American Idol auditions are Aug. 12, but you need to sign up Aug. 5.
Those who have always yearned for the chance to be on American Idol, circleย Saturday, August 5 on your calendars.
On that day, sign-ups will open atย ABCActionNews.com/Idol, with the first 400 registrants given the chance to audition — by performing a short a capella song before a panel of local celebrity judges — at Wesley Chapel’sย Florida Hospital Ice Center on Saturday, August 12.
The winner of “Tampa Bay Idol” will receive a โFront of the Lineโ ticket to audition for American Idol producers during their bus tour stop in Orlando on Thursday, August 17.
โPasco County has so much talent and I couldnโt be happier Tampa Bay Idol is holding their next tryout (here),โ said Pasco County District 2 commissioner Mike Moore, who represents much of Wesley Chapel. โThe ice arena where this will be held is a wonderful facility and we look forward to seeing the talent and the arena featured for the Tampa Bay Idol.โ
To audition, local singers must meet all eligibility requirements and download the official rules & local registration which can only be found at ABCActionNews.com/Idol.
Dr. June Hall, aka Dr. June (2nd from left) is hosting her fourth annual APTacious Experience Conference on August 5.
Dr. June Hall (aka โDr. Juneโ) is a motivationalist and the โProprietor of Positivity.โ She founded โTime to APTโ (Accentuate Positive Thinking) in order to help others find their way through dark periods and began the annual APTacious Experience Conference four years ago. The fourth annual APTacious event will be held on Saturday, August 5, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel (8310 Galbraith Rd., New Tampa).
With her background in Counseling and Education, she has worked with many individuals to help them overcome and deal with adversities. Not only has Dr. June been an educator for more than 20 years, she also penned a syndicated advice column and had her own advice segment on the โCBS Morning Newsโ in Miami. Since then, she has also developed an advice talk show, โCooking Up Advice with Dr. June,โ to reach as many individuals as possible to reduce personal and relationship stress.
Through facing her personal struggles with darkness and negativity, including fighting cancer, Dr. June put her faith in God, learned to โAPTโ and to turn her own darkness into sunshine. In addition to her published books, No More Pity Parties: A Guide to Celebrating Your Way through Life and No More Career Pity Parties, she also is Editor-in-Chief of Itโs APTAcious magazine. This is an extension of the APTacious event and is available online and in print. Dr. June has traveled throughout the country motivating individuals on national television shows such as โDaytimeโ and โJenny Jones,โ and has been an adviser and speaker for organizations such as the Pasco Lawyers Group, SALO (Student Activities & Leadership Officers), RA Group on Relationships, Mental Health Assn., Florida Developmental Education Assn. and others.
In addition to Dr. June, this yearโs APTacious Experience Conference includes four other motivational speakers, so whether youโre a small business owner, โmompreneur,โ interested in health & wellness or just want to be inspired, the APTacious Experience is for you!
Seating is limited, so register today at APTacious.com, call (813) 993-8100 or see the ad on page 19 of this issue.
Madison Davis, center, with her mom, Helena Hampton-Davis, and her dad, Mike Davis.
One of the top songs on Madison Davisโ playlist is โTitanium,โ sung by Australian recording artist Sia.
Itโs a song about prevailing over adversity, and when the refrain, โI am titanium, I am titaniumโ comes around, the New Tampa 12-year-old sings along with the words coming from a place deep within her.
Thatโs because Madison recently had titanium rods surgically inserted in her back to correct a severe case of scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. The rods are attached to her spine in order to hold it straight.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a case of scoliosis is considered severe, requiring surgery, if a still-growing person has a curvature of 45 degrees or greater.
She is well on the road to recovery following the six-hour surgery she underwent at Shriners Hospitals for Children โ Tampa (located on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida; see story on page 35 of this issue) in March, and her experience of overcoming a tough challenge at an early age has taught her to be generous.
