Stoudt's Brewery, Adamstown PA

While in Philadelphia we came across a flier for a brewery an hour west of Philadelphia. It promised a restaurant, antiques, and a food co-op. Since it was on our way home, and we hadn't done anything touristy yet, we thought we'd check it out. We are so glad we did.

It wasn't just a brewery, it was a colorful little magic land with all of my favorite things, beer, antiques, and natural foods. The people hanging out there were a regular cast of characters as well.

Adamstown had a lot of antique shops already, but the brewery seemed to be ground zero. It was a huge maze of an antique mall, with the sellers present in their booths, and nearly everything in mint condition and expertly curated. This means we couldn't afford anything we liked, but it was still so fun to look. 

The Wonderful Good Market had all kinds of organic and natural foods, plus plants for sale, and a bakery that made fresh bread, including the beer bread that we picked up along with some raw milk cheese. AND they had a sample bar with delicious baked goods.

Then, the restaurant.. Black Angus was completely decked out in fancy antiques and memorabilia, and had a very extensive and impressive menu. It's mostly seafood and meat, but they had veggie options, and seemed willing to whip up something special to suit your dietary needs. We sat at the antique bar, sampling the beer on tap. We took home a mixed six pack, and my favorite was The Fat Dog Oatmeal Stout. Sooo good.

We didn't have time to tour the brewery, but that is an option. We did check out the brew hall where I believe they hold their festivals and have live music. There was a separate beer tasting bar there, where some locals, possibly antique dealers, seemed to be hanging out.

The place is family owned. Brimming with Stoudt's.

It was the best possible stop on our looong roadtrip, and if you find yourself traveling through Pennsylvania sometime, check it out. 

Stoudt's

Route 272

2800 North Reading Road

Adamstown, PA 19501 

The restaurant:

Some treasures we wish we coulda taken home with us:

And the Fat Dog Oatmeal Stout:

While searching for an image of the label, I found this one over at Dog Hill Kitchen.

They've concocted a recipe for Stoudt's Fat Dog Beer Bread that I would absolutely love to try. Fantastic idea!

Ceilume Tiles!

So, our two-flat has a couple ceiling issues. Up in my mom's unit, there's a drop ceiling to conceal the duct work for her air conditioning. In the basement, we have dusty, ugly exposed beams because the basement is unfinished. This is a problem because my sewing studio is down there, and dust is constantly getting knocked down onto my work surface. 

I have always been a huge fan of tin ceilings, who isn't? But everything I've ever seen available to get the effect of a vintage tin ceiling has been too expensive.

 

Enter Ceilume tiles.

My friend, Katie, gave me a tip on these, because she discovered the company will mail out free full-sized samples, and she thought she could hang a tile or two on the wall for decoration, which she can.  But they work even better in their intended capacity as incredibly inexpensive and easy to install faux tin ceiling. They are made of vinyl, but can be painted (and come in colors and a bunch of different designs from victorian to modern) , and once they're all the way up on the ceiling, I really don't think you can tell.

Plus, they are recyclable, use 75% less raw material than regular ceiling tiles, and are cheaper to ship. I don't mean to gush, but there are also some cool fire-safe features and they won't get ruined if your roof leaks. 

So, Katie, thanks for the tip on the free samples. And, yeah, I do actually intend to buy the product.

So, check them out: Ceilume

Wedding On the Delaware

So, the last two weeks have been marathon wedding weeks. Here are some photos from the first one we attended, in Philadelphia on a beautiful old estate on the Delaware River called The Glen Foerd Mansion

Here is all the correspondence and paper from the wedding, designed by the bride herself. I believe the inspiration was a photo of a feather in the sand, taken on the vacation of the proposal. Feathers were enclosed with the invitation.

The (very tall) groom, Mickey, with his (very small) grandmother:

The bride with her stepfather. The back of that dress, "Marrielle" in gold by Raylia was absolutely gorgeous:

As much of the bridal party as I could fit in one frame. I think there were ten each of bridesmaids and groomsmen. The bridesmaids wore their own butter yellow or ivory (our wedding colors!) dresses and the groomsmen wore their own suits with ties silk-screened by Cyberoptix. Flowers were by Jessica Weeks, and hairpieces by Gillian Chadwick:

Mickey and Lauren eating at their own table in front of the mantel which I thought was very romantic, but apparently also a political move. They were able avoid choosing who from their very extensive list of close friends and family to sit with:

The beautiful and DELICIOUS cake! It was all chocolate, with strawberries. We were given extra pieces to take with us, which were gobbled up on the fourteen hour drive home:

My sister found the spot that matched her outfit:

My mom, me, my sister. There was a bowl of small flowers by the guestbook with pins so the guys could put them on their lapels, and I put one in my hair:

Not For Combustible Babies

Now that we got my bestie married off, it's time to start thinking about making things for her baby boy, due in September.

Lorraine is a total eco-freak, LEED certified and everything. She is obsessed with not having anything flame-retardant near her child. It sounds kinda weird, but she has a point. Pretty much all baby sleepwear and bedding is flame-retardant. She says that at some point in the seventies or eighties a mass paranoia of spontaneously combustible babies emerged. 

Babies aren't particularly flammable, and all those anti-fire chemicals can't be good for them, so I'll indulge the lady.

Here are some great materials I found, all organic and non-toxic. Now I just need to decide what to do with them. 

One. Hand screen printed and solvent free elephants on organic hemp/cotton by Carly Schwerdt for Umbrella Prints

Two. Organic cotton iron-on applique patch by Crazy Couture Boutique

Three. GreenSTYLE Panda Print Leaf on 60% cotton, 40% bamboo fabric by Robert Kaufman

Four. Enchanted Forest 100% Organic Twill by Mod Green Pod

Five. Block Printed Chocolate Eyelet on 55% Hemp/ 45% Organic Cotton Blend by Home Sweet

Six. Cloud 9 by Mod Green Pod 100% Organic Cotton made with eco-friendly non-toxic ink