My Visa is smokin'....

Apologies for the delay in posting my Vegas Shopping Review (sounds official doesn't it?)  Unfortunately my computer had decided to act like a pouty little girl and deny me from accessing the inter-webs. Even though Husband is an IT computer geek genius we still went without for a few days. Sad story but true.

However in happier news I can finally share my shopping finds with y'all right now. (See that...3 days in the U.S. and I've picked up an American twang. Give me another week down there and I'll bet you I'd sound like Paula Deen.) 

From CVS and Walgreens I did a bit of a makeup haul on products I can't always (or ever) find here.

1. YSL Rouge Volupte No.2 nude lipstick

2. Rimmel Stay Matte Clarifying Matte Foundation, 200 Soft Beige

3. EOS Lip balm in Fruit salad

4.Victoria Secret Radiant Face Trio in Head Turner, highlighter

5. N.Y.C. Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny

6. Wet N' Wild Color Icon Blush in Pearlescent Pink

7. Covergirl Cheekers Blush in Golden Pink

8.Covergirl Eye Shadow single in Golden Sunrise

9. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish special reserve highlight powder in Chez Chez Lame

10. Monistat Chafing powder gel. (Ok, I didn't invent this idea...chafing gel makes an amazing makeup primer)

11. Illamasqua Powder Blush in Lover

12. Victoria Secret Perfect Lipstick in Scrumptious

13. L'Oreal  Eye shadow in Deep Mocha (brow fill)

14. Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipsglaze in Lasting Shimmer

15.Wet n' Wild Mega Eyes Defining Marker in blackest black

16.N.Y.C Liquid Lip Shine in Pink Sand

From the "biggest Forever 21 in the world" I picked up these 3 tops. Honestly the store is so huge that I couldn't even handle it (the old Bloomingdales Home location in the Fashion Show Mall). Two massive floors of Forever 21 clothes and accessories. Obviously a Forever XXI lovers dream...it was all a bit too much though.

I picked up these accessories (earrings, and necklace) for super cheap (srsly, practically for free) from Forever XXI and Charlotte Russe (at the Premium Outlets.)

The number one item on my shopping list of must haves was a gorgeous pair of flat leather cognac coloured boots. I got these at Bakers for only $89.00. Can't wait to wear them but since we've got about half a foot of snow outside I'll instead be wearing these Uggs that I got at the Premium Outlets. A winter staple for me and even though I resisted them for a long time (I too thought they were fugly), I finally broke down a few years ago and have a several pairs now.

 Brown classic Uggs, $139.00

 In the airport I snagged the Kardashian sisters new book. Yes it's mindless reading written at a grade 6 level but it's fun and light and entertaining! 

From the Sugar Factory candy store at the Miracle Mile shops in Planet Hollywood I couldn't resist this celebrity line of signature lollipops. I love the sparkly refillable, reusable stick. This one was designed by Kim Kardashian (of course.) Was it over priced? Yes. I guess a "sucker" is born every minute, Mama included! 

 At Macy*s I got this Michael Kors bag. I've been hunting for a great leopard print bag for a while and though this isn't exactly what I wanted, it'll do. Originally $300 on for $130 (including my Canadian discount), apparently you receive another 10% off almost anything in the store if you show your passport at customer service.

 From the Alexander McQueen shop in the Wynn hotel I snagged this super cute signature McQueen Midnight/Sun skull silk scarf. 

Saving the best for last, I finally got my hands on a Yves Saint Laurent "Arty" oval ring from the YSL boutique at the Bellagio. Its a great statement ring and will be gorgeous to wear in the summer when I finally have a tan again. (Ignore winter dry Alligator skin on hand)

As always it was a great shopping trip, Vegas never disappoints. I will say again that the lack of decent sales (especially after Christmas) is surprising?! They just don't offer the deep discounts like they do in Canada. However the awesomesauce variety of brands and stores keeps me coming back for more. Till next time Vegas...

