No Batteries No Screens Pure Fun! at Dragonfly Castle Toys

Dragonfly Castle Toys‘  motto is No batteries, no screens, pure fun.  

I went shopping at the toy store on Friday before I went to Clarissa Boutique.  

The proprietor Nan told me her store is in one of the oldest buildings in the city of Pittsburgh.  Built in the 1840’s.  She and her husband, along with an architect, have done a ton of work to make it a beautiful place.

It’s located at 4747  Butler Street in Lawrenceville hours listed below. And you can shop online.  

I was happy to find Rhodia notebooks and stationery from Florence in addition to potholder loops, a moon puzzle and some surprise stocking stuffers for future gift giving for the grandchildren. There’s something for every age, including adults.

Supporting small local business is a good thing.

 

Wed- Fri : 11:30 am – 7:00 pm
Sat :  . . . . .10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sun :  . . . . . 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Mon – Tue:   Closed

Clarissa Boutique and Parker Buttons Moved to Butler Street

I drove to the South Side to buy buttons for a sweater. I discovered that Clarissa Boutique and Parker Button moved to 4603 Butler Street in Lawrenceville. “Your Exclusive Bridal & Wedding Accessory Destination!

Jean and Gretchen welcomed me and remembered the blog post from 2011- Button Button Whose Got the Button?

Ten years ago, Laura got her bridal veil from the boutique for her wedding. It is a lovely store.

Need a landmark to locate them? They are located next door to the French Bakery La Gourmandine.

How about that Capodimonte lamp? A perfect home for the family heirloom of Gretchen’s family with the romantic porcelain couple in the beautiful bridal boutique.

Laura wearing the veil created by Clarissa Boutique November 12, 2011

Oh, Hello Linens Truck

I was parked on Butler Street in Lawrenceville.

My phone in hand.

A truck pulled up to the red light alongside my car -and stopped. I felt a presence. Looked up and out the driver’s window.

Oh, hello there!

Light turned green. The chef appeared. The truck pulled away into the flow of traffic.

Delicious Lunch at The Vandal Lawrenceville

Guess it’s finally a Six Word Saturday for me

Delicious lunch at The Vandal  Lawrenceville

Yep, 6.

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Fresh mint lemonade. Greens on the side, fried chicken, chili honey,  topped with carrot slaw on a brioche roll.

Wordless Wednesday*

IMG_7283*almost wordless

Mural by artist Dan Kitchener article by Maya Henry

Time Lapse Video of Mural Being Painted

Rolled Ice Cream is Hot on Butler Street

I’ve been away for awhile.  My friend B said “let’s go to NatuRoll Creamery get rolled ice cream in Lawrenceville. There’s always a line” (which is a good sign).

Turns out it didn’t open until three. So we had a delicious lunch at VANDAL first, waiting for three o’clock to roll around.

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Kaden took our orders and $. Two Spring Specials -Blueberry Lemon on a Vanilla Base.

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Abby made mine.

Then she added them lemon zest

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and a slice of lemon

IMG_2442The focus is on Abby.  Takes 2-5 minutes to create each fancy finished special.

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Grateful for Traffic Backup

This post inspired by fellow blogger Colline   – Wednesdays she publishes a “grateful post”.

Last year at school in the final staff meeting, I was awarded the Most Optimistic Award.  I found the little plastic trophy and happy dancing apple in my school cupboard yesterday afternoon and took it out and placed it on my desk.  A reminder to remain optimistic,

It’s a new year so don’t want to rest on my laurels, though.

HA!  (Just this morning my sister was remembering how dad would say that when he wrote to us)

Would be cool to be a repeat for this new school year, I thought to myself and laughed at myself.  A good plan.

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Last June Selfie.  An unexpected award voted by my colleagues- Most Optimistic

On my way home this afternoon, a different route, there’s a bridge out. What a mess.

It means everyone sits and sits,  winds around the corner like snails, waiting to get a quick left turn, the arrow light. It’s a real clog.

I first saw the rainbow on the straightaway and you can see it’s photographed through a tinted windshield.

But then I had to inch up.

What a glorious rainbow.

Were there a parking lot to pull into, I would have done so and gotten the end of the rainbow as it arched into the Allegheny River.

Back in my car since school started, driving around the city  all over the place.

Opportunities to see things I wouldn’t have seen if I were stretched in my hammock on the front porch, sipping a lemonade, reading a book, or knitting for winter.

Today I was grateful for the traffic standstill.  Got to catch a rainbow.  Thanks, Colline. For more posts on Colline’s Gratitude Project, click here.

Rainbow in traffic

 

Uh-oh, can’t see it between the wires as I did when I looked with my eye Interesting wires intersecting.

Rainbow in traffic series 5

It gets better and the traffic winds around the bend.

 

Rainbow in traffic series 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow in traffic series 1

 

 

Rainbow in traffic series 3

And the other half of the rainbow as I made my way in the traffic