Hollywood Cafe: St. Paddy's Day Celebration

March 30, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Events

For anyone who doesn't like in the 'Burgh, you may not know that St. Patrick's Day is a huge deal for us Pittsburghers. Every year, we actually have a "St. Patrick's Day Week" which is filled with various celebrations, parties, parades, and admittedly a ton of alcohol, personally, I think the holiday is an absolute blast. As I've mentioned here before, my heritage is predominately Russian, but I actually do have a little touch of Irish in my family tree too, so any reason to celebrate, right? With that being said, in celebration of the holiday, last Friday I decided not to venture out into the city, but instead headed to where I was born and raised, and celebrated at a little hole in the wall pub in Beaver County.

Beaver County?

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the area, Beaver County is made up of a bunch of old mill towns, the most prominent ones being Aliquippa, Monaca, and Ambridge, the last one being where I am from. And though these towns do seem a bit run down and not much to look at, in recent years the cities, Ambridge specifically, have been working hard on a gentrification project, to bring life and culture back into the town, and I have to say thus far, the community has done a knock out at bringing back businesses, specifically restaurants. Though I may be biased because I am from this area, I have to say the some of my absolute favorite pubs and eateries are in Ambridge, and one of them being Hollywood Cafe.

Hollywood Cafe

That little hole in the wall pub I mentioned earlier? Yep this is the one. Hollywood Cafe is hands down one of my favorite places to eat as well as to just stop by on my way home from to unwind after a fraught day at work. And though I do not remember the first place Hollywood Cafe called home, my mum does and that was no other than the main street of Aliquippa, back in the 1930s.

Though Hollywood Cafe moved from Aliquippa to Ambridge back in the mid 2000's for location and spacing reasons, the interior, recipes, and ownership are all still the same. Though the original owner has since gotten out of the restaurant biz, his son, Chip, has kept the family business booming for the past 8 years after the move from Aliquippa. The place itself is laid out and much how you would expect a mum and pop type bar to be, but the thing that makes Hollywood Cafe stand out is their absolutely excellent food.

Though Hollywood's menu is small compared to other places in the Pittsburgh area, they still have quite the variety. From appetizers and pizza, to burgers and salads, it's a guarantee that you'll find at least one thing you'll love, and in my case, my absolute favorite thing on their menu is actually what they are most known for, and that is their wings. However, since this isn't a restaurant review and I am far from being a foodie, just take my word for it, and give them a try for yourself! Hollywood is open 12PM-2AM (Food is served from 3PM-12AM) 7 days a week and is located at 2917 Duss Ave, Ambridge, PA 15003.

The Green Scene

And of course since this was a party type occasion, I took the opportunity to dress up in one of my favorite dresses from the Pittsburgh local boutique, Terry Jolo. The reason I chose this swing dress for the occasion, was due to it's festive green pockets as well as its laid back look. To style this look, I simply paired it with some simple opal earrings along with my green and navy, plaid flats.

Sláinte!

And last but not least, here are a few of my favorite outtakes from Hollywood Cafe's St. Patrick's Day Celebration!

Though I am not normally one to drink beer, I did have to get in on the fun for this party.

Patron at the St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Hollywood Cafe also was all dressed up in green to celebrate the big day.

Patrons playing pool during the party.

Bartender, Niece, went all out for the affair.

One Last Look

Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? If so how did you spend it this year? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Love my dress? Be sure to check out my article on Terry Jolo Brand here, and be sure to visit Terry's website here!

And lastly, remember if you wanna check out Hollywood Cafe for yourself, their hours are 12PM-2AM (With food being served from 3PM-12AM) and they are located at 2917 Duss Ave, Ambridge, PA 15003. Later babes!

Xx, Bree

#OOTD: The Bold Shoulder (Feat. Light In The Box + Sydney Love)

March 28, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

As much as I hate to admit it, during the winter months I am more than guilty of simply slipping on an over sized sweater, some fleece lined leggings, boots, and my parka to commute to work and school. Even though I am a style blogger, as I have mentioned time and time again, I hate the cold and therefore would rather look like a hot mess than freeze in the frozen tundra that Pittsburgh becomes in the winter. However, just in time for spring, we are finally warming up here in the 'Burgh and that means I can finally get back to looking human--I mean styling, some of my favorite spring and summer pieces, starting with this darling office appropriate outfit that I am featuring in today's post.

Let's Do Lunch

Even though I am back in school part time online, I am also still working at my office job at DSG until the end of July when I begin to get ready to transition into a full time student at Point Park University. So needless to say, I'm more than happy to be back dressing nicely for work, even though my office dress code is pretty relaxed, I personally just don't like to look sloppy. So to celebrate the nice, warm weather in my own way, I decided to dress up in this adorable off the shoulder blouse, some white skinnies, and my ever trusty black flats and grab lunch from the Primanti's down the road from my office.

