Earring envy

When I was in high school, I wore giant silver hoops on a daily basis. For a spell, those hoops even had a key a la Janet Jackson.

Then I cut my hair and every pair of earrings I tried on made me feel like a soccer mom (no offense to soccer moms).

But recently, I’ve decided that earrings and short hair don’t have to be mutually exclusive. It might even be a good look. So I’m giving some a try.

Here are a few that I’m liking:

1.) Paul Island Earrings, $178
2.) Kathryn Bentley Earrings, $40
3.) Magicicada Earrings, $29.99
4.) Safety Pin Studs, $78

View more studs >>

Phoenix thrift: Toby’s Future

I travel down 7th Street regularly, so I took notice when a small brick building just south of Bethany Home began transitioning from a vacant building to what appeared to be a retail spot. I stopped by the other day to check it out.

Toby House, a non-profit helping mentally ill adults, has opened a thrift store, appropriately named Toby’s Future, which will give job training to Toby House residents.

The store is jam-packed with men’s and women’s clothing — all of which appear to be $5 and under: Banana Republic sandals, $5.
A Levi’s button down shirt, $2. A cute summer-y tie-back dress, $3.  I bought a small men’s plaid shirt for $3.

The store only takes cash, so come prepared. It doesn’t take much to get something good.

Note: They are currently taking donations for home items.

Toby’s Future
5714 N 7th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85014
Open Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The birds!

I have so little flourishing at the moment: it’s too hot for radishes, my limas aren’t growing, I’ve had bad luck with cucumbers. I can’t afford to lose the few precious veggies I have to birds! Note the carnage I found this morning:

I’ve covered with some old burlap. Hopefully it does the trick.

Downtown dining: Verde

My dining card was  empty on a recent Friday. To make myself feel better, I embarked on a solo adventure lunch to a new restaurant on the SE corner of 1st Street and Garfield, Verde. I ordered their plate of Oregano-lime chicken with beans, rice, salsa and a just-made tortilla for $8.

It made me feel better. Fantastic even. So good, in fact, that I haven’t stopped recommending it.

The lunch/dinner selection is fairly limited: 6 entrees, maybe a special, some sides and 2 daily agua frescas. If all the entrees (which I will be trying shortly) are as good as my chicken, downtown has another winner.

Good thing #1 – Fresh tortillas
There’s a giant picture window in the front of Verde where passers by can view the whole tortilla-making process. It makes sense because, according to one of the owners, the tortillas are the cornerstone of the meal. As I was gushing about my lunch, he explained that it was all about  the tortilla — the rest of the stuff is just there to fill it.

I like that kind of thinking.

Good thing #2 -  Family-sized take out
For $14, Verde has a take-out option which includes 6 tortillas, a large rice, beans salsa and either a whole chicken, 12 ounces of green chile pork or 12 ounces of red chili beef.

Good thing #3 – Breakfast, lunch AND dinner
Matt’s Big Breakfast will always be a first-meal staple, but according to the Chow Bella blog, there’s another breakfast contender in town.  I cannot wait for my first downtown breakfast of Eggs, Beans and Tortillas ($5).

Verde
825 N. 1st St,
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 254-4400

Phoenix things to do: May 21 – 23

FRIDAY

Best of Arizona Short Films @ Phoenix Art Museum
The Phoenix Film Festival comes to an end and features some of the best Arizona-made short films from the last decade. Post-screening Arizona Republic film critic Bill Goodykoontz will host a discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers.

Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
6:30 p.m.-1 a.m.

***

Crotch Rockitt @ Club Forbidden
DJ Roya of Obscura  will be playing a little bit of everything that makes you wanna move — indie, electro, ’80s, pop and disco.

Club Forbidden (formerly Anderson’s)
6820 E. 5th Ave.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

SATURDAY

Living Green Conference @  Phoenix Zoo Conference Center Pavilion
This day-long event gives helpful tips on reducing environmental impact — basicially, living greener. Attend discussions about harvesting rainwater, designing edible landscapes and minimizing waste with experienced authors and speakers.

Phoenix Zoo Conference Center Pavilion
455 N. Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, Arizona.
$44-62

***

Bunky Boutique Open House @ the new Bunky Boutique
Bunky has moved from it’s old spot next to Roosevelt Tavern to super-cool modern Merz Project Building (near Phoenix Public Library). Check out the newly designed space and the newly acquired merchandise.

Bunky Boutique
1437 N. 1st St.
10 a.m. – 4.pm.

***

Shop for vintage @ Blueberry Deluxe
A cute sundress might make 100+ weather slightly bearable. Luckily Blueberry Deluxe has 40% off all their vintage through Sunday.

Blueberry Deluxe
702 W. Montecito
Phoenix, AZ 85013
11 a.m. – 5p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Easy & Light Vegetarian Mexican @ Luci’s
Learn to make easy, good-for-you Mexican dishes like black bean soup, poblano chile coleslaw and tamale pie. Finish it all off with lime-infused Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Luci’s Healthy Marketplace
1590 E. Bethany Home (NW corner of Bethany Home & 16th Street)
Phoenix, AZ 85014
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
$49.99

CRACKING GOOD THINGS OF THE WEEK

What’s on Paul Rudd’s computer?

And people say being like a sloth is a bad thing…

What’s Cracking Good — Baby sloths

Despite the menacing 3-inch claws, have you seen anything cuter than a baby sloth?

Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.