Time for the annual Christmas shopping trip in Orange County—but first, a little detour because I'm craving dim sum. I've never actually been to Chinatown, but it's pretty much what I expected. Not so many women whose daughters are their sisters, though.
Lunchtime at the Empress Pavilion! Wow, where do I begin?
Waiting for Rob outside one of the mini-markets. Hang on, guys—liberation is on the way!
Well, we couldn't dally too much, but we did swing by the local wishing fountain on the way out. Seems pretty specialized, what with specific targets for such things as luck, health, and peace. Unfortunately, we couldn't find one marked "miracle"; I think more than a few of us wouldn't mind one of those these days...
Next stop: Downtown Disney! Rainforest Cafe being close to the parking lot, we thought we'd hit the gift store first for possible stocking stuffers.
This is why character heads never make a credible fashion statement.
Rob being indecisive, though, I eventually decided it'd be easier if I just waited for him in the restaurant.
Yo, barkeep! What's a rabbit gotta do to get a Green Python around here?
The first round of purchases finally made, we beelined to the Lego Imagination Center. Here again it was easier just to let Rob do the legwork while I hung out at the play tables. Hmm, what should I build? Oh, I know...
Kill, my minion, kill.
Also: Go forth, my other minion. But take your inhaler.
Marceline's Confectionary. There is a God.
Okay, on my mark—go.
Unfortunately, that was all the time we had for Anaheim—we wanted to get to the Sawdust Art Festival while there was still daylight. Time for the jacket; it gets cold in Laguna Beach in December!
Like any arts and crafts fair, Sawdust is basically a maze of vendor booths, hawking everything from handmade clothes and jewelry to ceramics, glassware, and metalworking. Where to begin—this way?
That way?
Never mind—the food stands call! Everybody's gotta tried a fried Twinkie sometime, right?
And we couldn't very well do Sawdust without visiting Missy Belland's booth! If you remember from our last visit, Missy was in one of Rob's favorite bands, Voice Of The Beehive, and has since branched out into making handcrafted fairy figures. And among her latest offerings? Bunny-size fairy wands! Thanks, Missy! Not for nothing is "Monsters And Angels" still a popular song in our household.
Next on the tour is Fashion Island in Newport Beach. I've been here outside of the Christmas trips and it's always been pretty busy, especially during the holidays. I figured it'd be interesting to see firstpaw what effect the recession has had on an upscale mall such as this, if any...
...where is everyone?
Well, that doesn't diminish our need for gifts—while Rob was pricing stuff at the toy store, I thought I'd check out their selection of Schleich animal figures. Gotta make sure we're adequately represented, you know?
Hmm. Do you have anything...woodsy?
After dinner, our final stop was Roger's Gardens in Corona Del Mar, just a stone's throw from Fashion Island. Roger's goes all out at Christmas—the outdoor lights are just the tip of the iceberg.
...see? Some trees are decorated by color, others by theme—all the ornaments will be musical instruments or animals or nautical-related, say—but the bottom line is that even I have to maneuver carefully I don't want to bump something breakable. And expensive.
You like nutcrackers? 'Cause we got nutcrackers. Big nutcrackers, little nutcrackers, simple nutcrackers, fancy nutcrackers, all kinds of nutcrackers here on this table. You don't see one you like? We have other tables. Nutcrackers, nutcrackers, nutcrackers!
Or—in case you've forgotten we're in a coastal state—how about seashell wreaths? How many you need? One? Twelve? Let's go with twelve.
Ah, Santa, I knew there was something I liked about you. But then I saw the $1,475 tag and fainted...
Luckily, that was pretty much it for the annual tour anyway; it was time to go home and rest. I don't know about you, but for us it's been a crazy year in some regards; I can only wonder what the next one will bring.
Happy 2010! It kind of needs to be at this point.
