Scenes from... Westfield, Indiana

We had never visited Westfield before a couple of weekends ago and we found it to be absolutely adorable. It was a frigid day but we managed to take some photos.

The Westfield Antique Mall (800 E. Main Street) has 2 big floors of treasures:

Stitches & Scones- what a great combination:

Downtown architecture:

We've heard good things about Marlow's but didn't have time to stop and try it this time.

Some gorgeous old homes that look like they have been there for awhile:

Easley Winery's Mulled Red Wine

This weekend, we discovered Easley Winery's mulled wine and it became an instant classic that we will have to get every year. We used to have a jar of mulling spice mix that we stirred into a mug of warm red wine that we loved but we hadn't really gotten around to buying a replacement since we ran out of that. While buying gifts at Easley, we picked up a bottle of Warm Mulled Wine for ourselves. All we did was warm it on top of the stove; the honey, apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg are already in there and smelled so good. It has now become an indispensable part of our holiday season. It just doesn't get any better than a mug of mulled wine, the glow of the Christmas tree, and an old holiday movie on TV (for us this weekend, it was charming Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife).

We like to fully savor Thanksgiving before we think about Christmas activities but, if you're ready to get in the yuletide mood, Shelbyville is having a holiday parade tonight. The Strand Theatre is getting into the spirit by showing Holiday Inn on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The holiday open houses are in full swing too. Gallery 116 in Fishers has theirs this Saturday with a demonstration of glass blowing. Gallery One 36 is having a holiday sale on Saturday from noon to 5PM in Westfield. It's also Midnight Shopper time on Mass Ave. so there will be ample time to shop at that great store for gifts, At Home in the City/Silver in the City.

Indianapolis Winter Farmers' Market

Tasty treats from Lena's:

We went to the first day of this season's Indianapolis Winter Farmers' Market along with what seemed like the rest of Central Indiana's residents on Saturday. Since Cityoga is in the spot it was held in last year, it has new digs at The Chatham Center at 901 N. East Street (if you know where the big Red Cross building is, it is just behind that). They seem to have more space there and it is a good thing because it was quite busy. The main reason we went on their grand opening day was because we were getting dangerously low on our last Willowfield Lavender candle and we read on their website that they would be there. Sure enough, they were set-up right outside in front of the building and had a new scented candle but we had to go with the original that we love. We perused the market and picked up a couple of goodies from Lena's Mediterranean Kitchen. We've never heard of Torsita's before but we figured how can you go wrong with spinach and feta wrapped in a phyllo dough spiral and it was delicious. We also had some deliciously spiced sirloin in dough (we think was a bureka) which was also quite good. Judging from the crowd and the enthusiasm, it looks like the market will have a successful season.

Artique Winter Fair in Lawrence, Indiana

Picturesque Louis Jenn Park:

We checked out the inaugural Artique Winter Fair at Louis Jenn Park in Lawrence today and were impressed with the beautiful pieces that were for sale there. There was a wide variety of arts and crafts including bird feeders (there was a gorgeous glass Buddha one that was $80 but we should have bought anyway), photography, paintings, purses, jewelry, and wooden bowls by Earlybirde Art. This looks like the start of a nice tradition by The Partnership for Lawrence and we hope that it continues.

Heartstrings Holiday Open House- Markle, Indiana

The holiday open house for one of our all time favorite places to shop, Heartstrings, is this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It's a beautiful shop where you'll find Indiana made lotions, soaps, candles, and so much more for gifts and for yourself.

Christmas Open House at Logan Village Mall in Noblesville, IN

It's hard to believe that it is Christmas Open House time but it is at Logan Village Mall this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We nearly have all of our holiday shopping done but, since this is one of our favorite places to browse, we'll be there this weekend.

Twisted Sisters Store- Indianapolis

We were glad to get to the Twisted Sisters store this weekend after reading about it awhile back. You can't miss it in an old Taco Bell on 71st Street just passed Kroger from Binford. It's not huge but every nook and cranny is filled with unique items, many of which are made in Indiana. We bought a couple of bars of soap made by Julia's Soap Shop. We couldn't resist the coffee scented soap which we were told is good for getting the smell of stubborn cooking smells like onion and garlic off of hands. We also liked the locally made bags from Freakin' Billboard crafted out of recycled highway billboards and the bath and body products from Nature's Providence. The store also had a nice selection of scarves, home decor items, and stationery among other goodies. We liked the nice touch of our small purchase given a little flourish with a bag with ribbon for our soaps and pretty tissue paper billowing from the shopping bag.

Since the calender has turned to November, thoughts turn to gift shopping and this is a great place for that. It might not be in your usual stomping grounds but it is worth going out of the way for to browse.

(We also have to say that we love stores that have dogs and cute little Izzie behind the counter added a lot of charm to the place.)

