This week, I reviewed local artist Sue Chenoweth’s Spyhopping exhibit at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. If you haven’t already seen the show, which is based on a 16th century board game called The Game of Goose, it’s a lot of fun and definitely worth a visit. In keeping with…
When locals heard that Sea Life aquarium would replace the Hi-Health store at Arizona Mills Mall, everyone balked. Especially when it was revealed that the attraction, owned by British entertainment company Merlin Entertainment Group, would receive major tax breaks.Apparently that didn’t stop locals from checking out the aquarium. The mall was packed at the Mid-May…
It’s every kid’s dream to run away with the circus — to slather on white pancake makeup and climb into a crowded toy car or stun an audience speechless by cracking the whip at a roaring beast. Me, I longed to be the graceful fire spinner twirling dual batons of…
What looks like child’s play on the surface can hide a deeper meaning. Before they were whitewashed by Disney, Grimm’s Fairy Tales were graphic morality lessons. In medieval times, board games confronted issues of life and death. Inspired by the 16th-century Game of Goose, local artist Sue Chenoweth combined her…
If you think a cask is what you’re buried in and an oenophile is someone who has every screechy, irritating album by John Lennon’s widow, you’ve got a lot to learn about wine. Skip the boring educational classes and learn by experience at the Clos Pegase Wine Dinner. Chef Ryan…
Time-lapse photography is for the impatient. Sitting through sped-up phenomena like the transformation of caterpillar to butterfly or the life of a flower from bud to dead, shriveled, brown thing skips the importance (and potential appreciation) of each moment. Patience was clearly a virtue of the five artists featured in…
Throw a two carat rock in Scottsdale and you’ll hit a fashion-conscious woman. But with Betsey Johnson, Gucci and Barney’s New York already in place at Fashion Square, it’s hard to find successful local designers catering to the Phoenix market. Kiss the Girl is one notable exception. I bought my first…
Fresh lettuce and tomato. Heaping piles of bacon. The BLT is a classic for a reason — it’s quick and easy to make, but deliciously crisp and decadent when done well. We scoured the planet (ok, the city) for places offering a classic sourdough BLT and found two worthy contenders…
As we roll into June, the mercury is climbing and the snowbirds are heading for the hills. Weaklings! But their flight is our gain. Some of the Valley’s top hotels and resorts are offering summertime specials that’ll help you have a four-star vacation at bargain-basement prices. Now through September, the Four Seasons Resort at…
Last night, a few dozen hopeful urban gardeners turned out for the Phoenix Permaculture Guild’s lecture on turning your front lawn into a garden of edibles. Instructor Doreen Pollack outlined the process she took in transforming the front yard of her historic Phoenix home from half-dead lawn to gorgeous garden. “My…
We’re on the prowl for art cars around Phoenix, like this vintage Cadillac which was spotted on McKellips Rd. in North Tempe. This Caddy has it all. Pin-striping. Airbrushed swirls. And an eye-searing electric blue paint job that sparkles like a vampire in the sun (thanks, Stephenie Meyer, for that paradoxical analogy). Basically, it’s a Lisa…
Boxing is a brutal sport. Holyfield lost a chunk of ear, Sugar Ray Leonard suffered brain damage, and, on average, five boxers die each year in the ring. It’s no wonder artist Vincent Valdez chose to liken a boxing match to the Passion of the Christ in his show, “Stations.”…
Remember your high school prom? You know, the night you drank spiked punch, stumbled your way through “Stairway to Heaven,” and landed ass-up in the backseat of your date’s rusty Trans Am? Ah, special memories. Get a prom night do-over at the Fetish Prom 2010 hosted by Horns & Halos…
Like bangers and mash or bubble & squeak, fish and chips is the kind of perfect pairing you’ll find at any decent English pub. It’s also the only way most parents can get their kids to eat fish — because everything is better when battered and fried. For this week’s battle, we…
Have you ever wanted to go to the voting booths completely sloshed — if nothing else, just to forget how lousy your choices are? We’re pretty sure there’s some sort of legal issue there, so don’t bother. You can, however, enjoy some vino with your voting at the…
Oh, Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte. We grew up idolizing your glamorous New York lifestyle — boozy cocktail parties, haute couture, rhinestone-studded Rolodexes of hot, eligible men. But when you’re old enough to worry about getting carded for AARP discounts instead of drinks, it’s time to move on and let go.Carrie and Big…
Last night, Sex and the City fans gathered by the rooftop pool at the W Scottsdale for Steve Levine’s “Carrie On” Fashion Show in celebration of the upcoming second film release. Surprisingly, the gender divide wasn’t as wide as expected. About a third of the audience were dudes — though whether they were there…
Sunflower Market is the latest in a long line of restaurants, food manufacturers and grocery stores catering to the gluten-free market. No, they’re not ditching the Bertolli pasta and burning whole wheat tortillas in effigy. But they are labeling all of the gluten-free products in the store with special “Smart Tags,” offering…
As the Average Joe and Jane become more interested in the culinary arts, gourmet trends like edible flowers are increasing in popularity. Just look at the number of lavender desserts that popped up in Phoenix last year: blueberry-lavender ice cream at Roy’s, lavender streusel at Bourbon Steak, strawberry-lavender jelly sandwich cookies from Sweet Pea…
Sometimes the coolest events have the worst marketing. Take the 2010 Arizona Gathering, for example. Friends of ours have raved about the amazing workshops and fab supplies they’ve discovered at the annual event, but the generic name makes it sound like a creepy cult retreat. And the website…let’s just say it’s…
Twenty years ago, a cushy desk job sounded appealing to most college grads. Now, more and more graduates across the globe are avoiding cubicle hell by working for themselves — even if it means lousy pay and strange hours. “The thought of ending up in an ad agency as a…
Twenty years ago, a cushy desk job sounded appealing to most college grads. Now, more and more graduates across the globe are avoiding cubicle hell by working for themselves — even if it means lousy pay and strange hours. “The thought of ending up in an ad agency as a…
