This + That

Well hello there! How are you doing, my friends? I do hope all is well. Since I haven't been around much this month, I thought I'd share a little about what I've been up to...

IN MY SHOES If yoga is my yin, running is my yang. I don't really talk about it on here (mostly because I'm not especially good at it), but I love running and have been *training* for the past few years. I don't actually follow any particular method, but my goal is to speed up my 10K time... and maybe try to run the half Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Marathon this December. (It's on The Strip at night. How cool is that?) My training includes running at least 3 times a week with each run harder (faster/longer) than the one before it. It seems to be working and feels very natural. Last weekend, I ran a 5K at the Run Away with Cirque du Soleil at the Springs Preserve. I beat my personal record at 26.43 minutes (running an 8.35 min. mile). Even though it is not ground breaking by any means, I was pretty stoked to see that I'd managed to speed up my time. We'll see how I fare this summer at my favorite 10K, The Midnight Sun Run in Fairbanks, Alaska.

IN MY KITCHEN Even though it took me over a year to get on board (I was on a cookbook buying restriction), I finally broke down and bought the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook. We've literally eaten homemade bread every single day for the past month. If you are like me and could live on bread, wine and cheese -- then this book is for you! I've given it as a gift three times in the past 2 weeks alone. And speaking of cookbooks, are you as excited as I am about Heidi Swanson's newest cookbook, Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen? I'm a huge fan of hers and already pre-ordered mine. If by some chance you've never heard of her, I highly suggest you check out 101 Cookbooks. Love it!

IN MY YARD The garden is planted, the birds are chirping, the wisteria is in bloom.... and I am so excited for things to take off. I've been spending all my spare time outside making sure everything is settling in while the weather is still temperate. We've got tomatoes, artichokes, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard, beans, peas, spring onions, shallots, leeks, cucumbers, hot peppers, strawberries, carrots, beets, radishes, lettuces, blackberries, grapes, citrus and just about every herb out there! Today we pulled up some carrots and radishes to go with our lunch. They were so delicious. You just can't get that flavor from a store! Maybe I'll do a garden tour for you in a few weeks...

IN MY CAR Not only are we still on a mission to see more of Vegas, we've also been out of town quite a bit (hence the light posting). I've been making progress on travel lists as well! In the past two weeks we've been over to Zion and Los Angeles. I'm going to try to post some of my photos before I take off on my next adventure to Chicago and Detroit this following weekend. Eek! Things are moving way too fast.

IN MY FAMILY Homeschooling is pretty much awesome all around. I feel like a broken record when I spew the joy it has brought us, but we truly love it. Spring soccer season has just begun! The children are very excited about that. My sister had a baby yesterday; a little girl after two boys. Aww... Do you have any idea how hard it is to wait 9 months to find out if you are having a niece or a nephew? Oh, I am terribly impatient! Plus, my brother and his wife are expecting their first child this summer. Consequently, they're not finding out either, you know, just to torment me! (not really) Let's see... I'm still enjoying my jazz piano lessons, although I barely have time to practice. And I have some exciting photography jobs coming up in the near future.

Overall, life is pretty sweet.

So on that note, have a wonderful week my dears... I'm off to eat some more bread and then run my buns off. xo

Just Like Paradise

Eden Inn, Las Vegas, Nevada

Subbacultcha

I woke up with remnants of last night's festivities plastered all over my body. Smudgy black eyeliner still present around my tired eyes. Ashtray hair and an itchy throat from all of the smoke. I needed a shower badly, but my ears were still ringing and my head was spinning. Not from the vodka, wine and beer medley I'd imbibed over the course of the evening, but from all of the things I'd experienced and heard. In my quest to find culture and community, I felt like I'd hit the jackpot. And in a city like Las Vegas, what more could you ask for?

The evening started with an impromptu viewing of an independent film, Thor at the Bus Stop, at the new art house Theatre7. Located downtown in the Arts District, Theatre7 is a small gallery space with artwork adorned walls, a large framed movie screen, and a great sound system. For a mere $7 (including a free candy/soda/popcorn) you can support locally produced independent film, art and eventually live theatre. How cool is that? (They also accept submissions!)

The movie was funny, well cast, and had a killer original soundtrack to boot. After the showing and a quick Q&A with the director/leading actor, I followed the group to the nearby Bunkhouse Saloon where local and touring bands were playing at the Neon Reverb Festival. Not only had I never heard of this festival, I had no clue this bar/venue existed. (UGH! Could I be any more out of touch with the happenings in my city?)

The Bunkhouse was pretty chill, with cool people all around and talented musicians entertaining us. In fact, all 4 acts I heard were awesome. And some guy even bought me a drink! (WOOT! Way to make a mama feel better.) It was a fun night.

In the past three weeks since I started this pursuit of discovering Las Vegas, I've jumped out of the comfort zone and spontaneously gone out twice (I'll tell you about the other adventure soon). I've hung out with strangers, supported the arts district and come home surprised by what I've found. It has definitely fueled my spirit for seeking out more.

Perhaps I'm a little old for this scene, but I'm also too young to stop enjoying it! Whether it's live music, arts events or the farmers market, I'm submerging into the local culture -- but more importantly breaking free of the confines of a negative perception of what Las Vegas is all about. It has made me realize there is a lot more community here than most people give credit for. I can't wait to see what I uncover next...

The Vagabond: World Market Center

One of the first stops on our exploratory tour of Las Vegas was the spectacular World Market Center. This colossal building (5 million sq. feet!) is neighbor to another architectural masterpiece, The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and will soon be flanked by the burgeoning Symphony Park Development.  But beyond the exciting new growth in downtown Las Vegas, the World Market Center is host to the biannual Las Vegas Market (an interior design trade show), as well as a year-round Design Center that is open to both buyers and the general public.

Despite having debuted it's first building way back in 2005, up until last week I was under the impression that it was only open to designers. However, that is not the case! The Las Vegas Design Center offers two floors of showrooms that are open to the public for shopping. (See below for hours.)

{Once again, please excuse the quality of the photos. They were taken with my iPhone.}
This is the center of the campus.

Inside the Las Vegas Design Center.

Upward views inside the lobby of Building B. What a sight!

Cutting edge design, pronounced color, global overtones and unbelievable scale all fit perfectly into the vision for the modern Las Vegas character.

And no visit to the World Market Center would be complete without stopping to eat at the upscale Mexican restaurant, Mundo. Local Las Vegans familiar with the owner's former restaurant, La Madonna Avant-Garde Mexican Cuisine will be happy to learn that Mundo is simply a continuation of that "latin chic" concept. Despite not being entirely kid-friendly (currently there is no children's menu and we were charged $24 for two very basic cheese quesadillas -- ridiculous!) we will still be frequent visitors. The food is truly unlike any other Mexican you will find in Las Vegas.

Overall, I'd highly recommend locals (and visitors alike) to take a couple of hours to visit this incredible compound. Between the amazing architecture, the vast space that it occupies, a delicious and unique restaurant opportunity, not to mention designer home furnishings at wholesale prices -- how can you go wrong?  Check it out!

WORLD MARKET CENTER LAS VEGAS

495 S. Grand Central Pkwy

Las Vegas, NV 89106

Las Vegas Design Center Hours: 

Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm