Vegas Recommendations

I haven’t been to Vegas a lot, but I did go the last two Christmases for family reunions, so my parents took us to some pretty awesome places. I also took my boyfriend for his 23rd birthday this September and my best friend for her birthday in November, so here’s where I’ve been that’s been awesome:

Gordon Ramsey Steak at Paris

Amazing amazing meal. The meal began with the best martini I have had in a while and the bread selection included over 5 different kinds that all tasted like a pastry shop. The steaks were Ruth’s Chris worthy and custom cut, but very expensive. I loved the restaurant and the ambiance until we got the bill and they had charged us 10 dollars for a bottle of water.

Sage at the Aria

BEST meal other than L’Atelier in Vegas. Five course meal was a lot at over 100 dollars per person but one of the best restaurant experiences I have had. (I will post more about best restaurants in the world I have been to later). I had caramel coated scallops and an amazing chocolate flavored short rib and they had BACON bread. Need I say more?! Oh yeah, the drinks were fantastic and the dessert was amazing. The service was FLAWLESS. They would get a 5 Diamond rating in my book.

Bellagio Spa

Had one of the best massages I have ever had, and I go to Massage Envy every month. The other places I have had a massage include Glen Ivy spa in Corona and the Grand Hotel in Michigan on Mackinac Island. (That might be a post for another time).  Their ambiance made it worth shelling out 175 for a massage of a lifetime. This was Matt’s birthday present, so I know I went overboard, but I wanted it to be memorable. When you look down at the floor, they even had flowers floating in a bowl of water for a calming effect.

Ceasar Palace Qua Spa 

$40 for the day without a service, to experience the baths and steam rooms and ice room with complementary tea and heated towels. This is my best friend’s and my go-to place for ultimate relaxation in Vegas. I have been here at least 3 times and each time was better than the last. They have heated stone chairs to sleep on and anything you could want for a day at the spa. I definitely have spent more than 4 hours in there in one day, although 2 of them were spent reading while drinking tea.

L’Atelier at MGM

Best French meal you will ever pay for, no chef can beat Joel Robuchon. He is world famous, and I must say that his Vegas restaurant is comparable to his Parisian restaurant, both of which I have been to. The Vegas one, because of the dollar exchange rate might actually be cheaper and you’re getting the same food which includes: pot de creme for dessert and pourable mashed potatoes. 

STK at Cosmo

Amazing steak and wine at the Cosmopolitan. Loved the ambiance and the menu for a contemporary steak dinner. I drank a lot and talked with family, so I admit I don’t remember every detail except that the service was great and there was not a bad bite of food that night.

Olives at Bellagio

Todd English’s restaurant, all I need to say is there was WHITE CHOCOLATE bread and it was heavenly. Yes, I judge restaurants on what type of bread they serve. 

Yellowtail at Bellagio

The best sushi japanese-inspired restaurant in Vegas. My parents and I never miss it when we’re there.

Coca Cola and M&M’s store (near MGM)

Fun place to go with a soda sample platter, 16 sodas from around the world for only 7 dollars! Watch out for that nasty tasting one though, I can never remember which country it is. M&M’s store has great Christmas ornaments and a whole wall of customizable M&Ms in every flavor.

Paris Buffet

Great buffet with bottomless mimosas and an awesome dessert table.

Aria Buffet

Beautifully decorated with the best quality buffet food I have had, second ONLY to Cosmopolitan. Way better than Bellagio and Mandalay Bay.

Haze nightclub Aria

If you’re staying at Vdara, Aria or Cosmopolitan this is one of the best clubs to walk to. It’s straight forward with good drinks and great people. I went with a group of girls and we weren’t bombarded with creeps like we were at Tryst.

XS nightclub Wynn

One of the best nightclubs I have been to. They have consistently great DJs and great shots which are not too outrageous. They have a nice bathroom which matters if you’re a girl who waited in line for a while. They also have a courtyard so it’s never too crowded, and the trick is to pre-buy your tickets and get there when the club opens if you hate waiting in line. 

