Downtown restaurants recommended by your very own StARs!

These restaurants have been recommended by your very own StARs to eat at Downtown:

Coin Room Cafeteria in Basement of Chase Building ($) is located at 201 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85004 , (602) 221-1604.

Cibo ($$) located at 603 N 5th Ave, Phoenix, AZ, (602) 441-2697.

Subway and Sbarro Pizza ($) are right outside the UCENT Building heading north on Central (411 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85004).

Hurry for Curry ($) is in the Arizona Center about two blocks east of ASU Downtown.

Silver Spoon Cafe is South of ASU on 1st Street under the San Carlos Hotel.

Now, here are some places I haven't been to but they sound wonderful, let me know what you think if you get a chance to visit any of them?

Cafe Roma located at 455 N. Third Street (Arizona Center) or 110 N. Central Avenue

Carly's Bistro located at 128 E. Roosevelt Street.

Coney Island Sandwich Shop located at 16 W. Adams Street.

Downtown Deli located at 130 N. Central Avenue

Sonoma Casual Dining located 25 W. Van Buren Street

The Art of Soup located at 2329 N. Seventh Street

China Inn Chinese Restaurant located at 3 S. Second Street

City Hall Grill located at 200 W. Washington Street

Your input is important to me :)

Have a great day!

Coffee!!

So I've never been a huge fan of coffee except those sugar filled, whipped topped, blended frappacinos!! I love those!

Well one early morning this week, Josh made me a great iced coffee, just simply the coffee iced with half and half and a little sugar. I wasn't sure if I would like it or not because of its lack of sweetness but it was great!

Now I am a bigger fan of coffee because it keeps me awake and alert even when I just have a small cup because too much coffee isn't that good for you!

So I officially learned how to make coffee yesterday at work. Amyann showed me how to grind the beans and set up the coffee maker! Together we made some pretty good coffee!!

Now when Josh makes me coffee in the morning I can return the favor by making him some the next day!

I also made a wonderful cup or maybe two :) of iced coffee this morning and I'm beginning to enjoy this whole simple iced coffee thing. I'm definitely not brave enough yet to try the mysterious black coffee of which I believe could not have even close to enough of a taste for me but I am broadening my horizons!

A cup of iced coffee can keep you alert and happy your entire day!

Softball!!

Before church on Sunday, my husband, Josh and I decided we wanted to try out for the community softball team. The team included two of my sisters, my sister's boyfriend, his brothers and sister, their significant others plus some more friends. My sister had mentioned previously to me that we should join and I didn't think much of it but after our father's day celebration on Saturday my husband convinced me that we should!

Well to begin, my husband is definitely an athlete! He performs great in almost every sport he plays! He played baseball for many years growing up! I, on the other hand, well I do okay. Anyways, he had wanted to sign up for softball with our church but their season was almost over so this was the perfect opportunity!

We headed out to the park where practice is held near the 101 and Thunderbird on Sunday morning around 7:30 a.m. It was early but we were excited! We arrived at the park around 8:00 a.m. We began practice! The team was pretty good and we were all having a good time practicing! Immediately, the others on the team realized that Josh had the best arm on the team and everyone was excited to have him join and well I'm his other half so I just come along with him. :) No but really I did pretty good during practice also!

Right after practice, we found out all the details about joining the team! We picked up team shirts and paid the league fee! I found the perfect pink mitt to use for our first game, although we have to practice with it a bit and run it over with the truck a couple times to get it worn in.

Our first game is Saturday evening and we can't wait!! This is going to be a fun experience and it will allow all of us to bond! I'm so anxious, I wish Sunday was here already; however, I need a little more practice so I guess I'm glad it's only Wednesday!

Softball here I come!

More Wedding Pictures!!!

My Top Ten Favorite Movies!!!

I enjoy watching great movies and love stories are my absolute favorite!! I'm basically a huge romance fan!!

1. The Passion of the Christ

This is the most powerful story of the ressurection of Jesus Christ I have ever seen! You will begin to truly understand what Jesus Christ went through being hung on the cross and dying for our sins only to be raised three days later by the Lord! The love Jesus Christ and God have for us is made deeply apparent in this film. You will be in tears by the end of this film!

