Two for One Festival WEEKEND!

Richmond's Big Fat Greek Festival!

It is that most wonderful time of the year known as Greek Festival time! In addition to celebrating the 38th year of stuffing our faces with Mousakka, Spanakopita, Souvlaki and Galaktoboureko, this Sunday is a newer Richmond favorite, Broad Appetit. These are two of our very favorite festivals... we are so excited, we can barely sit still!

Greek Festival is a staple for us and holds many fond memories. Like the time we walked there in the rain, or the time we had a bottle of chilled red wine waiting in line for food and then another with our food. Or the time Heather dropped her gyro on the first bite and was gifted a fresh one (that she manged to fully consume). Or that time we ate in Kate and her hubby's yard because they lived two blocks away and we saw a double rainbow. Or that time we went for both lunch and dinner all weekend or that time.....well you get the point-we have had some fun at the Greek Festival!

The Greek Festival runs Thursday - Sunday at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral. If you plan on attending during typical meal hours, be prepared to wait in line. But it will be worth it!

Broad Appetit is a completely different experience but it is a delightfully yummy festive event. It's such a great opportunity to try that new restaurant, or that not so new one you've always wanted to try! With over 50 restaurants participating and just $3 per small plate, it's easy to find your new favorite. This one day event is on Sunday, June 2, from 11-6. Plan on coming early for this one, as the best goodies sell out fast!

We will be full and happy this weekend!

Oh, and if that's not enough, don't forget Friday Cheers,  the dozen or so Farmer's Markets, and Bel Biv Devoe will be at the Stone Soul Music and Food Festival at RIR. (Did I just put "That girl is poisoooooon!" in your head? You are so welcome!)

Opa! Happy Festivaling!

Cheers,

K&H

Seriously?? Are you kidding me?!?

Seriously? Are you kidding me?!? Hey there "that guy", not in my town. 

May one not ruin it for all. By now you know Cocktails and Glitter LOVES festivals and all things Richmond. It's also no secret that we are in very good company with our fellow Richmonders. 

Richmond is lucky to have not only the variety and great number of festivals in our city, but so many of them are high quality/well organized events! We are lucky to have such talented local and national acts grace the stages, not to mention the seemingly endless number of unique and beautiful venues. We are lucky to have wild and wonderful, kooky and brilliant and pure genius themes for our festivals. (Genius and brilliant clearly describe the up coming and new festivals of RVA Streets Alive and the first (hopefully annual) Bacon Festival.)  We are very, very lucky and very, very spoiled to have these quality events in our backyard, so let's not take it for granted and not let "that guy" ruin it for the rest of us. 

(We are using "that guy" in a generic sense for any and all guys or gals who choose to be the poorest representation of themselves and end up connecting their idiot behavior to Richmond.)

Hey there "that guy," you do not have permission to misrepresent our town with "that guy" behavior. If you can't be a positive part of the awesomeness that is Richmond, then stay home. Don't be that one person who ruins it for the masses. Don't be the one to make our awesome city look bad.

For those of you set on being "that guy" congratulations, you are an idiot.  May the decisions you make at 19 not follow you through life forever....oh wait, felonies are forever. If all your aspire to be is a belligerent, drunk, idiot with YouTube hits, film yourselves at home not at our festivals. Yes, that is directed to "that guy" from Shamrock the Block, you too are an idiot. Also, making the idiot list is "that guy" who vandalized the Virginia Tourism LOVE artwork, seriously, are you kidding me!?!

People work extremely hard to organize and bring these events and festivals to our great town. Don't insult their hard work. Maybe part of the punishment for "that guy" who makes a mockery of RVA events should be required to work without pay from start to finish on an event. Once you learn all the work that  goes into make a few hours awesome, maybe you'll think twice about being "that guy". 

Luckily it sounds like "Toots" won't hold a grudge against River City, even with his souvenir of 7 stitches . We hope to see Toots & the Maytals back soon

"That guy" goes far beyond the bad behavior that make it to the local (or national) news. If you pay to attend a concert, don't talk loudly during the entire performance or shout at the stage every time. The folks sitting around you payed to hear the music, not you. And if you plan on drinking gallons of beer that requires many trips to the beer tent and port-o-potties, hang out on the edge of the crowd, not in the middle. Nothing disrupts a rock out moment like "that guy" stepping on your toes for the 5th time, or worse, spilling beer on you! Remember, this event is not just for you, it's for everyone to enjoy.

