Sit on it, if you can afford the hefty price $78,000 price tag for the Boudeuse couch by fashion, now furniture, designer Rick Owens. Owens recently launched a new modern furniture collection for Maxfield in Los Angeles. Mr. Owens tells the New York Times,“Making furniture is my version of couture: it’s time-consuming artisanal work made in limited quantities in rare materials, customized for my favorite client, my better half, the Hun,” referring to his wife, Michele Lamy. Owens’ clothing is also available at Maxfield on Melrose. So let’s see, if you sat on the couch once per day at the $78,000 price tag, each time your tush touched the seat it would cost you $213.69.

Maxfield LA | 8818 Melrose Avenue | Los Angeles, CA | (310) 275-8818

The newest destination to Arizona’s list of staycation escapes isn’t another golf resort or a multi-acre Southwestern playground. The latest destination is downtown.

Vacationers and staycationers searching for an urban-style escape like us recently, can find themselves at the newly opened Westin Phoenix Downtown hotel. With dramatic floor to ceiling window views from each signature Westin Heavenly Bed, waking up urban in one of the 242 rooms is a breath of fresh white-tea scented air.

Is that holiday induced anxiety attack over a house full of visitors with hungry mouths beginning to creeping up? Before you pop that Xanax, check the “Arizona Falliday Guide” of what to do, eat, buy and more from the lovely ladies of Local Lily. The downloadable guide is packed with gift ideas, local menus, patio and travel ideas for where to stick take your out-of-towners during the holidays, all of course from local shops and vendors. Download your free edition here  to get the recipe for Spicy Chicken Salad, easy Arizona-inspired hostess gift ideas and check out our favorite, page 36 for a surprise of awesomeness.

Half Moon Bay Golf Links and The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is nearly upon us and stress levels will soon be nearing maximum capacity. Opportunities for a relaxing weekend getaway are quickly running out, so allow us to make a recommendation for this small-town delight: Half Moon Bay, Calif.

Located about 25 miles south of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay is a small, scenic coastal town of just over 11,000 residents with a mild California climate that is cool but comfortable year round. The town may be small, but it’s packed full of activites such as surfing, shopping, fishing, dining, wine, hiking and biking, world-class golf, deluxe accommodations, cozy B&Bs and pristine beaches all in the immediate area.

If you’re looking to jet out soon, here’s a couple events to look plan for after the jump:

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We love our wine. We love to travel. And this past summer, we fell in love with the beautiful, quaint wine country town of Healdsburg, California.

That’s why we have to invite you jet-setting, Pinot Noir lovers to head for the Healdsburg next weekend for the 8th Annual “Pinot On the River” event on Sunday, October 23rd. Over 80 wineries with their limited-production West Coast Pinot Noirs plus local artisan cheesemakers will take over the Healdsburg Plaza Town Square for an all-day tasting party. For a list of wineries, click here. VIP tickets are $85 and general admission is $75 and can be purchased here. 

Can’t make the Pinot fest date, mark your calendars and book your flight (may we suggest to Sacramento and road-trip it from there) for the “Heart of Healdsburg“ Celebration, November 11-13. Local wino’s will be honoring the beautiful downtown Hotel Healdsburg and Dry Creek Kitchen’s 10-year anniversary, with a cocktail reception followed by a gala dinner by chefs Charlie Palmer and Dustin Valette of Dry Creek Kitchen. The cocktail reception kicks-off Friday, November 11 at 5:00 p.m and tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased here. The gala dinner follows at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $180 per person and reservations can be made by calling 800-889-7199. »READ MORE

While there are plenty of spots here in the Valley to get your haunted highs, here are some scary spots around the Southwest worthy of a Halloween road trip.

The Trilogy of Terror
Three of the biggest haunted houses in Vegas join forces this year at the same location. Castle Vampyre, Circus of Horrors and Gates Of Hell, the first-ever R-rated haunted house in Vegas, make for a one-stop shop of fear. Tickets are $12 for each, $27 for all three or $32 for the sadists wanting an all-night pass.

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Do you and your wolfpack need a reason to go hunting for trouble? While we can’t necessarily condone a Hangover type fiasco, we can give you and your buddies an excuse to Sin City for the weekend.

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Outside of our hot summer months, Phoenix has long been a hot spot for travelers, including the hottest celebrities, musicians, chefs and dignitaries. So where do the chic stay while visiting the Valley? We’ve rounded up a few of the sweetest suites around town. Rooms so luxurious and sweet, we would hate to leave.