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

2. Fireproof

This is a powerful film about a married couple whose marriage is struggling. They are facing many obstacles of which they don't know how to overcome and ultimately are about to separate. The husband through his father's advice begins to read the love dare. As he reads it he begins to do something for his wife each day as the book instructs, each day seems even harder but he bears through it because he loves her. The book ultimately reveals kind things to do for each other through the instruction of the Word of God. God ultimately helps them find the love they once had for each other again with an even more powerful spark!

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

3. Pride and Prejudice (I've heard that after you watch this film, you should definitely read the book becuase it is fabulous also)

This is a magnificent film about a man who is too prejudice about falling in love with a woman under his class level and a woman who is too proud to fall in love with a man who thinks he is of a higher status than her.

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

4. The Notebook

This is an wonderful film about two people who fell in love and were taken away from one another because of a conflict of class and how this affects their decisions and the rest of their lives!

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

5. A Walk to Remember

This is a meaningful film about the example a young woman becomes to a young man who is self centered and would not think twice about others. They are brought together on a beautiful journey and they build a bond that no one can break.

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

6. Twilight

I am definitely not a fan of vampire movies because I don't believe in them; however this story is so powerful portraying love in an extraordinary way. She takes a chance with someone who could ultimately unintentionally hurt her and she never looks back.

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

7. Where the Heart Is

This is a film about a pregnant woman who hated the number 5 for many understandable reasons. She was left by her boyfriend at Wal-Mart forced to live there because she had nowhere else to go all the while writing down everything she owed them. Many people came into her life helping her in different situations and when she finally has the chance for true love she may pass it up. This is a film full of twists and turns that keep you interested throughout.

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

8. Miss Congeniality

Well I love Sandra Bullock, she is one of my favorite actresses. This is a cute film about a woman is a cop and generally considered one of the guys. She is forced to go undercover in a beauty pageant to discover who is writing threats against these women. Her makeover is awesome and her partner begins to see her true beauty on the outside and on the inside. Many friendships are formed and a twisting turn reveals who is plotting against the Miss America Pageant!!

Give me your review of this movie if you have seen it?

9. The Guardian

This is an exciting action film about a young man who wants to become a rescue diver. He faces many obstacles but through the help of his captain, I believe, he overcomes them all by working hard to accomplish his goal.

Give me your review of this movie if you have seen it?

10. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

This is an older film but I am definitely a fan of this movie! It is a musical film about one unexpected marriage that leads to the love of many others. Its romantic, funny, and entertaining!

Give me your review of the movie if you have seen it?

Now that I have shared my top ten favorite movies with you, I would challenge you to share your top ten with me!!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Lunch at Cibo!!!

There is a wonderful restaurant called Cibo near 5th Avenue and Filmore!

The address is:

603 N 5th Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85003-1528
Telephone:(602) 441-2697

I had a wonderful lunch there today with a friend of mine. The service was great! The place was very busy with a refreshing urban-like atmosphere! The restaurant appears to have been an old home at one point in time now decorated with a cafe and pizzeria theme!

They offer both lunch and dinner. During lunch, they offer mostly gourmet sandwiches such as an Italian sausage sandwich and a tuna sandwich with salads also offered. Both sandwiches are delicious!

In the evening, the urban cafe turns into a pizzeria where I hear the pizza is amazing; however, I have yet to try it. If the pizza is anything like the sandwiches and salads I'm sure its wonderful!

I recommend this restaurant to everyone, it has a great atmosphere and flavorful food!

Go to Cibo and enjoy a fabulous lunch!

Register for your classes ASAP!

Hi Criminology and Criminal Justice Students!

This is just a friendly reminder to register for your Fall classes soon because they are starting to fill up! I just want to make sure you all get into the classes you want for this upcoming semester! If you still need to meet with your adviser because there is a hold on your account or for any other reason please call 602 543 6600 or email laura.beckman@asu.edu to schedule an appointment.

I would just like to personally recommend some of the classes I have taken in previous semesters to all of you:

CRJ 230 Police Function- Charles Loftus
CRJ 240 Corrections- Robbin Brooks
CRJ 303- Statistical Analysis- Professor Fornango
CRJ 302- Research Methods- Dr. Jennifer Shaffer
CRJ 304- Criminology- Dr. Jennifer Shaffer
CRJ 306- Race, Ethnicity & Justice- Dr. Jennifer Shaffer

These classes were all very enjoyable for me! The professors are awesome and they each personally have a job in the criminal justice system! They relate well to their students and are enthusiastic about the material! The material in each class is interesting and the discussions are beneficial!