Tryst nightclub Encore

Amazing waterfall backdrop and great decor inside, but creepy dudes on the dance floor.

The Bank nightclub Bellagio

Great consistent club with fantastic music. Never seems too busy and I would come back here again. Way better than Pure at Ceasar’s Palace. Although I must say, Pure has the STRONGEST drinks.

Cosmopolitan Brunch 

(BEST BRUNCH IN VEGAS) it’s called the Wicked Spoon. They serve you individual portions in little pots and pans like a trendy expensive dinner. Homemade marshmallows are on the dessert table and every bite was delicious. Chipotle mac and cheese and bottomless mimosas made this place my brunch spot for forever.

Serendipity

The largest portions of any restaurant in Vegas. Great drinks and of course Frrozen Hot Chocolate. This place also has the largest desserts with everyone’s favorites. The trick is to make a reservation or you will wait forever.

Tea at Mandarin Oriental

This is a secret place. There is no help getting in or out of the hotel and you have to know where you’re going. It’s like stepping into 1930s Shanghai and it is creepy but exclusive. Curious to actually take the time and sit for tea next visit. There is also a super secret French restaurant on the top floor called Twist that has very high ratings and a nice spa. 

Sugar Factory

Serendipity’s main competitor, they have a nightclub attached to their dining room. They also have amazing dessert drinks including a huge fishbowl looking creation that I’m anxious to try.

The thing that gets me with Vegas is, even though everything is super delicious, you have to shell out a fortune to eat or go out. I did find some pretty awesome Southwest airfare and hotel package deals though, so I recommend that, the last time I went, we stayed at the Aria for two nights and flew on Southwest (for two people) for a total of 850 not including the hotel tax which is 25 dollars a day. So overall, a weekend in Vegas at the Aria in style was 900. Cheaper than Hawaii but still pretty expensive. Also, it’s cheaper to drive but it takes SO long from San Diego, so it was more worth it to pay extra and work on Friday before flying out. 

I’m also trying out the MGM’s new MLife program, but I’ve been having some trouble getting my recent receipts to add to my points so far to build discounts.

Thanks for reading! If you’re going to Vegas good luck and stay safe :)

Christmas decorations

It’s that time of year again to talk about....Christmas decorations!

This year I went a little crazy since last year, all I had in my apartment was a tiny foot tall tree and it was BORING. So I got this awesome 7.5 foot tall tree from Target and other decorations from Burlington coat factory, the most adorable Christmas themed appetizer plates from Ralph’s (2 bucks a plate!) and the awesome Bath and Body Works snowmen candle votives! Can’t wait for the future when I finally have a front yard to decorate. I really want to buy more ornaments next year, but we’ll see. My mommy might have some she doesn’t want :) 

I was very happy Chester didn’t care enough to eat the tree.

This was a short post today, but hopefully the pictures make up for it.

Morning Routine

This is what my relatively fast morning routine looks like: 

I have VERY sensitive skin and combination skin, so I have to be very careful about what products I use with fragrance. I use a lot of Clinique products on my face and over the last 3 years that has seemed to work out better for me. I’m also SUPER allergic to Lavender, so any shampoo and conditioner I have to read the ingredients.

Shampoo and Conditioner: 

coconut lime shampoo and conditioner bath and body works 

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2294321

OR Aveda Dry Remedy:

http://www.aveda.com/product/5233/16876/Collections/Dry-RemedyTM/Dry-Remedy-Moisturizing-Conditioner/index.tmpl 

My facewash: Clinique foaming makeup remover 

http://www.clinique.com/product/1673/6254/Skincare/Cleansers_Makeup_Removers/Rinse-Off-Foaming-Cleanser/index.tmpl

OR Laura Mercier flawless skin face polish (expensive around 30 bucks but one bottle lasts forever months and months)

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/laura-mercier-flawless-skin-face-polish/3161857?origin=category&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=1938

After I use:

Clinique mild clarifying lotion and 

dramatically different moisturizing lotion, followed by:

Clinique tinted moisture surge with spf

I use mostly MAC and Urban Decay makeup which includes:

