Flowersbyfarha – July 2008

    As I mentioned before, I'm not your typical tourist who buys your typical souvenirs.  By this point in our journey, the only non-travel related purchase I had made was 3 yards of  daffodil yellow Hanah Silk in Nevada City, CA.  And then we arrived in Santa Barbara....

    Our first stop was the public library.  It happened the Friends of the Library had a sale cart of used books.  One about a little blue Tuk-Tuk was irresistible and more meaningful to a certain young person who loves to eat--I mean "read"--books.

  Next, we wandered through La Arcada, an alleyway of shops next to the library.  The object of the stroll was to keep an eye out for potential shops for my flowers, but is it any wonder that a display case of ribbons caught my eye?  Though most of their inventory consists of modern ribbons from one of my US suppliers, they had a choice selection of some French ribbons that are just magical--Photos do not do them justice!  Their sheen and color shift are amazing, and I can't wait to work on them for Fall creations!

    This shop is actually a gift shop, not a ribbonry or fabric/craft store.   Two steps from the ribbon counter, we found some books perfect for an upcoming birthday gift.  At that point, it was safer to go directly to the sales counter--where I found an elegant business card holder to replace the one that had gone MIA before the trip-- and not explore anymore of the store, lol!

    Coming out the other end of La Arcada, we found ourselves in downtown Santa Barbara's shopping district, with shops from mid-range to snooty-upscale (think "Pretty Woman" Rodeo Drive).

    It must have been my day for walking by the Unity Shop (non-profit, proceeds help the homeless), a burnout velvet shawl called to me.  The color and pattern was perfect for the flower pin I happened to be wearing, and the price made it even more irresistible.

    Shopping on an empty stomach is always a bad idea, so we headed over to eat.  But wouldn't you know it?  There was a bead store on the way to the cafe!  

    (To be continued)

   

    Just returned from my trip to Anaheim, and parts there abouts.  In a subconscious attempt to travel "light," I forgot to pack my camera.  So, no lovely travelogue photos are forthcoming.

   Instead, what you get is my version of the "my folks went to ...and all I got was this lousy t-shirt!"  In this case, Mickey Mouse toiletries from the Disneyland Paradise Pier hotel where we stayed to be close to the convention center.  

    Included in the hotel package was a coupon for a packet of free Disney trading pins.  Silly me, such a bad tourist, I didn't even bother to go to the gift shop to get them until we'd checked out--which was fine because I never even saw a "Cast Member" with a trading pin lanyard until we were loading the truck.  All's well that ends well, though.  The shuttle-cart operator explained the system to me and traded two pins for two of my "stamp" pins.  One was Mickey as the Sorcerer's Apprentice (I love that film!); and the other was a limited edition barefoot Mickey in swim trunks on a hibiscus which was produced in conjunction with the premier of Lilo & Stitch.  

    And, that was the extent of my touristing in Disneyworld.  

    Now, in Santa Barbara... (to be continued).