pittsburgh

A little bit of my mind…

Posted by: melissa in about me, art, painting, personal, pittsburgh, wine glass Comments Off on A little bit of my mind…

I have been staring at my computer screen for awhile now. I can talk. A lot. But putting into words what I feel after this weekend’s tragedy isn’t going too well. Like all of you, my heart is sad and scared for the world we live in. This weekend was a bit of a whirlwind, so I spent the other morning cramming in a lot of information. The outpouring of love and support is amazing. The stories of the heroes are incredible.

It’s been a struggle coming up with something to write about this week. My mind is kind of all over the place today and I feel like I need to type something, so here you go.

Welcome to my mind…

I sold some wine glasses last week. I haven’t been pushing my crafts too much recently, so when a sale comes my way, I am pretty happy. I did a redo of the ones I made for PERSAD CENTER’s Art for Change event. Can I just say that most of the time I feel like I am a complete shit show? So, when I finally finish making something and it is safely tucked away in its packaging and on its way to a customer, I feel pretty freaking amazing.

This time was a different story. I hand delivered the glasses because I was headed to a friend’s pool that day, which is right down the road. Upon delivery, I get out of my car and start up their walkway. My swimsuit bottoms fall down. I am covered with a sundress, but at this moment, I panic. I can’t tie them without exposing my lady bits, so I pull them completely off and tuck them in my pocket. I am in a residential neighborhood, and I see the neighbor staring at me. Like what kind of goods is this girl delivering? I am friends with the daughter of the woman who purchased the glasses, and her adorable husband decided to show me some of their artwork. It’s like he knew (Sorry, Marsha! hahaha). Anyway, they loved the glasses and I will be shopping for a new swimsuit.

In other big news, I switched from an iPhone to an Android. This was a BIG deal for me. I do all my work on a Mac. Have for years. I use my iPad daily and still remember getting my first iPhone. The short and sweet of it? I am a closet nerd. I spent an entire morning researching this switch and walked into the Verizon store with sweaty palms. I explained myself to the guy who said, with such sincerity, I get it. Somehow I walked out of there with a Galaxy S7 Edge, an Ellipsis 8 tablet and a new found love for Aaron the Verizon guy.

I also spent a lot of last weekend in a swimming pool. Jealous? The weather was gorgeous. There was plenty of booze. But the weird part? I can’t swim. Go ahead, get the look of shock over with and erase the thought of “fixing” me from your mind. I can move around just fine in water, but I can’t go under. And can I just say? None of you (Well besides you, Alex.) are doing laps in the pool during a party. I believe you were all standing right next to me drinking your beers. Regardless of that, I took lessons two years ago. I made it through three of the four and gave up. First of all, I hate deep water. Second of all, swimming is a lot of work. You learned when you were five and had all the energy. I was 33 and it was not easy. And third of all, it was me and a bunch of little kids. No thank you.

And just one more thing before I shut up. F*ck yeah, Pens! Also, main image is available for purchase here.

13Apr

A little bit of Earth Day…

Posted by: melissa in earth day, environment, gardening, give back, nature, pittsburgh, trees Comments Off on A little bit of Earth Day…

The weather is warming up and it is time for all of us to get outside. Did you know that being outside decreases stress, improves concentration and, among other things, boosts your immune system? I love being outside. Give me a hiking trail or a campsite and I am in my glory. There is something calming about being in the woods surrounded by trees. I could dive deeper into why I love trees, but I’ll keep that craziness to myself.

For now, I will stick to the facts. Did you know one large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for four people? Or that exposure to trees and nature actually reduces mental fatigue? Looking to save money? Trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20–50 percent in energy used for heating. The list goes on and on.

April has always been my favorite month, partly because of my birthday, but also because the change in the weather. I love the smell of spring and seeing the flowers popping up after being covered in snow all winter. April is also the owner of Earth Day. The holiday, which takes place on the 22nd, has been celebrated since 1969. This year, Pittsburgh has expanded the holiday. The city has events scheduled from April 21 through April 24. From a runway fashion show highlighting recycled and reused materials to vendors in Market Square and, of course, the Pittsburgh Earth Day Food Truck Festival. Pittsburgh’s got your Earth Day needs covered.

I hope to participate as much as I can, but just in case my time fills up, I looked into other options. Here are five ways you can give back this Earth Day without leaving your house.

Tentree is a environmentally progressive apparel company selling men’s and women’s fashions. For every purchase made, ten trees are planted. They even have a map showing you where your trees are planted. I love the entire concept. Plus their clothes are super cute.
WeWOOD designs wooden timepieces from scrap-wood. In 2010, the company teamed up with tree-planting-partners American Forests and Trees For The Future. Now, for every WeWOOD watch purchased, one tree is planted.
Want to donate? Check out Earth Day Network, the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement. The website is also an amazing resource for actions you can take to help the environment.
Plant a tree or a garden. Planting aids in producing more air for the earth, and there are many small varieties available for your yard. Head on over to your local garden center and ask for help. In my experience, plant people love talking plants.
I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but recycle. Please. The world population continues to grow and, with that, so does the amount of waste. Not sure what you can recycle? This should help. Wondering where to go? Search for it here.

