Client:

Cellular Deflector  •  Walnut, CA

Project:

Logo Design

Team:

Eden Design

www.CellularDeflector.com

Client:

Cellular Deflector  •  Walnut, CA

Project:

e-Commerce Website Design

Team:

Eden Design

Platform:

WordPress, WP e-Commerce, Shipwire & Stripe

www.CellularDeflector.com

Client:

Jala Yoga, Shepherdstown WV

Project:

Web Design

Platform:

WordPress

Team:

Eden Design

www.jalayogaflow.com

Client:

Sweet Shop Bakery •  Shepherdstown, WV

Project:

Website Design

Team:

Eden Design

Platform:

WordPress & CoreCommerce

www.WVBakery.com

Client:

Dream House Furniture & Design  •  Frederick, Md

Project:

Website Design

Team:

Eden Design

Platform:

WordPress

DreamHouseStyle.com

Client:

Blue River Clothing  •  Shepherdstown, WV

Project:

Website Design

Team:

Eden Design

Platform:

WordPress

BlueRiverClothing.com

Client:

Artifex Hair Salon  •  Hedgesville, WV

Project:

Website Design

Team:

Eden Design

Platform:

WordPress

ArtifexSalon.com

Three years ago my sister moved to Pittsburgh to attend University for six years while she works on her PhD. At first, I had the reaction that I now realize so many people have when they hear Pittsburgh, “Hmm…..really? Wow. Six years in Pittsburgh, huh!?” Regardless, I was thrilled, because she is an easy three hour drive away. Now that I have been there a few times, I am the head of the Pittsburgh Fan Club. When people start the Hmm…and nose wrinkle I just start my fan club rant about all the things it has to offer –especially as a city to visit with children. So here it is:

Museums!

We all love the Children’s Museum. We spent four hours enjoying the exhibits, making paper, art, robots and boats. It is so fun and cool inside. Fun was also had last winter at the National Aviary where we warmed up in the tropical rainforest and at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens where we enjoyed the winter light gardens and model trains. On our most recent trip, we spent a very quick hour at the vast Carnegie Science Center and will have to go back to explore more. The Warhol Museum has Good Fridays where you can wander the galleries for half price until 10 p.m. with beverages from the bar. We did this without kids, although there was a fun exhibit on comic books and Warhol’s Silver Clouds exhibit which they would have loved, but probably abused.

Food!

Food is always a good way to win my heart. Pittsburgh has plenty of delicious food served in lovely restaurants. When I went to visit my sister on my own we enjoyed mussels and ale at Point Brugge, and amazing cocktails and sushi at cozy and pretty Soba. Next time, I am heading to Salt of the Earth, my sister’s favorite Pittsburgh restaurant (she says it is closely tied with Point Brugge).
We took the kids for yummy fun at D’s SixPax and Dogz where they have a beer cave and veggie, beef or turkey hotdogs topped with all kindz of deliciousness. My kidz downed dogz topped with macaroni and cheese while I inhaled a veggie dog topped with relish, onions, pickles, tomatoes, sport peppers, celery salt and yellow mustard called the Chicago.

Join the line for yummy breakfast at Pamela’s Diner and an even more scrumptious and healthier brunch at Cocoa Cafe.

We invented our own ice cream flavors at Oh Yeah! Using a pumpkin ice cream base, I mixed in dark chocolate and ginger snaps. Good choice. The kids dabbled in more conventional flavors and added oreo cookies and gummy bears (which they would pretty much add to anything they could). The ingredients one can choose from is overwhelming. You can even mix in curry, seaweed and wasabi.

Parks!

We always seem to visit when it is cold. I look forward to visiting some of the numerous parks around the city when we go again in the spring and then I will interview my children to get their take on the best place to run wild in Pittsburgh.

It was a beautiful and delicious October Sunday at the Timber Frame Folly in Shepherdstown. It was the annual Folly Grill-Off and the Eden girls were there to represent. Jen and Miriam entered the event and I had the tough job of tasting. The rules were: cook any fish, bird, meat or vegetarian dish over any kind of open flame. Jen got fired up for yummy gourmet Grilled Cheese and Apple Cherry Sandwiches and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup. Miriam stuck with her stove to produce amazing sweet treats of mini chocolate pies, pumpkin pies and apple cheese danishes.

We sampled phenomenal oyster stew with a freshly grilled oyster garnish and shrimp kabobs from the brother and sister team Ali & Paul James of Jumbo Seafood. Miriam’s dad Bradley Sanders and brother-in-law Greg Mendez made amazing pizza & focacchia in the homemade pizza oven perched on a hill by the chicken coop. Other entries included salmon from Miriam’s brother George, stuffed portabellos from our great friend Diane, pork from another great friend Wendy—and lots more.

There were celebrity judges, as advertised:
Carol Sanders • The Mother of Cooks
Kelly Scuderi • Painter & Grand Winner of the last Grill-Off
Hali Taylor • Librarian, Intellectual Celebrity and Fabulous Giant Paella Chef
Roselyn Mendez • Famous MUDDER and MOTHER
Stephen Skinner (Candidate for WV House of Delegates) • He’s got to be famous—his banners are all over the county!

The children circled the sample stations, lined up for the rope swing and ran wild with the dogs and chickens. The Gypsy Ramblers tuned up and tested. My Stepmom made friends with a five year old airplane enthusiast who swirled and crashed his model plane around us while we ate, rattling off plane facts at sonic speed. It was a perfect autumn day to be in the fields of the Folly filling our bellies. My visiting parents felt like they had “a real Shepherdstown experience” and my stepmom said wistfully, “it really feels like 1969 northern California here.”

In classic Folly form, every entry won an award exemplifying Bradley’s manifesto “We’re just here to eat and have fun.” Mission accomplished.

Thanks to Pretty in the Panhandle for taking photos of our food! We were so busy we completely forgot!

My husband and I enjoyed a fun family wedding in Houston last month without the kiddos. This allowed us to wander art museums for hours, read, nap and have leisurely meals with my sister and brother in law. We enjoyed catching up with family and stayed until Monday so we could really explore Houston — a city we have never previously visited.

Houston is one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the nation and is rich in art galleries and museums. I had always wanted to visit the Rothko Chapel and, as I did more research on our visit, added the Menil Collection to the top of my list. John and Dominique de Menil were champions of civil rights and modern art and architecture. They commissioned the Rothko Chapel and worked with architect Renzo Piano to beautifully house their vast contemporary art collection. The Menil is illuminated by mostly natural light with alcoves of outside gardens pressing up against glass gallery walls. We visited every room and watched a film (something we could never have done with our children in tow) and got scolded for interacting with the interactive art (an infraction normally acted out by our kids). I guess we were too enthusiastic about our interaction with art.

We also visited the Museum of Fine Arts where we wandered through an exhibit featuring some of the earliest known examples of Buddhist art in Japan in a lovely, open gallery space. We sat and watched a mesmerizing and beautiful video instillation by Jennifer Steinkamp of a single tree moving in the wind while it changes seasons. We couldn’t stop staring at the image as it danced and bloomed and shed and swung through the seasons. And, even though I was enjoying every minute of precious time alone with my husband, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of what we saw would delight my children –although for a shorter time and infused with treats and breaks. Next time!

Thanks to Design Sponge for another great City Guide to help with my trip planning.