Ginger Pixie Jams: Cards, Cocktails & Croupiers: My Busman’s Holiday ...

Ginger Pixie Jams: Cards, Cocktails & Croupiers: My Busman’s Holiday ...: Nearly a year ago I set off an 8-day adventure across the pond to support my boyfriend in the WSOP 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada or what I like...

Cards, Cocktails & Croupiers: My Busman’s Holiday in Vegas, The Flamingo Hotel & WSOP Experience one year on!

Nearly a year ago I set off an 8-day adventure across the pond to support my boyfriend in the WSOP 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada or what I like to call: The Second City That Never Sleeps! Though we have both spent many years working in the casino industry and seen a lot in the UK, nothing could ever prepare me for the grandeur of what I experienced as I journeyed to rail my other half in the poker tournament of a lifetime...So that being said I wanted to share my first time opinion of Vegas, my review of the Flamingo Hotel and of course, some holiday snaps from along the way.

After finishing a night shift from my waitressing job in my casino, a long, sleepless flight from Gatwick to Las Vegas and a taxi journey from the airport to the strip I was more than delighted when we finally arrived at the Flamingo Hotel: a towering pink palace that stretched out before us and our home for the next 8 days. We were recommended before we went to stay in the Flamingo due to the fact it’s location is situated perfectly in the middle of the strip, making it very easy to get to everywhere you need to go and I can honestly say that if we went there again I would definitely stay there again for that very reason. Unfortunately my withering eyes and eagerness to check in to our room was met with an enormous queue that snaked it’s way around Reception, having unbeknownst to us arriving in Vegas on what we later discovered was actually Memorial Day, meaning that everybody had just arrived to celebrate their holiday in Vegas. After a little squabbling and some stern words as we dragged our luggage from Reception and through the casino, we made the decision
to rest in a bar for an hour or two whilst we waited for the ever-growing queue to die down. We finally chose to settle in one of the Flamingo’s garden bars, by which time we were more than happy to oblige in some American hot wings and some super-strong, super-long, pint-sized glasses of frozen Strawberry Margaritas!

It finally began to feel real that we were really on holiday as we sat in the warm, misty garden, surrounded by tall trees, slowly allowing the quadruple-strength tequila in our margaritas do the job. Now in a much better mood than before, we dragged our bags back through the casino to the Reception area where we were finally able to cheque in. The hotel staff were more than accommodating, after showing us pictures and explaining our options as we enquired about possible chances of upgrading they agreed to upgrade our room to one of the Flamingo’s Go Go rooms for an extra $20 a night which turned out to be more than worth it for an extra few dollars and I would highly recommend doing to anyone who stays there. The lift took us up to the 17th floor and we opened the door up to our Go Go room which did not disappoint. We were met with a huge spacious room with a big queen-sized bed in the middle and a big TV on the wall and three large ceiling-height windows that looked out onto a stunning view of the strip from that side and the beautiful Belagio Hotel with it’s fountains in front. The room was clean and tidy and even the glowing pink bathroom was a good size with a spacious bath and shower, large sink area and mirror complete with built-in TV so that you could watch whilst in the shower. If you read until the end I will insert a very poorly-filmed room tour but needless to say we were pleased with ourselves.

Aware that we needed to keep ourselves awake to tackle the jet lag, we got dressed and headed down for our first night in the Flamingo’s casino. We began to enjoy taking advantage of the casino’s free drink system (which coming from the UK is a strange alien concept) whilst wandering round the casino’s many slot machines and watching the cash games in the Flamingo’s card room but by about 2am we couldn’t fight the jet lag anymore and went back to the room for some much needed sleep. The grounds of the Flamingo were also stunning with tall palm trees, pools of koi and of course, the Flamingos. I also spent a couple of our days at the 21+ pool which also adds to the party vibe if you’re out there looking for some sun and fun to get away from the casinos. My only criticism is that the drinks at the pool bar were very expensive at around $17 dollars for one single spirit and mixer so my advice would be to do your drinking in the casinos. We also paid to watch the Flaming’s show ‘Lengends Never Die’ one night, a tribute to Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Preseley which we enjoyed. The theatre seats were set out so that we were sat with some lovely American people to watch the show with who we chatted to for most of the night which made a change to the constant gambling in the casino. The show was put together beautifully with a very talented cast and strong vocal and dancing performances. It was one of my favourite night’s of the holiday and I would strongly recommend to see a show if you stay there.

