Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

I love this photo and I’m not one to say that about my own shots.

Saturday evening, Laura and I along with our friend Lyndsey headed out to the Waterfront for dinner and a trip to I Made It! For the Holidays. It began to snow during our travels and when we arrived, Lyndsey and I encountered IMIM’s Nina holding down the welcome table. She was very gracious to mug for our shot (she really was cold) and told us that her hat was actually for sale by one of the vendors – they had “merched her up” to keep her warm!

I Made It! Market never disappoints. I’ve trudged through abandoned steel mills, hauled display items across miles of parking lots, deal with broken elevators when the only available parking is on the 6th floor, sat through rain, excessive heat, loud music (from someone else), and more. And people always come. The vendors always have interesting and unique items to browse and purchase. The spaces somehow work. People easily forgive being bumped. I remember their names, not just “soap lady” and so forth.

And volunteers like Nina sit in the first snowyish event of the year to make sure people can find the event. This is why I Made It! Market is such a cultural gem for the region.  When I posted Nina’s photo on Facebook, it drew about 30 likes in minutes and people started asking me what I was buying, did I see such and such vendor, etc.

Support the vendors, visit the next Market and be sure to give Nina a big “thank you” the next time you see her!