Lost in memories and transit

Although I was continuing on with my February Gallery Fest as planned, maybe I just wasn't in the artsy mood today, or didn't really feel welcomed at either of the places I visited, but whatever it was...the art I saw today didn't really click with me. Though I did love one piece that was at SPACE, the gallery as a whole didn't really impress me and Wood Street Galleries was a little far-fetched to my eye. But in art, everyone's a critic and I know that my opinion certainly doesn't stand for everyone's which is why I encourage everyone to check out these galleries for themselves. Only take my opinion at face value.

HC Gilje: in transit
This is the exhibit going on until April at Wood Street Galleries, which must have been having an elevator problem today because I had to go all over the place to get to the actual gallery and since it was split between floors, I actually only got to see the second floor. So that in itself makes my opinion biased I guess, but let's be real, this kind of stuff should just work if you expect people to enjoy their experience.

Anyway, in a little pamphlet I picked up about a week ago that is about this exhibit has an explanation by HC Gilje's work and it says, "I often work with projection as an advanced light source which can be masked to the shape of different surfaces of a room or an object, affectingly modulating the light and sound I project into it...Being able to control what is visible and when it is visible gives me the opportunity to influence both perception of time and space." Well. That's all well and good and I'm sure it took great effort to figure out each idea of what would be projected and how, but let's just say it wasn't my cup of tea. This exhibit would probably lead to a great discussion of whether or not it is really art because it is basically just manipulation of a projector. But, I guess the art would be in the way this everyday object is manipulated.


Overlapping Memories
This exhibit, currently at SPACE is "exploring memory and introspection through contemporary uses of collage in digital media" and has various artists featured from Spain and the US. I was more open to this exhibit because I like the gallery better in general and it had more pieces that I could actually want to get into, though most I must admit I was turned off to because there were a lot of digital pieces and I, frankly, didn't want to watch them all. Wow. I should probably revisit both of these when I'm in an artsy mood, gosh I sound so mean!

part of Elementary Excursions by Andrew Ellis Johnson

Detail of Elem. Excursion

Now of course, because I'm a stupid American, my favorite piece was one by fellow land-of-the-braver, Andrew Ellis Johnson, with his piece, Elementary Excursions. This work made me so happy. Simple lines of paint on the walls with little baseball card sized pictures of animals thumb-tacked to each line. This piece reminded me of my bedroom at my parents house, because I have vertical stripes that take up an entire wall and then poster-sized frames with regular 4x6 pictures in the middle of them in each stripe- so I must admit that that familiarity of this piece to my own "art" in my bedroom is what initially drew me in. But I also loved the uniqueness of each of the little pictures - it all reminded me of an elementary field trip to the zoo, which is just a quality feel good piece of art. It was a great ending to a kinda bummed-out start in the art world.

A chick's view of the auto show...

So I've been debating on whether or not to blog about my recent adventure with MJ to the Pittsburgh International Auto Show and decided today that it is about Pittsburgh, so why not? As promised in my Valentine's Day post, I took my man to the auto show for his Valentine's treat. My Valentine's treat to see The Vow was ruined by a dumb snow storm the weekend prior and since I only really like going to the theater when there is a) nothing else to do or b) during the weekend the movie actually comes out - MJ treated me to a yummy dinner at UNO's before our auto show adventure instead.

Since MJ is not a true Pittsburgh-er and drives everywhere and I still walk super slow thanks to ACL/meniscus surgery in December, we had to deal that whole parking issue and were not allowed to park in the convention center parking garage, so settled for the History Center's lot instead. (Later we were very thankful for our fate.) To be quite honest, I know pretty much nothing when it comes to cars. Although I am a decent driver (for a girl) and I know how to check/change the oil, transmission fluid and a tire...I have never actually done any of those things, but I do know how. (Thanks, dad.) But that's about as far as my car knowledge goes. MJ on the other hand....crazy car freak. One of his shinning male qualities that make up for all the other metro things he does that make people want to question his sexuality. He was in his glory and it was great to be with him as he was talking 100 miles a minute about all these technical car terms. I love making him happy.

