Fall is one of my favorite times to do a little window shopping! It’s still warm enough to comfortably stroll the streets but crisp enough to get me in the mood for the first thoughts of Christmas! So yesterday some friends and I squeezed in a trip to a nearby city that I REALLY need to visit more frequently…Ann Arbor, Michigan. Home to The University of Michigan, this place is filled with excitement everywhere you go! Such a fun place to shop, eat–and shop and eat some more! And even though we were limited on time…we definitely weren’t limited on fun! AND I’m happy to say I even got a jump-start on my holiday shopping! If you’ve never had a chance to explore this wonderfully vibrant town I would definitely encourage you to check it out…whether with friends, family, or go it alone–it’s a trip worth taking!
an afternoon of awesome…
i was hoping to get some holiday inspiration on this quick trip…and i wasn’t disappointed! one of my FAVORITE things was that many of the shops and eateries had their windows painted with colorful Christmas scenes! not only did it look adorable but it really unified the entire street with holiday cheer!
some simple elegance…
but my all-time fave…
it looks like my truck–so how could i not love this one!?
at our first stop we found the most amazing candles…smells like Christmas!
and the most wonderful nail polish by Smith & Cult! not only do the bottles look like little works of art but with color names like “dirty baby”, “shattered souls”, and “cut the mullet” we just couldn’t resist trying…and buying some for our holiday fingers & toes!
we ALL left with a bag!
so colorful…
there’s something to see everywhere you look as you stroll the streets…
so many sweet shops filled with gifts and stocking-stuffers galore…
a quick lunch…
shrimp salad…yum!
…and back to shopping!
this store had the most adorable kids stuff you can imagine!
see what i mean?
and this next one was simply amazing…
bikes…
books…
and leather goods…displayed in the most awesome wall unit!
another bonus–when you walk downstairs you can play games and mingle…
AND have cider & doughnuts…how could it get any better?
even though we only scratched the surface of Ann Arbor…that’s now a reason to return! and as we drove off i happened to snap a quick pic in the car of a couple getting their picture taken by a photographer. i thought it was so sweet and so lucky that it actually turned out!
and that sort of summed up our autumn outing!