Waking up in Lancaster County, Pa is heaven to me.

This morning ~ I had to be headed home to Connecticut by 11am to give me time to stop at the Amish farms along the way to buy produce to bring home.
I decide to take a ride on one of the Amish Buggies before leaving.
The driver was raised Amish with his 7 brothers and sisters but left the sect when he became a man.
He has a great love for the people and land ~ paired with a very honest view of some of the downfalls.
It was such interesting conversation!

Here we are riding down the country lanes.

This is a tobacco field.The Amish are allowed to smoke pipes but not cigarettes because the "english people"do.

English is their term for anyone who is not Amish.

If you are not Amish ~ to them you are "english."

Much of the dairy produced in Lancaster County is sold to Hersey Candy Corp in Hershey, Pa.

Right now ~ the farmers are loosing money selling to them but don't mind.

They realize for many years they made a great deal of money.

They are such fair minded people.

This farm has been in the same family since the land was sold to them by William Penn in I believe the 1700's ~ according to our buggy driver.

This is one of the shops in Bird In Hand ~ just down the road from Intercourse.

My favorite pottery shop in Intercourse located in the Kitchen Kettle shopping area.

I always try to buy a tiny vase or pansy pot when I am here.

This is the front of the Best Western in Intercourse, Pa.

When my children were little ~ we always got a suite here with a kitchen but only used it to make popcorn at night!

They used to play right there in that buggy......oh the sweet memories.

Unlike most motel-hotels ~ the restaurant here is visited mostly by local Mennonite and Amish instead of tourists.

It is my favorite place to eat in this entire area.

Just fabulous local home cookin'!!!

wanna know a secret dream of mine?

To one day~ live in Lancaster County on property with a main house and 2 or 3 cottages I can rent to vacationers.

The idea of fixing a special room for guest ~ adding loving touches ~ and letting those far from home feel loved just makes my blood overflow with joy!!!

(I found out a few years ago I had Mennonite ancestors that lived in that area.I really believe it is in my blood.)

Beautiful Quilts at The Peoples Place Museum in Intercourse, Pa.

Whenever I am on my way home to Connecticut from anywhere south of the Mason -Dixon Line ~ you know I just gotta stay the night in my beloved Intercourse, Pa.
Sweet, beautiful Amish Country ~ there is nothing I don't LOVE about it!

I always visit The Peoples Place Quilt Museum and Fabric Shop ~

http://www.ppquiltmuseum.com/

which happens to be directly across the street form the Inn I always stay in.
Please enjoy these wonderful quilts that are part of the current collection ~

When you least expect it,

a common thread

~ golden, at that ~

begins to weave together

the fabric of friendship.

mary kay shanley

FYI ~ I used this cool setting I just discovered on my Canon Camera called STITCH to get the nice angle shots

Moo Cards

My Moo Cards arrived ~
and I LOVE THEM!!!
Don't know what a Moo card is you say?


It is a cool mini card that measures just 2 3/4" by 1" and is printed in the UK.
You get 100 in a set for $20.00 plus about $5.00 shipping. (try this code for 15% off ~ B9UA6R)
I purchased a cool case that goes on my keyring for $5.00 so they are handy to give out.
You download your own pic's ~ up to 100 ~ and fit them in the card the way you want.
(it's very easy and FUN!)
You decide what info you want on the back ~ here's what mine say ~

"For God so LOVED the world..." John 3:16
Terri's ThreadArt
crazy quilt artist and other thread art
tthreadart@aol.com
lavenderbetweenthecracks.blogspot.com

You can use them for any kind of marketing, business card, special event ~
hey ~ I feel like a MOO card salesman!
Check out the site for yourself ~
http://us.moo.com/en/

Make Your Own " Metal Look House " Number Plaque

I have wanted one of these cast iron house signs for so long but they are quite pricey.  My budget is $10.00 ~ let's try to make one for less than that!

I found an oval wood plaque from Walmart ~ on clearance for .50 cents.

Paint your wooden plaque with 3 coats of black craft paint.
Paint a ring of silver accent color around the outer edge of your wooden plaque.

I didn't have a paint brush so used a Q tip - giving it a bit of a worn look that I like.If you want nice crisp lines ~ go with the brush.

The letters were purchased at Lowe's for under $10.00.

Screw those in and you are done!

(Try not to strip the screws ~ like I did on the one at the top of the seven)

Blog Giveaway

Wouldn't you love a chance to win this beautiful Bird's Nest Charm?
Hurry and join me by going right to Pat Winter's Blog http://gatherings100.blogspot.com/
and enter your name in the hat!

White Flower Farm, Lichfield, Ct.

Let's take a stroll through the garden.

If you listen closely ~
you'll hear the many songs of the abundant bird population here at White Flower Farm.

Let's visit my garden while we're at it ~

I've been gathering seed's from the Lupines to share with you.

This is a well used shed at the bottom of my yard ~

surrounded by an old picket fence that was ready to go to the dump.

Maybe next year I'll paint it ~ but for now I am embracing the chipped paint.

Looking up to the house from the shed area at the bottom of the yard.

"May I live in a small house with a big garden ,
A few friends and many books may I pocess -
Both wise, both true and both delightful." A. Cowley