Knit the Bridge

Hey everyone! Sorry for being a horrible blogger the last couple weeks - I promise to get back to all your emails and things in the next couple days, so if you're waiting on my reply, hang on just a bit longer. Today, I'm bringing you guys some photos I took of Knit the Bridge about a week ago and just haven't got to sharing yet. It honestly is so awesome. Unless you think that a bunch of people in Pittsburgh making quilts and then putting them all over the Warhol Bridge is ordinary, then well, you can skip this post I guess.

To find out all the ins and outs of this project, you'll have to go to the Knit the Bridge website and read all they have to say about why they decided to do this. But if you're just looking for some pictures, you've come to the right place! Keep in mind that if you haven't seen the bride in person, there are some upcoming events that you can check out while seeing it all until September 6th, when they plan to take it all down. Don't worry though, those beautiful and colorful blankets will be washed and given to homeless people through out the 'burgh.

And some of my favorites...

Have a colorful Monday, everyone!

History Center & KDKA Hidden Treasures Event & Giveaway

Nearly 1,500 visitors will bring their most prized possessions to the Senator JohnHeinz History Center and meet with professional appraisers at the sixth annual Pittsburgh’s Hidden Treasures event with KDKA-TV on Sunday, Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m and at the end of this post, you have a chance to win TWO tickets to the event!

Nearly 40 appraisers, including experts from Christie's and the Smithsonian, the world's largest fine arts auction house, will assess the historical significance of visitors’ items and provide a verbal assessment of potential monetary value.

KDKA-TV's Dave Crawley, Kimberly Gill, and Mary Robb Jackson will roam the History Center seeking the most interesting items for interviews. The most unique items will be featured as part of special 30 minute programs on KDKA-TV later this year, hosted by KDKA’s Ken Rice and History Center President and CEO Andy Masich.

Appraisers at the Pittsburgh’s Hidden Treasures event have expert knowledge on a variety of antique items, including books, china, Civil War military, coins, collectibles, furniture, glass, jewelry, musical instruments, paintings, photographs, quilts, silver, sports memorabilia, toys, and much more.

In addition to appraisals, professional conservators at the Pittsburgh’s Hidden Treasures event will provide tips on how to preserve visitors’ items, including conservation expert Nora Lockshin from the Smithsonian Institution.

In conjunction with the History Center’s new Pennsylvania’s Civil War exhibition, several Civil War-themed re-enactors, including Clara Barton and Union Army soldiers from the 9^th Pennsylvania regiment, will roam the museum throughout the day and interact with visitors.

The Pittsburgh’s Hidden Treasures event is free for History Center members and included with regular admission for non-members: $15 for adults, $13 for seniors (age 62+), $6 for students and children (age 6-17), and free for children (age 5 and under). 

 

 

But here's your chance to win TWO tickets instead of purchasing them!

This is a partnered post, but all opinions are my own.

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Lagelle

I know you lovelies expect to see some fashion here on Fridays so I asked my blogger friend, Tye of Lagelle, who is also from the Pittsburgh area to guest post today, as to not disappoint you all! I hope you enjoy meeting her today and her outfit - she always does such a great job with remixing great unique pieces and I really enjoy her style! Happy Friday!

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Tye in her cute, layered look, getting ready for a Pittsburgh Autumn!

Hello Chels & the City readers!  It's lovely to meet you here, I'm Tye a local Stylist and blogger for Lagelle living in our great city of Pittsburgh! Thank you to Chelsea for allowing me to guest blog post for her while she's getting acclimated to her new job, I know we all wish her the best on her new position.  

I'm getting excited about Fall and being able to layer up with scarves and sweaters.  I scored the scarf I'm wearing in this post on Ebay, well it was a score because I wanted this scarf and it was sold out company wide at Madewell but it wasn't the best of prices. I pride myself on being frugal but now and then I'll treat myself to something I really want.

Chelsea asked me to answer two questions one being: Why I blog?  Initially I blogged to market my Lagelle accessories but it was becoming a chore until I decided I was going to have fun and be consistent no matter what.  I've learned that having a great blog takes a lot of work and consistency.  I continue to give my best and grow as I go along.

Photos provided by Tye.

