Color Story: Gems + Jewel Tones (part 1)

Beyond just decoration, color is elemental.

Think of mineral pigments. The way a body of water takes on shades of what it carries – a cloudy blue glacial stream, a teal bay concealing a forest of kelp, a river that turns mud-brown with sediment. The hue of flames shifting from fuel and temperature changes. Or the impact of heat and chemical makeup on the color of lava, of aurora, of stars.

The rich, saturated colors of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, and other gemstones are actually from trace elements within them. It’s those so-called imperfections that create the gorgeous palette we call jewel tones.

With Tucson’s gem show season beginning today, it seemed like the perfect time to explore jewel-toned things to make, places to visit, handmade items to shop, and nature to marvel at.

In fact, I found so many gems to share with you that there will be a Part 2!

1. Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula, as seen through Webb Telescope filters. / public domain composite image via NASA and Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) / in case you’re wondering: “How Are Webb’s Full-Color Images Made?” + “Where Colors in Telescope Images Come From”

2. Mineral from “one of the world’s finest collections of crystals” in the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro, Oregon.

3. Interstellar Collection clay earrings handmade in Tucson by Little Rabbit Jewelry.

4. My photo of the fantastical Gila monster/Quetzalcoatl dragon mural that Jessica Gonzales created for Amazing Discoveries game store in Tucson.

5. Fluorite Obelisk made from natural crystal by Liz Creation Studio.

6. Monarch butterfly mosaic made on sustainable birchwood by Lantern Press Artwork.

7. Tossing Mardi Gras beads from a balcony in New Orleans. / via MardiGrasNewOrleans.com / History of throwing trinkets to Mardi Gras crowds.

8+9. Balsamic goat cheese pasta with roasted beets. / via Half-Baked Harvest

10. Looking up at the cut-gem shape of the ceiling of the Byrd Theatre in Richmond, Virginia. / photo by Florence Womack

11. Fruit and Tonics: Recipe for giant, fruit-infused ice cubes that will give your drink more flavor as they melt instead of watering it down! / Add to gin and tonics, plain sparkling water, lemonade, or a pitcher of sangria. / via A Beautiful Mess

12. Sari Silk Cushion Cover made from vintage fabric in Jaipur, India by TheCraftmanship.

13. Free printable for making watercolor paper gems. / via We Are Scout

14. Prickly pear juice handcrafted by Desert Forager’s John Slattery. / At Tucson Meet Yourself, he was hustling to ring up beverage orders on one side of his booth while selling and signing his book, Southwest Foraging, on the other! / Return the jar your drink is served in for a discounted refill.

15. Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution by Hanan Karaman Munayyer, a beautiful book I borrowed recently.

16. Lanterns to celebrate Buddha’s birthday (Vesak Day) in Seoul, South Korea. / via Huffington Post

17. Hand-cut glass bottle wind chimes made by Bottles Uncorked. / You can order a set of all 10 colors or choose a single bottle.

18. BIRDLOVER Guatemalan Huipil Blouse, handwoven and embroidered by Doña Juana, a Mayan weaver in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala. It was a 6-month long project! / via Mayan Artisans on Etsy

Photos link to their sources. This post contains Etsy affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission on purchases – at no extra cost to you! Win-win!

December 24, 2023December 24, 2023

People’s Peculiar Park Opinions

“I can’t believe this is actually a place to review, but, alas, here it is!”

—J.B.

There are reviews online for just about any space you can be in. Not only for the ones you’d expect, like restaurants or hotels, but also for places like parking garages — and parks. Sometimes they’re helpful, sometimes the reviewer just needs to vent, and sometimes they get a bit absurd.

The weird ones are the best.

Case in point: Amberwood Park in Chandler.

I don’t remember how I stumbled on its Google listing, but I was surprised that over 140 people felt strongly enough to weigh in on this little park – if you can even call it that.

A Park by Any Other Name

“Calling Amberwood Park a ‘park’ may be something of a misnomer. Amberwoood Park is more of a good sized green belt with a small playground for kids on the north side of the park.”

—4-star review by M.R.

That sounds exactly like a park to me.

And deep down, even M.R. (I’ll just refer to reviewers by their initials) knows it too.

