Holiday Lights: Jim and Linda Largo

​It’s the holiday season, which means lights are everywhere: On your neighbor’s house, decorating the local bar, and on buildings of downtown Phoenix. During the buildup to Christmas, Jackalope Ranch will be running the numbers on some of the best and brightest light displays around the Valley. The Glendale residence…

Beaded Grecian Cocktail Dress from Meat Market Vintage

Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list.What: The hunt for an all-purpose, glamorous dress for holiday parties ends here. Skip go-to festive brights like red and green in favor of creamy, wintery white in…

Phoenix Craft Rave 2011: A Make-N-Take Marathon this Weekend

Join hundreds of local creative-types this Saturday at Bragg’s Pie Factory for the second PHX Craft Rave — 10 hours of make-and-take madness. Yes, caffeine will be supplied, as will countless projects for attendees and work by local artists including Jill Brownley, Sabrina Thompson, Lisa Takata, Felicity Snyder, Sarah Spencer, Pat Dowd,…

The Nine Ugliest Holiday Ornaments on Etsy

In Etsy’s holiday shop, ugly is not in short supply. There are countless creepy Santas made from papier mache and dozens of “up”cycled wreathes that have seen better days in the can. Today, we’re looking at ornaments, and we’re not ashamed to admit that we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Here…

Five Gifts for the Holiday Hipster

Yeah, yeah, we know mainstream-ers have like, totally blurred the lines of hipster authenticity, but we know our misunderstood obscure elitist loved ones when we see smell ’em. Shopping for one, however, is always far from easy. Luckily, we’ve scouted some local gift ideas that are sure to make any…

Holiday Lights: Chris Birkett’s Winter Wonderland

​It’s the holiday season, which means lights are everywhere: On your neighbor’s house, decorating the local bar, and on buildings of downtown Phoenix. During the buildup to Christmas, Jackalope Ranch will be running the numbers on some of the best and brightest light displays around the Valley. The colorful assortment…

Downtown’s First Friday (Dec. 2)

Art walks are more often about people watching and shenanigans and less about the actual art. We’re here to guide you through both. Presenting our very own Field Guide — an evolving guide to art walks around town.From time to time, we’ll introduce some of our favorite spots and dish out some…

Six Gifts for the Fashionista

Fashionistas are a picky breed. They love clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry, but tailoring gifts to suit their taste (not to mention ever-changing trends) can be a daunting task.Here are a handful of local finds that will leave even the pickiest beaming with holiday happiness. 1. Tie Cardigan by BobiThis…

Holiday Lights: Arizona Celebration of Lights

​It’s the holiday season, which means lights are everywhere: On your neighbor’s house, decorating the local bar, and on buildings of downtown Phoenix. During the buildup to Christmas, Jackalope Ranch will be running the numbers on some of the best and brightest light displays around the Valley. You don’t need…

The Handmade, Crafty Lineup of Crafeteria 2011

The event, hosted by Frances in the Medlock Plaza on Central Avenue and Camelback Road, runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and plays by one rule: everything must be 100 percent handmade. (Weather note: if it rains tomorrow night, Crafeteria will take place on Saturday evening.) Crafeteria’s an annual gathering for arts and…

Zasha by JudeFrances Enamel Quilted Cuff

Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list. What: This black and white cuff comes from high-end jewelry designer duo JudeFrances’ diffusion line Zasha. When Ken Downing lectured at Phoenix Art Museum last month, he…

Holiday Lights: The Coach House in Scottsdale

Christmas decorations are kind of a big deal each year at the Coach House in Scottsdale. So much so that the staff at the historic tavern started setting up the day after Halloween.  Such an head start is necessary, consider the massive amount of festive decorations that are involved. Practically…

What Are You Doing Here?

Happy Thanksgiving! We’re not really sure why you’re here, but we’re glad you are. Hope your day’s full of birds uglier than the one above. See you tomorrow …..

A Sneak Peek at Frances Studio’s Holiday Pop-Up

Owner Georganne Bryant says that for the end of November and throughout December, Frances Studio, which opened earlier this year as an accessory and shoe store between Frances and Smeeks in the Medlock plaza, will be a pop-up store full of festive decorations and unique gifts.Check out more pictures and…

Embroidered Handbag at Metro Retro

Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list. What: This vintage canvas shoulder bag is just one of many fun accessory finds at Metro Retro in the Melrose district of downtown Phoenix. The seemingly plastic tortoise snap…

Surprise! Scottsdale is for Shopaholics

This just in (from the stuff you kind of already knew department): Scottsdale is a mecca for shopaholics. Sure, between its go-to mall for high-end designers, unique boutiques, and the need to dress up to fit in at any of them, fashion reigns supreme in the city that’s home to…

?Antique Plaza: Treasure Hunting in Mesa

Antique Plaza isn’t for the faint of heart. The two-story, 20,000-square-foot antique mall in the heart of downtown Mesa has about one sweet, modestly priced vintage find for every 10 shelves of miniature ceramic figures. Walking and sifting through every vendor’s tightly packed booth would literally take hours. But if you’re…