Madison has formed a foundation {and applied for 501(c)(3) status} called Not on My Back, which raises money for rolling backpacks that she gives to children, including patients at Shriners who either have scoliosis or have had a spinal surgery.
Money is raised through fund-raising events and a GoFundMe page (GoFundMe.com/MadisonDavis). At our press time, the page showed that $5,625 of Madisonโs $10,000 goal had already been raised.
To Madison, the rolling backpacks her project provides relieve a painful burden from the backs of children with scoliosis and is a way she can make a difference in the lives of others.
โItโs for a good cause, to give kids something they need and to make sure theyโre not alone,โ she says.
According to Madisonโs mother, Helena Hampton-Davis, her daughter wants to express appreciation for the life-changing work that the doctors and staff at Shriners perform.
โShe decided she wanted to do something nice for Shriners and thatโs when she decided she wanted to start her own foundation,โโ says Helena. โWeโve committed to Shriners for 100 backpacks and weโve already delivered 50.โ
Helena adds that the backpacks are โfully loadedโ with school supplies when they are presented to recipients.
The personal strength and generosity of spirit Madison displays has earned her a role as a member of the Shriners team, as a patient ambassador. The hospitalโs public relations manager Lisa Buie says Madison is an inspiration to everyone who meets her.
โShe is a delightful young woman, and we couldnโt be prouder of her,โ Buie says.
There are many people who are proud of Madison and some of them gathered at her familyโs home in Heritage Isles on June 24 to celebrate both her accomplishments and National Scoliosis Awareness Month, which is observed in June each year.
โMadison has a team of people who support her,โ says Helena.
Professional artist and graphic designer Morgan Welch, who designed the fashionable โCurves are for hips, not backsโ t-shirts that attendees wore, is part of that support team.
Another is Mercedes McDowell, who sells Premier Designs jewelry at in-home events and is planning one of the jewelry companyโs โParties with a Purposeโ to raise money for Madisonโs foundation.
Helena also acknowledges the daily, routine support her family received.
โThere are people who came to the house to check on her,โ Helenaย says. โThey brought food, gifts, cards and stuffed animals.โ
Madison and her family also want to raise awareness about scoliosis and within their circle of support, they have definitely succeeded.
Anytime a child goes through a tough situation, itโs always a challenge for their parents, too. Madisonโs father, Mike Davis, says his daughter has become a role model for him.
โMy strength is really listening to her,โ Mike says. โInstead of complaining about the situation, sheโs helping others.โ
Through dealing with the curvature of her spine and the surgery to correct it, Madison has acquired insight as to what is required to prevail in such a situation.
โIt takes courage and strength, and you will get those from your family, friends and doctors,โ she says. โYou have gifts that God gives you and you will discover them.โ
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons website, as many as nine million people in the U.S. have scoliosis, which can develop in infants and toddlers, but most frequently begins when children are 10-15 years old. Severe scoliosis also can put pressure on the heart and reduce lung capacity.
Treatments range from wearing a supportive brace to surgery. Madisonโs operation was performed by Geoffrey Cronen, M.D., a spinal surgeon at Shriners. His prognosis of Madisonโs prospects for a fulfilling life is positive.
โSheโs a great person and has a bright future,โ Dr. Cronen says.
Madison says that her future includes designing clothes and exploring careers in medicine and law. โI want to help people,โ she says.
Lindsay Rewald works on a craft with her daughters Hayley (left) and Madison. The Rewalds decided to drop in to Go Craft Yourself on Cross Creek Blvd. after a doctorโs appointment.
When she wasnโt working as a software salesperson, or in real estate or defense manufacturing, Samantha Harrison says she was working on crafts.
Many of her projects โ other than adding an artistic touch to her young daughtersโ rooms and their home โ were gifts for friends that always seemed to be a hit. Combined with a Pinterest account burgeoning with projects she was hoping to get around to one day, the road to a crafting career was already in the works.
โYou know, you should do this for a living,โโ her friends would tell her, and one day, Samantha agreed.
