Shopping & Services

What's one possible solution to urban plight? Fish poo. So say the eco-activists responsible for the GrowHaus, an indoor aquaponic garden located in one of Denver's toughest zip codes. Inside this former flower warehouse, a sprawling biology experiment is under way: When completed, rows upon rows of stackable bins, tubes and tanks will circulate the waste of live, growing fish for use as plant food. Nutrients in the plants, in turn, feed the fish. The result? Fresh fish and organic vegetables, both of which are in short supply in the Swansea/Elyria neighborhood. A community project led by real-estate developer Paul Tamburello and activist Ashara Ekundayo, the GrowHaus builds on the growing food-justice movement, which holds that a lack of access to healthy food contributes to a cycle of poverty in low-income neighborhoods. To change the 'hood, you've got to green the 'hood, they say, and that starts with what — and how — folks eat.

There's nothing like shopping at a farmers' market, but come winter, most of them pack it away. Not James and Irina Bertini, whose venture, Denver Urban Homesteading, runs year-round, every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market features fresh foods from within a 100-mile radius (or at least from somewhere in Colorado), including everything from raw honey and goat's milk to heritage turkeys, hand-canned sauerkraut and grass-fed buffalo meat. Plus, the Bertinis started a Community Wine Project, in conjunction with the Infinite Monkey Theorem winery, to allow backyard vintners to grow grapes and bottle wine under the DUH label. Now, that's thinking — and drinking — locally.

A collaborative think tank bringing private and public factions together in the interest of creating and growing a local economy through the promotion of local foods, Grow Local Colorado starts with its founding sponsors: the Living Earth Center, Transition Denver, the Mile High Business Alliance and Denver Botanic Gardens. But from there, it spreads to include every one of us. Anyone who's ever thought of growing backyard produce to sell at micro-markets or to restaurants, or just anyone who'd like to find that kind of food to buy and eat in the first place, will benefit from this group, which helps put gardeners in contact with projects and lists classes in sustainable growing practices. This is networking on a brave new level. From lowly grassroots, great ideas will grow.

For a good while, Jessica LeRoux, aka the Cheesecake Lady, was everybody's best friend in the local pre-concert tailgating scene. Strolling through parking lots with her crazy hat and wavy hair, she offered up specially infused heavenly treats at unbeatable prices. The medical marijuana boom has allowed her to go mainstream, though, and LeRoux has opened a commercial kitchen where she bakes a variety of cannabis cheesecakes and chocolates that are sold at dispensaries around the state with her signature "Twirling Hippy Confections" logo. And not only are these some of the best edibles around, but LeRoux has made a habit of organizing fundraisers for indigent patients. That's right: You can have your cannabis cheesecake and eat it, too.

Littleton artists Tom Sarmo, Teresa Brooks and Ruth Fiege threw open their studio doors last fall, and you won't find a more whimsical shop anywhere. Although it first and foremost displays the trio's eclectic clay works, shadowboxes and illustrations, along with some art by other locals, Sk3tchbook's most discerning features would be the curiosities it bears: vintage radios, religious art, old books, bottles and tins, machines and tubes and all manner of dumpster finds, which not only spiff up the place in an unusual way, but make you want to come back again and again.

When things get tough, the tough start saving, and the stuff of garage and estate sales, the Goodwill store and the slightly higher-end consignment stores begins to look a whole lot better to folks looking for a change in wardrobe or home design. The little enclave at the intersection of Hampden and Chambers Road in Aurora goes a long way toward making the hunt simpler. Three secondhand palaces, including Leta's Loot (303-617-5668) for furniture and home decor, Little Tykes Trading Post (720-870-7191) for all things ten-and-under, and Celine's Designer Resale Boutique (303-680-5544) for razzle-dazzle resale rags, nestle side by side on the southwest corner, offering one-stop shopping for discerning bargain hunters.

Denver's alley-scavenging and dumpster-diving economies have boomed as the economy has swooned. Leave a pile of rusty scrap out behind your house and it's gone in a day. A bicycle in need of serious work won't last an hour. And divers commonly fish cans and bottles from dumpsters, as well as all kinds of other trash and treasure. The city frowns on scavenging — primarily because of liability issues — but proponents argue that it opens a divine path for junk to be reincarnated instead of suffering eternal purgatory in a stinky landfill. That said, the best alley to scavenge in Denver runs between the businesses of Broadway and the houses of Acoma Street south of Evans. The product is downscale but diverse; you might find half-drunk cans of beer from a dive bar, bad works of art from a basement apartment, or even a bag of day-old jelly doughnuts.

Lock up your daughters: It's here! American Girl, which opened earlier this week at Park Meadows, has finally made it to town, and threatens to swallow whole, slavering ten-year-old girls alive. The American Girls website warns you to set aside a whole day for a visit here, which might include a thorough perusal of the line's novelized historical dolls, look-alike dolls or Bitty Baby dolls, shopping for doll and child matching outfits, flipping through American Girl books, making an American Girl craft or even getting your doll coiffed in the Doll Hair Salon. For doll's sake, you can even buy it a pony or get its ears pierced. Buy American!