Iron and Wine at Groovin' in the Garden. Can you spot "that guy"?

For those out to have a good time at all the events and festivals over the weekend, we hope you enjoyed yourselves and really hope that "that guy" did not ruin your fun. We did not let anyone ruin our weekend festival fun! We enjoyed the jams of Iron and Wine at Lewis Ginter's Groovin in the Garden concert series on Thursday, had dinner at the Lebanese Food Festival on Saturday and heard all kinds of great stories about the Riverrock run on Friday and cool water events all weekend. 

Just around the corner is the Greek Festival & Broad Appetit, two of Cocktails and Glitter's favorite festivals! Keep an eye for our posting about that in a few weeks.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Cheers!
K&H 

PS- Share your most irritating "that guy" experience in the comments. Get it out of your system!

Happy Mother’s Day!

A Love Letter to Our Moms

Wonder Woman a.k.a.Mom!

How do you say I love you and thank you enough when it comes to mom? As long as you say it often taking advantage of every opportunity and on occasion creating a moment to do so, it just may be enough. The good thing is that they already know how loved and thanked they are because they are moms and they know everything. It is true- they do know all!

Funny thing about parents, moms especially, as children we place them on a pedestal they are our heroes with all the magic powers, then at some point we pass into this phase of life where we view them as humans, flawed humans to be exact, and we drop them from that pedestal. Then, something wonderful happens and we move into the next phrase of life where we grow up and get over ourselves. In this phase we realize we are all flawed humans and those flaws make us who we are. Those flaws prove resilience and depth, growth and acceptance, humility and grace and so much more. They are no longer flaws they are just beautiful parts and pieces contributing to the makeup of our moms (parents) and our own makeup. 

Heather and her Mom

In our moment of realization and acceptance of flaws as a part of life and existence, our parents, especially our mothers, are returned to their pedestal and we again see them as our heroes, our beautifully flawed human heroes. 

Their magic powers have no end and their role in our lives knows no bounds. 

They have loved us unconditionally since before we were born and every day

after. They have fiercely protected us, they have disciplined us, they have taught us the virtues of life and many a life lesson. They have challenged us and been challenged by us showing their strength and endurance, while, teaching us strength and endurance.

They have given us the tools to become beautiful flawed humans, supporting us every step of the way. Offering forgiveness and understanding of our flaws with unwavering fortitude at every turn.

Our moms have been there and will always be there to cheer us on and to pick us up when we fall. Ours moms are the loudest cheering section and kind voices in time of need.

Kate and her Mom

Our moms have done an incredible thing-they created a life, our lives, (yes dad was there, but he gets his props next month) and then they nurtured us at every phase of life without question, always with patience, sometime enlisting an army of saints to do so, but they did it. How moms (parents) do it day in and day out, we have no idea! But we take our hats off to them and salute the job well done.

We may not see you as much as we would like, yet we see so much of you in ourselves each time we look in the mirror. We hear ourselves sounding like you and we smile. We are becoming more and more like our mothers and it is a beautiful thing.

We are so grateful you are our beautiful heroes and that we get to call you by your hero name of mom. There is no one like you and you are amazing. It is an honor and a gift to claim you as ours and to share you with the world. 

Thank you. Love you. 

Cheers!

K&H

P.S. Check out this blog posting about the Go! Discover Richmond walk held last weekend.  Seriously, go explore this awesome town! 

Just another weekend in RVA!

Richmond rocked this weekend with events like First Fridays, Friday Cheers, Arts in the Park, Go! Discover Richmond 10k walk, Farmers Markets, ¿Qué Pasa? Festival, Kentucky Derby Party and Cinco de Mayo...there wasn't a dull moment!  

Even man's best friend got in on the festival action with Woofstock.  A celebration of the pooch held at Festival Park (downtown next to the Coliseum) benefiting the Richmond Animal League.  

We weren't able to enjoy all the events around town but those we did enjoy were well done, lots of fun and showcased the best of Richmond. 

The weather was perfect for an evening strolling art at First Fridays Art Walk and getting lost in the sounds of Shovels and Rope and Hayes Carll down on Brown's Island for Friday Cheers. 

