Lately

Since my last Lately post one week ago, I feel like we have done SO much! We celebrated my husband's birthday on Thursday. We went to Merchant Oyster for a cocktail and some oysters to start and then we had dinner at Le Via Trattoria which is also in Lawrenceville. It's family-owned and BYOB and was just so delicious. It all tasted very homemade and old school Italian... basically, all I've done is eat really good food since last week, HA! 

On Friday, we headed to Cincinnati to go to a wedding at the Arts Museum. We stayed in downtown Cincinnati (at the Westin which I definitely do not recommend) but we loved being downtown. Such a pretty city and like many people say, it really does remind me a lot of Pittsburgh. We loved our Friday night dinner at Boca. Thank you to everyone who recommended so many great restaurants. We landed on Boca as that was one of the only spots we could get a last-minute reservation. The atmosphere was just gorgeous and elegant but fun at the same time. It's much bigger inside than it looks from the outside! It's dressier and the food is all small plates so we just ordered a bunch and shared everything, which is truly my favorite way to dine! The food was so incredible as was the service. If you are visiting the city or live there and haven't been, you must go!

Saturday, we went to brunch with friends at Maplewood Kitchen right downtown as well. Loved it- so cute and the food was wonderful. Then the afternoon/evening was the wedding which was just beautiful. The Cincinnati Art Museum is beautiful! 

Sunday, we headed back (it was about 5 hours to drive) but we didn't leave without having Skyline Chili, which is a diner-style restaurant that Cincinnati is known for. They put chili on spaghetti noodles with a mountain of cheese on top. I mean just look at that photo!!! I didn't love it but also didn't hate it. If you've ever had Steak N Shake, it's similar to 'chili mac'. I think I would have liked it better if the chili was spicy. I found the flavor to be a bit sweet. I can't put my finger on it, there was a flavor that I just didn't love- maybe nutmeg? For my Pittsburghers, the chili flavor reminded me of Piccolo Forno's lasagna. It has a tomato flavor but also that sweet nutmeg flavor that, for some reason, I just don't care for. Again, I don't hate it, I'll eat it, but I usually like savory/spicy vs. sweet. I also wanted the cheese to be sharper in flavor. All-in-all, though, it was fun to be able to try that! I'd legitimately love to recreate the meal with my husband's amazing spicy chili that he makes and a lot of fresh chopped onion and grated super sharp cheese and even some cilantro on top. I love trying a city's famous food staples. I am sure people think Primanti's is nuts (or even gross) if they have never had it before but growing up eating it, I love it, ha!  

This week was the least glamorous. I had to go to the DMV (was in and out in 40 minutes, which is like a record!!) and get my car inspected. All of those menial adult tasks are always a pain and because of that, I always tend to put them off until I can't any longer. 

I thought we had no plans for the weekend, but we are going to head up to the mountains with some friends to stay at their mountain house which will be fun! Henry always loves it up there so he will be pleased. Grilled steaks, wine, and fun! 

Wearing: Ok this is not me wearing something but... it's about my house 'wearing' something haha! I have an empty wall in our kitchen that leads to a door that is all windows that go out to our back patio. It's a pretty big wall. I have thought about doing a plate wall or gallery wall, but I feel like I want something simpler and less 'clutter' if that makes sense. I want something streamlined that doesn't necessarily draw attention but jazzes up a blank wall. What do you all think about this basket that hangs on the wall? It's 36"x36" so it's a nice size. I think it'll add just what I'm looking for but I'm second guessing it because I'm not sure if it skews too farmhouse? Thoughts?!

Drinking: Did you see my summer cocktails post from yesterday? 9 recipes! 

Watching: We just started the new season of Stranger Things on Netflix! We are only one episode in so far but I'm really liking it- it's a little more gory and borderline scary!

Loving: These athletic tanks with built-in bras are amazing. I have one of those Lululemon align tanks and I almost never wear it. It's slightly cropped so I feel like it hits me in a weird spot and the bra is flimsy on it. With this one, it's a regular length and I find the square neck to be much more flattering. The fabric is nicer, too. I throw them on with athletic skorts or shorts when I'm going on a long walk with Henry or even to Orange Theory. I have a smaller bust but I feel like the top totally stays put and gives me enough support/compression for an actual workout but I do think it's best for lower impact workouts like when I'm on my rower! 

Wanting: This super affordable dress would be such a chic and simple swimsuit coverup! 

Pittsburgh:  Le Via Trattoria in Lawrenceville (where Cure was) is family-owned and BYOB and was just so delicious. It all tasted very homemade and old-school Italian. The atmosphere is no-fuss and pretty casual. The service was wonderful. I think the peppers were my favorite followed by the rigatoni. The menu does change quite frequently. I made a reservation ahead of time. 

Amazon Rec: I have a pearl headband that I got on Amazon last summer and it has since been sold out. I found this one and it looks so similar for less than $15!You can find more of my Amazon favorites, here!

Traveling: We don't have any crazy plans for June which makes me happy. April to now has been a lot in terms of both work and play and I'm more than happy to pump the breaks for a bit. In fact, I really need that break! 

Quoting: See more of my favorites, here.