Gail G. Collins – Freelance Writer, Author, Editor & Photographer

Featured

Treasure awaits: A visit to Camp Verde’s vintage shops

FlagLIVE! April 2, 2026

Written by Gail G. Collins

For some of us, why does browsing an antique shop or touching the carved, polished wood of a heritage home conjure up warmth and wonder? The answer is in its continuity. As time slips away, pieces of the past offer us a grounding presence, a comfort.

But how can we be drawn things we haven’t even known? The sociological concept is known as “place authenticity.” It’s why certain environments resonate more than others. The unique essence of a place feels genuine, alive and connected to history, community and culture. It offers stability and identity.

It explains the timeless joy of all things vintage and antique. Pick up a copy of Arizona’s Antique Register and smile at the fun and fab shop names, like Then Again, Forever Young and Flashback. Articles with advice, trends and tips within its pages create curiosity with buzz words such as retro and rescued.

Ready to immerse yourself in a vintage, antique and collectibles? Grab a friend and make a day of it in Camp Verde. There are three shops within a mile of one another that make a satisfying start: Sweet Pea Trading, Verde Valley Resale and Ruby Road Vintage.

Sweet Pea cuts the clutter and steers buyers through rooms curated for glassware, knickknacks, camping gear, tools, furniture, art, garden, apothecary, Christmas, china, dolls, models and more. It’s “Where the past gets a second chance.”

Verde Valley Resale has a reputation for great prices and staff with a wide selection of antiques, modern collectibles and unique gifts from art to books to clothes—treasures to be discovered.

Ruby Road Vintage is an 8,000-square foot mall offering new items, boutique finds, consignment sales, vendor booths and monthly open air events with artisans, music and food trucks from February through May. There, shopping is more than a transaction; it sparks inspiration and joy.

Owner Pamela Bridgnell explained, “For me, it’s just my dream. You can experience so many things in one place. I owned a furniture consignment store, and retail gets into your skin. I can’t think of anything else.”

It’s a condition Bridgnel leveraged. After merchandising resale in three Phoenix malls, she moved to Camp Verde in 2005 and opened a consignment shop. A few years later, she began renting booths.

“It was successful from the start—we had built-in customers working the booths—energy, fun, and then, more booths.”

Moving to the current Howards Road location in 2009, the evolution continued with new customers, layers of resale, plus dealers of new and used items. Local vendors sell honey, sourdough bread, beauty products and more.

Bridgnell pivoted during the pandemic, and Nicole Sornprasitti joined the team in 2021 becoming a partner early last year.

“Things really started happening. She had the brains to put it all together—social media, the online market, professional touches—we’re thriving,” Bridgnell said.

Sornprasitti added, “Working here, I gained great business sense—it was Business 101.”

Clients vary from tourists to locals. At the center of Arizona, Camp Verde pulls from all directions with its weather and proximity.

On a Girls Day Out, Starla Collins visited Ruby Road. “I was in love, in awe, and within two months, I opened a booth.”

This became an outlet for her crafting. The booth is stocked with items from her life, friends’ donations and yard sales.

“Grandmas can’t bear to give that special something to Goodwill, family doesn’t want it, but she wants someone to fall in love with it,” Collins explained. “The marketing is done by Ruby Road. I’m surrounded by accomplished women, and they help vendors be successful. When it stops being fun, I’ll stop doing it.”

But Collins can’t imagine that though. It gets into your skin, some say.

“What’s that shiny thing over there? All the vendors squirrel something away,” Bridgnel said. Still, “They make incredible sales and get big checks.”

There is wild variety in the multi-seller marketplace.

“You think: Who’s going to buy this?” asked Sornprasitti, “and then, someone does.” Like the high heeled shoe chair that turned heads and quick bucks.

Resale furniture is huge with dealers mingled and firm standards set—working hinges, gliding drawers, pieces cleaned and ready to use. Sornprasitti icole advised regular exploration. “Ruby Road is a honeypot for furniture.”

When asked, “Why browse the past?” Bridgnel’s enthusiasm radiated. “It’s an experience, a treasure hunt, so much to choose from with 60+ sellers in the best store in Camp Verde or Arizona! And it keeps getting better. We’re choosy, affordable, giftable, lovely.”

Sornprasitti added, “Ruby Road is elevated, evolved, fluid—always something new happening. People are surprised every time they come in.”

Whether you’re scouting for something new or something blue, something gently adored or perfect for parting out, the past is calling. Relax, Camp Verde’s vintage and antique shops have it all. FLGLive!

https://azdailysun.com/flaglive/features/beat/treasure-awaits-a-visit-to-camp-verde-s-vintage-shops/article_b6366edc-4376-4931-9507-3fa4dbb1e3b5.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Steeped in resilience: A tea company rooted in healing and purpose

FlagLIVE! April 16, 2026

Written by Gail G. Collins

Adversity changes us, hopefully, for the better. It can refine and focus us. Priorities become clear, and motivation is strong. We gain control and find a way forward.

Dana Huffmon, three-time cancer survivor, is an example of such intentional living and an entrepreneur. She embraced wellness through nourishing, natural living and founded Old Barrel Tea Company to reflect her ideals. Many of the company’s signature products, including teas blended onsite, were created by Dana and a supported by an inner circle obsessed with flavor and living well.

