A Trip to Phipps

One afternoon I decided I had enough of writing (sometimes you just need a mental break) and I decided to head over and check out the holiday display at Phipps Conservatory.

I actually became a member in September, when I had gone twice in one week (once by myself and once with my family who was visiting) and I was really excited to see their holiday decorations this time around. As you walk up the stairs into the Palm Court, you see this pretty fireplace display complete with little Christmas trees.

Last time I was there, a docent told me to keep to the right when walking through the conservatory to keep me from getting lost. Still a good tip! Back in September, this room was filled with lots of greenery and tropical plants. This time it was all dressed up for the holidays with this fun door display and loads of poinsettias. I really liked the different wreaths on the doors. Gives me some ideas for next year! :)

Little potted plants - such a great idea for a wreath!

At the end of this room, there was this gorgeous wreath. I loved that it was mostly greenery, but the sweet little white flowers really made it pop and look amazing.

There were so many lady slippers in bloom in the orchid room!

In the South Conservatory there was a large train and village display that represented the opening of the Phipps Conservatory and the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

I loved this little house with the snow covered roof. According to the sign in the photo below, the Worlds Fair that year was lit by a Pittsburgh based company, Westinghouse. It also mentioned that the tropical plants that were on display at the fair were transported to the Phipps Conservatory when it closed.

How cool is this little replica of the Phipps? The details are so incredible! 

As I worked my way up and around checking out all the little details, I found a train passing by and a horse drawn buggy in the center of a miniature town.

There was a little Ferris Wheel to represent the original one seen at the Chicago World's Fair (I saw this guy's twin at the Carnegie Museum of Art's tree display).

The building in the center of this photo was a miniature version of the Horticulture Exhibit hall, which held all kinds of large tropical plants at the fair.

After I felt like I had seen everything at the train display, I walked around some other rooms and found some cute details. I liked the little squirrels trimming the tree with oranges and the pretty kissing ball hanging from a light.

The Sunken Garden was also made up for the holidays with poinsettias galore.

Poinsettias seemed to be a theme in most of the rooms, including the Broderie Room. I loved the pops of red in the green shrubbery.

The East Room had snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and an adorable little family of bears (with bowties) down by the water.

I wasn't able to get a good photo of the large Christmas tree in the center of the Victoria Room. I think the lighting that day was just not cooperative. Here's a shot of it taken with my iPhone. I loved the reflection in the water.

A few days later, I went back after a brief snowfall to take some photos of the building at night. Look how pretty it is all lit up!

I wish I was able to go at night to see the Winter Light display in the Outdoor Garden, but it just didn't happen this trip. Hopefully next year!

The Lights are Bright in Downtown Pittsburgh

I've got a confession, I haven't had a post in the last few weeks because I've been visiting Adam in Pittsburgh! I've actually here on a mission, to get a manuscript written, but in the evenings and on weekends I've been having some fun exploring the city.

On Thursday night, Adam asked me if I wanted to head Downtown to see the lights in Market Square and eat at a burger joint/bar, Wingharts, that he's heard great things about (I loved the chicken tikka masala pizza I had).

We parked in a garage by the PPG buildings (that's Pittsburgh Plate Glass for you non-locals) and I was blown away walking up the street, seeing the reflections on the buildings. When we finally got to see the Christmas tree and rink after seeing partial reflections in the glass, it was spectacular.

It was actually pretty busy there that night. Lots of skaters were on the ice or waiting in the wings. I was having some fun setting up a bunch of shots using the reflections on the glass buildings.

We walked under that archway to the left in the photo above and found these Pittsburgh themed dinos hanging out. There were three, one that represented the PPG company, one that represented Heinz, and one that was for the dinos at the Carnegie Natural History Museum.

We were heading back out the archway, when I noticed this beautiful sight.

We walked over to Market Square through this brightly lit path. If you squint real hard, you can kind of read the sign about the PPG company.

By this time, it was getting pretty late and Adam was getting kind of hungry, so I didn't take any photos of the marketplace they had set up in Market Square. They have a bunch of little shops set up where the're selling holiday items like ornaments, t-shirts, and other crafts. I did get a quick snap of this fun tree they had set up that blinked to music playing in the square.

If you're in Pittsburgh for the holidays, I totally recommend checking this place out. The shops close at 8PM, so if that's your scene, be sure to get there before then!