tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24674653255885125042024-03-14T05:33:48.433-04:00The Lawrenceville VibeThe Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-36624614084101428512010-07-01T11:20:00.001-04:002010-07-01T11:33:32.584-04:00Where the boys areWho knew that in Lawrenceville's shops for girly girls, you could find a good man. After all, it's nice to have a man around the house. These guys won't take out the garbage, but they'll never leave a mess for you to clean up either.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4751624941_0cd5901045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4751624941_0cd5901045.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>You'll never get tired of this guy hanging around. Untitled by Greg Karkowski. $225 at Elements, 5171 Butler St.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4752264024_a36bdc2f8f_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4752264024_a36bdc2f8f_m.jpg" /></a></div>There's nothing like a man in a suit. Tailor's prints from the 1920s. Several different prints to choose from, all with vivid colors that are just, er, dandy! About $80 each at Dandelions, 4108 Butler St.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4751624753_24b448d4fa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/4751624753_24b448d4fa.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Fall for the boyish charms of original art on wooden blocks by Mark Traughber. $35 each at Divertido, 3701 Butler St.<br />
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By the way, just like in real life, you'll have to be patient and look everywhere to find an interesting guy. All of these pieces were kept in the back of the shops!The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-21169418349634316482010-06-30T12:32:00.001-04:002010-06-30T13:39:11.287-04:00Comic relief<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><img src="http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/125/m_b6a57a16917ec3b37f5545e2ce72481b.jpg" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">What do you get when you mix the comic inventiveness of Whoopi Goldberg with the voice of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHUVWEgHAy8">Blossom Dearie</a>? An evening's entertainment that will keep you wanting more. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Pittsburgh native Meg Georgiana is a songwriter with a satirical sensibility that takes the mundane and turns it into a laugh-out-loud mini-drama. Accompanying herself on cello (or a ukelele), she has a seemingly limitless repertoire of thought-provoking songs: A dull job as a telemarketer becomes a commentary on unusual surnames. A menstrual cycle is a little monster. She even has flipped Mr. Rogers Neighborhood upside down. And when was the last time you heard a song (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/352486909/music/playlists/11813?songid=4906608&ap=1&sms_ss=blogger">Sloppy 'n State Educated by Midge Crickett</a>) that managed to mix Sartre and Camus with Evelyn Waugh, W. Somerset Maugham and an anatomy lesson? </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Meg performs as <a href="http://www.myspace.com/midgecrickett">Midge Crickett</a>, and with a group called Middle Children. You can catch her Friday night at the <a href="http://www.waffleshop.org/">Waffle Shop</a>, 124 S Highland Ave., when she appears as a guest on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=137343319611001&ref=ts">The Unemployment Show</a>. It's at 11 p.m., and it's free!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Someday you can tell your friends you saw Meg/Midge before she landed a one-woman Broadway show and a sitcom in L.A.</div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-84952579523871274472010-06-29T12:42:00.002-04:002010-07-01T11:58:14.788-04:00Art's drawing room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTpDm2WisI/AAAAAAAAAP4/CmwGsSKmolE/s1600/Gallery+on+43rd+Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTpDm2WisI/AAAAAAAAAP4/CmwGsSKmolE/s400/Gallery+on+43rd+Street.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>It's a not uncommon fantasy: Many of us have daydreamed as we visited an art gallery, wondering what it would be like to stay behind after the doors closed to visitors. At the Louvre would you bed down in front of Mona? Camp out amid the ruins of the Parthenon at the British Museum? Dunk your feet in the pool of the inner peristyle at the Getty Villa in Malibu?<br />
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In A.S. Byatt's <i>The Children's Book</i>, a boy turns a gallery into his home. Mary Coleman has done the opposite: She's turned her home into a gallery.<br />
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If out-of-towners were to ask me what's the one thing they should see in Lawrenceville, I would say <a href="http://www.galleryon43rdstreet.com/index.htm">The Gallery on 43rd Street</a>. It's our Versailles. A formerly private space made public. A glimpse into the past, chock-full of current treasures from Western Pennsylvania artists. And it's right in our own backyard.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTs7WvIFLI/AAAAAAAAAQA/xsCdWFdaS14/s1600/Gallery%27s+living+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTs7WvIFLI/AAAAAAAAAQA/xsCdWFdaS14/s400/Gallery%27s+living+room.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Paintings by Dylan Critchfield-Sales are currently featured in the former, uh, drawing room.<br />
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The purity of his pictures, still lifes and portraits, complement the space. The floorboards, still rough from when Coleman first moved in and ripped up the carpeting 17 years ago, let the 1881 house breathe. And Minnie the indoor cat, seen in the window at left, is keepin' it real. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTuhMRp0mI/AAAAAAAAAQI/NTHSd4B7vqc/s1600/Pit-fired+pottery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTuhMRp0mI/AAAAAAAAAQI/NTHSd4B7vqc/s320/Pit-fired+pottery.jpg" /></a></div><br />
On the other side of the room, you'll find pit-fired pottery by Marlene Boyle. Her pinch pots are so organic they seem to have been created by Mother Nature herself.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTvg-xJrlI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/kjv_PYOtJXQ/s1600/Hallway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCTvg-xJrlI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/kjv_PYOtJXQ/s400/Hallway.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Even the hallways are filled with art. I am very fond of the vases by Tracey Seder on the top left of the bookcase.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoVyq_QTAI/AAAAAAAAAQY/nTpDgoYBwZc/s1600/Vases+by+Tracy+Seder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoVyq_QTAI/AAAAAAAAAQY/nTpDgoYBwZc/s320/Vases+by+Tracy+Seder.jpg" /></a></div>They remind me of Cycladic jars, an ancient find from an Aegean archaeological dig.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoWp-CtbvI/AAAAAAAAAQg/zgX0j6BxvW0/s1600/Red+Face+by+VillaMagna+%24500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoWp-CtbvI/AAAAAAAAAQg/zgX0j6BxvW0/s320/Red+Face+by+VillaMagna+%24500.jpg" /></a></div>The walls of the hallway are lined with fine art, including Red Face, mixed media by West Virginia artist <a href="http://www.robertvillamagna.com/">Robert Villamagna</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoXExRwlKI/AAAAAAAAAQo/ntKDjeJi-JA/s1600/Fruit+series+by+Marian+Sallade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoXExRwlKI/AAAAAAAAAQo/ntKDjeJi-JA/s320/Fruit+series+by+Marian+Sallade.jpg" /></a></div>And a fruit series by Marian Sallade, who describes her work as "realistic impressionism."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoYxJBpBpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/H5JNtiJh2CI/s1600/Donahue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoYxJBpBpI/AAAAAAAAAQw/H5JNtiJh2CI/s320/Donahue.jpg" /></a></div>The hallway opens up into what perhaps was the former dining room. Here you'll find all sorts of treasures, including small landscapes by plein air painter <a href="http://www.donoughe.com/">Ron Donoughe</a> ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoaQwwnZlI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/LmGhLaxCitM/s1600/Baby+sweaters+by+Helene+Stokan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoaQwwnZlI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/LmGhLaxCitM/s320/Baby+sweaters+by+Helene+Stokan.jpg" /></a></div><br />