The initial business involved daughter Bailey Huffmon, and opened in Ruidoso, New Mexico in 2015 with a dozen teas and few cases of honey. Since then, the matriarch expanded to ten locations—the latest in Roswell, New Mexico—growing a family team that includes daughters-in-law Nenada and Paola. Shops carry 50+ loose leaf teas, powdered matchas and cacao with more choice blends and bundles online. Of course, tea equipment is available, alongside local honeys, gourmet spices, vanilla bean products, wellness elixirs, essential oils and accessories.

Nenada Huffmon, owner and director of operations, explained, “We believe in the wellness of tea. Our mission is wellness, community and joy. Quality is the pillar of our business, and Paola, our herbalist, works directly with farmers. We are thoughtful about whole ingredients and produce blends that recreate a moment. Our teas come from experiences.”

Madeleine Nauman manages the Flagstaff shop. The cozy, compact space radiates fragrance and friendly advice. Most of us have tossed a teabag in a cup of hot water to steep, so why choose loose leaf tea?

“One of the biggest differences in bagged tea is that you’re getting the leftovers from loose leaf tea production,” said Nauman. “Loose leaf tea offers more flavor with proven higher antioxidant capacity. It’s a different processing—highly intentional—often, cared for by hand.”

She explained that leaves are hand selected in their optimal state at each point in loose leaf production.

With such gorgeous, enormous choice, Old Barrel Tea Company steeps a daily range of teas to pour and explore. “We offer samples to immerse yourself in—to try things,” suggested Nauman. “You can even take a cup to go.”

On an early spring day, one pitcher held the popular Island Grove with red and green rooibos, mango pieces, schisandra berry, blue cornflower and lemon myrtle for a tropical profile with a hint of citrus. Pecan pie and horchata—decadent and inviting—is nutty with a cinnamon kick plus vanilla.

If you are new to tea, Old Barrel Tea Company provides sniff jars to acquaint clients with complimentary flavors and consider their timing for tea—morning boost, afternoon cuppa’ or nighttime wind down. The shops carry white, green, black and oolong teas.

Nauman directs customers. “I ask about preferences—caffeine, flavor profile, benefits—show them the tea shelf and offer recommendations.” Teas are sold in tins and jars for better value.

To steep tea, one needs a tool to suspend the leaves in hot water. This can be a cup with an integrated diffuser, cheesecloth, French press or tea ball. There are reusable and disposable options. Steep times vary by leaf type. White, green and black are sensitive, needing shorter steeps of three to five minutes while herbal and darker teas need longer. Warning: Any tea can become bitter by oversteeping. “To doctor it up, add honey, a splash of milk or pour over ice,” Nauman advised.

The ritual of tea is a welcome respite in a harried day. Preparing loose leaf tea forces us to yield to ceremony with patience, creating purposeful moments. Nauman urged indulging in tea.

Join the Seasonal Tea Club for quarterly variety—$48 buys six custom choice tea blends, a punch card for five free cups of tea and 20% off purchases in store or online.

The Flagstaff shop also hosts local vendors, such as Sweet Sting Honey, Chocolita and Little Cabin Soaps while outlets, like Drinking Horn Meadery, Awa Kava & Coffee and Mayan Winds offer the Old Barrel brand via sachets.

According to Nauman, “Old Barrel Tea Company advocates wellness as a pleasure, whether it is drinking tea or creating a lovely aroma in a room.”

She senses a deep familial and communal ethos at the company, where talents and personalities shine through in growth-oriented and organic ways. Nenada shared, “We are family- and female-owned and grateful for every person, who supports us. We stay true to our roots, involved in day-to-day matters at all locations.”

Nauman is enthusiastic. “I’ve never worked at a place where I was so excited to show up. The space is a sanctuary. It’s a joy to bring holistic products to our community from a company, who is good to its core.” FLGLive!

https://azdailysun.com/flaglive/features/chow/steeped-in-resilience-a-tea-company-rooted-in-healing-and-purpose/article_d279e27b-4ba1-48d3-a121-368131def71a.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Baked with heart: The sweet success of Honeycomb Pastries

Flag LIVE! March 19, 2026

Written by Gail G. Collins

It’s in difficult times that we discover what we’re really made of. A challenge spurs us to dig deep, motivating us to nurture that wondrous seed that is within awaiting the right moment to flourish.

In the summer of 2020, uncertain times by any measure, Victoria Thompson was pushed out of her job security at Northern Arizona University. She wondered, “How do I move forward? How to make a living? I took matters into my own hands, took advice from friends and started baking. I joined Mix and began selling pastries there, and it just started blowing up. Name recognition, serendipities, Viola’s adding me to their vendor list–it was a lot of great momentum.”

More than five years on, Thompson’s business, Honeycomb Pastries, continues to grow, having catered cakes and treats for 63 weddings in 2025 on top of others events, such as birthdays, bridal and baby showers plus graduations.

Thompson was a small girl with big dreams. In fact, her earliest memory is baking brownies with her Nonny, a painter.

