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December 7th , 2007
We have a love/hate for this time of the year. Part of us wants to Rip Van Winkle ourselves to sleep until January 2nd; the other part wants front row to the madness and frenzy that consumes even the gentle-hearted. So, in an attempt to keep our wits about us, we've decided our month-long mantra is "Stay in that Zen place and shop independent." Join us in our commitment to shop independent this season! And to spread the cheer, let them know that you found them in Phoenix Picks. |
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| Phoenix Picks: | |||
| 1 | Rock on Gold Dust Woman We’re obsessed with Stevie Nicks. We’ve taken every back road on Camelback Mountain with the hopes of a sighting, so we can duet “Leather and Lace” with her; and our collection of platform boots and a Lindsey-esque ex-boyfriend is a testimony to this devotion. When Stevie is shacked up in her PV mansion, there’s gold shining in those hills! This leads us to how we discovered the Bijou boutique. We were hoping to run into our favorite chanteuse, but instead we found this quaint goldmine at the Borgata. Owner Melissa Kingston has created an interesting niche by providing Valley fashionistas with a global shopping experience, showcasing international labels and key pieces from rare, avant-garde designers. Kingston’s passion for travel is the inspiration behind this treasure trove; and as a result she has brought forth some amazing goodies to share with us and her die-hard clientele. So if you’re in dire straits looking for something totally new and original to wear to that holiday work party, get thee to Bijou immediately! Bijou makes it easy to globetrot and “go your own way” without ever leaving town. Bijou at the Borgata |
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| 2 | A Lover’s Leap Because our white-bread upbringing dictated there was always a glass of milk with a bland dinner, our food choices tend to gravitate toward anything devoid of taste. However, we're all about personal growth, so we marched our virgin taste buds to Cyclo Vietnamese Cuisine, hidden away on Chandler Boulevard. The dim lighting and cozy atmosphere lured us in, along with the warmth, sass, and fashion savoire faire of the owner, Justina. The restaurant, a visual cobbling of Victorian-era style and rice paddies, has intimate tables that allow you to gaze into the eyes of your beloved as you desperately try to pick up something to eat with your less-than-savvy chopstick skills. (Ours suffered even after we practiced moving raisins around our desk all afternoon, and grew increasingly worse with each glass of BYOB wine.) You can imagine our delight when we realized what real food tastes like! From the refreshing spring rolls with savory peanut sauce to the spicy-sweet combo of the pineapple curry chicken, washed down with a glass of freshly-squeezed limeade, Cyclo made use want to say good-bye to oatmeal and dry toast forever. Cyclo Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant |
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| 3 | The Posh Pooch We hate to admit it, but we're among those gals who primp and pamper our beloved pet as if she were our first born. After all, we want our pup to be just as sassy as our brand new Bling Bling Peep Toe Louboutin pumps. The Barkery, an upscale dog boutique in DC Ranch, specializes in designer duds, beds, toys, treats and other fine decadences for your four-legged friend. From a “Chewnel # 5” bed to Juicy Couture carriers and custom-made dresses for our coiffed dawlin’, we know our baby cakes will be ultra fashionable when we dress her in the latest haute-couture offerings from Bella Paris, Dog In Paris from Paris, France, Dowtown Doggie of Australia, Cha Cha Couture and Poochie of Beverly Hills. The Barkery’s mother-daughter team knows how to pamper pets in the lap of luxury. Our favorite items were the Salsa Parisian handmade sweater, Les Pooch Luxury Fragrance, and a $10,000 doggy chalet called “The Mutropolitan” that truly is a work of art. After all, nothing is too good for our pampered pooch. The Barkery, etc. |
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| 4 | The Helsinki Street Syndrome One of our favorite online activities is checking blogs that showcase street fashion from cities such as London, Paris and Helsinki. So far, we’ve seen the return of nu-rave, electroclash and hints of grunge and 80s hair metal, as well as our junior high eyeglasses. A lot of it is just too neon for this town, but some of it is honestly original and worth adopting. So where does one find pointy toe sneakers or skinny jeans with a hammer pant cut in Arizona? Enter the Covet boutique. We couldn’t believe our ears when we heard that tucked away in Old Town Scottsdale was an indiscreetly new shop that stocks Acne, Ksubi, Drykorn, Tretorn, Alexander McQueen and so many other cutting edge labels. We had to check it out ourselves. Sure enough, Covet is a feast of fancy for guys and gals who don’t mind breaking the fashion barriers with a dash of Euro-eclectic-o-ness and a pair of sneakers that will be the envy of all the homeboys in the neighborhood. Covet |
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| 5 | After Midnight … Dining at 10 pm is common in Europe and cities like New York and L.A. … but here? Not so much. And after midnight it’s Drive-Through City, sweetheart. So since we’ve just returned from Spain and haven’t shaken that jet-set habit, we find ourselves getting the munchies after most restaurants have closed. Lucky for us, we finally found a stylish place for late-night fixins: Fenix Eatery. Chef Omar Matmati takes care of our night-owl cravings with delish French fare, and it’s a low-key spot to kick back and chow down! Fenix’s late-night menu offers delicious treats: escargot in garlic butter, decadent mac & cheese, and short-rib sliders with cream cheese and red wine. You can also expect cool European lounge beats and incredible hand-blended cocktails from mixologist Dale. Candlelight sets Fenix Eatery aglow, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere and a place to be seen (wear those platform heels and saucy satin tops here!) And we dig that Fenix after dark entices new visitors while still catering to the true Francophiles. Oh la la! Fenix Eatery |
