Slainte! (The only Irish word you'll ever need to know)

So apparently, I'm not allowed to go drink green beer on my lunch hour today, according to my boss. I figured as a redhead, he'd be all about St Paddy's Day, but he didn't even wear green.

I love green, so I'm sitting here sulking at my desk, all dressed up with no where to go. I guess no one else in Boulder is having a similar issue because we've been getting tweets all morning asking where the action is today...

I love a holiday that inspires 9 a.m. drinking.

I'm all about giving the people what they want so I've put together a little (suggested) Downtown Boulder St Paddy's Day Pub Crawl. Here ya go folks:

The obvious first stop is Conor O'Neills. They're having live music and drink specials all day, and hey, they've been open since 8 a.m. so that's a plus. The early bird gets the guinness...

Next, head east and hit up Dish for some gourmet Irish for lunch. Corned beef and cabbage, yum!

Of course, you'll need to wash that all down with something, so next stop is Mountain Sun for their annual celebration. Brewers have created a special brew for the occasion and they need you to test it out! And if you stick around, Elephant Revival is playing all night long, starting at 10 p.m.

Next stop, dessert. Grab a Green Beer or Car Bomb flavored cupcake from Tee and Cakes. Um, delicious!!

From there, you can skip over to the Hotel Boulderado at 5 p.m. for live music and Irish fare on the mezzanine. Yes, there will be riverdancing.

All that jigging is surely going to make you thirsty, so pop on down to the Rib House by 6 p.m. for a free tap beer if you're wearing green. Live music from Jeff Brinkman till 9 p.m.

Next up, the West End Tavern for some awesome drink specials, like Car Bomb Slushies and $3 Black and Velvets. Lots of food items for snacking on, too, so you can refuel for the rest of the night.

I assume by this time, you're getting a little tired, so swing back towards the Boulder Theater to sit down for a 8 p.m. showing of The Big Lebowski. Wear a robe for a dollar off a White Russian. Wear a green robe if you're really in the spirit.

Now that you've had time to rejuvenate it's time to throwdown...at the Draft House St Paddy's Day Throwdown. Drink and food specials all night and live music!

And if you think you can handle it, finish off your night at Conor's for one last car bomb. Or two.

Additional hot spots include Q's for lunch and drink specials, The Blending Cellar for ladies night and a jewelry trunk show and the St. Julien for more live music.

So there you have it. Go drink, eat, and be merry, and let us know if you find more to do! And don't forget, the Hop is running free all day today so you can have fun and be safe!

--Stacy

Victory for me, spoils for you

Just call me a 'Master Infiltrator.' I made it to the inner circle of Victors and Spoils and spoke with one of the men in charge; Evan Fry. It was a tough process, but I finally was able to reach Mr. Fry through his email...tricky tricky.

I entered into the VnS grotto on Monday and was greeted by a beautiful golden retriever that I can only assume was a decoy, but thanks to my quick-thinking, I bypassed this security threat with a disarming show of affection. I reached Evan and briefed him on my mission, to which he complied with a very informative interview. Even as I threw out the hard questions, Evan was able to deliver, much to my surprise.

He described VnS as a sleek, six-person team working to spread the wonders and benefits of crowd-sourcing. Crowd-sourcing, Evan informed me, is "...a buzz word that's been bubbling around for a few years," and is a means of utilizing a specific audience to define a brand. Spurred by the current economy, it fills a gap that allows them to find "...new ways of making things more efficient." Evan welcomes newcomers to "The Crowd," which is not a cult, as I first suspected, but rather a group of copywriters, artists, designers, etc. that form said "audience." The peeps at VnS throw out a project to "The Crowd", hold a vote for the best results, and to the victors belong the spoils. Check out the joining process on their website.

Evan informed me that the mysterious gallery is home to the work of Mark Castator, a sculptor who works with various metals. My personal favorite work of Mark's is "Vincent's Dream."

He also claims that VnS has a sign ready to go up out front, but that the acts of confusion and randomness induced by their anonymity have been more interesting and entertaining than they anticipated.

I concluded the interview with a question to Evan regarding what VnS would bring to Downtown Boulder, hoping to put him on the spot a bit. He answered, "Intrigue."

Touche, Mr. Fry, touche.

-Stacy

Flip-Flops No More!

The minute I set foot in my freshman year dorm room seven years ago, I abandoned any and all fashion sense I had cultivated throughout high school. I went from heels to flip-flops and skirts to jeans paired with old race t-shirts. I rarely blew out my hair and ran to catch my bus every morning after only a quick application of mascara and a swipe of chapstick. Now that I've graduated and am looking for a big-girl job, I've obviously had to make some changes in my appearance but it has been a weary transition. I'm stuck in a fashion rut--or more accurately, a fashion "Gap". My entire wardrobe consists of Gap pairings, and while I feel comfortable--bordering on stylish--in my outfits, the time has certainly come for me to add a little zip! to my daily efforts.

