Lulu and Tutz

Goodbye yesterday...

2010-08-31T17:31:00.005-04:00

This post has been a long time in coming {and I've really just not known what to write}, but must be written nonetheless! It's time to say goodbye to this blog. As life would have it right now, we must completely put Lulu & Tutz in the past. There may come a day when we will revisit "her"...but for now, she'll be stored in the vault of my memories and be put in the past tense.

I have no idea what the future will hold and whether the resurrection of Lulu & Tutz will ever be possible. The signs are safely stored away, as are many great memories... I've just spent some time reading a few of our old posts, and while I really, really miss the old days like this one and this one...I'm banking on the fact that all good things must come to an end in order to make room for new good things.

I have no idea what those future good things are exactly, but if you follow me here or here I'll be sure to keep you up to date on my day to day discoveries and adventures. You'll find thrifty decorating projects going on and family craziness on an almost daily basis. I welcome your thoughts and comments, like always!

Thank you to our friends and customers who have encouraged and blessed us along our journey...

YARD SALE!!!

2010-06-02T14:55:00.004-04:00

We are officially purging our inventory.

Stop by for your last chance to pick up Lulu & Tutz merchandise at very cheap prices!

Sale runs from 8am-?? both days.

Address:

125 Miller Street

Strasburg, PA 17579

{**You may NOT have seen the last of us. We're considering something NEW for Lulu & Tutz, but you'll just have to stay tuned in the next few weeks to see! Meanwhile, it's time to get rid of the OLD to make room for the NEW!**}

Join us!

Spring is peeking through...

2010-03-10T16:23:00.007-05:00

I'm beginning to believe it might actually happen.

After a horrifically white winter, Strasburg is almost completely brownish-green again! I give it about another handful of weeks before I'm really seeing Spring, but at this point 50 degrees feels almost tropical! Almost...

I've spent the gray winter months doing some blogging here and here, some planning, some volunteering and some dreaming. I admit I am missing Lulu & Tutz and still trying to work my way into a new job that I could possibly like as much. I didn't realize it was so hard to transition from something you love to ...something else...whatEVER that is!

So, if you thought you were going to hear some announcement about a new store opening...or some other great new venture....I'm not ready to do that. Yet.

Sorry to disappoint, but I will share with you some of the things that have caught my eye this dreary gray winter.

{I apologize that I do not remember where I found some of these pictures...I saved them as ideas, but didn't save the address of the websites I found them on. If it is YOURS, please let me know so I can give YOU the credit!}

I LOVE this Cath Kidston-covered chair! {I believe I read that the chair came from Ikea.} I wish I knew where the pink chair comes from...how cute is she?!? I also love the oilcloth-covered table! {Also a Cath Kidston print, I believe} What a great way to a) cover a damaged table or b) add an instant wipeable surface that won't destroy your table.

Another oilcloth covered table...LOVE it!

Something about this dresser at Wolf's Furniture caught my eye. It's painted in a flat black paint with a scrolled leaf design painted in a glossy black paint.

{Dear Lizzie}

If I lived in UTAH...I would most definitely be spending some long afternoons here at Dear Lizzy. Perusing her website and blog makes me long for Lulu & Tutz days and I wish I could just sit in her Bistro for hours and dream! Tomorrow she is hosting a "Glitter Cups" Workshop.

Read about it on her blog. If only I could get there......

While we're waiting for the green to arrive in full swing around here I'll post a few new items along the side of the blog soon. If you see something you'd like, just let me know and I'd be glad to ship it your way!

"It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade..." Charles Dickens

Crown and Crumpet...

2010-01-16T15:24:00.004-05:00

A few months ago I came across the website of the sweetest little place in San Francisco. It's the kind of place that makes my heart start to beat faster. If I were a West Coast kind of girl, THIS would be the place I would spend my freetime...a cup of coffee, a good book, and these four walls of floral goodness!

It's called "Crown and Crumpet"...

and I'm in love with the use of Cath Kidston's patterns all over the place!

I want to work right THERE!

...and I want to take my coffee breaks right THERE!

I don't plan to visit California anytime soon...but in my dreams, I think I visit there all the time. Have any of my readers ever visited Crown and Crumpet? I believe they have a new retail location called "Fancy Goods". (I LOVE that!)

These pictures make me miss Lulu & Tutz...

I think I'll just keep on dreaming...and hoping...and living.

Spots on my glasses...

2010-01-02T21:52:00.004-05:00

Remember these?

They sat for quite a few months on our shelves. They were the cutest things, and I wondered why someone didn't snatch them sooner...and have secretly wished I'd taken them home myself! I finally found my own...

You can read about them HERE.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T02:15:00.000-05:00

The day after...

2009-12-26T15:04:00.002-05:00

I love the day after Christmas....while there's no doubt that the malls and parking lots are filled again with the "After-Christmas SALE" shoppers, around my house we're laying low. It's actually quiet right now...no stress, no busyness, no rushing. Our family enjoyed a great day together yesterday eating, playing games, opening gifts and eating again.

We're greatly blessed to live so close to each other....we don't just gather together at Christmas, we try to make a point to get together every few weeks to catch up on every one's lives. The kids are growing so quickly, if we don't make it a habit now, they'll be gone all too soon and we will have missed our chance.

The day after Christmas means different things for different families...I have friends who are out shopping for next year's gifts already, and friends who are traveling to spend more time with family...I guess the point is just enjoying your own traditions and making new memories.

As long as you're doing it with the ones you love, then enjoy this day-after to the fullest!

May the coming year be filled with great peace, joy and laughter inside the walls of your homes...

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-12T14:09:00.003-05:00

In a time when much is unsure, the JOY of Christmas has never changed, nor will it ever. Its' message is ancient...and yet it is new every day. May the sweetness of Christmas follow you all the year through...

Merry Christmas

The Christmas Show starts NOW!

2009-11-05T16:50:00.006-05:00

It's all set up and ready to go....from what I've seen so far, it's going to be a GREAT show! I am amazed at the amount of work that each of the women have put into getting their items ready to display! The house and the barn are filled to the brim, with new things coming in each day...I promise you will NOT be disappointed if you drop by the

"Cottonwood House at Home" Christmas Show!

There'll be a fire going at night with cookies and cider to sip on, and homemade french fries being made during the day on Saturday...

Stop by to start your Christmas shopping and take a stroll through Verna's house and barn. Bring your girlfriends or your hubbys and enjoy a few hours of Christmas wonder this weekend!

You won't want to miss this weekend, there are many one-of-a-kind items available!

Here's a sneak peek of Lulu & Tutz's setup....

Open:

Thursday and Friday 4-8pm

Saturday 10-5pm

Sunday 1-5pm

Directions: Route 41 S to Route 10 S. (Turkey Hill on Right) take 10 S 1/2 mile and take 2nd Right on Homeville Road. Go 3 miles to

3480 Homeville Road

Cochranville, PA

House on left - look for balloons or tiki lights

(*If you get lost, please call 610-764-0350)

Open House...

2009-10-22T21:36:00.005-04:00

We're just two weeks away from the "Cottonwood at Home" Christmas Open House....and things are coming together nicely. My house is overloaded with boxes and projects...the cat just doesn't know what to do with herself...I found her trying to eat a red glittery wreath yesterday!

I thought I'd post a little glimpse of what's being unpacked and put together. I'm just one of 11 women who are setting up at my friend Vern's Home. Besides the Boutique and regular Lulu & Tutz items I'm putting together, there will be LOTS of other items. From what I gather, there'll be furniture, antiques, Christmas decorations, ornaments, kitchen items, wreaths and I can only imagine what else! Vern is literally CLEARING out her house and barn and we will be taking over the whole place for the weekend!!! Just about everything you see in her house will be for SALE! She's one brave woman!

I'm really excited for the mix of merchandise you will find...my guess is you'll want to set aside a couple of hours just to look in every nook and cranny of the house and barn! I think it'll excite you for Christmas and maybe even inspire you to start your shopping early!

Lots of fun winter hats...

JEWELRY, JEWELRY, JEWELRY

...WAY better in person...these pictures don't really do them justice!

Handbags and clutches

The beginnings of Christmas wreaths

There are alot of things in my head that I'll hopefully be working on in the next two weeks...I've got more boxes of to take with me than I can count OR know what to do with until then! My family would greatly appreciate your doing ALL of your Christmas shopping at the Open House so that I don't have to bring it back here to take over our living space!!! Just saying....

You can visit the Cottonwood House blog for more information and directions:

http://cottonwoodhouse.blogspot.com

Christmas Open House

2009-10-06T08:25:00.006-04:00

Christmas is just around the corner...just 11 weeks away if I counted correctly! We're teaming up with some great women for an Open House I don't think you'll want to miss! My friend, Vern is hosting this event at her barn. It will be held November 5-8th....you'll find more about it and the directions here: http://cottonwoodhouse.blogspot.com/

I hope you'll join us for one of these days...I'm really excited about the kinds of things you'll find when you get there! It'll be a great time to get some Christmas shopping done!

Hope to see you soon!

Topsy turvy

2009-08-31T16:06:00.006-04:00

This is what you'd see if you looked in the current Lulu & Tutz storage container! It's alot to take in...and a little bit sad to look at.

Surely in time...when I am able to see the big picture that this fits into, it will all be good. I have to believe that is true for my life...as well as for the future of the shop.

The last two weeks have been crazy at the shop! Our 2 day sale was a great success, and it was a fun time of seeing some regular customers, and even meeting a few new ones. A time of conflicting emotions, for sure. The fact that we were forced into this move does not bring about hard feelings at all....we were beginning to see a need for a better location. This just pushed us into it a little bit sooner than we had hoped. Nonetheless, it is done...and I can begin to look forward to the future....whatever that is!

Everything hinges on perfect timing...or so it seems. My summer was broken up into so many phases: My sister's surgery and phasing out of the business, my trip to Africa, a family vacation at the beach, multiple birthdays, preparations for college...more forms, shopping, packing and unloading than I knew possible!....preparing for our SALE, packing up the shop, MOVING the shop in a truck, and finally, getting the other kids off to school TODAY!

LOVE them, but YAY!

I spent the morning at my favorite spot...Panera...tucked in the back comfy chair w/my coffee, my journal, and a book I've been trying to read through for the last month. After the busyness of the summer...as good as it all was, it was just time to sit alone and chill.

It's time to get some order in my life. At home and in every other area. As much as I'd like to run right out and sign a new lease for the shop, the smarter part of me says, "just wait." Those two kiddos in the picture above are still here every day. They still need mom (I remind them of that every so often!)...they need me more than Lulu & Tutz does. But the bank account is in need of a deposit. One way or another, things will change and move forward. Hopefully with a new shop space, but I'm open to whatever. So, the time to make a wise decision is now. Wisdom doesn't always come easily...sometimes it takes time to brew and play itself out.

So, I wait. I search. I pray. And I hope. If I'm not careful and get my head off-center, I feel a little like our sign...

...but that's not Wisdom speaking...it's the part of me that takes its eyes off the end and focuses only on what's in front of me. Looks like a crazy mess from my vantage point. Completely greatful that it doesn't look like that in God's eyes. He's running this show, so I'm trusting Him to color the picture in His time.

Just wanted to let you know I'm still out here....that I've not given up hope of finding a new and better location. Hope pushes me forward into tomorrow...and so we shall see...

The time has come...

2009-08-15T10:01:00.004-04:00

Like it or not, it's time to move on...our landlord is eagerly planning an expansion of his business and needs our space in just a few short weeks. While many of our future plans for Lulu & Tutz are uncertain, the one definite thing is that we HAVE to MOVE SOON!

We hope you'll join us for a HUGE MOVING SALE next Friday and Saturday (August 21 & 22). Everything in the shop will be 50% off for these two days only. After that it'll be boxed up and packed away...so don't miss your one opportunity to purchase the items you may have had your eye on. Plan to start your Christmas shopping early this year!

The shop will be open 11-5pm both days.

We're sad to say goodbye to this building, but excited to see you all one more time next week! The future plans for the shop are still unfolding, but we will continue to update here as plans are made.

back in PA...and new news...

2009-07-11T14:24:00.004-04:00

**visit me on my personal blog as I journal everyday life and the process of making the decisions below, http://consumeMEfromtheinsideOut.blogspot.com **

While I'm still struggling to be fully back on US soil, my body is back in PA and looking forward to things going back to normal around my house.....as normal as they will ever be after a life-altering trip like the one I just took. I'm still downloading and processing all that I have experienced and discovered...

