Decking the Halls...I sit here in my warm kitchen, in my warm bathrobe, drinking my warm cup of tea, as I think warm thoughts about Christmas. In a few minutes I will head out to the Shop and pack up all the Halloween goodies and put on some Christmas music and start to deck the halls with Christmas goodies! I am so excited to make the change in the Shop. We have been getting lots of new goodies! Tim and I have been so busy working on some custom orders and also cutting and painting signs. I have lots of new signs for the Shop. This is the start of the busiest time of the year for us. Our house is starting to look like Santa's Workshop! I just wish Santa would give me an early Christmas present...A MAID AND A COOK....my housework has suffered...oh well, we have to keep our customers happy...housework will just have to wait!
Stocking the Shelves: And as I sit here in my warm kitchen eating my warm bowl of oatmeal my thoughts turn to people who are waking up today with no food in their pantry...no food to feed their children. The Brickhouse Craft Shop is accepting donations of non~perishable food and NEW UNWRAPPED TOYS. I volunteer at the Food Bank at the Upper Dauphin Human Services Center, Clearfield Street in Elizabethville. I was there yesterday and our shelves are so bare. We have so many more clients coming in asking for help...so can you help? We will have a box on our porch at all times for donations. You don't even have to come when we are open to make a donation ( but we would love to meet you and to thank you). You can even stop by the Center (across from the Library in Eville). Every Christmas the Center has a Christmas program where parents can come and "shop" for presents for their children. We are expecting a lot more parents to sign up for this program and we need toys. I can't imagine a child waking up on Christmas morning and not having any presents...so please help. I know times are tough for all of us..but it we can give a little we can help a lot..so please help. And for all our followers of our blog, please go to your local Food Bank and make a donation or even volunteer. Thank you.
~~Patti~~
My view from the kitchen. When our Shop is open I am usually in the kitchen and I can look out and see when our customers arrive.
Looks like the sun is beginning to set...it was nice having you visit us. Please come back again and remember you can PORCH SIT anytime you like...we love sharing our porch and our views with you.
~~Patti~~
Look around and you will see that we have some wonderful goodies..ALL HANDMADE....MADE IN USA!
Come on in..notice anything different? Yes, we opened up the fireplace. There were doors on the fireplace and yesterday Tim removed the doors! We love how it looks and can't wait to light a fire in it..in the meantime the lights will have to do.
Now a sneek peek at some Winter goodies that arrived yesterday in 2 big boxes all the way from Alabama from our good friend, Beryl. If you stopped by The Brickhouse yesterday and you heard some oohs and ahhs coming from the house...that was me opening up the boxes! I was so excited seeing what Beryl made for the Shop...Here is a sneak peek...you all have to make sure to stop by and see the rest of her creations....they won't last long!
Thanks for stopping by The Brickhouse..stop by again and we can continue the tour. 
We found a nice place to have Lunch..
Tim's Salad. Sorry I can't rotate this picture..it looks like this because of the way I uploaded it..NOT because I had wine with my salad..no I wasn't standing on my head when I took the picture but you may have to stand on your head to view it..sorry!
Our view during Lunch.
Our view while waiting for our desserts!
DID someone say DESSERT? When we go out and there is Tiramisu on the dessert menu we HAVE to get it. We are hoping to have our own show on The Food Channel..Tiramisu Road Tasted! We love Tiramisu! The waitress had the nerve to ask us if we were going to share one! No WAY! This was one of the best we ever had...it was SO GOOD. I was so busy eating it that I almost forgot to take a picture of it. 
It was a long day but a fun day. We both needed a day away and we picked a perfect day weather wise...lots of rain and maybe some snow headed our way starting Thursday into the weekend. Sure hope the bad weather doesn't keep our customers away from The Brickhouse.
