Funny Girl @ The Biltmore lawn
Spring is coming and so are night-time movies under the stars at the Biltmore. This week watch classic Barbara Streisand in Funny Girl. Bring a blanket. It’s been chilly.

Center lawn at Biltmore
Northeast corner of 24th Street & Camelback
7 p.m.
Free

***

Avenue Q @ ASU Gammage
A puppet show just for adults. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this bawdy stage production.
Check it out  Tip: If you get to the box office 2 hours before a show, you might be able to score tickets in the first 10 rows for $25.

ASU Gammage
1200 S. Forest Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85287
March 9-14
7:30 p.m.
$19.75-$66

SATURDAY

Real Gardens for Real People garden tour
View the home gardens of certified Master Gardeners and a private preschool and kindergarten in the historic vicinity of the Central Corridor in Phoenix.

Throughout the central corridor
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
$20

***

Obscura @ Rips
Britpop, indie, new wave  — DJs Roya & Funkfinger do it up dance-style.
Win cds from White Stripes, Gorillaz, The Morning Benders, Serena Maneesh & Love is All or tickets to upcoming concerts by The Morning Benders, The Ruby Suns, Xiu Xiu and You Say Party! We Say Die! All this and $2 house pints, $3 wells, $5 calls all night. Go! Dance!

Rips Ales & Cocktails
3045 N. 16th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85016
9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
$5

• 5th graders sing Phoenix’s “Lisztomania
  I sang Davy Crockett in 5th grade. Today’s youngsters and learning sweet Phoenix tunes in school. This sweet rendition made me a little teary.
• Foodzie.com
  A purveyor of food from local producers across the country, they carry items like bacon jam and single malt scotch bars.
• Evil Devil Fish Bad for Japan
  Nothing like a hideous 10 foot fish to make you feel like you’re going to die.
  
• The Auteurs
  My film-loving friends might like this one. Watch arty films with a forum for discussion. I don’t see Bring it On on the list.
• The Onion: Nation Shudders at Large Block of Uninterrupted Text
  I’m giving this to my students to read.
  
• Phoenix fast food fish sandwiches
  How that for alliteration? I love a fish sandwich — and as I predicted, McDs comes out on top.
• I tried a neti pot for the first time
  

Sitting in the sun, eating a hot dog watching America’s favorite past-time; for the rest of March,  15 different teams are playing in all corners of the Valley…and Tucson.

Check it out. There are games at Scottsdale Stadium, Goodyear Ballpark, Maryvale Baseball Park, Hohokam Park in Mesa, Peoria Sports Complex, Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Tempe Diablo Stadium and I didn’t even name them all
(view the map).

The positives: the weather is beautiful and tickets are relatively inexpensive $7-$30.

The negative: $11 for a large beer. That’s a six-pack and a half, if you’re counting.

An Outfit a Day, $15.99

My Life as Liz just had the last episode of the season…and like all the others, it made me so, so ANGRY!!!

Here’s the root of my anger:

Bryson, Liz’s boy crush, texts her saying he wants to talk. So she meets him, sits on top of his car, shares a fry, and then blurts out how she’s waffling about whether or not to move to New York.

Like any reasonable guy would follow THAT with a love proclamation.

“Arrrrrgggghhhh!!!” I grunted waiving my veggie bun at the TV. “Liz is mentally disabled!”
My husband gives me his “I can’t believe you’re going on about this as if it was real” look as he takes a bite of fried rice.

More angering scenes unfold. Then more fist-pumping anger. Liz finds out Bryson is interested in her and rides a bike (because this show is dramatic) to his house. “He just left left on a summer-long trip,” paraphrases his mom. As if there weren’t any cell phones to call and say, “Dude, I’m a jackass. Let’s talk.”

So now Liz is going to New York, where every Jane, Ruby and Zoe wears red lipstick and has a snarky attitude. What might she wear to stand out there?

She won’t abandon her tough girl look — maybe just go extra vintage? Here’s my idea of what Liz might wear in NY:

• 70s Cowl Shirt, $15
• Yellow Vintage Sunglasses, $10
• Low Skinny 531, $98
• BDG Cinched Waist Anorak, $78
• NikeIds, $160
• Led Zeppelin Pin, $3
• The Jam Pin, .99£
• Wizard of Oz Pin Set (monkey shown), $3.99

If you’re new to My Life as Liz, my prior rant >>

I’m hardly an environmental crusader, but I am mindful about what I consume and lean towards vintage and ethically-friendly products, while (attempting to) veer from trendy, cheap items made with little hands.

