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November 16th, 2007
What girl hasn't had a crush on an older man at some point in her life? Our old-man crush was our college Milton professor who rocked the sweater vest like no other. So when a friend came to us with her dating situation, we were intrigued. She's 22, he's 39. Things were going smashing until we heard about his 18-year-old daughter. Granted, when she was about to meet his offspring for the first time, she came to us in a state of panic—"What do I wear?" "What do I do?" We advised: Be yourself, wear black and get thee a pair of platform heels immediately. And, we added, check out a shop you’ve never been to…just for kicks. Phoenix Picks double dog dares you to SHOP INDEPENDENT! Put your moolah in the registers of locally owned, independent businesses. Check out our archives and if you haven’t already done so, sign up your friends for our newsletter today! Tis the season to share your hints on where to get the snazziest holiday gifts! |
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| Phoenix Picks: | |||
| 1 | Not Quite Teen Spirit |
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| 2 | Just Leaf Me Alone It's totally true the old saying about the way to his heart is through his stomach. Because of this, we slather our body parts with vanilla, bust out the secret lasagna recipe on the second date and attend cooking classes to win over the hotties. So when the cute bloke in our How to Prepare a Thanksgiving Feast 101 class asked us for a drink, we instantly thought of The Lost Leaf, a new bar/art space located in the Roosevelt District. He's already seen us stuff a turkey, so we had to turn up the hipness factor. This hidden bar/restaurant is an ideal spot to lay down the mack or face the reality that hottie pants had invited us to discuss the huge crush he had on our instructor. Thank goodness for dim lighting and a wide selection of libations, including 60+ varieties of decently-priced beer, wine and sake, that helped mask our humiliation. As our date rambled on, the sake took effect. We took in the art and had to admit, the Lost Leaf wasn't a bad place to make a turkey of ourselves. (Photos by Nnamdi Solomon.) The Lost Leaf |
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| 3 | Glam Spanking New We thought our new puppy had grown out of his chewing stage. So when we let him curl up next to us on the satin sheets we didn’t think our designer Malt-Poo would turn himself pink, and our favorite beauty must-haves would be gnawed to the bone. We confess each time we've bought makeup from our neighborhood drugstore we regret it. Without professional guidance to help us, we end up looking like Tammy Faye or a Maybelline goth queen. Plus, we're makeup snobs. Glam Lounge to the rescue! The boutique stocks our favorite beauty brands—Sonya Dakar, Red Flower, Kevyn Aucoin, Becca and Dianne Brill. Diane Aiello, the brains behind the apothecary, has dolled up some real beauties—Brooke Burke, Gena Rowland and Eve. So we were ecstatic when she recommended a new beauty regimen for us. Glam also specializes in facial aesthetics, after-work touch-ups, makeup application and lessons, brow shaping and waxing, and lash extensions. By the time we returned to our shmoopy, we were giving good face, and kinda liked the idea of owning a hot-pink pup. Glam Lounge |
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| 4 | A Slight Embellishment Our neighbor recently gave us an upright piano—it's out of tune, missing a pedal, weighs a ton and is a sight for sore eyes. But we love it. Want to dress it up and turn it into our living room centerpiece. We’re thinking chandelier lamp, some doilies and a Victorian painting. The househusband says no. He likes having the lone narcissus plant—perfectly centered—as the only item atop the piano. We love knick knacks, he loves spare décor. How will we ever reach a compromise without donating our vintage figurines to Goodwill? We went straight to Rebecca Masterson at Embellish Home. She understands our woes and serves as the voice of home-decorating reason. Embellish Home, which opened last month next door to our favorite noodle house, offers interior design and green classes that are worth checking out. Chock-full of unique, fun and flamboyant treasures, from hand-painted Vargas/vintage comic book girls on salt shakers to Euro-chic fixings and black-flower bed lamps, we love it all, but we’re pretty sure hubby will beg us to return everything we bought. Embellish Home |
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| 5 | We Built This City In our early 20s, Tempe provided everything we needed to have a good time on a college budget: bars with slushy-style drinks and a 5:1 alcohol-to-mixer ratio, restaurants that slopped on the greasy food late-night, and live entertainment provided by tipsy pals doing karaoke to Jefferson Starship. Now the thought of a frozen pink drink makes our stomach flip-flop, and we prefer yoga to beer bongs. Thankfully, I Am the Center puts Tempe back on the radar for us. One part yoga studio, one part café-bistro-lounge and one part retail store, this is the place for those seeking a midday break—$25 includes a half-hour yoga class in their state-of-the-art studio and a sandwich from their health-conscious menu—or a post-work glass of organic wine with the girls. Step into the two-story facility and be transported from the bustling city to a mind and body escape that’s worlds away from the hot wings and $3 diet-coke-and-rum of your youth! (We won't tell anyone that you listened to Rhianna's "Umbrella" song on the drive over.) I Am the Center |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Rocky Mountain High We didn’t have nursery rhyme songs when we were growing up; instead, we had John Denver. At a recent visit to the dentist’s chair we started singing “Take Me Home Country Road” out of the blue. When we stumbled across Hoakon/Helga’s Rocky Mountain Love handbags, we wanted one instantly, especially the Lavandula, which mixes electro-clash with the Canadian Rockies. Think Hot Pink; animal print with deer, skunks and rabbits; and an 80s asymmetrical cut. We’re so on it. |