Because "it's never too early to start reading to kids," the Denver Public Library has extended its popular storytime offerings to include a language-enrichment program for infants from six months to two years old. There are rhymes, games and music on hand for these early bloomers at the main library and select branches, with some fare tailored to "pre-walkers" and other, weightier readings reserved for "early walkers." One baby per adult, please — and sorry, no drop-off service.

Body Photage is head and shoulders above those mall glamour-shot businesses. These are real art portraits, tastefully — and artistically — done to show the human body, your human body, off to its very best advantage. Husband-and-wife team Sherry Whitney and Darrell Pierson run an incredibly professional operation, listening to your ideas and then making suggestions — complete with accessories — of their own. If you care enough to look your very best, call Body Photage.

Darla Scott, the Queen of Steam for Broomhall Brothers Mechanical Contractors, knows steam boilers from their Hartford Loops on up, and she's as comfortable in a discussion of steam-boiler theory as she is with a wrench in her hand. To know steam boilers, of course, is to love them. And Scott does, both the residential and commercial breed. One of her favorites is a grand old boiler in a building near 20th and York; she sends a Christmas card to it every year. But then, our pal in Bonnie Brae whose boiler was saved by Scott feels pretty sentimental about her, too: He has her picture in his basement.

Walter and Christie Isenberg are best known for bringing Denver hotels back from the dead. But last year, the Isenbergs unveiled a development of a very different flavor when they opened Tiri's Market: a former parking lot that has been transformed into a pocket Eden, with raised beds and pergolas dripping with vines, all of it inspired by Michelle Obama's garden on the White House lawn. Fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables grown on the site are sold every Wednesday at an adjoining farmers' market. Some of the green stuff is planted by homeless youth from Urban Peak, who keep what they grow. Here's hoping the Isenbergs will green some of the city's other empty lots.

A collaboration between Green Spaces Colorado and the global Green Map System, Denver's Green Route directs users to sustainable businesses and resources throughout the metro area, with a changing seasonal focus. Available as an interactive online map or a printable brochure, the map is easy to use, whether you're looking for chemical-free dry cleaning or the closest farmers' market. And in a more physical interactive realm, the Green Route is also sponsoring a tasting tour of local sustainable restaurants in April, with other promotions planned for the future. As summer approaches, look for a listing of community gardens, green restaurant patios and eco-conscious transit information.

Smoking pot through dirty bong water is so 2009. If you're ready to toke with the big boys (medically, of course), check out the Incredibowl, the Cadillac of weed pipes developed by couple of whiz kids in Longmont. The slick-looking $200 device, which involves a polycarbonate expansion chamber, brass smoke-injection nozzle and an annular purge carb, recently took home two awards at the vaunted Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. Get one for yourself at dispensaries around the state, then get ready for liftoff: It's gonna be a wild ride.

Sometimes you just need a good duck. Steve and Jennifer Brown, who already had an artisan soap company, recognized that there was another accessory integral to the bath experience: rubber duckies. And so they opened the Quacker Gift Shop, 3,000 square feet filled with rubber ducks that are offered up in Quacker Baby gift packs and Quacker Bouquets, sold as hand-painted collectibles and even offered encased in soap. Guaranteed to quack you up.

"Congenital cheapskates" and journalists Claire Walter and Laura Daily found their true calling over a year ago when they joined the Atlanta-based On the Cheap web network as its official Front Range deal-finders. Since then, they've been throwing the region's best bogos, discounts, giveaways and free lunches up on www.milehighonthecheap.com daily.

Susan Henderson's hobby — importing European antique lighting from South America — is Denver's gain. (You read right: These one-of-a-kind treasures have typically been on three continents.) Each piece, whether it be full-on Gothic, iron and curlicued or dripping with hand-cut crystals, is a standout on the level of something you might find in a shipwrecked galleon. Add to that stash the singular modern chandeliers by Tracey Barnes, who has a studio in the same building, and Trog de Lights will light you up.

"When Girls Take Over," the motto of the Southern California chain Love Culture, which just opened its first Colorado store at Park Meadows, really says it all: It's girlish and a little bit Melrose, yet appropriate for a range of stylish generations, featuring a fun selection of affordable, color-heavy mix-and-match separates categorized by themes, from glam to prep. Plaid jumper skirts and tube dresses? Check. Animal-print bustiers? Peep-toe platforms? Got 'em. Leather shorts? Those, too. Not to mention the taxi-yellow hooded wool jackets, wool fedoras and distressed everything. Forever 21 fans, who appreciate the value of cheap, trendy duds that are good for one season, now have another shopping alternative in the metro area.

Through a collective buying process, Groupon, a national phenomenon that launched a Denver site last year, is able to offer a new deal from a local business every single day, which might vary daily among discounted restaurant meals, dog-training classes, exercise sessions, lube jobs, spa services and more. But it all hinges on the level of participation: If enough Groupon subscribers sign on for the day's deal, it's theirs for the taking; they can buy the deal online and print the Groupon voucher online. If not, well, try, try again.