Shiny Disco Balls...

Hello lovelies, Mama's back with Vegas recap 2011. It was a quick and dirty trip but I survived (though my dogs are still barking from all the walking I did.) Note to self, just because the Kardashians can manage to traipse through the airport in high heel boots doesn't mean Mama can or should.  Sore feet is NO way to start a shopping walking tour of Vegas. 

We stayed at Aria Hotel in the new City Centre. Yes its a beautiful hotel, but also extremely modern and we couldn't help but feel that it was missing the charm and kitschy over-the-topness that Vegas is known for. I think that Wynn (where we stayed last January) has the perfect mix of Vegas flair and contemporary sophistication (in my extremely valuable opinion.)  

At the mega huge CES Consumer Electronic Show (the reason we were in Vegas), Husbands company HSTi, with their Wireless Media Stick, was voted the Best Android Accessory of the CES 2011 by Android Central. Yeah, I'm a bit stoked!

I'm not gonna lie, we ate a lot and one of our fave restaurants was Julian Serrano Tapas. We had fabulous Ceviche, Tapas and of course a super delicious Paella. Muy sabroso!

Later we went to Haze, the main club in Aria.

 Feathers, rhinestones and fabulous

 Drugs, Rock and Roll, Bad Ass, Vegas Hoes, Late Nights, booty Calls, Shiny Disco Balls...

Only one pic of Mama. Husband never remembers to take pics...

 The music was pretty amazing and even better when Maroon 5 hit the stage at around 1:30am.  While we were standing in the casino I saw Adam Levine ( pure hotness) and band walk by, I had to seriously do a double take but then there they were later that night playing a few songs in Haze. Prerequisite Vegas celebrity sighting- check! 

I wished I'd taken more pics while I was there but Husband had our camera in his briefcase and my crackberry takes terrible pics.  So this is all I can share for now. The best is yet to come though, next post is dedicated to the shop shop shoppping recap. Stay tuned kids...

Entertain me Vegas...

I'm leaving for Vegas in a couple days and sadly this might likely be my only winter "vacation" this season if you call Friday to Sunday a "vacation", never mind that Vegas is freezing ass currently. (I already live in the North Pole and now I'm traveling 1031 miles/1659 kilometers straight south for more cold weather? Srsly weather gods?)

I'll be fine, I'll just console myself with fabulous retail shopping and massive portions of food while dining out.

Ha! God bless America. 

So as you can tell the 10 lb. rapid weight loss plan didn't really come together since I'm already talking about Vegas food binges, though I have been trying to eat well for the last few days. Honestly!

We're going again because Husband is on business at the huge CES Consumer Electronics show. So basically Vegas will be a techie-geek-mecca while we're there. And since I only pretend to be interested in the tech show (for Husbands benefit) I'll be spending my time in Nordstrom or the outlet malls. 

I've been to Vegas plenty of times but I can't help but feel I might be missing out on something while shopping the whole time. We always try to maximize our time there by getting tickets to a show, dinner in a great restaurant or two and always a night out at a club but what else is there to do? (I realize that sounds like a ridic question...) And we only ever seem to go for around 3 days so I suppose the tour of the Hoover Dam/Grand Canyon is a no go (as much fun as that sounds...)

I'm NOT a gambling woman so the casino is out. Money should only be spent on a sure thing like shoes! I cannot handle losing things. Especially money. 

{boring?}

So tell me lovely readers, what do you recommend doing in Vegas?

 I only have a weekend, and I'll likely be by myself most of the time (sounds like a blast right?)

 Lay your ideas on me, what do you like to do while in Vegas? What's fun, interesting, exciting,,,even if it's all a bit cheesy. It is Vegas after all. 

I'm up for anything (minus male strippers, that's no fun going to alone. So I hear.) 

{not this time thanks}

Eat nothing...