sweet, hand-knitted baby sweaters by Helene Stokan ...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoaiSONY5I/AAAAAAAAARA/Q0ylofEunyY/s1600/Fused+glass+window+by+Cyndy+Mullen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoaiSONY5I/AAAAAAAAARA/Q0ylofEunyY/s320/Fused+glass+window+by+Cyndy+Mullen.jpg" /></a></div><br />
... and a fused glass window designed by Cyndy Mullen, that incorporates bits of bottles and stemware.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoen4UkwAI/AAAAAAAAARI/muMaWKiYuLo/s1600/Earrings+by+Laura+Stuart+%2414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TCoen4UkwAI/AAAAAAAAARI/muMaWKiYuLo/s200/Earrings+by+Laura+Stuart+%2414.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I never tire of The Gallery on 43rd Street. There are too many things to see on one visit. Besides, the exhibits change frequently. You never know what you might spy. Earrings made from bottle caps! Who needs Versailles?<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b>The Gallery on 43rd Street<br />
187 43rd Street<br />
Pittsburgh, PA 15201<br />
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Open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.<br />
412-683-6488<br />
galleryon43rdstreet@yahoo.com</b></span></span>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-35745483674182393572010-06-18T09:37:00.000-04:002010-06-18T09:37:27.182-04:00Warning: Dozen Is AddictingDozen has done it again. <br />
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They took one of my favorite salads -- the Southwestern, a mix of black beans, corn and red pepper -- and they wrapped it in pastry. Hosanna in the highest!<br />
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And it's vegan. I can enjoy it without any guilt whatsoever!<br />
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I would show you a picture of this lovely, little handmade pie, but I was too busy eating it.<br />
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If you haven't tried it yet, get thee to Dozen forthwith! Perfect for lunch or a light supper.<br />
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And I heard that the best invention ever -- the Margarita cupcake -- is being whipped up today/tomorrow. A hint of tequila and the salt on the frosting make the Margarita irresistible.<br />
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There should be a sign over the door at 3511 Butler Street: Beware, All Ye Who Enter Here -- Dozen Is Addicting.The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-57960688283242987922010-06-17T10:27:00.001-04:002010-06-17T10:27:45.604-04:00The CD House<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelvibe/4708631099/" title="The CD House by theLvibe, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4708631099_7a399ceacf.jpg" width="313" height="500" alt="The CD House" /></a><br />
One of our favorite houses in L'Ville! These homeowners put their own spin on upcycling.The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-9364698847159060832010-06-16T19:29:00.013-04:002010-07-01T11:52:11.356-04:00An ancient art steps into the future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4706877133_9078288f8c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4706877133_9078288f8c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://www.obannonrugs.com/">O'Bannon Oriental Carpets</a> in Lawrenceville just got a new shipment of rugs. Many are contemporary designs, some traditional. They'll make your eyes smile, your feet happy, and your wallet sigh with relief.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4707513980_b259d17c03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4707513980_b259d17c03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>O'Bannon has a big deal for you on smaller rugs -- rugs 5 by 7 or smaller, like the ones at left. Ten to 50 percent off! Heck, for a lot of us in L'Ville, 5 by 7 is a room-size rug!<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">How small is smaller? O'Bannon even carries 1 by 1 foot rugs. 1 by 1! Aren't you dying to see what a 1 by 1 rug looks like?<br />
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As soon as you walk through O'Bannon's door (at 3803 Butler Street), you are greeted with a cheery <i>hello! </i>by owner Kristen Rockwell. If you were expecting a stuffy store staffed by overbearing sales people, well, <i>fuhgeddaboudit!</i><br />
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<i></i>You'll recognize Kristen by her trademark blue jeans, naturally curly hair and big smile. If you look up "laid back" or "easy-going" in the dictionary, I swear you'll find her picture. She's a weaver herself, with a wealth of knowledge about exotic locales and traditions.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4707514152_897ba6f153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4707514152_897ba6f153.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A visit to O'Bannon's, you see, is a tour of ancient civilizations like Afghanistan, Persia and Tibet.<br />
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The Persian rug at left, woven by women with traditional methods in a modern motif, has so much movement in its design that the squares appear to be dancing. Reminiscent of <a href="http://www.iklimt.com/">Klimt</a>. It's one of my favorites in the new shipment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4706887407_4593d5aa5d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4706887407_4593d5aa5d_m.jpg" /></a></div>Another rug that I couldn't stop admiring was the "argyle" -- a rug that reminds me of Scotland, if Scotland had Kabul as its capital or Edinburgh overlooked the Persian Gulf. Argyle? Diamond? Diagonal stripes? Its colors and patterns have to be seen in person to really appreciate its vibrancy. Gray and other neutrals, uh, <i>ground <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">its </span></i>design. The reds and blues make it soar. Oh, forgot to mention: This rug is about 4 by 6. Yes! That's right! It's on sale too!<br />
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Do you prefer solid colors? O'Bannon has a variety. Rugs of a single color but many moods. Colors as blue and restful as a Bishapur sky. Colors as earthy and watchful as the wine-dark sea.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4707514642_1764fc9eb9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4707514642_1764fc9eb9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Don't forget to wander downstairs where you'll find furniture and more contemporary designs.<br />
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The rustic Chinese bench, at left, is a piece so versatile it could be used in any room. A hall table. A side table. A skinny and snazzy coffee table in a narrow sitting room. A one-of-a-kind bedside table. You name it. Its rustic finish and simple lines make the perfect seasoning for modern decor.<br />
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At O'Bannon's, as you wander into the past, you'll take a leap into the future.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">O'Bannon Oriental Carpets<br />
3803 Butler Street<br />
Pittsburgh PA 15201</span></b><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tue-Fri 11:00-6:00<br />
Sat 11:00-5:00<br />
or by appointment<br />
412-621-0700<br />
