SUNDAY, MAY 11 2013 >>>

1. Hey moms! Bikes are cool and they make you butt look great. They are the best things to hit Tacoma since craft beer in cans. On this Mother's Day join CycloFemme and the global women's cycling movement for a spin around and around and around the Point Defiance's Five Mile Drive. Tour Defiance launches at 10 a.m. from the Antique Sandwich Company. Bring your helmets. Mother's Day dinner from a hospital would suck.

2. Yesterday's weather was nice, but you could barely enjoy it since all you could think about was the sad state of your closet. You want flirty skirts and kitten heels in the freshest colors and styles for spring, yet your warm wool trousers and cashmere sweaters are still taking up prime real estate in your closet. You better believe that after today's Mother/Daughter Fashion Show at Sonja - Clothes To Live In, you'll be singing a happier tune. Sonja Silver has been dressing women for many years, and since moving her boutique behind her Proctor Frozen Yogurt, she and Craig Fite have been keeping Tacoma smiling since last summer. at 3 p.m., three sets of three generations will model Silver's spring/summer fashion. So, before heading outside to soak up the spring weather, check in with Silver so you can really enjoy the season in style.

3. Jazzbones hosts a "A Very Special Day with Sinatra: A Night at the Sands," a long title but cool nonetheless. Joey Jewell will be in the house to sing the Sinatra hits with Jim Kerl's SWingin' '60s Orchestra backing. Ten bucks gets you in to the 6:30 p.m. show.

4. Chris Stevens & The Surf Monkeys will will be joined by Jay Mabin and his harmonica for a free show at 7 p.m. in The Spar. 

5. The Tacoma Comedy Club presents Comics Under The Influence where five comics perform a set each sober, and then while the other comics are performing they pound booze and return to the stage wasted to do another set. Jubal Flagg from Movin 95.5 FM tries to keep the thing flowing, beginning at 8 p.m.

LINK: Sunday, May 12 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 2013 >>>

1. Before Tacoma's semi-longstanding, all-ages venue The Redroom closes its door for good April 27, Bleak Outlook Volume 1 will blow open doors and minds this weekend with a three-day fest that includes two kickin' shows at The Redroom and one at Fifth Dimension. It all begins at 7 p.m. when Transient, Sidetracked, Same Sex Dictator, Mahnhammer, Hirsute Corpse and Carrion Cathartid rock The Redroom.

2. At 7 p.m., the last day of the Greek & Roman Mythology exhibit at Tacoma Community College, Tacoma Poet Laureate Josie Emmons Turner, former TPL Tammy Robacker, Puget Sound Poetry Connection founder Connie Walle and a who's who of regional poets will add a poet's voice to the strong art show depicting strength of character, purpose and ideology to ancient myths by contemporary South Sound artists.

3. Crystal Mountain will hold an amateur film night at 7 p.m. inside the Snorting Elk Cellar. Visitors are encouraged to bring their short ski/snowboard films that are no longer than four minutes.

4. A cozy little romantic drama with touches of comedy, The Rainmaker still speaks to audiences after more than a half-century. Originating as a television play in 1953, Richard Nash's best-known work hit Broadway in 1954 and Hollywood two years later. There's even a musical version (110 in the Shade, which seemed like a good idea in 1963). Set on a Western cattle ranch during a drought, The Rainmaker remains a captive to its own pre-feminist, quaint, and rigidly defined-role times, when men roamed the range rounding up cattle and looking for romance (generally not at the same time), while women stayed home and did wifely things, such as cooking, cleaning, and burying themselves under the weight of society's expectations. See it all unfold at 8 p.m. when Lakewood Playhouse opens its version of the story for a run through May 12.

5. Drag show troupe New Queens on the Block has produced shows at the Urban Onion since September, dropping a themed show on Olympia every third Friday of the month. Tonight at 9 p.m., the troupe celebrates fashion and the "runway" at the Onion. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on New Queens on the Block.

LINK: Friday, April 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

South Sound Sidekick series offers advice from experts living in the, well, South Sound. It posts every Friday. Today, hair stylist and blogger Allison Stewart has some advice on hair styles for Spring 2013.

Allison Stewart writes,

With the onset of spring and summer, you may be looking in the mirror right about now wondering how you ended up with dreadlocks over this past winter, and more importantly, how you're going to transform them into something fresh and inspiring. 