Philosophical questions about the nature of parkdom aside, I needed to see for myself what all the fuss was about. So last time Phillip, Quijote, and I were leaving the Phoenix area to head back to Tucson, we made a strategic stop in Chandler.

A Walk in Amberwood Park

“Just a park for the kids and the dogs and the drones, etc.”

–4-star review by T.L.Q.

I can now confirm firsthand that Amberwood is indeed a park.

In addition to the playground, it has lots of open space to run around, park benches, a basketball hoop, a meandering path, and a sand volleyball court. In case you still had doubts, the Chandler Parks Department signs are a dead giveaway.

We did see kids and dogs there, but no drones. (Maybe they have a separate off-leash drone park somewhere else-?)

Of course, like any place, Amberwood Park has its detractors.

Gone to the Dogs

“Dirty place. Wouldn’t take a classy lady there.”

—1-star review by J.R.

Everyone knows that if you want to impress a classy lady, you take her to a city park. A clean one.

“The play area is covered in wood chips, which is better than sand, but makes me feel like a gerbil.”

—3-star review by J.W.

Which sounds less like it’s about Amberwood Park and more like it’s about J.W.

Then there’s this complaint…

“Skateboarders have taken over the children’s playground. You’ll occasionally get the smell of weed wafting in your direction.”

—1-star review by A.C.

Which was followed immediately by this much more chill description of the park…

“Huge and pretty level with decent grass.”

—5-star review from K.M.

Interpret that how you will.

For the record, the evening we were there, the playground was populated by small children and a large dog. No stoned skaters. Nor wafting weed smells. It seemed more likely that St. Bernards would take over than skater kids.

The Neighbors Are Nice

“Every holiday season my family and I come down this road at least once. It’s short but sweet and the neighbors are nice.”

—5-star review by J.B. (continued from the first quote)

When I read this one, I was trying to figure out how big of a park this is to have a road running through it. Then I realized they weren’t talking about the park.

Amberwood is just one street over from Upland Drive, one of those neighborhoods where all the houses have over-the-top holiday decorations. It actually has its own spot on the map, listed as Upland Families Christmas Lights. But some of its reviews were left on the park’s listing instead.

“Loved how everyone shared their Christmas joy and allowed us to visit and see the beautiful Christmas lights and how creative everyone is! It was a pretty amazing experience. Thank you to everyone who decided and took the amazing time to decorate their beautiful home.”

–O.F.

According to O.F., this was an “amazing experience,” but not a 5-star one.

She continues…

“We give four stars only because we wish more of the neighbors had lights around their house. And for everyone to leave the Christmas lights on until 10.”

—4-star review by O.F.

That is some very specific feedback.

I’m unclear why reviewers feel the need to critique a neighborhood’s holiday spirit. But I guess every Whoville has at least one Grinch. And anyplace people go, online reviews will follow.

All I can do is say that I hope you’re having a happy holiday season, and may all your neighbors leave their Christmas lights on until 10!

These are real reviews I edited for clarity.

November 24, 2023November 25, 2023

“Frybread Face:” a Film about Family, Flocks + Defining Yourself

Imagine that you’re 12.

It’s the beginning of summer 1990, and you’re growing up in San Diego. You’ve got a Walkman, a neon green fanny pack, and annual passes to SeaWorld.

Then your mom effectively cancels all your summer plans when she tells you she’ll be sending you to stay at your grandma’s house on a sheep ranch in rural Arizona instead. [Record scratch.]

That’s the beginning of Benny’s story in the film Frybread Face and Me.

Welcome to the Rez

Benny, portrayed by Keir Tallman, is a sweet, Fleetwood-Mac-loving preteen, who marches to the beat of his own drum.

His Aunt Lucy drops him off at the home of his grandmother (played by Sarah Natani, who is a Navajo master weaver in real life, as well as in the movie).

It’s the first time in years he’s been on the reservation, and it is a bit of culture shock for the city kid. Although he’s Navajo (Diné), he doesn’t speak the language and has grown up away from the traditions that weave their way into the life of many of his relatives.

Grandma Lorraine only speaks Navajo. When it is just the two of them, her words are not subtitled. So unless you speak Navajo, you are as in the dark as Benny is.