info@obannonrugs.com</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></b></div><SCRIPT charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thelaw02-20/8001/3f85d32c-51ba-45ce-8b1d-ae3ba690c067"> </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT><A HREF="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthelaw02-20%2F8001%2F3f85d32c-51ba-45ce-8b1d-ae3ba690c067&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</A></NOSCRIPT>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-83671310989018748422010-06-15T09:24:00.004-04:002010-06-18T10:33:56.922-04:00What's for breakfast?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4703209038_c81c2d7ee0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4703209038_c81c2d7ee0.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>For residents of Lawrenceville, it's Christmas morning in June and Santa has arrived with fresh baguettes in his basket.<br />
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Customers started flocking to La Gourmandine as soon as it opened its doors at 7:30 this morning.<br />
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</div><div>Yes, the baguettes are real flutes of fresh French bread. At only $1.95 per loaf, you'll want to get one to eat in the morning and one for dinner. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The baguettes are the perfect size. Bread like this is meant to be enjoyed the very same day, not kept on a shelf or, god forbid, saved in a fridge or freezer.</div><div><br />
</div><div>La Gourmandine offers other breakfast items: Danish, cinnamon rolls and brioches. (About $1.50 each)</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4702580645_4a8806e85a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4702580645_4a8806e85a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>A real treat for Americans are chouquettes. Small pastry puffs dusted with sugar (seen at right), they are crisp and airy. A perfect bite or two or three to have with your morning coffee. (The chouquettes are 30 cents each.)</div><div><br />
<a name='more'></a>La Gourmandine also serves coffee. You'll find carafes next to the window. </div><div><div><br />
</div><div>Need to pick up a sandwich on your way to work? They are already prepared and ready to take away with you. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Or you might want to try a piece of generous slice of quiche. ($4.90 a slice)</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4702573067_fb381dc318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4702573067_fb381dc318.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div>To satisfy your sweet tooth later in the day -- the bakery is open till 4:30 -- La Gourmandine offers eclairs and tartes. (About $2.40 to $3.10 each.)</div><div><br />
</div><div>If you're having a celebration today, La Gourmandine also sells large and beautiful fruit tartes. (About $20.)</div><div><br />
</div><div>The new space, at 4605 Butler Street, is bright and pleasant. At the moment, there are no tables.</div><div><br />
</div><div>La Gourmandine's first customer had returned within a minute or two after he had walked out the door. He had already gobbled up his pastry and wanted another one.<br />
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With bread and sweets as good as these, they'll be gone by the time you get home or arrive at work.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Please note: Prices are subject to change.</span></b></div></div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-38087076840608794132010-06-14T12:24:00.022-04:002010-06-14T17:06:25.089-04:00Gods and monsters on Butler Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4699554417_91ec364557_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4699554417_91ec364557_b.jpg" width="371" /></a></div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?</span></i><br />
<div><br />
</div><div>At O'Bannon Oriental Carpets, art isn't just underfoot, it's outside.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4700284634_c77a425e21_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4700284634_c77a425e21_b.jpg" width="130" /></a></div><div>They arrived on Saturday, a new shipment of garden statuary looking like ancient messengers trapped in concrete.</div><div><br />
</div><div>There's Atlas, above left, with the weight of the world on his shoulders for the rest of time. He's oblivious to the less-than-handsome Pan, above right, with his flute of seven reeds.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Look closer. Pan has a sly smile on his face. Does he still dream of chasing nymphs? Is the god of shepherds <i>forever piping songs forever new</i>?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Both Atlas and Pan have been "cast" in the role of telamones, columns or supports for a building sculpted in the shape of men.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Their architectural sister the caryatid, left, seems all too lifelike. She's not kidding around, is she. Would you call her gaze determined? Sullen? Is she playing hard to get?</div><div><br />
</div><div>These architectural elements are more than decorative objects for your garden. They <i>tease us out of thought</i>: They remind us of the importance of strength or endurance. </div><div><br />
</div><div>In addition to large statuary, O'Bannon also has some smaller pieces to hang on a wall or place among your flower beds.</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/4699524157_9af3376477_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1278/4699524157_9af3376477_m.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><div>This plaque seems to be Medusa. You know the saying "if looks could kill"? Well, her looks could. In fact, it was she who caused Atlas' misfortune. One look at her head and Atlas was turned into a mountain, a mountain so high he seemed to be supporting the heavens.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Here they both are, endlessly repeating the ancient past in the little yard on Butler Street between O'Bannon and Coca Cafe. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The garden statues can be viewed 24/7 at 3803 Butler Street in Lawrenceville.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">O'Bannon Oriental Carpets</span></b></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tue-Fri 11:00-6:00<br />
Sat 11:00-5:00<br />
or by appointment<br />
412-621-0700<br />
info@obannonrugs.com</span></b></div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-1005713670272463882010-06-14T09:18:00.001-04:002010-06-14T17:07:02.743-04:00Bread lines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TBYrnv6QTBI/AAAAAAAAAPw/JJQwLhquwJY/s1600/La+Gourmandine+coming+soon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TBYrnv6QTBI/AAAAAAAAAPw/JJQwLhquwJY/s320/La+Gourmandine+coming+soon.jpg" /></a></div>It's official!<br />
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Put away your plans for a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Women's_March_on_Versailles">Bread March</a> on <s>Versailles</s> Butler Street. Owner and baker Fabien Moreau says that La Gourmandine will be selling baguettes and patisseries starting tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m.<br />
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The bakery, located at 4605 Butler in Lawrenceville, will be open until 4:30 p.m.<br />
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Stay tuned for details. Your intrepid reporter will have a full report posted by Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-91581281420159415442010-06-11T11:58:00.009-04:002010-06-16T14:24:38.242-04:00The ultimate in fitness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4691053342_037fde67ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4691053342_037fde67ff.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You may not think it's possible, but in one hour you can travel from Japan to Brazil and land in Pittsburgh. How? By taking a martial arts class at <a href="http://www.renzograciepittsburgh.com/">Renzo Gracie Pittsburgh Academy</a> in Lawrenceville.<br />