As a hairstylist (in training) and hair blogger, "fresh and inspiring" are two words that are continually circulating in my head. What do those words mean to you? Something new? Something that feels good in your hands; that puts a little extra pep in your step? However those words ring, it's an ideal time to manifest them into something you can wear atop your precious mug. There are so many awesome ways to play with your hair this summer.

It's important to consider your lifestyle during the hot months. If you're like most, you're probably more inclined to go for something low maintenance and easily attainable, yet offers style and charm. And of course, easy at-home-care is essential.

Maybe it's the whole Mad Men thing that's still hanging on, but classical and timeless cuts on men are back. You don't have to wear a suit to pull it off either. Go clean around the ears, starting with a 2-inch guard on bottom and a 3-inch around the ears, blending it with more length on top to slick over or wear a little messy. This style, whether it be with straight or curly hair is a versatile and handsome-as-all-hell cut on men and most importantly, it's really easy to achieve, maintain and style at home. Just get comfortable using clippers and guards.

If you're not comfortable using scissors on top, just stick with a much larger guard to keep that length. You can play around with different guard sizes to find a more suitable length all around if super short isn't your thing. Here's a trick for blending: flip your guard up a half inch (you should have a lever) between the sizes. Blending the length on top with the back and sides may take a little more practice. But hey, the difference between a good haircut and bad haircut (for men) is two weeks. Be brave!  

Ladies, I dare you crawl out of your shell this this summer with some sun kissed highlights. If you're already a blond shade, get some extra light baby blond balayage in that sexy mess. If you're a brunette, try some light caramel-colored highlights. You'll be shocked and pleasantly surprised how much highlighting your hair can offer you an almost complete style all it's own.

When wearing your hair down, highlights give the appearance of thicker texture and more body. If you like to throw it up, it adds a multitude of dimension, making your otherwise messy bun look more intentional. This isn't something I suggest you do at home. But the nice thing about getting highlights in summer, is they will last ALL summer without much need for a retouch. I also encourage some layering, which in summer heat and humidity will give you great body and movement. Also, are you familiar with braids? If not, get familiar. They're summery, feminine, beautiful and easy. 

Going to a high-end salon isn't always necessary to try simple, non-complicated ideas. Beauty schools are a fantastic and inexpensive place to test out simple color and easy cuts, as well as for getting "how-tos" on styles . Just make sure to ask for a senior stylist. For awesome pictures, tutorials and inspiration, visit my blog at bergamotandshears.blogspot.com 

LINK: Parent's guide to raising rock stars

LINK: How to be a scenester

LINK: How to be a bartender

LINK: How to manage a band from your office cubicle without getting fired

LINK: How to tell if you're clown material

LINK: Make film gore with household items

LINK: Parenting advice for punk rockers

LINK: How to improve your photography skills

LINK: Get fit the Dungeons and Dragons way

LINK: More South Sound Sidekick advice

FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2013 >>>

1. Tommy Castro is Delbert McClinton's more talented kid brother. We have been waiting for this San Francisco rockin' blues guitarist to put another one in the ditches. Finally, this past November the blistering "Greedy" / "That's All I Got" (Alligator Records) arrived. Nobody plays roadhouse like this anymore: the rock snarl and the soul heart. His songs don't make us want to sing along; they make us want to scream along. Tommy Castro and the Painkillers will play Jazzbones at 8 p.m.

2. The Bayview School of Cooking in Olympia will pour cider and meads with complementary cheeses from 5-7:30 p.m. The cost is $12 per person. No RSVP is required.

3. Tacoma's first artisan children's clothing shop, Dandelion Wishes, will hold an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. before the store officially opens March 23 at 10 a.m. in the old Corina Bakery space at 510 Sixth Ave. Appropriately, Corina Bakery will provide snacks.

4. Have you visited the Science Dome? At 7 p.m. the South Sound's only planetarium will host an interactive tour of our current night sky, exploring the stars, planets, constellations and other celestial objects followed by a 20-35 minute full dome show.  A question and answer period will follow.

5. As if Horace Pickett's awesome name wasn't enough, the band actually does well at evoking the cheesy party vibe of "Monster Mash." Though the band claims that it often gets comparisons to the Kinks, They Might Be Giants and Beck, to us it couldn't be more perfectly channeling Devo. Stiffly voiced robot-funk, surging electro-pop, concerning topics such as the Milky Way and the weirdness of having a body - and all that entails. Check the band out with The Whorewoods at 10 p.m. inside Le Voyeur.

