Bright Light City Gonna Set My Soul On Fire

My 35th birthday celebration in Vegas was a triumph of glitz, romance, and complete leisure! Thanks to my unwavering loyalty to Delta airlines, I flew in the front cabin all the way from BWI (dropped my kid and the dog with the 'rents on the DE shore) to Las Vegas. We had a significant delay, causing us to miss our reservation at B&B, but 2 movies and free cocktails kept me happy until I crashed onto the luxe cool cotton bedding in our room at Encore. The next morning we woke up and went to mass at the church right next door--we could literally see it from our window. We picked up some lunch at, um, Ping Pong Thai Restaurant, ahem, and headed back to the room to watch the World Cup finals. Then it was down to the pool. Oh, pool, I miss you. The first day we hit the European pool. Initially we were delighted by the ban on noisy, splashy kids (or even quiet ones) and the friendly cocktail waitresses, but we soon grew tired of all the greasy dudes on the prowl and the sort of partial nudity that just did not seem "European" in the traditional sense. I mean, go to Nice, and, well, it's just not quite the same sort of nude. You know?
Anyway, in the days to come we welcomed the normalizing factor that kiddies add to the whole pool scene. And Mojitos were still available at all the pools, so it was all good.
Restaurants. Okay, first night L'Atelier Joel Robuchon. Tasting menu. Really incredible. We sprung for the wine pairings, too. Night two: Thomas Keller's Bouchon. Great cocktails, escargot, frites, spinach, dessert. Disappointing steaks. Night three: Nobu! Wow. Yes! Fun server. Really yummy Matsuhisa cocktails. Sushi to die for. Another amazing birthday dessert (my husband arranged for me to have them each night! LOVE him).
It was the last night, after Nobu in the Hard Rock Hotel, that we finally got around to gambling. Those cocktails at Nobu, plus the ones served up by the ladies in the studded bras in the casino made losing $12 in the slots the most fun thing EVER. And with goofy pop music, hardly anyone around, hubby busy losing money at the tables--I had myself my own little chair dance party.
Who said 35 isn't awesome? Vegas rocked it. I came home refreshed and excited to see my kid. I got a tan. And the whole thing started off on my actual birthday with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and a bracelet from Tiffany. Hubby kicked it in the ding ding this birthday.
So, back to real life. Still REALLY missing London. Getting a little nuts with home improvements, but that's a good thing. Looking forward to Italy at the end of next month--but I can't start living holiday to holiday. What can I do to spice it up around here? I am thinking it's time to throw a party.

Hillbilly

So, since returning stateside I have been logging on the MTV.com (our cable isn't turned back on yet) to catch up with the ladies of The Hills and The City. I think I may be getting old which is so awful to think with B-day 35 happening in one week! Anyway, is it just me or is The Hills pretty boring right now? I mean, what happened to the K-Cav is a druggie story line? And I want to see more about Spencer and Heidi and the crystals. For those of you with cable, you're probably more current on the story lines. MTV is a little stingey about posting episodes online. Anyway, over on The City, poor Miss Port is surrounded by a bunch of toxic tarts! Roxy is too much and don't even get me started on the waste of space that is Olivia. Though I think Joe Zee might even be worse. What a suck-up. It really gets in the way of my reading enjoyment--I love Elle. It's my favorite US magazine, and the UK edition is my very fave mag, ever. But every time I turn the page and see A to Zee, I get so distracted by thoughts of Joe and Olivia and how annoying they are (especially together) that I can't even read what is actually a very good column. Ugh.
So anyway, was that Louise Roe I saw Erin talking to in the preview for the next episode? So fun! I actually talked to her in the Chambord VIP lounge at London Fashion Weekend. She mentioned she would be appearing on a show for the CW..but here she is on MTV. Wonder if it's all part of the plan...I am sure it is. My plan? Washing the guest room comforter in my new front-loading, energy efficient washer and dryer! That's actually not even a sarcastic use of punctuation. I do love my new appliances. But guess what? When they took the old ones away, there was a dead, decaying mouse under the washer. I know! So gross.
10 days until my birthday trip to Vegas. So excited! What am I going to wear?

