Monochromatic Mauve

Ah, my dear blog. How I have missed you! Life has been busy busy, and luckily for me I have no commitments that say I must blog... So I promise soon to record all the amazing 'haps that have been taking place in recent months.

But first, lets address something that dear blog hasn't seen in awhile; an outfit post! One of my gifts for my birthday (that took place in August) was a new camera. Well, I waited until October to finally make the purchase, after plenty of research and deliberation, I made a Canon Rebel t2i mine. It is so lightweight and fast! And this particular morning proved to be severely stressful due to our garbage disposal leaking, so to calm myself, I put my hair all Heidi-like, went with a statement-making monochromatic mauve, and took photos...

Sweater - vintage, Shirt - thrifted Express, Pants - thrifted, Target

Collar necklace - Strike Envy, Boots - AE, Coat - BB Dakota, ebay

I hunted down this coat on ebay, after seeing Dylana and Natalie Suarez sport it, and it has become the perfect fall transition coat. It adds a touch of style and still allows me to layer sweaters and button-ups underneath. Layering, one of the best things about fall and winter! 

And I know I am behind on 'the collar trend' but has to be my favorite way to wear this gold collar. It was literally a last minute decision and it changed the whole outfit. Its the details, folks...

And I must admit, I am a little crazy about this 'oxblood'/mauve trend. It is a gorgeous color that, in my opinion, can be as versatile as black or navy. I have been keeping my eye open for articles of clothing in this exact color. I am getting very close to purchasing this skirt, but I need to save some money for wine and cheese.

And these boots. I have been wanting to wear them everyday, they are insanely comfortable, loud, and Rachel Comey knockoffs. Honestly, a little heel (or in this case, chunky) can really make you feel confident and put together. Especially when most people who look at you at work really don't get it. But I love working in an environment where I can be creative with what I wear, and not blazers everyday. 

Sorry to talk so much fashion. It has been quite awhile since I've been able to put into words why I wear what I wear. No one really cares in real life, and as much as my boyfriend tries to humor me, saying that I looked very "Strawberry Shortcake" before I put on the sweater, there is something about this personal style blogging community that allows me to express myself to people who (I think) care.

What are some of your favorite ways to sport this mauve madness this fall? Please share!  

Packing for a City Trip

Happy August! And a busy one it will be!! I have recently finished a fun summer internship with Strike Envy, a jewelry retailer, and earned a part-time job at ShowClix online ticketing as a Social Media Coordinator. I am feeling so blessed and am super excited for what's to come! Life has been oh-so-good. In the month of August, I have planned on taking a couple trips to celebrate. One to New York City to visit family and friends, and a romantic (and car-inspection) trip to Niagara Falls at the end of the month.

With so much traveling, I wanted to go crazy and buy a fresh batch of summer clothes. But then, I remembered that I also love to shop while I'm on vacation, so I should save money, and got creative (and reunited) with clothes I already own. Today I was playing around with a different combination of clothes and realized I created over 15 outfits with15 pieces of clothing. I had to share, in case any of you are going on trips this August as well!

Striped Shirt and Floral Shirt - StyleMint, Green Cardigan - Nordstrom,  Silk Peplum Tank and Leopard Top - Old Navy, Yellow Button Down - Calvin Klein, Lavender Sleeveless Shirt - thrifted

Teal Ankle Pants - thrifted, Floral Skirt - Urban Outfitters  Black Denim - H&M, Purple Shorts - MINKPINK
Lace Kimono - Urban Outfitters, Purple Dress - Target Black Maxi Dress - Old Navy, Navy Swing Dress - H&M

and then of course a few added accessories and shoes, which, aren't in the 15 count!

Heart Shaped Sunglasses and Gold Collar - Strike Envy, Gold Locket - Anthropologie Hat - Target, Brown Flats - ShoeStation.com, Black Strappy Heels - DSW
I have already combined the striped shirt with the floral skirt and the black denim, the teal pants with the leopard top and navy dress, the lace kimono will give any outfit some fun boho vibes, and I feel like I have a good mix of dark and light. Also, obviously have been obsessed with the color purple lately. I can't help it! Of course I will probably add a few basic tank tops, a pair of fold-up flats (any recommendations?) and some belts. I want to dicipline myself to use these pieces, and pack only these, so that I know I always have an outfit to wear!
I plan on going to a a taping of Jimmy Fallon, visit many museums, eating some of my favorite foods in New York, and maybe a quick trip the beach! It is for 8 days, and I can't wait! I hope to snap plenty of photos along the way! Follow me on Twitter to come along...

Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

I'll admit, the reason I bought a big ol' tub of cottage cheese is because I know it's good for you. High in protein, low in calories, keeps hunger at bay... But I don't usually crave it in the way I would, say, cheese. So what's a girl with minimal fridge contents supposed to do? How about find a way to use what I already have... That is how this delicious Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce came to be, with the help of Google, of course.

