Girls' Getaway

My dear friend and Stampin' Up! upline, Mimi, flew into town on Wednesday to spend some time with me. We've loved getting together at Stampin' Up! events at least twice a year, but sometimes it just doesn't seem like enough! We've been talking about our own little "retreat" for awhile now, and finally we just did the thing. We decided that rather than paying for each of us to fly to a different location, it would be easier to have her come to Las Vegas and just get a hotel for a couple of nights.

Ted was agreeable--he's so wonderfully supportive of me! Of course, it may have helped that on Wednesday he actually flew to Denver to hang out with Joel for a day and go to a concert with him that evening, ha! Ted came home Thursday morning, so Mimi and I headed downtown to the Plaza Hotel, where I had gotten a good deal on a two-night stay.

I must say, the Plaza Hotel has definitely earned its 2 1/2 star rating. But for our purposes--gabbing about all the things we want and need to talk with each other about--it has been just fine! Who cares if the wallpaper is a bit stained and peeling?! The air conditioning unit shudders frequently and moans as if its overworked and underpaid (which it probably is). But we don't mind. The service has been good, and the front doors of the hotel open right up onto historic Fremont Street, which I had never been to before. It was kind of fun walking up and down the area, though it's not exactly a place you'd want to take your kids. But we did enjoy watching a street artist concoct beautiful paintings made with spray paint on metal--you'd never believe the qualify of the artwork produced in 6 minutes!

Mostly we've stayed in our hotel room talking and brainstorming and praying together. We did get out to exercise--we ran 5.3 miles yesterday and 3 miles this morning. We ate at Tony Roma's Thursday night and Lombardi's Italian Restaurant (right in our own hotel) last night. We've munched kettle corn and sipped lattes, and yes, we actually did sleep a little bit, too. Six hours the first night and seven hours last night!

Soon it will be time to check out of the hotel and head back to "real life." I'm thrilled that I get to share my home and my family with Mimi, and tomorrow afternoon we're meeting with a few of my downline members for an informal time of stamping and sharing. Perhaps we'll even squeeze one last run in together before we take her to the airport on Monday.

I'm so thankful for the blessing Mimi has been in my life! I'm already looking forward to seeing her and so many other dear stampin' sisters at our Convention in less than two months!!