It finally looks like Spring is finally arriving in PA! The snow geese are stopping over at Middle Creek Wildlife Preserve-the sounds from the sky are wonderful to hear! The forecast is 50-60's for the next week-yes! I know Margaret,you are probably in t-shirt and shorts-we soon will be. It is time to start planning garden and yard work! I love it!
Coming from PA, I have to agree, Spring is in the air... FINALLY! I'm ready for the warm days and cool nights that only Spring can bring. To me, not only does Spring mean little flowers popping through the dirt and warm days and cool nights, but also the *yard sales* and *flea markets* will be in full bloom soon and that means doing what I like best .. looking for Pfaltzgraff! Welcome Spring!
This is just so wonderful! I agree about the yard sales and flea markets-it is time! I sat outside for quite a while talking to my sister. Then I walked around the muddy yard thinking about some changes I want to make! It does the heart good!I have 60 degrees right now!
We made mid-50's today and although that is suppose to last here through the next few days, they are calling for thunder storms all weekend. I am itching to get out in the yard and blow all those leaf piles out... that I blew out several times last fall... and that kept sneaking back in!
I spent the weekend..(40's and 50's) outside raking and cleaning up the bare yard. Got to see a few of my green things poking their heads out. It was SO nice! Woke up this morning to 20's and SNOW! It has been coming down all day, and "it just ain't right"...I know...New England!
A high of 78 last weekend here in VA. Hubby has tilled the garden plot numerous times in anticipation. Speaking of flea markets....I went to my favorite last Sunday & found a very small folk art bowl that I didn't already have in my collection. I also found a Lancaster County pie plate in folk art 3 weeks ago while in where else Lancaster County looking to buy bedroom furniture. We found a Mennonite farm with a big sign out front, this fellow had no other means of advertisement except for this sign & of course I spoke of the internet with him for awhile. He has a beautiful catalog that no one can see unless they find him by chance driving by & I told him he should put that catalog online with his contact info & he seemed open to it, I hope he does, he's very talented. The furniture will be delivered by mid-May. At first I though I would decorate my new bedroom in folk art colors, figuring I already have the lamps, but, decided I had enough rooms in those colors & sooooooo the bedroom will be in America colors!!! So it would be so nice to have 2 America lamps
HAPPY,HAPPY second day of Spring to all! It feels like Spring in Lancaster County,PA. The Fire Companies are having their mud sales, yard sales are popping up here and there,the tulips and daffodils are budding and the grass is showing some green! It is surely a blessed time!
I keep dreaming of being at my first & many more mud sales. I've the schedule, but no time for travel. Mike worries I'd get hooked...I know he would really love it because I think he was amish in a previous life.
Mud sales are consignment auctions which many of the local fire companies host in this area. The fire company charges a certain percentage of each item sold-the proceeds help sustain the fire company throughout the year. We have all volunteer fire companies and they do this as a fundraiser. You can sell your unwanted items and help the fire company at the same time. They sell anything-farm equipment, horses,storage sheds,antiques,shrubs,flowers,household items,lawn furniture,tools,building materials,new items-even junk! If you are looking for something,chances are you can find it! Many of the fire companies are very well supported by the local Amish and the food is great! It is worth while stopping by just to have a meal! Each fire company has a set Sat. each year they hold their sale. Oh the reason they are called mud sales-they are held nearly any Sat. starting in mid-February through April,they are held rain or shine and many times there is lots of MUD! If it rains the fields are muddy-if it is sunny,the ground is thawing and it is still muddy! Thus the name Mud sales! You wear old shoes or boots and warm, grubby clothes because you know nothing will stay clean! It is lots of fun and they are very well attended,many people travel great distances to these sales. If you get to Lancaster County,PA in the early Spring stop by-it is amazing what you can find!
Hi Ladies, My Amish bedroom furniture was delivered last month & I recently received a thank you note from the fella who made it all happen. I noticed on the back of the card a website address....so he did decide a website would be a good idea!!! Unfortunately I can't post pics here or anywhere so here's the link to a picture of what I bought from him. I bought the whole set + an armoire that's not pictured. If anyone is ever in that area looking for furniture & want to make a good investment he's the one to go to.
