• Las Vegas

    New House and Keeping it Clean

    So the exciting news is that we are looking to buy a house this year! Woohoo, after nearly 2 decades of paying rent some reasonable and some not so reasonable – we are finally thinking of buying a house in Vegas 🙂

    Vegas is such an interesting place to live because you get the access to cool big city things like hotels, shows, shopping, concerts, and plenty of options for food – but you also get the reasonable cost of living. One of the reasons we chose to move in Vegas from New York is so we could be homeowners! How cute is this place we found!

    There is a very cool retro vibe in some Las Vegas neighborhoods and we are drawn to the unique architecture and style of these houses. The character of the mid-century modern style is timeless.

    Las Vegas McNeil Estates

    There are also planned/cookie cutter communities but the Home Owner Association fees and Stepford Wives that live there remind me of the Truman Show movie. Yikes.

    Las Vegas Summerlin 

    I have been looking at decoration and furniture for our potential new house. I think white will be so pretty in this sunlit living room. I am also drawn to lilac, greys, and pinks too. To keep all this clean, I will be sure to have Mean Green on hand. This is the only cleaner I trust to do the job to clean all kinds of grease, dirt, and grime. Vegas is a very dusty place! It is the desert and when the storm picks up the sand, your house will need a nice sweeping.  I have even used Mean Green and my microfiber mop to do a quick once over the living room and it looks great.

    Have you recently bought a house? Any advice for us newbies?

    Share your cleaning hacks and I’ll greatly appreciate it!

     

  • Las Vegas

    Holiday House Cleaning

    Holidays is the time for fun, presents, and sometimes houseguests too!  Some of you already know that we have a running joke that our place is a hotel that is always booked. It is rare that we don’t have a guest at least once a month visiting. Sometimes for one night, sometimes for weeks and even months. Family, friends, friends of friends and even furry ones too.

    Keeping the house clean and in tip-top shape is not my top 3 list of priorities but it might make it somewhere in the top 10. So I am always on the lookout for new ways to accomplish this easily, quickly and efficiently. I had the opportunity this year to try THREE new household items that have now become a staple. These include Dryel, Invisible Glass, and Mean Green. #housewifelife. I am also considering getting a weekly cleaning service to get that hotel feel at home!

     

    This cleaner and degreaser provide the strength needed for your toughest cleaning tasks while remaining gentle enough for more sensitive items. The nontoxic, nonflammable formula helps ensure safe use.

    • Tough detergents deliver heavy-duty cleaning power that’s safe for more sensitive surfaces and items.  Formulated to clean grease and soil from clothes, upholstery, and carpets, as well as engines and construction equipment.
    • Nontoxic and nonflammable to promote safe use.

    I appreciate how versatile this cleaner can be and it gets the kitchen spotless in no time. It doesn’t have the harsh scent that 407 has (that what I was using before this). You can use Mean Green from fabric to concrete!

    GREASY STOVE AND RANGE HOODS

    Mean Green can eliminate a greasy dinner mess with ease. Spray Super Strength directly on the food or grease splatter. Allow the product to penetrate the mess for up to 2 minutes. Wipe clean with a sponge or cloth. Then rinse thoroughly with clean water. Done!

     

     

    SINKS

    Sinks can be a trap for food, grease and grime. Turn the nozzle to spray and generously spray the sink and fixtures. Wipe clean with a cloth or sponge. Give a quick rinse and it is clean for another day. Do not allow to dry on surface. Not recommend for aluminum fixtures.

     

     

    COUNTERTOPS

    Super strength can be used to clean countertops in the kitchen and bathroom. Okay to use full strength or diluted for light cleaning (see below for diluting suggestions). Simply spray directly on dirt, dried on food, grime, or soap scum and wipe clean with a cloth or sponge. Rinse surface with clean water. Not recommended for porous or laminated surfaces.

     

     

    EXHAUST FILTERS

    Super Strength will dissolve the grease buildup that collects on the stoves exhaust filter. In a sink basin, mix 8oz. Mean Green and 1 gallon of hot water and submerge the filter. Allow the filter to soak for 30 minutes. Drain the water and rinse thoroughly with hot water. With little effort there is no need to purchase a new exhaust filter. Good as new!