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Warren Stout, the fitness center's owner and instructor, carries on a tradition in jiu jitsu that was brought to Brazil by a Japanese judo expert in the early part of the last century. The Gracie family, a Brazilian clan of Scottish descent, turned the martial art into a sport.<br />
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"The Gracie family are technical and martial arts innovators," said Stout, who was a championship wrestler at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Penn. "Part of their genius was the way they have marketed the sport."<br />
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<a name='more'></a>When the Gracies reintroduced Brazilian jiu jitsu to North America in the early 1990s, it took off, Stout said. Today, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, promotes mixed martial arts competitions throughout the world.<br />
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Tonight (June 11) at 6 p.m., the academy will host <a href="http://www.facebook.com/RenzoGraciePittsburgh?ref=ts&v=wall#!/event.php?eid=125711800789528">special guest Gregor Gracie</a>, one of the world's top grappling competitors. Gracie will hold a seminar focusing on the latest techniques using the "gi" (judo suite). Tomorrow morning at 10:00, Gracie will talk about techniques modified for mixed martial arts. <a href="http://www.renzograciepittsburgh.com/resources.htm">Tickets are $50.</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"></span>Brazilian "jiu jitsu changed my life for the better," said Stout, who won a coveted spot to train with the Gracie family in Rio de Janeiro in 2002.<br />
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The Renzo (pronounced HEN-zo) Gracie Pittsburgh Academy, located in bright, pleasant storefront at 5104 Butler Street, offers classes for all levels. You can learn grappling techniques or take a cutting-edge exercise class. Want to learn more about Brazilian jiu jitsu? You can join a class for one week with no obligation. <br />
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At a recent fundamentals class, the sweet guitar strings of Baden Powell played on the sound system. The atmosphere was focused, but relaxed and friendly, not frenetic or loud like so many fitness or training classes can be.<br />
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Jiu jitsu is "so much more than just a sport or martial art," Stout said.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.renzograciepittsburgh.com/index.htm">Renzo Gracie Academy</a></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5104 Butler Street</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pittsburgh, PA </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">310-623-0141</span></b><br />
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</span></b><br />
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<script charset="utf-8" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thelaw02-20/8001/61766dfe-7685-44d9-b367-39e852396dfa" type="text/javascript">
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<noscript><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthelaw02-20%2F8001%2F61766dfe-7685-44d9-b367-39e852396dfa&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</a></noscript>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-15150930622003471282010-06-10T10:59:00.004-04:002010-06-14T17:24:24.906-04:00For the jobless, a chance to networkThe simple act of writing a thank you note will help you stand out in a crowd of job applicants, said Jill Patterson, national account executive at Careerbuilder.com, at a forum held last night in Lawrenceville.<br />
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It was advice that Monica Greene will take away with her as she searches for a job in library science. Every seat at <a href="http://www.greyboxtheatre.com/">The Grey Box Theatre</a> was filled with job seekers like Greene who were hoping to make one more connection at the event, sponsored by <a href="http://www.pump.org/index.cfm">PUMP</a> and <a href="http://www.pyp.org/Home.asp">PYP</a>, two nonprofit groups that give young Pittsburgh professionals opportunities to network and get involved in their city.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>When asked how long she'd been out of work, Greene said, "It's been awhile."<br />
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As the economy struggles to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Greene, an Oberlin grad, isn't alone. Although almost a million jobs have been created this year, there are <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFnBRnicTh5q7FVRwFYg3p0WlX0AD9G58OK80">6.76 million</a> of us who have been out of work for six months or longer.<br />
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The expert panel, which also included Julie Paden, vice president and recruiting manager for PNC Financial Services, and Todd Owens, a principal at Dewey & Kaye, gave tips on how to succeed in interviews and how to connect with prospective employers online with networking tools like LinkedIn.<br />
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Two key points: When applying for a job, keep your resume down to one page. When you get an interview, keep your cell phone turned off. <br />
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It's not just job seekers who benefit from PUMP events. Local employer Daryl Wade, president of <a href="http://www.prakprint.com/">PrakPrint</a>, is always on the lookout for art institute grads for his graphic design and printing business.<br />
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Wade, who mingled with job seekers after the expert panel had concluded their Q&A, always tells new employees to make sure "the client likes it and the assignment is on time." Words of wisdom in any profession.<br />
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Perhaps the star of the evening was Lawrenceville itself. Paden, who lives in Shaler, was charmed by Butler Street and was planning to explore its shops and eateries.The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-92201196750663072202010-06-10T00:26:00.019-04:002010-06-10T17:48:00.859-04:00Funny business<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4687154778_2e14c50e19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4687154778_2e14c50e19.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>You can't stop smiling when you go to <a href="http://www.divertidoshop.com/">Divertido</a> in Lawrenceville. One of the anchors of the rejuvenated Butler Street, it's the shop that never loses its sense of humor.<br />
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That's the plan, said owner Mary Ellen Gubanic, who likes to keep things fresh. She's always on the lookout at gift shows and online for something a little bit different.<br />
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Perhaps the best translation for Divertido, which is Spanish, would be <i>whimsical</i>. Like Disneyland, it's fun for all ages.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4687154454_5439f6350e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4687154454_5439f6350e.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For the tiniest customer (and grandparents everywhere), there are onesies with attitude (top). For children over 5, you'll find puzzles based on classic stories like Peter Pan ($42, above). Made in the USA out of wood, the puzzles make an instant heirloom.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4686580639_42d4752003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4686580639_42d4752003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>You'll spin more than 33 rpm when you see the wide bracelet cuffs crafted from old vinyl records. (About $25)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1302/4687265034_194ef0192d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1302/4687265034_194ef0192d_m.jpg" /></a></div>Is Dad's wallet falling apart? Divertido has a Dynomighty solution just in time for Father's Day. Impossibly slender and incredibly lightweight, the wallets are made from Tyvek -- you know, that water-resistant and tear-resistant stuff used to make FedEx envelopes. You've got to hold the wallet in your hands to believe it. The material will naturally expand as Dad stashes away cash and credit cards. There are plenty of designs to choose from, like the homage to Warhol. These wallets aren't just for guys -- girls will love them too. Hey, this is the new millennium!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4686519083_9b9b40a0b5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4686519083_9b9b40a0b5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For her, there are linen scarves ($78). Sheer happiness!<br />
