My Adventures in Vegas

Vegas is the city of lights - and in the month of December, it always seems to be even more so, because of the Chrsitmas lighting and decorations.
We go there every year in December for a convention, where my husband spends his days scheduling airshows for next year or taking classes. Evenings are spent dining or visiting with good freinds, or taking in a show. This year was no different. except for 2 things. First, I left with an injury. A week before we left, I had twisted my knee while working on a very busy bustle. It was very painful. I limped my way through the airport and up to our room, where I quickly got some ice to put on it before venturing out. I soon found that I wouldn't be doing a lot of 'venturing'. We were staying at the Paris; which was fortunate, because we were right next to the Miracle Mile shops.   The first evening we were there, we walked through the mall (we were looking for a diet coke, of all things!) and this is when I think I realized that my walking would be minimal. By the time we got back to our room, my entire leg was on fire. So, the next morning, I decided that I needed to run back over to the mall and find a bandage to wrap my knee in.  While I was there, I thought a more comfortable pair of shoes or boots would help also.
This is where my adventure really began. I found the bandage I needed, and put it in my purse with my wallet, zipping it all up tight in my beautiful Jimmy Choo bag. Love that bag! My leg was sore, but I found that as long as I walked slowly, it was manageable. So, I wandered into a shoe store and tried on a couple pair of boots. Neither was going to work, though, so I picked up my things and went on to another store, where I found a cute and comfortable pair of ankle wedge boots. However, when I went to pay for them, I quickly discovered that my wallet was gone. PANIC. I dumped the entire contents of my bag on the counter - surely it was in there somewhere! If you have never had your wallet stolen, I can tell you that it gave me s sense of panic and unbelief unlike anything I have ever experienced. I limped/ran back to the other shoe store, where they found a security guard to help me. Can you believe it - there were no security cameras in the mall! This is Vegas, baby! No camera's? Are you kidding? I filed a report, then limped/ran back to the Paris, where I got on my computer and found phone numbers to cancel credit and bank cards. It was so surreal. It had to have been a pro, because my bag had been zipped, and for someone to get into it without me noticing, well, let's just say, it had to have been quick.
As unfortunate as this little adventure was, I can still be thankful for several things. 1) They didn't get my $260 in cash (which was saved for my spa day) because it was in a seperate envelope. 2) My husbands bank and credit cards were not affected, so I still was able to have access to buying power! And most importantly, 3) they didn't take the whole bag! I can replace the cards (which actually arrived the day we returned home) and my drivers licence, but how would I ever replace my Jimmy?!!

The Red Dress - Finally!

It's been a while since I've done any posting - even though December has pretty much been a 'dead' month with my business. I've been keeping busy getting ready for Christmas. Making gifts, a little shopping, ect. I finally, last night, got around to downloading the couple of pics we took in Vegas of my red dress. The photo isn't the best, and the pose I am striking makes me look like some kind of hussy (believe me - I'm not!!); but it does show the dress.

I made the lace flower attachment a little smaller; I think it looks much more size appropriate.   The dress fit like a dream. I do believe that of all the dresses I have made for myself over the years, this is my absolute favorite. Love the color, love the style, love the fabrics.

I especially love the back of the skirt, how it flares out fuller that the front. It was very comfortable to wear, also.

The evening was lovely - it was my opportunity to see people I hadn't seen all year, and may not see many of them for another year. We attend this convention in Vegas every year, the first week in December.

It is the ICAS convention, which stands for International Council of Airshows. My husband is a performer in airshows; and unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend many of his performances this past year. Thus the reason I hadn't seen so many of my ICAS freinds in so long. As always, Vegas was fun; and an adventure, this year, as never before (more on that later).