The Atomic Testing Museum

The Atomic Testing Museum is a look at the atomic testing that was conducted in Nevada in for more than fifty years. In fact, back in the fifties, tourists could watch an atomic detonation via bleachers and quench their thirst with an Atomic cocktail at the Stardust- the atomic age themed casino.

My favorite part of the Museum was Miss Atomic Bomb (above) who seemed to perfectly embody the carefree, anything goes attitude of Sin City past and present. I also enjoyed an exhibit detailing the amazing of Doctor Harold Edgerton. His mesmerizing photos of a drop of milk splashing gloriously against a red plate, the movements of a tennis serve, or a bullet cutting through a playing card highlight the startling beauty that is present around us in every moment, if we only look closely enough.





(And of course, this song ran through my head the entire time!)

Au Revoir Folies Bergere!

When I heard that the Folies Bergere show at the Tropicana was closing, I begged Eric to take me to see one of their last ever performances. (Heartbreakingly, no photos allowed, hence my silly illustration!) Old fashioned revues like this one are out of fashion, with Cirque Du Soleil ruling the Strip. The Folies closing was blamed on lagging ticket sales.

There is no doubt that Follies Bergere was both cheesy and quaint. It really felt as though we'd stepped back in time to 1945 when no one had to apologize about objectifiying women and decorating them to look like exotic birds, Jello Molds or elaborate chandeliers. The M.C was ludicrously creepy, in a sadly baggy tuxedo. He made me pine for the Mad Men era when it would have been cool to have a job like his.

But I have to admit, I enjoyed every second of the dancing. Each costume was more preposterous and outrageous than the last- outlandish use of feathers, tulle, sequins, rhinestones and faux pearls were on display in every scene. I can't imagine what it must take to do costume changes for fifteen to twenty, sweaty, preening showgirls every three minutes for an hour and a half, but there must be an incredible system- not unlike a pit stop at the Indy 500.


You can still see an old fashioned revue starring nearly naked women in feather headdresses right here, but Vegas won't be the same without the original Folies Bergere. Au Revoir Mademoiselles!

Doo Dee Dee Doo! An announcement!

I've been absolutely bursting at the seams to share this with you and the day has finally arrived! (Cue the chorus of trumpets please...)


I've been hard at work on a design guide to Las Vegas and you can see it on Design Sponge today! (And in the D*S archives forever after.) I hope you'll pop over and take a peek.


Please do leave comments sharing your favorite spots in Sin City- I'd love to round it out with suggestions from all of you.

This is a milestone for my humble little blog, and I want to thank all of you for being a part of this dialogue. Interacting with you is what makes blogging such a joy.

Also thank you to my wonderful husband who has been slaving away at his computer re-vamping Becky Kazana. You constantly amaze me, Eric. I love my website and I love you!

The Liberace Museum

Living in Las Vegas is a lot like living abroad. Every single day you are bombarded with the unfamiliar, bizarre and surreal. After an outing into the mayhem, a retreat is often necessary, so one can gather one's thoughts. And so it was with the Liberace Museum. It took awhile to process!

Liberace was a man who didn't believe there was such a thing as "Too Much". His collection of glittering cars, crystal studded pianos, and intricately beaded costumes show no signs of restraint, and that's what makes it all so much fun.


The museum itself isn't very large and is divided into two buildings on opposite sides of a forlorn strip mall. (Oddly, everything that is off the Strip is in a strip mall in this town, can someone explain that?) My favorite part of the display were the costumes, hands down.



There are some incredible concoctions on view here- each one more intricately be-feathered, rhinestone lined, ruffled or trimmed in endangered monkey fur than the last.


Some of the costumes weighed more than 100 pounds. Can you imagine performing under the glaring lights in pre air-conditioned Vegas in 100 pounds of rhinestones, lace and feathers? The man was dedicated to his bling, I'll give him that.



