Indianapolis

We just got home from our trip to the city of Indianapolis. I have to say, this is a fun little city. I say little, because I am from Los Angeles, but do note, we did not see everything we set out to see in one day. We did not see the Museum of Art, nor the Museum of Contemporary Art. We weren't even trying to go to the American Super Hero Museum, or the Museum of Miniature Houses, or the Indiana Medical History Museum.

Right after my last blog entry ("cuisine"), a lovely woman named Stephanie came up to us to ask me about my scarf. She sat down and chatted with us for a half hour or so, recommended places for us to visit, then exchanged emails. How fun!

We also stopped at a mall looking for a Bank of America ATM (by the way-- no depositing of checks to B of A accounts... anywhere in Indiana it seems), a mall called The Fashion Mall, Keystone at the Crossing. This mall turned out to be the most beautiful thing ever. All of the best stores and restaurants of So Cal were represented here. It was like the Grove and the Spectrum rolled into one beautiful indoor oasis. I went into a store called Anthropologie, which I have seen in California. Their website does nothing for how adorably their store was decorated for the holiday.


Every year, I buy an ornament or two for my Christmas tree at the after-Christmas sales. As I said before, the tree was one of the first things I unpacked, and one of those sale ornaments from a few years ago was one of the three things that broke in the boxes (I know-- only 3!). So I bought two ornaments at Anthropologie-- a pear with a lady bug, and a rag-doll deer. Very cute. Yes, both made in China. What can you do.

This mall also had: Crate and Barrel, Nordstrom, Tiffany's, William Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Apple store, Sony store, Restoration Hardware, an Art movie theater, Coach, Abercrombie and Fitch, Maggiano's, PF Changes, Cheesecake Factory, and so on. Now, any of you who know me, know I am not a mall person, and I am definitely not a designer mall person. But to see so many elegant displays and beautiful clothes-- there is something to be said about a city having these things to offer, whereas a small town like the one we are in seems to only have Walmart clothes available. And there is nothing stylish and sexy about shopping in a Walmart the size of two city blocks with 40 foot ceilings and cold concrete floors. The appeal of driving an hour to be in such a warm beautiful place... I can't believe the country is what could make me go name brand!

We are debating about our New Year's plans tomorrow evening. There was the idea of going to one of the local bars and seeing how it went. There is there "we're tired and homebodies" New Year's Eve in our New Home (a party for sure). And there is the appeal of going right back to the city. There is a funny looking non-profit artist's space having an event-- we might go there. Next Friday is a big Indianapolis art thing, so we may save it for then.

Hope everyone is having a good night and if I don't write again, Happy New Year's!