“I knew from a young age and was drawn to pastries and would suffer to enjoy the desserts,” she said, noting a need to be dairy- and gluten-free from five years old. After graduating from Robert Morris University she went from Buttercream Princess, frosting cakes, to designing them. “I had lots of hands-on learning from professionals and great guidance.”

Thompson studied abroad in Italy and worked in a James Beard award-winning kitchen, moving from Chicago to Naples and Flagstaff.

Wedding season requires Thompson to gear up in April, and finally, wind down in November.

“October is huge. I had 18 weddings because it’s so gorgeous,” she said. The current trend is to supply a six-inch cutting cake—a two- to three-tier masterpiece—with dessert treat options for guests. “Crème brûlée is easy, yet escalates any event,” she hinted.

Other sweet treats range from brownies, cookies, cinnamon rolls and cupcakes to chocolate-covered strawberries, cake pops, cookies, cream puffs and scones plus vegan or gluten-free choices.

Flavors tend to follow seasonal trends with lemon lavender in spring, pumpkin spice in fall and red velvet in winter. Frostings are available in American buttercream or meringue-based Swiss buttercream. Cakes come in six, eight and ten-inch sizes, ranging from $90- $240.

“Each cake is custom, one-of-a-kind,” Thompson enthused.

Her photo gallery is a testament to that. They are works of art. Some are nature-inspired with fanciful mushrooms, flowers or succulents. One revealed the crystals of a geode. Others follow childhood inclinations, such as Lego construction or “Zootopia” characters.

Breaking the tasks down to days for cake baking, stacking, producing fillings, and then, frosting, creates efficiency. Depending on how many hundreds of times Thompson has crafted a cake, frosting it can take 10 minutes to three hours for a novel idea.

“I am blessed with awesome clients,” Thompson said. “They put trust in me, and I run wild with it.”

Still, how can anyone cut into such showstopper cakes?

“I put my soul into it, and it breaks my heart to cut into a cake. No, no, I won’t. I send it home and you can do what you want with it.” But after fashioning a stunning cake for her father’ retirement, Thompson had no choice. “No one else was going to cut it,” she said with a laugh.

Honeycomb Pastries derived its name from the sweetness of honey and the layered, airy design of a croissant when pulled apart. Her popular sourdough starter-based dough makes sweet or savory delights, like cinnamon rolls, pizza pockets, sticky or breakfast buns. All goods, including lemon curd or compote fillings, are made from scratch with recipes perfected by Thompson for high altitude conditions with premium ingredients, like butter, local eggs, fresh Mexican vanilla and paste.

Honeycomb Pastries recently transitioned to a home cottage kitchen, allowing more flexibility. Box Drops are the latest, stylish product to emerge, targeting holidays and occasions. Valentine’s Day boxes featured a choice of a couples cake, chocolate-covered strawberries or two each cinnamon rolls, strawberries and sugar cookies.

Honeycomb Pastries shares a sense of love and community in her custom creations. “Thank you for all the support, trusting me with your visions,” Thompson said. “I am honored to be part of these celebrations. I appreciate you.”

And as Julia Child would remind us, “A party without cake is just a meeting.” FLGLive!

https://azdailysun.com/flaglive/features/chow/baked-with-heart-the-sweet-success-of-honeycomb-pastries/article_793e1ed1-1901-4ba6-b22f-377780e8d797.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Kickstand Kafe blends comfort, coffee and community in every cup

FLAGLive! February 19, 2026

Written by Gail G. Collins

A warm cup in a welcoming space. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, the sweet scent of pastry, friends gathered to study or that quiet corner to catch up on some reading. The hiss and sputter of steam, cozy couches near a fire, the wave from a new acquaintance and the promise of all you crave. It’s the simple, beautiful things that draw us in.

A coffee shop meets the needs of a wide array of folks. It answers the highest calling as it sets an agenda for the day or helps close the loop. It’s the answer to the question, so yes, come on in.

Owner Catherine Chabot of Kickstand Kafe encourages us to visit. “How important is the support of small business in the local community. Several customers are here three to four days a week. Skiers during snow season stop in on the way up and back down the mountain. We invite people in—while our drive-thru is amazing—come in and enjoy the space.”

Kickstand has been around since 2009, and Chabot managed the shop before buying in with Guillermo Cortes in 2017. With a professional culinary background from the Bay Area’s California College of the Arts, she garnered early experience at Pump Jack Café, as a yacht company chef and in catering before moving on to Texas, Minnesota, and then, Flagstaff more than a dozen years ago.

“With three children in tow at that point, I threw in my hat at Kickstand,” she remembered. “It was a good fit family-wise.”

The espresso is illy, while Single Speed Coffee Roasters supplies the drip and cold brew. The signature Kickstand brewed drip blends the two with a shot of espresso. The standard sippers cover the range from a macchiato to a mocha and breve. Lattes are the top seller, and a well-trained staff delivers a proper steam.

As far as specialty drinks, the Endo boasts dark chocolate and frosted mint mocha. The Marley blends hazelnut into a white chocolate latte. The Snowbunny combines coconut and a dark chocolate mocha. Nearly 20 syrups are on offer with sugar-free options.

