Classic Cars! Barrio Hollywood neighborhood street fair

I attended the Barrio Hollywood neighborhood street fair this weekend.  It's not too far from where I live and every year the community gets together and raises money for different projects such as schools in the area and different non-profits that go to help community members.  They have a big outdoor stage that hosts mariachi bands and ballet folklorico groups; dozens of food stalls selling roasted corn, tacos, burritos, fruit cups with chamoy salsa (!), raspados and other delicious treats; carnival rides; and a car show with both vintage and low-riders!  Most of the pictures I hastily took on my cell didn't take, but I had to share these two of my favorite vehicles in the show.

That's Pat's Drive In in the background; if you haven't indulged in their chili dogs and french fries, you haven't lived in Tucson yet.  Make sure you request the spicy chili but be warned that it is an accurate description of what you get!  You can find reviews and a map to get there on Yelp.

For more information on the Barrio Hollywood street fair you can read this article on Zocalo and the neighborhood can be found on Facebook.

Southwest Gothic - Sacred Machine and the art of Daniel Martin Diaz

Yes, yes, yes I know it's been too long since I wrote on this d@mn blog.

Oh well.

Life gets in the way.

Anywho, I was in Downtown, Tucson last night for the 2nd Saturdays street fair, firstly to see how bad the construction for the street car was going to affect a young event with a lot of potential.  Unfortunately, I don't see how 2nd Saturdays is going to survive very well if we have 4-9 months of construction ahead.  The stalls and stages seemed more scattered and isolated, the only vendors were selling cheap rosaries and miniature guitars from Mexico, there were only a couple food stalls and the sidewalks, which are already crowded, were worse for being half blocked off by wire fences.  It felt subdued.

Interior of Sacred Machine Museum and Curiosity Shop.  Image courtesy of SacredMachine.com

I went down there primarily to hear a musician-acquaintance who was playing the piano in one of the art galleries on Congress.  The Sacred Machine Museum and Curiosity Shop is a small gallery featuring primarily the art of Daniel Martin Diaz but also other artists with a similar southwest/dia de los muertos/Gothic feel.  It is one of the few galleries I've been in that I can point to and honestly say "only in Tucson".  And it is gorgeous!  If you haven't been I highly recommend it and to get your visual palette teased and primed, here are a few examples of the delights that await you:

Ghost in the Shell by Brian Despain.  Oil on wood panel.  Image courtesy of SacredMachine.com.

Santa Muerte by Scott Holloway.  Oil, leaf and ink on panel.  Image courtesy of SacredMachine.com.

Santa Muerte by Daniel Martin Diaz.  Carbon powder print on antique paper.  Image courtesy of SacredMachine.com.

Sacratus by Daniel Martin Diaz.  Screen print.  Image courtesy of Serieproject.org.

Memento Mori by Daniel Martin Diaz.  Oil on wood panel (?).  Image courtesy of Art is Everywhere.

Chris, my musician-friend, was absolutely fabulous.  I managed to claim a little corner of the gallery to just stand and listen to his playing.  He had a lush, dark playing style which suited the atmosphere and art to perfection!  At times he just let the baby grand piano's natural resonance just fill the gallery with a rolling, menacing cloud of sound, at others he suggested early nickelodeon-style movies, giving it a very steampunk/Bram Stoker's "Dracula" feel.  Delicious!  I'm going to hit him up for his professional contact info so I can post links to his work on this blog.  Stay tuned!

Recent pics!

It has occurred to me that it has been an awfully long time since the last time I blogged, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and clear out the images on my cell phone.  So here goes!

My retro-rific lunch at Johnny Rocket's (University and Euclid) this weekend.  Classic cheesburger, fries and a vanilla malt, all served in nostalgic surroundings with Elvis playing over the speakers.  Ordinarily I like local diners best, but this was closest and I was hungry.  Yum!

My weekend breakfast: a pear-apple, brie and honey crepe at Cafe Marcel on 4th Ave.  I don't know how I held off eating until I snapped this perfect pic because it was utterly scrumptious!  I am having a hot lavender mint tea with my crepe.  Beautiful cafe with a lovely outdoor seating area and the menu is just incredible!  You can also find them on Facebook here.

Meet my new ride!  It's a 1957 Challenger 500, a beach cruiser lovingly restored to life by the great folks at Bicas!  Along with recycling great bikes and giving them a second life, the folks at Bicas will offer their tools and expertise for $4/hour and offer classes to teach you how to take apart and maintain your bike.  I spotted this beauty among the bikes for sale and fell in love.  She is so much fun to ride and I now have my basket on the front so she is my primary commuting bike now!

Recent pic.  With the recent hair cuts, I'm pretty much back to my natural hair color.  I really did love going red but I love being a blonde again.  Less hassle and it lends itself to the classic bombshell look!

Jan 7th - The Gabe Zimmerman Memorial Trailhead

Here in Tucson we recently marked the 1 year anniversary of the shootings that took place on January 8, 2011.  Gabe Zimmerman was one of Gabriel Giffords' political aides and lost his life in the shootings.  He was apparently quite the hiker, so one of the trailheads of the Arizona Trail was dedicated in his memory.  Will and I went for the dedication ceremony and hiked part of the trail.  Here are some of the pictures from the days events.