You'll feel like time has stood still when you venture into Myrick Watch Repair, which has been fixing faulty timepieces for decades. Although Myrick specializes in repairing antique and vintage watches, the owner is also happy to do quick fixes and battery switches — at a price that really takes you back in time.

If you've already made the linguistic leap of referring to your dog or cat not as a pet but as an "animal companion," you may be on your way to exploring emerging euthanasia services that claim to be more humane — or, at least, less traumatic for the humans paying for it — than the traditional unpleasant final trip to the vet. A Peaceful Passage offers at-home hospice care, at-home euthanasia and assistance with burial or cremation arrangements, as well as an experienced veterinarian, Dr. Christine Daigler, who responds to middle-of-the-night house calls and has an impressive bedside manner with ailing four-legged friends.

If the thought of getting manure on your Manolo Blahniks makes your heart race, then it's time to make a run to the Urban Farm. This 23-acre piece of Colorado countryside (located right next to the Den­ver County Jail) was created to provide urban kids with rural opportunities and give city slickers a good introduction to dirt. Beginning on March 15, the farm offers plots to would-be gardeners, along with workshops on composting, hoop house construction and worm farming. Kids can participate in the urban 4-H Fun on the Farm and Embracing Horses programs. And if that's not incentive enough, there's unlimited access to mountains of free manure.

Dragonfly EcoGoods is a friendly neighborhood business devoted to sustainability and local or fair-trade products. Wander in for a visit and you'll find all manner of recycled, organic, ecological and just plain cute products, from bamboo dishcloths and reusable, dishwasher-safe lunchbox pouches to handcrafted scented soaps, herbal oils or dangling glass earrings made from dumpster shards. The community-friendly shop offers discounts for riding your bike or bringing your own bag, while online buyers get "Karmic Offset Credits" for every $20 they spend at the website. Green's never been easier, or as much fun.

Some people say that smoking marijuana enhances creativity. Hard to believe, seeing as how so many medical marijuana dispensaries seem to have stopped after combining some variation of the words "green," "kind," "cannabis," "medical," "room" or "care." Not Nederland's Grateful Meds. If we have to explain the joke to you, then you wouldn't find it amusing anyway. For those who do, keep on truckin'!

Lower Highland, and specifically the burgeoning west Riverfront area around 15th and Platte Streets, has captured something fleetingly new and different when it comes to neighborhood shopping districts: a hip, funky, bohemian feel that bristles with urban electricity. From the citified couture of Mona Lucero Design Boutique to the grassroots bike culture of Salvagetti Bike Workshop to the exotic aroma of the original Savory Spice Shop, LoHi's got a little bit of everything...and more.

Goodwill Industries of Denver stores have long been known for their bargains, but this past year, they made a good deal even better when they opened up two Goodwill Outlet World locations. At these casual, sometimes chaotic spots, most merchandise that hasn't moved at the local Goodwill stores is sold by the pound rather than the item. For nineteen pounds or less, the fee is $1.49 per pound; above nineteen pounds, your haul drops to 99 cents a pound. (TVs, books and furniture still have a per-item price tag). Such a deal!

It started in 2008 with durable tote bags stitched together using repurposed DNC banners that had once flown from light poles around town. Since then, Mission Wear, a Denver nonprofit, has been making Banner Bags out of all kinds of local event banners, commemorating everything from sporting events to museum shows to theater openings; no two bags are the same. Founded by Beth McWhirter, Mission Wear provides jobs for women who are having trouble finding employment because of a history of prostitution, felonies or substance abuse. For prices and a list of where the bags are sold, visit Mission Wear's website and carry Denver with you all the time.

Park Meadows is unapologetically suburban, with its indoor rivulets and stone fireplace, but sometimes that's just what a shopper wants. The place is a leader in bringing new retailers to the area, and its lodge-like outdoor Vistas addition offers an elegant nod to the latest trend in shopping malls. We all need our shot of Nordstrom and the Gap once in a while. Why not do your mall crawl down south?

Confused about where you can find the best gasoline deals? Before you drive off to fill your tank, stop by www.DenverGasPrices.com, one of 200 live gasoline price-tracking websites run by GasBuddy.com, which will not only steer you to the very best deals in town, but help you understand why prices are more volatile than a Toyota Prius zooming down I-70.

Need something altered? It's no clothes call: Fana, who's run the eponymous Fittings by Fana for more than a decade, can take on anything from a wedding gown that needs to be fitted — fast — to a vintage find that requires alterations, to a leather coat that had an unfortunate encounter with a pet. Prices are low and she works quickly — if you remind her that you're on a deadline.

Like the hard-luck injured and abandoned animals who end up here, MaxFund is a survivor that knows how to weather bad times. In a metro area blessed with many hardworking shelter advocates, this quixotic nonprofit has found its place taking in and patiently adopting out dogs and cats that might otherwise be euthanized. As a true no-kill shelter, its operating costs per animal are higher than others, but the arrangement also means less pressure for visitors looking to adopt — and a better chance that the right match between human and pet will be made. A strong donor base and enthusiastic volunteers help make it all work. Next time you're in the market for a truly classy mutt or kitty, don't pass them by.

