Let's Go PITT

The University of Pittsburgh Football Program has had a great season, and now they are prepping for the BBVA Compass Bowl.  The game is held at the historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama.  The Panthers will take on Southern Methodist University, who are in the USA Conference.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN January 7th at 1pm.

The University of Pittsburgh football team has accepted an invitation to play in the BBVA Compass Bowl. The game, held at historic Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., will be played on January 7, 2012 in front of a national ESPN television audience (1 p.m. ET).

The Panthers (6-6, 4-3 Big East) will face Southern Methodist University (7-5, 5-3 Conference USA). It will be just the sixth meeting ever between the two schools and the second in a bowl game. SMU defeated Pitt in the 1983 Cotton Bowl, 7-3. The all-time series is tied, 2-2-1.

"You play an entire season to earn the opportunity for one extra game -- a bowl game," Pitt coach Todd Graham said. "Our team is excited for the chance to put that Pitt helmet on one more time for the BBVA Compass Bowl. Birmingham is a great college football town. We're looking forward to our visit and playing SMU in front of a national ESPN television audience."

"On behalf of the University of Pittsburgh and our football program, I would like to thank the city of Birmingham, BBVA Compass Bowl committee and executive director Mark Meadows for the opportunity to play in this year's game," Pitt athletic director Steve Pederson said. "We know firsthand the great hospitality shown to the teams and fans, and we're looking forward to our visit in January."

The Panthers will be playing in their ninth bowl since 2000 (12 seasons) and fourth consecutive since 2008.

Pitt defeated Kentucky in last season's BBVA Compass Bowl, 27-10. The Panthers are 12-15 all-time in bowl games.

For tickets and travel package information, call the Panthers Ticket Office at (800) 643-PITT. The ticket office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets and travel packages can also be purchased online through Altour, the Official Travel Provider for Pitt Alumni and Fan Travel. Contact Altour for your customized travel package http://www.alumni.pitt.edu/event/2011bowl/. Go to "Bowl Central" at www.PittsburghPanthers.com for additional information.

For more information see Pitt.edu.

Holiday Market in Market Square

Do you need something unique for a gift this Holiday Season.  Come to Market Square in Pittsburgh for the 1st Annual Holiday Market.  There will be vendors with gifts from around the world.  There is something for everyone, including kids favorite person this season, Santa. Keep reading to find out all the details on this great market.

Inspired by the original Christkindlemarkt created in 1545 in Nuremberg, Germany, and the Christkindlmarket in Chicago, IL, the Peoples Gas Holiday Market™ brings a cherished German tradition with international flair and local charm to Downtown Pittsburgh. Visitors will be in for a one-of-a-kind holiday shopping experience as they stroll through an illuminated Market Square, weaving through the European-style wooden chalets, adorned with holly and illuminated with little white lights. It's the perfect atmosphere for families and friends to enjoy the magic of the season. The Peoples Gas Holiday Market™ grand opening is on Saturday, Nov. 24 and is a part of Downtown Pittsburgh's 2012 Holiday Saturdays. Courtesy of Peoples Natural Gas and thanks to our founding sponsors, Colcom Foundation and Laurel Foundation, the Peoples Gas Holiday Market™ will be open seven days a week through 

Sunday, Dec. 23, allowing visitors to re-visit Market Square for last minute holiday items!
 

November 24 - December 23
Market Square, Downtown Pittsburgh
Market Hours: Monday - Friday 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Admission is FREE!

Bringing Pittsburgh's founding cultures to the Golden Triangle





The Peoples Gas Holiday Market will feature regional, national, and international vendors to showcase authentic gift items from around the world that can’t be found anywhere else in the City besides the Peoples Gas Holiday Market™! This is your chance to purchase quality collectibles and novelties from foreign countries such as Russia, Switzerland, and Italy. Shoppers will be entertained by a variety of performers, including local dance groups, choirs and carolers, showcasing Pittsburgh’s rich cultural heritage.

Make sure the kids visit Mr. and Mrs. Claus at their Pittsburgh home right in Market Square specially designed by Desmone & Associates Architects. Bring a non-perishable food item or make a cash donation benefiting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank before jumping in line to get your picture taken with 'Jolly Old Saint Nick.' From shopping, music, and FREE high-quality entertainment, there is something for everyone to do at the Peoples Gas Holiday Market™!

Santa's House Special Hours:

Mon – Friday noon – 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday noon – 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Sunday noon – 4:00 p.m.

For more information see Downtown Pittsburgh.

Home Holiday Decorations

Do you want to decorate your apartment for the holidays?  Everyone wants to be festive, but you do not want to spend a lot of money if you are leaving for the holidays.  Here are some great inexpensive tips on how to make your apartment a holiday wonderland.

• Personalize and hang stockings for your family. – this can be a fun project and very inexpensive. Purchase plain stockings and paint, glitter, felt, etc. and create your own designs for your stockings.
• Remember in Elementary School when you used to make paper snow flakes in art class.  Flashback to those times and make your apartment a winter wonderland with this easy art trick.
• Hang ornaments from the stairs and or ceiling.  Just make sure you do not damage the walls or ceiling while doing this.
• Use some ribbon and ties to put around chairs and lamps.  This adds some festive spirit to even the smallest furniture.
• Make a giant present out of your door by using some wrapping paper and a bow.  It instantly looks festive and adds so much holiday spirit to your apartment.
• Use holiday cards that you receive to decorate the walls in your apartment.
• Play Christmas music on your ipod or on Pandora!

