My visit with Kim!

Well...what can I say?

Kim and I were destined to meet.

I don't think I've ever laughed so much as I did in the nine days we spent together.

Kim is a wonderful, kind, generous and beautiful person.

We have so much in common...there were things in her house that I have in mine on the other side of the world.

Kim took me to so many beautiful bakeries and cafes.

When I saw those macarons in the pretty pink box I just had to buy them!

 

We did a lot of mini shopping together.
I've never seen so many miniatures to buy in one place!

This was at Peg's house...everything was for sale...we spent a lot of time...and some money here!

 That's Dena in the top left corner (and Peg in the bottom right).

Dena has a vast collection of miniatures...a lot of them made by Kim.

 It was a real treat to be able to meet Dena and see her amazing house and miniature collection.

And I'll never forget senior lunch at Star's with Dena, Peg and Kim, I don't remember what we ate I just remember laughing so much I was crying!

And never, ever in my life have I seen so many antique malls and vintage collectives.

So many beautiful things...

I bought quite a few things here...

then rang my husband and told him I'd be bringing an extra suitcase home!

 

Kim and I loved this booth!!!

Oh, if only I had more suitcases...and $$$$!!!!

Kim was baking miniature pies while I was there.

I found the 'Dolly Pie' book at an antiques mall and surprised her with it.

This shelf came home with me!

All those minis on the shelf came home with me too!

Most of them were gifts from Kim...we spent some time painting everything in pretty colours.

 

 

As you know I got to play in Kim's gorgeous craft room.

Someday I have to go back - we have a lot more collaborating to do!

We fell in love with these bambi's!

A lot of Christmas decorations came home with me too!

 

Just a few of the treasures that came home with me.

I searched everywhere for the pastel spatulas...pastel coloured kitchenware has become a bit of an obsession with me! I ordered the Miu spatulas on Amazon while I was at Kim's.

I love the vintage moulds and cookie cutters!

I liberated the sugar sachets from an Olive Garden restaurant...they're pastel coloured!!!

And we came across the vintage Tootsie Toy furniture at two different stores.

 The night before I returned home we had a spectacular dinner at Francis Ford Coppola's Winery.

There was a masquerade ball on that night and a ballerina was dancing under the stars in the courtyard as we left...it was like being in a movie.

 

 There was one place I had to go to on the day I left.

(Well, there were quite a few places we went to on the way to the airport!)

Kim and I went to the  'Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Couture' store in San Francisco.

It is a tiny shop filled with beautiful (very expensive!) shabby things!

 

The airline had attached these labels to my bags when I got home (Sylvia, I can hear you laughing!)

 

I can't wait to go back or (hopefully) have Kim visit me here in New Zealand one day.

Kim and her incredibly lovely family showed me the most fabulous time.

It was a wonderful trip and I feel like the luckiest girl alive to have met a true kindred spirit.

 

Mercedes