life. november 2012

This monthly update almost passed me by... I cannot believe it is DECEMBER already!
So let's see... what else happened this month...

I finally got my iPad
I know my sisters are going to make fun of me for bringing this up again, but I never followed up to my other post about the drama associated with getting this thing!
While I was home the weekend before Thanksgiving, Lauren and I went shopping in Delaware and both purchased iPads. The Apple Store was flooded with people shopping but they made it very convenient with an express table for those of who know exactly what we want and don't want to graze around the store looking at stuff. This is a moment that my Dad and John would be so proud of... I knew exactly what I wanted so this should be IN and OUT of the store in no time. Well... not so fast.
For some reason when I was checking out they needed to call for authorization for using my debit card (which had more then enough to cover the iPad)! This took about 10 minutes of the poor sales rep being on hold at which point I told him to give up and just use my credit card so we could get out of there. This was not express!
While I appreciate PNC trying to prevent fraudulant purchases, which I confirmed was the case when they called me later in the day to report that my card was attempted for use in Delaware, I seriously thought this was a final straw in preventing me from getting this coveted iPad!! Now the obsession has begun...


The steps are finished!
John has been waiting for a few weeks for custom pieces to arrive to complete the steps and officially wrap up the floor project. When you enter our townhouse there is  small landing and steps that lead down to the basement/laundry room and another set that leads to the main floor. I've been anxiously waiting for the steps to be finished since it's the first thing people see when they come in.
It wasn't easy, but he did it and they look great!!!

Last Pitt Football Home Game
The Pitt football tailgate sesason came to an end the weekend after Thanksgiving and we decided to kick it up a notch for the last home game by bringing the deep fryer. We typically bring this to one big game a year and cook chicken wings, mozzerella sticks, and anything else we can think of that would be tasty deep fried! Well this year John was set on deep frying ANOTHER turkey because his friend Dave has never had it before. We weren't sure if everyone would feel like eating turkey again just a few short days after Thanksgiving but there wasn't too much left afterwards!

It was a noon game and it was SO cold that morning so we also had apple cider & rum and plenty of handwarmers to go around!

It was worth freezing out tooshies off because Pitt scored a big WIN against Rutgers. It's always nice have a great win at home to wrap up a not so great season.

Brag book
I am a proud aunt of a beautiful niece, Julia and two handsome nephews, Jake and Joey. 
I just have to share a couple pics of these kiddos. They are so stinkin' cute!

the strip on a sunday

One of the many things I love about Pittsburgh is that I am constantly finding NEW things to love. For how relatively small the city is, there is so much to do here.
(The winter weather, construction and distance from my family are really the only things I don't like about this place. Oh and the Squirrel Hill Tunnel....I.hate.THE.Squirrel.Hill.Tunnel.)

One of the gems that took me way too long to try out for myself was the Strip District. The Strip is a half mile square foot section of town just northeast of down town.
Here's a little bit for you history buffs:

The land that makes up The Strip ws initially developed back in the early 1800's. Due to it's convenient location to the rivers, it was home to iron mills and glass factories. Andrew Carnegie actually had his first iron/steel mill there.  In the 19th century wholesale produce merchants entered the Strip district because of the close proximity to the railroad tracks. In the 1920's these businesses were booming but then in the 1930's the Great Depression hit along with a major floor to the area and many businesses had to shut their doors. In the 1950's there were 71 produce merchants left and by 1970 less than 25. Today The Strip is still the home to several produce stands but also an array of awesome restaurants and specialty food shoppes. Not to mention numerous street vendors selling anything you can imagine with a Steelers logo on it.

To read more check out: Neighbors in the Strip

The first time I experienced the Strip District on a Saturday morning was last year and have to admit was a little overwhelmed. The sidewalks and stores are flooded with people.. some shopping, some playing various instruments, some trying to sell you stuf, and some  (like me) were not quite sure where to start! Since I did not know where to go for what, we shuffled in and out many places just buying a schmorgasbord of items. Where do you go for cheese? bread? meats? produce????
I promised myself the next time I needed a map and a plan. Subsequent trips have been much better and now I have my favorite places.

Yesterday the weather was absolutely gorgeous so my girlfriends Kendra, Rebecca and Jess, decided to grab brunch and go shopping in the Strip. We ate at an awesome restaurant called Eleven, named as such since it's on 11th street. As we were sipping our brunch cocktails we had to laugh when we realized we had a reservation at 11:00 at Eleven, on 11/11. Weird, we are still waiting for something really cool to happen. This place prides itself on using locally grown food and changes its menu quite frequently. I opted for a crab, leek and white cheddar omelet, it was delicious!

 

Afterwards, with our bellies full, we headed to do some shopping for the last thing we felt like looking at.. FOOD.