The other question is: What is my favorite thing about Pittsburgh?  Well everyone that knows me knows that I'm obsessed with vintage and what better place to pick for some vintage goodness than our fabulous thrift stores.  Pittsburgh has the best thrifting hands down.  I love finding vintage gems, it can be like looking for a needle in a haystack but when I do I'm overjoyed!  I need to write a book about my pickings & findings (seriously).  I've found some unbelievable treasures throughout the years and for a fraction of the retail price. Often items are not even used, that's awesome!

It was great chatting with all of you today. You can checkout my personal style blog and connect with me here. Bye for now! - Thank you, Tye, for guest posting today and I hope all of you have a great, relaxing and, of course, fashionable, weekend!

Guest Post: DuffyDossier

A recent Pittsburgh blogging friend of mine, Alex of DuffyDossier is today's featured guest post as I still get settled into my new job - I'm excited to have her here today to give all of you the ins and outs of great vintage shopping in the 'burgh. Trust me, this girl knows her stuff! Hope you enjoy her post!

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DuffyDossier is Pittsburgh born and raised.

The lovely Miss Alex of DuffyDossier - photo provided by Alex.

Here we go, gals. It’s time to talk about the nitty gritty of Pittsburgh Resale Shops. DuffyDossier is going to get down and dirty with all the epic details. I’ll give you an inside look into which Pittsburgh resale shops to frequent and which ones to stay far away, (and on the other side of the street) from. We’ll cover which shop owners know their way around resale, and which ones don’t. And of course, this post will talk about the tremendous Pittsburgh vintage selection.

Since taking on the responsibility of ‘Miss Vintage Pittsburgh’, I’ve had my fair share of resale/consignment/vintage shopping experiences here in the ‘Burgh. My first rendezvous at a resale shop began one year ago when I stumbled upon The Clothes Horse on Beverly Road.

Miss Judy sitting behind her glass counter full of jewels greeted me with a smile and personal introduction! Immediately, I admitted to her that I’d never been to a resale shop before, and that I was in need of some assistance.

Judy began by showing me around her shop and then she gave me the ins-and-outs of consignment. She explained how she gets her clothes, how often she gets them, her regular consignment junkies, how she prices items, their self life … etc.

Without that initial understanding of the ‘whats, who's, whys, and hows’ of consignment shopping I may never have been able to grasp what it takes to actually be a great resale shop. Since Judy’s consignment finishing school 101, I’ve been able to critique every resale shop in Pittsburgh on this side of the Mon River.

The Pittsburgh South Side

We all know and love the South Side of Pittsburgh, home to many boozy & woozy college kids after hours, but a GREAT location for consignment, and in particular, vintage shopping! 

Stores you NEED to try out in the South Side:

Luxx, Clothing and Hair Salon. First of all, GFs, this shop is both a hair saloon and vintage reseller … can you say #chictodeath? Second of all, the chic in charge knows how to put on a shoe display. Luxx is by far the best consignment shop for vintage shoes! The shoes in this shop are colorful, diverse, name-brand, and mod. The selection Luxx has going on right now is comparative to Steve Madden and Vince Camuot’s 2013 shoe lines.   

The Pittsburgh South Hills

Since I myself, am a PGH south hills resident, I know my way around consigning town. Here are a few shops that are a must-see!

TheSavvy Fox of Mt. Lebanon. And, boy …is she savvy! The shop recently moved its doors to a new location on Greentree road and also has another location in Peters Township. I was able to find some splendid work attire. Profesh & appropriate styles from Asos, various Macy’s brands, and Calvin Klien …just to name a few!

GladRaggs Boutique of Upper Saint Clair. This little shop used to be an old car garage, so it gets drafty in the winter! So, bring your duck-down coat and prepare because you’ll want to stop in no matter the weather. They boast a petite selection worth all your shivers!

Shady Side, Pittsburgh

Shady side has more than just the shops on Walnut Street! It’s one of my favorite little neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

EonsFashion Antique. Down a ways, on Elmsworth Avenue, Eons Fashion antique is stacked with Vintage. (I’m not kidding, they have hat boxes piled so high they reach the ceiling) Eons appropriately dubs themselves, ‘fashion antique’ store for good reason. The entire store boasts clothing from all vintage eras, 90s and beyond. Their selection is stitched to perfection and made the way clothes used to be made  …with careful, nimble fingers.

