Building Character: a Lancaster city treasure

You may be thinking that this is a post about how to build character while shopping in Lancaster.
Wouldn't it be great if shopping produced character?! Other than patience. Or self-control when restraining oneself from buying that fabulous dress that is WAY out of your price range!!
But that's not quite the direction I was thinking of taking this. I wanted to introduce you to a favorite new spot of mine, which my sweet sister introduced me to: a place called Building Character, located in downtown Lancaster. What a discovery it was!!!

 

It's a warehouse of over 40 shops filled with an assortment of vintage, handmade & recycled items.

It's a one-of-a-kind experience, and a blast to browse through this treasure trove!

 

 

Some stands had a collection of vintage furniture and reclaimed items.

There were a few pieces that I would have loved to have brought home with me!

Unfortunately, I'd already spent my allowance.

Hence, the character-building...aka: self-control!

 

The best part of this experience was sharing it with my sister, Fredi, mom, sister-in-law, Rachel and our kiddos! Fredi discovered this through a friend who is a vendor here

and knew that I would love it as much as she does.

 

The displays were so creative!

Loved this old washstand filled with handmade pillows.

My sister's co-worker created these items, and they were adorable!

I wanted this dresser! Isn't the finish fantastic?

 

I was drooling over these vintage cash registers, telephones and a fan that I also found.

If you love thrifting for antiques, you would love this place!!!

 

They even had thrift stores with clothing in this building!

Those weren't my favorite, but we browsed anyway.

Upstairs, there were lots of old windows, shutters, doors and corbels.

Oh, the possibilities!!!

 

The displays were tastfully designed and a feast for the eyes.

Do places like this inspire you as much as they do me?!

The only problem with finding this spot is that I now want one right here in Harrisonburg!



There's a Ladies' Night Out planned for March the 15th, with free mini cupcakes, live music, wine and free chair massages!!!

Anyone else interested in making a trip to Lancaster?!

 

Happy Tuesday, dear friends!

The Time Keeper

I've been anxious to share one of my favorite organization tools with you:

the Time Keeper!

I found this handy-dandy organizer through a favorite blog of mine, the Money-Saving Mom

and discovered that the author was someone I knew from PA!!!

I ordered my first copy of her planner last year,

and I loved it. 

I've always had a "thing" for planners, beginning back in high school when our teacher gave them to us to keep track of our assignments! {Do I qualify as a nerd?}

There are weeks when I feel like my brain can't handle all that I'm trying to remember, and this is wonderful in keeping all that information categorized.

There's a place for everything.

Literally.

A calendar-type page is at the start of each month, with a place on the right for monthly goals.

Then there are weekly pages, with space for daily activities and plans,

a spot to write your menu,

and a column on the right for notes. 

It's so helpful for me to write down the projects I need/want to complete each week, as well as keep a daily log of our activities. 

If I get inspired, I'll plan my menu in advance for the week and jot that down as well.

If not, I'll write what we ate for that meal,

and star our favorites!

There are shopping lists, which I haven't used as regularly since I have a memo stuck to my refrigerator and haven't gotten in the habit yet of writing it in here.

But it's perforated, and you can easily tear it off and put it in your purse when you're ready to head to the store!

There's a place for notes, a pocket for random cards/information,

and even a page to jot down gift ideas for your family & friends!

Can you tell how much I love this?!

It's made me so much more organized, 

which keeps me sane. ha!

These planners are only $11.75 + shipping, and you can order yours here.

So there you have it! 

What's your favorite organizational tool?

A Brunch for my Valentine

You know, we don't need Valentine's Day to celebrate the people we love the most.

But it helps me to be intentional about doing just that!

I like to have a special meal for my man,

although it's easy to miss it in the whirl of planning our youth's annual Sweet Sundae Shoppe.

So when I found some strawberries on sale,

I knew just what I would do with them!

I present to you:

Strawberry Nutella French Toast!!!

It was heavenly.

But then, I'm a little obsessed with anything Nutella, and adding strawberries just takes this over the top!

This is the French Toast recipe I used:

6 slices cinnamon raisin bread

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk

cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla & cinnamon, dip bread in mixture and fry in butter until golden.

Cut bread into a heart shape, slather on some Nutella {make sure you're generous!} add the strawberries, and top with the second slice of bread. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy with the ones you love!

Just looking at this makes me hungry! 

I think it's time to buy some more strawberries....

What's your favorite Valentine's brunch/dinner?

Much love to each of you!

Vacation in St. Augustine

A week after arriving home from our much-anticipated vacation,

I am finally getting some pictures posted!

It's been a crazy busy week getting back to reality and catching up on all those projects that have been on the back burner, along with fun birthday parties & baby showers to attend!