Christmas is winding down around here and things are finally getting back to normal after an über busy December. Normally I'd be kinda lamenting the fact that Christmas is over but I'm still looking forward to a few more family get togethers after New Years.  Yes more food and wine.

Question: how is one supposed to lose 10 lbs by January 6th when the fattening food won't go away?

  (Why the seasonally inappropriate quest for rapid weight loss you ask, we haven't even hit New Years yet?)
 Its because Mama and Husband are off to Vegas the first week of January and while we're there my plan is to find some serious dealz shopping for clothes, clothes and more clothes. 

 However I've apparently (over the last month) managed to eat a third of my total body weight in Ferrero Rocher, cheese and red wine. 

Obviously one solution is to maintain the December status quo and just continue eating, but then walk the Vegas Strip and shop till my legs fall off, thus burning off the extra el-bees that have recently decided to call my muffin top "home." 

Or I could pull a Bethenny Frankel and "Taste everything, Eat Nothing."

{What does that mean? Like literally eat nothing at all?  Well she did shed all her baby weight in 3 weeks...}

Let's keep it real here. I shall continue to eat, and I'll in all likelihood not drop 10 pounds by January 6th. However the elliptical trainer and me are gonna be on a first name basis. Hopefully?

What is your plan for the post holiday slim-down?

Tuxedo deluxe

So you're going out and you plan on wearing your cutest new strapless dress. But wait, it's December and you remember it's freezing ass outside (at least where I live it is...)  So how do you cover up a bit and attempt to stay warm-ish while still looking amazing?   

Pashminas?- boring.  Bolero style shrug?- old news. 

  Tux jackets are the perfect way to coverup while adding a bit of structure and style. Last winter I was really loving my cropped tux jacket, but this season I'm all about a regular length tuxedo jacket. The masculine silhouette of the jacket offsets the shortness of a dress while adding an extra kick of style. Lurve it.

{Is it really necessary to do 3 hours of pilates and yoga everyday to have legs like these?}

While cruising through my People Style Watch magazine I notice this American Eagle Tuxedo blazer. (American Eagle? yeah, who knew they'd carry something like this.)  So I grabbed this while shopping this week. It's the perfect length, has the right amount of structure and of course has a shiny lapel to add a pop of added glam. 

In the beginning of January I'll most definitely be rocking a tux jacket when we go out in Vegas.

What do you think about mixing a men's look with something flirty and fun like a short dress?

Like a mirror ball in a disco....

Holiday glam time is here and for parties I'm all about adding a bit of sparkle or shine with sequins. I'm happy to see that sequins are back for another season and when they're worn properly they can totally complete your holiday look. Last year I maintained a brief love affair with black sequin leggings, which sadly I only felt comfortable wearing when we went out in Vegas to club XS at Encore.  It's a bold look, you can't just wear shiny, sparkly pants anywhere. Or can you?

{Sequin leggings work here in the club, sadly almost nowhere else}

Still, I'm loving these dresses and jackets. They scream "it's New Years Eve, I will have another glass of champagne!"

{perfection, head to toe}

 

{Lurve this Nanette Lepore dress with black tights and pumps}

{I wouldn't be pairing this jacket with washed out 90's jeans, but that's just me...} 

 A sparkly sequin tux jacket or blazer can totally dress up skinny jeans or a plain LBD

Would you wear sequins this Holiday season, or should they be reserved for trips to Vegas only?

Images via google and Bloomingdales

Pretty things...

 Here are a few pics I took of things that caught my eye in Vegas. How could they not...everything is over the top fab!

Floral arrangement in the Lobby of Wynn. Lurve them!!!

The lounge - "Down Parasol"  So colourful!

The lobby at the Wynn

Gardens outside

A gorgeous window display for Manolo B. This pic doesn't do justice for the glittery stunner on the top right!

(and yes that's a black patent pair of MaryJanes on the left!)

And of course my all time fave thing in Vegas, err... person - Husband!