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Open since 2004, Divertido's merchandise is always evolving. It's kind of like the charming guy who keeps you guessing. What will be in store next week?<br />
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<b>Divertido</b><br />
<div><b>3701 Butler Street</b><br />
<div><b>Pittsburgh, PA 15201<br />
412-687-3701</b></div></div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-88253437563830253042010-06-06T16:39:00.001-04:002010-06-06T17:43:00.374-04:00Want to let your dog run free?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAwGyMcp_HI/AAAAAAAAAPc/XiqieG4USSM/s1600/IMGP0387.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAwGyMcp_HI/AAAAAAAAAPc/XiqieG4USSM/s200/IMGP0387.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.lawrencevilledogpark.org/">Lawrenceville Dog Park.org</a>, which is seeking to establish an enclosed off-leash area for our canine partners, has posted a <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=brf_2bTSdMtjp7bpANkKD8Sw_3d_3d">survey</a> online, and <a href="http://www.lawrencevilledogpark.org/?p=97#more-97">survey results</a> from the 204 responses it has received so far.<br />
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Join the chorus seeking a place right in L'Ville for a pup playground. You have until June 16 to give them such insights as to how many pooches you have, whether they're big or small, and what kind of amenities you'd like to have in a dog park.<br />
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Minerva, my canine partner for life, is a big supporter of one of Lawrenceville Dog Park's primary aims: separate areas for small dogs and large dogs. Two paws up!The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-49417796932075599872010-06-05T15:00:00.006-04:002010-06-10T00:48:13.829-04:00Aroma of fresh bread is right around the cornerThe <i>arrondisement </i>of Lawrenceville has a treat in store. A new bakery is about to open at 4605 <i>avenue </i>Butler.<br />
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</div><div>La Gourmandine will soon be rolled out by owner and pastry-maker Fabien Moreau, who trained at Lenôtre, the premier school of patisserie arts in Paris.</div><div><br />
</div>"We plan to serve traditional French baked goods. Different types of bread, the famous baguette of course, what we call 'Viennoiseries' (danishes) like croissants, brioches, pain au chocolat, pain au raisins," said Lisanne Lorin-Moreau, Fabien's wife. "Also pastries, chocolat éclairs, fruit tartes," anything you would expect at a French bakery, she added.<br />
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Patisserie is truly an art form. If I can measure out my life in espresso spoons, the experiences were made memorable by the perfect brioche in the morning or a lovely éclair in the afternoon.<br />
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</div><div>Lawrenceville has longed for a bread bakery, but real brioches a few blocks away from me? A dream come true.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I now hike all the way to Enrico Biscotti in the Strip District to get a loaf of bread. No doubt Lawrenceville soon will become the destination for god's-honest patisseries. </div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-50830338505590895102010-06-05T14:06:00.004-04:002010-06-05T19:20:50.584-04:00Get your kicks on Route 64<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAqEpsQAUmI/AAAAAAAAAPM/ursdwPZ0k0c/s1600/Route+64.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAqEpsQAUmI/AAAAAAAAAPM/ursdwPZ0k0c/s200/Route+64.jpg" width="179" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">When I'm not shopping on Butler, my favorite place to go is Shadyside. It makes a nice walk with the dog. Or a great bike ride on a nice day.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Note: nice day. If Saturday or Sunday brings a thunderstorm -- frequent lightning strikes, an unpredictable deluge of rain -- biking is out. Walking all the way to Shadyside seems like an ordeal, and finding a place to park in Shadyside seems even harder. </div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Port Authority of Allegheny County has offered us an alternative. A new bus route. Destination Lawrenceville. The route from L' leads to the Waterfront. But what lies in between?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The Lawrenceville Vibe hopped aboard Bus 64 to find out.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We start in the middle of a construction zone, AKA the corner of Butler and 40th. Orange netting and sidewalk signs currently do their best to hide the bus stop, which sits in front of Arsenal school right next to the historical marker celebrating Steeler quarterback Johnny Unitas. </div><br />
Route 64 chugs up 40th to Penn. Then we're off to Children's Hospital, where we swing down Friendship. Staying on the "back roads" of Bloomfield we make good time, even with frequent stops.<br />
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We head to West Penn Hospital and turn on Millvale past the hospital's ER entrance. On Liberty, we turn left.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We zoom up Liberty past the Honda dealership and cross Baum to Aiken, with the Marriott on our right. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">We hang a left on Centre Avenue, reaching the first two of our possible destinations: Panera Bread and Giant Eagle's Market District.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Then we rattle our way up South Negley Avenue into the heart of Shadyside. There's a stop on Ellsworth, but we hop off at Walnut Street. Total transit time: about 10 minutes!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Walk for a few blocks, and we can browse for the latest gizmos at the Apple Store, or have fun at Victoria's Secret, or see what new Stila eyeshadows Sephora has in store.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">You may not think of taking the bus on the weekend, but it makes a nice change of pace. Bus tickets are $2 one way, and $2.75 with a transfer, which can be used for the round trip fare. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Route 64 leaves Butler and 40th about every 25 minutes on the half hour. Hassle free transportation. Good for the environment and good for <i>you </i>too.</div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-2232607315584910192010-06-03T18:51:00.011-04:002010-06-04T12:23:30.593-04:00Grazing, along Butler Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAkoE3NmyfI/AAAAAAAAAPE/jQ1BjzuGT94/s1600/on+a+sit-down+strike+at+perk+me+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAkoE3NmyfI/AAAAAAAAAPE/jQ1BjzuGT94/s200/on+a+sit-down+strike+at+perk+me+up.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>I admit it. My dog is a beggar. And a schmoozer. And a flirt.<br />
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She's also hard-headed. Lately this has led to an interesting turn of events.<br />
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No longer does she want to walk by the river. Bunnies? Boring! Arsenal Park? Been there, she says, done that!<br />
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What is her preferred route these days? A stroll down Butler Street. It's a time-consuming -- and calorie counting -- exercise, I can assure you.<br />
