I was amazed by the different paintings. There was everything from abstract to flowers. My favorite were the flowers as there was so much detail, including a look into the ground and seeing all the creatures great and small. There were also crutches used as mixed media, one with a golf club attached to the bottom and one with a shovel.

I was impressed the showing and am looking forward to the showings next year.

The Chase Art Gallery is open Mondays 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Tuesday-Fridays 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and is free to the public. For more information on upcoming showings, visit http://www.spokanearts.org/chase.aspx

The antique store is located on 104 E. Mission Avenue, and is recognized as both Northwest Ruins and Ruby Street Antiques. The store has tempted travelers the city over as they make their daily commute to and from the North side of Spokane. Being one such traveler myself, I feel curious and mystified each time I drive past the store, getting only a quick glimpse at the treasures is has to offer.

Tired of only seeing a piece of the pie, I finally decided to stop into the antique store. My excuse for visiting was that I recently moved into a new apartment and was looking for home décor. What I found was so much more than I bargained for. Not only does the store have monstrously large items, but it has a monstrous amount of items! The store has two houses, one garage, and approximately two and half yards filled with antiques varying from cast iron, bronze, marble, stone, granite and artwork. Walking through the entire store is like entering a maze into the unknown. You never know what you’re going to find or what you’ll run into.

Here’s just a sample of what the store has to offer: a drum the size of two Volkswagen Bugs, two industrial statues of the horror movie villains Aliens and Predator, statues of mermaids, iron gates, planters, seats and tables.

Luckily, there are friendly store employees that can help you through the maze, answer any questions and direct you toward what you’re looking for. Although I didn’t make a purchase for the day I was happy to have stopped by. After an hour and a half of sight seeing I walked away with new ideas for decorating my home, and a fat wish-list for Christmas!

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We arrived at Percy’s and the bar was full, but the restaurant was only partially full. Since we had our son with us we were seated in the restaurant. After looking at the menu I knew we made right choice. I decided on the Blue Cheese Burger, my son got the Chicken Nuggets and Fries and my husband ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger. Our friends had salad, pasta and chicken.

We placed our orders and enjoyed some nice conversation and a wonderful array of different breads that came with the meal. I tried all the loafs and there was pumpkin bread, whole wheat, a dill bread and finally an herbed bread. They were all delicious.

Our food arrived and oh my goodness. My burger was dripping of blue cheese and barbeque and the largest pile of carmelized red onions I had ever seen. There as a large portion of fries too. My son’s chicken nuggets and fries were a big hit with him too (and for $5 it was the largest portion of nuggets I had ever seen in a kids meal).

I loved my Blue Cheese Burger. Not just like, but could not put it down until I was done. My husband loved his burger and our dinner companions equally loved their food.

The prices were very reasonable. The burgers and salads started at $9.95 and the entree’s went up to about $23. They also had a large assortment of appetizers.

For more information on Percy’s Cafe Americana please visit their website at: http://www.percyscafeamericana.com/ or call them at (509) 922-7346.

My first love of Brown’s Addition came when my two good friends moved into apartments on Riverside. Their apartment is adorable, something straight out of San Francisco, chic, old and conveniently close to downtown. But it wasn’t their apartment that really got to me; it was the houses surrounding it.

I’ve never seen such monstrous, beautiful houses. I’m familiar with the homes on the South hill; homes so big they take up a whole block. But something about those mansions just doesn’t pack the same old-fashion charm as those in Brown’s Addition. So, full of nostalgia for the past, my boyfriend and I set out on our Brown’s Addition walk.

Unfortunately, the weather was cold and wet. Nevertheless, we enjoyed ourselves. There are multiple places you can park and walk.I recommend parking on Riverside, around the 2000 W. block, and working your way around from Riverside to 5th Street.

If you need a point of reference, the Museum of Arts and Culture is on 2316 W 1st Ave. Parking somewhere in there will put you at the hub of old mansions. What I recommend next, is just walking.

