That week Vegas took over my life

I like work trips.

They're

A. Free

B. Free

C. Free

Since my job doesn't require travel, the only times I do so are when conferences are involved. Luckily, conferences tend to be held in neat places. 

Last week was spent in Sin City at the Cosmopolitan hotel. 

Woooweeee that hotel is awesome. I somehow ended up in a suite that was decorated to the nines.

I'm certainly not complaining.

Our after conference party at Marquee was not too shabby either.

I may have ended up in the penthouse for an after-after party as well.

And then at another nightclub.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, y'all.

Chandelier Bar at the Cosmo.

Vegas sunrise from my room.

This damn machine took my $20!! I hate gambling, and this further proved that fact.

Really weird drink that I'm not sure I recommend. It's basically a margarita, but you eat that little flower and it makes your whole mouth tingle in a not so nice way.

Yes, there was a snake lady at our post-conference party, and yes I went to nightclubs dressed in my business casual attire.

View from the penthouse.

I need to plan more conferences!

Thanks for the memories

Our time in Vegas was a fun-filled three days.

If you and your girlfriends don't take some sort of annual trip, I suggest you start now!

We're already talking about tentative plans in Key West next year.

Vegas was much different than what I was expecting.

Here is what I learned:

1. There are not Elvis impersonators on every corner.

2. Nor are there hookers.

3. It is incredibly fancy.

4. Everything is HUGE.

5. The Strip is much bigger than it looks.

6. Being female is useful.

7. Everything costs more.

8. People there are really nice.

9. It is not unusual for parents to have their babies/toddlers/small children out on the Strip at 12 am.

10. If you hate gambling, you might have a hard time finding something to do in the wee hours of morning.

I must confess, I thoroughly enjoyed Vegas, but I didn't LOVE it.

Meaning, I definitely want to go back one day, but I won't cry my eyes out if it's not something I do every year. Personally, I'm more of a New Orleans kind of girl.

What made this trip were the friends.

I think we learned a lot about ourselves.

We went in to this trip expecting to dance drunkenly on tables and stay out well past sunrise.

Maybe it's good that we realized we're not 21 anymore.

And you know what? I'm fine with that.

In its own way, this trip surpassed expectations and turned out better than what I originally intended it to be.

We're growing up, y'all!

I already can't wait for Girls Trip 2012!

That time David Spade checked us out

Welcome to our last full day in Vegas!

First things first: embracing our gluttonous sides and stuffing our faces at a buffet at the Mirage.

Not pictured, my second plate. No shame.

I may have picked up five desserts. You're not suprised, are you?

The Beatles Cirque du Soleil show, Love, is performed in the Mirage. This Beatles fanatic was all too excited about seeing the theatre.

After spending too much at H&M [SO ANGRY WE DON'T HAVE THEM IN TEXAS!], it was time for a foot soak in one of the Venetian pools.

Dinner that night was in the hotel at TAO.

Oh.my.gosh.

Not only was it absolutely gorgeous inside, but the food was delicious.

Remember how I told you to keep our mocking of David Spade in mind?

See that dirty blonde hair just to the left of Caroline's head?

That would be David Spade.

Yes, he was at the table right next to us.

Am I a huge fan? Nah. But did I get a little too excited when he turned around and made eye contact with me? Yes.

He took a good look at all of us, which kept us exicted for the rest of the evening.

My food was beyond magical.

Soy and ginger glazed salmon with Udon noodles and spinach.

Foodgasm.

After dinner, we saw a drag show called Frank Marino's Divas.

It was absolutely fabulous in every way.

My favorite was the drag queen who impersonated Celine Dion. She was SPOT ON.

We wandered aimlessly down the strip after the show and tried to see the Bellagio fountain show. Sadly, it was not operating.

And sorry to disappoint, but this [along with excrutiating feet pain] led to us once again going home at a fairly early hour.

Next up: Lessons learned in Vegas.

And that's how we do it in Texas, y'all!

Welcome to part two of the Vegas tale!

Friday morning we woke up ready for shenanigans befitting of a girls trip.

First stop: lunch at Margaritaville.

Did I mention it was mostly a liquid lunch? Yes, that is a 100 oz margarita. Hey, it's Vegas.

[delicious food was involved as well, don't worry]

I was a fan. Big fan.

We wandered across the street to the Bellagio and oohed and aahed over how pretty it was.

Over at Paris, I won a whopping $6.25. I'm a high roller, I know.

The following part of our day was probably my favorite. We'd been told about this bar/casino called O'Shea's that had beer pong tables set up. Being only two years out of college, this was an instant draw. Our original intentions were to play a couple of games then be on our way.

Instead, we were there for at least six hours.

That's because we met these characters:

How it happened, I do not recall, but a group of five guys from Chicago challenged us to a game of flip cup. I am proud to say that we obliterated them five games in a row. Being good at flip cup may not get me anywhere in life, but dammit I was proud!

This impressed our new friends so much that they continued to hang out with us and buy us libations.

Score.

Oh, and I met Barney.



We finally dragged ourselves out of the bar to get ready for our night out experiencing Vegas clubs.

Remember the dress?

It was...difficult. As in, I had to tug it down constantly. Some girls may be ok with walking around with their dress barely covering their ass, but I am not.

Long story short about Vegas nightclubs: they are stressful. You best get yourself on a guest list or pay for bottle service, or else you'll be waiting in line unless you get there precisely at 10 pm. Luckily we were able to get on a guest list [thanks to a good friend], and ended up at Tryst in the Wynn hotel.

Tight dresses and four inch heels made for a painful experience, so once again we headed back to the hotel at a very un-Vegas time.

But you know what? We had a great time without dancing on tables and being complete hot messes.

Up next: Saturday in Vegas!



You have arrived in Sin City!

If you hate pictures, ignore my blog for a few days because I'm about to chronicle our long-awaited girls trip.

You have been warned.

We left for Vegas on Thursday evening.

As if I didn't have enough posts to inform you of that.

Upon arriving at the airport, we waited for our limo.

This was exciting for us.

I hadn't seen her since December!! This is why girls trips are essential to life.



We had the limo driver take us to get supplies for our room.

We also requested to eat at this little gem. Obviously. It was the best burger of my life.



We stayed at The Venetian, and David Spade had a show there that weekend. This is an important tidbit. Keep it in mind for a later post.

We headed out on the town after arrival for some gambling.



Lesson learned: I HATE GAMBLING. I spent $6 on slot machines and stopped. It was too painful to watch my money disappear. Is anyone surprised that the only machine that worked for me that night was this one? Crazy cat lady to the max.



Emily, Caroline, and Courtney all one some cash mooooney while I watched. No thank you, sir.

We were in bed by 3 am, which was not so shabby for having just arrived.

Look at us being all responsible!

Up next, Friday in Vegas.