Got a great nights sleep in Chicago thanks to Wendy! (thanks again!) Today we are travelling through the heartland. Illinois to Nebraska going through Iowa.
But our trip got off to a rocky start. To understand it fully, you have to understand that my sister seems to bring the rain with her. No matter where she travels to, it just seems like the rain will follow!
We did however get to stop at the World's Biggest Truck Stop – the Iowa80. This place was HUGE! They have serveral shops, a food court, a diner, dentist, cusomt engraving and embroidery, and so much more. I got some cool poastcards to use on a layout when I return. It is amazing where you can find fun craftoids if you open your mind!
By the time we reached the Maytag Dairy (home of the legendary Blue Cheese) – the rain stopped. I was simply amazed at the beauty of this wonderful country. When I saw this, I immediately thought "Amber waves of Grain" (or corn).
When I get home I am going to have to try to create a project with some song lyrics. The dairy was, a little bit of a let down. Only because I expected a nice rural looking farm. Instead we got a run of the mill, 1970's style office building. [NEXT to the beautiful and working dairy] But the cheese, simply to die for. And CHEAP. A WHOLE WHEEL $20 – unlike the 24.99 lb you see in the stores near home.
After almost 12 hours on the road, we have finally made it to our dear friend Wendy’s house outside Chicago. Along the way we found a lot of inspiration and a little bit of wisdom.
1. 12 hours of driving and 4 Redbulls does not make for good blogging. [thus the fairly late post!] Though being on the road did give me a chance to do a lot of thinking. It is amazing how many ideas come flooding in if you just let your mind go. Driving by an old barn reminded me of the tub of crackle paint I have never used. And the colors of the country side are so beautiful that they actually make me want to create a page that ISN’T PINK!
2. ALWAYS call before going 30 min. out of the way to a soda shop that ended up being CLOSED on SUNDAYS.
3. There is such thing as TOO MUCH. – Driving through IL to get to Wendy’s we came across CRAZY construction zones with what seemed like a million cones, reflectors, signs, and flashing lights. TOTAL SENSORY OVERLOAD. To the point that I had to enable calming breathing techniques to keep from totally freaking out! Made me wonder if my pages do that too. I admit to liking all things the glitter. Perhaps less is more. . . NAH!
4. ALWAYS have your camera ready. I am the worlds worst photographer, this is true. The plan was to take a picture of each of the “Welcome to” state signs. What happened was something more like “DANG IT!” everytime we passed one. And I admit that I have missed many a cute moment at home because my camera was MIA.
The highlight of the day was a trip to WAFFLE HOUSE. My all time favorite place for breakfast… 24 hours a day. We sat at the counter and were served by Thera- career waitress who masterfully juggled her customers, calling out orders, cooking waffles, and mixing up chocolate milk. Lea and I each ordered the ALL STAR • 2 Eggs (over med for me) • Hashbrowns (perfectly cooked in the MAGIC ELIXER – a mystery oily substance being ladled out of a can onto the dirty griddle) • White toast – pre-buttered • Cheesy Grits • Patty Sausage • Biscuits and Grazy • Waffle – we shared the waffle cause two would have been too much! The crazy thing, I practically licked the plate clean.
Now, off to Omaha and all the crazy in between! For updates from the road, be sure to follow us on twitter or Facebook! Tonight check out the CreatingKeepsakes.com beta site for the latest edition to our travel book!
So now a little contest. Leave a comment about your favorite roadtrip eatery, perhaps it was a diner you stumbled upon along the way? Or maybe a 4 star restaurant in a big city you made reservations for a year in advance? The winner will get a special CK Media prize package- with a little something from each of our scrapbooking and paper crafting titles. Winner will be chosen tomorrow so hurry and get those comments in!
Today we spent most of our day in Lancaster County – AMISH COUNTRY. This is really an amazing place. I have long been facinated by the Amish community. So to see them in person, to eat there, to purchase goods from them – it was such a thrill. Sadly, the weather was pretty terrible. A major storm with rain dropping in sheets.
However, that did not stop us from checking out the many antique stores in the area. This one was particularly amazing. I left with vintage crystals, baskets, linens, and two printers drawers.
Another highlight* of the day was the time we spent at Good and Plenty. A family style dinner that allows you to meet good folks like the ones we met. The group to my left trvels together on trips – and hail from NYC, New Jersey, and CT. The couple accross me comes from North Carolina. (one place I have not been yet) The gal next to me in green and her hubby accross from her are expecting their first grandchild! The couple accross us comes to the area often for the wonderful furniture. Maybe someday I can pick that up as a hobby too! Such a fanastic bunch of people.
The creative inspiration is abundant. But as it got later, the rain came down harder. So we decided to skip MD and just white knuckle it to Pittsburgh for a little rest. Mother nature won this round. Let's just hope that the rain doesn't follow us all the way home! And with that, good night and see you tomorrow!
*TIP: Get these experiences down on paper right away while the feeling is still fresh.
For moment to moment mini-updates, be sure to follow me on TWITTER.
I strongly believe, that the best time to journal about your trip, is while you are still out on the road. There is an excitement and enthusiasm that cannot be duplicated after the trip is over. Not to mention all those little moments that really make a turn a trip, into an experience.
Supplies: Papers, letter stickers, tags, paint (Making Memories), Blank book (Grungeboard by Tim Holtz)
To make daily entries easy, I premade the cover and the section openers. I also created a small take along kit with a FEW pre-trimmed papers, journaling notebooks, letter stickers, stamps, adhesives and pens.
Instructions:
For the section opener I started by painting the grungeboard. When dry, I adhered the overlay (by Hambly) and then the pre printed tag. Today, all I had to do is fill in the info of the day.
Tonight I added just a few tidbits I picked up along the way.
And finally, I wrote some "notes" while the day was still fresh! When I get home, I just need to add photos.
Day one begins in NYC. My dear friend Candice Stringham was kind enough to put us up for the night in her SUPER cute house. [photos later] And now we are heading out. The weather is being less than coopertive with a hurricane hitting up north. The rain has been a drag.
NYC is always a very inspiring place. The shopping is amazing, every cool gardet, paper, artifact, fabric, and doo-dad that you could ever hope for and more. But the store displays are amazing. The tricky part is actually getting to snap a picture.
Here my sister masterfully took "my picture" in front of this beautiful display at an undisclosed locale in soho. I want to try to recreate this for my studio at home, we'll see.
Of course… the food is amazing! When I landed in NYC… it was 1pm. That afternoon we ate Gray's Papaya hot dogs, Pizza Shack pizza, Dessert and a $7 cup of hot chocolate in Little Italy, and a Fluffernutter at the Peanut Butter and Co. – ALL by 6pm!
Then it was off to Morimoto's (of Iron Chef Fame) for the MOST AMAZING meal. Seriously, if you have ever dreamed of being an Iron Chef judge… run don't walk to Morimotos. Tasty asian delights that I have never seen before, food that tickles taste buds I didnt even know exist. Not to mention they have $10,000 state of art toilet/bidet. Yes I tried it… yes I want one!
Alright… wish us luck, here's to hoping the GPS doesn't freeze!
This week is the start of a long travel stretch. Yesterday I landed here in Chicago. One of my favorite cities. I am hanging here this week attending Folio. (An event for Media peeps) So far, very educational.
Of course, traveling means… free toiletries! woo hoo. (always make friends with the cleaning staff and ask for extras…) Well, off to watch a little gossip girl before bed.
Don't forget to check out the CK Beta site this week for details about my BIG ROAD TRIP! I promise it will be oodles of fun!
