Vacationing in Lancaster, PA ...

We're on the road! My friend, Terri and I ... we're in Lancaster, PA visiting, shopping, EATING, shopping ... ummmmmm, shopping ...

We left last Saturday morning, early ... 12 hours, lots and LOTS of laughs, and a few Starbucks later, we arrived in Lancaster. We're staying at a gorgeous hotel that our friend, Grace, manages and let me tell you, it's GORGEOUS. And for some reason ... too many pictures maybe???? ... I can't get the pictures to load in this posting. I'll post the pics though because I want you to see the Amish farm that we wake up to every morning ... the rooms are gorgeous, the view is gorgeous, the breakfast is FANTASTIC (can you believe it, I am eating YOGURT!!!!! Homemade by local Amish and it is absolutely incredible! And I don't eat yogurt! I'm so afraid to go home and never liking a store-bought yogurt. The stuff here at the hotel is oh so YUMMY!!! I'll miss it when we go home.)

Terri and I have had the most wonderful time visiting here ... our friend, Grace ... Grace is one of the sweetest people on the face of this earth -- TRULY! There isn't anything she hasn't thought of in the way of bringing peace, ease, and total comfort for Terri and I. Saying she is the hostess with the MOSTEST is such an understatement!! Grace, if you're reading this, you know what's in my heart and I can never, EVER thank you enough, girlfriend.

Terri and I rolled into town late Saturday night and after ooh'g and aah'g about our hotel suite, we hit the hay probably around midnight. Sunday morning found us getting up early and rolling up to Adamstown for extravaganza!!! We met up with Linda S. (my kindred spirit -- I love ya!!), visited a few antique shops, and Grace discovered that her favorite prim dealer has taken a break from selling. Poor Grace ... she was really heartbroken. She was able to spot a couple of this gal's pieces in another booth and they were veryyyyyyyyyyy nice. I could see why Grace was disappointed to find her gone. We all wandered down to Shupp's Grove to the outdoor antique market ... Lordy, was it HOT! Weird, hot, sunny weather! All of us got a bit of a sunburn ... but we also all found treasures! You'll see mine once I get home and get unpacked. It was a great day in the Grove and of course, I took NO pictures! I was so mad at myself when I realized what I had done. We had a late lunch at an Italian restaurant and I had my first Philly cheesesteak sandwich. YUM!!!!!!!!! We visited a couple of shops with some of the BEST early textiles! Wayyyyyyyyyyyyy outta my price range, but so FUN to look at and fondle a bit.

On Monday morning, Linda took us to an Amish farm ... it was beautiful there ... everything so neat and well-kept ...

We had a blast rooting through Mr. Esh's barns!!! Lots of treasures came home with each of us. A one-of-a-kind adventure with special friends ... special memories to be treasured forever ... hey, I don't go rooting through junk with just ANYBODY!!!!

I know I missed tons of treasures ... there was just too much to see ...

Terri found a treasure ... we each got one ... they're sunflowers ... see 'em??? I KNOW my hubby is gonna SUPER love this yard art! NOT!!!!! lol And believe me, he doesn't call it art ... I do ... but he doesn't ...

Look at that Grace go!!!!! She's on a mission!!!!

Linda had to leave us shortly after leaving the farm and Grace, Terri, and I continued our shopping in Intercourse, PA. We visited a great prim shop owned by a friend of Grace and Linda's, Julie. Great shop ... great owner!!!! You'll see pictures from a class that Grace arranged for us to take there soon. Grace treated Terri and I to lunch at a quaint little place where I had the most delicious chicken salad with orange marmalade and delicious homemade bread ... I don't think I've ever really EATEN orange marmalade ... always assumed I wouldn't like it I guess ... couldn't have been more wrong ... this stuff was INCREDIBLY delicious!!!! We wandered through a few shops ... I picked up apple butter for my work mates ... jellies for my son who loves the little variety boxes of home canned Amish jams and jellies ... he'll be thrilled when he sees what I've brought him. We went to a quilt shop, a wool/yarn shop with the yummiest hand dyed wool fabric and yarns, and a small antique mall. We finished out the evening at Grace's house making prim fly screens. Fun project and Grace's house is LOVELY!!! Perfect! Her vignettes are such fun to discover throughout her house. Her kitty, Casey, is a sweety ... and her hubby Jim ain't half bad either ... lol. The ride back to the hotel late at night on unfamiliar, windy backroads was, well ... let's just say it was interesting ...

