My beautiful daughter Sedona came down to Cincinnati Saturday and we spent the afternoon mural hunting in downtown Cincinnati. She drove up and down the streets as I jumped out to snap photos. Eventually once in OTR (Over the Rhine) we paid for parking and walked for several miles taking in the sunshine, which is very rare in Ohio this time of year, and zig zagging the alleyways and streets capturing the talent shared on the walls of this city.
I was taken back by all the discoveries I found. We didn’t even make it to the west side of the city and were overwhelmed by the variety, creativity and number of buildings covered in this art form. I hope you enjoy the picture show below. I won’t make too many comments as I feel they explain themselves and you also will be in awe with what Cincinnati has to share.
As many of you know from my blog, I also started an Instagram for the art I was seeing in Phuket. Occasionally I would post a photo from other cities I was visiting as I continue to be inspired. #tonyatakesthailand
Sedona would not allow me to discriminate as I only wanted to take pictures of the ones I liked. She encouraged me to instead document all I see. I love the sexy man hiding behind the garbage.
Cincinnati is known as Porkopolis. There are many flying pigs throughout the city. I am hoping I can collect enough photos to show in a separate post/update.
The veggie mural stands out with its classical style. Kroger is headquartered in Cincinnati.
“People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish… but that’s only if it’s done properly.” ― Banksy, Wall and Piece
My daughter and I did a little boutique shopping in between the mural hunt. Was a great day! My daughter Zoe did a documentary film about street art in Cincy- https://youtu.be/SdmK3FxOMxU- check it out!
I wanted to adventure someplace new that I haven’t been to before in Cincinnati. I googled “new restaurant openings in 2019” and found this gem of a place on the corner across from the historic Findlay Market.
Love this historic district in Cincinnati. It has more murals than any other city. (don’t quote me on that) Watching downtown transform over the years is inspiring. OTR has the largest designated historic district, even bigger than Miami FL. It’s amazing watching them renovate these buildings while keeping their integrity. I decided to go mural hunting this week and will blog my discoveries.
Taking in the mix of bright colors contrasting the construction rubble.
My sweet friend Rebecca hung with me as I finished up some last minute work projects and then finally was able to relax and steal some of her beautiful energy.
I couldn’t resist trying this fried bologna sandwich! Was a mess to eat but so good! Brought me back to my childhood. My parents used to cut the round bologna in three points to fry it flat. I wonder if this was just my family? Or only in the midwest? This sandwich had a fried egg, sweet potato chips and coleslaw on top. Highly recommend!
This place is eclectic. Live plants always give a place warmth.
The German cuckoo clocks hung with random art. No rhyme or reason to the theme.
Reflection of OTR. Creativity and newness mixed in with history.
Anyone who lives in Ohio and hasn’t visited the Toledo Art Museum is missing out! I recently got nudged to go see it when a friend of mine posted a photo on FB and I asked her where she was. When I road tripped north to visit Sedona at BGSU we decided to head up to Toledo and take a look. We were so glad we did!
This is the sculpture outside the museum. I made Sedona drive past it twice so I could snap this photo. Says so much and the landscape is perfect with it this time of year.
We purchased tickets on the last day of the Between Light and Shadow special exhibit.
Sedona and my shadows.
This room was one of three. The exhibit featured rooms containing cut out sculptures which had lights inside reflecting out creating artistic shadows in the space surrounding it.
Love the delicate shadow detail and how our images intersected it.
A close up shot of the metal cut out box hanging from the ceiling.
Me being silly since Sedona wouldn’t let me take photos of her. I’m sporting my new tee I purchased at the Madtree market- says “Faith in the Journey.”
Third room. Larger cut outs with different images created.
Reminded me so much of the talented Kim Winckler/TADA Innovations. She does such amazing hand cut work that always is evolving and continues to inspire me! https://www.instagram.com/kimwinckler/?hl=en
Last room. Each one having its own personality and expression.
As we continued to wander outside the special exhibit we discovered so many interesting collections. Varying from modern, to ancient Egyptian, to interactive, etc. You name it, they had something for everyone there!
Seriously! Hyroglifics dating so far back I cannot wrap my head around the beginning of the human language!
Gotta love a Matisse. I especially appreciate her lady- like sitting style 🙂
For some reason this one spoke to me.
Sculptures amused us throughout.
I’m pretending to be part of this feature.
I had to sit in front of this for a bit. Felt like the west in the sunlight.
From a distance this portrait captured my attention, but the up close view was even more fascinating.
The close up view of the above picture.
This artistic piece was huge and made up of tiny discarded computer parts found on the streets.