Hotel Valley Ho:
The new Loft Suite at Hotel Valley Ho offers the most exclusive accommodations in The Tower, with two levels connected by a floating staircase. Enjoy an abundance of natural light and two private balconies overlooking the pool. On the lower level is a spacious bedroom, work space and master bathroom with a walk-in closet and washer/dryer. Upstairs, the kitchen and living room form a fun, modern space, with a second bathroom and shower. 1,335 square feet of indoor space is complemented by 212 square feet of sunny outdoor space. Guests of the Loft Suite can enjoy 24-hour room service, or have renowned Chef Charles Wiley prepare a meal right in their kitchen. Style and comfort meet for an ideal resting place away from home.

Sheraton Phoenix Downtown:
Located on the hotel’s higher floors, the Executive and Governor’s Suites of the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix Hotel feature stunning views of the city and nearby sports stadiums. Inside the soothing neutral rooms, the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed is designed to eliminate uncomfortable pressure points that cause tossing and turning. Slip into the comfort of the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper and recover from a long flight or hectic day.  Also, for guests who bring their furry friend, Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel offers a dog amenity package that includes two bowls, a dog bed, and dog treats!

The W Scottsdale:
The sweetest hotel for nightlife in the Valley is a sweet home away from home for the chic, jet-setter crowd. The fashionable Extreme Wow Suite at The W Scottsdale delivers the utmost in functionality with the latest in high-tech amenities. Touch screen remote controls provide access to a state-of-the-art sound and entertainment system featuring Wii, XM Radio and ambient lighting and drapes – all at the touch of a button. If you’re not in the mood for the party-going poolside crowd, step onto the 1,300 sq. ft. private patio and host an in-room soiree for up to 40 of your closest pals.

Westin Kierland Resort & Spa:
The Presidential Suite at The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa are in a word: heavenly. With the Westin Signature Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Bath amenities included in the 1,708 sq. ft. space overlooking the award-winning golf course, past guests have included Giada De Laurentiis, Emeril Lagasse, Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen, Dick Van Dyke, Miley Cyrus and more.

AZ Restaurant Week has come and gone but you can continue to indulge your foodie cravings while escaping the near-record heat with dineLA, October 2-7 and 9-14.

Like AZ’s version of the face-stuffing festivities, there are over 300 restaurants participating in the LA area with specialty priced three coursed meals ranging from $16-28 for lunch and $26-44 for dinner. Their website also has a handy list of hotel options for those ready to head to the coast.

What participating LA hot spot would you check out? Check out the video below and check out dineLA here for participating restaurant videos.

Get your tickets and go to Vegas, baby! Allegiant Air is offering $30 tickets each way from Mesa to Vegas, when you purchase by October 16th. Discount travel is available November 17 through February 14 (Viva Las Valentine’s getaway?).  The new service, beginning November 17th, will run six times per week from the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa. For just $30, it’s worth the drive to the EV (East Valley). Though the fare is cheap, Allegiant is known for charging for everything else, but we think it’s worth it for the quick trip to Vegas and back. Check their website for more info and to book here.

Image via City of Wichita

Has the reality of work and school kicked in? Ready for a weekend of carefree, summer-like fun?

Well, then pack up your beach bag and head to Lake Powell for the Powellapalooza Beach Party, September 22-25.

Sportin’ a little bit of Lollapalooza, with a little bit of Coachella, Powellapalooza is a good-old-fashioned music-n-more festival, with a lakeside twist. So come kick it at the “beach” while listening to the sounds of Slightly Stoopid, Mimosa, Beats Antique and many others. 

If you can’t join the party this weekend, but maybe want to escape the daily grind later this fall, try a relaxing houseboating excursion from Lake Powell Resorts & Marina. The marina is offering 20-50 percent off on many popular houseboats, making it an affordable weekend or extended vacation option. And with the water up, the crowds down and the weather an average of 85 degrees, a long-weekend at the lake sounds like a peace of heaven.

In need of a Las Vegas retreat but want avoid a “Hangover” situation? Want to expand your horizons in Sin City without the hassle of planning all the sin yourself? Let the new website Galavantier be your personal travel agent and show you the best of the city and more.

The team at Galavantier does all the planning for you (except airfare – you’re on your own to get there) by putting together a detailed itinerary for each travel experience with activities centered on a particular theme. Whether it be a Guy’s Getaway or Luxury Mixed with Adventure you’re looking for, Galvantier is a unique deal site with a limited number of upscale getaway packages to Vegas at a bargain. Just find a weekend that fits your schedule and desires, put it in your shopping cart, checkout and it’s Viva Las Vegas, baby!

Currenty, Galavantier is only offering Las Vegas weekend deals, with Arizona and California destinations coming soon.

Is there an official Arizona wine month? California’s taken September as their official month, endorsed by Governor Jerry Brown, celebrating the state’s vintners, wineries and of course, the consumers. Have we gotten Governor Brewer on the boozin’ bandwagon to launch our own 30-day celebration of our favorite chardonnays and cabernets? Until then or until we find out about our own, jet West this month and celebrate your favorite California wines near the vines.

