The A List: 4.29.16

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After a week full time back to blogging, I'm loving the sense of accomplishment I feel after writing each day. I'm also loving all of this stuff on this week's A list.  Here's a look at my weekly picks:

Quick Snap Vol 1 - Victoria McGinley She self admittedly doesn’t blog much anymore, but i still love visiting Victoria’s site every week. Between sharing really thought provoking links, or her beautiful product layouts, she behind my recent inspiration to try and resurrect this little corner of mine on the internet again. Her latest series she introduced is genius, Quick Snap. It’s a play on the popularity and authenticity of snapchat, with the greatness of a true behind the scenes story. It truly does peel back any superficiality the social network may have, and tells a great personal story to go along with it.

Fresh Black Tea Firming Mask My skin has been under serious torture this week, from dehydration, to lack to sleep, to a super bad diet. Seriously, I’m ashamed of myself. My skin's one saving grace has been a week long sample of Fresh’s Black Tea Firming Mask that was bundled with my last Sephora order. I’ve been applying a daily dose of it nightly to my overworked skin and each morning waking up refreshed, like no abuse happened at all the day before. If this stuff is doing this when my I can’t get my act together, I can only imagine the results for my after a "normal week”. Hey Sephora, I see another purchase in the near future.

The Girlfriend Experience I first heard about this Starz drama from The Globe and Mail and was curious as to where specifically the series films in my hometown of Toronto. It’s full of amazing shots of T.O’s financial district, but unlike the super sleekness of Suits, it’s a darker, sexier version. And the actual series lives up the visuals, helmed by Steven Soderbergh, it’s seductive, mysterious and creepily gripping, with a great “blank” performance by the lead, Riley Keough. Each episode packs more drama than the next, I can’t wait to see where it builds for the finale.

& Other Stories Candles I was lucky enough to be in NYC for work back at the end of February and had a few hours to kill before having to “clock in”. I ventured up to Soho for a quick stop IRL to some of my favorite stores, including & Other Stories. Stories is already one of my faves for cool, quirky affordable jewelry and shoes, but I was delightfully surprised to see the middle of the store was dedicated to beauty and candles. I sniffed every candle they had on display multiple times (to weird stares from others) and each of the scents are so gorgeous I can’t wait to pick up more. They instantly transform a room to smell like a Paris salon and will have you daydreaming of the City of Lights. (And if you’re in NYC, pick up some of their nail polish. The colors are awesome - I’m still kicking myself for not doing so).

Korea! Lately, a lot of the entertainment options in my life seem to be revolving around one culture, the culture of Korea. From my obsession with Korean beauty (toner, essence and sheet masks are my new skin savers) to watching (and re-watching) Aimee Song’s recent trip to the Peninsula on snapchat, I’m can’t get enough of Korean’s way of life. Perhaps my favorite piece of k-culture is the korean drama, I just finished Oh My Venus and it was adorable. Seriously, I could watch So Ji Sub and Shin Min Ah flirt back and forth for days, they’re chemistry onscreen was fantastic. Note to self: keep expanding my Korean palate next to food, and get planning on my bucket list trip to Seoul. I’m sure it will be life changing.

Links Loved <3

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Will Shilling, Columbus Alive

The vortex of social media is strong, luring one to links all over the internet. Here’s a roundup of some of my favorite links I’ve ventured to this week.

Columbus Alive Columbus Cocktail Challenge For their bar guide issue, the folks at Columbus Alive challenged local mixologists to create a "Columbus-themed cocktail." I love that each of these libations highlights a different part of what we've come to define as Columbus. There's the VI-I-IV, named after a local mathematician and featuring Columbus' own Watershed Gin (Columbus is a smart city after all), The Franklin, paying homage to the crazy weather in our city, and The Buckeye, a drink playing off flavors of Columbus' favorite local chocolate candy.

Cocktails You Should Be Drinking Based on Your Zodiac Sign I love a good zodiac pair up and this one includes more drinking fun courtesy of Marie Claire. Ever wonder what cocktail you should be drinking based on your zodiac sign? #TeamGemini

How Refinery 29 built a $100 million media company for Millennial WomenRefinery 29 is a daily web and snapchat story destination for me, and this profile on how they've been able to connect millennial women and advertisers directly is fascinating. (We actually like brands!) Worth the listen.

Generate Your Own Minor League Baseball FranchiseThe El Monte Lake Oysters The Dayton Space Beagles

The name generator for this minor league baseball franchise name is hilarious. Needless to say, it's a great way to waste a few extra minutes here and there.

See all the Stylists Behind Beyonce's Lemonade She has a tour stylist, a street style stylist, an Ivy Park Stylist (and personal fashion director?) - and remarkably they kept all of this quiet before Lemonade’s first air. See the folks behind the fashion for Beyonce's buzzworthy Lemonade, fashion that plays just as much of a role in the album as the music.

Athletes on Time's 100 Most Influential

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I think it speaks to the power of sports that 10% of this year’s Time 100 Most Influential People list are involved in some sort of sporting competition. For the eight athletes (and two former athletes) on the list, it further speaks to the power of the individual in sports in innovating for the future.

