Wordless Wednesday: Rain or Shine?

Taken on a Sunny/Rainy day in Arizona.

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Wordless Wednesday: Flowers at the Bus Station

Taken at the Tempe Transportation Center in Tempe, Arizona.

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Found!

I may have mentioned this on twitter, but I finally found my camera.  No more trying to take blurry photos with my webcam.  Yay!  Since I’ve found it I’ve been taking pictures all over town.  Here is a small sampling of what I’ve taken.

First, remember some time ago I took a picture of a tree that had been hit by lightning (see A Little Sharing and a Reminder)?  At the time I wondered if it would live.  Here’s what it looks like now.  See those new green fronds?  It is alive and well.  Yay!

I saw this on the south-east corner of Main and Extension in Mesa.  It’s one of the those electric thingies at intersections, but art work was added to “improve the neighborhood”.  At least that’s what I think it is there for.  In case you can’t tell, the piece is called “Rivercrane” by Zarco Guerrero.  Lovely isn’t it?

This was outside a new BBQ place at the corner of Main and Center.  Does anyone remember the movie Ghost Busters?  Not really, but I remember this guy.  What I don’t know is why the restaurant has him standing outside their door.  Hmm, at least it’s cute.

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Of Pleats, Weird Clothing, and Hiking?

Oops, I knew I forgot to do something last week, like posting for instance.  Actually it has been more than a week, but it could be worse.  I do know of a few bloggers who have gone two months without so much as a sentence, of course when they came back they had so much to talk about that it was so worth the wait. 

Anyway, the next project on the list was a skirt that I wore church last Sunday to show off.  Lately every piece of clothing has been something I can only pull off at church.  Maybe it’s time I either start making casual stuff again or start wearing the weird stuff while grocery shopping or whatever.  Now back on topic, all the skirts I have made before were gathered at the top, so I thought it would good to try pleats instead.  I am now regretting that thought since it took way more time than usual to do and the end result wasn’t what I expected.  And I messed up on the back pleats which is why I didn’t take a photo of the back side.  On the bright side, the skirt still looked cute with my capelet, and a strange woman said I looked adorable as she drove by.  At least I think she was talking to me, no one else on the street at the time.

Here’s the updated list:

Sunflower dress

Black headband

Update pioneer dress

Prettied up shoes

Pleated skirt

Wallet

Makeover notebook

Trim basket

Forum

Five down, four to go.  Here’s a bonus, my Sunday school class joined up with a local hiking group this weekend.  It was the first time in years that I went hiking, so I was understandably slow on the trail.  I did manage to take a quick shot of the area just as the sun was setting.

Hope the photo isn’t too bad.  We saw a cute rabbit too, but he was too fast for my camera skills :(

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Hmm…Stuff to Do….

Just a few quick items today.  I forgot to mention this before, but Craftster is currently have their DIY Halloween contest for costumes made for Halloween 2010.  The details are here and you need to post them here by November 7th, so hurry while you still can.

Also, if you are in the Phoenix area this weekend, here’s a treat.  My church is having their bi-annual rummage sale this Friday and Saturday.  Tons of great bargains to score as always, no wonder why I have been looking forward to it for months.  I am finding it hard to stand waiting one for day.  If you are interested, it will be from 7:30am-3:30pm on both days and the church is on the south-east corner of 1st Ave and Center in downtown Mesa.  Special tip: stick around for the last hour or so on Saturday, prices tend to drop then.

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Bargains by the Pound

I mentioned yesterday about discovering a new thrift store in my area that I thought was really cool.  It’s call the Good Store on Main St and Robson in downtown Mesa, and what’s cool is they price their clothing by the pound.  It’s $2.50/lb and it drops to about $1.75 after ten pounds.  As promised, here are all the goodies I managed to snag.

I got this for my niece, I am assuming it is intended for sleepwear judging by the bear appliqué.  I thought it was adorable, and luckily she thought so too. 