Indianwood or Rubenesque paint pot

lipglass (light pink)

Eyeshadow (lately I have been using the urban decay naked palette)

Mac fluid line gel liner

Mascara from Clinique

I am upset that MAC is no longer cruelty free (as Urban Decay is) but I haven't found a product that works as well as MAC or as long lasting. :( Especially since, most department store brands that aren't cruelty free are doing tests on rabbits. ; (

After all of that and doing my hair, I can usually be ready within a half hour (sometimes faster). My hair is pretty straight though so I just dry it quickly without a straightener. Yeah, I need to work on finding better hair products since I don’t really use any. I guess it’s not very high on my list of things I like to do in the morning.

I was trying to think of other products I use, but in terms of makeup and my face that’s about it.

Thanks for reading and more posts to happen sooner rather than later!

10 Perfumes and Fragrances that I love

Hey everyone! I know I haven’t posted in forever, so I’m trying to catch up on my writing.

I finally have gotten through all my MBA grad school interviews and applications, so I’m just waiting to hear back. I’m also considering turning this into an original story idea writing blog, or posting Chapters on all my different ideas and having you vote (assuming people other than me are reading this) so maybe that will happen :) 

So today I would love to talk about my favorite Perfume and Body Spray scents. I have amassed a small Bath & Body works collection in the last 3 years since my friends at Jamba Juice got me interested in spraying yummy smelly things, and I also watch a lot of Youtube beauty gurus that convinced me to display some of my favorites on a mirrored serving tray on my dresser in my room (as more decoration, but it actually makes it easier to remember to use them every day as well). I realize this is a luxury, and I definitely have more than I could ever use up, but slowly I am finding out what I like and returning the rest that I don’t use, so this is merely a hobby for me.

The ranking isn’t in any particular order just what I can remember:

1) Sexy Graffiti by Escada

notes: raspberry, strawberry, grapefruit

This is my most recent acquisition (courtesy of Matt for an early Christmas gift). I have always wanted an Escada perfume since one of my Santa Barbara friends showed me the one she used in 2007. They smell amazing to me and clean, very similar to the Arbonne scents, not stinky at all like some other celebrity and designer scents I have smelled.

2)Mysterious by FYI Arbonne

notes: blackberries and pomegranate 

This one is discontinued by still available on ebay and amazon as far as I can tell. I don’t have very much left since they come in a tiny portable container, and I’m very sad that they don’t make it anymore. One day I would like to find a custom perfumer (similar to the service available at Fred Segal at Santa Monica) and see if they can remake this fragrance for me, I love it that much.

3)Pink chiffon at Bath and Body Works

notes: red pear, vanilla orchid and whipped chiffon (whatever that is)

This is my go-to perfume for when I want to feel “girly”. Matt also thinks this one smells the best, and the spray actually works very well layered with “Bombshell in Love” which I will talk about later.

4)Dark kiss by Bath and Body Works

notes:berry, vanilla, plum and bergamot

I used this one every day for a year and I still think it smells amazing. It’s a darker, more seductive smelling scent and it is very sweet. It’s like the nighttime version of Be Enchanted.

5)Be enchanted by Bath and Body Works

notes:pomegranate, sugar, passionfruit

This is my go-to everyday scent. It’s very sweet and light and perfect for winter. I think the light-purple and silver packaging perfectly describes this scent because it makes me think of yummy smelling things on a winter day.

6)Bombshell in love by Victoria Secret

notes: pink grapefruit, raspberry and pear

This was a limited edition for February 2012 for the Bombshell line at Victoria Secret. I’m upset that I always love their limited edition scents better than their original regular scents. This one is a very clean scent, and sometimes reminds me of American Eagle perfume though not quite as strong.

7)Gorgeous by Victoria Secret

notes: strawberry, sandalwood, jasmine and freesia

If you can’t tell already, I love the berry scents. This one came out when I worked at Victoria Secret and I could not stop spraying it. It smells amazing and I’m sad I didn’t buy more than the travel size bottle. I love the strawberries in this, and I’m surprised I like it even with the sandalwood (which to me is usually stronger than in this perfume). 

