a week in salt lake city

I love flying over the great salt lake. It's so odd and strange looking, I always lean my forehead on the window, watching and trying to decipher just how big it really is. It's pretty entertaining.

Matilda, in her carrier, at the airport.

So I'm officially the crazy cat lady that takes her cat on vacation with her. At least, that's what it looks like at the airport. So here's the story...

Sunday, 3 p.m. Danny gets a call that he might have to go to Hawaii for work. My flight for SLC is leaving at 9 a.m. the next day. I have prepared the house for me being gone for a week, not both of us to be gone. Luckily I had already packed my bag. We don't know how long Danny will be gone, and the only friend that could check in on the cat could only do it until friday, so we decide that she has to go with me. I figure everything out, and I call the airline and double check. I am so nervous and feel bad for making her fly with me, but whatever. At least I won't have to worry about her.

Danny drives us to the airport. We go through security- I have to take her out of her carrier and hold her while walking through the security thing. I have no idea if she will flip out and scratch my eyes out or not.

She does amazing. I held her like a little monkey as she looked around totally calm and happy. All the TSA agents comment on what a pro she is, and one tells me of the teeny dog that bit him the day before. Hilarious.

My mom picked us up, and we went a few places before going home. I recently switched to feeding her raw food (a totally different post) so we needed to go and get her some. We stopped by a fabric store, I took her in with us (in the carrier) and she sat on the floor by the register totally content.

We got home just in time for Lindsay Loo to get home, and we were starving so we went to one of my favorite places...

Kneaders.

Their Turkey Bacon Avocado sandwich is the most amazing turkey sandwich ever. It's not lunchmeat sliced turkey- it's like thanksgiving chunky turkey. Mmmmmmm.

Lindsay Loo got a cookie for dessert- and posed for the camera as Cookie Monster- to match her shirt.

On our way home, we visited another fabric store, one of my very favorites- Quilters Haven in North Salt Lake. The owner Joanie is so nice, she was there and we got to chat for a bit before I bought a stack of fat quarters.

Lindsay Loo loves to color- and has a ton of crayons. She likes to sit and sort them into rows. It's very calming to her. This day it was by color, but sometimes she does it differently. It amazes me- I want to know what she's thinking, why she sorts in the order that she does.

Matilda didn't have her usual 43 naps that day- so by the time night came, she was out cold.

The next day my mom and I were looking for something in the basement, when I found this...

Our old Robie the Robot bank. You would put a coin on his hand, and he would gobble it up while rocking back and forth, licking his robot lips. We loved this thing- we got it for Christmas, and we spent all day taking turns feeding him change.

Loo says "Me take picture with you?"

He said "Why?"

And Loo says "Because I love you."

Simple. It's always the obvious and simple things that get me. That remind me to slow down and stop thinking so much.

I had to go to the dentist that day. I had a cleaning and one cavity. Not bad! I love having a dentist in the family- especially one that's so on top of all the new tech. In and out, hardly any pain at all. Plus, his office just happens to be a few blocks from one of my other very favorite fabric stores- Material Girls. Another fat stack of fabric, how I miss fabric shopping! It's such a part of the process for me- it's been so hard not being able to go and match colors and get inspired by all the new prints and collections. Since moving to SF, I've been ordering most of my fabric through sellers on Etsy. So it was WAY fun to be able to go to all my favorite places and renew my love for fabric shopping again!

We also went to Hobby Lobby while we were out there. No Hobby Lobby by me either. Their ribbon is half off every other week- such a great deal!

On Wednesday, I drove to Salt Lake, grabbed a pizza from the Pie, and met Nan and Van at a park. After lunch, we went back to her place so Van could nap, and I sort of helped her make decorations for the graduation party. We were trying to make those yarn balls- the ones that you use balloons and glue dipped yarn. Yea, so we had like 20 balloons and only made 3. We ran out of glue, balloons sprayed with Pam are very slippery and we dripped glue all over their patio.

For dinner that night, I met Danny's dad, sister Chels and Auntie Gayleen and her friend Lisa at Little America. I love the turkey dinner there- but I was still so full from the pie that I had a side salad instead. We had a great time catching up- Gayleen is a riot and always has me almost laughing until I pee. I never get to spent time with Chels- and since we had a few hours I asked her if she wanted to go to the new mall with me.