His Uncle Marvin, who also lives on the ranch, speaks English but doesn’t have a kind word to say to Benny.

Although Grandma Lorraine’s house is so remote that it doesn’t have running water or electricity, it is actually the hub that connects his extended family. It’s where they always return – especially in times of transition or difficulty.

The City Cousin and the Country Cousin

Things begin to turn around for Benny with the arrival of his 10-year-old cousin (played by Charley Hogan), who everyone calls “Frybread Face.” Not only is she able to translate the Navajo language and culture for him, she can give him the scoop on their relatives, as well. The two cousins bond while working together to take care of sheep, fix fences, and find time to just have fun and be kids.

Throughout the film, Benny is trying to understand who he is and how he fits into his culture and his family. He also learns that the adults don’t have it all figured out either.

Native American Heritage Continues

The film is beautiful with plenty of moments to both make you smile and to tug at your heart strings.

It was written and directed by Billy Luther, who is Navajo, Hopi, and Laguna Pueblo. While he has made documentaries (including the award-winning Miss Navajo) and television shows, this is his first feature film! It was filmed on location in New Mexico with shots that capture the wide open spaces and stark beauty of the high desert.

Frybread Face and Me is being released on Netflix and in select theaters today (November 24, 2023) in honor of Native American Heritage Day.

Film preview and photos courtesy of ARRAY.

September 12, 2023October 21, 2024

Sonoran Restaurant Week Pairings

We’re right smack dab in the middle of Sonoran Restaurant Week, when around 100 (!) restaurants in Tucson and surrounding cities offer special prix fixe menus for $25, $35, or $45 (plus tax and tip). The price often includes several courses that would regularly cost more.

breakfast food — Breakfast at Maynard’s.

The idea is to encourage diners to try restaurants they haven’t been to, as well as revisiting old favorites. You many need to ask for the Sonoran Restaurant Week menu if you’re at a participating place and don’t see one. Find participating restaurants and menus on TucsonFoodie.com.

View of Tucson — View of the city from inside the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson.

I’ve paired 7 of these Tucson restaurants with something fun to do (relatively) nearby that complements them.

state park picnic tables — Phillip and Quijote scope out a picnic area at Catalina State Park.

Tucson Tamale (on Oracle) + Catalina State park

Pick up Tucson Tamale’s picnic-ready Sonoran Week Fiesta Box from their Oracle Road location and head to Catalina State Park – only 10-15 minutes away! Throw in some water bottles and you’re ready to go!

Restaurant Prix Fixe: $35 (feeds 4)

Park Fee: $7 per vehicle

On the Menu

Tucson Tamale:

Sonoran Week Fiesta Box includes…

8 tamales (they have meat, vegetarian, and vegan options)
2 sides (choose from salads, rice dishes, beans, Mexican slaw, etc.)
salsa and chips
4 cookies
serving ware

Catalina:

Trails
Wildlife watching
Sep. 15, 7pm: Guided night hike

Hours

Tucson Tamale: Monday – Saturday 10am-7pm / Sunday 11am-5pm

Catalina: 5am- 10pm daily / Visitor center and park store 8am-5pm

Locations

Tucson Tamale: 7286 N. Oracle Rd.

Catalina: 11570 N. Oracle Rd.

Art assemblages from found objects. — A few pieces from the outdoor portion of the Sonoran Quipu exhibition.

Coronet Restaurant + Museum Of Contemporary Art Tucson (MOCA)

After perusing contemporary art in the former fire station turned airy art gallery that is Tucson’s MOCA, you can stroll on over to the Coronet for dinner. While the Coronet’s decor is classic and the building itself was built in the 1860s, the menu features contemporary faire.

Restaurant Prix Fixe: $45

Museum Admission: $7

On the menu

Coronet: Southwest greens with roasted root vegetables, wild boar bucatini, chocolate truffle.

MOCA: Sonoran Quipu, an assortment of locally-found materials tied together in a site-specific installation, is on exhibit in the Great Hall until October 1.

Hours

Coronet: Thursday – Monday 5–9pm

MOCA: Thursday – Saturday 11am-6pm / Sunday: 11am-4pm

Locations

Coronet: 198 W. Cushing St.