LINK: Friday, March 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 2013 >>>

1. You may not be familiar with the wrestling phenomenon known as lucha libre, but it's all the rage in Mexico, where its popularity lags only behind that of soccer. For the second year in a row, costumed warriors will flex and destroy under the tutelage of José Luis Gómez, over 20 years a luchador in Mexico. His troupe, Lucha Libre Volcánica, hails from Renton, but they're performing at the Lucha de Sound event inside the University of Puget Sound's Memorial Field House at 7 p.m. to benefit a student group, CHispA, the Community for Hispanic Awareness. This event features commentary in both English and español, and you can't beat the price, amigo: it's free! (Since it is a benefit, however, a $5 donation is suggested.) So round up su familia and root for Puget Sound técnicos El Fénix, El Hero, and Rey Jaguar in their never-ending quest for justice against rude boys Chicano, Peligro, and Prófugo. There's a técnica, too: Vancouver, Washington's own La Avispa.v¡Que viva los luchadores!

2. Today marks the final monthly version of the Proctor Farmers Market, which goes down between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. You can expect garden plants and local produce from Cottage Gardens, tasty smoked salmon from Wilson Fish and the musical stylings of John Hoover and the Quinns, in addition to its regular farmer market awesomeness.

3. Sure, Tacoma celebrates its status as an arts community.  Sure, Tacoma loves to band together for a good cause.  With the YWCA RAGS Guild Wearable Art Sale and Juried Gallery, continuing for its 19th year, it does both. RAGS started as a fun way to raise money for the YWCA, whose mission statement is all about honoring diversity and creating opportunities for women’s growth, leadership, and power in order to attain a common vision: peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. RAGS offers guests an opportunity to view and acquire fabulous handmade clothing, jewelry and accessories created by artisans from across the country. Check out RAGS from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. inside the Mercedes-Benz of Tacoma new showroom at 1701 Alexander Ave. East in Fife.

4. Wait ... you have a vision. You plug into the area’s collective unconscious. In a flash, you remember that you — and those of your ilk — don’t need the cathode ray tube and the remote control to flip through images of far-flung places. You’re telekinetic. Telepathic. Otherworldly. And — irony of all ironies — you almost blanked on today’s Psychic Fair at the Meeker Mansion Psychic Fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. But then, in the nick of time, your sixth sense kicked in. It always does.

5. Grab the nearest mouth guard, roller derby is back in Tacoma. Actually, it has been here for some time. And, it's in Lakewood. That said, the Dockyard Derby Dames open its season Saturday night at the Pierce College Health Education Center at 6 p.m. For the uninitiated, the all-female flat-track roller derby team has been blocking and lapping like mad for six seasons. The Femme Fianna, Hellbound Homewreckers, Trampires and season six defending champions Marauding Mollys will throw on the elbow pads, kneepads, helmets, fishnet stockings for two bouts. Grab a spot on the bleachers, or if you're really up for it, hang in the beer garden, where your own protective gear is probably a wise idea, and enjoy a night of good ol' fashion bruising.

LINK: Saturday, March 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SOTA INTERN BLOG >>>

Today I was invited to try out Me-Ality, a machine that scans your body frame then suggests your perfect fit of clothes! The first and only one in Washington arrived last March at the South Hill Mall near Target. It's a free service and only takes 20 seconds to get scanned.

Like most scanners you can't wear metal. Me-Ality has a bucket to put your stuff in. I still suggest you don't wear too much metal jewelry or accessories as it's a pain to take off.  After you are scanned, the Me-Ality staff sends you an email with a link to its website housing a detailed list of clothes that would fit you best. They have a long list of brands such as Guess, Buckle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and Levi's. Since Me-Ality is located at a mall it is only natural it will show you the clothes that would fit you there! So you can get scanned and go right to shopping.

Thanks to Me-Ality I have a nice long list of jeans that would look good on me. Jeans are not the only items they know will look good on you. They also have lists of tops, skirts, dresses, pants, intimates and sweaters - for both men and woman.

Thousands of Americans are logged into Me-Ality's shopping guides. If you have trouble finding things that fit you or are just curious about what they think you should try, Me-Ality is your stop.

