I’ve been so busy playing with the new kitty, I’ve forgotten to post about all the loot I scored last weekend when BF and I went to Lancaster.  (I got a great deal on a resort out there via Groupon, and loving the great prices on antiques the city has to offer, how could I not get the voucher?)

Saturday we woke up and started by trekking to Crackleberry Farm Antique Mall.  After a few minutes of browsing I thought it was going to be a real bust, just nothing I was in the market to purchase.  But since we were there, why not walk all the way through it…and in the last 4-5 stalls I visited I hit the jackpot!

A vintage Coach Bucket Bag for a phenomenal price:

and a Waylon Jennings album…HELLO!!!!!!

After, we drove a few more minutes to a town called Intercourse, PA (and yes I laugh everytime I say the town’s name, because I am the poster child for maturity).

In Intercourse, we stopped at a Pretzel factory, had a snack, and bought some to take home:

Next door was an Amish run antique store which I wish for the life of me that I could remember its name because I would absolutely hands down recommend this tiny shop to anyone.  Not only was the man working overly friendly and informative with a rundown on each item’s history, but also the prices were out of the world unbelievable!  So much so, I had to tell him he had a price tag mislabeled when we looked at this amazing antique trunk:

While I know Lancaster is not NYC, you too would question a great piece priced at only $20, no?  However, turns out that was indeed the price.  SOLD!  (just a little TLC and some clean up and this trunk is about to hold my blankets and quilts!)

I also loved the print of my man, Abraham Lincoln, that the store had for sale.

Turns out the frames are made by Amish farmers using repurposed husk drying frames…that’s where the wood of the print’s frame comes from.  Who’d thought?

In addition to those two items, I couldn’t keep my sniffer away from these wonderfully scented handmade soaps either, and the horse one was a total given that I’d be buying.

On Sunday, with breakfast in our stomachs, we hit up the downtown area for shopping. Sadly, not everything is open on Sundays.  But lucky for me my favorite store (like favorite store EVER, not just in Lancaster), Mommalicious, was open.

I ended up purchasing some new perfume they’re carrying by Tokyomilk.  There were so many scents it was hard to choose, but I settled with Arsenic partially because of the name, and partially because of the imagery on the bottle.  Plus I got a free sample of hand cream…ALRIGHT!

After, I stopped in a head shop and got some new incense,

then into an antique store that had 1/2 off everything on their 1st floor…meaning these bracelets were all $2 each…how could I not buy more bling that I don’t need??

I also grabbed a much needed fruit bowl while I was in that same antique store (also 1/2 off).

And lastly, before we set off on the open road to head back to NYC, we stopped into Building Character. It’s a warehouse that has about 40 stores in it.  BF got himself a printer’s letter tray/holder to put up in his office and put whatever inside.  He took a real interest to the old art of printmaking after we took a quick tour of the printer museum housed within.  And I, well I got a new vintage dress, because thats’ the way I roll.  It’s cute, I can see myself wearing it in September, early fall.  And I liked the print, and little detail at the front waist.

So you can see why a girl like me would love a quick weekend trip to Lancaster, PA.  Between the great antiques, vintage fashions available for cheap, and the Amish goodies, what’s not to like?

BF and I went on an overnight excursion to Atlantic City yesterday.  Thanks to Living Social I had found a great deal on a hotel (the Chelsea), and the perks involved (The Solarium, The Chelsea’s spa) were too good to pass up.

Plus, I’m always up for a gamble with the slot machines if I’ve got a few extra dollars burning a hole in my pocket…so a trip to AC was just what this girl wanted.

As it turns out,  Greyhound’s Lucky Streak bus, the line we took to get there, also has a perk of its own: A free $25 slot play voucher to The Tropicana casino.  Hell yeah—and let me just tell you, free money means cash out often, and cash out while ahead…working this motto, BF and I earned about $100 extra money!  He’s not a big gambler, so when our free money was up, we took that new $100 and had wings, more wings, a few drinks, some fancy cocktails, then more cheap drinks, and we bought CANDY!!!  We thought we were big spenders, throwing our new money around like it grows on trees :)  Eh, why not, it was FREE money afterall.

But woo…yay for winning in AC, even if we’re total small rollers too wussy to play high stakes games with the big boys.  I had fun, and it was good quality time spent with the bf, and that’s all that matters, right?

I went camping over the weekend since I had today off (it’s Rashashanah, sp??).  The BF and I braved the elements with a little nylon tent, a campfire, and a cooler full of beers and hotdogs…and duh, a buttload of s’mores ready to be eaten!

Many people had their doubts about my camping abilities.  They think I’m all high heels and makeup 24/7, well people…I did grow up in Southern Indiana, and camping is practically a part of life before even popping out of the womb.  So yeah…I styled up a pair of chucks and yoga pants and used half a can of Pssssttttt on my unwashed hair, and there ya go…I’m a camper!  (tomorrow its back to the real world though, where makeup and high heels are my “practical” look).

We went to Knoebels Amusement Park. This is an amusement park with some pretty rad wooden coasters, as well as a campground.  The BF grew up going there, and it was high time we tested our hands with mother nature, so he suggested going back there.  I was excited regardless, but after the weekend, I can clearly see why he was dying to revisit this place.  Not only is the campground nice and clean, the free amusement park is awesome!  We had a great time, and I can’t wait to go camping again.  now…if only Spring will get here because this seems to be the soonest moment we can go again.  