Growing your own garden is great — once you get going. Starting with seedlings is another story: Those little buggers seem to shoot up nicely and then suddenly shrivel up miserably, as if they've randomly lost the will to live. Luckily, a very enterprising green thumb named Ingrid will start your seedlings for you for $3 to $5 per pot in her home greenhouse in northwest Denver. Then, come early May, she'll hand over the strapping young plants, ready to transplant. Choose from a catalogue that includes everything from ultra-rare heirloom tomatoes to bhut jolokia, the hottest pepper in the world.

Like so many other new moms, Robin Morris tried to go back to work, but the merry-go-round of childcare, breast pumps and 4 a.m. feedings on top of a nine-hour workday quickly convinced her that there had to be a better way to be a mom and still make a buck. Pumped up by several weeks of intensive parenting research done during a period of forced bed rest before her son's birth, Morris decided to create an online baby store for hip, ecology-minded mommies, powered by her own learned expertise. It was only a matter of time before she decided to turn that growing enterprise into a physical retail store. First and foremost, eco•POLITAN is cloth-diaper central. Aside from being a reusable, sustainable choice, cloth diapers are clearly not what they used to be, and Morris has it all: hemp, bamboo or organic cotton diapers in bright colors, with Velcro or snap fasteners, as well as natural-fiber diaper covers that do twice the job or more of those old rubber pants, all while looking fresh as a daisy. And that's just the tip-top of eco•POLITAN's green merchandising scheme, which includes everything from womb-shaped bathing tubs to BPA-free baby bottles.

It's hard to find something not to like about Bound by Design. The shop might not be located in the swankiest area of town, but when you walk inside, the clean atmosphere — featuring hardwood floors and understated décor — immediately puts you on notice that this place takes tattoos and piercings very seriously. There's an astounding array of body jewelry laid out in glass cases, and all of the artists do excellent work — plus they're friendly, knowledgeable and non-judgmental, to boot, explaining the process from start to finish and taking extra time to make sure you understand the after-care instructions. Each artist works out of his or her own room, so any level of privacy you desire is possible. Best of all, the artists guarantee their work: If you discover you don't like the positioning of your piercing, they'll re-pierce you for free, and you can get free touch-ups for life on any Bound by Design tattoos. (If the artist is no longer there, they'll even tell you where he or she went — but the turnover rate is low at Bound by Design; most artists have been there for years.) They make it easy to think ink.

The nation's longest street is becoming a regular cake walk — at least along Cupcake Row, where Mulberries, an emigré from Platt Park, has joined the Shoppe and Lovely Cupcakes. Ah, such sweet suffering. Mulberries' claim to fame is pure whimsy: topsy-turvy cakes of all sizes, decorated with colorful buttercream bows, blossoms, dots, ladybugs and blobs, or cupcake towers like bouquets of stunning rosettes. We say welcome to the 'Fax: Old South Pearl Street's loss is East Colfax's gain.

Seeking Cherry Creek ambience on a budget? Koru, named for the Maori word for an unfurling fern frond (and signifying new beginnings), endeavors to reflect its tony East Sixth Avenue neighborhood by stocking its cheerful storefront with a rapidly morphing stash of high-end consignment furniture, as well as some new items. And if you're looking to sell rather than buy, New Zealanders Linsey and Ché Kelly offer an inviting 50/50 split to consignees. Go on: Put on the Ritz, right in your own home.

Customers of Sol Lingerie got a chance to take the Sol girl — or at least a small piece of her likeness — home with them last year when the upscale Cherry Creek North shop decided to recycle its older billboards and window displays into reusable tote bags. The Sol girl, who traipses around Colorado wearing nothing but her skivvies, was featured in most of those ads and has been seen on TV and in magazines. Some of the one-of-a-kind bags were given away to big spenders, while others are sold in the shop, at 248 Detroit Street. Buy one and your cups will runneth over.

The Denver Public Library has always had its geeky side, from boasting DVD selections that rival Blockbuster to offering hordes of B-movies available for streaming online. But it may have outdone itself with a web portal it developed for smart phones. Not only can patrons search the online card catalogue in a format that's easy to read on their tiny screens, but thanks to a program called OverDrive Media Console, iPhone, Android and Blackberry users with a library card number can browse, download and listen to audiobooks directly from their phones. It's just like borrowing an old-fashioned book: When the title is due "back," you can no longer listen to it. Check it out.

"Saving relationships, one month at a time!" That's the motto of www.PMSBuddy.com, which got its start during a LoDo happy-hour bar discussion. Unlike so many booze-inspired ideas, Jordan Eisenberg turned this one into reality, creating a free service currently tracking the schedules of 37,000 women, and it's even available as an iPhone app. As the site notes, "PMS — premenstrual syndrome — can be a difficult time of the month for many women and those close to them. Since discussing PMS is not exactly welcomed dinner table conversation, and may lead to dinner plates being hurled across the room, we want to take the unexpectedness out of this recurring occurrence so that those affected by PMS can be prepared and aware."