MOCA: 265 S. Church Ave.

plants at botanic gardens — Vegetable garden planters at Tucson Botanical Gardens.

Feast + Tucson Botanical Gardens

Feast is located just south of the Garden District. Full of vegetables, fruit, and herbs, their restaurant week menu should pair perfectly with a day in the garden!

Restaurant Prix Fixe: $45

Garden Admission: $15, advance purchase recommended (or free with a Culture Pass)

On the menu

Feast: Choose from several options for each of 3 courses.

1st course choices (abbreviated): cauliflower en mole, chestnut risotto, or truffled meatballs.
2nd: heirloom tomatoes, roast chicken, hanger steak, or udon noodles with pork.
3rd: orange-anise cake, plum parfait, or pandan sweet rice cake.

Tucson Botanical: Art exhibitions at the Gardens this week include All at Once, Enchanted Garden, La Calavera Catrina, and Power to the Flower.

Hours

Feast: Tuesday – Saturday 11am-8pm

Tucson Botanical: daily 8:30am–4:30pm

Locations

Feast: 3719 E. Speedway Blvd.

Tucson Botanical: 2150 N. Alvernon Way

Playground Bar and Lounge + Proper Shops

Just across the street from each other at Congress and 5th Avenue, Playground Bar + Lounge is also a restaurant and Proper Shops is a collective of local merchants and artists that also has a bar inside!

Restaurant Prix Fixe: $25 per person

On the menu

Playground: Choose from 3 starters and 3 entrees.

Proper:

Current merchants include Reap + Sow eco-boutique, Willows Bazaar clothing, Tucson Gallery, and several others!
Sept. 15, 6-8pm: Meet local artist Andrea Rodriguez in the Tucson Gallery.

Hours

Playground (restaurant hours): Fri 4-10pm / Sat 12-10pm / Sun 10am-8pm

Proper: Thr 3-8pm / Fri 3-9pm / Sat 11am-9pm / Sun 11am-5pm

Locations

Playground: 278 E. Congress St.

Proper: 300 E. Congress St.

Tuxon Hotel Pool Bar + Tuxon Hotel Pool

You don’t have to be staying at the Tuxon to relax poolside there. Anyone can enjoy food and drinks at the Tuxon’s poolside bar. You can even purchase a pool pass and jump in!

Restaurant Prix Fixe: $25

Pool Passes:

Day Pass $45
Cabana Rental (4 day passes, shaded cabana with daybed seating, complimentary bottled water) $75 Mon-Thr / $150 Fri-Sun

On the Menu

Sonoran cheese crisp, enchiladas, barrio beans, mezcal mule.

Hours

Bar: Lunch 11am-3pm / Happy Hour 3-6pm daily

Pool: daily 1-10pm

Location

960 S. Freeway

Flora’s Market Run + The Loft Cinema

Flora’s restaurant week menu might be the best deal I’ve seen so far! Once you finish dessert, it’s just a 4-minute drive to The Loft. Sounds like an ideal dinner-and-a-movie date to me!

Restaurant Prix Fixe: $45 (for two people to share)

Cinema Tickets: $10.50 (regular adult admission)

On the Menu

Flora’s: Southwest salad, elote pizza, chai choco taco sundae

Loft: Special screenings this week include…

Sep. 13, 7:30pm: The French Dispatch (The Films of Wes Anderson: Part Two) – regular admission
Sep. 14, 11am: Rebel Without a Cause (Hollywood Classics Series) – regular admission
Sep. 14, 7:30pm: The Big Lebowski 25th Anniversary Movie Party! – $12
Sep. 16, 2pm: ¡Agua es Vida! A Celebration of Water in the Desert (Short Film Showcase) – regular admission

Hours

Flora’s: Mon-Thr 7am-8pm / Fri-Sat 7am-9pm / Sun 7am-6pm

Loft: See screening times.

Location

Flora’s: 2513 E. 6th St.

Loft: 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.

flower gardens — Entrance to Tohono Chul.

Wildflower American Cuisine + Tohono Chul

How you can check out Tohono Chul desert gardens and gallery, but avoid being out in the hottest part of the day:

start early
explore the gardens first
as it heats up, move inside to the galleries
browse the shops on your way out
cool off with a late lunch at Wildflower.

