Here are some photos I took on location at the Las Vegas Summer Market today.
Main entrance to Building B of the Las Vegas Summer Market. There are two main buildings housing over 1.3 million
A typical scene inside the exhibit halls. Furniture designers and manufacturers have their products on display in booths that ring these hallways.
There are three large pavilions in addition to the two main exhibition halls. Each pavilion is larger than a football field and houses additional booths and exhibition areas.
Here’s what a pavilion looks like inside.
I’m on-site covering the biggest home furnishings and design exposition going on this week at the World Market Center. The Summer Market brings together top designers and manufacturers who will be exhibiting their wares to furniture buyers and designers from across the county. There is a large international contingent with many exhibitors traveling here from overseas.
I’ve managed to walk through most of the displays in the first of the two main buildings this morning. There is quite a lot to see! Some of the more interesting collections included a vendor specializing in handmade bars (think ultimate bachelor pad), a 100% silk floral designer and an iron and bronze sculptor who does life-size solider replications. Of course, there are literally hundreds and hundreds of vendors selling the latest furniture and accessories as well.
Tomorrow I plan to visit the Living Green Pavilion, a showcase of eco-friendly home furnishings and sustainable living options.
Avante Homes is running a special promotion for their Mountain’s Edge community Denali. Get a free Mini Cooper when you buy a house. I guess this is their way of saying that they’re willing to knock $25,000 off a house’s listing price. Floor-plans range in size from 2320 to 3134 square feet and start in the $380,000s.
Avante Homes at Mountain’s Edge
Rainbow and Erie
(702) 921-8800
An amazing furniture and design exposition will be held at the World Market Center and Sands Expo Center next week from July 30th to August 3rd. This event will bring together over 1,300 exhibitors showcasing the latest in design and home furniture. The event will also introduce a special presentation on sustainable living. I have applied for a media pass and will be covering the Las Vegas Summer Market on-site.
About the Las Vegas Market
Las Vegas Market is the first truly U.S. based global market for the industry bringing together international and domestic buyers and sellers as well as world renowned trade shows. World Market Center is the first permanent trade show complex in Las Vegas with plans to eventually expand to 12 million square feet by 2013.
Does it seem like the summers are getting hotter and hotter here in Nevada? They are.
KOLO (channel 8 in Reno) is reporting that Nevada has seen a marked rise in temperatures over the last 30 years. Increased temperatures bring with them all sorts of nasties: drought, brush fires and heat-related deaths. If you’re cynically saying to yourself “what else is new?” think back the last few weeks.
It was my first summer living here Las Vegas but all the old-timers (residents with more than five years of tenure) remarked about how it got hot this year in late June instead of early July. Remember how the week of July 4th was super-hot and we had record temperatures, some days hitting 118 degrees. Now imagine the unbearably hot days of summer lasting beyond Labor Day instead of ending mid-August (as I’m told they should). Not good. Back in dinosaur times Southern Nevada was covered in lakes. Now only a few remain and we yet we continue to use an abuse them.
We all need to do what we can to fight global-warming on a small, local scale. Recycle, conserve electricity and gas, try to reuse things instead of throwing them away. Individual efforts and awareness can breed responsible communities. Responsible communities in turn can foster more conscientious nations and make a real impact.
Something that every homeowner should have on hand is a big bottle of Folex. It’s a safe, non-toxic and odor-free cleaner. Folex does not contain any CFCs or petroleum so it’s not bad for the environment either. And it’s easy to use.
You simply spray the affected area and then blot it with a clean, absorbent cloth. Read Folex Facts to get a more detailed description of how it works.
As a new homeowner I’m trying hard to keep my carpets clean. Folex really helps!
A bunch of friends were in town this weekend so we went out to CJ’s Texas Barbecue. This was my second attempt at eating there as they had run out of food the last time I visited. My wife and I first drove by the restaurant when we were out looking for furniture on Rainbow Blvd. That same weekend we heard promotions on the radio for their grand opening. Then last week, KNPR had a segment on CJ’s and they got a good review. You could say I’ve had “CJ’s on the brain” (kudos to CJ’s marketing team).
When we first walked in we were greeted by big metal tubs of cold drinks. I quickly grabbed a RockStar energy drink to help speed my recovery from partying the night before. In hindsight, ice-cold beer would have been great but I didn’t see them right away. We stepped up to two, big plasma screen menus listing all kinds of barbecued goodies: ribs, beef brisket, pork loin, sausage links and all the requisite sides. We ordered all of the above. A few in our group were non-porkers so we ordered a whole roasted-chicken and some turkey breast (the cashier told us beef ribs were being added in the next few weeks). The prices were very reasonable and portions ranged from 1/4 lb - 1 lb. We parked our butts at a long, metal, picnic table and before long our faces were smeared in grease and BBQ sauce.
Where there’s smoke . . . there’s barbecue!
For many people, the first thing that comes to mind when you mention barbecue is the sauce. Sauce is important but ask any serious barbecue-fanatic and they’ll say it’s all about the smoke baby. I’ll take my barbecued meats dry, smoky and melt-in-my-mouth tender, sauce on the side - thank you. You’ll know CJ’s is authentic the moment you step inside and see the big honkin’ smoker and get a whiff of the fragrant, hickory smoke. The food here is cooked to perfection and you’ll be happy to call yourself a carnivore. The sauce is quite good and I particularly liked the spicy version.
I’m not ready to declare them the best in Las Vegas because I still need to visit a few other local favorites. But they did set the bar pretty high and you can be I’ll be back in a few weeks to try their beef ribs.
CJ’s Texas Barbecue
7865 West Sahara Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89117
(702) 233-0190
One of the things that comes with buying a home is junk mail. There are companies out there who troll public records to create databases of names for marketing purposes. Likewise, your information will probably be sold by the credit bureaus since they know how much you make, owe, etc.
Since moving to Las Vegas and buying a home I’ve been inundated with flyers, pamphlets and credit card offers. It’s a big waste of paper since I seldom read any of this mail (it just gets shredded and goes into the recycling bin). Today I learned how to stop the credit card offers by submitting my information on the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry’s website.
Visit http://www.optoutprescreen.com to stop getting credit card and insurance offers by mail. You can opt-out for five years or forever. It’s a great way to reduce the amount of junk mail you get and helps reduce paper waste.
My iBook was not cooperating and would not boot up so I decided to seek professional help. A Google search for “las vegas mac repair” brought up a only one real result so I headed out.
The folks at The Mac Clinic could not have been nicer. Bob Florisi greeted me with a cheery smile and quickly identified that I had a fault power adapter on top of a bad battery (the battery I knew about). But he was able to get my iBook booted up so now I know it’s not dead. I highly recommend that you visit The Mac Clinic if you need help with your Apple computer product.
One word of caution: they just moved offices so don’t trust Google Maps or Mapquest directions. The new location is about one block west of the old location, just above the Terribles.
The Mac Clinic
5485 West Flamingo
(702) 312-9763
Do you read your mail? I do. There’s always something to learn from all the flyers and pamphlets that accompany bills. The welcome packet from Nevada Power is full of useful information like payment options, an explanation of your bill and a reference for reading your own meter. Yes, I was a big ‘ole nerd and went outside to try it out.
I was happy to find that we earn interest on the deposit we were required to make to start service. The deposit and accrued interest is returned after one year. Not a ton of money but better than nothing!
