Diz Reviews Stuff

A spot for my reviews of places, things & food. He/Him | Artist | Poet | Costumer Main Blog | Art Blog

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Hey there, I’m Diz and this is a blog dedicated to reviewing various places, things and food that I’ve purchased, received, or stumbled upon in my wanderings. I do not receive any compensation for the reviews written here, they are my genuine thoughts and reactions.

Because I am both a busy and forgetful person, some reviews may be written well-after the initial receipt/interaction; I will always do my best to tags posts with the month and year the photos were taken or the product/service was first received.

Likes/follows come from my main blog, @saladmage

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Dragon Four Season Pins by SpectroliteAAA (Kickstarter Backer) - Now available on etsy

So excited to get these in the mail!! Everything came in a nice silver bubble mailer and was protected by the sturdy cardboard sheets that sandwiched the print.

The crystal dragon’s glitter accents have a few small specks of misplaced color, but still look lovely. These pins are sizeable, about full palm-sized, and quite hefty. The quality overall for these pins looks great, no noticeable scratches or discoloration. I feel like the Spring dragon’s green is perhaps a bit more aggressive than the anticipated pastel, but not so much that I am offended.

I have to admit... this holo print was a huge amazing surprise, and kind of steals the spotlight for me! I knew we were getting a bonus print as a ‘thank you’ for backing the campaign, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this big or such nice quality! The shine of the material really accents the dragon’s body beautifully, and I just can’t stop looking at this gorgeous piece!

(Frame is from my stash, a cheapo Walmart 8x10 that fits the mood just right!)

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Dice Hoarder Enamel Pins by Max Dlabick (Kickstarter Backer)

I am in love with this artist’s work. Everything from the adorable designs, cute size, lovely color and quality of these pins down to the mailer, logo and backing cards. There are a couple very small scratches on the Faerie Dragon pin, but they aren’t noticeable if you’re not looking hard. The Pseudodragon and the hoarder from the first campaign don’t have any visible flaws, and the enamel quality looks really good.

Lovely little pins that are great for wearing, not just decoration. Highly recommended!

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Himalayan Java (Omaha, NE)

I am so sad to hear this wonderful little coffeeshop and foodery has closed up as of Aug 1st, 2020. I truly hope that the owners and cooks will find continued success in their new endeavors!

I first encountered this gem in 2018 when I was staying in Omaha for my brother’s wedding. A week is a decent chunk of time, so one must find a proper location for their morning rituals. Himalayan Java sounded interesting, had an attractive setup, and smelled delightful.

I was not disappointed when I ordered the Himalayan chai and a breakfast sandwich. The chai was delightfully spicy and full of flavour; the sandwich was a perfectly toasted English muffin with a fresh cooked egg, flavourful sausage patty, and gooey melted cheese. I can still remember the joyful sensation of biting into this masterfully crafted sandwich, even after all this time. Needless to say, this became my morning staple for the week I was there. I have not had a more satisfying breakfast sammie since.

Over the course of the week, my partner and I were excited to find there were also daily specials and new baked goods being tested regularly. While there, we were able to try their Honey Cake — light in texture and flavour, fluffy but crumbly, something you could sit and blissfully eat a whole dish of over the course of a morning; Apple Tart — dense and thick crust, but bright in flavour; and (much to my delight) a bowl of momo — quaintly sized dumplings with a spicy drizzled sauce, the filling was juicy and flavourful, but the dumplings were not soggy or dry — Just Right, as Goldilocks would say.

As we kept returning each morning, the sweet (literal and figurative!) baker, Bema, learned our names alongside our orders. I must admit it broke my heart a little that this genuine gesture would be for naught when we left at the end of the week. I wished we could stay forever, just to keep enjoying this gem every morning. But I’ve never forgotten how kind and genuine the lovely lady was. I had hopes to one day return for another perfect breakfast, but...only time will tell if, when, and where I might find these lovely folks again.

🥟 The java/chai may be missing now, but the delicious momo I had are available at Kathmandu Momo Station.