House of Tuscany

 After a long night of gettin’ bricky on the Boulevard, I woke up in a strange house wearing a lampshade over my head. (I’m getting too old for this). After sneaking out of the house without waking anyone up, I got all the way home without noticing that the lampshade was still on my head. (Which is good, considering I didn’t have a hat to shield me from the summer Texas sun).

         So, my dilemma was: do I return the lampshade to its rightful owners and risk being “that brick?” Do I keep it as a reminder of the morning I woke up with a lampshade on my head? Or, do I replace it, and return to the house, new lampshade in hand? Well, I chose the latter. I’m nothing if not an honorable brick.

         I waddled over to Fort Worth’s premier fine lighting and décor showroom, House of Tuscany. It’s got custom shades, candle sleeves, copper lanterns, crystal chains, and, it’s got way more than just lighting accessories. It also offers boutique furniture, crystal, and all kinds of gift ideas. The helpful staff found me the perfect replacement lampshade – way nicer than the one I wore as a hat.

         When I went back to the scene of my crime, I was greeted like a hero. Apparently, I earned the nickname “Two-fist Brick.” (Not sure what that means, but I’ll take it). I gave the guys who owned the lampshade the new one I got from The House of Tuscany. They were ecstatic. It was easily the classiest thing in the house. At least if I leave wearing that lampshade in the future, I’ll be wearing the very best the bricks has to offer. 

House of Tuscany is Fort Worth's premier fine lighting and decor shop!

Chicks Off the Bricks

All of the attention I’ve been getting has been tremendous. I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to get to experience the Camp Bowie District after having been under foot (so to speak) for so long. I’ve made a ton of new friends. But, there is one glaring absence in my life – I have a lady-brick-sized hole in my brick-red heart. Imagine my surprise when I saw Chicks off the Bricks! What could it be? A brick-only singles group?  A group of lady bricks meeting to discuss lady brick issues?

         As it turns out, it’s a boutique women’s clothing, jewelry, accessories, and gift shop – and a darn good one. When there is a special lady brick in my life, this might be the first place I go for some courting gifts. They’ve got it all!

         I guess I’ll have to keep looking for that special someone on my own. Nothing good ever comes easy – except great boutique clothes and accessories from Chicks off the Bricks! 

Chicks Off the Bricks has it All!

Royal 1 Tattoos and Piercings

I gotta tell you, the longer I troll the Boulevard, the happier I get. Don’t get me wrong, the taste of tire rubber and car exhaust still coats my brick mouth – 82 years worth is a lot to wash away. But, I’ve got a new lease on life, and it’s all thanks to the Camp Bowie District! I asked myself, what can I do to properly recognize the impact the CBD has had on my life? Is there some sort of gesture that might announce my feelings to the world? Then it hit me like a …stone (stones can be so tacky, so unrefined) – I’ll get a tattoo!

         Luckily for me, Camp Bowie has a few great places to get some ink. Now, I had no idea how difficult it would be to tattoo a brick – apparently a normal tattoo gun won’t penetrate my rough exterior. Royal 1 Tattoos and Piercings hooked me up. My tattoo artist, Hannah, had the experience and artistic flare to make my vision a reality. They also do piercings, sell jewelry and other apparel.

         I’ve seen quite a few people with the tattoos on their lower back. I don’t really get it, but what would an old brick like me know about what is or isn’t in style? In this case, I’ll trust the younger generations. That couldn’t possibly backfire. Now I have my tattoo, and I’ll be reppin’ the CBD forever! Check out my facebook page for a look at my ink.

Tattoo artist, Hannah, gave me a CBD brick-stamp!

Haltom's Jewelers

 I’m almost afraid to admit it, but life has been pretty good since I started to explore the Boulevard. (Quick, someone knock on…what is it you knock on? Concrete!) I’ve made a lot of new friends and had so many unique experiences at great restaurants, retailers, and other businesses. And, I’ve only just scratched the surface. There are untold amounts of wonder left for me in the Camp Bowie District.

My tastes aren’t what you’d call extravagant, but even this old brick needs to indulge every now and then. I may be old, but I still have style. And nothing says style like jewelry from Haltom’s. They’ve been around for 100 years, and take pride in only selling merchandise that you’ll be proud to pass on to your grandchildren or grandbricks. Their customer service is legendary – they only hire experienced people who know your name. It’s like the Cheers of Jewelers. They were even nice to me, and bricks don’t have the best reputation at businesses with display cases.

