Daily Loaf

Is hemp our future economic stimulus? A recent article on Alternet.org written by Dara Colwell suggests so. Industrial hemp has 25,000 known applications. From paper (our Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written on hemp paper ), to clothing (your hemp pants will last forever ), to food products (according to this article, the Wall Street Journal stated that hemp is the fastest growing new food category in North America). Add in construction and automotive materials and you have a very sustainable green economy start-up.

But as most of you know, growing hemp in the United States is still illegal. The Drug Enforcement Administration has grouped this low-THC plant with its relative, marijuana. We are the only industrialized country on earth to prohibit hemp production. Canada even legalized growing hemp in 1997. Read the rest of this entry »

The raunchy cosmetics brand Urban Decay — which already sells  highly pigmented eye shadows with grimy names like Baked, Roach and Asphyxia — has launched Pocket Rockets, a line of colorful lip glosses.

Pocket Rockets come in eight colors; they’re shiny and pretty and tastes good … blah, blah, blah. What’s so different about these creme-brulee-scented glosses is that they incorporate holographic images of sexy men in the packaging. Yes, the handle of your lip gloss has a picture of a buff man dressed in stylish clothes, from formal to preppy.

If you buy David, a mauve-toned gloss, you get a 30-something, corporate cutie in a suit. If you choose Jesse, a sheer — sparkly blackberry gloss — you get a hipster with long, scraggly hair. If your the type of girl who digs boys that are taken, you’ll probably grab Julio, the young father with a chunky baby girl on his hip.

But wait! (In my best Billy Mayes voice) There’s MORE!!!!  Read the rest of this entry »

Upon meeting most people i can’t help but exclaim how much i love St.Pete, and i try to convince them that their lives will be better if they move here…

I have traveled and lived around, but i believe that St.Pete has been the place where i have found my peace and place the most. It’s where everything has come together for me, like a little neat package.

I gush about the “potential” and current culture of the area, the opportunity for amazing things to happen, if only it would happen quicker! And if only they asked what i thought before they opened TWO “Ultra Lounges” (which no one seems to quite understand the meaning of)!

I deviate from my point here, but i need to mention that both PUSH “Ultra Lounge” and Vintage “Ultra Lounge” cater to the same damn crowd from Weds- Sun… on off days through the week the “club” might think about offering something different …(hint hint i have some awesome ideas)…all people really want is GOOD music and to be able to dance without feeling like you’re in a meat market.

So why, with all St. Pete has to offer, does Tampa have a hipper crowd of people with cool new businesses, stores and lounges opening? Read the rest of this entry »

Tara Lee (above left) is a Tampa mom who dared to ask the question, “If my children’s toys were recalled because of lead contamination in paint, why has lead not yet been banned from lipstick?”  The question led Lee to co-found Best in Beauty, a company that informs consumers about the hazardous, and sometimes toxic, ingredients found in everyday cosmetics and toiletries.

Listen to my interview with Tara Lee after the jump…

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The Canadian manufactured performance enhancement diet supplement Hydroxycut, used for weight loss and body building, has been pulled from the market in a voluntary recall at the request of the US Food and Drug Administration.

This is technically not a drug and is advertised as a “Diet Supplement”. The distress to the liver caused by this supplement has caused 23 reports of liver problems including the death due to liver failure a 17 year old boy. In at least one case a person survived their trouble by receiving a liver transplant. Read the rest of this entry »

models wait to go onstage at IADT's annual fashion show

I hadn’t seen daylight since about 1 p.m., yesterday. From then on I was the backstage photographer for the International Academy of Design and Technology’s annual student fashion show.

This year’s fashion show was titled Imagine, at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa.  I hardly saw the runway, instead I was in the back hallway, lined with rows of costumes, ranging from sea creatures, to bikini brides, and goth couture.  At any moment, depending on which way I turned the atmosphere could be chill, frantic or anywhere in between.

See more photos after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

Common cosmetic ingredients such as cetyl alcohol (a wax derived from sperm whales) and carmine (a red pigment extracted from crushed insects) are found in your favorite crimson lipstick.  So what cosmetics are out there for vegan vixens? Lots!

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Being tired of all the down economy talk, I have decided to really go full steam with Go Green Items: eco friendly clothing, recycled handbags, recycled jewelry, green home environmental products including natural organic products, solar powered gadgets and much more. We are starting to get alot of notoriety in the Tampa Bay area.

