the day I arrived my mom, cousin kay, aunt judy, and i headed off for one of our favorite pastimes.
thrift store shopping.
there are quite a few of these in the denver area and we just love to see what treasures we will turn up. i think mom's wardrobe is comprised almost entirely of thrifted clothing.
:)
I found a few sleeveless tops to fluff out my summer wardrobe. but my super score was a set of 4 cappucino cups
"cappucino please"
and a teapot.
can you guess what i spent on these 5 pieces?
i doubt it.
you're going to guess too high.
i just know it!
i spent a grand total of $3.10 can you believe it?
the cups were $.80 apiece, the teapot a whopping $3.00. it was all on sale for half price!
i also picked up a couple of neat children's birding books.
and a copy of tasha tudor's garden.
it's a beautiful book.
i'm ready to head out for more pots to plant just everything i can on my patio!
after hitting several thrift stores we decided to call it a night. we had to get up early the next day for a tour of the denver mint. the denver location makes only coins. you get to see the rolls of metal they use to punch out blanks. the dies used to print on images and the whole operation in motion. our tour guide was very high energy and he made the tour a lot of fun. especially for the kiddos in the group.
what really blew my mind was seeing hundreds of shiny new coins rolling off conveyors into enormous bins. then later seeing those bins waiting on the loading dock for a truck. i don't have any pictures of the mint of course. they are more strict than the airport about what can be taken inside...and i understand why.
after leaving the mint we headed towards boulder. mom needed a new spine for her stunt kite. if i remember correctly dave crashed it and broke it. but i'm not telling her that. we had some fun wandering around the novelty, kite, and toy store: into the wind.
once upon a time i worked there. talk about a fun place to spend the summer :) but boy is that place noisy. there are wind chimes, and tambourines, drums, and xylophones. blocks and wind up toys, dice and bouncy balls. and that is just the start. there are kites hung on every flat surface and tilted at crazy angles from the ceiling. the two story storefront has brick walls and a wooden floor. yes it echoes. loudly. i used to leave work at night ot sit in my car in the quiet with my eyes closed for at least 15 minutes before i even attempted to drive. talk about sensory overload!
the store is located on the walking mall, pearl street. i remember walking along pearl before the shops opened. grabbing a coffee or just enjoying the flowers planted in the beds along the street. the shop guys and i would hit one of 3 or 4 favorite places for lunch most days. there was foolish craig's for burgers, sandwiches, or breakfast, bj's brewhouse for burgers or pizza and of course the occasional after work beer (i say occasional but the bartender usuall had my order up by the time i hit the bar), lucille's for the best creole food outside louisianna, and of course the last and the best: illegal petes for the best burritos anywhere, where mom, kay and i grabbed some lunch before heading out of town. if you're ever in the boulder area i highly reccomend grabbing a bite to eat at one of these places. they are the epitome of the pearl street experience for me.
on our way to estes we had decided to stop in and tour the celestial seasonings plant just outside boulder proper.
i had never been before and it is really neat to see. they have all of thier teas available to be tasted before the tour. they had several teas prepared but the real treat was picking your own favorite tea off the list and having they prepare acup just for you :)
i had no idea that there were so many. you only see a few of them at the grocery store!
i tried one of their new line of whole leaf teas that comes in a pyramid shaped tea bag. it was really delicious! i don't think that these are available in stores yet but they are definitely worth the wait. keep an eye on on the tea aisle.
after the tour i grabbed a box of one of dave's favorite flavors. he love's green tea with toasted rice and brews it by the pot at home. now he'll be able to take a box of tea bags to work with him for break time.
i also picked up some white tea chai. i love chai but this tea has such a subtle flavor. i can't wait to have another cup!
i also picked up a couple of treasures for my sock yarn swap from your stash partner. but i'm not telling what til she gets her package in the mail :)
of course cameras are not permitted on the tour so i don't have any pictures of the inside of the plant. but it really is neat. you walk past bundles of tea ingredients from all over the world. crates are stacked nearly two stories high and every few feet the scent changes. clove and hibiscus, then lemon grass and blueberry. i hope you'll get a chance to check this out if you're ever in the area.
they have a whole room where they keep only tea leaves. this is so that the tea does not take on the aroma of all the other botanicals in the plant. and since mint is so strong and would overpower everything else. they have a whole other room just for the mints (catnip, peppermint, and spearmint)! the mint room is a mind changing experience. and i mean that literally. my sinuses have never been so clear!
after leaving celestial seasonings we headed up to the mountains. mom had booked a cabin for us at the YMCA of the rockies on the west side of estes.
more about that later :)
thrift store shopping.
there are quite a few of these in the denver area and we just love to see what treasures we will turn up. i think mom's wardrobe is comprised almost entirely of thrifted clothing.