Personally, I have enjoyed all of the classes I have taken in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program!

If you have any questions about the program, feel free to email me anytime at scrable@asu.edu.

Thank you all,

Have a great day!

Scholarship!

The Robert Godlove Scholarship 2009!

This scholarship is being given in memory of Robert Godlove, a faculty member at ASU West in the Criminal Justice and Social Work department. He was committed to teaching and to making a difference in the community!

The application deadline is June 15, 2009!

You can access the application at http://ccj.asu.edu/docs/robert-godlove-scholarship09

Scholarship Criteria:

Must be an undergraduate student in The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at ASU.
Must be at junior or senior standing.
Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
Minimum of 30 completed hours at Arizona State University.

The student must write a one page statement describing student participation in community service, activities, and personal interests in serving the particular communities.

Get your college paid for by applying for scholarships like these! :)

A spilt glass of water could result in you owning a phone like this!

Two days ago I spilt an entire glass of water on myself and my purse which just happen to have my cell phone in it, just one of those clumsy moments. The phone was water damaged and could not be fixed although recently Sam said I could put it in a bag of rice to absorb all the moisture and there may be a chance for it. I just decided I would replace it with an inexpensive phone for a while.

Well I'm here to report that's not such a great idea although it's better than nothing. I now own a $20 nokia t-mobile phone. It works but I don't like it because it's a flimsy plastic and not as easy for me to use although I may be being picky. So now I think I'm going to go buy a new phone soon that is better quality because face it without a phone life seems more difficult.

So the point of my story was to not settle for inexpensive if you want decent quality because if you use your phone a lot you want to be comfortable with it, but if you need to save money this basic phone could be the answer for you, it just depends. And an even more vital point would be keep your cell phones at least twenty feet from any liquids. :)

Thanks for listening,

Stacey Lease

The Diamondbacks at Chase Field!

One of the many exciting things to do in downtown Phoenix is to go to Chase Field to watch a Diamondbacks game!! The games are always exciting and fun to watch even if your not a huge baseball fan. It's fun to watch when the next strike out or home run is about to happen! Tonight, my husband, mom, friend and me will go to Chase Field to enjoy the baseball game between the Diamondbacks and the San Francisco Giants!

Crowds go wild over their team of choice, baseball food is the best, and just the plain excitement of being in a stadium full of people is worth the trip to Chase Field which is literally a short walk from the ASU Downtown Campus.

The address of Chase Field is:

401 E Jefferson St.

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Telephone: (602) 462-6700

Schedule of the upcoming D-Backs games this month at Chase Field:

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

D-Backs v. San Francisco Giants

6:40 p.m.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

D-Backs v. San Francisco Giants

12:40 p.m.

Friday, June 12, 2009

D-Backs v. Houston Astros

6:40 p.m.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

D-Backs v. Houston Astros

5:10 p.m.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

D-Backs v. Houston Astros

1:10 p.m.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

D-Backs v. TEXAS Rangers

6:40 p.m.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

D-Backs v. TEXAS Rangers

6:40 p.m.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

D-Backs v. TEXAS Rangers

6:40 p.m.

Friday, June 26, 2009

D-Backs v. Los Angeles Angels

6:40 p.m.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

D-Backs v. Los Angeles Angels

1:10 p.m.

Saturday, June 28, 2009

D-Backs v. Los Angeles Angels

1:10 p.m.

Come out and support your Diamondbacks team for a fun afternoon or evening game!!

Slide Rock in Sedona, AZ!

If you're ever looking for something fun to do in Arizona, go to Sedona and visit Slide Rock! Sedona is about an hour and a half from Phoenix. It is a beautiful place with red rock mountains, great hiking spots, tours, creeks, shopping areas, and Slide Rock!

I have been to Slide Rock about five times over the years! Every time we go, I enjoy it! Slide Rock is basically a man-made river of flowing water through rocks which can sometimes be slippery. It's a lot of fun to spend the day at Slide Rock, sliding on the rocks and down the streams of water!

Whenever I want to get away, my family or friends or both go up to Slide Rock in Sedona and spend the day in the sun splashing around and enjoying ourselves. The sites are beautiful, with green trees and red rock everywhere!

