Pittsburgh Places

Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week: the celebration continues!

- Mel

It’s Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week! The hangover on this 30-something is a doozy. But there’s still a few days left to celebrate.

Sort-of started the celebrations last Saturday with my friend’s bachelorette party, hosting brunch at my house and then attending a Venture Outdoors programs — a hike-meets-beer-tasting (beer from Max’s Allegheny; not an official PCBW event, but it coincided appropriately). We had a really good time (me, especially so, shopping for her honeymoon attire). The lingerie gift idea was fun (a piece for every night of the honeymoon), and you could totally tell a little personality from each friend in her gift.

Sunday, amid some errands, we stopped into Bocktown for their 17th tap and delicious lunch. They were featuring a Black IPA from a local home brewer. It was awesome. Plus, they finally added the kielbasa reuben to the permanent menu.

beer founders brunch pcbwpappy beer pcbw

I also decided to spend my day off (how convenient!) with friends at the Founders brunch at Piper’s Pub. Yes, there was a lot of KBS. Too much. I really enjoyed the Doom though. Boxty breakfast soon turned into Liquid Lunch, followed by trips to two more bars to find the PCBW collaboration brews, then getting SOAKED in the afternoon rainstorm. Damn you, new shoes for giving me blisters.

When I finally got home, I napped (epic), then woke up for ANOTHER beer tasting happy hour at James Street — this one, paired with local chocolate company Sinful Sweets made with the Brooklyn beers. I have the hangovers. Bad.

Looking forward to a few more events though: tonight, #asistradition (a few Southside bars have tasting events plus I wish I could participate in the underwear ride — alas, practice); Friday, the Beer Barge (we couldn’t get tickets, so we’re volunteering). We’ll round out the weekend with a home Power game and tailgating with some of our fave craft beer peeps.

I consider this week a success. Did you participate? What were your favorite events?

Also, read my Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week {part two!} article and column in the recent issue of Craft Pittsburgh. Find at your favorite craft beer bars.

Weekly Therapy: grieving, traveling, remembering…

- Mel

the week:
This week started out rough, with my grandfather’s viewing and funeral. So much sadness. I’m sure you’ll pardon my absence.
I have to add though that it was wonderful seeing my sisters and family all together, considering the gloomy circumstances. I wish I could see them every weekend…

We found this letter to my grandmother on the back of a photo (a picture of my grandfather in his military uniform).
We found this letter to my grandmother on the back of a photo (a picture of my grandfather in his military uniform).

weekend:
Trying to get back to a hint of normalcy (and catching up on work). We have Book of Mormon tickets for Friday night. I’ve been anticipating this show for nearly a year. So. Exited.

Saturday, our home team had some “closure” with an end-of-season brunch, which I’m hosting. And I’m much less stressed out socializing in the morning than the evening. Weird, right? #partybrunch

Alas, on Easter I’m working (hangovers!), but the boyfriend promised to bring me home some hrutka. SOMEBODY better also bring me some Cadbury eggs.

seven things, seven days:
1. FINALLY got reservations at Cure — and wow, what a meal! (SALUMI. All Caps.)
2. Remind me to tell you about the time the gate came crashing down onto my car in the EZpass lane on the turnpike.
3. One-point loss in our Detroit game. An amazing game for us, nonetheless. Bonus: after party at Atwater Brewing!
4. Received my Spring Mystery Box from Julep. I am completely obsessed with their polish and products!
5. And then the post office lost YET ANOTHER box that I “missed” being delivered to my house. Their answer: “We don’t know where it is.” SERIOUSLY.
6. Side note: ALL OF THE DESSERTS. I cannot resist you.
7. Your psychology refresher from PsychCentral, the Five Stages of Loss and Grief (Kubler-Ross model)

Weekly Therapy: seeking power and aggression

- Mel

the week:
Seeking: power & aggression. An area of play that I REALLY need to tap into. I feel like I’ve almost got my finger, err hip on it…

weekend:
BOUT WEEKEND! Super stoked that I have a group of friends coming to see me play too. I’ll be skating in TWO BOUTS (travel season home opener and home team season championships!).

Pre-bout, my dad is visiting for lunch. He lives in Ohio, but just so happens to be in town for a performance Saturday night (he’s a musician).

Then, I get to help a good friend celebrate her birthday with mimosa brunch at Doublewide Grill (so good).

seven things, seven days:
1. Received a super-fun care package from Brown Paper Tickets. Thank you!
2. Happy Hour at Ikea — in the kitchen department (seriously!)
3. My passport expired last month. THE SADS!
4. This month’s Julep Maven box is total score – and I’m absolutely LOVING Lucky!
5. My cleaning ladies never showed for their appointment this week… So. Frustrating. Especially when you wait around the house all day for them to show.
6. Can’t. Stop. Furniture. Shopping. Does this happen to everyone right after interior paint colors change?
7. Super nervous thinking about Monday’s dentist appointment already.