     

     

    FLOORS

    Super Strength cleans up drinks, food, mud, dirt, pet stains and more from your floors. Spray directly for spot cleaning or in a bucket, mix 4oz. of Super Strength to 1 gallon of warm water. Apply with mop or sponge. Not recommended for porous or laminated surfaces

     

     

    GARBAGE CANS AND DIAPER PAILS

    Bags often leak nastiness into the bottom of the garbage can which can easily be missed when quickly replacing bags. Turn nozzle to spray and generously cover the can. Wipe or brush any areas that have any residue. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. Done!

     

     

    CARPETS AND UPHOLSTERY

    Yes, you can use Mean Green Super Strength to clean carpets, especially those high traffic areas. Always test in an inconspicuous area to ensure there is no change in color. For spot treating, spray directly on stained area. Scrub with a brush or cloth. Rinse with clean water and blot the area to remove any excess water. If using carpet cleaning equipment, replace detergent with Mean Green Super Strength. Refer to the equipment’s instructions for recommend amount of detergent. Always allow carpet to dry before walking on it.

     

     

    SOAP SCUM, SHOWERS AND TUB & TILE

    Super Strength can make your job easier when it comes to scrubbing away soap scum. Use full strength and generously spray surface directly. Allow it to penetrate the soap scum for up to 2 minutes. Do not allow to dry. Wipe away with a coarse sponge or cloth. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. Not recommended for porous surfaces, chrome or aluminum fixtures.

     

     

    TOILETS

    Let’s face it. This is not our favorite job but it has to be done. Use Super Strength to clean the outside of toilets. Turn the nozzle to spray and generously spray the outside of the toilet. Wipe clean with a paper towel. Give a quick rinse and it is clean for another day. Not recommend for aluminum fixtures or unglazed porcelain.

     

     

    LAUNDRY STAINS

    Who would have thought, Mean Green for laundry stains? To pre-treat stains such as food, grease, oil, dirt, blood, grass or any mystery stain, rewet the stained area with warm water. Then spray with Super Strength. Set aside for a few minutes and toss in the wash as usual. For heavily soiled laundry, add œ cup of Super Strength with your detergent to dissolve stains.

     

     

    PATIO

    Super Strength can be used to clean patios, outdoor furniture, concrete, vinyl fences and siding and much more. Use full strength or dilute for light cleaning (see diluting suggestions below). Simply spray directly on dirt, food, or grime, wipe clean with a cloth or sponge. Rinse surface with clean water. Not recommended for porous or laminated surfaces. Also not recommended for painted surfaces unless you are prepping the surface to be painted.

     

     

    RECREATION

    For cleaning and degreasing all your recreation equipment, hobbies and projects, inside and out. Mean Green removes the grease and grime from tools, engine parts, tires, sports gear, ATVs, lawn equipment and much more. Spray Super Strength directly on the surface to be cleaned. Wipe clean with a cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly.

     

     

    GARAGE USES

    In the garage there are all kinds of grease and grime on tools, engine parts, sports gear, ATVs, lawn equipment and more. Spray Super Strength directly on the surface to be cleaned. Wipe clean with a cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly.

     

  • Las Vegas,  Miami

    Alter Your Reality – Art Meets Virtual Reality in a Never Before Seen Experience

    Extremely excited for this event in Art Basel Miami this year! Lucky to see 5 world class artists push the boundaries of imagination with technology. Proud of my husband for being the Executive Producer on this HUGE project. Enjoy!

    Five influential artists interpret the Vegas experience in Virtual Reality.

    For the first time ever, you will see the fantasy of Vegas in a 360 art immersion.

    What’s that like?  It’s just like Vegas
an alternate reality.

    To find out how Vegas can alter your reality, check out our exhibit during Miami Art Week:

    Adhemas

    Adhemas Batista

     

    Beeple

    Beeple

     

    Fafi

    Fafi

     

    INSA

    INSA

    Sn

    Signalnoise

    ADHEMAS BATISTA * BEEPLE * FAFI * INSA * SIGNALNOISE

    ————————–———————-

    ADHEMAS BATISTA

    Born in Brazil, Adhemas Batista’s career as a self-educated designer and digital artist began in 1996. Experienced in both digital and traditional advertising, his work with Havaianas gained worldwide exposure and prompted his 2006 move to Los Angeles, where he happily resides with his wife and four children.

