Beach Time

This past week I took my three-year-olds to Geneva-on-the-Lake, a small town on Lake Erie in Ohio. We were there just over 24 hours, but had a great time. I brought my new camera, a refurbished Fuji waterproof point-and-shoot that I just threw into the diaper bag with out worrying about sand, sunscreen, rain, etc. This picture is of my daughters shoes, exactly where she left them as she ran to play in the sand. It was their first time at the "beach," and when I told them it was time to go, she cried saying "But I wanted to go to the beach!" I guess she didn't realize that giant amounts of sand + water = the beach.

Maternity Shoot:Pregnant With Triplets

Liz and Art met in college, both were studying technology education. Their similar passions and faith in God sparked into romance, and they have been married for just over seven years. I have known Liz and Art for 10 years, and was a bridesmaid in their wedding. It has been really cool to see their journey through life thus far, and it will be awesome to witness them parent their three miracles.

I picked these adorable shoes up at Target to use as props. I really like the way they symbolized THREE babies, to differentiate from singleton maternity photos.

Liz was 28 weeks pregnant at the time of these photos. Doesn't she look great?!

 

Another prop I was trying out..."FAMILY"

I asked Art if he wanted to pray over the babies while he had his arms around his wife. There is something very sacred about capturing a prayer or blessing over another person.

The mama to-be!

Liz and Art were good sports, letting me pose them with frequent breaks for Liz.

Thanks Liz and Art, for the opportunity to photograph you on the cusp of the greatest adventure of life-parenthood!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!

There is a treasure at 2801 Penn Ave.

That treasure is Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor in the Strip District of Pittsburgh.

(excerpt copied from Klavon's website)

Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor originally opening in 1923 as a pharmacy by our Grandparents, James and Mary (nee:Stefanowicz) Klavon (klah-VON). Their only child, our father, Raymond was the star of our favorite 'drugstore' story.

In the wee hours of St. Patrick's Day morning, March 17, 1936, our father who was then nineteen years old, stayed in the store with his cousins for the annual ritual of preparing for rising river waters. This consisted of moving stock and equipment in the basement up onto tables or to the first floor. Back then Pittsburgh's spring thaws usually brought about a foot of water in the basement lasting a few days. This year, unexpectedly, the water rose higher and faster than usual forcing Dad and his cousins to climb and climb quickly. The following morning they were rescued by rowboat through the window above the telephone booths. This was particularly funny to the eight of us because the father we knew was built much like Santa Claus, and that window is very small. How the heck did he climb up there and get through that small window?. If you look closely you can still see the flood damage to some of the wood veneer and mirrors. The Allegheny River reached almost to the ceiling. When you stop by make sure to look above the phone booths!

In 1945, Dad married our wonderful Mother, Martha Dullard. She's a neighborhood girl born and raised one block away from this store on 29th and Smallman Streets.

Since reopening Klavon's as an "Ice Cream Parlor" we have told many stories of Grandma and Grandpap and our visitors often share their 'parlor' memories. We expect most 'older folks' like ourselves to enjoy this place; we though are both surprised and gratified that so many young people are fascinated with Klavon's, the history, the tales, the ambiance and our roots.

What a wonderful legacy from our Grandparents; may "Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor" be our tribute to them.

Stop by and sip an Old Fashioned ice cream soda or phosphate, look around and enjoy the hundreds of old medicines, apothecary bottles and other 'drugstore' treasures. All are original: including the woodwork, the 16 foot marble soda fountain, the "Bastion Blessing" stainless steel, the inlaid terrazzo floor, the Art Deco light fixtures and even the banana split dishes. Grandpap said the fountain stool seats were fashioned after Coca-Cola bottle caps. We even sell the same ice cream as our Grandparents, Pittsburgh's own Reinhold's Ice Cream.

Visit us and enjoy . . . we'll save you a scoop of your favorite ice cream.

 

Quite interesting to read the labels on some of these old medications!

 

A Bell Telephone Booth!

I would encourage all Pittsburghers to check out this local treasure! My husband took advantage of our visit to introduce our three-year-old son and daughter to "pop-rocks," that crazy candy that snaps and pops and tickles your tongue. My husband enjoyed a hot fudge sundae with chocolate and peanut butter ice cream, and chocolate whipped cream! Our daughter had a dish of refreshing strawberry ice cream, and our son chose two long strips of "Dot" candy. Those paper backed dots kept him occupied for a long time!

I was still pretty full from my Pittsburgh-style steak salad at another Strip District favorite, Rolands Seafood Grill, so dessert for me was a feast of the eyes, reading those quirky medication bottles and oohing and ahhing over all the nostalgic toys in the display cases.

Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor is rich in history, full of fun and a special part of our wonderful town.  Check out their website: Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor for hours and their complete ice cream and lunch menus.

Shadow of a Butterfly

 

piccolo FoRNO

 

 

 

 

In December, I presented empty pizza boxes to Debbie and Nance, with a message scrawled inside: "Merry Christmas! This box entitles you to one delicious lunch or dinner at piccolo FoRNO restaurant!"

It took a lot of scheduling in pick a date to go to lunch...we pulled up and saw the sign: CLOSED! Drat! Who would have guessed they would be closed on a Sunday??? Six months past Christmas, I finally made good on my IOU's. I was too busy devouring the salty-goodness that is their woodfired pizza to take any pictures of the pie!

Three Sons