Las Vegas strip collage

I rode up to North Vegas last week with my husband.  I was bored on the way home so I snapped a series of photos through the passenger's seat window of the strip, then assembled them in the janky way you see here.

Would you like a tour?  

Starting from the far left you can see the Bellagio which has a large fountain that is choreographed to spray to such tunes as Viva Las Vegas.  Next is the Aria and Vdara and many other shiny new silver buildings- these are part of City Center, a huge project that kept many a man busy working.  Then there is a pretty orange parking garage and an odd edit (ignore that).  
Now for some older guys!  Right in the middle of the collage sits the Monte Carlo (with some of the best odds on the strip, though if you really want to walk with some money, you need to go off strip).  The Monte Carlo caught on fire a few years ago, poor thing!  
And last, you can barely make out the pointy top of the Empire state building of New York, New York, the red and blue pointed tops of the castle Excalibur, and the very pointy  Luxor.  

Random afternoon out

My husband took me out to lunch and the antique store last week.  We had a lot of fun!  Going to flea markets has been a favorite past time of ours since we were dating, and it is fun to think how our tastes have changed over the years.  

The cupcakes are from a local bakery called The Cupcakery.

I wish I had bought this lovely vintage embroidery.  I love the treatment of the woman's headband, and all that stem stitching!

Long time, no see.. random, random

Mountains, sky, and strip in the distance

It's been weeks hasn't it?  We've survived the Mayan apocalypse and the holiday season (well there is still New Years I guess)- I can't be the only one relieved, can I? 

The holidays were really stressful for me this year and I'm not sure why.  Oh yeah-- it's because I procrastinated until 2 weeks before before xmas to start making handmade gifts!
 
Consequently I really crapped out on the dinner (thanks to my awesome sis and sis-in-law for the potluck; sorry I burnt the rolls).




Yoko!

I might not have posted anything in almost a month, but I've kept the blogger mentality. I've taken photos of most of the stuff I made and some of the noteworthy food I've cooked--  so there's no shortage of material!

But some of my presents haven't reached their recipients yet (did I mention I procrastinated this year?) so I think I will wait on the show and tell....






Instead, lets talk kolaches!!

ricotta cheese kolaches

What is a kolache?  Well if you are from the Czech republic or Texas-- who ever thought a sentence would start like that?-- then you know they are a delicious sort of danish pastry thing. 

I am neither from the Czech republic or Texas, but I am an avid reader of America's Test Kitchen, and when I saw the kolache recipe in the newest Cooks Country I knew I wanted to make them.

Mixed berry kolaches

This is just the type of thing I love to bake.  Complicated and delicate.  Precise and impressive.  Because in general, you can't rationalize the act of baking, so if you are going to bother with the time and expense it might as well be something amazing!

Ricotta cheese kolache

The recipe makes 16 pastries, and they stay fresh for about 3 days.... perfect for two people right?  Half are a lemon ricotta cheese, and half are a mixed berry filling.  They are dusted with a streusel.  The dough has a fine, firm crumb and a slightly sweet taste.

You can get the recipe here (you must sign up for a free trial).  Happy baking!





Frida!

Rainy Day

It's been freakishly wet in the Las Vegas valley... it feels like it rained more this year than all the years I've lived here combined!

Yesterday the sky bottomed out and it suddenly began to pour- that's how it normally goes down around here.  Then, after 15-20 minutes, it stopped almost completely.  Again, this is the norm.  The sun began to peep out from a cloud and I immediately thought--

rainbow!

Rainbow after shower

 

 

Iridescent fly

 

 

Rain drops on honeysuckle type shrub

Rocks

Clark County Museum

 

 

We've all had those days... bored and despondent.  No errands to run, but really want to leave the house.  Needing some stimulation but wanting to spend zero dollars. 

This is where my husband and I found ourselves one hot day last week.  After a brief discussion, we decided a museum visit would fit our mood perfectly!

So off we went to the Clark County Museum.  This museum has a small gift shop and an indoor exhibit of the history of Las Vegas, but the best part is the outdoor exhibits: a conglomerate ghost town of historic buildings stocked with period furniture and accessories.  These buildings are spread out over acres and require a good deal of outdoor walking.

But once we arrived, the reality of how incredibly hot it was hit us hard.  The walk from the car to the gift shop was enough for me.  We quickly decided to skip the outdoor section and just look around the indoor exhibit.  Maybe we'll visit again in December!






Main Building

 

 

Early ranchers... and not bad looking either
How anyone lived in this desert without AC is beyond me

 

 

Note the prostituion token,
reads "good for one screw"

 

 

 

I love the graphics on this old slot machine

 

 

 

Yeah... a lot of nuclear testing went on just north of here

 

 

 

Mid century modern goodness

 

 

Everyone is cooked well done

 

 

 

Sign from the late 70s

 

 

 

Ladies pose in front of the Landmark Hotel. 

My favorite Las Vegas sign has to
be the old Stardust.
Can't believe it was torn down to build the Echelon,
which after 5 years is still basically a dirt lot
 

Sunrise; Gecko; Miniquilt; Movies

Summer sunrise, Las Vegas

I've been cleaning this morning-- and it's way overdue.  Been home from my vacation for a week and haven't done much but the dishes. 

