Go-as-you-are to the come-as-you-are Arcadia neighborhood bar for a sweet, yet sour sip of the Pink Panther Lemonade cocktail from Kitchen 56. The Pink Panther combines our childhood favorite, pink lemonade, with our adulthood must-have, vodka. Head to the Kitchen or mix-as-you-want to enjoy.

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Pearl Blueberry Vodka
2.5 oz. lemonade
10 Wild Maine Blueberries

Serve:
Shaken, poured over ice and garnished with a lemon wheel

Ouch, this hurts.  Gawker has just completed their “Ranking The USA” feature and it looks like we have ended up on top or in this case, the bottom.  Tell us what you think readers?

Says, Gawker:

The Good: Arizona has lots of natural beauty, from the dizzying Grand Canyon to, well, the areas immediately outside the Grand Canyon (Kaibab represent). That’s about it. Well, OK, Flagstaff has its moments.
The Bad: First off, it’s the middle of the goddamned desert so why is everyone there? Why is Phoenix? Ecological catastrophes, the twin brown stars of Phoenix and Scottsdale are insanely destructive, places so hot that they have mist sprayers everywhere even though there is no water there. Dreadful! The sheriff of the area is an insane lunatic cowboy wannabe who rules the town like Gene Hackman in the The Quick and the Dead. Alabama’s batshit immigration law was inspired by Arizona’s own SB 1070, a racist and xenophobic piece of legislation representative of Arizona’s roiling immigration crisis that was signed into law by the state’s governor Jan Brewer, a perky-eyed psychopath who speaks in tongues. Arizona is swiftly devolving into a dystopic free-for-all of armed mad men patrolling the state with guns, often to disastrous effect. (As witnessed in the Gaby Giffords incident — though, c’mon, you can’t blame Arizona for Jared Loughner any more than you can blame Colorado for Columbine.) Arizona is a hissing snakepit of angry old white people (they are angry because they are literally being cooked to death) yelling at the immigrants and other Others whom they fear and loathe, and it is probably going to explode someday soon into a bright ball of orange fire and we will know that either the end times have come for us all or thank god we are finally rid of Arizona.
Final Score: 2.76

Shoot around with our Phoenix Suns tonight at the US Airways Center. Learn some smooth court moves from Dan Majerle from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., before competing in the 3-point contest, skills competition and family-fun shootout from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Special appearances by the Suns Dancers and our favorite, the Verve Sol Patrol. Sorry, you won’t get to trampo-dunk like your favorite Sol Patrolers. But feel free to shout “Shazaaam!” at will.

Lights, camera, lanterns! Who needs to read a long list of materials and instructions on how to make a sequin canvas lantern when there’s a convenient video you can watch to get step-by-step instructions helpfully narrated by someone from BLDG 25.Crafty, pretty and perfect for the outdoor parties that you are already dreaming of, these simple lights can be made with any fabric or embellishments of your choosing.

If you’re looking for a good excuse to play hooky today (and who isn’t?), head high for live music, cool weather and quality local brew.

Give your boss your best fake sniffles and cough, pack the car and hit the I-17 to Flagstaff for the High Life In The Pines festival kickin’ off today through Saturday. Featuring bands such as 90s-alt rockers Lit and AZ-bred What Laura Says, the indie music festival is rocking the stage at the Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park, with tickets starting at $14 for single day and $24 for two-day passes.

Tickets are available at Pro Tix Online, by phone at 866-977-6849, or at Flagstaff’s The Museum Club. Better yet, we say head to the Flagstaff Brewing Company where you can pick up your tickets while while chugging an Agassiz Amber, Blackbird Porter or any of their tasty small-batch brews.

Check out the festival website for the complete lineup, ticketing and for the brave, camping info.

With high temperatures forecasted to hit 117 degrees in the Valley this week, the nighttime is the right time for hitting the town.

Acclaimed chef Robert McGrath and his staff at Renegade Canteen are doing their best to keep us all cool with Renegade After Dark, every Saturday from 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. When the lights go down, the canteen is filled with live jazz and the aromas of Chef McGrath’s specialty gourmet snacks including chicken and mushroom crepes with a mustard demi-glaze and smoked shrimp cocktail with apple tartar sauce.