Loose leaf specialty teas are a return to tradition with quality Adagio Teas sourced directly from artisan growers. The matcha latte, especially in seasonal varieties and a chai latte with creamy, warm spices are popular. The London Fog features Earl Grey with steamed milk and vanilla while the Fixie, a yerba matte and rooibos latte, adds cinnamon. To satisfy the range of tastes, hot chocolate, steamers, cucumber lemonade, spiced cider, fruit smoothies, and Lotus energy drinks are available. Add popping boba for fun.

Chabot didn’t create the initial food menus, but they have grown. Staples remained, such as pastries, muffins and New York-styled Fat Bagles, in support of other local enterprises, which are well suited to coffee. Scones and cookies are baked daily and flavors rotate.

For breakfast, Chabot added a burrito with potato, egg and cheese and choice of bacon, chorizo or calabacitas. It’s the top seller alongside the Big Kicker, a croissant stacked with sausage, bacon, green chilies, egg, cheddar and hash browns.

Lunch came later with equal success. Sandwiches, like the turkey, bacon and brie spread fig jam and arugula on toasted focaccia with a side salad or chips.

“We have a micro-kitchen, not full service, but you work with what you got,” said Chabot. She delivers with house made chicken salad, salsa, pickled onions, berry compote, dressings, veggie sautés and granola—made with pecans, almonds, pepitas—for the parfait. “We use local as much as we can.”

Kickstand Kafe has a longstanding presence in the community, located in the back yard of Flagstaff High School, but also supports the district, plus summer trail maintenance crews, Flagstaff Medical Center and more. The shop composts their grounds and contributes organic matter for NAU worm farms and public gardens.

Building on their local love and keeping it low key, Kickstand recently introduced a Kocktail element.

“We don’t want to change the vibe—we’re not a bar—but we offer drinks that complement the food, mimosas on a Sunday and a Happy Hour with a coffee kick,” Chabot explained.

Weekend hours run later, and plans for game nights and vinyl and wine nights are next. “People come in to work or study late in the day, and we want to keep the environment comfortable for everybody.”

The bike-themed coffee and food café is casual in wood and iron chairs in an enormous, airy space, fireplace cozy with a large patio. Watch for an inside upgrade as Kickstand Kafe moves forward in 2026. FLGLive!

https://azdailysun.com/flaglive/features/chow/kickstand-kafe-blends-comfort-coffee-and-community-in-every-cup/article_7dec71da-591d-425f-9599-abd8454d0bfe.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Cocoa, caramel and care: A look inside Flagstaff Chocolate Company

FlagLIVE! January 22, 2026

Written by Gail G. Collins

Candy! It is universally adored—the perfect gift for any person of any age. It accommodates every budget with endless choices and personal favorites. The sweet satisfaction is immediate. In the giving, there is celebration, and in receiving it, a memory made. Candy endures. Each holiday holds its own temptation from stockings filled with golden chocolate coins to a Valentine box of raspberry creams. Candy is happiness in its simplest form.

Laura Snopeck recognized these truths when she bought Flagstaff Chocolate Company in 2012. With a business finance background, she had put in a full career before the economic downturn forced change on her.

With a demanding family life, she wondered, “What now? I definitely wanted to do something with more flexibility to watch my kids grown up. I saw a chocolate shop for sale and thought, how fun would that be?”

The shop was originally founded in 1978 as Mountain Candy and located in Flagstaff Mall. It moved downtown in 1992, rebranding as Flagstaff Chocolate Company.

The previous owner contributed the recipes and a good deal of hands-on training. In particular, Snopeck learned about chocolate and the inadequacy of commercial products.

“They add edible paraffin, which gives it a waxy taste. Good chocolate takes your taste buds to another level,” she said. Flagstaff Chocolate Company uses 60% cacao—a higher standard for better chocolates.

Snopeck enlarged on the original scope of choices. From a half-dozen truffles and purchased chocolates, Flagstaff Chocolate Company now makes 24 types by hand, to include pyramid San Francisco Peaks truffles. All are popular, such as toffee almond, but unusual flavors, such as maple bacon and cherry cheesecake, are also in demand.

Candy making is a challenging art. Chocolate is precious, delicate and requires proper tempering. Creating caramel is temperature dependent as well. Considerable effort is involved in melting both, and the task for Snopeck begins upon arrival.

She joked, “People don’t understand the time is takes and come in and ask, ‘Can you make me a caramel apple quick.’ The answer is, ‘No way!’ It takes two hours to make a batch of 75 truffles.”

As her logo T-shirt attests: Nobody knows the truffles I’ve seen.

Best sellers, beyond all of the truffles, are peanut butter cups, all house made. S’mores mixes in graham cracker crumbs and English toffee is a classic buy.

There are hundreds of candies to choose from, but a sweet, short list of confections includes gourmet gummies, Jelly Belly, taffy, handmade fudge, caramel apples, brittles and Dreyer’s ice cream. Unique is an extensive selection of imported licorice. The shop is the only one, who offers a large selection of 15 types of foreign licorice, notable for its stronger anise taste and harder candy texture.

