Good Eats While Down in Tucson!!

Okay - so a while back I mentioned that I'd be giving you a line up of a few places to 'stuff your face' while you're down in Tucson for all the Gem Shows, so here's a little sample of what the Old Pueblo has to offer:

Shelly, Nina and Ginny at Vivace's Feb-2011

Vivace - YUMMY!!  On the corner of River and Campbell, Vivace's has some great Italian food, awesome service and this is where we all met last year for lunch. We just walked out of the Windmill Inn, where the Whole Bead Show is, and across the parking lot and enjoyed some yummy pasta and delicious wine!  You gotta go! (Tell them Nina E. sent you!!)   

The Girls at Vivace's - Nina, Ginny, Marsha and Janet
(I'm behind the camara - taken' the pic!)

The Blue Willow - A Tucson Tradition!  An old 1940's Adobe house turned great restaurant, the ambiance takes you back in time and their breakfasts are what so many in Tucson love!  (And their deserts!)
Lunch and dinner are always good, too. 

Casa Molina's - Another Tucson Tradition (since 1947) and great Mexican food as well!  Fabulous  Margarita's baby (Try the Berry Berry Margarita - yummy) !!

Ni Nidito Restaurant - It's been around for decades and is a must stop for some of the best Mexican food in Tucson - hands down!

Jerry Bob's - Best comfort food in the West! Well, in Tucson anyway. Both of the ones at Oracle / McGee and Thornydale / Cortaro on the NW side of town are the ones we always used to go to with our friends on Sunday mornings when we lived down there. If you're going on the weekend, get there early, cause you'll have to wait to get in!

Frankie's South Philly Cheesesteaks - Longing for some great Philly Cheesesteaks are you? Well this is the place!

Flemmings - At Skyline and Campbell, Flemmings has a nice atmosphere, amazing wine list and of course, yummy salads and steaks that are to die-for! I've never eaten at a Flemmings that wasn't great!

Pinnacle Peak Steak House / El Corral and Trail Dust Town - Okay - it can be a little "Hokie" but Trail Dust Town is something everyone wants to see when they come to Tucson for some reason - probably because Pinnacle Peak Steak House is pretty well known,...so is El Corral.  Both have great steaks and cold beer - very yummy in the hot, dry desert!

Here's one I'd like to try because I've heard really good things about it - Azul Restaurant and Lounge inside the Westin LaPaloma. With great views of the beautiful Catalina Mountains, who wouldn't want to sip a cocktail and cool your heels at this place?!!

My favorite place in all of Tucson though is of course, my friend Nina's!  She makes the best Chili Blanco around and pours a mean glass of wine, too!   Wish I could invite you all over there to enjoy it with me, but even with a couple of acres, I'm not sure we'd all fit!

Shelly and Nina
Ready to Enjoy Some of Nina's Famous Chili Blanco!

Steve and Mike
Cooking in the Kitchen with Nina

There's tons of other great places to sit back, relax and enjoy the views and tastes of Tucson, so be sure to ask around because every local has his/her own favorites.

And, if you hear something mentioned more than once, take their advice and check it out!!

Again, make sure you're wearing comfy shoes, have your sunscreen on and your water bottle in your hand - it's the desert (yes, I know, last year it was below freezing,...but that was a bit unusual!!).

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Hanging Out in the Old Pueblo!

Having Fun with Crazy Friends

Cheers,

~Shel~

Tucson Bound!

Finally - today's the day I hop in my car and head down to Tucson for my annual "drooling over beads, pearls, gems and findings" fest!! 

I'm so excited I could pee right now.  Oops, that's probably TMI - but how many of you would feel the same if you could go, or do feel this way cause you're there (or almost there!)?

Yes, it's a beautiful site, full of beads, pearls, gemstones, findings, cool tools, new ideas, creative spirits wandering the city and over all excitement! 

I'll be posting to twitter nighting (like I'd stop drooling to text/type? Right!!)  The gems need my full attention mind you!  

I love Tucson!  I get to feast upon Nina's wonderful cooking, share a glass of wine with her and her hubby in the evening and hang out watching the sun set over the Catalinas - how wonderful is this?!! Then, my hubby and son roll into town Friday after school - they love the gem show too!! Then, all of us go in search of great things and share all our treasures and finds over dinner Saturday evening - it's tradition!

 

So, until I return home next week and get the new pics posted,.....here's some goodies from last year - and boy were they fantastic!!

Until Next Time,

Peace, Love and Tucson!!  

Cheers,

~Shel~ 

The Good, The Positive and the Abundant!

Okay, so one of my models and I are out walking some of the shows at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show and one thing we hear over and over is "The Economy". From vendors selling, to shop owners, to designers and manufacturers, to all the buyers and shoppers - everyone's got those words coming off their lips. Yes, we all know about "The Economy",...don't we?!