Seating is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis, so get to Renegade early and don’t be left out in the heat.

9343 East Shea Boulevard – Scottsdale

Skip the Bloody Mary’s Saturday morn and run to the Fashion by Robert Black’s annual sidewalk sale. The sale starts at 8 a.m. and from sales past, we suggest you get there early for the best selection of one-of-a-kind vintage finds from Robert and his partner, Doreen.

All sidewalk items under $20, with the entire store being 30% off or more.

Ladies, we know we are all guilty of a few pesky habits that are bad for good looks. Who hasn’t showed up once or twice to Sunday Funday wearing last night’s left-overs? We know. We’ve seen you. And we’ve been caught with the sparkle of Saturday night’s glitter liner smeared from eye to eye, maybe once ourselves. Time to remind that looking good isn’t maintenance free and a few simple steps can help with dry hair and brittle nails. Clean up your act by checking Ecoterre’s “6 Beauty Habits to Break” list.

Get schooled this weekend at Scottsdale Fashion Square’s Back-to-School Fashion & Wellness event, Saturday, August 27th from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Enjoy good-for-you bites from Blue Burrito Grille, Pita Jungle and Modern Steak; beauty bars by Sephora and Bath & Body Works and live fashion show. School donations of new and gently used supplies will be accepted at the Concierge Desk to benefit local schools. This weekend, bring it on at Scottsdale Fashion Square.

This Gleek short, going glam for the upcoming “Fashion’s Night Out” set for September 8th, admittedly, got our hearts-a-thumpin’ this morning. Gleekers strut their stuff on the catwalk to the tune of David Bowie’s “Fashion.” It’s worth the watch just for Jane Lynch’s catty catwalk moves.

Ahh mullets, the signature hairstyle of hockey players, 80s rock stars and too-trendy-to-understand Europeans has been haunting small children and socially conscious adults for decades, but what happens when the mullet makes a move south? Well, it’s a trend so wrong it has to be right on. When you just can’t decide between a mini or a maxi, evening or cocktail, classic or daring, this high-low hem is a wear anywhere trend that we are kind of loving. And don’t worry, it’s all one big party.

Think January Jones and her stunning Versace Emmy dress (pictured), but a fraction of the cost. From the beautiful evening looks of Blaque Label’s 2011 Winter collection to more casual pieces from Free People and Planet Blue, we’ve got the hottest looks in confused hemlines after the jump.   »READ MORE

We love the 80′s! Everybody have fun tonight to big hair bands, arcades and neon for RnR Scottdale’s 80′s Party from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. Teasing and Aqua Net provided by Socio Hair Salon while DJ Steel spins classic 80′s beats. We’ve rallied up a few of our favorite flashback rockers and hair bands for some 80′s inspiration. We are like totally there.

Last night the legendary leader of Apple computer handed down his resignation sending waves across the tech world. This is a move that was expected given his poor health and the future of Apple is certainly stronger than ever. So who is this Tim Cook guy anyway?

The crew at Gizmodo give us a detailed “Who is Tim Cook” post to help us begin the new phase of leadership.

Food Blogs again? It wouldn’t be Wednesday without it, so suck it up and read the damn thing like you know you want to. We love to give you this weekly summary that highlights the best of breakfast, lunch and dinner, the crème de la crème of everything from appetizer to dessert coverage and all the restaurant hype in between. It’s like Sparknotes, but not at all frowned upon by educational establishments. Here’s a redux of this week’s happenings in our favorite food blogs:

Let’s start out with ice cream. Or, since we hyped it up, the crème de la crème of ice cream from local shops that churn it out to satisfied masses. Those crazy competitive foodies at Chow Bella decided to do a Battle of the Dishes on the ice cream sandwiches from Churn and Sweet Republic which resulted in a sweet, chocolatey, gooey, creamy, cold war to the death that we would love nothing more than to be in the middle of. The verdict gave Churn the upper hand on their actual ice cream due to the ice crystals present in the Sweet Republic’s sammy (disappointing), but both places had hard cookies that were difficult to bite and lead to major ice cream squishage. We recommend bringing a napkin when heading to either establishment. »READ MORE

The first deadline to enter has passed and now over 25 teams will spend the next seven weeks honing their taco tactics as they prepare to battle in the 2nd Annual Arizona Taco Festival, October 15th at the Scottsdale Waterfront.