12Apr

A little bit of time…

Posted by: melissa in about me, art, crafts, give back, pittsburgh, wine glass Comments Off on A little bit of time…

Everyday at the sound of our alarm clocks, much like the horses at the Kentucky Derby (although probably a bit slower), we are off. We all have our routines. Shower, coffee, drive to work, get through work, drive home, dinner, TV, bed or something like that. We all rush through the day, sometimes on autopilot.

I have been lucky enough to have some down time over the past year. Fifty percent of my work week is done at home. Its been a weird transition. I had to reset my routine, and I had to make sure I stuck with it. Not always the easiest thing to do. I try not to watch television during the day and if I can avoid doing things like laundry and cleaning (because OCD) AND shut off my damn phone for a bit, I have time. REAL time.

Time is a weird thing because we all want it, but once we get it, we are kinda like what are we supposed to do with this. And for someone that suffers from anxiety and has spent most of her life in constant motion, it was hell. I had to learn to live with myself and actually enjoy it. I basically had to ask myself, what do I even like to do? Hence all the crafts, cooking and, well, this blog. I figure if I can be proud of one thing I do a day, that’s pretty good.

A lot of my friends are very active in Pittsburgh, whether its through networking or volunteering. They are constantly on the move. Kinda works out for me because I can jump on the bandwagon whenever I feel like it, which isn’t often, but who’s counting. (Clearly not them because they continue to invite me. Thank you!!!)

Recently I was asked to make a basket (hand-painted wineglasses and wine) for an upcoming event held by PERSAD CENTER, a human service organization whose mission is to improve the well-being of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning) communities, and the HIV/AIDS communities. A friend of mine has been involved for years and, honestly, I am super excited. Art for Change, held May 2 at the Wyndham Grand Downtown Pittsburgh, features verbal and silent auctions. The art at this thing is incredible and (because my friends are the best) I AM PART OF IT! If you love art and want to be involved in this fabulous evening, tickets are on sale now and they are looking for volunteers.

Giving to this organization and others is really a great feeling, which is kinda my focus right now. Plus, who doesn’t love free advertising!? I could probably write a book based on lazy marketing. But enough of this laziness. Go do your thing. And take some time to stop and smell the roses or the tulips or whatever isn’t still frozen in this city.

4Apr

A little bit of spice…

Posted by: melissa in cooking, dinner, food, pittsburgh, recipes Comments Off on A little bit of spice…

If I had to name one food I could not live without, it would probably be hot sauce. I know its not technically a food, but good lord I love it. Yesterday was Opening Day in Major League Baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates got a Sunday opener this year. I don’t like baseball at all, but I do love a good tailgate. The day was spent with friends drinking in the cold, although very sunny, weather. I know the whole city (baseball fan or not) was feeling the hangover today. If its one thing Pittsburghers know how to do, its celebrate a game, especially when we win.

Nothing feeds my hangover quite like spicy food. I’ve spent many of Sundays on the couch wishing Qdoba delivered or cursing myself for not having jalapeños in the house. Today’s medicine of choice? Buffalo Cauliflower “Wings”. I know some people hate recipes that use veggies to replace meat or carbs, but come on, it’s delicious!

My carnivore of a husband does not feel the same, so I threw in a main dish for him. A super simple dish containing chicken, spinach (I used kale), garlic and parmesan cheese. I’m actually not sure if I like spinach or kale more. To me they are green, so they are the same. I doubled the recipe for leftovers, so if it looks like a lot that’s why.

The cauliflower, which was doused in RedHot and Sriracha, hit the spot. The texture of the cauliflower is, in my opinion, better than chicken wings. You can dip the “wings” in ranch or blue cheese dressing, if you like. I took them straight to the face and my craving for salt and spice was fulfilled.

2Apr

A little bit of yoga…

Posted by: melissa in about me, exercise, personal, pittsburgh, yoga Comments Off on A little bit of yoga…

For nearly two years, I have suffered from back pain. We will call it that. If I try to explain what is really going on with my body, you would be like what the hell is wrong with this girl. I’m pretty positive it was from sitting at a desk for years, stress and not taking care of myself. You know, all the stuff they warn you about.

