|
 |
October 17th, 2008
And just like that the rivers parted, the desert became cold, and tank tops were replaced with sweaters. Winter has finally arrived; and the ferris wheel at the State Fair is in working order. Thank goodness—we needed a deterrent from the storms we’re been faced with lately! This is our favorite time of the year—when we can rock our trusty old Levis 617s (without the sweaty thighs) and grab the BFF for the annual photo booth photo shoot at the fair (definitely something we picked up from those Aqua Net hair days and our west-side upbringing). When the chips are down, our best gal pals are skilled in boosting our spirits whether it be a care package full of junk food and trashy magazines, a shopping spree for a pair of snow boots, or simple words of wisdom. In the spirit of these besties who wipe away those post break-up tears, remind us we’re still the best dressed even if it’s last season’s Target collection, and are always there to pick up the chips when they’re down, we’re giving away a Baggu bag—the chicest reusable shopping bag that is made to weather any storm (see below) to the first reader who forwards this email to 5 friends and cc Picks@PhoenixPicks.com. Good Luck! |
||
| Phoenix Picks: | |||
| 1 | Rising for the Occasion We've been under a lot of stress lately, which means we often find ourselves huddled on the couch at 2 a.m., watching infomercials. So now, not only do we go to work with exhausted raccoon eyes, we also have puffy eyes, thanks to the gut-wrenching "Feed the Children" spots that feature Ubanwa, her distended belly, and a plastic bag and a mirror shard that are her only toys (seriously). Besides learning that Ubanwa is one of the 300+ million malnourished children in Africa, we also learned it's hard to dial the phone and make a pledge while sobbing uncontrollably. Rise Up boutique in downtown Phoenix gives us the perfect excuse to shop and feel like we’re good people. A branch of Rise Up Intl., Rise Up contributes 10 percent of sales to help fight poverty in China, India and Nicaragua through fashion and art. So instead of buying that latte and scone that your ass doesn't need, swing by Rise up and support those who will truly appreciate a helping hand. Rise Up Boutique |
|
|
| 2 | Froyo-yo Unlike most regions of the world, autumn is the season when the Valley of the Sun returns to life. After a five-month hibernation, we are tempted out of our climate-controlled habitats to explore the great outdoors. Oh, how we’ve yearned to walk the dogs sans Tuff-Paws, and show the munchkin what a park looks like. Look baby—grass! Our saving grace in the desert is year-round ice cream weather. But since we don’t want to spend the winter months adding six inches to the waistline, we do occasionally opt for healthier frozen treats. New to Goodyear, i swirl frozen yogurt parlor offers naturally sweetened, real yogurt and all-natural, non-fat ingredients. The self-served froyo is only 25 calories per ounce, and loaded with probiotic cultures. As if that weren’t guilt-free enough, i swirl founder Anne Min was inspired by her sons’ food allergies to provide non-dairy and no-sugar-added options. P.S. Mention you saw i swirl on Phoenix Picks for a buy one get the second one free (equal or lesser value) until Nov. 1! i swirl |
|
|
| 3 | Going to Extremes Clearly we’ve lost our minds. After years of happily watching our friends from the sidelines, we finally took the leap and signed up to run our first half-marathon. Not sure what we were thinking, considering we’ve never even come close to running 13.1 miles. Maybe it was that nagging need to inflict more stress upon ourselves? Whatever it was, we went for it. We’re counting on a continuous loop of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on A Prayer on our iPod, a sassy new pair of running shorts and a whole lotta training to get us through. No idea what our time will be, but we’ll just be content to cross the finish line. One thing we do know is that we’ll be feeling it the next day, which means we will be running directly to The Lamar Everyday Spa. This Scottsdale haven of relaxation is the ideal place to recover from your self-inflicted stresses. We plan to luxuriate in their tropical décor, while soothing our tired muscles with a massage and treating our road-worn feet to a pedi. The Lamar just might be our entire motivation for finishing the race! The Lamar Everyday Spa |
|
|
| Chick Picks (Halloween Edish): | |||
| 1 | Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore." We're feeling rather surly today. We lost our best office mate weeks ago, and we still haven’t found anything to ease the aching hole in our cubicle. We’ve been wearing our thickest eyeliner, our darkest eye shadow and our blackest shirts, but even in our time of mourning we still need to accessorize appropriately in her honor. In our opinion, nothing says "my heart is empty" like a pair of bird feet earrings. Oh macabre taxidermy, you soothe our souls. |
 |
|
| 2 | Bag Lady We’re right there with our eco-warrior pals trying to do good for the planet by not using plastic or paper bags. But we’ll be honest, we’re tired of lugging around the hodge podge of recyclable bags from local supermarkets. They just aren’t pretty! Now, we’re hot pink and fabulous with our nylon Baggu shopping bags. One baggu holds 2-3 plastic bags worth of groceries, and it folds down to nothing! We keep three in our purse… without surrendering space for lip gloss! |
 |
|
| 3 | Feeling Ghoulish We're counting the minutes before we pop open Friday night's bottle of wine. In an effort to stop ourselves from sinking into complete zombie mode, seeing and feeling nothing, our only drive being the need for human flesh (or, y'know, a gallon of Cabernet Sauvignon), is resting our dizzy head on this darling little pillow. Because even zombies need some lovin', too. |
 |
|
Hip Happenings: |
|||
| 1 | Don’t Fear the Reaper The third annual Roosevelt Row Harvest Festival is this weekend, and we’re positive you’ll love being outside, sipping local brew at the Four Peaks beer garden, catching the tunes of a local band, and showing your support for one of the best kept secrets in downtown. Hope you’ve honed your pumpkin-bowling skills! What: Roosevelt Row Harvest Festival |
 |
|
| 2 | Cinema Paradiso Finally. a Valley project that feeds our fancy, providing some of the best independent, foreign and most obscure flicks (where Harkins fails to deliver). Be sure to check out Order of Myths, which follows the tradition of Mardi Gras, and the short film Smile, about a Chinese family who takes advantage of a Sears family portrait coupon. What: Order of Myths and Smile Film Screenings |
 |
|
| 3 | Knitting Circles We don’t know which side of our personality is nerdier. The half that knows how to knit striped scarves, or the half that indulges in Leo Tolstoy book clubs. Either way we’re in love with the latest SMoCa exhibit: Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting. and its related events such as the museum’s new Book Club. What: Book Discussion of Friday Night Knitting Club |
 |
|
Don’t forget to floss after chowing down on all the Halloween candy you forgot to give to those cute little trick-or-treaters. You can blame it on the porch light that didn’t seem to work that night, but we know the truth. We recommend giving someone a real treat: tell them about Phoenix Picks! It almost beats a pillow case full of Double Bubble bubble gum. |
|||
Log onto www.phoenixpicks.com and check out past newsletters (archives). If you like what you see, forward to a friend and encourage them to log onto www.phoenixpicks.com and become a free subscriber. If you would like to subscribe or contribute, please email us at Contribute@phoenixpicks.com Website and Newsletter maintained by Studio Ridge.com |
|||