Emily Nottingham (left), director of the Arizona Trail and Gabe's mother.

The new gate to the trailhead, featuring an image of Gabe and a dedication.

Reverse side of gate, with metal art.

Detail of reverse view of gate.

Snake bike rack.

This section of the Arizona trail is extremely beautiful and I highly recommend paying it a visit if you are at all interested in hiking.

I failed to get a picture, but Will and I were also honored to meet none other than Gabriel Giffords who arrived for the dedication ceremony.  It hadn't been announced that she was coming, so it came as a complete shock to us to see her there.  It was an incredible day.

Friends of the Library Booksale, This Weekend!

I was going to post about this last time I came home with multiple bags crammed full of books for ridiculously cheap and I didn't get around to it.  But it would be a crime to keep this fabulous secret all to myself so I'm letting all of you in the Tucson area know about it!  The Friends of the Library routinely hold book sales at their building at 2230 N. Country Club Rd.  Next one is this weekend September 16-19!  Ridiculously cheap books!  Some are library copies, many are donations, most in good to excellent condition!  Also some cds, books on tape, albums and more!

I bought all this in one trip for less than $30!  Then I went back the next day and crammed another bag full of paperbacks for the $5/bag book sale!!!  (They typically hold those on the final day of the sale.  You can still pick up some great books on the final day but the "choice" selections are usually snapped up by then.)

A few tips if you want to join in the book-feeding frenzy: come early!  I was in line when it opened last time and there were at least thirty other bright people who were doing the same!  These sales get really, really packed with people who don't mind scooching their way in front of you so if you don't like crowded places or suffer from claustrophobia or lack of patience, this may not be your cup of tea.  Bring your own bags because once you start grabbing books, its hard to stop; the bags give you an idea as to how much you want to bring home at once and prevent "bag failure" from those flimsy plastic ones ripping on you halfway through!  The Friends have their reusable bags on sale for a buck and they're totally worth it!  Have a game plan: if you are looking for fiction, romance, history, music, whatever, head there first!  Trust me, you will be glad you did once you see the flood of shoppers competing for the same books.  Remember, all's fair in love and literature!  Plan on going multiple days, the first if you can swing it (they have members only days that are sweet if you spring for a membership) so you can scope the best books, and be sure to come back for the $5/bag days.

Here's the link to the Pima County Public Library and information as to the sale.  Remember, proceeds go to benefit your public library so get out there, grab some books and show your support!  (Just remember it's nothing personal if I "scooch" into you at the sale!  All's fair...)

Where to Eat in Tucson: Planet of the Crepes!

 Well, actually this is less of a where than a what 'cuz the "where" changes frequently!  Planet of the Crepes is a food stand that moves around and about the Tucson/Marana/Mt. Lemmon area.  I discovered them when they parked across the street from my work and since I've never had a crepe before, I had to try it...Lord almighty!  It was one of the best things I've ever eaten.

  First crepe I tried was a smoked duck breast with havarti.  Second, the mushroom, goat cheese and tomato crepe.  I am dying to try their sweet crepes.  Then again, I don't know if my waistline can take it!  Actually, though, they are quite light.  The crepes are thin but moist and succulent wrapped around the awesome fillings.  The come served up in a complex wrapping of wax paper, stiff card-stock-like cone then a thick napkin around the whole lot so busy office people on the go can grab their lunch without getting it all over them.

That's my crepe.  About, oh, 30 seconds before I inhaled the whole thing!  Sweet lord.  The melt-y goat cheese and the pesto and the mushrooms?  Divine!

To snag one of these luscious lovelies for yourself, you have to track 'em down first.  Follow this link to their Facebook account here to get updates as to where they will appear next.  They also have a Twitter here.  You've got to get some of this!

Retro images

We have a local glossy magazine called Zocalo which is a fairly recent publication but it has great articles on downtown happenings, fashion, music and art.  This month's cover caught my eye.

Apparently this is an actual mid century advertisement created by Tucson tourism officials.  It originally appeared on the cover of "Enjoy Tucson".  I just love that perfectly green lawn which is not usual in today's more eco-conscious landscaping.  And don't you just love her outfit?

The peasant or desert look was popular in the 1950s and you can still find some great vintage patterns online.  And genuine vintage pieces in this style can be found in most of the vintage/costume shops on 4th Ave.

Monsoon!

I had to share these pictures of a downed tree seen in Barrio Hollywood here in Tucson this 4th of July.  So far it looks like its going to be a good monsoon, with storms and rain for the past three evenings.  The storm hit my area on 4th of July and afterward while Will and I were driving around we saw one major car accident, one traffic light hanging just by its cable, and this tree.

Apparently one of the apartment complexes in the neighborhood had a tree fall on a family's apartment, trapping the family in side for a couple hours until they could be freed.  You can read the local news report here.

Monsoon can be a crazy, even scary time, particularly if you are stuck out in the storm when it hits.  But its also exhilarating. The desert needs the water desperately after this drought that has lasted the last few years.  Tucson and many other cities and towns in the Southwest banned fireworks this year because the surrounding area is so dry and ready to go up in flames.  And there is no better salve to the insane heat of summer than a summer storm clearing the air and dropping the temperatures.  Its my favorite season of the year.