Paul and I on a dinner date in Shadyside!

Paul and I rarely head out for dates considering our hectic schedules, but we made time to grab some Italian food and fire roasted Pizza at one of our favorite outdoor eating places in Shadyside.  The fact that they have gelato for dessert always help to sway our decision to eat there. It was a nice evening dinner and I always love when we can sneak away and spend some time together. 

We brought the crazy cute pooch!

Towards the end of May we were fortunate enough to have more visitors!  My mom and Aunt Sue drove from Wisconsin out to visit our place for a long weekend.  They made an overnight stop so they didn't have to drive the whole trip in one day and after a few hours found themselves in Pittsburgh!  Traffic cooperated nicely which is always a plus!

Pittsburgh Point - May 2014

Trying out the iconic Ikea chairs!

My aunt Sue had never been out to see the city before, so of course we had to stop at a few classic spots!  We went up to Mount Washington to grab the perfect view of the city - the view really never gets old.  From there, we went out to gather a few items at Ikea!  I hadn't been to Ikea in ages, and my mom always likes to check out what they have.  I grabbed a garbage can for under our sink and was fortunately able to limit myself to just a few items.  We had our free lunch! (FREE! It was a surprise to us, and a fortunate one at that!)

Paul and Aunt Sue ready for dessert! Who gets to cut the first piece!?

Pittsburgh family portrait! Paul, Alyce and Dale with his eyes on the prize.

We also explored Walnut Street and had dinner at Shady Grove, another one of our local favorites.  The salads are so good and the portions are worth it!  Each morning we took a walk to "downtown Squirrel Hill" and got a coffee or some cinnamon bread from Allegro Bakery and 61C - two of my favorite gems of Squirrel Hill.  It was so fun to walk with them through the streets.  We also spent a fair amount of time in Little's Shoe Store!  Anyone who knows my mother knows why!

We finished the weekend with a trip to the Strip District for some fresh italian food, hot sauce, and Peace Love and Little Donuts.  Using the fresh ingredients we made dinner and served a perfect dessert of Prantl's almond torte.  The weekend was packed full of my favorite Pittsburgh experiences, and I was thrilled to be able to share them with two of my favorite people!

Peace Love and Little Donuts in the Strip District!

Thank you so much for making the drive out to visit - we loved having you both and hope to see you again soon - certainly at Thanksgiving!