Tom Rhine learned the craft of repairing shoes in high school, started his own shoe-repair business back in 1966, and after nearly fifty years in the field, decided it was time to pass along his knowledge to the next generation with a formal, ten-month curriculum. Today, Rhine's Cobbler School is the only certified cobbler school in Colorado. If you want to cobble together a prosperous career, one that will leave you well-heeled, Rhine's could be the place for you. Or if you'd just like a fast repair job, Rhine does that, too.

The Feline Fix, Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance's low-cost, high-volume spay-and-neuter program, aims to make a significant dent in Denver's feral cat population by sterilizing thousands of unadoptable strays each year. But the program is also open to domestic tabbies who might otherwise be breeding all sorts of havoc; prices are much lower than what most vets charge for the service, and the Fix even offers occasional specials to help promote awareness of the overpopulation problem.

Flowers, port-a-potties and statues of dudes on horses aren't the only things that sprout from the ground in Civic Center Park. Thanks to the efforts of Transition Denver, the park is now home to a seasonal garden, where organic vegetables are planted, harvested and enjoyed by the public. Even better, some of the food winds up in the pantries of local organizations that work with Denver's homeless. The use of public spaces for urban gardening is an intriguing trend that's catching on in cities across the country, viewed as a potential solution to problems like hunger and poor nutrition. Plus, it's just darn cool to think of carrots, peppers and tomatoes growing down the street from the library and art museum. We're glad the City of Denver was plucky enough to agree.

Peggy Gulam of Chrysalis Eco Boutique likes to point out some startling truths that most people never even think about. Like, for instance, how conventional cotton, the kind used to make the majority of our clothes, requires the use of hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic pesticides and fertilizers. Or how manufacturing polyester uses up fossil fuels and creates waste. Located in the new Streets at SouthGlenn mall makeover, Chrysalis proves that clothing can be both fashion-forward and ecologically correct, and to that end, the store stocks only garments that are certified to be green (as well as USA-made or fair trade/sweatshop-free) in an environment built from and sworn to using sustainable products. Maybe that seems a little extreme, but Gulam likes to note that the idea of greening your wardrobe is more than a fad — or, worse, a retail promotion.

It's the simplest idea, but one with long legs: a hand-stamped silver tag with a supportive word or phrase that you gift to yourself or to someone you love. It might say "peace" or "I am by your side" or even sport just a name. Some are stamped with a dog bone or a pet's name; others come with dangling gemstones. Those emblazoned with "guardian" help benefit the In Defense of Animals Guardian Campaign. Created by local jewelry artist Elizabeth Lindsay, who made the first one for her dad during a time of strife and dubbed them Token Tags, the charms are a runaway hit, with celebrity fans ranging from Trista Sutter to Whoopi Goldberg. Go ahead, wear your feelings on your sleeve.

Girl-to-girl gifting is an art form: a subtle exercise in gentle one-upsmanship mixed with gal-pal love...and a shot of whipped cream. And Starlet, dear BFFs, fulfills. The Highland Square shop's second location, which opened late last year, is an expanded version of the first, and it fits the new neighborhood like a fingerless glove. Go here if you want to surprise your soul sister with a bauble or whimsy that won't break the bank; the beauty of it is that you'll still have money left over to get something for yourself.

Clutter, as the name implies, has a bit of everything: grandfather clocks, furry Kreiss chairs, luxurious Ralph Lauren sofas, fine crystal, everyday Pyrex, vintage, modern, antique, mid-century, born yesterday — you name it — all grouped in idea-inducing vignettes. In addition, the well-appointed consignment store hosts monthly exhibits and carries handmade items, both showcasing local artists and artisans. Which, naturally, makes it one of the most delightful places to shop for bargains for your home. Let Clutter clutter up your home.

Have something awkward to say? Prefer to do it by mail to avoid uncomfortable silences? Wordshop has just the greeting card for you. An example: A card with two lovers on the front; the outside says, "Let's be together tonight," and the inside says, "But when we're done, I'd like to leave." Loud. And. Clear. Or how about a get-well card that says, "Would it hurt if I flicked it?" Or a card with a stick figure, complete with testicles, that simply says, "Balls are funny." And for that hot inmate who dumped you via post? A card that says, "You broke my heart. Just thought you should know."

Local DIYer Kym Bixler figured out a great way to tap into your musical nostalgia while leaping headlong into the future. She takes old broken cassette tapes from the '80s — Cyndi Lauper, the Police, the Thompson Twins, to name just a few — splits them open and sews a felt lining inside. Then she adds a zipper to seal it up, and presto: a retro case that perfectly fits most smaller iPods. Of course, they can also be used as wallets or business-card holders, but nothing says hip like earphones emerging from an old tape.

Washing machines help keep men looking their best and are often taken for granted until they need repair or replacement. Which pretty much also describes the role of a wife in some marriages. Typically, divorced men suddenly find them­selves without a wife or washer, and there is no better place to heal the hurt than at the Wife Savor Laundromat. The name itself forces the newly single philaunderer to fully appreciate all that is lost with the folding of briefs and the balling of socks. The act of peering into the drier's void while watching one's clothes tumble over themselves endlessly is the perfect metaphor for what the future holds. Insert additional coins to buy more time.

