Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Vibes x Spring Break

Ashley Graham - photograph by Miss Chelsee

“First off… VIBES!”

Previous Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model Ashley Graham made it very clear what was most essential at S.I.'s Swimsuit Vibes event that took place in Houston, TX on February 17 and 18 at Post HTX, which was also the venue for art and music festival Day For Night.

And indeed, Vibes were at an all time high.

With nearly 1 in 4 Houstonians born abroad, Clutch City is known for not only Bé and DJ Screw, but also for great international heritage.

Houston's international qualities made it an obvious choice to host this year’s S.I. Swimsuit Vibes, an event that showcased chefs and a S.I. Swimsuit Rookie Class that showed us how beauty can truly be found all over the world.

The S.I. Swimsuit 2017 Rookie Class, which consists of 7 models, represents 6 countries:

Bianca Balti (Italy)

Kelly Gale (Sweden/Australia)

Lais Ribeiro (Brasil)

Mia Kang (Hong Kong)

Vita Sidorkina (Russia)

For many of the models it was their first trip to Space City, so they certainly enjoyed the sensational hospitality.

Time Inc. teamed up with DIRECTV™ NOW, Edge, Lexus and Smirnoff and VisitHouston, to bring attendees an array of free and ticketed events. Free autograph sessions featuring the S.I. Swimsuit models, and live culinary art demonstrations hosted by Cruising Kitchens and some of Clutch City’s finest restaurants were accompanied with two Red Carpet events with shows from performers, like Miguel and Diplo. Also, Houston has over 8,000 restaurants and 24,000 chefs. #UltraHighResolution chef, Johnny Bling was in attendance chewing on the other carats you floss.

Miguel at S.I. Swimsuit Vibes - photograph by Miss Chelsee

Since Spring Break is here, we urge you to eat swell while indulging in #openbarhenny on those white and blue ocean sands. Buttery avocados and lime squeeze on your ceviche is only what’s best for your ‘Sol’…I prefer caipirinha’s myself. If you prefer Mallorca or Mykonos as your destination of choice, try this Vegan recipe for your aguacate. Remember to show how you truly #LoveYourSwimsuit that you spent countless hours shopping for online. It looks amazing by the way.

Special thanks to the staff at Rogers and Cowan for their help and engagement as a liaison to the ITR staff!

Creatives Drink at Carnegie Museum of Art

Chancelor Humphrey and Cody Baker photograph by Ben Petchel

There are many dynamic departments of life in Pittsburgh. As young residents of the area, Cody Baker and Chancelor Humphrey prove that "creative" pursuits are worth while entertainment for young people in the city.

Together, Baker and Humphrey brand themselves as Creatives Drink. Their company works to connect the best parts of Pittsburgh regarding people, businesses and alcohol in fun, ambitious environments. Creatives Drink 7 will happen Feb. 9 at the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Along with credit for creating a welcoming atmosphere for Pittsburgh's progressive movers, Creatives Drink holds court because they cater to sponsors and relate to market publics drawing them to a central location. Bars, coffee shops and hotels are some of the places C.D. has ventured.

"From C.D. to C.D. I learn something new in every way. The biggest is finding out ways to benefit the sponsor more and more each time, while improving the attendee's experience," Baker says.

Attendees and those who know of Creatives Drink can see growth in the label through the organizations who support the events. Find automotive titan Audi, and others, as a sponsor of C.D. 7 and perhaps see the Audi A3 E-Tron with Creatives Drink text in six different languages on the car's hood. Give recognition to C.D. 7 for happening in the first contemporary art museum in the U.S.A. The Carnegie has done well at attracting Pittsburgh's contemporary community with functions like Boom Concept's silent disco and now with Creatives Drink.

Via @tehbakery Instagram story

Baker and Humphrey make strides in different sections of Pittsburgh to be sure their C.D. event represents the best of the city. 

“The most rewarding part of Creatives Drink is branching out to different neighborhoods and meeting new people from all over,” Baker says.

Join a contemporary Pittsburgh crowd in Oakland and enjoy the free experiences at C.D. 7 at the C.M.O.A. from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m tomorrow.

Carnegie Museum of Art

440 Forbes Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-622-3131

An Introduction to Creative Nonfiction Magazine

Creative Nonfiction magazine covers photographed by Alex Young

True stories are everywhere. People can hear real tales from many walks-of-life in different mediums. The story subjects range in an almost infinite amount of topics, and they often comment on certain time periods, geographic locations or societal characteristics.

In Pittsburgh, a publication called Creative Nonfiction operates to share written works that use "the crafts of storytelling" to explore factual narratives and interviews. What began as an academic journal 22 years ago is now fascinating prose that delivers significance through truth.

Issues of Creative Nonfiction magazine publish quarterly, and educated, suburban Baby Boomers enjoy the text-heavy compositions. Although there is a young Generation X and Millenial influence felt around the magazine and inside the CNF office that Lauren Boehm, the building and events manager, showed me.

