In it to WYNN it!

Another day, another dollar. Staying at posh digs doesn’t necessarily equal posh dividends. I have convinced myself that occupying nickel and dime casinos in Vegas always always pays out when gambling. What you lack in amenities, you make up for in winnings (shout-out to Flamingo wootwoot!) Or so my theory goes. Every time I check in at Wynn, I check out at Lose. I am hell-bent on changing my luck this time around in the faint hopes that Encore, Wynn’s sassy little sister, understands my plight and helps to bundle my losses and amass a jackpot so profitable that it not only pays for my trip, but also pays for my loyalty to luxury.

VISUALIZE my winnings, says Oprah *happy thoughts, happy thoughts*

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Climate Control

Brrrrrrrr!!! I’m not staying at the Mirage but it sure does feel like I’m getting bamboozled with this weather. 55 degree SoCal? Manageable. 55 degree Vegas? Freezing my Khuuture covered tush off. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I’m nowhere near the sparkling blue pristine pool waters downstairs because this desert storm is breaking wind…badly might I add. How am I supposed to don my flirty floaty mini tonight when this blustered airstream is catching speed as we speak? I suspect looming wardrobe malfunction in the midst…What to do, what to do...Aha!!! *light bulb* It’s no coincidence that I’m a hop, skip, and a jump away from Fashion Show Mall…Neiman’s, Bloomie’s, Macy’s oh my!...I’m feeling better already. Note to self: Must shop equipped with a hit list or I’m dunzo before the funzo. I’ve been known to meander aimlessly and select without a cause, but we must not lose focus! Time is of the essence. I’ve got things to see and peeps to do!..or vice versa…eh, you get the idea ;D


Vogue Japan’s featuring all the hot commodities perfect for these conditions…Tight, bright, and just enough fashion armor to weather the storm. Take that dusty winds!

Other options...I hope there's a sale somewhere

photocredit: fashion magazines world
(couldn't help the last two- not ideal for these winds, but they sure are cute!)

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Drink all Day, Play all Night

In less than 24 hours I'll be lying poolside at the Encore cabanas, sippin' on some bubbly and soakin' in the rays. I'll melt into the sun-drenched lounger as my responsibilities get drowned out by the booty shaking beats heard thumping in the distance...My freshly exfoliated skin will be moisturized from the warm fragrance-infused air wafting all around me...Bikini-clad, half-naked Adonises will be serving me frozen seedless grapes while subjecting to my every whim (but only because it's comped ;P)...Viva Las Vegas indeed.

Every SoCal transient has a different agenda in Vegas. Some live to gamble, some devour the cuisine, some follow the entertainment, some explore the shopping, some relax by golfing...We come to party :D It's a lifestyle, this partying. What most outsiders don't know is that OC partying is an art form in some parts.

In my neck of the woods, it starts with a survey of the hippest joints on the strip, namely those that have opened in order of recency. We then break it down to our nightly hotspots, saving the best for last. We'd have been shopping for weeks to find that perfect outfit, equal parts stunning and seductive, to not only guarantee our access past the commuter lines and into the VIP, but to help garner us that much needed confidence and sex appeal to last throughout the night's escapades...(see Jersey Shore's Guido guide to going out)...If you look good, you feel good. And if you feel good, you'll look even better next to all the dramatically, jaw-droppingly, impressive nightclub designs Vegas has to offer. Heaven awaits kiddos- I'll be blissfully blogging from the desert, hopefully this time tomorrow, intoxicated.

Night One: HAZE nightclub at Aria

Night Two: XS Nightclub at Encore

Noteworthy Nightclub Designs:  Lavo @ Palazzo

Vanity at Hard Rock (for the shear absurdity of its disparate design elements...even nightclub design needs a sense of humor)

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I'd take 5 star design over 3 star Michelin any day

Gosh I don't remember the last time I breaked for meals in Vegas. In between the slot- scouting, cocktail-flagging, sun(less)-tanning, marathon-shopping, camera-snapping, guns-blazing frenzy that makes up all my Vegas trips, I rarely schedule time to pencil in sit-downs. Not that I don't frequent the five and dimes for a quickie or help myself to complimentary goldfish at the pai gow tables, I DO eat mind you...just not long enough to intervene with the barrage of festivities I diagram for my girls before these impromptu trips. Kinda takes the spontaneity out of it I know, but man, I could make a living out of professional organization if I wasn't a designer. Nevermind that our itinerary reads like a defunct dossier outlining the best times to pool, picture, and party, at least I've got our priorities straight.

But the one thing I always, ALWAYS make time for?....Restaurant Design! I'm committing an entire day sans party posse to flag down and highlight the best the city has to offer, this time with a spotlight on City Center since I've never been. I'm hoping to bring you the hautest in avant-garde architecture, expert detailing, and just an overall wit and humour I find the most appealing in any dining establishment. I'm all about a complete sensory experience, so if the interior can't draw me in, no 10-course, Michelin appraised meal is going to make me stay.

