Daily Loaf

This elegant St. Pete salon is offering a very pretty deal for the CL holiday auction: a cut and color by master stylist Frank Prescott. Whether you want a subtle shift or a total transformation, Frank can work wonders; check out the before-and-after photos at the salon’s website, www.number9salon.com.

Estimated value: $200.

Current High Bid: $30

Place your bid below:

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The Blue Lotus Day Spa in South Tampa bills itself as a “Tranquil Retreat Where You Can Escape From Everything.” Doesn’t that sound like an appealing refuge from the holiday rush? And here’s something that sounds even better: a Signature Facial customized for your skin type, including cleansing, steam, extractions, mask and moisturizing treatment to leave your skin glowing, and a Deep Tissue Massage, a therapeutic massage that targets chronic pain or tension in the muscles. Make the right bid, and you get the whole relaxing package.

Estimated value: $150.

Current high bid: $50

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The smart shoppers at one for you… two for me carry jewelry that’s variously “old, funky, natural, elegant or just fun” — in other words, something for just about everyone. All of their pieces are handmade with natural components, including wood, coconut, resin, stone and glass, and everything in the collection coordinates so you can mix and match among bracelets, necklaces and earrings. The winning bidder gets to choose $300 worth of jewelry from the collection — just in time for the holiday.

Estimated value: $300

Current high bid: $60

Bid for this item now:

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If your family (like the one in the photo) is suffering from a severe style deficit — more Beverly Hillbillies than Beverly Hills — then this is the auction item for you. The Whole Aveda Salon Spa in Oldsmar is offering to spruce up the entire clan (up to 4 people) with a Whole Family Makeover just in time for the holidays. Get the Star Treatment for mom (customized facial and makeup, eyezone wrap, shampoo and style), the Manly Man for dad (massage, back treatment, pedicure and haircut) and haircuts for the kids. You’ll shine brighter than the neighbors’ 15,000-bulb Light-O-Rama!

Estimated value: $350. Suggested opening bid: $50

Bid for this item below:

It all happened so quickly. After I heard the first gunshot, a liquid heat consumed my body; my inner ears were on fire and a tingling sensation ran from my head to my toes. Is this real? There was screaming and panic. My tunnel vision kicked in and I turned to the right and started sprinting. My boyfriend Jason’s hand was on my back, pushing me, silently urging me to run faster. The shots didn’t stop. I shoved everyone in my path out of the way — there was no way I was slowing down. I waited for a bullet to hit my calf, my thigh, my back, my head. For a few moments, frozen in time, I was sure I was going to die. It was just like a nightmare. Except it was real. It was Friday night. And it was at BayWalk in downtown St. Petersburg. Read the rest of this entry »

Injection of pesticide at the Babe Zaharias Golf Course in Tampa attracted the attention of neighborhood activists, who worried it was making them sick. (photo courtesy of Debra McCormack)

Tucked away in a northern Tampa neighborhood is a golf course named after the greatest figure in women’s golf history, Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias, better known as Babe. The champion golfer died of colon cancer in 1956, so it seems fitting that, when the turf of her namesake course was being injected with a pesticide believed to be a human carcinogen, three activists fought passionately, persistently and (ultimately) successfully to stop it.

It took years to win. This is how they did it.

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It’s been a year-and-a-half since Athens-Atlanta band The Shut-Ups played Atlanta. As their set neared, Kavarna — laid-back coffee joint by day, music venue by night — filled up with excited fans, friends and family. As the five-piece band took the stage clad in their trademark dress suits, silence ensued and the onlookers’ lips curved into anticipatory smiles. What could the audience expect from the fun witty, upbeat band? Read the rest of this entry »

In celebration of their 10th anniversary season and the beginning of a new decade of quality theater, Jobsite Theater presents a mobster musical based on Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Although the adaptation stays true to the play’s original plot and structure, the geniuses at Jobsite constructed their version for a modern audience: theocratic royalty is replaced with the underworld mafia; exotic locations like Tarsus and Mytilene are replaced with more familiar locales like New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts; and the Grecian Pericles becomes New Jersey Perry. Another modern twist: Perry’s treacherous adventures are accompanied by composer Joe Popp’s power-punk music. But never fear! After dodging mob hits and losing his wife and daughter, Perry learns the value of love, loyalty and honor — how sweet. This play has it all, folks: raucous tunes, love, laughs, mobsters, incest, intrigue and more. (Pictured, left to right: Amy Gray, Chris Perez, Ami Sallee Corley, Spencer Meyers, Katie Castonguay, Stephen Ray and Jason Vaughan Evans in Jobsite’s Pericles. Photo by Brian Smallheer) Aug. 6-23, 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., 4 p.m. Sun., Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Shimberg Playhouse, $24.50 general admission; $10 Students, seniors and military, 30 minutes prior to curtain; a $10 preview is on Wed., Aug 5, 8 p.m., www.jobsitetheater.org. —Lily Reisman

