Shop RVA

Shop LOCAL and keep it close to home this holiday season!

Every year we (Kate & Heather) have a holiday shopping day. Kate takes the day off of work so we can avoid the weekend craziness. We start early and keep going until our lists are complete and/or it is time for Happy Hour!  These are marathon shopping events, they are a blast and have been hugely successful in the past. Most years we have hit the big chains and have gone from the city to the suburbs and back again. However, this year we are keeping it LOCAL. It is a fun challenge that we are ready and willing to embrace. 75% of the shopping we do daily is already on a LOCAL level but this holiday season the goal is 100% LOCAL. With the number of incredibly clever, innovative, practical, artistic and just down right fun shops in RVA we have this challenge in the bag...the locally purchased reuseable holiday shopping bag that is...BOOM!

This year the calendar is marked for us to shop on Friday, December 13, 2013!  We will also be shopping on Small Business Saturday, November 30, 2013 and Saturday, December 14, 2013 in support of Think. Shop. Buy. Local. 

Below is a sampling of some of the awesome LOCAL shops we will be visiting on our shopping days:

Carytown Bikes 

For the Love of Chocolate

Franklin Goose 

La Difference 

Lex's of Carytown 

Modern Artifacts 

Mongrel

Bygones!

Murphries

O Virginia

Orange

Original Gravity

Plan 9

Richmond Camera  

Ruth and Ollie 

RVA news

Schwarzchild

World of Mirth 

Many of these are in Carytown or nearby but we won't forget all the great small LOCAL businesses and shops all over the city. On the Northside-anything along Hermitage and of course those shops on MacArthur Avenue-the Bellevue Shopping District.  Southside and the Near West End we'll visit such as the shops at Libbie and Grove and The Shops at 5807. We know there are a couple of gems in the Short Pump area like Tweed but we will be staying away from that area this year avoiding the chains, traffic and malls. 

Other wonderful shops to explore this holiday season are those located in all the amazing museums in town. Can't find a gift in the museum shop? Give a membership to any of these cultural and very cool museums. 

Whether you favor the idea of a downtown baseball stadium or not (not) we are all in favor or supporting our local team so get some Squirrels gear this holiday season from the Squirrels Nest.  Heck it could be your last trip to the Diamond...pause for a tear.

The gift of an experience and an adventure is always a route worth exploring.  One of the best ways to do this is in the form of a gift card, it really does take time to shop for gift cards and any gift is something thoughtful and to be appreciated.  An evening at the theater is always lovely be it the Byrd, The Carpenter Center or The Landmark.  Give the gift of a meal by giving a gift card to any of the culinary hot spots in RVA or let someone get their own culinary genius on with a gift card to these local food shops Bombolini Pasta, Ellwood Thompsons, Little House Green Grocery. Cocktails and Glitter is always fond of the gift of a liquid beverage of local beers, ciders and wines!  Check out these links to find the perfect beverage for your friends and family.  Better yet give the gift of taking someone on a tour of breweries and wineries. A subscription to Richmond Magazine is always a winner and of course supports local publications and all things local for that matter...if you actually know someone that doesn't have a subscription to Richmond Mag!

Can you keep it LOCAL this holiday season? Join us in this challenge and see how well you do. We will post our progress on Facebook and Pinterest!

Happy Shopping!

Cheers!
K&H

P.S. Last week we had Happy Hour at Mellow Mushroom in Carytown. We had time to kill before going to a holiday shopping event at Orange.  If you are not familiar with Orange, you need to be- it is awesome!  Mellow Mushroom rated 4 out of 5 martinis. We know it is a chain but it is in Carytown. They took the former Plan 9 location and turned it into a hip fun joint paying homage to Plan 9 and RVA in the fantastic artwork murals. The staff was wonderful, the snack of house made beer cheese and soft pretzels hit the spot and the bathrooms are some of the nicest in Richmond! Plenty of room at the bar for large groups. Minor drawbacks are the early Happy Hour of 3-6pm and though they have drink discounts there are not any food deals. We say go for the bathrooms but stay for some beer cheese, a slice and a local brew.

Veterans...

We thank you. 

Thank you for your service to our country, for your selfless commitment and for the sacrifice you and your family make everyday protecting those you know and love and those you don't.