In February, in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center off Cross Creek Blvd., Samantha and her husband Brian opened Go Craft Yourself, a concept that combines crafting with affordability and availability.
While Go Craft Yourself does hold crafting events and themed outings, its scheduling flexibility is one of the things that make it stand out from its few competitors in the Tampa Bay area.
Itโs this simple: Do you want to craft? Then come on in.
Samantha and Brian Harrison opened Go Craft Yourself in February of this year.
โYou can walk in the door anytime,โ Samantha says. โYou pick a project and do it, and take it home with you that day. You donโt have to make an appointment; you donโt have to come to a scheduled workshop. Weโre open every day but Mondays, so weโre pretty much always here.โ
Go Craft Yourself is located right across the way from the popular Childrenโs Dentistry office of Dr. Greg Stepanski, and shares the plaza with a number of other kid-friendly businesses where parents are often stopping by so their children can see doctors and dentists and take their music and martial arts lessons.
โIt seems like everybodyโs kids go to the dentist right across the way,โโ Samantha says, laughing.
Thatโs how New Tampaโs Lindsay Rewald discovered Go Craft Yourself. Her young daughters, Madison, 12, and Hayley, 9, were visiting their doctorโs office when they noticed the crafting center.
The three of them walked right in, found a project they liked, and started crafting.
โItโs a great concept,โโ says Rewald, who was stenciling the family name over the letter R onto a rectangular piece of wood she planned to hang in the family room of their home. It is Go Craft Yourselfโs most popular project, Samantha says.
Madison and Hayley were working on a similar project, painting their first names to hang in their bedrooms.
โItโs fun,โโ Hayley said.
โAnd, we will definitely be back,โโ her mom added.
One of the things Rewald says she liked about Go Craft Yourself is the workspace. The shop is more than 3,000 sq. ft., with a half dozen or so large, square wooden tables set up to handle large groups.
While the Harrisons looked around for the right studio, more expensive locations right on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. didnโt fit their needs. For a better price, they chose a far more spacious locale.
โThe space is one thing that definitely makes us different,โโ Brian says.
The Harrisons made the distinct, dark wood tables in the studio themselves, as well as the front counter and the wood-slatted wall behind it.
There is a childrenโs area in one corner, with chalkboard walls, and in another corner is a work area. On Fatherโs Day, children were able to fill a squirt gun with different colored paints and then fire away at a stencil, creating a unique gift for their dads.
Most of the crafts offered are wood-oriented, like signs, custom serving trays, planter boxes and wall decorations, although the studio also has painting for kids and various other crafts. Pricing is per project and varies depending upon the project.
Though you can walk right in and start crafting, Go Craft Yourself also offers workshops for serious crafters ages 18 and older, and is available for private events.
Go Craft Yourself is currently running โChristmas in July,โ where crafters can come in and make gifts for the upcoming holiday, or festive decorations for the home and tree.ย With Halloween and Thanksgiving quickly approaching as well, crafting season is about to kick into full gear and the art shop plans to offer a number of season-themed activities.
โWe are versatile,โโ Brian said. โWe had a whole bridal shower come in one time, and they wanted something that we typically donโt offer. But, we showed them something else, and they ended up making really nice custom-designed pieces for the wedding.โ
Samantha said that as the business grows, it will offer kid camps, with room to handle 70 budding artists at a time. She also is hoping to work with nearby schools on projects. She is already working with Benito Middle School, where currently, students can come in and decorate pavers for $10, which will then be used for a pathway at the school.
Samantha was born and raised in Melbourne, FL, and studied business and religion in college at Stetson and Liberty universities. However, the jobs that followed, she says, lacked a connection for her.
โThey werenโt very creatively-driven jobs,โ she says.
Two years ago, the Harrisons moved to West Meadows for Samanthaโs new sales job. However, since college, she says she has always imagined herself as a CEO or owner of a company, leading to Go Craft Yourself.
