Greetings from the armpit of America...Vegas, that is.

I know you've been wondering where I've been this week...all two of my readers, that is. Well, I arrived to Las Vegas yesterday--ya know, the city of mirrored hotel facades and dirty hookers--for work. Despite regular showers, I have felt dirty since landing here. The entire city stinks of cigarette smoke, the sky is gray, and there are billboards everywhere for strip clubs and Penn & Teller who I really thought had been eaten by tigers years ago. Instead of candies on my hotel room pillows there was a menu for 'Whipper Ticklers' and crotchless bikini bottoms. I don't want to be a 'naughty ballerina.' I just wish there were better free toiletries in the bathroom. On Day One I lost $3 on a 'Sex and the City' slot machine. The only place I could find to eat lunch was Pink Taco. The chips were great, I'll admit, but I prefer not to dine at eating establishments named after my private parts. The only daylight I've seen on Day Two was via a ride to Del Taco. I will be here for 3 more days and you may not hear from me again. But please--if I don't correspond again by end of week--send a search party to my hotel and the Spearmint Rhino. Thanks and I hope to see you on the flip side.

We Like To Party: the Silverlake Art Crawl fiasco.

When folks talk about a 'crawl' it generally involves a group of destinations--similar in theme and close in proximity. The Silverlake Art Crawl would have better been called a scavenger hunt. One with stops very, very, very far away from each other. In which guests are tasked with finding good art and interesting activities. Which were, as it turned out, relatively hard to find on the crawl's itinerary.

But here are some of the more interesting things and places spotted along the crawl.

Gogosha is an optical store for those with, shall we say, taste. We came upon it by accident after the first two stops along the crawl failed us. Pictured below are a ridiculous pair of sunglasses by Mykita and Willhelm that I tried on for kicks (as featured on Sex and the City).

We discovered Lawson-Fenning, a fabulous furniture and design store. Especially awesome? These big, big feet.

In the back of the store is yet another store, Ivanhoe Books, with beautiful coffee table books to last your living room's lifetime.

Materials & Applications hosted a fish taco party in their courtyard. M&A is a seemingly very cool research center, specializing in architecture, urban landscaping and design.

The fish tacos were made with tilapia fish bred in the center's most recent installation. This is either really cool. Or really gross depending on how you look at it. And depending on if you happened to overhear that tilapia are bottom feeders.

There happened to be some great street art right outside our parking spot. This was not thanks to the Silverlake Art Crawl. This was simple and pure luck.

The folks at Subliminal Projects Gallery (Shepard Fairey's Echo Park art lair), let us in early to get a sneak peak at WK Interact's show, 'How to Blow Yourself Up' which opened later on that night. I became aware of WK's work during a show I worked for Seth Carmichael of Carmichael Gallery. A-mazing.

We stopped by Junc Gallery to celebrate Blood is the New Black's 5 year anniversary with founder Mitra K. Great people. Great art. Great cupcakes (c/o Lemonade, my new favoritest spot for food in LA).

And worth sharing, is my new friend at the vintage lingerie shop next to Junc Gallery. She's fun. She's fabulous. She doesn't talk much.

Design Dish: Jimmy Choo for the Poor

If Jimmy Choo was good enough for Sex & the City's Carrie, it's apparently good enough for all of us. Jimmy Choo--heel provider for the rich, famous and better dressed--is the latest designer to announce collaboration with H&M, everyone's favorite low-budge fashion stop.

The collaboration promises a more moderately priced collection of bags, shoes and clothes for those of us who can't afford the real thing. Here's to hoping that Jimmy Choo delivers with style and quality. Because I'm onto the high end designers who sign on to these deals only to put their junior-est staff to work on what ends up as mediocre [at best] product. Remember Alexander McQueen for Target? No? Neither do I.

[Source: LA Times]