Well, my New York/North Jersey soapmaking friends had me on the road again! In June, we took the trip to the lavender farm and last month we traveled to upstate NY for a soapmaker gathering with the Central New York Soapmakers.

This time, it was Melissa Rivera from Naturally Good Soaps who suggested we meet up in Sugar Loaf, NY on Sunday for the 39th Annual Fall festival.

Melissa is the Indie Beauty Network local regional director for New York and along with La Shonda Tyree a.k.a the Handmade Soap Coach and who is the local IBN regional director for Newark and North Jersey, they decided this would make a fun trip to meet, chat, shop and support other like-minded artisans.

The entire Columbus Day weekend promised gorgeous weather and I told myself it would be okay to take a day off the bike. Since I had ridden the 44-mile route in the United Way ride on Saturday, plus had ridden to and from the start for a sweet 60 miles, I figured I could spend a day just strolling around.

But before getting to Sugar Loaf, first stop would have to be the Warwick Valley Farmers’ Market in Warwick.

My husband and I got there fairly early and it was a good thing I was still full from my breakfast because there were samples galore to be had including a local winery who had both wines and hard ciders. I only bought some of the famous black dirt onions, so called because the black earth in that area grows some of the best cooking onions around. I also bought some creamy, Yukon gold potatoes. My husband headed straight for the pastries and bread,

and we also bought some maple cotton candy for my daughter who loves cotton candy(at least this one was snow white – no icky pink or blue color added!)

It was a quick 6-mile trip to Sugar Loaf.

Sugar Loaf is a true artists colony with over 50 artisans selling their handmade wares in shops and stores. I think most of them still keep with the tradition of living, working, and selling their goods in the same building.

You can watch your candles being made here, and everytime the guy sells one, he says this little speech to the candle as he is wrapping it that starts out, "Good-bye, little candle ..."

It is one of the most charming places I have ever visited. As a soapmaker, I could not resist a trip to Rosner’s, the soap store.

Nor a trip to the herb store which had loads of pumpkins and gourds in front.

Fall is so beautiful!

Even with witches!

I bought a handmade French butter crock from one of the potters.

I’ve been looking at these in catalogues for literally years, and surprisingly, my husband said he thought it was a good idea so I didn’t hesitate another minute! If you don’t know what a butter crock is, take a look at this.

I also found a great selection of stick incense and cone incense in a shop called Moondancer that sold all things spiritual in nature. Their incense is all handmade. I bought some presents for my daughter’s birthday tomorrow but I won’t say what I bought even though she says she doesn’t read my blog. (just in case she really does!)

Another shop I loved was called 18th Century Furniture. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong century. I saw loads of things I wanted but unfortunately, I didn’t have loads of moola. I did spy an old ceramic jug that the owner said was not for sale but then she let me have it for $20. It had come from one of the old barns that they cleaned out … they actually specialize in reclaimed barnwood furniture.

I finally caught up with the other soapers. Most of them arrived much later than planned as they had gotten stuck in traffic. You know how it is … on beautiful, sunny, fall days all those New Yorkers want to be in the country! They were going to have lunch but we really needed to get going.

Just when I thought my spending spree was over, I spotted THIS right outside Warwick!

You’re probably thinking – “What? That table of junk?” I LOVE THAT STUFF! You see that small bench on top of the table? I bought it! It’s actually 18th century although I’d say the legs were replaced afterwards. I love primitive furniture but not that cute-sy country stuff made to look “prim”.

This guy Sal was having an “estate sale” which was a bunch of stuff his father-in-law had but nothing really interesting. But Sal, whose real business is dealing with antique lumber, brought a bunch of stuff he got from barns, which was what atttracted me. He also has some kind of shop in NYC where he supplies props for movies, designer’s stores, even told me about a project he worked on with Michael Jackson.

We bought a beautiful piece of wood that we are going to use for our bathroom and put the bowl sinks on top. While my husband was loading that up, Sal’s brother said to me, “Psst … hey, little girl, you wanna come with me and see what’s in my brother’s barn?” Sal had two large barns there as well.

Just kidding. He actually asked me if my husband and I would like to see what Sal had in the barn. Obviously, he had me pegged as I could barely contain myself with all this barnwood, handhewn beams, and all sorts of country antiques.

We were not really in a position to get anything else but I did get a box and filled it with some stuff.

Sal gave me the WHOLE box for $10! Haven’t cleaned off the dust yet but those Mason jars alone cost at least $10 each down at the antique mill in town. You’re probably wondering what those other things are. Well, they’re old insulators (originally made to keep telegraph and telephone wires electrically insulated from wooden telephone poles)that I recently started collecting when I discovered them in another barn in my town. What am I going to do with them? I have no idea but I just like ‘em!

Here’s a photo of a clean one from my present collection.

Funny thing is, back at Sugar Loaf there were some Girl Scouts selling some baked goods but they also had several of these insulators as someone’s grandfather had collected them but he had died. They charged me $3 each for three of them … those thieving Girl Scouts! But they had a really cool porcelain one that I’ve never seen before so I’ll forgive them.

There were lots of old boxes that I considered for using as displays when I do craft fairs but for now, I just got this one. I might hang it on the wall (after I clean it, of course!) or use it as part of a display.

We also got these big(6 ft.+)mirrors that Sal had used for a Timex showroom in the city … I have a thing for full-length mirrors.

I discovered an old ladder at least 12 ft. tall outside that I must have missed earlier but my husband vetoed that so luckily I found a smaller one inside. Sorry, too lazy to take a photo. Anyway, I’m planning on going back for that big one. When I keep thinking of something, that means I have to have it.

Once back on the road, I wanted to stop at one of the apple orchards because I was just in the mood for a crunchy apple. But all of them were INSANE mad houses! Forget about just buying a bag let alone trying to pick any … all those city people were out in full force and the lines were ridiculous. So, no apples

But apples or no apples, it was a very good day, and I highly recommend a day trip to Sugar Loaf, NY. You won’t regret it!