I have a well known love of antiques. Any kind really, i'd kill for the nice stuff, but the old junky stuff usually laying out in the yard or the flea market is the kind that really holds a special place in my heart. What I wouldn't give to spend my days searching for fabulous pieces and carefully placing them in a shop of my own, but that is a whole other epilogue. So my favorite "local" place is Star Mill in American Fork. I love everything about it including the ecclectic owner Daniel that I could spend hours talking to. He has a story for everything. So I get his monthly card and it says there is going to be a Santa Parade, the same day I had decided to take my kids down and take their pictures on his property (he charges a whopping $15 and it is photography paradise). So we get up and go down in the morning to check out this parade, and I stumbled into the most magical morning. It really was a parade. There was a float and 4 fire engine and then Santa and Mrs. Claus were brought in on a sleigh pulled by beautiful horses. They were escorted into the old house on the property which is also filled with antiques and we waited in line to go in and see the "real" Santa. The kids got to sit on his lap and we took our own pictures and they gave out big candy sticks. He had tables EVERYWHERE of used children's books and the kids got to take as many as they wanted home. There was hot Chocolate and a beautiful old Fire Truck that they gave rides around the block on as well. It was the perfect family outing, like something out of a novel. We went Christmas shopping after then home to get dressed for pictures and pick up Capone. Then back for our "unprofessional" shoot, and dinner at Cafe Rio after. Great Memory, thanks Daniel.
