Paint Monkey

The other weekend a group of friends and I gathered for a painting class at Paint Monkey a local Pittsburgh painting studio that lets you plan private paint parties. 

  Prior to coming to Paint Monkey we chose as a group from a large list of painting options to paint the Georgia O'Keefe Flower. 

  Paint Monkey is BYOB ( *added bonus*) so we arrived and socialized and enjoyed some wine before diving into the painting. 

 

We were each provided a canvas with the print penciled on and paint, you can call it an adult version of paint-by-number.

 

 

 

Ali ready to paint her masterpiece.

 

 

We painted section by section with different colors and shading.

 

 

 

 

...until slowly they turned into flowers

 

 

Katie and her artwork.

 

 



..and all of a sudden they turned into masterpieces. 

 

 

Me and my artwork

 

 

 

 

Such a fun evening out with friends, cannot wait to do it again!

 

 

 

 

 

We're Engaged!!

Some BIG events have occurred since I've been away, DFH proposed and we are so excited to say we are Engaged!

  DFH and I have been dating for six + years, so I have been waiting for this day for  forever  a little while hahaha, however I was completely surprised when the big event happened.  DFH sure pulled one over on these eagle eyes. 



A few Friday's ago I had plans with Steel Magnolia to grab a few drinks at a local Pittsburgh restaurant after work.  KLS had texted me earlier in the day to say she would pick me up at home after work.  I told her I just needed to run home and change out of my work clothes.  ( little did I know DFH had KLS in on the secret)

 DFH had told me that he was working Friday night, which is normal, so a proposal that night never even crossed my mind. 

Instead, I opened  my apartment door after work to find this:

Pink and Green balloons lining the hallway with pictures of DFH and I starting from the time we started dating continuing up to present.

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the doors down the hallway were wallpapered with pink and green ( my favorite colors) tissue paper.

 

 

On the side of the wall read Memory Ln. in blue, meant to look like the street signs in our neighborhood. 

 

When I opened the door to the apartment, I was in complete shock, I looked down the hall past the balloons to see:

 

 

I walked down the hall opened up "Forever Ave" and DFH was in our living room surrounded by more pictures of us, balloons, flowers and champagne :)

 

 

 

 

 

....And then he proposed!!

 

 

 

 

 

Right after the proposal, still in work clothes haha.

 

 

All cleaned up and ready for dinner :)

 

 

After calling friends and family we headed to dinner at a delicious restaurant in our area where DFH had made reservations.

 

 



 

I was so excited and in shock I can't even tell you what I had for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

We ended the night at SOBA one of our favorite Shadyside bars with too much more champagne and friends :)

 

Perfect night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bloody Mary Experience

      Lets be honest, if you are like me, nothing beats a delicious Bloody Mary with all the fixins' for weekend brunch. 

 

Exhibit A: Last weekend.

 

 

I prefer to put everything, but the kitchen sink in my Bloody to the point that it is a complete well balanced meal. 

 

I'm always super disappointed when I go out for brunch and order a bloody and it is just vodka and Bloody Mary mix, it is just not the same....rookie mistake.

 

  In my next life, I would love to open a Bloody Mary bar that would allow customers to make their own bloodys, with a wide variety of options, the possibilities are literally endless.

 

 

I think I learned my Bloody Mary talents from my Dad, who is the resident Bloody Mary maker at our  house. 

 

In my opinion a Bloody Mary is not complete without the following

 

1. Spicy Bloody Mary Mix

2. Vodka

3. LOTS of horseradish

4. Worshchestire Sauce

5. Pickle Juice

6. Lemon Juice

7. Olives

8. A healthy stalk of celery

9. Pepper

 

The best part about a Bloody Mary is so many random condiments and spices can go in it to give it different flavors.  Some of my favorite specialty ingredients I like to add are:

 

1. Bleu cheese crumbles

2. Old Bay Rim

3. Shrimp on the rim

4. Clam juice

5. Guinness

6. Steak Sauce

 

You really can't go wrong, no matter what you do. 

 

 

The more horseradish and the thicker the Bloody Mary the better.

 

 

 I am off to the beach for the long weekend, and I look forward to enjoying a delicious bloody. 

