and like that.......I'm back.

Well.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk!

THAT was a much needed exness-th.com blogging break, if I do so say myself.

Notice anything different? Not only have I been busy over the past month but so has a certain local designer extraordinaire named Ashley creating my new look for my new name - Confessions of a CLE Habitant.

I feel like I'm getting back from summer break. Considering I've never really taken a formal "break" from blogging, I would highly recommend it - I feel incredibly refreshed and have so much to post about. I feel a bit more relaxed now. A little less weighed down if you will.

Want to know https://exness-th.com what  I did over the last month? Here's my month in picture review.

 I discovered a new love for tailgating with friends and family.

I heart my cousins and brother

I said goodbye to the suburbs, homeownership and a yard and hello to my new loft apartment.

Living room view

I lost a few much needed lbs. and started taking some QT for me, including pampering myself with spa treatments, which will be something I consistently treat http://exness-th.com myself to moving forward.

Skinny friend Danielle. Not so skinny Allison

Same skinny friend Danielle and newly skinny Allison

 I celebrated an amazing friend's wedding with my high school crew of friends in Charlotte. It was the perfect end to a busy week of traveling for work to the west coast.

Amber and Joe

Causing trouble for over 15 years

finally married

With that, I'd like to give a special shout out to Ashley over at Our Little Apartment who helped give me quite the face lift and bring this blog back to f***ing life. It's about time and I couldn't be happier with the final product. Thanks again!.

the one where we break up

If you've followed my blog for the past few years, you've probably noticed something, or someone, is missing from my posts as of late. I've gone back and forth contemplating whether I write this post or not but considering this blog was created to share my life, I'm not going to stop now. (What's the fun in that?) Some readers/friends have put two and two together, asking some mutual friends "are they together?" or "she hasn't written about him in awhile, what's going on?"

Well, I can't fool you guys - there is no more BF which is why I haven't been writing about him.

Would you like know what happened? I bet you would :)

Am I going to share it on here? Hell to the no. Ask one of my close friends for all the juicy details.

But you own a house? Yes, yes we do. Lesson learned, my friends, lesson learned.

I've learned a lot about myself and other people in the last few months and received some of the best advice from my family and friends both online and offline. I also learned that my Dad reads the horoscopes everyday, which is just hilarious and odd in and of itself if you knew him in real life, and texted me one morning with '"Read your horoscope, it's spot on."

It reads: "You might need to do something very different from what you originally intended. Others seem very awry, encouraging you to walk in a different direction."

4 stars

With that said, I'm walking in a very different direction - away from the lies that would make a kick ass Lifetime movie - and going to take a little blogging break to reboot and recharge as I pack up and head downtown to my new digs in a month. I'm incredibly excited, nervous and overwhelmed to move but I'm making the absolute right decision for me- new building, new people and new adventures.

I'll be back online in a few weeks (you won't even know I'm gone!) with a new look and name - Confessions of a CLE Habitant. You like?

I hope you continue to read and follow along on all my new adventures because I can assure you - I'm still the sort of funny (or at least sometimes I think I am) and witty girl without that little boy.

And just THINK of all the funny dating stories I'll have to share.

Editor's note: The funny thing about the truth is it always has a way of coming out, when you least expect it and when you need to see it the most. :):) :) kisses

and football season has started

So I joined a touch football league.

Long pause.....

While I know I don't "scream" athletic football player, I would everyone to know I caught the ball. Although I run around with what probably looks like my head cut off, I'm tricky - I can catch a ball. Now, throwing - that's a whole other thing but let's just focus on what I can do and that's distract the team with my crazy antics and catch passes when they least expect it. See - nobody expects it.

Cut to Sunday where I tailgated in the Muni lot for the first time. I can hear "WTF - are you serious, Allison? How is that possible?" Well, friends, it is but you better believe I'm going to make it a goal to get my behind down to every home game to tailgate. My friends and I got down there at 9 a.m. and it worked out perfectly as we joined several different tailgating parties.

partners in crime since 2001

coolest beer bong

best tailgating purse ever complete w/ jello shots

Look mom - we are getting along!

9/11 tribute

I couldn't have asked for better weather and the rain held out most of the game until I had to run to my car all the way over on Lakeside. Good thing I wore Pumas versus flip flops - nothing is worse than wet jeans, am I right?

Fashion Night Out at Saks

Shopping? Check. Fabulous food. Check. Fun blog friends? Check.