Driving away in my new BMW. No big deal.

Obviously, by the title of it, you can probably figure out that cars from all over the world were there. Which was awesome, pretty much every car being made right now was represented. My personal favorites being the KIA Forte Koup, the new Volkswagen Beetle and the MAZDA2. And they also introduced a couple new cars that haven't been released to the public yet, like the Dodge Dart, which is a lovely little guy. Now, I judge cars based on their visual appeal and comfort level, usually my picks (like the ones mentioned) are compact but MJ judges on their brand names and their 534,430,385 aspects that I don't understand and he likes bigger vehicles. But needless to say, we both had an awesome time looking at and sitting in a bunch of cars we hope to someday be able to afford. And just as we finished our rounds and were about to head out of the building, the fire alarm went off, forcing everyone to leave with us. Thankfully we were close to the exit so that I wasn't trampled over and thankfully we didn't park in the convention center garage because we were actually able to leave instead of wait in the cold for the building to be cleared. Great fun and great times had by all....except maybe those left out in the cold!

Not impressed by the Fang family's "art"

Last night I finished reading Kevin Wilson's The Family Fang. To be honest, I cannot say that I was too impressed. The book, obviously, focuses on the Fang Family and their crazy theatrics but besides that, I didn't find much to it.

Book Cover: The Family Fang

The parents, Caleb and Camille, are performance artists who do seemingly "random" acts of art, basically by creating a plot and a plan and then showing up in a town (usually at the mall) where no one will recognize them, and create "art." But their children, Annie and Buster, also simply known as Child A and Child B or just A and B; however, think their parents are just creating chaos and hate that what their parents call art is really just ruining a moment in innocent peoples lives. This family is messed up. But not only because the parents are weird, but because they make their kids "perform" with them, from the time of birth.

Now, although this book will not go on my list of favorites, there were some admirable qualities about it. I love a story that can switch back and forth with each chapter to a present day and a flashback moment, without getting the reader lost in what happened right before in the present. Kevin Wilson was able to make the story flow smoothly between the two and seemed to know when was a good moment to cut off the present day and jump into a flashback chapter pretty fluidly. I also very much appreciated the relationship between Annie and Buster because having to live with wack-job parents would totally bond siblings together because they are the only other ones in the world that understand the situation you're in as well. Not to mention I'm getting tired of the typical story line where siblings hate each other and cannot get along even though they are well into adulthood - for me, that is unrealistic since my brother and I have grown up and become closer, not further apart.

Author: Kevin Wilson

However, my beef with this novel is that I couldn't fully love any of the characters. Their personal stories only brushed the surface level and it was hard to want to keep reading at times because I wasn't feeling an emotional draw to any of them. Especially with the character of Camille, her life in general was too unbelievable to me. I get that she was a rich girl and started as a painter and then fell in love with her professor (Caleb) and started to love his kind of art instead, but once she becomes a mother there is too much back and forth with her character where I think she should have been a constant. Once she becomes a mother, the book mentions that she is so much better with Annie as a baby then Caleb is and knows through instinct what she needs, which is all well and good but then as the kids grow up, and finally as they have moved out, it's like she does not love them anymore, which is not a believable sentiment at all. Mothers who are that in tune with their children do not stop loving them...mothers never stop loving, period. This character flaw ticked me off because it was as if she loved the art more than her children, but if that's what Kevin Wilson wanted to display, he should have shown that side of her since their birth. (In my opinion anyway.) And considering I saw Caleb's character as nothing more than a selfish, brainwashing prick, I have nothing else to say about him.

For all I know, since I actually read the uncorrected proof of the novel (for some reason that's all the library had) the actual printed version might be totally different. Camille might be more lovable in it, Annie and Buster might have real emotion to the fact that their parents continually ruined their lives and Caleb might be a worth-while character to mention...for your sake, I hope the uncorrected proof was not the one that went to print. Sorry, Kevin.

And I'm published....again!