See you on Tuesday!

 

 

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!  Hope you are having a fabulous week, only three more days until the long weekend, thank goodness!  I could use it. 
  I am linking up this week with Jamie for What I'm Loving Wednesday, and here is what I am loving right now. 

 

I am loving these hair ties.  I love the sparkles and tie dye, and love that they don't crease my hair, plus, I am that girl that always has a hair tie on my wrist, and these fun ties look so much cuter than my usual black hair band. 

 

 

 

The only problem is they are hard to find up north, the only store I have found them in is Anthro, and they are more expensive and don't have the same color choices... does anyone in the Pittsburgh area  know anywhere else to purchase these?

 

 

I am loving that DFH and I are headed to LBI for the long weekend to see my family and get a last chance tan.  

 

 

Nothing beats the beach being with family and delicious seafood dinners.

 

 

I am loving the TV show,  Here Comes Honey Boo Boo on TLC.  It is absolutely ridiculous and entertaining, everything thing about the show makes me laugh.  

 

 

 

Lastly, I am loving these needlepoint loafers from The Pink Monogram.  I love how many great prints and colors they come in, perfect for a fall day with skinnies. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Are You Loving?

 

A Very Abby Lee Miller Dance Recital and a TV Appearance

     For those of you that don't already know, I love the Lifetime show Dance Moms!  I'm not sure what it is about the show that got me addicted, maybe it was growing up dancing as a child or that it is filmed in Pittsburgh, but I am an avid watcher. 

   Lucky for me, my friend LES and I got the opportunity to attend the Abby Lee Dance Company dance recital right in our very own town in Pittsburgh.  

  All of the girls and moms were in attendance, and the girls are seriously amazing dancers, and have so much talent for such a young age. 

  LES and I started taking ballet classes again ( inspired by our love for Dance Moms), I secretly hope I can one day look like Maddie and Chloe...hahaha.

  Unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures, but it was so neat to see the girls and moms in person ( I seriously felt like a 13 year old teeny bopper seeing a celebrity hahah)

The episode aired last week, and low and behold LES and I had a couple TV appearances:

 

LES and I making a TV appearance  with Cathy from Candy Apples. hahaa

 

 

 

It may not be a speaking part, but we'll get there :)

 

  Do you Watch Dance Moms??

Also, I wanted to wish LES a very Happy Birthday!!

 

 



A Week in OBX

  I am finally just getting around to blogging about my vacation in OBX.

Only about a month late...oops! 

Better Late Then Never Right?!

We had such a fabulous week in OBX.  A group of DFH and my high school friends have been renting a house in OBX the last few years.  In previous years I have always had other obligations, so this was the first year I was able to go, and it was my first trip to OBX.

 

The house we rented was right across from the beach and had great views of the Ocean, which was perfect and made it easy to run back and forth from the beach to the house during the day, for lunch and or cold bevs.

  
  

 

Some of the guys show showing off their football skills

 

 

LH and AK made shirts and tie-dyed them for everyone, I love the way they came out.

 JM and I showing off our stripes. 

 

Posing with DFH and his VayCay Hat.

Boys being Boys.

 

The view from our house was gorgeous, especially around sunset time.

 

 

Posing, before enjoying a delicious seafood dinner.  Nothing beats, fresh seafood at the beach.

 

 

The sunset in Nags Heads, near the dunes and kites.

 

DFH and BB before dinner, so happy to be reunited.
  Most of our highschool friends live in NJ where we grew up, so it was so great to be able to enjoy a full week with everyone, who we rarely get to see.

 

 

We lucked out and had beautiful beach weather.

 

 



Enjoying our new neon shades...so rad.

 

 

 

JM and AK catching some rays.

 

 

 

The house had a pool in the backyard, which was a great escape when the beach got too hot.

 

This is my favorite picture from the whole week.  I think it looks like a band photo hahah.  Posing in our neon shades before a round of mini golf.

The mini golf crew.

On the last night LH and AK cooked us a delicious seafood feast.

 

The only benefit to getting up super early to miss the traffic leaving OBX, the gorgeous sunrise.