All Independents Week asks in return is that you take a short pledge before downloading your “Golden Coupon”…

“YES! I understand that my dollars can help build a sense of place, a higher quality of life and a stronger economy!

I hereby take the pledge to buy locally during National Independents Week, June 29 through July 5, to help celebrate the diversity and vibrancy that makes me proud to call Arizona Home.”

Independents Week runs from Monday, June 29 to Sunday July 5.

Independents Week is also showing us how to shop local with these…
10 Tips for Shopping Local

1. Plan your week: List all the things you do on a regular basis - lunch, groceries, etc. - and figure out a local alternative to the usual chain coffeehouse or mega-mart.
2. Check out the “Golden Coupon” participants and download your ticket to saving 20%: Can these businesses help you hold up your end of the pledge this week?
3. Download the “Small Wonders” map for shopping and dining destinations in Central Phoenix.
4. Ask friends, family, colleagues for local recommendations.
5. Review the Top 10 Lists of Favorites from Arizona leaders for their recommendations.
6. Visit a Farmer’s Market to buy locally grown produce this week - or visit the Arizona Farm Bureau’s www.fillyourplate.org Web site to find local farmers and ranchers.
7. Look for the round, black and red “Local First” stickers in store windows to be sure!
8. Check the labels on the products you buy at local stores – and see if these items are made or grown in Arizona to double your impact.
9. Always use the search directory at www.localfirstaz.com to look for products and services in a variety of categories and search by keyword, city or ZIP code.
10. Tell your friends and family that You’re Going 100% Local and ask them to join you!

“Small businesses … serve a vital role in the state’s and local communities’ success.” — Former Governor Janet Napolitano proclaiming Independents Week.

Participating Businesses:

A Touch of Warmth
Advanced Handyman Services LLC
Antigone Books (Tucson)
Arizona Art Supply
Armoire Home
Auto Warranty Specialists-Warranties 4 Wheels
Bards Books A Community Book Store
Be You - Be Well Chiropractic
Bedmart, Inc.
Bell Signs
Body Soul Printing LLC
Bohemia
Bomberos Cafe & Wine Bar
Bunky Boutique
Cage World
Canelo Hills Vineyard & Winery
Changing Hands Bookstore
Chris’ Cafe (Tucson)
Community Tire/Auto Svc Specialists
Cowboy Ciao
D’Elia Photographic, LLC
Desert Song Yoga & Massage Center
Digestif
DiscoverTheRegion.com
Dog Eared Pages Used Books
Doggy Style Pet Gear
Down 2 Earth Gardens LLC
Duck and Decanter
eeko studio
eightlim yoga
Embellish Home
Farrelli’s Cinema Supper Club & Catering
Framin’ Works Glendale
Framin’ Works Phoenix
Frances
Furniture Affair
Halo Precision Piercing LLC
Harper’s Nurseries & Flower Shoppe
Heard Museum
Hoodlums Music and Movies
Hotel Valley Ho
J & W Bookkeeping (Tucson)
Jolta Java Coffee House & Cafe
just breathe, a wellness sanctuary
Kazimierz World Wine Bar
Kidstop Specialty Toys & Books
Kinesphere Studio
Kokopelli’s Kitchen
Lizabel’s Treasures
Lotus Massage & Wellness Center (Tucson)
Made Art Boutique
Mama Java’s CoffeeHouse
Mane Attraction Salon
Mood Swings Salon
Moonbeams- the sleep shop for little ones
Mrs. Tiggy Winkles Toys (Tucson)
Noble Beast
Paris Envy
Phoenix Rock Gym
Pink Spot Coffee and Ice Cream
Pop The Soda Shop
Pop-Cycle (Tucson)
Practical Art on Central
Samurai Comics
ShopDevious.com Beauty Lounge & Boutique
Sierra H Broadcasting, Inc.
Sky Fitness
Southwest Gardener
Souvia Tea
Spinato’s Pizza
Spoken Boutique
SuTRA Midtown Yoga
Sweet P’s Skin Care (Tucson)
The Cereal Boxx (Tucson)
The Flower Shoppe
The Mosaic Guys @ D&D Tile
Tony Felice PR & Marketing
Toque de Pasion Boutique (Tucson)
Two Plates Full
Udder Delights
Uncorked - The Unpretentious Wine Bar
Urban Cookies
Urban Kidz
Urban Southwest
Via Mediterranee
Wet Paint Artist Supply
Wist Office Products
You CAN Paint (Tucson)

There are two ways to get your Golden Coupon:
Download the Golden Coupon as a PDF document, or
View and print the Golden Coupon here.

Click here for more info on Independents Week in Arizona.