Your furniture is beautiful-I am familiar with the area,but not the company. I will have to ask my son-in-law,he knows many of the Amish and Mennonites from the area.
Thanks for the compliments! Deb currently the bedding is my old Ralph Lauren comforter. I've been looking at pics online & ebay for ideas on quilt styles. I can't find anything close enough to match America colors & am having a hard time visualizing what I do like in the right colors. I will have to make my own, but am so lazy right now & would rather get my supplies together to work on copper punch pictures for the house. I am considering ebay to purchase squares already pre-cut & try something in a 9 block pattern done in golds, blues, burgundys & browns...again I'm being lazy. I did buy 2 America lamps from Liz & it is awesome, I also have a 4 plate black iron horizontal rack above the headboard with 2 chargers & 2 dinner plates displayed. It's looking good, but, really really need the quilt.
There are many Amish quilt shops in Lancaster County also! I am sure you could find something! My daughter and I were at the outlets on Saturday and stopped at a shop we frequent in Intercourse,along the way we passed a quilt shop that had a beautiful quilt hanging outside. It had many shades of brown and tans worked into it-it was pretty dark-but really caught my eye as we passed! We are doing vacation close to home this year for something different-we are going to spend a day going shopping in all the beautiful little shops along Rt 340 and 30. My daughter lives about 15 minutes from the area,on the outskirts of New Holland. There is so much sight-seeing and fun things to do and we never take time to do it-so this is part of vacation this year!
KatieLiz~~I think you are the same lady over at Christine's forum! Alot of whoopie pie talk over there huh? Over the years I've seen many Amish quilts while shopping the area. We usually stay at the Village Family Inn in Bird-In-Hand & have done their free bus tour a couple times which takes you to several Amish farms to shop directly from the source...I kept the map & use it every time, if you want a copy just let me know. I just have a hard time spending $800+ for a quilt that I'd be afraid to actually use if you know what I mean. That's why I'd love to work the mud sales into the visit...my credit card would be smoking haha! Trip before last we took another couple & stayed in a 3 story house right on Rt 340 & was up until midnight each night for all the traffic noise...even the Amish horse/buggies were out that late. I also stayed at the Bird-In-Hand Village Inn, an old historical hotel....gorgeous inside & out. You live in a wonderful land, but, I'm sure you already know that
I've always loved the log cabin quilt block, but, the thought of measuring & cutting out all those pieces stirred me away. I did recently finish a 12 block sampler quilt & thougt I'd make another sampler in America colors, but, same lazy excuse about all the measuring & cutting, makes my head spin. I know the only way I'll ever get good & fast is by experience, but it's alot of work unless you machine piece & I'm not very experienced with a machine. Enough of the blah blah blah....Here's what I found to get me started...here's the link to the log cabin "precut" kit I just purchased today in blue/yellow. It's not enough for a queen size quilt, but, I'll add sashings & frames to make it work in burgundy, ambers and/or golds...not sure yet on that, but, that'll be a long way off until I get to that part.
Sonnja-That's so pretty! My mom always has a blue and yellow quilt on her bed - it usually comes from JCPenney as she's not a quilter. Will look forward to seeing your finished project.
Welcome Spring!
I am itching to get out in the yard and blow all those leaf piles out... that I blew out several times last fall... and that kept sneaking back in!
looking to buy bedroom furniture. We found a Mennonite farm with a big sign out front, this fellow had no other means of advertisement except for this sign & of course I spoke of the internet with him for awhile. He has a beautiful catalog that no one can see unless they find him by chance driving by & I told him he should put that catalog online with his contact info & he seemed open to it, I hope he does, he's very talented. The furniture will be delivered by mid-May. At first I though I would decorate my new bedroom in folk art colors, figuring I already have the lamps, but, decided I had enough rooms in those colors & sooooooo the bedroom will be in America colors!!! So it would be so nice to have 2 America lamps 