Saturday, was an early morning start with the Times-Dispatch Go! Discover Richmond 10K walk, which started and ended at the Virginia War Memorial.  This was an incredible event that showed off this town in grand style. Everyone should Go! Discover Richmond! We know the neighborhoods and we know the landmarks because we pass them all the time, but how often do we take the time to really explore all the beauty and history that makes Richmond remarkable and unique? If you have ever uttered the phrase “I’ve lived here for years/my whole life and have never been to fill in the blank” change that now! Challenge yourself to discover RVA by visiting not just passing a park, a landmark, a museum, a neighborhood...we have it all so take your pick, discover, and enjoy.

After the walk it was time for shopping at not 1 but 2 Farmers Markets!  South of the James farmers market in Forest Hill Park then a mini market at the Urban Farmhouse Market & Café, Midlothian. Then it was time for the fastest 2 minutes in sports. Fabulous hat, check. Fancy bourbon drink, check. Friendly winning wager placed on Orb, check. Derby day is so much fun!  

Sunday Funday was fairly low key spent enjoying a Cinco de Mayo margarita.

And that folks is just another weekend in RVA! 

Stay tuned this month as we heart our moms and get a little crazy over the food truck court phenomenon and more farmers markets fun!

Cheers,
K&H
 


 

Will Run for Beer!

Last Thursday we completed the Hardywood Twilight 4 miler, our second race of the year- 5 days after our first race of the year! A few mishaps turned us back into walkers (Kate was recovering from a stomach virus that's only plus was a 6 pound weight loss in 36 hours, and Heather suffered an undefined knee injury during the race). We will be registering for a 3rd race soon- let us know if you have any recommendations for us!

 This was the first year Hardywood has had a race, which they dubbed The Block Party with a 4 Mile Cover Charge. Overall, everything ran smoothly (except for Heather's knee)! We thought it was well executed- enough space for everyone to hang before and after the race, plenty of parking down the street at the Diamond, and a friendly crowd.  As with any new event, some improvements could be made. Here are some kuddos and suggestions for next year:

Kuddos:

• Really smart to have a drink ticket for runners attached to the bib.
• Pre-sale drink tickets during packet pickup- genius!
• Police support at intersections was fantastic! Thanks guys and gals for all that you do everyday.
• The community support in the fan was amazing. It's great to have a cheering section as you run though the fan!
• The signage at the race and along the way was fun, especially at the end when we needed a laugh.
• The free parking at the Diamond was greatly appreciated. Plus the half mile or so walk to the race was a good warm up.
• Really well staffed with volunteers/staff throughout the entire event.
• We LOVED the course!

Suggestions:

• A few signs marking the distance just to let you know how far you've come and how far you have to go.
• Cuter tee shirts. We actually liked the ones the volunteers and staff had a lot. The grey ones with the logo was a bit masculine for us.
• One more beer truck to help alleviate the long post race lines. 
• Add a second hand washing station by the port-o-potties.
• Spread out the heats at the starting line- we started back with the "Will Walk for Beer" group, but were surrounded by folks running once we were off.
• An MC to announce what was going on.
• A better defined Finish Line. It was a bit anticlimactic at the end- I mean, we just did 4 miles! We needed something more impressive!

We can't wait to run this race next year! We hope you'll join us!

Heather, Kate and Ashley post race

Our reward for running! (by that we mean mostly walking)

Cheers!

K&H

Color Us Awesome!!!

Is there something in my hair?

Last Saturday, we ran the Color Me Rad 5k and had a fantastic time!  And, by ran we mean ran non-stop the entire 3.1 miles in approximately 36 minutes! We are proud and have no problem bragging about our success. Hoping for repeat success this Thursday, at the Hardywood Brewery Twilight 4 Miler.  

Before and after the race with Team Zing Zang!

Lovely shoes, Heather, Nicole, Kate & Mary

Kate & Heather, looking and feeling fabulous!

This is how team Zing Zang celebrates!

Cheers! 
K&H

Beer Festival, you broke my heart!

Festival Junkie!

