Friday shopping day

Friday morning after checking out of our hotel in Seal Beach, my sister, Kim, took the pups and headed back home and then my mom, me and erika drove over to the other hotel where i was staying for the retreat. after getting checked in we met up with Cindy, Jamie and Theresa and headed over to Old Towne Orange. Our first stop was Country Roads on Chapman Avenue. what a wonderful place! it was so huge, i kept getting lost and losing my mom and erika. i'd be yelling "Erika" where are you again and again because we kept losing each other because there were so many nooks and crannies (don't worry she was always close by) We met Kelly Snelling there (sorry we kept you waiting) and it was good to meet my online friend. isn't she so lovely? and funny too. i told her i did an exercise from Kelly Rae Roberts book and that the girl i painted looked a lot like Kelly. i'll see if i can drag up a picture of the piece.

this store is awesome! i think everyone found a bit of something here except me! i think i was too busy talking to kelly and hanging with my mom and erika to shop

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

mom and erika waiting outside with me for kelly

---------------------------------------------------------

here she comes! a girl after my own heart with the parasol!
-------------------------------------------------------------------



her necklace was so pretty. i think she said that was on the cover of her collaberative book with Ruth Rae, "a charming exchange".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

clowning around in the store

erika and i loved the way they used these doll heads

in our family, we love Smokey the Bear! i would love to own this sign. i'd put it in my mother's yard.

outside in the garden

outside in the garden

lunch with the girls - yummy greek food!

mom, cindy, jamie and theresa at lunch

--------------------------------------------------------------

jamie and theresa

----------------------------------------------------------------

erika and i at my hotel getting ready to say goodbye

-------------------------------------------------------------------

i just love this picture! erika told me she was sad to leave me, which made me sad! being on the east coast i really don't get to see my family as much as i should. but we will be back together this summer at Bass Lake in August for my mother's 70th birthday. should be fun, any of you cali girls (or ohio, florida, chicago, arizona, oregon, etc. etc. etc.!) want to come?