In 2009, the earnings of Arizona CEOs managed to increase from the previous year, despite the national average going in the opposite direction. So as we’re nearing the fourth-quarter final stretch of 2010, let’s see just what kind of figures our top-earning Arizona execs are aiming to best from last year.

Cigars have long been symbols of status and associated with the male rite of passage. It comes as no surprise then that some of history’s most influential men were known to have enjoyed a good smoke now and again — men such as Winston Churchill, Sigmund Freud, Mark Twain, George Burns, Rudyard Kipling and Ulysses S. Grant. For Phoenix gentlemen — and perhaps even a few ladies — who like the lounge scene just as much as they love cigars, here are your Top 5 places to relax with a cocktail in one hand and a cigar in the other.

Haute online retailer and friends of one Rachel Zoe, Piperlime has announced they’ll be having a pop-up store in New York for 25 days only. You’ll be able to peruse the latest items for fall, stylist Rachel Zoe’s picks and pieces exclusive to the shop.

If you listen closely, you can hear downtown Tempe business owners breathe a collective sigh of relief now that the mammoth Centerpoint Condominium towers have been purchased and will finally be completed, with work scheduled to begin in October. Of course, the project’s initial investors, such as former Phoenix Suns players Penny Hardaway and Mark West are no doubt relieved, too.

Since we’ve been on the subject of good eats and fabulous treats lately, we wouldn’t dare pass up the opportunity to sing the praises of Julia Baker Confections, one of the Valley’s chicest cake design shops, headed by Julia Baker, culinary artist extraordinaire. If you have a sweet tooth, read on.

If you’re still trying to decide how to kick off your Labor Day Weekend this Saturday, then shame on you — you should have made your plans to attend Phoenix Cooks! long ago. This haute tribute to the culinary arts goes down Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, and let us tell you, it’s going to feature a whole lot of learning, sampling, mingling, watching, shopping and winning!

It could very well be impossible to narrow the best sweets in this city down to the top five, but we’ve tried. Here are five absolute musts everyone should try when making the dessert rounds in the Valley.

Are you ready for the 2010 edition of fashion’s biggest party of the year? The second week of September, fashionistas the world over will be celebrating the style community as part of Fashion’s Night Out, and you can make your own fashion statement right here in the Valley on Friday, Sept. 10 at Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Fashion Square.

Sushi isn’t just a kind of cuisine, it’s an art form. These five restaurants have each taken the classic spicy tuna roll and creatively made it their very own. So if you’re in the mood to give try an old favorite with a new spin, here are the Haute 5 places to find a spicy tuna roll with some pizazz.