This one I actually wore today because I think it is so pretty.  It ties in the back with a decent sized bow.  The only problem I had with it was that I think it might be a little to low in front for comfort reasons, but there are ways around that.

Here’s the solution, this pretty lacy top would look great alone or layered underneath that blue one.  I especially love the sleeves, they flare out like lacy bells or something in a pretty romantic way.

 

This one is so cute.  Again, more lacy sleeves only this one could actually be worn in this warm weather.  I’m a little unsure about whether or not it really suits me though.  It seems a little more like my sister’s style than mine, assuming I have a specific style, I’m not really sure about that either.

 

This one is cute, but odd.  It looks like a cute little dress, but it is actually a shirt, one that’s big enough to fit me.  I think it does look really good on me, except for that ruffle and those pockets.  I gave it my niece to wear as a dress, works better that way.

This is another one for my niece, a lovely blue polo shirt.  It would be great for school, that is if they actually will allow her to wear this color.  That’s the funny thing about school uniforms and dress codes, I mean what’s wrong with this color anyway?  Well, she can still wear it for Summer Vacation.

 

I got this one for my nephew so that he wouldn’t feel left out, it is so hard to find cute clothes for little boys.  He also really needed more warm weather clothing, his drawers are full of long sleeved shirts or sweaters and almost no t-shirts.  Poor boy.

 

I wore this today too, sorry about the picture, black colors hate my camera.  Anyway, this skirt has a drawstring waist that isn’t bulky like some and has two pretty ruffles that swing when I walk.  I just adore it, and it’s so versatile too.

 

I know it really isn’t the season for these pajama pants, but I just had to add them to the pile.  The little penguins and ice cubes were too much to resist and I know it will be cozy when winter returns.

And the final piece.  This skirt goes to the knee without looking super frumpy which is great.  Plus, the embroidery on it is gorgeous along with this unusual color.  I was a little unsure if I would actually be able to find something to wear it with, but I do already have at least one black t-shirt that I know will work with it.  Also, that white lacy shirt I bought actually looks lovely with it, so problem solved again.

Now the grand total for all these lovely items is……$7.60, that’s including the tax.  That averages out to 76 cents per item, that’s why I love thrift stores.  Aren’t bargains wonderful?

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Getting Down with Your Stars and Stripes Part 2

I am typing this in the middle of that Arizona Celebration of Freedom festival I mentioned before (see Get Down with Your Stars and Stripes). 

It’s been great, except for all the crowds.  Some guy stepped on my foot and he didn’t say anything, and I know he noticed.  And I had a coughing fit because some guy was smoking in the middle of the carnival game area, surrounded by children too. 

Other than that, it has been fun.  Plenty of great music, with a surprise performance by Belle of Beauty and the Beast.  A children’s party place had girls dressed like Disney princesses perform the songs from the movies.  Too bad my niece wasn’t there, she would have loved it. 

They had a bunch of these huge inflatable statues of monuments and the Congress building and such.  One of them you could walk inside and get a bit of a history lesson.  Benjamin Franklin was standing outside of it.  I wanted to get a picture, but there were too many people blocking him.  Super popular guy. 

They were tons of classic and not too classic cars, some of them were for sale.  Others seemed to be there to advertise other things though. 

There was this one car that shot flames and stuff, sadly I wasn’t able to get a picture of it in the act.  Again, too many crowds, but the owner was super pleased.

There were of course plenty of craft booths and vendors, including a guy who was doing spray paint demonstrations the whole night.  The fumes from the paint got to me though.  And the most unusual thing I saw were these hats.  They appear to be made from boxes for beer cans.  Ummm.

There was also a rock climbing thing which was great and horrible at the same time.  Great because I love these things, and horrible because I had decided to wear a skirt instead of something more sensible like jeans.  Bye-bye rock wall, at least I looked really cute.