The first piece I would like to talk about in this outfit is this off the shoulder blouse from my sponsor and affiliate, Light In The Box. Some time ago, this blouse actually was included in one of my style guides earlier this year, so I was stoked to have the opportunity to finally style it. The reason I love this blouse so much is because of the unique way that it is cut and because it is definitely a style trend for spring this year. As I've mentioned before, bare shoulders and updated oxford shirts are a must in your 2017 spring and summer wardrobe.

The other reason why I love this look is that even though it is appropriate for the work place, it also makes for a darling outfit to just go out in. The reason this outfit works for both work and play is because the blouse is a perfect transition piece for day to night due to the fact that it can still be worn with a cute pair of pants or dressed up with a denim mini skirt, which would make for a great after work happy hour outfit.

Lastly, to further accessorize this look, I decided to pair it with this gorgeous new bag that I received from my most recent collaborator, Sydney Love. This bag is absolutely perfect for spring and summer due to its light color and fun design. This bag is also quite spacious and easy to keep organized, which scored it major points with me! I also just adore its structured design and how soft the material is, making this bag one of my new summer favorites! Also, I have some good news for my readers too! If you love the purse above or any of Sydney Love's other awesome designs, you can get 25% off your order when you use the code "starkravingchic25" at check out! Pretty nifty, huh?

One Last Look

What looks are you looking forward to styling now that the weather is heating up? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a great spring look or Sydney Love bag that you just adore? I'd love to see it! So feel free to tag me in a post or in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic. Later, babes!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% FREE when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Also, In case you haven't heard, I am now a proud member of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it! Meaning you can shop straight from my Instagram feed when you click here or here. Don't know what LIKEtoKNOW.it is all about? Learn more, here!

#OOTD: Matinee at the Museum (Feat. Make Me Chic)

March 23, 2017 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

Though I am generally one to enjoy my Sunday's by going to brunch, recently I have been finding my time better spent wandering around museums. If you remember, in my last outfit of the day post, I spent my Sunday at The Andy Warhol Museum, and talked about why I have such a special connection with my main muse. Well, in today's post, if you couldn't tell from the photo below, I took to exploring the Carnegie Museum of Art and I have to say it was a wonderful way to spend my Sunday afternoon.

*Photographed in the Hall of Architecture.*

As I said earlier, and in my last #OOTD post, ever since I was a child I have enjoyed finer, cultured activities that not all, but many, people my age find boring. However, due to my infatuation with the arts and education, I am absolutely thrilled to be back downtown frequently and putting my museum pass to good use again. Though I have been to the Carnegie Museum of Art hundreds of times, in my more recent visits, I have been rushed through it, so this time it was nice to sit back and take it all in for a change.

Gleefully Grecian

Though I love many of the exhibits at the Carnegie (the Teenie Harris Exhibition being one of my all time favorites), I'd have to say two of my other favorite places to go in the museum are the Hall of Sculpture and the Hall of Architecture. Not only is the art in each of these rooms absolutely captivating, but the structures themselves are absolutely beautiful too. For instance, when in the Hall of Architecture and the Hall of Sculpture, you can't help but feel that you have traveled back in time to ancient Rome, due to the 144 architectural casts, 69 plaster reproductions of sculpture, and 360 replicas in bronze, that Andrew Carnegie brought to Pittsburgh in 1907.

*Photographed in the Hall of Sculpture.*

For my Sunday afternoon outing to the Carnegie, I decided to wear this adorable, two piece shorts set, from my sponsor, Make Me Chic. The reason I chose this duo is firstly because I had nothing like it in my wardrobe which I am currently in the process of revamping and decluttering (Post on that coming soon!), but also because I loved its chic yet casual look. The reason I love this set so much, is because though it is darling, it is also incredibly comfortable. And, though the material is light wait, it is also a bit thicker, making it a viable outfit option for the chilly days of early spring, all the way through early fall.

To style this two piece set for my day at the museum, I chose to pair it with my vintage, red leather bucket bag with my Hermes rodeo charm, along with my red, Nine West flats. The reason I chose these items is that I just loved the way the rich reds complemented the deep blues in the two piece set. I also felt that the red added some nice contrast to the duo, making this outfit more visually interesting.

Lastly, to add a touch of shimmer to this look, I paired this outfit with my gorgeous Elle earrings by Kendra Scott, this pretty (and fitting) marble accent cuff from SLATE, and of course my Ritani ring and its counterparts. The reason I chose these pieces is because I loved how the cobalt blue earrings matched this set, and the bracelet was just the right touch with out taking away from the look--the stone accents matching the atmosphere was just a happy accident.

One Last Look

What are some of your favorite rooms or exhibits at your local museum? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a sweet photo you just have to show off of your local museum or a darling outfit of your own? Feel free to tag me in a post or in your Instagram story at @StarkRavingChic! Later, dolls.

Xx, Bree