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Benefiting Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, Haute Summer Nights kicks off next Thursday, July 9 and continues every Thursday through July 23 on the Biltmore Fashion Park Center Lawn. These “haute” nights, starting at 5:30 p.m. and ending at 7:30 p.m., will cater to our every need as they focus on women’s necessities: shopping, fashion, beauty, food and fun.

Attendees will learn the summer’s latest trends during special style presentations from local fashion and beauty experts, while enjoying beauty bars, cocktails, appetizers and pampering treatments, including:

• chair massages
• polish changes from Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa
• fragrance and skin consultations from L’Occitane en Provence
• beauty touchups from Macy’s
• style consultations from Saks Fifth Avenue 

The “Head-to-Toe” theme will allow for each unique night to spotlight certain Valley experts in fashion or beauty. Check out what’s in store for each fun-filled evening:

July 9 - “Head” - Summer Beauty with Diane Aiello
Diane Aiello, Fashion & Beauty Editor/Stylist for Arizona Foothills Magazine, whose work has also appeared in Vanity Fair, Allure, Elle, People and Lucky Magazines, will be on-hand July 9 for helpful beauty secrets and tips. Diana Aiello has styled numerous celebrities, including: Brooke Burke, Vanessa Minnillo, Antonio Banderas and Nick Lachey–just to name a few. Diane’s runway credits include Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrara and many more. Don’t miss this amazing chance to see her work first-hand!

July 16- “Body” - Summer Fashions with Diane Aiello, Margaret Merritt and Joelle Hadley

Margaret Merritt’s history in the local fashion scene is more than impressive. After starting her career in Dallas, Margaret landed glamorous local jobs including: the Fashion PR Director for Saks Fifth Avenue and the legendary Robert Black Agency, as well as serving as a freelance stylist with Neiman Marcus, traveling with Ken Downing, NM’s current Director of Style. Now, as President of The Agency AZ, Margaret and her team manage the careers of over 200 runway, fashion, male, plus-size, petite and mature models and a select group of actors in the Valley.

Joelle Hadley is founder and president of The Culture CoachesTM: A Phoenix-based boutique management-consulting firm with expertise in business culture, work environments and corporate learning. The Culture Coaches’ mission is Creating Positive and Productive Work environments.

July 23- “Toe” - Summer Shoes with Amy Videan and Saks Fifth Avenue

Amy Videan has been in the fashion business for over 25 years. As the director of the Fifth Avenue Club for the last 12 years, she has styled and worked with many of our finest community members. Her taste is impeccable and her eye for style and the fashion forward is unmistakable.

Discounts & Gifts
The first 150 attendees to RSVP will receive special shopping surprise packages filled with exclusive discounts and gifts.

Tickets
Tickets are $20 per person per event or $50 for all three events. Click here to purchase tickets. All proceeds benefit Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. For more information, please call 602.955.1963.

Haute Summer Nights
Thursdays- July 9, July 16, July 23
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Biltmore Fashion Park Center Lawn

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Beyonce is set to perform her newest and greatest hits, including “Single Ladies,” “Diva” and “Halo” from her new album, “I am … Sasha Fierce.” This alter ego takes over Beyonce when she is the woman on stage or hard at work. Beyonce has said that this other side that comes out “protects [her] and who [she] really is.”

About Beyonce Knowles: Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Beyonce, 27, has done it all. She has been in several big films, has written many songs, has modeled, produced records and of course sings amazingly well. She started her career as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child, which she separated from in 2003 with the release of her own hit album “Dangerously in Love.” The album was best selling that year and earned her a Grammy Award. It included such Beyonce classics as “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy.”

Her next album, “B’Day,” was another huge success and included the hits “Déjà Vu,” “Irreplaceable,” and “Beautiful Liar.” Released in 2006, the album made number one on the Billboard Charts.

According to Wikipedia, Beyonce has broken major records, including being a female artist with the most cumulative weeks at number one this decade. She has attained the most top five hits and the most top tens on the Hot 100 this decade as well.

She starred in the film “Dreamgirls”, for which she was nominated for two Golden Globe awards. She produced and starred in the recently released film “Obsessed,” with Ali Larter, which was released in April. She has also starred in “Austin Powers in Goldmember”, “Wow Wow Wubbsy”, “The Fighting Temptations”, “Carmen: A Hip Hopera”, “Beverly Hood”, “The Pink Panther and Cadillar Records.”

Beyonce quietly married producer, rapper and one of  the most successful hip hop artists and American entrepreneurs of our time, Jay-Z, in April 2008.

