cibo... [eats]

cibo

603 N 5th Ave  Phoenix, AZ 85003

(602) 441-2697

Set in a restored 1913 bungalow, Cibo (pronounced "CHEE-boh") has hardwood floors, exposed brick, a stained-glass panel and a fireplace to set the mood while revitalizing the downtown Phoenix area with beautiful salads, antipasto, artisanal pizzas and housemade fresh pasta.

the nosh... [sneak peek]

the nosh 

4855 E Warner Rd
Phoenix AZ 85044

 

some dark hollow...[sneak peek]

banjos & beards.

 

alexa... [sneak peek]

casanova bros... ... [eats]

casanova bros

929 N. Val Vista Dr.

Gilbert, AZ 85234

480-539-6200

finger licking delicious food.

outstanding customer service.  i lost count how many customers the staff knew by name.

 

fun east coast atmosphere.  this is where people from new york come to feel at home.

gratitude journal ... ... [throwing J O Y giveaway]

it is simple really... there is always something to be thankful for.  the key is to slow down enough to see the somethings & to give thanks for them.

 

i began this throwing joy semi regular giveway for the same reason i spend spare time crafting menu boards and recipe binders.  my hope is to bring joy to the routine & ordinary.  but there really is no "bringing" at all.  it is all about noticing.  because, it is already surrounding you.

i want to be clear.  i am not suggesting that joy is found in a home decorated with thoughtfully handmade burlap banners, or a kitchen that is uber organized and smoothly run by recipe binders and menu boards.  when i post future giveaways for knit accessories, inspiring music, organic body lotions etc. i am not suggesting that you find joy in those things. 

rather, i am suggesting that joy, true joy, comes from our creator & father in heaven.  he

 created us to want  joy.  and in him we find it.  "you will make known to me the path of life;

  in your presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand there are pleasures

 forever. " psalm 16:11

over 13 years ago, my life was changed by a drab little book filled with empty lined pages.  a challenge to record three things daily…three things that i was thankful for.  most of you who know me, know that i am competitive so it is not surprising that i would dive into this.  most of you who know me, also know that I often struggle with follow-through.  so it isn’t surprising that i have had a less than perfect record of writing down three things a day, over the years.  having said that, when I am ‘actively’ recording my gratitude to him, my perspective is changed in a huge way.  it is funny, i have noticed that when i pause and take notice of his blessings in my daily life, it is as if i gain a superpower of awareness.  i begin to see him pouring out on me and all around me in both big and small ways.  he grows bigger each day and i grow smaller.

 

humbled that he loves me…loves me enough to meet me in my routine and ordinary.
 

 

just this past year my sister-in-love (we are sisters by law, but our love overrides! ) shared a book with me.  a thousand gifts, by ann voskamp.  ann’s message of gratitude.grace.joy, and the new light she sheds on familiar scriptures had me in awe at times. 

“i name gifts and go back to the garden of god in the beginning who first speaks a name and lets what is come into existence.  this naming is how the first emptiness of space fills:  the naming of light and land and sky.  the first man’s first task is to name.  adam completes creation with his maker through the act of naming creatures, releasing the land from chaos.  when i name moments i am adam and i discover my meaning and god’s, and to name is to learn the language of paradise.  this naming work never ends for all the children of adam.  naming to find an identity, our identity, god’s.  the naming really does call now a gift, a gift of god.  to name a thing is to manifest the meaning and value god gave it. 

in naming that which is right before me, that

which  i’d otherwise miss, the invisible becomes

 visible.”  -ann voskamp

 

giveaway details.

included in the giveaway is:

 

one red moleskine journal, filled with empty lined pages waiting for your joy to be recorded.

&

one copy of ann voskamp's book, "a thousand gifts"

 

note:  this is a bundle. one winner will receive both

to enter.

leave a comment telling me:

 

 1. something you are thankful for...a joy found = 1 entry

2.  let me know if you've kept a gratitude journal before +1 entry

 

giveway is open until monday 09/24/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

and the winner is.........
stefanie delongchamp!
congrats stefanie, please email me at pixbyemily@cox.net so that i can get your book and journal in the mail.

joe's real bbq... ... [eats]

joe's real bbq

301 N Gilbert Road
Gilbert, AZ 85234
(480) 503-3805

 

 

 

2 scoops of flavor & deliciousness.  1 side of comfortable & casual.  and a slice of nostalgia, topped with simplicity.