I Wanna New Rug

One that my doggie doesn't want to pee on. Hmph.
I tried to new restaurant today. Not new in town, but new for me. It was okay. Menu limited. Service friendly. Kid happy with pizza, but no kids menu which is weird for South Bend. I had a chopped salad that was tasty and what you'd expect except for little teeny pasta tubes tossed in it. I didn't like it. They were probably listed in the ingredients but I didn't read much further than "chicken, blue cheese, bacon." Also, no bread or bread sticks which my ass does not need but my kid could have used. Luckily, I had a pen and some paper, drew an awesome airplane that impressed the kid, and the food arrived fast. Anyway, don't know if we'll be back to Trio's. They have jazz in the evenings, so maybe I will give it another go for date night.
Trying out the shoe hospital downtown. My Dior patent leather pumps need to be reheeled, and a strap is loose on my favorite metallic strappy sandals. I know all this because on Friday I am going to be in DC for a black tie event at the Four Seasons in Georgetown, put on by the Beckett Fund, and I need fancy shoes to go with my fancy dress. Anyway, shoes won't be ready until after my plane takes off from SBN. Will do one last dig around the closet and then will have to go emergency shoe shopping which is the WORST. Also have to find time for a pedicure. Oh! And speak of the devil, I have found the most amazing nail polish. It's Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure. Says it's got all the steps of a salon mani (base coat, top coat, primer, etc.) in one bottle. I have to say, I did my nails yesterday afternoon and I am impressed. Two coats gave me good color and glossy shine. My nails dried quickly and I didn't wake up with those sheet wrinkles you can get when you DIY late in the day. Anyway, 2 thumbs up, Sally! WTG.

She's Got Jegs, She Knows How to Use Them

If there were one piece of clothing that defined my days in London, it has to be the jegging. A bastard child of jean and legging, it is unholy and unnatural. It is something I would have never bought at home. But they spoke to me. At NEXT, buying some clothes for my kid, they spoke to me. They were a revelation!! The amazing black leather, low heeled, waterproofed boots I purchased a year ago in the Nordstrom sale were a wardrobe staple. Shoving in a bootleg or even a skinny zippered ankle was a chore. I was tired of the same old black tights and leggings. The jeggings opened up a whole new world! They were more pants than tights, with back pockets to prove it, so I could wear them with so many more tops and tunics. And I did! The more I wore them, the more I wanted to! I hated waiting for them to dry on the horrible space-hogging laundry rack. I needed them NOW. Alas, on the flight home, in the ladies room of the Delta Sky Lounge, I found a hole. I binned them yesterday. Farewell, London! Farewell, jeggings! See you both in my dreams.

Jiggity Jig

So...home. It's good to be here, but I miss London already. I tore it up, the last week or two. Parties at French Connection, John Lewis, Banana Republic, Harvey Nichols, and TOUS. Out for drinks with the girls at Kettner's and the bar at Mandarin Oriental. Last minute shopping at H&M, Topshop, Harrods, and Harvey Nicks. And still...I didn't feel DONE. I could have taken my kid the the playground at St. James Park every day for the next few months, I could have gone on play dates with our numerous new friends, gone back to the museums, eaten at our fave local Indian, shared another bottle of wine at Brumus with my handsome hubby, fought the lines at Tesco, WHATEVER!!!! I wasn't ready to leave. But, that said, going to mass at our local parish on Sunday was such a treat. Every pew filled with families that we knew, and a priest that knew me by name. I love it. But I still miss London.

Naked Truth

i want some nude clogs. I won't last the weekend without them.

Foxy Lady

I was prepared for many tasty UK delights. Hobnobs, Jammy Dodgers, draught cider, 99's, Sunday roast, liberal attitudes toward drinking a bottle of wine in the middle of the day in a public park, Mueller Rice, fry-ups...I could go on. I knew about these treats, could plan for indulgences, understood my particular weaknesses. But this, I was not ready for.
I'm sorry Mr. Fox, whoever you are, but "chocolatey" doesn't even begin to describe it. I'm usually a dark chocolate girl, but these lovely little crisp cookies are robed in the yummiest, creamiest milk chocolate EVER. And the whole pack is only a quid. And the whole family loves them. And they are a whopping 101 calories per cookie! I don't know what to do! There are 2 whole unopened packs in the kitchen. Why, why, why did I buy them? We've already plowed through 2 other packs since discovering them yesterday. Never listen to a 5-year-old's shopping suggestions in the biscuit aisle.* Here's hoping they (we?) last the weekend.

*You should, however, listen to them when they remind you to buy toilet paper.