a quick look and ended up chatting for an hour about the various artists known for creating original Grateful Dead posters, famous poster artist Bernard Villemot's influences (Matisse for his earlier works), and the merits of Shepard Fairey.

About the latter, Wood suggests collectors buy anything and everything they can.

Whereas the O'Byronville location was open during business hours to cater to the business district's audience, Wood acknowledges he will likely stay open on some Friday and Saturday evenings to serve Over-the-Rhine's dining crowd.

Wood says he's still getting his gallery in ship-shape order, but he had little trouble finding some Dead posters we wanted to see. I imagine he wouldn't have much trouble digging up something specific for you, if needed.

For those of you already enjoying hearty poster collections, Wood says he's able to mount and frame them to ensure they stay vibrant with time. He mounts posters on archival-quality linen and uses special glass to ensure collector-worthy pieces are preserved for eternity.

Jack Wood Gallery carries a solid collection of poster genres including travel, transportation, and World War art. I noticed some 8x11 sized pieces were going for around $125; I am sure the Toulouse-Lautrec prints go for much, much more.

As if you needed another reason to spend your money in Over-the-Rhine.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Born to Serve

I never thought someone would invoke the name of God to justify being a cheapskate.

A few weeks ago the interwebs buzzed with the flap of a pastor who stiffed a server over an 18 percent tip, claiming she only gives God ten percent, reasoning the server didn't deserve the gratuity. A note here: the 18 percent gratuity was automatically added to the check because the party in question involved a table of six or more people.

I don't even know where to begin with commentary, but my past would have me side with the server. Because I used to schlep plates with the best of em'.

Long before I ever met with a client or held court in a control room, I used to wait tables. And I was damn good at it.

Each summer between 10th grade and my college graduation, I bussed plates, took cocktail orders and talked Kitchen Spanish with my colleagues from Puerto Rico. Now a tony, perfectly manicured resort along the Connecticut coast, the Wharf used to be a charming, dated inn with rickety wicker furniture and faded floral wall-to-wall.

The Wharf and its casual outpost upstairs (aptly named The Crow's Nest) served as the scene for my first forays into adulthood. It was the place where I called grown ups by their first name and discovered they regarded me as a peer, too.

The restaurant was where I learned about good food and also the ways of good business: Never eat a lobster in a month that has an 'R' in it. Always serve a plate from the left and clear from the right.

Time on the floor was a lesson in business practices I still use today.

• Customer service: The customer is always right, even when they aren't. Treat all customers with courtesy, and if you have a cantankerous diner on your hands, kill 'em with kindness. It usually works.
• Quick math: Thanks to many late nights of cocktail serving, I can process simple math pretty easily (and I can teach you an easy trick for figuring out 15 and 20 percent tips. The trick is in the decimal point).
• Efficiency: Never enter or exit the kitchen without something in your hands. A dirty plate, a warm basket of bread, a fellow server's dinner order. Every task should be married with another. Bonus points if you can drop a check, greet a new table, clear some salad plates, and take a drink order during one circulation through the floor.
• Always offer an alternative: If the kitchen 86es an item, offer your guest a comparable alternative. Strive to keep the customer happy, even if you don't have what they want.
• Upsell: The customer likes a gin martini? What kind of gin is that? House swill, or perhaps Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray? Every interaction is a chance to sell.
• Take care of your regulars: These folks are your bread and butter. Offer them a gratis drink or dessert from time to time, get to know them on a personal level, thank them for their repeated business. 
• A smile and a thank you can do wonders. I learned this when I spilled some salsa on a biker dude's girlfriend. I was deeply apologetic and quickly gathered towels, club soda and asked a manager to comp some desserts. I smiled and thanked them for their patience and the biker dude (who was an attorney by day) joked the moment off and left a huge tip.

There's not a week that goes by when I don't think about my old serving days, though I haven't schlepped a plate in 13 years. Servers bust ass to bring us our every want, deserving well more than the 20 percent tip I leave for an average check.

But more important are the tips I gleaned from my managers and fellow servers. Those tips just may take this former waitress to the corner office someday.

As long as I can stay out of the weeds.

Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Not Bad, Just Broken

"That's a hotel for bad girls," my dad explained.

It's the comment he'd make on our rides from Cincinnati to Youngstown - family treks to visit my grandparents and other relations in the rust belt town. We'd pass a brick and cement structure just south of Columbus, its grounds wrapped in chain link fence and barbed wire, and my little girl self would ask about its purpose.

More than 25 years later I believe that in most instances people are inherently good. An old manager's comment echoes in my brain, a lesson she taught her own daughter: people aren't bad, they just make bad choices.

