Bloggers' Night Out with Gardner Village: A Recap

This is the second year that I've had the opportunity to spend an evening at Gardner Village with several professional bloggers. And this year was just as magical as last year.

 (Source: Gardner Village)

Gardner Village is a quaint little collection of shops in small cottages with stores ranging from candy, to quilts, to home decor, to books, to clothing, and even a bakery and a restaurant. During the month of October you'll find the place magically transformed for Halloween. "Witch Fest" is a popular attraction for many in the area. If you choose to visit in October, be sure to join in on the Witch Scavenger hunt in which you try to locate all the different witches on the property. The witches are both live and hidden statues making this activity extra fun for both adults and children.

 (Source: Eric Dowdle Folk Art)

This year for the "Bloggers Night Out," we had the opportunity to hear from the amazing puzzle painter Eric Dowdle. Well known for his beautiful art, Eric has transformed many of his paintings into puzzles. Each blogger received their own signed copy of his "Witch Fest" puzzle (as shown in the Witch Fest graphic above). One of the highlights of the night was Eric sharing his insight into having confidence as an artist. "No one sits in art school and imagines they will grow up to paint puzzles," he said. But he has learned to have confidence as a self-trained and successful artist. You can find all of Eric's work HERE on his amazing website. I was truly inspired by his presentation and have lots of new ideas I want to try with my own art now.

After an amazing spread put on by "My Craft Channel," we were free to roam the grounds to shop, take photos, and interact with other bloggers. Shopping at Gardner Village (even if it's just window shopping) is always a delight.

Since I'm always on the lookout for items to redecorate my home, I often visit the following shops:

(Source: Country Furniture and Gifts)

(Source:  The Village Quilt Shop)

The displays provide endless inspiration for color combinations, fabric choices, and more.

If you're look for an inspirational fabric shop, then be sure to check out "Pine Needles" which is full of beautiful fabrics, quilt patterns, fat quarters, and more.

(Source: Pine Needles)

Always after I've done a little shopping for myself at some of the fabulous stores such as "Aunt Elsie's Trinkets and Treasures," or "The Posh Peddler" I'll grab a few bags of candy from "Sweet Afton's Candy" to bring home to the kids. You can fill bags with treats ranging from holiday colored Sixlets to specialty flavored taffy.

(Source: Sweet Afton's Candy)

The night ended with several generous giveaways from the Gardner Village shops and "My Craft Channel." You can watch this charming video about our experience here:



This is an event I look forward to every year. Getting to meet other women who blog and spend my night at Gardner Village is my idea of a good time. If you're in the Salt Lake area, be sure to take a side trip to this delightful place! You won't be disappointed.

Thank you to both Gardner Village and My Craft Channel for a truly amazing night!