<br />
Minerva may be a mutt, but she's had a discerning palate since the day I met her -- at the pound. Concrete. Iron bars. Dry food. It's a wonder she survived. <br />
<a name='more'></a>When I brought her home, she refused to eat dry dog food. I refused to feed her commercial canned dog food. We settled on <a href="http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/?gclid=CNv6uJPxhKICFYNd5QodrkLLDg">The Honest Kitchen</a>. Topped with a little grass-fed beef, some fa-fa-fava beans, a dollop of cottage cheese and a soupçon of cherries. Yum! (OK! She's spoiled. But she's had a hard life. So I indulge her <s>occasionally</s> <s>sometimes</s> every chance I get.)<br />
<br />
A year ago when we first moved to Lawrenceville, she was delighted to watch the ducks by the river or search for a squirrel at the park. Today, she <i>insists </i>that we head up Butler. <a href="http://www.dozenbakeshop.com/">Dozen</a>. Scones. With bacon. Minerva waits outside, tied to the tree. Happily. (This is a dog that hates to wait.)<br />
<br />
In interest of full disclosure: I too <s>am partial to</s> woof down Dozen's scones. But Minerva gets half the scone before we arrive at <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g53449-d401164-Reviews-Frankie_s_Extra_Long-Pittsburgh_Pennsylvania.html">Frankie's</a>, where she drags her feet, nose high in the air. Sniffing. Hoping. Praying. Hot dog. Hot dog. Hot dog. Well, come on! Canine or human, it's hard to find a patch of pavement in Lawrenceville with a better aroma.<br />
<br />
By the time we get to <a href="http://espressoamano.com/">Espresso a Mano</a>, Minerva is ready for a cinnamon twist. I'm ready for espresso. I need fortification for the rest of our excursion.<br />
<br />
Minerva stops to schmooze at <a href="http://www.sugarboutique.com/">Sugar</a> (go figure!), and with the people waiting for tables at <a href="http://www.cocacafe.net/">Coca</a>, then we plow on.<br />
<br />
She bats her eyes at me as we reach the <a href="http://www.delionbutler.com/deli.html">Deli on Butler</a>. (Boar's Head turkey!)<br />
<br />
She leans her full body weight toward the doorway to Dandelions (4108 Butler) not to browse for a new wreath, but because she knows it's a place where dogs get treats.<br />
<br />
She demands to visit <a href="http://wildcardpgh.com/">Wild Card</a>, not to play pinball but because the people there fuss over her and coo and tell her what a pretty girl she is. (Well, she does have a very pretty face. They can't help but love her!)<br />
<br />
Then we shoot up to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pages/Lawrenceville-PA/Perk-Me-Up-Coffeehouse/173479586515?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=19">Perk Me Up</a>, where Minerva is ab.so.lute.ly determined to get a goodie. If I'm in a hurry that day and we don't stop, she stages a sit-in. Blueberry! Muffin! Cookie! Blueberry! Muffin! Cookie! <br />
<br />
By this time, you think she'd be satisfied, but no. Think again.<br />
<br />
A few doors down and she's come to a full halt. Butler Mart (4417 Butler). Dog biscuits. She hunkers down. And waits.<br />
<br />
Pretty soon, we'll have another stop. La Gourmandine bakery (4605 Butler).<br />
<br />
Sigh.The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-14641654165517879812010-06-02T09:50:00.003-04:002010-06-02T11:14:20.980-04:00In Lawrenceville, the cutting edge<iframe frameborder="0" id="clkerframe1014391" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.clker.com/embed-14391-1014391.html" style="border: none; float: left; overflow: hidden; width: 340px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" id="clkerframe1014366" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.clker.com/embed-14366-1014366.html" style="border: none; float: left; overflow: hidden; width: 340px;"></iframe>For both men and women, it defines us. It's one of the most critical decisions we ever make in our lives. It's where we get our hair cut.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It's not our face we present to the world, it's our hair. It tells a stranger whether you play it safe, or seek attention. <br />
<br />
Do you follow "Posh" trends, or are you an individual?</div><br />
Your hair stylist, of course, is more than someone who wields a pair of scissors. He is a father confessor, she's a therapist, who will interpret your desires and dreams with a few snips or waves of a blow dryer.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In fact, you can develop such a close bond with your stylist you'll stick with her for years. And when you do want to see someone else, it can feel like you're cheating.</div><br />
For a community of Lawrenceville's size, we're on the cutting edge of hair design. In the poll on the right, tell us which hair salon in L'Ville has the kindest cut.The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-75686521306652533382010-06-01T18:47:00.005-04:002010-06-02T11:12:51.473-04:00It's all Greek to me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAV9AjFdTmI/AAAAAAAAAOU/_pt8GPN8uV8/s1600/Pastitsio%27s+menu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAV9AjFdTmI/AAAAAAAAAOU/_pt8GPN8uV8/s400/Pastitsio%27s+menu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Everybody say it with me: pah-STEET-see-oh. You'll want to make sure you know how to pronounce Pastitsio when you tell your friends about Lawrenceville's newest deli and takeout.<br />
<br />
Pastitsio forms part of what has become a golden delta of eateries at Butler and 38th Street. It's next door to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pages/Pittsburgh-PA/Round-Corner-Cantina/136335167813?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=7">Round Corner Cantina</a> and kitty corner from <a href="http://www.piccolo-forno.com/">Piccolo Forno</a>, which has just been knighted by Pittsburgh Magazine as <a href="http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/June-2010/25-BEST-Restaurants/">one of the city's 25 best restaurants</a>.<br />
<br />
What the heck does Pastitsio mean? A pastitsio is a mixture: a baked pasta with seasoned meat, topped with white sauce and cheese. Looks like lasagna, tastes like pastitsio. It's that hint of cinnamon that you'll remember. In Greece, it's a comfort food.<br />
<br />
As you can see from the menu (above), the deli serves a lot more than pastitsio. The menu will evolve, with different items each week, said owner Stamatis L. Bournias, who is known as Matt.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAWIVBU-MyI/AAAAAAAAAOc/BQ9GL7YRz0A/s1600/Pastitsio%27s+interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAWIVBU-MyI/AAAAAAAAAOc/BQ9GL7YRz0A/s320/Pastitsio%27s+interior.jpg" /></a></div>The deli's interior is a bright space, with a few tables for those of us who can't wait to try some shrimp and feta, or a piece of baklava.<br />
<br />
This week, Pastitsio will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., but Matt plans to extend the hours soon.<br />
<br />
And he already has plans for expansion -- outdoors. There's a lawn on the left side of Pastitsio that would be perfect for picnic tables, Matt said.<br />
<br />
Get a little Greek. Who wants to cook on a warm night?<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Pastitsio</b><br />
<b>3716 Butler Street</b><br />
<b>Phone: 412.586.7656</b><br />
<b>Fax: 412.586.7659</b>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-84179595774849191292010-05-31T11:20:00.005-04:002010-06-01T08:07:30.310-04:00In memoriam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAPQA2njFwI/AAAAAAAAAOM/XszPXU9oB60/s1600/2010+Memorial+Day+Parade+on+Butler+St.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAPQA2njFwI/AAAAAAAAAOM/XszPXU9oB60/s400/2010+Memorial+Day+Parade+on+Butler+St.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>As we hold parades and barbecues today, a reminder of the Doughboy's war:<br />
<br />
I knew a simple soldier boy<br />
Who grinned at life in empty joy,<br />
<div>Slept soundly through the lonesome dark,<br />
