Dressing up for Halloween can be so much fun but it can also get pretty expensive, especially if you are trying to create your perfect look. There also should be a limit on the number of sexy nurses, sexy police officers, sexy kittens, and Jason/Freddy Masks that are allowed out on Halloween weekend but maybe that's just my opinion. I've done the mass produced, store bought costumes before and I have found that I just have way more fun when I get to create my own costume (or one for a friend). The best costume I have ever made was a punny costume a couple years ago, the Social Media Queen. I haven't made a costume since then because I'm not sure I can top it as she reigned all through the rain all up and down High Street and it was quite epic. You can find pictures and details on how I made this costume below, I made it the day before I had to wear it. My DIY Costume Tips
The Social Media Queen
Steps to recreate:
I wore black leggings and a black shirt with the skirt over it to complete my look and topped it off with the plastic crown. Happy Halloween!
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After some delay, I finally made it out to BrewDog USA to see what all the hype was about and I was not disappointed.
If you don't know BrewDog, here is some background....BrewDog is a Scottish based craft brewery that has recently decided to expand to the USA. In February they opened the anticipated US headquarters of BrewDog here in Columbus, well Canal Winchester to be exact but close enough. The facility houses a 10,000 square foot tap room and has numerous taps serving both BrewDog and guest drafts to the thirsty masses. This is the first location in the US and it also houses company offices and (of course) a brewery. During my visit, which was to celebrate a friend's birthday, I tried a beer flight and we shared some small plates (read...I stole food from other people's plates because I am that person). My beer selections were Dead Pony Club, 5am Saint, Punk IPA (their signature brew), and Elvis Juice, I also tried someone in our group's Jet Black Heart. My favorites of those I tried were Dead Pony Club and 5am Saint. On the food side I had popcorn, french fries, and part of a giant soft pretzel which are clearly not enough to give you a story on actual kitchen experience so I'll just leave that there. The kitchen offers burgers, pizzas, and other specialties which I will try on my next visit because I will be back. If you decide to venture out to the Taproom at BrewDog (which I suggest you do if you are a fan of craft beer) make sure you have some friends along and make it an outing. They have shuffleboard and video games inside and a massive, beautiful patio that sits just off of a walking trail outside. It is spacious yet cozy and perfect for a laid back evening with good friends and good brews. Biscuit and Branch is the new kid on the block in the Short North and is focused on bringing all day breakfast options to the table. When I first heard news of this new addition to the vibrant Short North Arts District I began to reminisce on the memories of my time brunching across the east coast and desperately hoped I would get a close experience with this new restaurant. So with high hopes and a beautiful Sunday afternoon I ventured down to try my newest local dining option. First, I will say the interior of Biscuit and Branch is dreamy, a calming palette of grays provides a cool and comforting vibe. I should be transparent here and reveal that I'm basically a sucker for interiors with a primarily gray palette, it is currently the base of my entire apartment, but slight bias aside I very much enjoyed the decor. The restaurant does feel more east coast (what I was looking for) versus southern charm (the food direction) but despite it's cool decor the menu is very much based in the south.
For brunch I had the Paul's Nasty which is a spicy fried boneless chicken thigh served on a biscuit topped with sausage gravy and cheddar cheese. We also ordered the Bowl O' Biscuits and at the suggestion of our bartender I decided on the Jelly Jar as my cocktail for the day. My friend ordered the Daddy Frankie, grilled beef tenderloin served on a biscuit with sage butter and cheese grits and scrambled egg on the side. Important note: The Bowl O' Biscuits is HUGE (see picture above) and is great as a appetizer for a group but make sure you have a few people wanting to partake or you will never make it to the bottom of the bowl. I enjoyed the Paul's Nasty, the chicken was perfectly crispy with just the right amount of heat. The biscuit stood well under the chicken, cheese, and gravy and was also tasty on it's own. The portion size was perfect for me and I used the extra gravy on part of a spare biscuit from our ginormous bowl. The Daddy Frankie also went over well with the beef having a great flavor along with the grits. I liked the jelly jar but definitely want to try the mimosa service option next time. I will definitely go back to Biscuit and Branch to try the other menu items I've been eyeing and eventually will venture further down the menu to try their "Supper" options once I've exhausted the brunch menu. ------------------------------------- Biscuit and Branch is located in the Short North Arts District on High St. just between Lincoln and Buttles. My friends and I finally ventured over to Pins Mechanical Co. to see what the fuss was all about and we instantly understood why this place is as popular as it is. A combination of competitive & interactive games, an extensive beer selection, large patios, and food trucks in the heart of downtown is an instant winner. The atmosphere is relaxed but still full of energy at the same time which makes it the ultimate friends gathering place. The night we went was not overly busy so we were able to easily take advantage of all Pins has to offer. We played a couple of rounds of duckpin bowling (there are only 8 lanes and they fill up fast), tried out a few pin ball machines, and took advantage of happy hour pricing on the extensive draft list of craft beer. Bowling was our favorite part of the experience as we never knew what the lane might say in response to our questionable bowling skills. The lanes are quite sassy and we loved every minute of it. In between our two rounds of bowling we got hungry and sent a friend to one of the two food trucks available that day (Zachariah's BBQ) for some fries. We had eyed/smelled some a few lanes over and knew we needed them to enhance our bowling skills. A big plus to Pins is that they do not have a kitchen so food is supplied solely via food trucks parked up against the patios and the more permanent stand/truck Por'ketta. They always have 2-3 truck available on any given day, you can check their social feeds for who will be available when you are going.
Pins is a great place if you are looking for a fun activity in a cool space. The atmosphere is pretty electric on Friday and Saturday nights and it can become hard to get a bowling lane but as long as you have quarters for the various pinball machines along with ping pong and giant jenga the fun is not lost. Come for a fun time and make some new friends while you are there! 2017 is just starting so this is the perfect time to post my 2016 reads. I did not set a book goal last year, my aim was just to get back into reading and I will say....MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Below you will find the list of the 18 books I read in 2016, if you have read any of them or have suggestions for 2017 reads leave me a comment!
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