8)Aerie by American Eagle Outfitters

notes: pomegranate, freesia and peach

I love Aerie and everything it represents. Netural soft colors are plentiful in the sub-store by American Eagle, and it accurately portrays feminine and ‘light-as-air’ in this perfume. Not as strong as the original american eagle scents, and only available online or in a specifically Aerie store. For those of you that have read my facebook, I live in San Diego and the closest store is Cerritos or Ontario Mills (more than an hour and a half away). The other stores in Southern California include Thousand Oaks and Santa Barbara. Their main rival is Pink by Victoria Secret, but Victoria Secret is more known for bold and bright colors and personalities, so this is more of a low-key version catering to girls from ages 13-25.

9)Soft and dreamy by Pink at Victoria Secret

notes: lemon meringue and whipped cream

This scent smells just like cotton candy to me and reminds me of the designer fragrance  Pink sugar. I love how warm it is, and when I’m freezing I love spraying this to smell something sweet and delicious, although sometimes it makes me hungry.

10) You tell me! What kind of scents do you enjoy?

Yoga

This picture is not at all related to this week's post, but I figured all of you should be subjected to the bunny butt like I have been all day.

I’m going to talk about one of my many exercising passions: Yoga. 

I think taking yoga classes really depends on the quality of the teacher you have, but there are also many other options including Stand Up Paddleboard or DVDs (like Shiva Rea) at home for varying yoga experiences.

 The brand I love for towels when doing hot yoga is Yogitoes http://yogitoes.com/, although recently I realized I have to use nonchlorine bleach so my towel wont smell (it gets wet a lot, I douse it with water before I even sweat so that it grips). I love my manduka mat, but lululemon athletica http://shop.lululemon.com/home.jsp has more cushioned options if your hands hurt a lot. I love wearing lululemon tank tops and their wunder under pant, but I recently realized that Target and Nike sell hot yoga wear that’s just as effective. 

For waterbottles, I recommend Camelback since they have filters in their bottles or Clean Bottle http://cleanbottle.com/. 

Core power yoga and Sol yoga http://www.solyogastudios.com/ are some of my favorite studios, but I’ve also heard that the Sporting Club and Equinox http://www.equinox.com/ are a level above. Lululemon hosts free classes every week in their stores, but they aren’t heated. Community centers usually have great yoga deals, but like 24 hour fitness, I never know if I will have a good teacher or not.

Well thanks for reading, I hope those links helped!

Fun and Interesting places to shop

I’m sure some of these are a given, but I’m going to talk about them anyways. Here are some stores I'm currently obsessed with.

Brandy Melville http://brandymelvilleusa.com/

Located at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, this place just opened up and is like a cross between Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, and Aerie. Don’t be confused by their euro signs on their price tags, they just do that because they think it’s cool. Reasonably priced soft cotton clothing, one size fits all. I’m not sure I would say they’re appropriate for the workplace, but great for everything in between.

Aerie http://www.aerie.com/

American Eagle Outfitters competitor to Victoria Secret Pink, Aerie is great for teen girls for lounge wear and lingerie, for those of us that don’t want to wear neon colors. They used to have an amazing makeup line, and they still have amazing perfumes and swimsuits during the summer. Their jewelry is awesome, and I have a 10 dollar necklace from them that I always get compliments on. 

Urban Outfitters http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/index.jsp

This sounds weird, but until I looked at their website, I didn’t know they have furniture and other home goods like their expensive Anthropologie counterpart. Fun clothes and great sales, I always forget about them and stumble into one of their stores thinking, ‘oh yeah huh!’

Forever 21 http://www.forever21.com/Product/Main.aspx?br=f21

Their new two level location at Fashion Valley is crazy and amazing. I recently went shopping for a nice work dress here and wasn’t disappointed. I had been in Bloomingdale’s a few minutes before, and they had the EXACT same dress for less than a third of the price. I realized their clothes aren’t great for people with curves though, my butt doesn’t fit into most of their clothes, or it does, but then the top half is too big. Go figure.

