Window displays.

I was completely in love with Nordstrom's Christmas decorations this year! When I got out of my car and approached the University mall for the first time, my mouth fell open ... like a jaw dropping open, and I said, "OH MY GOSH! Look at the windows!"

Then we walked into the store and I said, "OH MY GOSH! Look at the chandeliers! Look at the garlands! I want them! Where is my camera?" (That is when I told myself it is a must to get a pocket sized digital camera. But I forgot to ask Santa and he was the only hope I had of getting one, darn it.)

Well, yesterday, I had taken the day off of work so I could watch my little Libby. I decided that we could head down south and take a road trip (with a baby, errands turn into a road trip with all the preparations necessary to get in the car and go), and get some things done.

Chloe was home too so we made a list of all the things we needed to do in that area so we could "kill" lots of birds (not the cute birds in the Nordstrom Christmas displays) with one stone. She needed new sheets for school and I had seen a kiosk at the Orem mall selling Egyptian cotton sheets valued at $80, for $22 ... so that was first on the list.

1 - Get Chloe sheets for college.
2 - Take pictures at the Sweet Tooth Fairy for blog.
3 - Stop by Jacksons and see their Christmas decorations.
4- Take pictures of the Nordstrom window displays.
5 - Return unused Christmas candle to Deseret Book.

We decided to go to the South Towne mall first because I had a picture idea at that mall too ... but as we headed north, there must have been an accident because we had only gone as far as one exit in 40 minutes. That was WAY too much time to be spent in the car, using up valuable baby sleep time, so we got off, only to see nothing but red brake lights for miles ahead of us.

I said, "Let's forget about South Towne. We should have just gone to Provo first." (Who knew?)

So about 45 minutes after our start time, we turned around to back track and head south on I-15.

We went to the Sweet Tooth Fairy first - they were closed on Mondays.

I couldn't reach the Jacksons on either phone so I called my mom to see if they had gone up to Sundance. They hadn't, but she did tell me they had gone to Ephriam and would not be home all day. Strike two.

When we drove up to the mall, the Nordstrom windows had big red "Men's Half Yearly Sale" signs in them instead of the cute tree trio, covered in snow, with adorable figures of birds and a little fox standing by fleece clad mannequins. (Are you kidding me?)

Sadly, and very disappointed, I walked into the mall and headed toward the kiosk that sold the sheets. On the way, we passed the Information desk so I asked where the Deseret Book store was. The clerk said, "Oh, they are no longer in this mall. They have moved down by the theaters." (Say what?)

The Egyptian cotton sheet stand had a big sign on it too - it read, "Available." Apparently it was there strictly for pre-Christmas buying.

If I was three, that would have been where I started crying and layed down on the mall floor until my mother picked me up and starting consoling me with things like, "It's okay ... Let's go get a donut at Krispy Kreme ... C'mon, let's go get a pretzel dog at Pretzelmaker ... I will make you some hot chocolate and put you in front of a movie when we get home."

As we were walking back through Nordstrom, having (in my opinion) wasted a lot of time and energy for nothing, I said to Chloe, "Let's go put some stuff on Libby and take pictures."

It completely changed the mood. We were busting up. And I have laughed everytime I have looked at the pictures since. I think this is what the expression "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is all about.