New Earrings

These earrings were a thank-you gift from my fabulous honorary Aunt Mary. Aren't they beautiful? Just thought I'd say thank you and show them off :]. Thanks again Aunt Mary!

Vovito Caffe and Gelato

Today was the opening day of the new Vovito Caffe and Gelato at the Bravern in downtown Bellevue. I read about it in this article in the Bellevue Reporter and decided to go and check it out.

Now I know that this is at least 50% a cafe and not mostly a gelato shop, but in my personal opinion the value lies in the gelato. They have 26 different flavors that they make fresh every day, with a large selection of both fruit and dairy flavors. The whole place feels very authentic which, according to the article, was the goal of the owners.

I tried both the tiramisu and coffee flavors, and they were both fantastic. The smallest size, piccolo, at $3.50, is a bit on the expensive side, but it's definitely worth it for this gelato - which is of the best quality. The piccolo size was definitely plenty as well because the gelato is very rich, in a good way of course :].

Fish and Chips!

Fish and Chips are my favorite food ever. EVER. And I truly mean that. Whenever I travel somewhere and they fail to provide me with some decent fish and chips I am immensely disappointed. For my mom's birthday the other day on July 25th, my family all went to Spud Fish and Chips over in Juanita, and it was absolutely delicious. We all ordered the same thing - fried Cod and fries. And they had the BEST tartar sauce!

Speaking of tartar sauce, it's probably the real reason I love fish and chips so much. A truly amazing tartar sauce can really make a meal, and mediocre tartar sauce can ruin one, so whenever somewhere has fantastic tartar sauce, I get really excited and automatically like their food. Ivar's tartar sauce is just as good, but some of the best tartar sauce I've ever had is the spicy Cajun tartar sauce that they serve at the fish stand at the St. Louis Zoo! The only downside to this tartar sauce and the delicious fish and chips (here actual potato chips, not fries - how strange!) is that the stand is only open during the spring and summer! This particular food stand at the zoo is in conjunction with the Sting Ray travelling exhibit, which is only open during the spring and summer because during the fall and winter the sting rays travel to Arizona. Getting some of these delicious fish and chips and the perfect tartar sauce is definitely at the top of my list of things to do when I get back to St. Louis! Also as a St. Louis Zoo employee (I work at the Build a Bear in the zoo), I get to pet the sting rays for free!!

Peak's Frozen Custard

Today I had the pleasure of going to Peak's Frozen Custard for the first time, and let me tell you, this stuff is SO MUCH BETTER than any other frozen custard I've ever had. It blows St. Louis local favorite Ted Drewes Frozen Custard out of the water. They always have chocoalte and vanilla, they have a flavor of the week, and they have a flavor of the day. The flavor of the week today was Chocolate Chocolate Chip, and the flavor of the day was Chocolate Raspberry Delight, which was chocolate custard with fresh raspberries and swirls of marshmallow mixed in. It was one of the best things I've had in a long time. I actually ordered their lunch special, which is custard, a drink, and an entree of choice, for a decently low price.

In fact, I was so impressed by the quality and deliciousness of their custard that I may go back tomorrow for their daily special of Latte Chocolate Swirl. When we mentioned this flavor the cashier working there got this dreamy expression on his face and told us "that one is GOOOOD". So hopefully I get to go back tomorrow. Here's a link to their flavors calendar.

Oh and their goal is to be entirely environmentally sustainable!

Top Pot Doughnuts

Mmmmm maple bars. What a fabulously healthy breakfast :]. I can't help but love a good doughnut, even if they are miserably lacking in nutrition. We just picked up a six-pack of maple bars at the groccery store and mine is already in my stomach.

My favorite doughnut place though is called Top Pot Doughnuts, and it's local to the Seattle-area, although there is one on the Eastside in Bellevue by Panera Bread Co. Doughnuts here are a little on the pricey side, but every so often I pop in to get one because they are definitely worth the extra dollar. My favorite are the crullers, and I adore anything they make with raspberry or maple icing! Here's a list of their doughnuts, click on each for the flavors they come in.

My very favorite thing about Top Pot Doughnuts? They occasionally sell them at all the local Starbucks'! But only the local ones. I recommend the apple fritter. :]

New Crayola Vans

I have weird-shaped feet. Very few shoes actually fit me, and so I usually find a brand of shoes that are comfortable for me and buy as many pairs as possible. As a result I am now the proud owner of 10 pairs of Converse and 6 pairs of Vans. I also get email updates from Vans, and just now as I was checking my email I opened an email advertising the new crayola-inspired line of Vans. They look kind of like a composition notebook, with the marbled colors, and I think they're fairly gorgeous. Have a look for yourself. This is my favorite pair, although these are a close second. Unfortunately, it's nigh on impossible to justify buying myself another pair :].

Victoria's Secret Clothing

Yes we all know of Victoria's Secret as a lingerie retailer. And by now most of us have probably realized that they also sell lotions and perfumes, but I've always thought their clothing line was a bit questionable. Mostly I refused to acknowledge that they sold any clothing besides sweats, pajamas, and work out gear. Until yesterday.

I had been collecting various coupons and dollars off savings cards for VS over the last few weeks, and I decided when I got off work yesterday to make a trip up to the VS store to use them all before they expired. It was there that I discovered an absolutely adorable skirt made by Victoria's Secret PINK. Thanks to my various coupons, I ended up buying the skirt and it is now my favorite thing ever. The fabric is cotton but looks like pink with black lace over the top. It's possibly one of the comfiest things I've owned in a very long time. I'll have to keep my eye on the VS clothing line in the future.

Just a few months ago I discovered that the VS swimsuit line is downright reasonable as far as pricing goes, and can even be considered a very good deal if one also has a coupon. I bought this one, which features a bandeau top and an adjustable string bottom, in tropical blue and it's absolutely adorable. I'll never see VS as just an underwear store again.