One of the best discoveries I made was this really cute new thrift store.  It’s called the Good Store and it’s here in Downtown Mesa on Main St between Country Club and Robson.  They have a ton of cute clothes and they price it by the pound.  I got a bunch of cute tops, I’ll post some pictures tomorrow.

And a great way to finish the night is fireworks.  They started going off while I was still browsing in the thrift store, they shook some of the walls a little.  They were wonderful, and what was really fun was watching all the people standing outside their stores and homes or in there cars in traffic as they stopped to watch.  It really makes you feel united with your neighbors knowing you are all doing the same thing at the same time.  Overall a good festival and a great holiday so far, enjoy it tomorrow.

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Get Down with Your Stars and Stripes

Usually when some kind of festival or event happens over the weekend, I blogged about how great it was afterwards.  I’ve been thinking that maybe I should mention something beforehand because some of you who may be in the area at the time might actually want to go.  So this Friday and Saturday there will be a two day event in downtown Mesa, Arizona.  They’re calling it Arizona Celebration of Freedom, I think they are planning to make it a yearly event.  Why else would set up a website for it?  Anyway, they will have motorcycles and classic cars, craft vendors, giant inflatables, a watermelon eating contest, tons of live music and a whole lot more.  I can’t wait to check it out, sounds like a lot of fun.

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…And Found

So yesterday I mentioned a kitten I found.  Today I am proud to say she is doing well.  I took her to this great non-profit animal shelter in Gilbert, AZ called Friends for Life.  They have already placed her in a foster home with a really nice lady.  It was hard to leave her there, but at least she will be taken care of beautifully.  It was strange going home from there on the bus with an empty pet carrier, people kept on asking what was in there.  I think it would have been funny if I tossed in a stuff animal and showed it to anyone who asked.  The looks on there faces would have been priceless.

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Quite a Day and Something to Hang On To

Today I had to travel from Mesa to Glendale for a company picnic.  It took over three hours to get there with three different buses and a train.  I got motion sickness on the train, but luckily I didn’t throw up.  I managed to get to the picnic about forty minutes late, but I wasn’t the only one.  Several people didn’t even show up.  I did come home with several bags of chips and a small bag of goodies including a business card holder I think will come in handy, just as soon as I decorate it.  Look for that in the coming future.
Anyway, I managed to whip up a few hangers using ornament hooks.  It is remarkable how many uses I have found for those little bits of wire, they are cut just the right size for so many projects from jewelry to miniatures.  All I had to do was twist the ends together just right, then shape the rest of it to look like a hanger.  They are just the right size for my doll house, but I think it would be great to make some fashion doll sized ones too.  I would need larger hooks though.
Here’s the updated list:

• hangers
• bed
• mirror
• dresser
• skirt
• pocket
• lamp
• night stand
• wardrobe
• rug
• framed art
• curtains

One down, eleven to go.  I’ll have the next one by Monday, hopefully.

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More Goodwill Friends

Today I had an interview for my externship, at a great little animal clinic in Gilbert, AZ.  I think it went fairly OK, except for the fact that I was almost 30 minutes late.  After I got off the bus, I accidently went the wrong way.  I had to call and tell them I was lost, what a great first impression. 

On the bright side, the place is conveniently located across from a Goodwill location I hadn’t checked out before.  Oh the goodies I did find. 

Each of these baggies hold two Bratz dolls in near perfect condition.  Priced at 2.99 each, they were quite a deal.  You’d pay almost that much for the shoes alone, especially considering how hard it is to find the shoes.  I am only keeping two of them, my mom wanted the rest.  She still hasn’t mentioned what her plans are yet, I think either she wants to sell them or give them to her grandchildren as gifts.  It’s funny, the one with the green shirt and short plaid skirt looks like the girl on NCIS.  That is one of my mom’s favorite shows.  Maybe she will keep that one.

I also grabbed a bag with various ribbons in it.  It was half-off at only a dollar.  I love the printed blue trim with the lacy edge, I think it would be great for making more headbands.  I’m not sure what I am going to do with the big blue wire-edged ribbon.  I am bound to think of something eventually.

