CLEVER inDeed, Saturday November 8, 2014

Well friends, here it is! My bestie juNxtaposition and I have partnered up to bring you Pittsburgh's only holiday shopping party: CLEVER inDeed. We hope to see you there!

Fantastic 14: Day 9: Pure Hokum

I had the joy and good fortune to meet Kathleen Stevans at the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition-(NOCC) Pittsburgh Chapter's Annual Walk in September 2011. 

She was there walking in support of a friend.

Though our meeting was brief (that walk is CRAZY busy!), Kathleen followed up by ordering some more items from me, and we became fast friends. Imagine how thrilled I was when I saw that, aside from being an incredibly wonderful and kind person, Kathleen is also an amazingly talented artist.

Pure Hokum is set apart from the rest in that the large majority of pieces are custom order. Check out the Pure Hokum blog, and you'll see a photo gallery of some of the most beautiful hand-painted pieces you've ever seen. 

I have found that, when looking for a unique special gift, Pure Hokum is the place to go. 

Over the years, she has made some gorgeous gifts for me including:

A custom Lady Gaga inspired plate for my sister,

A set of decorative plates in honor of my grandmother,

 (I feel I must include a disclosure here: my grandmother was not a whiskey drinker, or any other kind of drinker. Towards the end of her battle with ovarian cancer, I was visiting with her one day and she told me that she was feeling good because she had drank 4 glasses of whiskey the night before. After some panicked investigation, turns out she had had about 4 sips of red wine.)

 Adorable little plates for a NOCC giveaway basket,

and a gorgeous baby jar for my dear friends.

Kathleen has talent unparalleled in her field of work. This past fall, Kathleen took Pure Hokum to New York for the Jane Austen Society convention, where she showed off a breathtaking collection of hand-painted items.

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have someone like Kathleen in my life. She is one of those people who make you grateful to have friends. 

Please take a moment to visit the Pure Hokum blog, follow her on Facebook and Pinterest, check out her shop on Etsy, and make a note to contact Kathleen the next time you need a fantastic gift! 

Happy reading!

NOCC Walk 2012

photo taken by the I Made It Market, balloons by Airheads Balloon Art

What an AMAZING day. Today was the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) Pittsburgh Chapter's 12th annual Walk to Break the Silence, and it was an unbelievable event as always. Thousands of people showed up in support of mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, friends, and all of the men and women whose lives have been affected by ovarian cancer.

my Bubbie

As many of you know, I lost my dear Bubbie to ovarian cancer in June 2011. She was my best friend, and the loss has been almost unbearable, but on days like today I know that she will always be with me. Bubbie always used to say that she was my "#1 fan", and it is the absolute truth.

the bel monili booth was busy from the moment the day started!

I had the opportunity yet again to set up my tent and sell my wares at this walk, with proceeds going to support the NOCC Pittsburgh Chapter. It brings great joy to my heart to see all of the amazing people who raise money for the cause, and I absolutely love hearing all of their inspiring stories.

bel monili items ready for sale!

On days like these, I am thankful that my artistic talents are able to help such a worthy cause. I thank everyone who visited me today, those who walked, and those who take the time each and every day to help to improve the lives of others.

TEALtini 2012

Join the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition for the 2nd Annual TEALtini: Cocktail Contest and Fundraiser on April 12th at Bakery Square!

Pittsburgh's hottest mixologists from the city's best bars and restaurants will be mixing up their most inventive TEAL-themed cocktails at TEALtini.

Guests will vote for their favorite cocktail while enjoying live music by DJ J. Malls, tasty fare from local restaurants, photos in the TEAL photo booth, beautiful interactive art installations and more!

Join us for the VIP Preview featuring a special LIVE performance by Joy Ike from 6-7pm to get an exclusive taste of the competing TEALtinis before the event opens to the public.

VIP Preview 6pm-7pm: $50 in advance (price includes admission for general event) VIP tickets will be $60 at the door. A limited number of VIP tickets are available.

General Admission 7pm-10pm: $30 in advance, and $40 at the door. Contest cocktails, craft beers, food, and entertainment are included in the ticket price.

Special thanks to DonQ Rum for being this year's TEALTini spirit sponsor!

TEALtini Participants include:
Verde
Bar Marco
AVA
Silky's Crow's Nest
Eclipse Lounge
The Wooden Nickel
Donato's
Diesel
Local Bar + Kitchen

Enjoy delectable treats while you sip your TEALtinis: E2, Dozen Bake Shop, Donato's, Local Bar + Kitchen, The Wooden Nickel, Mario's, Square Cafe and Giant Eagle Market District.

Artists from the I Made It! Market will be on-site to support NOCC. Shop from a select group of local artists offering handmade wares. A portion of the proceeds from every purchase made at TEALtini will be donated to help in the fight against ovarian cancer.
Assemble, a community space for arts + technology, will be at TEALtini with an engaging interactive art project for guests to participate in, and art on-sale benefiting NOCC-Pgh.

YELP Pittsburgh will be on-site at TEALtini this Thursday. Be sure to check-in using this LINK

DonQ Rum, Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale, Yelp Pittsburgh, & FUZE Beverage are a proud sponsors of TEALtin 2012!

14 Local Organizations to Love: Share the Love with this Dyanmic Duo!

American Heart Association:

Go Red for Women Pittsburgh Chapter

In Pennsylvania alone, nearly 26,000 women die each year from heart disease and stroke. These are women we know. They are our wives, sisters, mothers, daughters and friends. In fact, one of every three women will die from heart disease, yet less than 60 percent of women recognize heart disease as the No. 1 killer of women.

Your heart is in your hands. Heart disease and stroke are largely preventable if you work to lower your risks. Learn more by taking the Go Red Heart CheckUp.

