If you start thinking that your week begins on Sunday, suddenly Monday's aren't so bad anymore- Day 26

My BFF, Mindy, said this to me this weekend, and how much of a difference that has made for me today! I had a fantastic weekend visiting her (and her baby bump!) despite the rainy weather all weekend and didn't want to leave! I had so much fun in fact, that I didn't pause to take a SINGLE PICTURE the entire weekend! Bad blogger! Now that I am blogging, I need to remember to have that camera in my hands at all times.

I arrived at her house Friday afternoon, and after surveying all the updates she has done to her house, we took off to go antique shopping in Leesburg. We went to an amazing shop, then I took up the rest of our time in the candle shop across the street. Have you heard of Swan Creek Candle Company? We have three stores (that I know of) around my area that carry some Swan Creek merchandise, but there is an outlet store in Leesburg and I was in candle heaven! If you have never heard of these candles, let me just tell you, they are made from American soy bean wax, and are the best smelling candles. I even prefer them over Yankee candles.

http://www.swancreekcandle.com/

I received my first one as a gift about two years ago, and it was in a decorative pottery jar, so not only do they smell divine, they look fantastic as well.  I had the hardest time on Friday deciding which scents to bring home with me, but I finally decided on a small Lavender candle for our bedroom, three Lilly of the Valley votives for the bathrooms, and a tall French Vanilla Bean for our kitchen. I also bought my first Christmas present, a tall Snickerdoodle candle for my mom.

Friday evening we ventured to downtown Mt. Dora and had dinner at the Saucy Spoon. I had the salmon which was served with roasted vegetables and grits. It was great! After a nice meal we rode up to the Mt. Dora Brewery. I had heard Mindy and her husband talk several times about the brewery, and I was excited to see first hand what the buzz was about.

Mount Dora Brewing

We sat out on the patio in the back of the brewery where we could have fresh air but still hear the music from inside. I tried the Rockin Rabbit Red, which is an Irish Red Ale made from organic ingredients including orange blossom honey. I am not usually a red ale kind of girl, but I enjoyed this one very much. You could definitely taste the honey.

Saturday we trekked down to Orlando to the Mall at Milena to make a stop in Pottery Barn Kids to check out some baby bedding Mindy had been eyeing online. We of course made many more stops, including a late and long lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen. We split pizza and an appetizer and yapped like we always do, but better since we were in person instead of over the phone.

Sunday we went to church and I assisted (rather poorly, I might add) while Mindy taught Sunday school to a rowdy group of first graders. Then we went to the service, which was fantastic, followed by lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. Then it was time to pack up my car and hit the road to head back home.

I love every second of my weekend with my best friend, specifically starting out my week beginning with Sunday morning at church. Watching those first graders learn about Moses and then listening to the Pastor speak about seeking God has made a big difference in my attitude this Monday morning. Today I am thankful for best friends. Even if we live 4 hours apart, she always finds a way to touch my heart and help make me a better person.

Thanks for a super weekend Mindy Sue! I can't wait to see you soon!

Do you have a long distance BFF? How often do you get to see each other?

Cheers,