We honor you and thank you.

Cheers!

K&H 

Shave the Date for Movember!

Long live the mustache!

This October, Cocktails and Glitter christened the month of October as "Boob-tober" to celebrate the beauty of the breast and to highlight the importance of female health. All over the world, the month of October has been embraced for this purpose celebrating female health loud and proud and in every shade of pink under the rainbow. But what month is dedicated to promoting men's health? Women will talk about health and everything else but men, on the other hand, play the strong silence type and rarely voice issues pertaining to their own health. Well, way back in 1994 a group of Australia men got together in a pub and over a few pints and came up with the idea of Movember! With the first tagline and tee shirt logo of "Growing whiskers for whiskers." Ahhh the pub, a few pints and a cocktail napkin and you have some of the best ideas ever. 

Movember is a mash up of "Moustache" and "November." The point is to publicly discuss and promote men's health by raising funds and awareness. In 2004 the cause got a serge and the Movember movement has steadily taken hold not only in Australia but all over the world, each and every continent is in support of Movember!  In 2011 Canada was the leading country of contributors to Movember charities! 

In 2012, over 1.1 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas around the world joined the movement, raising USD $147.0 million. In the US, over 209,000 Mo’s raised $21.0 million.

It seems that men are not being so silent anymore where their health is concerned and instead are getting on board with this important cause and are having fun with it. Google has gotten involved, so has Tom's Shoes, and then there are the events all over the world such as the Stache Dash, Mustache March (which technically happens in March), No Shave November (also known as Noshember) and many, many, more. 

One of the newest and funnest (I know not a word, but it is now) ways that men and women are getting the message out is with the launch of The Moscars.  The Moscars are a contest for short and clever videos that bring attention to men's health issues in some of the most hilarious ways possible.



Movember is not just for the gents the ladies can get involved as well by being a Mo Sista!  Mo Sistas do not have to sport a mustache, just support the men, a.k.a Mo Bros, in their lives and the cause at hand.  You better believe Cocktails and Glitter founders Kate and Heather are Mo Sistas and we hope you will join us in supporting all the Mo Bros in your life.  Each Movember Heather gives Boo a mustache themed Movember gift! With the recent popularity of the stache it isn't hard to find fun goodies. One of the best places to score a mustache inspired item is Mongrel in Carytown.  

If you are having a hard time figuring out what style Mo your Mo Bro may want to fashion here is a guide.

Cheers!

K&H

P.S. We found out how mom's can eat free at Social52---your mom can eat free at Social 52 if you are an adult with an income.  Meaning you hopefully live on your own (not in mom's basement, but if you do that is fine too), have a job that provides a living wage, you invest in your 401K or at least know what a 401K is, have gotten over the teenage years of thinking mom knows nothing and you know everything and you can admit you were wrong so so wrong-then your mom can eat free at Social52.



  

We Like Them Apples

We like them a lot!

Picked right off the tree to heavy bags to overflowing bowlfuls to yummy creations! Apple sauce, apple butter, caramel apples, apple fitters, apple muffins, apple cakes, apple cookies and a crafty little wreath. How 'bout them apples!

It is that most wonderful time of the year for heading up the mountain and picking apples. We like to go to Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville. The drive is short and easy, the apples are delicious and the picking is fun! If that weren't enough, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable and sometimes there is live music to really set the mood. You can enjoy a tasting of Virginia wines and buy a bottle to enjoy with your picnic lunch! The hay wagon ride is a also must. But the best part of all are the apple cider donuts- Some folks go just for the donuts! If you manage to get down the mountain with any donuts left you have the greatest self control know to humankind! Slightly dramatic of a statement but not completely untrue all the same! Check out our Pinterest page for apple ideas.

The season isn't over try this link for other great spots for apple picking in Virginia.

As if the joy of apple season isn't overwhelmingly wonderful enough, it is also that other most wonderful time of the year known as the Brunswick Stew Festival. We are talking stew people!  STEW!!!!! The best most wonderful most delicious most amazing STEW!  It is a top 5 favorite festival of Cocktails and Glitter! After, you have a belly full of stew it is time to head to the river for the Urbanna Oyster Festival and continue the fest with fresh oysters prepared every way imaginable.

