Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Martha Henry never dreamed that Kaitlin Babb, a 10-year-old neighbor and playmate of her daughters, would one day be her business partner.

“When I was growing up in Land O’ Lakes, we did hair all the time at Martha’s house,” Kaitlin recalls fondly. “I’ll never forget the day she made me a blonde in her kitchen.”

As Martha styled and colored the hair of friends and family in her Lake Padgett home, Kaitlin patiently watched whatever Martha did, learning enough by the time she was 12 to begin doing hair for her friends.

Martha’s early mentoring had a lasting impact. After graduating from Land O’ Lakes High, Kaitlin attended Paul Mitchell The School in Tampa, graduating from the 10-month course in 2011.

Meanwhile, Martha’s career was taking off at The Salon at ULTA Wesley Chapel, located in The Grove shopping center. Martha joined Ulta when the salon opened in 2006, and was soon one of its top stylists.

During her eight years at Ulta, Martha followed Kaitlin’s progress as she graduated from high school and cosmetology school, and began working as a hair stylist. Two years later, with Martha’s encouragement and recommendation, Kaitlin was hired at The Salon at Ulta.

“It was a bit like working alongside my daughter, since I’ve known Kaitlin most of her life,” said Martha, “I was very proud of what a good stylist she had become.”

Last January, Martha decided to open her own salon — Fabulous Hair Designs. She chose an office suite a few miles south of Ulta off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, in a complex behind Dunkin Donuts on the north edge of the Seven Oaks community.

In August, Kaitlin joined her childhood teacher, and they brought together the talents, strengths and experiences of two generations.

“I’ve been doing hair for 30 years and bring a lot of experience to our team,” said Martha. “Kaitlin brings the exuberance of youth, and the knowledge and training in the most up-to-date trends and techniques that she learned at Paul Mitchell.”

Martha is a Redken Certified Colorist, one of only 3,000 in the world. Both women are Redken Certified Stylists. Redken bestows these prestigious recognitions after extensive, ongoing education and testing.

Martha and Kaitlin are full-service stylists who offer clients expert haircuts, color and highlights, color techniques such as Sombre’ and Balayage, and special treatments such as Keratin and perms.

“It’s the stylist — not the salon — who creates the look that makes you feel great,” said Martha. “Kaitlin and I have the training and experience to give you the same trendy cuts and color techniques found at bigger salons.”

In addition to great prices, Fabulous Hair Designs Inc. offers extended hours daily, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Martha and Kaitlin are also available 24/7 for hair emergencies.

Martha: (813) 928-2939 • Kaitlin: (813)476-1558

3854 Flat Iron Loop, Suite 104 • Wesley Chapel, FL

Behind Dunkin Donuts on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard

7 days a week • 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Hair emergencies 24/7

When people come to Medi-Weightloss in Lutz for help losing weight, many are surprised by the clinic’s focus on health.

“Losing weight is all about your health. It’s the most important reason to lose weight,” said Gerri Willett, owner and manager of the clinic on SR 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard. “For every 10 pounds someone loses, it increases their life by one-and-a-half years.”

That translates into living an additional five years for the average Medi-Weightloss patient, who typically loses 35 pounds while on the program.

“We tell our patients to forget about losing weight because of their appearance. We want them to think first about losing weight to improve their health,” said Gerri.

The Lutz Medi-Weightloss clinic, which is owned by Gerri, her husband Tom, and Mark and Ronda Willett, is celebrating its 10th year. Their clinic has helped hundreds of area people regain their health by losing weight with Medi-Weightloss’ proven three-step program:

“We understand that losing weight is very difficult — perhaps one of the most difficult things one can do,” said Gerri. “We’re here to guide our patients through all three phases of weight loss, and then continue supporting them so they don’t gain their weight back.”

When meeting the staff at Medi-Weightloss, the first thing many people notice is their empathy and sincere support. The medical doctors, who focus is on weight loss, and their health care assistants view being overweight as a medical problem that can be just as serious as diabetes and other chronic conditions.

“People who have never been overweight don’t understand that losing weight is very difficult, and often mistakenly believe it’s a lack of discipline,” said Gerri. “Our staff truly understands the challenges of losing weight, because most of them were our patients before they became employees.”

Studies show that obese people are more impulsive, are procrastinators and falsely believe they can lose weight by themselves, Gerri said.

“So many people come to us caught up in a negative circle, where they lose a few pounds, only to gain it back because they eat out of stress or frustration,” said Gerri.

Most of the patients at Medi-Weightloss are women, and most have between 30 and 50 lbs. to lose. But, many men also are clients and do very well on the program.

“Anyone who does our program correctly, will lose weight,” said Gerri, who said most clients lose their weight in three to four months. “Patients usually see a weight loss of 8 to 10 pounds in the first week, and then 2 to 3 pounds a week after that. It really does work!”

As a patient’s body adjusts to their new weight, it becomes healthier, and the person feels the best they have in years with more energy, and fewer aches and pains.

“The longer a patient maintains their goal weight, the easier it gets to keep it off,” said Gerri. “If our program didn’t work, we would not still be in operation 10 years after we opened our Lutz clinic.”

24420 State Road 54, Lutz

(813) 909-1700

www.mediweightlossclinics.com

If you want to learn how to paint, you must meet Pat Weaver — one of Pasco County’s best-kept secrets.