                                                                                                

                                                                                            

 
Other days also included exploring some of Vegas’s more famous casinos such as the Venetian, the Belagio, Caesar’s Palace and the Wynn which I found interesting to see all the different themes from an aesthetic point of view and it’s wandering round all these prestigious casinos that Vegas is on a different level from other casinos all around the world. We also enjoyed lots of good food from burgers to breakfasts, to Chinese and Italian and had by far the best but one of the most expensive 5* waggu steaks that i’ve ever eaten and of course a visit to the Cheesecake Factory which I had pestered about since the minute we got off the plane. You couldn’t fault the choice of food out there as there really is something for everyone. The scale and money involved into making the casinos and the city as a whole thrive is very hard to comprehend even if you’ve worked in casinos elsewhere but nevertheless it’s easy to see why its the ultimate adult playground.

                                                                

                                                                                            

 

                                                                 

But the holiday didn’t stop there, of course, there was the poker! on 31st May 2017 I watched my other half as he paid the $565 buy-in to play in the World Series of Poker Event 01 for casino staff with over 500 players in the Rio Hotel & Casino. With a WSOP bracelet and $78,000.00 as the prizes the stakes were high. Little did I know, on Day 1 as I waved him off and stood at the rail to watch  that he would play the best 2 days of poker he’s ever played and then Find himself on a WSOP final table as the only British player in the tournament which was not only incredible as it was exciting and emotional to watch. What I did note was how well executed not only that tournament but all of the events that were held at the Rio during the WSOP as to fit that many people into a casino that runs so many events close to each other for that amount of time, that goes on for as many months as the World Series does is quite something and to watch the tournaments that went on for the time we were there was an experience i’ll treasure even from a spectators eyes.

                                                                                                           

To sum up, we had an incredible holiday and now have memories that will last forever but 8 days was enough. The Flamingo was a great place to stay at and there is still more I would like to see in Vegas on another trip in the future!

Catch you later! 

xx

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VNrAU97UV7k

Tribute to the life of Lauren Hutchins & Cystic Fibrosis Awareness

Tribute to the life of Lauren Hutchins -  Beloved daughter, sister and friend & important Cystic Fibrosis message!

A little over two months ago the incredible Lauren Hutchins lost her battle to Cystic Fibrosis after putting up one hell of a fight for 21 years. This is a blog I've been putting off writing for a while now simply because - what can you say about losing a person who was so special to everyone who knew her and so very loved? Lauren was and still very much is in my memory a star in every sense of the word. Mostly because to battle a life threatening illness such as Cystic Fibrosis from the moment you are born takes real courage and to do that with the strength, determination and passion that Lauren did is something that most people couldn't conceive. So in honour of my little friend, I'm going to man up and say what I've got to say even though if she were here she would probably tell me to shut up because she was too modest but I'm going to say it anyway! 

I first met Lauren way back in year 7 and was immediately taken aback by how loving, kind and unassuming she was towards everyone she met, including me, which I found quite surprising because at the time I didn't consider myself like one of the cool kids. But that was the kind of person Lauren was. She would always make the effort to talk to everyone, make people laugh and generally cheer people up if they were having a bad day. One of my earliest memories with Lauren was at the Morfa Bay trip in year 7 where one night we picked out outfits for the disco and she insisted on sitting on my lap and doing my make-up for me because I was terrible at doing mascara and eyeliner, which resulted in me blinking and getting mascara everywhere and us laughing a lot. This was probably a sign of things to come given Lauren's passion for fashion and beauty later on and her talent of looking stunning everywhere she went. Nevertheless it is a memory that has always stuck with me throughout the years and something I will treasure. Other fond memories include how we use to try our best at dodging games lessons later in our teens by sitting and chatting about how much we loved the Russian girl band t.A.T.u. instead of playing badminton or netball or whatever we were meant to be doing and instead Lauren use to come in and tell me about new songs and dance routines that she'd learnt which was way more fun! As we all got older anyone who knew Lauren would know what a fun-lover she was and how much she loved to get dressed up and be the life and soul of the party. It was always amazing to see Lauren living life with so much energy and charisma despite how ill she was and yet never feel sorry for herself or make a fuss despite the severity of her health problems and this has always been the case. Lauren was determined to beat CF and right up until the end she fought to keep her wonderful friends' and family's spirits alive. I know that Lauren was also supportive of other CF sufferers and passionate about raising awareness for Cystic Fibrosis and how we as a community can support sufferers which is what I would also like to address in this blog.


Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder where the build of a mucus effects the lungs and digestive system leading to coughing, breathing problems and poor weight gain. Cystic Fibrosis is the second most common life-shortening inherited disorder which there is currently no cure for, however, many CF sufferers receive many medical procedures and medication to help manage their condition. 10 years ago the life expectancy of a person with Cystic Fibrosis was around 18 years but today it is around 35 years. Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis have improved greatly in the last few years, however, more still needs to be done. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is a great UK based charity that offers research, treatment and support to CF patients and their families but the fight to beat Cystic Fibrosis continues. Millions of pounds are invested towards Cancer Research every year and though nobody should have to live with a life threatening illness of any kind, Cystic Fibrosis still goes slightly overlooked. Therefore I ask anyone reading this blog if you could please take a few minutes to educate yourself about Cystic Fibrosis and the ways you can help by following the link below: 

http://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk

Moreover you can also donate to my friend James Brooking's Just Giving page. James is a close friend of Lauren who recently did a two mile open water swim in Scotland's Loch Lomond in honour of our wonderful friend and to raise money for CFCF. The Cystic Fibrosis Comfort Fund (CFCF) is a small charity based in Bristol that provides support such as medical equipment, start up grants for young adults setting up first time homes, driving lessons and much more. This charity works hard to greatly improve the quality of life of sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis and since Lauren was treated in Bristol for many years it is close to our hearts so would mean a lot to us to keep her memory alive by helping this wonderful charity in any way possible. So I please invite anyone reading this blog to donate anything they can large or small to James' Just Giving page by following link below:

https://www.justgiving.com/James-Brooking/?utm_id=36

Finally I would like to wrap up this blog by saying I hope anyone reading this is able to grasp what a special person Lauren was and what she means to me and the people she has left behind. She is and always will be a personal hero of mine and in years to come I will still look back on the memories we shared together and smile. I would also like to express my greatest sympathies to Lauren's friends and family at this sad time - she truly is an amazing girl. My friend JJ, also wrote this amazing song called  She Be Little as a tribute to Lauren so you can also show your support to him by checking it out by following the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/jj.rudge/videos/10205861280746086/?pnref=story

Thank you for taking the time to read this and farewell from me, the Ginger Pixie and farewell to my little friend, I will miss you terribly. Sleep tight doll!

xxx

1 girl, 1 bag & 3 weeks away: Preparation for Vietnam & Future Blog Updates

This is just a quick update and an apology for my lack of material lately as I prepare to go on the trip of a lifetime with some of my bestest friends!

The time has come! Today at stupid o'clock in the morning (about 2am) I set off for my first ever travel/back packing holiday for 3 weeks in Vietnam with some of my closest buddies. But even with all the excitement and anticipation of our trip comes every girl's nightmare…

 How am I going to get 3 weeks worth of clothing into one rucksack? Well, with a little bit of rolling and plenty of squashing, I have spent the best part of a day figuring it out and making sure I have everything I need but now I can almost confidently say that I'm all set…I think! So with my bags all ready to go and despite the prospect of 24hrs worth of travelling ahead with a 10am start from Gatwick, I can finally get excited about this trip. So this is just a brief update about where I have been and what I am doing and an apology to any frequent readers for my lack of blogs lately in the wake of my post-uni results.

 However, fear not. I have not given up on my blog! 

I've got plenty of ideas for future blogs as soon as I get back from Vietnam including; a look back on my time at uni & studying Classics, some memoirs of my childhood home as my parents prepare to sell the family home and of course, plenty of Vietnam blogs with pictures to come. So if arty Instagram pictures and Travel & Culture blogs are your thing then stay tuned for that!

But in the meantime I will be enjoying catching up with my friends and immersing myself in all the sights, sounds, colours and tastes of Vietnam.

Hopefully I will return from my travels in one piece but to anyone else going away this summer…

Bon Voyage!

xx

Ginger Pixie

 

Affordable Boots Beauty (drugstore) Haul

I thought I would do something a bit different today by doing a quick haul of some of the products that I have been using a lot lately on a day-to-day basis from Boots UK that are reasonably priced and worth the money! 

I'll try and cover a full make up look of affordable cosmetics that I have collected on a student budget recently from Boots (that's a drugstore) for any American friends reading this. Feel free to leave any comments as this is my first beauty blog and I would welcome any feedback or future requests.