Smallman Street - the main road where produce merchants used to be

Penn Avenue - parallel to Smallman St where many of the restaurants, specialty shoppes are located

First stop: Pennsylvania Macaroni Company
This tops my list for best places in the strip to buy cheese, pasta, and olive oil. Yesterday wasn't too bad but on Saturday mornings you should see the line for the cheese counter. I've learned you take your number, do your shopping and come back and you will still be waiting a little bit.






















Next stop: Enrico's Biscotti
All different flavors of (you guessed it) biscotti! I didn't buy any yesterday but I enjoy the traditional flavors like Almond and Anise. They even make Doggie Biscotti in a Peanut Butter flavor which Izzy loves.

Next stop: Mancini's Bread for a Pepperoni Roll
You can't go to the Strip without buying a pepperoni roll from the street stand for $5.00. I have to admit, Mancini's is not my favorite for this, Sunseri Bros. is but they are closed on Sunday. When my parents visited earlier this year, my dad had a blast heckling the guy that stands on the corner screaming about how big his pepperoni roll is for only $5!

Next stop: Public Market for Coconut Macaroons
Some days the dessert vendor is in front of Penn Mac, but the last two trips they have been inside the Public Market which is actually in the building where many of the old produce merchents used to reside. There are a variety of vendors inside some with homemade pierogies, others with craft beers, soaps, meats, etc. I bee-lined to pick up some macaroons, baklava and brownies for Sunday dinner dessert and they were scrumptious. (Oops, I didn't mean that, remember I'm trying to be healthy this week!)



Other places I recommend that we didn't check out yesterday are Parma for italian sausage and Wholey's seafood for the freshest fish you'll find in the burgh. If you are from the burgh, what other places do you suggest?

For those of you who many travel to Pittsburgh someday, you must check this out.
You will feel like a pro since I'm telling you where to go so don't be intimidated!

Pitt Pride

Happy Homecoming University of Pittsburgh Alumni!

Unlike years past we did not host a huge tailgating event before the game, but instead grabbed a few beers at a bar, acted like civilized adults, made it into the stadium before kick-off and actually stayed awake the entire time. It was weird.
Why did we do such a thing? It was a really early game (11 AM!!) and due to our usual crew being out of town or having other plans, it ended up just being me and my two "husbands" (John and his best bud Ryan). So we decided it wasn't worth all of the effort of packing coolers, the grill, and all the other stuff for just us.

I love tailgating. Especially with a football team like Pitt. You can never guarantee a good game, but we can always guarantee one heck of a time before hand. There will definitely be a tailgate post later in the season, so stay tuned. We're not usually this lame.

I've gotten to do a lot of amazing things in my life but there is one thing I feel like I missed out on. High school football.  My high school did NOT a football team.
Western Pennsylvanians say WHAT?!?!

It wasn't a small school either, it was actually pretty big. All of our surrounding schools had teams, ours just didn't for some reason. We had all of the other sports, just not football. Since I graduated, the school has started a football program and it's actually pretty good. But you can imagine moving out to Pittsburgh, when people hear that they just can't comprehend it. It is such a big deal around here, and western PA turns out some awesome kids that make it big in college and the pros.
If you are ever in Pittsburgh, check out the  Heinz History Center Sports Museum. It's pretty cool.

I've never gotten to experience Friday night lights or the immense spirit you have for YOUR home team during a football game, which is probably why when I went to my very first college football game I was in awe. I just loved it. Not just the sport, but the whole atmosphere. The pep rallies and preparation before the game, everyone decked out in blue and gold, the PANTHER, cheering at the top of our lungs and when we win the celebration the rest of the weekend. For how big of a school it is, during those moments when everyone is singing and cheering along, you feel like one big team. In it together, no matter how bad we're getting our butts kicked. It gives you such a sense of pride.

Annnnd I apparently wear my pride on my sleeve. Two of them in fact. I realized this this morning when I was getting ready for the game, I took a look the drawer and had to take a step back. I may have a problem. Is it normal to have this many college football t-shirts?!

Guess which one I picked??

I started pulling one out and there was always another one tucked under it, and another, and another. So finally I pulled them all out and laid them on the floor. Holy crap.

This of course is about the time John walks in and says 'what the heck are you doing?! and why do you have all those shirts?! that is ridiculous Alicia' and shakes his head and walks out of the room.
I wasn't really sure why I had so many, I just feel the need every season to get a new one (or two, or when they go on sale maybe three...).

After all these years, my favorite place to buy Pitt gear is at the Pittsburgh Stop. On campus it's a corner stand on Bigelow Blvd and Forbes Avenue and on game days they bring a truck down to Heniz field.


I can't walk by without stopping to check out what they have. One time I even bought a door mat. Don't ask.





What can I say, I wear my pride on my sleeve and I love the Pitt Panthers.

                              



John is just lucky I didn't pull out all my sweatshirts and jackets too. :) We'll keep those a secret.






 











If you guessed the gold shirt, you were right!

Even the puggle has Pitt pride!