US Airways Center
201 E. Jefferson St.
Phoenix, AZ, 85004
Phone: 877.598.8497
www.livenation.com
www.usairwayscenter.com

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JULY 1

Public Enemies: Amidst the dreary Great Depression, starving Americans are starting to hate the US banks. Bank robber John Dillinger, who is played by Johnny Depp, comes into power among the people but is sought after by FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, who is played by Christian Bale. As a public fugitive from the law, he falls in love with a young woman, played by Academy Award Winner Marion Cotillard.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs: The Ice Age team is back and they are in for another wild adventure. To their surprise, they find a hidden world under layers of snow filled with flocks of dinosaurs. Of course this brings new danger to Manny, Ellie and Diego.

JULY 10

Bruno: If you loved Borat, you must see Sacha Baron Cohen play a flamboyantly gay Austrian model named Bruno. The film is sure to be just as hilarious as it is offensive. Pants dropping Bruno travels to the South and even adopts a baby named “O.J.”

I Love You, Beth Cooper: A nerdy high school valedictorian’s dreams come true as he spends one wild night with the girl he always loved – Beth Cooper, who is played by Hayden Panettiere. The night unravels after he confesses his love for her at the graduation ceremony in front of the entire student body.

JULY 15

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Harry Potter fanatics rejoice, the new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is soon to be in theatres. Professor Dumbledore needs Harry to help him solve a mystery of immortality. Meanwhile romance is in the air for many of the magic and love-struck students.

JULY 24

The Ugly Truth: Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler star in a romantic yet brutally honest comedy about dating and the opposite sex. Abby is a straight arrow, successful T.V. producer who is very annoyed by her new guest commentator, Mike, who is chauvinistic and blunt about how men opperate. They strike up a deal that leads to Mike teacher Abby how to win over her sexy neighbor. Who she falls for in the end, is unknown.

G-Force: Watch three guinea pigs serve as secret agents and take on espionage. It’s funny, cute, clever and great for the whole family.

Orphan: After being devastated by the loss of their unborn child, John and Kate adopt Esther, who is not what she seems.

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Whether to escape the crowds of Barceloneta or to get a taste of Dali, Costa Brava is a must-see hidden treasure. We were informed that traveling to Costa Brava from Barcelona was best done by bus, and indeed it was. The scenic green route and various coastal stops once entering Costa Brava allowed us to gain an overall feel for the rural parts of Catalonia and a larger glimpse of the Mediterranean.

Palamós
There are many stops to choose from, we however decided to venture the town of Palamós, which is in the province of Girona. The beach town, being a major port, is situated at the northern end of a large bay where at one end sits the old town and the other the newer. The bus dropped us off at the northern end so the distant view along the beach was of the new town, which was quite impressive. The northern end is also where the harbor is located, along with a stretch of various restaurants where persuasive waiters haggle you to partake in their fare rather than the next.

It wasn’t until a local insisted on us taking our beach-ware to the favored southern end of the stretch that we became BIG fans of Palamós. As we walked further and further from the northern end, the view looking back at the colorful old town against the azure, clear waters was unbelievably pristine and almost fantasy-like. The water was warm, the skies were clear, and many were out windsurfing or on their sailboats. It was near perfect.

The one thing I will give our California coastlines is our white, soft sand. The Mediterranean sand is a bit courser and at some points very rocky, which can be unpleasant on the feet. But all can be fixed when tourist dollars are at stake. At some coves, the Catalans have added man-made sand to beautify the beaches and for our feeling pleasure. Real or not, Costa Brava is just another reason Spain is so adored.

Figueres
This town in Costa Brava attracts visitors from all over as it houses Dalí Theatre and Museum where the famous Salvador Dali (1904-1989) is buried in a crypt of the basement. Figueres was the famous artist’s hometown and at the heart of the museum today, is the building that used to be the town’s theatre when Dali was just a child. The Dali Museum is special in that it was also one of the first places Dali publicly showed his work as a young artist.

***Other major towns in Costa Brava worth visiting are Cadaqués, Roses, Tossa de Mar, Pals, Begur, Tamariu, S’Agaró, Empuriabrava, Llafranc, L’Estartit, Aigua Blava, Fornells, Calella de Palafrugell, and Sant Feliu de Guixols.

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La Sagrada Familia
Gaudi, being a devoted Catholic, spent most of his later years working on his and Spain’s most esteemed possession, La Sagrada Familia, a magnificent Roman Catholic church in central Barcelona. Gaudi designed La Sagrada Familia to have 18 towers, 12 for the 12 apostles, four for the four evangelists, one for Mary and one for Jesus.