Flagstaff Chocolate Company fabricates products three times each week—melting, dipping and creating by hand. It crafts 80 to 100 designer apples with the most popular pick, Granny’s Apple Pie, coated in white chocolate, cinnamon and sugar. Caramel-dipped marshmallows are another specialty not seen elsewhere.

Now grown, both of Snopeck’s children worked for her along the way, and her son still calls with requests to satisfy cravings. He did the heavy lifting then, and her daughter did a lot of candy making: fudge, caramel apples, peanut butter cups, truffles.

“She started at 17 years old and said then, ‘Everyone will love me for the rest of my life because I make good fudge.’”

When Snopeck got into the candy business, she hadn’t realized how many holidays revolved around chocolate. To that delightful end, she offers pre-packaged gifts that are pretty and ready for pick-up, caters corporate events and provides gift options to businesses for clients and guests. The company has been in business for nearly 50 years, and Snopeck invites people to come and see what makes Flagstaff Chocolate Company different.

“What drew me to a chocolate shop is the small indulgence,” she shared. “Even when the economy wasn’t doing well, it brought joy to people without major expense. It’s an affordable indulgence that makes everybody happy.” FLGLive!

https://azdailysun.com/flaglive/features/chow/cocoa-caramel-and-care-a-look-inside-flagstaff-chocolate-company/article_c5292648-3d96-42df-87a9-608a647aa177.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Queen B Vinyl Café blends music, meals and makers into one vibrant hub

FlagLIVE! December 18, 2025

Written by Gail G. Collins

Current food industry aims are centered on sustainability—maintaining an ecological balance. This core principle fills the larder at Queen B Vinyl Café. Its diverse interests involve an immersive, niche record shop, barbershop, restaurant and roastery. The mingled spaces beg one to wander from one teasing thing to another.

The color scheme is a showstopper to start. Bright orange and blue exudes a happy energy and eccentricity. Customers of all ages and backgrounds flick through records while an historic hearse parked in front wears the bumper sticker, “Honk if you love vinyl.”

The indie record shop curates select latest releases from across genres, while boasting exclusive, limited and rare releases from the owner, Maynard Keenan’s bands. It’s also a proud outpost for Record Store Day.

A wine bar serves selections from Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, part of family operations only a stone’s throw away, where Hilltop Trattoria and a gelateria are built into a ridge accessible by tram.

The traditional barbershop with two chairs often has a tattoo artist as well as a hair colorist on deck. There is also an in-house custom seamstress for tailoring needs that has blossomed into an informal sewing club. More, the café invites all to grab a bite and hang around.

Plenty of parking, seating and varied curiosities create an appealing venue.

“We wanted to bring a little culture to Old Town Cottonwood,” said co-owner Jan Keenan, an eclectic force herself. Besides administration duties, she curates branded items for the shop and record selection with an executive board position on the nonprofit Women in Vinyl, explores and books bands for events, brainstorms activities, and for fun, races crap cars in an annual rally and practices falconry.

For Keenen, sustainability is the plan. Both eateries are supplied via four acres of cultivated land with stone fruit trees, chickens, ducks and quail, plus three greenhouses growing lettuces, bok choy, tomatoes and more rotationally. The menu descends from all that can be produced and is supplemented from local purveyors, according to award-winning chef Brett Vibber.

“We are hyper-focused on what’s growing at the farm, like seasonal fruit. It’s food the way nature intended, not a manipulated climate,” Vibber explained. “Good food is good medicine—it’s most beneficial for the body because it is local.”

Menu faves include the Judas Burger, which begs to betray your waistline with a 6-ounce smash-style Terra Farms Wagyu beef patty, pickles, sharp cheddar and Queen B sauce with onion jam on a brioche bun, served with fries or a green salad. The local beef is crossbred for high fat content and flavor. God’s Favorite, an all-beef Fripper dog, is dressed with pickled pico de gallo and garden chili aioli and a side of salad. Quiches, whether it is the Cain veggie with seasonal goods or the Abel meat with spicy turkey sausage and veg, the crust is a family recipe. Among three ramen bowls, the tonkotsu contains traditional pork broth, pork belly chashu, local mushrooms, bok choy, bamboo shoots, spring onion and a soft egg. Many dishes abound with farm-raised eggs.

Brunch Beat Sundays liven it up with a DJ to bring both sides of the shop together.

Queen B Vinyl Café evolved from a record shop that came home to the family’s Verde Valley vineyards after 16 years in Jerome.

Keenan emphasized the roastery. “Coffee is a natural transition from wine in its flavors and notes.”

Manager Christopher Grgurich explained, “The basic concept is a micro roastery, solely for shop use.” Globally-sourced beans are espresso-focused, New Wave, light roast single origin and European style. The beans are roasted on a Loring S7 Nighthawk. “It sounds like a fighter jet—the Ferrari of roasters,” he said grinning. Popular drinks include espressos, cappuccinos, Americanos, lattes, specialty seasonal offerings as well as teas.

A devoted wife and mom, Keenan said of the myriad opportunities at Queen B, “It’s important with my daughter near her teens to have a place to be with things going on.”

