WhirlWind WeekEnd

My friend Sharon arrived from Pennsylvania on Friday morning and we had the most wonderful weekend together. Friday was spent over a long lunch and then some shopping, followed by a leisurely dinner and an evening of conversation.

Saturday morning we went for breakfast and then down to State Street where all the quaint little shops were waiting for us to browse through their fascinating and wonderous offerings. I don't have to tell you that Sharon and I picked up some pretty fantastic pieces. Which brings me to these . . .

Thank you, Sharon!

Have you seen these? They're called 'Laini's Ladies' and they're fabulous, inspirational and whimsical . . . I love them!

The weather was so fine on Saturday and with it being Halloween, all kinds of people were out enjoying the day. A lot of people were dressed in their costumes which made people watching that much more, ah, interesting.

After State Street we came home for a much needed rest and then it was time to get ready for our evening of Halloween fun! I dressed as a witch, Brian as Robin Hood and Sharon as a washed up beauty queen. I have to tell you though that she's much too pretty to be 'washed up' and try as she might, she was still pretty! We had a wonderful evening of dancing and frivolity and there were some fantastic costumes. Needless to say, I stayed up way past my bedtime, but fell into bed happy, albeit with sore feet.

Most of the pictures taken during the weekend were on Sharon's camera, and she promised me she'd send them along . . . after she recovers! LOL!

It took Bijou until Sunday to warm up to Sharon and they were both nervous and thrilled to make a new friend . . .

Aren't they cute?

Sharon brought me some wonderful gifts which I opened on Sunday. The first was a beautiful and heavenly scented soap ~ which was in a book style case ~ you think she knows I love books?

Look at this pretty wrapping ~ a gift all on its own . . .

The other was my birthday present which she made especially for me. It's absolutely gorgeous and she incorporated charms which are meaningful to me like the bird and skeleton key. Sharon's jewelry is as incredible as the graphic design work she does and if you ever have the chance, treat yourself! (Sharon's blog is 'Plumrose Lane').

Sunday was spent relaxing and I took Sharon for a surprise treat ~ a massage! I think she really enjoyed it by the relaxed look on her face when she was done.

Monday morning came much too quickly and time for Sharon to return home. It was so hard to say goodbye as we had such a wonderful time and have so much in common . . . not to mention that we could talk and talk for hours and hours. We departed each other's company, but are left with happy memories and the knowledge that we've become the best of friends. We're eagerly anticipating our next meeting ~ which for my part can't come soon enough!

I also want to acknowledge my darling husband in all this ~ he's the one who arranged the whole weekend ~ from emailing Sharon secretly, to patiently escorting us around State Street, and being our body guard and designated driver on Saturday night. And did I mention those heavenly fresh baked chocolate chip cookies? Oh yeah, baby! There is no one else in the world like him and I love him dearly . . . Brian life is so much sweeter with you in it . . . I love you!

Shopping on State Street

It seems that my dear husband, in an effort to get out of cleaning the basement, decided that going to State Street last Saturday was the thing to do. Here where we live, there is a Farmer's Market every Saturday around the Capital building downtown. We like to go there to go up and down the street and check out all the little shops. I found a new one called 'Anthology' where they have an eclectic mix of scrapbooking and collage making supplies. They also provide workshops and for my 50th birthday I plan on getting the girls together for a soiree there.

It was a beautiful day and the most interesting people were out and about. Brian snapped some awesome pictures and I thought I'd share them with you . . .

How cute is this little guy? A little Chihuahua with sunglasses. He had the attitude to go with them!

I was entranced by this booth. The fellow there worked with metal and made the most amazing things. I couldn't get over this one piece with a glass globe at the base of it. It's called Orion's belt and it actually looks like a little universe inside. Brian bought it for me as an anniversary present and it now hangs in my altar room. It's on a motor so it turns adding an element of magic to the room.

The Capital building and boothes surrounding the square . . .

One of my favorite shops on State Street is called 'Mimosa'. It's a new age shop full of interesting and magical things. I spotted these muse dolls and absolutely fell in love with them. I didn't buy one though. I'm inspired to create my own muse!

We really enjoyed our afternoon and finished it off with a trip to the library. I found some awesome books and will be checking them out from the library closer to home. We had a great day and I'm already looking forward to our next outing to State Street leaving me wondering if we'll ever get that basement cleaned out . . .