The last stop of our near monthlong West Coast trip was Vegas! This is my one and only trip to Vegas this year. (In many of the years past I have visited five or more times.) Although it seems to have lost a bit of its luster, it's still an exciting place to visit. Knowing that the best restaurants in the US are in this town, that there are incredible shows to be taken in, and that there's always a reason to dress up means Las Vegas will continue to be thrilling to me!

We are staying at the Green Valley Ranch in Henderson where Jeffrey is giving his seminars. This picture is overlooking their "vineyard." It's a nice, quiet place - unlike most of the hotels in Las Vegas. Bruna has been such great help on this trip. Las Vegas was on of her "must see" cities so we gave her a day to explore the strip and the casinos and I took Gabrielle for a walk around The District and came across these...

Not so sure I love this fixture, but I do love this type of vintage lightbulb.

And I was excited to discover these bulbs are for sale at Anthropologie.

This is an "only in Las Vegas" image these days. A vending machine full of cigarettes.

And how delightful are these baking cups? Saw them at Whole Foods and they have some other really fun varieties - all of which are available on their website.  

Had to snap a picture of these ready-to-fill containers at REI. I love these. Also picked up a practical little winter hat for Gabrielle at REI.

But the true delight and highlight of the visit (by far) was attending Leonard Cohen's concert at the Caesar's Palace Colliseum. We were actually hoping to see Bette Midler during this visit, but that didn't work out. 

And here's the cool part: On Thursday night when Jeffrey was out to dinner I was reading the local Las Vegas magazine and came across a short blip about Cohen being in town for a rare, one-night concert on Friday. (I knew Jeffrey was a longtime fa but had never seen Cohen in concert and I have heard him talk about and play Cohen's music in seminars - relating it to a lesson about how to get others to listen to you). So I left the magazine on top of Jeffrey's computer, open to that page, knowing that when he returned back to our room he'd see it and smile (and potentially want to go).

We decided we would try to get tickets that day and called the concierge (3PM). The concierge confirmed there were tickets available. The tickets were purchased and arrived at our hotel (4PM). We had dinner with Jeffrey's great friend Richard Brodie and his totally fun girlfriend Diane (6PM). We sat down in our second row seats and had no idea what we were in for (8PM). 

The above proves wisdom that Jeffrey passed on to me early in our relationship. "The best seats in the house are always available five minutes before the curtain goes up." The seats were not good; they were incredible. And I've never cried at a concert before - until this show. Cohen's music is beautiful. And his band is unparalleled.

If you are unfamiliar with his work, you can watch the videos of my favorite songs of the night: The Gypsy's Wife, In My Secret Life, and Hallelujah. And if you are a fan, I strongly suggest purchasing the Live in London DVD to experience what we did at his concert. 

"Jeffrey, what are the odds of us getting to see Leonard Cohen on his tour that is one concert from ending in the United States?" I asked him today. "There are no accidents," he replied. 

The odds were with us (and the Gods were with us) in Las Vegas.

Comments

[alex]

you always look great - if it's not too impolite can i ask have you had a work on your nose? - i had rhinoplasty 16 months ago and the tip of my nose has remained quite red and I notice that yours does a little too. Been told by numerous makeup artists that a green based foundation would work best but have yet to find one i like. Any recommends?

[jessica]

Hi Lisa,

Thanks for visiting! Not much food to report on from this Vegas trip - my meals consisted of room service and Whole Foods! We did, however, have dinner at Craftsteak http://www.mgmgrand.com/restaurants/craftsteak-steak-house.aspx at MGM which is excellent. We've been there many times before and it's consistently good. I had salmon and Jeffrey had short ribs.

Let me know your favorite type of food and where you're staying and I'll give you several suggestions for fantastic places to eat during your Vegas visit.

Cheers!
Jessica

[Lisa Cunningham]

It looks like you've been having a lovely time traveling around. I've been a fan of your web log for awhile now and I love the topics you write on. Will you be doing a food post about your Vegas visit? My husband and I will be going to Las Vegas in January. We are both foodies and would love some recommendations on some excellent dining. This will be my first visit as an adult.

[Rebekah]

Hi Darling! Love this post about your Leonard Cohen experience. So insightful. You have inspired me to listen to his music. Thank you. ~Rebekah

P.S. Beautiful shot of Bruna and Little Miss G.

[Kim Hacking]

Love it when the stars align and the Cohen Gods are on your side to make an incredible experience happen for you.

[Colleen]

Hi Jessica, glad you had fun in Las Vegas! I am a long time reader of your blog, but this is my first question. I recently lost 40 lbs, and now enjoying wearing more stylish clothes & necklaces, except for I never know what kind of neckline looks good w/certain necklaces. Like a V neck looks good w/a long necklace, or more choker like?? I don't know!! any rule of thumb? Thanks!! Colleen