There are things going on, like listening parties for new music coming out. Every Friday and Saturday, the shop hosts free movies. A design and print studio allows anyone to create original art with a DTG printer.

To celebrate their first anniversary in October, Queen B Vinyl Café held poetry nights, bands of all kinds, puppets and more.

“It’s a neighborhood vibe, community café. It’s safe, all are welcome whether you’re a local or a traveler passing through,” Keenan said. It’s definitely the Queen B. FLGLive!

https://azdailysun.com/flaglive/features/chow/queen-b-vinyl-caf-blends-music-meals-and-makers-into-one-vibrant-hub/article_ca7c6c89-655b-4c46-8558-422910603274.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Flagstaff’s most trusted fix: True Blue Handyman & Maintenance takes top honor

Best of Flagstaff 2025

Written by Gail G. Collins

A reliable handyman is worth his weight in gold. Whether you need rain gutters cleared, tile repaired or HVAC maintenance, he is a one-stop shop for knocking out a list of chores. Most handymen hone their broad skills through apartment maintenance, advancing to supervisor before running properties or acting as service managers of rental units.

It was no different for Chris Lacy, who began True Blue Handyman & Maintenance in 2023 when the opportunity presented itself.

“I saw a need in the community,” he said. “Other companies were charging a fortune, and there was a need for an honest company with good services at a better price. People recommended me here and there, I ran into realtors, who needed help, and it is just blew up.”

Voted Best Handyman, Lacy’s 20 years of experience have branded him as dependable, timely and fairly priced for quality work. He is licensed, bonded and insured and works for both residential and commercial clients. The work scope is the same: repairs and maintenance, installations and inspections. Those jobs encompass a wide range of general tasks, such as electrical, gutters, plumbing, painting, drywall, carpentry, mice remediation and emergency services.

Often, it comes down to a problem or a project. Problems come in all sizes, such as a leaky faucet, a plugged toilet, an outlet that doesn’t work or a door that won’t shut properly. Projects run the gamut from installing a sink, a door or an appliance to painting a room, refitting plumbing to accommodate a garbage disposer or laying linoleum.

An enormous advantage in hiring a handyman is in bundling jobs. Seasonal maintenance is a good example. Instead of hiring a slew of contractors to work inside and outside the home, True Blue can clear the rain gutters, check the furnace, drain and flush the water heater, service the dryer vents and more in one visit.

A bonus, Lacy said, “is with a steady customer, I have ongoing knowledge of the home.” In the case of a minor plumbing problem, he suggested, “A plumber charges a fortune. I can offer the same experience at a fairer price with the same peace of mind because of my certifications.”

True Blue offers the same confidence commercially. Vacation rental owners need eyes on a place for repairs and upkeep performed. Property management companies and realty turns have similar requirements. In addition, before a house goes on the market, Lacy can do an audit to assess damages and do repairs or maintenance. This knowledge and reliability has built trust in True Blue to form familiar, working relationships with clients.

True Blue has an honored list of regulars with a busy phone of new customers calling.

“We’re all about customer service, putting them first with quality work.” Regarding untrustworthy and unlicensed work, Lacy added, “We don’t sell things customers don’t need, only whatever is called for. We cover the whole range of commercial and private needs.”

A free quote is available by phone, and the fee for an in-house estimate is waived when the service is performed. Hourly rates cover most problems at lower rates than servicemen, and many projects are gauged by flat fees.

Lacy credits his office manager, the first line of friendly contact, for managing customer relations.

“My wife Cynthia is amazing and runs the place, schedules and makes everything happen, so I can just go out there and fix stuff,” he said. “She is a wonderful partner, and our company’s success is based on both of us.”

https://azdailysun.com/news/bestof/flagstaff-s-most-trusted-fix-true-blue-handyman-maintenance-takes-top-honor/article_f2d957c7-f941-42de-9604-6ebf1d1a72a7.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Fresh, fast and Flagstaff’s favorite: Freeman’s eateries claim 2 Best of Flag awards

Best of Flagstaff 2025

Written by Gail G. Collins

Some people seem to fly from success to success. In reality, their achievements are the combination of dedication, hard work, risk and purpose. It is more impressive to perform such feats at a young age, relying more on instinct than experience. Such is the rapid, remarkable resume of Christa Freeman.

Freeman opened Juice Pub & Eatery at age 22 while attending classes at NAU, and two years later, opened Urban Pine Eatery. The recent college graduate earned wins for Best Juicery and New Restaurant simultaneously.

She admits the learning curve was scary starting from the ground up. “But people have been so great. The place is popping always. It’s outdoing what I thought!”

The enthusiastic entrepreneur of two eateries in historic downtown Flagstaff confessed that no one in the family has experience in the food industry beyond a former familial franchise investment. Like other students, Freeman gathered her know-how working front of the house positions at Juice Pub and more. She was the ideal candidate to take over the reins.

After owning the juicery for a year, the honing began, first adding more breakfast options, like eggs, bacon, bagels and tacos, the latter two proving popular. Attention is given to allergies with prep on separate machines and anything can be created gluten-free. Next, opening up the interior space and refitting it with new tables and comfy chairs built a more engaging atmosphere, encouraging customers to linger.

