Tonight at 6:30 watch as the UVA band marches down the downtown mall and onto the pavilion stage.  Tomorrow will be the first UVA home game of the season!  Kickoff is 6pm.

Shawn and Gwen have made it into the voting stage of The Pepsi Refresh Project!  Make sure to vote for them everyday from today until September 30th.  They are living in Charlottesville and want to spend the next year educating 50,000 teens in 50 states on the importance of sexual health and HIV.

Shawn and Gwen have entered the Pepsi Refresh Project to win $50,000 dollars to fund their trip.  The couple currently resides in Charlottesville and have been educating people on sexual health since 2000.  From their blog (Shawn and Gwen-A boy, a girl, a virus): “By combining humor and candor, they’ve successfully engaged tens-of-thousands of college students, and have shared their story with millions of people through Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, BBC and HBO films.”

Follow Shawn on Twitter and read about how things are going at their blog: Shawn and Gwen-A Boy, A Girl, A Virus.

Vote for them here.

I just heard about a new cupcake place in Charlottesville and am excited to give them a try.  Maria Porter, creator of the Charlottesville Cupcake, bakes the cupcakes in her home and delivers!  The cupcakes are $29 per dozen and delivery is $10.  Cupcakes are made upon ordering so they are always fresh!

Maria’s mission from the Charlottesville Cupcake website: “I love feeding people—and making new friends (which is easy when you feed them).  You are why I bake.  I hope you enjoy the quality and dedication that has gone into charlottesville cupcake.”

You can follow her on twitter: Maria Porter

or facebook.

Photo Credit: Charlottesville Cupcake

Charlottesville won again!  Charlottesville can add another best to our list of winning characteristics.  The 2010 Kiplinger survey ranked Charlottesville as the #1 place to retire.  The survey was based on the number of doctors in the area and the percentage of the population over 65 years old.  My grandpa loved to spend time in Charlottesville, because of all the history.  He didn’t end up retiring here, but every time he came in town he loved that there was always something for us to take him to do or see.  I also hope my parents decide to retire here.

Read the full results of the Kiplinger survey here.

This year the Best of Cville party was at the Ice Park.  They did such a wonderful job with the event, it was a ton of fun.  The ice park is such a large space to host an event but somehow with all the decorations and people, they pulled it off and made the space seem crowded.  There was wine from Veritas, beer from Star Hill and a vodka bar.  I wish I would have gotten a picture on the slide.  The 30 foot high inflatable slide was so fast and one of the main attractions. The dance floor was also a highlight and was always packed.

I’m so proud of so many of my friends for being so talented.  Sarah Cramer won for Best Photographer.  Boylan Heights, best burger!  Mellow Mushroom, best place to play trivia!  Jonathan Nuckles best hairstylist!

Sorry for my lack of posting, but this week Cloudbrain has been in New York for our first conference where we had a booth.  Before I headed out of town, I stopped by Mellow Mushroom to see the pizza makers and supporters for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure fundraiser.  It was really cute seeing the kids all lined up making pizzas.  I think Mellow Mushroom should do this every weekend.

The kids had their own dough, and watched a Mellow Mushroom employee make the pizza.  Then they got their turn.  It was very messy and the kids were having a great time.  It was a success, and the team hosting the event was able to put a dent in their efforts to raise money as well.  If you’d still like to donate, you can participate on their website.  The race will be next month.

This Saturday, your child can be a pizza baker and create his or her own custom pie!  They will be stretching the dough, spreading the sauce, sprinkling the cheese and choosing their yummy toppings at Mellow Mushroom! In September, my sister’s Girl Scout troop will be participating in the Susan G.Komen Race for the Cure to support one of their troop leaders, Cynthia Staton, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.  Cynthia guided the troop from elementary school all the way through senior year in high school.  She is facing her diagnosis and treatment with courage and grace and the girls want to celebrate her by providing hope to others battling the disease.

Their troop number was 3225, so they have pledged to raise $3225 for the race.  A donation of $12 will allow your child to take part in the pizza making on Saturday!  If you would like your child to participate on Saturday please leave a comment and I will send you an evite to the event.  You can also make a donation to their team on the Race for the Cure website to help them reach their goal!

Contact Kara at watson.kara[at]gmail.com to find out what time you and your child should come.  A reservation is necessary so that they’ll know how many pizza makers to expect at 9 and 9:30.

The Sweet Frog opened Friday!  It’s beside Mudhouse on the downtown mall in the old Elsie Garden location.  There are ten yogurt taps with flavors including cookies and cream, tart, peanut butter, and cake batter.  You can load your yogurt with any toppings, and they are included in the 39 cents per ounce price of the yogurt!

This Sunday, August 8th, Lizzie will be teaching a class outside.  The class is free and no Bikram Yoga experience is necessary.  The class will start at Noon at the pavilion.  Bring your own yoga mat!

I’m probably the only person that doesn’t make the drive from Charlottesville to Richmond, without making a stop.  On my monthly visit to Trader Joes, this trip I only made it to Exit 152, about 20 minutes from Charlottesville, I decided to stop.  The exit was #152 and is called Haydensville, there was a Liberty Gas Station and a BP.  I had never been off on this exit before but right away noticed flags and a traffic jam of cars pulling into a drive in!

I think it’s even faster to get to the Goochland Drive-in than it is to get to the Fork Union one, from Charlottesville.  I couldn’t believe the amount of tailgaters there were and it was only 7:30.  The whole field was basically parked full with cars.  There is always a double feature, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights and it premieres at around 8:55pm.  Their website is updated each week with the movie that will be playing.