 

 

how it was.  how it should be. how it is @joe's.



cafe boa ... ... [eats]

cafe boa

398 S. Mill Ave.

Tempe, Arizona 85281

some friends recruited me to capture a few of their favorite eats in town.  and of course, in order to really represent each location i had to try them out for myself... i fully suggest you do to! 

we felt like visitors in our own backyard & we had the quiet, lush & green patio all to ourselves. (it was a weeknight.)

natural & organic food.  light with intense flavor.  we indulged on a glass of chardonay, the house flat bread, sustainable muscles, and fries - so crispy and thin with amazing seasoning.  no need to order lemon with your water @ cafe boa, they serve up cucumber h20 and it was crazy refreshing.

on the left, my joe (not available on the menu). i love him so.  on the right, our joe.  a scoop of vanilla bean gelato served with a shot of espresso for you to pour over the top.  i'll be going back just for one of these... no doubt.

bliss banners ... ... [throwing J O Y ] giveaway

where are my fellow joy hunters?  bueller? bueller?  are ya'all out there? have you been steppin' in it, sprinkled with it, drenched by it?  i'm learning that it truly is all around me.  the gift is in recognizing how HE is weaving it throughout my day and then giving thanks for it.  up for grabs is a handmade burlap banner of joy.  it will help those of us who are joy hunters in training.

when i gave in to the crazy ideas in my head, or, nudges from God (tomato - tomAHto)  regarding this [throwing J O Y] semi-regular giveaway, i knew that one thing i wanted to do was to share bits of joy that have landed in my world.  books, music, art/home décor, organizational tools, healthy indulgences, wardrobe accessories and beyond.  If it has brought joy to my routine & ordinary than it will most certainly be thrown out to ya’all at some point.  there is so much more than some thing bringing me joy.  ultimately HE is at work orchestrating around me and using others to encourage me.  there is a woman, an artist, an inspiration. she is opening her heart and allowing Him to use her. i want you to know meet these 'tools of his trade'.

so without further a due allow me to introduce you to my friend nicole of bliss banners.  seems quite fitting that she be the first of a handful of uh-mazingly talented friends i will attempt to feature…because if my memory serves me correctly (and i am the first to admit, right after my husband - ehem, that it doesn’t always.)  i think i was her first customer? 

the who.what.where.when.how & joy behind it all

me: who taught you to sew?

nicole: "my mom taught me to sew. she still has one of the first things i made, a green scrap of fabric with a red heart sewn on it. i now have one from my 6 year old daughter."

me:  what is/was your favorite childhood toy?

nicole: "barbies!!! me and my friend kelly would spend forever setting them up but i don't think we ever actually played with them...it was all about the staging!!"

me:  where do you find inspiration?

nicole:  "fabric.  i am obsessed with prints and colors and my living room proves it.  i buy it with no idea what i am going to use it for...but i always do!!!  digging around some of the fabric stores by my house is always fun for me.  i have super talented friends with very different styles.  when i am shopping or making a banner i literally ask myself if it would fit in either: a.  my mom's house  b. mary's house  c. emily's house or d. my house - because i want to keep a lot of them for myself.  but this way i know i am covered."

me:  when did you last do something daring? what was it?

nicole:  "i don't do daring things.  i used to dye my hair a lot of different colors and buy a new shade of colored eyeshadow pretty much weekly...now 'sometimes' i drink caffeine after 3pm!!!"

me:  how do you drink your coffee?

nicole:  "with half and half and a little sugar or vanilla syrup in the morning and iced mocha the rest of the day!!!! if i have a lot to do, i switch to iced geen tea."

me:  will you please share about a time when you found joy in this where or when you didn't expect it.

nicole:  "if joy is a fruit of the spirit then when i am walking with HIM, i have it.  i can't find it when i am focused on me.  there are many times that i have literally prayed about a banner.  when it is for someone's first baby's nursery or their wedding, i tend to feel pressure to please them.  i have to remember to seek God in all i do.  it's not like rubbing a magic lamp and getting the perfect answer but it is refocusing on The Lord.  so when i have that joy in my heart i can cheerfully serve and accommodate others.  when it is about me, my attitude can get ugly and bitter about the task. i can have great joy in serving someone, even if it is through a banner order, knowing that my heart was set on Jesus when i did it.

nicole:  "to all the fans of pixbyemily... email me at blissbanners@gmail.com or find me at www.blissbanners.etsy.com and use the code joy4u to receive 20% off any order through saturday august 18th."

me:  see, i told ya she is an uh-mazing woman!

giveaway details.

included in the giveaway is:

- one handmade bliss banner burlap & yellow "joy" banner. (pictured above)

-i will cover shipping for those of you that are not local.

to enter.

leave a comment sharing some JOY you found today = 1 entry 

leave a comment with a word you would want a banner to say = 1 entry
follow my blog /comment letting me know you are = 1 entry

giveway is open until saturday 8/18/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

the winner is Kaydee! looks like you & your daughter gained some joy this week!

note:  please check back to see if you won or be sure that your email is part of your public profile so that i can contact you.

