It’s the holiday season, when we pretend to care about the less fortunate for a week or two before going back to our tragically ironic, passionless existences.  So get your charity jones satisfied in the most relaxed way possible; bring a non-perishable food donation for the Emergency Food Network to Savi Day Spa and enter to win one of its weekly drawings for a $100 Savi Gift Card.  I under stand you’ll also be entered into the spa’s grand prize drawing â€" a 12 month membership. Ocean Escape Tub Treatments and feed the hungry.  Nice!

So grab sevens cans of food, a spare blanket (to donate, not for post-massage naptime) and enter to win. Drawings will be held on December 8, 15, 22, and 29 with the grand prize drawing to be held on Dec. 31, 2007. 

Contact Savi Day Spa for more details. â€" Suzy Stump

Last Saturday I joined a group of fellow gussied-up folks for an evening called Inspired Elegance, a fashion show fundraiser for Tacoma Art Place, which took place at Stadium Bistro.

This night consisted of five amazing courses of fine food and wine (the Angus beef and sauce was absolutely delectable) and elegant fashions designed by students from the Tacoma School of the Arts and other local women.

The eight aspiring fashion designers and general artists worked with established local designers in Daniel Blue of Loyalty Conglomerate and Lisa Fruichantie of Transcendence Design during a 24-hour time span to create wearable art.

The fruits of their labor were indeed inspiring and they were a word that kept getting dropped throughout the course of the night: Empowering.

During and in between the five scrumptious courses, a parade of designs flowed before the 25-plus attendees and included a Kimono-inspired tube dress with faux suede shawl wrap, a poofy and youthful leopard cocktail dress; a drape garment inspired by the Greek fabric pattern that was married with a goddess robe; a black dress with a halter top finish, ribbon bows in the back and an elegant single-slit skirt; a sweet and simple baby doll dress inspired by Norway; and an Elizabethan corset with a gold wrap.

Each design was worn by the aspiring fashion designer or artist herself: Brenda Groboski, Camille Kelsey, Sinead Dennis (SOTA student), Andrea Trenbeath Lowen, Anastasia Nelson (SOTA student), Adriane Tate, Chelsea Ballinger and Kierra Miller.

What made the event even better was learning that all of the aforementioned women would receive the gift of an annual membership to Tacoma Art Place, which is a non-profit that provides affordable access to art equipment and training.

All of these inspiring designs will be on display at Tacoma Art Place, located at 1116 S. 11th, throughout the end of the week.

For more information about this cool nonprofit (the Weekly Volcano LOVES founder Linda Danforth), visit the Tacoma Art Place Web site, and add them to your MySpace. â€" Natasha Gorbachev

Photography by Dave Poole.

Second Photo: Tacoma jewelry artist Andrea Trenbeath Lowen designed, constructed and modeled a goddess robe fantasy dress for the Inspired Elegance fashion show benefiting Tacoma Art Place.

Third Photo: Kierra Miller is wearing a no sew, black tube dress accented by a leather belt she made with the help of professional fashion designer Daniel Blue.

Fourth Photo: Adrianne Tate stands tall in the Elizabethan stylized dress she designed. Her father taught her to sew by mending socks at age 5. 

SHOP
Holiday Trunk Show
What: Seven local artists offer their creations for holidays gifts.

Why: Because snagging your nails in a catfight over a cashmere scarf, ruining your skin in the moisture-sucking mall air, and growing monster knots of tension just to cross each gift off your list makes for a stressful season.

When: Saturday, Dec. 8, 2-6 p.m.

Where: Tempest Lounge, Tacoma.

PLAY
Dickens Festival at Stadium
What: A Victorian period-piece shopping experience in Tacoma’s Stadium District.

Why: Christmas shopping can be fun â€" especially when you dress up like the Artful Dodger.

When: Saturday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Stadium District, Tacoma

Flower Power and Bite Me!

Organic’s answer to a Christmas cookie is here.  Tacoma based and privately owned, Friday’s Cookies just happens to be my favorite cookie bakery ever.  And the lady who started it all is pretty darn neat-o as well.  She obviously knows what she’s doing if her cookies are carried in over 150 Whole Foods Markets, plus she just recently agreed to a contract with Starbucks.

Although she only does wholesale, if you call her and say please, she’ll put a box of stuff together for you to pick up.  And Holy Toledo Batman! You are gonna melt when you dive into these treats.  Blueberry White Chocolate Chip?  Hold onto your pants, they ROCK.

Oh, and they have the best Christmas decorated shortbread organic cookie, no contest.  They are huge, and thick, and perfectly sweet and tender.  Just like the man of my dreams.

