Scenes from a Trip : Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh! A couple of weekends ago I made the long drive out to visit Terra in her fair city. Since our last meet up in New York we'd been planning on getting together again as soon as we could. I'd never been to Pittsburgh so it made perfect sense for me to hop in the car and make the trip to see her. The drive was long but it was worth it as soon as I put my car in park and saw Terra's smiling face. That night we took a stroll around her neighborhood and grabbed a bite to eat. Then we went back to her house to relax for the rest of night. I'm sure I talked her and her husband's ear off as we lounged, flipped through their photo albums, and played with the pups.

Saturday morning Terra and I woke up bright and early and went out on a breakfast date. She took me to Coca Cafe in a different part of town. We had been talking about all the delicious food we would have for weeks leading up the trip. Terra knew exactly which places to take me to. We both eat fairly healthy so it was easy to pick out places she knew we both would love. It was so nice just to soak up the morning sun, sip on tea, and catch up with each other lives sitting face to face. 

Of course she had to show me some of her favorite places to shop in town. Terra made sure to take me to Pavement and Jupe Boutique. We had to pick up a special item at Jupe for Terra's Style My Closet feature. I tried on a few different pieces for her, but she ultimately decided it would be the best to style a sheer polka dot top. 

We toured around Pittsburgh for the rest of the day, went grocery shopping, drove through the different neighborhoods, and gabbed it up the whole time. One of the best things about girl only time is all the brutally honest conversations you have. There are no barriers, no filters, and it's fun because we've all probably been there, wherever there is. We had some pretty lively debates, some advice giving, and of course plenty of story telling. Somewhere between seeing the city and settling in at the house, we went out to take pictures for the Style My Closet feature. 

Saturday night was spent relaxing in the backyard with some of their friends. I'm pretty sure we covered every topic imaginable, including a lengthy discussion on Nuclear Power. I may have been in a little over my head, but I enjoyed all the discussion none the less. It's always interesting for me to meet new people and hear their stories. After a late dinner of veggie burritos that Terra and I sleepily whipped up, I was off to bed. Not for nothing but they were pretty darn delicious. Sunday morning I woke up to the smell of fresh pancakes in the kitchen. Like I said, the weekend was going to be about food. The pretty lady had made her special banana pancakes. It was just what I needed before I hit the road for the long drive back to my city. 

I talked a bit about the trip already, but I honestly can't say enough good things about it. I'm so thankful that this blog has given me the opportunity to have all these new people in my life. I loved being able to stay with Terra and have her show me around her city. Terra, her husband, and the pups welcomed me into their home with open arms. The trip went by way too quickly! I can't wait until I get to see Terra again. The next time I see her she might even have a little baby girl in her arms...

If you haven't met Terra yet, make sure to check out her blog, Stylish White Female. She is one of the most generous, warm, funny, sweet people I have ever met. Not to mention extremely stylish and an exceptionally cute pregnant lady.  

Thank you so much Terra for letting me stay and showing me around your city. I miss you already!

Scenes from a Trip : Greenwich, Connecticut

A couple of weekends ago I drove out of the city to spend a girls weekend with my friend Diana. Her and her fiancé recently moved out of the city to Greenwich. I've been in Connecticut before, for games or checking out schools, but I've never actually visited the state for the sake of visiting. I left the city Friday night, drove way too slow for my own good, and arrived at Diana's around dinner time. We put together a nice girls night spread and settled in for the evening. Lua came with me for the weekend trip and even had some play time with Diana's pup Bella. 

We woke up early Saturday morning and headed to yoga. We met up with another one of our friends, Kaleigh for the class. I used to play lacrosse with these girls in college so it was especially nice to be doing something active when we met up. I'm used to being in spandex around them, this was nothing new. Plus, I thought they would give me great advice seeing as it was my first time trying yoga. After an amazing class (now obsessed) we drove into town for brunch. We talked about our days as athletes, told funny stories about boys, shared the healthier ways we eat and our future life plans. Like I said, girl stuff.

We relaxed for the rest of the day until Diana and I headed to the shoreline to go for a walk before dinner. One of the strangest things about going to the beach was being able to see the Manhattan skyline. It was so bizarre to me to see the city from that far away. Especially from a water view. It really made me notice the magnitude of the city. It unexpectedly stirred up an appreciation for the city I'm currently calling home. You don't always realize those things until you step back and look at where are you from a different angle. Whether it's the city you live in, or something much bigger.

Diana and I spent Sunday meandering around town. We grabbed breakfast and then coffee in the sun. There was more sharing, questioning, and really listening to each other that morning than I've had in a long time. She put some great thoughts in my head, and made me consider a few new ones. By the afternoon it was time for me to leave the suburbs and head back into the city.

Diana and her fiancé's new place is only a forty minute drive from my apartment in the city. I have a feeling I'll be making many more trips up as the weather continues to get nicer. I admit that people might perceive Greenwich, Connecticut as a place that is stuck-up, preppy, and only for an elite group of people. That said, every place you travel to is what YOU make it. The quaint main street was lined with boutiques, coffee shops, and cozy places to eat. The nearby shoreline gave the town a maritime feel that I always appreciate. And there was this weekend-out-of-Manhattan energy to it. For a lot of people it seemed to be a place to get away from the city and have some air to breath. I had an amazing weekend doing just that. 

Don't forget about the GIVEAWAY! You have until April 21st to get your entries in. Then I'm posting all the looks on the blog and announcing TWO winners. These are both pieces that I purchased as a thank you to all you lovely ladies who have been so amazing to me this past year! Good luck!

Scenes from a Trip : Las Vegas, Nevada

Last week I took a somewhat impromptu trip to Las Vegas. Getaways to Sin City aren't really things you're supposed to talk about. Knowing that I can be a bit wordy makes it difficult for me to keep my mouth shut and not share every last detail, because of course I want to. I can at least mention some things I learned...it's a great city to play truth or dare in, you can drink on the sidewalk, casino hopping is strongly encouraged, expect the unexpected to happen (because it will), the city of New York is even more fun in Las Vegas, everything is shiny, the cab drivers are some of the most interesting I've met, it's ok to nap, if you smile at people they will be nice to you, Beatles LOVE is a must, and it's always nighttime somewhere. Instead of giving away too much, I'm going to share some photos that might help string the wild four days and crazy three nights together.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 
  

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

I would absolutely go back some day. It's a place that's meant for people to get away and have fun. The vacation was definitely needed and more than a welcome release for me. Special guest appearances in Vegas were made by the Morgan necklace c/o Tree and Kimball, and an assortment from my collection of Clyde's Rebirth harnesses and pendants. My closest attempt at an outfit shot is featuring an little ode to Vegas, wearing a white dress and blue suede heels. I posted a few other pictures from the trip on my Tumblr. Feel free to check those out as well! Viva!