SOUTH HILL MALL, 10 A.M. TO 9 P.M. MONDAY-SATURDAY, 11 A.M. TO 6 P.M. SUNDAY, 3500 S. MERIDIAN, PUYALLUP, 253.445.5163

SOTA INTERN REPORT >>>

Tomorrow, Jan. 30 marks the end of my internship at the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters. I had such a great time keeping up this blog. Thank you, readers, for sticking with me in my short time here on Spew. I am grateful for all the positive feedback I have received. Your feedback has helped me improve as a writer and as a journalist.

I would like to thank the businesses that welcomed me such as My Cheese Shoppe, Anthem, Enchanted Harp and Trappers Sushi. Special thanks to my dear mother who had to drive me around everywhere since her lazy teen-age daughter refuses to get her driver's license. Also, I'd like to thank my dad who got more excited about my blog than I did.

Don't cry, dear readers, I still have one more blog coming. Tomorrow, I will visit the South Hill Mall to check out the clothes kiosk Me-ality. Apparently, I pop into a machine, it scans me and then tells me what kind of clothes I should buy, or what would be my perfect fit. I hope the machine can tell me where to find a comfy pair of jeans!

I almost forgot - a HUGE thank you to the Weekly Volcano staff. You have made my first work experience a great one! Maybe I will return one day to write for you again? I hope so. But, for now, here is your special goodbye: 

TACOMA REPRESENT >>>

Valentine's Day draws nigh. If you're planning on running out the night before and snagging a box of chocolates from the drug store - don't you dare! We live in a region filled with locally made items - jewelry by talented local artisans, handmade candy without nasty chemicals - even historical items. Below I offer a few locally made products for your sweetheart with the 253Heart.

The gift of local body care

"We have several body care products made in the Pacific Northwest," says Bill Evans, owner of the Pacific Northwest Shop in Proctor District. "Antoinette is a line of soaps with some special Valentine's soaps. Another option is Jenteal Soaps out of Yelm, which are largely floral scented. More unique options are our chocolate-scented soaps and candles by Chocolate Flower Farm from Whidbey Island." Eacg bar of soap costs around $6.50.

The gift of local art

"A couple might want to take one of our Try It pottery classes," says Eileen Hudak of Throwing Mud Gallery in Old Town Tacoma. "It's a two-hour class with basic instruction on the pottery wheel. We also have a lot of gift items in our store. We have several styles of jewelry. I have rock pendants, earrings and bracelets with heart shapes, along with other handcrafted jewelry from about 20 different jewelers." Classes cost $60 per person.

The gift of local history

"The gift shop here at the History Museum is a unique place to find a gift for Valentine's Day," says Kimberly Ketcham, director of marketing and communications at the Washington State History Museum. "We have a variety of items from here in the Northwest, such as Pendleton wool blankets in Native American designs, glass art and jewelry made by local artists, and a collection of great books with historical photographs from our area. All our items really let you share our Washington heritage with your sweetheart."

The gift of gothy goodness

"Le Noir Bazaar offers unique gifts this Valentine's Day," says Amanda Jones, manager of Le Noir Bazaar in Tacoma. "We have lovely fingerless gloves with a Victorian flare of hand embellished crocheted lace." The gloves cost between $9 and $20.

The gift of local sweet treats

For Valentine's, Legendary Doughnuts has a few special selections: raspberry dark chocolate truffle (heart-shaped raised doughnut filled with raspberry and topped with dark chocolate truffle), white chocolate raspberry (chocolate cake doughnut dipped in white chocolate with raspberry filling) and raspberry fritters (heart-shaped raised doughnuts). "Do-nut forget your valentine," says Shannon Patten, owner of Legendary Doughnuts. Doughnuts are around $2 a peice, or $19.99 for a heart-shaped doughnut cake.

And if all else fails ...

"For people having a crappy Valentine's Day, World Market and the Pacific Northwest Shop have our CHOC-AID chocolate Band-Aids to mend a broken heart," says Sara Evans of With Love Chocolates. The Band-Aids cost $4.50 per box.

