Page 54 July 2012 By Greg A. Bruns It’s been about 18 months since the fi re, and now the Ranch House Grille is back in action. Absence makes the heart grow fonder (of their Chicken-Fried Steak). Ranch House Grille. 5618 E. Thomas Rd. 480-946-1290. The AKF Black Belt Academy has gone west … about six blocks to the 40 Palms Shopping Center at 40th Street and Thomas Rd. 4041 E. Thomas Rd. #108. 602-955-1030. There are some signs of new life in the space recently vacated by Joey’s of Chicago in the Arcadia Commons Center. The Milagro Grill is a high-end Mexican restaurant, and their plans for the spot include a new patio. A liquor license is in the works. 4280 E. Indian School Rd. A new neighbor soon will be taking over the old Mortgages Ltd. building at 4455 E. Camelback Rd. Fox Restaurant Concepts is building out the space to house its corporate of fi ces. Word has it they are excited to unveil a new restaurant in the same building, possibly in the form of an American Brasserie. The high-end Del Frisco’s Grille opened in the Camelback Esplanade in June. Initial scouting reports indicate the Summit Bar is the cool place to be this summer, with the killer views and a misting system. 2425 E. Camelback Rd. Women fl ip over stylish handbags By Amanda Goossen When Marci McDonald, owner and creator of Flipped Bird, sits in front of you, it’s hard not to notice the bright yellow and orange fi nger nails and giant smile cheerfully brightening everyone’s day. Her whimsical, California Chic products suddenly make so much sense. “My goal is to make things happy!” McDonald said. And after a couple minutes in her presence, you know she means it. McDonald moved to Arizona from California when she was 16, eventually attending ASU to study broadcast journalism. Years later, with teenage children and a happy home, Marci found herself dabbling in many businesses. Then three years ago, McDonald had an idea for a fashionable and well-made eco- friendly shopping bag. With her passion for fabric and eye for design, she knew her concept had immense potential. Marci and her daughter Kassidy quickly realized the bags were too stylish to serve as only a shopping bag and began carrying the “Original’’ “as a purse and catchall.’’ Before too long, compliments and questions were constantly coming. McDonald found a local manufacturer Continued on page 55 P e d i a t r i c D e n t i s t r y & O r t h o d o n t i c s www.camelback pedoor tho.com 44th Street & Camelback Road 602-595-3531 V isit us and see the the many ways we can care for your family. D r . J e n M i r a b e l l i B o a r d C e r t i f i e d O r t h o d o n t i s t D r . R o b M i r a b e l l i B o a r d C e r t i f i e d P e d i a t r i c D e n t i s t 480-941-8954 9:30 – 5:30 Monday – Friday • 9:30 – 5:00 Saturday • 5625 East Indian School Road, Phoenix www.oneposhplace.com Visit our Retail Showroom Also offering Award Winning Interior Design by Paige Bailey & Associates, Inc. 1 3 0 0 N . 7 7 t h 4 U 4 D P U U T E B M F " ; t t O F X X B Z B D B E F N Z P S g New Way Academy is a K-12, accredited independent day school specializing in educating students with dyslexia, ADHD, and other language-based learning differences. Call to schedule a tour!