And so, it's about that "bad girl hotel" that I wonder about the lives lost, the trials and tribulations weathered. The women behind those cinder blocks and barbed wire. What happened to make them broken?

And then I wonder about a former colleague.

Years ago I worked with an assignment editor. Her voice was a song from the Kentucky hills, gravely from years of nicotine and low slung like a Harlan County porch. Her words rolled over some vowels and careened through others. That's how people talk in Eastern Kentucky. It's a hackneyed creole that harkens back to their Scotch-Irish roots.

Orange from a tanning bed and yellowy white from a bottle, Amy looked like a beauty queen has-been. She always told young reporters and male interns that she used to be a looker, her teenage bikini shot dangling from a plastic photo album on a key chain.

Life had been good to Amy, once upon a time.

She worked the assignment desk like the bridge of destroyer. Sweet talking dispatchers on her beat list, quickly catching police calls on the scanner, Amy didn't miss much. This Eastern Kentucky girl was a newshound, always pushing to dig up a better story for the reporter on duty.

When the editorial pressure or managerial fracas got to be too much, Amy would grab her pack of Virginia Slims and clip her Nokia cell phone to the chest of her dress. She'd step outside and puff away, knowing that news was never more than a call away.

The slender 30-something didn't eat much, and several newsroom staffers wondered if Amy had gotten tied up in Hillbilly Heroin, what with little mannerisms like little twitches and erratic behavior. OxyContin had emerged as a quick high in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, and in the early 2000s pharmacies started storing the pain medication under lock and key.

Meant to help ease the agony of cancer, OxyContin was a cheap way for others to forget about poverty, wasted dreams and other trademarked, American angst.

And Amy must have been hurting.

In Payless pumps and snagged panty hose, Amy would talk about her home life. A husband who loved her, a bright future with hopes of children. Amy wanted the American Dream, or whatever pieces she could get her hands on in her little hometown.

Somehow I lost track of Amy.

I can't remember who left our newsroom first - whether I headed for Cincinnati or she transitioned elsewhere, but somehow our paths diverged, until her name was mentioned to me in the context of a crime.

Years removed from the news business, I still knew how to navigate county clerk websites and mugshot repositories like it was my job. Some quick sleuthing turned up a sad photo of my old colleague, her face worn well beyond her years and her hair a grown-out marker of the last time she'd bleached her roots.

More searching led to news articles and court papers and snippets of a sad story that was easy to piece together. Amy had fallen on hard times, a cliche in any region but especially true in the rough living of Eastern Kentucky.

Drugs. Murder. Arson. It was the kind of rap sheet Amy would shout over a two-way to a reporter, but instead the charges were her own.

Today she sits in one of those cement and chain link structures, in a "hotel for bad girls," and I can't help but think she isn't bad. She's just broken.

And it reminds me just how fragile we all are.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Say What You Want To Say

Sometimes I feel like I have a ball gag in my mouth.

Bet that piqued your interest, eh? As much as my life has some excitement from time to time, I'm inclined to keep it to myself these days.

And that's my point.

I don't know if it's age, disinterest or a growing sense of modesty and reputation management, but I've become far more private in recent years. It's a far cry from when I was blogging in 2004 and writing about everything from my criminal record to racy dating exploits.

My 27-year-old self was brash, committed to over-sharing, and eager to find depth or a clever nuance in just about anything.

Cheeky as ever, these days I play things close to the vest. I suppose it's in part because I realize most people don't give a damn about my poor housekeeping habits or my deep thoughts about a woman in her -insert age here-.

While those topics make me easily relatable and more humanistic, they're pretty pedestrian and anyone could jot down a few missives about them.

So why should I?

My lack of posting also probably comes with the, ahem, more mature perspective that sometimes people don't need to know everything. I learned several years ago that writing about work is strictly verboten if you don't want to upset the applecart. And my sex life/finances/emotional status are good points to refrain from sharing, too.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I feel a little lost as a blogger.

Back in the old days when I was a news producer, I had several news directors who'd refer to feeding the beast. Whether you're a journalist for television, print or online, there's an unwritten, unsaid pressure that drives you to crank out more content. "Let's get a sidebar for the lead story! Who can flesh out a couple more angles?" I'd say to my coworkers, wanting to beat a dead horse keep telling the story.

Blogging shares a little bit of that pressure.

You know what I'm talking about - the blogger who posts content every day just because. Not because it's funny/insightful/deep/informative, but because it's a new post for a new day.

That's feeding the beast. That's blogging just because.

And I don't want to blog just because. I want to tell stories and share opinions that make me feel something, because if they make me feel something, then hopefully they'll make you feel something.

That's why we do this, right? At least, that's why I do this.

