Pittsburgh Trip- 1st of 2009

As always I love going to stalk up in Pittsburgh on all of the stuff I can't get here. Plus stuff like organic pasta at Trader Joes. Where I save alot of money. So last Thursday they didn't have a route for John at work so he came home and we went to PA. This is the first trip to PA we have made since we got our GPS... and lets just say.. I LOVE IT!!! it saved us so much time. We got to go to so many places I had been wanting to go. We could have hit a couple more. But it takes me a long time To go grocery shopping. Last year the last time we went I swore I would never go back. We got so lost and wasted a ton of time. But this time everything went so smooth I can't wait to go back!!! I was so excited and just thinking about it makes me crave going another shopping stock up!! But right now my cabinets just can't take it. They are so full I have Cereal lining and table now. So he is an outline of our day and some pictures. Plus what I purchased! (This picture is of a Church we passed.)

I have been looking for screen printing and black printing stuff around my area but non of the art stores carry the emulsion, inks, screens, linoleum blocks.... the list goes on... So my first stop was The Artist & Craftmans Supply. It was a Medium sized store. No Bigger then an AC Moore, Micheals, or Jo Anne Fabric. But it had a tons of stuff! I was super excited! But I really didn't get to purchase much. I got some linoleum blocks, carving tools, & and small sketch journal for my purse. I can't wait to go back when I have more funds. It had evey thing for screen printing, block printing, clay, plaster, painting, scretching, pastels, the list could go forever...! They ahev pretty god prices. And I so can't wait to go back!

Next we went to Sur La Table. A kitchen supply place. I have been wanting to purchase some new professional cookie sheets and some other supply. But again being sort on funds the only thing I purchased was 2 big professional cookie sheets for around $18.00. It is a really nice store. They carry a ton of things. Very Very nice place!

Next up another art stop at one of the JoAnne Fabric super stores. It was a huge store but really didn't have anything I was looking for. Plus it took up forever to find. We had to stop for gas and then some how got on the wrong road so then the GPS took us the longest way around it could have. So it was supposed to take 15 minutes to get there. But ot took use more like 30 or 40. Plus it was a huge let down... I should have went to one of the other art stores on my list. O yeah. If I would have had time to go through the fabric I would have been excited. They have a ton of fabric!

The last few times we have went to Pa I have wanted to go to the Market District Giant Eagle. I pass it every time we go to Whole foods but I always forget and then I'm to lazy to turn around. But this time I had it scheduled into the day. I was really excited. When we pulled in I could not believe that the grocery store alone had a parking garage under it at least 2 stories below ground. Then we took the elevator to the store. It was packed. Yes it is set up like a market area. Very pretty with all the colors from the fruits and veggies. Plus it was the day before Valentines day so there was flowers and ballons everywhere. As well as people. Thea place was so packed you have to wait in line to walk around from veggie to veggie... It was awful. Then ontop of it... To find the things we normally purchase we had to fight our way through the rest of the store. I have always thought I would like our organic, vegan things beside the regular products at the store. But after that I realize just going to the natural section in our grocery stores saves a lot of time and annoyouses! so that stop was also a waste of my time.

Finally Trader Joes. Although doesn't have as many organics as I thought they did. I still love this store. I Love how things that are vegan are marked vegan. Plus they doe have really good prices on everything including their organic products. Trader joes had my biggest shopping list of the day. But I still only spent a little over a hundred dollars. I stocked up on bagels, soy ice creams, organic corn, breads, juice, pasta (I saved .50 on every bag compared to the price I pay for organic pasta here), I purchased some produce, tempeh, blue organic corn chips, veggie chips, soyaki, the list goes on!! It didn't take that long there. And I loved it!!!!

Next Whole foods.. I also love whole foods. But I wish stuff was not so expensive. We did stock up and get some new stuff to try as well. Stuff adds up fast when you are stocking up on pastry stuff to last like 3 months. So we purchased mac & chreese, snapcrisps (very good), 365 organic salsa (which I love), Sprouts, dairy free ranch, meat free bac o bits, organic tortilla shells, organic pickles, Organic French dressing, Soy ice creams, organic french fries, organic frozen veggies, organic stir fry. The picture doesn't show that much since alot of it was freezer food. O' yeah plus 3 bags of ice for the trip home... But I had a nice time there to ever though we spent around $150.00

Then we circled back to Trader Joes to pick up the soy ice cream and frozen food.

John decided to get the munchies so we decided to stop by the Subway and have veggie subs. But I got caught up at the Yarn store beside it. Natural Stitches has a good variety of yarns. Alot of cotten blends. But not many a vegan can use. Plus most were very expensive. A good book selection as well. When I walked in there was 2 ladies sitting talking about some lady they know who is on welfare. Actually they were nice to me but was speaking very rudely about others. I looked through there store. Then I went up to ask if they ever carried the loss "wool " like material for needle felting. I have seen it online but can't find it at any stores. She said she may be able to get a small amount in if I was willing to pay for delivery and the full amount of the martial. Then she kinda stops and thinks about that for a minute and she tells me that you can't needle felt anything but wool and I explained that I already needle felt with Eco plastic felt sheets and they turnout really good. Then she rudely said well we can't get that in. Just the tone and the attitude she had... I was kinda thrown back. I don't know where the attitude came from.. And John was just as astonished as I was at how her attitude changed. I don't know why.. maybe she is DID or maybe she is Biopolor.. .I don't know but something was definitely up with that lady!!! I know thats not nice of me right..... :) I really just can;t get over the look on her face and her attitude....

After that we went to Subway and ate. We had veggies subs. But the lady asked me 4 times what kind of cheese we wanted. Then she finally stopped what she was doing looked straight at me and said.... "Cheese still comes on the veggie subs".... "Yeah I know it can.... I just want veggies".... I mean come on....Then came home a new way... Over the river and through the