ShuzyQ

If you are depressed from the endless rain this summer I recommend some shoe therapy.  I tried it and it actually made the sun come out!

The sandals at ShuzyQ sing of summer and some of them are even on sale.  Nothing drives the rainy day blues away like a SALE pair of sandals.

The colors remind me of the flowers in Town Square and the styles are fun and surprisingly comfortable.

ShuzyQ knows all about sexy, fun and comfortable.

I have always wondered how people walk in heels without ruining their feet.  After walking around in a pair of shoes from ShuzyQ I realized I have just been trying the wrong brands.

I had given up on style for comfort and ShuzyQ taught me that I can have my cake and eat it too…or in this case my fun high heels and not kill by feet.

ShuzyQ is the store for good prices and great style.  I feel like a whole new woman.

See what a pair of shoes from ShuzyQ will do for you!

ShuzyQ is located in the Glacier Brewhouse building where the Imaginarium used to be.    Visit www.shuzyq.com to see some of the fun fashions.

Collect 5 cards to play a hand of poker by visiting any of the participating bars and ask for a playing card.  At the end of the night, play your best 5 cards at the hosting bar and win fabulous prizes!

List of dates & hosting bar:

July 24 – Humpy’s Great Alaskan Alehouse
August 7 – McGinley’s Irish Pub
August 21 – The Gaslight

Anchorage Downtown Hotel on K Street near 9th Avenue is a small hotel with a personality.  When new ownership took over in November they remodeled inside and out.

New paint and carpet gives some style to the place.  They had a local artist come in and paint decorative murals in the rooms.

With only 16 rooms the small size and warm hospitality create a homey feel.

All the rooms contain the necessary items to make a hotel stay pleasant.  Each room has its own bathroom and cable TV is provided.  There is an iron available and closet space.

Personally I can’t imagine what you would be doing ironing on vacation in Alaska, but I guess business travelers might find that handy.

For those of you who can’t sleep in the endless daylight they have blackout curtains.

Anchorage Downtown Hotel has parking and since this is downtown let me just throw in that it is FREE.  If you need a ride they have a shuttle.

Continental breakfast is provided and some days if things go your way you can get a real breakfast cooked by Anchorage Downtown Hotels own celebrity chef.

I’m not sure they actually said “celebrity” when we talked about it, but the guy was a fire fighter for 20 years so that should earn him celebrity status.

If he managed to cook for hungry fire fighters I imagine he can make a nice hearty breakfast!

They try to let guests know the night before when they have a full breakfast so you can plan ahead.

You may have noticed I mentioned clean twice in my first impression of the Anchorage Downtown Hotel.   I don’t care how nice your paint job is, if the room doesn’t feel clean I don’t want to stay there.

Anchorage Downtown Hotel triples the number of cleaning staff that most hotels use because they emphasize cleanliness.  The place smells clean, looks clean and feels clean.

Between the comfortable feel of the rooms and the friendliness of the staff we started feeling at home right away.  (Cleaner than my house, but I managed to feel at home anyway.)

Then we smelled that familiar smell…someone was baking.  Sure enough they bake fresh cookies every day!

I was impressed before, but as I munched on my chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven I wondered if they would let me move in!

Check out or rather check in at the Anchorage Downtown Hotel.  The price is right and you get free cookies!

11:00am — Suzy Crosby
12 noon — Music for Little Ones
1:15p   Carhartt Brothers

July 19

11:00am — Robin Hopper
12 noon — Music for Little Ones
1:15pm — Matt Hammer

August 2

11:00am — Robin Hopper
12 noon — Music for Little Ones
1:15pm — Matt Hammer

August 16

11:00am — Carhartt Brothers
12 noon — Hurricane Dave
1:15pm — Carhartt Brothers

August 30

11:00am — Carhartt Brothers
12 noon — Sourdough Bisquits
1:15pm — Carhartt Brothers

September 13

11:00am — Suzy Crosby
12 noon — Hurricane Dave
1:15pm — Matt Hammer

Circular is still the place to go for eco-chic. A new location with a new look is only one door down from the original store.

Circular has expanded the clothes and accessories they carry. From casual to out-on-the-town you can find beautiful, fun, unique and earth friendly clothes to wear for any occasion.

Who can say no to clothes that make you look and feel fabulous while treading lightly on the earth?

Still across from Nordstroms on 6th Avenue, Circular is now in Suite 132. A little closer to Crush, which is always a good idea!

I found lots of fun accessories and a few of my old favorites when I visited the new location.

The bicycle chain frames are still there, the amazing lotions and candles are still around.

If you have been to Circular before you should stop by and see the make over.

If you have never been to Circular then now is the time!

July 16 to 18 Circular is having a summer sale to make room for the Fall fashions and clean out some of the old lines they won’t be carrying any more.

Stop by to see the new look and the good deals.  Maybe it’s time for your own eco-friendly make over.

The food is sensational and that southern hospitality is evident the minute you walk through the door.

The restaurant is comfortable and inviting.  The staff are friendly and obviously enjoy sharing good food with visitors.

Since opening on 4th Avenue in the big blue building between C and D Street, South has become an inviting spot. (333 W. 4th Avenue)

You may think you have stepped into the south so the name is truly appropriate.

Words can’t adequately describe the quality, the flavors, the great pleasure that is food this good.  South has many southern favorites like greens, grits and tomato pie.

South owner and chef Jared Tyler is all about quality.  He cooks his own sandwich meats and slices them just the right thickness for hearty sandwiches.

Biscuits are made fresh daily so get there early.  You can have a variety of breakfast biscuit combinations or just get your biscuit with honey butter MMM!

The red velvet truffles are a delight.  The lemon cookies with white chocolate may be the greatest invention since the wheel.  They are like tasting summer.

I could go on and on about the food, but tasting it is the best way to fully understand the great food that is South.

Read the review on Urban Spoon.

I think that is the secret to Urban Greens success.  I have watched owner, Noam Schulgasser, prepare a sandwich with the delicate hand of a master artist.  Just the right amount of each element to create the flavors he is looking to share.

I had the Sicilian sandwich today.  It comes on wonderful fresh bread (not too hard, not too soft) with fresh mozzarella (which I had to skip), grilled red peppers, quality salami and some greens and tomatoes all with a balsamic vinegar dressing.

Everything was just the right balance.  Not one red pepper too many.  Not one slice of salami too few.  The quality of the ingredients is noticeable as is the care involved in putting them together.

Noam roasts his own roast beef and slices it just right for sandwiches.  That is the kind of dedication to quality and flavor that makes Urban Greens stand out in the world of sandwiches.

If you haven’t eaten at Urban Greens you have been missing out.  Located on G Street close to 3rd Avenue.  Urban Greens is a refreshing stop for a quality sandwich.

Click here to read the review on Urban Spoon.

The downtown location on 5th Avenue between D and E Streets is packed with books on Alaska.  You can find fiction and of course fun gift items in the store.

Title Wave is my favorite spot to shop for eclectic gift ideas.  Having them right downtown means finding the perfect bizarre gift for my perfectly bizarre family has just gotten easier.

It is nice having a selection of Alaskan books.  This is handy for the tourists as well as those of us who have visitors or just enjoy reading Alaskan authors.

According to their website Title Wave Books is the largest independent book store in Alaska and one of the largest new-and-used book stores in the entire country!

The downtown store doesn’t carry the vast selection that can be found at the main store, but they can get books sent over from the main store and they have plenty of books to keep you occupied.

Reading books still takes the same amount of effort, but thanks to Title Waves downtown location, buying books just got a little easier.