Springtime in Las Vegas

Spring in Las Vegas is one of my favorite things about living in this city. Our winter may lack the harsh weather that plagues much of the country, but there is a certain somberness the hangs in the air that begins to lift in March. It's that brief, brief window before summer hits full force to explore. Hotels reveal their seasonal installations of flowers and butterflies. New, lighter menus make their way into restaurants across the valley. It's a fresh start.

Now that I work unconventional hours I have the opportunity to explore while much of downtown is still quiet. Tuesday mornings are particularly perfect for this. The location of interest this time around? The Venetian. In my quest to try 50 new restaurants I had set my sights on breakfast at Bouchon, and making the trek down there necessitated a stroll around one of my favorite spots in Las Vegas.

Breakfast being the first order of the day I made my way through the hotel lobby to Bouchon. Tucked away by the pool stepping into the restaurant is like stepping back in time into old Hollywood. Patterned tile, brass accents, beautiful palms. Truly a wonderful experience. Menu fare ranges from French favorites to breakfast staples with a twist. Being a french toast fanatic the choice was easy. Thinly sliced, cinnamon soaked apple layered with a bread pudding style base topped with a lightly sprinkling of powdered sugar and just the right amount of whipped cream. Delicious and definitely somewhere I would like to explore further.

Making my way back to the shops I was struck by how beautiful it was without the usual chaos of crowds. Though none of the shops were open, it was the perfect chance to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. Long corridors give way to gas lamps, an unexpected surprise, and soon-to-be on duty gondoliers practicing their opera. The sort of moment I'm hoping to have more of as I become more intentional about exploring this city.

The cherry on top of the morning? The spring installation at the Palazzo. Hanging flowers and pink blossoms against the shiny fountain backdrop. One of those sights that just made me smile.

Here's to exploring. Here's to searching out new experiences in this city that's been my backdrop for so many years now. In a meeting this week we were told that one of the keys to success is to be successful with where you're at. I think that applies to happiness too. It's so easy to grasp at happiness "if only". A different house, a different city, a different set of circumstances. We daydream about the lives we want to lead and the people we want to be. At the end of the day that's the fast track to discontent. We are where we are for a purpose and that's something I want to start embracing more.

Oh, Hello Friend

On a trip to Los Angeles a few weeks ago I had the chance to stop by the new storefront for Oh, Hello Friend. I have been a huge fan of her blog for a few years now, and her online store is one of my go-to spots, so as soon as I heard she was opening a retail location I knew I had to check it out. As it turns out, the shop was only ten minutes away from where I was staying! An opportunity that couldn't be passed up.

As expected, the shop is everything charming and inviting. Beautiful vignettes line the shelves featuring beautiful pieces from her own line as well as a selection of curated items from other artists and craftsmen. Gorgeous. The difficult part was narrowing it down!

As I look back at my purchases, I see a theme emerging. Office supplies! I'm trying to make my cubicle feel more like home so I've been working on collecting more natural materials to contrast the metal/plastic I've currently got going on. This translated nicely to pretty wooden magnets and a charming cat tape dispenser (that I've actually been eyeing online for ages). I am kind of smitten with that pencil too.

One thing I don't think I could have left the store without was some new washi tape. The shop boasts a whimsical collection of prints and a deal for purchasing three. You know I couldn't resist those polka dots.

In the Los Angeles/Fullerton area? Check it out! From housewares to stationary to a beautiful selection of jewelry, Oh, Hello Friend has something for everyone. An aptly named shop, you couldn't ask for a friendlier atmosphere. Danni and her husband have created a wonderful space, definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

Investing in Ideas

The clouds have gathered overhead and all is quiet aside from the steady thrum of the dryer. It's the perfect moment to be captivated by new ideas. I have the bad habit of allowing ideas to swirl around in my mind without ever putting pen to paper. They end up drowned out in the sea of day-to-day life and the seemingly urgent things that clamor for my more immediate attention. A frustrating cycle that can be broken with the simplicity of intention.

I recently pre-ordered Jon Acuff's new book Start. With the pre-order comes a host of extras including the e-book The Three Stages of Every Awesome Idea. Step one? Imagine. Jon talks about the importance of making small investments in big ideas. That got me thinking, what sparks my imagination? What are the activities and where are the spaces that generate the most ideas in my life? For me one of those things is reading a magazine. I have a list of my go-tos, but I've been letting them gather dust. Not today! Instead I have a stack of recently purchased volumes and a notebook.

It really shouldn't be amazing to me how inspiration has already started flowing, and yet I'm surprised that such a simple task can make such an immediate impact. An article about sea side bed and breakfasts in Wales led to a new storage idea for my bedroom. I have a stack of ideas that need a little more research and even a few new additions for my life list. If one thing has been made clear in this exercise it's that I need to invest more of my time into "thinking time" and being intentional about taking quiet moments to rekindle my imagination.