Or, if you’re still at Tohono Chul at closing time, you can head to Wildflower for dinner.

Restaurant Prix Fixe: $45 per person.

Garden + Gallery Admission: $15 (or free with a Culture Pass)

On the menu

Wildflower: 3-course meal (starter, entree, dessert) + glass of wine

Tohono Chul:

Walk in the Gardens tour daily at 10am.
The exhibit in the Main Gallery is Día de los Muertos (now through November 5).

Hours

Wildflower: daily 11am-9pm

Tohono Chul: daily 8am-5pm

Locations

Wildflower: 7037 N. Oracle Rd.

Tohono Chul: 7366 N. Paseo del Norte

coffee and a pastry — Coffee at Flora’s Market Run.

July 29, 2023July 29, 2023

Quilt Shop Hops: Northern Arizona

landscape designs on quilts — Picture Piecing quilts by England Design Studios at the Quilt, Craft + Sewing Festival.

What’s a Quilt Shop Hop?

In case you’re not familiar, you can think of a quilt shop hop as kind of like a pub crawl, only with less alcohol and a lot more fabric.

Different quilt shops in a region will participate with demonstrations, prizes, and fun activities. You “hop” around to the different ones. Instead of tickets or admission, you can purchase a single passport that allows you to join in the extra festivities at each shop.

Fabric banner — Banner project via Quilt N Sew Connection, Prescott Valley.

Northern Arizona Shop Hop

The Northern Arizona “Beat the Heat” Shop Hop is actually going on across northern Arizona through today (Saturday, July 29).

To join in, you just start in any of the 6 participating shops and buy a passport for $5. That gets you entry into prize drawings and a 10% discount on merchandise, as you visit the rest of the shops (or as many of them as you’d like).

The Plan

My mom wanted to go check out that Northern Arizona Shop Hop, so we hatched a plan to make a day trip while I was visiting her recently.

The plan was to time our two-hour drive from Phoenix so we’d arrive as the shops were opening. We wouldn’t get to all of them, but we might be able to go to 3 or 4 out of the 6, and then get back to her house in time for Phillip and I to drive home to Tucson (two hours in the opposite direction).

What actually happened was a different story – more on that in a minute.

While the day did not go as planned, I had looked up a bunch of stuff about the shops ahead of time. And had done some deep dives into Google Maps street views of our destinations, because even map apps can be confusing!

Let’s Go to the Hop

In case you’d like to plan your own Northern Arizona quilt store expedition (during a shop hop or not), I wanted to share the information I found about the shops I was planning on going to.

Before you drive across the state, it’s always a good idea to check AZ511 for road closures because of construction, weather, wildfires, etc.

highway — Exit to Chino Valley, via Google Maps.

Start here!

Take the I-17 north out of the Phoenix area.
When you get to Cordes Junction, peel off onto AZ-69 North (take exit 262 for Cordes Lakes) towards Prescott.
You’ll get to Prescott Valley first, and that’s where you’ll find the first two shops on our list…

Trails going through a park. — One of the town trails via Prescott Valley Parks + Recreation.

Prescott Valley

In case you’re not familiar with the area, yes, Prescott Valley is a different town than Prescott, which is almost 100 years older!

Via Quilt N Sew Connection. — Via Quilt N Sew Connection, Prescott Valley.

1. Quilt N Sew Connection

Open Mon-Fri 10am-5pm / Sat 10am-4pm
Contact quiltn@quiltnsewconnection.com / Facebook / (928) 775-9580

Find them at 6546 E. Second St., Suite A, Prescott Valley

From Cordes Junction, stay on AZ-69 for about 30-40 minutes.
Take a left onto Valley View Drive – which may look less like like a street and more like the entrance to the Mattress + Furniture Gallery parking lot.
Quilt N Sew Connection is in one of the Santa Fe style buildings on Second Street, across from the Post Office.

2. ClothPlus Quilt Shop and Home Decorating Fabric Shop

In their words:

“A great selection of quality quilting fabrics, battings, books and supplies,” as well as “a passion for batiks!” On the home decorating side, they carry an assortment of upholstery fabrics for both DIYers and pros – and (heads up, cosplayers!) they also have an entire foam department.

