As kids, making a jack-o-lantern was simple: Scoop out the guts, carve a couple eyes and a jagged-looking mouth, pop in a candle, and voila. It was the perfect Halloween decoration for your front porch that would usually last until the neighborhood hooligans would smash it to bits. Nowadays, however,…
Yes, they’re serious, and yes, they’ve even provided a How To on knitting turtle necks and booties for what may eventually be a terrible move for the penguin race. (After all, we’re talking style and survival here, folks, as no penguin is going to take another seriously if he’s wearing…
The Easley clan has been through a lot of Halloweens in their day. More than half-century’s worth of ’em, to be exact. Four generations of the Easley’s family have been selling and renting costumes to Valley residents out of their namesake yellow building on McDowell Road and 7th Avenue for the past…
Domestic Bliss, and a boutique in downtown Mesa has just the solution. As its name implies, Domestic Bliss carries whimsical clothing and rustic decor for well-to-do women and children. Its neighboring by-appointment showroom, FOUND, carries slightly more eccentric decor and furniture (think Anthropologie’s home section, in neutral-vision). It’s all quite expensive, with…
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: This Missoni for Target open cardigan has alternating navy and teal zigzags. It’s a great find from this limited collection because the knit showcases the design house’s signature…
Seattle native Katherine Thornhill believes the old saying that if you feel good in what you are wearing, your attitude will show it. “Personal style is important to me because when I feel good in what I’m wearing, I feel confident in who I am,” Thornhill says. “There’s nothing better…
Lisa Jacobs, aka Sticker Club Girl, has always been attracted to functional art, so she says the transition from fashion design and crafting to her latest collection of custom jewelry was a no brainer. “You can put a painting on your wall and admire it,” she says. “But with jewelry, which is…
What are you wearing? Vintage silk top, Anthropologie skirt, Seychelles shoes, jewelry from local designer Ayofemi, bag by Pilcro & the Letterpress (from Anthropologie – which I maybe bought because I’m also a letterpress printer and loved the brand name)…
Valley resident Melissa Kaylor has a major yen for video games. If you didn’t get a chance to speak with her this past weekend at Devastation 2011 (or purchase her old school plastic pixel art), the 24-year-old devotes most of her free time to game-related projects under her online persona…
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: This handmade skull brooch is perfect for fall — particularly with Halloween and Dia de los Muertos a couple weeks away. With a wink toward Mexican folk art,…
NFL owners announced yesterday that the Super Bowl will return to Phoenix in 2015. Phoenix beat out Tampa for super game slot; it’ll be the third time we’ve hosted a slew of buffed-out ball players competing for the national title. So while we wait for the big day, we’ll toss in our…
Oops. We just drooled. Chow Bella & Roosevelt Row announced their second annual Pie Social to benefit Phoenix Union Bio-Science High School arts programs, and this year, they’re looking for a few creatives. In addition to the mass consumption of community and celebrity pies on November 12, the social will include a…
The messy garage outside of the North Phoenix home of Lance Greathouse is filled with creatures and fire-breathing monsters galore. Not the supernatural kind, mind you, but rather those he’s built from made from scrap metal and steel. The dental laser technician, gearhead, and self-described “mad scientist” spends his off…
Kayla Cuore’s daily life revolves around her kids, but that doesn’t mean that she has to dress like a mom. The 26-year-old blogs about her daily outfits, and gives her readers little peeks into her life on her blog, Freckles In April. “It can be so tempting to stay in…
If you made it out to Scottsdale and followed the “Fasionistas, This Way!” signs through the Talking Stick Resort and Casino and down the elevator, you probably found yourself at the glitzed out, seventh annual Phoenix Fashion Week(end).The three-day fashion celebration featured the work of 24 established designers, 10 emerging, and 106 accessory…
Taunts or testosterone were in abundance inside the Phoenix Convention Center this past weekend. Joystick jedi from throughout Arizona descended upon the downtown destination en masse to wage pixilated warfare during Devastation, the annual gaming competition and expo.Fueled by both adrenaline and energy drinks, gamers battled for supremacy (and cash prizes)…
Anya Melkozernova says she knew she would be involved in the fashion world since she was a kid growing up in Russia. “I’ve always been into creating art,” she says. “And I see fashion as an artistic expression.”When she was younger, that sentiment translated to making clothing for her Barbies. Today, Melkozernova…
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…
It’s that time of year when the weather cools down, the creative project lists get a little longer, and a little flier comes through the mail for one of our favorite events of the year. Frances and Smeeks announced the date and time of their sixth Crafeteria, an annual gathering of local…
We’re always game for a good scare — especially when we’re not the ones being spooked. It’s why we can’t stop looking at the official spook album of the Nightmares Fear Factory, the longest running and arguably the scariest haunted house in North America. The haunted house in Ontario keeps a steady…
Before Astrid Guri Olafsen began selling her handmade creations, she was a scientist with a degree in botany. For 16 years, she was doing research for the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Today, she sells handmade, reconstructed, and hand screened clothing at Downtown’s Indie Arthouse, and on her Etsy page.”This is…
Mesa native Ashley Nielson enjoys showing off her personal creativity with the clothes on her back. The 22-year-old works in retail and writes about her daily life and outfits on her blog, I Believe In Unicorns. Her colorful and quirky style was one of the first things that caught our…