On March 21st, I was fortunate enough to be involved in a event put on by The Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts called the Chalk Walk, which was a free event to support and link area artists with local businesses and the community. The local artists were amazing. The event also had a silent auction in which I donated a recycled juice box purse. I featured my recycled eco friendly purses in a 10 x 10 tent in beautiful Hyde Park, Tampa, and had a wonderful day.

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Fashion/beauty contributor Kim Colvin hips you to some hot new looks:

Spring 2009 women’s fashions have been to the rainbow and back in bold primary hues of Skittles. It’s all about vibrancy and loose-fitting silhouettes. But who’s really thinking about revamping their wardrobe during the worst economic slump in decades?

Uh, you are, of course. Or you should be.
Taking cues from designers to create affordable looks has never been easier.

I’ve always fancied clothing labels with the decimal points in their prices slid a bit more to the right than deemed necessary. Sometimes I could delve for some pathetic reason to buy the three-digit top, but then I’d suffer incredible buyers’ remorse and resent my decision. Most of the time I would find something so disgustingly similar at a discount retailer that I’d just sigh with defeat and vow never to get the chiffon pulled over my eyes again.

I’ve kept this promise to myself for the most part. The three looks I’ll discuss below all have affordable options.

Trend No. 1: Jumpsuits

They’re like wearable smallpox, appearing every 20 years just to throw off your shopping chi, then disappearing until an emerging designer get infected and spurs a revival. I always pick one out while shopping, feel like a mechanic or flash dancer, then proceed to shamefully put it back.
I have to admit, though: I’ve seen this trend tweaked on the New York Fashion Week runways in surprisingly modern ways. A chic alternative to the full-length pant is a shorter Capri-length jumpsuit with pockets, a belted waist, peep-toe pumps.
Blue jumpsuit From Express, $79.50.

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Summer is coming up, and what better way to start it off than with a sneak peak at some new fashions? In addition to a killer photo shoot by Athena Torri, I have some exciting news about a new store opening in Tampa! Designer Raven Reda of Suspicious Package has wrangled in some great independent designers, artists and Tattoo..ers(?) to unite in a hip store on Howard Ave., called F.A.T. ink.

F.A.T. ink will have its soft opening May 1. We’ll get Raven in the studio later this month for a podcast to chat more about the specs and future of the store. Did I mention that Aleka Phoenix is finally going to have a steady place for people to buy clothing and accessories?

So to get you excited for all this news and the highly anticipated summer line from Aleka Phoenix check out the some shots from photoshoot”Electric” by Athena Torri with models Jojo & Jonathan Rosa, hair by our own Fusionista Tara at Salon 54 and makeup by Abra Molinari: Read the rest of this entry »

For decades, women have answered  ”mascara!” when asked the proverbial “desert island” question. But what if there were a product that could transform your natural lashes to look like you’ve already slapped on the goop? That could free up your sole item for, um, fresh water, maybe…? Maybe not.

Now, what if that product started it’s life as a treatment for glaucoma; still interested? In enters Latisse, the only FDA-approved natural-lash growth, thickening, and darkening treatment. 

An interesting side-effect occurred when glaucoma patients used the eye drop Lumigan— long, dark, incredibly dramatic lash growth. Now, the main ingredient in Lumigan is in Latisse, a prescription treatment for sparse lashes. Latisse is applied much like a liquid eyeliner, at the very base of the eyelashes on the lid once a day. The results are incredible, and can be seen starting at four weeks with full results after 16 weeks.

So sorry ladies, you’ll need a prescription to get your hands on this magic wand. But if you look anything like Tilda Swinton you might  just get the M.D. go-ahead!

Do we really need to tell you anymore? Isn’t the headline enough? No? Here’s more: Kenley Collins — hands down The Most Annoying Project Runway Contestant Ever (and that’s quite a distinction considering the competition) — not only threw a cat at her hapless, luckless, apparently taste-free fiance. She also threw a laptop at him. And hit him with a door. And three apples. Three, count ‘em, three. (Macintosh? Delicious? We need details!)

Or so say the cops, and the New York Post. Here’s the whole story:

“Project Runway” finalist Kenley Collins was arrested today after assaulting her fiance with their cat, authorities said today.

After throwing the feline, a laptop computer, and three apples at Zak Penley, Collins, 26, was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon (of meow destruction).

“It was a miscommunication,” Collins told The Post after getting released without bail from Brooklyn Supreme Court yesterday morning. Read the rest of this entry »

New lipgloss boasts weight loss ingredient Hoodia, a South African appetite suppressant.