What truly amazed me about these houses is not only their seer size, curving balconies, or guest houses bigger than my entire apartment complex. What really surprised me was the amount of people they once housed. Back then, these homes were built for single families and their servants. Single families living in a five story house, with ten rooms, a grand hall, and maybe even a ball room. This seems even more astounding because now, many of the houses have been converted into apartments that house upwards of fifteen to twenty people.

There’s one more thing that excites when I walk past the homes. The pure and simple mystery about what’s inside. When was it built, who built it, how much does it cost, and oh my goodness what’s it look like inside? These questions filled my head as I walked, dreaming of houses I will only live in, inside my dreams.

Pottery Place Plus sells much more than just mugs and saucers. I was enthralled by all of the different kinds of art forms offered from local artists. Among the shelves and shelves of beautifully crafted ceramic wares there is a variety of jewelry, collaged paintings, wicker sculptures, greeting cards, Soaps and candles, and much more. I could not believe that I hadn’t ventured into this place sooner. It turned out to be the perfect location to buy my grandpa his birthday presents.

I ended up buying him a ceramic bowl glazed with the images of running horses. I also bought him two round ornaments with the Scottish star on one, and a Celtic knot on the other. I cannot begin to explain how delighted he was with the gifts. And they weren’t too expensive either. Each of the ornaments was only $12, and the bowl was $30. For a signed piece of three-dimensional art, I found the prices astoundingly good. Almost too much so.

The shop is owned an operated by artists. Whoever is operating the place when you walk in is sure to be knowledgeable and capable to answer all of your questions. Since my search to find my grandfather his gifts, I know that I’ll be returning to buy Christmas presents and personal items for myself. The displays that were set up were so beautiful, even if you don’t have shopping in mind, it is very enjoyable just to browse through and see what they have. And who knows? You just might find the perfect work of art.

I was especially taken by the collaged 2-dimensional pieces. Beautiful images made out of pressed flowers. The flowers formed the likeness of a raven, wolf, or other creature. I was so taken with these pieces that I was half-temped to take them all home with me. Chances are, I’ll be going back for at least one of them.

Pottery Place Plus is located in the downtown Liberty Building at 203 N. Washington. Their hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. After Thanksgiving, however, their holiday hours start and they will be open only until 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.

But every sewer, knitter or crafty person knows that supplies can be expensive and difficult to find. Thankfully, I found a great shop that not only meets all my needs, but is close to home. Sew E-Z Too located on 603 W. Garland Street is the perfect combination of a ma and pop store, with a great supply and decent prices.

From the moment I walked in three things stood out. First, the variety and quality of materials is overwhelming. The store carries everything from silk, cotton and flannel fabrics, to thread, beads, yarn, patterns, needles, lace and hand-made clothing from locals. Second, the ladies working there were mainly older women.

As cliché as it sounds, it made me smile to see little old women amongst the mounds of quilts and fabrics. Lastly, the store offers classes for knitting and sewing. It even has two back rooms dedicated to teaching the art and craft of making clothing. Everyone from the most experienced craftswomen to the novice knitter can appreciate a shop that works to educate and inform its customers.

My main goal was to find buttons for a silk jacket I found at a thrift store and greenish material to cover the top of an end table I found in college. Luckily, I found the perfect blue and gold buttons, at two for $3.50 for my jacket.

Relatively speaking, this is a good price for buttons that can run upward of $10 a pair! Unfortunately, I didn’t find the material I was looking for. This was not in part of the store’s selection; rather I didn’t have my mind made up as to what I was looking for.

But now that I know it’s there and have seen first hand the treasures it has to offer, I’m sure the creative part of my brain will drag me back. There’s something inspiring about a mound of beautiful material, just waiting to be turned into something unique and fantastic.

Main Street Antiques is not your typical Antique store. It goes far beyond selling old dolls and furniture from the 1950s of America. It reaches out to all over the world, presenting items originating from as far as the other side of the globe. I was amazed by the variety of artifacts from Japan, China, Africa, and Europe. It was a complete turn-a-round from the usual antique shop I was expecting.
 

 The shop is more than displays of items and browsing for purchase. It is a complete experience. Beyond the drums that lured me into the shop, there was track after track of festive music from around the world to set the pace as I shopped. And in addition to the sound of this music, there is the noise of trickling water from the various water fountains in the entry way and within the store. Immediately I felt as if I had walked through the door and entered into a completely different realm—far from the outside world.