A nationally recognized watercolor artist, Pat teaches workshops in cities across the U.S. and has taught internationally in France, Italy, Spain, England, The Bahamas and Mexico.

Pat also conducts workshops at her Dade City studio several times a year, drawing students from throughout Florida, as well as Texas, Minnesota, New York, Chicago, Georgia, Indiana and Ireland. Workshops focus on a particular subject, such as animals, landscapes, drawings and portraits, and are open to students of all levels of experience.

“I am a dedicated artist and absolutely love teaching people how to paint. And when I’m home, I enjoy opening up my studio to students and sharing my knowledge,” said Pat.

For beginners, Pat offers a series of four classes on Monday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. The series covers the basics of painting — drawing, mixing colors, design and composition.

The next beginner classes are January 4, 11, 18 and 25. Pat keeps the class size small to allow for personalized instructions. Cost is $150 for all four classes.

“My beginner classes are a tremendous value,” said Pat. “If a student sincerely wants to learn, I will teach them how to paint in this workshop.”

The beginner Monday workshops are so popular with area residents that Pat now offers them January through June, and again September through November.

“My classes are educational and are not intended to be a social event,” Pat said. “They are for people who are serious about learning how to paint, and those wanting to improve their painting techniques.”

Workshops are held on Pat’s 36-acre farm in her custom-designed studio, located a few miles west of Dade City on Blanton Road. Students enjoy peaceful views of rich pastureland surrounded by rolling hills.

Pat has been painting for 40 years. She trained as an oil painter at the prestigious Scottsdale Artists’ School in Arizona, and studied with some of the best-known artists in the world, including Robert Bateman, John Seery Lester and Daniel Green.

After 20 years of painting in oils, Pat moved into watercolor and began her career as a teacher. A past president and a signature life member of the Florida Watercolor Society, Pat has received numerous awards for her artwork in state and national competitions. She is especially known for her watercolors of dogs, and is currently accepting commissions for dogs and cats.

Pat is the author “Watercolor Simplified” and has been featured in many magazine articles. Her work has graced the covers of several publications, including School of Veterinary Medicine, The New Barker and Tampa Bay Metro.

Pat’s instructional videos can be found on You Tube, and “Pet Portraits with Pat Weaver” is available on Craftsy.com.

In addition to her significant accomplishments as an artist, Pat has also served her community exceptionally well. She was a Dade City councilwoman from 1987-92, Dade City mayor from 1990-92, founder of Main Street Dade City in 1987 and is a past president of the Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce.

Pat’s upcoming workshops, and galleries of her paintings, can be found on www.patweaver.net

(352) 206-0638

36641 Blanton Rd • Dade City, Fl 33526

Email: • www.patweaver.net

There’s a new pizzeria in Lutz that’s already the talk of the town — both for its unusual name and its excellent pizza.

Big Dog’s NYC Pizza, located in Sunset Plaza in downtown Lutz, opened this summer under the management of Kelly Lamplugh. The restaurant’s unique name honors her husband, Al, who is known as “Big Dog” to family members.

“My husband was a huge supporter of me starting this new venture,” said Kelly. “Plus, the name “Big Dog” was memorable and set us apart from other pizza places.”

Kelly is having fun with the “Big Dog” theme. Al built the front of an oversized dog house between the customer counter and the kitchen. When guests come into the restaurant, it’s the first thing they see.

“Everybody comments on the dog house when they come into the restaurant,” said Kelly.

Kelly is proud that most first-time customers become regular customers, coming back for great pizza that is fairly priced.

“We make everything from scratch, beginning with our pizza dough and pizza sauce.” said Kelly. “I buy fresh ingredients for toppings every day. Everything is fresh — nothing is canned or frozen.”

Big Dog’s NYC Pizza is the second pizzeria Kelly has operated. Before moving two years ago from Philadelphia to Wesley Chapel, she owned Broomall Pizza, a popular neighborhood restaurant in a suburb close to the city.

“I loved running Broomall Pizza,” said Kelly. “I was very sad to close the store after my husband’s company transferred him to Wesley Chapel.”

After working in the restaurant business for 20 years, Kelly changed careers when she moved to Florida and became a nurse. While she enjoyed nursing, she never got over her love of running a restaurant.

So when the opportunity arose to manage this Lutz restaurant, she jumped at the chance.

Kelly knew she wanted another pizzeria, and wanted to price her pizzas so families could afford them.

“When we moved to Florida, we thought Pizza here was very expensive,” said Kelly. “I really wanted to target a more affordable pizza for families like mine.”

Big Dog’s most popular pizza is The Carnivore, which Kelly says has 50 percent more meat than most meat-lover pizzas. Also popular are its meatball subs and Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches, both which come on Amorosco’s bread, a favorite Philadelphia bakery.

Other best sellers are the restaurant’s everyday family specials: $20 Family (Large, 16” cheese pizza, 6 garlic knots and 12 zeppoles); $22 Pup (Large 16” cheese pizza, 10 wings and salad); and $29 Big Dog (Large cheese pizza, 20 wings, 6 garlic knots and 2 liter soda).

813-803-7223 • 18421 Hwy. 41, Lutz

11-8 Mon – Thurs • 11-9 Fri – Sat • Closed Sundays

www.BigDogsPizzaLutz.com