Each of my days are full of thoughts and feelings and experiences. Some of them are exciting and deeply personal, and others are completely inane and likely don't deserve the bandwidth. It's all that in-between stuff that I'm trying to nail down and decide if I should share it.

I'm at a loss for words regarding what I want to say, and sometimes I don't feel like saying a single thing.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

This Girl Is On Fire

Thirteen has long been my lucky number.

It started way back when I was, appropriately, 13-years-old. I was at a school carnival at the Edwin H. Greene Intermediate School with friends and trying my luck at the middle school, high-stakes gambling game of Cake Walk.

For those of you not familiar, a cake walk is a simple game that gives rise to that old expression, "It's a cake walk," because it's easy.

A cake walk involves taping numbered placards on the floor in a circle and inviting participants to walk from number to number while a song is playing. During this era, I'm sure the tape player cranked out the stylings of Salt 'N Pepa or NKOTB.

Like I said, this was a long time ago.

Anyway. Cake walk. There I am, gingerly stepping from one piece of construction paper to the next, when the music halted. The number 13 was called, and I found myself the winner of a cake (donated by one of the PTA moms, but made by Kroger).

On that hallowed day, I went home with not one but two amazing, store-made cakes. Both thanks to the number 13. I thought I was a champion, a hero, a celebrity.

Ah, the simple joys of being an admittedly nerdy/dorky 13-year-old girl.

So, it is with pause and anticipation that I welcome the arrival of 2013. This year is the first of my life to bear my lucky number - the first year to offer so much promise and opportunity.

And I'm already welcoming those hopeful moments.

Some friends and I have started reading The Happiness Project. It is a great book that helps you set your intentions as opposed to making half-hearted resolutions. The book compliments some work I'm doing as a participant in the Cincinnati Chamber's WE Lead program, which is a fantastic, year-long program that focuses on female leadership development.

Both efforts involve setting personal goals and keeping track with measurable results and accountability. The accountability is what keeps me focused on sticking with my goals.

To that end, I've developed three goals for the month of January: Purging, Exercise & Running, and Meaningful Moments.

• Purging: As an innate pack rat (it's a trait I inherited from both parents), I hold on to items that are sentimental or possibly useful in the future. My 1996 era, Kentucky Wildcat-branded Coca Cola bottles are sentimental, but do they deserve a place among my possessions? That's a decision I'll have to make in the year ahead. I'm working to purge one thing everyday.
• Exercise & Running: A year ago I ran three half-marathons and was in the best shape of my life. I loved the focus and structure running brought to my life, and I also enjoyed the healthy benefits. It's time to revive the habit of regular exercise and running. I'm striving to run every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and will schedule other moments of exercise on the off days. My two-mile round trip walk to work doesn't count.
• Meaningful Moments: Living alone, it's easy to cast off my coat and bags and make way for the couch when I arrive home after work. This pattern of behavior (and some other recent trends of withdrawal) has made me feel very isolated and lazy. I'm forcing myself to engage in a meaningful moment everyday, whether that be a phone call with a family member, time to read a book, or dinner with a friend. I need to eschew the easy pattern of lazing around and watching television at night.

These are my three goals for January, and so far I've done a good job of sticking with my objectives (87 percent success rate according to my inner nerd). 

Every day is a fight, and so far I feel like I'm throwing left hooks like Rocky.

Bring it, 2013.

Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

2012: Looking Back and Letting Go

What a year it was.

The past 365 days gave me a good many opportunities to learn, grow and make mistakes. But I also experienced a few points of celebration that will keep me going and pushing for bigger wins in the year ahead. A few of the highlights.

• I can run. I've never been regarded as an athlete, but 2012 ushered in the opportunity for me to complete three half-marathons. I only walked about half a mile in the first race and I consider that a real triumph for me. I've since lost my running habit but I intend on reviving it to take on new adventures in 2013.

• I can love. This past year reminded me that I know how to love, but also the hard lesson that a relationship involves hard work by both parties. I discovered I have a generous heart and lots of passion, and those two traits aren't enough to make a relationship work. I'm counting on 2013 to bring on new chances for love and occasions when I can open up and be myself with someone I care about.

• I have wonderful friends. There's a world of difference between knowing lots of people and having close relationships, and in 2012 I pulled back from "the scene" to work on the latter. From the Chinatown Bus to an invisible bat in my apartment, my friends have joined me for adventure and have offered limitless support. I've also learned some people are meant to be in our lives despite our best efforts to sever ties. I'm grateful 2012 returned to me one of my closest relationships.

• I thrive when I work in a place that lets me do my thing. This past year brought with it the opportunity to work in a new environment with talented people tackling incredibly creative projects. I am so grateful for the chance to play with my words, to be a leader, and to grow the experiences on my CV. I can't wait to see what new professional experiences 2013 brings with it.

