GRAND OPENING – Tomorrow, 10:30 pm, The Blue Taj – There is a brand new resto in Ballantyne called The Blue Taj.  Head over for some grand opening hoorah.

SIR, YES SIR – Saturday, 7:00 am, Colonel Francis Beatty Park – If you’ve ever wanted to puke your guts out, this is your chance.  The Marine Buddy Challenge is dedicated to Lance Corporal Noah Pier who was killed in the line of duty on February 16 while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.  Deets:  two-person team, 300-yard Maneuver Under Fire Drill, four-mile off /on road run, screaming Marine Drill Instructors and total mental torment… They ACTUALLY say “muscles so sore you’ll puke.”  Sounds like a blast.

GOOOOAL! – Saturday, 6:00 pm, UNC Charlotte stadium – The Charlotte Eagles will host Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution as part of the Revolution’s pre-season tour of North Carolina.  $15 at the gate.

GRAPES & HOPS – Saturday, 2:00 pm-6:00 pm, grapevine Wine Bar parking lot – Beertopia is coming to Fort Mill, round two.  There will be 80-100 beers by 30 different brewers, a live band, BBQ and $1 for every ticket sold will be donated to Pints for Prostates.  $20 in advance.

SHOP - Saturday (10-6) and Sunday (1-5), Birkdale Village -  It’s the Spring Sidewalk Sale!  Go save and send us the surplus.

LAUGH – March 15 – If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to be a stand up comedian, this is your chance.  The Stand-Up 101 Comedy Class will have you on stage in six weeks.  E-mail for info DebbieMillwater@Gmail.com.

ARRRR! – March 20, 6:30 pm, McColl Family Theatre at ImaginOn – OK, they never do this.  This is your chance to go see Treasure Island from the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte AT… an adult-only show.  Arrrr!  For one night only unleash your inner buccaneer at The Pirate Party and get your Jack Sparrow sway on.  $25 will get you a pre-show reception (6:30) featuring apps from Brixx, one drink ticket (beer, wine and soft drinks as well as a cash-only bar) and an 8:00 pm performance of Treasure Island. AND, if you show up in pirate attire you’ll even get an extra drink ticket!  You might be walking the plank at the end of this one.  Classic fun.
Have a good one and be safe!

“I’m too sexy for my paws, too sexy for my paws…”

North Carolina’s Raffaldini Vineyards is hosting a competition for a PHOTOGRAPH OF A RESCUE DOG for the label of its upcoming wine release, Pino Vino II.  The winning photograph will replace the current picture of the Raffaldini family’s rescue dog featured on the first release of Pino Vino (see photo) and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to local animal shelters.

Your high-res photos will be accepted via email now through April 30.  Email your photo, name, contact information, your pet’s name, and a brief story about your dog in fifty words or less to info@raffaldini.com.  The winner will be announced on May 14 and the Pino Vino II wine will be released at an unveiling ceremony at Raffaldini Vineyards on June 12.

Next up, Doggies & Tiaras.  That’s sick.

Hence why we were floored when we found out that Charlotte resident Aryn Keogh, the founder, owner, and master baker of DELISH GOURMET CUPCAKES is only twenty-one.  Seriously?  Seriously.  Self-taught, Aryn has created a thriving business that most twenty-one year olds could only dream of.  Launched in August 2009, Delish has raked up hosts of clients for all sorts of occasions including weddings, birthdays, showers, and more.

At only $36/dozen, Aryn will include any decoration or flavor you want.  And, if you click on the link above, you will see pretty quickly that this cake wizard can do just about anything.  In addition, Aryn will also provide a cupcake stand (think bird cage, chandelier stand, etc.), delivery, and pick up for only a small fee more.  She’s the real deal.

Aryn Keogh is… Queen of Cupcake.  Love.

www.delishgourmetcupcakes.com NEW THIS SPRING:  Cake fillings including peanut butter mousse, chocolate ganache, and so on.  Yum.  Also new is the cupcake tower which holds up to five dozen cupcakes.

ESSENTIAL CHARLOTTE.COM is the brainchild of local groups Pure Creative and Charlotte Regional Visitor’s Authority, and aims to give you a true insider’s guide to our beloved CLT.  You see, when you google, say, “charlotte restaurants,” what you will mostly get are restaurants that have paid to be listed, Web sites that are paid by the restaurants to list them, a big blubbering of chains, and essentially nothing that you were actually looking for.  “No way?”  Way.

Essential Charlotte will feature a revolving list of twenty expert Charlotteans (Brooke, say what?  Yes, she’s there.) and all of the things that they love about the QC, non-chain.  You’ll find everything from local restaurants, to local retail shops, to local clubs, to local sights… get the picture?  It’s unbiased, unpaid for and all for you.

Be patient as the site is up and running yet still growing.  For example, very soon each venue will have a one to two minute video that will give you an insider’s look.  Nice.  We’re thinking that this will soon be THE place to look before every date, girls’ night out, and “I must leave or I will shoot my child” nights.  It’s brilliant.  Thanks guys.

Coming Soon: A link where you can nominate your buddies for the Web site!  For questions, email Kent Youngstrom at kent@purecreative.com. And, see Brooke HERE… Yes, that is a “Reserved Table” sign from The Men’s Club in the background.  “Down boy.”

THE DOG WIZARD is Charlotte’s very own version of Cesar Millan.  Started four and a half years ago, but with a brand new brick and mortar location, TDW is owned by locals Gretchen Ewers and Jake Humphries and can literally transform your pup overnight.   These wizards help with everything from digging, to door bolting, to jumping, to barking through use of specialized exercises and a unique “dog language.”  We even spotted a pair of ferrets that they use to help your pup learn.  Yes, we said ferrets.