I've come back in hopes of finding some answers as to where to relocate the shop...but know that it will take time to rediscover ME, much less make an important decision like relocation. For that reason, I've decided to close the doors of Lulu & Tutz until the Fall.

Typically this is one of our busiest seasons here at the shop...but this year, with the economy being as it is, business is not much to write home about....so it seems like the timing is best. I don't have much to offer by way of an answer to where/when you will find us in the Fall...but there are some options being pursued.

In the meantime, I plan to love on my children for the rest of the summer and enjoy the last weeks with my son who will head off to college at the end of August. I will update here as soon as I have something solid to share with you!!! I'm excited to see where we will end up...I have some ideas in my head that I would like to see come to flourishen. The next weeks will be spent in much prayer and quiet in order to sort through them.

Blessings to each of you as you enjoy the rest of your summer!

See you in the FALL!

Check out what we're up to this week....

2009-06-26T23:41:00.001-04:00

http://lancasterallianceyouth.blogspot.com

progress...maybe

2009-06-23T12:54:00.005-04:00

Yesterday my dad and I spent some time here:

He very kindly devoted his morning to walking me through some things in regards to the future of Lulu & Tutz and the possibility of relocating to a new building in Strasburg. There's so much that goes into a business's move.

Location, Location, Location means EVERYTHING...so in dad's favorite style, legal pad in hand, we hashed through all the pro's and con's... And...now we wait for some answers to come through...or fall through! That wasn't much by way of an update now, was it?!? Sorry...can't give you more details until things progress for certain. I had a customer call and panic about our closing at the end of the month...NOT THE PLAN...at least not as of today. While we will obviously be closing at some point this summer to pack things up, it's not expected to be a permanent close....just temporary as we work on the next location.

As I told her, just check back here periodically, it's where you'll find the details of the next step.

For this week, here's the scoop....I'm here until Friday, but then I'm headed with my son to Gabon, Africa on a missions trip w/our church youth.

We will be gone for 10 days, and unfortunately the shop will be closed during that time...it's just the only way.

We will be closed June 27-July 9, reopening on July 10th.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may be to you, but I hope you'll be patient with us this summer as we work through the changes and all that comes with it.

My hope is that by the Fall things will begin to settle down and go back to"normal"

....but we'll have to wait and see what's in store!

If you wish to keep up with our team while we are in Africa, feel free to join us here http://lancasterallianceyouth.blogspot.com/

2009-06-19T11:58:00.007-04:00

Just down the street from us is Strasburg's very own railroad. Founded over 175 years ago it brings lots of tourists in to the area to tour the countryside and farmland....but never are the crowds as big as when Thomas comes to town...

Unfortunately...Thomas does not do US any favors!!! While only a mile down the street, by the time the kiddies have taken a ride on him, had a picnic lunch, shopped in all the train shops...and THEN head down to Main Street THEY ARE TIRED, GRUMPY, and READY FOR A NAP!!! Maybe next year we need to coordinate with the train station somehow...offering mommies a place to shop in peace while the kids nap with dad on the train!

As for me...

A little rearranging...

Cleaning...

....and I'm back to yesterday's dilemma...I'm hungry...

mmm....dreaming about the s'mores my kids and I made the other night (during a moment of dry weather!) No good s'more is complete without a smear of peanut butter! Sigh...all I can find around here is an old bag of outdated chocolate egg truffles---DISGUSTING!

....I just might have to sneak over to the Creamery for a cone of my favorite

Oreo w/Peanut Butter Cups!

ho-hum...

2009-06-17T14:53:00.008-04:00

It is raining here...AGAIN...

Rain really chases customers away...and makes me sleepy...

I'm thinking very seriously about curling up on that couch and wrapping one of those throws around me!

I'm also hungry....sleepy and hungry and cold.

I'm dreaming about one of these...

With a side of one of these...

...but I'd rather the rain stopped and the shop filled up with more of these...

Looks like I need a snack and an attitude adjustment!

Change is coming...

2009-06-12T13:39:00.007-04:00

I pretty much like things to be predictable and stable...I like to know what's coming next...I like to be prepared. I've found that suprisingly, I have more in me than I thought I did that enables me to adjust to change...but I still don't like it. It's not a control-thing..more of a comfortable-thing. BUT...beyond my control, there will be change....sometimes unexpectedly.

This is where we found ourselves a few months ago at Lulu & Tutz. I've not shared this publicly because there was still so much to be decided upon and really no answers or direction...BUT, I feel I must give a heads-up.

WE'RE ON THE MOVE....literally...

We've been renting our store space from the Strasburg Country Store and Creamery

and now that they are under new ownership, they are refiguring some of their building and adding on some new business options....and therefore need to expand their space back to our building. We've known this was a possibility for quite some time, but until a few weeks ago did not know it would come so soon. As of the end of the summer we need to be packed up and have found a new space....that's just WEEKS from now!!!

If you've been in the shop lately, you may have heard some of this as we've begun to tell our customers to start looking out for more information.

My hesitation in keeping this quiet for a while has been that I have had absolutely NO idea where on earth to relocate! (Actually, where in Lancaster County to relocate...) There have been many, many options weighed...one of them being closing the doors indefinitely and finding a more stable venue in this difficult economy.

Maybe it's because I hate change...or maybe it's because a piece of my heart is in this business, but that just isn't the option that sits well with me. SO...the search has been a fulltime concern to me...in between school ending for my kiddos, graduation for my eldest, umpteen grad parties, college planning and anticipation of a missions trip to Gabon, Africa with my middle son in a few weeks....I've devoted as much time as humanly possible to all of these issues, but come up short of an answer in this case. My way is to throw myself in where I can, ask lots of question, then step back and allow the right doors to open in front of me...saves alot of needless anxiety and takes my hands off trying to manipulate something that may not be best....

so I pray alot and wait.

In just the last few days I have had a strong lead on a location that is nearby that I am really hoping pans out for us. There's much that would have to happen in order for it to work out, but it is a lead nonetheless.

I tell you all of this so that there are no surprises next time you show up at our door only to find an empty building welcoming you! Change IS coming...

My plan is to post our new location here and send an email to those who are on our mailing list. (A small glitch to that is that our computer crashed last week and had to be restored. When everything was up and running again I was devastated to find Lulu & Tutz's email contact list had disappeared!!!! Yes, several HUNDRED of them!!! Terrible timing...not good change!)

So, faithful friends...stick with us...join our journey as we start something new and look forward to the future in a brand new (maybe even BIGGER!) location!!

Stay tuned...change is coming!

The graduates...

2009-06-08T22:17:00.002-04:00

Eden and Alex

Eden and Tammi

Alex and Terri

Graduation week...

2009-06-01T11:26:00.003-04:00

How did it happen? Where did the time go? These two precious babies grew up on us...we didn't even look away, it happened right before our eyes....in the blink of a moment they grew up.

Eden and Alex have had the privilege of growing up together...and will walk down the same aisle to receive their diplomas on Friday...what a blessing these two are to our family! This week comes with so many conflicting emotions. We've ignored it all year...hoping in some ways we could wish it away, but these two young lives are so ready to graduate! The world stands wide open before them both....they are uniquely different and yet....God's handprint is evident on them both.

We love you guys...we stand beside you and are blessed to have been chosen to be your moms!

Memorial Day festivities...and a new week begins

2009-05-26T14:20:00.007-04:00

We had a really relaxing weekend...a much needed reconnecting time for all of our family and a nice taste of summer weather. Which is probably why it was SO hard to get up and moving this morning...yesterday, the pool and suntan lotion- today, a sweatshirt and umbrella!

We woke early yesterday to the Strasburg Parade outside our door...

the annual celebritory march of those who have served us well.

Both of our grandfathers were US Veterans, so both gravesites were visited. Some of the kids piled in cars and went to Grandpa Cook's site here in Strasburg...

...while mom's family sent us some pics of visiting Grandpa Edgett's site in Massachusetts. At a time when our country is experiencing more and more growing pains and the shifting of standards, it seems the one thing we can agree on is that those who have gone before us (and those who serve today) to pave the way for our freedom are to be celebrated and remembered as the heroes that they were/are. I'm proud that at all corners of the country we at least agree on that.

This morning...

SOMEONE woke up with a headache, slight fever and general "BLAHS"...So, what's a working mother to do but bring the daughter to work!?! We headed to the shop with a carload of paraphernalia for the day... *comforter*pillow*books*movies*crayons*paper*lunch*

She immediately saw the pj's hanging in the shop and decided she should have some...and proceeded to wear them around the shop all day! As you can see, she perked up as the day progressed...hmmm....was it the day off of school or a whole day w/mom??

A few minutes ago she plopped a tiara on her head and posed...not looking like someone who should have skipped school...

Hand delivery...

2009-05-23T14:57:00.004-04:00

One of the benefits of being surrounded by Amish country is that once in a while a sweet little thing comes delivering handmade lemonade! This is the picture my sister texted me from the shop this morning...can you just stand how sweet she is?!?

While we are quite aware that Amish typically shy away from getting their pictures taken, she agreed quietly and went on her way! How refreshing does that lemonade look??? I've searched high and low for something in here that looks even remotely delicious....can't find a thing!!! I might have to go fetch myself a glass of some of THAT myself!

While Tammi was sipping her hand delivered lemonade, mom and I trekked to Cochranville to The Cottonwood House parking lot sale. It was a PERFECT day for the sale and we enjoyed finding some treasures and catching up with Vern & Sondra...hope the sale was successful, ladies!

Check them out here...

http://cottonwoodhouse.blogspot.com/

Signing off for a few days to enjoy the holiday with our families!

Happy Memorial Day to you all...

...a most precious one for us this year...

sometimes...

2009-05-22T16:04:00.004-04:00

...even on a seemingly slow and mundane day just a tiny, little something can

perk you up and make it all worthwhile!

It's such a gorgeous day here...so much so that everyone has apparently decided to stay home and work in their gardens or hold themselves up in their air conditioned homes...instead of visiting us! I've been here all afternoon with only a few customers peeking their heads in the door. I spent a little time in the sun outside, a little time searching the web for new products, and a little time perusing blogs. But up until about an hour ago I was basically alone in Lulu & Tutz....that is, until a group of women came in and loaded up my counter with purchases, followed by 15 day old Sydney Paige who showed up with her proud parents to bless this place!!!

How sweet is she?!?!

She slept through the whole ordeal while everyone who walked in

ooh-ed and ahh-ed all over her! I told her parents it's been a slow, lonely day in here...and asked if I could take a shot of the best thing that's come through the door all day!!! Of course, proud parents are always MORE than HAPPY to share their bundles of joy!!! So, thank you, mom and dad for shopping and sharing!

Blessings to sweet Sydney Paige as she grows and goes throughout her life!

Can't. Focus.

2009-05-20T13:08:00.003-04:00

I'm having a hard time being here...

when I'd like to be here...

doing this...

....sigh...

What's NEW....

2009-05-14T15:47:00.005-04:00

THIS JUST IN...

The sweetest smelling box arrived this morning! It's our Lollia perfume reorder!!! We can't seem to keep these little jars of sweetness on the shelves! Lollia's goodness has been heralded in such magazines as Lucky, O Magazine, Elle, Inside, Bazzar and Real Simple. The packaging goes without saying, but the smells....

*Fresh Vintage*

http://amy-freshvintage.blogspot.com/

Amy stopped in today with a load of lovely new items! We always anticipate the arrival of Amy's new goods...and our customers seem to enjoy them too! New from Fresh Vintage this week: sachets with homegrown Lavender and Rose petals,

The sweetest child's apron,

Clothespin holders,

and more dishtowels...

Fresh Vintage items are all handcrafted locally out of new and vintage items...

always sewn to perfection!

I almost forgot...

I took pictures last Thursday night at a local park during the National Day of Prayer...What a blessing to sit on a beautiful night listening to the teaching of my favorite Bible teacher, Beth Moore. I've done her studies for years and have never seen her speak live...both her teaching and the worship time was awesome! The huge screen was as close as I got to seeing her face to face, but she was as lovely as ever pouring her heart out all over Lancaster County! Part of the reason I love Bible study is because of this woman! Her heart oozes out her love of Jesus everywhere, and you can't help but be washed by it...Thank you, Beth!

You can read about her here:

http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/

Happy Mother's Day...

2009-05-09T12:45:00.002-04:00

To the women who have helped shape us into who we are today....