What sparks your imagination? Do you have a favorite space or activity set aside for investing in new ideas?

Monogrammed Glasses DIY

I have a special treat for you today! The lovely and inspiring Margeaux from A Snapshot of Today has a DIY to share with us. I've been wanting to give glass etching a shot and I think this project may just be the one to get me to give it a go.

I am so happy to be posting over here at Baubles & Bites. Erica is a huge blessing and a wonderful bloggity blog friend.

I made this simple (but super classy!) DIY project in 15 minutes when I got home from work tonight. It was a blast. I knew I couldn’t make any for Jordan. He has a lot already and mine just wouldn’t be cool enough since he collects them when we go to breweries. Hehe. I made some for my co-workers instead, though, and they turned out lovely.

I gathered my supplies:
Etching Cream
Foam Brush
2 Pint Glasses
Contact Paper
Alphabet Stickers
1.5’’ Hole Punch

I used the lines on the back of the contact paper to line up the circles I punched out. Then I lined it up on the top of the glass so the circles were in the same place on both of the glasses.

I put the stickers in the middle of the circles, making sure everything was completely stuck down. I didn’t want there to be places where the cream could creep under the contact paper.

Then I put a thick layer of the cream over the entire area. I followed these rules on ABM for safely using the cream.

I let the cream sit for 3 minutes. I think I might let it it sit longer next time to see if I can get it even “etchier.” I ran them under warm water and washed all the cream off before I peeled the contact paper and the sticker off. Once they air dried on the counter they were ready to rock and roll.

I am so happy with how these turned out. Since the only item I had to actually pick up was the pint glasses, this project cost me $2.12. I think that’s a pretty great deal.

Have a lovely day, readers! Craft on!

Trail Mix Bar

Spring is here! At least technically. And what more perfect time to throw a party? I have been long smitten with the candy and dessert bars that have been cropping up on blogs and Pinterest for the past few years, but for this kid's Easter event we wanted to take a more savory twist. The conclusion? A trail mix bar.

Let's talk ingredients. In hosting over 100 people bulk shopping was the way to go, but this part is fully customizable to your preferences. We went with cheerios, rice chex, mini-pretzels, white chocolate chips, goldfish, and raisins in order to include some gluten and dairy free options. Other add ins could include M&M's, crushed oreos, gummy worms, nuts, granola, or fruit loops. Anything small and bite sized.

For a little spring flair pick up some plastic pots at your local gardening center. Choose your size based on the number of people in attendance. In our case that meant one of the larger varieties. For cute garden-themed scoops check out the toy section for plastic shovels. These were on sale in the dollar section and were the perfect size for little hands.

To prep the pots wash well in hot, soapy water. After they're dry line with cling wrap. For smaller ingredients like the raisins or chocolate chips use some filler (in this case, leftover plastic bags) underneath the cling wrap to prop up the pieces without having to purchase unnecessary extras. Seven bags of chocolate chips was plenty, but without the filler the chips would have only filled up a quarter of the pot.

Arrange on the table and enjoy! We served ours with some small paper favor bags for the kids to scoop into, but some small baskets or tins would be adorable too.

Half and Half Tea Express

Last weekend I had the chance to take a short vacation to California. While much of that is a story for another day I did want to kick off the week with some of the best boba tea I've ever had. When I knew that I was going to be in the Rowland Heights area of Los Angeles I knew I had to give Half and Half Tea Express a shot, especially after reading Joy's review. The tea didn't disappoint.

Upon walking in the shop you are greeted with some seriously cute decor. They have a garden and natural wood theme going and it works. The menu itself is simple, note the ten options on the board, but those options are well worth the lack of variety. After spending a few minutes agonizing over my choice I decided to go with the caramel pudding (that I knew I would enjoy) and the taro pudding (which I wasn't too sure about).

Not surprisingly the caramel was delicious. The honey boba was the perfect compliment to the sweet caramel pudding and I can think of few things that go together better than milk tea and caramel. Unexpectedly, the taro pudding was the stand-out favorite of the morning. The taro had an almost nutty quality, reminiscent of toasted sesame. With the swwet milk tea and honey boba it was the perfect pair. This is definitely somewhere I would return to the next time I'm in California.

Have you found any unexpected gems while traveling lately?

Blue Cheese Crackers with Heirloom Tomato Tapenade

Thanks to the lovely Margeaux Knight I had the opportunity to write my first guest blog. Take a look at my recipes for Blue Cheese Crackers with Heirloom Tomato Tapenade over here at A Snapshot of Today. And while you're there stick around and check out her fabulous blog, I always find some inspiration there!