News

This, I promise, will be the last teaser post.

I can break the news Friday evening. :)

Thanks for being patient!

Mesa Grill!

Third post for the day! I bet you're wondering which one to comment on...comment on all three! :)

Michael and I had reservations for lunch on Wednesday at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill (http://www.mesagrill.com/lasvegas/). Even though you can see almost the same thing on the website, I took a photo of the side entrance to the restaurant.

Michael ordered the famous organic/agave nectar margarita.

Blue corn pancake with duck (Ashley):
Roasted pepper & cilantro cream soup (Michael):
Photo of our entrees: Michael's diver scallops and my Mesa burger. I knew I would never make it to Bobby's Burger Palace, so I decided now was the time to have one of his burgers!
Finally - Dessert! We got the banana & caramelized hazelnut ice cream-stuffed puff pastry with whipped cream and crunchy caramel bits. So pretty and delicious!

Colorful and interesting atmosphere. I forgot to take a picture of the inside of the restaurant. It was a sight! I just wish Bobby would have shown up!

Freed's Bakery

THE bakery in Las Vegas according to Rachael Ray, and other Food Network and Travel Channel stars.

I dragged my parents and Michael to both locations: the original that had been open for nearly 50 years, and the brand-new one that's twice as large and with a gallery.

Crappy picture of the original location:
Wedding cake (Classic) at the original:Chanel purse at the original location:The treat counter at the new location:Louis Vuitton purse at the new location:A photo of our treats! I got the tiramisu cake and Michael got a red velvet cupcake. It was all so good! I'd definitely recommend this stop on your next Las Vegas trip!

Vacation Recap!

Warning: This will be a long post with many pictures!

Las Vegas was great - and better than last time! Michael had a good time, and we both came home with money in our pockets. Amazing, huh? I'll just hit the highlights with the photos I have.

The first (of MANY) casinos we visited was Paris. We ate brunch there and gambled for a while. Great view from the top, too!

We all went to In-and-Out burger, and all "they" say is true! I love In-and-Out.

Also, you HAVE to know that the buffets at the casinos are amazing, so we had to got to a ew of them. We went to the Main Street Station (downtown) and the Bellagio buffets. Of course you couldn't take pictures in the Bellagio's banquet room, so I took a picture of my dessert at Main Street Station. It's a lemon bar, napoleon, and a chocolate-covered confection. Yum!

Then, later on in the week, I got two 4 Aces and a three! Thanks to those winnings, I got to have a shopping spree (a small one!) when I got home.
Since I am a food-oriented person, or foodie if you will, I HAD to stop by Mario Batali and Wolfgang Puck's restaurants. I just looked into B&B (Mario's) in the Shoppes at the Venetian, and it looked very nicely decorated (http://www.bandbristorante.com/). Had I the stomach-room I would have eaten a little something. At MGM we went to Puck's Bar & Grill, which was delicious (http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3910)! We invited my parents to come with us, and we all had a wonderful time. My dad got a calzone (wood-grilled, of course), my mom got a grilled pasta dish with heaps of fresh basil and garlic-rubbed bread, Michael got the veal ravioli (no comment), and I got the prime burger. We shared a pinot noir, which was so smooth. Great dinner!

I'll post about Freed's Bakery and Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill here in a minute. Lots of picture with that too!

Vacation Soon!

I'm excited. I have less than 45 hours until we go to Las Vegas! I made reservations to go to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for brunch/lunch one of the days, so that could very well be the highlight of the trip.

Also, Michael, who cannot keep a secret, "surprised" me with tickets to Cirque du Soleil, Mystere! I have ALWAYS wanted to go see one of their shows, and what better than to see their first show ever!

I'm thinking I will also stop by all of the celebrity chef restaurants (Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril, etc.) and also check out CraftSteak! (http://www.craftrestaurant.com/craftsteak_lasvegas.html) Some of you may remember Michael took me to CraftDallas for Valentine's Day dinner - and it was amazing. I love being a foodie!

I'll try really hard to take a ton of pictures - unlike last time I went to Las Vegas. Stay tuned!

P.S. - Big news when I get back!

Sweet Husband

Life has been a whirlwind lately, and my sweet husband brought me two flower arrangements home today.

Peonies:

Roses:

Arranged in June's jar no less. : )

I have News...

And I'd love to share it here - but I can't yet. Please look forward to hearing big news soon.

Packet of Info - Still a Mystery

Interesting info to be discovered on Sotomayor...it's weird to me that there is so much controversy. But then again this "packet" might have some info that could give the Republican's points to argue from.

White House delivers Sotomayor files to Senate
Judiciary Committee has the first crack at evaluating Obama's nominee

Susan Walsh / AP
Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor meets with Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Cailf., on Capitol Hill, Thursday.

WASHINGTON - The White House delivered a huge portfolio of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's writings, speeches and rulings to Capitol Hill Wednesday, with details about the federal judge that will shape the debate over seating her on the court.
The massive parcel of documents came in response to a questionnaire the Senate Judiciary Committee sends all federal court nominees. It includes details on Sotomayor's personal and financial background, with copies of virtually everything she has said or written publicly, as well as an account of how President Barack Obama came to nominate her.
The Judiciary Committee has the first crack at evaluating Sotomayor's nomination in a set of high-profile hearings.
There's little doubt that Sotomayor, Obama's first high court nominee, will be confirmed by the Democrat-controlled Senate. But Republicans are balking at Democratic efforts to ensure a speedy set of hearings and summertime vote for the appeals court judge, whose 17 years on the bench they say warrants a longer debate.
Sotomayor returned to Capitol Hill on Thursday for a third day of one-on-one visits with senators who will decide whether to confirm her. By week's end, she will have met with more than one-quarter of the Senate, and all but a few members of the Judiciary Committee.

You can read the full story at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31080516/

I actually think she would be a great addition to our current panel of characters on the Supreme Court. Her story is compelling, and would teach a lot of people to see both sides of arguments. Does anyone else have an opinion?

Not Even 5 Months

After I bought it, my Jetta's battery died! Of course, it could be due to the owner running it down... Apparently there's a cooler/icebox in my console that you can turn on and off from the inside. I had my GPS charger cord plugged into the cooler outlet (which I didn't realize was turned on), for the whole weekend. So, this morning when I went to the parking garage to go to work, my car didn't start. Yay. Long story short (too late), it's at the dealership getting a new battery. Poor Jetta.

I'm going to get her back soon, probably on Michael's lunch hour. And who knew I had such a great husband!? He was so helpful and calming through the whole ordeal.

At the end of the day though, I will have a completely scratch-free, brand-new battery, clean and happy Jetta.

Only 3 weeks until Las Vegas! Would someone be able to watch Giada and Ina? Or at least make sure they have kibbles?