Through Pittsburgh Goes Red For Women®  movement, the American Heart Association is working to decrease those numbers. We are working to empower women to Speak Up and take action to raise awarness and funds to help women everywhere GO RED.

For more information - or to volunteer for Pittsburgh Go Red For Women - please contact Wendy McCabe at 412-702-1128 or wendy.mccabe@heart.org.

 

NOCC Pittsburgh Chapter

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. From their office in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh,they promote ovarian cancer education and awareness while supporting survivors and their families throughout western Pennsylvania, from Greene and Fayette counties in the south to Erie in the north.

Their chapter is comprised of ovarian cancer survivors, their families, friends and health care professionals and they invite anyone with an interest in raising awareness about ovarian cancer to join our efforts. Their meetings, which are open to the public, are held the first Wednesday evening of every month and include educational presentations on a wide range of topics. NOCC participate in health fairs and outreach events throughout the year and hold their annual Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer in the fall.

Volunteers are needed in all areas, including education and outreach, office support and events.
Please contact NOCC Pittsburgh Chapter at 412-661-1095 if you need support, are looking for information, or would like to volunteer.  They look forward to hearing from you! To receive updates on Chapter events and programs, including the Walk, click here. Make sure to join their discussion on Facebook  and Twitter.

January 12: Mary Urban of NOCC Pittsburgh Chapter

 

I first met Mary Urban of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition- Pittsburgh Chapter in April 2011 at I re-Made It! Smart! at the GA/GI festival in the Glass Lofts. My dear friend Gina was there shopping, and after purchasing a necklace and some earrings from me, said, "Oh, you HAVE to meet Mary! She's the coolest girl...", and that description was 100% accurate. Gina brought Mary over to my table, and I knew immediately that she was someone special. Mary was bubbly, comfortable, kind, and full of life. We began to chat, and she told me about the NOCC TEALtini event that was being planned for April 28, 2011. It just so happened that teal and lime green are NOCC's signature colors, and I have a special love for all things teal. It was a match made in heaven! I had the distinct honor of creating a special piece of jewelry for the TEALtini spokesperson, Miss U-FAB, which she wore for the entire evening and then raffled off to raise money for NOCC Pittsburgh Chapter.

Mary and Miss U-FAB at TEALtini 2011

At the time I met Mary, I had no idea how personal our connection would be. Sadly, I lost my dear Bubbie (grandmother) this past June to ovarian cancer. Bubbie was my best friend and by absolute #1 fan, and she was so very proud of me for everything I did (both in business and in life), even though it was a little difficult to explain to her that Miss U-FAB was actually a man in woman's clothing. Since then, Mary and NOCC have been especially near and dear to my heart. I had the good fortune to be able to participate as a vendor at the NOCC Walk to Break the Silence this past September, which was an incredible experience and a huge success. Seeing what Mary, Nicole, and all of the girls at NOCC put together was nothing short of amazing.

My Bubbie, my best friend, and my #1 fan

Mary Urban is the oldest of six children, having three sisters and two brothers. I have never had the joy of meeting them personally, though I can imagine 5 more of the most fantastic people in the world. I am told that they are very musically inclined and have even been known to Christmas carol unsuspecting friends and neighbors like the Von Trapp Family Singers. Mary always thought that she would end up teaching in a public school; in fact, she wanted to be a middle school social studies teacher or a high school history/government teacher. While she was in college, Mary had the chance of teaching at risk elementary school students through a special program in the Salt Lake City School District. It was amazing and fun and it would have been a great jumping off point to a career teaching, but the program's budget was cut. Mary had already seen what non-profit organizations could do to supplement public school curriculum from her internship at the Holocaust Museum Houston and decided to switch her focus from a career teaching in schools to a career teaching through non-profits. Mary has worked for visionary arts organizations, parks conservancies, activist/awareness groups and many others. It seems like she has coordinated every kind of fundraising/awareness raising event from parades, galas, walk/runs, festivals, concerts, lectures and what have you.  It's sometimes been hard, and she has had her share of failures at it, but she says it was all worth it because Mary has an amazing job now with the most important message she has ever taught: take care of yourself and those you love. It's also great to be supported by people who will invest in her (Self-described) hair-brained schemes that end up working out better than she expected. Having experienced visionaries support her plans helps Mary see that gumption is half the battle most of the time.

Mary is the Chapter Manager at the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. From their office in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, they promote ovarian cancer education and awareness while supporting survivors and their families throughout western Pennsylvania, from Greene and Fayette counties in the south to Erie in the north.

Their chapter is comprised of ovarian cancer survivors, their families, friends and health care professionals and they invite anyone with an interest in raising awareness about ovarian cancer to join our efforts. Their meetings, which are open to the public, are held the first Wednesday evening of every month and include educational presentations on a wide range of topics. They participate in health fairs and outreach events throughout the year and hold their annual Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer in the fall. Volunteers are needed in all areas, including education and outreach, office support and events.

Please contact NOCC Pittsburgh chapter at 412-661-1095 if you need support, are looking for information, or would like to volunteer.  They look forward to hearing from you! To receive updates on Chapter events and programs, including the Walk, click here. Make sure to join our discussion on Facebook  and Twitter.

Miss U-FAB at TEALtini

Well, I have had the VERY good fortune to be making a one-of-a-kind necklace to be worn by the outstandingly fabulous Miss U-FAB at this Thursday's TEALtini! My friends at Revive Marketing Group will be there along with myself and a few other awesome artists from the I Made It! Market. Here's a preview of what you will see on the illustrious Miss U-FAB:

In addition to this piece (which will be auctioned with proceeds benefiting NOCC), you will be able to find other fantastic teal accessories to show your support for the cause as well as your fantastic fashion sense. Want a little looksie? Here is a taste... see this and much  more on my facebook site!