A most special Happy Mother's Day.

This year we celebrate without one of our favorite "mom's"...

but we remember her well for the deep soul that she was.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom..Grandma...Nana...

New jewelry and a pink jalopy

2009-05-05T14:18:00.006-04:00

This just in!

New jewelry from BB Bellezza...

Kimberly Burkhart supplies us with some of the greatest pieces of jewelry. Her newest additions are a little different...lots of Scrabble piece and charm necklaces. Her prices are great, so they'd make nice gifts for moms or grads!

This car made quite a stir in Strasburg the other day! I ran out to take a picture of it parked in front of our sign, and when I got there there were a bunch of other women trying to get their pictures next to it! Apparently we're not the only ones who are partial to pink! Driving a pink car takes alot of guts...you have to be pretty self confident to drive a PeptoBismal colored jalopy! Our pink sweaterman would have been able to drive this thing, no problem!

pink sweaterman...

2009-05-02T13:18:00.003-04:00

Ahhh...good laugh....

See that silver car pulling out the driveway???? In it is the cutest old man wearing a pink sweater! He walked in here a minute ago asking for directions. I told him he should stick around and be our shop mascot! He chuckled and told me his friends don't like his sweater, but that's just because they're not secure enough in themselves.

He informed me, "Real men CAN wear pink sweaters AND eat quiche."

I wish I had not been so tickled by him that I forgot to take his picture while he was standing here against our pink walls. His sweater was the exact same shade, and except for his pure white hair I don't think you would have seen him in the picture!!! I totally made a fool of myself in front of the two women walking in the door when I blew past them to snap this shot of him pulling out the driveway! They did not get it. At all.

On another random note....we drove to Lititz last night to pick up a mower part and while waiting for my son to run in to retrieve it, my daughter and I laughed at this sign.... check out the second "B".

..."the bird's in the B"...

I know, totally random...maybe even a little lame. We are a shameless crew.

A heavenly reunion....

2009-05-01T13:42:00.005-04:00

Another unwanted phone call this morning announced the reunion of our grandparents,

Jim and Rita Edgett. Together again, just six months to the day after Grandpa went

to meet the Savior he had lived his life for...

Gram lived 6 lonely months in anticipation of this day. Having never been separated for this long since he served in WWII, each day was one of deep longing...and hoping. Those of us looking on knew it would not be long. These two were meant to be together...

separation just did not become them.

Long ago they had joined in both heart and soul

...and life on earth was just not the same for her without him...

Finally, today the time came for her to dress in her heavenly finest and quietly join Pop again. The bittersweet picture in my head is one of him taking her hand once again and after a long embrace, leading her to the place where, for the first time, she will lay eyes on her Savior...and together they bow at His feet in thanksgiving and praise...

Together again...

....and they lived happily ever after...

Completely opposite...

2009-04-30T13:32:00.006-04:00

So yesterday while I was doing this...

and this....

Tammi was at home exploring...

...doing this...

...this...

...and this....

I'm a little jealous....

Her camera is obviously better than mine. Her pictures involved a quiet walk- mine involved work. While both are pleasing to the eye, hers draws you into peace....

mine makes you want to spend money.

All in all, she had the better day

Retreat to Strasburg...

2009-04-24T11:22:00.005-04:00

I'm a little crazy over the word RETREAT right now...I'm counting down to 6 hours before I retreat from Strasburg to a great little camp in Maryland with about 40 teenagers from our church and a couple hundred from other churches. I've been texting back and forth with a few of them this morning and we're all chomping at the bit to RETREAT from life for a few days!!! They've predicted temps in the 80's...couldn't ask for anything more fitting on that little camp along the Bay!

Retreat, retreat, Oh, sweet RETREAT here I come!!!!

On another note....

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to come across a link on a local B&B's website to our blog. Upon visiting the Rose Garden B&B's site I found a great page of local attractions that they provide for their guests. So, as a thank you, I thought I'd feature them on OUR site to perhaps entice those of you who read from afar to someday plan a retreat to Strasburg, Lancaster Co.!

The Rose Garden Bed and Breakfast is about a mile down the street from us on a back country road, surrounded by Amish farmland...I recognized it right away as it is often on my morning walking route! I've never had the opportunity to look inside, but their website gives a nice peek! While I'm in the mode, would it be odd for me to pack a bag and walk down the street for a little hometown retreat?

Check them out...and plan a weekend retreat with them someday!

http://www.rosegardenbedandbreakfast.com/index.html

Beauty...

2009-04-22T12:45:00.008-04:00

Am I alone in this or do we, as women, always seem to struggle with beauty??

Never seeming to reach the "goal"...too fat, too thin, hair's too short or too gray, abs aren't flat enough, clothes aren't hip enough, jewelry's not quite right, shoes were in last year's magazines..

There's just so much warring against us...causing us to be dissatisfied w/what we see in the mirror every morning. It's a struggle just to be the best YOU that you can be...and don't we always think that there's something else we have to do to finally "get there"?

Therein becomes OUR struggle to run a business centered around beautiful things...all the while believing that beauty doesn't come from the things we put on or strive to DO...it's inside us.

The struggle is to sell beautiful things w/out making our customers feel like it's the only way to find beauty...it's the struggle I felt this morning, wanting to post a few pictures of new jewelry, but not wanting to appear to believe that it's only in the vain things we accumulate or do that we finally become beautiful.

I think we were created to love beauty, and be the beauty....not to spend our lives desperately trying live up to the world's and the media's definition of beauty.

If the earth around us is robed in beauty, I don't believe we are wrong to want to join in! So the question is...am I the beauty or is the beauty what I put on this morning?

With all of this in the back of my mind, I'll post only a FEW pictures of some of the baubles and beads we've accumulated this week...I'm wearing a few of my own, thanking God in heaven for beautiful things, and for making me a girl so I can appreciate them!

"Let not yours be the merely external adorning with elaborate interweaving and knotting of the hair, the wearing of jewelry, or changes of clothes; But let it be the inward adorning and beauty of the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible and unfading charm of a gentle and peaceful spirit..."

I Peter 3:3-4

Look what Mr. UPS brought...

2009-04-18T13:07:00.003-04:00

Just a little something to make the mundane chores of our life a little bit CUTER....

If you have to do the laundry...

Prepare 3 meals a day...

and shop every week...

You might as well find a way to enjoy it, and perhaps GIVE to someone else while you're doing it! Our NEW reusable shopping totes are not only cute and functional, each bag sold provides nutritious food for 50 children in INDIA through the

United Nations World Food Programme.

Not only will you be saving our environment from mounds of plastic bags lying around, but you'll be feeding children in need, too. It's a small way to bless others when we've been so blessed ourselves.

In under the wire...

2009-04-16T11:57:00.004-04:00

WARNING!

This post serves no purpose,

and you might finish reading it and wish you had never started.

This is the view out my car window at 8:53 last evening as I waited in line with the other idiots ('scuse me, if that includes you and you do not feel that describes you accurately) who waited until the very LAST MINUTE to postmark their tax returns. April 15th. It comes at the very same time each year. Uncle Sam doesn't change it according to the year...it is ALWAYS the same date. We always know it's coming...and yet...there I was, in line with the other people who live in denial of the inevitable. Sigh... The following pictures are anything but artistic or creative. I almost missed them altogether, but after sitting still for about 45 minutes, I remembered I had my camera....just in time to have the traffic start moving!

Thankfully, there was PO security....you just never know when a brawl might break out due to people pushing to the door to get their post mark stamp first.

The view from where I sat, trying to be nonchalant about both BEING THERE

and taking a picture for evidence.

This is the kind man who loaned (gave) me 17cents to cover my Lancaster County Tax postage that came up short! Seriously...I was totally prepared, postage attached and everything---how was I to know one of the envelopes was stuffed too full for the regular 44cent stamp??? My plan was to get out, drop the envelopes in the proper spot and high-tail it OUT of there in good time. I never took into account I might need to pay postage of any kind....which was evidenced by the fact I had NOT ONE RED CENT WITH ME OR IN MY CAR!!! This kind man had pity on me and offered me his own hard-earned 17cents to cover my stupidity. ( I was preparing to whip out the old VISA when he offered to rescue me!)

sigh....I love kind men.

Which is why I hurried to my car to snap this picture...which is why it's a blur.

Thank you, kind sir!

"I'M NOT OLD..."

On a totally OTHER random note....

This is a picture I took while driving to Lulu & Tutz this morning. (DO you see a car theme?) I looked in my rearview mirror while sitting in construction traffic and laughed out loud when I saw the cutest OLD couple sitting together in their pick-up truck. Again, I whipped out the camera...this time WHILE DRIVING, and attempted to take a few shots to get "Fred and Ethel's" license plate. I was unsuccessful...so you'll have to trust me that it said:

"I'm not old, just a mature teenager"

They were the cutest things...not speaking a word to each other, but probably enjoying a morning ride for a cup of coffee together..or maybe they couldn't remember where they were going..or each other's names. Whatever. They were having fun just being together.

That's it.

Seriously.

I warned you...

there was absolutely NO point.

Celebrating...

2009-04-10T15:07:00.004-04:00

"It is finished, our debts are paid..."

The 3/50 project

2009-04-08T15:36:00.006-04:00

I love this concept! I took this from a new friend's blog....check her out at The Blissful, if you haven't already. Many are reeling from this economy, well-known "financial-help" people are scaring everyone to death with their advice. While some of it is valid....much of it is causing us to go into a crazy cycle...causing the economy to stand still right where it is. There is good intention...but not much mention of what this will do to your local small businesses.

Abby at The Blissful has hit on a great concept here when she says,

"Think about which three independently owned stores you'd miss most if they were gone...Your contribution is what keeps those businesses around."

..check it out...try it out. http://theblissful.blogspot.com/

the unveiling...

2009-04-04T15:42:00.004-04:00

Is this display weird...morbid even?? Way back in the storage room hung this wedding dress, just waiting to be put to good use again. It has spent most of its' life packed away in our parent's attic...thus the yellowing. Chances are none of our daughters will be wanting to wear this dress...for obvious reasons...so I've been feeling bad for it, thinking it needs a purpose- needs a job. So, this afternoon I dragged her out to the front, dressed her up with a few beads & sparkles and gave her a job. "Stand still, and look pretty!"

Dragging her out and dressing her on the mannequin brought back a few bitter sweet memories of a day when I was that mannequin...full of dreams for the future. In a way she represents happier times....or maybe unrealistic expectations...I'm not sure. Touching her again...feeling the satin..the lace...buttoning up the back reminds me of how far I have come from the day she was buttoned on me.

Years ago, this process would have brought tears...I may not have been able to display her at all. But seeing her standing there alone--with her friend at her side--I'm smiling. Like me, she had another plan...she probably dreamed that one day someone would wear her down a long aisle again. But the plan changed...life happened...and a new purpose was found. Like me, she'll adjust....decide it's ok after all, and adapt to her job...she'll stand up because she can.

How like us, she is.

Spring Fever

2009-03-20T11:12:00.005-04:00

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is.

And when you've got it, you want -

oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want,

but it just fairly makes your heart ache,

you want it so!

~Mark Twain

Oh, happy day!!! Not that the day is all that warm or Spring-feeling in PA, but the sun is shining, and no doubt warm weather is on the way!

Wednesday was much warmer and the onset of Spring Fever was calling to me. So off to the fake greenhouse I went...in search of something to brighten up the place and satisfy almost as much as getting my hands in some dirt.

I came back with an armful of the most UNfake looking plants and flowers -and promptly scattered them around the shop. Mind you, I'd much RATHER have been at the Amish greenhouse down the street for the real thing...they smell MUCH better and there's a bigger variety, BUT if I squint my eyes and hold my breath I can almost convince myself

these little guys are real.

I found a box of PEEPS that look like they jumped out of an

Easter basket...but with 0 Calories and 0 grams of sugar!

Guaranteed to stay fresh til the next century!

Do these scream SPRING or what?!?

You can't help but dream about the upcoming season of fresh fruit and veggies

with these on the table!

God knew what He was doing when He placed the seasons in order. At least in this part of the world Spring follows the harshness of Winter and all its' destruction. It is a welcome change of both weather and scenery. It comes quietly and announces itself in a whisper...but it's there. After seemingly endless months of dark and cold it brings hope in its' whispers. Hope that all is not lost and forgotten, but a new day is coming...bringing newness of life on its' heels.