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Fresh Baked Goodness

Everyday when I walk to or from class, I pass by the Alpine Bakery Outlet.  It’s in Mesa, Arizona on Southern Ave. west of Country Club Dr. in case you want to stop by, and believe me you will want to go. 

I had been breathing in the glorious smells of baked goods from that place for months and only just recently decided to go in to check it out, I should have gone a long time ago. 

They have a decent selection of natural breads and other bakery items at comparable prices, but they frequently discount them to 2 for $1.  Granted these are items close to their sell-by date, but they are pretty soft and fresh tasting despite that. And these are normal sized loaves and some of your fancier breads too, they have this kind of cheese bread that I love.  I tried it once and went back the next day for two more loaves, luckily they were still 50 cents each.

Also the people working there are pleasant and the other shoppers are nice too.  The only drawback is that the place closes by 2:30 pm, but something nice tends to happen about 1:00pm on Wednesdays.  It may happen on other days of the week, but I have only witness it on a Wednesday so I’m not sure.  I’m not telling what it is, you will have to see for yourself.  Surprises await.

1/27/2016 Update:

Since originally posting this, Alpine Bakery has moved down the street from its original location.  It is now on Southern Ave. just a little east of Country Club Dr. on the North side of the street next to an appliance outlet.  The place is much nicer and the bread is still just as heavenly and affordable.

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Look Who Moved Into the Neighborhood

I was walking down Main street on my way to choir practice, and came upon an interesting sight next to Bank of America.  Look familiar?  When I first saw it my eyes bugged out.

It’s a new statue on display at this intersection in Downtown Mesa.  Seems to be slightly based on that old painting of the farmer and his wife, I forget the title.  Only it’s a slightly larger rendering.  Notice the normal sized people standing by their luggage, that’s just how humongous this statue is.  You can see some of the equipment it took to set it up.

Here’s the suitcase, it’s taller than me.  And my goodness, they’ve certainly traveled to a lot of exotic places.

Of course, to do all that traveling and moving they’d have to have decent footwear, right?  These clunkers are big enough to sit on.

Let’s us not forget to give credit and thanks for the artist responsible for this larger than life addition the the Downtown scenery.  Keep up the good work.

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Something to Do in February

For anyone out there who lives in or near Mesa Arizona,  got any plans to celebrate Valentine’s day yet?  I’ve got something for you.  A group I’m in at my church is hosting a special dinner and dance fundraising event on February 12th.  We’re raising money to redo the entrance to make it more friendly looking and inviting,  some have said it looks more like a bank as it is now.  I personally don’t think it’s quite that bad, but it has always reminded me of a court house, or maybe the huge house in that movie The Haunting.  I think that’s what it was called.

The tickets for the dinner and dance, which starts at 6:30pm, are $15 and must be purchased ahead of time so we know how much food to prepare.  The dance tickets alone are just $3 and can be bought at the door at the last minute.  The dance itself is at 8:00pm.  leaving plenty of time before hand to eat and do whatever, and of course there is a live band.  I hear they’re pretty good.  Also, I heard a group from a local dance school will be there to show everyone a few steps, hopefully to get those wallflowers out on the floor. 

The church is located in downtown Mesa on the south-east corner of Center and 1st Street across from the Mesa Arts Center.  For more info check here.  Hope to see you all there.

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Ancient Discoveries

I went to the natural history museum yesterday since it was free that day.  I go often actually so I know it pretty well.  I was looking at a map to find a specific gallery, apparently they moved Elvis the alligator to a better spot and he loves it.  I’ve never seen him look so alive.  Anyway I noticed something on the map I hadn’t before, the rooftop terrace.  I checked it out.

It isn’t the most impressive terrace I’ve ever seen, but the view is fantastic.  It’s nice sometimes, when you go to a familiar spot and discover something new and fantastic. 

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