Weekly Therapy: from Me, with love

- Mel

the week:
Happy Valentine’s Day! (to those of you who celebrate). I got my usual cat-card-and-dark-chocolate pairing from the boyfriend *swoon*. And had my six month-cleaning at the dentist (LOADS OF FUN OVER HERE!) Settling in from vacation hasn’t really happened. AT LEAST I GOT THE LAUNDRY FINISHED. I’m sure you can feel me that that was quite an accomplishment in two days. And I’ve been rushing to tidy the house since we’re expecting guests this weekend AND missed our bi-weekly cleaning appointment while we were gone.

Painting estimates and Masonry estimates and Deck Replacing Estimates. Smells like home remodeling season up in here. Picking out paint colors and selecting the order of remodeling projects… in less than a week? SO MUCH PRESSURE. But colors have finally been picked out for all of the rooms on our first and second level (buh-bye orange living room wall).

weekend:
Tonight is Bowling night! And just when I thought I had a “rest day”… I happened to look at my calendar. *sigh* We still haven’t even been able to grocery shop since we’ve been home, which means take out again tonight. And my favorite crepes place in Pittsburgh for brunch tomorrow (which also means take-home macaroons for me – I’m WINNING!)

We’re hosting friends of ours Saturday night for a “date night” of Mexican proportions. I can never have enough Mexican. But apparently I can have ALL OF THE STRESS. {brown paper bag me, please}

52 weeks o’ books:
10. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. I was completely mesmerized by this book… so much so that I want to read it again. This is exactly the type of social psychology that interests me to my core.

But I’m realizing that I’m REALLY lagging behind in my 52-in-52 goal. Need to find some short books for fill-ins. And use my “free” time at work more wisely.

seven things, seven days:
1. We got a new iMac! (it’s so huge TWSS)
2. I have declared a new major with my intended “new” college. Seems it will take me just as much time to complete my Comm degree as it will be to start over with a Psych program. Sounds like the right time to me.
3. Really wanted these stools from World Market. It seems I blinked, and the went on sale and subsequently sold out… MUST FIND TWO.
4. This week, I received notice that I was hired to work (as a development intern) with a local animal rescue organization on a special adoption campaign. SO EXCITED!
5. Found (and bought) a cute striped bikini in California! Even better, it doesn’t tie around the neck. <3 6. 48 Hidden Images in Black Swan (*omg* this is a little creepy, but all kinds of awesome, if you’re a fan of the movie — like me)
7. From Oh Joy! >> Things Worth Splurging on in Your 30s (AGREE WITH THEM ALL! The “perfect” brown leather tall boots still evade me though… *sigh*)

Weekly Therapy: when the boyfriend’s away, the derby will play

- Mel

the week:
practice. practice. practice. repeat weekly. I’m learning to adapt to the late nights of practices and added responsibilities (and soon, travel) that come with the beginning of the derby season. We had tryouts for our incoming meat class on Sunday, which is exciting (I’m a Mentee to two newbies); and hosting out-of-league skaters for a training camp this weekend. I slept surprisingly well for the boyfriend being out of town… likely because I. am. exhausted.

I’m also on 26 days without a drop of alcohol, so I’m all kinds of cranky. (FOUR MORE DAYS to meet my January goal!)

And that’s why Friendly’s makes ice cream.

Oh, and that incident last night with cops responding to an intruder alarm at my neighbor’s house. When I was home overnight alone. o_O

weekend:
It’s the quarterly Gallery Crawl tonight in downtown Pittsburgh! One of my favorite nights to explore the city and new exhibits (yes, even in 20 degree temps and a few inches of snow). New event this year: there’s a pop-up night market and curling session with Yelp and the Pittsburgh Curling Club.

Sunday is BOUT DAY!

52 books in 52 weeks:
I’m falling behind! I’m stuck on this book that is overly repetitive and extremely slow to read… and I should just QUIT already.
8. “I Want it Now! A Memoir of Life on the Set of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” by Julie Dawn Cole

seven things, seven days:
1. Interviewing two “hot” jewelry designers for a client – so exciting!
2. Refreshed, new hair color. *ahhh*
3. Brunch at Verde is my new fave. We checked it out as part of Pittsburgh Restaurant Week specials.
4. Found TWO different unused gift cards: Sephora and Old Navy (woo-hoo!)
5. Shopped two sports bras, a yoga tank and a BRIGHT track jacket with balance on Old Navy card.
6. Was nominated for league’s rookie award at our banquet a couple weekends ago. I didn’t win, but so proud and honored. I love my leaguemates.
7. Two weeks until California! (Can you believe it’s been over 20 years since I’ve last visited?)