LINK: Hipster's guide to love on Valentine's Day

THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Cloudy with a little rain, hi 48, lo 41

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with some annoying rain, hi 46, lo 37

Sunday: Some rain here and there, hi 44, lo 39

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 25: CLUSTERFLUFF: AN ECLECTIC GLITTER EXPLOSION

Rock Candy Burlesque promises a smile, a flip of the skirt and a grind of the hips. The Rock Candy is one of the many highlights of Friday's Clusterfluff: An Eclectic Glitter Explosion at The Royal Lounge in downtown Olympia. The burlesque troupe plans to not only showcase its curves, but some (hidden?) talent, too. A raffle for a Rock Candy calendar, special guests from Twin City Tease, as well as a meet and greet (plus photo ops) with the ladies will also be going down. The Rock Candy's motto is "hard, sweet and sticky." Enough said. - Nikki McCoy

• The Royal Lounge, 7 p.m., $12, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia, 360. 705.0760

>>> FRIDAY, JAN. 25: ICE BLOCK PARTY

We can't think of a better way to celebrate winter than sampling nine different winter ales on Varsity Grill's heated outdoor patio. (Well, maybe being surrounded by snow bunnies in a remote mountain cabin with a hot tub and three weeks off work!) But, for being a Friday night in Tacoma, this is awesome. "It's one of our best parties of the year," says Razhida Pope, Varsity Grill general manager. To go with the delicious brews, expect tacos served outdoor street style, and heaping warm bowls of chicken corn chowder as well as dessert made with beer. After dinner, follow the party inside for live band karaoke. - NM

• Varsity Grill, 5:30-9 p.m., $20, $15 for Varsity Serious Beer Drinkers Club members, 1114 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.627.1229

>>> ALL WEEKEND: TACOMA HOME & GARDEN SHOW

Surely you have a few home improvements you've been meaning to make. Maybe, for instance, your retirement community building caught on fire. Need some inspiration to get the job started? This week the annual Tacoma Home & Garden Show returns to the Tacoma Dome, running through Sunday and bringing more garden demonstrations, bathroom renovation tips, vinyl siding samples, shag carpet displays, mulching systems and kitchen cabinet seminars than you'll find just about anywhere. This marks the 30th year of the Tacoma Home & Garden Show. — Weekly Volcano

• Tacoma Dome, Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., $10 adults, $8 Seniors, 16 and younger free, $16 two-day pass, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma, otshows.com/ths

>>> SATURDAY, JAN. 25: WESTSIDE TAVERN ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY BASH

The Westside Tavern in Olympia went through some serious transformation during 2011. Gone are Big Buck Hunter and pull-tabs. They have been replaced by refurbished pool tables and the classy photography of Casey Grant featuring tattooed ladies and Olympia beer. Gone is the tattered blue paint on the outside of the building - inside and out. The ambiance has been mellowed by earthy paint tones, accented by red. Gone is the greasy spoon bar food. The Westside now serves homemade upscale menu items, such as portabella fries with sweet Chile sauce and pineapple express sliders. Saturday, new owners Dean and Lisa Damitio celebrate their first year of being the coolest bar on the Westside by offering a live electric acoustic set by Vaughn Johannes and food and drink specials all night. A super great staff is there to please, and they have a nice heated smoking patio, too. "It's a community place for people to come gather," says Dean, "which is exactly what we were hoping to achieve." — NM

• Westside Tavern, 8 p.m., no cover, 1815 Harrison Ave., Olympia, 360.915.7839

>>> SUNDAY, JAN. 27: SOUTH SOUND WEDDING SHOW

A large percentage of people get married at some point during their lives. Some people, like Newt Gingrich for instance, do it several times. Hopefully soon it will be legal for gay folks to marry too. The fact is, weddings are a big part of our existence. All the more reason to check out the sixth annual South Sound Wedding Show Sunday at Centralia's Great Wolf Lodge. Expect everything from wedding gown and tuxedo models to dancing demonstrations. Pro Tip: If you're South Sound Wedding Show date ditches you for one of the Great Wolf water slides, he's probably not the one. — WV

• Great Wolf Lodge, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $8, 20500 Old Highway 99 SW., Centralia, southsoundweddingshowolympia.com

WHAT SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS ARE UP TO

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
I'm seeing Or, at Harlequin Productions. Yes, the comma is part of the title — plus my friends' intriguingly named band, Dutch Professors.

REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Music Writer
There are two fantastic shows this weekend at The New Frontier: Friday, with I Like Science, Glass Elevator, Oh Dear! and Battersea, and Saturday with Not From Brooklyn, the Harvey Girls and People Under the Sun. I'd find it hard to miss either.