Juice Pub uses products from Single Speed Coffee Roasters, and specialty coffees are a hit. Freeman noted drip coffee has taken off, serving Wake Up and Kiss Me blend with free refills.

Smoothies, Juice Farmacy choices and shots offer health in glass. All veggies and fruit are cold-pressed with a centrifugal force extractor, effective for maximizing nutritional benefits. Healthy Habit is close to Freeman’s heart and a best-selling juice, containing beet, carrot, orange, apple, celery, lemon, ginger and turmeric. Top shots include the ginger—which can aid conditions from nausea to joint soreness—plus apple and lemon, and the turmeric shot adds orange and pepper for sunshine and some bite.

“Juice Pub is the well-oiled machine,” Freeman said with a satisfied sigh, “and Urban Pine is my baby, still in motion and so amazing. I am not a chef, but many items are family recipes. I listened to what people wanted in town.”

The classic menu of pizzas and salads and subs is a winner. Item choices run the gamut of standards and trends. The house creation salads come in two sizes, and the favorite is the Superfood Boost. It builds a bed of spinach, topping it with avocado, black beans, corn, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, corn nuts, tomato, feta and parmesan, drizzled with cilantro lime vinaigrette.

The flatbread pizzas run from simple, a Tuscan Sunrise—a margherite with fresh basil—to wild, the Buffalo Bliss with alfredo, chicken and buffalo drizzle. Customers, though, rave about Sweet Heat, pairing up pepperoni with jalapeño, chili flakes and honey drizzle.

“We like drizzles,” Freeman joked. “People love something extra on their food or to dip.”

When Urban Pine opened in February, it served a traditional meatball sub, but its success spurred expansion to include the Herbivore, Chicken Parm and more. Their signature knots are hand-tied to order, spiced with cinnamon or garlic plus marinara for dipping. As for sweets, the banana pudding is unapologetically, old-fashioned comfort food. Made once a week when the shop first opened, Freeman can’t keep up with demand now.

Housed in the previous Pita Pit space, Urban Pine Eatery is designed to bring people together with the welcome of warm wood in the long bar and wall-mounted cutting boards. In the limited kitchen area, everything is cooked on display. The shop seats 18, but spills out onto a dog-friendly patio. To extend their reach and free up seats, Urban Pine delivers food to Mountaintop Tap Room, Hops on Birch and Drinking Horn Meadery, benefitting guests in all locations.

Freeman believes her successes are grounded in customer service. “We teach employees to help people feel welcome. Their experience is as important as the food made with healthy, natural ingredients. Our favorite feedback is about our smiles and greetings. Thanks for giving us a try.” BestofFLG

https://azdailysun.com/news/bestof/fresh-fast-and-flagstaff-s-favorite-freeman-s-eateries-claim-2-best-of-flag-awards/article_c97d3847-5ef7-47c1-a211-816946b9623a.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Standing tall: Cut Rite Forestry tops the list for Best Tree Services

Best of Flagstaff 2025

Written by Gail G. Collins

Our mountain town is surrounded by national forest. With such abundance, it’s easy to take trees for granted. They seem to grow without much help from us, yet how much do we know about maintaining a healthy tree? As a public service, we understand fire management, avoiding pest and disease spread, thinning woods for better balance of resources, curbing safety and interference with infrastructure. Similarly, the trees in yards, apartment complexes and urban spaces are a microcosm of those same needs, while adding beauty and value.

In 2005, Ryan Gardner bought out his buddy and created Cut Rite Forestry, winner of Best Tree Services. He handles commercial and private clients alike. Specializing in golf courses in Munds Park and Flagstaff, Cut Rite also aids in emergencies, such as flash storms that may cause a tree to fall on a home. Gardner was born and raised in Flagstaff, so has a vested and knowledgeable interest in the community.

“I’ve spent my whole life in Flagstaff and have been around these trees all my life. I’ve learned through work and study and built a great company,” Gardner shared. His wife Rebecca added, “Ryan is well-known for his history, integrity and fair pricing, working to client’s standards to make them happy. He makes me very proud.”

Locally owned and operated, Gardner has grown his staff in the “tree world,” as he calls it, through mentoring and apprenticeship. The work is hard and best learned through doing. Those services include tree cutting, removal, trimming and pruning plus stump removal.

It all seems straightforward until we stand under ta Ponderosa Pine in our front yard and wonder how to clear the deadwood or whether the apple tree needs limbing to let in more light or if another needs feeding to keep it robust.

Trees need to be felled to provide products commercially, but privately, removal can protect a roofline or prevent disease spread. It must be done properly and thoughtfully for a safe outcome that avoids trunk collapse and destruction. Professional help is necessary. Likewise, stump removal is more than pulling roots from the earth with hazardous possibilities. Instead, grinding it in place can add fresh mulch to the garden.

Lot clearing requires foresight, and Gardner can walk a property, offering expertise on protection and tree standoffs.

“Lot clears are important. I see plots ahead of building and advise on which trees to remove. It’s expensive to do later and dangerous, too” he said.