Iconic pop culture artist Andy Warhol — he of the Campbell’s Soup paintings and silkscreened Marilyns — would have celebrated his 81st birthday Aug. 6. In observance of the occasion, nephew James Warhola joins fans and art appreciators alike at Andy Warhol Family Day for arty activities and a discussion Sunday Aug. 2 on the exhibit Andy Warhol Portfolios: Life and Legends, which ends on August 16. Warhola will sign copies of both his children books, Uncle Andy’s and Uncle Andy’s Cats. In his vibrantly and imaginatively illustrated books, the author fondly recalls visits to his eccentric uncle’s New York townhouse. Throughout the afternoon, children and adults can channel the spirit of Warhol by creating silk screens, stencil images and 3-D sculptures. There will also be a special performance by Mark “the Balloon Guy” Byrne, known for his fanciful balloon sculptures and hats. Other treats include a movie on Warhol, a Warhol-inspired café menu and 10 percent off all Warhol merchandise. (Pictured: Campbell’s Soup and Marilyn Diptych, courtesy gettyimages.com) Sun., Aug. 2, children’s activities, 1-4 p.m., gallery talk, 4 p.m., The Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg, half off admission all day and one free child admission with each paid adult admission, 727-896-2667, www.fine-arts.org. —Lily Reisman

Don’t feel like getting married in one of the six U.S. states that allow same-sex marriages? Never fear! America isn’t the only place same-sex couples can marry. Gay marriage is legal in seven other countries. However, six of those countries have strict residency requirements that make it difficult for non-citizens to obtain a marriage license. But O, Canada! On July 20, 2005, the Canadian Parliament approved a law allowing same-sex couples to marry and there is no residency requirement! Good news, eh? So, Americans, if you want a change of scenery, look to our Northern neighbors. Find the info you need after the break on Canada and other countries’ same-sex marriage rules and regs. And check out Creative Loafing’s Gay Issue 2009 for links to more info on being gay in Tampa Bay — including details on how to win a Big Gay Honeymoon during the St. Pete Pride Parade and Festival. Read the rest of this entry »

South Tampa is known as a big party spot, but it’s also home to some interesting restaurants — including the only two Ethiopian joints in town. And then there’s Bern’s, of course. Which restaurant deserves to be at the top of this list? That’s for you to decide. Scroll past the list to the poll and cast your vote!

(And don’t forget to vote in the four other regional top tens.)

Bern’s Steak House, 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-251-2421 or bernssteakhouse.com
Bin 27 Bistro, 2702 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-878-2700 or bin27bistro.com (Reader’s Poll Entrant)
Ceviche, 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-209-2302; 1502 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-250-0203
Datz Deli, 2616 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-831-7000 or datzdeli.com
Paci’s Pizza, 2307 S. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, 813-253-2973 or pacispizza.com (Reader’s Poll Entrant)
Pane Rustica, 3225 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-902-8828 or panerusticabakery.com
Queen of Sheba, 3636 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 813-872-6000 or ethiopianrestauranttampa.com
Restaurant BT, 1633 W. Snow Ave., Tampa, 813-258-1916 or restaurantbt.com
SideBern’s, 2208 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa, 813-258-2233 or bernssteakhouse.com
Smoke Barbecue & Grill, 901 W. Platt St., Tampa, 813-254-7070 or smokeonplatt.com

VOTE AFTER THE BREAK! Read the rest of this entry »

I always wished I was born with a spectacular voice. Instead, I ended up being the tone-deaf one in the family. I would give anything to belt show tunes in the right key, be the lead singer in a kick-ass punk-rock band, or even sing karaoke without sounding like Patty and Selma from the Simpsons. Like many people in America, I am also intrigued by young, talented singers — kids whose sweet voices cause the hair on my arms to raise. Naturally, I fell in love with Tuesday night’s premiere of Fox’s Glee.

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