As in life, we would not appreciate the brightness of Spring without the darkness of Winter

still fresh in our memories.

"Oh, visit the earth, ask her to join the dance! Deck her out in Spring showers, fill the God-River with living water. Paint the wheat fields golden...Creation was made for this! Let them shout, and shout, and shout! Oh, oh, let them sing!"

Psalm 65:9

The Message

A time for everything...

2009-03-11T14:49:00.023-04:00

I've been reflecting today on how quickly time seems to tick by. We're in mid-March, approaching graduation time...a new milestone in my family. Both Tammi and I have seniors graduating this year, her second child, my firstborn. While most days I ignore the impending day and all the change it will bring to my family, for some reason today it is sitting at the forefront of my mind. As a parent, I've known this day would come...known it would come with both joy and an amount of sorrow. As a single parent, I think it comes with much more intensity of emotions than I anticipated. The 4 of us have rallied and charged through many years together, and become a family in every sense of the word. Graduation doesn't change the family we've become...but it changes the dynamic of the home and the feeling that all is not quite complete when that one is missing. There is great joy and pride in watching my son become a man...I find myself doing a double-take....just checking to make sure that really is my little guy in that big body! The moments where life seemed like chaos have turned this little boy into a young man of strong character who longs to follow after the heart of God. Amid the coming changes in both of us, what a joy to watch him discover who he is and who he is striving to become. (As I type, Tim Hughes is singing "Everything" in the background...the perfect backdrop... my hope for the cry of each of my children's hearts...)

When my kids were little, there were days I never knew it was possible to love someone so much and at the same time want to run away from them. And, now that they are on the skirts of young adulthood, I wonder where all of those years have gone...and at what moment did I turn my head away only to find when I looked back they were half grown? I wished away some of those hard days...wished I didn't have to change another dirty diaper or pace all night with a sick child. I forgot to take notice of the "last time" for so many things. I don't remember the last night my daughter slept with Bitty-baby...I just know that she doesn't anymore. I don't remember the day my kids changed my name from "Mommy" to "Mom". And I can't remember when I stopped cutting everyone else's meat before digging into my own....I just know that no one asks me to do it anymore!

Whew!!! I'm not sure how to seque from THAT to the pictures below...

give me a minute to wipe away my tears and I'll give it a shot....

My original intent was to post some SALE pictures...but my thoughts got the best of me, and you got the honest growing pains of a mom's heart! What I was GOING to say about the pictures above is that I wish I had had something similar when my kids were little. I did Baby Books for each of them, but wasn't as faithful with the youngest as I was with the oldest (which she recently reminded me of!) These little dressers are called "Baby's Firsts"--they come with a little tree and drawers filled with ornaments. Each new milestone has an ornament that you hang on the tree...a reminder that your baby is growing. The boxes are a creative way of trying to put a marker on all of your child's "firsts"....maybe it should include some ornaments for the "lasts" too! If your kids are still young, or you know a new mom, these boxes are great

...and they're 30% off!!

Our diaper bags are 30% off right now, too. I remember the day I bought my first diaper bag at the GAP. It was SO huge I could use it today to pack for a weekend...and it was not nearly as cute as these! Style has come a LONG way in the last 18 years!

Speaking of that weekend away, our cosmetic bags are also 30% off and many have matching totes! I know the economy might be keeping us from doing a lot of travelling these days, but something about a pretty new bag makes even the shortest trip feel like we're a world away!

I was just thinking I should ask all of our readers to post your comments about your own children growing up, but I'm not sure my heart could handle it today! My son just texted me a moment ago and just seeing his name made me blubber all over again!

I seriously must get a grip!

Spring cleaning SALE

2009-03-07T12:53:00.001-05:00

In the waiting room...

2009-03-04T12:35:00.008-05:00

I've been absent here for a few weeks...not intentionally, but more a matter of circumstances. You'd think I'd have MORE time on my hands with the shop only opened on weekends...and in some ways, that's true, but I think both my sister and I are just trying to find some order in our otherwise hectic lives. I must say, as much as I love being in the shop, I cherish the slower pace of the winter months and the ability to spend a whole day in silence and regroup!

I think we're doing alot of regrouping these days. Not just us, but the country as a whole. The economy is hitting small businesses hard and without some serious regrouping there is danger of losing many of them. We'd be lying to say that we're not touched by the slow economy...it's hitting Strasburg as hard as anywhere else, causing us to have to do alot of soul-searching and questioning. We've learned from life experience that until you hear a word to "MOVE ON", you stay where you are and continue to wait. While I risk being quite transparent here, the reality is we are in the waiting room. We pray things will be on an upswing soon...and at the same time need to be smart about moving forward from here. SO we wait!

While we wait, I thought I'd do a little post about something totally random. Aprons. I found this post on a blog called "The Dust Will Wait". It says 'Author Unknown", but whoever wrote it did a great job conjuring up memories and great thoughts of the past...

The History of Aprons I don't think our kids know what an apron is.The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinnerIt will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes. Author Unknown

...and the winner is....

2009-02-14T17:08:00.002-05:00

We are pleased to pass this scrumptous mix along to Amy and her family to enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day, Soper family!

jewelry pics...

2009-02-07T16:30:00.006-05:00

As suggested by a customer, I thought I'd download (or is it upload?) some jewelry pictures. My plan was to take a picture at each corner of our Boutique...but my camera battery had other ideas, and died. SO...here's a small cluster of pictures that will hopefully give you a (little) idea of what's on SALE for Valentine's Day!

Handcrafted pink beaded flower necklace w/Swarovski crystals

Hip Chic Couture watches

(I love the one on the left w/the interchangeable bands!)

Sterling bangles from our favorite Jewelry designers, J & I

J & I is based out of Philly...Jessica and Ian work together designing and creating unique Sterling Silver pieces in their Philadelphia studio. It's kind of hard to see this picture, but they make the BEST Sterling rings...very unique!

Stone, beaded earring/necklace sets

Long silver-plated clear and jade necklace

The quirkiest charms!

Our BB Bellezza jewelry line is a locally handcrafted consignment item, and only 10% off, but priced really reasonably and very unique!

If my camera had endured, I would have posted pictures of the handcrafted button bracelets, the multi-charm necklace/bracelet sets, and various other items....Stop by next weekend to check them out, or feel free to email in response to anything you've seen here!

Valentine's Day Sale...

2009-02-06T12:19:00.003-05:00

Click on the coupon above if you can't read it...don't miss the chance to win our yummy giveaway! Stonewall Kitchen Triple Fudge Brownie mix w/ Raspberry Liqueur Hot Fudge. Mmm...just sounds like Valentine's Day!

Stop in to enter your name in the drawing!

Sneakin' in the back door....

2009-01-30T14:28:00.012-05:00

It's hard to sit in here and look at the same old, same old... winter day after winter day...week after week. We've learned not to order anything new until Spring hits...but it's just so stinkin' boring!!! SO...here's just a few new "old" things that are in this week. I admit I snuck them in....Tammi does the books and gives me the OK or NOT OK as far as the checkbook is concerned...today was bill-paying day so I failed to go through her before trudging around finding these little treasures...and with any luck she won't notice them!

I just couldn't resist....and our customers need something new to look at, too!

Black iron thingy

I believe it originally held a glass lantern....

today it's holding HOPE that Spring is coming soon!!!

White iron caddy w/8 glasses

One (of a pair of) glass lamps w/hanging bobbles

(I've heard of women buying new shoes and hiding them in the back of their closet so that when they finally bring them out and their husbands ask if they bought new shoes....their "honest" response is "NO, I've had these for a while...") I will not take that route with my dear sister....but I will wait.....just for today! Shhh.....

SNACK OF THE DAY

....thanks to Our friend and Starbucks Barista, Julia!

*Shaken Iced Tea and Strawberry Lemonade*

packing away 2008...

2009-01-23T15:08:00.006-05:00

I'm in the shop today, trying to condense and pack away Christmas decorations....Strasburg is like a ghost town today, so there's few interruptions to the process! It's amazing how much dust can settle on a place that's been locked up for a week!

I just got a new camera, so I'm trying it out through the store to see if I like the way the pics download....I'm wondering if I have some settings wrong...they look a little blurry to me.

It's unbelievable that there are only 8 days left in January!

I finally decided to change the dining table from THIS...

....to THIS...

A little pink for Valentine's Day...I love the fragile little vintage Valentine's cards. They're addressed to someone named Ruth. I wonder....is she still living? Who were the sender's of the cards? Are the folds and creases because they were cherished and loved hard? So much history wrapped up in a few little pieces of colored paper...

A few more little pink additions to the shop....perfect for a table for two this Valentine's Day!

This caught my eye as I was walking past today....I've walked past it so many times w/out giving it a thought or snapping a pic. It's a plate printed with two handfuls of Commandments to live by. I've been thinking much about integrity lately....seems the word integrity is wrapped up in these 10 Rules. If I follow them...hold myself and my children accountable to follow them, then who I am on this computer...who I am when I'm home alone...and who I am in a traffic jam will be one in the same. And my children will learn by my example-- to be who we say we are, even during the roughest of days...even when no one seems to be watching.

...maybe this little plate needs to go home with ME!!!

Post #2 for today...

2009-01-17T15:22:00.011-05:00

I'm not sure we've settled on this new background and new layout...seems I have alot to learn about how to set up a blog! I was tired of the same pink and brown all-over print staring at me, so I thought a new color and print might be a good way to start out the new year. Tammi agreed that this one was better than the last, so for now it'll stay like THIS. BUT...there are a few things I just can't figure out...Like, how do I change the boring fonts that blogger offers? (*must have been a MAN who set it up, right? Not a "girly" font to be found in the layout options!) I've seen other blogs with much more interesting layouts and fonts...they apparently are owned and operated by much more savvy computer techs than ours is! And, about the header...why is ours so boring??? How on earth do I spiff it up a bit??!? So...if any of our readers want to toss some suggestions our way, we would gladly appreciate your thoughts! I'll leave you with the funniest thing I've heard all week...a little story brought to you by my sister, herself..... So, I get a text from my sister yesterday, about an hour after she left the shop. She had a bunch of errands to run before the kids came home from school, the last being a run to Costco. Apparently it was "free-lunch" time at Costco..aka "late-afternoon-when-the-older-women-of-Lancaster-push-out-their-carts-with-free-samples" time. Tam was pushing her cart through the store just trying to get the job done and get out, when she was stopped AGHAST at an old woman who was ferociously SLURPING every last ounce of a shrimp sample. Too stunned to move on, Tammi watched a little longer than the polite glance...only to find that the ancient woman was not sampling a piece of shrimp....but rather had PULLED HER TEETH OUT AND WAS LICKING CLEAN THE REMAINDER OF AN UNKNOWN SAMPLE FROM HER PEARLY WHITES!!! I've been laughing for 24 hours over the picture this story paints in my mind!!! I cannot think of another person funnier to have witnessed this site...except maybe our mother!

Hmmm....

2009-01-17T13:05:00.003-05:00

I was a little bored in here this morning....spent ALOT of time perusing blogs between customers (obviously not very many of them!). I've been wanting to change the background of the blog for a while.....but...I'm not sure this is THE one. Any comments??? I think it's a bit too "BLINGY" for us.... Also...anyone know how to get rid of the original white box on the left w/green dots?!? I'm sure I should know this...but, I don't!

I'm speechless...

2009-01-16T15:31:00.005-05:00

...REALLY, I am!

Not because of some great event or momentous occasion...but more the lack thereof! Maybe brain-dead is a better description. Seriously, I have not been in the shop for over a week and I have absolutely nothing to say! I've spent most of my lazy week on my couch nursing a cold and a strange lump that formed on the back of my head! (The Dr says it's some kind of swollen lymph node or something....and on the verge of an infection--thus the throbbing and pain!) I've barely left my house...actually, barely had much of a conversation at all with anyone but my kids! I have NO IDEA what my sister did with her week off! Pathetic....or totally narcissistic! It wasn't intentional that I stayed wrapped in a little cocoon all week...but I did secretly enjoy it!

So, now I'm back among the living...back at the shop....and totally alone again because it's too COLD for anyone else to leave THEIR houses!!! I know we're probably just big babies, but THIS....

....is about how cold it felt in the shop this morning when we came in to turn the heat on for the first time in over a week!!!! IT WAS 42 IN HERE!!!! Not as cold as the 10 degrees or so that it is outside...but it feels almost the same! It's almost 4pm and the heat has finally made it up past 60 to a semi-comfortable temperature of 64!