We went along on one of the guided tours and, if you visit, I'd tactfully recommend against doing so. Let's just say that the tour guide was enamored of her subject- so enamored that she assumed we all knew as much about the man as she. This assumption (in our case, quite false. We had to look him up on you tube and wikipedia upon arriving home.) led her to focus on minutiae for long rambling swaths of time. We politely broke away from the group to snap a photo of the Fab Miss B with cardboard cutouts instead.



Take a peek at this super campy video which served as his opening during his tenure at the Hilton. You probably can't take six whole minutes, but the opening tour through his house is awfully fun. (You get to see him in a bubble bath!)

What do you Love about Spring?

Jimena is hosting this week's blog carnival so I knew I had to make a post! Her question is, what do you like most about Spring?


Since we are living in the desert, the transition from winter to spring isn't quite as drastic as it was during winters in Chicago or Minneapolis. But I have planted some herbs, there are cherry blossoms blooming along the roads and ranunculus for sale at the grocery store. The winter survivor in me still gets a lot of pleasure from the way plants respond to the sunshine and lengthening days. It's hard to describe how what a little green thing can do for you after week upon week upon week of grey, grey, slush, ice, skidding tires and more grey. A delicate blossom on a tree branch makes you feel so hopeful all of the sudden. So let's just say, I don't take it for granted!



What do you love most about Spring?

Bedroom Switcher-oo

Here's our winter bedroom. Very cozy, but...


...I decided a little change-up was in order. I rescued our old duvet cover from the storage unit while we were in MN and added these shams (ten dollars!) from the sale section at Urban Outfitters. (Never buy any of their cheaply made stuff at full price- that's my motto). I scored the feather toss pillows with silk covers at Goodwill- a spin through the wash and good as new.


I'm so happy with the colorful new look. Have you done any nest feathering for spring? It's coming soon, I promise!

Defending Make Do and Mend: A DIY Manifesto

The "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster from World War II era Britain is so popular my eyes burn when I see it. It's even become the subject of tender satire. But I've been thinking a lot lately about it's only slightly less well known cousin "Make Do and Mend".

Our culture of buy, use, and toss has wider implications for our pocket books, the environment and our national ethos. Do It Yourself isn't just about saving money, though that is a wonderful benefit. It's also about taking the time to consider a problem, being resourceful and self reliant. It also forces one to be more thoughtful about how one uses and disposes of things. In my opinion, careful thought is always worth cultivating.

In my office, there are three mirrored closet doors that have stubbornly refused to stay on the sliding tracks. It's been quite hazardous actually. Since I can't stand to look at the clutter of art supplies in my closet, I've had the doors propped against the closet opening. This has created steadily mounting chaos inside the closet, since I toss things in to avoid lifting the doors out of the way. There was also a greusome accident when one of the doors toppled over and cut E's arm.(It could have been much worse, but it was still scary.)

After we examined the doors, we discovered that the wheels on the bottom were snapped off. A trip to Home Depot with the offending parts and some screw driver wielding by E put things right. Admittedly, this is a small thing. But taking the time to asses the problem, find a solution, install it and see the resulting improvement in my daily life was immensely satisfying. I have a feeling I'll see a boost in productivity in my office as a direct result.

So while "Keep Calm and Carry On" has value, (who can't benefit from more deep breathing?) I'd argue that "Make Do and Mend" is even more relevant for my life right this second. Which concept has more relevance for you?

Saturday in the Park

We enjoyed a little streak of sunshine a few days ago and spent it reading, people and duck watching in a local park. It felt so nice to be out in the fresh air. I wanted to take more photos of people with their dogs- there were pugs, chiwawas, great danes and even a bulldog- but I felt a little shy. Do you ever feel that way when photographing strangers? It's a bit of a violation. I wonder how the paparazzi live with themselves?! Hope you find a lovely way to spend your weekend. Happy Friday!

Prints from Ana Installed in Casa Kazana

After my interview with the talented Ana, I couldn't hold out any longer and snapped up several of her beautiful gocco prints. Here they are installed in cherry wood frames (Target: $5 each) with rich chocolate mats(vile Michael's: $3 each). She's running a buy three get one free sale right now. Pop over and check it out!

