So everyone knows Sin City is a hot bed for glitzy, shiny, over-the-top hotels, casinos and nightclubs. But when I hit Vegas for the International Builders Show last week, I got a chance to check out the newly completed City Center — a conglomerate of modern design and architectural displays unlike anything Vegas ever has seen. And for all the hype, it really is spectacular. Set back from the Strip, the grand entrance to Aria, the newest mega-hotel that opened last month, is breathtaking. Waterfalls greet visitors to this 4,000+- room hotel that also features 16 restaurants, including two by…

The end of the story is that it was the best subway “ride” I’ve ever had. I loved it. The beginning: last weekend, a couple friends and I started tossing around ideas for a cultural (or at least, atypical) Saturday afternoon. Both criterion were met when I came across a reference to the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn Heights, NY. Perhaps it’s my rural upbringing that makes me wide-eyed over public transportation. It might also be the reason that I love learning about New York’s urban development. At any rate, I found my Metrocard, donned my striped engineer cap,…

My 2010 resolutions are an annual mix of “hmm–let’s try that goal again” (which may or may not include attaining Gerard Butler biceps), as well as those aimed at keeping my artistic skills in shape. Among those in this latter category is taking a sewing class. While I was researching projects a little more advanced than the pillow I made in the eighth grade, I came across a world I didn’t even know existed—stitchery art. Julie Crabtree-Pfannes actually holds a four-year degree in embroidery from Mansfield College of Arts in Nottinghamshire, England. She now lives in western Wisconsin and uses…

Be sure to check back in early 2010, when V+P will launch its official blog as we kick off the New Year. In the meantime, Happy Holidays!