On Saturday October 14, 2023, I went to the Maricopa County Home & Garden Show to see twin brothers Drew & Jonathan Scott, also known as “Property Brothers”, which is their incredibly successful TV show!
The Scott bothers are originally from Canada, where they had a successful show that ended up on HGTV here in the US. Based on the popularity of “Property Brothers”, they grew their franchise to other TV shows, books and even a cartoon called “Builder Brothers”!
The audience was treated to a fun and funny show, there the Scott Brothers talked about their career, a bit about their personal lives, and gave lots of fantastic tips and advice for anyone looking to refresh or improve their current home, or new property.
After their stage show, everyone was treated to a photo opportunity, and the brothers were so kind and gracious to all who were able to stay after. After I received the picture in this post, I realized just how tall they are (or rather just how short I am)!
Thank you again Maricopa County Home Shows for the tickets, it was a fun day!
FTC Disclosure: I received tickets as a courtesy from The Maricopa County Home & Garden Show. Although I received complimentary tickets, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
There were a few events that I forgot to post about, which happened prior to the Daddy Daughter Trip movie premiere, and then hopefully, I’ll be able to keep up with my posts!
Immersive Monet & The Impressionists
Back on July 28, 2022 I attended the VIP Grand Opening Night of Immersive Monet & The Impressionists at Lighthouse Artspace, with Susan of Styles Revealed. Another wonderful immersive art experience, but I think the photo op below was one of my favorites for sure!
Meeting Comedian JoKoy!
Back in August 2022, I saw Easter Sunday, Jo Koy’s new movie with my hubby. But I then saw it again when I heard he was going to be appearing at movie theaters all over the country! I made sure to catch the showing at Harkins Theaters in Scottsdale and finally got to meet him and get an autographed poster! If you check out my Instagram post, you’ll see that he also voluntarily recorded a greeting for my sister!
Anoche Preview Night
Also in August 2022, Susan (StylesRevealed) invited me to be her guest at the VIP preview a new concept restaurant/night club in Tempe called Anoche Cantina. We got to try a small menu of drinks and bites, in addition to hanging out with some of our influencer friends, like Cynthia Sassi of Fabulous Arizona (image just below)!
“What She Said” Speaker Event
I posted that I would be attending the “What She Said” Speaker Event as an invited influencer at the end of August 2022, and it was really amazing! Not only were we treated to several inspiring speakers, I was able to be a part of TWO different podcasts! One has already been posted, which is “Boss Babe Life Hacks” by Farrah Larae, and the other was for Fashion Rewired for Brian Hill of Phoenix Fashion Week.
Wonderspaces Arizona at Scottsdale Fashion Square
I was invited by Wonderspaces AZ to check out their amazing interactive gallery space at Scottsdale Fashion Square, and took my family on Labor Day weekend. There was so much fantastic art to look at and actually experience, both in person and virtually. Their gallery changes regularly, so we have to go back and check out what’s new soon!
FTC Disclosure: I received complimentary tickets and/or invitations to some of the events in this post. Although I did receive complimentary tickets and/or invitations, the opinions in this blog post are my own.
Last Tuesday, I took my son Dominic to the world premiere of Daddy Daughter Trip at Harkins Theatre in the Scottsdale Fashion Square! It was another amazing Harkins event, with so much happening!
In addition to Harkins’ INCREDIBLY comfy theater seats, drinks and popcorn were provided, as well as a glamorous red carpet event prior to the showing. And BONUS: Rob Schneider introduced the movie in each theatre (see the video below)!
Rob Schneider plays Larry Buble, an inventor who is always dreaming of his next big creation. His talented artistic daughter, Meara (played by Schneider’s real life daughter Miranda Scarlett Schneider), dreams of the ultimate Spring Break, and craziness ensues as they attempt to make that happen! Dominic and I had fun, laughing out loud at this sweet love letter to Arizona and reminder to never letting go of your dreams.
Daddy Daughter Trip premiered only in Harkins Theatres on Friday September 30th, and what’s even more fun is that Mr. Schneider made appearances at Harkins all throughout The Valley this past weekend! I want to thank Harkins for inviting me and Dominic to this fun and fantastic event!
I wanted to share a wonderful event that I will be a part of on August 25, 2022: This is the What She Said speaker series, celebrating Women’s Equality Day. This event is in partnership with The Modern Day Wife, and it will be held at the W Hotel Scottsdale. There will be panels featuring celebrities, influencers, company CEO’s, designers and other influential women! In addition to these panels, there will be a fashion show and other pop ups throughout the event.
