Man, I needed that......

What do you get when you have one Dianna Phelps + two of the best friends of said Dianna Phelps + wine + a charming cabin on the mountain + the threat of bears + great conversation + handmade notecard making + plenty of laughter????  I'll tell you what you get.....you get the best damn weekend of 2010 and quite possibly the best weekend of Dianna Phelps' entire almost 28 years of life.

Helen, Toya and I ventured to Mena, Arkanasas last weekend for some much needed time away from the craziness that is life.  We talked, laughed and sang (Helen, you have the voice of an angel!) all the way to the cabin on Friday night.  Once we arrived, we drank wine and stayed up talking until the wee hours of the morning.  It was fantastic and made me think of sleepovers I used to have with my friends when I was 10, sans the wine of course and no one froze anybody's panties! :)

On Saturday, Helen enjoyed a trek into the "city" for a massage while Toya and I explored life outside the cabin - climbing a tree house, trying to find a trail to take us to the top of the mountain and keeping vigilant watch for the bears that Helen warned like to make appearances. It was divine.

(Note: Toya can WORK IT even in a tree house!)

In the afternoon, we took a trip into Mena for lunch and a little shopping and then we took a drive up the mountain to take in the wonder of it all. 

The rest of the evening was filled with more wine, handmade note card making (and I aint gonna lie, we have mad notecard making skills) and dinner at the Chopping Block.

The next morning we traveled back up the mountain and had breakfast at the lodge and took in the last of the beautiful scenery. Then, traveled back to reality - home.

The weekend was magical and refreshing and simply lovely. It was the kind of weekend that fuels you and makes you feel like you can make it through the coming weeks/months filled with the craziness until you can experience another weekend or moment that brings with it peace and quiet and refreshment.

I'm so blessed to have such amazing friends in my life. Especially in the form of one Toya Tucker and one Anastasia Beaverhausen. Thank you both for being so fabulous, so encouraging and so kind. The world needs more people like the both of you.