Weekend Therapy: playing The Chimney Song on repeat

- Mel

the week:
It’s state (car) inspection time in this 30-something household (and for the 2nd year in a row, it did not pass; this year, exhaust issues, which is not entirely terrible). As much as I swoon over the 2013 new Ford Escape and dream of trading in my ’05, the reality that my car is paid off in 6 months has much more clout. Whatever this type of maturity is, I can’t even.

weekend:
Is everyone relaxing before Christmas, or is it just us? I picked up an extra shift at my part-time job for Sunday, seeing as how I have both Monday and Tuesday off (hooray!).

The boyfriend and I had a date night Friday and checked out new restaurant Root 174 (at least new to us) in Pittsburgh, as well as a new chocolate shop Sinful Sweets (we ate the chocolate as our appetizer at a bar while waiting for our originally-intended restaurant to open, which wouldn’t seat walk-ins).

Then we went downtown to check out our holiday market (it was freezing & Santa wasn’t there), but I found this:

cat ornament
A Rudy Cat ornament!

We also intended to check out the new Speakeasy in town. But again, our plans were foiled, and they wouldn’t let us in. *sigh*

Sounds like the date night was full of Fail, but we actually had a fun time (we’re committed to having a date night at least once a month — and hey, look: spontaneity!). Our “replacement” restaurant ended up serving an incredible meal — I won’t stop talking about that tomato-fennel gorgonzola soup — I can’t wait to return!

52 books in 52 weeks:
Finished #5: Sex & God at Yale. While mostly an interesting (debaucherous) read, the book itself went on WAY too many long-winded personal tangents. As an adult, did I really need an entire chapter devoted to the definition of “hooking up”? No. But maybe some out there do…

seven things, seven days:
1. The psychology behind organic labeling – from Science Daily
2. We got carolers at our house! On the one night I was gone this week… whomp.
3. But yay, team bonding! (over cider and cookies)
4. Holidays are meant for spiked milkshake happy hours… err, lunch.
5. As I write this, the cats are destroying the tree and presents beneath it. Broken ornament count: 2
6. I am an avid ponytail wearer – For winter, I need this Peekaboo Ponytail Hat!
7. We all seemingly made it through the End of the World! I suppose that’s something worth mentioning.

Have a happy pre-holiday weekend! I wouldn’t wish any last-minute shopping at the mall on my worst enemy!

An Apple a Day… for probably the next 8 weeks.

- Mel

A friend and I visited an apple orchard in our area to celebrate her recent engagement. Sunday was just SUCH a beautiful Fall day to be outdoors. And apparently, the perfect day to be at an apple farm (fried food! hayrides! live music! live… CHICKENS!).

Fun outdoor activities like this make me so happy — MY kind of therapy!

There are several apple farms and orchards in the Pittsburgh area; we decided on Simmons Farm, since their website confirmed we could actually PICK the apples off the tree in the orchard. But no climbing. That was Rule #1. Rule #2 was no stealing. If I had my guess for Rule #3, it would be to NOT fill the bag until it’s so heavy you can barely carry it back to the car.

SOME rules are made to be broken. 😉

Not only did I come home with a half bushel of apples (52 made it to the sink to be washed. I lost 2 in the street and 3 to just plain being “bad apples” — but I also gained a wasp and two dead spiders, the horror!), but I also managed a large pumpkin roll, sugar cookies and apple cider (so wonderful heated up in my mini crockpot, served over rum). I will soon be in treatment for a sugar overdose.

GET YOUR APPLES!
Simmons Farm is South of Pittsburgh in McMurray.
In the North Hills, you’ll find crowd-sourcing favorites: Soergel’s and Shenot Farm & Market.
Pittsburgh also has a number of wonderful farmers markets that carry delicious ripe apples this time of year — probably the same for whichever city you’re in too!

Meanwhile, I will be eating apple-this and apple-that for quite some time. And enjoying every minute of it.

Here’s what I plan to do with some of those 52 apples:
Crockpot Applesauce
Apple Crisp (possibly, multiple individual servings throughout the week — so easy to make in little ramekins!)
Apple Chips
My FAVORITE apple-cranberry oatmeal cookies.

And then a twitter friends recommended a Sharlotka — a Russian Apple Cake — so I attempted it. And the dessert came out MARVELOUS! (and is already half eaten.)

Do you have any additional ideas for my Much To Do About Apples board on PINTEREST?

Edited to add: I just found another apple in the front seat of my car. APPLES EVERYWHERE!

A Haircut Can Do You Good.

- Mel

Yes, Sheryl Crow. ’tis true.

Confession: It’s been almost a year since I had a haircut. Ew. No wonder my hair only looked (kind of) good in a half-pulled-through ponytail.

This may not look like much of a change, but I needed some serious shaping. I’m intending to grow my hairs out (and in the Fall have it dyed a beautiful rich chocolate color) to fulfill my dreams of having Kate Middleton’s hair. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, RIGHT?!

PS: My hair never looks this good and body-full when I do myself. Le sigh.

For those in my area, Pageboy in Lawrenceville is an amazing place for salon services and shop cute accessories and vintage-wear.