Gift ideas to support our downtown businesses~

Here are some gift ideas for you, just in case you're struggling with your list. And the best part? You can get it all in, relatively, one place! These are just some of the places I'm familiar with but is by no means a comprehensive list.

Adorn Home & Gift Gallery- 4th & Coffman

• This is a great "mom" store. There's clever little knick-knacks, jewelry, birds, housewares, and assorted treasures. My favorite might be the Dammit Doll. It's a voodoo looking creation with wild hair that you can toss across the room when you have a dammit moment. Who couldn't use one of those any time of the year anyway?

Barbed Wire Books & Used Book Emporium

• Reasonably priced books are everyone's friend. Once you finish one you can return it for credit on your next pick. I give used books as gifts all the time and am happy to receive them as well. Barbed Wire also has more than books in there. Check out the jewelry, scarves, and lotion bars in the front.

Cheese Importers

• Create your own custom gift basket! Or just take some cheese to the holiday party. I like to take Danish cheese to the Danish side of the family when I visit. A little reminder of the old days I guess. Plus, grandpa will eat anything and cheese is delicious.

Classic Gold

• I just recently stopped in here for the first time. Much of the fanciness there isn't really something I'd be able to give for a Christmas present without a Powerball win but they have these awesome little earrings that I immediately thought would make a great gift for several people. They are light and delicate but bright and unique.

Discovery Egyptian Imports & Longmont Yarn Shoppe

• If you know anyone who likes Egyptian stuff then, hey, no-brainer. But there's something in there for anyone. Jewelry and trinkets galore, figurines, those little genie bottle things (I don't know what I'd use it for but they look like they'd hold a genie), and recently their ornaments were featured on the cover of the Smithsonian magazine! Awesome. Their prices are ridiculously reasonable so go get something shiny. And while you're there...head to the back for some yarn and yarn accessories. I mostly just touch everything because I have MORE than enough yarn for projects I haven't touched in a while.

Frames, Games & Things Unnamed

• So many games, so little time. My personal favorite is Shut the Box, a simple and potentially educational game. We've apparently been playing the easy way at La Vita Bella but I still love it. There's a chess game you can hang on the wall, a castle you can build yourself, a puzzle box to challenge the most smarty of smarty pants in your family. Techno is the thing these days but put down the screens and try these out. You won't regret it.

Muse Gallery

• We can't all afford gallery art for all our loved ones but  Muse has much more affordable prints available. They also have wonderful and unique jewelry for great prices.

Rabid Rabbits

• Lots of unique things here. Good for an artsy friend with eclectic tastes. Great jewelry and cards too.

Scrumptious

• This place is just too much fun! We've all been waiting and it's finally here, buffalo and all. Candy candy candy. Need stocking stuffers? Totally covered. They also have (only slightly disturbing) prints for sale. I personally want/need the Grumpy Cat one but there are a lot of characters to choose from. Look around and you'll keep seeing more as you go. It's not totally ice cream weather but the blue flavor tastes like Fruity Pebbles. No kiddin'. Yum.

Simply Bulk Market

• Go in before you start baking those delicious treats or pick up supplies for the holiday party. They have more than food in there too. They have soap and body products, cleaning supplies, pet food & treats, spices, trinkets, candles, candy, and more. I want a little of everything when I go in there. *Try the ginger snaps. You'll love em.*

Gift Cards

• Keep in mind local restaurants, coffee shops, and shops when buying gift cards. Most places offer gift cards and the LDDA offers gift cards for Downtown Longmont which are good at over 40 businesses. They can be ordered online here: http://downtownlongmont.com/dine-and-shop/downtown-gift-card

