Thursday, August 15

Pgh Momtourage turns 4!

It's hard to believe that the little group I started, Pgh Momtourage, turned 4 this August!
My initial thought.....hey, let's throw a party!
Then........
And let's invite local small businesses to be a part of our event.
And let's see if we can get an amazing location.
And let's see if a Food Truck wants to come.
And let's get some cool family entertainers.
And let's have a great night!
And so we did.
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Thanks to Andrew's involvement in our church's neighborhood community group, I received the city's approval to hold our event in the beautiful West End Overlook. Normally a $250 fee, I was so thankful for this great venue!  Local businesses set up tables & wares and it was fun to see so many people, old friends & new, come and join us. All our entertainers, businesses, & food vendors donated their time & resources, it was amazing to see everyone jump on board and want to make this happen.
My friend James, who also happens to be a fun entertainer, was up for the opening show. Happy Harry the Clown started out our evening with a show with lots of laughs.
 
Next on our list of great entertainers was the always hilarious Pittsburgh Magician Al Mazing!
Very funny, the kids (& adults) love him!
A great crowd!
  So happy to have the BRGR Food Truck come with yummy burgers & shakes! They told me it was one of their favorite events they had been a part of, but I'm sure it was partly because of their view for the evening. :)
The West End Overlook is a hidden gem! It was fun to have so many people come through that had never been to this little spot. I know it was exactly the exposure the Community Group was hoping would happen.
 Since our church, Three Rivers Grace Church, was only a few blocks from this location, it was a great opportunity to be there with candy, water, & books to give away!
Our local library branch was so kind to come out as well.  They had the genius idea to bring a sand pool, complete with dinosaurs. It was a big hit! 
Children's librarian, Ms. Jamie, (my kids love her!) ended our evening with her ukulele, tambourines, + a goodnight story time.  
 Faces by Christina was on hand doing some great face art!
Some great local businesses joined us! They all generously gave away prize packages at the end of the evening!
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We were so excited to hear that Klavon's is re-opening in the Strip District! They brought some of their amazing ice cream & homemade fudge - delish!
Klavon's is an authentic antique 1920's Ice Cream Parlor located in the Strip District of Pittsburgh- 2801 Penn Avenue. Re-opening under new ownership, but the same awesome historic feel.
Anne Lee is a talented local artist & author. She has written an excellent children's book When You Are Camping (great summer resource for kids!) She also does beautifully hand painted cards & pictures. Check her out here to see more of her creative work!
The talented gals from Simple Celebrations!
Simple Celebrations is an event planning service that takes all of the work out of organizing your happy occasion. Whether you need an all-inclusive event or just custom designed favors, our goal is to create a unique celebration tailored to your needs. You choose your theme, set your budget, and leave the rest to us! From delivered décor that you set up on your own, to having us there to put it all together, Simple Celebrations will help you to host an event to remember.
Bumble n Bug has fun, unique gifts for babies & moms!
They specialize in hand crafted baby products that are fun, whimsical and downright adorable.
E2 Toys to Try is a fantastic local indoor play space + toy store. They came with glitter tattoos, games, crafts & prizes! The Momtourage is a big fan of holding playdates there!
PartyLite brought quality candles & beautiful accessories!
Monkey Kisses BOWtique brought adorable girly accessories!
Check out her Big Bows for cute babies!
Jenny Jones from Silpada Jewelry (with a cute little sidekick!)
 
Our friend Laura has newly opened Chateau in Pittsburgh's North Side. Must.stop.in.
Offering breakfast, lunch and unique sweet-treats in a relaxed environment with natural wood decor, retro Pittsburgh photos on the walls and humorous/witty blurbs to tickle your funny bone. Grab a cup of locally roasted coffee, or one of our signature Chateau herbal tea blends, while chatting up one of our friendly Chateauristas.  Try a Apple Pecan Salad...Ham, Bacon and Maple Mayo Panini...Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Slaw Wrap...or one of their many delicious sweet treats! Pittsburgh Born and Fed!
Created To Play has a complete Etsy store with everything for your party needs! With favors, party supplies, photo props, cards & much, much more. Custom creations also available. Check her shop for your next wedding or baby shower, or party of any kind!
Grace in Abundance brought the most beautiful & colorful assortment of wares!
Sweet items for little ones out of beautiful fabrics that I love:
skirts, dresses, headbands, quilts,
receiving blankets, bibs, burp cloths,
onesies, applique gifts and more.
Pamper Parties Pittsburgha unique mobile spa party business, offered free nail art for the evening and gave us a great overview of their Indulgence line of Bath, Body, and Skin Care Products made from all natural edible ingredients!
 
 Face-Painting Designs by Dana braved rush hour traffic and was able to arrive half way through our event! She offered free face art and had some very happy customers!  This is Caleb & Emma from our church. Let's just say Emma holds a very special place in Graham's heart right now. :)
Yeah, that guy in the background did lots of behind the scenes stuff. He's the best. :)
Our local councilwoman stopped by. As did Batman.

 This girl snatched as many as {above pictured} cupcakes as possible. :) She's quick, let me tell ya. Thankful for the small army of church friends who helped keep watch over the 4 wee ones. We totally could not have survived with the help!
Have loved the opportunity this avenue has given me to meet people all around Pittsburgh. Having recently passed the 1,000 "likes" mark on facebook, it has grown to much more than I had imagined. I am currently turning down more opportunities than I am accepting, but such is this season of life!
Thankful to the over 200 guests that came out to join us, thankful to everyone who came together to make this happen, and thankful for God blessing us with perfect weather for a fantastic night!
Happy 4 to the Pgh Momtourage!

2 comments:

Sarah Kate Branine said...

Kelly,

This is amazing. AMAZING! What a wonderful blessing you are to so many people through this. I am sure of it!

kellyH said...

Aw, thanks Sarah. It's been so much fun to take part in the many doors & various opportunities it has presented!