the softer side of michigan city

long time readers may recall my trip to michigan city last year.  that visit was all about quirky antique shops (at least for me.  for most of the party guests, including dear mr. happy stuff, the trip was actually about college basketball.  pah.) but this year, we decided to take the vacation a different direction.  first of all, a visit to the spa where we learned that they were having a sale all month long where every spa service was half price.  (!)  so of course, i couldn’t resist getting my first hot stone massage (which was lovely and warm and made me want to buy a bunch of smooth rocks to keep in a crockpot full of warm water at my house….)

and my favorite–a pedicure (i went with a lovely bronze polish color)!

we couldn’t resist a wee bit of antiquing:

loved this old optician’s sign!

this was the creepy find of the day–an old coin bank that (we think) exposed herself if you put money in the coin slot.  hmmm…  maybe it would lose a bit of the creepy factor if her hair wasn’t so desperately ratty and if her “towel” weren’t skin toned…

let’s clear the palate a bit, shall we?

aw, that’s sweet, isn’t it?

the rest of the trip featured marathons of bananagrams, a yoga class (where my friend and i were the only two participants to show up, so we got our own “private” lesson!  it was the perfect mix of relaxing and stretching myself just beyond the normal limit.  sadly, i forgot to take any photos…), a trip to the local art institute to see an exhibit about animation:

i went to this on my own and apparently i interrupted the set-up for a wedding reception.  i ended up going in a back door with the caterer.  no one seemed to mind that i was there and i enjoyed seeing these little cartoons and how they came into existence.

and the weather was so beautiful (not like last year’s snow!) that we were actually able to spend some time outside exploring the beach.

the stones on the beach there were lovely–very smooth, some very thin, some like small relief map stacks of layered rock…..  i also liked this modern looking flower skeleton that was right outside the beachhouse door:

thanks again, friends, for inviting us to join you for this annual pilgrimage.  i laughed a lot and felt like i knew everyone a little better this year.  i’m looking forward to next march already!  (i can’t believe i forgot to get a picture of the boobah on his death valley skull throne!  oh well.  i’m sure he’ll make an appearance next year…)