Aunt Alice's Kitchen

Honey and I visited old Alice last Saturday, mostly because we're indecisive and the only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted pie. It's close to home too, which is always a nice plus.
We'd been there a while back during the floods when our go-to Sunday breakfast (Sante Fe Burrito Company) was closed and were reasonably impressed. I'd been there a few times but for whatever reason it never jumps to mind when I go out. There's the local faithfuls who go ALL the time. That's a clue to the quality right there. As honey says, you know there's good food if it's full of old people.
Last visit we had breakfast, but this time we were in the mood for warm comfort food. I got the fried chicken with veggies, fries, salad, and a roll. Honey got the Big Daddy Burger. His exclamation was that this was one of the best burgers he's ever had. If I tell you that burgers are like food group of their own to us then you know it's a good recommendation!
I have to concur that the 1 bite I got was pretty darn terrific. It had that charbroiled taste that I love that's often missing from a good burger.
My chicken was also crunchy, hot, and exactly the homestyle fried chicken I've been searching for!
So, if you're one of the 5 people in Longmont who haven't made it to Aunt Alice's I'd say check it out! The food is grandma's kitchen kind of fare the staff is attentive and there's a variety of choices for a very reasonable price. Oh yeah and...pie. Tuesday & Saturday after 4 you can get a FREE slice of cream pie with a meal. We split a piece of chocolate and a piece of coconut. Both delicious.
They have other varieties for you to try too but who can resist free??

They have a senior menu and open at 5am.
If you want to throw your health and wellness concerns in to the wind there's a 96oz Big Daddy Burrito challenge. If you can eat it in an hour, it's free. We saw one guy try...he only got 15 minutes in and called it.

Photo borrowed from Yelp:

 

Arts Coalition of Erie- 1st Annual Photography Show

The Arts Coalition of Erie is excited to partner with the Town of Erie Open Spaces & Trails Advisory Board to hold their first juried Photography Show.
A highlight of this show is the spotlight on the beauty of the Open Spaces and Trails located within the Town of Erie. A special category has been added, both in color and B&W for this focus.

I was happy to attend the reception for this event this week and see some of my friend Lydia Folger's art hanging up beside some other awesome photos!

 

The Arts Coalition of Erie is in a cute little place near old town Erie, I believe...it was dark and I'm not very familiar with the area actually. The coalition was founded in 2008 by local artists and I'm sure it will continue to grow.
There were awards for color, black & white, and best in show. The judge said he was judging each photo on both technical and aesthetic merits. Our dear friend won 1st & 2nd in the black and white category, AND People's Choice for her photo "Adolescent Attitude." (I've nicknamed it "Moo-dy Cows" because I find myself too hilarious to resist.)

 

When not comoo-ning with nature Lydia works as a psychotherapist & counselor in Longmont and is generally delightful. :) Congrats Lydia!

Here are some of the other pieces in the photo contest and gallery:

 

 

 

 

http://artscoalitionoferie.org/

 

 

Beyond Longmont: Yorkshire Fish & Chips

This is a little place in Denver (take the Pecos exit off 36) called Yorkshire Fish & Chips. I went there reluctantly as I have a serious aversion to fish. However, I actually ate a piece of fish. Probably the most fish I've ever eaten at one time since this aversion has pretty much been a life long thing. I love the way fish is breaded and I always hope to find chicken done in this way but it's not very common. (Baker St. Pub in Boulder does it the way I like!)
But if you do actually LIKE fish and chips I can give this the highest recommendation possible for food I don't really eat. I know it doesn't sound like a good recommendation, but I promise it is!
I did get the chicken, which unfortunately was not breaded like the fish but still ok.
The coleslaw is good too and of course they have vinegar so you can do it up properly.
I'd actually try the fish again if we go back one of these days. Who knew...

 

http://www.denverfishandchips.com/index.htm

 

Boulder Creek Festival

I've shocked many a person in the last couple years by telling them I've never been to the Boulder Creek Festival. (I'd never even really heard much about it for some reason, even though I spent 4+ years going to school and working IN Boulder.)
But this year I went and it's quite the festival. I had my own personal guide (aka boyfriend) to show me around and buy me lunch. :)
It just kept going and going. Every so often he'd say "Oh, let's go over there." I'm thinking, there's MORE? Sheesh. Lots of awesome stuff though; snacks, people, dogs, cute kids, more snacks, trinkets, causes, art and more art.
I learned about a stone called druzy while I was there, apparently it's very popular right now. I'm learning a lot more about gemstones these days. This stuff is AWESOME and it totally matched my fingernails so I was excited about it every time. It's like glitter in rock form. So cool!



And in the event that you're curious about my new nail polish...it's from the new Bond Girl collection. This color is Tiffany Case.

 

 

I didn't see much of the music but I thought I'd tell you about 3 of the artists that I thought were totally amazing and stood out from the others. ALL the artists are amazing there but these were my personal favorites.