I am just one of a wonderful list of influencer co-hosts who will be there, and you can purchase tickets using my exclusive link under the flier above. I hope to see you there, cheers!
Details:
What:What She Said
When: August 25, 2022
VIP Pre-Party: 2:30-4 PM Main Event: 4-9:00 PM.
Where: W Scottsdale
7277 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Registration Options:
Diamond VIP Pre Party – $99.99 Access to VIP Pre-Party, Networking, Swag Bag & Exclusive Photo Opp. Option to get a Headshot taken at the VIP Pre Party!
VIP Pre Party – $55.00 Access to VIP Pre-Party plus networking. Option to get a Headshot taken at the VIP Pre Party!
Premiere General Admission – $34.99 Includes a complimentary What She Said Cocktail.
General Admission – $24.99 Access to Event including shopping, fashion show & What She Said Panels
As I get set to attend another immersive event tomorrow, I wanted to make sure that I posted when I attended Immersive Klimt with my husband, back in April of this year. This was again at Lighthouse ArtSpace, in the same building as Immersive Van Gogh.
As expected, this was another audio and visual stunner, featuring the art of Gustav Klimt, the Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. By far, my favorite part was when the art and animation were accompanied by the German version of David Bowie’s Heroes (which can be found on my Instagram post)! Also, there was a very moving dance that accompanied Klimt’s most well known painting, The Kiss.
Immersive Klimt has ended it’s run at Lighthouse ArtSpace here in Arizona, but I took a few pictures of our experience (including what I wore). Cheers!
Thank you to Immersive Klimt and Lighthouse ArtSpace for inviting me to experience this fantastic immersive exhibit!
How YOU doin’? The Friends Experience: The One in Phoenix is now OPEN! As an avid fan of the series, I can confidently say this lived up to ALL of my expectations! I invited Patricia to come with me to the media preview, and we had SO much fun! Here is just some of the fun you can have, too!
The experience features 12 nostalgia-packed rooms, including Monica & Rachel’s apartment, Joey & Chandler’s apartment and of course, Central Perk!
You can relive so many iconic moments like Ross’ “PIVOT” moment, sing “Smelly Cat” with Phobe’s guitar or wake up Ugly Naked Guy with the giant poking device!
The space is “Monica Clean” with lots of health and safety protocols in place!
There’s also an onsite retail store with exclusive products available
Tickets start at $30.50, and private access tickets are also available for groups of up to six or 10 guests!
The experience runs from February 24-May 8 2022!
Thank you SO much to everyone at The Friends Experience: The One In Phoenix for hosting us and for being so kind, gracious and patient with all of our pictures! Patricia and I took tons of pictures, and here are just a few. Cheers and if you are a “Friends” fan, this experience is highly highly recommended!
THE Couch!
PIVOT!
Joey & Chandler’s Apartment
Monica & Rachel’s Apartment
“Could I BE wearing anymore clothes?!”
“Smelly cat, smelly cat…what are they feeding you?”
Yes, I am a Friends fanatic, and in anticipation of attending Friends: The Experience here in Phoenix, Arizona, this is a pictorial history of my fandom. This is not an exhaustive pictorial history (believe me, I own more than what’s pictured here), but I think it’s a good indication of how much I love the show! In addition to going to Friends: The Experience this week (which opens to the public on February 24, 2022), I also went to the Friends exhibit in Scottsdale and bought a specialized drink, tea bags and coffee beans at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, both back in 2019 (pictured above and below).
I have been a fan of Friends since the first episode aired back in September 22, 1994. I actually have watched every episode for all ten seasons when they aired, and have seen them repeatedly because I sometimes have them playing in the background while I’m working in my home office or when doing housework. My sister and I can quote many lines from the show, and can insert quotes in everyday conversation (I have “The One With The Apartment Bet Game”, and can answer almost every question correctly and I also have “The One With The Ball”, pictured above).
My house is decorated with lots of direct and indirect references to the show. For instance, the picture above is the same poster in Monica and Rachel’s living room, above their television. I found it online, and it’s in our bedroom. We also have a small version of the frame in the girl’s apartment that hangs on their door. My niece, Mei-Lin, made it on a 3D printer and it also hangs on our front door. I also have a painting she made for me, which is displayed on a wall in my home office.
The last few pictures are items that I own, including both Lego sets, all of the Friends Funko Pop collections (so far), the soundtrack on pink vinyl, and one of the two Christmas ornaments we own (again, so far). I’m sure you can imagine my excitement for Friends: The Experience! Be sure to follow along on my Instagram as I will be posting an unboxing of a fantastic gift they sent me, stories of the tour along with a post, and I will wrap it all up here on my blog. Cheers!