5628 E. 71st Street

Indianapolis, IN 46220

Tel: 317.841.7177

IUPUI's Continuing Education Soy Candle Making Class

Mrs. WYA! and her gal pal took IUPUI's soy candle making class this past Saturday and highly recommend it. It will probably be offered again since it looked like the class was at capacity in its room at the Arthur Glick JCC facility. Marie Beckley, of Beckley's Best Blends, was the instructor and she did a great job. She had our materials organized on our tables and had the wax melting when we got there. Two cute glass jars were provided and she had measured the perfect amount of scented oil out for us. One candle was "Pumpkin Spice" scented and the other was a "Happy Holidays" scent. We stuck our wicks in the jars, added scent to the wax that she poured for us, used a cool little gadget to make sure our wicks were straight before the wax hardened, and then she even gave us cute little labels to stick on the jars. All the while, she was giving us tips and sources for buying materials. We have a bit of pride watching this candle burn and enjoy its scent even more having made it ourselves. One great thing about these fall/winter days of less daylight is that we get to enjoy candlelight more. Marie made it seem so easy to make these; hopefully, when we try it on our own, it is just as easy. If not, we'll gladly do some online shopping on her website.

(In the next IUPUI continuing education catalog, look for the class under "Green and Sustainability".)

Little Blessings Bath & Body Products Made in Indiana

We weren't in a buying mood when we were at the Indiana State Fair in August but we are so glad that we picked up a brochure for Little Blessings who had some goat's milk lotions and soaps for sale there. We checked out their website and placed an order for some soaps, lotions, and even some incense. Their products are "proudly made in Indiana", Larwill, Indiana to be exact, and they are all natural. Some of our order was for gifts but some was for us and we love the lotion. It's fragrant without being overpowering, not greasy but feels luxurious. They even have a musk lotion which can be hard to find. We also love that the prices are really reasonable. The cute 2 oz. bottles of lotion are $2.50 (that just screams stocking stuffer to us) and 8 oz. bottles are only $6.50. We can never have enough of this kind of stuff and it makes us happy to patronize Hoosiers lovingly making such great products.

Scenes from... Centerville, Indiana

There are several arches along Main Street; many have plaques with dates and names.

How perfect, a classic car on Main Street:

The Old Salisbury Courthouse just behind Mansion House on Main Street. Built in 1811, it was Wayne County's first seat of justice:

It's always fun to browse at White River Architectural Salvage:

We're Chester Morris fans so, while we really wanted this huge poster, we were pretty sure it was out of our budget, pretty sure we'd have to rent a flatbed trailer to get it home, and pretty sure we don't have a wall big enough for it.

On North Morton Avenue:

The school mascot must be the Bulldog because we saw lots of Bulldog pride around town. This statue was in the park off of Morton Avenue:

We definitely recommend a stop at the Centerville Farmers' Market. While there was some fresh produce, there was even more cute home decor items and private label foods like jars of marinated mushrooms, lots of pickled treats, and some delicious dill garlic that we bought.

Mums and pumpkins: a classic Autumn combo. We bought pumpkins and an awesome gourd that was only $1.

Here are some of the cute things that they have for the home:

Their private label soda- we liked the root beer:

They had a whole Christmas room:

As we walked Centerville's Main Street and took pictures, we really felt like we could be on assignment for a publication like Midwest Living. It's just so darn picturesque that it seemed like it would be gracing the pages of a glossy magazine. We're sure that once the fall foliage starts to hit its peak, it will be an especially perfect time to visit so we're giving you a heads up early so you can plan an autumn trip here.

After you visit Webb's and the Warm Glow Candle Outlet, you'll want to stroll a few blocks along Main Street to browse at the shops, see all of the Federal Style architecture, and maybe even grab a bite at the Brown Jug or Blue Monkey. It's an easy trip from Indy; you take a right at Exit 145 off of I-70, immediately to the left is the Warm Glow Candle outlet so you can hit that then or on the way home, 2.5 miles south from the exit is Webb's. From Webb's, you can walk or drive down the road (Centerville Road which becomes Morton Avenue), definitely stop in at the Centerville Farmer's Market & Country Store, and before you know it you are at Main Street. White River Architectural Salvage is at the corner of Morton and Main. We love their Indianapolis store so we had to stop in and browse this smaller version. There are a few shops on Main (and don't miss Mockingbird Antiques on Morton just south of the Main Street intersection) and, for architecture buffs, a lot of cool buildings to see. The Historic Centerville website has a great brochure that you can print to make your own walking tour. While there are some Italianate and Greek Revival styles represented, there are more Federal styles which we don't really remember running across much in our Indiana travels. They really give the place a sense of history; some of them date back to 1830.

Centerville is just way to close to Indy (65 miles from our east side home) and way too cute to miss.