Pantonism: The Art of Matching Influences

Ever since the color gods at Pantone crowned Tangerine Tango their color of 2012, we’ve been a little color obsessed. Websites including Pinterest and Tumblr — even Facebook albums — allow users to curate and categorize inspirations by subject matter, sentiment, and color. Pantonism (not officially associated with the Pantone empire)…

Five Gifts for Crazy Theater People

If you’re intimate enough to be exchanging gifts with either a fan or a practitioner of theater, you know that “they” can be extremely … uh, particular. They tend to feel misunderstood, so you’ll score huge friendship points if you give a gift that shows you get them. Here are…

10 Favorite Boutiques for Holiday Shopping in Metro Phoenix

With the holidays in full swing (and our endless shopping lists in hand) we’ve wrangled this list of 10 boutiques in the Valley that will make any remaining gift-buying trips a breeze. 10. Poor Little Rich GirlWhat: Poor Little Rich Girl deals in lightly used, and usually pretty new, designer…

Memorable New Times Holiday Covers from the Past Decade

In honor of the holiday season, we decided to look back at the particularly memorable holiday covers of the past 10 years. It was pretty clear from reviewing the covers that holiday garland and the ubiquitous, feel-good “season for sharing” stories don’t drive our art decisions. 5. Is Nothing Sacred?: Apparently Not in…

The No Pants AZ Light Rail Ride is Scheduled for January

A quick public service announcement: if you’re not looking to share a bench and some quality skin time with a few pants-less commuters (and yes, they are just happy to see you), you might to take the car on January 8. The No Pants Light Rail Ride ride is organized by…

Black Silk and Velvet Party Dress at Annie Boomer Vintage

Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list. What: Little black dresses have been all we can think about since attending Dennita Sewell’s lecture on the fashion staple. This LBD from Annie Boomer Vintage fits the…

Vintage-Inspired Holiday Wreaths with antigirl

As the local artist writes in her handbook, “Wreaths are my newest favorite thing to make. I feel like I did when I first learned to bind a book. So much fucking excitement!”She let us into her creative space last week (between studying for finals and working on design gigs)…

Dennita Sewell’s Five Facts You Didn’t Know about the Little Black Dress

Phoenix Art Museum’s fashion curator Dennita Sewell dished out the history of the little black dress during the LBD cocktail party on Friday at Scottsdale’s recently opened Saguaro hotel.After imbibing, chatting, and snatching a few hors d’oeuvres, attendees sat down, facing mannequins dressed in a collection of LBDs from Robert Black. Sewell…

Lulubell Toy Bodega in Mesa Holds its Grand Opening Tonight

Geeks and fanatical collectors of designer vinyl figures have another reason to visit Second Friday in downtown Mesa tonight (or any other night), as the grand opening of Lulubell Toy Bodega takes place tonight.The designer toy boutique, which relocated from Tucson’s Fourth Avenue to Mesa’s Main Street last month, is the…

Holiday Lights: Jim and Linda Largo

​It’s the holiday season, which means lights are everywhere: On your neighbor’s house, decorating the local bar, and on buildings of downtown Phoenix. During the buildup to Christmas, Jackalope Ranch will be running the numbers on some of the best and brightest light displays around the Valley. The Glendale residence…

Beaded Grecian Cocktail Dress from Meat Market Vintage

Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list.What: The hunt for an all-purpose, glamorous dress for holiday parties ends here. Skip go-to festive brights like red and green in favor of creamy, wintery white in…

Phoenix Craft Rave 2011: A Make-N-Take Marathon this Weekend

Join hundreds of local creative-types this Saturday at Bragg’s Pie Factory for the second PHX Craft Rave — 10 hours of make-and-take madness. Yes, caffeine will be supplied, as will countless projects for attendees and work by local artists including Jill Brownley, Sabrina Thompson, Lisa Takata, Felicity Snyder, Sarah Spencer, Pat Dowd,…

The Nine Ugliest Holiday Ornaments on Etsy

In Etsy’s holiday shop, ugly is not in short supply. There are countless creepy Santas made from papier mache and dozens of “up”cycled wreathes that have seen better days in the can. Today, we’re looking at ornaments, and we’re not ashamed to admit that we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Here…

Five Gifts for the Holiday Hipster

Yeah, yeah, we know mainstream-ers have like, totally blurred the lines of hipster authenticity, but we know our misunderstood obscure elitist loved ones when we see smell ’em. Shopping for one, however, is always far from easy. Luckily, we’ve scouted some local gift ideas that are sure to make any…

Holiday Lights: Chris Birkett’s Winter Wonderland

​It’s the holiday season, which means lights are everywhere: On your neighbor’s house, decorating the local bar, and on buildings of downtown Phoenix. During the buildup to Christmas, Jackalope Ranch will be running the numbers on some of the best and brightest light displays around the Valley. The colorful assortment…

Downtown’s First Friday (Dec. 2)

Art walks are more often about people watching and shenanigans and less about the actual art. We’re here to guide you through both. Presenting our very own Field Guide — an evolving guide to art walks around town.From time to time, we’ll introduce some of our favorite spots and dish out some…

Six Gifts for the Fashionista

Fashionistas are a picky breed. They love clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry, but tailoring gifts to suit their taste (not to mention ever-changing trends) can be a daunting task.Here are a handful of local finds that will leave even the pickiest beaming with holiday happiness. 1. Tie Cardigan by BobiThis…