Tuesday morning our friend, Kim, joined us ... she's the tiny one in the middle ... Terri's on the left ... and Grace is on the right ... guess it was about time I intro'd them, huh???? We wandered up to Hummelstown to the Olde Factory where we each found a few new treasures that we just HAD to have ...

and then wandered into the scrapbooking shop next door. I LOVE THIS SHOP!!!! Oy vey, there is just too darned much to look at!!!! It puts my entire brain into overdrive ... I'm completely overwhelmed here. Kim and I were able to find a few new papers for our next banner swap (SUMMER in vintage reds, yellows, and blues -- think Grandma's apron ... fun, fun). We talked to the owner about teaching a class when we're here next spring for the Prim & Rustic Gathering ... she showed us a few memory book projects that were so imaginative and creative!!!! I know the Gathering galz would love this project!!!! And the prices she quoted seemed veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy reasonable too.

We finished our day with a trip to Primitives by Kathy and an Amish dinner buffet where I ate ENTIRELY TOO MUCH!!!! It was all so darned GOOD! I couldn't stop!!!

Our evening entertainment was a class at the prim shop Family Creations. Grace arranged for a class where we made painted and distressed paper mache boxes with grubby labels and a fabric pin cushion on top. Loved the class ... love the finished project!

Here we all are taking our class ... starting front left we have Teryn, Linda, Terri, Kim in the center back, Grace, and Susan Byrd, and then what should have been Teryn's sweet daughter, Nikki that I cut off on my right ... I'm an AWFUL photographer and am eternally grateful that I do not have to attempt making a living at taking pictures ... I STINK at it!!!

Here we all are with our finished projects (see Nikki in the back row, third from the left? Cutie patootie, huh???? A truly sweet, sweet spirit that kid. I really enjoyed sitting between her and her mom, Teryn. They have a special relationship that is really refreshing.) This was my first time meeting Susan Byrd. She's beautiful ... inside and out ... and soooooo very talented ...

So here we are on Wednesday (was that REALLY only YESTERDAY?????) ... this picture is for you, Linda T.!!!!! Yum, yum, YUMMY candles at the Cinnamon Stick ... we all took many, many whiffs for you, girl!!!!!

The Cinnamon Stick shop!!!! The owner, Judy and my girls. FANTASTIC prim shop! And Judy is just tooooooooooooo sweet!!!! Loved our time there!!!

Off we go to the shop next door ... Homespun. Yet another incredible shop! Stocked to the hilt with yummy hand dyed wools and reproduction fabrics and set in an old general store with all the shelves and built-ins still there. Be still my wooly prim lovin' heart!!!!!

A wonderful display of antique sewies ... back wall loaded with wools ... by this point I'm thinking I might just die and go straight to wooly heaven ...

The owner, Kay, is a doll. I chatted with her about teaching a needlefelting class for the Gathering next year ... she was very excited about it ... I will definitely be in touch with her in the coming weeks.

We ended our shopping day with a trip to Burkholder's Fabrics ... we enjoyed browsing through all the fabrics and selecting a fat quarter for a swap we're going to do.

We ended the day with a delicious spaghetti dinner at Grace's house (I told you she was the hostess with the MOSTEST!!!!) and a fun-filled night crafting together. I'll post pictures of our projects when I get home and unpack ... Terri's poor car is pretty filled at this point ... I think we could almost open a prim shop in there! ha ha

Today's our last day and we shopped until we dropped today ... ATI, Keystone, Flower and Craft ... supplies, supplies, SUPPLIES!!!! And a special trip to Carson's in the Cornfields ... a really unique shop filled with architectural pieces and parts ... anything and everything ... it's all available here. We really enjoyed getting new junk ideas ... creative and whimsical ... a fun afternoon that ended with a nice lunch at a quaint little restaurant I have no idea where ...

It will be sad to leave in the morning ... this area and the people in it have really stolen my heart ...

We leave in the morning and drive 9 hours west to see our friend, Jackie. I haven't seen her since last June and I can't WAIT to give her a hug and maybe pull a stitch or two with her ...