PhotoBarn, Knoxville, TN

1/26/15

8x10 - $15 + S/H

Received my wood photo order today and it's beautiful. High quality, great print - terrific price!

I used a picture taken on a Mexican cruise the week before Christmas 2014, and ordered shortly after we returned home.

I've ordered on Groupon before and usually it's service places (nails, car detailing, etc.) that get overwhelmed by responses and customer orders and can't fulfill the demand in the promised time. I'm not surprised to read a lot of yelp reviews saying the same thing for these prints, and while unfortunate, I don't think that deserves the kind of criticism they're getting.

The final product was beautiful! And they have similar items that with coupon codes for the same price as you'd get with Groupon. Some have free shipping offers and they have cute wooden heart prints for upcoming Valentine's Day.  (If I do order for a V-Day gift and it hasn't arrived, I'll just wrap a screenshot of my coming order - my loved ones are pretty understanding.)

Order. Be patient. Enjoy.



Original

Delicia's Falafel (food truck), Walnut Creek

1/28/15

I found myself at the Concord Farmer's Market a week ago on a day off. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started walking around. The last stand I came to was Delicia's and it sounded the best of any of the options.

I looked at the items they were passing to guests ahead of me and became very excited for a healthy salad with falafel on top. I had the Greek salad for $7 and was given a choice of regular or spicy falafel. I love spicy food so this wasn't a hard choice - plus I was given a sample first to try before deciding and that sealed the deal. Delicious Delicia! The salad had a lot of yummy toppings (olives, cheese, etc.) and some small bread slices on top (pita bread?).

I ordered the watermelon drink ($2) and it tasted just like when my grandmother used to make Agua Fresca.

The falafel was hot and fresh and my drink and salad were cool and crisp. All in all, very tasty and filling.

Tacos Adeline (Taco Truck), Hayward

2/24/15

My husband and I WERE running on time for a meeting in Hayward, until I spotted this taco truck; I decided we were going to have to show up a couple minutes late for our meeting. I have a hard time driving by parking lot taco trucks without stopping and spending a couple bucks, especially if I see other people milling around the truck, waiting for their food. That's usually a good sign.






I ordered two tacos - there were a few people ahead of me in line but my to-go order somehow came up first. Tacos were great - hot salsa (on request) topped off the chicken and they were even better than they smelled (they smelled AWESOME).

I'd definitely stop here again! They have a special plate thing that looked amazing - a couple people were eating it. I think it was Sundays only - not even sure what it was, but it looked really good! Look for these guys!!!

Young Spa, Concord

2/28/15

After a really tough day yesterday, and a slumber party at a friend's house last night, my husband and I set out on foot to eat breakfast and get a massage. After eating, we crossed the street and entered Young Spa. The front desk was empty but there was a price list and we decided on a 60 minute oil massage for $45.

A woman eventually came out and sort of just stared at us. I initiated conversation and told her what we'd like, and she just looked really confused. She kept looking back and forth at us, so I pointed to the price sheet. A single man walked in at that moment and asked if a specific female was there. A door in the hallway behind us opened and said woman came out and led the man toward the back. We still had received no response, so I asked if they had time for two one-hour massages. The same confused look was our answer.

We sat down in the two chairs in the lobby, unsure what to do - would there be a wait? Would someone else come speak with us? I felt really dirty just being in there all of a sudden. We called a Lyft driver to pick us up and take us home. The man who came in after us left about the time our ride picked us up. Weird - I didn't see 15 minute massage on their list of services.

High Hopes Vegan Bakery, Summerville, SC

2/28/15

Upon hearing news of a friend's misfortune, thoughtful individuals will  often visit, call, send flowers, send cards, or sometimes even send delicious treats! I recently received the worst news possible, and a couple of days later I found a small box in my mail.

I hadn't eaten in almost two days when I opened the box . Much to my delight there were six chocolate cups inside (three plastic packages with two cups each). The cups were filled with amazing chocolate chip cookie dough. After my husband and I shared one of the large treats, we looked back in the box and found a note telling us my cousin Laine and her husband were the senders (they live near Seattle), and that the High Hopes Vegan Bakery in South Carolina was the baker.

Had the company name not included the word vegan, I would have never ever guessed these weren't milk chocolate cups with the gooey, delicious filling. Perhaps because it's been so hot in California and we weren't home for a few days, the chocolate melted a little and lightened in color, you can tell they're dark chocolate in the pics online. They honestly would be the perfect sweet for vegans or non-vegans alike. It's the best vegan dessert I've ever eaten.

I contacted the business on facebook and asked where the desserts are sold - the owner sells on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HighHopesVeganBakery?ref=l2-shopheader-name). Her shipping is really reasonable, especially because she ships priority and the orders go out quickly. She'll even do custom orders, in addition to the cookies, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, donuts, and other items she bakes. There are gluten free options on top of all the cruelty-free selections. This was a really wonderful gift to receive and they really brightened my day.