Tourist time

Wouldn't this be a good idea for gift giving? It would be sweet to slip a gift into a box that is a gift itself.

I made this box for another reason, but it kind of got me thinking of the possibilities. 

Of course, I haven't even done my Christmas shopping yet, so I should probably stop thinking about what I'll put the gifts in and start thinking about what I'll buy instead!

There was a teensy bit of time to shop while I was in Palm Springs last weekend, but it was more sight seeing than shopping. 

If I'm in an area where the stores are Rolex, Coach, and other high dollar  specialty stores, chances are pretty durn slim that I will  be buying my family any holiday gifts there.

These guys simply aren't the type to wear a watch that costs thousands of dollars.

Not that I am the type to buy one, anyway.

But it was fun to look. 

It was fun to be a tourist and go sightseeing. At the stores as well as out and about. We took the tram up the mountain side, 8,500 feet up to catch the views one morning.

And drove to Temecula to do a little wine tasting after that.

  My brilliant husband had a great idea, that I'd never have thought of. He said we should go to the lounge, sit down and sample there instead of standing in line to belly up to the counter in the crowded tasting rooms.

The four of us got to try a good selection from the winery, relax in comfy chairs, and share a cheese plate. That was much nicer than standing up at the counter in the crowds of other testers.

Isn't this a cute display for the holidays?

And I loved seeing poinsiettas growing outside!  The weather wasn't perfect, we needed our coats, but it was still warmer than Kansas and I really enjoy seeing all the flower beds full and blooming in the sunshine out in California. Its probably my favorite part of the trip, because back home, my garden is brown and crunchy with a hint of green slime where the last plants froze and are rotting.

The whole trip was just beautiful.  But its good to be home and have a couple of days with Sugarwings and Dewdrop.  They both stayed over night the last couple of days, so I'm just now getting back to work. That was a great way to ease out of the vacation and back into the real world. 

Two days of llittle girl cuddles was a welcome extension of my time off!

Now, its back to normal and back to work.

And thats not bad either!  Its good to be home and I'm happy to be back in the studio.