From Los Angeles to Napa Valley, find out about events and tastes going on this weekend and throughout the month here.  

Forgoing labor this Labor Day, we’ll be chillin’ and grillin’ up a barbecue feast poolside next Monday. If you’re staycationing like we are this weekend, check back through Friday, September 2nd as we unveil a saucy barbecue dish, side or tip daily to help make your Labor Day fete a finger-licking success.

Chipotle Barbecue Sauce from The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain in Tucson.

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If we want to be really honest here, house guests can be a serious pain in the ….neck. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just lock them away in a private guest casita under the pretense of privacy and relaxation while dealing with the awkwardness only during meals? Since most of us can’t afford that luxury, we suggest you just send your guests off to one of the 160 soon-to-be remodeled guest casitas at The Boulders Resort. Trust us, it is better for everyone. The signature style will be kept intact, but all of the private hotel room/houses will be completely remodeled with a “modern interpretation of Southwestern design” while still blending in with the 12 million year old surrounding landscape.

Guests can marvel at the beauty of the scenery while enjoying new bedding, leather arm chairs and the classic “vintage” look that makes the Boulders just so homey. Translation: No strange smells, no posters of Justin Bieber staring down at you from a twin bed and no uncomfortable morning conversation on the way to the family bathroom. Yep, looks like your next family vacation just got a whole lot more enjoyable. And, if you just can’t wait for the remodel to be completed, check out the “Staycation” package offered Labor Day weekend. Along with spa deals and special rates, visitors will enjoy frozen treats served by the pool every hour to help you forget that your skin is baking like a potato. Hey, we’ll take a “chilled lemon scented towel” any day this summer.

As the ever-witty Mark Twain once wrote, ”Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.” Well, this weekend we decided to do something about the insanely-hot weather by getting the hell out of town. After contemplating all the staycation hotspots compiled by our pals at Local First Arizona, we decided to go another direction altogether. In fact, we took a road trip back in time, to an era when men were men, women wore poodle skirts, and everybody smoked cigarettes like they were going out of style.

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With unpredictable haboobs and bounce houses flying away, its no wonder parents are looking for safe fun for the kids. Luckily, there are a safe refuges full of bounce-around fun to tire out any kid, without possibilities of flying away children. Currently two locations for trampoline fun, better known as Jump Street, in Gilbert and Chandler, offer a warehouse of trampoline and arcade fun. The two locations have become increasingly popular fro parents and kids to escape the heat and get some exercise in a fun way.  Taking notice of these two valley favorites, another trampoline infused play area has recently opened.

Now open in Scottsdale, AZ Airtime Trampoline Park has provided another gigantic bounce house of trampolines in its 25,000 square feet of safe, air-conditioned fun. The newly built trampoline park includes dodgeball courts, foam pits, separate age appropriate trampolines, private party rooms, a 5,000 square foot main trampoline, snack bars, and for the parent in the house, free WiFi. While the kids exhaust themselves, parent can take a break and enjoy the day, or even get work done on via laptop or iPad, knowing that the specially trained staff will keep the kiddos safe all day. Bounce away youngins, bounce away.

Looking for something for the kids to do this summer before they go back to school? Summer doesn’t have to suck if you live in Chandler. Before temps reach triple digits, take the kids to Playtopia for the best shaded play area around for tots. Located just south of German and west of McQueen, Playtopia has plenty of parking and picnic tables. When the kids are ready for breakfast stop by the Hangar Café at Chandler Municipal Airport and grab a table on the covered patio so close to the planes that you’ll be able to catch a tailwind. Before heading home to your dark, air conditioned dungeon, visit Paletas Betty in Downtown Chandler for the most delicious homemade ice pops completely made from scratch. Before you know it the sun will be setting and you can say goodbye to another scorching Arizona summer day! Click here for you Guide to an Arizona Summer That Doesn’t Suck.

ASU meets Lake Havasu. No, not the spring break boozers on the lake, but rather an extension of Arizona State University with another campus. Although an ASU at Lake Havasu City webpage has been up and running for some time now, the expansion of the University is becoming a reality as the Havasu Foundation for Higher Education board of directors have chosen local Havasu architect Jerry Clark from Clark & Associates.

However, for this endeavor to truly become a reality, the HFHE must raise $2 million for the project to become a reality. The new opportunity for undergraduate programs will reach students in new places and unlike Arizona’s research programs, the  College@ASU initiative program, will offer lower tuition costs. The new program and campus is said to promote higher education opportunities along with community involvement. So, for those ASU students who can’t manage to leave their spring break go-to destination, higher education opportunities are around the corner, complete with lake views, London bridges, restaurants, shops on nearby Main Street, and beaches only a short distance away.