And whistled early with the lark.<br />
<br />
In winter trenches, cowed and glum,<br />
With crumps and lice and lack of rum,<br />
He put a bullet through his brain.<br />
No one spoke of him again.<br />
<br />
You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye<br />
Who cheer when soldier lads march by,<br />
Sneak home and pray you'll never know<br />
The hell where youth and laughter go.<br />
<br />
--Siegfried Sassoon</div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-86132292060513106612010-05-30T09:49:00.023-04:002010-06-05T15:53:08.339-04:00The Bird House<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4603134322_6674c398aa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4603134322_6674c398aa.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<br />
One of our favorite houses in Lawrenceville!</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of us put out a bird feeder or a bird bath, but this house is a veritable urban wildlife sanctuary.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the homeowner has rescued many different kinds of birds, you will recognize her house by the humble pigeons who gather there.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's nothing like watching them swoop off the roof of the house, circle high in the sky and sweep back.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">" ... and striding</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stirred for a bird, – the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!"</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Some birds get odes. But, like Rodney Dangerfield, pigeons usually get no respect. It's a shame, because pigeons are gentle and determined and fast. It's worth remembering this Memorial Day weekend that pigeons have played a heroic role in military history.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's one anecdote from the First World War:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<blockquote>In October 1918 as the war neared its end, 194 American soldiers found themselves trapped by German soldiers. They were cut off from other Allied soldiers and had no working radios. The only chance they had of alerting anybody about their desperate situation was to send a [carrier] pigeon with their co-ordinates attached to its leg. The pigeon's name was Cher Ami. When released, it flew 25 miles from behind German lines to the Americans' headquarters. Cher Ami covered the 25 miles in just 25 minutes. The pigeon, in fact, had been shot through the chest by the Germans but continued to fly home. With the "Lost Battalion's" co-ordinates, the Americans launched a rescue and the 194 men were saved. Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm for its astonishing flight.</blockquote><br />
Cher Ami. A dear friend indeed.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Thank you to the homeowner for speaking with The L Vibe (even as she tried to disentangle a string from a bird's foot). The poem is by Gerard Manley Hopkins. More about the role pigeons played in World War I can be found </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><a href="http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/pigeons_and_world_war_one.htm">here</a> and about Cher Ami <a href="http://www.homeofheroes.com/wings/part1/3b_cherami.html">here</a></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><script charset="utf-8" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822/US/thelaw02-20/8001/d91a25c5-bbe5-4e1d-bf43-bc9909e00a45" type="text/javascript">
</script> <br />
<br />
<noscript><a href="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Fthelaw02-20%2F8001%2Fd91a25c5-bbe5-4e1d-bf43-bc9909e00a45&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</a></noscript>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-21759879906502938762010-05-28T16:48:00.019-04:002010-05-31T11:57:44.502-04:00Welcome to Lawrenceville! Hope you enjoy your stay-cation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAMimNfQbI/AAAAAAAAANk/d3BOt7FNGjA/s1600/IMGP0716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAMimNfQbI/AAAAAAAAANk/d3BOt7FNGjA/s400/IMGP0716.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You don't need to go far to have fun <br />
this weekend. Here's 36 hours in L'Ville:</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Friday evening</b><br />
<b>8 p.m.</b> What better way to start off a weekend in tribute to great Americans than at Queersburgh, an exploration of queerness at <a href="http://espressoamano.com/">Espresso a Mano</a>. I don't know whether Walt Whitman or Henry James or Langston Hughes or Tennessee Williams or Alice Walker will be discussed, but I hear America singing. You don't have to be a card-carrying member of the LGBT community to enjoy the smoothest espresso in town and thought-provoking poetry. Besides, aren't we all queer as folk?<br />
<br />
<b>11 p.m.</b> Continue your discussion over cocktails on the patio at <a href="http://www.tamaripgh.com/">Tamari</a>. Who can resist their filo-wrapped tiger shrimp?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b>Saturday morning</b><br />
<b>9 a.m.</b> Breakfast at <a href="http://www.dozenbakeshop.com/">Dozen</a>. There's a reason it's known for the best cinnamon roll in Pittsburgh. Be sure to get some rhubarb pie to take home too, because Dozen will be closed Sunday and Monday. Uh-oh. I'm getting withdrawls already.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAUK4g3ChI/AAAAAAAAANs/vYeZQeBoMoo/s1600/Wild+Card+lamp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAUK4g3ChI/AAAAAAAAANs/vYeZQeBoMoo/s320/Wild+Card+lamp.JPG" /></a></div><b>10:30 a.m.</b> You won't want to miss <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/wildcardpgh?ref=ts">Wild Card</a>'s vintage offerings at <a href="http://lawrencevillelittleflea.blogspot.com/">Little Flea</a>. When I explored the selection of items slated for sale on Saturday, I found not only great furniture and housewares, but great prices too. The red plastic lamp is only $10! And there's a set of five classic bentwood chairs for $110.<br />
<br />
<b>Afternoon</b><br />
<b>12 noon:</b> Pamper yourself at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/photo.php?pid=6036100&id=339391421396">pageboy</a> with a visit to Hollywood makeup artist Brett Freedman, who will be offering advice and eyebrow makeovers. The eyebrows have it with his line of makeup. Chocolate has never seemed so refreshing! (By the way, a little birdie told me that design diva Rachel will be getting a seamstress in one day a week so you can have your vintage favorites tailored to fit you and only you. Yay!)<br />
<br />
<b>2 p.m. </b>Time for a sandwich at <a href="http://www.cocacafe.net/">Coca Cafe</a>. Don't forget they close at 3.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAZhrIQdfI/AAAAAAAAAN0/UCGGer71voY/s1600/Wild+Card+lampshade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAZhrIQdfI/AAAAAAAAAN0/UCGGer71voY/s320/Wild+Card+lampshade.JPG" /></a></div><b>3:15 p.m.</b> Now that you've got your second wind, take a stroll up to Wild Card's store to see the other items in their vintage festival. Who can resist this vintage drum lampshade. It's $20! That's out of this world!<br />
<br />
<b>Evening</b><br />
<b>5 p.m.</b> Toast the veterans of the Mexican American War with a margarita at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/pages/Pittsburgh-PA/Round-Corner-Cantina/136335167813?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=10">Round Corner Cantina</a>. Their back patio is open. Perfect way to unwind after a long day.<br />
<br />
