California Professional Services

Spin your sauciest spaghetti with haste and utter disregard for the cleanliness of your clothes. Today’s Groupon gets you $40 worth of dry-cleaning services at The Wash Club on Frederick Street for $20. Wash Club’s fashion hygienists will free you from the crippling fear of spills and stains that have kept you on the sidelines of life’s messiest treats.The Wash Room (13 episodes): Set in a Baltimore laundromat that was more community center than cleaning business, this sitcom starred Jackie Hartley as wise-cracking laundress Ruth Givens. From her perch behind the laundry counter, Ruth would dispense advice and crack wise with local do-nothings like Marvin and Sleepy Pete, and memorable guest stars like Joe Namath.

Behind a scarlet door buzzes Dickerman Prints' cadre of technicians, busily cropping, printing, and touching up memories frozen in glossy photographic amber. A Polielettronica LaserLab printer embosses Fujicolor crystal archive paper with chromogenic prints of images fed from the lab's Mac workstations or FTP upload site. A selection of archival papers hums happily through the shop's Epson inkjet printer, yielding images that are up to 64 inches wide and capable of withstanding the passage of time and the grubby hands of time travelers. Existing photos and negatives become indelible when scanned and digitized, and the lab's crew also retouches and mounts photos. The techs process film in a darkroom to keep jealous computers from editing themselves into family photos.

The friendly family of florists at Abigail’s Flowers doles out festive foliage for any occasion. From proms and weddings to "get wells" and birthdays, Abigail’s arranges bouquets primed to please recipients and proximal bumblebees. Arrangements are organized by price range, and all showcase bright flora such as roses, sunflowers, white lilies, and blue hydrangea. Abigail’s also offers specialty services such as gifts, plants, dried floral arrangements, and local delivery.

Backdropped by Union Street's romantic sights, from Gough to Steiner, and Fillmore Street's illustrious shops, from Union to Lombard, the third annual Union Street Has a Crush on You Valentine Wine Walk fills glasses with vine-ripened flavors from around the state and across the world. Although this event is free to the public, pass holders enjoy free access to wine tastings, saving them the trouble of fumbling with billfolds and retina scanners. Participating wineries include Cresten’s Eden Canyon Vineyards, Rosa d’Oro Vineyards, and Terra Sávia, a champion of organic wine. Myriad merchants complement the wine sipping with opportunities for singles or couples to browse such bountiful commodities as organic food and lingerie. Although parking is available downtown, attendants are encouraged to consider public-transportation options so they can leave their cars, trucks, and saddled walruses at home.

In 1996, Food on Foot set up on the steps of the Hollywood Post Office, delivering its first chicken dinner out of the trunk of a car to neighbors experiencing homelessness. The organization quickly expanded and began serving meals every Sunday to increase food security among underserved residents. Today, Food on Foot serves that same meal of chicken, rice, and tortillas every week, as well as a variety of healthy snacks including granola bars, baby carrots, fresh fruit, and bottled water. It also distributes gently used clothing, shoes, and sleeping bags and business clothes for clients who have secured job interviews.

In 1999, Food on Foot began its Work for Food program, wherein volunteers pick up trash in the Hollywood area. Each volunteer fills two garbage bags and receives a $10 grocery-store gift card, healthy snacks, and a chicken dinner in return. After participating in the program for two months, volunteers are placed on a daily route to pick up trash while the program staff works to help them acquire a full-time job. Once participants find a job, Food on Foot funds an apartment, utilities, and transportation for three months while they become established in their new position. During this time, workers continue their daily trash route and turn in their paychecks to Food on Foot. At the end of the three-month period, they receive the uncashed checks to open a savings account.

A good headshot is a ticket to superfame. This Groupon gets you professionally planned and excellently executed photos of your face from Headshots Only for a third of the regular price. Actors, models, and students need professional photos to get to the top in Hollywood, high fashion, and Craigslist listings. The difference between a homemade headshot and one from an expert shutterbug is huge, and a good headshot is an investment in your career. Headshots from Headshots Only have the spellbinding intensity that grabs directors’ attention and compels them to call actors immediately for auditions, which can cause instantaneous superfame.