I just rescued this little needlepoint piece from the thrift shop. When I first spied it lying there in a pile of junk, I couldn't quite decide if it was frumpy or fun, and I had thoughts of making it into a toss pillow. But, now that I've installed it above our key rack, I quite like it. It makes our temporary pad feel a little more homey.

Since when is there Snow in Sin City?

You may have already seen images of the Strip dusted with snow- but I'm having trouble getting over it. As a long time Minnesotan, a little snow doesn't phase me, but when the palm trees are covered in the stuff, you begin to feel like something is amiss. The newscasters said this was a "Once in a generation" happening. Let's hope so!

A Glimpse of The Neon Boneyard

A few weeks back, E and I paid a visit to the Neon Boneyard here in Las Vegas. Situated in the less frequented (slightly seedy) downtown, this little museum was a wonderful adventure. Despite having to schedule a tour well in advance- no walk ins admitted-there were fifteen other visitors when we went. So it's not a secret, but it's not something you'll see in Vegas without a little foresight.

The Boneyard is frequently used in photo shoots for music videos, fashion glossies and movies, and it's easy to see why. This place is a treasure trove of battered neon signs from a slew of now defunct or revamped Casinos. Whether you see a visual metaphor for the temporality of earthly pleasures, or just enjoy a good dose of besmirched glitz, you have to admit it was the perfect place to play with my fabulous new camera. (Only afterward did I realize I had the image setting on small- perfect for posting on the internet, less than perfect for making prints. Live and learn.)









I couldn't help myself on these two- bear with me!

Becky's Budget Bike

There has been an endless parade of wonderful treats through our household. One recent purchase was this snazzy new bike. We got a fabulous deal at Wal-Mart. (I'm not usually a fan, but who can say no to a $100 bicycle?) I've been riding to the grocery store to get a little exercise and sunshine. The basket detaches so I can carry it right in to do my shopping with! Las Vegas is surprisingly bike friendly so far. How is the biking in your neck of the woods?

Moving Time AGAIN.

Well, dear readers, we’ve had to leave the ranch. I’m not able to go into the sordid details because I don’t yet understand what happened myself. So let’s just say that there were communication problems. The neighbors warned us that the owner is “real hard to get along with.” I take some comfort in knowing we aren’t the first winter caretakers they’ve seen come and go before the snow has fallen.

Obviously, E and I are disappointed. We had planned to spend the whole winter with just the sound of the wind and the beautiful mountains and the wild blue sky. But we are nothing if not resourceful. Momma D and Daddy G generously offered us the use of their pad in Las Vegas, so we’ll be camping out here for the time being. It’s a very comfortable apartment and it will be a wonderful place from which to launch our big surprise. (The big reveal is coming, I promise!)

Momma D and Sis A did an incredible job furnishing this place (I can't believe they managed it in just a single weekend!), so we just added a few pieces of art and some plants. It feels quite cozy.

Can you stand yet another tour of our new place? As much as I despise moving, (especially when you have to cram things hodgepodge into a car at a moment’s notice) I do love nesting. Thinking about how you live and what you use most and then placing it accordingly-I find it very soothing.


My favorite furniture assembly man.


A reading nook in my new office.


I scored this McCoy pot for 99 cents at Goodwill. Hooray for thrifting!


I've strung all my ballerinas and paintings on an ordinary clothes drying rack. I'm debating whether or not to re-list the ballerinas for Christmas since they haven't been selling very well. Thoughts?


We've got a little herb garden going. I'd already begun the seeds in plastic trays on the ranch and they made the whole journey safely- untill we were about to carry them in to the new pad. I clumsily overturned them- coating everything in a lovely layer of potting soil and tossing my neatly cultivated rows into chaos. I'm going to keep watering them just to see what happens, who knows- maybe I'll invent some wild new Franken-herb.


Dining nook light strung with crepe paper fleurs.


Scored these silk and linen feather throw pillows at Goodwill.


The collage under the peephole was a gift from my dear friend Chris. Check out his recent work here.