The pain is pretty constant and I have tried many treatments. I did the whole physical therapy thing, which didn’t seem to even touch it. I am pretty much best friends with my chiropractor, although I’m not sure I’m his favorite patient. I had acupuncture done. It actually did seem to make a difference, but for some reason, I never went back. I’ve been tested for arthritis and had an MRI. Luckily, I’m healthy, but that doesn’t solve my problem.

I started doing PiYo at the beginning of the year, which I highly recommend. For anyone that thinks yoga is boring but wants similar benefits, this might be for you. I bought a trigger point massage tool and a foam roller. These are both amazing. I have tried so many different vitamins and minerals. Anything someone suggests, I buy it.

The thing that seems to help me the most is stretching, so I started doing yoga. Today I got to experience hot yoga for the first time and I LOVED it. If you haven’t tried it, basically they jack the temperature of the room up to, I don’t know, maybe 80 degrees. It really loosens your muscles and helps you move easier. You know what else it does? It makes you sweat. A lot. I went with a friend, and she swears we were under a heat vent. Some of the girls looked like they worked up a nice warm glow. My entire body was soaked. Maybe it wasn’t sweat and actually wine.

The place went went is called Amazing Yoga. They are based in Pittsburgh and have locations in Shadyside, Lawrenceville, Wexford and the South Side. I was a little nervous being that it was not only my first hot yoga, but my first yoga class ever. The atmosphere and the instructor were very welcoming. She told us to leave our egos at the door. There were no grunting men or guys hitting on me. Gosh, I am so over the gym. And, BONUS, newbies get two weeks unlimited for $25, so I will definitely be going back. However this time, I am going to avoid the hour and a half class and maybe ease myself in a bit.

25Jan

A little bit of social media…

Posted by: melissa in pittsburgh, social media, twitter Comments Off on A little bit of social media…

I will be the first to admit that I am addicted to social media. I love the different ways it is used, from news to sports, from celebrities to cooking, from crafting to a bevy of perverted jokes. You can find me on pretty much all of it. I even signed up for ello and Peach for a brief moment in time.

I use Instagram personally and to share my crafts. I keep up with friends and family on Facebook. I also use Facebook to promote my crafts, but honestly I haven’t had a lot of luck there because the site’s organic reach basically sucks. I have high hopes for 2016 as the company promises greater visibility for businesses. (Clearly not a good subject.) I am also on Snapchat and Pinterest and Linkedin and the list goes on and on.

Twitter is definitely my go to when it comes to social media. I love the funny side of it, and I love the business side of it. I know a lot of people don’t “get” it, so I wanted to share some of my favorite accounts in hope that maybe some of you will jump on the bandwagon. (Keep in mind that most of these are Pittsburgh-related accounts because duh.)

If you love Pittsburgh as much as I do, you will enjoy following Dave DiCello. His gorgeous photos of Pittsburgh are on my timeline every morning. The different angles from which he captures the city are amazing. It reminds me how beautiful it is here.

You’ve probably seen this next guy on your television or maybe out and about in town. Scott Harbaugh, weekday morning meteorologist for Severe Weather Team 11 and PCNC, is an awesome example of how to use Twitter. He tweets weather, right? Seems easy enough. But it’s how he interacts with everyone that always amazes me. From the teenagers harping on him about school delays and closings to the trolls harassing him about forecasts.

If you are from Pittsburgh, I’m assuming you’ve heard of PittGirl (aka Virginia Montanez). If you don’t, she was an anonymous blogger for The BurghBlog.com before someone revealed her identity. She was then fired from her job because maybe everyone didn’t agree with what she was blogging, which lead to her starting a new site ThatsChurch.com. I got to hear her speak at Social Media Day Pittsburgh in 2014 and her story is amazing. Plus she supports my favorite city, Pittsburgh.

Now let me digress. There are obviously a ton of different news sources you can follow, both locally and nationally. And they’re all great, but let’s be honest, these days news is a little bit depressing. BuzzFeed is a social news and entertainment company and I am probably correct when I say that we have all clicked on one of their links. It’s like you can’t help it, they suck you in. And their tweets are the same way. I mean, who wouldn’t want to look at “19 photos of dogs being adorable during the blizzard”?

And last but not least, there’s the “other side” of Twitter. I will not tell you where to find me there because somethings are better left unsaid. But if you like silly comedy, this is where you need to be. David Hughes is my go to account when I need a laugh. His collection of Winnie the Bear tweets kills me. Another account that always makes me laugh is Keet plus how cute is that avi?! Jason Lastname never fails to make me giggle, and I don’t know if that is him in that picture, but check out that beard. And last but not least, Pigeon Cop. He has a way of making me not hate birds so much. I don’t know any of these people personally, but I get to enjoy their humor for free every day. And, if they’d like to be friends, well…

So, there you have it. A very small collection of what I like to read on Twitter. If you’re already on there and want to find me, you can do so here. If you are nice, I might even let you see my other account.