The festival, produced by Affordable Food Festivals, will pit teams from Valley restaurants and independent chefs in a battle royale to see who is the king of tacos in the Grand Canyon State. The teams will have to whip up chicken, pork, beef and seafood tacos to impress the taste buds of judges from the National Taco Association (yes, there is a National Taco Association).

With pride and cash prizes on the line, we can expect to see Black Chile Mexican Grill, Chelsea’s Kitchen, St. Francis, The Mission and more, bring their taco A-games as they attempt to wow the judges and festival attendees who will chow down on $2 taco samples all day.

Besides the taco cage match and eating far too much food, festival goers can take in live music, a hot chili pepper eating contest, lucha libre wrestling, and of course, the beer donkeys.

General admission to the festival is $10 with taco samples $2 each and VIP tent admission is $50-100.  More details on the event coming soon!

Last week, James Blake, 2011′s breakout British indie electronic star (if there can be such a thing?), tweeted a mysterious announcement: “24th August 2011 – James Blake & Bon Iver ‘Fall Creek Boys Choir.’ It’s not uncommon to see these two names together; Blake’s restrained, empty sound and forlorn vocals invited comparisons to Justin Vernon almost as soon as he hit the music blogs. But what form would their collaboration take? [Vulture]

These tasty treasures are sure to cure the mid-day sugar slump. XAN Confections is the creator of these exquisite “lifestyle confections,” made with non-dairy, gluten-free and vegan ingredients. Stylishly sweet.

The AMC Esplanade 14 is set to open September 7th as AMC’s latest Dine-In Theatre concept.  We couldn’t be happier since our office is just steps away from the new luxury theatre. We’re already planning our midday martini matinees. Check out this video peek of the new concept. We give it two thumbs up.

Who doesn’t love a good deal? That secret satisfaction you get when you’ve snagged something 50, 60 or even 70% off the supposed “retail value” is enough to turn your whole day around. Some (sneaky) people like to keep their deals to themselves and other, kind souls, like to shout it from the roof tops. We here at DLT are the latter, naturally, and so we are pleased to share with you the End-Of-Summer Sale from the best in recycled retail, My Sister’s Closet.  Until August 26,  those already discounted designer dud’s prices are cut by another 20-70% and all the valley locations will also reveal thousands of new items for Fall on Saturday, August 27. Care to hear about some of the amazing deals offered? Just think of an Alaia Dress for $495 (originally $3,900) or a YSL bag for $595 (originally $1,700). Still to steep for your pocket book? How about a Marc Jacobs denim vest for $32 or a Barney’s Leather Jacket for just under $80? Deals and steals, my shopaholics, deals and steals.

Well, let’s not get too far ahead ourselves. What we do know is that the folks at everyone’s favorite state school are aiming to clear the air a little with its recent partnership with locally owned and operated company, Clean Air Cab. With the quality of air, the public education system and the economy taking the plunge these days, we are all on board with the idea of giving back to the students who take the time to call and ride in the environmentally friendly Prius cabs. As the official cab company of the university, Clean Air Cab has now designed two special ASU themed cabs (like the one pictured) and $1 of every ride will be put back  into an academic scholarship fund. $7,500 has already been donated by owner, Steve Lopez. Like Sparky, we give this program two horns up.

The Wood Collection by Niba Rugs brings the outdoors elegantly in.

From starting his own foundation benefiting childrens’ charities to opening a designer shoe store and starting his own clothing line, it seems like Adrian Wilson has a lot underfoot these days. This, of course, is in addition to starting his 11th season with the Arizona Cardinals after being named one of the Top 100 players in the NFL by his peers. We got a chance to talk with the Pro Bowler about the ups and downs of owning High Point Shoes, what’s hot in back-to-school kicks and what it’s like to finally join the Twitterverse. Read our full interview to get all the details and how to get a killer deal on some sweet sneaks.