Trimming and can improve the safety, beauty and health of a tree. Eliminating dead or diseased branches encourages growth of strong, new foliage. Pruning improperly can do more harm than not pruning at all. Done right, pruning can provide shape and balance, lower the risk of pest and disease threats and produce an attractive landscape.

Like any living thing, better nutrition leads to better health and resistance to decay. Gardner fertilizes trees to guard against disease, improper pruning or limb loss, burned or wilting leaves, drought conditions and so on.

Fire is an enormous threat. Our forests have undergone clearing to avoid excess fuel. The same should be done in commercial or private landscapes to be firewise. Too many small trees, placement or limbs to close to the home affect safety and insurability. Assessment for snowloads is also vital to avoid horizontal limbs that gather snow and snap, causing injuries and damage. Trimming promotes branches reaching upward, not outward.

Cut Rite Forestry is a full-service tree company original to Flagstaff with 20 years of experience. An assessment or diagnosis is free. Their advertising is word of mouth with a thunder of positive shout-outs on social media. They are known and loved for their veracity, reliability, efficiency, speed in emergency, diligence and fair appraisals.

The business also contributes to community by selling firewood and partnering with Mike Steinecipher who transforms fallen trees into yard art with his chain saw skills.

Making customers happy drives Cut Rite. As Gardner said, “You’re only as good as your last job. We take great pride in getting it right. We want the next call to be for the next job.” BestofFLG

https://azdailysun.com/news/bestof/standing-tall-cut-rite-forestry-tops-the-list-for-best-tree-services/article_610788d7-7b75-4f53-933e-20a4bc2dc3bf.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton

Confidence delivered: bare. medical aesthetics earns Best Med Spa

Best of Flag 2025

Written by Gail G. Collins

Confidence comes from looking and feeling our best. It energizes us for busy days and ripples outward as our lives touch others. While most of us might look in the mirror and wish to change something, the staff at bare. medical aesthetics would ask you to come in, enjoy a free consultation and simply become a better you.

“We make everyone feel like the most refreshed versions of themselves, not change who they are,” said Angie Hayes, co-owner with husband Jim Hayes of bare. Medical Aesthetics, which opened in early 2025. The 20-year veterans of Flagstaff have a passion for wellness and helping others feel their best. “People have many misconceptions about a med spa making you look fake. With a free consultation, you can get correct information, not hear rumors and see what your journey looks like. Come and talk with a provider, so we can meet your needs.”

The atmosphere at bare. is bright, light, quiet and welcoming with upscale touches, like sparkling water. As med spas go, what is the bare. difference? “It’s the care and customer service and true relationships going above and beyond any other med spa in Flagstaff.”

bare. prides itself on genuinely knowing each of their clients. That earned bare. Medical Aesthetics the winning spot as Best Personal Care—Med Spa.

The inspired, cohesive team includes Angie Hayes, registered nurse and experienced injector; Jim Hayes, doctor, ensuring safe and effective treatments; Sarah Preston, certified family nurse practitioner and skilled injector; Kekoa Sabino, licensed esthetician; convivial office manager Nicole German; and marketing manager Kelsey Melton with experience in medical aesthetics.

The bare. website is a trove of information of the broader services and specifics within them. Services are grouped into five categories: Injectables, such as fillers and neurotoxins; medical weight loss; skin care and facials; lashes, brows and waxing as well as hair restoration. That said, bare. is not solely about treatments, but about transformation. Refresh, restore or indulge in self-care.

The most sought after care includes Botox and fillers, but restoring skin is desirable, too. While traditional facials pamper with a double cleanse, Diamond Glow aesthetically changes the skin with its diamond tip, applying serums geared to skin type and removing dirt and grime. VIPeels removes the first skin layer in a five-day peel, resurfacing and reducing acne scarring. Microneedling with Skinpen is clinically proven to rejuvenate the skin by stimulating production of collagen and elastine, which gives the skin stretch and recoil. This treatment creates micro-injuries in the skin, triggering the body’s natural healing response for smoother, firmer and more youthful-looking skin.

A unique feature in helping to make self-care more affordable is the “bare. bank.” Through membership, money is banked monthly by bare. clients to be used for any service. This spreads out the cost for budgeting. Members also receive 10-percent off of skin care products or services and first notice of specials, like Peel Season, a fall-winter promotion.

“It’s an aesthetic savings account—always there and able to break larger dollar amounts into affordable costs,” suggested Hayes.

At bare., they believe in the power of connection and giving back through local partnerships, events and workshops. They understand that support goes both ways as they sponsor multiple companies and organizations in town, many extracurricular activities, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra and more. A recent drive to provide women’s shelter hygiene needs exemplifies the mission to enhance confidence and wellbeing.

The door to bare. is open. “We want to mainstream information and take away that stigma, so you feel welcomed,” Hayes explained. “We take the time to know you and your needs. I have great relationships with every patient as does every other provider. We’re more than a med spa; we’re your neighbors, friends and partners.” BestofFLG

https://azdailysun.com/news/bestof/confidence-delivered-bare-medical-aesthetics-earns-best-med-spa/article_dbb1e2ff-aa07-4606-8c73-8071d47e2ed0.html/?utm_medium=internal&utm_source=readerShare&utm_campaign=bButton