Lately

Happy Friday everyone! I wanted to share some random things that I've been up to lately/ random snaps I have in my camera roll!

A few weeks ago, there was an event downtown called Cosmopolitan Pittsburgh put on by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust! I am a member of the Trust and they left no stone unturned at this uber fun circus themed event! I felt that my J. McLaughlin feather skirt fit right in with all the fun circus decor! Funniest par to of the night? The convention center was just blocks away, and the furry convention happened to be going on that weekend. If you haven't heard of a furry, you definitely need to google it (and anthrocon). It's such a bizarre thing to me, but it's a massive conference in Pittsburgh and brings millions to the city each year. It's slightly creepy to me, but it is kind of fun to see these creatures walking all around the city. We left the party for a few minutes to go snap some pics with some of the furries. All in good fun and a fun night!  

A few weeks ago, I went to the William Penn's Speakeasy. It's such a cool bar/lounge and has some really unique cocktails. That night, I chose a Pimm's cup, which is out of the ordinary for me. It was my first Pimm's cup and now I am a huge fan! Have you ever tried a Pimm's Cup?

I've started to pack for a week at the lake. I've been super stressed out lately between trying to keep up with my social calendar, work, clubs/philanthropies/boards that I am involved in and my blog. I am a very 'go go go' type of person, so having such a booked schedule is great, but honestly, sometimes it gets to me and right now is one of those 'sometimes'. I would be lying if I said I wasn't feeling a tad overwhelmed, so a vacation could not come soon enough! The lake is my happy place. It's a place to relax and spend time with our family and friends and I really cherish my time there every year. 

My parents, sister and I went to Hofbrauhaus a few weekends ago. If you've never been, Hofbrauhaus is a German beer hall. I'm not into beer, but they have a gorgeous outdoor patio and the inside almost feels like your in Germany in Epcot.... they also let you stand on your chair to sing and dance! I love a good Reuben and this place has a great one. It's also a place I take all my visiting friends because it is so lively... Since I'm not a beer person, I love that they haves splits of champagne on the menu! 

Another restaurant I have been loving lately is Sonoma in downtown Pittsburgh. It is right near my office, so it's really convenient to meet friends for dinner and drinks after work. The wine is fabulous as well as the food. I always get the salmon with ginger glaze and the sautéed veggies. YUM. I definitely recommend it if you are in Pittsburgh. 

The Vintage Grand Prix is a week long event held in Pittsburgh each year. I was supposed to go to the Gala, but ended up not being able to make it, so I was so pleased when the cars started to gather on the patio of my building! I am not a car person, but it was such a fun lunch excursion to head outside and check out some really cool cars. The red one in the second photo is my favorite! Something I really like about my office building is that there is always something fun going on during lunch time. They often have live music, food vendors and the other day, it was free ice cream for everyone! 

 I went down to DC to visit friends last weekend and my friend Lauren and I shopped around Georgetown one afternoon. I love popping into Lou Lou when I'm there for really cute and inexpensive jewelry. This time, we spotted these fascinators and had to try them on. I literally almost bought one because I felt very Kate Middleton in it.... but then again.. where would I wear it?! 

The Dodie Thayer x Tory Burch collection was in the Georgetown store and it is AMAZING in person. I'm so obsessed. I ended up only with the candle, but plan on scooping up the pair of cups and saucers, too. The candle smells so good. I plan to have it hold my makeup brushes when I am finished burning the candle! 

I basically ate the entire time I was in DC... shocker. It wouldn't be a DC trip without Shake Shack. We went to P.O.V. at the W one night... a trendy, touristy bar, with over priced drinks, but the view is sooooo worth it and then headed to Shake Shack for a quick bite. 

Then it was off to Bayou in Foggy Bottom to see a super fun, and new-to-me band called Kendall Street Co. They were so good and covered so many of my favorite songs. We danced so much, I totally burned off that burger from earlier in the night ;) I'm going to have to do separate post about my DC trip and on my love for Paolo's including pics of our food. It is my absolute favorite! You can check out my DC Guide, here! 

This weekend I am celebrating a friend's birthday and going to another friend's baby shower-- it's my first baby shower of my friends, so I am very excited to celebrate with her and her husband! I'm also really looking forward to sleeping in a bit. Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I'm been burning the midnight oil, quite literally way too much lately, so my bed is calling my name! What's on your agenda? Have a fabulous day!