    Batista’s distinctive visual style – marked with bold, vibrant colors and organic, swirly forms – caught the attention of numerous influential brands and resulted in collaborations with Absolut, Adobe, Adidas, Coca-Cola, Doritos, Gatorade, National Geographic, Speedo, PepsiCo, UNICEF and now – Las Vegas.

    His attention to detail and craft ultimately earned him three Golden Statues in the London International Advertising Festival, The One Show’s prestigious Gold Pencil and a nomination for an Emmy Award. Recognized by The Cannes Festival of Advertising in 2003 as the Brazilian Young Creative, he has since received nine festival Lions, including: three Golden Lions as well as a Grand Prix for the Good honoring his work in “UNICEF Unfairly Tales,” a campaign about the Syrian refugee crisis.

    In addition, Microsoft’s Windows 7 and 8 operating systems featured his work and the UK’s Computer Arts Magazine elected his Coca-Cola piece as the “Design of the Decade 00-09.”

    Adhemas believes everyone is made of energy – a light source that can shine strong and affect everyone around it, change behaviors, motivate people and generate creativity.

    ADHEMAS BATISTA INSPIRED BY:
    -Caesars Palace
    -Bazaar Meat by José Andrés at SLS Hotel Las Vegas
    -Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas
    -The Beatlesℱ LOVE by Cirque du Soleil¼ at The Mirage

    ————————–———————-

    BEEPLE

    Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, is a graphic designer from Charleston, South Carolina who works across a number of digital mediums. His recent work includes short films, concert visuals, album artwork, and VR/AR concept work.

    Beeple has done visuals for superstar entertainers, including: Justin Bieber, One Direction, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Wiz Khalifa, Zedd, along with a number of Las Vegas resident DJs including: deadmau5, Avicii and more. He has also released hundreds of Creative Commons VJ clips that are used extensively by VJs all over the world. In addition, he has recently completed over ten years of “everydays” a project where pictures are all taken from start to finish every day. The project has inspired hundreds of other artists to start their own everydays projects.

    BEEPLE INSPIRED BY:

    -ARIA Resort & Casino
    -High Roller at The LINQ Promenade
    -KÀℱ Cirque du Soleil¼ at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
    -SlotZilla Zip Line at Fremont Street Experience
    -MR CHOW Las Vegas at Caesars Palace

    ————————–———————-

    FAFI

    Born and raised in Toulouse, France, Fafi’s strong presence in the graffiti and fine arts scene was first witnessed on her hometown walls in 1994. Her sexy, funny and sometimes aggressive girl characters made the whole world take notice. By exploring femininity through stereotypes and using it to her advantage, she drew enormous attention and thus started to travel the world with thousands of Fafinettes, her iconic characters, in her brushes and paint cans.

    Fafi has previously worked with Sony to design a six-character toy set for the Time Capsules collection, an almost natural move for her three-dimensional measures. Other successful figurines would follow, as well as numerous expositions and collaborations with Colette, Adidas, LeSportSac, Coca-Cola and countless press stories in the most prestigious magazines (i.e. Vogue, Elle, The Face, XLR8R, Yen etc.).

    Prior to her work on the Vegas: Alter Your Reality campaign, Fafi had created wall-to-wall murals on prominent buildings for the Life is Beautiful music festival that takes place annually in downtown Las Vegas.

    FAFI INSPIRED BY:

    -SLS Hotel Las Vegas
    -SkyJump at Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower
    -Le RĂȘve – The Dream at Wynn Las Vegas
    -The Neon Museum in Downtown Las Vegas

    ————————–———————-

    INSA

    INSA has grown from graffiti writer to accomplished artist. Using concepts as ambitious as filming from space to produce seconds worth of looping-animated artwork, he has proved himself truly unique in vision and accomplishment. In the process, he has amassed tens of millions of views online for his stunning video projects.

