Join CB&TL for complimentary beverages and enjoy some precious art from very strong and talented children.

The title says it all. Stop by Aspen Highlands tomorrow from 11a til the Greek Frozen yogurt runs out to try the latest awesome happiness in a carton from Ben & Jerry’s and look for the Greeks in Ski Boots!

This:

Fab Greek FroYo Flavas: Banana Peanut Butter / Blueberry Vanilla Graham / Strawberry Shortcake / Raspberry Fudge Chunk

+

(but hotter because it’s me and two amazing girls)

=

_________________________ … you’ll have to stop by to see how awesome it is!

Oh fine, I’ll be posting a recap. But if you’re in Aspen, better see ya at 11a on Highlands! #GreeksinSkiBoots

I remember joking about making a LOCAL badge in 2008. Finally someone really did it—good work, kids, good work. Click here to print the thing out, find out what the QR code says, and more.

Three more Local-y things this week for SXSW:

1. Local Band Achachay! Plays a Billion Venues

Thurs March 15th: Northeast by Southwest House Party @ 1180 Sol Wilson Ave (78702) 1-6 P (Free Beer and BBQ!)
Thurs March 15th: Townhouse, 10P
Fri March 16th: EchoCloud Unoffical SXSW Showcase, Hole in the Wall, 1A
Sat March 17th: Thirsty Planet Brewery St. Patty’s Day Party, 11A-2P
Sat March 17th: Betsy’s Bar, 10:30P

This is my baby bro’s band, go check them out amidst your busy SX music sched!

2. University of Texas’s student-run radio station showcases

3. Whole Foods Tunes

Friday, March 16:
O.N.E. Coconut Water Presents Live Music @ Whole Foods Market downtown (Lamar/6th) on a “O.N.E. of a KIND” stage, 3p–11p featuring The Cringe, Warner Drive, The Parlotones, Diane Birch, Imagine Dragons, The Chevin, The Silent Comedy, Standing Shadows and special guests—rumor has it Semi-Precious Weapons just confirmed.

Saturday, March 17:
Thrillcall Presents Live Music @ Whole Foods Market downtown (Lamar/6th) on a “O.N.E. of a KIND” stage, Noon–11p featuring Metro Station, Rachael Yamagata, Quiet Company, Graffiti6, Allen Stone, OK Sweetheart, Ume, Dead Sara, Retro Stefson, The Ettes, Loquat, Tommy Brunett, Native June, Brad Standley and the Foxflies and special guests.

Sponsors (free stuff): O.N.E. Coconut Water, KIND snack bars, Late July Organic Snacks, Duvel Belgian Beer, LaPan’s Food, Pirate’s Booty, House of Marley headphones, Logitech and UE earphones, Kala ukuleles, Propellerhead/Reason software, Seagate, TC Electronic

More: SouthwestInvasion.com

Bonus event: Not quite local but everyone still wants to go

Or will charging for his infamous party ruin demand for Perez Hilton’s ONE NIGHT IN AUSTIN?

Austin Music Hall / Saturday, March 17, 8p-2a.

“Music is the answer!” says Hilton. “For the first time ever, I am going to be selling tickets to my annual SXSW event! These tickets will GUARANTEE entrance to what is always the hottest party in all of Austin. This year, I have decided to donate all of the money raised through ticket sales to The VH1 Save The Music Foundation. It combines two things I am passionate about – music and inspiring youth. I can’t wait!”

Headliners will be revealed on PerezHilton.com day by day. The event will feature a Miami Oasis pop-up lounge from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, as March marks their inaugural Miami Film Month. Official water sponsor FIJI Water will host a complimentary live screen printing bar where attendees can choose from one of four limited edition tee shirt designs. Guests will also be able to experience SOUL by Ludacris headphones in their dedicated onsite listening lounge.

So for the first time in FIVE years, I’m not going to SXSW. And much to my surprise, when I let the people and PR companies throwing the parties and events surrounding SXSW interactive, film, and music know that I won’t be in town for it this year, the vast majority have e-sighed and said something along the lines of wishing they weren’t going to be in town either.

We are so jaded, Austinites.

Rambling aside, many of you will be in town, and even if you aren’t going big (which I cannot even pretend to recommend anymore, it’s beyond exhausting), below are six things you should probably take a look at …

1. Daytime Party List

Since I won’t be compiling the massive spreadsheet I have in the past, you NEED the 2012 SXSW Daytime Party List from Sperry Media. This is the first draft, a final will be published next week. I cannot stress enough, if you might possibly maybe be thinking about possibly hitting up a party, RSVP RSVP RSVP. And RSVP again. Except not really, just make sure you RSVP once.