Cover of Falling Star

No matter how many times it happens, I always get so excited when my writing gets published. It's like my little babies are making it in the world and I'm their proud mama. So in the mail today I received my check and two copies of Falling Star Magazine....oh, yeah, I did say check. (Added bonus when a written baby brings home money too!) Anyway, now that I have given the first rights of publishing to the magazine, I am free to post the poem here for your enjoyment; however, you'll be missing out on all the other great works in the Spring 2012 edition of the magazine.


Greensburg. Where I Am.

Greensburg.
Roughly forty five minutes south of Pittsburgh
with large chain stores & restaurants that guard the outskirts of the city limits
and house some of the finest locally owned jewelry stores & fresh produce shops
on this side of the east coast.

Stores and shops that no one ever goes to
because they're all too busy trying to find a bargain
on already spoiled milk and brownish lettuce,
next to the same shirt that every girl owns from the closest Wal-Mart,
as they complain via the Trib
about how they need to stop buying everything from major corporations
and start to find some place family owned to buy their shit.

Greensburg.
About one hundred and one miles north west of Breezewood,
which is only known for its rest stops and gas stations
along the Lincoln Highway where the PA Turnpike meets I-70
and where traffic lights oddly appear to interstate highway travelers.

Greensburg.
Only two hundred and thrity six miles from Alexandria Virginia,
where you currently reside in a two bedroom walk up with a lesbian roommate,
without cable and without a real job to hold on to.

Alexandria.
Roughly six miles from Washington DC,
has the highest average income in the state,
houses the national headquarters for the Salvation Army
and is listed as the top city in the nation for online charitable giving,
but still, won't give you back to sweet little, spoiled milk buying, Trib reading,
Greensburg.

Alexandria. Where I'd rather be.



This piece was written over a year ago, when MJ was in his last semester of undergrad, but was doing an internship in Virginia, while I was still at Seton Hill. Feel free to leave me your thoughts on it.

A Man's Internal Reflection & A Few Paper Thin Hearts

As promised, today was the second step in my February Gallery Fest and I'm pleased to report the art is getting better and better (in my opinion at least). Today, I went to 707 Penn Ave. and 709 Penn Ave., which are located about five feet away from each other. Both exhibits were fabulous.


707 - Steve Emmett: Internal Reflections

Man's Best Friend

In this gallery you will find a number of paintings that focus on "his motif of the solitary male figure," done by the late Steve Emmett, who was a professor at Edinboro University, as well as an artist. Now I must admit, these paintings were quite manly in the sense that I could imagine all of them being done in real life, by men and only men. A lot of them made me feel like I accidentally walked in on a man just living his life on a typical Saturday afternoon. Boxers, mess and beer is an easy way to sum up the gallery as a whole. And while I found it a bit off to have the paintings hanging in a perfectly clean gallery, maybe that was the intent. I love when artists let you walk in on real life, each of Steve's paintings were very rich in color and raw in emotion. It's not everyday that you see art that's beautifully messy, usually, from what I've seen, artists tend to pick one or the other. I admire when artists break out of the "norms"...I believe that's really what art is supposed to do anyway.

My favorite piece from this collection was called Man's Best Friend, which was done in 2005 and is being sold for $1,900...in case anyone is interested. Again, the emotion on the man's face in this painting is so real and the scene is striking but yet, depicting something so common. Whatever is going on in this man's mind must be agonizing, but at least his faithful little companion is there to support him.


709 - Kathryn Carr: Paper Thin Theater

Mother Earth

I absolutely adored this exhibit! I seriously could not get over it; the detail, the humor and wit, the innovation and interaction, the technique...all flawless. (I'm pretty sure I became her number one fan today.) On a sheet of paper, as you make your way into the gallery is an explanation of the art. Kathryn Carr does paper cut art, which focuses on storytelling, mostly children's tales, puppetry and opera, which are presented in a silhouette form. The paper also said that she began this kind of art in 2008 and that it has remained her only medium because she loves the bold effects of the silhouette and straightforwardness of the creative process. Seriously, Kathryn must have been that one kid in the second grade who was making these bomb paper snowflakes while everyone else was just trying not to cut their fingers off. This exhibit was amazing! Not only was I filled with so much joy going through and actually remembering some of the fables, but it was so cool to see something so unique. Maybe this is a huge medium somewhere, but I've never seen something this beautiful and as simple paper cut-outs. And of course, since the gallery was selling prints of some pieces and cards with some other pieces on them, I had to buy something! And if you know me, you know that I spend far too much time being in love with stationary and the card aisle of every store...even if I don't actually need to buy a card for someone, so I bought a few the cards. Probably the best purchase of the year and it's only February.