    Originally famous for his ubiquitous ‘Graffiti Fetish’ artwork that focused on issues of modern aspirations, his visual motifs confront the fetishisation of products in modern society and the commodification of success and ambition. Now known for his mind-bending ‘GIF-ITI’ work, which is underpinned by the theme of online versus offline life, the artist continues his interest in confounding concepts of time and space, the ways in which we process and consume and the transience of both art and object.

    Prior to his work with Vegas: Alter Your Reality, INSA worked with brands including Nike and Sony.

    INSA INSPIRED BY:

    -Vdara Hotel & Spa
    -Wind Dancer Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour by Maverick Helicopters
    -Andrea’s at Encore Las Vegas
    -Big Rig Jig and Toured Airstream Park with
    -Tony Hsieh with the Downtown Project & Zappos
    -Akhob in Louis Vuitton at The Shops at Crystals

    ————————–———————-

    SIGNALNOISE

    James White, also known as Signalnoise, was born in 1977 and calls Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada home. His parents were never able to keep typewriter paper in the house as White would steal it for drawings as early as the age of four. Upon graduation of high school, he attended a graphic design course in his hometown where he was introduced to Photoshop and Illustrator; tools he still uses today. His professional design career began in 1998 designing websites and print campaigns.

    White never stopped creating and working on his own projects that took up evenings and weekends, eventually resulting in the creation of the Signalnoise Studio. His personal projects gained recognition in the industry and led him to working with Toyota, Universal Music, Nike, MTV, Google, Wired, and now – Las Vegas.

    Today, his focus is on various neon-infused art projects, creating some pieces to compliment his childhood in the 1980s. He also spends a lot of time on the road speaking at various design conventions and events around the world.

    Before embarking on the Vegas: Alter Your Reality project, White had never been to Las Vegas before. His artwork reflects a unique interpretation of Las Vegas through the eyes of a first-time visitor.

    SIGNALNOISE INSPIRED BY:

    -The Venetian Hotel Resort & Casino
    -Beauty & Essex at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
    -The Neon Museum in Downtown Las Vegas
    -Red Rock Canyon Las Vegas
    -Las Vegas Strip Helicopter Tour by Maverick Helicopters

  • Asian,  Austin,  Australia,  Baltimore,  Beauty,  Bitty,  Chicago,  Fashion,  Las Vegas,  London,  Los Angeles,  Miami,  New York

    Best Eyeshadow Palettes Under $25

    Eyeshadows have ruled the makeup world for some time now. Everyone needs that perfect neutral shade for daily wear or that risqué color for a night out. If you are looking to try out some great new shades without breaking the bank, here are some of my favorite eyeshadow palettes under $25.

    Morphe’s 9A Always Golden Eyeshadow Palette

    These nine golden shades in the Morphe 9A Always Golden Eyeshadow Palette are sure to take you places, faux real. Crazy-creamy, powerfully pigmented, beyond-blendable eyeshadows perfect for some fun in the sun or some fake-it-til-you-make-it action. Choose your own color adventure. But one thing’s for sure; you’ll never run out of ways to turns heads.

    Price: $12.00

    Essence’s All About Toffee Eyeshadow Palette

    This Gorgeous Essence All About Toffee Eyeshadow Palette has eight complementing, buildable colors and multiple finishes; satin, matte and metallic effects. It blends easily and the colors will stay on all day! Perfect palette for everyday wear.

    Price: $5.49

    Covergirl’s Goldens TruNaked Eyeshadow Palette

    CoverGirl’s Goldens TruNaked Eye Shadow Palette has a stunning range of neutral shades for your perfect nude eye look. Richly pigmented shadows in golden, and in a range of colors and textures – from neutrals to Smokeys and shimmers to mattes.

    Price: $5.99

    Makeup Revolution’s Iconic 1 Redemption Eyeshadow Palette

    Makeup Revolution’s Iconic 1 Redemption Eye Shadow Palette is a perfect mix of pearl, shimmer and matte shades. As comfortable and familiar as your favorite t-shirt, the bronzy tones of this palette will make you want to strip down and bare all (in the best way possible).