There is so much jewelry at these things that I wouldn't mind covering myself in but sometimes one artist really had your look more than others, right? One of the first ones we looked at, and my first look at druzy, was at Richard Lindsay's booth.
Almost everything was silver (I don't care for gold much, I'm a silver fan) and sparkly and just a little unique. His stuff isn't wacky looking but it just has a little something that's not quite like others. I suspect it's the New Mexico-ness of him; he uses unique symbols. He was also a very nice fella. So go on, check out his creations here: www.richardlindsay.com

 

 



 Right next to Mr. Lindsay, was David Lozeau. This one I nearly knocked people over to see. It screamed at me HEY! COME OVER HERE! YOU LOVE ME!
I love it when art screams at me.
Skeletons galore. I don't even know how to explain these adequately. Just awesome. I will own one of these some day. Some of the originals for sale also had handmade frames that were amazing. I'm sure there's some artsy word for this stuff (like "steampunk" which I'm still catching on to) but you'll just have to trust my "awesome and amazing" label until you go check it out yourself.
David was also a really nice chipper guy. Slightly more peppy than I'd expect for a guy who makes everything look dead. The colors are really what makes it for me. He inspires me to work on my skeletons again.
If you want to check out his brilliance, this is the place for you: http://www.davidlozeau.com/

Last but not least, on the other side of the tent was Rafael Vega. He was quietly sitting in his booth taking in all the vibes...I could just tell. I feel like this is a man who SEES everything. The fact that his art is called Ancient Shadows is very fitting I think. This guy is also from New Mexico...I'm sensing a pattern here.
He was showcasing Shamanic Sculptures. I want every single one of them. They are made with animal "leftovers" (shells, skins, bones, etc.) along with stones and other bits from nature.
His pieces have energy to them. Some art is just pretty to look at, but sometimes you'll find something that kinda feels like it's looking back at you. This is what I found with the Ancient Shadows. I'd definitely like to have one of these some day too. Maybe he'll make an itty bity bargain shaman just for me, the poor art lover??
Check him out at Shutterfly: http://ancientshadows.shutterfly.com/

If you missed the festivities this year then at least you got a little taste of it here. I definitely want to go back next year and take a little more time to look at everything.
But until then go check out these amazing artists!

A local face

As much as I'd like to know many of the Longmont locals that I see a lot of, it just hasn't happened yet. Maybe some day. Saying hi to my favorite lady at the grocery store makes me pretty happy.

But if there's someone around town that is easy to remember, it's a dude with dragons tattooed on his head. Aside from him being memorable, he's also awesome and special to ME so I'm sharing because I can. I think he's a great example to people that just because you look out of the ordinary doesn't mean you aren't a caring and intelligent person, which you can clearly see if you take the time to listen to him.
So without further wordyness, let me introduce you to Jason- this is a video he did explaining why he has tattoos on his face, why he likes tattoos in general, and partly in response to negative things people have said.
Even if you're not in to tattoos he still has some interesting things to say about life and might make you think about things a little differently if you see him or someone else with facial tattoos.
Yes, he also answers the "did that hurt?" question.
He continues in video 2, so if you're digging it then watch that one as well.
If you're interested in hearing more about him or watching any of his new episodes about the history of body modification be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel- piratewizarddragon.

If you see him out and about don't be afraid to say hello!

** It seems that if you are viewing this on a mobile device these videos don't always show up as they should. So here are the links-
Video 1: http://youtu.be/13rNBKLSbTY
Video 2: http://youtu.be/h_QJDCJJdm0

 

Perky's Coffee

After my most recent Brooklyn Deli trip, mom and I decided to stop over at Perky's since we were in the neighborhood. The neighborhood being just one door down. If you've gone to wedding dresses, you've gone one too far. I'd never been to Perky's before and I was in the mood for a mocha.
Little did I know I was also in the mood for a cupcake. (How silly of me not to realize.) While we were there we chatted with an older fella who comes down from Loveland just for Perky's Coffee. That's always a good sign!

There are so many treats in there that I didn't know were there! It was just before Valentine's Day so there was sweet treats fitting for your sweet treat. :D
After several moments of deep contemplation and debate we selected an orange and almond cupcake to go with our mocha and decaf iced chai. Orangey cake and almond frosting. I was tempted to try the boozy cupcakes or the rootbeer float cupcakes but those will have to wait for another time.

 

The mocha was splendid and the cupcake altered my relationship with all future cupcakes.

