A perfect Saturday...basketball, junking and chocolate!

 We enjoyed a beautiful Saturday.  The weather was gorgeous - around 60 degrees in January in Kansas.  We had a great day planned - watching basketball games for two of our nieces, shopping for unique finds and chocolate, and hanging out with family.  And, to top it off, it was the start of a three day weekend.

The basketball games were great.  Both of my nieces' teams came  up short in terms of a win, but both girls played hard and we really enjoyed watching them play.

My oldest niece played in the same auditorium where I played my high school league tournaments.  Being back in that place and watching basketball made me feel really nostalgic.  And, apparently, protective of my niece.  Her assistant coach should never yell that she needs more out of her when she is playing her butt off.  I may or may not have yelled back at her, "What did you say?"

After the first game, we had a short break before my other niece's game and we decided to take in some stores downtown.  My husband earned the eagle eyes award for the day by spotting a cute little store on the corner.  He insisted that it looked like a place I would like, so we found a parking spot and walked back up the block.  He was right!

Studio 11 is everything they promise on their website - they "make junk look good," offer a wide variety of "funky, junky, recycled, and handmade things", a great atmosphere (the historic building is awesome!), and friendly customer service.

The sign in front of the store promises Pinterest classes.  Doesn't that sound like fun?! You can follow all of their boards on Pinterest.

Their door has a sign that says, "Push it, push it real good."   I always laugh when I see that on a shop door.  This sign was indication that I would like the vibe. 

Our finds included these two awesome bowling pins.  They are lovely with chippy paint and great color.  We had always looked at vintage bowling pins and finally made the purchase.  I also grabbed some of their 'keep it junky' stickers to share with friends who are just as crazy about vintage and handmade.

Our other find was these great pendants.  One side says, "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible."

And, the back is this beautiful floral.

This one says, "starlet."

And, the other side has a cute little bird.  This color of blue is one of my favorites.

We bought one for my mom, too.  Hers says, "Gram."  The staff was really great about shortening a chain to just the right length for my mom.

It is safe to say that if Emporia was a little closer, I would be spending a lot of time and money at Studio 11.

Our next stop was the Sweet Granada.  I have blogged about this great store before from quick stops this fall and last fall.

 Even though the day was unseasonably warm, the sign in the front window promised that some chocolate would chase away winter blues.

And, this stuff does the trick!  The Pop Choc is delicious and the perfect balance of sweet and salty.  We also bought a selection of other items from the case and some of their homemade fudge.

 My husband was a good sport to go shopping.  I think the chocolate helped. 

 And, my mom was a good sport to pose in a picture with me, even though she didn't want to be in front of the camera.

We had an awesome day.  We even made it home in time to knock out some of our backlog of outside chores that we save for warm weather.

Kansas adventures: Emporia

 My travels took me to Olpe, Kansas for work yesterday.  After an early morning drive that started with dense fog, I was treated to a beautiful sunrise.  It was one of those classic slow sunrises where it seems like mother nature has the sky on a dimmer switch.  It slowly became light and then the sun was up, as if by magic.  It was a blessing to drive out of the fog before reaching the Flint Hills with the road that winds and curves.

I was early enough to stop and grab a quick smoothie at The Granada Coffee Company.  This was a new stop for me and a delightful place.  The barista was super friendly and knew all of the locals by name.

My drive included seeing this historic bridge over the Cottonwood River on the south side of Emporia.  I learned later that the mini-water fall is over Soden's mill dam and the bridge is the 1923 Marsh Arch Bridge.

The Kansas history nerd in my loves this, especially with the fall foliage still hanging on and providing color in the background.

 Taking a moment to soak in the view and snap a couple of pictures was a great break.

 I cannot drive through Emporia and not stop at The Sweet Granada!  This gem serves up delicious chocolate treats in a beautiful building.

 The Pop-Choc came highly recommended by a high schooler in my presentation.  She works at the store and told me it was their best seller.  This is a delicious snack and may be at the top of my list.

 I loved this seasonal display!

 The Powercat treats were hard to resist and made me feel right at home.

 The case is full of every type of chocolate dipped confection you could imagine.  I picked up some of my husband's favorites - chocolate dipped graham crackers. 

Everything about this place is cute and the treats are delicious. I won't even talk about the fudge options - seasonal pumpkin pie.  Love.