Valley Life

Phoenician Cary Lopiccolo sells her super-cute button jewelry on etsy. What are you wearing right now? (find out after the jump)…

As the artsy sibling of our fellow Phoenix New Times blogs, we often run into some of the coolest and most talented folks in town. Jackalope Ranch proudly presents “100 Creatives” in honor of Best of Phoenix, which is just a summer away, expect it on newsstands and computer screens near…

​We’ve been meaning to tell you about PHXated.com — a smart blog about all things Phoenix written by a smart guy, Bill Wyman. And we were reminded of that when we noticed Wyman wrote about Phoenix New Times today, in honor of the paper’s 40th anniversary…

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…

  When Crafty Chica Kathy Cano-Murillo cut loose with the secret that there’s a Mexican craft store in town, we were in the car within minutes. Mario Ramos Imports, on 32nd Street south of McDowell, has a nice supply of extra-thick Mexican embroidery thread, a few pillowcases and placemats with cool patterns…

North Phoenix has blossomed as its own pocket of Valley culture, including car shows, the Scottsdale art walks — lucky for us, the “North Phoenix Blog has got it covered. The blog provides the normal rundown of events, stores, and art galleries in the north Valley, but we really love…

​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…

We’ve had our eye on this dynamic space along 16th Street (between Osborn and Indian School Roads) that offers vintage, antique, and unique discoveries.Owner Leonardo Ramirez is super energetic and has an infectious personality. He coined the term “recyclitude” to describe his business (and life) approach. His latest endeavor is…

We’re always thrilled to find out about new local mid-century modern furnishing shops. Needless to say, we’re excited about Amsterdam Modern. …

The day has arrived. Bunky Boutique has officially moved.We’ve been looking forward to this since we heard about it in early April. We got a first look at the space this morning as the dust was still settling (check out our slideshow for more snapshots).Yes, Bunky Boutique is now open…

For the past three years, local designer Mark Dudlik has created the shirts for Ignite Phoenix, the one-night information-a-thon featuring 18 folks from the creative, technical, and business communities presenting five-minute nuggets of idea-spreading goodness. This year, you’re gonna do it. And it’s gonna be beautiful…

But our winner takes the — neon coated — cake. Click through to see this week’s fashion don’ts…

Are you sick of all of this SB 1070 boycott bullcrap? We sure are. And so are the folks over at Loveland Boutique, the adorable little clothing and accessory shop for ladies, kids and their four-footed pals at Mill Ave. and Baseline in Tempe.  In response to other states’ boycotts of Arizona businesses, the boutique is hosting…

We’ve noticed two trends lately, in the used stuff business — first, a general proliferation of vintage/antique/thrift stores, particularly in the Melrose shopping district around 7th Avenue, very roughly bordered by Camelback and Indian School roads. Second, folks are joining forces — such a good idea, in this tight economy…

Really, how could we resist the message on this hand-stamped pillow from Joshua By Oak? We figured the name had to belong to a hipster living on Oak Street, when we learned this etsy.com seller resides in the Phoenix area. Instead, JBO is a woman named Debra, who writes on…

Every Arcadian has a special place in their heart for family-owned Baker Nursery (this writer included).The 10-acre property is filled with every flower, tree, cactus and seed imaginable and has been a neighborhood institution for 42 years.See? Independent businesses can survive in Phoenix.While the weather is still tolerable, we recommend…

It’s an embarrassment of Arizona riches, down under. First, word spread that not one, not two — but three Arizona artists will be featured at the 17th Bienniale of Sydney, an enormous and important art extravaganza beginning this Thursday in Sydney, Australia. All three artists are repped by one of…

Kate Crowley, the Marketing and Communications Manager at the Heard Museum in Central Phoenix, has a lot on her plate. She keeps media folks well-informed about the cycle of art shows and events at the Heard and is the mastermind behind the third Friday NU (Native + You) monthly evening…

When we approached Erik Gustafson about doing a “What Are You Wearing?” piece, the Phoenix Chorale tenor and opera singer responded with, “I’m literally the least fashion-conscious person I know of.” We’re not so sure about that. Seems like Gustafson – who, when he’s not singing, creates some pretty hilarious…

Get ready for the “glamorous, gay Goodwill.” Don Hammill’s resale shop, 3 Snaps, opens its doors on Friday, May 7. The opening weekend bash will include a fashion show and possible appearances by Valley drag queens.Hammill says he named the store after the flamboyant finger-snapping gesture synonymous with gay men…

OK, so the guy’s from Tucson and now lives in Washington, D.C. And we’re not really sure where Princess Sparkle Pony comes in. But we still adore Peter Huestis’ blog, and we think you will, too. He moved away many years ago, but Arizona’s been on Huestis’ mind. Recently, he…

If you’ve ever seen JJCnV play, you may have observed that the two killer dude musicians in the trio — Pete Hinz and Jeff Barthold — aren’t exactly tearing it up in the clothing department. (No offense, fellas.) On the other hand, Dana Stern, the group’s co-singer and guitarist (and…