When disaster strikes, go shopping

So this past week, I have been doing a little retail therapy to replace the paper I lost during my art studio flood. I've spent a little bit too much money on paper I plan to use, but may just become my stash. Fortunately, there have been a few sales at my local JoAnn's as well as Michael's which I have to rely on because we don't have a LSS here on the north side of town anymore. In fact, I think there is only one place left in this big city of ours. We really have to rely on chains and big box stores for supplies or drive to the valley which is about a half hour away. I miss getting all of the new and latest and greatest and settling for what the chains have in stock. My old LSS owner used to go to CHA and buy the coolest paper. That store was truly current. I could order online, but there is just something about browsing and touching paper that is just so exciting to me. Even though I had to settle for chain choices this week, I was able to find a few cute things that I didn't have in my currently inventory. Here is one of my favorite pieces I bought from Cloud 9 Designs. This is Cinnamon Stick, but I also bought Chocolate Mint. Both so cute! Glad I got it because it looks like it is unavailable online. Maybe there is an up side to a chain store with old stock.

Standing in line

Saturday was a day of early morning fun. My oldest daughter and I got up, grabbed some coffee at Starbucks and headed downtown to get in line for Wicked tickets along with somewhere around 400 other Spokanites. Tickets went on sale at 7am at the box office and then online at 10am. We wanted to make sure we got some decent seats in our price range so we braved the morning and the cold to get our five tickets.

After that we wanted to run to Auntie's Bookstore, an amazing bookstore in downtown but it wasn't open yet so we ran over to Atticus for a cup of soy chai. Atticus is a coffee and tea shop here

that also has some of the coolest gifts and books. A guy I went to high school with owns it along with his wife who was also one of my daughter's teachers. It was there I found this amazing hanger

for which I am now saving so I can hang it in my art studio. I cannot wait to buy it. It will be perfect to hang over my washing machine where I can attach snapshots and postcards. I won't be able to get it for about a month or so. I hope they still have it! (Sorry about the photo quality. I used my Droid and I had chai in my hands)

Jan 13th Photo/352

We love Didier's Tuesday at our house. Well, the girls and I do. My husband isn't exactly the biggest fan as he isn't all that thrilled about frozen yogurt. Didier's Yogurt & More is a Tuesday night treat for the girls and myself as well as many Whitworth University students who live close by. $1.69 is quite affordable for a medium dish of frozen yogurt and for just a little more you can get a topping. When we first moved here in 1993, it was $.99 for a medium and that was the price for years, but slowly with inflation, the price crept up to $1.09 and then $1.29 and now it is up to the $1.69 you see on the sign. It is still a great buy and it truly is the place to be on Tuesday nights! The lunches are great too. Nothing like a bread bowl full of Didier soup or chili on a cold afternoon to warm you up!

Pentax Optio Z10, automatic