We had a low key Happy Hour at Social 52 (the former Avalon). They were able to successfully close Avalon and open Social 52 in a fairly short amount of time and have now been open for about 2 months. The rooms feel much more open than before with exposed brick and reclaimed wood and definitely open up the place. With plenty of room at the bar and additional bar tables, it is a great Happy Hour spot for a large group. Their "social hour" deals are good, especially the half price flat-breads, which are ample in portion, cleverly named (as is most everything else on the menu) and topped with creative ingredients. Bathroom was boring, but at least clean. Has a WOW factor in that moms eat free at brunch! We forgot to ask the details on this but come on, that is just cool whether we know what it means or not...right? Ok, you're right we should have the 411. Take your mom there and find out the deal and let us know on our facebook page. But don't get suckered by the Bacon Chopped salad- it was very disappointing (lettuce with house made bacon bits---lame-o). Thankfully everything else was a hit and we would recommend it giving it 4.5 martinis.

One last thing, a shout out to two of our girlfriends who have not lost the art of the thank you note. The same day as that post we both had fun mail in the mailbox in the form of thank you notes from two great ladies. But these are two of the gals we were talking about it in that post that are always on top it. Thank you ladies for being awesome!



Cheers, 
K&H


P.S. Due to technical difficulties we were unable to post last week and apologize for the delay this week.  Stupid (wonderful) stupid (kinda awesome) stupid (whatever) technology!

The Lost Art of Thank You

The Thank You note that is or any written note or card be it for saying "thanks" or just to say I was thinking about you. 

Why is it that the simple, beautiful, thoughtful act of saying "Thank You" in the written form has become a lost art?  Why do we think a short-hand text message is an acceptable way to wish someone a Happy Birthday?  Why do children no longer have to write thank you notes for gifts?  Why is Facebook the only place to tell people what is happening in your world?  Gosh, you hardly even get a paper invitation to events anymore, God help us when wedding invitations go digital! 

Why, Why, Why? 

Ahhh, yes, because life is hectic and constantly in warp speed motion.  Clearly, we understand social media is a powerful and when used properly wonderful tool for communication, but it is not the only form of communication.  Sure an e-mail gets the job done in a pinch, and any acknowledge of thanks is never a bad thing, however, there is something so special and meaningful about a note of gratitude or love sent by mail.  Isn't there a part of you that goes to the mailbox hoping for fun mail mixed in with the junk mail and bills?  We sure do! 

Remember when folks used to mail love letters or when you passed notes in class hoping you didn't get caught or wanting to get the most Valentines in the second grade (well every grade, really)?  These life moments, these written life moments seem to be becoming something of the past verses something of the present and future.   

What is the best way to express your gratitude?  Of course there is no wrong way but we are partial to the written form.  Both our mother's instilled it in us.  

Kate does her best to stay on top of thank you notes and Heather is pretty good with cards for life moments or just because moments.  Between the two of us we do have a fair group of friends that are also great with mailed notes.  We always send each other cards that we find hysterical!   

Heather is what she likes to call a procrastinating perfectionist with a grammatical deficiency.  All words were made up at some point, so what if she makes up her own?  Snoop Dog does it all the time and his stuff is now in the dictionary.  Heather can get a months worth of birthday cards addressed, stamped and in pile with a sticking note saying when to put in the mail the first of every month.  However, she feels thank you notes must be eloquent drawn out storybooks and therefore is not as great with the old thank you note.  Hence why it took over 3 months for her to get all her wedding thank you notes written and sent.  Boo (and her mother) were not very happy, but eventually all notes were written and mailed.  Leading her to have that "ah ha moment" realization that the timeliness of the note is just as important as the act of writing a note.  She has gotten much better.

We challenge ourselves to practice what we preach and make sure we send the occasional note to our friends and family and to make sure we send THANK YOU notes!  We hope you'll be inspired to make someone's trip to the mailbox a delightful surprise by sending a note or two of your own and to always send a thank you note (handwritten!) as often as possible!

Thank you for reading!

Cheers!

K&H

Setting the mood for fall

You scream, I scream, We all scream for Halloween!