1) Rimmel - Wake Me Up foundation - £5.99

Photo by A. Lewis

Starting with one of the favourites among beauty gurus and normal people alike this is a great foundation for everyday use and blends beautifully onto the skin. It includes Vitamin C and has an SPF of 15 which is great for protecting your skin on a daily basis. The new bottles also come with a pump which is very handy for application and if you want to take it with you or chuck it in your bag it doesn't get so messy. What I love about this foundation is that you can gradually build it up but it feels very light and doesn't look cakey on the skin. I use the shade Ivory 100 because I always have to go for the palest foundation I can get. This is a product that I repurchase all the the time and is well worth the money.

2. Rimmel - Stay Matte pressed powder - £.3.99

Another favourite that I use everyday on top of my foundation to set my make up and reduce the shine is Rimmel's Stay Matte pressed powder. I use the shade 003 Peach Glow which gives my make up a nice subtle finish although it doesn't really alter the shade of your foundation which is good. It helps hide the appearance of pores and you can barely feel it on the skin. Considering the quality of the product and its price it is a product that I always buy again and again.

Photo found on Google

3. Bourjois - Délíce de Poudre - £7.99

Photo by A. Lewis

This Gold Bronzing powder from Bourjois is a product I found recently in Boots and thought I would take home to try. It's in the shade 54 and just gives a really nice coppery glowy effect on the skin which I think looks really nice this time of year. The packaging is handy as it comes in a little booklet type palette with  a magnetic lid so it's great for popping in your bag and taking with you. The product also smells really good not that that is a massive selling point but hey it's the little things in life! It's a little pricier than what I was looking for on a student budget but it caught my eye because of how pretty the colour was and it is still comparatively cheap in relation to some of the high-end bronzers. I probably would repurchase after i've finished this one.

Photo by A. Lewis

4. Soap & Glory - Love At First Blush - £11.00

Photo by A. Lewis

This multi-shade blushing powder by Soap & Glory was another new purchase for me recently. It is the most expensive item that will be featured in this haul, however, with this product you are definitely getting more for your money. This product features several different blush tones, some slightly bronzed shades and a highlight and together these look very pretty on the skin. Due to the variety of colours in this compact you could definitely use it without a bronzer if you wished to. The packaging is attractive and comes in a handy compact with a mirror so it is perfect for taking on the go and as you can see in the photo I've been using it so much lately that I've almost hit pan on this one.

Photo by A. Lewis

5. Seventeen - Brow's that! Brow Kit - £5.99

Photo by A. Lewis

This product caught my eye when I was in Boots and I had never had it before because I have only started filling in my eyebrows recently but I can easily say that I have fallen in love with it over the past couple of months. It's a really handy compact containing a brown eyebrow pencil, a brown setting wax, a brown powder and a shimmery highlight. The compact also contains a reasonable sized mirror and a small brush to do your eyebrows with which has made filling in my eyebrows a lot easier because it is just about the right size. The product originally came in a stripy gold and black box but the packaging of the product itself comes in a black glossy box which clips together. Not only is this product perfect for travel but I love the way it makes my brows look and I just think out of all the products in this haul it is the one I have been most excited about and definitely worth the money. I will for sure repurchase this after I've run out.


6. Rimmel Wonder'full Mascara - £7.99

Photo by A. Lewis

I have always been a big fan of the Volum Express Colossal mascaras by Maybelline and tended to just buy them all the time but when I was wandering around Boots I thought I would try something new. This Wonder'full mascara by Rimmel is in Black 001 and contains argan oil which is good for your lashes. What attracted me particularly was the thickness of the brush. After using it for some weeks now I would say it gives your eyelashes a very full look and if you give it several coats it can almost give a false effect. The only thing you have to bare in mind is that if you're not overly confident about doing make up then you have to be very careful when applying it because the brush is so big that it can get everywhere. Nevertheless the packaging is a lovely rose gold colour and the handle is designed as a twisted tube so that it fits into your hand to make application easier. Generally I would say this is a good mascara if you're looking for something to give you very big eyelashes but it is slightly pricier than the Colossal one.


7. Rimmel - Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick - £5.49

Photo found on Google.