We all know it’s not over until the fat lady sings, but for the 41-year-old Arizona Opera, it is just beginning. That’s right, the arts corridor in downtown Phoenix just got a whole lot artsier with the purchase of a new home for the state’s favorite operatic organization and the company is singing the praises of the prime new location on Central Avenue across from the Phoenix Art Museum and the Phoenix Theatre. The addition of this new opera house will make for an amazing trifecta of culture and class to amp up the already bustling area.

After operating out of two cities for years (headquarters were formally in Tucson) the new 16,800 square foot building will house not only the stage and rehearsal spaces needed for the performers, but also the headquarters for the organization. The new facility will also provide the needed spaces for meetings as the Arizona Opera will continue it’s beloved educational outreach programs. When it’s done (completion date set for Summer of 2012) we’re sure there will be one hell of a party, with lots of fat ladies singing.

As chosen by you, here are the most popular stories OF ALL TIME (aka last week). Just in case you missed it.

Get your party pants on, Arizona, because MLB All-Star Week is up to bat. While all the big names in baseball work on their batting averages for the super-game, you can work on where to go see the heavy hitters in action with our All-Star Round-Up.

Official Events

Start the weekend off with the MLB All-Star FanFest at Phoenix Convention Center. The event goes from the 8th until the 12th, but you can get your tickets now $5 off the regular price. Meet your favorite players and mingle with thousands of fans at this family friendly event.

Taco Bell All-Star Sunday at Chase Field featuring the Legends and Celebrity Soft Ball Game and the XM All-Star Futures game. This is a great way to check out baseball’s biggest names playing with some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities.

State Farm Home Run Derby at Chase Field. Another long standing tradition for the All-Star weekend and now it’s just a light rail ride away.

MLB All-Star Game at Chase Field is quite literally the main event. Don’t miss history happening in your own backyard. And if you can’t afford to go to the game, head to downtown Phoenix and check out one of the many surrounding sports bars to get a pice of the action. It all starts at 8 pm.

Check out our picks on where to eat and what to do when the sun goes down after the jump. »READ MORE

ARAMARK Parks and Destinations

Ten year drought, not no more! Water sports enthusiasts, boaters, and fisherman rejoice. Lake Powell, the second largest man-made lake in the U.S. has reached its highest water levels since 2001. So obviously, this means that parts of the lake, never before accessible, is now open to the public. However, it should be said that the water, or snow run off, might be a tad cold. But with that said, it sounds pretty dang refreshing with this 110 degree heat here in Phoenix. And there’s only more to come, as only half of the snow pack that feeds into the lake is currently melted. In other words, more cool refreshing water to come!

Get your party pants on, Arizona, because MLB All-Star Week is up to bat. While all the big names in baseball work on their batting averages for the super-game, you can work on where to go see the heavy hitters in action with our All-Star Round-Up.

Official Events

Start the weekend off with the MLB All-Star FanFest at Phoenix Convention Center. The event goes from the 8th until the 12th, but you can get your tickets now $5 off the regular price. Meet your favorite players and mingle with thousands of fans at this family friendly event.

Taco Bell All-Star Sunday at Chase Field featuring the Legends and Celebrity Soft Ball Game and the XM All-Star Futures game. This is a great way to check out baseball’s biggest names playing with some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities.

State Farm Home Run Derby at Chase Field. Another long standing tradition for the All-Star weekend and now it’s just a light rail ride away.

MLB All-Star Game at Chase Field is quite literally the main event. Don’t miss history happening in your own backyard. And if you can’t afford to go to the game, head to downtown Phoenix and check out one of the many surrounding sports bars to get a pice of the action. It all starts at 8 pm.

Check out our picks on where to eat and what to do when the sun goes down after the jump.  »READ MORE

As the never ending freeways and suburbs are the fingerprints of the Phoenix Metropolitan area, it’s always nice to take a stroll through downtown Tempe. Not to mention you’ll find yourself surrounded by some kick-ass architecture when strolling the streets. Historical landmarks, Frank Lloyd Wright projects, upside down pyramids, and multiple Architekton originals all make up a built environment of synergetic creativity. However, if you can’t bare the heat, or just don’t want to leave the comforts of your track home, you can still enjoy the vast world of Tempe architecture through the eyes of a camera lens and some editing/commentary magic, presented by Tempe 11. Enjoy!

Let’s be real here, the airport is generally an unpleasant place to find yourself. Whether you are coming or going, the long lines, funky smells and overpriced water bottles all contribute to the general low of your travels. To top it off, all you can really count on in the realm of nourishment is barely worth the time it takes to get it (unless we’re talking about Cinnabon.Totally worth it.). For Sky Harbor Airport’s largest and busiest terminal, that is all about to change. With local restaurant giants like the LGO Group and Sam Fox swooping in to save your travels from luke-warm french fries, we might have to make the airport food court a regularly frequented dining spot. Read all about it after the jump.  »READ MORE