With a full and heavy trash bag in hand I flung open the garage door, heading for the trash can.  Now...

I don't like bugs.. and I spend a lot of time unconsciously scanning my surroundings for anything that moves.  I'm pretty good at spotting a bug-- I can see an earwig crawling up the wall at 50 feet-- and I'm really nearsighted.  So when I saw a little movement at my feet as I flung open the garage door, I stopped cold.

This little guy was blending in with the floor so well that it took me a moment to see him.

Mediterranean house gecko

I was pleased to find only a little lizard; since I was a girl I have loved reptiles. 

After some maneuvering and coaxing I managed to catch the little guy-- and he was little!  No more than an inch and a half long, including tail! 

Yes, he's in a candle.  There's always one handy around the house, and the lids make an escape proof catcher.

I let the little guy go in my back yard, and after some Internet research, I found that I had a little house gecko-- cute!!  And they eat bugs, so I hope he sticks around.

House Gecko; his big ole eyes are so cute!

On a whim I started a mini quilt yesterday, and it has come together pretty quick.  I have the top pieced and have also done a little hand embroidery embellishment.  I plan to baste and straight line quilt it tomorrow. 

The little squares are all from a single piece of fabric I've had for years.  It's an eclectic print, and I love how the designs are so small (each block is about an inch and a half).  I cut the fabric apart and then gave each little square a little room to breath. 

This mini will get a more thorough post after I have quilted it. 


I've been hitting the Netflix hard over here this week.  Is it possible to watch too many movies?  Netflix is just too good!  As a lover of bad movies, B movies, old movies, foreign movies, I always find something obscure and/or entertaining.

Just a few recent screenings:
Resevoir Dogs-- for the first in over ten years, it's still good
Thor- surprisingly good, though lots of green screen
Alice's Restaurant- this is the third time, love that movie
Submarine- surprisingly good quirky, indie type
Anna Karenina- (2000 masterpiece version) I've seen other versions.. this was well done (of course, it's PBS) and the story is timeless
Leadbelly- dramatization of his life...once something awful happened to me when listening to a Leadbelly record, wont' go in to it
A league of their own- had this on VHS growing up, watched it a hundred times "batter up.."
The Red Violin- this was hard to watch but so good...an emotionally tense film and one that sticks with you
His Girl Friday- seen this at least three times, a great classic film!  Cary Grant is too good
The Fifth Element- though this one is silly, it's still entertaining!

Back from vacation; Las Vegas sky

For the past two weeks, I've been on vacation!  My husband and I have been enjoying the lovely bay area (mostly San Jose area).  We had lots of good food, took in some sites, dipped our toes in the ocean, and admired some beautiful alpine vistas.

It was nice to take a break from the responsibilities of life (like bills) and odd to take a break from my favorite things (like catching up on my fav blogs).

I had a blast, but I guess it had to end.  This week I'll be posting photos of our trip.  And though I only did a little crocheting the past few weeks, I'm ready to get back into craft mode.  I plan on finishing up some projects, and doing some show and tell.



-------------------
Las Vegas is having a rare spell of wet weather.  I took the following photos this evening at about 8pm. 

I know it doesn't look like it, but these are different parts of the sky at the same time!

It was quite a show!

Good morning, Mojave!

Las Vegas dawn; palm tree and moon

It's a beautiful morning here in Las Vegas, which means one thing: the afternoon is going to be a scorcher!  It's supposed to reach 102 degrees, which is actually not too bad.  What's bad is 115 degrees, but that's something to look forward to next month..

The birds are especially active in the mornings here, probably because once the sun comes up everyone and everything hides out until it goes down again. 

But right now it's 70 degrees and slightly breezy.  Half a dozen birds belt out their sing song; bees and hummingbirds flit about.  I open up my back door to listen while I fold a load of laundry.  This was a nice morning.

Blooming Back Yard

All the plants in my back yard are blooming.  I know things are flowering all over the country, but I have serious respect for any plant that can live in this desert.  It is brutal here! 

Somehow, you give these guys a few drizzles of water a day and they thrive.

Low bush with tiny white flowers all over

This mini palm tree has a bouquet of hanging cream flowers

Baja Fairy Duster; I can't make this stuff up

Hummingbirds like these

Red Yucca
These flowering stalks are about 6 feet tall! 

 

Las Vegas View; nothing new

There is an amazing view of the valley up the road from my house.  You reach the crest of the road and it just suddenly opens up.  Of course, a photo doesn't do it justice. (you can't see it twinkling!) 


Posting has been a little sporadic at hellohorizon the past couple weeks.  Probably because I've been sticking close to home and watching way too many low budget costume dramas on netflix.  Riveting stuff..

I'm multitasking a few things, but nothing ready to share yet.  At the top of the list is finishing up my second Tudor historical embroidery series.  But this involves a lot of computer scanning and editing- which is a little tedious so I kind of procrastinate it.

I bought a new app a few days ago, Stop Motion Studio Pro, and spent all morning making a stop motion movie.  It involves wool embroidery and Belle and Sebastian-  I've watched it about 25 times!

I'm thinking of tackling french macarons for the third time.  The previous results have been spectacular (and delicious) failures.  Why can't I get a decent foot?