Photos of La Sagrada Familia hardly do the remarkable church justice. To see the massive skyscraping church from a first person standpoint is truly astonishing and worthwhile. From every angle there is an eyeful of Gaudi’s intricate sculpting. However, the celebrated church that soars high above the rest of the city, is not yet completed and won’t be completed until 2026, the anniversary of Gaudi’s death.

Guadi devoted his last 15 years of his life to La Sagrada Famila to which, in his last few years, he lived in its crypt. Oddly enough, when Gaudi finally emerged from the church, he was immediately hit by a tram. And because of his unkempt appearance and empty pockets, not one taxi driver recognized him. He was finally taken to the hospital and it wasn’t until the next day that his friends discovered him and urged him to be moved to a better hospital. Gaudi refused and reportedly said “I belong here among the poor.” He died on June 10, 1926, three days after the accident and was buried in the midst of La Sagrada Família.

Parc Güell
If not to see Gaudi’s most colorful garden complex up in the hills of Barcelona, then I recommend spending a couple hours at Parc Güell to simply take in one of the most incredible and panoramic views of the city. Parc Güell sits on the hill of El Carmel in the Gracia district and is named after Count Eusebi Güell. What makes Parc Güell so fascinating is mainly its elaborate tile-work, but also the gingerbread-house looking buildings on both sides of the entrance, the dramatic pillars, and even the Spanish music played by a local guitarist add to the local spectacle that is Parc Güell.

Casa Milà
It’s no doubt you’ll unconsciously pass by the Casa Milà (A.K.A. La Pedrera) as it is located on the busy and popular Passeig de Gracia in the Eixample district of Barcelona. The outside, unique in its original design, is nothing compared to the top where mask-like sculptures are just as beautiful and dramatic as they are strange.

Casa Batlló
Also on the strip of Passeig de Gracia, you can find and take in the unique design of Casa Batlló – a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, initially built in 1877 and remodeled from 1905 through 1907. The local Catalan name for the Casa Batlló is “Casa dels ossos” which translates to “House of Bones.” The overall feel and design suits the name as many pieces resemble the morbid skeleton.

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Music legend Michael Jackson was rushed to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center this afternoon from his rented home in Holmby Hills, California after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was soon after pronounced dead.

The UCLA Newsroom released the following statement today:

The legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away on Thursday, June 25, 2009, at 2:26 p.m. it is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known.

His personal physician, who was with him at the time, attempted to resuscitate Jackson, as did paramedics who transported him to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Upon arriving at the hospital at approximately 1:14 p.m., a team of doctors, including emergency physicians and cardiologists, attempted to resuscitate him for a period of more than one hour but were unsuccessful.

Michael Jackson’s music has touched many, including those of us here in the Phoenix area. As the world mourns this tragic loss, we would like to take a look back at the successes of this pop icon and remember him for the impact he had on music as we know it today.

Click here to check out photos of Michael Jackson.

1969: The Jackson Five release their first hit single “Want You Back” and their debut album Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5

1970: The Jackson Five release three albums in one year - ABC, The Third Album and Jackson 5 Christmas Album

1971: Michael Jackson releases his first solo single “Got To Be There”

1972: Michael Jackson releases his debut album Got To Be There and his second album Ben

1979: Michael Jackson releases his album Off the Wall, which sells over nineteen million copies worldwide

1980: Michael Jackson wins a Grammy for Best Vocal Performance with “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”

1982: Michael Jackson releases the album Thriller “Thriller” - which included the blockbuster hits “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and “Thriller”. Thriller later becomes the best-selling album of all time, selling an estimated 50 million copies worldwide

1984: Michael Jackson gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

1987: Michael Jackson releases the album Bad which sells over eight million copies

1991: Michael Jackson releases the album Dangerous

1992: Michael Jackson forms the “Heal the World Foundation”

2001: Michael Jackson is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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Tapas
Before I left for Barcelona, I was already aware of the Catalans’ “tapas” style of dining, which I have of course experienced at quite a few restaurants in the states. But small and consistent sharing-style plates of food were not what arrived at our table. When they say tapas, they literally want you to count the number of shrimp skewers and bruschetta pieces, for instance, because how many you want is how many you get.

From the first glance at the menu filled with a wide selection of fried meats and potatoes; slices of bread under almost everything, and sangria or wine authentically served  at every meal, you’d think you’d gain 20 pounds. But the small quantity of each order leaves you surprisingly satisfied and yet not totally full either. Oh and devouring your succulent little tapas and downing your drink is hardly appropriate in Spain either. The Catalans enjoy every bite and every moment of their meal, and the waiters expect you too as they enjoy taking their sweet time as well… In other words, a quick bite or meal is a vast rarity in Barcelona.

