Vegas '09

Good Grief, I can hardly believe that I may actually be home for more than 3 days in a row. It feels like I've been gone for a month.

BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN.

I am so excited to sleep in my own bed tonight. I got home at 2am last night, and I wouldn't really say I slept at all. Big J woke us at 7 am, and although we brought him into bed while he drank his bottle, he wouldn't even look at me for the first half hour. I guess when you can't communicate fully, non-verbal cues are still just as effective in getting the message across.

Anyhoodle... here's a recap of my trip:

Monday: Caught my 7pm flight. Was upgraded to first class & reveled in the extra elbow room. Stayed at the same hotel we've booked for the last 3 years. I love this place. This is the ONLY hotel I would bring my family to we had to go to Vegas. Green Valley Ranch Resort

Tuesday: Work, work, work. Found bargain Kate Spade shoes which are not only cute & comfy, but perfectly match one of my favorite shirts. Totally meant to be. Wednesday: Work, work, work. Enjoyed dinner with Dad and J as they travelled through Vegas on the way to Tucson.

Thursday: Work, work, work. Met Richard Karn (Al Borland of Home Improvement fame). Fabulous dinner at Mesa Grill. Seriously - Bobby Flay, you have redeemed yourself after my mediocre experience at Bar Americain in November. Probably in the top 5 steaks I have eaten in my life. And this carnivore has eaten many a steak in her day......

Friday: Work, work, work. Was gifted a gorgeous box of chocolates from Japan.

Saturday: Work, work, work. Ate delectable sushi for the first time in 18 months. It's not that I don't like sushi. I just have a fear of sushi in the Midwest. It's like ordering salmon in Memphis. You can do it, but should you?

Sunday: Work, work, work. Show ended, but had to go back the next day to pack it all up & ship it back.

Monday: Work, work, work. Hauled boxes, shipped personal item back to boss who left it in his hotel room (am I a good employee or what??). Found super bargains at REI (who can resist an extra 50% off the sale price?).

I also tracked down The Cupcakery and had to indulge in my passion for cupcakes.

It was the cutest little shop, maybe 200 square feet, plus a kitchen in the back. It was pastel pink & chocolate, with cupcakes in a refrigerated case and under glass on cake plates. They also sell a few cupcake accessories (sparklers, candles, etc.) and retro aprons.

They had about 10-12 varieties available and a small tray of samples. There were a few other customers in there so I grabbed a sample while I waited. I didn't realize what I was in store for until I took my first bite. I had chosen the Boston Cream and when it passed my lips, I felt a little light-headed. Oh yes, it was THAT good. This is what I ended up bringing home:

Don't worry - these are mini cupcakes.

I don't know what all the flavors were but they were delightful. (I can identify Oh My Gosh Ganache and Strawberry Shortcake from the website).

They were all decorated very simply, with elegant, thick swirls of frosting, and a smattering of sprinkles, glitter (oh yes, glitter!), or flourishes of additional frosting.

This one tasted like a Strawberry Lemonade. Yes, that is edible glitter on top (so very Vegas). The cake was moist and dense - even after 10 hours of travel - and the frosting was thick, dense, and flavorful. There was no hint of butter or shortening in the frosting, and no bitter mouthfeel from too much sugar. They were delightful. They were sweet. They were perfect. The best cupcakes I've ever had. EVER. This was definitely the pinnacle of my trip. But it still doesn't make up for being away from my children for a week.

PS - Yes, it was sunny and 60 degrees the entire time I was there. As it was 5 degrees today, I'm beginning to get the whole "Snow bird" thing.