I remember when I first tried Frosted Frenzy Cupcakes: It was last August, and our foodie networking group got the chance to try their cupcakes. We took home six cupcakes to sample and post our reviews and pictures on our Instagram accounts. I was instantly impressed by how delicious their cupcakes were, and became such a big fan of theirs. So much so, that I have driven to several events in the Mesa area, just to ensure that I grab at least four to six cupcakes!
The first six cupcakes that introduced me to the wonderful world of Frosted Frenzy!
Frosted Frenzy cupcakes have been voted the “Best Cupcake” in The Valley by Phoenix Magazine in 2019 and 2020, and are on the list again for 2021! The reason I personally love them so much is the subtle yet dynamic flavors that they create. The texture is even and consistent in every cupcake, and although the flavors are not overpowering, they are rich and so delicious. Their buttercream frosting is so smooth and light, and they are beautifully decorated. It’s not difficult to get a great picture of these gourmet masterpieces! I love their cupcakes so much, that my husband made a special order for my birthday this past weekend! I want to thank Tami and Brian for always being so sweet and kind when I see them, and for letting me try “The King” cupcake, which is a banana cupcake, topped with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Both my husband and I absolutely loved that cupcake, and we kind of tore into it before I could get a picture! But I did take a pictures of the rest of my birthday cupcakes, which are pictured below.
I wholeheartedly agree with Phoenix Magazine’s readers, that Frosted Frenzy has the best cupcakes in The Valley! If you want to find out where they are headed next, make sure to follow them on Instagram, and be sure to order ahead on their website. I should know, I went to an event a few weeks ago to visit their truck, and buy a few cupcakes onsite. As I approached the front of the line, Tami informed me that they are just about sold out and only had three cupcakes left, so I bought them all! Duly noted that I will always order ahead!
Thanks again Tami and Brian for my special birthday cupcakes, because these are not only my favorites, but my husband’s and son’s as well!
SALTED CARAMEL – brown sugar caramel cupcake filled with handmade caramel and topped with vanilla buttercream, caramel drizzle and salted caramel crisp pearls LEMON BLOSSOM – lemon-infused cupcake topped with lemon buttercream and crystal sugar ORANGE BLOSSOM – orange-infused cupcake topped with an orange-infused buttercream and crystal sugar STRAWBERRY LEMONADE – lemon-infused cupcake topped with strawberry buttercream and crystal sugar My son’s favorite: LEMON BERRY – lemon-infused cupcake filled with handmade raspberry filling and topped with lemon buttercream and crystal sugar My husband’s favorite: CLASSIC CHOCOLATE – valrhona chocolate cupcake topped with chocolate buttercream and chocolate sprinkles
I don’t think I’ve shared this with very many people outside my immediate family, but I am a big fan of tiny houses. I have been watching shows about tiny houses for a few years now, starting with Tiny House Nation, Tiny House World, and more recently, Tiny Luxury. The main reason I love tiny homes is because of the clever use of space. I’m always amazed at the innovative storage ideas, or how people pare down their belongings to just the essentials. A lot of those ideas came in handy when we moved to Arizona, and we have storage ottomans everywhere!
I have never been in a tiny home before, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard about the “Tiny Home Street of Dreams” at this year’s Maricopa County Home Show at Westworld in Scottsdale! While The Home Show has many great exhibits, vendors and activities, I have to say that my main focus was to experience everything I could about their tiny homes exhibitors. I’m so happy my husband agreed to indulge the tiny home fangirl in me and accompany me to the Maricopa County Home Show!
We currently live in Mesa, so while the drive to Scottsdale isn’t that long, I wanted to get an early start. We grabbed breakfast on the way to Westworld, and arrived 30 minutes before the gates opened. My goal was to get to the “Tiny Homes Street of Dreams” early because I wasn’t sure of how popular the exhibit would be, and I’m so glad we did! Once we made it through all the tiny homes, we looked back at the line and it tripled in size! While we didn’t get to spend too much time in each tiny home, it really didn’t take much to get through them, and I took as many pictures as I could!
Uncharted Tiny Homes
Adventure Series – The Outpost
The very first tiny home we went in was with Uncharted Tiny Homes, from their Adventure Series called The Outpost. It was definitely more appropriate for outdoor adventures, perfect to take camping. But they had two other tiny homes nearby called The Limited and The Mansion Elite. I really liked the flow of the The Mansion Elite because the kitchen was separated from the bathroom/laundry room. I often see bathrooms and kitchens in the same area in tiny homes, but The Mansion Elite had them on opposite sides. After looking at their site, I would have loved to see a model from The Flat because it looks like there is an option for the bedroom to be private and on the floor level instead of a loft.