Paella
Originating in Valencia, “paella” is one of Spain’s signature dishes and is served at many restaurants throughout Barcelona. This rice dish is not only tasty and completely appetizing, but it is again designed to be shared and shared it will be! It is served hot and ready to eat and right out of the even hotter pan it was used to cook the combination of fresh seafood, rice, vegetables, etc.

Sangria
To put it simply, sangria is big in Spain. It’s served at every restaurant, at every hour, as white or red and made with all different kinds of fruit. It makes for a perfect drink by the beach on a hot day and ordering a pitcher at dinner for the whole table makes for good conversation.

Gelato
There was no need to order any “postres” (one of the first Spanish words I learned, and is translated as dessert) while dining out in Barcelona because just around every corner there is a Gelato shop enticing you with its radiating smell of sweet deliciousness. Yumm-y!

Spain’s Dining Timetable & Siesta
With the nine-hour time difference, it wasn’t too difficult to integrate Spain’s late eating regime. Breakfast time is whenever you wake up from your late night and consists of nothing more than a croissant or muffin with your morning coffee or juice. But the restaurants don’t fill with Catalans on their lunch hour until around 2 p.m., which is then immediately followed by “siesta,” or afternoon nap/relaxation time. After siesta, the Catalans and Spaniards (Notice I distinguish the two even though technically the Barcelonans are Spanish, but still like to be “distinguished” as Catalans) return to work and of course stay much later to make up for their mid-day break.

Believe it or not, most restaurants in Spain don’t open for dinner until around 9 p.m., as the common hour for the final meal of the day is around 10 p.m. Surprising, yes, but what’s more surprising is the all-night, all-age nightlife…

Barcelona Nightlife
After dinner, the Catalans head to the local pubs or bars for casual drinks and music. The most popular districts for these are found in the hip and chic El Born or off the narrow sides streets of the happening La Rambla promenade. The discotheques or dance clubs, however, don’t start booming until 2 a.m.; and they don’t quit until dawn either.

You wouldn’t think so, by the astonishing amount of people who take their drinks to the streets and the countless men asking you to buy one of their six-packs of “cervesas,” but open bottles of alcohol are not allowed outside the bars or restaurants. Either way, the Catalans love to party outdoors, late at night, on the beach, and at all hours. Salut!

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Aside from its important functions, the Placa de Catalunya is quite a site to see with a unique open circle in the middle, which somehow attracts hundreds of pigeons adding to the squares quaint beauty. El Centre Ingles- Barcelona’s major department store also lies at the corner, along with many other high end and recognizable shops. Old world statues make the Placa de Catalunya architecture extremely European. As a total tourist, I took one of the double decker buses around the cities, which despite everything, was definitely worth it and informative.

At the Southwest corner and beginning of the world famous La Rambla promenade sits Café Zurich – a replica of the same café and famous landmark once residing there long before the new one. Having had coffee and croissants there a few times already, I can say it is a great spot to relax while also taking part in the action at this busy crossroad.

La Rambla

After finishing a delicious “café con leche,” it’s quite hard not to make your way down the whimsical and most well-known boulevards in Europe – La Rambla. This majestic mile-long promenade is full of color and life exuding from the somewhat freaky human statues, fortune-tellers, pick-pocketing card sharks, magicians, dancers, etc.

Halfway down La Rambla is the Mercat de la Boqueria – not your average market. The famed area is not just for shoppers, tourist head in here to see the morbid sheep heads, gory skinned animals and to feel the fast paced energy. However large in its radius, the food is fresh and there is something very European about the bustling shoppers gathering their weekly produce.

La Rambla at night can be as busy as it is bazaar with its hopping after-hour discotheques and controversial sales. Let’s just say as a girl, I wouldn’t strut my stuff down the boulevard at night without a partner.

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It is now my third day in the city that, if it were a man, I would say “he was the whole package.” Barcelona truly unites the best of all worlds, as it is a fascinating metropolitan grace land situated at the beautiful Spanish coastline where temperatures are never too cold nor too hot – they are of course, perfect. Picture an artistic yet refined European city with breathtaking architecture, featuring a plethora of Gaudi’s jaw-dropping works sprinkled throughout; a vivacious nightlife; a Rodeo Drive high fashion quarter; a language that blends Spanish and French; and sparkling warm-water beaches where on-sand restaurants serving sweet sangria to oceansiders is the norm. Oh and did I mention the city somehow breeds an excess of beautiful Spaniards you swear could be featured on LA billboards. Before you head to the conventional and over-romanticized European hotspots, spend a weekend, week, month, years in the land of Barcelona, which to me, is set apart and set above the rest.

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