After just finishing up my first FNO event at Saks, I will say it was quite the success. I did arrive a few minutes late but I made the most of my two hours in the end with shopping partners, Cleshopaholic and Alexa at Cleveland's a Plum.

watching Burberry, loved the snow finale

There was so much to do and look at from going on the scavenger hunts around the different departments from shoes to handbags to beaut with free gifts galore.

Alexa sampling The Chubby Cook's dishes - holy He-Man fingers

Modeling my future Theory jacket -LOVE it

We made our way down to the beauty department where I snagged a new M.A.C. lipglass and blush since my NARS Orgasm was running down to the last bit of color. While we were relaxing in the shoe department because our feet hurt, I took the liberty of browsing the shelves and found my other future purchase, a pair of Tory Burch flats. From what I'm told, they will eat your feet in the beginning but will become comfortable  after you get through the initial discomfort. Fashion over function!

I'll take one of each

Next up this weekend is the Roar on the Shore on the event and the Browns home opener. Now, what to wear to tailgating........

Disclosure: Special thanks to Positively Cleveland for the invitation.

i'm sober as a goat

The title of this is dedicated to the one and only, Amber. Of the many quotes that were from this past weekend, this one pretty much stuck out for all of us. She uttered this bit of wisdom after taking one too many blow job shots, trying to convince us that wouldn't get sick in the cab. Oh, Amber!

I'm slowly recovering from three days of sun, fun and friends from Folly Beach, SC.

Having never been there, I have to say I've been missing out on a great beach location. Why the hell haven't I made it there sooner? It was any easy trip from Cleveland, a 20 minute drive from the airport and we were at the beach.

Here's a rundown of our weekend:
1 - beach house filled with 18 girls and one hilarious soon to be mother in law
53 - the number of times people tripped walking in the door from the hidden step
48 - number of bottles of water consumed
1- batch of "Skip and Go Naked" otherwise known as Electric lemonade (beer, vodka, lemonade)
8 - cases of beer (or so I think)
6 - pairs of fingerless lace gloves
2- crimpers going nonstop for 3 hours
36 - number of bathing suits worn
2 -bottles of Advil
4 - people who napped or slept outside on the porch
2 - parking tickets

Unless you want a $250 ticket per person, put the beer in a cup

10 am - 5 pm every day

Making Skip and Go Naked for lunch

Amber - all 80s up

Nominating myself for best Tina Turner hair

The whole gang - can you stop the prego mother-in-law?

After our night spent in 1984, we were somehow recognized as we walked through the beach bars the next day in casual gear. "Hey, aren't you guys the 80s bachelorette party from last night?"

How, oh how, could they have recognized us without all the hairspray and fishnets?

beach bachelorette weekend

It's finally here! The bachelorette party I've been so ridiculously excited to attend for one of my closest friends from my hometown.

On a beach, staying in a beach house.

With 17 new "friends." I only know three of them.

A weekend of sun, beers, sand and the ocean, where my biggest decision will be "which bathing suit do I wear?" or "which beer would I like to have with lunch?"

I can't believe it's finally here.

She has no idea what surprises are in store for her.

With Amber, the bride

this picture fits her perfectly

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

Fashion Night Out - Cleveland Style

If you are obsessed with New York Fashion Week, then you probably follow the #nyfw hashtag on Twitter, check Women's Wear Daily and the Refinery29 34 bizillion times a day throughout the week for minute by minute updates.

Oh, and let's not forget the beautiful photo montages that the New York Times put together so you can preview the collections over and over and over or following your favorite bloggers like The Glamourai's updates.

While I won't be going to NY Fashion Week this year, (although read all about the hottest nail trends from Michelle at All Lacquered Up) I will be joining a group of other fashion obsessed Clevelanders at Saks next Thursday for a Burberry show.

In a fabulous partnership with Stylelist, Aids Taskforce of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic Innovations and Positively Cleveland, all these people are making this night happen, my friends, so where will you be?

I think you should join me at 6 p.m. for drinks, light refreshments, a flipping fashion treasure hunt, makeover photos and more.

Tickets are $50 and you'll receive a $50 Saks giftcard to use that night and 10 percent of all proceeds are donated to the Aids Taskforce. (Personally, I'm eyeing this sweet pair of Tory Burch flats or this TB clutch because I need both of them. Duh.) 

Event details:

FNO at Saks, Thursday, September 8 at 6 p.m.

Purchase tickets here - http://bit.ly/ATGCatSaksTix

See you there!

Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary ticket to attend the event courtesy of Positively Cleveland. Fact: I would've purchased a ticket anyway. Fact: I'm going to have to pulled away from the shoe department.