12.2019 Life Recommendation // Spend Time Alone

After taking a trip to the Mattress Factory by myself a few weeks ago, I thought that I wanted to write about the museum as my monthly recommendation. After all, the Mattress Factory is home to many visually-striking and thought-provoking pieces of contemporary art, from Yayoi Kusama's mod, infinitely mirrored room, to a collaborative work between an Iranian and American artist which replicates the Iranian artist's Tehran apartment unit as an exploration of the concepts of reality and spatial/national boundaries. However, while the museum's contents are indeed fascinating, what I want to recommend even more is to just take some time to do things with, for, and by yourself! I've always felt anxious or embarrassed going places if I didn't have a buddy—but learning how to be alone and do things on my own has been one of my biggest lessons of 2019. So, take yourself on a solo outing—maybe to the movies, or a concert, or a restaurant—go at your own pace, give yourself an opportunity to really get to know yourself, and experience the world on your own terms!

Staff recommendation published in Crafton Public Library's monthly newsletter.

11.2019 Music Recommendation // Buffalo Rose

I'm a big supporter of live music, particularly local music, and one of the coolest experiences in my opinion is getting to follow and support local acts as they come up and find their success. One particularly talented local band that I have had the honor to see many times over the last couple years is Buffalo Rose. They are a folksy, six-piece ensemble from Pittsburgh, and their music features chillingly beautiful three-part vocal harmonies spread over a lush landscape of strings to make an incredibly uniquely evocative blend of modern soul and classic bluegrass Americana. They just recently got signed to a record label and have been touring as far and wide as Chicago, New Orleans, and New York, so I am very happy for them as their success continues to grow! I would recommend checking out their tracks Natural Disaster, Born, and I Feel So Good, which you can find on Spotify, Youtube, or the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's database of local musicians, STACKS.

Staff Recommendation published in Crafton Public Library's monthly newsletter.

10.2019 Life Recommendation // The Black Cat Market - Pittsburgh, PA

I love cats. Many people have probably heard me talk about my adorable and loving cat Snickers who has been living with me about a month now. But before I had my own kitty companion, I loved going to play with the cats at the Black Cat Market in Lawrenceville! $5 gets you 30 minutes in the cat room to play with the friendly and totally adoptable cats, so whether you're looking for your own furever friend or just want a short feline therapy session, I highly recommend paying them a visit!

Staff recommendation published in Crafton Public Library's monthly newsletter.