Weekend Away

5/6/2014

Day 1 - Pittsburgh, Pa

My husband and I managed to get away, along with our friends, for 3 days over the weekend. The first day we headed to Pittsburgh, PA to visit the Carnegie Museums. I believe it was my 5th time in the last 10 years? I do not have repetitive tendencies at all...

Chair wall in the Decorative Arts and Design gallery

What keeps me coming back to the Carnegie Museums are the old style collections, like the beetle collection above. I also enjoy the stone work in the original building.

An 1876 George Hunzinger Settee featured in the Carnegie Museum of Art.
The weaving is fabric wrapped steel.

Believe it or not that whole "room" is a miniature!

Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems = heaven!

Victorian Heywood Wakefield chair

Neoclassical rushed seat suite.

Edouard Vuillard's Interior with Women, 1902- notice the Thonet rocker

Pittsburgh recommendations:

To see: Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Museum of Art- one price gets you into both for the day- come and go as you please.
Food: Deli on corner of Forbes and S Craig St for a mid museum visit snack.
The Porch for yummy sit down meal, park view, and beer selection @ 221 Schenley Dr / next to the museums.
Shop: Caliban Book Shop for used and rare books on S Craig St.

Day 2 - Fallingwater

Day 2 we headed into the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania for our 10:30am pre-booked tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house. Pre-booking is a must as there are tours that start every 10 minutes and they are all packed to the gills.

The above view is how I've always pictured Fallingwater in my head from books. I was amazed how different the house looked from every angle.

There are no closets in Fallingwater. Instead, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a series of cabinets for each bedroom. Since the house is built into the rock and over water there is a large risk for mildew to build up. To keep airflow in the cabinets he added caning to the drawers!

When the tour was over the guide asked "are you ready to move in?" To which we said "yes please!!!"

Day 3 - Homer Laughlin and Fiesta Seconds

Just across the Ohio River from East Liverpool, OH is the Homer Laughlin Factory in Newell, WV. They have produced Fiesta Dinnerware off and on since 1936, along with other commercial lines. The factory has an outlet store where you can get good deals on first quality factory direct, or if you are willing to dig, wipe away a layer of dust, and inspect thoroughly- you can get REALLY good deals on slightly imperfect pieces in the *seconds* annex open to the public. Be ready to mix and match colors. Serious Fiesta seconds shoppers bring old towels to wipe off any dust and dirt for inspection. And a cart. It is a carry it with you as you shop establishment. Also, no returns so look it over good!