I AM NOT TURNING IT DOWN AT ALL TONIGHT!!!!

The Power company will make a few extra dollars off of us this month....and we don't care!

I don't know if we have any Russian readers here...but you have not been far from my mind this week, knowing that many have had all heat shut off.

We have it good...it may be slow, but the heat is blowing out...can't complain about that.

It's HALF OVER!

2009-01-03T10:40:00.005-05:00

Our BIG SALE is half over! Yesterday we had people from all over flocking in to see what they could score! I think they did pretty well and most left with bags full of bargains!!! There's still so much here to pick from...it would take several of these sales to be completely picked over!

Stop by and plan ahead for the coming year's gift lists...

you won't see 50% off here again for a long time!

Our hours are getting ready to change for the winter. We are closed all next week, and then we will be open only on Fridays and Saturdays from 10-5. This will continue through January. We look forward to the thaw and NEWness of Spring that brings everyone out to walk the town and populate the shops!

2008-12-27T12:59:00.004-05:00

This picture has NOTHING to do with the reason I sat down to blog today....just a little randomness before I get started. This is what I see right outside my window as I'm typing! I don't actually know the horse's name-or if he even has one, he IS a work horse...do they even get names??? Anyway, a few times a week he can be seen right there outside the window....today must be a special day, he's wearing his spiffy coat!

Ok, now down to business...

The real reason I'm here is to invite you to join us for the biggest SALE we've ever had!!!

Join us next Friday and Saturday...

Our Christmas celebration....

2008-12-26T15:34:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Jesus...

A handful of the kids blowing out a candle on Jesus's birthday cake!

Ever since we were little girls our Christmas celebration has included a birthday cake for the Birthday Babe. Yesterday was no exception..so along w/a slice of pumpkin pie and a plateful of cookies, we sang Happy Birthday and enjoyed a slice of His cake. We remarked that possibly He was smiling down upon us as we sang and celebrated His day...

We didn't take as many pictures as we should have, I thought later how nice it would have been to get a picture of the whole family together!

Great Grandma always enjoys watching the kids open gifts and joining in on the fun....she got a little weepy yesterday when Tammi's family presented her w/a little photo album of the family and kids....Lil was feeling a little under the weather, but popped up from her seat to help "GG" unwrap her gifts!

It was a good day...

Not sure if it was a joke, based on my tp comment on the last blog, or to help offset our grocery bill....but- never to disappoint, each family went home with a little extra tp after the last round of "White Elephant" exchange! That's a SERIOUS amount of paper! Alex (the one who drives the cost of tp up in our house) is sure it'll last forever....I'm convinced only that it'll last til the end of the year.

We hope each of you found joy in your day of celebration as we did. I had a thought throughout the last few days when I was dealing with an unwelcome situation- how easily I can let circumstances around me affect the way I celebrate a holiday...but of all holidays not to let MY circumstances put a damper on...Christmas is it. It dawned on me it's not MY birthday...not MY holiday...so it's certainly not MY place to get disgruntled regarding an unwelcome glitch in my plans. We don't all have ideal, picturesque scenarios to deal with during the holidays. Some things are just unfortunate, painful, or downright uncomfortable. Keeping the Reason we celebrate in mind helps to put everything else in its proper place, though. Sometimes it just comes down to making a choice to celebrate regardless of what else tugs at us to do otherwise.

....so we celebrate....

A sneak peek of our family's Christmas...

2008-12-17T11:02:00.010-05:00

I was thinking the other day that you might enjoy seeing a glimpse of each of our homes this Christmas. Mom happened to be running out the door when I got to her house to snap some pics, so she was aware of what I was up to....but, come to think of it, I never DID tell Tammi that I was posting her home on the blog. Oops.

This is mom and dad's front door. They've spent the last few weeks unpacking boxes and decorating for Christmas all at the same time. (Here's something you should know....Mom is a perfectionist. SO...were I to show you the whole house, you would NOT find piles OR boxes anywhere. The only thing you WILL find out of place are the dog's "babies" which he drags around and leaves in every room...threatening to trip you with every step!)

The Great room all dressed up for Christmas. (Notice the brown "baby" sitting on the floor beside the rocker?!? Umhmmm....left by the dog.) The Carolers on the table are only a few of the many sets she has....I think there are some in every room. This is where we'll gather as a family on Christmas afternoon. We've scaled down our gift-giving costs in the last few years, and I, for one, am glad. The kids still get to make a list, but have a budget to stay within. There's still alot of fun and excitement...just not empty wallets afterwards!

We started a tradition years ago that we will continue, I think, though. A version of a "White Elephant" --"Now you have it, now you don't" game. The gifts are sometimes lame, sometimes useful (I always get to go home with a roll of tp...which actually EXCITES my family!) There used to be tears when a gift was "stolen" from one of the little ones, but they get into it now and everyone realizes if they didn't get to keep what they wanted they can probably head to the Dollar section at Target to get it!!!

This manger set was displayed on my parent's Livingroom mantle for as far back as I can remember. I know there's a story behind it...but I don't know it...could have been my grandmothers??? Not sure! I might need to investigate. The scene has found a new home this year in the sunroom.

After leaving mom and dad's I headed to Tammi's house...she was "manning" the shop, so I slunked behind the front bushes and snapped this one of her front door....trying not to alarm the neighbors!

I found Lilly inside w/Grandma, getting ready for her stage debut in her first church play, and convinced her to stand beside the tree in all her cuteness. She's 7 and not really into cuteness anymore...much too mature for that. Also, too mature to recite her lines to her favorite Aunt....couldn't even bribe her.

This is the Manger scene under their tree....also a family "heirloom"...but I don't know the history behind IT either! I do know, though, that there is something missing in the scene, and it is THE Star of the scene...Baby Jesus. It is a long tradition in their family to keep the baby hidden until Christmas morning. I love the vision of all of the Christmas Story characters waiting patiently for the Star of the show to appear. Mary has begun her pondering and the rest have begun to worship and anticipate the arrival of the little King Himself.

Stockings hung by the chimney in Tammi's familyroom....

Looking at this picture reminds me that Tammi got a little of mom's perfectionistic qualities. While it PLEASES me to say you might not want to eat off her bathroom floor, you will probably not find very many piles laying around or unnecessary clutter piling up.

A little Disclaimer here...I am NOT bitter about the fact that Mom and Tammi are neater than I am...really, I'm NOT. BUT...I think you get where I'm going here....they are just plain neater, more organized, and more particular than I am.

I say all that before I introduce you to my own little home this Christmas....

It wasn't until I viewed these pics on the computer that I realized how badly my front door needs a paint job! I love this perky wreath...but it maybe doesn't do a good job hiding the peeling paint.

Our humble little tree...looking even MORE humble in this picture than it actually is!!! The light from the window stole the show giving the tree a bit of a Charlie Brown cast to it! Two pieces of trivia regarding our tree...

First of all....years ago my kids and I started a tradition of buying a new ornament each Christmas that represents something that has happened throughout the year. Just after we put our tree up we start shopping for just the right glass ornament. We've got quite a nice collection, I'm happy to say...since they'll be staying w/me when the kids move out and start their own families. Mom and Dad have always gotten each of the grandchildren an ornament for Christmas, so they've got quite a few to start out with. I will be left with a broken-empty-nest-heart...but thankfully a collection of great ornaments!

Secondly...the colorful boxes under the tree....courtesy of Bath and Body Works After-Christmas-Sale a few years ago. A friend convinced me I should buy some, and I've NEVER made a better purchase!!! Seriously, no wrapping paper needed....they came w/their own red bows and everything!!! Some people set apart whole days to wrap all their gifts under the tree...not me! A trip to the basement, a few minutes to fill the box, and they're DONE!!! Lame, I know....but nonetheless exciting for me!

OH...here's another interesting fact....this is MY manger scene...also quite humble....and NOT a family heirloom with an interesting story. That's it, you get the picture...youngest child...gets the hand-me-downs AND the leftovers.....unless there AREN'T any!!!

My kids have a kind (and talented) Great-Uncle who felt sorry for us and crafted this sweet little manger for us...the people were found at a store we have around here called "Ten Thousand Villages". The end result is oh so humble....but I guess that's kind of the point. As the story goes....that little Guy was quite humble Himself...left the riches of Heaven to live in a stable a little like mine. For that I am forever grateful...

One last picture....my Dollar Store wreath hanging in the kitchen! I'm a big fan of tinsel...so I scarfed this beauty up for $1, gave her a pretty bow and voila...a Star is born!

Ok...that's it...no more pictures to share! I hope you've enjoyed your tour of our family trivia. I have....and totally amused myself in the process! I love that each of our homes reflect our personalities...announce who we are and what we're all about. What I love even more is that, while our tastes and house-keeping skills are somewhat different, the Heartbeat that each home centers around is the same. We celebrate the same Jesus who came as a babe for you and me. We honor His modest and humble life...the sweet Grace He offers.

We're blessed beyond measure..not just because we have homes filled w/ family and all the needed amenities, but because we've found the Treasure that lies under each of our trees in that tiny little manger bed. Were it not for the coming of that sweet Babe we would be a wreck.

Merry Christmas to you and your family...from our family here at Lulu & Tutz!

Top 10 Reasons to finish your shopping in Strasburg...

2008-12-13T10:31:00.024-05:00

Time is running out...

If you've procrastinated, been too busy, or just don't know where to begin,

Let us give you the

"TOP 10 REASONS TO HEAD TO STRASBURG":

Reason #1

We're still having a SALE! Not only does it please your budget, but it benefits those in need.

Our wonderful customers have filled one box to overflowing!

Reason#2

When you visit us at Lulu & Tutz, you will be blessed by meeting some of our wonderful customers. This is Judy Martin from Lancaster. She came in with a full bag of food yesterday for our Pantry and REFUSED to draw a discount on her purchases!!! She was excited to join us in giving to those in need- and is just plain SWEET! We're so thankful for our awesome customers!

Reason #3

Yesterday Mr. UPS dropped by with a box of one of our favorite products! YUMMY smelling lotions and perfume from Lollia! My personal favorite was packed in that box...maybe why I was so eager to unpack the box....It's the "Relax" scent. Its' name suits it, as I find myself relaxing everytime I lotion up! It has a NEW partner on our shelf...Eau De Parfum- "Lavender and Honey". I've been sprayed and slathered and am Relaxing right now!

Reason #4

The Sipping Chocolate is ON and waiting to be sampled!

Enough said...

Reason #5

We've just filled up with last minute stocking stuffer ideas...

Reason #6

We have lots of beautiful HANDMADE items.

Locally HANDMADE items make the best gifts...you're supporting some pretty creative people AND giving a gift that's been made with alot of care. (They're flying off the shelves, so we know we're on to something good!)

Reason #7

The Creamery has Holiday Ice Cream Flavors!

I hear there are tubs and tubs of handmade sugary goodness being made next door at the Creamery...Holly Berry, Candy Cane and Rum Raisin peeked my interest! I heard something about a Holiday Dessert special, too! YUMMY!!!

(You can't get THAT at the Mall of America, my friends!)

Reason #8

Someone on your list needs a warm hat and a matching pair of gloves!

Reason #9

Little Suzie needs some slippers and cousin Frankie wants a flashdrive for school.

Reason #10

The self-appointed Princess/teenager in your house would LOVE some Christmas BLINGage!

AND...because we like to give you more than what you bargained for...

The 11th Reason why you should come to Strasburg to finish your last minute Christmas shopping is this:

The thought of a crowded mall makes your skin crawl and the bus traffic at the outlets makes you want to pull your hair out....While you will find very little of that in the little town of Strasburg, what you will find are small business owners happy to see you and who personally want to help you complete your shopping...Free of pushing, shoving and obnoxious shoppers! Bonus.

Help us help our neighbors in need...

2008-12-06T14:05:00.003-05:00

In this season of economic lean-ness we wish to spread the blessing of Christmas to our community by collecting canned goods for our Church Pantry. Our church currently serves as the only resource of groceries for several local families and we’d like to help add to the pantry AND include you, our customers, in doing so! By doing this together, each of us shares in the blessing of giving to those in real need this Christmas. *To thank you for helping us collect these items we’d like you to draw a Discount -anywhere from 20-50% off your total bill- out of a bowl here at the counter! (Excludes current sale items. Antiques and our consignment items are 10% off) We have some *NEW* gift ideas and stocking stuffers…you have 2 ½ weeks until Christmas morning! May the Joy of Christmas fill your hearts and homes this season and in the New Year ahead.