Our vacations are always a combined anniversary trip/getaway,

and this year, we celebrated 6 years of marriage!!!

Can I say that time flies?? I know - such a redundant phrase - but so true.

I love to look back and see how far we've come from where we were as newlyweds!

Every year, I appreciate my husband's wisdom in choosing February as our wedding date.

Not only is it the best time of year for him to comfortably leave for a week,

but it's the perfect time to leave the frigid temperatures behind

for a sunny beach!

We chose to go to the northern part of Florida, to a town called St. Augustine.

We enjoy traveling to new places,

and loved this location, even though the weather was a few degrees cooler than what it would have been farther south in Sarasota.

Eddie's brother & wife went along as well, and it was fun to spend the week enjoying our vacation together!

We stayed at a beautiful condo not far from the beach.

The master suite was lovely,

and I especially loved this master bathroom!

If only I could have taken it along home with me...

  

A sweet neighbor allowed us to borrow this little car, which was perfect to push Hadassah to the beach. She thoroughly enjoyed playing in the sand, chasing seagulls, and running into the waves!

It was so fun to watch her experience the beach for the first time.

But then there was the sand.

It was quite the job to get her all cleaned up.

I'm not especially crazy about the mixture of sunscreen and sand, just sayin'!

There were pools, which was where I spent most of my afternoons!
Laying out on a chair with a good book and my ipod

defines bliss.

Take me back!!!

We enjoyed taking walks along the beach in the evenings, and got up to watch the sunrise one morning! More accurately, Hadassah woke us up and we just decided to make the early morning worth it :) Babies don't understand the word "vacation"!!!



It was worth it!

Those moments become priceless memories that I'll always cherish!

St. Augustine is one of the oldest towns in the US, so it was packed with history,

which Eddie & I both appreciate.

I got absolutely giddy with excitement, exploring this old town!!

It was especially magical at night,

with old buildings and quaint shops at every corner.

Oh, the delight!!!

We stopped at Sara's Crepe Cafe for brunch one morning,

and I ordered this crepe.

It was heavenly!!!

The gorgeous Spanish architecture made me drool! (not literally)

I could hardly get done snapping pictures

of these old churches!

We toured Castillo de San Marcos, an old fort in downtown St Augustine,

another beautiful old structure with so much history!

The men loved this, and soaked up every bit of information available :)

View through an old lookout tower on the fort

Fantastic wooden doors, an obsession of mine!



For our date night, Eddie & I toured the town, stopping at random little pastry shops and pizza parlors, ending up at none other than Sara's Crepe Cafe!!! {Can you tell we loved that place?!}

But this little French pastry cafe was the bomb.com.

They had macaroons.

It was my first experience eating them, and they are like a bite of heaven.

Crispy on the outside with a creamy filling.

Ah-mazing!!!

My man was not at all impressed at the price for one of these cuties,

until he took a bite.

Then he willingly bought six more!!!

They really are that good.

The shop itself had the most adorable decor ever! I couldn't stop snapping pictures :)

I want to live in this place!

This date night was one of my favorite ever.

It was random, it was fun, it was romantic...and I felt like a love-struck teenager again!

Every couple needs a few of those times, yes?

I love this man.

And I'm thankful for the years God has given us together.

Happy Anniversary to us!!!

Unexpected Joy

Have you ever wished for something, expecting one result, and ending up with something entirely different??
Like the gorgeous dress on the mannequin that looks bulky and all-wrong when you try it on?
Or the droolable recipe from Pinterest that turns out so badly you want to throw it in the trashcan before anyone sees it?
Yup, I have!

In some ways, my journey of faith bears some resemblance to these illustrations. At least, in the moment, it sure feels like it does! You see, recently I prayed for an increase in my faith, and a deeper understanding of what it meant to really know God. Good stuff, right? I thought so! I was excited about growing as a Christian and as a wife. Funny how those prayers get answered...

 Enter a myriad of big decisions, for our future and our business. We spent a good deal of time discussing our options and praying fervently for wisdom and direction. What happened next was what I call a refining process. {The part I'd rather skip over!} After pouring ourselves into making the right decision, the door closed. And at the same time, we experienced a significant financial loss because of a simple mistake. I felt like someone poured a bucket of cold water over my head and I couldn't quite catch my breath. It was a let-down in more ways than one, even though I felt peace, knowing that our prayers had been answered.

But as I struggled to accept the loss, and to stay in that place of "perfect peace", I got a hug from God, in the form of a text from a friend, with these verses from Romans 5.