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| 2 | That’s My Girl! We once overheard our mother say, “She cleans up really well,” which translates to once in a blue moon we’re ladylike and making momma proud. For ages we rebelled against the girlie girl until we realized how grown-up we looked polished and groomed. So when we needed a dress for a fancy holiday affair we went straight to Phlox, an online boutique that specializes in the feminine flair. We found beautifully tailored dresses and jackets by designers like Corey Lynn Carter, Level 99 and Lili Bleu which are sure to make every momma (including ours) proud. We also picked up some fabu accessories which we think make perfect holiday/hostess gifts. Check it out! |
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| 3 | A Happ-y Following Do you exfoliate your lips with a baby toothbrush and still don’t get the results you need? We just found the secret weapon that Reese, J-Lo and Ashlee use to keep their lips healthy, moist and flake-free. Lip Scrub by Sara Happ is a pretty darn good product and getting your hands on it can be quite tricky. So we’re spilling the beans that Zethina Cosmetics and Skin Care started stocking the scrub. Be sure to pick up yours today, and maybe a few for the best gal-pals too. |
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| 4 | No More Wire Hangers Jessica Kagan Cushman’s No Wire Hangers bracelet reminds us of the summer we were grounded for calling our mother “Mommie Dearest.” We never understood why our mother was so offended. We had the film on VHS and watched Faye Dunaway adoringly portray Joan Crawford almost as much as we re-read VC Andrews’ “Flowers in the Attic.” We think this bracelet makes a great gift for any mommie dearest, but check out Lindsay Lou’s website for other great catch phrases as well! |
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| 5 | Art School Dropout We’ve dated one too many of these in our lifetime. Their mood swings and deep depression keep us content flying solo and reading ourselves to sleep. So we’ve come to the conclusion that the only art we’re sleeping with is a rare (only 80 were published) exhibition catalog offered at the SMOCA’s Museum Store called “Right to Print: The Segura Publishing Company.” This is a collector’s dream, including a Mark Klett photogravure and other expertly crafted goodies put together by Bruce Licher. |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | You A-Maze Me Are the kids getting a little stir crazy? Need a place for little Ricky to rock his overalls? Come on down to Tolmachoff Farms for some maze mayhem that consists of a family maze, mini maze, hay maze, farm animals and themed play areas. And don’t forget: you can pick your own vegetables! What: Family Corn Maze at Tolmachoff Farms |
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| 2 | Autogeography We feel like we met Laura Spalding back in college. Perhaps she sat next to us at Casey Moore’s, and we bought her a lemon drop shot. Or maybe she seems familiar because she sees Phoenix the way we do. We really like her artwork, and we think you will, too. What: Laura Spalding’s Autogeography Artist Reception |
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| 3 | Noche de Luchadores What do you get when you mix Mexican masked wrestlers, roller derby girls, a surf-rock band and an improv comedy troupe doing voice over during a “Santo vs. the Voodoo Women” screening? A serious house party in Chandler! This hootenanny is going to be a feisty one, so arrive early for the best seats! What: Noche de Luchadores at Chandler Cinemas |
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| 4 | It’s a Cook Off We hated cooking for a long time. We refused to scramble eggs until we were 23. Now we love it! When we need to vent our frustration we head straight to the kitchen to chop an onion. It’s genius. But we’re always looking for tips, especially when we’re stuck preparing Thanksgiving dinner for the in-laws… What: Thanksgiving Side Dishes Cooking Class |
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| 5 | Wooly Wooly If you missed her during Phoenix Fashion Week, here’s your second chance! Valley designer Allison Leigh Apparel is having a trunk sale. On display will be her latest line of recycled woolen pieces such as jackets, dresses and knit tops. Let’s just hope the weather changes soon so we can start rocking these fall goodies! What: Allison Leigh Apparel Trunk Sale |
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| 6 | Play It Again, PAM We took six years of French, had a French boyfriend and went to Paris just so some random Parisian could tell us to "just speak English." Now PAM is bringing 11 renowned French masters to the Valley. Ahhh ... so much easier this way! So embrace your baguettes--tickets for this event are going on sale Nov. 30! What: Masterpiece Replayed Advance Ticket Sale |
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We love girl talk! Send your suggestions and thoughts to picks@phoenixpicks.com! Or better yet, forward Phoenix Picks to 5 of your friends and cc picks@phoenixpicks.com, and you could enjoy some retail therapy with a gift certificate to Frances Vintage! |
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