Merry Christmas Tammi and Terri

GIRLFRIENDS DAY!!!

2008-12-03T14:54:00.006-05:00

Saturday, December 6th is Girlfriends Day at Lulu & Tutz...

*Forget your long list of "to-do's" and the chaos of the malls for just an afternoon...stop by with your girlfriends to enjoy a great sale!

Print out the coupon and bring it with you...See you soon!

Mashed Potato overload..

2008-11-28T13:22:00.003-05:00

I wish I could say I spent Thanksgiving practicing self-control...but I can't! Thanks to Justin's wonderful cooking skills, I totally overloaded my plate EACH time I reloaded it....and it was several times!

*Here's two facts that I decided on yesterday:

1. From this year on, we are having the meal preparations skip a generation...Justin is our new head chef.

2. I'm a fool for food...especially when made by someone else who is opposed to using LIGHT or DIET anything!!!

Thanks, Justin, for blessing us with your talent!!!

Happy 21st Birthday, Justin...we love you!!!

Happy 7th Birthday, Lilly...you were our favorite little surprise at the end of all the kids!

Happy Thanksgiving...

2008-11-25T17:08:00.002-05:00

May you enjoy the blessing of family and friends around your table

as you reflect on all that you have to be thankful for this year...

Our family is blessed to be together again this year, though we are missing a few who we'd like to be joining us. Tammi's oldest son, Justin, (who turns 21 this week!) has surprised us with the desire to make the whole meal himself!!! He's been away at college for a long time, and is missing having a kitchen to cook in...so he's cooking for all of us!!! I heard something about a bird stuffed with herbs and a pumpkin souffle......mmmmm!!!

We'll be back in the shop on Friday...hoping to see many of you during our store-wide sale!!! (If you've missed it, scroll down to print out your coupon!!!)

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

The first snow of the season!

2008-11-22T13:17:00.007-05:00

No wonder it felt like snow...This is what I saw out my window yesterday...

...and THIS is what Strasburg looked like yesterday on my way to the Lulu & Tutz....

I am so excited to introduce you to someone who has blessed me by being around this week!!!

Meet Amy Soper from Fresh Vintage

Amy is the designer & creater of one of our favorite local lines, called "Fresh Vintage". She takes old and new fabrics to create handmade pillows, sachets, aprons, tea cozies and other surprises. Her items brighten each corner of the shop and this week, so has she!!! Amy has been so sweet to fill in at the shop while Tammi is recovering from surgery. She's blessed me greatly by giving me a breather. Stop by and see if you can catch her to say hello!

She'll be back next Saturday morning, too!

THANK YOU, AMY!!!

It feels like snow!

2008-11-20T15:51:00.003-05:00

In our part of the world it is CoLd, and feeling very much like winter has taken over! With only 5 weeks left till Christmas, I guess I should not be surprised, but for some reason this cold has caught me off guard! I'd give just about anything to light a fire in our fake fireplace! BTW, what good is a FAKE fireplace??? It's a little like fake food....it does nothing but make you long for something that is not available to you. Whoever boarded up the window and built in a mantle....even bricked a hearth- was totally on to something....but apparently not good at completing projects. Sigh...I'm cold.

While I type in the chilly shop, Tammi is at home recovering from her "tennis elbow" surgery this morning. She has a warm, WORKING fireplace....but last I heard she was bundled up in her bed sleeping. Thankfully, all went well, and she will "enjoy" a few days of rest and recovery before Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving...as a family, we have so much to be thankful for. There may be a handful of things we're not all that thankful for, too...but we're giving thanks, nonetheless.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever."

I Chronicles 16:34

...to our favorite customers and readers!

2008-11-15T13:51:00.004-05:00

In an attempt to save you from the chaos and busyness of the mall, we're having a little sale for all our favorite people on Black Friday! Join us and save on EVERYTHING in the shop!!!

Print out the above coupon and bring it with you!!!

our project...

2008-11-12T12:07:00.009-05:00

It's been a long time coming, and now it looks like

it won't be much longer!!!

We've been working on the VERY LONG process of getting a website up and running. Could be that it is a VERY LONG process because of US! Our poor web designer did NOT have a clue when she signed us on!!! We warned her she was working with two girls who's knowledge of creating a website was next to NIL! She laughed and said, "No problem, it's easy really." Little did she know we had no knowledge of how to go about setting a site up...but ALOT of opinions about how we wanted it to look. If we could have set it up ourselves it would have surely spared her hours of work, rework, sweat...and maybe tears! The dilema is trying to invite someone else into your head-full of thoughts and ideas. The poor woman got so many suggestions thrown her way I'm not sure why she didn't unplug her email and refuse to finish the job!!! But...at last....I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We had our first "conference call" yesterday with Arlene and things are beginning to come together! We got homework to work on in the next few days....a little overwhelming and challenging to our brain-dead bodies, but at the same time it's exciting to see things coming together. We'll throw a big party for ourselves when we finally get things up and ready. Our graphically-designed-challenged selves will NEED one!

Stay tuned...we'll be sure to let you know the minute the site is customer-worthy!

We've been blessed...

2008-11-01T11:05:00.006-04:00

James Cowan Edgett

1919-2008

Mom...and her Dad

We got a call this morning early...our grandpa has gone to live with the God he served all his life. "Home" was never really here, just a place he spent years cultivating family and friendships...and leaving a legacy for us all. We said our goodbyes while he could still hear us, just a few months ago....we shed our tears, knowing it would be the last time we'd hug him on earth. Today's tears are for ourselves, for our mom, her sisters, and our grandma...for our children who have not known him long enough.

Grandpa was one of the strongest men I know...he towered over my 5'2" frame and gave the hardest bear hugs EVER! His physical strength came from hard work...but his strength of character came from the way he lived his life and the God he lived to serve.

Grandpa proudly fought in World War II, leaving a young wife and family at home who did not hear from him for months at a time...he stood and watched as the famous flag was erected in Iwo Jima in 1945. And returned home with a gun shot wound and a Purple Heart...and for the rest of his life became a hero to his family. Those years in the army both toughened him for life's battles and softened him to care about the hearts of people.

As a young girl...even in the awkward adolescent years- when EVERYONE embarrasses and bothers you...I don't ever remember rolling my eyes (which I did OFTEN!) over a visit to my grandparents or about being engulfed in one of Grandpa's firm hugs. He was just the kind of guy you always loved to be around!

When I became a mom of little boys, grandpa was one of those men I just wanted them to spend time with. He was a man's man...strong in words and character..the kind of man every mom would want her sons to grow to become.

I used to look at my grandparents and want what they have...years and years of marriage with their best friend. After over 65 years of marriage they still held hands and gushed all over each other! Even after I've gone through an unwanted divorce myself, I still hope that one day I will be blessed to know love the way they did...because I saw it is possible.

A strong anchor of our family has been lost today...but because his life taught us well, none of us are under the delusion that we have seen the last of this great man. We do not pray that he rests in peace...for he's already in peace. We know that for him, to be absent in the body is to be present with the LORD... that is where he lives in peace today. When last I saw him, he was being wheeled away in a wheelchair....when next I see him, he'll be dancing with his Saviour, asking what took me so long to join him! Just this morning generations upon generations of saints have sang his welcome into the place he lived for...and the ONE who bore the sins of all, stood open-armed to receive a life well lived...and proclaimed for all to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant...welcome".

Gram...my heart aches for you today...while he is bowing at the feet of his King - you are missing the man who's stood strongly by your side for many years. May you know peace of heart and body this day...and the rest. Draw strength from the One who clasps the hand of Grandpa all the while holding tightly to yours....a circled posture you've grown familiar with over many years. I love you! Ter

Christmas tree confessions...

2008-10-29T15:29:00.004-04:00

You know how when someone compliments you, you're supposed to say a polite "thank you" and not reveal to them your hair is Clairol #99, your teeth are painted white, and the outfit came from the $0.75 Goodwill bins???

....well, to save ourselves from embarrassment later, I feel I must confess today...

Our Christmas tree is a big fat faker.

(*note: from here on out the faker's name will hereby be called "she")

She lives up to every definition of "artificial tree". Granted, there is nothing to be ashamed of when, instead of hand-cutting your evergreen, you pull it from a box...BUT...this goes WAY beyond that!

A little background story...

This tree found its way to the shop via mom and dad's "soon-to-be-vacated" attic. We grabbed her out of their recent yard sale, figuring we could use her in here just as much as a yard-saler could use her in their home. For many Christmas seasons mom and dad have pulled her out of their attic (sometimes she even came out fully dressed!) At first we thought they were CRAZY not to cut down and drag the real thing in from the forest...and we missed the fresh pine smell...but we got used to it and never paid her much attention. She served her purpose- decking the halls and hiding gifts from nosy snoopers.

Ok, so fast forward to this afternoon when I first realized how artificial the little faker really is! After dragging her out of the attic (again) and squeezing her into my LITTLE Honda Fit, she made the journey to Lulu & Tutz and revealed the fact that she does NOT have all her original parts. After a little tugging and groaning we finally got her standing on her three feet (THOSE are original) While we were standing her up, mom informed us she may not fully light because each year she loses some of her original bulbs and so mom has added more - and more strands. And, each year, THOSE lights fail to light, so she adds MORE bulbs! NOW we are getting to the real reason for this pathetic post....this poor tree that has seen us through many a family Christmas is not at all what I thought she was! While we always assumed she was the neat and tidy thing she portrayed herself to be, underneath all her branches there is DUCT TAPE, Miscellaneous screws holding her arms on, and about 1,000,000 strands of lights!!! (Not to mention the fact that 3/4 of those lights are burned out!) I remembered having a few boxes of Christmas lights in the back room from last year, so I took it upon myself to carry on the family tradition and add FOUR MORE STRANDS to the tree! (Oh, and not just ANY strands, mind you, these were four strands of 20 lightbulbs!!! Each one wrapped around the tree once!) There are more outlet ends on this tree than branches! She actually feels warm when you walk past her, which I guess would be a bonus.

The point of this story is that we want you to know upfront that when you walk in the front door to gaze at the lovely display of Christmas ornaments on said tree....know that while she stands tall and thin, she is really just being held together by a bunch of miscellaneous parts and lit by more strands of lights than your eyes can see. She is really just faking it when she smiles and says "thank you"...deep down her arms are hurting and her feet are buckling under the weight.

There's a moral here I think...it's either that we, like the tree, should stand up tall and smile EVEN under great distress...OR, that we should all stop lying and pretending we are something we're not and just let it all hang out! You choose.

random information...

2008-10-25T14:52:00.008-04:00

Are you old enough to remember these???

I'm sitting here eating them up as I type! It's a yucky, rainy day in Strasburg, and it called for a pack of Neccos from the Country Store next door to us! The site of them brings back so many memories!!! When we were little girls and mom "drug" us to the grocery store, we were allowed to pick out one candy item...and inevitably, it was almost ALWAYS Neccos!!! (The BIG packs, of course!) We'd each down our own pack and then spend the rest of the day trying to get rid of the pasty tongues they left behind!!! You'd think we'd learn from one week to the next to space them out and savor them....but we didn't, and we had that pasty feeling EVERY time!!! Good memories!!!

New Diaper bags...

We received a shipment of the CuTeSt diaper bags this week! Pink and Brown, and Green and white. Also, little clip-on bags with changing pads...perfect for throwing in the back of the car or clipping to the stroller! We didn't have such clever bags when we were raising our little ones...toting all the STUFF you accumulate for them! SO SWEET!

A sneak peek of the Christmas boxes we've been opening!!!

We've ordered some new things this year...still lots of pink and glitter, but we've added some mercury glass ornaments and balls....Stay tuned for more pictures in the next few weeks!!!

....9 weeks till Christmas, in case you wanted to know...

visitors from across the pond...

2008-10-21T16:29:00.003-04:00

Quite often we have foreigners come through the shop. Usually they've stumbled upon us in search of a little something to take home from their travels. We've enjoyed meeting people from all over the world.

This afternoon a group of the cutest girls came in all excited and full of life! They are exchange students from Germany staying with a local family. The girls had the best time "Oohing & Ahhing" and trying on all kinds of things throughout the shop! When I spied them taking pictures of themselves I asked if I could take one, too, so I could introduce them to you all! (I'm not sure if they completely understood what I was going to do with the picture, but they were all for dressing up and smiling!) Thanks girls! It was fun to meet you all...I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit here in the USA!