<b>10 p.m.</b> The revolution is coming! A musical revolution, that is. <a href="http://www.thunderbirdcafe.net/">Thunderbird Cafe</a> hosts <a href="http://www.thunderbirdcafe.net/showdetails.php?eventID=18">Round Black Ghosts</a>, a band that's a fusion of indie, rock and alternative influences. Tickets are $5.<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday morning</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAnbOlQTsI/AAAAAAAAAN8/y-qr6GtSbU0/s1600/Elements+dress.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAAnbOlQTsI/AAAAAAAAAN8/y-qr6GtSbU0/s320/Elements+dress.JPG" /></a></div><b>11 a.m.</b> Recover from your hangover at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pittsburgh-PA/New-Amsterdam/255647865346?v=info&ref=ts&__a=10#!/pages/Lawrenceville-PA/Perk-Me-Up-Coffeehouse/173479586515?ref=ts&ajaxpipe=1&__a=11">Perk Me Up</a>. Relax with a latte and muffins fresh out of the oven. Mmmm.<br />
<br />
<b>12 p.m.</b> Now that you are fortified, stroll through Allegheny Cemetery. It's your chance to commemorate the men and women who have died while serving in the military.<br />
<br />
<b>2 p.m.</b> See what Elements (5171 Butler) has in store. The prettiest vintage dresses ever, that's what! The dress at left? $32, thank you very much!<br />
<br />
<b>4 p.m.</b> In the mood for a trip to an exotic location? Continue your way up the street for a late lunch/early dinner at Pusadee's Garden, 5321 Butler. The patio has Zen written all over it. You'll feel like you really are on vacation in no time.<br />
<br />
<b>Monday</b><br />
Who doesn't love a parade? Take yourself and the kids to the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=130186290327586">Lawrenceville Memorial Day Parade</a> (40th and Butler, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.). On the way back, you can stop at the store. While most places are closed, there will be one store that is opening. <a href="http://thelawrencevillevibe.blogspot.com/2010/05/shop-around-corner.html">Butler Mart</a> (4417 Butler) will celebrate the debut of its annex, which will sell tees and fun costume jewelry (below), among other items. There will be free popcorn and icees for the kids! This place is dog friendly too. If you have your pooch with you, no doubt he'll get a treat. Woof! <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAArEPdRlFI/AAAAAAAAAOE/Wt_GPwo4rJE/s1600/Butler+Mart+extension.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/TAArEPdRlFI/AAAAAAAAAOE/Wt_GPwo4rJE/s320/Butler+Mart+extension.jpg" /></a></div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-9808781247073210192010-05-26T16:22:00.003-04:002010-05-27T00:04:21.550-04:00Fair is fowl, and fowl is fair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/S_16bX26DQI/AAAAAAAAANc/N-f5dNBijKM/s1600/Dozen%27s+chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/S_16bX26DQI/AAAAAAAAANc/N-f5dNBijKM/s320/Dozen%27s+chickens.jpg" /></a></div><b>Here's the scoop on Dozen's new coop.</b><br />
<br />
One of <a href="http://www.dozenbakeshop.com/">Dozen</a>'s bakers is raising chickens at her Butler home. She has nine birds, some named after Dozen staff members.<br />
<br />
The hens aren't producing yet, but Dozen is counting its chicken eggs before they're laid.<br />
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The bakery and cafe uses hundreds of eggs every week, said <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/jamesandnora?ref=ts">James Gray</a>, Dozen's owner and L'Ville's unofficial ambassador. James expects to get only a small amount of eggs from these hens to use for select items. "All of our eggs do come from local sources, but that source is a larger producer," he said.<br />
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Will we see one of these cuties on the menu for, say, chicken pot pie? "NO!" James said. "Eggs only."<br />
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Whew!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Photo courtesy of James Gray</b></span>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-57479082059929264792010-05-26T15:02:00.002-04:002013-07-08T01:34:00.443-04:00A note to readers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/S_1v9yMCCdI/AAAAAAAAANM/2FwSoHizlNY/s1600/Walking+with+Minerva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/S_1v9yMCCdI/AAAAAAAAANM/2FwSoHizlNY/s320/Walking+with+Minerva.jpg" /></a></div>
People have been asking me lately: What's the purpose of this blog?<br />
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The simple answer: It doesn't have a purpose.<br />
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This blog reflects my whims, my wanderings about Lawrenceville, my interests: I like to drink latte, and eat pastry and walk my dog and sometimes I do all three at once. I like to shop. I like to eat out. I love vintage anything. I <s>love</s> can't live without art or music or gardening or the latest news. I vote. <br />
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I am not affiliated with any official organization like Lawrenceville Corp. I am not buddies with any shop or restaurant owners. I'm not being paid by anybody to write this blog, and I'm not expecting to make any money from this blog. I'm a resident, and a fairly new resident at that, who has been trying to describe my new neighborhood to friends back in California. What started as emails to L.A. with photos of the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelvibe/sets/72157623924625555/">River Walk</a> has ended up as a blog.<br />
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It's as simple as that.The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-88621540853176513242010-05-25T20:32:00.000-04:002010-05-25T20:32:25.826-04:00Tie me up! Tie me down!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/S_xl7BrQoRI/AAAAAAAAANE/vSwv-SzxspY/s1600/IMGP0646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RTjGeIqRSfs/S_xl7BrQoRI/AAAAAAAAANE/vSwv-SzxspY/s320/IMGP0646.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can tie me into any silky knot you want with one of these. The patterns recall the 1940s, or something you saw in an Almodóvar movie.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Found at <a href="http://www.ambianceboutique.org/html/index.html">Ambiance</a>, 4735 Butler St. The ties here, located at the front of the store, run about $20 to $35. Ambiance, however, is a "shop with a purpose" -- proceeds benefit homeless women. In order to constantly make room for more merchandise, the prices go down week after week (and the clothes in the front move toward the rear of the store). Que bueno!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, if you didn't catch Almodóvar's latest, Broken Embraces is now showing On Demand. Best movie I've seen in months.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467465325588512504.post-37456382303556762832010-05-24T18:56:00.003-04:002010-05-24T19:05:05.365-04:00Do you ask, or do you guess?<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">T</span>he <a href="http://ask.metafilter.com/55153/Whats-the-middle-ground-between-FU-and-Welcome#830421"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">theory</span></a> runs that we are raised in one of two cultures. In Ask culture, people grow up believing they can ask for anything – a favour, a pay rise– fully realising the answer may be no. In Guess culture, by contrast, you avoid "putting a request into words unless you're pretty sure the answer will be yes… A key skill is putting out delicate feelers. If you do this with enough subtlety, you won't have to make the request directly; you'll get an offer. Even then, the offer may be genuine or pro forma; it takes yet more skill and delicacy to discern whether you should accept."</blockquote><br />
This <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/may/08/change-life-asker-guesser">Guardian columnist</a> presumes that unpleasantness will occur when an Asker runs headlong into a Guesser. I don't believe that's true.<br />
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Just because an Asker wants to stay at the Guesser's house for a week, or wants a raise from the Guesser boss doesn't mean the Guesser has a problem turning him down. The Guesser may find the Asker's ask-iness amusing -- or even admire the Asker for his chutzpah. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>The Pygmy Scribehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10974145094793719751noreply@blogger.com0