And now, a little bit about me, Alex Duffy of DuffyDossier. Since agreeing to write for Chelsea’s ‘Chels and the City’ Pittsburgh blog, I had to start asking myself the hard-hitting questions, why do I blog? And, what is my favorite thing about Pittsburgh?

Why do I blog? Hmm… that’s a question with many answers! Since I know you don’t have all day, I will sum it up in a few words… I blog because I am creative. It took me 23 years to realize the depth of my creativity and all of my friends telling me I possessed style. So, I got to thinking, ‘Alex, what can you do that encompasses both your creativity and your style?’ The answer: blog, blog and more blogging! …blogging is always the answer.

What is my favorite thing about Pittsburgh? Pittsburgh people. I travel a lot in my free time. Hoping around from place to place, you begin to realize how valuable a genuine smile and a happy ‘hello!’ from strangers. The people Pittsburgh has are what makes Pittsburgh a happy home for me and my family.

Be sure to check out Alex of DuffyDossier on Pinterest, Twitter & Instagram as well!

Guest Post: D&T in the 'burgh

As I start my first week into the "career world" I'd like to introduce you all to some of my favorite Pittsburgh bloggers. First up is DeAnna and Tony of D&T: in the 'burgh. They happen to be the sister-in-law and brother of one of my Seton Hill favorites (Hi, Tina!) and when they started blogging, I instantly started to follow along. I love that they put so much detail into their writing, that it makes you feel like you were at some of these restaurants with them. I also love the variety of places they review, but all showcasing great Pittsburgh cuisine. First, is a little bit to get to know them and then you can continue reading to their review of The Porch at Schenley. Enjoy!

Why do we blog? The original thing my wife and I wanted to do was to, I guess “catalog” our favorite meals and restaurants we have enjoyed in the area. Then we had friends and family constantly asking us about our favorite restaurants and bars, so we decided to create a blog for them to follow along and see where we go. Now as we move forward we are trying to find new and creative ways to show people where to eat and drink in the ‘Burgh. On occasion we will also do a local activity that doesn’t revolve around dining, just to change things up.

What is our favorite thing about Pittsburgh? We would have to say it’s the love and loyalty that Pittsburgher’s have for the city. People love this city, they care about this city and they support others who want to make Pittsburgh better. They support locally owned businesses whenever they can. When they aren’t in Pittsburgh they are usually talking about how great they think it is here. Few cities have a population that is so passionate about their hometown. You may take a person out of Pittsburgh, but you can’t take Pittsburgh out of the person.

The Porch at Schenley - all photos provided by D&T.

Review of The Porch: On a sunny summer day in Pittsburgh the list of places to go are endless. We opted for a lunch date in Oakland at one of our favorite restaurants, The Porch @ Schenley. The Porch hasn’t been around long; a couple of years, but it is already on the short list of restaurants we recommend to people who are looking for a new and exciting place. Most people are unaware of the fact that The Porch is owned by the Eat ‘n Park Hospitality Group (along with Six Penn Kitchen downtown). The location of The Porch is ideal, right in the center of Oakland; you can walk to the Cathedral of Learning, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Carnegie Museums of Art & Natural History, University of Pittsburgh, Schenley Park and Phipps Conservatory. You can spend a whole day in this area and only see half of what is has to offer.

The building is gorgeous, its “green roof” is both beautiful and functional; growing many different fruit, herbs and vegetables right up above you. The kitchen is open with a beautiful pizza oven front and center. The walls are mostly windows allowing you to people watch or just stare out at the amazing surroundings.

The restaurant is wide open and lively; but not so loud you can’t get some studying done if you happen to be a student. You walk in, grab a menu, and then you step up to the counter and place your order. After ordering you take your numbered sign and grab a table. The service was good but not great, being that you ordered already the server just brings out the food once it is ready. They tend not to check in too frequently, which didn’t bother us at all. Some people who have negatively reviewed this place were unaware of how ordering worked and apparently also like their server to be at their constant beckon call (quick FYI, we are not fans of urbanspoon or yelp, its just people complaining over tiny little things, most of whom have no idea what they are saying). We don’t think Porch has to change a thing, they system is working great. Now to the best part, the FOOD! Everything here is made in house, the bread, the sauces, desserts, veggies, hell they even have honey bees on the roof and are producing their own honey. You can tell this when you bite into the food, its fresh, flavorful and handled with care.