What are you most looking forward to in your 11th season with the Arizona Cardinals?
I have been here for so long that I just really love to see how its changed over the years and how the talent has changed and evolved. We’ve worked really hard and getting the talent we have now is a step in the right direction.

During the lockout, what did you fill your time with?
I spent a lot of time working out and getting mentally prepared for the season. Everybody knew it was going to happen, we just didn’t know how long it was going to be so I spent a lot of time getting focused. I spent a lot of time in my store, too, and working on the private label I have that’s in the store now. I got my hands in a lot of things and I was really just trying to stay on top of everything.

Private label?
Yeah, it’s called Dearly Departed and we sell it in High Point and twelve other vendors around the country. I started this two or three years ago and it started off small, but since then I have just told the guys to do whatever design-wise and creatively and I oversee the business.

You are very involved with charity work and the Adrian Wilson Foundation. Could you tell our readers what it’s about?
I have always been active in the community. The fans have been good to me so I really felt the need to give back. Our main focus is fundraising for children and we try to find causes that relate to that.

Not many people know that High Point Shoes is your store, but the name comes from your hometown in North Carolina. What made you want to open a shoe store and name it after the place you grew up?
To be honest, I wanted my store to be named High Point because it’s where I came from, where I grew up and I wanted to recognize that. I also said that when I started my own business, I would be at a high point in my life, so it has that double meaning.

What have been the best things and worst things about owning your own clothing/sneaker business?
The best thing is the free clothes, obviously. For me, that is number one. But also, I kind of proved to myself and others that I can do something other than just play football. I wanted to think outside of the box and do something that I am not comfortable with. It takes a lot of time and patience and I was happy to do it that way because it was something new. I would say the worst part is trying to stay focused with the economic times we have now by doing things the right way and not getting over my head and really giving the consumer what they want without falling behind.

With school back in session, what would you recommend for kids who want the trendiest shoe? How about the kids who just want the classics?
Trendiest shoes, I would say, are the Retro Jordan’s. They are always a really hot item. For the kids who want classics, you can’t go wrong with Vans. Everyone can afford them and they are just a classic shoe.

What’s your favorite sneaker at High Point right now?
Nike has a shoe called the Toki. I probably have about ten colors of those right now.

On a day off, what would people see you walking around in?
Pharell Williams has a line called BBC Ice Cream and I pretty much live in that. My favorite pair of jeans right now are James Shop Jeans and of course anything Dearly Departed. You can see me in that stuff everyday.

You recently joined twitter (@adrian_wilson24). How do you feel about the wonderful world of social media thus far?
It’s crazy. The social network is crazy period, but I am enjoying it. It gives you an up close and personal view of the fans and its also a good way to connect with the them. I think it’s entertainment, but then you have the people who take twitter so seriously and it’s really not that serious so I try to be careful in that aspect.

Get in any really good tweets so far?
I try to tweet relevant things and try to interact make it fun for the fans and the people who follow me. I also like to interact with my teammates and goof around.

Any parting words?
I am really excited about the season. It has been awhile since all of us have played together so we are just excited to be back and working together as a team.

Retweet this article and receive 15% off at High Point Shoes.

Adrian has been sidelined with an injury. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Images by J2 Productions

This intriguing luxury home from azarchitecture.com is described as one of the most “interesting designs” by the famed architect, Will Bruder + Partners. The use of  ”curvlinear” design elements keep this magnificent home flowing and allows for rooms with expansive views. The copper accents over concrete block must have cost the builder a pretty penny, but the effect is dramatic and luxurious throughout the interior of the 4,700 foot Biltmore home.

Dedicate your next round, of golf that is, to your fellow patriot family member or friend. The Wigwam Golf Course is renaming its historic Blue and Red courses, The Patriot and The Heritage, to honor our military leaders from August 29th through September 21st.  Golfers will have the opportunity to name, honor and put for their favorite Patriot on a unique clubhouse display at the Litchfield course. To book your tee time, call 800-909-4224.

We are going for the gold this fall season here at DLT. So of Kors, when we heard Michael Kors was going for the gold too with the launch of his new collection of jewelry, we had to indulge ourselves you with a peek at what’s new to the Scottsdale Fashion Square store today.