Finally I have been loving the Kate Moss lipsticks by Rimmel lately and from what I've seen and heard out and about I'm not the only one! It is this one particularly, however, that I am obsessed with at the moment. It is in the shade 020 which is a really lovely hot pink colour. Obviously I wouldn't wear this everyday as it is very bright but I love to put it on if I'm going out out or whenever I get an opportunity to really as it's a great colour for this time of year in the Spring and Summer months! It's easy to apply, feels great on the lips and does last for a surprisingly long amount of time. In my opinion these lipsticks are great value for the price and definitely nicer than some of the high end lipsticks.

                                                         Thanks for reading!

                                                               Ginger Pixie

                                                                     xx

An Evening with Dick Valentine (Electric Six)

I'm back this month with more Ginger Pixie Jams coming your way starting with Dick Valentine!

Last Bank Holiday Monday I headed to Global Cafe in Reading to see a gig promoted by a friend, Alec, that Dick Valentine of Electric Six was performing at and lets just say, I was impressed. 

After support acts from Sam Hazel and Massive Horse the Electric Six frontman from Detroit, Michigan performed an acoustic set of Electric Six hits and songs from his own solo albums. I'm going to hold my hands up and say going into the gig I didn't know what to expect having only ever heard some of E6's big hits such as Gay Bar and Danger! High Voltage but the minute Dick Valentine started playing I knew that this was going to be something special.

First of all I think it's great that someone of his prestige and time spent within the music industry is still willing to come and play relatively small gigs such as this was but still give a performance with the same passion and to the same standard as bigger gigs. What also struck me is that Dick Valentine is a man of incredible charisma and his passion for performing definitely comes through in the way that he plays and sings. He's an awesome guitarist, far better than I could ever wish to be after 6 years of playing guitar myself and what I find most intriguing about him is his unique vocal ability that was obviously more pronounced and powerful in this acoustic gig. The way he delivers a song in his powerful, gravelly tone is something that I really enjoy and almost harks back to the Dylan era that you don't hear so often these days in the mainstream male artists of today. It also became evident in his performances of songs such as Destroy the Children and I Don't Speak French that lyrically he is a very educated man and can drive a particular message home but also be very witty at the same time. Dick Valentine also did a cover of Toto's Africa that I personally would stress was better than the original and had many of the audience singing along. All round the gig was faultless and I've come away with a new musician to love and albums to buy!

Finally I would just like to wrap up by saying what I think made the night so special was simply, the man himself. The fact that the gig was so intimate was great to take in the music but what made an impact on me most importantly was that Dick Valentine was just so humble and happy to be there. His interaction with the audience during the gig made it enjoyable but it's very rare with celebrity culture these days that a musician will take the time to speak to everyone personally before and after the gig, whilst drinking with the audience at the bar and thanking everyone for being there but he did that. As well as being talented he was just extremely down to earth and I think that resonated with everyone. Without a doubt I definitely hope that isn't the last time I see him.

Dick Valentine (Electric Six) playing at Global Cafe, Reading.

Ginger Pixie Jams

xx

One month left of uni life! Let me hear you say, ahh?!

This is just going to be a really short blog as I don't want to disappear of the face of the planet but because I'm in the midst of finishing my dissertation, writing my final essays and revising for my final year exams, I've got a lot to do.

I had the sudden realisation today that a month today (that's May the 8th) will be my last uni exam and my life as a student will be coming to an end. And then I'm faced with all that scary life s**t as most of us do like finding a job, moving into non-student residence, severely lowering my alcohol consumption to give my liver a rest and becoming a grown up (even though i'm 21…maybe not?!). But i'm excited, it feels like I've been in education for a long time, having done 14 years in school and then a 3 year degree course and although student life has been great, I'm ready to take on the real world…and not be poor!

 I am also very much looking forward to the summer as I'm going to Vietnam with my school buddies for a month in July which is going to be incredible and there will definitely be a Vietnam blog when i'm back so stay tuned for that. 

So to all the graduates this summer and to any of my friends who are on 4 years courses, Good luck, I hope you have a great summer 2015 and get where you want to be. And for all my Reading friends…

 In a month we can party the hardest we've ever partied before!

For my Ginger Pixie Jam this week I'll leave you with one of my favourite Bowling For Soup songs, High School Never Ends, because they're awesome and this song is kinda appropriate for this blog. Enjoy!

xx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrxI_euTX4A

High School Never Ends - Bowling For Soup © 2006, Zomba Recording. All music and lyric rights below to Bowling For Soup.