Valley Life

We recently spied a new shop along Indian School (east of 24th Street) and just had to stop by…

Have a hankering to acquire a new skill? Or did you just learn something so super cool that you really want to show others how to do it? Then PHX Free School may be your one-stop, skill-share shop. A relatively new endeavor, the PHX Free School has offered a handful…

[jump] * A well-fitting bolero jacket * An amazing pair of weathered cowboy boots * And when you want to goth out or pull the “skinny-feels,” punk or Edwardian card, make sure your closet is well-stocked with flattering black of all spectrums. Name an item of clothing that’s best when…

The young, dynamic team behind Cenpho.tv knows what’s happening in Central Phoenix, and their regular video and podcasts provide enthusiastic coverage of things the nightly news might just skim over — things like public lectures at ASU, art receptions, and events like “Migratory Bird Day” at the Rio Salado Habitat…

Can SeeSaw Designs do wrong?Apparently not. We spied this ah-mazing vintage art piece for $80 through their latest creative endeavor, the SeeSaw Vintage Shop on etsy.Dig their taste? We do. SeeSaw, a local design firm, also happens to have a blog that makes us happy. The website features “daily inspiration”…

Gwynne Sullivan is a co-founder of Bewilderknits and a Phoenix native who moved to Sunnyslope long before it was the hip thing to do. What are you wearing right now? A yellow singing-bird Threadless t-shirt called Ruido, blue-and-white vertically striped bellbottoms a size too large, round-toed black flats from Born,…

This tremendous trifecta was an idea born of Kate Benjamin (Modern Cat Studio), Lisa Jacobs (Sticker Club Girl) and Megan Olesen (Lucky 15 Creative)…

  Kathy Cano-Murillo, a.k.a. The Crafty Chica, says it takes a lot to get her fired up about politics. But Arizona’s new immigration has this Phoenician particularly hot and bothered. Instead of making a pinata in the likeness of one of our government leaders (also a good idea), Cano-Murillo made herself an ID…

Michael Monti is perhaps best known as the proprietor of Monti’s La Casa Vieja at 100 S. Mill Avenue in Tempe, but the married father of four is a proud Phoenician, too, and his enthusiasm for the East Valley shines through in his blog, 100 S. Mill Ave. Although Monti’s…

Dugaldo Estrada, a.k.a. “Blogaldo,” asks an interesting question at the top of his blog: “If your whole body were a hot air balloon, would you stop eating spicy food?”Estrada’s answer: “How would I get higher?”This is the sort of cheeky humor that permeates Estrada’s musings. By day, he’s a server…

When John O’Hagan isn’t running the Golden Rule Tattoo shop on Roosevelt (in the same strip as Carly’s Bistro), the vegetarian 20-something is at home caring for his puppy and pot-bellied pet pig.What are you wearing right now? (And if you’re not wearing anything, for Pete’s sake, go get dressed!)Haha,…

This past Friday night, fashionistas (and fashionistos?) from across the Valley packed into the pool area at Scottsdale’s retro-chic Hotel Valley Ho for the 4th Annual Spring into Summer fashion show featuring Beach Bunny Swimwear and up-and-coming L.A. designer Katharine Story. If the show was any indication, this summer’s fashion trends will highlight…

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.  …