Looking forward, I know 2013 is going to be another great opportunity for growth. April brings with it a trip to Dubai and Bangkok; I thrive when I have the chance to experience some adventure, and trekking to the Middle East and Asia will stoke the fires of my passion and yearning for discovery.

May you find peace with the year behind you and look at every experience as an opportunity for growth and learning. And here's to hoping 2013 brings us all great peace and prosperity, happiness and bountiful love with family and friends.

XOXO,

Katy

Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

$5 to $500 - The Best Gifts For The Lady On Your List

It's the thought that counts, really.

But when you get right down to it, the holidays can be a well intentioned horror flick full of stress, shopping mall road rage, and terror induced by Seasonal Affected Disorder.

SAD, indeed.

Rather than crunch the numbers and gnash your teeth over holiday gift giving, here's a great list of last minute items to pick up for girlfriends, sisters, spouses and "work wives."

$5 - A Boot of Beer and a Taco at Bakersfield

Sometimes the best gift you can give someone is the gift of your time. And a quality moment at Bakersfield is a perfect way to share that gift - especially when the gift involves beer and a delicious, freshly made taco. Bakersfield sells $2 glass boots of draft PBR and several of its tacos are $3 a piece. What better way to give a cost effective, quality gift? I dig it. 1200 block of Vine St. in Over-the-Rhine.


$10 - Keep Buzzin' Tangerine Hand Cream

Perhaps the best hand cream I've ever used, Keep Buzzin' is 100 percent natural and sustainable, and made in the good 'ol U. S. of A. You can get yours in a variety of scents including fresh lemon and lavender; I went crazy for the tangerine. I picked up mine for around $10 at Park + Vine at 1202 Main St.


$25 - ModelCo Fibre Lashxtend Lengthening Mascara

Some ladies forgo making an investment in their mascara, instead sticking with the much heralded, tried-and-true "Pink and Green" tube from the drug store. If your lady friend is one of those gals, surprise her with this phenomenal lash extender from ModelCo. The formula includes tiny fibers that attach themselves to the end of your lashes, giving you a longer, fuller look. I got a tube in my monthly Birchbox subscription a month ago and my eyes haven't been the same. Bonus: One length of the tube is covered with a mirror, giving you an easy vantage point for on-the-go touch ups. $24 at Birchbox.

$50 - Many Beautiful Things at Mannequin Boutique

Some of you may be lamenting a popular chorus this time of year: "She has everything! I just don't know what kind of gift to give the woman who has everything!" The answer is easy - vintage. Mannequin is a vintage resale shop that features a variety of gently used designer pieces and vintage goods. A quick perusal through the store and you'll see familiar labels like Chanel, Prada and Manolo Blahnik. But you'll also know many beautiful pieces that hearken back to another time when people enjoyed finer, well made things. In the $50 price range you can score a variety of items including darling, structured handbags from the 1940s or chunky, on-trend accessories straight from New York.

And the proceeds from every purchase go to seven local non-profits including Freestore Foodbank, Lighthouse Youth Services, Stop Aids, and UCAN Spay/Neuter Clinic. 1400 block of Vine St., OtR.


$100 - A Pair of Tickets to Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a vibrant, creative enterprise that draws thousands of theatre fans to Over-the-Rhine every year. From productions ranging to the deep and powerful Good People, to the silly and trippy Alice in Wonderland, this venue is a delightful little theatre amidst the restaurants at 12th and Vine. You can score a pair of tickets to any show for $84 or less.

$250 - A Bottle of Bond No. 9

My favorite fragrance line came out with a new scent this fall - Manhattan - and it would make a perfect winter fragrance. Its top notes include hints of nutmeg and coriander, supported by wafts of chocolate and gingerbread. A musky scent, it's bold enough for winter and is sure to stand out from everybody else's flowery perfumes. $190 for 50 ml; $270 for 100 ml.


$500 - Elsa Peretti Open Bottle Pendant at Tiffany & Co.

Let's be honest. Any girl will squeal with giddy delight upon receiving a Tiffany box in Pantone 1837 (yes, Tiffany has its own Pantone color. But I digress). I've envied this design ever since I was a tween. Its graceful curves and practical applications are limitless. You could pour a bit of your signature fragrance in it, allowing the scent to warm as the flask rests upon your decolletage. You could also turn it into a sneaky, tethered shot glass - perfect for stealing a nip during a mind numbing meeting.

The chain is 28 inches long and the bottle is 45 mm by 35 mm. $495 at the Tiffany & Co. at 5th and Vine.


Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.