Huge Lips, Skinny Hips plumping lipgloss is the debut product from Purple Lab.  Available in 6 fiendish colors including “No Panty Lines” and “Kitty Poledancer,” HLSH has added vitamin B6 for some increased circulation and lip-plumping action.

With the unceremonious death of its discontinued predecessor, Too Faced Cosmetics’ “Fuze Slenderize” appetite-curbing, energy-boosting gloss, I don’t expect this product to have legs, thin or fat.

Huge Lips, Skinny Hips’ competitor EAER (Exercise and Eat Right)’s withering stock took it’s worst dive in 25 years this week.  Where are you when we need you Richard Simmons?

MAVEN MUNCH! Have some…
Women ingest up to 6 pounds of lipstick/gloss in their lifetimes, so it kinda makes sense to go organic. Stick with natural lip products made with fruit pigments.
Insider’s Pick: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Lip Glosses. $13.

The season’s newest vibrators are available in Tampa Bay department stores.

New, motorized mascaras claim to vibrate at upwards of 7000 oscillations per minute to create hyper-extended, multiplied lash looks. And for $34 and a trip to a department store, your puny human hands can vibrate involuntarily too.

The season’s hottest vibrators

It would take more than a battery-powered shimmy to shake my hands out of 34 wild ones, so I took a trip to Estee Lauder and Lancome to try out their testers with motorized, disposable brushes. Estee Lauder’s TurboLash and Lancome’s Oscillation both taut battery-powered wands with the most noticeable difference being how the vibration is activated.

Lauder’s mascara hums as soon as the mascara wand is pulled from the product. The vibration halts when the wand is replaced. Lancome’s wand includes a button that you can push to activate the vibration, or you can simply use it without.

Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know the coral reefs are being suffocated by tourists’ sunscreen? Going to the tanning bed sets up a controlled environment so you can regulate your light absorption and then have a base tan that will help you avoid sunburn and use less sunscreen, therefore preserving the coral reefs and other oceanic life affected by multitudes of tourist sunscreen!

Raydiance Tanning and Spa (and Wellness Gardens and Tea house) offers a multitude of services to keep your lifestyle “green”, healthy and inexpensive. In light of our new proposals for a universal health care system as well as the one already in place it has become all too obvious we need new ways to stay healthy that integrate into our everyday life, because the health care is way too expensive and only used in dire need. There is now a resource to end this cycle of frustration, and it located so conveniently there is no excuse to make a step to integrating preventive health care into your world.

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Creative Loafing in Tampa celebrated the launch of its new Web site last night in our South Tampa offices with a night of music, food and drinks. Pictures below, courtesy of contributor Chip Weiner.

More pics below the break:

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There’s been this new sound swirling around; it sounds like hip hop but with an electro beat … I’m no music critic and my vocabulary to breakdown the proper terminology is laughable. All I know is this sound is propped up by new female “alternative” artists, and they all have a killer style.

In our first Fusionistas podcast (embedded below, check it) my guest is Shunda K, creator of the group Yo! Majesty. We have a candid conversation about where she’s been and where shes going, and how she was a forerunner of this new sound. Shunda has been collaborating with many artists on different tracks and we’ll link you some so you can hear for yourself. (check ‘em down below)

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Download.

In the first Fusionistas podcast, Aleka Phoenix welcomes into the studio hip hop artist Shunda K, creator of the group Yo! Majesty, for a candid conversation about where she’s been and where she’s going, and how she was a forerunner of a new sound.

Working in the art/nightlife scene for six years, I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of really talented people from all areas of the industry. So when I saw that Marissa Alma Nick was back in town from LA working on a project called Peace Piece, I had to get in contact and find out what it was all about. The email I got back was full of energy and a request for me to get involved in the show in a scene called “Disco Town.” Honored to be asked to be a part of the show, I accepted. I was told that RHYMES WITH ORANGEz created the dance opera “Take a walk in my shoes” that was a part of Peace Piece. The project supports world peace, naturally, but also strongly advocates the arts in our school system. Both are great causes, and that is why I wanted to bring the information to the masses, but I was still left a bit confused on the exact details of RHYMES WITH ORANGEz, Peace Piece and “Take a walk in my Shoes.” So I had a sit-down with Marissa Alma Nick to get the DL.

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In episode 5 of ArtsSpeak, Creative Loafing editor David Warner talks with Marissa-Alma Nick and Tera Greene, the creative team behind the multi-disciplinary Peace Piece project and the dance opera “Take A Walk In My Shoes” which premieres February 24 at USF. This episode also introduces Brianna Kole and Lennox of The Fusionistas, CL’s new arts-and-fashion bloggers, who brought the Peace Piece to our attention.