City Center's Fine Dining at a Glance

 Noteworthy Restaurant Design:  Shibuya at MGM Grand

Love the effect of escapism in this space.  Feels like you've been transported to a technicolored Tokyo fishing town the minute you step inside enhancing your entire dining experience as a result.  Designed by Yabu Pushelberg.

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Viva Las Vegas!

It's been a minute since OC's packed her bags and headed over to our bargain basement playground next door. Just as New Yorkers head south to Miami for the winter, Southern Californians head north to Las Vegas...well pretty much any chance we get. It's not unusual to make these excursions at least once a season (on the lighter side), so seeing as how it's almost May, I'm definitely overdue for a Vegation. This weekend happens to be my girlfriend's last 20-something birthday, so what better way to celebrate youth than a 4-day excursion to dazzling Sin City where we will mix and mingle, steady or single ;D I have never met a Vegas trip that wasn't jam-packed with lights, camera, and plenty of action so hold onto your seatbelts baby, it's gonna be an incredible ride! *crosses fingers*


I'll be dedicating this week's posts to anything and everything Las Vegas starting with the creme de la creme- City Center, our new 67 acre stomping ground courtesy of MGM Resort and Casino. I'm sure you've all heard that this development cost over $8.5 billion to construct, the most expensive and prospectively profitable project in Vegas to date; however there was a time not too long ago when investors pulled out in the midst of this recession (citing exponentially unforeseen construction delays and costs) and City Center would have been nothing but a bunch of parking structures behind Bellagio. MGM feared for the future of their enterprise having been threatened with Chapter 11 as a means to keep their investment afloat, when in came Dubai World, MGM's not so silent partner and Big Brother to take this entirely mismanaged, poorly funded, eagerly anticipated rubble of a road into what you see today....A spectacle born and bred only by Vegas baby.

A six-tower complex consisting of hotels and residences, 5 star spas, gourmet dining, upscale shopping, and unparalleled nightlife, City Center endeavors to set the precedence for the future of Las Vegas. Eat, shop, work, or play, City Center aims to be the ultimate destination for tourists and locals alike. However for this particular tourist/local, I'm only interested in one thing...the hub of this entire exhibition: Aria Resort and Casino, designed by Remedios Studio...the very firm that propagated the design brilliance of yours truly ;D

My last few months working at RS was dedicated to detailing the massive fins of Aria's Casino ceiling so watch out for my unwavering critique as I tear that baby apart. They have yet to release official press footage and accompanying detailed images of the interior....so I'll be your personal smoker spy and bring back at least 20gb of ceiling, ceiling, ceiling.... and maybe some wardrobe shots in there as well while I slither my way around incognito...for those of you who like that kinda stuff :D

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Zac Attac!

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings.".....


I think G.A.T.E. was the best thing that ever happened to me. Imagine being plucked out of your normal Asian-dominated elementary school life to be thrown into a mixed race (mostly white) "higher" learning annex where you were immediately deemed Gifted and Talented. Niiiiice! Someone out there must LOVE me!... Puh-leazzze!...Same *ish, different day y'all. Story of my life. I never felt like I belonged, but was always ready, willing, and able to change. My last 2 years of grade school were the most thought provoking, albeit highly stressful, and liberating educational experience of my life.

I believe with all my heart that the GATE program molded me into what you see today: a neurotic, obsessive-compulsive, maniacal, hard-core, aggressive... wait, wasn't I just lauding their curriculum?...assertive, intelligent, detail-oriented thriving individual of the times...Hey man, I may be confident, but I'm not delusional. Having to recite excerpts from Alice in Wonderland in anticipation of every pop quiz wasn't exactly my idea of thorough breeding (is that even a word?). But I must say they did an excellent job of crafting overachievers; however, overlooking the minor little detail of considerable madness that comes with the package....eh, you win some you lose some ;P

Nowadays, a major part of my adulthood is convincing myself there exists creative geniuses in the world that are just like me! (hahahah, sorry, even I couldn't resist)...and thus have come to appreciate Zac Posen for that very reason. 29, self-styled mover and shaker of a growing fashion empire, Zac's no-nonsense approach to whimsy and fantasy in women's ready to wear amasses legions of daily fans, including myself.

I'm rushing through the latter part of this post as I have many important festivities to attend (not really, just one) and none more momentous than Zac's debut at Target!! I've bookmarked this occasion for months now, hoping to score some fabulous frocks for my burgeoning social spring agenda. Having been soooo disappointed with Target's last Go collection with Gaultier, I'm crossing my fingers for a promising afternoon. Gosh, I haven't been this excited for a collabo since Taco Bell started serving Pizza Hut, gorditas and breadsticks whoohoo!

Can't wait to share the goodies- stay tuned!

    photocredit: nypost

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