Snapshots Into My Life

What I am seeing through my lens this week.

We celebrated Brynley's birthday on Monday and she loved her cake! I can't believe she is 1 already. Where did this year go?

One the way back from Wisconsin, my mom and I stopped in Shipshewana, IN. This site made me giggle because all the emergency vehicles were golf carts.

Last fall, I constantly looked for these pumpkin spice M&M's. I never found them, so I started early this year and bought 4 bags. I don't know how I am going to use them, but I will be prepared!

Shipshewana Shopping

Be still my Midwestern heart...Shipshewana, Indiana. I LOVE this place. As soon as we drive into town, I feel more relaxed.

This was really a quick trip out to the flea market. We didn't look in any shops in town and we didn't go to our favorite restaurant. Even with the shorter trip, it was still a good first trip of the season. Quite a few vendors have not set up shop yet, so there will be so much more to look at later on. Definitely a reason to go back, which probably won't happen until the day after Labor Day.

Someday I am going to have to try and make a yummy chocolate peanut butter pie. It is something I get every time I go.

After my kitchen is done (I have finally decided to bite the bullet and redo the kitchen), I will have to make a trip out to E & S Sales. This place is full of dry goods. They have a huge assortment of flours, spices and all kinds of other things. That will have to be a blog post all of its own.

Until then, I will have to start making my list to stock my new cabinets!

A Trip to Amish Country

It is finally fall! I love this time of year. Leaves changing, colder temperatures, football season, pumpkin everything....it is fabulous!

To start off the season, my mom and I went to Shipshewana, IN for some shopping. Shipshewana is in Amish country. From May to October, a flea market is held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Because of the holiday, it was also opened on Monday. It is fun to walk around and see all the stuff for sale. Some are really good deals like the autumn welcome sign I got for $12. I also got mini muffin tins for $3.75 a piece. Not bad either. Some prices aren't that great, so it pays to shop around a little bit.

While it is fun to look around at all the vendors at the flea market, my absolute favorite place to stop in Shipshewana is E&S Sales. It is a grocery store, but they sell dry goods in bulk. And the prices are really good. They have so many things in there that it is best to go with a list because it is really easy to overspend because the prices are so low. They added a huge new section that basically doubled their store size. Because of the crowds on Monday, I told my mom that we weren't going to mess around. Just get in and out.

Our last stop of the day was at Das Dutchman Essenhaus. The food at this restaurant is unbelievable. It is so good. I get the same thing every time, a roast beef manhattan. It is a roast beef sandwich and mashed potatoes drenched in gravy. YUM! And of course, the meal must be finished with a piece of pie. They have so many to choose from. My choice this time was the chocolate peanut butter banana pie. My mom had pecan pie a la mode. They also have a bakery there was so many yummy things - breads, cookies, whoppie pies. It is such a great last stop to make on our way back home.

All in all, it was a fun day. Seeing all the fall decorations gave me the nudge to move a little more quickly to get my summer stuff down and my fall stuff up. I am looking forward to a very busy fall season. Before we blink it will be Christmas, but I want to enjoy this season first.