Giant Coffee

This little gem of a spot is hidden next to CVS and the Cancer Survivor's Park, east of Central and McDowell. I first heard about Giant Coffee when visiting Matt's Big Breakfast on a Saturday morning. We never go there to eat anymore, but instead, call ahead and take out (a little tip for those of you who crave the food, but aren't into waiting outside in 100 degree weather, or sit in a cramped and hot dining room).
Giant Coffee is also owned by Matt and Erenia Pool (Matt's Big Breakfast, and The Roosevelt). They serve Four Barrel Coffee from San Francisco, and the milk and cream is organic Barista Milk and Half and Half from Straus Family Creamery or California, which is organic, specially formulated milk and cream for coffee.
The decor is modern, yet warm, with long wooden tables and benches down the middle, and high two-seater desk like booths.

Though the view of McDowell and the flowering trees isn't amazing, the sliding glass wall is. I can not WAIT until the weather is cool, the glass is opened, and I can have a latte while relaxing.

I ordered a plain, hot latte, and a bagel with cream cheese. The bagel was plain, but occasionally had large flecks of salt, making it a bit more like a pretzel. It was hot and crispy outside, and chewy inside. The cream cheese was organic and had chunks of peppers and I think carrots in it! They give you plenty of cream cheese, in your own little cup, so you can put as much or as little as you like. I REALLY hate when places skimp on the cream cheese. Just saying.

 The latte was hot, foamy, not too strong, and they even make a little foamy heart in the top. Delicious.

Giant Coffee is great, and I think it's a wonderful addition to downtown. The barista's are helpful and friendly, and the two times we've been there haven't been busy at all. It doesn't feel pretentious, and you don't have to be hip to go in.

The only downside is that they only take cash. I don't know if that's a temporary thing, or this is how it's going to be, but it's worth making an extra stop at the ATM.

Reebok: Women's EasyTone Reeinspire Sneakers

So, I REALLY dislike exercise. Add that to my love of eating anything bad for me, and there was a problem. About 3 months ago, I decided that a workout regimen was necessary. I got my Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred DVD and committed to doing it 5 days/week.
I knew I needed some sweet sneakers, and had seen the ads for the EasyTone shoes. Who wouldn't want their shoes to make their leg and butt muscles work harder than usual, while working out, or doing every day activities?
I had seen the Sketchers ShapeUps, but they look so goofy, I just couldn't bring myself to buy them.

The search for the perfect color of EasyTone's began, and I settled on this pair:

By now, you already know how I feel about all things gold, so this should be no surprise. And my luck was that no store in town carried this particular color, so I ordered from the Reebok website. The price of the shoes plus shipping was right around $130. I agree, the price is steep, but I've also gone from flabby legs that wouldn't even SEE a pair of shorts, to being comfortable in shorts around real people!
Granted, I did start working out 5 days per week, but it is not intense leg work, and I really do believe that the shoes have given me that extra little boost that I needed.
I had also noticed that I was starting to get "old lady butt" (wider and fatter at the top than at the bottom) and slowly but surely, I've been returning to a "young-ish lady butt).
You don't feel like you'll tip over or trip with these shoes - the bottoms have air pockets which secretly make you a little off balance, and cause your muscles to work harder to stabilize your body. It really isn't something noticeable though, and I definitely recommend getting a pair of these shoes! Welcome back, cheerleader legs!!!

AMAZING finds at Olive In Paris!

If you haven't been to the "shop at the top of the stairs", then you are truly missing out! Located at 4624 N 7th Avenue in Phoenix, Olive In Paris us just upstairs from Paris Envy. Makes sense, right?
You might remember Olive Annie from awhile back - well, this is still Lani's shop, with her amazing clothes, jewels, and knick-knacks.
I love everything about this place: The colors, the lights, the displays, the glitter.....
On my last visit, I was in to borrow some jewelry for a photo shoot we had, and one of the pieces so generously lent to me by Lani was THIS:

Ummmm, gold? Check! Guns? Check! Mine? Check!!!!!! As I drooled a bit over this necklace, Lani explained that when she ordered it, she knew that it was meant for someone who would come in, and would "understand" what it was about. I'm pretty sure that she was thinking of me exactly! Now, what other shop can you go in, actually meet the owner working there, and get the background on a piece like this? And where else can you GET a piece like this?

It is seriously heavy, and the cashier at Target even complimented me on (he was a boy, mind you!).

It is definitely a statement-making piece. Sort of like telling everyone "you don't wanna mess with this" all in a bedazzled cloud of shiny gold. Now I get that sometimes you don't want to look so tough or menacing (I mean, I never feel that way, but whatever). Maybe you're going on a blind date, or maybe you're going to church and want something "softer" or more feminine. There are all sorts of options at Olive In Paris. Statement-making jewelry, flowy dresses and tops, and even a photo booth where they'll take a Polaroid of you in whatever you buy.

Stop by the shop, and try to find my picture!

Bye, lovelies!

Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner Pencil

This eyeliner is, hands down, the best BLACK pencil eyeliner I have EVER used in my life. I splurged on it once at Sephora (it is $17 for one pencil), and never looked back.
The Mat Black is my favorite, as I tend to think black eyeliner is appropriate for any situation. Maybe it's not, but what do I care?
I use the black to line my upper eyelid, lower eyelid, and rim the inside of my eyes (usually not all at once, mind you). It goes on smooth and satiny, doesn't "skip" and leave a bumpy line, and seriously stays on all day.
I have used other liners that go on well, but if you are rimming the inside of your eyes, and your eyes are a little watery, or you even blink, it just comes off, or gets faded. That is NOT that case with this liner.

It also sharpens well, which is really important for a pencil liner. I hate when you sharpen, the lead breaks out, you sharpen again, repeat, repeat, and boom! Your pencil is gone! Not the case with Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner. I have tried a few other colors in the same line, and while they go on very smooth, sharpen well, and stay forever, they don't show up as well when rimming the inside of your eyes. I'm not quite sure why. The black just comes out inky, silky, and delicious.

Here is a link to Sephora's website where you can see the 25 or so colors that they have:
Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner!!
Crap! I just saw that they have gold. I guess I'll be doing a little online shopping today. :)

An easy design idea for the weekend!

I get bored easily. I like to change stuff, and in our house, I especially like having random things in random places. Things you normally wouldn't think of, but seem to work.
Now this is just a quick little idea that anyone can do, hardly takes any time, and to me, made a big difference!
WALLPAPER YOUR MEDICINE CABINET!
They are so boring, so routine.... then you open one up only to be greeted by a paper of your choosing, and somehow, it just makes all the rituals a little more fun.
I had some leftover wrapping paper that I'd bought at World Market, and it was just too stiff to actually wrap anything with. So I removed the shelves from my cabinet, measured the back square, cut the paper to size, and used clear thumb tacks to hold it in place. I put the shelves back up, and arranged my products. It's a little pop of color in an unexpected place. It's a deep green with a gold wash, and gold embossed printing.
This isn't my favorite paper, but was what I had on hand. I really need to find some cream and black striped paper - now THAT would be luxury. You could use wrapping paper, tissue paper, anything you have on hand. Have a great weekend everyone!

Tokyo Milk Parfumarie Curiosite No. 06 Bon Bon Bubbling Bath and Dead Sexy Candle

Okay, so you may not be a bath person. I know a few people who don't take baths because they feel that they are "stewing in their own filth". I mean, how dirty are you? I just don't get that. I'm not a regular bath person, per se, but my baths are usually taken when I'm sick, or when I'm sad. 

Yep, that's right. My husband knows we are in a fight if I start running a bath, or he knows that I am really feeling badly.

Today was a great example. I'm sitting at work, minding my own business, when I start getting migraine symptoms. I've had migraines for years, so I know when one is starting. I have trouble seeing clearly, and my arms and lips go numb. Rather than wait it out, and hope that this didn't turn into a full-blown migraine, I headed home and laid down. After taking my prescription med, which is a whole other sick feeling in itself, I decided a bath was needed.

This is where all the deliciousness and luxury of Tokyo Milk comes in. As you should know by now, I'm a sucker for skull and cross bone designs, and all things creepy/fancy. This bubble bath and candle caught my eye when I was doing some shopping at local boutique Paris Envy (http://www.parisenvy.blogspot.com/). An antique-looking skull and cross bones is printed over a faded background of pink roses and scripty writing. The bottles are antique looking, with the Tokyo Milk logo in small typewriter print. If the liquid inside was good as the package, I was sold!

I chose the Number 06 bottle, and the description of scents read: Deep Vanilla, Exotic Wood, White Orchid, and Ebony. I'm not normally a fan of any sweet vanilla - I mean, who wants to be smelling like a cookie? Blech.... 

Anyhow, the scent is amazing. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

The best way I can explain it is that I imagine it is what a rich lady smells like. You know, they aren't wearing the perfume that is the latest rage at Sephora. They wear things that smell like traveling, like money you'll never have, like they never get dirty or never have a bad manicure. You imagine that the perfume they wear is specially made for them, or that it has a name that you can't even attempt to pronounce. Well, yeah, that's what this smells like. 

And it bubbles like no other bubble bath I've seen. These are the bubbles of t.v. and movies, people! Big bubbles that foam up, over the side of the tub, and stick around just long enough to soften your skin and leave it smelling like a rich lady. And who doesn't want that?

The candle is the same mix of scents, but seems to have even more of a woodsy, tobacco smell. It reminds me a little of the sweet smell of a cigar, but not so "creepy old man"-like. It comes in a small tin, with a lid emblazoned with the same creepy/fancy skull and cross bones-over-roses print, and is perfect for traveling, or on the back of your toilet (where mine is). It really does have a great scent that carries throughout the house. It also has "Dead Sexy" printed on the side, which just makes me feel like a bad ass.

Tokyo Milk does have a website, but if you like the instant gratification of buying your products in person, pay Paris Envy a visit. Tell Laurie I sent you, and happy bathing!