Getting ready to throw out your old lawn furniture? Open Air Chair Repair has the vinyl solution. This company will repair, restore and restrap your old outdoor furniture, pulling from a stock that includes more than fifty colors of vinyl. The repairs may not come cheap, but restoring outdoor furniture is a lot greener than tossing it and starting over.

Just thinking about bedbugs is enough to make most people squirm — and everyone squirms a little faster when they hear that bedbugs are on the rise in Denver, showing up in apartment complexes, dorms, even homes. After leaving the corporate world, Leon Bayha got the bug to do something about these little critters, and he put his handy canine sidekick, Buzz, through 800 hours of training at the Florida Canine Academy. Working together as Colorado K-9 Detective Services, Bayha and Buzz can track down bedbugs with deadly efficiency — and put all those squirmy concerns to rest.

When former Wall Street banker Jennie Nevin moved from New York to Denver last year, she brought a great idea with her. Like its flagship in Brooklyn, Green Spaces is a collective workspace where eco-preneurs share space, vision and inspiration — as well as copy machines, recycling bins, land lines and even interns. Located in an appealingly open former warehouse in the RiNo district, Green Spaces triples as a workplace (desks and cubicles are rented by the month), event hall and gallery of furniture and art fashioned from reclaimed materials. Most excitingly, it's an incubator for some of the city's forward-thinking new businesses. Open to everyone who's willing to maintain a code of sustainable practice in the workplace, Green Spaces is an idea that's catching on: The next one sprouts in Los Angeles later this year.

Since a lot of folks are trying to find new ways to change the face of how we travel through the city, here's an idea whose time might just be now: Go online, join eGO CarShare and gain the ability to reserve and borrow a Prius or Fit for a day. The fee includes gas and insurance coverage — and freedom from the headache of car ownership. eGO currently has cars available downtown and in west Highland (with more to come in Denver), as well as numerous locations in Boulder.

The seminal roots of steampunk, the stuff of Victorian vibes paired with airships and fabulous machines, lie in the literature of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, while the subcultural movement's takeoff in more recent times owes its sensibilities to such modern authors as Philip Pullman and William Gibson. But one of steampunk's more delightful physical offshoots is the cultish costumery embraced by modern followers: a peculiar thing highlighted by its use of watch gears, reassembled machine parts and curiosities from nature cast in metal. And Denver jewelry maker Melissa Tomerlin has it down cold: Her fabulous Gold Bug brooches, constructed of gears ticking away among skulls, dragonflies and other winged embellishments, ARE steampunk. Find them at Peppermint, 1227 East 17th Avenue.

Rockmount Ranch Wear, housed in a red-brick 1908 LoDo building since it opened more than sixty years ago, represents the soul and spirit of downtown, standing tall through decades in a changing metropolis. The Western-wear emporium's own history begins with founder Jack A. Weil, a stalwart businessman who invented the archetypal snap-button Western shirt and worked nearly every day of his 107 years. Pure legend. As are those shirts, embraced by locals as much as celebrities, and classic in every stitch and detail.

The brainchild of a quartet of Downtown Littleton retailers — Marsha Asheim, Sue Coffey, Peggy Cooper and Amy Doherty — this distinctive market sprung right up along the town's Main Street during its first go-around last year, an attempt to bring back the spirit of A Paris Street Market, which began in the heart of the Littleton business district before moving to the roomier Aspen Grove a few years ago. The good news is that the market — more of an arts fair crossed with a sidewalk sale than a typical flea — worked. The Olde Town, which developed its own inimitable character during last year's run, will be back beginning in May with some experience under its belt and a similar mixture of new, vintage, girly and artsy wares.

There's something soothing about a purse made entirely of one continuous nylon zipper; in moments of anxiety or reflection, what better release than to zip-unzip, deconstructing your handbag down to its core and then reassembling it? Architect Beth A. Metsch designed the prototype for her mother years ago, and the orders have been multiplying ever since. Having successfully battled to protect her patents, Metsch's Denver-based company now offers a full line of Zippurses, from wristlets to messenger bags, and their stylishness received the ultimate recognition last year when they started showing up as Oscar-party swag. Shop online or consult the site's lists of local retailers, including the Denver Art Museum and Meininger's.

Nederland crafter Karin Platt seems to have a lot of time to herself during those long, cold mountain winters, but we're thankful for that. Karin's Kitsch is Karin's shtick: book bags, wallets, magnets and more, all made out of repurposed Little Golden Book titles such as The Poky Little Puppy and The Shy Little Kitten. She also makes totes strung with necktie handles from old album covers and classic game boards, and cool record-label coasters backed with cork. Relive the past in funky style; go to Karin's website for more information.

It's not easy being single. And when you would rather enjoy an intimate chat over a cup of coffee or glass of wine than rub up against some complete stranger in a nightclub — well, let's just say that kind of preference can severely limit your chances of finding somebody to love. But thankfully, there's the Overdue Love Club, a monthly Fresh City Life program hosted at Michelangelo's Wine & Coffee Bar on South Broadway and featuring Janice Hoffman, author of Relationship Rules, who kicks things off with a short talk and guided icebreaker. So even the shiest among you shouldn't have any trouble. It's casual, it's easy, it's intelligent and it's fun. Who knows what you might find?