If it’s nice, they’ve got it: watches, necklaces, rings, fine crystal, and more – all from dozens of the top designers of each. I got myself some serious blink – blink...or is it blong? I don’t know. I’m still learning the lingo. I do know I was looking like one classy brick. 

Thanks to Haltom's for letting this brick near the glass!

Psychic Networker

When I left the brick race, I did so with a heavy heart. I knew that I’d be experiencing life to fullest on the Boulevard, but I also knew I’d be venturing into a world of uncertainties. I needed a path – my own yellow brick road, so to speak.

         With all of that uncertainty and nervous excitement looming over me, I decided to go get my fortune told. Luckily, the Boulevard has got just the place to go! At Psychic Networker, Ryan W. Evans was able to set my mind at ease. He read my tarot cards, and my aura (it’s pretty red, by the way, which I'm means I'm healthy and strong. That's surprising after a lifetime of being run over by cars). He told me that I was already following the right path – up and down the Camp Bowie District! He also told me that I’d be lucky in love soon (I hope not too soon, I need to sow my wild oats for a while). Did you know that in a past life, I was clay? Fascinating.

         Ryan can give psychic advice too! He advised me in money matters, love, business, and all kinds of other stuff. More importantly, he’s right there on the bricks whenever I need him again. The future bodes well for this brick, and for Camp Bowie.

I foresee a lot of good times and give-aways in your future! Keep checking back here and my facebook page for more of my adventures, and some cool prizes. 

Ryan W. Evans read my future, and it looks bright! Bright red!

Hawk Electronics

I didn’t even know what a cell phone was, or why I needed one. But since becoming the life of the party, I’ve gotten more digits than the octomom. So, I headed over to Hawk Electronics. Boy! These guys have way more than phones. They’ve got televisions, car stereo equipment, GPS systems, computers, and everything else a modern brick on the go might need to stay in touch.

         The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and answered all of my questions – like, what is a cell phone? Having spent parts of nine decades embedded in the bricks, I’ve never really had much use for a phone, let alone a cell phone. We bricks are private creatures by nature. But here I am breaking through another brick wall! Now that’s what I call progress!

Hit me up on my cell!

Gordon Boswell Flowers

There aren’t many places in Fort Worth that have been around longer than I have. Gordon Boswell Flowers is one of those places – they’ve been around since 1919. As a young brick, I remember trying to pitch some serious woo to a lady-Acme brick, and I showered her with Gordon Boswell bouquets. But, we were from different worlds. I was a young upstart from a small town in Texas trying to establish myself on the Boulevard, she was a Yankee brick down in Fort Worth to be a part of the Swift Meat-Packing plants. It just wasn’t meant to be. But I digress.

         Gordon Boswell’s beautiful showroom has the perfect arrangement for any occasion: anniversaries, birthdays, graduation, new baby, sympathy, weddings, and anything else. The staff at Gordon Boswell can customize your arrangement to fit your own style, or they can just pick something nice for you. They can also deliver to virtually any place in the county.

         I was so inspired, I ordered a dozen roses to be delivered to the old Swift Meat-Packing plant in the Stockyards. Think she’ll remember me? I would have taken them myself, but I am a Camp Bowie brick through and through. There’s too much to do on the Boulevard. I can’t be weighed down by a silly thing like love – especially at my age. Then again, a brick can dream…

These are just a few of the flowers in Gordon Boswell's showroom.

Goldwaves Salon

After all those years being run over by cars, I’ve developed a serious case of road hair. Normally, a brick my age wouldn’t care about such vanities. But now that I am the unofficial party Captain of the Boulevard, I’ve got to keep up appearances. I feel like my life is a beer commercial all of a sudden!

         Luckily for me, the Camp Bowie District has more than a few salon options. I waddled down to Goldwaves Salon, to make myself presentable for the Boulevard lasses. Stylist Delilah Soto made me look like a regular gold brick. She offered me a Brazilian Blowout, which I assumed meant some sort of flat tire. As it turns out, it’s a fancy new haircut that I just can’t pull off – the road has been rough on my brick scalp.

         Goldwaves offers all kinds of other products and services. They do color – I went for “brick red,” styling, perms, makeup, and virtually everything else you’d need to get ready for a night out on the bricks. Goldwaves also sells a wide variety of Bumble & Bumble hair products, for the “hair-obsessed.”

         After my experience, I was ready for the fast lane again – although, I’d never want to be the fast lane. I’ll leave that to those asphalts. 

Stylist Delilah Soto untangled my brick hair, I've never looked so good!