Divertido is now in Etna PA

We took a short trip across the Allegheny River tonight to see Divertido’s new location.

357 Butler Street in Etna PA.

A cool gift shop with vintage glassware, Sea Salt Soaps, origami Tyvek wallets, all kinds of jewelry, art books, Swedish dish cloths and unique home decor items are just a sampling. Here’s Mary Ellen thanking us for coming. ❤️

All Things Swedish

IMG_7856And Scandinavian. At the Stockholm Inn- Rockford,  Illinois. We were there just last week for breakfast.  I had the Swedish pancakes and Charlie liked visiting the gift shop and Sock Monkeys.

 

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The Art of Gift Wrap

Thursday, I was going to meet a new baby and wanted to take a gift.

Called around and found wooden milestone blocks/cubes and in the colors of the nursery!

A helpful man answered the phone and said there was one set at their store- Contemporary Concepts.

When I got there I took a look around. Found a couple of Christmas gifts to purchase, too. A very eclectic mix of gifts from elegant tableware to crazy socks .

Contemporary Concepts does mail order, too.

The colorfully printed Pittsburgh dish towels caught my eye for those who have moved away.  Lots of interesting toys and potential baby shower gifts, too. They feature cool Pittsburgh neighborhood t-shirts Neighbor Teaze designed by Julia DiNardo- an elementary school classmate of my son Matthew.

(I won’t go into how the store moved 6 months ago to the Trader Joe’s building, pretty close to my house-that’s another story. Of course, I drove to the old location in Squirrel Hill first. The new location has free parking)

But I finally arrived and was thrilled to find  the right present waiting. And in the colors of his nursery, too.  Yes, I said it twice cause it was a Serendipitous find!

 “Would you like it gift wrapped? “

Now the thought of complimentary gift wrap evokes nostalgia for customer service of yesteryear- and what a lovely touch.

Meet Abby.  She did the beautiful gift wrapping.

I asked her if she’d mind being included in my People at Work series And she agreed.

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Missing Degas by a Day

Dance Dance Dance
The Dancers. All those ballerinas. I had a framed print on my childhood wall.
I’m visiting my sister but Wednesday we’re headed to family in Ohio.
On Monday at MOMA, I read signs of the Edgar Degas exhibit which previews the day we leave the city-glimpses of what I’d miss were represented in the gift shop.

Degas dancers on bookmarks,stationery, prints to be framed, journals, magnets, a children’s book. Not a mug in sight! 

  The entrance to the exhibit, cordoned off until tomorrow for members.


  

Museum of Broken Relationships, Zagreb, Croatia

At least a year ago, my friend Connie W. from Florida, sent a newspaper article from an Ocala paper about the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb Croatia.  Connie must have read it and thought of Matthew, my son who lives there.   I asked him one time about it and then another time and we didn’t talk about it or mention it for along while.  Then I said I hope he could take Flat Ruthie there as I thought it would be an interesting place to visit.  Then Flat Ruthie went missing. And besides Flat Ruthie  hasn’t really had any relationships to break up  that I’m aware of………….

Today in my email I received photographs of his visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships.  Here is what Matthew wrote:

 
My Blog-following friends- Sasha, Ana Maria and Tanja asked if I had taken Flat Ruthie to the Museum of Broken Relationships.  I hadn’t.  So we decided to go together and take some pics for the Blog.  Flat Ruthie was too busy exploring the remote reaches of my desk drawers, so she opted not to join us this time.  I bought a Bad Memories Eraser for Mom at the gift shop, but a few hours later ran into a friend who needed it more.  Her boyfriend has gone to NYC to play the drums.

 I wonder what she’ll donate to the museum: a pair of scuffed sticks or an abandoned ride cymbal?  Hopefully, she’ll update us when she decides –   Matthew

Welcome to Museum

It isn’t just the objects.  It is the stories behind the objects.

Boots

 

 

Biker Boots

the story behind the boots

 

Ana Sasha Tanja

Tanja, Sasha, Ana at the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb

 

 

 

 

A wisp of hair

 

 

 

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Axe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding Box

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WEdding Box

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Flyer

 

 

 

Keka Flyer

 

 

 

Chocolate

At the gift shop

 

 

Blog Followers

I am so happy you all encouraged MAtthew to go to the museum!!!

 

I am not sure to whom the credit should go to for the photo of  Matthew at the entrance.  Let me know and I can edit the post.

Museum of Broken Relationships

Photo credit to Sasha, Tanja or Ana Maria- Thank you

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Divertido – If you Need Russian, Chinese, Hebrew, French or Greek Building Blocks

Divertido means fun in Spanish.

Saturday afternoon I drove down to the Lawrenceville neighborhood to photograph this fun shop on Butler Street.  I’d met the owner, Mary Ellen, when she attended the Christopher Jones house concert at my home last October so this had been on my “to do” list for a time.  I knew visiting the store, photographing it and blogging it, would be a good project.  Six months can fly by before you know it, though.    I needed a college graduation card, too, so what better time to go shopping and blogging?   The greeting cards are definitely out of the ordinary and this was a special one for my friend’s daughter.

Hebrew and Greek Wooden Building Blocks

I loved the Uncle Goose wooden building blocks with the different languages- French, Russian, Chinese, Hebrew and Greek were some of the languages represented.

Everything about the store is fun!  The front windows with the swim noodles and inflatable swim rings as well as the trophies in aqua displaying the jewelry in a case are designed by Sean L. Miller.

The turquoise trophies  took on a life of their own, like an installation art piece.

I took the window designer’s business card from the counter  which has the words imprinted –Think Outside the Box.  He definitely does and gets you thinking that way, too. The eye catching colors and design were so inviting.

Front Window by Sean L. MillerTurquoise Trophy Case

Mary Ellen wasn’t sure she wanted her photograph taken but she graciously consented.  Here she is in front of the counter with a cool, antique door on the front.

Thanks Mary Ellen.  Another shot for my People at Work series.

Mary Ellen Gubanic

You might have visited the store when it was down the street but Mary Ellen has been in business for nine years.  And if you live out of town, no worries, she has online shopping at her website and you can LIKE her on the DIVERTIDO page on Facebook, too.

Divertido

3609 Butler Street