A man leaning against the world.
Love my reflection in this beveled mirror.
When we turned to go into another room, we heard classical music playing. Sedona and I thought it was just setting the mood for the life like paintings of Jesus, but later we discovered there was a live performance which was echoing through the museum. The lighting and the bright pink of this painting are breathtaking to me.
We later saw that there was an interactive installation from Yayoi Kusama who is a contemporary Japanese artist. She is currently 90 years old but you would never know it by how current she is! We were unable to purchase tickets as they were sold out the day we arrived. I highly recommend you to see this installation called Fireflies on the Water!
When I first arrived in Cincinnati, I looked on FB to see what events would be happening during the time I was visiting. I read about this market and convinced my neighbor Nancy to attend with me. After all, local shopping and afternoon beer is almost as much fun as Friday night beers and acrobats. Love the Cincinnati Brewery growth – taking back their pre Prohibition status!
The off market they hold at this brewery once a month starting in May. The rooms are filled with local artisans and their trade. I purchased some home made chocolates and some wooden sunglasses.
The scene from outside. There wasn’t any parking and we had to illegally park across the street and wander over. The wood and worn brick are beautiful against the white snow.
As with most breweries this one is kid and dog friendly. I believe both parents of dogs and small children are somewhat the same in thinking their kids are the cutest and walk with pride as if everyone should be ooohing and ahhing over their family members.
This was one craftsman booth which was most impressive! Love the geometric wood lights.
Pretzels with beer cheese is a must! Nancy opted for the stuffed avocado chips.
The beer brewing. They ran out of beer-mosas before we got there.
We left happy. Nancy purchased some new art and my cheeks were rosey with my craft beer consumption. A great start to my weekend.
Friday night plans got switched up after receiving a call from Jenny who informed us of an act going on at the downtown Rhinegeist brewery. We decided to stop by for a drink and check out the show.
This is a beautiful night shot of the famous Findlay Market in Cincinnati. http://www.findlaymarket.org/about “Findlay Market is Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market and one of Cincinnati’s most cherished institutions, welcoming more than a million visitors a year. Located just blocks from downtown in Over-the-Rhine, a dense historic neighborhood rich in 19th century architecture, Findlay Market remains the bustling center of farm fresh, locally sourced, artisanal and specialty foods. Open Tuesday through Sunday year round, Findlay Market is home to more than 40 indoor merchants selling meat, fish, poultry, produce, flowers, cheese, deli, and ethnic foods. On weekends from April through November the Market also hosts a thriving farmers market, dozens of outdoor vendors, numerous street performers, and lots of special events.”
Findlay Market is walking distance to the brewery, so we parked in their outdoor lot. We headed over to enter what is normally filled with picnic benches and beer games, to instead see local dance-acrobatic talent showing off their style and grace.
To get to the brewery you have to walk up several flights of stairs. I wish I’d brought a sticker to contribute.
Jenny and Neil enjoying the show.
Dancers rotated on and off utilizing the lollipops.
Strength and flexibility along with a lot of courage.
This guy was the epitome of strength.
An attempt to capture the scale of the venue.
There was also a University of Cincinnati dance group and these adorable kids with light up shoes giving their best energy to the crowd wearing rainbow tutus.
Selfie of Justin and I enjoying a perfect night out. Complete with late night pizza at a place close by.
This pizza place was another interesting find, with skulls and Mother Mary as part of their bar decor. I say have at it. The more rules we break in design the better.
Meet Bob and Ron. They have lived next door to us in our Cincinnati hood for over 15 years! They have embraced the role as the glue that keeps all of our homes and hearts united. When my daughters were in Kindergarten we moved to an up and coming neighborhood of historic Mt. Auburn.
We landed right next door to these guys who are the most kind hearted, humorous, intellectually stimulating, diverse couple! Dinners at their place are always something I look forward to. Bob cooks now gluten free and vegan, and as unadventurous as I am with trying new food, I love every bit of the cuisine. I am usually assigned only dessert or alcohol to contribute since there is no way I would be able to add to his amazing menu.
Bob and Ron in typical fashion.
Our homes side by side. True winter trees. So much prettier when in bloom.
Their orange front door is the most suitable warm welcome to their eclectic interior.
The view from their porch, they have landscaped every bit of space. Even planted a tree over in our yard as a gift.