Kate here. I love fall, LOVE IT! The only problem I have with fall is that I know the cold of winter is just around the corner. As a warm weather kind of girl, I need something to help me ease into the chill of fall. Between Halloween and the multitude of fall festivals in Richmond, there's enough to keep my mind off of the cold, dark nights that are on the horizon.

I've always been a fan of Halloween. I loved (and still do!) dressing up in creative costumes and decorating the house in spooky decor. Blending items purchased from the store and getting a little crafty, I've created something I'm calling "Halloween Shreik." Since I'm a fan of owls and bats in general, they get to play lead in the spookfest (although ravens are really taking over- a cool bird AND a Poe reference? Awesome!!)

Last year was my first Halloween aided by Pinterest. I found some free printable labels such as these and ran with it. Some were "seasoned" with tea and coffee grounds to give them an aged look. Some bottles and tins were spray painted, others left alone. Store bought fabric, candle holder, tray and cocktail shaker help fill in the space. Note the photo in the 2nd photo- taken at the now empty Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia PA. Talk about a spooky place! The port bottle in the top photo had a skull and crossbones etched into it using the same technique as the vases I made for my mom's birthday.

Potions!  Mostly from recycled bottles and jars.

Our bar got a little more flavor this month!

The mantle is always a fun place to decorate for the holidays. Ravens perch on spooky fabric and keep the bat bouquet company. Book jackets were printed on cardstock and aged with a lighter and coffee grounds. Small paperbacks keep the new spell books in shape.
 

The front hall went a little batty this year. I taped bat shapes onto the lamp shade for creepy effect. The framed photo was a creepy hologram I scored on sale last year. Paper bats (some purchased, others cut with the Silhouette), fly from the front door and up the stairs. A blown up image of a cemetery in Savannah was transferred to a canvas using textile medium. The front door was easy. I bought a grapevine wreath from the craft store, spray painted it black, and added fake cobwebs and glittery spiders. For Halloween night, we plug in a fog machine to really set the mood in the yard.

 

Inside the lamp shade

Photo of Bonaventure Cemetery

A cobwebbed wrapped grapevine wreath with some spider friends greet guests.

Last year's foggy front steps. It's easy to make your own awesome skirt!

Lastly the dining room. I was so excited last year to get the skeleton servers from Target! I personalized the buffet with painted pumpkins, an owl painting given to me from our talented friend Ashley, and a photo of the first Halloween my husband and I were together (zombie Lucy and Charlie Brown. It was the best costume ever). On the table, more pumpkins accented by candles. I used candy corn and dried black beans in the jars for some added texture.

A few other fun surprises can be found around the house, I just didn't have the room here to show you all! Over all, my favorite Halloween shriek decor are the photos of Halloweens past. I plan on adding to that collection every year!

Now that my house is in order, it's time to focus on the other fun things of fall, starting with the Richmond Folk Festival! It's the main event in Richmond this weekend- even if folk music isn't your thing, it's a great place to people watch and you're sure to find some freshly popped kettle korn!

Cheers, 

K&H

October is now Boob-tober

Boob-tober is a celebration of the boob! 

We all know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month but there is so much more to breast health than the scary "C" word. 


The boob should be celebrated not feared, or for some women, loathed. Much like your skin, if you take care of your boobs your boobs will take care of you.  However, we tend to forget about and neglect the care and health of our skin and boobs, until the lines start to show and the boobs start to fall. 

This month, we will all wear our pink to show our love and support of all women who have had their lives changed in so many ways by hearing the words "breast cancer" and then enduring the emotions and treatments of this cancer. We will celebrate your strength, spirit and womanliness. We will look to the future when this cancer is eradicated and no woman ever again must hear those two words. We will also celebrate the boob in all it's glory. 

So whether you call them breasts, boobs, ta tas, the girls, jugs, pride & joy, boobies, cans, melons, ninnies, The Dollys, hooters, in the way, ha has, assets, can cans, a gift from god, pancakes, second base, awesome... be good to them. Embrace their unique femininity, smile when they make heads turn, take pride in the knowledge they can produce life sustaining food and regardless of their shape or size, celebrate them and love them because they are yours and they are beautiful like you.

The bra has come a long way baby!