Staged Identity

Since I loved Kathryn's exhibit so much, I'll just let her pieces speak for themselves. I'm currently using Mother Earth as the background on my phone and really had to pull myself away from buying it. But the cards are so beautiful as well. I'm not posting them, because I want the people who I plan on sending them to, to be surprised, but I will say that two are very "teacher-like" and two are about love and Pittsburgh. In other news: both of the exhibits mentioned are going on until Sunday the 19th, so if you're in the area, be sure to check them out! You cannot get the full experience simply through reading my blog - get out there and support the artists, Pittsburgh! You'll be glad you did!

Cupid: as portrayed by Chelsea

Love is in the air, Pittsburgh! I'm sure many of you are probably going to celebrate this weekend, since Valentine's day falls on a Tuesday it's sometimes hard to make an outing happen during the week. So I will happily play Cupid and help you plan a Perfect Pittsburgh Valentine for this weekend! But for an added bonus I'm going to focus on the Five Love Languages because I fully believe in the fact that they are real and help make sure your message of "I love you," is heard loud and clear, especially on Valentine's day.

First off, if you're a newbie to the Five Love Languages world, fear not, I'll explain what each one means and how to really cater to which one most relates to your partner. Now keep in mind that these do not just apply to people who are in love. They remain true across the board on how you can best relate to anyone you love; your parents/children, roommate, boyfriend/girlfriend, siblings, best friends...anyone. Everyone has at least one primary way that they receive love the most. Although I'm not a fan of putting people in categories, I've never seen these five categories fail. The five love languages are; Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service and Physical Touch.

Now first, if you're going to go along with any of the date ideas I have below, you'll have to figure out which one applies to your partner. With some people it is really obvious or easy to figure out which one applies most to them. But others, you just have to ask or seriously think about. When I was first introduced to the idea of the Five Love Languages I was in my first year of working as a camp counselor at Jumonville and everyone on staff had to figure out and then share which language most applied to them. This was a brilliant idea because for the entire summer we would be together and working very closely, we really needed to know how each of us felt loved and appreciated if we wanted to properly support each other and our campers once they arrived.

So how do you figure it out? Well first, imagine the human who you think really loves you. (When I first did this I imagined my brother, since he's basically my best friend.) Now, how do you know that person loves you...and don't try to say "because they're my mom and they have to," that's a cop-out, you've got to really think here. So for example, I know my brother loves me because; he encourages me to do great things (words of affirmation), he gives me meaningful gifts that he knows I'll really like (receiving gifts), he drives me places when I need a ride (acts of service), he always hugs me when I see him (physical touch), or he's always been there for me (quality time). While all of these statements may be true, whichever one of those holds true the MOST with you, is your primary love language. For me, the one that is the MOST TRUE, is that my brother has always been there for me, making me a quality time person. If none of this makes sense, there is a little test you can do on the Five Love Languages website you can take, but it only talks about a husband/wife relationship so, you can still take it if you're not married but just keep in mind the Love Languages are not JUST for married couples.


Now, onto some Pittsburgh-themed Valentine's Day date ideas......

From The Handmade Valentine website.

1) If your partner is a Receiving Gifts person: this might make them seem like a materialistic person or greedy, but that's far from the truth. This kind of person just feels loved the most when the person they love puts a lot of thought into the gifts they give. If you're in the Pittsburgh area and your significant other is this type of person, take them to The Handmade Valentine. This is a great workshop class that the Cultural Trust is sponsoring and is sure to be a fun time. You both can go together, make each other a variety of Valentine's and then exchange them. Not only will your gifts lover, love that you put thought into each Valentine you make, but it will be a memorable experience for both of you, making the valentines mean even more to your other half.

