Where the boys are

Who 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.

You'll never get tired of this guy hanging around. Untitled by Greg Karkowski. $225 at Elements, 5171 Butler St.

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.

Fall for the boyish charms of original art on wooden blocks by Mark Traughber. $35 each at Divertido, 3701 Butler St.

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!

Comic relief

What do you get when you mix the comic inventiveness of Whoopi Goldberg with the voice of Blossom Dearie? An evening's entertainment that will keep you wanting more. 

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 (Sloppy 'n State Educated by Midge Crickett) that managed to mix Sartre and Camus with Evelyn Waugh, W. Somerset Maugham and an anatomy lesson?  

Meg performs as Midge Crickett, and with a group called Middle Children. You can catch her Friday night at the Waffle Shop, 124 S Highland Ave., when she appears as a guest on The Unemployment Show. It's at 11 p.m., and it's free!

Someday you can tell your friends you saw Meg/Midge before she landed a one-woman Broadway show and a sitcom in L.A.

Art's drawing room

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?

In A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book, a boy turns a gallery into his home. Mary Coleman has done the opposite: She's turned her home into a gallery.

If out-of-towners were to ask me what's the one thing they should see in Lawrenceville, I would say The Gallery on 43rd Street. 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.

Paintings by Dylan Critchfield-Sales are currently featured in the former, uh, drawing room.

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.

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.

Even the hallways are filled with art. I am very fond of the vases by Tracey Seder on the top left of the bookcase.

They remind me of Cycladic jars, an ancient find from an Aegean archaeological dig.

The walls of the hallway are lined with fine art, including Red Face, mixed media by West Virginia artist Robert Villamagna.

And a fruit series by Marian Sallade, who describes her work as "realistic impressionism."

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 Ron Donoughe ...

sweet, hand-knitted baby sweaters by Helene Stokan ...

  ... and a fused glass window designed by Cyndy Mullen, that incorporates bits of bottles and stemware.

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?

The Gallery on 43rd Street
187 43rd Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15201

Open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
412-683-6488
galleryon43rdstreet@yahoo.com

Warning: Dozen Is Addicting

Dozen has done it again.

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!

And it's vegan. I can enjoy it without any guilt whatsoever!

I would show you a picture of this lovely, little handmade pie, but I was too busy eating it.

If you haven't tried it yet, get thee to Dozen forthwith! Perfect for lunch or a light supper.

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.

There should be a sign over the door at 3511 Butler Street: Beware, All Ye Who Enter Here -- Dozen Is Addicting.

The CD House

One of our favorite houses in L'Ville! These homeowners put their own spin on upcycling.

An ancient art steps into the future

O'Bannon Oriental Carpets 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.

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!

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?

As soon as you walk through O'Bannon's door (at 3803 Butler Street), you are greeted with a cheery hello! by owner Kristen Rockwell. If you were expecting a stuffy store staffed by overbearing sales people, well, fuhgeddaboudit!

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.

A visit to O'Bannon's, you see, is a tour of ancient civilizations like Afghanistan, Persia and Tibet.

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 Klimt. It's one of my favorites in the new shipment.

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, ground its 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!

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.

Don't forget to wander downstairs where you'll find furniture and more contemporary designs.

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.

At O'Bannon's, as you wander into the past, you'll take a leap into the future.

O'Bannon Oriental Carpets
3803 Butler Street
Pittsburgh PA 15201

Tue-Fri 11:00-6:00
Sat 11:00-5:00
or by appointment
412-621-0700
info@obannonrugs.com

What's for breakfast?

For residents of Lawrenceville, it's Christmas morning in June and Santa has arrived with fresh baguettes in his basket.

Customers started flocking to La Gourmandine as soon as it opened its doors at 7:30 this morning.

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. 

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.

La Gourmandine offers other breakfast items: Danish, cinnamon rolls and brioches. (About $1.50 each)

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.)