adventures in pittsburgh: phipps conservatory

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Sarah S.

As my days in Pittsburgh come to a close, I wanted to be sure I did some final exploring before I left. One Pgh site left on my bucket list was Phipps Conservatory, so the other week I finally made my way over. And I wasn’t disappointed. I’ve been to a fair share of botanical gardens, and Pittsburgh’s own Phipps certainly ranks tops…just after my home town of Chicago’s stunning gardens, of course! The trip was just what I needed to relax and take a breath (of fresh air) when the last days of winter still had their grip on the city. No doubt the conservatory is even more spectacular during the summer and autumn months.

Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA

Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh

Thankfully, I still have some unique sites yet to see (Wigle Whiskey for instance). That, coupled with some great friends I’ll be leaving behind, means a trip back to Pittsburgh is in order soon enough.

Cheers!

Sarah

This post is #4 of the #The100DayProject. For more updates on my progress, be sure to follow me on Instagram and look for the hashtage, #100DaysofMiaPrima.

Adventures in Pittsburgh: South Side Flats

Adventures in Pittsburgh: 61C Cafe

Adventures in Pittsburgh: Carnegie Museums

Adventures in Pittsburgh: The Cafe at the Frick

Adventures in Pittsburgh: Exploring Oakland

spring packing + spring making

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Sarah S.

Today is devoted to packing. It’s unbelievable how entrenched I’ve become in my apartment after just two years. I feel like I’ve been packing for days (I have) and still haven’t made any progress (I have).

#100DaysofMiaPrima Packing

So, I took a break to work on my Spring Mix Tape project. Every season (well, fall and spring), I ask my friends to submit songs that remind them of that season in anyway, subtly or not to so subtly. I then compile the songs into what usually turns out to be a three volume set of CDs– or “mix tapes.” I also create the cover art, which I’ll admit, can get a bit out of hand at times. I usually have to create ten or more copies of each piece, after all. But the project keeps me creating, and sharing work with friends makes it absolutely worth it.

For my last mix tape, I carved a hidden space into old books. For this project, I’m going a simpler, though no less time-consuming route, and focusing on creating art “books” to store the tapes. Here’s my progress so far.

Cheers!

Sarah

This post is #3 of the #The100DayProject. For more updates on my progress, be sure to follow me on Instagram and look for the hashtage, #100DaysofMiaPrima.

vintage adventures in texas

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Sarah S.

I have always loved vintage shopping (or thrift shopping or antiquing…), but I’ve been even more keen on it after launching my vintage clothing shop, The Gibbson Girl. Just a week ago, I went on an adventure through Texas, a state I had never been to before. I visited Houston, Austin, and Dallas, and I had and excellent time exploring vintage and antique shops in those unique Texan cities. Here are some of my favorite shots, including some styles you’ll see in my shop soon enough!

Austin, TX

Houston, TX

Austin, TX

Houston, TX

Austin, TX

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Cheers!

Sarah

This post is #2 of the #The100DayProject. For more updates on my progress, be sure to follow me on Instagram and look for the hashtage, #100DaysofMiaPrima.

#100DaysofMiaPrima

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Sarah S.

Are you ready for this?

I’m taking up the #The100DayProject challenge starting…now!

For 100 days- April 6th to July 14th- I’ll be posting a blog post a day right here on MiaPrimaCasa. The best part? This is bound to be one of my most adventurous summers yet, and you can witness it all unfold right here. Soon, I’ll be leaving Pittsburgh for New Hampshire, only to head on out to The Netherlands, then sprinkle in some train rides to Paris and Belgium until I’ll finally be off to upstate New York by early July.

If you love travel, vintage shopping, vegan eating, and lots of cat pictures, check back here daily to see what I’ve been up to…and what’s inspiring me for 100 days.

Follow me on Instagram for daily updates and filter to #100DaysofMiaPrima to see my progress on the challenge.

In the meantime, I’ve got an apartment to pack…

Until to tomorrow!

Cheers,

Sarah

so that’s what she’s been up to…

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Sarah S.

Sure, I took a hiatus from this blog for a couple months. But trust me it was worth it.

Here’s (some of) what I’ve been up to:

Launching a vintage clothing shop, called The Gibbson Girl.

Overhauling my personal website

(new art included).

Updating my nonprofit, The Uncovered Artistry Project for the Valentine’s Day season.

Jewelry Handmade by Abuse Survivors: Uncovered Artistry #uncoveredartistry

I think some relaxing with my favorite cat is order.

Cheers!

Sarah

MiaPrimaCasa: 2014 in review

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Sarah S.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,900 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

a vegan thanksgiving + a happy fall

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Sarah S.

Fall Mix Tapes (with handmade covers)

A Vegan Thanksgiving complete with quinoa, veggies, mashed potatoes, and of course desserts…

Vegan Hot Apple Crumble Bars

Vegan Lemon and Fig Bars

And…

50,000 words of a new novel

That was definitely one happy fall.

Cheers!

Sarah

pearls, crystals, gems: handmade by abuse survivors

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Sarah S.

I spent one afternoon a couple weekends ago snapping shots of beautiful handmade jewelry for the nonprofit The Uncovered Artistry Project (i.e. the nonprofit I founded five years ago with my sister!). The nonprofit, which boasts an online boutique, sells the artisan work of domestic and sexual abuse survivors. Because we believe art and entrepreneurship are pretty darn empowering.

Below are some of my favorite shots of some of the stunning jewelry we are currently selling in the boutique.

Swarovski pearl earrings…our bestseller

Swarovski pearl drop necklace…this one always reminds me of Jane from Pride and Prejudice.

domestic violence awareness bracelet…my personal favorite- it’s such a pretty touch to every outfit!

true blue rhinestone earrings…are you feeling like royalty today?

Don’t forget to shop the boutique and support the nonprofit at uncoveredartistry.com.

Cheers!

Sarah

i can. i will.

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Sarah S.

A waitress at The Cafe at the Frick was kind enough to let me snap a shot of her beautiful tattoos.

I can. I will.

progress, progress

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Sarah S.

I’ve lived in Pittsburgh (and the same apartment) for over a year. For the last, well, decade, I haven’t stayed in one place for more than twelve months. Finally, I’ve had time to settle in to my new place and begin to claim it as my own. My living room, dinning room, and kitchen were more or less done six months ago. (Mostly given to that the fact that my kitchen is smaller than a walk-in closet) But my bedroom has taken longer to come together. I wanted a simple, neutral pallets of whites and creams with a focus on texture. What ended up unfolding is far from that but no less awesome. Actually, probably way more fun to look at. I have images and color everywhere, yet somehow everything still seems comfortable and in order. It’s the perfect embodiment of my style: classic and neat but undoubtably sprinkled with color and pattern. The room has a way to go, but so far, it’s a pretty good start.