    Price: $7.00

    NYX’s Cosmic Metals Shadow Palette

    Create a spectrum of out-of-this-world eye looks with the Cosmic Metals Shadow Palette – a new eyeshadow set inspired by NYX Professional Makeup Professional Makeup’s beloved Cosmic Metals Lip Cream. Powered by six pigment-packed eyeshadows, this gorgeous set loads your lids with rich, metallic color and incredible color payoff.
    Price: $9.99

    E.L.F.’s Online Only Need It Nude Eyeshadow Palette

    Achieve beautifully natural eye looks with these perfectly curated 10 neutral eyeshadow shades in the e.l.f. Cosmetics Need It Nude Eyeshadow Palette. This collection of hues is ideal for shading, highlighting, and defining the eyes. These silky smooth shadows can be used as a liner, on the lid, and in the crease of the eye for an expertly contoured and blended look. Cruelty free and vegan.

    Price: $10.00

    Sleek Makeup’s Under A Spell Eyeshadow Palette

    Create a variety of stunning looks with these 12 shades of mineral based, highly pigmented eyeshadow in the Sleek MakeUP Under A Spell Eyeshadow Palette.
    Price: $12.99
    BH Cosmetics Be… by BubzBeauty 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette
    Known to her YouTube fans as BubzBeauty, Lindy Tsang hand-picked the must-have shades in her BH Cosmetics Be… by BubzBeauty 12 Color Eyeshadow Palette. Each shade offers day-to-night versatility – and emphasizes fans’ beauty, both inside and out.
    Price: $14.50

    Models Own’s Supernatural Eyeshadow Palette

    Go to a parallel universe with this Models Own Supernatural Eyeshadow Palette. From dark secrets to sultry whispers, it’s totally bewitching. With the brush, apply metallic nudes, shimmer browns and rich golds for a look that’s out of this world.

    Price: $17.99

     

  • Las Vegas

    Cleaning Hacks for the Newlywed

    It’s hard to believe that our 5 year wedding anniversary is just around the corner (in Feb!). Being married is awesome and I guess we are not newlyweds anymore. But I do have some advice for those of you who are. We really have taken our time in learning about each other’s quirks and how to co-exist. This is a huge part of making a relationship work and the foundation of a solid marriage.  I am so happy with how we have taken our time to truly know and deeply love each other before bringing more tiny people into the fold. So maybe we will also catch baby fever in the coming year?!

    So – One of the biggest differences between my husband and I… actually our level of neatness! I am a kind of messy and I live by the cycle of 1 clean day then 6 messy days, then 1 clean day and 6 messy days. So basically my house, car, closet, life is predominately messy and clean barely. It is clean the day I clean it and then goes back to the chaos that it is. But this is something I am working on and improving upon vastly!  I can safely say that it is getting more to the 3 days clean/3 days messy cycle!


    Before/After cleaning with Mean Green

    I started by tackling the kitchen. Putting things away, cleaning, not buying too much, closing jars lids, keeping the fridge at bay are all improvements that I have made since living together (7 years ago). I actually never washed a dish in my life until I lived on my own and my mom did everything for me. Very spoiled yes, but now that I am a grown woman, I am more aware of how to clean and what to do it with.

    Mean Green recently sent me a box of product to try and I didn’t know about this brand before. I tried the products and I love it. The All Purpose Cleaner is my favorite and the Wipes are also very handy. Did you know that you can also use Mean Green to kill bugs?

    HEAVY-DUTY CLEANING POWER
    MEETS ALL-PURPOSE CLEANING

    Mean Green works better because it contains more cleaning ingredients than other brands. The unique combination of powerful, yet safe, cleaners and degreasers can tackle just about any mess.

    The chemistry proves it! The surfactant/detergent in Mean Green is cutting edge technology in the field of nonionic surfactants from one of the world’s leading developers of specialty chemicals. The competitors use less effective formulations that just don’t add up to the power of Mean Green.

    Inside and Outside
Mean Green’s one of a kind formulation makes it unbeatable
    on the toughest messes!

    So my hack? Just one – Get Mean Green and toss out everything else 🙂Â