Category: How To

My friends ask me frequently enough {mainly every summer} for tips on the places to be and the things to do when in Las Vegas.  I have already given you a guide for a mellow girls’ weekend {read it here}, but sometimes… it’s fun to go with your crew to Las Vegas.  If you’re going to spend some time in Vegas, make sure that it’s fabulous.  Here’s a quick guide to get you started.

Where to Stay
My personal favorites are Casesar’s Palace and the Wynn.  I also love the Venetian and Encore.  Though you may be bombarded with “hotel deals” that tout an astoundingly cheap $49 a night… you get what you pay for.  Consider upping the ante and shelling out a bit more cash so that you and your friends can enjoy where you are staying.  Do not underestimate the value of a comfortable/luxurious place to unwind {you need to frequently rehcarge your batteries in Vegas and, though an in-suite baby grand piano may seem like overkill… it’s not} and an abundance of mirrors {you’ll need them when all the girls are getting all dolled up}.  The places that I have recommended offer spacious rooms, great bathrooms with huge mirrors, and are luxuriously appointed.  They are also all located on the Strip, which gives you prime access to all the attractions.

Where to Lounge/Party Poolside
The cabanas at the Wynn are definitely the place to go if you just want to lounge, relax, and eat amazing food poolside.  The Encore Beach Club is architecturally stunning, filled with beautiful people, and outstanding service.  It still feels like a pool party {and can get quite rowdy}, but the vibe of the place is elegant {and they have bottomless mimosas on Sundays}.  On a Friday or Saturday, Wet Republic at the MGM is a fabulous pool party because they are fairly selective with who gets in, they always have great DJs, and their mojitos are to-die-for.

What to See
There are two shows that I highly recommend {and you and your girls may be wiped out after two days/nights of partying, so you might want to just sit and relax and enjoy some quality entertainment}.  The first show is Cirque de Soleil’s “La Reve.”  It is magical, a total feast for the eyes, and even the less expensive seats have a killer view as all of the seats are arranged around a circular center stage.  The show combines water, acrobatics, and a light romantic plot.  The other show that is so worth the money is “Phantom.”  This show plays at the Venetian and it is a rendition of “Phantom of the Opera.”  The show is sexy, powerful, and meticulously executed.  Definitely go.

Where to Party
Areas of Vegas can get a bit seedy… especially some of the lower caliber clubs.  All of my favorite clubs are also housed in my aforementioned favorite hotels.  A great place to start the night is at a lounge called “Blush” in the Encore hotel.  Order the melon flavored shots.  Elegant and fun.  Then you can try Tryst at the Wynn {beautifully located around a killer waterfall}, but it can get a bit cramped.  If you stay at the Encore, go to XS {which is an elaborately designed indoor/outdoor club that is spacious, full of Vegas’ most impressive guests and locals, and the best place to get bottle service… try to get the table that is right outside facing the dance floor… amazing people watching/social scene}.  Another fun club {though it is getting a bit tired} is Tao at the Venetian.  It’s perfect to eat dinner at Tao’s restaurant and then head upstairs to the nightclub.

Before you begin reading, you should be warned: this is not my normal, oh-so-glamourous little blog entry.  This post deals with the organization of a somewhat daunting “grown-up” item: the filing cabinet.  I felt compelled to tackle this subject because I recently conquered my fear of owning one, filling it, and using it properly.  I now use this item.  Daily.  And I now feel empowered.  I want you to feel the same…

Once upon a time…  I didn’t even have documents in my filing cabinet.  I took a sad industrial filing cabinet {it had potential!} and painted it a slight off-white and distressed it.  Gorgeous.  Industrial refurbished chic!  I did this, not because I needed a filing cabinet, but because I thought it was an interesting piece of decor.  I then had a large salvaged filing cabinet taking up space in my place.  Not knowing how to correctly utilize such a cabinet, I filled it with miscellaneous odds and ends.  Then, one day, I put some paper documents inside my cabinet {kind of… I basically just threw them in there}… hence, this “Before” photo:

Yes. Blech. Eck. Hey, at least there were now papers in my filing cabinets… but I was still missing {drumroll, please…}: files.  I grabbed all of my loose “important papers” {basically anything with my social security number somewhere on it} that I didn’t know what to do with and threw them on the floor. I then left them there.  For two weeks.  For a super-organized person like myself, a mess that lasts two weeks is startling.  Two weeks of loose papers scattered all over my white rug is cause for alarm.  I was clearly dealing with some kind of mental overload.  I decided to find order amid the chaos.  I began to put things into piles that made sense.  This is a very ugly photo, but I was proud of my progress.

Eventually, themes began to emerge.  I noticed a lot of financial documents.  Documents pertaining to my business.  Documents that bespoke of my overwhelming law student loan debt {perhaps these documents in particular were why I waited two weeks to deal with all the miscellaneous stacks of paper}.  Documents that dealt with my writing.  Others that pertained to my car.  And so on and so forth.  Aha!  These piled documents made more sense {and were far less overwhelming} when they were placed together.  Then I put them in chronological order.  Now they made even more sense.  Now what? Yes! Time to put them into files!  I jumped online and went to The Container Store {another sick type-A personality driven obsession of mine} and purchased some folders that made filing fun {okay, not fun… but at least they made filing somewhat stylish… and pink}.

It was time to label the folders with the little subthemes that popped out after I sorted the papers into their respective piles.  My love for my label maker continues.  I am soon investing {warning: nerd alert} in a pink label maker with a myriad of font options.  Here are some label maker options for you…

1. Organizer Xpress Pro Embossing Label Maker $9
2. Brady Worldwide, Inc. 13500 Sign and Label Maker $4946
3. Costar 1755749 Rhino 5200 Label Printer Industrial Printer $104
4. Casio KL60SR Compact EZ-Label Maker $25
5. Brother PT1100SB-RF Scrapbook P-touch Label Maker $65
6. Brother PT-1000P Handheld Labeling Machine Limited Edition – Pink $40

Then I printed up all of my labels and utilized the filing folders.  I thought it was {sigh…} beautiful.

Finally, I placed my neatly organized and no longer intimidating files where they belonged.  And now you can, too.