Crafter & Laughter

My crafty-soul-sister, Jenny, and I headed on a Craft Pilgrimage from Lancaster to Philadelphia today and it was glorious, eventful and exhausting! !

First Stop: Floral & Craft Warehouse, Blue Ball, PA (giggle!)

I loved this place because...well....it's a Craft Warehouse. Need I say more? We arrived nice and early and got sucked into a time vortex of knitting, beads, scrapbook paper, sparkly bits and vintage inspired buttons. We emerged as if in a Rip-VanWinklian state (did 2 hours just elapse)? Yes it did. I scored: Some luscious mustard yellow beads to string a necklace, some gaudy baubles for the girls' combined birthday party and this delightful polka-dot felt.


Commute: We were almost run down by a very aggressive semi. He was swerving in and out of cars and tailgating at no more than 2-3 feet from our back end. Jenny gave someone the finger for the first time in her life...then called her husband to let him know. (Yes, I got her permission to write that).

Second Stop: Tony Luke's, South Philly, PA

Waited in the cold for our Philly Cheesesteaks. Jenny decided to go authentic since it was her first real Cheesesteak ever...hated the Whiz after two bites and instead demolished my french fries. We brought the extra sandwich home for Matt who exclaimed, "How could anybody NOT finish this?" I scored: a Cheesesteak...Whiz...Wit'.

Commute: Headed to a gas station to fill up and spotted an oasis in front of the Wawa...Girl Scouts!!! We practically mauled them in our over-excitement. I scored: Thin Mints, baby!


Third Stop: Ikea, South Philly, PA

Another first for Jenny. By this time we were starting to realize our time was running out, but how do you tear someone away from their first visit to Ikea? We made a new discovery (which may, in fact, be common knowledge) that Ikea sells fabric. And it was SO freakin' cute too. I loaded my cart, then paired down later when I realized I was going to single handedly bankrupt my family and double the GNP of Sweden. I scored: A new paper lamp for the girls' room, the quintessential multi-colored Ikea kids' cups and a warm cinnamon roll on the way out.

Commute: We arrive at our next destination and cannot find a parking space on the very un-plowed streets. Jenny spots one and tells me to pull in, I think there is too much snow, but she insists....I think you can guess what happened next. We got stuck in snow with our tail end obstructing street traffic. Within 20 seconds the man in the car behind us had come to the front of our car and was trying to push us out. Then 3 other men joined him and finally we made it out. As my heart was filling with the warmth of being the recipient of a selfless good deed by a true heart, the man who helped us barked, "Straighten your wheels, keep driving and GO BACK TO DELAWARE!" (the plates on our new car are not yet switched over). Thanks for your help sir....kind of.

Fourth Stop: Spool Sewing, Central Philly

This is a delightful little fabric shop on a busy street in Philly which is often frequented by Jay McCarroll, Project Runway's Season I winner (no sign of him today though). This turned out to be a cozy little shop, filled with luscious fabrics from my favorite fabric designers like Michael Miller, Erin McMorris and Heather Bailey. Jenny went a bit hog wild, composing symphonies of fabric combinations for quilts yet un-sewn. I scored: The greatest little pack of Fat Quarters in mustard yellow and nutshell brown.

Whew! What a day!

We returned home...
exhausted,
happy,
and
devoid of disposable income!