There’s something that effects how happy your taste buds can be, knowing that the food you are eating is locally made and organic.  For this food, that part is literally the icing on the cookie. â€" Steph DeRosa

[Friday’s Cookies, 2302 S. Fawcett, Tacoma, 253.779.4242]

FILM
"Awake"
Hayden Christensen as a rich kid dominated by his mother (Lena Olin), in love with Jessica Alba, and undergoing heart transplant surgery -- during which, to his horror, he finds he can hear and feel everything going on. Don't even glance at the poster, which reveals a crucial twist. The medical procedures are preposterous, but for me, the suspense worked. Rated R. Three Stars. â€" Roger Ebert

[AMC Narrows Plaza 8: 2:50, 5:05, 7:10; Century Olympia: 12:40, 2:55, 5:05, 7:15, 9:25; Lakewood Cinema 15: 1:05, 3:20, 5:30, 7:45, 10:35; Lakewood Towne Center 12: 1, 3:15, 5:30, 7:45, 10; Longston Place 14: 12:05, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10:15; Regal Martin Village 16: noon, 2:15, 4:35, 7:50, 10:30; Yelm Cinemas @ Prairie Park: 12:10, 2:20, 4:40, 6:40, 8:35]

FILM
"No Country for Old Men"
Regards a completely evil man with wonderment, as if astonished that that such a merciless creature could exist. He is Anton Chigurh (Javiar Bardem), who travels Texas and kills people with a cattle stun-gun. He is one strand in a plot involving a drug deal gone bad. Another is a sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) and a third is a hunter (Josh Brolin), a poor man who comes across $2 million in drug money. A masterpiece based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, written, directed and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. As good as their “Fargo,” which is saying something. Full review here. Rated R. Four Stars. â€" RE

[Century Olympia: 1:55, 4:45, 7:40, 10:30; Regal Martin Village 16: 12:10, 3:20, 6:40, 9:55; The Grand Cinema: 4, 6:35, 9:15]

FILM
"Lars And The Real Girl"
Ryan Gosling plays Lars Lindstrom, a painfully shy young man who can barely stand the touch of another human being.  One day he orders a life-sized love doll through the Internet, using “Bianca” not for sex but for companionship.  He expects everyone else to treat the doll the same way, including his brother (Paul Schneider), sister-in-law (Emily Mortimer) and therapist (Patricia Clarkson).  Only after the movie is over do you realize what a balancing act it was, what risks it took, what rewards is contains. Directed by Craig Gillespie, written by Nancy Oliver (“Six Feet Under”). Rated PG-13. Three and a half stars â€" RE

[The Grand Cinema: 4:25, 6:45, 9]

MORE FILM: On local screens today.

DINE OUT: Chow down before or after the flick.

Just walked in from the downtown Tacoma tree lighting and a mess load of Puget Sound Pizza. I almost missed the lighting.

Did someone flip on the switch early?

As I was strolling toward the Pantages for a liittle holiday music â€" bam!  The tree lit up. The crowd dispersed.  All that was left standing were a few bloggers. 

On a brighter note, Santa set up shop inside Moroccan Treasures across the street.  Families lined up between exotic floor lighting to chat with old Saint Nick. ZIt was magical.

Overall, the event was fast, windy, but wonderful. â€" Michael Swan

One of the more embarrassing chapters in my culinary education happened in what I like to call wino season, when restaurateurs and wine merchants conspire to raise our consciousness (and open our wallets) with expos, feasts, and soirees. It's always this time of year, when I would do well to stay home and make a small salad.

Staying home is much easier today. The Tacoma wine bars are not open on Sunday â€" except WineStyles, which is only open on Sunday through the holiday season. 

Weird.

After a day of shopping I love to take a load off with a full body, full glass of Cabernet.

Well, there’s always the Rosewood Café and it’s awesome cheese plate. â€" Suzy Stump

I was amazed at the grand selection of cookies when I entered Wagner’s European Bakery & Café in Olympia.  Yes, I had driven my ass all the way down to Olympia for some damn cookies.  Shut up, it was worth it.

The glass cases were filled with beautiful cookies.  I couldn’t make up my mind which ones to get, so I pulled a “Steph DeRosa” and asked for one of each.  My two favorites were the Florentine (European) and the Pfuffernuss (German). 

The Florentine’s crispy texture along with its chocolate and caramel taste makes me want to moan in ecstasy.  But I won’t.  At least, not in public.  You can find the Florentine in a wide variety of forms.  I’ll take that combination any way I can get it.

Pfuffernuss.  Say it, it’s fun! And as for taste â€" it’s an ageless flavor of almond (maybe anise), flaky shortbread covered in powdered sugar.  You might say it’s a variation of the tea cookie or Mexican wedding cookie, or whatever western name its been given.