2) For the Acts of Service lover: this person cannot get enough of when the one they love offers to help them out, even if it's just some everyday chore, and broken commitments to helping out really hurt them. If your lover is this type of person...stay in! If you're not living together then invite them over to your place, or if they wouldn't mind, take over their kitchen. Make them relax (with their feet up, of course) while you prepare something yummy for the two of you, even if that means heating food up and just nicely setting the table. Transform your dining area into a nice restaurant and dress up a little...the extra effort will not go unnoticed! Then after dinner, you two can fight over who gets to clean up, the Acts of Service person usually likes to serve just as much as they like to be served.

From the City Data website.

3) The Words of Affirmation person: this person likes unsolicited compliments. Hearing why they are loved and admired mean everything to them, so obviously any insults are hard to forgive. For this person, I suggest going to any of the fabulous restaurants on Mt. Washington. Two important men in my life have taken me to the Georgetown Inn and the Grandview Saloon in the past, both fabulous. But any restaurant up there will give you a full view of this gorgeous city. You and your words of affirmation lover will at first be at a loss for words with that view, but it sets the mood. This is where the mushy part comes in...prior to going out, while you're still alone, write a letter to your partner about why you love them. Make. It. Specific. Really put your feelings out there, they'll appreciate the more you tell them. Then while waiting for your food, lean in close, pull out the letter and READ IT OUT LOUD to your words of affirmation lover. Make sure that you are genuine when you read it and that you are not making a show of it to the whole restaurant, that's just annoying to everyone. When you're finished, let your partner keep the letter so they can read it over and over again whenever they need a little pick-me-up. (You might want to bring a couple tissues too.)

4) The lover of Physical Touch: this does not mean that this person is all about the sexual aspect of your relationship and that's it, but they could be defined as that "touchy" person everyone knows. Hugs or a pat on the back go a long way with them and they appreciate when people are accessible to them. If your lover is this kind of person, as long as you're holding their hand throughout the date, they are happy. But, if you're in the Pittsburgh area, come downtown for a date night at The Rink at PPG Place. This Saturday they are having special prices for couples and the first 108 women get a free flower...awwww. And, don't use the excuse that you're a horrible skater, because your touch loving partner, will love holding your hand to skate and falling all over each other all night.

Part of The Priory's courtyard.

5) Finally, the Quality Time person: this person requires your full-undivided attention and needs to know that you are physically and emotionally supportive of them. The phrase of "being there" for this kind of person is exactly what they need. Failure to listen to this person is a big no-no. (Anyone who knows me, can obviously tell that I am the definition of a quality time person). If you're in a relationship with this kind of person and want to impress them for Valentine's Day, you need to be with them. But, if you're looking for something really special, check out The Priory for their Romance, Romance package. The Priory is a gorgeous little hotel that you would not expect to find in Pittsburgh and their newly renovated rooms are so luxurious and their outdoor courtyard is so cute. They have a few different and great packages to take advantage of, but I think the romance one would be perfect for Valentine's Day. However, what you do is not an issue with a quality time person, as long as they have the feeling of your full attention. Any of the date ideas mentioned above would work for this kind of person, because it's really not hard to impress someone who's only expectation of date night means that you will be there.  


So what am I doing for Valentine's Day? MJ (my perfect boyfriend) and I are doing a double-dose of it this year. This weekend we are doing what I want to do, AKA: see a sappy chick flick (The Vow!!!!) and then next weekend we're doing what he wants, so I'm taking him to the Pittsburgh International Auto Show (I even scored us a discount). Since we rarely get to see each other, between our busy schedules and the distance...being able to spend two weekends in a row together is a big deal to us. And nothing says forever love like coupons and compromise.