Just recently, my family and some friends went to Slide Rock for the day because some of our family had never been there. We took them to Sedona for the day and they absolutely loved it even though it was cold. We went sliding on the rocks like we usually do even though the water was 58 degrees! We still had a great time!!

If you ever just want to get away or have a fun day, visit Sedona and Slide Rock, it's an adventure you won't forget and it's not normally cold. :)

Lunch at the Coin Room Cafeteria...

Today, myself and another student ambassador went to have lunch in the Coin Room Cafeteria in the basement of the Chase building on the Southeast corner of Central and Polk, a short walking distance from the downtown campus UCENT Building.

The Cafeteria was set up nicely and had a wide variety of food to choose from. When you walk in, the atmosphere is calm and pleasant. There is an awesome salad bar with three different kinds of lettuce, chicken, ham, cheese, egg, bacon and so much more. I built my own salad and it was delicious! Other options are a sandwich bar, soups, grilled food, potatoes, veggies and much more. It all looked well prepared and yummy!

I would recommend ASU students to go to the coin room to enjoy a nice, pleasant lunch with exceptional food!

Vacation/Honeymoon in Minnesota this summer!

Now that I’m married, the next occasion that I get to look forward to is going back to good ole Minnesota in August. Since Josh and I did not really have a honeymoon yet our annual trip to Minnesota will be our honeymoon getaway.

I love everything about Minnesota from all the broccoli trees to the country and all the wonderful people. My husband is from Litchfield, Minnesota, a small town about an hour and a half south of the cities. The great little town consists of about 6,000 people, not even the size of the West Campus of ASU which consists of close to 9,000 students. The people who make up the town are so wonderful! They are all kind people with loving hearts always there when someone else needs them. Some of the town’s sites are the beautiful Lake Ripley, Litchfield Museum, Main Street and my favorite, Taco Johns! Taco John’s has the BEST spicy chicken burrito ever!

During the summers in Minnesota, everyone spends a lot of their time at their cabins on the lakes. Our family has a cabin on a beautiful lake where we all go when Josh and I are back in the summertime. We enjoy all the great things about the cabin including the home cooked hot dishes courtesy of the great cooks: my mother-in-law, father-in-law, nanny, pops, my husband and the rest of the family brings wonderful dishes also. We spend our time riding the four wheelers down the country roads, in the ditches and through the forests! When we are not out on the four wheelers, we are riding the Jet Ski, fishing, knee boarding, wake boarding or surfing on the lake! Yes! I said surfing; we surf behind a Mastercraft boat that makes perfect waves to surf! The families also enjoys playing games such as Apples to Apples in the cabin after we all finish lunch and are awaiting what delicious treat will come next.

There are so many fun things to do in Minnesota! It’s so interesting to drive through all the small towns and each time I seem to learn a little more about their history. The town of Darwin about 7 miles away from Litchfield consists of about 250 people. The pride and joy of the town is their enormous man-made ball of twine which is the largest man-made ball of twine in the world! It sits in front of the town hall for everyone to view as they pass through.

Another one of the places I enjoy to go to is the city of St. Cloud, Minnesota. We normally take a day trip to go shopping and enjoy a fabulous lunch with everyone. It is a great time to visit and enjoy everyone’s company. When we go back to Minnesota this August, we will spend a lot of our time with family at the cabin! My mom and sister will also be joining us for a trip I know they will never forget. This will give them a chance to see why I love Minnesota so much! We will also be holding a reception in Darwin, Minnesota at the Rotten Gun Club where friends and family from Minnesota who could not make it to our wedding will be joining with us to celebrate!

We are looking forward to this vacation as we always do and we are anxiously awaiting the day we leave! This will be a great time to visit with our family and have a wonderful honeymoon with people we love!

Our Wedding!

May 23, 2009

It was a sunny, beautiful, Saturday afternoon at around 3:00 p.m. when our wedding began. We had been planning several months for this beautiful occasion. To begin, I’ll give a little background leading up to the engagement and then to the wedding.