Since its founding in 1918, Goodwill Industries of Denver has been known for moving a lot of stuff, fast, but 25 display cases in the administration building are dedicated to items that aren't going anywhere. This is the company's official doll collection, which includes everything from a 1790 rag doll from England to a yucca wood doll that survived an Indian raid to a bisque doll that once belonged to Baby Doe Tabor to a doll portraying Melissa Briggs, founder of Goodwill.

Cowboy couches with wagon-wheel arms were all the rage in the '50s — but after five decades of dealing with Denver's dry air and squirmy kids watching TV, many of these Western classics look more tired than an old Conestoga, with cracked frames and sprung springs. Ackerman & Sons will get you back in the saddle again. Although this venerable furniture shop works on more elegant pieces, too, it's made a sideline specialty of restoring these Atomic Age artifacts. Sofa, so good.

For Ashara Ekundayo of Blue and Yellow Logic, urban farming is just a simple part of life, the same sort of life she saw her grandparents living, with their no-nonsense kitchen garden and pecking hens. "It's just what we do..." is how she explains it, and in the interest of preserving that part of her culture while bringing it up to speed in the 21st century, Blue and Yellow Logic strives to help the community find ways to reclaim land and the sustainable food systems it supports, promote green building practices, support green jobs and change the way people think about where their food, shelter and everyday products come from. Blue and Yellow Logic will turn its first dirt in the spring. But the work, of course, is only just beginning.

Brett and Crystal Hanks Child already had a growing concern with their own Vital Industries screen-printed T-shirts and glasses, which they decorate by hand with bicycles and other imagery from DIY culture in a home studio. But they decided to do-it-themselves to a whole other level last fall by opening Tomte, a small retail adjunct to Platte Street's The Other Side gallery and studio enclave. Tomte's shelves are given over to a well-picked selection of local and national DIY artists, offering wares such as old-fashioned silhouette beads from Lucky Me, sweet ceramics by Mudpuppy, simple chain-link jewelry by Lauren Haupt, and big chains made from old car parts by Sword + Fern, to name a few. If you're looking for a place to plug into what's hip, look no further.

Part of what makes Robin Lohre's long-lived Talulah Jones boutique so successful is her personal touch, which extends right down to the unique wares she stocks. Lohre always has plenty of space dedicated to local artisans, whom she showcases with special events, in-store promotions and generous space in her Talulah Chronicles newsletter.

With the demise of the Ballpark Market, the local flea market crown goes rightfully to A Paris Street Market, which borrowed some of Ballpark's urban ambience, took it to the suburbs nine years ago and still manages to persevere at Aspen Grove in Littleton. On the first Saturday of the month, from May to October, this local shabby-chic center of the universe is your go-to place for red-lacquered antique high chairs, old pillbox hats, sets of Franciscan ware, crystal doorknobs, straw hats, rhinestone brooches, vintage aprons, distressed vanities and more, along with fresh lemonade and home-baked cupcakes for fortification.

Yes, it's a chain. Yes, the place is crawling with woodworking geeks, oohing over burled veneers and comparing router jigs. But unlike at the big-box stores, staffers here are friendly, accessible and knowledgeable — an unbeatable trifecta. Whether you're looking for a most peculiar kitchen cabinet hinge or an after-market miter gauge or just want to take a class on scroll saw fundamentals, this is toolboy heaven.

Once upon a time, there really were neighborhood bookstores. They weren't very big, and they didn't stock everything under the sun, but they always had a sunny alcove where you could quietly pass an hour turning pages. Thanks to Tennyson Street entrepreneurs Shannon and Gary Piserchio, the neighborhood bookstore is back — as the Bookery Nook, a shop that's not too big, doesn't stock everything under the sun and is well appointed with sunny alcoves. The Nook serves Cobalt Coffee, offers free wi-fi, is dog-friendly to well-behaved pooches and will special-order just about any book in the world. Now, that's a happily-ever-after ending.

Looking for a different kind of birthday party for your little flower fairy? MoonDance maven Tonja Reichley, who spends her days concocting lovely potions and lotions from herbs and other natural ingredients, has come up with a perfect junior companion to her grown-up spa parties: the fairy party, which involves a whole separate little-girl style of pampering, one filled with fairy lore and stories and soapmaking. On second thought, you and the girls might just want to book one for yourselves.

When you're trying to polish up a metal artifact — whether it's a valuable antique or a flea-market find — elbow grease goes only so far. Let Mile High Metal take you the rest of the way. This friendly polishing shop handles everything from kitchen items to museum pieces and works on metals ranging from aluminum and brass to copper to stainless steel. With any luck, when you stop in you'll catch a glimpse of one of the custom-designed motorcycles they work on here. We've taken a shine to Mile High Metal.