So this month we say Support your Girls give them the gift of a properly fitted bra for daily use as well as exercise.  Know your Girls: give yourself a self exam so you are aware of your normal.  Name your Girls seriously, why not?  Heather proudly calls her's "pride & joy."  Kate equally as proud referrers to hers as "rooby & looby boobie." Celebrate your Girls!

We won't spend the whole month blogging about boobs as we have to talk about apples and pumpkins and Halloween and Fall Festivals, but we may pepper in a tad bit or two more.


Cheers!

K&H

Races Are Fun

Running not so much, but we will do it as long as there is someone throwing colored cornstarch at us or there is the hope of a beer or Bloody Mary at the finish line.

The fun run craze is sweeping the nation and Richmond hasn't been left out.  From foam to mud to glow sticks to colored cornstarch to beer--Richmond is hosting them all. In April, we ran the Color Me Rad color run and had a blast. We discovered that there are multiple color runs of many names, and decided to give The Color Run a try this past weekend to see how it compared to our Color Me Rad experience.

     

The Color Run vs. Color Me Rad

Each had an enthusiastic MC getting the crowd pumped (The Color Run gets a thumbs up for the girl that sang the National Anthem- she rocked!).

Each has a great websites, but Color Me Rad wins this one.

Post run water and a snack were available in each.

Race packets and goodies-each had a tattoo, color packet and their signature extra: A headband for The Color Run and neon shades for Color Me Rad. Both are very cool & were used. Win for each race here.

Shirts-this is a win for The Color Run, the stripes beat the squares (however we did get the upgraded blue shirt for Color Me Rad which is super soft and love it's design).

Mile Markers- Neither had mile markers which is thumbs down for both.

Course- The scenery wasn't spectacular, but knowing you can't have color bombs in parks and neighborhoods, it was as good as it could get. The Color Me Rad was around office buildings in Innsbrook, while The Color Run was at Richmond International Raceway. The courses were pretty good, and we liked seeing folks just finishing as we started and vice versa.

Color-Color Me Rad colors were more intense but The Color Run announced their color stations with fun and flair so both win again.

Clean up-Color Me Rad takes the cake here as it took days and days and multiple showers to get all the rad color off.   

Organization of each race seemed to run smoothly but this is a win for The Color Run by a hair.

Volunteers and staffing goes to The Color Run (Possibly because the race was supporting Hands On Richmond, a great organization that helps pull together volunteers!)

Parking is another double win as there was plenty of it!

And the winner is...A tie! They BOTH win!

They aren't your hardcore-going-for-a-personal-best-time races, but they are fun and get your heart pumping. If you have either of these fun runs in your area we recommend giving at least one of them try. 

Cheers!

K&H

Sunday Funday!

Easy breezy Sunday!

Cocktails & Glitter rocked it out on Sunday and it was...wait for it...you guessed it...AWESOME!

We started the day off with a 5-mile walk around Robious Landing Park. This is a gorgeous park with great views of the river and beautifully maintained trails, pathways, parking lots, bathrooms and picnic shelters. Not only was the exercise enjoyed, the weather was perfect! 

After a quick stop to change we went to the Olive Oil Taproom newly opened at the Shoppes at Bellgrade. There is also a location in the West End. Essentially this is a tasting room for olive oils and vinegars, really an interesting concept! The staff was friendly and informative, and the atmosphere pleasant and welcoming. Each dispenser was well marked with information and pairing suggestions. If you choose, and have the stomach for it, you can taste over 50 olive oils and vinegars ranging in various levels of infused flavors and degrees of robustness. Straight shots of oil and vinegar were a bit much but when mixed together and paired with a small piece of bread those we tried were pretty good. We had a few misses but overall enjoyed the few we sampled. After you taste, if you wish to purchase anything you have 3 different size bottle options to choose. The smallest bottle is the perfect size for a unique hostess gift. The next time we have a recipe that calls for olive oil we are going there to get the good stuff!

Olive oil is a healthy fat but on its own is not a healthy or satisfying meal. So off we went to garb a bite for lunch. We went to the Urban Farmhouse and Market Place. Heather has now been several times and each time has been disappointed and under-whelmed by the food, this visit was no different. Kate was not impressed either.  The food sounds great and inventive on the menu but once on the plate it falls flat in inspiration and taste. The setting is ideal so future visits, if any, will be for sharing a bottle of wine on the patio or a cup of weekend coffee and newspaper reading.