ALEC CLAYTON Arts Critic
Saturday night we're going to see Or, at Harlequin Productions in Olympia. It's a fascinating play about a cross dresser who survived the Nazis in Germany on wit and guts. Sunday, Gabi and I are doing the talkback after The Children's Hour at Lakewood Playhouse - a riveting play, to say the least.

NIKKI MCCOY Feature Writer
This weekend brings an extra shift at the bar Saturday night, which means I will be serving pre-funkers headed to the Royal Lounge for E 40. I also invited Jared Warren from Big Business to come visit me and have a drink on me, so we'll see. If he doesn't make it, I'm sure there will be an entourage from the Capitol Theater in search of libations before, during and after the Bones Brigade flick and Big Business double feature. Other than that, I should probably do some laundry.

JOSH RIZEBERG Music Columnist
Friday night I'm going to check out the all-ages hip-hop line-up at The Loch's in downtown Tacoma. It's only $5 to get in. There are some good Seattle artists coming to perform on the bill. The show starts at 7 p.m. Saturday at 1 p.m. I'll be teaching my spoken word poetry class at D.A.S.H. The center is looking for 13- to 19-year-old poets who want to compete in slams. If ya know a young person who is good, send them to D.A.S.H. Saturday is also swim lessons for my little one. Later that day I'll be performing spoken word poetry at Hip-Hop 4 Homeless. This is an all-weekend event, Saturday and Sunday at the Olympia Ballroom. I'll be going-on during the Free Ya Mind segment of the show. Sunday, I'll be hanging with my Jewish community at Temple Beth El.

JACKIE FENDER Food Writer
This weekend will be a mellow weekend. I'll be writing and slinging booze some ... and otherwise floating around in a pregnancy-induced haze.

JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
I will spend this weekend rejoicing in completing the first semester of the school year while simultaneously lamenting that my SOTA intern is almost done with her J-term (and me). Of course, all that really means is I have no plans other than entertaining the toddler, spending time with the husband, and attending church on Sunday. The toddler keeps asking for a backpack so maybe I'll finally sew the fabric I cut out last weekend.

TIMOTHY GRISHAM Music Writer
Olympia is a swinging place when Leg. session is in. (Pun here: swinging from the rafters) So to celebrate the increase in temporary citizens, I plan on taking in a movie at Tacoma's Grand Cinema, then catching some form of live show (undecided yet as to what), and a meal somewhere away from downtown
Olympia. Curry Corner in Lacey sounds great.

NIC LEONARD Music Writer
Saturday night I will be checking out the Hip Hop 4 Homeless event at the Olympia Ballroom. Afterward, I'll be heading over to The Royal to open up for Bay Area legend E40. Go me!

ROCKFORD ROWLEY All-Ages Music Columnist
This weekend my friend and I are headed over to Cashmere, Wash. to visit some friends and attend a dessert party. We'll probably also visit Leavenworth, and enjoy the faux Bavarian town during its holiday season.

LINK: Even more local events that we recommend

LINK: Comprehensive South Sound Arts & Entertainment Calendar

BANDITO BETTY LOU WHO'S LEAP OF THE DAY >>>

Bandito Betty Lou Who isn't a huge fan of jingtinglers, floofloovers, trumtookas, blumbloopas and the other wack musical instruments her fellow Whos bang during the holiday season. Every two years she gets the hell out of Whoville and spends the holiday season in the South Sound.

She's back. The Weekly Volcano secretly attached a GPS device to her whocarnio. We're tracking her.

Apparently even Bandito Betty Lou Whos need to do some last minute shopping. We spotted her at the Market on Market waiting for it to open today for its Last Minute Gift Grab. From noon to 4 p.m. Caps 'N' Scraps, Singe Soy Candles, The One Spot, LollyGear, Fingerprint Confections, Paparazzi and others will sell locally sourced and made food and gifts. We managed to snap of her leaping before she ran out the door and into the YMCA. Don't fret. The Weekly Volcano is hot on her trail. Expect more Lou Who action tomorrow.

MARKET ON MARKET, 1122 MARKET ST., TACOMA

LINK: Bandito Betty Lou Who jumps archive

LINK: Weekly Volcano loves the holidays, cats and crafts, so we joined Pinterest.