An Open Letter to Mother Nature

If I have to watch it snow, I might as well do it from inside Peet's :)

This entire weekend I have found something to do outside and even got a little bit of a pre-summer glow going. Here we are on Tuesday experiencing temperatures under 40 degrees and it's SNOWING. Yeah, Mother Nature, don't think I didn't notice. It was around 80 degrees on Sunday and now it's flipping snowing. I am finding it more and more difficult to cope with the inconsistency of this weather. My immune system hasn't been completely healthy since the end of March because of this constant back and forth. I really do not remember it being anywhere near this bad last year.

It is mid-April and today I took a snowflake to the eye on the way to class. Is this you punishing me for something? What did I do and how can I earn your forgiveness in the quickest way possible? If you could, please find it in your heart to end this madness and return Pittsburgh to the beauty that it experienced this weekend. It would be very much appreciated.

<3 Ashley

Is anyone else watching snow fall right now? 

Weekend Wrap-Up: The 70s

The view from the incline

The 70s...that is where temperatures were all weekend and it was pretty much the best weekend since Light Up Night earlier in the winter. You know it was a good weekend because I got zero school work done! Seriously, this is the last week of classes and I am so far behind it is not even funny. I am stressed but I am by no means mad at myself. Sure, I have a speech to give Wednesday that is only half written but it was worth it for what we did. Saturday my roommate and I to a trip to the Monongahela Incline to take in a daytime view of Pittsburgh and enjoy the sun with a couple of our friends from our floor. This was followed by an impromptu mid-afternoon trip to Primanti's for fries. Then we spent the time until the sunset back on campus (outside!) having a catch.

 

Timeflies. This man specifically was very attractive ;)

Then yesterday we had a little birthday brunch for a couple of the girls whose birthdays are a week or two after we leave Pittsburgh. Let me tell you, Double Wide Grill in SouthSide...their brunch is fantastic! I got the veggie omelet and was so beyond satisfied. My roommate and I got back to campus intent on getting work done despite the gorgeous near 80 weather when all of a sudden the guys invited us to the concert that was happening on campus. So instead of speech writing I found myself on Bigelow Boulevard waiting for Timeflies to perform. The show was fantastic and so much fun! I really don't think I could have asked for a better, incredibly non-productive weekend!

<3 Ashley

How was your weekend?

Happening in Pittsburgh: RadioChumps

Hey there folks! Just wanted to stop by quickly and bring this event to the attention of all my readers in the Pittsburgh area. RadioChumps, a local digital lifestyle magazine is celebrating its second anniversary! In celebration they are throwing quite a shindig this Thursday March 20 in Lawrenceville from 6-9 pm at Jules Boutique and complimentary wine will be provided by Pittsburgh Winery. If you have the chance, be sure to stop by to take a little part in the celebration!

<3 Ashley

Are you planning to stop by and celebrate?

Weekend Wrap-Up: Friends and Family

Happy Monday everyone!

I apologize in advance for the silence that you will no doubt get from me sometime this week; it's finals week. Today and tomorrow is all studying and then Wednesday is when all the fun starts. I have two exams Wednesday, one Thursday, and two Friday. Sounds like a great time, right? Then on Saturday I get to go home for a long and lovely winter break.

Hands down my favorite room at Phipps. It's always decorated so beautifully.

Santa's workshop!

Steelers v. Dolphins. It was just a little chilly; note the snow.

This weekend was definitely the calm before the storm, and I really appreciate all the fun that I was able to have before buckling down. On Friday night, the ladies and I went to Phipps Conservatory and walked through all of their holiday lights and decorations (which were beautiful as always!) Then on Sunday, my dad came to Pittsburgh and we went to the Steelers game against the Dolphin...which the Steelers lost. It was an absolutely freezing game, and despite the outcome, a very fun one!

<3 Ashley

How was your weekend?

"It's Like...Shoe Art!"