Are you a list maker???

Amy, from Fresh Vintage, stopped by today with some new items! She's always on the lookout for fresh, new ideas, and we think she's found a GrEaT one here! These little clipboards could be used in just about every room of the house, in the car, in your office, in your child's locker, on the teacher's desk....They're made from digital prints of vintage fabric, and they are CuTe!!!

Stay tuned this week for more pics of new items...lots of ideas for Christmas gifts! (9 1/2 more weeks till Christmas, in case you wanted me to remind you!!!)

See you soon!

Hot Chocolate, your comfy jeans....and our favorite wool clogs!

2008-10-17T16:30:00.004-04:00

We've been enjoying a bit of Indian Summer on the East Coast these last few weeks,

but today is all about Fall! The leaves are changing and beginning to let go, the air is crisper, and everywhere you look Autumn is taking over.

My sweaters are washed and ready to go, and my feet are screaming at me

to pack the flip flops away and step into the socks and clogs!

Stop by and check out the new selection that can be shipped right to your door...

NO SHIPPING COST!!!

...a bit of family nostalgia...

2008-10-11T11:32:00.011-04:00

Our parents have sold their home...

...the one we grew up in...raised our family of dolls in...and introduced our own babies to...the one we celebrated years of holidays and birthdays in...and shared a lifetime of laughter and tears in. We've seen many births and deaths between these walls...enjoyed lots of new beginnings and mourned many endings. It has been home to a small family that grew into many.

But, in just a few short weeks "home" will change directions. There's a new little carriage house being built not so far down the street that will become our new family central!

We'd all like to fast forward to the end of November when everything will be unpacked and orderly placed at the new house....there's 30 years worth of STUFF to toss at the "old" house and we owe mom and dad alot of hours of service!

(while they've stayed put for the last few decades, they've helped our families move a collective 9 times!)

So...while I sit and type, there's a HUGE moving sale goingon about 2 miles down the street at mom and dad's house!

Two of the girls have joined Grandma today...apparently making a little money off of our past!

One of things mom came across while she was getting things ready for the sale was the "Tole Booth" sign from her old shop! (I wrote about it here in a post - May 2008) I think seeing the sign was the first time it really sank into me that we are about to leave the past behind and a new chapter is waiting ahead...all the things that have quietly hid in boxes and back corners are being brought out and tossed to make room for new!

If stuff was what defined our family...we'd have less definition...if home really is made out of brick and mortar, then we are about to be homeless!

Thankfully, "true north" does not lead to a building, but the people inside it. While some of the stuff of our past now resides in someone else's homes...the memories of them will move in our hearts as we settle our parents into a new earthly haven down the street....

A little sparkle and shine...

2008-10-10T15:07:00.006-04:00

Thought we'd give you a little glimpse of what's recently arrived at Lulu & Tutz...

The sweetest gold and glass pastry dishes.

Mercury glass pedestals

Large and small painted tin lanterns...for sitting or hanging!

New neighbors...

2008-10-07T14:50:00.007-04:00

We've discovered a new reason for you to come back to Strasburg! While we think the town already has alot to offer, there's a new reason to pull into town! Yet another shop owned by two "sisters". (sisters-in-law, actually...but still sisters!) We like to support other small business owners in town, so let us introduce the newest shop to Strasburg!

I stopped by to get a picture of BOTH "sisters". Amy was not in the shop, so I conned Angela into posing for me! (thanks for being a good sport!) "Freshly Picked" is a Consignment Boutique. You'll find a little bit of everything inside...and something for everyone in the family!

So...the next time you come to visit us, take a little drive down 896 and visit Angela and Amy at Freshly Picked Boutique, too! (You might also want to stop next door for a slice or two of pizza at Angela's husband's pizza shop!)

************************************************************************** This past weekend Strasburg officially celebrated its' 275th Anniversary...complete with a Gala Dance, a parade, fireworks, a community picnic and a hymn sing! We're proud of our little town, and hope you'll find all of the above just a few more reasons to come and revisit us here!!!

(the above is a picture of my house after the neighbors placed 275 flags down the street!)

12 Weeks and counting!

2008-10-03T16:00:00.003-04:00

It's hard to believe we are that close to the holiday season, but ready or not, it's coming!!! In these times of an uncertain economy it's easy to feel like we'd like to skip the gift-giving season all-together! We understand that it's not an easy time, so our tip of the day is this...

There are 12 weeks to complete your shopping, why not buy one gift a week...you'll be surprised how relieved you'll be to have put a huge dent in your list when the busyness of the season hits!

We've been busy adding new things to the store that are both affordable and fun!!! We hope you'll Stop by and take a look!

Two Loops...

2008-09-24T15:46:00.004-04:00

A box came this week from one of our favorite companies!

In it were dozens of bags, tea towels, and aprons! They're colorful, fresh and fun!

Insulated lunch totes

magazine/shopping bags

full aprons, half aprons and tea towels!

There's more to come in a few weeks from Two Loops

...stop by and start your Christmas shopping early!!!

Sign up on our "WISH LIST" and make your loved ones shopping alot easier...they'll be happy for a little "no brain" shopping, and you'll be happy to receive what you'd like!

Surprise!!!

2008-09-20T13:47:00.001-04:00

...just thought you should know...

we're preparing for fall!

2008-09-17T11:54:00.009-04:00

Introducing....

Icelandic Designs is a new Company for us. It caught our eye at the NYC Gift Show for two reasons. At first glance, it was the product that made us stop and look...The hats and gloves are adorable and really well made. We knew we wanted them then...but as we began to ask questions and read the Company's bio, we were hooked!

The Icelandic designs are handknit in Nepal. There are 11 knitting centers scattered around different villages in Nepal. These centers give income to women who otherwise would have none. The company offers medical care and medication for the women and their families, scholarships to children, wages, and a flexible working environment where the woman can even take their work home if they need to!

Being single moms, we know what it's like to work hard to make ends meet and care for our children. We're privileged to live in a country with many opportunities to grow and advance...these women do not have the same privileges we enjoy. Bringing in this new company just seems like the right thing to do!

...Great product, great mission statement...

It's that time again....

2008-09-08T13:09:00.004-04:00

It's SALE time!!!

...time to get rid of the old...

...price it right

ship it out....

...and wave farewell...

...bye, bye summer....

...sniff...sniff....

FALL IS ON THE WAY, and there's new stuff to bring out!

We hope you'll join us soon

...don't wait too long, these prices won't last forever!!!

Another Monday morning...

2008-09-01T10:30:00.005-04:00

No better way to start out than with a great cup off CoFfEe!!!!!

Now that school has started and Fall is on the way, football season is fast approaching....pack your cup of coffee to go in one of these beauties!!!

Everything tastes better in a pretty thermos!

We found these adorable vintage "cup cozies" recently....great for keeping your cups from sweating on your furniture!

...A few new additions to the Boutique area....

We occasionally take in some things from local "artists" ...here's a few new pieces from a local friend. All her pieces are made with Sterling and genuine beads. They are unique and one-of-a-kind!

*******************************************************************************

Though many are enjoying a day off of work for the holiday...many among us are waking to the reality of Hurricane season. I woke this morning with my thoughts and prayers on the residents of Louisiana. My heart is heavy for those we've recently had the privilege of meeting and working alongside...praying they have moved to safety with their families...

With so much rebuilding still to be done -3 years after Katrina - I can't even begin to think how discouraging it could be to return home after the hit of Gustav.

True Hope can only come from one place...all the rest is temporary....

"Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him. God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure..." Ps 62

Back in PA...

2008-08-22T13:16:00.005-04:00

We're back from a quick trip to Massachussets...

We had an emotional reunion with our grandparents...we hadn't been to see them in several years, so we closed up shop for a few days, loaded everyone in a 15 passenger van, and went for a visit! We were surprised to see how much they've changed since we'd seen them last...the years have aged us all...

4 generations of "Edgett" ladies...

All 9 "Lulu and Tutz-children" posing by the Mayflower!

While much of our weekend was spent visiting with relatives, we managed to do a little "sight seeing" and enjoyed some family time OUTSIDE of the big van!

One of our favorite places we visited was a little shop in Wrentham, MASS.

We stumbled upon "Bambi's Vive Le Chic" by accident...but were so glad that we did! Bambi was so nice to let us come in at 4:45 as she was closing up shop for the day! She proceeded to chat and share some of her own "shop owner tips" with us. We saw a few of our own items on her shelves and a few new ones that might make their way here too!

We each left with a little "Bambi" gift and a list of great ideas!

Thanks, Bambi, for your gracious help and encouragement! We'll be back the next time we head North! Those of you passing through Wrentham should do the same!!! Tell her we sent you!

We're back!

2008-08-11T16:26:00.003-04:00

Admittedly, while my body is back in PA, my mind and heart is still hanging out somewhat in Louisiana! We had an awesome week....and getting back to business after a great experience like we had is REALLY hard to do! But...we are back. I had more hot meals in Louisiana than I've ever had in 7 consecutive days!!! The hospitality of those we worked near was incredible! Someone was always asking who was making us our next meal...they were ready to get down to it in their own kitchens! I'm not a seafood person, so I'm sure some of the excitement was lost on me, but I really enjoyed the sense of community that these people enjoy. I think I've gained 10 pounds (of rice!) since I left!!! I'll be eating bland leafy things for a while! Today is Tammi's birthday...so I'll have to break down and have a piece of cake...but after that, NO SUGAR or heavy CARBS for a while! The shop looks the same as it did a week ago...thanks to Tammi and my mom who took my place every day while I was gone. I'm not sure, but mom may be on bedrest for the rest of the week...she took on alot of hours she's not used to AND kept my daughter all week!

Thanks, guys, for letting me take off for a week and filling in my shoes while I was gone!!!

Love you!!!

We're taking a little blogging time off....

2008-08-01T15:29:00.003-04:00

Just a little heads up to all you regulars to our blog. The resident blogger is taking a week off to join a team of students and adults traveling to New Orleans, Louisiana for Katrina re-building. This will be my last post here for about a week...but I'll be posting elsewhere! Please feel free to stop by http://lancasterallianceyouth.blogspot.com/ and come along for the ride!!!

This is what we did the last time we were there in 2006....

can't wait to see how much progress we'll find!!!

...a little family history...

2008-07-28T11:48:00.004-04:00

We often get asked "What's a Lulu & Tutz?!?" when people walk into the shop....our pink and white sign draws curious people in to investigate! (I actually had some men come in once and say it sounds like a BROTHEL!!!! ummm...NO!)

The story of our shop name goes like this....

Dad (who has a business called Summit Advisory that sells businesses for other people) was selling the Country Store and Creamery for the previous owner, and knew there would be a small store front available for rent. When he suggested we open a shop our reactions were very different....as our personalities do most of the time! I (Terri) immediately began to dream and plan ....and Tammi contemplated, asked questions, and investigated. We'd realize later how important our personality differences are to the success of our business!!!

We spent the next few weeks talking alot about the pros and cons of our decision (something we spent our LIFE doing w/Dad and his yellow legal pads!!!)...after alot of prayer and discussion we decided to take the risk and go for it!

And then came the long process of choosing just the right name for the shop we had formed in our minds' eyes. You wouldn't think it'd be so hard to come up with a catchy name, but it really was! We had our parents, friends, and children in on it and made alot of phone calls between us with ideas! We searched every "sister" quote...inserted every quirky word we could think of...and bantered back and forth for weeks with DiFfErEnT, OdD, and StRaNgE choices, but nothing seemed to stick.

Finally, one day it came to us. Tammi and I were shopping in Bath and Body Works. At the time they sold a product with the name "Lulu" on it. It immediately struck a memory in us and in a matter of minutes we had attached "Tutz" to it. Both were nicknames that our Grandma Edgett called us...a shop name was established!

Jim and Rita Edgett

Our Grandparents just celebrated their 70th Anniversary. They live in Massachusetts, so we don't get to see them often enough....but we think of them every day when people ask about our name and where it came from. We've been blessed with a Godly heritage...

Painting projects...

2008-07-18T10:44:00.007-04:00

Well...I had the brilliant idea that this would be a good week to get started on some painting that I've been putting off for weeks...months...forever. I did NOT factor in that it would be 200 degrees AND humid, though!

