|
 |
April 3rd, 2009
Are you there, God? It’s us, the girls who were doppelgangers of Margaret—but we’re 20 years older now. We’ve done a lot of growing up these past couple of years. We’ve opened a savings account, stopped cussing and drinking Jack Daniels on the rocks, we’ve settled down with a nice boy, and we’ve given up trying to look like Joan Jett (circa 1979). We’re feeling pretty fortunate to be in the heels that we’re in lately. Sure, they’re not as fierce as Kate Lanphear’s, but they’re pretty awesome. Basically, what we’re trying to say is thank you for not answering all our prayers. Thank you for not giving us bigger tatas, and for the weekends we spent curled up to Tolstoy because we weren’t popular enough. And, finally, for not letting us spend the rest of our lives with “Mr. Wonderful” who we loved obsessively in our 20s. We totally get it now. But there’s one small request we still have after all these years (and we don’t think it’s too much to ask): Can you do something about this lifeless, stick-straight, fine hair? … Please? |
||
| Phoenix Picks: | |||
| 1 | Spring Fever We’ve been into accessorizing lately; it’s a fun way to update our wardrobe without splurging too much. We’ve been scanning the pages of Bazaar and Vogue to get a feel for what’s high-end this season… that we can hopefully find knocked off. But then we started thinking, “Who needs a knockoff? We just need style.” On the prowl for some chic new pieces, we were practically blinded by the sparkle housed at Gotta Have It boutique. Tables and shelves are lined with delicious Swarovski crystal and cubic zirconium pieces—cocktail rings, bejeweled fleur de lis necklaces and vintage-y brooches were everywhere. We were feeling young and playful so we picked up the Hello Kitty crystal-encrusted necklace. Sure, diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but Swarovski crystals are a recessionista’s bestie. And this boutique might be your bestie, too. The fine folks at Gotta Have It are offering you, dear Phoenix Picks reader, 30% off the item of your choice now through the end of April, just tell ’em Phoenix Picks sent you! Gotta Have It! Jewelry and Accessories |
|
|
| 2 | Prose by Any Other Name For most ladies, an athletic physique, rugged good looks, and an ambitious nature are ingredients for a delicious cocktail of a man. We are certainly not immune to such savory qualities, but we must admit that above all else, we have always found a guy with an expansive vocabulary particularly hard to resist. We know from experience that there are few better places to meet these multi-syllabically inclined types than at a bookstore. If you’re in the market for your own word-nerd, or just in the mood for some personal enlightenment, we suggest skipping the meet-market bars and heading to CenPho’s newest literary gem, Bards Books. This welcome addition to the scene has given Phoenix’s intelligentsia a new place to flock. Along with an extensive selection of used books, Bards’ monthly calendar of events offers multiple book clubs, French-conversation meetings, creative writing and poetry workshops, and free guitar lessons every Sunday. Even if you don’t bump into your Romeo, Bards provides plenty of things to keep your heart and mind engaged! Bards Books |
|
|
| 3 | Just Can’t Get Enough Ah, Depeche Mode. We always wanted to be like the pouty girls in their videos dripping with sex appeal. However, we were flat-chested and had total pancake butt during the era when spandex, Azzedine Alaia and spiral perms were the rage. Paris Paris boutique makes us think we might have a chance to stop pining for lost times and capitalize on 1991’s definition of sexy. The boutiques are loaded with sophisticated and classy gear to complement those nights when we want to line our lips in red, and strap on stilettos and a skirt up to there. Feeling flirty? Look no further than the romantic blouses with colorful flower prints. Heading to a power lunch with some svelte man-exec? Check out the tailored blazers and conservative, fitted tops and accessories. Heading out on the Harley? Hug those curves with a pair of Miss Me jeans. If you’re ready to take sexy to the next level, be sure to check out the formal and cocktail dresses and the Jouvence Skin Spa, too! Paris Paris at Gainey Ranch |
|
|
| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Sweeter than Honey Typically, our taste in jewelry is simple—like our silver Tiffany Bean necklace—classic and elegant. Lately though, we’ve been dying to try something new that will really jazz up our outfits. When we stumbled on the natural agate necklaces from Stone and Honey, we knew our search was over. Rough but pretty, eye-catching and brightly colored, these ethereal necklaces are all one of a kind, and definitely kick our look up a notch. A girl’s gotta keep it original, after all! |
 |
|
| 2 | May Your Cups Runneth Over If you’re bordering a B-cup than you understand the anxiety we feel when swimsuit season arrives. Three inches of padding in the bikini top or there’s no difference between our back and our chest. If you require a little (or a lot) of push-up power you can easily fake it with Cleavage Cupcakes. These little miracles provide just the right amount of oomph to create the illusion of cleavage and some boost to bring out those little perks. |
 |
|
| 3 | Black Cat Strut It used to easy scoring cheap, vintage goodies. Now it has become an online Easter egg hunt trying to find reasonably priced vintage clothing in great condition that hasn’t been reconstructed to fit a size 2 fashionista. We’re lucky to have stumbled across the locally-owned online boutique Black Cat Vintage. It’s a treasure trove of hard-to-find goodies that come in “real woman” sizes. Check out Black Cat’s offerings in person at the upcoming Modern Phoenix Expo & Home Tour (see below for more details)! |
 |
|
| Event of the Week | |||
|
Save the date! The good times keep rolling at NU (Native + You), on Friday, April 17. Check out some local ear candy from 5:30–7:30 p.m. with Try Me Bicycle, mingle with contemporary artists Nathan Hart and Sarah Sense in the Berlin Gallery, and sample delicious "New Twists on the Old World" treats from Tapino Ktichen, Urban Cookies, Classic Cooking Academy, LUX and more! Wrap up the evening with a special performance by Latin/Jazz/Soul star Quetzal Guerrero from 8–9 p.m. in the Crossroads Gallery. He's got the skills of Santana and the pipes of Jose Feliciano. It's the perfect way to spend a lovely spring night! What: Heard Museum’s NU (Native + You) evening series |
|||
Hip Happenings: |
|||
| 1 | Modern Love In another life, we must have loved an architect, because we have a soft spot for organic and modern design. Though our pack rat sensibility will be the ultimate end of us, sometimes we wonder: could we live with no clutter… just clean lines and natural lighting? Um, we’ll live it vicariously during the Modern Phoenix home tour! What: Modern Phoenix Expo and Home Tour |
 |
|
| 2 | Hot and Bothered Our pornographic stash includes Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, William-Sonoma and Copenhagen/Denmarket catalogs. So you can imagine our excitement when we were invited to the William-Sonoma Home and west elm sneak peak at the new outdoor shopping mecca, Scottsdale Quarter. Check it out! What: William Sonoma Home and west elm Opening |
 |
|
| 3 | Swap Meet Our favorite event in all of Phoenix is back for another go-round. This year’s much-anticipated swap-a-rama is sure to be a jam-packed with DIY ideas and gals who can teach us a thing or two about the embroidery function on our sewing machine. Save the date and we’ll see you there! What: Phoenix Swap-a-rama |
 |
|
Spring love is in the air! Sign your friends, family and potential bed partners up with a free subscription to Phoenix Picks at www.PhoenixPicks.com. |
|||
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 |
|||