 Quick, everyone! What movie is title quote from?! ...P.S. I Love You! If you got it correct, I'm sorry but I have nothing to offer you except a virtual pat on the back and my approval. If there's one thing I love in this world (beside that movie, of course!) it's shoes. If you were to ask anyone who has seen the inside of my closet they would probably tell you that I have way too many; I, however, would say that I can always use more shoes! But that's just me...

ShoeDIVA Boutique recently launched here in Pittsburgh and I already have the website in my bookmarks. From what I have seen, one thing you can expect from this brand is one-of-a-kind designs. If I plan to make a statement, I typically do so with accessories and these shoes will definitely help to make a statement. ShoeDIVA was founded by Janelle Cutler who has stated that her own shoe fetish and sense of style makes her qualified to offer quality and one-of-a-kind shoes to the divas in this world; who can argue with that logic?! In the future, she hopes to take ShoeDIVA from an online shopping experience to storefront.

For those of you in the Pittsburgh area, on Sunday November 24 there will be a launch party hosted at Windy's Boutique in the SouthSide area (one of my favorites in Pittsburgh!) from 2-6pm. You can go ahead and browse the website for shoes and other small accessories here.

<3 Ashley

What are your favorite kinds of shoes to wear? See anything on the site that you like?

Fashion and Fantasy

Fall is bringing some fun times to Pittsburgh as Pretty Living PR is presenting it's F/W magazine issue Fashion and Fantasy. The magazine launch party will be held November 5th at Perle in Market Square, located in downtown Pittsburgh. The evening will be filled with lots of fun, fashion and local celebrity, many of which are featured in this new issue! A portion proceeds from the party will be donated to Pittsburgh's Make A Wish foundation.

If you're in the Pittsburgh area and have an interest in attending the party, you can purchase general admission and VIP tickets here! More information can be found on the event's Facebook page and their website.

<3 Ashley

Weekend Wrap-Up: Homecoming

Happy Monday everybody! 

I'd say that this weekend was definitely a well deserved break that was used for both relaxation and productivity. I spent the last weekend of September surrounded by friends and fun. Friday night we went downtown for my friend's birthday dinner--we went to Cafe Milano instead of Burgatory like I said before--which was delicious! I will go ahead and recommend the baked ziti. It did take awhile for our food to get to us, but I imagine that was due to the fact that there was a festival/bridge party that night on the Roberto Clemente bridge and everyone and their mother was getting dinner at the same time as us. There was also some excitement for the huge rubber duck that is laying anchor in Pittsburgh for the next 3 weeks. Aside from that, the weekend was spent celebrating homecoming and our victory against University of Virginia!

Partying with Pittsburgh!

Couldn't resist a quick pic with the duck!

Homecoming laser and fireworks show!

Great seats for the game; and we won!

<3 Ashley

How did you spend your weekend?

School in the City

Photo: here

I have always prided myself on having the ability to adjust quickly to change (no matter how much I might complain about the unwanted sort!) When it came time to choose my college I had two schools on very opposite ends of the spectrum: Pitt, an urban school and Bethany College, a smaller school in the mountains of West Virginia. Quite the difference! I loved visiting both schools but after weighing pros and cons I became a Pitt Panther.

I come from a rural area and so the move to Pittsburgh introduced me to city life. I don’t think I was intimidated once! While it was my first time on my own in a city, I welcomed it with open arms. I adapted quickly to public transportation--an adaptation that can be made quickly when it’s FREE transportation. I also accompanied my new found friends on excursions into downtown and the surrounding areas. If I could go back to the night I made my decision, I don’t think I would change my decision…honestly. I think it was really good for me to put myself in a completely different setting for this period.

Here are just a few of the perks I have found to going to school in the city:

- proximity to…everything. Everything is just a walk or bus ride away!
- arts experiences through the school. I don’t know about other schools but Pitt partners with the local museums, performance groups and the PSO (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra) to offer students different experiences in the arts (many times these are free!)
- free transportation--enough said.
- lots and lots of diversity.

<3 Ashley

What kind of setting do you see yourself in?