The eclectic mix of one-of-a-kind objects includes everything from Indian ceramic elephants, antlers, Japanese fabric prints, and European fashion hats. I could have easily spent hours pouring over all of the items in each of the areas. The displays are beautiful despite the fact that there are so many things they could easily appear to be cluttered. There are exquisite glowing lamps to accent the main lighting, each reasonably priced around $60. I was most impressed by the artwork on the walls. There were some originals and lots of prints from well-known masters of modern art, such as Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, and the like. These images, even the original paintings, are reasonably priced around $60-$90 dollars. If you are looking for some tasteful artwork to decorate any bare walls you may have, I highly suggest stopping in here for a look around.

The ladies at the main counter were very helpful and more than happy to explain the answers to any questions I had. The relaxed and peaceful attitude of the entire place made me feel almost at home in a strange world. They even had their dogs sitting right in the front of the store! I would definitely recommend stopping in this shop if you need a break form a stressful day. But also, and most importantly I suppose, do stop in if you’re looking for some gift ideas. You probably won’t find anything more unique for that hard-to-shop-for-person than here! Main Street Antiques is located at 7 West Main Street in Spokane. Their hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday.

We were seated at a nice big table that had windows all around it. As I looked through the windows, I could see that there was a large beautiful patio outside and there was a man-made lake right on the property also. It was breathtaking. Our waiter then informed us that during the summer months, you can eat out on the patio!

After checking out the menu, I noticed that there were so many different entrees to choose from. They have basically everything you could ever want- pasta, seafood, sandwiches, soups, etc. I decided to get the chicken caesar salad and my boyfriend chose the classic Twigs hamburger. I also had a hard time deciding which martini I wanted because they have a huge variety of martinis. They have fruity ones, dry ones, and even chocolate ones! I chose the Carmael Apple Martini and anxiously waited for my meal and drink to arrive.

When the food arrived, I was very pleased to see how large their portions were. I had expected to be getting a small amount of food because it was a nicer restaurant. (I usually find that when my boyfriend and I go out to dinner at fancy restaurants, they give us the smallest amount of food possible!). I was surprised to see that my salad had pecans in it, which was a surprising twist on a classic chicken caesar salad. However, it was absolutely delicious! I ate the entire plate! Also, my martini was amazing. The combination of the sweet apple and the rich caramel was wonderful. It was so good, I had to order a second one. (I’m a very small girl and don’t weigh very much, so after consuming that much alcohol in the two strong martinis..let’s just say, I was a VERY happy girl afterwards!)

Overall, I would definitely give Twigs a high recommendation. It is very afforable considering the size of the meal you are given. The service was fast and friendly. My experience was certainly a positive one and it was the perfect way to spend my birthday!

I created a fantasy night in my mind, which included staying in a fancy hotel and going out to a nice restaurant, but never really knew how things would end up. I kept the whole idea a surprise from my boyfriend, which was the best part. I told him to pick me up at my house and I told him to dress very nicely.

He picked me up, wearing a nice tie and slacks- he looked so handsome! When I told him the plans for that night, he was so shocked and excited.

We stayed in the Deluxe Davenport King room. When we walked into the room, we were baffled. It was the most beautiful room I had ever seen. All of the countertops were made of marble and everything was antique-looking. I felt like a very important, wealthy, classy woman. Also, another thing I immediately noticed was the gigantic bed in the middle of the room. It was huge! I quickly hopped up onto the bed and, I have to admit, jumped on it like a little kid.

After looking at all of the glamorous amenities in the room, we decided to go out to dinner. When I had made the room reservations, I also had made reservations at the Safari Room, which is directly below the Davenport Tower.

The Safari Room was amazing! It was decorated in a jungle theme but still had a very fancy vibe to it because it was located in such a nice hotel. I got the chicken caesar salad, and my boyfriend got the pork chops. It was absolutely delicious. Also, the service was great also- first class all the way.

Overall, our stay at the Davenport Hotel was wonderful. It was definitely a great stress reliever and was the perfect date night ever!