I Made it! Bakery Square Market

Make sure to check out this great Holiday Event at Bakery Square on November 30th and December 1st.  There will be a craft market held with Pittsburgh regional artists selling their work at the first floor space of Bakery Square.  Bakery Square will also be lit up red in honor of World Aids Day on Friday Night.  Make sure to check out all the details below.

I Made It! for the Holidays {our 6th annual holiday market}

Shop with us: Friday, Nov. 30 from 5 pm – 10 pm

&  Saturday, Dec.1 from 11 am – 6 pm

Inside the first floor space @ Bakery Square (map)
6425 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206, FREE Indoor Parking

Visit our Facebook Event for updates!

I Made It! for the Holidays announces its sixth annual handmade arts marketplace to be held on Friday, November 30th from 5 pm – 10 pm and Saturday, December 1st from 11 am – 6 pm at Bakery Square. More than 90 Pittsburgh-regional artisans will offer handmade goods including children’s items, house wares, clothing, jewelry, plush, ceramics, sweets, photography, toys, bath & body products and much more. Saturday brings TAPPED Pop Up Beer Garden and Santa! To learn more about the artists or for event details, visit www.imadeitmarket.com.

For more about the event and our sponsors, visit the I Made It! Market blog. Sponsors include: Assemble, Bakery Square, City Paper, Cotton Factory, Green Light Wireless, Indie Foundry, MailChimp, Outright, Play Unplugged, Port Authority, Quiet Storm, Square, Revive Marketing Group, SouthSide Works, 82 Concepts.

We are excited to announce that Friday night the Delta Foundation will be lighting Bakery Square in red in honor of World AIDS Day. On Saturday, Santa will be onsite for photos from 12 pm – 3 pm and Tapped brings a pop up beer garden from 12 pm – 5 pm. ABOUT BAKERY SQUARE: Bakery Square is a new mixed-use development located in the East End neighborhood of Pittsburgh, built out of the existing site of the historic Nabisco Factory. Offering an exciting lifestyle center environment while hosting numerous free events to connect with its neighbors and guests, Bakery Square is home to Google, UPMC, Anthropologie, Free People, Urban Active Fitness, Coffee Tree Roasters, Learning Express Toys, Jimmy Johns, Springhill Suites Marriott Hotel, Massage Heights, Boxwood, University of Pittsburgh, Veteran Administration and the newly opened Panera Bread.

For more information see I Made It.

Thanksgiving Decorating Tips

Do you have company coming over for Turkey Day?  If you want to decorate without tons of hassle, here are some great quick and easy Thanksgiving Decorating tips!

It's turkey time and this time of year isn't just for eating, it's also for decorating! Give your home a quick and easy facelift for the Thanksgiving holiday.  
 
Fall and Thanksgiving Colors
Check your home for items that are in the rich hues of fall--red curtains, orange throw pillows, brown rugs.

Local thrift stores can also provide inexpensive items to decorate with. Look for blankets that are in fall colors. These can be used as throws on the back of a couch, a drape over a chair, even a cloth for your kitchen table. You can also cut blankets up and sew them into slipcovers for throw pillows.

 
Small Accents
Small items can add accent touches to any room. Scented candles (pumpkin spice, apple cinnamon, cranberry) that are in fall colors or come in decorative candle holders can add small spots of color and texture while creating the smell of the fall holiday.
 
Curtains
Just for the holidays, do a changeup with the curtains in your home. You don't need to do the whole house to make a decorating statement--your kitchen and living area will suffice. Choose rich colors that reflect the cooling temperatures and hues of fall.
 
Throw Rugs
If you normally have carpet or bare floors, decorate for Thanksgiving by adding a large, festive throw rug. Smaller throw rugs can be used as accents or can add spots of color if you can't use a large area rug.
 
Towels
Hang decorative towels for Thanksgiving in your kitchen and bathroom to making drying your hands and your dishes more festive. Local stores usually have inexpensive kitchen and bath towel sets for the different seasons and holidays. Sure you only pull them out once a year but they add to the look and feel of your home at Thanksgiving.
 
Thanksgiving Dishes
If you have room to store them, special decorative Thanksgiving dishes are perfect to use at this time of year. Don't wait until Thanksgiving Day, use them during the whole month of November and enjoy them. If you don't have Thanksgiving dishes, check the local thrift store for dishes that are fall-colored. Mix and match to create fun meals and enjoy!
 
Rearrange Your Furniture
While there are no specific "Thanksgiving furniture arrangements" moving your furniture around always gives a room a fresh update. Since Thanksgiving is a fall holiday and is all about reconnecting with family, try arranging your furniture to create cozy areas for friends and family to gather and chat.

For more information see Yahoo.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Spend some time with your friends and family and remember everything in life that you are thankful for.

Pittsburgh Light Up Night

Pittsburgh Light Up Night is this Friday and Saturday downtown.  Fireworks, free activities, and events to get you in the mood for the Holiday Season.  Make sure to check it out with your family, and remember it is free.



 Event: 52nd Annual Light Up Night & First Holiday Saturday
 

Location: Various locations throughout Downtown Pittsburgh
 

Date: Friday, November 16 through Saturday, November 17, 2012
 

Time: 5-10pm Friday, noon-8pm Sunday
 

Cost: Free
 

Description: Free and open to the public, this is Pittsburgh’s official kick-off of the Holiday season. Light Up Night – Light Up Weekend! For up to the minute Light Up Night – Light Up Weekend goings-on, please visit the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership’s website. Enjoy lots of live performances on multiple stages, the Bridge Party over the Allegheny River, the ceremonial lighting of six trees, an all new stage show – Celebrate Santa, and of course a grand fireworks finale.

For more information check out Living Pittsburgh.