Two Leslies In The Fingerlakes

So, I think I had more fun yesterday than I've had in a long, long time. One of my favorite local friends, Leslie "Barley" and I hit the road in my little old station wagon, determined to find some cute stocking stuffers (and, to be truthful, some stuff for ourselves, too!) in the New York Fingerlake towns of Skaneateles and Cazenovia. Which are two very, very lovely old villages along Hwy. 20. The weather was quite snowy and cold, so we were dressed appropriately in our sweaters and down, and had the seat warmers turned up high. Leslie B. had never been to Skaneateles before, so I was super eager to share my favorite places with her!

First up, a "new" shop to me, called Hidden Pond Farm. Cindy Petters, the owner, is quite famous in the crafting world--her home was recently featured in my favorite new magazine, "Where Women Create". Cindy has always wanted to open a shop in her almost 200 year old Skaneateles home, and lucky for us, got up the nerve to do so, just for THIS ONE DAY!

Here's how her home looks from the street:

And HERE'S how Cindy's itsy bitsy, cute-as-a-button shop looked, inside!

That DARLING Brazilian boy with the curls, her daughter's boyfriend, had the smile of an ANGEL!

Cindy also let us tour her absolutely, pristinely decorated home--you can tell she loves the Early American Primitive style!

I purchased some of Cindy's homemade mulling spices and another little gift that I can't tell you about now, because a certain someone who might receive it, happens to read my blog.

Cindy was THE most gracious host, serving us brownies and cookies and cider. LOVE YOU, GIRL!

Refueled, we headed to downtown Skaneateles and checked out one of my longtime faves, called Pomodoro, and the little kitchen shop next door, called Rhubarb. Bought a calender for meeeeeee!!!

Doesn't it look amazingly snowy and Christmas-ey out? A veritable winter wonder land, I tell youz.

Next, we drove over to nearby Cazenovia and had a little lunch at a darling cafe whose name escapes me. Bad blogger, bad! Then........off to show Leslie B. my ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE SHOP ON THIS PLANET. I saved the best for last. If you have never been to Old and Everlasting, on Hwy 13 (by Critz farms), just south of the village of Cazenovia, RUN, I order you, RUN there, now!

I savor my visits to this little shop in the country. The owner decorates for each season, and the feelings of absolute joy and peace I feel there cannot be explained. Just one little word of advice: bring your credit cards, debit cards and cash! Because you'll want it all.

Old and Everlasting, at Christmas time (sort of a dark photo, but hey, it was a dark day!~):

So much good stuff, they have to hang it from the rafters!

Sigh--this is my dream shop--the one I WILL open again, some day soon!

Well, after all we saw and savored and purchased, Leslie B. and I had to take our broke selves back home to the Adirondacks. Such a fun day--thank you, Leslie B.!!

Oops--almost forgot! You can now comment on my blog to your heart's content; I changed the settings, so you don't need to be a blogger to do so. Comments are always at the bottom of each post. Oh yea--one more thing--sorry about my sort of blurry photos--my camera sucks (hint, hint, Big Daddy~!), and it was also very cold, so I think there was a little bit of steam or road salt on the lens.