CNF issues at HQ

Part of Boehm's objective with holding events at CNF's headquarter is exposing the magazine to a more youthful audience and to those who are engaged with the contemporary, creative culture in Pittsburgh and other cities nationwide. The building's location one street over from Penn Avenue's art district, which many Pittsburghers frequent for gallery crawls, like First Friday, plays a pivotal role in the magazine's growth within the community. Establishments like Boom Concepts diversifies the artsy East Liberty neighborhood that Creative Nonfiction situates itself in. 

Creative Nonfiction also interacts with local academia. Find some Chatham University students from Shadyside as contributors to the magazine. Additionally, various advertisements for postsecondary institutions' writing-centered Master of Fine Arts degree sprinkle throughout magazine editions. Chatham, City University London, Northwestern University, and Sarah Lawrence College feature in CNF issue 45. The college listings allude to Creative Nonfiction's reach across the United States and abroad.

While Creative Nonfiction has roots in Pittsburgh, their focus as a literary magazine draws mass appeal due to the numerous and talented authors who the magazine publishes. Having a title that represents a college program and genre keeps the quarterly relevant too. 

One thing that Creative Nonfiction's young audience has to understand is that the work is "true stories, well told," reads their slogan. Those who enjoy reading good long-form or short-form stories by good writers should pick up CNF. Though the organization does well by offering programs that quick-reading people could get into. Tiny Truth Contests dares Twitter users to tell an interesting true story in 140-characters or less. "'I don't have any cash on me,' he said. The Moscow traffic cop, waiting for his bribe, pointed. 'There's an ATM right over there,'" @amalchik wrote in her online micro-essay.

The content the magazine values is cleverly written true narratives. Each piece displays literate skill on an interesting topic from special perspectives thanks to artistic authors. Ears are top of mind in Steven Church's piece, "Speaking of Ears and Savagery." Regarding the body part, he references Tyson vs. Holyfield II, other worlds, and a wild chimpanzee named Travis. "Grave Robber: A Love Story" titles Joyce Marcel's story following Church's in issue 45 about brutality, crime and violence. The honest tales in Creative Nonfiction are interesting, insightful reads.

Editors of CNF also publish a monthly pocket-size issue called "True Story" that features "one exceptional essay by one exceptional writer." In the first edition learn about two teenage brothers who self-recorded an album in the 1970s, in a log-cabin, and on their family farm. Upon the music's initial release the album flopped, but it was re-discovered and reached critical acclaim in 2008.

Quality storytelling keeps people reading Creative Nonfiction magazine. As the publication continues, it will offer opportunities for skillful writers to share true stories that reflect life from various concepts and backgrounds. Pushing CNF's presence as a media outlet in Pittsburgh that is beneficial to creative writers and storytellers could open up opportunities for CNF to collaborate with the youthful parties who find success in the city's urban environment.

Discover more about Creative Nonfiction and purchase the latest magazine issue, "Learning From Nature," here, as well as "True Story" here.

Creative Nonfiction Foundation

5119 Coral Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15224

Drink for Free at Creatives Drink 6

Cody Baker and Chancelor Humphrey (ends) of Creatives Drink with Lee Terbosic photographed by Ben Petchel

"Leave your wallet at home," reads Instagram captions on Cody Baker and Keep Pittsburgh Dope's profiles as they advertise for their Creatives Drink event.

At Creatives Drink, held on August 11 at Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood, people can attend and drink for free.

"Millennials don't want to spend money. Free is a model to build exposure. It is a way for people to come to your event and then stay," Baker says.

Free has always been the case since Creatives Drink started back on June 25, 2015, at Downtown bar Howl At The Moon. Now in its sixth edition, the CD series is simply described as "three hours of positive people, good music, and free drinks."

Mainly, Creatives Drink is just as much a party as it is a networking event for like-minded individuals in Pittsburgh to connect and share their creative ambitions.

Local entities aid in the environment and provide the alcohol. Boyd and Blair, Escape Room Pittsburgh, Freedom Farms, Market Street Grocery, Spoonwood Brewing Company, and Red Bull's sponsorships make the drinks free. A performance by magician and comedian Lee Terbosic, as well as live music by DJ Pete Butta add entertainment. Additionally, Stage AE and Thrival music festival will give away free concert tickets to select first attendees.

With a goal to inspire and showcase the best parts of Pittsburgh, Creatives Drink works with collaboration. See business owners, designers, musicians, youths, and other driven persons gather publicly as a community.

From 6-9 p.m., Creatives Drink 6 "welcomes anyone who strives to be creative" to Ace Hotel. 

Ace Hotel

120 S Whitfield St

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

Watch the Official Trailer to 'Orange Is The New Black' Season 4

Since season six of Game Of Thrones has quelled TV watching audiences' need for good plot lines, gore, sex, and power dynamics, Netflix's original series Orange Is The New Black jolts the excitement surrounding nightly television.

The official trailer to OITNB's fourth season released to YouTube earlier today. Clips show the female jailbird cast with new inmates, new secrets, new relationships, and more genuine challenges and triumphs rooted in prison life.

Season four of Orange Is The New Black drops exclusively on Netflix June 17, 2016.