This little bench started out its life as a stool for something or other, and now sports a new coat of white paint and a floral cover cut from a vintage tablecloth.

It took a few days, but most of the projects are finished...and NOW I'm glad I started them! I bought these frames at an auction for next to nothing when no one bid on them...they've sat in the back room for weeks as I waited for someone to come along to paint them. No one came, and I almost hung them as is...but now that I see the color on them, I'm glad I didn't. They have personality now where before they were dingy and old-looking. Hmmm....That sounds like what I see in the mirror every morning before donning the makeup!

I hope there's more to me than a coat of paint...

A new addition to the Baby Boutique..."Baby's Firsts" Box.

It's a little chest of drawers with ornaments to commemorate each new "first". It can be used for multiple children...it's really sweet! A "Baby's Firsts" box would make a great shower gift!

The best find at the auction!!!

2008-07-11T16:18:00.004-04:00

How cute is he?!?

Yesterday my son and I went to an auction down the street. We happened upon this sweet little Amish boy reading his new comic books! While I know they do NOT like to have their pictures taken, I couldn't resist the picture he made! What you can't see is that he was sitting just off the driveway where people were loading their trucks and dragging things past him! He was oblivious to all else! My kids are like that when they sit on the computer...but not nearly as often when reading a comic book!

Things are pretty slow around here this week....I guess everyone's on vacation. The most exciting thing that's happened around here is a couple of visits from the UPS guy bringing us boxes of new jewelry!!!

Sight and Sound Theater is back open with a new show, "In the Beginning". I think it's bringing more people into town-if you haven't seen one of their shows, you should really plan one into your next vacation! They are really well done and a great way to spend an evening! Check out their website for a listing of their shows!

http://www.sight-sound.com/

Here's hoping Saturday is a busier day!!! Come back, come back...do not vacation too long from us!!!

A new jeweler...

2008-07-05T15:15:00.004-04:00

Meet Kimberlie Burkhart, proprietress and designer of B.B. Bellezza Handcrafted Jewelry. Bride and Groom whimsical pin...

Domino necklaces....these are so adorable! They're made out of old dominoes and vintage letters/pictures. They're one of a kind and alot of fun!

It's kind of hard to see in this picture, but Kim's beaded jewelry looks almost like candy! She uses an abundance of glass beads and charms...you really MUST see them in person to appreciate them!

Flowers anyone?!!

2008-06-21T10:50:00.007-04:00

A peek around the back of my house...

Several years ago I bought a couple of Hydrangea plants from a local Amish woman.

I planted two in the front of the house, and one in the back...

never realizing that years later they would take over the whole yard!!!

I've transplanted them several times over...so that by now they are all over the place!

So...they've made their way to the shop....

...and will probably be replenished all summer long!

Cute little flea market find...already wearing pink!

I found this little blue step-stool the other day...how sweet would it be beside your little one's bed, or next to the bathroom sink!?! I wonder how many little feet have climbed it....

*New Jewelry *

It's a scorcher!

2008-06-13T14:34:00.004-04:00

Can you see the temp on this thing???

That's AFTER the SUN has stopped beating in the front windows...

Our A/C took it's last bow and died this week....just in time for a heat/humidity wave! The parts are ordered and we can only PRAY they'll be here by the start of next week! WhEw!!!

...The best thing we could think of to do for our poor, drippy customers was to have some cold liquid available...nothing fancy, but better than heat stroke!

Sweet Vintage dishes from a local auction...

Frogs.....

We found a handful of these great flower frogs AND the vintage postcards

...they make a happy couple!

A new home for our pillows!

2008-06-13T14:10:00.003-04:00

We've done a little rearranging this week...in the heat...with the A/C down. But, we think it was worth the sweat....it gave us a new look and a new home for our pillows and throws. Sometimes you just have to shift things around and suddenly everything is cheerier and brighter!

Speaking of CHEERY...New CHERRY pillows from "Fresh Vintage by Amy"...word is there might be more on the way!

Tales of a 4th Grade teacher...

2008-06-05T11:19:00.004-04:00

What fabulous timing!!!

I had a bit of a "blog-block" this morning...wishing to add something eye-catching and wonderful...but empty of all thought! BUT, about an hour ago one of our favorite people walked through the doors of Lulu & Tutz to say hello! And, there it was...my next post!

I was an awkward 4th grader, (and a little afraid of Mrs. Whitney at first, according to my mom!) but if you're lucky, at least once you'll have a great teacher that changes the way you feel about learning! Mrs. Whitney did that for me...and although it has been MaNy years since I sported my 4th grade bobby socks, it hasn't been THAT long that I don't get warm fuzzies when she stops by to say hello!

I don't think Tammi was ever blessed to have Mrs. Whitney for a teacher, but she gets the same warm fuzzies when she sees her, too! Probably because she exudes sweetness and cares for everyone she comes across. (And, by the way...apparently Mrs. W has discovered the fountain of youth...as she is perpetually young!!!)

Thank you, Mrs. Whitney for caring enough to love us through

our awkward years and continue to love us today!!! (Oh, gosh...I hope I used my grammer correctly...I hope I did not forget to dot my "i's" and cross my "t's", and used at least 5 vocab words!)

Bet you can't keep a straight face!

2008-06-04T13:14:00.004-04:00

How HaPpY is this toaster?!?

I happen to have one in my own kitchen and it does make a better piece of toast!

AND....it gets a smile out of me every time I look at it!

(Great gift for the grumpy-morning person in your life!)

But wait...there's a matching happy LiGhT!!!

All the better to see your smiling grumpy-morning friend with!

Yard sale finds!

2008-05-30T11:03:00.003-04:00

Here's a few great little pieces I brought in yesterday from a yard sale...

How cute is the robin on these little bowls?!?

The pink dishes on the bottom of the pile just left with a customer-right after I snapped this picture!

Sherbert dishes!

The sale was to benefit a friend's ministry to young girls in India. http://www.hollingerfoundation.com/ Debbie is also opening a thrift shop in Denver this summer- all proceeds will go to send these young girls to school and college! So sweet!

cheap labor

2008-05-28T13:06:00.007-04:00

Emma, #7 of the 9 collective off-spring, decided to work with me at the shop yesterday. I snapped a quick shot of her bagging a customer's purchase. With summer vacation coming SOON, I imagine any number of those offspring could be milling around in here! We may have to expand the "tv room" in the back to accomodate all the growing body parts! "("Lulu & Tutz" ...in our cute years!)

When we were little girls Mom had a little shop,"The Tole Booth Shop", in our home on Main St in Strasburg, that tourists wandered in and out of...I believe we convinced some of them we were Amish one time! They even took pictures of us to take home! Do we LOOK Amish?!?

(Lulu & Tutz in our awkward...and skinny...years!)

...in our teen years, Dad dreamed up and created "The Strasburg Country Store and Creamery" which is next door to us. (The best ice cream in Lancaster County, I believe!) Mom ran the Country Store and we both scooped more ice cream than we care to remember!

I suppose some of their creative blood passed down through us...

which is why we enjoy keeping it all in the family today!

Hooray for the sun!!!

2008-05-23T12:27:00.004-04:00

We're seeing shadows again!

It's been a long week of rainy, cold weather...so our sunny, warm day is much welcomed! I popped my head outside a few minutes ago to soak in some sun and snapped this picture of our bike and rainboots that are, not surprisingly, looking a little perkier today! We celebrate Memorial Day weekend remembering our own Grandparents who sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy freedom with our own families. Thanks, Pop-pop for serving so faithfully...earning every bit of your Purple Heart, and to Nana and Grandma C. who held down the homefront wondering every day if your men would come home. You are our heroes...a generation of faithful patriots who will forever have our gratitude.

All the better to see you with...

2008-05-16T12:23:00.004-04:00

It's raining...I'm bored...so the mannekin heads got makeovers!

One got hair and "eyes"....

...The other got "eyes" and hats!

I think we were first drawn to this reading glass company because of their name-

"ICU Eyewear"! How appropriate!!

We thought we were done with April Showers

Naptime!!!

2008-05-09T13:12:00.003-04:00

NEW JaMmIeS!!!

We've been waiting for these guys! It's not easy sitting in here all day wishing we could put a pair on! Maybe we should have a Jammie Day! Or, perhaps a "Customer Appreciation Sleepover"! Ok, perhaps not...but there's no telling what kind of ideas you might come up with wearing these things! Isn't it time to throw away your husbands big t-shirts- in lieu of a cute AND comfy pair of pj's?!? I think he would thank you! Try it and see!

Espadrilles are back!!!

2008-05-02T13:40:00.003-04:00

ThEy'Re HeRe!!!

Our favorite Fed Ex man just stopped by to deliver our much-awaited espadrilles! They've been dyed and embellished especially for us...awaiting new feet to fit and paths to walk! There are so many lovely styles to pick from that we have a catalog to roam through, should someone want to pick their own style and color, and have them delivered to their door!

The pair above, called "Dahlia", are walking home with me tonight...

Handmade pillows...

2008-04-23T15:47:00.004-04:00

We have a new friend.... Yesterday Amy from "Fresh Vintage" pulled in with armloads of handmade pillows for the shop. She makes them from both new and vintage notions. They've made their home on a little wicker couch and look just lovely! Check out her blog to see the pics! http://amy-freshvintage.blogspot.com/ Thanks Amy! Can't wait to see what else your crafty little hands come up with!

Let's try again....if you were to walk through our front doors...

2008-04-19T15:01:00.007-04:00

I didn't have great luck at this the other day....but today it's working! One of our favorite customers stopped by to chat the other day, and while she was here she mentioned that we should have descriptive pictures of the shop so that those reading the blog could get a better sense for what it looks like. While I admit I'm not the best photographer, I absolutely welcomed the suggestion and did my best to take pics that weren't totally overwhelming! I'm not sure I succeeded in that, but here's a glimpse of what you'll find when you visit Lulu & Tutz.

Towels, Aprons, and potholders...

Trendy kitchenware...

Red and White polka dots from Rosanna...

Flashdrives, cards, paper, journals...

The Ladies Boutique...

The Baby Boutique...

Although I just took these pictures this week, I can see that things have been moved around already since then! AND...we'll have to move things around again after mom and I spent the morning at a local auction...our favorite thing!

**Tiny window into how my mind works.....I was pricing some of the old linens we bought this morning, and I found a hAiR. (gross, I know...)BUT, it got me thinking about WHO the hair belonged to, whether or not they are still living, and what their story is.

...Imagine how many family meals were eaten on the floral tablecloths, and how many hands were dried on the embroidered towels. No telling how many secrets were told on the vintage bedspread, or how many glasses of tea were sipped out of the polka dot glasses! I guess that's the fun of finding old treasures...they've already lived a lifetime in someone else's world!

a little of this...a little of that...

2008-04-04T11:30:00.017-04:00

Even the fussiest of bathers will climb into the tub with these cute little ducks!! Who can resist polka dots and stripes? Almost makes being clean FUN!

Does your little one need a "savings account"? These piggies are functional AND cute!

Or maybe your little one has grown into a BIG computer "geek"!

How cute are these flashdrives?!?

Luke and Leah HALO!!! other odd characters!!!

Teapots, trendy place settings, and little toes!

2008-03-29T17:00:00.009-04:00

*Rosanna place settings*

They've finally arrived!!!

We've been unpacking, pricing, and displaying some of the sweetest new items this week! It was beginning to feel like Spring was never coming, and our shelves were starting to look a little tired, too! Finally...the boxes we've been waiting for have begun to arrive in a steady flow!!! It's like Christmas every time the UPS guy stops by!!! Poor guy...he must seriously HATE seeing our name on his route!!! The acrobatic lengths he has to go to in order to reach the back room with our boxes!!! We must think about getting him some leotards and slippers! Sorry, it just can't be helped...our customers want MORE STUFF!!!

So, here's a little peek into this week's arrivals...

*Teapots*

*Sweet socks for sweet little feet...*

There's much more to see...and much more to come. We're savoring seeing familiar faces peeking in the windows and walking through the door! We hope you'll join us soon....stop in and take a break from whatever is keeping you busy. Have some sipping chocolate, or stop down the street for a cup of tea and take a stroll through the town.

We promise you won't regret taking a breather!

We're thinkin' pink!

2008-03-12T22:16:00.003-04:00

NEW ARRIVALS!!!

Pink spatulas, batter bowls, and the cutest box of cookie mix ever!

Courtesy of Stonewall Kitchen!

*Lulu and Tutz*