Reality in a fictional character: a review of Still Alice by Lisa Genova

When I first picked up Still Alice by Lisa Genova from the library I knew instantly that it would be a great read. I love books that can actually happen in real life. (Yes, that means I'm not a Harry Potter fan.) I just love when authors get really into their characters and show that people and life and this world in general are messy, and it's up to us to figure out answers to the who, what, where, why and how questions that give us purpose and that we encounter everyday. And just by reading the inside flap of Still Alice, I knew this book would do just that.

The brief summary of Still Alice is that it is about "An accomplished woman of 50 years, who slowly loses her thoughts and memories to a harrowing disease - only to discover that each day brings a new way of living and loving." Alice, who is a professor at Harvard and who is a world-renowned expert in linguistics, is the wife of fellow Harvard professor and mother of three grown children; Anna, Tom and Lydia. She is also, as readers find out very early (like before you even begin reading the actual novel, early) is someone who is eventually diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Still Alice is heartbreaking and inspiring. I'm literally at a loss for words on how to describe it. Alzheimer's disease to me, seems to be one of the worst things that a human being can go through, either by being the patient or a close friend or family member watching the disease progress. It breaks my heart the instant I hear about someone having it. And Lisa Genova's writing is so poignant that while reading, I either felt like a daughter of Alice's or in some of the darker moments of the novel, Alice herself. There were times when reading this novel, that I had to make myself stop reading because I felt like I was being too drawn into Alice's world and I emotionally could not handle what I saw happening next. THAT...is real and admirable writing.

Lisa Genova, a Harvard professor herself, blew my mind with her expertise on the subject matter and with her style of writing. I would highly recommend this read to anyone who is in no way dealing with a situation similar to Alice's because I do not know how someone going through this intimately would be able to cope with the reality that is put on these pages and with the situation they are living with. The author is real and raw, which I admire in writers and love to see make it to print. She takes you deep into the mind of Alice, writing from her perspective, and by getting further into her wavering and flourishing relationships throughout the two year period that the novel covers.

Above all, I loved that Alice remained as much of herself as she could. A sense of humor and wit went a long way with her character even in some of her darker moments. I also loved that the relationship with one of her daughters becomes so unbreakable that it made me second guess whether or not there ever was a time when they were not totally in sync with each other, despite Alice's illness and their history together. Through this novel, I am more convinced of the separation of body and soul. Though they are obviously and literally connected in a way, where our bodies fail, our spirits can take over and I think that is what Lisa Genova was able to elaborate on through this novel. She not only makes her characters seem so real this way, but also, she was able to give the human race, dealing with these horrible circumstances, the ability to be free from them all through living through the soul instead of the ever-failing body.

dis·til·late (noun)

As part of my February Gallery Fest, I started today at Future Tenant with their exhibit Distillate. Although all of the pieces were beautiful in their own right, three of them really took my attention. Rachel Debuque with Tiffany Lee's mixed media piece, Ruby Jane Jones, Morgan Cann's video The Rock and Ashley Andrews' digital photography pieces. Overall, this was a great exhibit to start on - although it ends tomorrow, if you're able to, you should really try to get into Future Tenant to check it out!

First, let's talk about The Rock. This video was weird but beyond interesting. I watched it about three times, the girl at the desk probably thought I was crazy. Anyway, it was for the most part silent except for a few little sounds of movement that you can barely hear since the TV it's playing on is so quiet. But from what I got out of it, it was about this little creature that goes on this journey through the wilderness (probably someone's backyard) and it finds different things but isn't satisfied until it finds a perfectly round rock. For the next couple of minutes the creature is obsessed with this damn rock and eventually takes it back home to a huge (compared to the creature) pile of rocks and then goes back out on the hunt. My interpretation (though probably missing the artist's intent) was that we all become obsessed with certain things and we become so routine in our lives that it's hard for us to even appreciate other things in the world.....we should probably stop doing that. The video also had sparklers in it, which is always an automatic win in my book.