โI just never knew what that looked like, until we figured this out,โโ she says. โThis fulfills that desire.โ
Samantha says that while there are similar crafting studios in Tampa Bay, there arenโt any this area. And, there also arenโt any where you can walk in, sit down and begin crafting something special at a momentโs notice.
Go Craft Yourself definitely has an artistic feel to it, and even includes a sitting area with coffee and Wi-Fi for those taking a more leisurely approach to their project.
โPeople love the atmosphere,โโ Samantha says. โThereโs no time limit, no pressure, you can sit here all day if you want. We try to provide a calm, relaxing environment.โ
There also is the convenience factor, she adds. Instead of buying crafting supplies that you will use a few times and then store away until you end up with bottles of dried paint and crusty brushes, itโs more pragmatic to use what you need. No storage, no clean up.
And, itโs cheaper.
โWe make it easy,โโ she says.
Go Craft Yourself is ideal for a girls night out, birthday parties and team-building events, Samantha says, adding that her customer base has expanded every month.
โWeโve grown significantly since we opened in February,โโ Samantha says. โIโve really enjoyed getting to know new people. We get a lot of repeat customers, and I see a lot of them with the same passion for crafting I have.โ
Go Craft Yourself is located at 10311 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite A, in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center, and is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and 2 p.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 345-8498, visit GoCraftYourselfFL.com or see the ad on pg. 32 of this issue.
As youโre probably already aware, there are a lot of frozen yogurt and ice cream shops in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. So, how do any of them distinguish themselves from everyone else?
Jackie Chan (not his real name, but the name he goes by), the owner of the Frogury Frozen Yogurt Cafรฉ, has been open for almost five years, next to Five Guys in the plaza across from LA Fitness at the corner of County Line Rd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.
A few months ago, we told you that Jackie had added a taste sensation that is becoming popular all over the U.S., especially on and near college campuses โ rolled ice cream and frozen yogurt.
Jackie takes fresh cream and pours it onto an ice-cold, circular โpan.โ Heโs happy to mix in anything from Oreo cookies to almonds to a variety of fresh fruit, including the fresh banana he added to mine.
While the cream is chilling, Jackie mashes up your mix-in until as smooth as possible and then rolls it outย flat. He then takes a steel spatula and rolls the now-firm ice cream into, well, rolls. He then scoops up the super-cold rolls and places them side-by-side into a cup, adding virtually any topping you want. I tried to keep it healthy with fresh strawberries, although I also added chocolate syrup and whipped cream.
If youโve never had rolled ice cream, it is significantly colder and more dense than soft-serve yogurt or ice cream and most โhardโ ice creams, too. And the flavor? Out of this world!
As someone who still prefers โrealโ ice cream to any kind of frozen yogurt, I can tell you that if you havenโt yet sampled Froguryโs rolled ice cream, you owe it to yourself to visit and try it out today!
Boba Tea, Anyone?
Although Iโm not the biggest ice tea fan, either, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed my most recent foray into Boba, or โbubbleโ tea, which was first created in Taiwan in the 1990s and has been gaining popularity in the U.S. since the ear;y 2000s.
Bobas are ball-shaped, chewy bubbles of tapioca to which a variety of flavors, especially jellied fruit, can be added. Jackie had me try the traditional, โplainโ bobas in iced black tea (thereโs also green tea and other flavors) with milk, which was yummy, even though Iโm still not a big boba fan. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. A woman visiting the shop named Suzy says she comes to Frogury every day, just for the tea. โItโs the best in town,โ she said. โItโs why Iโm a regular here.โ
Frogury (6431 County Line Rd.) is open Mon.-Sat., 11 10a..- p.m., & noon-10 p.m. on Sunday. For 20-percent-off your purchase or buy-one, get-one-free smoothies, see the ad on pg. 46 of our last New Tampa issue. For more info, call 994-1960 or visit Frogury.com.