Last weekend, I whisked BF and myself away to the first stop on the Jersey Shore…Highlands!

We packed lots of snacks, hopped on the ferry for a quick 45min ride, sauntered up to our bed & breakfast (the Seascape Manor…super awesome “goin’ to grandma’s” feel, yummy food, and great hosts), made some animal friends, ate lots of snacks, and ate even more seafood.  It was a good weekend away.

But the Saturday morning bike ride thru the highest point on the jersey shore, the constant abuse mother nature dished out in the form of uber strong waves, and the overall laid back laze and food coma I was in, left me and BF just pure beat.  Nap time ensued.

The boardwalk was a delightful treat…way better than the trash heaps, I mean people, that flock to Coney Island in Brooklyn.

Ocean City had a clean, fun, not super crowded, fun for the whole family kinda strip on the beach.

Amusement Parks and arcades (as seen in last post on Ocean City)…

To antique stores stocked full of more crap you don’t need than god knows what…

Like the Garbage Pail kids I stock piled, and then promptly gave away as birthday presents to a few lucky friends lately.

And this awesome poster…so cool! The BF bought it for himself, naturally.

OH…and this great mural artist.  He was really going to town on this pirate frenzy!  It’s pretty rad, then again I’ve got a thing for peg legs, scurvy, and pirate peeps.

And that…that is Ocean City on the Boardwalk.

Remember back in June when I said I would take lots of pictures of my getaway to Ocean City, NJ?  Well I did that, but then never found the time to jot it down here.  So, here we go folks…a sampling of my Jersey Shore weekend getaway.

First off, I took Mr. BF as my passenger in the rental car…yes, I am the driver, he only pretends to navigate.

Then we planted ourselves at a sweet little motel, The Pavilion Motor Lodge, only 1 beach block from the ocean.

A girl can get used to a simple little motel with easy access to the rolling waves.  Well, I could get used to it…a little trashy, no frills, sounds about right.

And forget that Ocean City is a dry town…just a little drive over the bridge, a few bucks in my pocket, and voila…I got plenty of libations to stock my room’s mini fridge.  

And grab a “water bottle”, pour a drink, and I’m a happy camper at the Pavilion’s pool or on the beach.  Those motel owners and cops at the boardwalk are none the wiser.

When not soaking up the sun water side, BF and I found ourselves happily spending money in one of the many arcades on the boardwalk.

Between eating eachother in Pacman Royale (I think that’s the name), or killing zombies “like a true hero of mine”…

I found plenty of time to chow down on the grubby offerings the seaside stands have to offer:

Cotton Candy, Pizza, French Fries, Ice Cream, you name it…I ate it!

Afterall, I needed energy to aim a gun and shoot me some dead things at another arcade.

And more energy was needed in the amusement park to scream my head off like a 5yr old girl watching a Freddie Krueger movie.  Just look at this ride…nothing like being dropped 5 stories, then shot back up and dropped again.  Phew!  

Off the boardwalk, and not on the beach, we found plenty of fun too…

I found a store with vintage EVERYTHING….I got these pins, some Garbage Pail Kids, etc.

And at another store there was plenty or record browsing to be had, as well as other little shops contained in the same building.  Where it is that I found a cool little ring made from the face of a vintage watch.  Souvenirs galore, yo!

I give the family town of Ocean City, NJ a thumbs up!  I’ll go back even if I can’t buy a pina colada on the beach.

Arcades, waves, cotton candy, and sunshine is enough to woo me!

My location for the weekend. Sweet!! Find me at the pool.

In 2 hours I’m leaving work…and I’m heading off to the Jersey Shore.  I’ll call up my girls Snooki and J-Woww when I’m there…PSYCHE!

While the shore gets a bad rap for being gorilla juice heads and overly tanned jersey guido-types, I’m rather quite stoked.  I’ve never been there, and its so easy to get to, just rent a car and voila!!!

I’ll be sure to have pictures-a-plenty throughout the weekend…and I’ll be sure to put them in a much more organized fashion on this here blog when I get back.

Until then…which way to the beach??? <flexing my biceps>

Yesterday I went to City Island, NY with Maresa.  What a quaint, little, friendly escape from the daily chore that is NYC.  This place had small town hospitality at every turn (not a lot of turns actually, there’s only one main street that goes down the middle of the entire island).  Rich in nautical history, and full of cute little shops and antique stores, it was a perfect way to spend a weekend afternoon.  

Now I’m obsessed with researching this place, finding out more, and planning my next visit.

As you read a few posts ago, I went to Philly.  It was actually myself, and the gaggle of girls making up The Downtown Dolls.  We went for Bruce Springsteen obviously, but we did so much more while we were there too. 

• we ate like nobody’s business (um we do have a Nacho Club…hello!!!)
• we hung out with our old gang girl, Gisela
• we drank like fish at more than just one wateringhole.
• we got schooled in a little bit of U.S. history (which you know I love!)
• we got our thrifty thriftin’ on at a few thrift stores

What a grand ol’ girls weekend it was.  I really enjoy that places like Philadelphia are so close to NYC—it makes it extremely easy to get out of town on the cheap!