Page 55 July 2012 Handbags Continued from page 54 to create the bags, while she focused on design and fabric. Fifty were made to give as Christmas gifts, but friends and acquaintances quickly bought them up. A company was born and needed a name. Flipped Bird came from McDonald’s nickname (Bird) and Kassidy’s imagination, which she said has more to do with the bag’s unique fl ipped or reversible design than any type of inappropriate hand gesture. Over the next three years, Marci worked hard at getting her bags into the right stores and into the hands of the best people. When a friend offered to put Flipped Bird in her local store, Muse, McDonald was thrilled. Finding a home at La Grande Orange was also a blessing. They now see their most sales from this local hot spot. As online and local sales have grown, McDonald has been hard as work crafting a line of bags, each with a speci fi c purpose. Flipped Bird products are beach inspired, made well and mindfully developed. While each bag has a reason for its conception, each can be used in a number of ways. The line is now made up of six bags. Recently, hair-ties, headbands and beach hats have also become part of Flipped Bird. “I think Flipped Bird has a wide appeal because of its cheerful, whimsical but totally useful nature’’ said Jenifer Steele, product buyer for La Grande Orange “The fabric combos Marci chooses for her bags are always really unique and on trend. I have a wardrobe of her bags — changing them to coordinate with out fi ts. I know many of our customers take the same approach and have collections spanning several years.” McDonald buys her fabrics from local suppliers, also choosing to work with local manufacturer. Her children, now ages 17, 13 and 11, as well as her husband are all involved in the business. Her sons have mastered the art of tying hair ties, while her daughter makes frequent visits to the post of fi ce. “We want to keep everything local,” McDonald said. “We are doing things slowly, manageably, and with little risk.” Although Flipped Bird may have started three years ago, things really kicked into motion last year. When they decided to take their products on the road to various national trade shows, Flipped Bird began to take off. No longer only a Phoenix product, Flipped Bird has signed over 100 national accounts. And with more events on the calendar, this local, family business seems to have incredible potential for growth. “The biggest in fl uence in my life was de fi nitely my mother,’’ McDonald said. “She encouraged a positive, high-energy attitude. She made my clothes when I was young and she loved fabric. She said, ‘Life is good … it’s up to you to make it happy.’ Lower School Campus 4800 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd. Paradise Valley, AZ 85253 Middle and High School Campus 3939 E. Shea Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85028 CONNECT. COLLABORATE. 7HVVHUDFW6FKRROLVDQRQSUR¿ WLQGHSHQGHQWVFKRROIRUVWXGHQWV LQHDUO\FKLOGKRRGWKURXJKJUDGH 7HVVHUDFW¶VLQQRYDWLYHHGXFDWLRQDODSSURDFKHQJDJHVVWXGHQWVWRIRFXVRQ DFDGHPLFH[FHOOHQFHWKURXJKWKHXVHRIFULWLFDOWKLQNLQJFROODERUDWLRQFUHDWLYLW\ FRPSDVVLRQFRQ¿ GHQFHFKDUDFWHUEXLOGLQJDQGLQQRYDWLYHWKLQNLQJSUHSDULQJ VWXGHQWVWRH[FHOLQFROOHJHDQGEH\RQGOHDGOLYHV RISXUSRVHDQGEHFRPHHWKLFDODQGFRPSDVVLRQDWHFLWL]HQV ZLWKDJOREDOSHUVSHFWLYH /HDUQZK\7HVVHUDFWLVDQHGXFDWLRQOHDGHULQWKH9DOOH\ &DOO RUYLVLWZZZWHVVHUDFWVFKRRORUJ Discover Madison schools. Madison Park Students receive their own l laptop. Madison Heights S Spanish Immersion Program Madison Simis Candidate for I International Baccalaureate® ŏ Internationally Accredited ŏ 2010 Magna Award Winner ŏ Full Day Kindergarten ŏ Before/After School Programs ŏ Preschool ŏ Madison No. 1 Grades 5-8 5525 N. 16th Street Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-664-7100 M Madison Camelview Grades Preschool-4 2002 E. Campbell Phoenix, AZ 85016 602-664-7200 M Madison Simis Grades Preschool-4 7302 N. 10th Street Phoenix, AZ 85020 602-664-7300 M Madison Rose Lane Grades Preschool-4 1155 E. Rose Lane Phoenix, AZ 85014 602-664-7400 M Madison Park Grades 5-8 1431 E. Campbell Phoenix, AZ 85014 602-664-7500 M Madison Meadows Grades 5-8 225 W. Ocotillo Phoenix, AZ 85013 602-664-7600 M Madison Heights Grades Preschool-4 7150 N. 22nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85020 602-664-7800 M Madison Traditional Grades Preschool-8 925 E. Maryland Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85014 602-745-4000 www.madisonAZ.org Please mention this ad.