Zara http://www.zara.com/

New location opening at Fashion Valley, Zara has very reasonably priced work wear for the fashionable lady. The fabric of their clothing is sturdier than most places, and they have neutral tones for most of their pieces. I walked into the location at the Grove in LA recently, and they had a lot of awesome designs.

Thanks for reading, I will post more in the near future :) 

San Diego Eats

Hello and welcome to my first food recommendation post. I’m in San Diego, and I’ve lived here for three years, so let me talk about some of the amazing food happenings in our ‘finest’ city.

LINKERY http://thelinkery.com/blog/

First off, one of my favorite places to take friends and family is the Linkery. On a scale of 1 to 3, I would rank this restaurant at 3 for being most expensive, but definitely worth it. All their food is Farm to Table, and they have an excellent drink menu and beer on tap selection. They hand cure all their meats in house, and I’ve eaten there at least 5 times over the years and never had a bad meal. I always recommend the picnic plate with your choice of sausage, coleslaw, potato salad and beer bread, along with the Julian hard cider and an order of fancy fries. This sounds vaguely German, which appealed to me initially, because that was my major in college. I also imagine that for a trendy North Park restaurant, it vaguely reminds me of how people might have eaten at a pub in New England hundreds of years ago with the cider and vaguely German/English type food. They also have an amazing dessert with caramelized bacon on top that cant go unnoticed. 

PREP KITCHEN http://www.prepkitchen.com/

My next place of choice is the restaurant Prep Kitchen. They are also farm to table and rank at a number 2 for mediumly priced. They are owned by the same people that own the fancy La Jolla restaurant Whisk n Ladle, and the food is just as good. They make the best bolognese, and they have great Sangrias, along with an awesome happy hour with big portions for 3 dollar plates. They also flavor their water which makes me happy.

AMAYA http://www.thegranddelmar.com/san-diego-dining-amaya/

My third choice is in Del Mar at the Grand Hotel. I pick this restaurant Amaya for a lunch where you want to impress someone. It’s ranked at a 2 in price for lunch, probably a 3 for dinner, but this hotel is on par with Pelican Hill in Orange County or Beverly Hills and worth the cost. The hotel is traditional and ornate, and if you sit on the patio by the pool, the weather and view outside is idyllic and stunning. Green grass, rolling hills, patio umbrellas and delicious food. They also have a homemade gelato bar upstairs and the best hotel burger I’ve eaten.

SPRINKLES http://sprinkles.com/

My fourth restaurant is not San Diego based or a restaurant at all. I can’t live without Sprinkles cupcakes though so I have to talk about them. I LOVE their lemon coconut flavor and their seasonal flavors as well. Salted Caramel and Key Lime also rank high on my non-chocolate list. For chocolate lovers, definitely the Black and White or Peanut Butter Chocolate one seem to be favorites. I recently went to their ice cream store in Beverly Hills and got a cupcake on top of my ice cream. NOT DISAPPOINTED. They know what they’re doing and they donate funds to great causes and charities.

NOBU http://www.noburestaurants.com/san-diego/experience/introduction/

My fifth restaurant is not San Diego based either but they have a great location in the Gaslamp downtown. Nobu Sushi is in the amazing Hard Rock Hotel and as snobby as they are, their food lives up to their reputation. They also have the best martini I have ever had: Passionfruit white chocolate. (Martini number two is the Watermelon drop at Melting Pot). Their sushi is fantastic and their desserts are so fancy, watch out for small portions and a 3 for high prices.

SEARSUCKER http://www.searsucker.com/

Searsucker is a super busy and loud restaurant in the Gaslamp district that gets a 3 out of 3 for expensive. The menu is innovative and you can have a crazy 5 or 6 course meal if you’re willing to spend. They’re run by the same people as Burlap in Del Mar and their food is amazing, along with excellent service. Not quiet and romantic if that’s what you’re looking for. Out of all the restaurants aforementioned, they have the BEST food.