Download

See pictures below the jump:

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Say “Hello!” to your newest resource for all things fashionable, entertaining, and eye-opening in the great Bay area!

The Fusionistas are made up of three local girls who call themselves the Fusionistas because together they combine the elements of art, fashion, hair,performance, and local life. They have avid appetites for all things interesting, underground and not yet public. they seek out what is not offered and make it their job to create a scene for it, and to give the people a purpose and something different!

It won’t be definable what we will bring you, but know that it will be something you’ve been waiting for. if you’ve ever questioned your surroundings of people and places wanting something more, we are what you’ve been asking for… here is just a sampling of the things in the works… Read the rest of this entry »

The model is DiCaprio-girl Bar Refaeli. The image speaks for itself.

Michele got some undeserved flak for the rhinestone-y yellow outfit (too 5 p.m., said one wag on CNN), but  – what’s with the gown? Is that chenille?

First dance: “At Last,” by Beyonce – simultaneously hyping her performance as Etta James in Cadillac Records – way to multi-task, Miss B!

One thing’s for sure – the new prez is smooth on the dance floor – and they’re one bee-too-tee-ful couple.

This just in: Designer of bedspread gown is Jason Wu

Update on Obama cool factor: Conversing with the Chicago National Guard troop beamed in from Afghanistan, he gauges who’s a Cubs and who’s a Sox fan (like him) – funny, relaxed

Bob Woodruff interviewing Michelle on ABC (recorded prior to the balls): She tells him tomorrow’s going to be a White House open house

And prior to Bob and Michelle: A disarmingingly touching interview with Beyonce about what it meant to sing for the Obamas (OK, so I was a little snarky about the Cadillac tie-in, but still…_

More from ABC: Interview with black descendant of white slaveowners — ancestors of John McCain.

The Youth Ball: Promised to be the “noisest” ball, and it doesn’t disappoint (oh those noisy youth). Obama thanks youth: “What started out as an improbable journey, where nobody gave us a chance, was inspired by, energized by young people across America” [prompts mass 'Yes we can' chants]

Obama’s speeches at the balls are considerably more upbeat and crowd-rousing than the inaugural address

Classic sign-off: “That’s what ’s called old school” after finishing his Youth Ball dance with Michelle

CNN fashion mavens: Michelle is “shining the light on young designers” (Jason Wu is in his 20s) – and fun fact – Mary Todd Lincoln also wore white (how do fashion mavens know these things?)

And “Anderson,” asks Campbell Brown, baiting her co-anchor, “your views on the dress?” Anderson demurs, though you know he has an opinion.

From Brian Williams on NBC: Malia and Sasha are having a sleepover tonight, having friends over to watch Bolt and High School Musical 3 – like that wasn’t the knock-down, drag-out, “Mom you better get me invited over to the White House for the inaugural sleepover or I will never talk to you again!”

“It was a catharis for the country,” says one of the attendees at the local Dem inaugural ball at the Casino at Gulfport, interviewed on WFLA’s 11 o’clock newscast. ‘”But tomorrow is another day.”

Apt sign-off, that. Good night, and good luck.

PoHo’s got his inaugural live blog going so you can keep track of all those almost-familiar people in cold-weather gear arriving for the Big Speech. (Winner of the Hideous Scarf contest: the Assistant Sec’y of the Senate, the evil-nanny-like escort for the presidential daughters.) For celebrity wattage of a different sort, check out these shots from the HuffPost party.

The Times described Rays 1B Carlos Pena’s warm-up dance as a “hybrid of the haka dance and a swamp chicken mating ritual.” Now Tampa sports memorabilia company Encore Select is paying tribute with a t-shirt. Fans voted on a name for the dance  — they went for “The Holla Pena” — and the shirt goes on sale this week with a portion of the proceeds going to the Children’s Cancer Center in Tampa. The shirt will be available at Authentic Team Sports, BUCS N Stuff , FERGS and www.championshipshirts.com.

Today, in preparation for Creative Loafing’s upcoming Loafie Awards and my debut as Mrs. Loafie – the show’s official award dispenser – I paid a visit to Bay area vintage clothing institution La France to peruse the shop’s selection of gowns and be outfitted by its team of dress experts. (That’s me with Jamie Hunt. She was a great help.)

 I tried on three very classy numbers – two red, one black.  

Check them out at the jump and tell me what you think. Read the rest of this entry »