:)
I found a few sleeveless tops to fluff out my summer wardrobe. but my super score was a set of 4 cappucino cups
"cappucino please"
and a teapot.
can you guess what i spent on these 5 pieces?
i doubt it.
you're going to guess too high.
i just know it!
i spent a grand total of $3.10 can you believe it?
the cups were $.80 apiece, the teapot a whopping $3.00. it was all on sale for half price!
i also picked up a couple of neat children's birding books.
and a copy of tasha tudor's garden.
it's a beautiful book.
i'm ready to head out for more pots to plant just everything i can on my patio!
after hitting several thrift stores we decided to call it a night. we had to get up early the next day for a tour of the denver mint. the denver location makes only coins. you get to see the rolls of metal they use to punch out blanks. the dies used to print on images and the whole operation in motion. our tour guide was very high energy and he made the tour a lot of fun. especially for the kiddos in the group.
what really blew my mind was seeing hundreds of shiny new coins rolling off conveyors into enormous bins. then later seeing those bins waiting on the loading dock for a truck. i don't have any pictures of the mint of course. they are more strict than the airport about what can be taken inside...and i understand why.
after leaving the mint we headed towards boulder. mom needed a new spine for her stunt kite. if i remember correctly dave crashed it and broke it. but i'm not telling her that. we had some fun wandering around the novelty, kite, and toy store: into the wind.
once upon a time i worked there. talk about a fun place to spend the summer :) but boy is that place noisy. there are wind chimes, and tambourines, drums, and xylophones. blocks and wind up toys, dice and bouncy balls. and that is just the start. there are kites hung on every flat surface and tilted at crazy angles from the ceiling. the two story storefront has brick walls and a wooden floor. yes it echoes. loudly. i used to leave work at night ot sit in my car in the quiet with my eyes closed for at least 15 minutes before i even attempted to drive. talk about sensory overload!
the store is located on the walking mall, pearl street. i remember walking along pearl before the shops opened. grabbing a coffee or just enjoying the flowers planted in the beds along the street. the shop guys and i would hit one of 3 or 4 favorite places for lunch most days. there was foolish craig's for burgers, sandwiches, or breakfast, bj's brewhouse for burgers or pizza and of course the occasional after work beer (i say occasional but the bartender usuall had my order up by the time i hit the bar), lucille's for the best creole food outside louisianna, and of course the last and the best: illegal petes for the best burritos anywhere, where mom, kay and i grabbed some lunch before heading out of town. if you're ever in the boulder area i highly reccomend grabbing a bite to eat at one of these places. they are the epitome of the pearl street experience for me.
on our way to estes we had decided to stop in and tour the celestial seasonings plant just outside boulder proper.
i had never been before and it is really neat to see. they have all of thier teas available to be tasted before the tour. they had several teas prepared but the real treat was picking your own favorite tea off the list and having they prepare acup just for you :)
i had no idea that there were so many. you only see a few of them at the grocery store!
i tried one of their new line of whole leaf teas that comes in a pyramid shaped tea bag. it was really delicious! i don't think that these are available in stores yet but they are definitely worth the wait. keep an eye on on the tea aisle.
after the tour i grabbed a box of one of dave's favorite flavors. he love's green tea with toasted rice and brews it by the pot at home. now he'll be able to take a box of tea bags to work with him for break time.
i also picked up some white tea chai. i love chai but this tea has such a subtle flavor. i can't wait to have another cup!
i also picked up a couple of treasures for my sock yarn swap from your stash partner. but i'm not telling what til she gets her package in the mail :)
of course cameras are not permitted on the tour so i don't have any pictures of the inside of the plant. but it really is neat. you walk past bundles of tea ingredients from all over the world. crates are stacked nearly two stories high and every few feet the scent changes. clove and hibiscus, then lemon grass and blueberry. i hope you'll get a chance to check this out if you're ever in the area.
they have a whole room where they keep only tea leaves. this is so that the tea does not take on the aroma of all the other botanicals in the plant. and since mint is so strong and would overpower everything else. they have a whole other room just for the mints (catnip, peppermint, and spearmint)! the mint room is a mind changing experience. and i mean that literally. my sinuses have never been so clear!
after leaving celestial seasonings we headed up to the mountains. mom had booked a cabin for us at the YMCA of the rockies on the west side of estes.
more about that later :)
Comments
Reading about the shopping is making me VERY homesick for Philadelphia.
On weird occurence level --- I was reading a story about a fire on Pine St. in Phila. I could see a sign on the shop next door --- M. Finkel and Dau
My last name started with Dau, but figured it was probably NOT my name, but daughter.
Googled it ---- they are an antiques store that carry silk samplers. Who KNEW there could be a whole storefront of stitched samplers????? I have GOT to go there even if I probably can't afford even the smallest one.