BURLAP http://www.burlapeats.com/

Burlap is in Del Mar and takes asian fusion and california cuisine to the next level. Also a happening busy place with trendy cushion style seating arranged haphazardly, this place is tough to get a table because it’s so popular. Try their crispy rice with fiery spicy tuna on top or many of their other small plates which are great to share.

BURGER LOUNGE http://www.burgerlounge.com/

Burger Lounge is the best burger you will ever eat. Organic and gigantic, this tasty place beats In n Out by a long mile. Great service and premium ingredients, any of their juicy burgers are delicious and I have tried them all. They make an awesome root beer float and ask for their barbecue sauce for your fries. YUMMY. If you’re vegetarian, this is the place for you with their delicious quinoa based burger.

CHUAO http://chuaochocolatier.com/

Chuao Chocolatier isn’t a restaurant, but their chocolate is the gift that everybody wants. Created by UC San Diego Alumni, they put Godiva, Sees Candies and Ghiradelli to shame. This is chocolate done right, with weird ingredients you would never expect, and they still taste amazing. The only chocolate that might even come close is the brand Vosges sold at Whole Foods, based in Ohio.

STACKED http://stacked.com/

Another burger place that recently opened at Fashion Valley, Stacked is also a busy burger joint, known for ordering from their ipad menus. You can customize your own shake to put cookie pieces and caramel in it, or order from their prescribed favorites. They have pretzel buns for your burger and cranberry mayo, along with any other ingredient you can think of.

TENDERGREENS http://www.tendergreensfood.com/

Tendergreens is a new sit down restaurant in the UTC Westfield mall by the food court that serves amazing salads and HUGE portions. I have tried their steak sandwich and Chinese chicken salad and both were amazing. They also have wine and beer, but what makes them extra awesome is their giant salted white chocolate oatmeal cookies. Probably ranked mediumly expensive, but you get a lot of food for your money.

These next two places aren’t in San Diego, but I have to give an Orange County shout out.

BRUXIE http://bruxie.com/

They need to bring one of these to San Diego pronto. Waffle sandwiches, waffle everything. Two locations in Orange and Brea and awesome cheap prices. Strawberry lemonade is a must, and anything you order here is tasty.

UMAMI BURGER http://www.umami.com/umami-burger/

Los Angeles based, with a location in Costa Mesa, Umami Burger is a rich delicious burger with truffle butter if that’s what you want. They have lots of options and delicious organic sodas. Their fries are amazing with garlic aoli and you won’t be disappointed no matter what you order. Unique and delicious, they need to add a San Diego location soon.

Thanks for reading and I will definitely include more foodie recommendations soon!

First Blog post

Hello everyone! This is my very first blog post (if you don’t count live journal, xange, myspace, youtube, facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc.). I used to keep a daily journal for every day, but now I’m finding I use that method less and less. I tried my hand at youtube videos, and that didn’t work out, so this is my next endeavor! Hopefully it will help improve my writing, and as the year goes on, I can find more meaningful topics to write about. 

This blog will mostly talk about travel, shopping, and food, along with whatever current trends are out there. It will mostly be random, and I’m sure there are plenty of people who won’t want to waste their time, but for the rest of you, I’ll try to keep it entertaining.

Chester the giant rabbit also might make photo guest appearances, you never know (he is sitting on the couch chattering his teeth as I write this, which in rabbit speak means he’s super happy).

A little bit about me, I currently live and work in San Diego, grew up in Orange County, graduated from school last year, and I’m currently applying to grad school for business. I love hot yoga, exploring foodie places, going to the mall, traveling, strange music, and flemish giant rabbits. I used to have a radio show and I was in community musical theatre for 15 years, and I used to work at Jamba Juice and Victoria Secret, so I understand the smoothie and retail worlds.  I love spending time with my family and mostly we do some crazy stuff like travel the world and eat at exotic places. I’m also saving up for a dog someday, so that Chester can have a friend who won’t eat him. My next few posts could be about anything from places I’ve been, restaurants I like, and other shopping travel recommendations. Thanks for reading and here we go!