Kate here, known to many as a festival junkie. I just love a good gathering of folks to celebrate something random, especially if it's food! Going to college in eastern North Carolina, I spent many a weekend day celebrating watermelons, azaleas, Pepsi (although I'm still on team Coke) and collards. These festivals were celebrated in small, rural communities, complete with a parade, a Queen and LOTS of funnel cake. When I moved to Richmond in 2000, I was ecstatic when I learned of the many fabulous urban festivals the city had to offer. Some of my favorites include Broad Appetit, Lebanese Food Festival, Richmond Vegetarian Festival, Greek Festival, and the Folk Festival. When I heard that Carytown was putting on a craft beer festival, I had high hopes for another great festival to add to the list.

We got our tickets a few days before the event, knowing that the great weather forecast and the love that Richmonders have for festivals and beer was giving the festival a good chance of selling out. I will say, we were a bit hesitant at $15 bucks a pop, but decided it would be worth it for the tastings and the pint glass. Based on conversations with friends, purchasing the tickets in advance was smart, as many folks waited 45+ minutes just to buy their tickets, and had to pay $20 each.

So here's what I liked about the festival. It's a good idea, no, a GREAT idea. The local beer scene is booming, and it's awesome to see a festival to enlighten Richmonders that there is more beer out there beyond PBR and Bud Light. From what I was able to see, the selection was decent- some local favorites like Starr Hill and Devil's Backbone, and some breweries my husband and I hadn't heard of (Lickinghole Creek? Awesome!). The staff and volunteers we interacted with were in great spirits and super friendly, and since we had our tickets, we got in the gates really quick. And as with any festival, I enjoyed running into people I haven't seen in a while and catching up.

However, it was poorly planned for the crowd. Cary Court is just too small of a space for the number of tickets that were sold. The event was 12-6, and we arrived after 1pm. The pint glasses were long gone, so we were given a plastic cup for sampling. Then we had to figure out what was going on. The whole area was a just bunch of lines going one way and another. It was difficult to figure out what line was for what brewery or food vendor. In fact, we tried to work our way near the beer tents, and follow the line from the front to get to the end. The first line we got in moved pretty quickly. Unfortunately we didn't have the beer & vendor list (none to be found when we arrived), and this particular brewery had two beers available to choose from, neither style was one we enjoy. We took our samples (maybe 3 ounces?) and got into another line. That line was a bit longer. After one hour, two small samples, we were ready to go. It was also a shame that you had to choose only one of two beers at each tent- if you wanted to try the other one, back to the end of the line!

We knew going into this that it was going to be crowded. But it was uncomfortably packed. Fortunately everyone that we encountered was in a pleasant mood, despite the lines. You could tell everyone was frustrated, and disappointed, but tried to make the most of it. I left feeling exactly that. We toyed with the idea of trying to go back later in the day, but it didn't happen. I checked out the Facebook posts later, and it sounds like we were not alone.

I hope the organizers try again, and I hope they plan smarter. The layout of the beer vendors was actually good, just way too many people to make it work. Consider blocking off the streets for a few blocks to help spread out the crowd.  Better estimate the number of pint glasses (Yes, I know it said "While supplies last" in small letters, but folks coming in less than an hour of the festival didn't get glasses). Offer water dispensers for the Designated Drivers as well for the beer drinkers. Better estimate the capacity of the area and only sell tickets for that capacity. You can count on it selling out- it's a great weather month & we love beer!

Did anyone else brave the festival? How was your experience?

Until the next festival,

Kate

Sunshine Fun Times

The sun is finally shining and Spring is in full swing!  Flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, fresh air is filling the house through open windows…life is good.

 Can’t you just hear the birds in symphony?

As we are always looking for an excuse to have a party we had an impromptu gathering last Wednesday to celebrate our friend Ashley’s birthday.  Yes, even though it was her birthday our get together was very impromptu.  You know how we love birthdays and gatherings.  

 “That’s what life is all about: Let’s have a party. Let’s have it tonight.”   

Lilly Pulitzer 1931-2013

Give us an hour and we will have us a party!

The Birthday girl was supposed to go to see Morrissey, but since he cancelled- party time! 

Saturday’s great weather brought success and fun to Kate’s yard sale. Friends Kri and Martin brought about 1,200 records, which were all sold! Another friend Nicole got ride of a car load of stuff too. Kri got her craft on and made a bunch of bowls from scratched up records. Kate whipped up some wine bags, which were used for bartering goods and as a thank you gift to our Bloody Mary bartender, Mary (Or should I say Bloody Mary Mary?). At the end of the day we have a little more cash in our wallets, but more importantly, the basement has less junk in it!

