Handmade Arcade 2017

I suppose a lot of the time I spent away from blogging was filled with making tons of new stuff for Handmade Arcade in Pittsburgh.  I believe this was my fourth year doing this show and I will just keep applying and crossing my fingers every year that they will have me back, because it really is and great show and the organizers are a seriously amazing bunch.  I also have a ton of love for Pittsburgh and take any chance I have to spend time there. 

I made these little tea cup scenes the very first year I did Handmade Arcade and hadn't made them since, so it felt like they needed a comeback!

Shadowboxes are the most fun to decorate and this one will forever be one of my favorites.  The most adorable Instagram friend bought her and that made me extra happy!

 I spent hours the week before the show figuring out my display.  I had the most stock ever this year and had to ask my grandpa to make me some extra shelves at the last minute.

Donnie came along with me this year to help.  He was a great helper, but I don't think he quite appreciates the amount of thrift and antique stores I like to stop at on my way to and from the show.  This photo was taken right after he helped me set up.

Can you spot my helper in this photo I sent to my grandma later in the day?  Some of what's in this photo is gone now, but I really need to get to work on updating my online shop and listing the leftovers.  Not pictured in this photo is what would have been a very tired and happy Molly!

Don't Call it a Comeback, Except That This Really is a Comeback

Here I am again, back after months of pretty much forgetting I even had a blog or an online shop.  That's actually been closed since December, waiting to be updated and reopened.  I would like to say I've been really busy traveling the world with my family or saving baby animals or something extra exciting and cool.  The truth is, though, I fell out of the habit of blogging and just never could seem to get back into it and life just keeps moving on.  I don't know what has finally sparked an urge to update this old thing, but maybe I'll get back in the swing of it and start sharing again.  I miss writing and really enjoy it so much, even about trivial things like why I haven't updated my blog.  Since Mondays are when I always shared music, I'll share some of the songs I've been listening to lately and then I'll try to post about what I've been busy doing during all this time away throughout the rest of the week.  I'm sure my grandma, possibly my only reader left, is on the edge of her seat.  Oh gosh, I hope my grandma is still reading my blog!

Musical Monday

My little guys go back to school today, so in their honor, I made a playlist of their most requested songs.  They have pretty decent tastes for six and seven year olds.  Now if you'll excuse me, I will be in a corner crying over how quickly the summer went by and how my babies are growing up too fast!

Cooling Off

We have had some scorching hot days this summer and feel so lucky to have a shady little park nearby with a refreshingly cool stream running right through the middle.  There's nothing better than splashing in the creek to make me feel like a kid again and my own kids couldn't love it more!

Hope you're all staying cool this summer, too!

Carlisle, PA

The birthday adventure I mentioned yesterday also included a stop at some spots in Carlisle on our way back home.  Despite it being pretty close to home, I've never really explored Carlisle.  We found some great antique places, a good place to get coffee and macarons, a neat little European food market, and the cutest candy store around.  You can check out some links and more photos from the entire day at Heidi's post, here.

 I am a sucker for vintage metal toys and this drink stand was no exception, but it was sadly out of my price range.  This find is from Serendipity Antique Gallery which also had a great selection of old military items and some really cool old Skee-Ball machines.

 This set of dolls at Northgate Antique Mall is one of many on my dolly wishlist.  I really liked this antique mall and found a couple super reasonably priced treasures.  The European market I mentioned earlier is right next door.

 We went to Helenas Chocolate Cafe & Creperie specifically for macarons and they didn't disappoint!

The macarons were delicious, but the cake at Helena's was to die for!  I had black forest cake, my very favorite, and I think Heidi's was a combination of lemon, blueberry, and lavender.  The downtown area, where Helena's is located, is so charming.  I think it definitely merits some more exploring!

Harrisburg Doll Museum

No one really makes a fuss of your birthday once you become an adult, but I think birthday adventures are a must, no matter your age.  This year, Heidi and I headed to Harrisburg to visit what I'm thinking is my future, a museum full of dolls!  The Harrisburg Doll Museum was something I just stumbled upon online while searching for fun things to do and I am so glad I did.  The museum is run by the sweetest lady.  There's a small shop in the front and then the museum itself is split into rooms of a house, each housing different styles of dolls.  There's also an ice cream parlor that can be rented for parties.  If you are ever in the area, this place is so worth a visit!

 This is the first "room" of the museum and houses the oldest dolls in the collection.  You can see two seriously adorable dolls in the mirror.  Hehe!  These dolls aren't typically my style, but I can certainly appreciate their beauty. 

 The collection of mascot dolls was just amazing!  I am so on the hunt for a Seltzer's Bologna doll for Heidi, after seeing it in this display.

 A lot of the fun for me was spotting dolls that I own and making mental notes of dolls to add to my collection.  See the Nancy and Sluggo dolls towards the center?  My grandma has the Nancy and I'm always on the lookout for the matching Sluggo.

 This is the ice cream parlor and it was filled with my very first doll love, Barbie.  This room is filled with so many dolls I remember from my childhood.

 The bathroom was full of so many cuties!

 These are currently my holy grail of dolls, wooden Girl Scouts!  I managed to find one old eBay listing online, but no luck finding any actually for sale yet.

As if this place was meant for us, there was a whole display of Scouting dolls, you know I love all things vintage Girl Scouts, right next to a display of nun dolls, something Heidi collects and loves!

The Prettiest Little Church

Don and I celebrated our anniversary, way back in June, with a little day trip to the beach.  I've always loved the drive there, lots of farms and little fruit stands and so many different ways to actually reach the destination.  The GPS took us a new way this time and, when we passed the most lovely little brick church, I made Donnie turn around and go back.  

 Isn't it beautiful?  This is the Bridgetown Methodist Church.  You can read about some of its history  on this form from the Maryland Historical Trust and see a few older photos of the building.

 Many of the graves were too worn to be read.  There were even some headstones in plant growing in  the background.

 How's this for a final resting place?!  It was so peaceful on the day we stopped and there was a  wonderful slight breeze.  

 The two headstones above belong to a married couple.  From what I've found online, the weeping willow symbolizes mourning and grief.  I'm always fascinated by the meanings of symbols used on headstones.  This site has a pretty extensive list of symbols and their meanings.

This sign in front of the church shows just how old this lovely spot really is!