Flowery Find

I stumbled upon a fun find this month while browsing Etsy, which seemed rather fitting with Halloween and Decadence right around the corner.

Perfect for a fairy costume or a EDM/rave, these flower embellished bras by Petals from Paige sold on Etsy are hand crafted and made to order. Shoppers have their pick of what color, which flowers, and the style of bra for only $45. The shop also features matching headbands.

If you're still in search of the perfect Halloween costume or a unique outfit for your next event, consider these beautiful bras.

Raving about Robert: Covenant Tattoo and Piercing

Let me first say, I know that I have previously posted about Shane, Covenant's head piercer. The following review is in regards to one of the shop's several tattoo artists, Rob. While not listed on Covenant's website, he is currently available for appointments.

I first met Rob in March of this year as he was the artist of my third, most elaborate, and largest tattoo on my
upper thigh.

 As I wanted a water color style tattoo, I was extremely nervous about choosing an appropriate artist. After doing some research and based on previous, positive first hand experience, I decided on Covenant Tattoo and Piercing on College Ave. and E. Myrtle St.

I did not request any specific artist so I was placed, at random, with Rob. While he works extremely quickly, taking him a little over an hour to complete my leg, his fun and sassy personality makes the visit anything but short.

Before we even started, Rob approached me with an aspect he wanted to include in a watercolor piece and that was the correlating background. Initially, I was concerned as that wound make the tattoo even larger but I trusted in Rob's judgement and I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

I was apprehensive about getting such a large tattoo (compared to my previous), Rob made me feel comfortable by cracking jokes. I have to say, if you are not the type of person to have a thick skin when it comes to teasing, Rob is not the tattoo artist for you, but for me, he was a perfect match.

A few weeks later, I returned to the shop to get a touch up on my arm tattoos done by a different artist and was placed with Rob again. My second visit did not disappoint. Again, Rob was fast, friendly, and relatable. He also insisted on checking on my thigh tattoo to ensure that it was healing properly.

I would recommend Covenant Tattoo and Piercing to anyone looking to get anything done. All piercing customers of Covenant get free cleaning solution for life while tattoo customers receive free touch ups as well.

Positively prestigious pizza

During a trip to my future university, I stumbled upon a tiny pizza place, Boka Pizza. Located in the Arizona Center on the corner of Van Buren and 3rd, you would miss it if you weren't looking for it and were perhaps distracted by the (ahem...) Hooters a couple doors down.

The modern patio, displaying a sign boasting "The lowest beer prices around!" and open doors on top of the fact that it wasn't alarmingly busy for a Friday night is what drew me in. 

For such a small place, Boka's menu was vast, ranging from phenomenal sounding entree salads to topping-drenched pizzas. On the menu was an item I had never seen paired with pizza before: cinnamon rolls and upon further observance, it is one of the restaurant's most unique and highly applauded attributes. 

I chose to order the Pizza Margherita (big surprise) which had a garlic butter glaze on the crust. Before I go further, let me make the following disclaimer: I know in the past I have claimed that Veebo's Pizza is the best pizza I have ever tasted. As Veebo's chose not to renew their license this year, making them unable to serve any kind of food or beverages, I feel like I can make the following exclamation.

Boka Pizza is the best pizza place I have ever been to. While their pizza is comparable to others, Boka stands out because of their garlic butter glaze, fresh ingredients, and extremely friendly and approachable staff. 

I was a little grumpy about the time it took them to serve me my pizza but as soon as I saw the finished product, I knew why it took so long. Each pizza is hand made to order, including the crust. On top of my personalized pizza was the freshest basil I have ever seen. My meal wasn't soaked with grease and for pizza, tasted very healthy! 

The only issue I had with the restaurant was the price. Not being from the area and being a stingy student probably skewed my point of view. Although I didn't expect to pay as much as I did, the staff provided alternate options that would save me money. 

Boka Pizza delivers, has a patio perfect for four legged friends, and is completely child friendly. If you are ever in the Downtown Pheonix area, Boka is a MUST for lunch and happy hour deals. 

