Category Archives: Neighborhoods

Cocktails for a Cause

I really like when places that I would normally visit, do something for a good cause.  It is not unusually for me to visit the Brillo Box on a Tuesday evening.  If you have not yet been to the Brillo Box, or are looking to get involved with something, want to meet some new great people or just want to support a good cause then this is a good event for you.  The people at Planned Parenthood of Western PA could not be nicer, they are all pasionate about Planned Parenthood, Pittsburgh and they are all involved with other interesting organizations around Pittsburgh.

The best part is that the Brillo Box will be donating 60% of the proceeds from the evening to Planned Parenthood.  They will also be selling some cool holiday gifts too.

Cocktails for a Cause to benefit Planned Parenthood of Western PA.

When: Tuesday, Dec. 5 2006, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Where: Brillobox, 4104 Penn Ave.
Join us for drinks and a bite to eat. Brillobox will be donating 60 percent of proceeds to Planned Parenthood. Pick up a holiday gift for yourself or a friend. We’ll be selling Choice t-shirts, jewelry, notcards, magnets, buttons, etc.
RSVP to Michelle DeBlasi at deblam1025@aol. com or just come on down.

Unheard, Uncommon, Unboring

The Union Project (my favorite community center/cafe) is hosting their annual holiday kick-off this Saturday, Dec 3.  Just $20, which is a steal, the evening includes performances by

  • Centro Flamenco de Pittsburgh
  • The Pentecostal Temple Mass Choir
  • The Oriental Star Dancers
  • El Coro Latino Americano
  • The First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh Bell Choir

There will also be a live auction for some excellent items – another great place to do good while doing your christmas shopping.

Saturday December 3
7-10pm
The Union Project, Corner of Stanton & Negly in Highland Park
The Union Project has a number of other events as part of this years unwrapped celebrations.  Click here for the Unwrapped website.

PGH Trivia: Hill Street Blues

I was reading this article today from Bloomberg.com about liens on property in Pittsburgh, how much money is being made and how this complicates redevelopment.  Fun stuff, not so much (It is important stuff though and I reccomend you take a look at the article).  I learned this fun fact from the article – the Hill district was the inspiration for Hill Street Blues.  I did a double take and then went to check this out on Wikipedia (there is some amazing stuff on there).

The name of the show was based on Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Chief writer Steven Bochco attended college at the nearby Carnegie Institute of Technology and used the downtrodden Hill District as inspiration for naming the show.

The Wikipedia also has a page on the Hill District.

Craft Factory

I was super sad that I did not get to make a stop at Handmade Arcade this year.  So I am happy to find out about the Mattress Factory’s CRAFT FACTORY this weekend.

Saturday, December 2nd
10am-5pm
Come to the Mattress Factory and shop one-of-a-kind items by artist from the local area. Craft Factory, sponsored by the Mattress Factory Shop, is an opportunity for local artists to display and sell their handmade crafts. Perfect for holiday giving, The Craft Factory puts the spirit of the DIY community in the spotlight. From Jewelry to clothing to books and more, there will be something for everyone at this alternative craft fair!

After you make your purchases stop by the holiday stamping table to decorate paper and wrap your presents.
Enjoy ARTLab hands-on art activities from 1 – 3 PM

Pgh Tech Council: Customer-Led Innovation in Technology

I know the title of this presentation may seem overwhelming, but I am here to tell you that it is not. Over the summer someone posted to IheartPGH about a new company here in Pittsburgh called Spreadshirt. I was thrilled to discover Spreadshirt as they offer a super high-quality on demand printing, and I was not too happy with the IheartPGH t-shirts that we were linking to at the time. Long-story short I know work for Spreadshirt and write the Spreadshirt Blog, if you are interested in t-shirts, technology or what we often have for lunch check out Blog.Spreadshirt.com. Spreadshirt has recently hired Jana Eggers as the new CEO and she is great. (You can read and interview with Jana here). Not only is she knowledgeable about all things business she is a great person to talk with. Jana and I have had a couple of conversations about socially responsible business and she introduced me to Nuts about Southwest, which is the Southwest Airlines Blog that is very well written and offers some great business insight on customer service. So I highly reccomend joining the Pittsburgh Technolgy Council’s Breakfast Breifing on Dec. 6th.

Women in Technology Breakfast Briefing: Customer-Led Innovation in Technology By its definition, innovation yields new and surprising methods, products or services. But how do you find the surprises to truly wow your customers? Let the customers lead the way. Jana Eggers, U.S. CEO of Spreadshirt and founder of Intuit’s Innovation Lab, explains how to bring customers into your idea process as she shares stories of innovation success and failure. Event sponsored by Highmark. Morning coffee sponsored by On Assignment Lab Support.

Date: Wednesday, December 6
Time: 7:00 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
registration, coffee and networking; 7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
breakfast; 8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. program
Venue: Sheraton Station Square Hotel
Cost: $35 for Council members, $75 for non-members
RSVP: Council Events or 412.918.4229