With lunch over it was time to get crafty!  One of the greatest things to ever hit Richmond is the fabric store UFab and now that greatness has invaded the Southside! The fabric fabulousness is just too much to handle!  We both left with visions of fabric projects dancing in our heads, as well as, with a few remnant pieces for random little sewing projects that are sure to be future blogs. 

With all the fun stuff out of the way it was time to get down to business.  The whole point of the day was for Kate to teach Heather how to use her Silhouette, the fancy craft machine she purchased way back in February. Kate has used it several times with great success so to save Heather some technology frustration, it was time for a one-on-one tutorial. This machine is amazing and the person that invented it is a crafting genius! Thank you Silhouette inventor whoever you are wherever you are!! Highlight of playing with the Silhouette we made Cocktails & Glitter temporary tattoos! Now it is time to take on a crafty idea and put the Silhouette to work!

Coming up this weekend is the Color Run 5K at RIR where we will huff and puff our way to the finish line. Also be sure to check out the RVA Street Art Festival at the old GRTC buss depot on Cary Street.


Cheers!

K&H

September Anticipation

There is a giddy school girl anticipation to the month of September.  The bummer part about September is that it means summer is over, but it is also the month that leads us into everything fabulously fall such as back to school, fall festivals, apple picking, the leaves changing colors, football, Halloween, fall cocktails, fall hikes, lighting the fire pit, and less sweaty weather! 

With the crisp fall weather just around the corner, we are pondering very important questions such as...

• How many different ways can you make wings for the tailgate? (The endless possibilities and flavor combos are making our bellies rumble just thinking about it!)  

• How many apple influenced delectables can you create after you bring home that 237 pound bag of fresh picked apples from the orchard? Is there such a thing as eating too many apple donuts? (we think not!)

• What craft and decorating ideas will be inspired by the rich breathtaking colors of the changing leaves and the spooky celebration of Halloween? 

• How many fall festivals can we attend? (All of them...well maybe not all, but we'll have fun trying.)

• Will this year be the year we go for the raw oysters or will we just stick to the roasted? (Probably sticking to the roasted. Either way we get to say the word "shucked" a lot and giggle)

On top of all that, there is a lot to celebrate and remember in the fall. It is a time for remembrance for those our country has lost. Take the opportunity to say thank you to our armed forces. It is a time of celebration as we both celebrate our wedding anniversaries in September. It is a time for long weekends away and full blown out of the country vacation with great friends.  It is a time that the holidays still seem a bit off, but really we know they are right around the corner.  

September may be the 9th month of the year, but it has the air of everything being fresh and new as if the world is at your finger tips and anything and everything is possible. Much like the first of the year, September is a great time to reflect and make resolutions, as well as take stock of the resolutions made at the beginning of the year. Where do you stand with all you said would accomplish in the calendar year? No worries, there's still plenty of time to meet your 2013 goals whether you have stayed on track, need a reboot, or start from scratch!

Where does Cocktails & Glitter stand on goals we've made?

• Creating and sticking with a weekly blog--check

• Keeping up with all our tabs--needs some work

• Heather getting more comfortable with technology, the world wide web and social media--depending on the day. It is going smashingly well or there are tears lots and lots of tears...it is a long term project in progress with potential for great success!

• Time well spent with family and friends--check

• Loving and celebrating our RVA and all things festival--check, with lots more lovin' to come!

• Getting our Happy Hour on--check and our list of "places to try" continues to grow.

• Big "Nitty Gritty" projects-- partly check, with some still on the list (Heather has big plans in September).

• Crafting and sewing projects--check, with lots of fun ones still on the list. We still need to make the wreaths we wanted to way back in February!

• Meeting health and weight goals and exploring what really works for us--for the most part check but still working on it!

• Over using the word AWESOME!--not check enough! We have gotten away from this and need to get back on it!

For the most part we are right on track for reaching the goals we set for this year even though some goals have been added or changed as the year as progressed. We hope your goals are being met with awesome success as well. Please let us know on our Facebook Page what goals you have achieved this year and those you are still working toward.

Happy September everyone!

The leaves will be changing before you know it!

Cheers!
K&H