Llunarllama and I got the chance to see the Dalai Lama in Indianapolis today. We drove down Thursday night for a Friday morning public talk. Some of the monks stayed in our hotel and took advantage of the continental breakfast.

That dot of red on stage … that’s the Dalai Lama! The experience was very cool. I have never seen him live and it was awe inspiring. His talk was pretty basic, only scraping the surface of Buddhist principles, but I think that’s to be expected at such an open venue. Overall the trip was totally worth it!

UPDATE: Go here for the pictures: http://twitpic.com/1noatn & http://twitpic.com/1nolae.

When in Vegas, I also wanted to take some little memories home. I typically have about five minutes in between events to actually go shopping so I took some time Friday morning before my flight to take a gander in the gift shops at the Hilton. I came across this wee little scooter. Adorable! I had to have it. It evens out the VW bug on the chotchke shelf.

Another adorable keepsake is this Kimmidoll. Say hello to Sachi! Sachi, representing joy, delivers this message: “My spirit enriches and uplifts. By embracing my spirit and approaching everything in life with passion and enthusiasm, you can make even the simple and ordinary, memorable and enjoyable.” I have to admit, after looking at the website and how many different choices there are in the line, I’m glad that the store only had a handful. I would NOT have been able to choose just one!

If the theme of this blog didn’t make it obvious, I love cherry blossom designs. When I saw this business card holder not only in the cherry blossom design but with dragonflies to boot, I had to have it. It comes with a leather carrying case as well, to prevent the metal from scratching (which is what happened to my first business card holder).

Next stop? The airport at a little shop called Wild Gekko. Featuring a variety of Native American gifts, I came across this pair of dreamcatcher earrings. I had a pair before that got tinged when I tried to clean it—I most likely used the wrong cleaner. I couldn’t pass this pair up. They’re actually smaller than my original pair and will match a necklace and bracelet to match.

Wild Gekko also had smudging sage! Recently I tried to smudge with lavender, which worked OK, but wasn’t quite right. So I was especially excited to come across the smudging sage already ready. Sage is said to be the most purifying and traditional of smudging herbs to cast away bad omens and spirits from the home and yourself. I look forward to smudging my apartment this weekend.

For my last stop, I passed by a store with the signs “Everything is $10.” Why, yes, I’d like to look. I came across these pashmina scarves that look pretty decent AND don’t smell—sometimes they smell. I bought a white one for myself and a burgundy one for a friend. And did I mention it was $10! Score!

Mom and me at the beach.

Hello Michigan beach and sunset. Oh and Happy Birthday Mom!

I spent the weekend up in Michigan with my mom and her close friends in this beach house they rent every year. They’ve been going for 12 years now, so it feels like I’m coming home every time I go up there. This is a view from the porch of the yard.

On our last day in Atlanta, we spent checking out some of the local shops. I picked up this cute necklace and the wallet/purse.

I also found this pretty dress for only $40! Good thing nothing else I found at the store fit quite right because I may have bought everything in sight, otherwise!

Chris almost found a hat for all of her Georgian events but decided against it.

We had dinner at The Orient Express where we had sushi. I had some really delicious things, including the Crispy Roll, which I’ll be having again. And then I was off on my plane back. It was a short, but fun, trip.

After a good night’s rest and an awesome breakfast, we headed off to Knitch, my only Atlanta requirement. I bought this yarn to make a remembrance item from the trip. I really wanted something locally dyed but apparently that just wasn’t in the cards. The store was really quite cute but had mostly major yarn companies in stock.

Then we were off to midtown to the Georgia Aquarium where we saw river otters, beluga whales and jellyfish.

Then it was off to the World of Coca-Cola. I have to say the Taste It section was my favorite part. I particularly liked a Stoney Tangawizi from Africa that tasted like real ginger soda. I didn’t even have any Coke there.

After that we headed to Mary Mac’s Tea Room, an establishment that has been open since 1945. Known for their fried chicken, I, of course, had their fried chicken along with a hurricane. It was all very delicious.