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| Designer of the Week: | |||
We’ve all done it. It's a Saturday afternoon and you decide to take your vintage Iron Maiden concert tee and convert it to a tank top. A couple of snips and behold—a tank that’s perfectly tailored for a pre-pubescent teen! We appreciate Angela Johnson’s ability to take tossed out tees and thrift-store finds and convert them into magnificent ball gowns and saucy one-of-a-kind party dresses. And check out what this Valley legend has whipped together for her 2008 line… www.angelajohnsondesigns.com |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Mind Games We get weak knees when we meet a fella who can wax politics with us. In our opinion, there’s nothing sexier than a heated debate with a guy who can flex his brain muscle. We’re panting just thinking about it! We think every guy should rock a Dangerous Breed t-shirt on a first date. If she gets it, and it produces engaging conversation, then she’s definitely worth picking up the tab for, don’t you agree? |
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| 2 | Heading in the Right Direction Feed us fancy food and get us snookered on fruity drinks from a cute mom and pop, and we're yours for the night. Unfortunately, if you're way out in BFE it's difficult finding a cute indie place that doesn't rhyme with Schmapplebees or Schmilee's. We turn to mealmap.com as our savior for finding local eateries in obscure parts of the Valley. They've done the homework for us and even understand our jet-set lifestyle, offering an on-the-go option for cell phones. |
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| 3 | Choose Your Poison Our BFF is not only one of the most fashionable women we know, but she also gives really good gifts! It’s taken us 10 years of drunken escapades and long-distance sob sessions to finally get her to spill some of her shopping secrets. And now she’s shared one that’s just too good to keep to ourselves. Sleek, simple, kinda like a Japanese Ikea but 50,000 times better—these are the adjectives that come to mind as we fill our online shopping cart at Muji. Shhh! |
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| 4 | Upside Down … Boy, You Turn Me We love the ugly/beautiful. Take for example an upside-down grunge tunic. Sounds hideous, doesn't it? But on closer inspection, it's actually pretty genius—something a French editrix might rock on her day off. We're smitten and already plan to wear this with our footless tights and booties this winter. BTW, it's made with 95 percent bamboo—talk about eco-suave! |
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| 5 | A Sacred Tool One of our all-time favorite handbags was a vintage leather purse with hand-tooled hummingbirds. We wore that purse to death and have mourned it ever since. We’ve searched for years for a replacement but nothing has compared to its beautiful detail… Until we found Sunny Rising Leather. This gal has some serious hand-tooling skillz. We’ve already started a savings fund for one of her custom-made daisy chain necklaces! www.etsy.com |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Linsday Lou + Phoenix Picks = Discounts for YOU Lindsay Lou loves Phoenix Picks, and as a thank-you gift to our loyal readers, she’s giving you a 15 percent off coupon good for all store and online purchases over $100!!! Just enter PHXPICKS as the code when shopping online, or let them know we sent you to the store. FYI: the Ingwa; Melero dresses are super sexy for that upcoming work party! What: Lindsay Lou’s Phoenix Pick Promo |
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| 2 | It's a Dog Party! Don't miss the fourth annual doggie fashion show, which is sure to get a little rowdy and scandalous. Bring your "beast" friend and join the celebration (all to benefit the AZ Animal Welfare League). After all, who can resist a dog party? Enjoy getting tipsy from the spiked water bowl, plus enter the raffle and take photos with Santa Paws. What: Deck the Halls with Bow Wows fashion show |
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| 3 | A Crafty Feast We can't decide what we love more: cake walks or craft fairs. Regardless, we'll be attending the Central and Camelback holiday shindig to check out the latest baubles and goodies from our favorite boutiques and 20 Valley crafters. Nothing beats a good Converse-stomping emo band and buying local! What: Second annual Central and Camelback Holiday Open House |
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| 4 | Something Thoughtful Just Breathe's holiday gift packages are seriously awesome! Pick up a spa gift basket with a lomi lomi message; 90-minute private Pilates session with free mat and bag and 2 free class passes; and a buy one 90-minute message get a 60-minute massage free! Now who wouldn't want these packages in their knee-high stockings? What: Just Breathe’s Holiday Packages |
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| 5 | Your Dream Prom Oh, the tears we cried when our prom date stood us up, leaving behind a beaded velvet prom halter dress that was never worn. Now a chance at a second life! We’re def wearing it to “Under the Sea” 80s prom night as long as our date wears his tails and Doc Martins! What: Rollerbrawl’s 80s Prom Night |
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| 6 | Hipster Soiree We love dance parties, combine it with shopping, a good cause, Jason Hill artwork and DJ William Reed working the turntables and it’s bound to be a night-in-the-making. P.S. ladies on the prowl, we think fashion boy with great style and haircut will definitely be sipping a beer here. What: Covet Holiday Party |
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As we continue to fight traffic in a Zen-like fashion to deliver the newest and hippest indie places to you, you can help us spread the message by sending everyone you know to Phoenix Picks.com for shopping inspiration! We'll pay you back with good karma! |
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