On January 24, 2009, two days after my 21st birthday, my husband and I decided that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We had talked about getting married throughout our year and a half relationship but we knew that this was the right time! After about three months of dating Josh, I knew he was my one and only and the love of my life! He always makes me happy and cares about me in every way one person who loves another should. He always knows just what to say to brighten my day if I am down. His smile is unforgettable and every time I see him I fall in love with him all over again. He has always supported me in everything by showing how proud he is of me or just standing behind me when I need him. Not one day goes by where he does not tell me he loves me and when he says it, you can see in his face that he truly means it in his heart. God brought us together and nothing can separate us!

After our engagement, we spent the next few months preparing for our wedding that we finally decided would occur on May 23, 2009. In the beginning, we wanted a small wedding but in the end it became much larger than we had planned but everything happens for a reason and to us one only gets married once. After a lot of discussing and conversing with his parents who live in Minnesota and my parents who live here in Phoenix, we got our ideas together. When I say “together” I truly mean together, Josh and I did everything together in planning for our wedding from the colors (coral orange, white and black), decorations, dresses, candles, invitations and so much more! We were a team through it all and enjoyed every moment of it!

We picked the date May 23, 2009 because it was a three day weekend in the summer which allowed Josh’s family (now our family) to stay for a few more days without missing too many days of work. We chose to have our wedding ceremony at the Cave Creek Regional Park off the Carefree Highway and 32nd Street. They had just built a new concrete amphitheatre near the nature center in the park. We went to check the place out and right away we knew that was where we wanted to get married! We would be the first to use the place for a wedding ceremony and we could not wait!

Now that we had a date and a place for the wedding, we just needed a time and a place for the reception. We decided to have the ceremony at 3:00 p.m. (the weather was beautiful). We called around to get prices on wedding receptions at different restaurants and immediately decided upon one of our favorite restaurant’s, El Encanto Dos, which was just a few miles from the park. My wonderful mom offered to pay for our beautiful reception!

We sent out our own invitations which were beautiful and special to us because we made them together. We also personalized our own programs with bows and a message that read “I never knew love could be so sweet, so overwhelming, then I met you…”

As we waited for the day that we would become husband and wife, we anxiously looked forward to Josh’s family arriving in Phoenix the week before. Everything was falling right into place! When they arrived, we spent a few days with them before the wedding. His family finally met my family, who they had never met before. We spent a beautiful day at Slide Rock and his family threw us a wonderful wedding rehearsal dinner!

The rehearsal seemed a bit chaotic but it was enjoyable and fun to have the two families who would soon become one conversing together, it truly meant a lot to me! The big day was now only one day away! I would become Mrs. Joshua Steven Lease! We were never nervous, just excited, we were both so filled with joy!

The wedding day began early for me: I woke up at 6 a.m., picked up my sister and my maid of honor at about 7 a.m. and headed directly to the girl’s home who did my hair for the day. She designed it beautifully and I loved it! Then, it was time to get the makeup done; we headed to meet one of the other bridesmaids at the place where a few of us would get our makeup done. After the makeup was finished, we drove back to my house to complete all of our finishing touches. It was chaotic with about nine of us running around to finish things up before we had to leave to head to the park. I stayed calm though and never felt stressed.

At 2:00 p.m., my bridesmaid and I drove to the park. My bridesmaids and some of my family snuck me in a room so Josh and I would not see each other because the place was not terribly big. While I waited anxiously to marry the man of my dreams, I took pictures with my family and some friends in the room we waited in before the ceremony began.

At about 3:11 p.m., I began walking down the pathway with my dad toward the amphitheater. I forgot to mention that my dad is a minister and he had two jobs that day, walking me down to my husband and marrying us on this very special day! As we walked together arm in arm, praising God for everything he has done, trying to hold back the tears when we just could not, I saw my handsome husband looking at me as I walked down each step and with joy, tears started flowing down my cheeks. I was more happy than I could ever explain with words.

An audience of about eighty of our closest friends and family surrounded us. My dad took his place in front of us trying to hold back his own tears; he performed a glorious ceremony where two people in love united to become one under God!

I could not have asked for a more beautiful, perfect day! It was everything I ever dreamed of and more!

Pictures followed with family and our wedding party which consisted of five groomsmen and five bridesmaids!

After about an hour of pictures, we headed over to the reception! We had an awesome reception with great food, wonderful guests, and lots of fun dancing!

It was a day we will never forget and we will cherish it forever!! We are now Mr. and Mrs. Lease officially and loving every moment of being married!