Strip District, Pittsburgh

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Remembering our bucket-listing events early last summer, I thought you would appreciate this wintery outing I took in December. Jillian, John and I bussed downtown to the “Strip District,” to join the Saturday-morning bustle.
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Our first stop was La Prima Espresso Company for lattes. We were particularly excited to visit this coffee shop because it has a spot on Carnegie Mellon Campus, and we were anxious to visit the “base camp” per say.
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After enjoying our morning coffee run, we walked strolled the district’s characteristic farmers markets, fish markets, and Asian super markets. Often stopping into small shops along the way, we experienced fresh bread at an Italian bakery, a cigar-smoking-ritual in a dark parlour, Christmas wreath-lined street corners, and, of course, the beautiful Pittsburgh snow.

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We took a pitstop at one particularly adorable Italian bakery. The business had a street-front building filled with mountains…

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and mountains…

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of biscotti! …behind the biscotti palace, a small alleyway brought us to a cozy cafe serving breakfast and coffee.

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From the Studio: Practice Makes Perfect

Rachel!
I haven’t forgotten all the important homework and practice you assigned me over the break. (It seems like its been such a long time since we chatted in Starbucks about cubes!) I’m sorry that I have not been as diligent as you in working on our first theme for our sketching goal, Moose, but at least I am improving my form! I’m excited to continue our little goal and I would like to suggest that we go with plants or shoes for our next theme, (something a bit more simple for the beginner ;).

I miss you so much already and I really appreciate the opportunity I had to call you before you left China while I was at the TCK Seminar. Let me know when you have time to chat!

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Christmas Memories

We were very blessed to have both Rachel and Michael with us for Christmas.  Especially since I am afraid that it could be our last one together in China.  Many changes are coming this year with  Michael’s graduation and going into the workforce and Jessie beginning college in Pittsburgh.  Getting us all together in Tianjin next year will be tricky.  We spent lots of quality time together cooking, playing games and going on “coffee dates” to Starbucks.   A very special friend from Virginia sent the Settlers of Catan game the kids and Sean had lot of late night competitive games.

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Beautiful table centerpiece Michael put together for Christmas dinner.

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