16x20 canvas ... ... [throwing J O Y giveaway]

[closed]

it has haunted me (in a good way) from the first time i heard it at the beginning of one of my favorite childhood tales, charlotte's web.  maybe it is the angelic voice of sarah mclachlan, or maybe it is just the simple yet mighty truth behind the words.  give it a listen  ordinary miracle .  a few weeks ago, i found myself in a conversation with a sweet woman who was a tad anxious about giving birth for the first time.  i attempted to comfort her by reminding her that she is designed for this.  i have experienced childbirth twice myself and one thing that i found myself clinging too in those days of anticipation was knowing that He designed my body and the baby's body for those moments of labor.  are you familiar with the reflex on the bottom of a baby's foot?  run your finger from their heel to toe and they press hard to extend their foot.  well when the woman's uterus contracts, it triggers that reflex, allowing baby to push him/herself further down.  that just fascinates me!  she can not control the contractions nor can baby control a reflex...they are designed to work together.  an ordinary miracle.  ...moving on... last week i began this semi-regular throwing J O Y giveway in a response to something God has put on my heart for sometime.  i honestly had no idea how blessed i would be, as i set out to encourage others to notice the joy in their routine & ordinary.  while brainstorming for the next giveaway, i received an email for an amazing deal on a 16x20 canvas.  so it was settled.  but what to put on that canvas?  no sooner than i asked myself that, did a design pop up in my head.   the next day my boys and i were coloring.  colby was working on a star wars masterpiece.  parker was creating a mr. incredible original.  and i began to sketch.  the radio is often on in our home and this particular afternoon we were listening to k-love.  it wasn't the first time they've shared a scripture on the airwaves, so as the dj began introducing it i continued to doodle.  then the pencil stopped drawing...  "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."  Job 5:9 

note: i realize the 'ordinary miracles' print may not speak to you so i am offering up a couple other favorites. i posted 'make it a good one' on facebook a few weeks back (shared from the Time-Warp Wife) and it received a lot of attention. and 'love is' happens to be one of our family's favorite passages. it serves as a great reminder. it is not rare to hear me question my boys (who am i kidding, and myself) "do you love your brother?" most of the time they respond with "yes" to which i can ask, "what should that look like?" so i searched...yes, pinterest... and put my own twist on one that i liked. 

so... ... all this to say that in your hunting for joy, you just may notice a miracle or two. 

( ordinary miracles )

( make it a good one )

( love is )

giveaway details.

included in the giveaway is:

your choice of one of the 3 prints shown above*, printed on a 16x20 canvas.

*if selecting 'make it a good one' or 'love is' then you get to choose the color.

to enter.

leave a comment with your favorite print design = 1 entry

leave a comment sharing a line from the print that speaks to you and why = 1 entry
leave a comment sharing some J O Y that you stepped in today = 1 entry

giveway is open until wednesday 08/01/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

the winner is tricia

congrats!  i hope this will bring encouragement to you and your messy hair!

child training bible... ...[throwing J O Y giveaway]

[closed]
this is the first of many giveaways.  most of you know that i am a joy hunter.  i pray for my eyes to be opened to see His blessings all around me and i rejoice when i find them, in abundance, in my routine & ordinary.  so i've decided to start throwing joy at others.  or at least giving some fun stuff away in hopes that they might see it in their own lives.  so without further delay i would like to introduce an amazing tool.  the child training bible.  i was going to take the liberty to rename ours, the family training bible, b/c i am certain us parents will use it just as much, if not more.  however, i humbly remembered that we are all children of God, so it isn't necessary to rename it.  wink. wink.

what is it?  "The Child Training Bible is tool that allows parents and children (and anyone that loves the Word of God) to go directly to the pages of Scripture for instruction in 20 key areas with a complete section dedicated to the gospel."  explore their site more to get a full idea of this tool's awesomeness.  www.childtrainingbible.com  

 [a big thank you to my sister for introducing us to this...bec you throw joy at me all the time!]

giveaway details. 

included in the giveaway is:
- the Child Training Bible Kit (available here for direct purchase) which consists of 1 Child Training Bible Key, 3 double sided scripture tabbing charts and a set of instructions.
- the additional supplies needed to make the Child Training Bible, colored post it flags, and colored sharpie highlighters.
-note:  bible is NOT included because each family's preference may vary.  you will need to have a 9x6 hard bound bible to complete yours.
-i will cover shipping for those of you that are not local.

to enter.

leave a comment with your favorite verse = 1 entry

leave a comment sharing some JOY you found today = 1 entry
follow my blog /comment letting me know you are = 1 entry

giveway is open until wednesday 7/25/12 @ 1pm (az time)

i'll pick a winner randomly and announce it before 4pm that day.

the winner is michelle e.
congrats!  i am so excited for your family to find J O Y in this amazing learning tool.

vintage spoons & mason jars... ...[product]

spoons.  not just for eatin'.

(vintage spoon coat/hat rack)

(mason jar vase/sconce)

i've been busy in the workshop.  check out my shop and message me for a custom item.  ready to ship pieces will be going up this week.

america the beautiful.

God.BLESS.America.

land.that.i.love.