The LimitedI believe this is the outside of The Mansion EliteThe Mansion Elite
AZ Container Dwellings
The next tiny house on the tour was from AZ Container Dwellings. I have to say, one tiny home that I always had a hard time wrapping my head around was ones made from shipping containers. I think it’s the size that really confounds me because it seems like not much can fit inside. But the one from AZ Container Dwellings seemed to be quite happily situated like a studio flat. I could imagine this more like a mobile office space, where you could see a client and then stay the night if needed.
Cavco Park Models and Cabins
The Veranda
The largest of the tiny homes was actually a brand new model that was unveiled at the Maricopa County Home Show from Cavco Park Models and Cabins called The Veranda. It had a wrap around porch, full sized appliances in the kitchen, a distinguishable dining and living area, a good sized bath, and the loft had actual stairs.
My only hesitation with a loft is the headroom. After having gone up to experience the loft in The Veranda, I could sit up on the bed just fine, but I then realized I would have to crawl to get around. But I guess the functionality of a bedroom in these types of homes is mainly for sleeping. The rest of The Veranda feels like a good sized apartment.
The Companion had a wide walkway, and I finally got to see a combination washer/dryer, which was in the kitchen. I noticed that a lot of smaller European homes have the same set up. The larger Companion + has enough room for a private bedroom and closet.
TinyCamp Sedona
The last exhibitor was not quite a tiny home, but more like a tiny kitchen/bar. It was from TinyCamp Sedona, which is a tiny home retreat in Sedona. They have five custom tiny home experiences for short term rentals. The location in Sedona is already ideal, and each of the experiences look like fantastic getaways!
Inside the Maricopa County Home Show
I didn’t get very many pictures of the indoor portion of The Home Show, but if you’ve been to the San Diego County Fair, it reminds me the vendor booth set up at the Bing Crosby Hall. What I will have to take part in the next time we go, is the Handmade Headquarters. There was a schedule of crafts, and I just missed the “Summertime Lemonade Glass Etching” class. When my husband went on the search for a waterfall showerhead (which he found then purchased), and I walked around on my own. After wandering around a bit, I did find an impromptu bath bomb painting session by Carefree Bath & Body. I didn’t stay to do a painting session there, so I bought one to finish at home! I’ll edit this post to add my finished project later!
Overall, it was a fun experience! I will say again that arriving early was the smartest thing we could do, because it allowed us to get to what I considered the main attraction (tiny homes), and enjoy the experience rather than wait in a long line. We got there at 9:30 am (the doors opened at 10:00 am) and we finished around 12:30pm. Also, it’s worth it to sign up for discount tickets because we paid a total of $6 for two people! Until the next home show, cheers!
As a part of my blog renaissance, I’ve decided to do a series called “What’s Good In AZ”, to showcase my favorite places in my new home state. And what better way to kick it off than with a place that I visit pretty regularly at least once a month: Toduken BBQ!
My first time trying the OG Baboy skewer and Ube Mochi. Many thanks to Winchell (@winchsight) for holding my tray that night!
I first met met John Cornelio briefly when I went to the Asian District Night Market last year (pre-pandemic). He had a set up there as a vendor, and I had his OG Baboy (skewer) with a square of Ube Mochi for the first time (pictured above), and I swear I became hooked! I heard he had a booth at Uptown Market in Phoenix, and had planned to make it out there for more freshly grilled BBQ dishes, when the pandemic really started to get hold. John then moved his menu to a pre-order only set up, which meant he had to take orders that would need to be prepared ahead of time, so that they could be heated at home. I made the trip to Phoenix from Mesa twice a month, trying anything and everything he had to offer. Pictured here in this blog post are a few of my favorites!
Now, John is able to actually grill, and the dishes he makes just get better and better! Not only are his dishes delicious and creative, but I can taste our Filipino roots in every bite. If you like what you see here, follow him on Instagram (@toduken_bbq) to see what he’s got cooking and to pre-order, because he usually sells out quickly! Cheers to John and his family for some of the best Filipino inspired goodness in Arizona! If you want to get to know John and Toduken better, check out this article in the Phoenix New Times!
Ube Mochi by Rina. If and when it’s available at Toduken, it’s worth every bite! Bao Bun Kit, which is an amazing take on siopao!Grilling in action!My new favorite: The Choriburger, which is made with ground longganisaWith John & Anthony at Uptown Market back in May 2020. Anthony is a fellow influencer, check him out on Instagram @az_cookiemonster