City Creek is gorgeous, it's everything they promised it would be back when they torn down Crossroads and announced their plans. Before Gateway decided to sneak in and build quickly before the Olympics. Now Gateway is doomed. An outside mall in Utah was always a stupid decision. But City Creek had enough time to perfect the moveable roof. Smart, so smart!

So we move away, and Utah has the mildest winter ever. And then they get an H&M and a Lush. That's just how it goes, right?

On Thursday, I picked up the Loo from her day program.

And granted her a photo op in from of her beloved handicapped parking sign.

We went to Orson Gygi, to find some cupcake wrappers for her birthday cupcakes. She loves going there as much as I do- she loves looking at all the cookie cutters and colorful candies.

Then we were off to Gardener Village- I heard a rumor that the fabric shop Pine needles had Tula Pink's new fabric line, Nightshade.

But I was starving, so we went into a little cafe and I had a sandwich. I peeked into the ice cream case, but knew I would be sorely disappointed from being spoiled by the fantastic Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous. Except that I spied the familiar Swiss Milk Chocolate, so I asked the girl where their ice cream was from. She replied Leatherby's- I worked at Leatherby's in high school, and they have fantastic ice cream. So I ordered a cone of the Strawberry Cheesecake, and it did NOT disappoint! They didn't have that flavor when I worked there, so loooooong ago.

Pine needles did not have Nightshade, (sadface) but they had a million other things that I piled high in my basket. Loo spied the kids corner, sat down in a tiny chair and sorted blocks like it was her job, while I combed through rows of fabric looking for perfect matches. It's funny- Pine needles isn't one of my favorite shops, it's so hit and miss, mostly miss with me. But when it's a hit- it's huge. I had so much luck there I felt like I should go out and buy a lottery ticket.

Loo spotted the goose and insisted that I take a photo. A close up photo. She directed me from afar, saying closer, closer, slower, perfect, now!

Clouds. Big white fluffy clouds. In SF it's either foggy or clear. And if there is clouds in the sky- they are weak and wispy. The sky looks so big here, I guess I've gotten used to the tightly woven hills of SF.

We went home and made cake. Loo wanted cherry cake. I was just going to color it red and call it good- but she picked up a package of cherry jello while we were shopping, so I googled if that was a good idea or not and it came up good. So I thought I'd risk it.

It's SO nice to be able to bake in such an amazing kitchen while I'm there. People don't just miss me, they miss my baking. So I have to bake while I'm there- and I love being able to use my mom's super kitchen. She has 3 weddings coming up, so she was sewing a quilt top while I was baking. And we didn't get in each others way. Oh, how I miss gigantic countertops to make baking messes on!

I was planning on coming out to Utah for Loo's birthday, which is at the end of this month. But since Mike was graduating at the beginning- and I wasn't going to miss that- we decided to have Loo's birthday party early.

Banner found at Orson Gygi.

Pink polka dot cake.

It turned out totally delicious! All I did was add one small package of cherry jello to a package of yellow butter recipe duncan hines cake mix. It was a little sticky in the pan- I wish I had greased and floured it better.

Van approves!

I loved how he just laid on the floor and played with the cars. Such a sweet boy. He has grown up so much since we moved away- but he's still the same gentle, intense, inquisitive boy that he was back then, its just that now he runs and says no quite well.

Mike, Van, Nan, me.

Unrelated, but totally to the core family.

Flying home- the great salt lake to snowcapped mountains to tight city blocks.

Horizon line.

Driving through the tunnel.

And reaching the bridge. 

Danny ended up leaving on tuesday morning, and staying for a week. He drove to the airport, so that I could drive home, and so that we wouldn't get a parking ticket for not moving the car. I missed him so much during this trip- we have gotten so spoiled being each others only close friends out here, spending so much time together. I am so grateful for this time, with just us. It won't last forever- so I try to treasure each day. 

I got so much fantastic fabric- I tried to only buy what the people have been asking for so that no waste will happen, and I will have many happy customers. Oftentimes I just buy the stuff that I love, even if it doesn't fit the project in mind, and them I end up with beautiful fabric sitting and not getting made into anything. So this time I just bought fabric for dolls (dresses and leggings), and sleepover pals. 

Last week, after unpacking and doing an insane amount of laundry (which still hasn't been put away) I made 22 doll dresses and leggings. 22. They sit in a gigantic pile on top of my desk, waiting for me to take photos so I can get selling!