While politicians and pundits trade theories on how to stimulate the economy, the folks at Mile High Business Alliance are digging in and doing it. The Alliance maintains that every dollar spent locally circulates at least three times more than one spent with a non-locally owned corporation or chain. Through programs such as the Colorado Local First Campaign and Local Flavor Guides, which celebrate the character of neighborhoods such as LoHi and SoBo, MHBA encourages everyone to direct at least 10 percent of their spending to businesses that sprout from Colorado soil. The organization also maintains a user-friendly online guide to Colorado businesses. True, MHBA doesn't yet represent all 500,000 of the locally owned businesses in Colorado. But their clever campaigns ("My local coffee shop can kick your corporate coffee shop's ass," reads one MHBA-produced poster) spread awareness about the power of how and where we spend our dollars.

Here's a wonderful resource for lucky Boulder County and west suburb gardeners: The Garden-in-a-Box, available complete with a planting diagram, maintenance instructions and a pre-selected range of good-sized, well-matched waterwise garden perennials for a reasonable fee, is plot-planning at its simplest. This year's selections include an herb-and-tomato garden, a tried-and-true drought-tolerant perennial garden, and a landscape solution for those difficult "hell" patches sandwiched between the sidewalk and the street. All-inclusive prices range from $65 to $110, and all you have to do is put them in the ground and take care of them once in a while.

Christy Lea Payne may well be the best-loved jewelry maker on the Front Range, thanks in part to her national exposure in Robert Redford's Sundance catalogue, where her rustic sterling-silver necklaces, charms and cuffs epitomize the simple elegance that informs the Sundance look. Find her CLP trinkets – hand-wrought sterling-silver hearts, peace signs and hammered ID charms dangling from beautifully imperfect, roughly crafted chains — at such local stores as Talulah Jones and Kismet.

The story of how longtime retailer Stephanie Shearer of Pandora Jewelry and Soul Haus set out looking for a garbage can and ended up buying a building has Cinderella written all over it, but that's just what happened. She attended a community meeting to try to get some answers about the trash receptacle she desired in front of Pandora, catching the eye of the Denver Business Assistance Center's Bo Martinez, who saw something in her quest. Then she ended up on the phone with Bryan Slekes at the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, and before she knew it, she and husband/business partner Chris Bacorn were haggling for a loan to buy the vacant EZE Mop building and an adjacent house, which eventually came to include Shearer's new boutique, Peppermint, an expanded Soul Haus hipster men's store (run by the amiable Bacorn) and Babylon Floral, as well as a coffee and tea shop next door. If the slipper fits...

The idea of perpetuity is integral to the philosophy of fashionable resale, so if Perpetual Clothing boutique wants to wear that on its chic little sleeve, that's okay by us. Focusing on trendy and modern better brands, from Anthropologie to True Religion, the shop peddles a constantly morphing supply of high-end secondhand that will have you sashaying about stylishly for a fraction of what it would cost you to wear the same duds new. And if you bring in your own rethreads to consign, you can even make a few dollars back. Shop owner Lanine Baccam also works to green the world by enlisting customers to bring her plastic mall and boutique shopping bags to reuse in the store, along with old greeting cards, calendars, postcards and any other heavyweight stock that's blank on one side, which she cuts up and uses for price tags. Now, that's talkin' trash!

This Vail mainstay opened its Denver outlet more than a year ago, filling it with racks of outdoor gear and high-end garments for children of all ages — at discounted prices. You'll find quality brands, including Obermeyer, Spyder, Catimini, Quiksilver, Keen, Merrell and more at up to 70 percent off, no matter what season you're shopping for, making it a little bit easier to maintain a healthy — and stylish — lifestyle for the whole family.

The child, Mr. Wordsworth informs us, is father of the man. And if your young ones are fascinated by pharaohs, dotty for dinosaurs, awestruck by astronomy or just heavily into Harry Potter, this cozy shop is the place to go for games, puzzles, books, toys and more. Brain-teasing play is given free rein here, demonstrating that "educational" toys don't have to be boring. It's a great place for any manchild eager to unlock the secrets of the universe — and for adults of all ages who are looking for intelligent family entertainment.

We all know one of those women involved in a home-party scheme, whether she's selling kitchenware, beauty products, candles or sex toys. And if you're smart, when you get an invitation to attend such a party, you run screaming in the opposite direction. At best, your friend will talk you into a purchase you don't want and can't afford; at worst, she'll pressure you to become part of her scheme. But those home sales-consultant gigs really do work well when the product is of high quality, because then it practically sells itself. That's the case with Melt, a personal bath products company that makes everything from shaving butter to massage bars to lip balm — all handcrafted in Colorado. The start-up kit costs $230 and includes $460 worth of product — and believe us, once your friends try the fizzy balls, bubble bath or handmade soap, they'll be hooked.

The problem isn't the cut of meat; it's your dull knives. The solution? Take your kitchen battle axes — even the serrated ones — to any of the Tony's Markets locations, where a professional knife sharpener will have them gleaming and ready to slice and dice whatever fabulous slab of beef you'll buy from the butcher afterward. Sharpening costs $4.98 per blade and is only available one day a week at each Tony's (go to the website for phone numbers and information). It's a steel.