Alternatively, Do512 has a SXSW take over on their always-happening website and you can:

• RSVP for all the free parties. No badges needed. Film. Interactive. Music.
• Check out thousands of bands. Discover, watch, listen. Find out everywhere they’re playing that week.
• Build a custom schedule after browsing through thousands of panels, parties, showcases, and other events.
• Sign up for the Do512 Daily Top Picks emails to get the top 10 parties of the day delivered to your inbox.

2. Check out the new stuff, like a work collab

Texenza Coffee shop (4th and Congress) during South by Southwest is turning into a great place to collaborate and work. They’ll be giving away free breakfast, lunch, coffee, and drinks to anyone who stops by. March 9-13 from 9a-7p. You probably have actual work to get done, so stop by and do it while networking your face off.

3. Check out the old standbys, like the Four Seasons’ morning acoustic music showcases

Four Seasons Hotel Austin and KUT-FM 90.5 are once again teaming up for early-morning music. Wednesday, March 14 through Saturday, March 17, $10 gets you a breakfast taco and unlimited coffee, while the money goes to Austin’s Seton Shivers Cancer Center at Brackenridge Hospital. New this year, The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Austin will offer complimentary hand massages and mini-facials throughout each day’s event. The music schedule (each artist performs a 30-minute set):

•Wednesday, March 14 (7 – 11am) – Lost in the Trees, Grace Woodroofe, M. Ward, Cotton Mather
•Thursday, March 15 (7 – 11am) –  Kat Edmonson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jimmy Cliff, Punch Brothers
•Friday, March 16 (7 – 11am) – Ruthie Foster, Motopony, James Mercer, Trampled by Turtles, Nneka
•Saturday, March 17 (8am – 12noon) – Sons of Fathers, Glen Hansard, Justin Townes Earle, Nada Surf

4. Another app

You will go into new app overload during SXSW, but the good news is that the cream will rise to the top and the rest will simply get deleted (though somehow apps are never really deleted, but I digress). One possibility for widespread adoption is a new geosocial service called glomper. The mobile-and-web app ties together check-ins and sharing across already active social platforms facebook, twitter, instagram, foursquare, etc. but is strongly event-focused—so it’s more about partying. You can see all the events nearby by type/date and you will be able to share your plans to visit them before they start and then to check-in when you arrive.

Launch event Mar. 11 from 3-7p, at the Launch787 next to Moonshine. Free but you need to RSVP: glomper.eventbrite.com

5. Spa getaway in town(ish)

Lakeway Resort and Spa on Lake Travis is 18 miles northwest of downtown Austin. They’ve got events all week for families, but even if you’re not staying there, you can get away and enjoy the Hill Country Festival with live music and kids activities on March 10th and 11th at 3p or a St. Patrick’s Day Beer Garden + entertainment on March 17th at 6p. The spa at the resort has also put together the San Saba Spa Delight, a 50-minute signature facial and a traditional manicure for $148 to rejuvenate during or after your SXSW adventures. Post-SXSW, refresh with a nightly rate of $125 for March 18 – March 22 only. Promo code is SPRING.

6. Three rules to live by

I posted 11 SXSW Rules last year, but let’s face it, there are really only three important rules: (1) drink a thousand times more water than you think you need to, (2) wear your sunscreen unless it’s raining which it might be, and (3) relax—there’s no way you will ever make it to everything, so enjoy what you’re doing and forget about the rest.

… then I went.

… and now, I will probably not ever go again either. (I also happen to be in Park City this weekend, yay!)

It’s awesome, yes, that X Games are in Aspen. But it’s really crowded, the views are not awesome, and the lines for the buses are beyond ridiculous.

However, the music in town for X Games is also ridiculous. Ridiculous. So we have to appreciate that!

Saturday the always-free Hi-Fi Concert Series at the base of Aspen mountain features AWOLNATION, at 5:30p. Although I enjoyed Big Boi last year, AWOLNATION is definitely a hot-hot act right now and sure to please the X Games crowd.

Belly Up has some stellar acts, a few of which are already sold old (Deadmau5 sold out in a flash and caused a lot of drama to boot):

Plus Sunday night TheGoodLife! & Louie Vito present Raekwon & Ghostface Killah with very special guests DJ Spider & 12th Planet.

Heading to the actual X Games? Map below:

Buttermilk Mountain Winter X Games Aspen 2012 spectator map. Click here to download the large version of this map.

EatAspen has a list of all the X Games deals in town here.