It's always wine time!

Can't think of a groovier way to serve chips!

Next on the Nitty Gritty projects list for the month: gardening and lots of yard work, spring organizing of the home office, playing with chalk board paint, outdoor pergola curtains and much much more! As we complete these projects, we plan to post plenty of pictures and any how-to-dos!

Tonight we are headed back to class one more time to view the presentations put together by the PR and Brand Promotion class at VCU based on our guest speaking visit from last week. We are looking forward to hearing their insights on how to make Cocktails and Glitter the best blog ever!

Tomorrow we have book club with one of the coolest, funniest, smartest groups of ladies you will ever meet. Our book club rocks! We will be discussing over yummy food and wine State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. The last chapter will blow you away.

This weekend is the Monument 10K. Heather will be cheering on her dear friend Lauren who will be in town to run the 10K in support of Comfort Camp.  Sunday Funday will be spent in Carytown at the Carytown Beer Festival! 

Next weekend is our moment of truth as we take on the Color Me Rad run April 20, 2013 with our team the Zing Zangs! Time to cram in a little last minute training!

Cheers!

K&H

Back to School

Last night we had the privilege of being guest speakers at VCU's PR and Brand Promotion class. Our little ole blog is one of their class projects to review and come up with recommendations. We had a great time and loved hearing everyone's thoughts and suggestions. We can't wait to hear the final presentations! Thanks!

Keeping it classy at VCU

Eggs anyone?

Greetings!

It has been a busy and exciting week! Here are some highlights:

• Happy Hour at Fat Dragon. This was our first HH at Fat Dragon, and we had a fantastic time! The food and drink specials were great- $2 off of apps, $3.50 rail drinks (their rails were not crap liquor- decent stuff), $2 off drafts, and $5 wine by the glass selection. We will definitely be going back- we give 10 martinis- a perfect score!
• Three Sheets to the Wind put on a great show at the National on Friday!  They are always a blast to watch, and the crowd was clearly having an awesome time. We can't wait until their next show!

  

  It was a smooth time had by all.



Buffalo Deviled Eggs? Yes, please!

• Easter for both us of had last minute changes in plans. The weather was not stellar in Richmond- so neither of us made it to Monument Ave for Easter on Parade. Due to unforeseen circumstances, both our Easter dinner plans were cancelled, leaving us both with dozens of boiled eggs, ready to be deviled. We are trying to be creative in how to use these eggs: Egg salad and several twists on deviling have been consumed in the last few days by us and our husbands. Check out our Pinterest page for some ideas!

April is already in full swing with many happenings around town. The Richmond Flying Squirrels have their opening game on April 4th, complete with fireworks after the show. Spring break is happening for most schools this week, so the museums and parks have plenty going on for families. We are about to find out if all our training has paid off for the upcoming running races this month. Everyone in town seems to be training for something- the Monument Ave 10k, Color Me Rad, Hardywood 4miler...and many more! Search for more races here. We also learned today that one of our favorite radio programs, Prairie Home Companion, will be coming to Maymont this summer as part of the Groovin' concert series! Tickets go on sale next week.

Since many of us are hitting the pavement, either in running shoes or sandals, here's a friendly reminder for the gals out there: It's time for a pedi! Whether you do one at home or hit the salon, it is that time of year to make your toes and feet look great. Guys, you may want to consider it too.

Kate and her hubby are planning a spring yard sale for the weekend and are looking forward to the extra space in the basement! Whatever money is made will be going toward outdoor improvement projects. If you're on the Northside of Richmond this Saturday (April 6th, 9-1) come on by and check it out!  The weather is going to be great for a little outdoor shopping. No early birds, but we will be open to a Bloody Mary on the porch with you during the sale!

The sign is the hook to reel in your customers! BUY BUY BUY!!!

Congratulations to our friends Meghan and Travis on the Easter arrival of their little boy! He surprised everyone by coming a few weeks early, but everyone is doing great. We have been over the moon with excitement for this arrival, even if it means Kate has a ton of eggs to eat.

Cheers,

K&H