However, here's where we're going to stay focused on the good, the positive and the abundant (that's a switch from the latest on the news, isn't it?!). To quote Mike Dooley, " Thoughts become things. Choose the good ones!"

In this "economy" (the word that should only be whispered!) one thing you can focus on to bring about positive change to your business is "What can I do that will help this situation and bring about the results I want".

Here's some things to think about whether your business is jewelry design, manufacturing, retail sales, etc. so you can have the good, the posititve and the all abundance you deserve. I mean, we're ALL looking for a very prosperous 2009 and beyond, right?!

Remain focused on your goals. Remaining focused will point you in the right direction, helping you maintain and grow your business through this "economy" so you can see those goals become reality.

This is a fantastic time to build relationships. Be sure to ask yourself, "How can I help my vendors?" Just one of the many ways you can help is to communicate what you see in the 'field'. Let them know what your clients are looking for; what trends you see from your clients (not just what the fashion mags/companies tell you - they've already heard those, too!) and then ask your vendors how, other than spending more money on their products, YOU can help THEM. Their answers might surprise you.

The answers we received were VERY different than what we expected - and we'll share some of these answers in another entry at a later time....remember, I promised to not ramble too much!

Try "New Thinking" (instead of 'stinkin' thinkin') and look into the social networking that everyone is telling you about and doing themselves (i.e. - blog spot, myspace, facebook, linkedin, virb, etc. - the list IS virtually endless!)

Cross Reference - think on how you can link your connections up with each other or how maybe someone they know, or have a relationship with, could be beneficial to you or those in your business circle.

Our "ecomony" (I whispered, honest!) will thrive again and, like everything else, we should work now to be prepared so when it does happen we aren't left with words like "Should have", Wanted to, but", etc. coming off our lips. (ooohhh, those will sting!)

So,...build relationships, network (which is truly just relationship building, not "how can I use you to make another sale"), ask questions of "How can I help you?", advise on how others can help you or your business should they get the opportunity, and try new thinking and ways of doing things to grow your business . And then there's the oldie but goodie "Attitude is everything!

Yes, it really is!!

Gearing up for the Tucson Gem Show!

I love Tucson! My son was born there, so that makes it pretty special. Living there for 6 years was nice, too. But the absolute best thing about Tucson, aside from my family and friends who live there and my friend Nina's wonderful cooking, is the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show!

It's THE gem and mineral show of the year (seriously!) and it's such a behemoth that it's simply referred to by those in the industry as "Tucson". Yep, no need to say more!

I'm so exited to meet w/my suppliers and peruse the vast selections of lusterous pearls, lucsious gemstones and everything else that goes along with "Tucson", that I can hardly stand myself!! (and at this point, neither can anyone else!)

Along with all the wonderful gem/mineral and fossil shows there's almost as many bead shows in town. And if there's beads, then there's all sorts of wonderful things that go along with beads, like silver and gold findings, more beads, and of course classes and workshops!

Speaking of classes and workshops, not only will I be "Shopping Till I Drop" while I'm in Tucson, but I'll be teaching some wire work classes at the Manning House Bead Show that's being held at the beautiful and historic Manning House Mansion between February 3rd and 8th, 2009.

You'll want to take either my "Eye Catching Ear Candy" class that's super fun and packed with tons of techniques and designs, or, for those of you who want a bold, signature necklace, I'm teaching my "Hammered Chain and Wire Wrapped Circle Pendant Necklace" class complete with hammering, texturing, forming and wire wrapping. Follow the links above to read all the details and to sign up - I'd love to have you in one of my classes this year!

Be sure to sign up soon though because registration for my classes will be closing shortly so I can pack up and make the long drive south! Okay, so it's only a 2 hour drive from Phoenix to Tucson, but I'm spoiled because I don't travel much outside my littel 5 mile radius - thanks to the internet!

Here's a great article about the 2008 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show that was in Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist Magazine - it's packed with valuable information! And, for those attending the show this year, visit Colored Stone - The Tucson Show Guide to view all the show locations, complete with dates and times, vendor lists, shuttle schedules, and information on things around town like where to eat, stay and play.

Okay, so I could tell you that I'll be giving nightly updates here on my blog about all that's uniquely "Tucson", but honestly, I'll be ogling my 'daily stash', feasting on Nina's gourmet cooking and sipping wine w/her and the family. And then there's that thing called SLEEP,...if you want to keep up the pace again the next day! But I promise to do all I can to keep you in the loupe! (I mean loop!)

So, come join in the fun and feel the energy! After all - it's "Tucson"!!

Until then, have a good one!

Cheers,

~Shel~

P.S. - Okay, Just FYI - My posts will normally NOT be this long - Honest!! Really,.....