We spoke mostly with Gretchen when we visited and couldn’t help but notice her genuine love for dogs and true commitment to the process.  A Wake Forest grad and Mooresville native, Gretchen literally exudes southern hospitality and you know that you can trust her from the get-go.  She’s the real deal, as is the whole clan at TDW.  Their facility is clean, spacious, and as you can see by the picture above, filled with love and discipline.  We found ourselves wishing they had a job opening… maybe “Director of Belly Scratching?”  If only it were so…

HUGE FREEBIE! Do you have THE MOST UNRULY DOG??  Write a description of why YOUR dog is the most unruly and you might just win a FREE Easy-Does-It program from TDW.  This program is valued at $1,800 and can take your dog from crazy to calm in just 14 days… So, so good.  Email your entries to info@thedogwizard.com.  Limit is 300 words.  Contest expires at 5:00 pm on March 13, 2010. No purchase necessary.

www.thedogwizard.com.  TDW will either come to your house or you can take your pup to their new location near Clanton Road.  They also offer overnight boarding for clients.  Programs range from $550 – $2,300, but one of their most popular is the Freedom Program ($995 and it’s unlimited for the life of the dog).  Group classes also available.  “Woof woof ruff.”  We know Fido, they rock.

I SAAAID FREE MARTINIS – Tonight, 7:00-9:00, Southpark Mall – Madewell Southpark is having a sale.  Whoop, what?!  20% off all jeans and free denim hemming.  AND, since we are your trusted lushes, there will also be complimentary martinis!

THE CATWALK – Tonight, 6:30, MEZ in the EpiCenter – Calling all designers, models, stylists and other fashion pros to the Plitz Fashion Marketing Industry Night.  Holla!  It’s a Pre-Charlotte Fashion Week Industry Mixer and will be hosted by the CNCFW Advisory Board.  Dress to impress. Ressies required at RSVP@Charlottencfashionweek.com.  Admission is free.

BEAUTY, YO – Every Saturday in March – Jeffre Scott Apothecary is having a month-long celebration of beauty (like any of you need more…).  Every Saturday in March, the industry’s biggest names will be on-hand for complimentary facials and personal consultations.  Here’s the ssshedule:  March 6:  Susan Posnick and Dr. Stuart Kaplan, March 13:  Nikoletta Skarlatos and Marla Steuer, March 20:  Alison Raffaele and Ada Polla, March 27:  Jason Cecil and Nicole Darmanin.

CHEAP EATS – March 10, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Del Frisco’s in SouthPark – There is a Meetup group called Good Eats.  They have all sorts of gatherings for cheap eats, good eats, different eats, you name it.  As it’s prime cougar-watching, we wanted to tell you about the one at Del Frisco’s.  They’ll have half off the entire bar menu and drink specials.  Head to the mezzanine bar upstairs.  Ressies required.

EXTREME WILD PARTY – March 13, 1:00 pm – Geeear up!  The 10th annual Rich & Bennett’s St. Patrick’s Day Crawl is almost here!  Last year the crawl was featured on the Travel Channel…   That’s legit.  Click the link to register ($20 in advance, $25 online, $30 day of event).  For your dough, you’ll get free entry into over twenty Uptown bars, $3 Bud Light cans, $4 Vodka drinks, $5 Pub Crawl shots, an event t-shirt and koozie.  Oh, if only the cameras were around at bar #20.

WICKED FUN – May 19-June 13 - IT’S BACK!!!!  Wicked is back and if you click HERE, you can get tickets before they go on sale to the public.   Ovens Auditorium.  Dang witch.

VIETNAM GRILL is located in an inconspicuous out-parcel building on South Boulevard, near Tyvola Road.  We must say that if you saw this bad boy from the road, you probably wouldn’t stop, however after a tip from a waxMAMA subscriber, we took the plunge.  And thank Pho we did!

In one word… holy-bean-sprout-delicious.  A tiny restaurant that seats just forty, Vietnam Grill is owned an operated by brothers Tommy and Rick Lai.  Coming from a family of restaurateurs, they opened VG last April in hopes of creating a “Vietnamese home cooking-type” atmosphere.  And, they have succeeded.

The menu is simple yet plentiful with items starting at just $6.50, and the ingredients are amazingly fresh.  We ordered the Pho Ga (Vietnamese rice noodle soup with chicken – $7.50) and it arrived in super speed in a GINORMOUS white bowl that was accompanied by the typical sides of bean sprouts, basil, lime, and hot peppers.  However, nothing from the side dish was needed as it was exceptional as is.  The wait staff was also amazingly helpful, even quietly “slipping us fork in lieu of chop stick” as noodles slid down the chin.

After wolfing as quickly and yummily as possible as though our Pho would run away, there was simply so much food that we couldn’t finish.  So, for $7.50 we not only got a totally fab lunch, but also dinner and lunch tomorrow.  So good, pho sho’.

Vietnam Grill is BYOB!  Pair your Two Buck with your Phab Pho and make it a date night.  Loving it.

FIXYA is a Web site that provides technical support, product manuals, troubleshooting and product recommendations for all of the gadgets you own.  They have over 15 million visitors and 1 million products in their database and their goal is to empower individuals to repair their own gadgets all by themselves.  This means that YOU can fix your own car, DVR, AC unit, lawn mower, etc.

Yea!  How fun is it to be totally independent and self-sufficient?  Well, actually… not really.  We’d rather have a boy do it.

www.fixya.com