If you are looking to get away from the traditional American side of your Christmas calories, try and explore your European side.  Your European side might be better looking anyway. â€" Steph DeRosa

[Wagner's European Bakery & Café, 1013 Capitol Way S., Olympia, 360.357.7268]

Suckers!  They’re letting me have another Dinner with DeRosa.  Apparently there were no food poisoning reports after last weeks, so we’re in the clear.

I met some really cool individuals this week. These icons are people that we all know â€" people you know, maybe even you.  Regardless, these people need love like the rest of society.  So I figured I’d do my annual Christmas charity early and get it over with. All the normal people I met this last week, I’ll get to you next time. 

First person invited to my dinner is the Beer Delivery Guy.  As the Broken News Team and I lunched last week, we were privy enough to sit in the booth next to the one and only Beer Delivery Guy.  I immediately asked him over for dinner, seeing as how he has all the beer.  I think it was a pretty genius move on my part.

The second person is Annoying Drunk Girl.  She’s the one with brown hair seen here with my friend Christina who is washing her hands in the Masa bathroom.  You know Annoying Drunk Girl, the one who makes friends with everyone in the bathroom, compliments your right eyelid, tells you exactly just how drunk she is, then confides in you that she has a Russian lover who gave her herpes.  All of the sudden she loves you and you are best friends.  I’m inviting her because I’m thinking I’ll hook her up with Beer Delivery Guy.

Next invite goes to Bathroom Stalker.  Just look at that creepy publication she’s reading.  The simple thought of it all makes me shudder. I’m hoping she’ll come to my dinner because I’d like to change the décor in my hallway, and a nice stalker statue would be a pleasant addition.

Then there’s I Like To Ruin Other People’s Pictures Guy.  This guy obviously has no friends.  It must be horrible to have to force yourself anonymously into other people’s pictures.  But no matter how much of a loser he is, he can come to my dinner anytime.  I pity him way, way too much not to let him in.  Plus it will look like I have more friends.  Seeing as how he will invariably be in all the pictures.

Last, Yukon Cornelius will be there.  He was kicked out of the Land of Misfit Toys, and is temporarily staying with us.  Until he finds a job and gets his own apartment I’m afraid we’re stuck with him.  If anyone knows of any openings requiring a gold mining certificate, please contact me immediately.  The way he licks his axe at the dinner table is becoming quite obnoxious. â€" Steph DeRosa

HOLIDAYS
Gingerbread Jamboree
Admit it: the biggest damper on holiday cheer is your adulthood. Whether it’s because of the intellectual elitism that makes cynicism a virtue or a beleaguered if-you-only-knew-what-I’ve-been-through fatigue, your adult self cannot turn on glee the way your child self used to. Banish the grown-up. Admit you like the blinking lights or the sight of blue-and-silver boxes or eggnog or Charlie Brown specials. Better yet, throw on your elf hat and head down to the Gingerbread Jamboree today at the Hotel Murano. The Children’s Museum of Tacoma provides everything you need to create a unique gingerbread house. â€" Suzy Stump

[Hotel Murano, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 1:30-4 p.m., $35, 1320 Broadway, Tacoma, 253. 627.6031]

HOLIDAYS
Downtown Tree Lighting
Why do holidays seem to leave us all with that warm, fuzzy feeling? Maybe it's just a combination of shopping burnout and too many seasonal toasts, although a prevailing sense of tradition is a better, or at least a more heartwarming, guess.

A local tradition happens tonight, bringing music, families and stars in your eyes (well, maybe not tonight) downtown Tacoma. The Fort Lewis I Corps Quintet and the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association Quintet set the tone for the flip of the switch on one of the city's most warming and popular sensations â€" the downtown Christmas tree.

Bring nonperishable food for the Fish Food Bank. â€" SS

[Pantages Theater, 5-6:30 p.m., Ninth and Broadway, downtown Tacoma]

BLUES
Candye Kane
For more than two decades, Kane has been a vital part of the music scene, and while she still remains an underground guilty pleasure, she is a diva nonetheless. As a part of the bustling L.A. punk scene, she garnered a reputation as an activist and still pens tunes in the same spirit. But mostly, Kane is dedicated to self-empowerment because of her ability to overcome a troubled childhood and a shady past.

Kane found refuge in the blues and has been giving us her own unique spin on the genre since the early ’90s.To date, she has released eight discs. The latest, 2007’s Guitar’d and Feathered, has been called her strongest album, which embodies the theatrical-cabaret style which she has become known for.â€" Tony Engelhart

[Jazzbones, 6 p.m., all ages, $10-$12, 2803 Sixth Ave., Tacoma, 253.396.9169]