Never fear! There are a number of Pittsburgh businesses who are ready and able to help you get your shopping done (and even wrap some of those gifts for you too).

What shops are must stops for your last minute Christmas shopping?

A few weeks ago when I was browsing through the books at the EEBE I noticed a facinating book of love letters, which got me thinking about letters and modern day communications.  Another fascinating thing about used books is looking at the inscriptions – who bought the books and what did they write on the inside cover to the recipients.

The East End Book Exchange, Pittsburghs newest used book shop, wants to help revive the written word and they are hosting a card party.  Today, Sunday, December 11 head down to the Pittsburgh public market for a card writing party.

Just Because: A Holiday Card & Letter Writing Party
Sunday, December 11, 2011
1-3pm
Pittsburgh Public Market
Facebook Event Link

Just bring your addresses – the EEBE will have provide the card, stationery, and postage.

IheartPGH will be Sending Pittsburgh Post Cards to Your Friends Too!

We <3 postcards almost as much as we <3 Pittsburgh.  I made it a point to send many a post card during my road trip from Los Angeles back to Pittsburgh.  IheartPGH will be at the East End Book Exchange Party to send out Pittsburgh post cards too.  Want us to send a Pittsburgh Post Card to someone?

Just leave their address below (or click here for the google form) and we will send one out for you.

You have another opportunity to pick up some gifts this Friday and Saturday.  The folks who put together I Made It Market have partnered with Bakery Square to bring you a huge market this weekend.

Over 80 vendors will be at Bakery Square on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon – lots of great gifts – all handmade.

Holiday Market @ Bakery Square
December 2nd, 5 – 10 pm & December 3rd, 11 am – 6 pm
80+ LOCAL artists (meet them here)
RSVP on Facebook

Here is a sampling of items we selected from some of the vendors who will be at the I Made It Market this weekend:

Owl & Leaves Cotton Sca… tinymammothkni… $36.00	Black Friday Cyber Mon… NinaRamone $78.00	Christmas Soap, Gingerb… Greenbubblegor… $4.00	i love you Pittsburgh P… corks $1.00
Red Handmade Ceramic Mu… openstudiohm $25.00	Antique Post Office Doo… woodnyoulikeit $59.95	Graphic Stencil Reclaim… cenzodesign $8.00	Pittsburgh Steelers Ski… GilliansGoodie… $25.00
A Brick Wall – Zipper P… CinamonSquirre… $12.00	Custom Folded Book Art … RecycledReads $40.00	Custom Gemstone Wrapped… VehementRomant… $25.00	Pittsburgh Stoffbuch vonmirfuerdich $25.00
Hammered Sterling Cuff … dianewrightdes… $225.00	party dress celebration… NeighborhoodBl… $4.00	Easy as cake earrings thebirdsofafea… $16.00	Deep Fuchsia Fabric sho… textilegifts $54.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

One of the best ways to support the Pittsburgh community is to spend your money locally.   For every $100 spent in locally owned independent shops, $68 returns to the local community! For more information and statistics about the benefits of spending money locally check out the 3/50 Project.

Since it is Thanksgiving week and this Saturday is Small Business Saturday – more on that below.  I wanted to write about some of the Pittsburgh businesses that help me get things done.  Listed in no particular order – here are a few of the businesses that I use on a regular basis to keep things running…

Cars and Auto-body Work – Wildwood Collision

This family owned shop is located on Rt. 8, just near the turnpike entrance in Hampton.  Wildwood Collision is an autobody shop and they sell used cars.  I have bought my car from them and they have been fixing things for me for years.  I am completely confident that they have never overcharged me for anything.  And the Dunbars are super nice folks who have kindly answered many MANY many of my questions.

Computers and Technology - Kevin’s Computer and Photo

This is the only place I will go for computer help.  Kevin is 1000 times better than Geek Squad.  He is honest and helpful.  His rates are reasonable and he wont sell you on services you don’t need.  He offers computer repair and he is also a computer dealer.  If you are looking to buy a new computer and not sure what to get – call Kevin – he will help you get exactly what you need.