Creamy Cottage Cheese Pasta Sauce

adapted from Baking, deomesticity and all things mini

1 1/2 cup bowtie, penne, or even spaghetti dry pasta

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (I used Mozzarella or Parm works as well) 

1 egg yolk

Salt and freshly ground pepper
*1/4 cup of the pasta water

Combine cottage cheese, other cheese, egg yoke and salt and pepper in a bowl. Cook pasta according to boxes instructions. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Set pasta aside in a separate bowl.

Then, in the same sauce pan, add pasta water and allow it to swimmer until it reduces its volume by half. Then, add cottage cheese mixture and whisk. 
*sorry for the blurry photo, its difficult to whisk and take pictures...
Reduce heat to low and continue to whisk until it becomes a cream texture, about 4 minutes. Add pasta and toss to coat. Top with a little cheese and pepper, or add sauteed and roasted vegetables like I did here:

This is a great way to be calorie-conscious and still enjoy creamy pasta and cleaning out the fridge. I love adding veggies like above, or frozen peas and bacon, or even grilled chicken. It is very very good, but I'm not sure if leftovers would keep well since my boyfriend and I ate all of it! 
There are other cottage cheese recipes I'd like to try (maybe dessert?) so stay tuned ;) Until then, enjoy! 

Life Lately

I have been enjoying every thing in Pittsburgh that I can get my hands on! Free outdoor concerts, meeting amazing new people, being part of awesome events, seeing very elaborate fireworks, exploring new restaurants... Just a few the things I have been occupied with lately. I wanted to blog about all of these great moments because I don't want to ever forget how great I feel right now. A blog is a modern-day journal, right? :)

These are some iPhone photos from The Dirty Ball, a fundraising event for Attack Theatre. ShowClix ticketed the event and this was my first time going to one of our client's events. It was awesome! The first photo is before the night got started, then the second to the right is the VIP velvet lounge. On the bottom left, there would be a dance performance or theater piece taking place in the middle of the party! In between plenty of dancing, interactive art, amazing drinks, and meeting the most interesting people in Pittsburgh.

Then there was Glitzburgh, a fierce fashion show complete with tons of Pittsburgh pride, local celebrities, one-of-a-kind designs, and an amazing auction! Benefiting the Children's Institute, Glitzburgh was a very fashionable event! My vintage velvet pants did not make the cut, but it was fun to finally wear them out! This was also a ShowClix event, and I had the privilege of interviewing the co-creator of the event for the company blog here. She is so sweet and I know this year's event definitely lived up to all expectations!

Pyrofest was during Memorial Day Weekend and so incredible! As a lover of any fireworks (yes, even the puny 'foundations') I did not anticipate such a sky show! It took place at Hartwood Acres and it was it's first year for the event. My boyfriend and I arrived around 7pm, plopped down on a blanket, bought some Blue Moons drafts, and enjoyed people watching and some live local music. I wore a vest as a top, bandeau underneath, and a vintage polyester skirt that never wrinkled. As soon as it was dark enough, there was a National Anthem Display, A "Voyage Through the Universe" where they made fireworks look like planets, and "Rock Loves" - a pyrotechnico show that syncs the fireworks with classic rock songs. It, was, awesome.  Look at some of the shots I got with my iPhone!

Thanks to Terra's blog, I found out about Bethlehem Haven's lecture series, "Helping Women Helps the World." On May 31st, it was their last panel, and it was dedicated to fashion and 'turning dreams into reality.' It featured Kiya Tomlin who designs chic, shapeless dresses that fit your ever-changing body, Susan Farber who designed the perfect "going out" purse, Ava DeMarco who takes recycling to a whole new level and makes awesome sport-inspired accessories, Susan Gregg Kroger who is chief creative officer and co-founder of a company known as ModCloth, and graphic design student turned designer Kelly Simpson-Scupelli of Kelly Lane Design. It was great to be so up close and see a sample of all the amazing designs and hear their stories. This was also the first time I met bloggers in real life. I had the honor of meeting Kikelomo of Style from 9 to 5 and of course, Terra! Also, Bethlehem Haven's cause is incredible - I hope to volunteer some of my time there with some of my fashion friends!

Finally, I will end with a two of the concerts and outdoor events I have been to recently. The top two are from this year's Three River's Arts Fest - a 10 day, entirely free entertainment festival where the three rivers meet in downtown Pittsburgh. After work one day, some colleagues and I (and the adorable Chica) walked to the park and enjoyed some really crazy Italian music. It was a beautiful day, but shortly after I bought some fresh cotton candy - it started to pour down rain! And the last two photos are from a Girl Talk concert at Stage AE, a small venue and a hell of a concert. It was probably one of the best in my life! We were on our feet the entire time dancing! The first photo on the bottom is the sunset overlooking downtown, since the stage is on the North Side, right next to Heinz Field. The last photo you can see how awesome the concert really was - we were able to see no problem, and had no issues whatsoever. I can't wait to go back for another concert this summer!

Thank you for sticking through this, and still continue to visit this blog for an update - I have some outfit posts and recipes coming this week - I can't believe it's mid-June! Hope everyone is well, I am slowly catching up on my BlogLovin' queue and seeing how beautiful everyone is. See you soon!