Vay-cay wrap-up (photo heavy)

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Well friends, our week in sunny Las Vegas is rapidly coming to a close but hubby and I have had a marvelous time.  The weather has been fabulous (for me).  Most everyone else seems to be freezing to death but high 60s and low 70s feels like Paradise to me...

The hotel is amazing.  I highly recommend staying at the Venetian / Palazzo if you are planning a trip to Sin City anytime soon.  Although they do not have an "All you can eat buffet" here, the food is very reasonably priced and prepared to perfection. 

Exhibit A:

salmon piccata    (so good, I ordered it twice!)

at Grand Lux Cafe, Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas

 

hubby's breakfast sandwich  -  YUM!

at Grand Lux Cafe, Palazzo Hotel, Las Vegas

real gelato!

The interior design and decor is like nothing I've seen outside of the Papal apartments at the Vatican.  I mean, just imagine the Ritzy-est of the Titzy-est and you'll be in the right zip code.  Gold plate that and you'll be in the right ball park.  Throw in more Italian marble, mosaics and hand painted murals and you'll have the right pew.  Then sprinkle with fairy dust.  It's dazzling. 

Exhibit B:

just a random hallway from the main entrance to the casino area

 

 

the rotunda

ceiling of the main entrance area

(sorry for the blurry shot - I was trying not to gawk)

Grand Canal and gondola rides - on the 2nd floor  - hear that?  2nd floor..

and this canal, it goes for a long, long way...

your view onto "St Mark's Square" as you top the escalator from lower level

this area connects the two hotel properties (Venetian and Palazzo)

encircled with bistros and boutiques

Oh, did I mention the shopping?  Yeah - they got some stuff...

the "Principessa"

 

for him, for Carnivale

 

for her, for Carnivale

 

Faberge style eggs and boxes

Etc., etc., etc., etc.


They do this all while being very welcoming (no matter what you happen to be wearing).  The staff is always busy cleaning everything.  The guest services people are here to make your stay the best experience it can possibly be.  They seem to delight in pleasing you..  Seriously...  It just sparkles and shines and smells like uber-rich Italians.

Yum. 


In addition, the health club (Canyon Ranch) is like nothing I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of health clubs.  This one takes the cake.  Forget that the equipment is plentiful, and so state-of-the-art that it will be years before I ever see another treadmill like the one I've fallen in love with.  Forget that they have Smoothie Happy Hour from 7-9am.  Forget that they have 3 very nice restaurants, in the health club, that serve fresh, organic, "affordable yet artistic" health food all day everyday.  Forget that they have several friendly exercise physiologists just walking around, looking to talk to you and advise you about anything you want to ask about, for free...without appointment.  Several boutiques full of cute workout gear.   Shoe store...  Salon...  Forget all that. 

I want to talk about the hallway you walk down to get to the 'big gym'.  This hallway is long and windy.  It is broken up into several brightly painted corridors lit with these ethereal light towers and simply decorated with amazing art here and there.  The colors are so vivid and the lights are so ethereal, it has captivated me.

lime green hallway

 turquoise corridor with peacock feathers photo

magenta corridor with black and white triptych 

white corridor with waterfall photo

art in lime green corridor

There are more color segments, but I was trying to not be kicked out.. If you can't tell, I'm in love with this hallway.

I told hubby that this hallway was surely exactly like what my "tunnel of light" to heaven will be.  I wish I knew if the colors corresponded to 'chakras' or whatever..  I don't know about that stuff, but this hallway rates 5 stars in my book of Cool Stuff.

Okay - enough about the hotel.  We also took in some great exhibits and shows, like:

• Monet at the Bellagio
• Dancing Fountains of the Bellagio
• DaVinci - The Genius at the Venetian
• America's Got Talent LIVE at the Palazzo (included the Olate Dogs, Lightwire Theater, Sand Artist Joe Castillo, Escape Artist Spencer Horsman, comedian Tom Cotter, Earth Harpist William Close, and the Recycled Percussion boys)
• Criss Angel: BeLIEve at the Luxor
• KA by Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand

Needless to say, the week has flown by and we'll be home quicker than I can lose $20 at the roulette table.

 

 

Hope you all are having a wonderful week and are looking forward to Thanksgiving next week.  I know I am!

 

 

 

November??? Really???

***

Good Saturday Morning to you Friends!

Despite my best intentions, I have been neglecting this here lil blog o'mine but not for no good reason.  It's FALL, which means I've been out stomping thru the woods taking a few foliage pics, spending copious amounts of time decorating and re-organizing everything that isn't nailed down, and more general futzing around than any one person should be allowed to futz.. 

  dining table in her fall colours

Even though I'm closing in on finishing this teacup coaster, it has taken a back seat to other projects lately:

 

Royal Hunting Stewart tartan plaid teacup coaster

I've even done a bit of sewing on the electrified sewing machine (insert prayer of mercy here)..

 

new draft dodger for sun room

But if I am 100% honest, I'll tell you that the past few months have been spent trying to recover from losing Carmen.  Hubby and I have both busied ourselves with 'tasks' so as not to have to sit still for too long.  It's been a productive time, but I can't say that either of us were actually doing any 'healing' until this little thing just started showing up at our house about a month ago:

 

 

Her real family lives not far from here and keep coming to pick her up, but she keeps coming back.  She really likes Hubby, whom she calls "Bob".  His name isn't Bob, but her name isn't Kitty Sox either.. so I guess everyone is even... Even though Sox and her real family are moving out of state today, she was a sweetie girl to have around for a month and I do believe she has opened my eyes to the possibility of becoming a 'cat person'..  (and as I utter the words, I can hear all my dog friends gasping)..

 

 

Hubby and I are off on a short vay-cay today (to sunny Las Vegas Nevada) but I'll pop back in whenever possible to check on all of you.  Thanks again for all the sweet emails, cards and messages about Carmen.  It's been a tough few months, but I think we are about to come out of it. 

 

Have a great weekend friends,