Haircuts - Emily Askin Hair and Makeup

Emily is a friend of mine who moved back to Pittsburgh last year.  She is in the process of opening a salon but she is available to do haircuts.  She is also excellent at hair and makeup for weddings and special events.  She does work for television and photo shoots and know how to make anyone look amazing on camera.  Follow her facebook page here and if you would like to contact her about a hair cut drop me an email info-at-IheartPGH.com and I will introduce you.

Accounting - Wilke & Associates

Over the past few years, I have had various jobs and worked as a full time employee, an independent contractor and been a partner in a business.  Things get a little complicated when you move beyond just W-2 and 1099 statements.  Thankfully the folks at Wilke and Associates have helped me to sort everything out and finish my taxes in a timely fashion.  They also kindly answer all of my sometimes crazy questions – “can I deduct parking tickets as a business expense?”

Small Business Saturday

I believe this was started by American Express last year – they declared the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday – a day to support local independent businesses on the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

Over 2.5 Million people have already signed the Facebook pledge to shop small on Saturday, Novemeber 26.  You can read more about the campaign at SmallBusinessSaturday.com

American Express Cardholders – Spend $25, Get a $25 Credit

If you are an American Express card holder -make sure to register your card here.  If you spend $25 at a small business on November 26, 2011 – you will receive a $25 credit on your statement.

TOTAL CHRISTMAS GARAGE SALE

• 1432 Termon Avenue, Brighton Heights
• Saturday, October 1, 2011
• 8 a.m. until noon

Here is what the elves have to say about the sale.

Come join us for a Christmas-themed multi-family garage sale at 1432 Termon Avenue in Brighton Heights this Saturday, October 1.  The sale runs from 8 a.m. until noon and will be indoor/outdoor. You can expect to find an abundance of great stuff for and sold by long-time collectors.

There will be a variety of holiday merchandise available at a discounted price including decorations, table linens, glassware, pottery, art, and more. Come find a new centerpiece for Christmas Eve dinner, browse vintage ornaments, or find a one-of-a-kind snowman to add to your collection.

While searching for some photos to include in this post – we have discovered a treasure trove of holiday fun on the internet. One person’s tacky is another persons treasure.  The blog Creative Juice has a whole rundown of hilarious and christmas decor here (we rather like the beer bottle recycled bottle Christmas Tree).

Need some more Friday afternoon fun? You might want to check out…

• Christmas photos on Akward Family Photos
• Cake Wrecks – The 12 Wrecks of Christmas

Photo Credit: Decorations photo via Willamation

Image via Wikipedia

Michael Sims, Coffee & Crime Oct. 1

If you’ve ever wondered how E.B. White came to write the children’s classic Charlotte’s Web you’ll find all the answers at our Coffee & Crime author breakfast with Michael Sims on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 10 am.

Michael’s newest book, The Story of Charlotte’s Web, is a fascinating exploration of the eccentric life of E.B. White and the events that led this long-time writer for the New Yorker magazine to pen one of the enduring classics of children’s literature.

Tickets are $5 and available online here. You can follow Mystery Lovers Bookshop on Facebook here.

Related articles

• The tale of how a classic was spun (independent.co.uk)
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (Banned Books Week) (bookjourney.wordpress.com)
• Charlotte’s Web (tammycarterbronson.wordpress.com)

We still have a little t-shirt shop over at Spreadshirt.com – www.iheartpgh.spreadshirt.com.

In honor of International T-shirt Day, Spreadshirt is offering free shipping on every order.  Just enter the code T-DAY2011 at checkout.

We have priced all most all items in the shop at cost or at the most $2 over cost.  Any earning from the shop goes back to support the site and other Pittsburgh projects.

If there is something you would like to see in the shop – please let us know.  We are happy to add different items, sizes, designs etc.

