Friday evening I had the wonderful opportunity to attend my first Utah Bloggers gathering. What a wonderful bunch of women! Everyone was kind, welcoming, and easy to talk with.
The gathering was held at Gardner Village, a lovely group of homes converted to a quaint shopping area in West Jordan, UT. We started the evening enjoying delightful appetizers from Archibald's Restaurant (fried green tomatoes, fried avocados, and spinach dip). After picking up my name badge, bag, and card to mark the stores I visited, I headed out. As a bonus, they said we could take pictures of anything in or outside the shops, so I took advantage and captured a few of my favorite things.
The following photos are in no particular order and I apologize to the stores that I photographed items from but can't remember which store it was (if it isn't written down....).
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| The Gathering Place - we wrapped up the evening here with prizes, a chocolate fountain, and lots of chatting. |
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| Adorable tea set - reminds me of tea parties from my childhood. |
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| Pine Needles is an adorable sewing and stitching store and I LOVE this cute Basset. Might need to warm up my sewing skills. |
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| Elegant chandelier at the Sassy Babies shop and it isn't just a decor item, you can buy it. |
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| Beads, beads, and more beads at The Bead Farm. Love the clear jar storage. |
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| The Cottage Retreat Salon & Spa was inviting and relaxing as evidenced by this clever corner shelf display. |
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| Another adorable dog found at Pine Needles. |
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| The Naborhood Bakery caters to humans with their cupcakes, rolls, cookies, and other delights. But how could I pass up doggy treats for the hounds? The review - snarfed in two bites! |
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| Halloween decor was everywhere but the purple ribbon around the door caught my attention at Aunt Elsie's Trinkets. |
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| Love the dress form especially as a creative way to display jewelry. |
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| Plum Dandy had something for everyone and everything was displayed so invitingly. |
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| Sassy Babies had the cutest clothes - too bad there are no baby girls in my life right now cause these ruffles and adorable tights were calling to me. |
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| Down to Earth is a store I have frequented often over the years. This leaf pillow captures the essence of the season. |
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| Dried oranges in clear glass reflect the color of the season as did so many items displayed at Country Furniture & Gifts. This store is a favorite and never disappoints. |
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| Seeing these Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls transported me back to my Grandma's house and spending nights there. Georgell Doll Shop had an incredible variety of dolls. |
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| Love the saying, but it was the cool, purple background that caught my eye. |
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| Loved these over-sized pumpkins and their wavy lines for depth and definition. Highlite Photography was decked out for the season and a friendly place for a quick photo shoot. |
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| Yes, more beads from The Bead Farm. Oh to have so many beautiful, purple beads displayed so inticingly. |
Walking amongst the Halloween decor with so many excited and pleasant women definitely put me in the mood for fall and the mood to shop! I bought an adorable Halloween bracelet, fudge for home, doggy treats, and an Advent Calendar kit that I'll use for a Christmas gift.
Many thanks to Gardner Village and the many shops (each store gave us a little something to remember them by and my bag was stuffed by the time the evening was over), My Craft Channel (Lori Allred), and the wonderful group of women I associated with throughout the evening for creating an inspiring evening. I can't wait to attend another gathering. And thanks to The Bead Farm for donating the prize I won. It almost seemed unbelievable when my name was called for this prize - can't wait to shop!
One last thing, I did go to every shop at Gardner Village and took photos of something in each shop. Unfortunately, my photography skills are still developing and so several pictures did not turn out. My apologies to the stores that I did not post photos of something from their shop. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy what you had to offer it was my lack of skills.
Sweet dreams and may they be filled with creativity!
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