 {5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.}

The light bulb suddenly came on! God is in the process of answering the very prayers I've been praying...it just looks quite a bit different from what I pictured! {Kinda like those failed Pinterest attempts} He knew the only way to grow my faith, and draw me to a deeper intimacy with Him was to  allow difficulty, even pain. It's funny how you can know these things in your head, but it doesn't connect to your heart until you get that revelation. And in the strangest of ways, it's a message of hope. For me, the knowledge that something good will come from something difficult makes the process so much more worthwhile!   

I compare it to having a baby: the anguish of labor pains is a necessary part of the process in delivering a precious child into the world. I think I can safely say that most women don't desire the pain, but they endure it, for the sake of the joy they will soon experience {and also because it's the only way to get that baby out!!! ha} But the reality is, suffering is often the only way God can do that deep work of building our character and drawing us to Himself. Even though I wouldn't choose some of these experiences, it's there I find hope. I find God. And all of this gives me joy! Crazy, isn't it? Yes, except that's how God works. He takes a big mess and makes something lovely out of it; not necessarily enjoyable, but so worth it in the end!

And I can assure you...He's not done with me yet! But I pray that even this small change within me becomes an deep well of joy that springs from nothing more than knowing Him.

:: Praying you find hope in the trials! ::

Easy Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt was on my list of projects to do for quite a while, 

and I was amazed at how easy it really was to make,

not to mention a whole lot cheaper and healthier than what you buy in the store!

Since a few of you had requested this recipe, I decided it would be easier to blog about it than to try to post it on Facebook!

The recipe comes from the A+ Cookbook - a new favorite of mine - and originates with Laura Showalter. 

The ingredients:

1 gallon milk

2 1/2 T unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 cup sweetener (sugar, honey or other)

Cooking Instructions:

Heat milk in large kettle to 180 degrees. Remove from heat, let cool to 120 degrees. 

Meanwhile, soak gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. When milk reaches 120 degrees, stir in gelatin, yogurt and sweetener. (May also add powdered acidolphilus.) Beat well. Pour into glass jars. (I prefer wide-mouth quarts.) Incubate by one of the following methods: 

1) Place in a large lunch box cooler or large thermos, fill to neck of jars with hot water, and leave 6 to 8 hours.

2) Or set jars in oven on pilot or with oven light on (temperature should be approximately 110-120 degrees); leave 6-8 hours.

Refrigerate 12 hours before eating.

My Notes:

I didn't have quite the full gallon of milk that the recipe called for, so the yogurt was more the consistency of a gelatin. I think I'll try using a little less gelatin the next time I make it (and obviously, more milk!) 

I also used honey as a sweetener and thought the flavor was delicious.

We all loved it, especially Hadassah!!

A favorite of mine is eating it with fresh fruit & homemade granola!

And there you have it...your own homemade yogurt!

Let me know if you like it :)

2013: Word for the Year

The beginning of a new year is a source of fresh inspiration and excitement for me! New opportunities, new goals, new growth. But a new year can also be daunting. So often, life just doesn't work out the way we plan. {I'm speaking for myself here and assuming you can relate!} We set goals that we struggle to attain, make plans that don't materialize, and in those moments, struggle with defeat and discouragement.

That's one of the reasons I find purpose in a word for the year. My word for 2012 was TRUST. And believe me, it was a year of growing in that! So often, when I was feeling fearful and uncertain about the future, I would remember this word. And it comforted me to know that even when I didn't know the outcome, God did. And I could learn to trust Him to provide for all the details. I'm still learning what this means, and will probably be for the rest of my life! But it was so wonderful to see God's hand in the word that was on my heart.

So, with these lofty expectations already in my head, I started thinking and praying about the direction of my life for this new year. And of course, a word! It was an interesting experience, because it didn't come to me right away. Actually, the first word that came to my mind was GROW. There are specific areas in my life that I am praying about, and longing to see change in. I want to grow, to be challenged, to mature. Shortly after that, I was reading about TRANSFORMATION and it touched a chord within me. But a few days later, I was with my small group, and different women were sharing their word for the year, when IT came!!! And I knew it was my word! 

Release

Definition: To set free from confinement, restraint or bondage.

To relieve of care and suffering.

To relinquish.

The last definition is what came to mind; a relinquishing of my dreams, my plans and the need to control my life. And that scares me! Surrender doesn't come easily for me. But when I looked at the meaning of this word, and saw the first part of the definition, I was blown away. I can't set myself free; that is God's work. And it happens when I release everything to Him! Then, and only then, I am truly free!!! Can I say "wow"? 

So yes, I am excited about this year!! I know there will be change, and it's not all going to be easy or even pain-free. But that is when growth happens, and that is when I experience transformation. So if you think of me and my word, you can whisper a prayer that I will live this out and truly experience release in my life. And I'd love to do the same for you! What is your word for 2013?