Ashley Andrews' digital photography pieces were almost completely missed because of the little nook of the space they are in, but on my way out I saw them and was blown away. There are six or seven photos, each depicting a different event from June 12, 2011 until November 15, 2011. Which kinda threw me off at first because those dates are the birthday's of my mom and brother, respectively. (I can never remove myself from art.) Each picture showed an event in the time line of a relationship, I'm assuming between the artist and a lover. Although each one was a simple photo of one person, dressed to represent the event and doing what was going on that day, I could not look away from these pictures. Beyond the fact that they are so well developed, styled and designed, each of their titles is a date accompanied with a short description of what happened that day. Ashley Andrews' voice in the descriptions spoke as loudly and beautifully as her pictures. I was floored. And although there is only one more day for this exhibit, you either need to go in and check them out for yourself or track this work down somehow. Those pictures with their descriptions were the most heartbreakingly beautiful pictures I have ever seen. (Yes, I did just make up the word heartbreakingly.)

Finally, my favorite piece of all was a mixed media piece titled Ruby Jane Jones. I'm always won over by mixed media. This piece is a chair with different elements added to it to create it's character. One of it's most beautiful parts is the face, which is represented by a video of a girl who makes a variety of different facial expressions and displays quite a lot of moods very typical to the average woman. (I laughed to myself at a few of them, knowing I give people some of the same expressions.) I could go on about how and why this is one of my favorite pieces, but let's hear from you...what do you love and hate about this piece? How does it make you feel? Why was it made? Is it art? Let me know your thoughts....

Full view of Ruby Jane Jones by Rachel Debuque & Tiffany Lee at Future Tenant's Distillate

I wish I could have gotten a better view of the face but these were taken with my camera phone.

Nails and a cig.

 

Those cigarettes aren't even fully finished!

Baby plant and the Pall Mall's.

 

Ruby Jane Jones by Rachel Debuque and Tiffany Lee.

February Gallery Fest

So I've decided that for the month of February I'm going to hit up all of the exhibits that are in the nearby, downtown galleries. My schedule is below. Putting it here means I'll stick to it! The dates I have listed are based solely on times that the galleries are actually open that fit into my schedule, if you would like more information about when a specific exhibit is going on and the hours it's open, let me know, I am happy to help!

Expect reviews of each show and probably some restaurant reviews snuck in there too...a girls gotta eat! I start tomorrow!


Friday, Feb. 3rd - Future Tenat: Distillate
Friday, Feb. 10 - 707 Penn Avenue: Steve Emmett: Internal Reflections
Friday, Feb. 10 - 709 Penn Avenue: Kathryn Carr: Paper Thin Theater
Saturday, Feb. 11 - 937 Liberty Avenue: Windows and Mirrors: Reflections on the war in Afghanistan (maybe going to this exhibit, considering I am celebrating valentine's day then)
Thursday, Feb. 16 - SPACE: Overlapping Memories
Tuesday, Feb. 21 - August Wilson Center: Visual Arts Invitational Exhibition
Thursday, Feb. 23 - Wood Street Galleries: HC Gilje: in transit
Friday, Feb. 24 - Future Tenant: Tresspass Performing Artist Residency Series

Don't call me Carrie

Never thought this would happen but, I'm back in the blogging world. I've got some big plans that I want to test out within the next year or so and was trying to come up with a medium in which to outlet these ideas and none seemed quite right until I remembered that I once did a bang-up job at blogging. So now I'm back.

Let's explain a few things first: For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with Pittsburgh. The idea of living in the city has always excited me and has kept me coming back a million times. However, I have never lived IN the city, until now. As of August 2011, I am a graduate student at Point Park University and living, working, studying and loving, finally...really being in this wonderful city.

Currently I'm living in a beautiful, studio-style apartment downtown. My view is fabulous. When I first moved in, I self-proclaimed the title of the "Pittsburgh's Carrie Bradshaw" after one of my favorite character in Sex and the City. (Hence the title of my blog.) However, I don't have a column in a local newspaper (yet) and I will not be focusing on one specific subject, but follow this blog and you'll see the projects that I've got planned come into action and most importantly, you'll see Pittsburgh as the gorgeous city I love.