Rampage in Las Vegas

Monty Clay

Rampage

I suppose one of the perks of what I do is the people I get to meet. While in Vegas a few months back for Project, I had the pleasure of running into old friend Monty Clay (feather weight champion) at the Pittsburgh airport. He was on his way to Vegas to meet with Travis Barker to sign a deal with his newly launched accessories line. We managed to connect, and had a really fun night of celebrity watching and catching up.

I have to say, hands down, the SCARIEST man I have come face to face with is Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) Rampage. Wow! He was E-N-O-R-M-O-U-S especially when next to me.

I forgot to post these a while ago, but I couldn't resist!

Maybe Monty will be a new face for Give and Take for the Boys and Girls Club????

Scene 2: Why Procrastors NEVER Win

Scene 2: Why Procrastors NEVER Win

Sooooooo, after the visit to repair my blackberry, I was ready to drive myself to the airport, but low and behold, I had only minutes to get there and not a minute to spare to park my car. So Spencer generously offered to drive me. Because I wait to do EVERYTHING until the last minute, I realized that I had not yet put the registration sticker onto my license plate, so I had to put all of my bags into Spencer's car, and we were off.

After rushing to the airport we arrived, and as I was blowing a kiss goodbye, I realized I had forgotten my purse!!! Did you know you can fly without an ID??? I had NO CLUE, but frankly it was more convenient that flying with one. I was shuffled through 2 first class lines, asked to open my bag, and then sent on my way. The whole time with smiles and a handshake.

Thank god I put $200 in my back pocket, or my landing at Laguardia would have proven rawther annoying. (I LOVE ELOISE)

Well, it was convenient until I realized I was in NYC WITHOUT A PURSE, CREDIT CARDS, ID, or LIP GLOSS!!!

Thankfully Spencer had already taken time to overnight me my purse. But don't think that meant the nightmare was over. . .

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer?

One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer?

Not these days. Why would you when you can opt for a Passion Fruit Sidecar, Ginger Cranberry Mojito, or a repurpsed Classic Cherry Coke? Thanks to Spencer Warren, Pittsburgh can breathe a sigh of relief this holiday season (or dare I say stock market plummet) when we all need to add a little pep in our step. After all 'tis the season.

I am thrilled to announce that I can FINALLY say, let's go somewhere OTHER THAN the Firehouse Lounge!!! Ok, well it's almost somewhere else. It is on the 1st floor at this Strip District location, but it is totally different, and very needed in the burgh.

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review PM edition featured Spencer and Embury last week before the Whiskey festival in a great article. Hope you have a minute to check it out:

Spencer Warren, owner of the Firehouse Lounge and Embury in the Strip District, has concocted more than a hundred original cocktails to please the palate.

"I enjoy playing around with different tastes," Warren said. "Usually, I come up with something that's off the wall."

So much to tell

What a whirlwind of a week. I don't even know where to begin. I left last Thursday for Newport, RI and NYC to celebrate a friend's engagement and my birthday, and what started as a rocky beginning left me with an hysterical story. It's kind of long, so I figured I would break it into "scenes" to give a break because boy oh boy was it a long couple of days. Ha!

Scene 1: The Catalyst Thursday, November 13. My Blackberry, which many of you know is my "baby" or as I have dubbed it, "my pet rock" is sadly the center of my world. As a publicist (aka Social Butterfly with a knack for overcommitment and a "mild" case of ADD) , leaving home without it is what I compare to a mother losing her child in a mall. Ok, perhaps not quite the comparison that some would expect, and most would roll their eyes about, but that's just how it is.

Anyhow, upon waking for a REALLY early conference call, I learned that my poor baby had developed a virus --Sniffle-- So like any caring and neurotic mother I SPRINTED to the repair center where after a little finagling I was able to jump to the front of the line hoping for a little TLC for my little one. While waiting for the results, I discovered, that I had been focusing on my flight ARRIVAL time rather than my departure time, and had minutes to leave for the airport or I would miss my flight. Talk about a nail biter.

Alas, I discovered that the little one was not repairable, but not as a result of poor parenting --Yippee-- and so I was given a shiny new replacement and was sent on my way to NYC. Or so I thought . . .

Scene 2: Why Procrastors NEVER Win

Pittsburgh Whiskey Festival

Sadly, I won't be in town for one of my favorite Pittsburgh events this year, The Whiskey Festival, but don't let that stop you from checking out the newest additions to the world of premium spirits. The Firehouse Lounge and Embury will both be featuring cocktails. See what the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has to say about them: Click Here for Full Article

Shea Mullen "Star of the Month"

Shadyside Star of the Month
(For Full Article)

This feature highlights members of our community who go “above and beyond” to make Shadyside a better place to visit, shop, work, and live and play.

Shea Mullen is the founder and co-owner of CoCo's Cupcake Cafe on Ellsworth Avenue and lives by the mantra "It's Cool to Care". Mullen strives in every aspect of her personal and professional life to give back. From her neighborhood projects to her internationally distributed line of charity driven t-shirts, GIVE AND TAKE, creating a positive and pleasant experience in other people's lives is what drives Mullen's work.

CoCo's Cupcake Cafe is all about the "good stuff" in life... good taste, good times, and good friends. The cupcakes are hand crafted, high quality, and aesthetically astounding. They are more than dessert, they are decadent accessories at the boutique bakery. Made from the finest ingredients available, the team at Coco's Cupcakes, under the creative direction of Mullen, combines premium ingredients with creative genius to create edible works of art. The signature French Buttercream, is both delicate and decadent, and the infusion of fresh flavors throughout, captivate every bite.

"Cupcakes make people smile," says Mullen, "so behind every design, flavor, package, or event, my ultimate goal is to know that people smile when they think about their CoCo's experience." Where else can you find a 6-Pack of Bailey's cupcakes for St.Patty's Day, a long stem box of Cupcakes for Valentine's Day, or a shoe box filled with minis for Mother's Day?

It is hard to believe that cupcakes are only a portion of Mullen's day. She also owns and designs for a t-shirt company called GIVE AND TAKE--a line of vintage charity inspired athletic shirts. The tees, which retail at upscale boutiques such as Barney's, Saks, and Fred Segal (and at hip’tique locally) are true to Mullen's goal about caring because proceeds from each garment are donated directly to affiliated foundations. What makes this project really exciting, is that the custom cut and sewn tees have recently been spotted on the backs of many A-List celebrities, which is helping to strengthen Mullen's message "It's Cool to Care".

Thank you Shea for helping to keep Shadyside as the best place to EAT, shop, work, live, and play.

For more information about CoCo's Cupcakes www.cocoscupcakecafe.com

For more information about GIVE AND TAKE www.giveandtaketees.com