Summer Vacay: Part 1

I always have mixed emotions about plane rides. First, I don't really look forward to them for the mere reason that I am limited as to how much I can pack (a girl needs options!), but flying does give me an excuse to buy a stack of fashion magazines to keep my mind occupied on the flight. See that Elle magazine tucked in front of me while Mango and I stopped for a pic? It was one of many, I always walk away from the gift shop giggling with delight, Mango doesn't quite understand it, but oh well. This had to be one of the coolest airports I've seen. They have a tunnel that changes colors as you walk through it. Here I am having a bit of fun, but making some of my fellow fast walkers a little annoyed...oops.There he is, my dad-in-law. Our tour guide for the week, don't the two of them look alike? It's uncanny. One thing we found a lot of in Traverse City, MI are little stores offering samples of their jams, jellies, salsas, you name it. You know us, must try samples! There were also plenty of local wineries to peruse... and chocolate shops! So yummy and each of them had their own little way of making their chocolate. This one in particular had a whole menu of different hot chocolates. It was particularly chilly that day and rainy, so we figured a hot chocolate would hit the spot. Our favorite, a hot chocolate called Wicked where they mixed the chocolate with hot peppers. It was actually really good! After our little chocolate pick-me-up, it was time for some shopping! Hands down, my favorite store in downtown Traverse City was Ella's. When you walk in, you automatically think it's a vintage shop with everything from jewelry to furniture and then BOOM! You turn around and your faced with a rack of Betsy Johnson gowns and tops from French Connection! Check out this amazing vintage prom dress they had on display, so pretty: They had some pretty cool hats too. What do you think? Can I rock the fedora? I fell in love with these two art deco type pendants that were above the jewelry area. They were on sale and I was racking my brain trying to figure out where to put them in the house.Check out these two fixtures hanging over the check out counter...love them! The last store we popped into was one of those big antique mall type things, full of little treasures and amazing finds like this antique church pew:

Is it just me, or would that not look amazing in a long hallway or foyer painted a lighter color, perhaps like a mushroom whitish-grey?

Last stop, the Grand Traverse Pie Company. They had every type of summer time pie that you could think of, from classic cherry to strawberry rhubarb. We took 2 home that night to snack on for the rest of the week. It was only the first day and we were already pied out! Photo opp in front of Lake Michigan!