Lessons From Las Vegas

I spent the first part of this week in the land of the casinos. I had a work trip to Las Vegas, and really, if you have to travel for your job, Vegas is pretty much the coolest location ever. I wasn't mad about it. I had never been to Las Vegas, so I tried to take in as much as I could in the short 2.5 days I was there. Of course I had to work, but I had some free time to walk around the strip in the mornings and evenings. It would have been so much more fun with a buddy, so hopefully Parker and I can do a mini vacation there one day! In the interim, I thought I would share some lessons/observations from my short time there. So here we go...

• Music is always playing as you walk down the strip (Las Vegas Blvd). You will be inclined to have your own little dance party. I was. 

• Vegas is for lovers. I don't know what it is, but it was PDA on steroids when I was there. I thought we were going to see some Vegas babies conceived right there on the street. I don't know if it was so much true love as it was bottles of vodka walking around in human form (Friends reference anyone?). 

• If you like to smoke and wish you could do it indoors, Vegas is the place for you. You can pretty much smoke anywhere you please. This was not my favorite feature, but it was indeed a feature. 

• Getting a rental car in Vegas is completely pointless. You can walk most places, and cabs have you covered for the rest. I would have been really upset that I paid to rent a car if work hadn't foot that bill. I was still mildly frustrated by my naivety.  

• As cool as Las Vegas was during the day, it was that much cooler at night. There is just something about seeing the whole city lit up.

• People are constantly drinking. This was somewhat expected, but I have to admit, it was a little depressing seeing people drunk at 10 AM. 

• Slot machines are complicated. I knew I wanted to play a couple for the check in the box (I gambled away a whopping $6, earned back $0.60, and then gave said $0.60 to a street performer.). It's not just "pull the lever". You have to bet credits, choose how much you want to bet, etc. Confusing. I didn't get it. 

• The strip is easy to navigate. I have one of the worst senses of direction you will ever come across, and I managed to figure it out solo. If I could do it, you can too. 

• This goes without saying, but the shopping is pretty cool. Once I ogled the Chanel, Prada, and Gucci stores, I went to the land of the familiar... aka, Gap. 

• Vegas must have some sort of deal with Panda Express. There was one on every block! I've never seen so many Panda Express's in my life. Move over, McDonald's.

• Normally I would be a little apprehensive walking around a foreign city by myself, and especially at night, but Vegas affords you the ability to rely on pack immunity, so to speak. The strip was full of people everywhere. 

So those were my takeaways. Now for a few pictures from this little escapade...

How cool is this place?! Loved it. 

The Bellagio dancing fountains are a must see. It's a beautiful little show!

Holding my winnings. So proud. 

Playing the slots at 10 AM before work started for the day. 

And that's Vegas! Pretty darn cool city. I recommend seeing it. 

Desk Makeover

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it's advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WicklessWonders #CollectiveBias
I have said it several times on this blog: I work from home. I have a full time job, but I do it 100% from home. Parker actually built me a desk to work from that I absolutely love. It started out turquoise, but then I decided my wild child days were over and that white was the more sophisticated and classier option. I love the new white and think it instantly brightens up the room. 
Lately, I've realized I've been working more from the couch than I have at my desk. It's a lot harder to be productive on a couch, yall. The reason for this recent migration is due to the mere fact that I have let my desk turn into a pig sty. I used to pride myself on being organized. My claim to fame is that I was voted most organized in the 8th grade by my teachers: a real life accomplishment, obviously. I'm not sure what happened in the last 10 years, but I've slowly let that organization turn into a habit of strewing papers all over the place. 
So, a little desk makeover was in order. I wanted this to be a space that I didn't dread being in for 8 hours each day. I wanted it to be clean, productive, and useful. I didn't want clutter. I didn't want papers going on for miles. It was time to dust off that 8th grade organizational skill set and get to work. 

So here's a before shot. It may not look like a lot, but there were papers and bills thrown around everywhere. Aye yi yi...

I started sorting the papers and bills and actually using the drawers for what they are intended... you know, to store things. Once I had the clutter removed and everything organized, I decided I wanted to add a little something to take the space to the next level. I had been eyeing the AromaBreeze Fragrance System at Walmart and decided it would be the perfect addition to my desk. I chose the hot air balloon because it just has such a whimsical, vintage feel. I am obsessed with it! The cool thing about these AromaBreeze Fragrance Systems is that it uses no heat, so it's completely safe. It can be plugged into a wall or operated by a battery. The no heat thing was key for me. I'm a little clumsy, so I could just see myself tossing a paper to the side and starting a small desk fire. Thankfully, that won't be happening here. Fun fact: the immediate fragrance throw also lasts 50% longer than wax. 
I had a hard time selecting which scents I would be using, so I opted for my favorite 5 and called it a day. Seriously though, how cute is this baby?

After several more changes and tweaks, my new and improved desk looks like this...

So clean and so spacious! I painted an old frame to match the pink in my hot air balloon. This cost me pennies, and I love looking at one of my favorite pictures of my parents and me from my wedding. How was that almost four years ago? Tangent. Moving on... 
I can also now clearly see and use my planner. I live by this bad boy and still have not grasped the concept of a digital calendar. It's probably more efficient, but I just love putting pen to paper, making lists, and checking them off. 
Lastly, I kept a cute little note box that happens to match my hot air balloon and picture frame perfectly, and I paired it with a picture of that handsome husband of mine. That'll make any day better in my book. 

Overall, I am really pleased with the new space. It's not revolutionary, but it's now a place where I can get work done and feel productive. It always smells good thanks to my new AromaBreeze Fragrance System (so weird not smelling dog hair anymore), and there are splashes of color throughout to keep the white from being too overpowering. I just love it. 
If you are interested in purchasing your very own AromaBreeze Fragrance System to brighten up your home, it's available online and at select Walmart stores. So you don't have to walk around aimlessly looking, I'll make it easy. This is where I found mine:

Confession: I got so excited about my hot air balloon that I also bought the ScentSationals Spotted Owl Warmer for my mantle. There is something to be said for a house that smells good, and I couldn't resist. I just thought this ScentSationals warmer was so on trend, and the choices in warmers were more unique than anything I have seen before. Naturally I had trouble picking my favorite wax (There were so many scents to choose from!), so 5 of those came home with me too. It happens. It's not like they expire! That's Chelsea logic at it's finest. PSA: For both the AromaBreeze Fragrance System and the ScentSationals Warmer, make sure you follow the directions carefully. I am impatient and like to toss the directions aside, but even I read the instructions for these. They were simple, but do read them!