That said, I also have a strong sense of my own aesthetic; I like what I like, and I’m not going to buy/wear a dowdy hemp dress just because it’s green.

I keep my eye out for cool items that are also fair trade and/or good for the environment. A couple of years ago, it seemed like everyone and their brother had a new line of environmentally-friendly clothing.  For a season, it was actually pretty easy to find stylish-yet-ethical outfit choices.

Colin Firth’s wife has been documenting  her own green challenge for British Vogue — wear eco-dresses through the entire awards season, which has inspired me to renew my search for  good looking fashion that just so happens to have an environmental impact.

1.) Mociun Tie Dress, $370
2.) Ultimate Organic Tee, $45
3.) Double K 007 Necklace, $110
4.) Loomstate Lover Boyfriend Straight Jeans in Deluca, $154
5.) Fair Trade Sneakers, $54.99
6.) Urban Renewal Flutter Short, $48
7.) Urban Renewal Chiffon Ruffle Blouse, $48

Palace Stacking Dinner Plates, $98

I was quite excited when I viewed these dishes on the blog of one of my students. Visit her site and see the whole set.

Liberty of London Cruiser, $199.99

11 a.m. Head to Central and Camelback to Frances Vintage for a great accessories and gift selections. Some things you’ll find:  Cool, arty dresses and tops, vintage picks, handmade accessories, and eclectic home items.

Next door, stop into Stinkweeds, one of the best local music stores in town. Listen to the newest indie albums or peruse their flyers for upcoming shows and events.

One door down: Red Hot Robot. Get inspired by their collection of vinyl toys, books and other Japanese-inspired accessories.

Next up, get a mid-morning pick-me-up at Smeeks, the cute candy shop at the end of the row.

12:30 p.m. Head a mile or so down Central to Pane Bianco, of Bianco’s Pizzaria fame, for a delicious sandwich and a Bubble Up.

If you’re a sweetie person (like me), stop next door at Lux for a baked treat. My suggestion: Anything with chocolate and/or peanut butter.

1:30 p.m. A block or so down the road, check out Vintage Fashion, Inc.  for an amazing mix of designer vintage ranging from barely-affordable to not-so-much. Walk a few steps to Central Consignment next door for a brand names at discount prices.

2:00 p.m. More vintage. Head a few miles west to Hollywood Regency and peruse their selection of retro classic clothing for men and women.

Across the street: Retro Ranch for a funky collection of well-priced vintage fashions, furniture and home decor.

3:30 p.m. Stop off at Grand Ave. – home of vintage shop, Butter Toast.

Grab an iced tea next door at Paisley Violin and sit on the patio (October-May) or inside (June-Sept) and think about your purchases.

4:30 p.m. Downtown is a little sparse, but you can still check out some locally made items at
Bunky Boutique and Made.

Happy hour – You’ve been living la vida retro all day, stay in that mood with a martini from Durant’s. All it takes is one.

6:30 p.m. Take the 20-minute trip to Scottsdale. Work up an appetite trolling Scottsdale Fashion Square, home of some great high and low-end shopping.

For big spenders: Barney’s, Neiman Marcus, and Kate Spade.
For the spend-thrifts: Forever21, Charolette Russe and coming soon — H&M.

8 p.m. Depending on the damage you’ve incurred throughout your day, you might choose a less expensive dining option, like the home-style fare at Orange Table, or splurge a little at new (and much talked about) FnB for some gourmet fare.

Before I even had a chance to harvest my lettuce, I noticed it starting to flower.

Oh, that’s nice, right?

Wrong.

According to my gardening friend, the weird weather of the season has caused a lot of plants to reproduce, or bolt, early. Once bolting, the rest of the plant is left tasting kind of funny.

“It’s a protective measure. They taste bad so they can continue to reproduce,” explained my friend.

That makes sense.

Guess I’m going to have to wait until next year for fresh sandwich garnish.