Back yard view from their kitchen. For being in the heart of the city our backyard space together is a very large area of land. Bob and Ron have taken over landscaping our portion. (Thank God because it was filled with weeds prior!! An eyesore to everyone) Now they even have a beehive. Chad who lives down the hill, has a garden of his own and bonfire space. It’s a hidden treasure of plants, animals (Zoe saw two coyotes yesterday) trails, veggies and even a gazebo that brought my teenagers a safe retreat during their most problematic times.
Their beautiful cat on the chaise. Bob and Ron serve dinner on real china for every course. I always feel bad leaving the dishes behind but what a first class experience.
You could spend hours just looking at their decor and art collections.
The fertility goddess in the powder room always freezes me in my tracks. You could possibly see new things while staring at it for hours on end. It stands, I’m guessing, about 5 ft tall.
Another that will cause you pause.
I love their ability to mix their world art collections along with antique wallpaper, colored doorways, mix -matched furniture and masterfully crafted chests. You will never see another home like theirs. Yet as museum like as it could be, it is warm and inviting and you feel the love of everything collected.
Their dining area has served us all well, seating up to 12 people at a time for many sit down meals. Any excuse is a good one for a dinner party. They hosted one when I left, another when I came home for a visit, and another when we all were burglarized 🙂 I love the huge live plants that boldly bring the outdoors in.
Fresh flower centerpiece bringing color to the grey skies of the season I love this shot of my girls, now grown, passing the torch to Waverly, the new neighbor girl who has taken over Bob’s popsicle stash.
Our latest dinner party shot with Tiffani, my sister, who came down for a visit and Nancy who owns the front half of our condo.
Selfie shot courtesy of Chad, capturing Beth and Clint who live to the left of us. I believe this photo was toward the end of the night, our plates were scraped clean and we were all in a food coma state before heading home.
Being a good neighbor is an art which makes life richer.— Gladys Taber
Anyone from my generation remember that? Jeff came over today to catch up and review his upcoming Phuket trip. We both had not eaten so decided to hit a local joint which I have always enjoyed called “Sugar and Spice”.
The staff at this place are more European in nature, meaning, they are the same faces year after year. A good sign for a good local place that appreciates it’s employees. They feature one of the many pig statues in Cincinnati, this one representing the eccentric nature of this restaurant.
Pancakes, yes please. Internationally accepted and locally owned.
The building is hot pink with teal and yellow accents. You can’t miss it on Reading Road. It’s a destination stop amongst gas stations and laundromats.
A family friendly place. The waiting area has a stuffed dog to sit on.
The walls are lined with rubber ducks on the shelves. An admirable collection!
Paintings on the wall complete with a tempting stack of pancakes.
Obviously new to the restaurant, they delivered a bucket of ducks for us to choose from.
The owner of this restaurant is obviously a kind and humorous person. I always like to support a locally owned/non chain establishment who is genuine and unique to his community.
“BEGIN AGAIN” That is the meaning behind my new tattoo. I decided it should go onto my right foot since that represents me stepping forward toward new beginnings. Taking with me what I have learned and moving ahead in God’s plan for what’s next. Perfect addition for 2020 Chinese New Year. I never know which way my life will twist or turn, but I am open to learning along this blindfolded path I am on. Always a new chapter and I am eager to see where it takes me.
I headed to the West side and got my tattoo done by my friend Beth’s son, Mark, who runs Pushin Ink. He is amazingly talented. My simple tattoos are more of a favor.
As I sat back and felt minimal pain, I got to watch one of the Spiderman movies I hadn’t seen before.
My new body art.
If you have been following my blog you know that I teach part time online English. I even did a small blog back in July about some of the creative conversations with people I’ve met. What I have learned on Cambly from my students I could never have learned elsewhere, in books, blogs or tv. These students are real, comfortably teaching me about their culture and their lives.
Never did I think when taking this on line job, I would make lasting friendships through this venue. Ones’ that influence my thinking, my journey, my outlook toward each day and the world’s future. But I met a beautiful soul, named Kang Kang. She is the one who designed my tattoo.
I love this girl. Of course not in a romantic way but in a best friend way. She has such an incredible spirit and genuine personality. She is from Taiwan and I am hoping to visit her in person sometime in 2020.
She has a blog that is tracking her personal journey while guiding others. Her voice is calming and perfect to listen to. She designed her own scaredy cat logo which tapped into her newly found artistic side. I have worked with artists many years, and this cat is adorable and perfectly representative. She has no art background! Talk about a natural talent. By trade she is a high school gym teacher.
Kang Kang is in constant seeking mode and I admire her many ways to find spiritual guidance. I turned her onto my Jesus Calling book, which helps start my mornings. (thank you Denise!)
She makes beauty out of anything that is meaningful, or anything someone said that she wants to remember.