Open Tue–Sat 10am-5pm
Contact: bill@clothplus.com / (928) 772-5010

Find them at 6479 E. Copper Hill Dr., Prescott Valley

From Quilt N Sew, cross AZ-69 and turn onto Copper Hill Drive.
ClothPlus is in a warehouse-looking building on the south side of the street.

Prescott

Prescott’s Courthouse Plaza is home to craft fairs, festivals, and lots of other outdoor events! It’s surrounded by a town square full of quirky shops and restaurants, historic hotels, and old-timey saloons. We were hoping to be there by lunchtime.

3. Prescott Quilt Works

In their words:

A new full-service quilt shop with “a curated selection of both traditional and modern fabrics, patterns, and supplies.” Their goal is “to inspire and help you create your vision while having fun from start to finish.”

Open Tue, Thr-Sat 10am-4pm / Wed 10am-6pm

Contact hello@prescottquiltworks.com / Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest / (928) 515-2276
Find them at 1781 E. AZ-69, Suite 29, Prescott

Get back on AZ-69 North until you spot Frontier Village Shopping Center on your left.
Prescott Quilt Works is a couple doors down from Sportsman’s Warehouse.

Stars come out at dusk over a valley. — Overlooking Chino Valley in Northern Arizona at sunset. Via Discover Chino Valley.

Chino Valley

If we had time to squeeze it in, this would be our final stop of the day.

antique sewing machine on an old sewing table — Antique sewing machine at Sew-n-Sew Fabric in Chino Valley.

4. Sew-n-Sew Fabric, Notions + More

In their words:

“This store has been a dream of mine for over 30 years and to see it come to fruition has me beyond words. Our goal is to provide a one stop shop for all your basic sewing needs.”

Open Mon-Sat 9am-6pm

Contact yoursewnsew@yahoo.com / Facebook / (928) 636-3769
Find them at 1120 S. Hwy 89, Suite E. Chino Valley

Get back onto AZ-69, but prepare to take a pretty quick right.
Exit onto AZ-89 North.
Go through like 6 traffic circles. Make sure you’re still on AZ-89 when you come out the other side of each one!
At the stoplight intersection with Rt 2 S, make a U-turn. (Where are those traffic circles when you finally need one?!)
Sew-n-Sew will be on the right, in a strip mall with a blue roof.

Quilter's Quarters, Cottonwood — Quilter’s Quarters shop, photo by Paula Fleming via Google Maps.

Cottonwood + Flagstaff

The other two participating shops that we knew we wouldn’t be able to fit into our day trip…

5. Quilter’s Quarters, Cottonwood

6. Odegaard’s Sewing Center, Flagstaff

blossoms — Vine blooming during the summer in the Mesa Urban Garden.

How Our Day Actually Went

Usually, going to Northern Arizona in the summer means cool weather instead of Phoenix heat.

However, as the shop hop got closer, the whole state seemed to be scorching. Even in the high country, they were expecting temps of 98-100, which is not cool. But cooler than Phoenix by about 20 degrees, so that’s something.*

I checked in with Mom.

Me: If it’s hot up north, do you still want to go?

Mom: Sure!

Mom remembered she had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for the morning of our trip. It would mean heading north a bit later, but we could make it work if the appointment didn’t go too long.

Me: If we leave straight from your doctor’s office, do you still want to go?

Mom: Sure!

The appointment went too long. It was midday before Mom finally reappeared in the waiting room. We started talking about if it made any sense to try to drive up just for the afternoon. Then Mom had an idea.

Mom: Instead of making a long drive, do you want to visit a couple nearby quilt shops and then go see the Barbie movie?

Me: Sure!

That was a plan that worked out perfectly. The Barbie movie was great! And I’ll fill you in on the Phoenix-area (East Valley) stores we visited in the next few weeks.

Barbie pink fabric from Elkhorn Quilt Company. I took the photo at the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival.

*Temperatures were around 37 Celsius in the normally-much-cooler northern Arizona region. Hot. But slightly less hot than the Phoenix area, where it was 47 C!