Valley Life

Chris Fiscus is a Valley native, a local musician, a kid disguised as a husband and father, and a newspaper guy turned ad agency guy…. What are you wearing right now? My Phoenix ad agency outfit: untucked longsleeve black shirt, old jeans, black Dr. Marten boots and Swiss army watch…

The woman behind “A Bookish Blog” at www.iheartmonster.com doesn’t reveal much about herself. On her blog, she says she’s an Arizona native in her late 20s that likes hiking and domestic travel, and loves her husband, “Monster.”That’s all cool, but the only thing we really need to know about “A…

When the breakfast & lunch nook Toast took over the enclave space from the old Drip, it meant there was room for Gina Madrid’s next big adventure; she’ll be opening an art boutique in the main Drip space this summer.Among Madrid’s offerings: handcrafted goods by local artists — jewelry, apparel, ceramics,…

​Those that know her, know her well. Phoenix’s Olive Annie (that delectable little spot that was open for a while off 7th Street by the now-former Lisa G) is ready to kick off her boots and stick around for a while. Lani Griffin and Laurie Lavy are launching another boutique…

Nick Bastian loves Valley Metro Light Rail so much, he started a comprehensive blog dedicated exclusively to it. Want to know more about how budget cuts affect light rail? Need the latest light rail schedules? Not sure what shirt to wear on the annual “No Pants AZ Light Rail Ride”?…

She’s best-known in some circles for taking off her shirt — and if you don’t know what we mean, you need to read her book, My One-night Stand With Cancer. But Tania Katan knows how to get dressed, too. What are you wearing right now?  Blue blazer, red pants, red…

Have an hour or two to spare? Get yourself to CenPho and check out vintage stylemaker Michael Todd’s latest endeavor, Zinnias, and Heidi Owens’ new digs for her Hollywood Regency, in the newly opened Melrose Mall, 724 W. Indian School Road…

Local digital and social media guru Clintus McGintus (nee Comer) keeps us abreast of the latest tech and geek meetups on his multi-media blog, clintus.me. And he does it with such flair and panache that no one can argue when he labels himself an “attention whore.” McGintus, 28, covers a…

  If we had any wall space left, we’d snatch this one up ourselves. Local printmaker and otherwise-amazing-person-and-artist-and-designer Jason Hill has his own etsy shop, which we’ve drooled over more than once. He’s got a signed print of the Bikini for sale for $20. Buy it.  …

  If longtime Phoenician Christa Severns looks familiar, it’s probably just because you shop at Last Chance. What are you wearing right now? Ben Sherman jacket, brown pants, white polo and two strands of pearls. What is the last item of clothing you bought?Trina Turk dress from Last Chance. What item do…

Need a cow skull?Who doesn’t, right?If you’re in the market for cow skulls, Day of the Dead skeletons, hanging chili pepper bundles, and ceramic pots galore, Mercado Mexico is your jam…

$125. Around here, the name Robert Black is forever linked to fashion. For years, Black ran the best-known modeling agency in town. When he sold that business, he let his passion for fashion really fly — opening a vintage clothing and accessory store, Fashion by Robert Black, in Scottsdale last October…

Did you miss out on the last First Friday? Don’t be ashamed if you did, since January’s edition of the monthly art walk extravaganza fell on New Years Day, which meant a lot of folks stayed at home dealing with a hangover rather than perusing pulchritudinous paintings and photographs. As…

We’re done with resolutions to eat healthfully and quit our vices. This year we’re resolving to reconnect with our nerdolicious self — basically to let our geek flag fly. And it looks like we won’t be alone. 2010 is shaping up to be the year of the geek, with scores of filmmakers, software companies, sci-fi cons…

Pocket protectors. Highwater jeans pulled up to the neck. T-shirts with slogans like, “Ethernet (n), something used to catch the etherbunny” and “Got D20?”. Geeks aren’t exactly known for their fashion prowess, but that hasn’t stopped them from inspiring trends that would make any Mean Girl cringe.  Here are 5 geeky fashion trends of the 2000s — a…

When we picked up a flier for the “Midnight in a Winter Horrorland” fashion show at First Friday, we figured we’d go and possibly get a little last-minute holiday shopping in for those hard to buy for friends. We ended up treated to a short but sweet bit of eye candy that…

Jeezum crow, its gonna be cold this weekend. Really cold. Like in the 30s. So unless hypothermia is your bag baby, better throw on an extra sweater or down plenty of spirits when venturing out to tonight’s freezing First Friday at the various and sundry art hotspots in and around…

Before bar-hopping and gallivanting around Phoenix galleries at First Friday, be sure to mark the Downtown Civic Space Park on your map of destinations. Besides offering a golf-course-worthy patch of green, the park has a bevy of First Friday to-do’s. On the live entertainment side: Shoegaze rockers Former Friends of…

Cannibals, cops, bird flu: All three of these things have grabbed headlines before, but probably not simultaneously. That’s where comic book creator John Layman comes in. His runaway hit series Chew follows the adventures of Tony Chu, a detective turned FDA agent who lives in a world where chicken meat…

Last night, hundreds of teenage girls, moms with wistful romantic longings and a handful of dudes (most of whom were clearly dragged there by little sisters or girlfriends) gathered in Surprise for the Twifans.com and CullenBoysAnonymous “New Moon Rising Over Arizona” party and midnight premiere of the next film in the Twilight…

All manner of fantastical creatures, from fairies and elves to green men and mermaids turned out for the annual Phoenix Faerie Festival this past Saturday at Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear. It wasn’t nearly as crowded as some of the Valley’s other dress-up fantasy events, but those who were there seemed to enjoy the festivities.