Each of these athletes are shattering some sort of record - it’s not like Steph’s success on the court by himself and with the Warriors this year hasn’t been documented excessively by ESPN. Same with Spieth’s record year on the golf course. But what I love about the Time list is that they’re not including these record breaking athletes for stats they annihilate, they’re including them because of the cultural change they’re actively contributing to, a fact that each of them are very aware of it. Tony Romo’s quote about Speith sums up these athletes up perfectly, these athletes...

"...make you remember what our heroes are meant to look like. On and off the field"

These athletes are keenly aware of their role model status, whether they’re outspoken about their own relevance or trying to fly under the radar, and they’re leading their lives as examples off the field like champions they are. Steph has not only changed the way the basketball is played, but he’s also reinforcing how to live as a family man in front of the cameras. Ibtihaj is acutely aware that she’ll be the first woman at the Olympics to wear a hijab, and she’s additionally proud that she’s doing so as an American. (what an amazing political statement). Or Sania, who’s providing hope for billions of Indians who watched her take one broken singles goal and transform it into a truly dominating doubles career. And then there’s Rhonda Rousey, who, as in stated in a brilliant essay from Tina Fey, is helping redefine feminism and what it means to be a confident woman.

Another great thing about the athletes on this list is that their influence spreads across three of the five total categories (they’re represented in pioneers, titans and icons sections of the list. ). Sports, and specifically the power of the athlete, really does transcend the categories we typically place them in. And that’s why athletes are some of the most influential public figures we (and Time) know.

Read more:

Pioneers:Ibtihaj Muhammad

Titans:Steph Curry, Katie Ledecky

Icons:Ronda Rousey, Sania Mirza, Jordan Spieth, Usain Bolt, Lewis Hamilton

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See all the looks from these athletes and more on the red carpet at last night's at Time 100 Gala here.

Succulent Shopping

For years, with serious fail, I’ve tried to grow plants in my home. Flowers? Pretty much dead on arrival.

Ferns that don’t need sun? Always meet their demise.

Lucky bamboo? I’m pretty sure I’m doomed to years of bad luck.

But still, there’s something so effortlessly stylish about a fiddle leaf fig tree perched in a corner of a home, soaking in the sun from a neighboring window.  If only.

And so I’ve continually search for a solution to my black thumb desires and luckily I haven’t had to look too far.  Yup, I’m talking about succulents.

Whether it’s an ikea cactus perched on top of my windowsill or a blooming echeveria (yeah, I totally googled that) as part of a larger planter, these little plants are seriously hard to kill.  And they’re seriously stylish too. Because they’re super small and don’t need a lot of attention, they’re perfect for any urban dweller looking for a little green. Singularly stylish in a cute pot on their own, or grouped together with other equally stylish vessels, these unfussy plants are a chic way to add a bit of green to your abode.

Here’s a selection of some of my favorite pots, perfect for growing your own succulents.

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Clockwise from top left:boxcar planters |  cat planter | melting mug | paper planters | polka dot planter | rain planter

Summer Drinks: Grapefruit Beer

After a gin & tonic, my go-to summer drink as of late has been grapefruit and tequila. It’s tart and refreshing without being as fizzy as a tried and true paloma. But sometimes I want to drink a grapefruit libation throughout the evening and too much tequila usually = poor life choices (or just as likely, me asleep by 8pm).

Enter grapefruit beer. One of the ultimate thirst quenchers, beer and summer go together like peanut butter and jelly. (or is that beer and sports?) But I enjoy a bit of flavor to my brews, and the addition of grapefruit is seasonally perfect.

Here a few I’ve had a chance to try - any others you would recommend?

Schofferhofer Grapefruit My first foray into grapefruit brews also claim to be the first grapefruit beer on the market. Schofferhofer says their beer is a 50-50 split between heferweizen and carbonated grapefruit juice and it sure does taste a bit like a soft drink. The sweetest of the three, you can barely tell you’re drinking beer at all. And sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for. (available at Anderson’s)

Leinenkugel Grapefruit Shandy Leinenkugel’s beers can be so hit or miss for my palate, some of them are great and some of them are just plain terrible. But having spent a portion of my childhood in the badger state, I don’t mind supporting great products from Wisconsin, and I’m happy to report Grapefruit Shandy is one of them. Here Leinie’s starts with their famous Weiss beer and combines it with “white grapefruit flavor” and the result is definitely more beer-esque than the Schofferhofer. Served super cold on a hot summer day, its twice as refreshing with its grapefruit finish. (available at Kroger)

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin This beer is a serious new find for me and its one I never would have picked for myself with out being forced to try it. You see, if there’s one type of beer that I’m usually guaranteed to refuse while out with friends, its an IPA. In general I hate how hoppy they are and I’d much rather enjoy a smooth dark brew. But there’s something about the grapefruit in this IPA that turns my IPA hate upside down. To be sure, this is a BEER. It’s not a hybrid like the two options above, it’s a 100% brewski - you can even tell just by looking at it (and at 7% alcohol, you'll start to feel it to). The grapefruit shines here though, its tart, it’s fresh, and perfect when you truly want a beer to finish off the day. (available at Trader Joes)