Captivating Captiva, FL

PART 2:  Crab Racing  

   Described as "the stupidest thing you'll ever see", crab racing, or NasCrab, is the best source of entertainment on the island. Every Monday and Thursday, the Tween Waters Inn transforms into a race track and houses a family friendly race beginning at 6pm but to get a table and the first pick of crabs, arrive about an hour prior. To place a bet, you must pay $2 per crab before reaching into the bowl for your pick of the hermit crabs (TIP: Choose the most active of the bunch). There is also a 9pm show for 18+ it is much less crowded so you can safely arrive around only 30 minutes before and crabs start at $5. Prizes include cash, girl scout cookies, t-shirts, and cigars (for the later show). I have won several times in previous years but, for the first time, last night my crab, Zippy, won first place. The races are hosted by Tim or as he calls himself, "Sunburned Willie" and let me warn you that he is EXTREMELY blunt. He has a set of rules and if he catches you breaking them, you will be the focus of his insults for the night and will most likely be sprayed in the face with his squirt bottle. He will target any age so if you have a sensitive child or elderly mother, they better mind Sunburned Willie. YOU DO NOT MESS WITH HIM! While being the target of his rudeness is never a confidence booster, you have to remember that it's all in good fun. Sunburned Willie sells crab racing t-shirts for $15 or two for $25 which is a great deal on the island and then on top of that, firefighters, police officers, nurses, and teachers get a 15% discount. The restaurant itself has entertainment nearly every night. The schedule can be found at their website: http://tween-waters.com/. Personally, I would not dine at the Tween Waters before the races because the food isn't as good as the price suggests it is, but their molten lava cake is very delicious. Remember: 1. Arrive 1 hr early, 2. Bring along a good sense of humor, and 3. This is the stupidest thing you will ever see. -P

Captivating Captiva, FL

 PART ONE: The Mucky Duck
    As promised, I am beginning the process of providing a detailed review of popular vacation attraction in the Sanibel/Captiva area. I was here a few weeks ago and am now currently here again. My family has been renting a house on Captiva since 1998 and we tend to find that we visit the same tourist attractions every year. One of the most memorable is watching the sunset each night at the island's local pub, The Mucky Duck. Everyone on the island stops what they are doing and migrates towards the beach front bar with outstanding outdoor seating (as well as indoor of course), music every weekend, and an outdoor bar. I find this to be amazing because in our daily lives back home, no one takes the time to acknowledge the sunset even in beautiful Colorado, where the sun sets so perfectly over the mountains. We tend to forget or avoid slowing down and taking the time to view something so beautiful. When the sun finally does melt into the ocean, the audience claps like they have never seen a sunset before and then resumes what they were doing and flock back to the "town" (I use the word "town" very loosely here as there are about four shops)  There is (free) parking at The Mucky Duck but it is almost easier to walk depending on where you are staying. Bring bug spray as sunset is prime time for the mosquito and no-see-ems. The Mucky Duck's website provides a complete list of sunset times for every day of the year which can be fount at: Sunset Times. A word of warning, the staff's friendliness is sub par (remember they deal with tourists all day) and the food is a bit pricier than I would like but the over all experience is good and it's hard to find a pub in the U.S. that lives up to the British traditions that the Mucky Duck does.
 -P

Mucky Duck Info: Website & Facebook

Cupcakes To Go?

   One of my favorite things is dessert and one of the best places to satisfy any sweet tooth in Fort Collins is The Cupcake Cruiser. I am quite the critic when it comes to cupcakes since I have an entire blog on cupcakes (see 365 Cupcakes)  but these are the best in town (yes, even better than Butter Cream Cupcakery)! What makes these tiny masterpieces so great is their unique flavors including Lemon Lavender, Apple Butterscotch Spice, and Bourbon Banana Pecan. Every event that the Cruiser attends there is a different selection of flavors. I also like how moist the cakes are as that is Butter Cream's downfall. It is tough to make or buy a moist cupcake but the Cruiser does just that. The staff is incredibly friendly as well so that is always an added bonus. The only negative thing I have to say about this company is that when I called them to place an order (yes, you can order from them for parties, weddings, etc.) it took them quite a while to get back to me after I left a message. This is a food truck business so they have no store but they are consistently at the French Nest Market (see France in Fort Collins) and at various other events. Their next scheduled appearance is July 18th from 4:00pm-8:30pm at Boardwalk Park for the Taste of Windsor. A full schedule can be found here: http://gocupcakecruiser.com/ical/. -P

Cupcake Cruiser Info: Facebook & Website

Finding France in Fort Collins

 

      Feeling like you need a little change in scenery and would like to broaden your culture beyond the United States? Can't afford a trip Europe or can't take the time off work? Well, Europe may be closer than you think. Located at the Civic Center Park every third Saturday of the month through October 19th, The French Nest Open-Air Market is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Between 9am-3pm, vendors, musicians, and local artists come together to create a french feeling right here in Fort Collins. Among the vendors is local food products, antique furniture, hand crafted jewelry, and organic clothes. As always, this event is free admission, child friendly (with a face painter), and pet friendly. There is always at least one food truck in attendance (seeVeebo's Pizza) and the Cupcake Cruiser is consistantly there too. Parking can be challenging so I would advise paying to park in the garage (first hour is free!) or parking on Howes Street by St. Joseph's Catholic School. It does get hot since this is an "Open-Air" market so wear your sunscreen! Another great idea is to hit up the farmer's market right next to the French Nest as they are held at the same time and less than a block away but be cautioned that the farmer's market does shut down before the French Nest (see Fresh Farmer's Market in Fort Collins). -P

French Nest Info: Website & Facebook