1. I MADE IT! ORIGINAL Date: February 11 Time: 11:30 am – 3:30 pmLocation: William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh – brought to you by I Made It Market and The Original Magazine
2. I MADE IT! MINE Date: February 12Time: 12 – 5 pm Location: Glass Lofts {5491 Penn Avenue, Friendship} – brought to you by Justin and Stephen Cummings and Friendship Development Associates
3. Make and Take Workshop at Pittsburgh Glass Center: On Friday, February 11, the Pittsburgh Glass Center, located directly across the street from the Glass Lofts, will offer 20-minute walk-in workshops for $25. Participants can make a flower, heart pendant or fused valentine. Stop by on Saturday, February 12, from 12 – 4 pm during I Made It! Market to watch classes and explore the Center’s newest exhibition “TENacity.” Visit www.pittsburghglasscenter.org for more information.

(via PCC : I Made It! Original & I Made It! Mine 2/11 & 2/12)

Here is a selection of items that you might find at the IMadeIt Market this weekend – I selected these from the Etsy shops of the vendors – more vendors who do not have a shop on Etsy will also be there.  Check the “Artists” tab on IMadeItMarket.com to see which artists will be at each market.

Our IMadeIt Mine Valentine’s Day Picks from Etsy.com

Valentine’s Day Egg – Ha… teener1416 $18.00	Valentine’s Day Card – O… AllThingsEclec… $5.25	Succulents on Cranberry Scar… garbella $20.00
scarlet secret heart, enamel… huffalo $25.00	i heart u ladybug pouch jillhruska $10.00	PS: I love you Oceanne $32.00
black and hot pink wool felt… vonmirfuerdich $35.00	SALE Valentines wrapped edit… greenbubblegor… $5.00	Sidney pendant jewelrynat $74.00
Bird Wristlet Made from Wool… lazypeas $15.00	Valentine’s Day Red Hear… textilegifts $22.00	Red Linen – Branch Note Card… LeelaLou $6.50

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Some more Valentine’s Day reading…

• The Worst Valentine’s Day Gifts Ever (blogher.com)
• Chic and Clever Valentine Card Ideas (homedesign.marthastewart.com)
• Valentine’s day gadget gifts for romantic travelers (gadling.com)

I read this article, Saving Broadway Books, last year in Inc. Magazine.  The recession was catching up to this local Portland, Oregon book shop – which the owner mentioned to her son Aaron who was living in CA.  He sent out an email to friends explaining that he would buy a burrito for anyone that spent $50 or more at the book shop.  Actually I think he started with a post on Twitter – the story caught on and people started showing up to Broadway books. In the end most people declined the free burritos and many were donated to the Portland Rescue mission.  You can read a summary about all of this on Aaron’s blog here.

But this article got me thinking – I was about to order a book from Amazon but even though I don’t live in Portland – I do know that keeping these local shops afloat is important – not just only so you can buy a book in your neighborhood – but these businesses make up the fabric of the communities.  They provide places to gather and to share information.

Here are 3 Pittsburgh shops and boutiques have recently joined the list of brick and click stores in town.  If you know of other local businesses that have an online shop please leave a link in the comments below.

• Jupe Boutique – women’s clothing shop in Carson St. offers a variety of independent labels, interesting accessories, their own Pgh sports t-shirt designs – all at very reasonable prices – http://www.jupeboutique.com/
  
• The Bottlebrush Gallery is located in Harmony, PA – they have an amazing collection of gifts and artwork from local artists and offer something in every price range.  All of their item descriptions list the artist name and where they are located too. – http://shop.bottlebrushgallery.com/
  
• The Pussycat is a lingerie shop that has been located on Forbes Ave in Sq. Hill for over 40 years.  This Pittsburgh institution has been named on the the top lingerie shops for years.  If you need help with underwear (Oprah has been talking about finding the correct bra size for years) or you want to buy a special valentine’s day gift – these ladies can help. Think Victoria’s Secret with out all the craziness.  And now they can help you via the magic of email. – http://www.pussycatunlimited.com
  

Groupon Goodness:

Today through Sunday – There is a Groupon for The Pussycat – $50 for $25.  So if you really need new underwear – this is a deal for you. The Pussycat Groupon can be used online or in the shop on Forbes Ave.