• Snow! Snow! Snow! We finally got some snow!
• First Cloud 9 on Aspen Highlands experience—hello spiced wine at 11,700 feet.
• New black jeans, the same jeans but a size smaller than my fave pair of blue jeans, thanks for the steal RueLaLa!
• This puppy … I LOVE her and she LOVES snow.
  
• All my fave NFL teams (Texans, Broncos, Saints) won their playoff games, including the first Texans playoff game and victory ever!!
• Purple. Table. DIY to come.
• Soupskol tonight … all the free soup samples you can imagine in downtown Aspen.

See last week’s Feel Goods here.

Basically, the fastest women in the world (downhill ski racers) are racing Saturday & Sunday November 26-27 down Ruthie’s, with spectators and a village at the base of Aspen Mountain at Lift 1A. There’s a big screen TV for action you can’t see, and prime viewing of the finish line from the grandstands. It’s an awesome experience, even if you just stop by for one racer, you need to go.

Saturday, make sure you plan to attend the launch of the Red Bulletin, where Lindsey Vonn will be signing autographs and beer flows like … well, you know, it’s an open bar.

RSVP to Helen.Roche@theskyhotel.com

Then take your autographed self over to the Gondola plaza for the  first Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series of the season featuring Cowboy Mouth.

All that spectating and partying will likely leave you hungry, so be sure to snag an incredible deal through The Bud Light Dine Around Aspen now through next Thursday, December 1st, from 6-9pm every night. Top restaurants offer special Winternational prix fixe menus that are even better than their off-season deals. Can’t-miss: Matsu’s bento for $30.

Dine Around Aspen Deals:

Ajax Tavern / Distinct American Bistro / $28
BB’s Kitchen / American Classic Fare / $30
Elevation / Modern American Cuisine / $28
Jimmy’s / American Restaurant & Bar / Dining Room: $28 / Bar: $12
L’Hostaria / Italian Cuisine / $30
Matsuhisa / Gourmet Japanese Seafood & Sushi / $30 Lounge Only
The Red Onion / American Southwest / $25
Syzygy / New American Cuisine / $30
Ute City / American Classics with European Flavor / $30
Zocalito / Latin Cuisine / $26

Forget breast cancer awareness, what about brain cancer? Or Leukemia & Lymphoma? OK, don’t forget breast cancer awareness, but consider these other cancer-awareness and fund-raising initiatives happening around Austin this month.

MickeyD’s

Now, I’m not a proponent of McDonald’s. Perhaps you can have their coffee. Maybe a salad. Nothing else, really, would I eat there. BUT I don’t discriminate for other people, so if you enjoy a Big Mac, you might as well go on Friday and donate money to a good cause. Local owner/operators will host “Dine-In and Drive-Thru” fundraiser initiative to raise money for Austin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Central Texas.

For the third consecutive year, McDonald’s Central Texas will donate ten percent of all sales on Friday, October 14 between 11a and 2p at 68—that’s SIXTY EIGHT—area McDonald’s to the local affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Central Texas.

“The McDonald’s family is privileged to support the Komen Austin Affiliate and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Central Texas,” said Dan Kinney, McDonald’s Owner/Operator and president of the Central Texas McDonald’s Owner /Operator Advertising Co-op. “It’s through community efforts such as this that we’re able to do our part and help make a difference in the lives of children and adults battling cancer. One of our fellow McDonald’s owners is a breast cancer survivor so this is an especially important cause for us.”

Hawktober with Floyd’s 99

Floyd’s 99 rock n’ roll barbershops will be giving mohawks away for free every Monday during the month of October to anyone willing to sport a mohawk to help raise awareness of brain cancer. Hey, even I’ve had a Mohawk before (Lots of Elmer’s glue, and later, lots of shampoo)!

Matt Cotcher, a local brain cancer survivor, enlisted Floyd’s 99 to help organize the event. While this is the first Hawktober ever, similar events are being simultaneously organized in other cities as well. “The movement is quickly gaining traction,” says Cotcher, a former Austin sports announcer who had surgery to remove a racquetball-sized tumor wrapped around his brain stem. “By the end of the month there will be guys from New York to San Diego that will ‘rock a hawk’ in our first year.”

The American Brain Tumor Association estimates that more than 60,000 primary brain tumors will be diagnosed in 2011. Men, Movember is coming up, might as well start with Hawktober!

Friday Oct 14 / Congress Avenue and Fourth Street / 8:30a–5p / Cook-off 12:30–1:30p / Parking lot opposite Frost Bank Tower

… sometimes I miss working downtown. Perfect lunch break!