Five things I learned in Boulder

This past weekend John and I took a trip to Boulder, Colorado to hang with Gwen, Joel, Liz, and Glenn. While we were there, Gwen, Liz, and I hosted a clothing swap benefit at Restaurant 4580. It was a blast. We rocked hard. And…I learned a few things.

1. Colorado ladies have mega style and know how to rock a party

What an incredible turnout for our coast-to-coast fashion swap. Here’s a quick-n-dirty rundown of the tweeps who came out to play:

• @sabsavvy – Uber sophisticated higher-ed professor with awesome boots.
• @melsidwell – Firecracker bombshell of adoreableness.
• @jennfields – Mountain climbing phenom with the loveliest of curly locks!
• @amberwidom – Super artsy style icon (with an artist-hubby who rocks).
• @lovelylildove – 100% fresh gorgeousness, with the most wonderful warm smile.
• @siona – Striking beauty with rivers of depth and lovely conversation.
• @staceytabor – New media evangelist/proponent of eco-friendly products and practices.
• @srslyliz – Up-and-coming designer and cupcake nazi.
• @gwenbell – Her middle name should be Lolita or something equally bold and ravishing; her passion and fire are permanent.
• @mistymontano – Rogue wordsmith/news-hound with a penchant for the social web.
• @yosoykia – Yoga/photog/environment buff with a sparkly, grapefruit-loving personality.
• @abigator – Super fabulous woman of many talents (including seam ripping and rocking the vintage).
• @moneymanagement (aka: Kim) – Financial guru with a huge heart and love for Denver.
• @fabindenver – Ferociously stunning queen of Denver style.
• @sarahjbray (me) – Woo!
• @caligater – Almost made it to the swap, but not quite. An absolute doll with a passion for service education and the social web.
• @4580 – Restaurant 4580 equals yum yum.
• @pangeaorganics – Co-sponsors who gave out samples and freebies.
• academichic – Co-sponsors providing event coverage.

You should definitely follow every one of these riveting chicks. Supremely interesting, fun, and high style. Also? Their presence and clothes swappage is supporting two women’s co-ops with an abundance of clothes and the cash from the event. One teeny example of a bunch of people using their social media super powers for good.

2. Thank God for the internet

If I weren’t so connected with the world at large, Boulder’s ultra-hip, eco-conscious lifestyle could have been a freak-out experience. A good one, but still. Freaking out. Let’s just say, my neighborhood is 5-10 years behind the times. I knew this in my head, but to experience it was another thing. For example:

My house: Vanilla 50′s era rancher on half an acre of standard issue grass. Oh yeah…and some bushes.
Boulder houses: Architecture! Frank Lloyd Wright! Lines and curves and color in all the right (and unexpected) places!

My neighbors: Mostly elderly people who may or may not have heard of the internet. Or computers.
Boulder neighbors: Fun, stylish, friendly people who have this great sense of community and eco-responsibility. And tech-y! So tech-y!

My landscape: A few parks, the largest of which is built on (and named after) a mountain of trash. A beautiful beach that we often take for granted.
Boulder landscape: Native plants and grasses EVERYWHERE. Houses and developments that are built around the environment rather than instead of it. A stunning mountain range that several people admitted to taking for granted.

3. If you haven’t heard of a tri-tip sandwich, you’re pretty much not alive

Liz and Glenn were shocked that the rest of us hadn’t heard of these delicacies. They then proceeded to ask every person we met if they knew what tri-tip sandwiches were. Liz was so astounded at our ignorance that she even questioned if we’d heard of Craigslist. (To this moment, I’m convinced that she, Glenn, and the server at Old Chicago are the only ones who have heard of this sandwich. Have you?)

4. It’s true. Gwen is a karaoke fiend. And Liz is the sexiest Mexican country singer EVAH.

I wish you guys had been there to watch these two ladies perform. Definitely the highlights of the karaoke scene that night. Other memorable moments: The dj’s performance of the raunchiest, most ear-raping song ever heard in the greater 48 states (make it stop!). Also, some guy’s brilliant rendition of 99 Red Balloons…in German. Clearly, incredibly tough acts to follow. But Gwen and Liz? No comparison.

5. My super-secret project is just as great of an idea as I thought

My peeps served as impromptu guinea pigs in my pre-pre-beta test, and it was a rousing success. Gwen and Glenn tweeted about it a teeny bit if you’re dying for a hint. I’m fairly certain I’m going to explode with excitement in the near future.

So basically, I’m moving to Colorado

Well, not actually. But in my head, I’m all packed. Come to think of it, I’m literally packed, too. I’m spending my work-week in Nashville. It’s amazing how inspiring (and tax-deductible!) a business trip can be.

After this week, I’m staying put until the Image and Media Academy [pdf] on November 12th-14th (Yep, that’s me in the teeny print on the right-hand side. Squint. You’ll see it.). You should really come. Danielle LaPorte is going to be speaking, so you can experience up close how astounding she is.

If you read all the way through this entirely too-long post, ring the bell (like this…DING!). I’ll give you a virtual cupcake.

For more fun pics from the event, check out @melsidwell’s twitpics, @gwenbell’s flickr stream, @sabsavvy’s twitpics, and my twitpics.

More posts about this event:
Want a free fashion update? Set up a swap. (by @moneymanagement)
Fab in Denver. Who knew? (by @fabindenver)
PCP, Tri-Tip & Fashion (by @srslyliz)