It was amazing.

I'm not really one for fruity baked goods and I don't even eat oranges but THIS cupcake was epic.

The perky Perky's barista told us that these are made with spelt flour, which she said has less gluten than regular flour. Since mom is gluten-free this fortunately/unfortunately gave her more reason to assist me in demolishing the cupcake.

(*Spelt according to my internet searching is actually wheat-free.)

 

Being the wonderful child that I am I took off a chunk of my cupcake and put in on the napkin for mom ("I just want a bite.") and slid it across the table to her. This is what you might have overheard if you were there:

Me: "I kinda wiped my face on that..."

Mom after taking a bite: "That's ok....you can drop it in the street and I'd still pick it up and eat it."

 

 Nom.

 

 

Coffee. Good.
Atmosphere. Good.
Service. Super friendly.
Cupcake. Heavenly.

I'll certainly be stopping in Perky's again when I'm out and about in north Longmont. I recommend you do the same! I'm not saying you HAVE to try a cupcake but why not use the excuse eh??

http://perkyslongmont.com/

Brooklyn Deli

I don't make it up to the north side of Longmont all that often anymore but, hey folks, there's good stuff up there.
Mom and I wandered out on a slightly blustery day and stopped at the Brooklyn Deli on 15th and Main. I hadn't been in quite a while so it was time to try it again.

I got the pastrami on rye (amazing bread) and mom got a brat with saurkraut on a gluten-free roll.
Mom dug the NY pickles. They are a little more mild than your average dill but pretty tasty!

Brooklyn Deli isn't just a clever name, the owner is authentic east coast. He's chatty and happy to answer questions about the menu. There's all kinds of stuff on there that I'd like to try.
I wish it was on my way to work in the morning because sometimes I just need a golden bagel drowning in cream cheese, which they have!
They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There's a variety of amazing looking pastries, along with some stuff that I think I'm gonna skip on my next visit....chicken liver sandwich? Oy. But if that's your thing then this is the only place I know of where you can get it.

To check out the menu, visit their website: http://thebrooklyndeli.com/index.html

Flavor of India: My home away from home

If you keep up with my whereabouts at all, you’ll know I’m frequently at Flavor of India. It’s the only place in the world where I have an honest-to-goodness bar buddy. I was in last week and I looked over and saw a familiar face coming up to me; it wasn’t my bar buddy but it was another friend who frequents the place. He says, “Well, I was heading over to [other enjoyable Main St. establishment] but I thought since it was Wednesday I’d see if you were here!” I wasn’t aware until that point that I had a reputation to uphold as the Wednesday night buffet promoter! Daman and I were joking about me bringing in people off the street just by being there. There is a bit of a Flavor of India family that has been created around the ACTUAL family that runs this little haven of good smells and good times. I’m happy to be a part of it, if I do say so myself. Daman and Suki treat me like family and I am grateful for their presence in my life.

But on to the food!

Indian food is not the 1^st choice for many. But I think it’s misunderstood…
There’s more to Indian food than curry. Daman always recommends the lamb chops (which I’m ashamed to say I’ve never tried…but I will soon!), especially for people who aren’t very familiar with Indian food. Here are some of my all-time favorites: chicken pakora or samosas (appetizers), their chicken soup is AMAZING and will cure you of a sore throat in record time, nan of any variety is always a must, chicken tikka, tandori chicken, vegi or chicken korma (creamy and flavorful), chicken makhni (basically tandori chicken off the bone, in a creamy sauce), aloo gobi (potato & cauliflower) or aloo sag (potato & spinach) are good for vegi lovers, chicken biryani, and my favorite for dessert…kheer (rice pudding). Add a Mango Lassi for the kids (think- yogurt milkshake), chai or a King Fisher (Indian beer) for you and you’ll be in gut-busting heaven.

If you can’t decide, or still aren’t sure about the whole thing, I suggest going for the buffet. Go for lunch any day for $9.95; or dinner buffet on Wednesday nights for $12.95. I can’t resist the fried green beans and meatballs when I go on buffet night.

You’ll be greeted with a friendly hello, or if you’re as lucky as me….a few hugs, and feel at home while you’re enjoying all the flavors that Flavor of India has to offer. If you see a chick at the bar giving someone a hard time or giggling the night away then it might just be me.

 

http://flavorofindialongmont.com/