So That Happened

We Interrupt All This Vegas Talk To Bring You The Following:

Look at the pandas!  SO cute! 

Name The Giant Pandas

I myself am quite taken with #11 - look how he's playing peek-a-boo with the camera! 

The cuteness, it is killing me.  KILLING.  ME.

Yet Another Post About Vegas

Some people go on cruises with the Barenaked Ladies, I go to Las Vegas.  Here are some more photos from my trip.

Friday night, the Burger Bar in Mandalay Bay.  I get kind of possessive about sweet potato fries, even with Heathyr.

That same night, Red Square in Mandalay Bay.  This photo is the one in which I look the least like an Asian prostitute.  Yes, that is a Bolshevik Bellini I am drinking.  Yum.

Heathyr and me, Red Square.  This picture does not do her fantastic red hair any justice.

Saturday morning, the Breakfast Buffet at Paris.  It's my favorite buffet on the Strip hands down.  Mr. Bear was a little overwhelmed.

He later felt quite at home with his wee jar of honey.

Mr. Bear loves the Hoff, y'all.

The Conservatory at the Bellagio.  I always look forward to coming here and seeing what beautiful floral displays are up.  The current theme is Chinese New Year.

Like Erin, I too enjoy posing like statues.

The world's tallest chocolate fountain at the Bellagio.  It looks like the offspring of Willy Wonka and Dale Chihuly.  You know, if they mated and all.

 

How amazing does that look?

I. KNOW. 

The birthday girl.  I love this picture of her.  Doesn't she have the best hair you've ever seen?  She is the best in general. 

Sunday Morning Music: The Two Buck Chuck-Inspired Playlist

(In the interest of full disclosure, I am writing this the night before, and with a full bottle of Charles Shaw Merlot in me to boot, which was consumed between attempts at Walking It Out like Jason and eating chicken and dumplings (which I made Friday night - more on that later) and cheese bread toast, all of which was accomplished in my Russian nesting doll pajamas.  That's how I spent my Saturday night, y'all.  Before all that I saw Half Nelson with Best Actor nominee Ryan Gosling, but - again - more on that later.)

No theme to this week's playlist.  I am feeling the effects of consuming an entire bottle of wine.

1. Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack (Blue Lines)
2. The First Time - U2 (The Best of 1990-2000)
3. Penny Lane - The Beatles (1)
4. Let Love Be Your Energy - Robbie Williams (Sing When You're Winning)
5. Thunder Road - Badly Drawn Boy [AKA one of my favorite covers ever]
6. (Such An) Easy Question - Elvis Presley (Hitstory)
7. 99 Luftballoons - Nena (Totally '80s)
8. Golddigger - Supreme Beings of Leisure (A mix CD given to me by a co-worker)
9. Superfreak - Rick James (Funk Classics The '80s)
10. I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown (20 All Time Greatest Hits!) [and just where is his body right now anyway?  It hasn't been buried yet!]

Mr. Bear Does Vegas: Another Snapshot

Taken inside a children's shop in the Paris hotel:

There but for the grace of God goes Mr. Bear.

My Favorite Text Message of the Week

"OMG Ian Ziering is totally sitting right in front of me at the Sunset 5!  STEVE SANDERS!"

Wall O' Elvis

The Wall O' Elvis at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

Momentous

I do not think I made it clear how excited I was to finally learn how to do a proper smoky eye.  It has been the Holy Grail of application tricks for me, and I don't even wear makeup on a daily basis.  Every time I tried it, I inevitably looked like I either had nothing on or - horrifically - too much on and verged upon Connie Chung territory, which, NO.  Now that I have that look down, I feel almost obligated to do my face up regularly.  Almost. 

With my smoky eyes, fabulous new mascara, and Shu Uemura eyelash curler I've coveted for years, I can take on the world - THE WORLD!

Next on my list of Things That Will Make Me Pretty: the T3 Tourmaline hair dryer.  I used it for the first time while in Vegas, and it's AMAZING.  My hair was so shiny and smooth, and it really looked two inches longer.  Yay nice hair!

Mr. Bear Does Vegas: A Snapshot

Mr. Bear said he was appalled upon seeing this poster, but I know he is secretly kind of DYING to see the Hoff in The Producers at Paris Las Vegas.

Oh, wait.  That was my reaction.

HOFF!

Vegas: By The Numbers

• Number of Bolshevik Bellinis (champers with raspberry vodka!) consumed at Red Square in Mandalay Bay: Two
• Cost of one Catherine's Cosmopolitan at Red Square: $30
• Number of Catherine's Cosmopolitans consumed: Zero.  I have learned that I am kind of a lightweight now when it comes to drinking.  I am also cheap.
• Number of plates I filled and consumed at the Paris breakfast buffet: Three
• Amount I spent on slot machines: $6
• Amount I lost: $1
• Amount of glee I felt when I finally - FINALLY! - mastered the art of applying a smoky eye thanks to tips learned at Sephora: Incalculable
• Amount I spent at Sephora: $92
• Number of items purchased at Sephora that actually contributes to the smoky eye: One
• Percentage of amusement we felt at eating at Pink Taco in the Hard Rock Hotel: 100
• Number of times I danced the Time Warp (alone!) in front of 200 people at Napoleon's in Paris: One, AND I did it completely sober and in a dress and heels.  Ah, the things you will do for your best friend on her birthday.  You should know that some audience members gave me a standing ovation.  I think it was the way I collapsed to the ground at the end of the song, just like in the movie.  I am that awesome, y'all. 

Vegas!

I'm off to Las Vegas for my best friend's birthday - yay!  I can't wait to check out the new and improved Forum Shops at Caesars, (hopefully) buy some Strawberry Manilow at the Hilton (seriously, it's a bottled drink!), avoid the people handing out the strip club flyers on the sidewalks, and maybe even gamble a little, and by "gamble," I mean "play random quarter slot machines as I walk by them," because I have no card-playing skills at all. 

In the meantime, please enjoy this picture of one of my favorite things in Vegas: Fiori di Como, the hand-blown glass display in the Bellagio's lobby.  I took this picture in June 2004 when Heathyr and I went to see Barry Manilow at Mandalay Bay (which, incidentally, was dubbed 'Mandy Bay' that weekend by the Official Barry Manilow Fan Club.  So awesome, I know.)  Designed by Dale Chihuly, it covers the lobby's entire ceiling!  Sadly, this picture doesn't do the display justice at all - the glass flowers are HUGE.