I am taking a couple months off of English teaching while I travel. Kang Kang and I have illegally exchanged personal info so we can keep in touch. She is no longer a student, she is a friend. I don’t want to correct her when she speaks because I am too interested in what she has to say and not if she is saying it perfectly. Her advise to me is always appreciated and we speak truth to each other daily.
She’s kept me updated on her Chinese New Year activities with her family and it’s been such a wonderful experience seeing it from her videos and photographs she has shared with me this week.
This is temple she went into.
A photo from the beach in her hometown.
Sunflowers in a field she passed on her 5K run .
Her adorable self at a coffee shop. I love the contrast of her black with the natural greenery and red Chinese lanterns. She has such an appreciation for nature, art, self love and physical health and wellness.
Kang Kang started practicing English online in hopes of passing a TOEFL test that would enable her to apply to PHD programs in the USA for furthering her studies of physical fitness, psychological wellness and self growth. I wanted to introduce her to my friends who read this blog as she is an inspiration A new, much needed friend to me in this exploration of life.
Anyone that has lived in Cincinnati or grew up near any sort of big city has heard of the Rocky Horror Picture show. It’s pure entertainment of a comedy-horror-musical that is tough to describe and absolutely necessary to experience. You can’t just watch it on TV, its not the same. You have to go to the theatre to see the actors who mimic the movie while listening to hecklers in the audience call Brad an “asshole” every time he appears and Janet a “slut”.
My sister Tiffani has never experienced it and my daughters, who have been going since I first to took them at age 15, taunted her for being a “virgin” to the show. Since it was playing this weekend, she came down and bravely and open mindedly joined us for a fun night out.
A photo of the movie screen capturing the lead character.
“It’s not easy having a good time. Even Smiling makes my face ache.” -Dr. Frank N. Furter
The opening credits are followed by the start of the movie with these lips!
I applied as much goth make up as I could to participate. I wasn’t about to put on fish net stockings or a plain white bra and slip to compete with any of the leading characters.
Tiffani and Dani with their Virgin markings. Anyone who hasn’t seen the show before gets a red V someplace on their face and is brought to the stage to participate in some fashion.
We purchased a participation bag at the entry. This shows the items included in the $2 purchase and when to bring them out. I think I only successfully did the newspaper, rubber glove and birthday hat.
The theatre. Movie started about midnight and we got home about 2:30 am. Thank God for naps.
40+ years ago, a writer named Richard O’Brien wrote a musical entitled The Rocky Horror Show. It was a hit in its native London and it wouldn’t be too long before it was adapted for the big screen. On September 25th, 1975, The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released in theaters and the reaction was…not favorable. In fact, to be honest, it bombed. It was a critical and commercial failure and it very easily could have just been forgotten about — another film lost to the pantheons of history. But then, a funny thing happened. While mainstream, casual audiences didn’t know what to make of RHPS, it was quickly discovered that, maybe, this film wasn’t for them. In the words of Dr. Frank ‘N ‘Furter, “I didn’t make [it] for you!”
Rocky Horror wasn’t made for theater critics or debutantes. It was for the outcasts, the weirdos, the rejects and the freaks. It was made for those people who wanted to give themselves over to absolute pleasure. With its views on love, sex, and Rock and Roll, Rocky Horror Picture Show became the movie for a generation of dreamers, doers and the disenfranchised. In its 40+ year existence, Rocky Horror Picture Show has become the template for “cult classic.” Though initially panned, RHPS went on to become one of the highest-grossing film musicals ever made. On a meager budget of $1.4 million, Rocky would end up grossing over $140 million. More than just dollars and cents, though, the impact that Rocky Horror had on movie-goers is still being felt to this day. Numerous theaters across the world continue to offer interactive midnight showings of the film, every Friday and Saturday nights. Today, 40 years after its initial release, Rocky Horror Picture Show still remains relevant.
Another beautiful day in NYC> I took the 2 to the 5 subway line. There were blue skies and a crisp nip in the air this am as I rode to the Thai Embassy. Kassie was going to meet me in the city later and then we made dinner plans with Juvy and his family. Was going to be a fun day!
Kassie has always been a trooper and even though she juggles three kids, volunteer work, paid jobs and a very heavy social calendar- she always makes time to meet me when I come to NYC. We have known each other since birth and she is my wing man in every way through life. We used to lie to friends when we were younger telling them we were sisters. (We look nothing alike)
A true view of the Bronx above ground 2 line. I pick it up on 233 Street.
Couldn’t help but admire the view out the windows.
Tonya Takes Thailand 