Faux Fur

It's getting kinda chilly here in Pittsburgh, but every few days we get lucky with a high in the 40s and sometimes in the 50s. On these days, it's totally acceptable to bring out the faux fur. Anything colder, you just look silly unless you're rocking the real thing. 

More than usual this winter, faux fur coats are having a major moment - probably because of the versatility. A coat like this one from Aritzia can be thrown over a little maxi dress for date night or a t-shirt and ripped jeans for a more a casual look. It gives your style a little edge and who doesn't want that?!

Here are a few other coats I have my eye one:

SHOP THIS POST: Coat from Aritzia, Sweater from H&M, Jeans from Current Elliott, Shoes from Splendid, Handmade cuff from local Pittsburgh brand Horsethief Silver.

Born in PGH. Made in NYC.

Welcome to PGH. For me, these images paint a good picture of my new city. It's relatively small with an industrial, working-class vibe. The mostly brick homes stand close together to form tight-knit communities separated by three rivers. It's the proud home of immigrant families who settled among the hills to live the American Dream, and the signs of steel surround you - a constant reminder of the city's rich history and good fortune that put PGH on the map. 

If you could walk the streets, you'd see the collision of old and new. The elderly are out in full force living happily next to the young engineers of Google. The pawn shop stands next to the latest micro-brewery drawing the city's finest bearded hipsters. Creatives of all ages find inspiration in one another and support each other any way they can. 

I have to say it's quite refreshing and a drastic change from New York City where everything was shiny and new - a playground for the rich and young who make the poor and young feel wildly unaccomplished. Any way you toss the dice, the struggle was real. 

For once, we are experiencing this thing called "Quality of Life" and it's great. Don't get me wrong - I think about our charming Brooklyn life often, but the change was much needed and I hold the memories close to my heart. One thing that I do miss dearly about Brooklyn is the fashion. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to ask a 6-year old where she bought her leather jacket and then ask her mom where she bought her clogs. The sense of style is amazing and the shopping is absolutely the best. 

I didn't realize it until after we shot these pictures, but most of my outfit is from local Brooklyn shops or NYC-based designers. The overalls are from Courtshop, the oversized Burberry shirt is from my favorite consignment store Eva Gentry and the drawstring bag is from Baggu. The sunnies are from Oliver Peoples, but found at my old eyeglass shop Urban Optical. 

For now, Brooklyn is my inspiration, but I'm excited to explore what this city has to offer. I'm on the lookout for independent brands and designers to feature, so please share in the comments if you can. 

Thanks and talk soon. 

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Made in Manhattan

I’m back in NYC, y’all. The weather in LA was beautiful, but I’m glad to be home with the hubs! On my way back to Brooklyn, I made a PITT stop in Pittsburgh to see my family and friends for my birthday and had the best time. I also shopped my little heart out. I don’t know why, but I bought these pants. I also made my mom take me to the fancy mall in Pittsburgh to pick up a pair of my favorite jeans and this cute top. Whenever I’m knee deep in work, I always think I deserve to treat myself and it just sucks for my finances that I’m never not knee deep in work :)

To honor my homecoming, I decided to make this Manhattan and of course, I couldn’t make it without a touch of the steel city. NYC and Pittsburgh will always have me torn and this happens every time I go home - I get very confused about where I want to be. It also doesn’t help that I have a life partner now. I’m hoping that one day we’ll both wake up and have a plan, but until then I’m just going to live in the moment and think about sipping cocktails al fresco as soon as the weather is nice!

So, cheers to 15 days to Spring!

• Ice
• 2 parts Wigle whiskey
• 1 part sweet vermouth
• 1 to 2 dashes bitters 
• Orange peel
• Maraschino Cherries (Don’t judge, but I used the ones from the jar - this girl ain’t got no time to make the real deal, though it’s much preferred)

Place ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Rub the orange peel around the rim of the cocktail glass and strain the drink into the glass. Add 1 to 2 cherries.

Home for the Holidays

Every time I go home for the holidays, I get really nostalgic, I get the itch to move back and lately, I've been getting really inspired. I grew up in a small suburb of Pittsburgh called North Braddock - first ward to be exact (back then, calling out your ward meant something - maybe it still does.) It is the town that my father grew up in and his father and his father's father and his father's father's father...you get the picture. We've been occupying this land since the early 1800's. North Braddock represents just a few streets on the hills of Braddock - the "birth place of steel." And back in it's heyday, Braddock Avenue was compared to NYC's Fifth Avenue because the shopping scene was top notch. 

But when I grew up there, it was a depressed steel town, there were few businesses and we had a bad reputation. As soon as I graduated high school, I got out of there as fast as I could. Over the years, things have changed and for the better. What I predicted in a fifth grade writing assignment about the future of Braddock (which hangs on a plaque in the mill) is starting to come true. The town is undergoing a revitalization and artists, craftsman and entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the rich history and cheap real estate. The same can be said for Pittsburgh as a whole too. 

I decided to take my husband back to Braddock to show him a glimpse of my childhood. We went to Mass to hear my father sing in the choir, we visited the neighboring Catholic school where I spent nine years of my life and we stopped by my father's old job - the post office - a place I used to frequent often. The streets still look tough, but it's slowly turning and that's exciting. It's make me smile and it's inspiring and maybe one day I'll come home. 

If you ever find yourself in Braddock, be sure to check out Brew Gentleman for a beer. And soon you'll be able to dine at one of Pittsburgh's top chef's establishments. You can read more about it here.