And am I ever in luck! The first Fashion Under the Flatirons is right under my nose. This Thursday, March 11, around 25 to thirty local vendors will showcase their goods at the Boulder Theater for my (and your) approval. And to boot, all guests will receive a little hot pink 20% discount card to use the following three days at participating Downtown Boulder shops.

Ok, wait wait wait--so, all I have to do is walk down the street to the Boulder Theater and dozens of fashionable outlets await me? And then I have the power of a discount card, too?? Talk about making it easy! Baby steps to style...

And here's the kicker: Olympian and former NFL & CU star Jeremy Bloom is emcee-ing the whole shebang. Ooo la la! There's another thing I remember from my freshman year at CU; a giant crush on Jeremy Bloom.

So join me this Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m., tickets are only $35 but they're selling out fast! Or if you feel like treating yourself, roll up VIP style for $100 and receive a runway seat, VIP service (blowout and mini-mani), two drink tickets and a goody bag.

By the way I'll be the one in head to toe Gap. (But not for long!)

--Stacy

Paint It Black

If you're like me and your familiarity with businesses in Downtown Boulder borders on stalker-ish, then you've already noticed the 'new building'. If not, let me enlighten you: it's the one hidden in the former Mountain Sports space; painted black and shrouded in mystery. No name or distinguishing features, tinted windows...

This morning, my curiosity got the best of me. And, apparently, so did my desire to be a spy. So I grabbed the ol' point-and-shoot and snuck on down to Pearl and 8th. I tried to be casual at first--breezily walking by the enigmatic outfit, yearning to catch a glimpse of the inside. But everyone knows that casual never works. This was going to call for guerrilla tactics.

My next move was to wait behind a tree across the street and snap some telltale photos. Equipped with a large winter coat and bulky purse, though lacking a telephoto, it was difficult to completely conceal my intentions, but luckily there are enough...um, colorful...personalities in Boulder that I was able to blend in long enough for a few identifying shots. Fortunately, I am immune to looks of bewilderment from passersby.

Before creeping back to the office to review my evidence, I made one last pass by the building's facade to take a closer look at a small printed sign in the window. And what's this? Another crucial tidbit! It read, "Call gallery to make appointment," and listed a phone number. I quickly scribbled down the digits and slunk away.

Back in front of my computer, I Googled the phone number in hopes of disclosing Gallery X but what I found was even more intriguing: Victors and Spoils. The sleek, streamlined website spoke of advertising and was laced with words like 'crowdsourcing' and 'co-creation'. Post-wikipedia, I learned that these are indeed, real words. But despite all this new information, I fear that I have only fallen more deeply into the tangled web. What is this gallery? What really goes on at V&S? Or is it just some elaborate cover-up?

Stay tuned for more answers, as I attempt to go underground and contact the founders...

--Stacy

Denver Restaurant Week Seeps Into Boulder

Calling all broke boyfriends--here is your chance to make up for that little Valentine's Day snafu: Denver Restaurant Week. Every year, 5280 Magazine offers foodies-on-a-budget the opportunity to sample the haute faire at dozens of leading restaurants in the metro area for the low, low price of $52.80/couple. Even better, this time around there are four Downtown Boulder restaurants participating, and since everyone knows that Boulder cuisine is better, now would be a good time to pick up the phone and make reservations at one of the following hot spots:

SALT: New kid in town, chef Bradford Heap is serving up three different courses with choices like homemade buffalo cannelloni or a mahi dish, and a chocolate caramel salt tart to top it off. P.S. You can upgrade with a wine flight for only twenty-five bucks.

Black Cat: This European-inspired bistro offers creations based around fresh ingredients from the Black Cat organic farm and root cellar. Think winter root vegetables and warm, savory grain dishes.

Jill's at the St. Julien: When the first course on the menu is a beef carpaccio, you can only expect what follows to be at least as equally tantalizing. You won't be disappointed by a menu featuring Colorado-raised proteins served up with a Mediterranean flair.

Trattoria on Pearl: Italian, both modern and traditional on this menu--think prosciutto, homemade pasta and delicious sauces to suit every taste. Trattoria also offers an optional wine flight for $15/person.

I'm seriously drooling already.

The "week" actually started February 20th and goes through March 5th, so you have plenty of time to get in on the action, but don't wait too long or you'll be stuck scheduling a date night on a Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. So come on, go get your fancy on!

- Stacy