Print Smitten
In 2014, avoid making the mad dash to the bookstore to scavenge for a datebook on the first of January. With a little pre-planning, you can find something a lot cuter than a calendar that features a different horse for each month, and you can support a local artisan, too. Tara Vaughn, of Greencastle, just south of Chambersburg, is a work-at-home-mom and graphic designer. She creates adorable and expertly designed printed goods, including this wall or desktop calendar. Each month features a fun pattern in cheery colors, which is sure to brighten any day of the year. At just over 5-inches square, it’s compact enough to perch on any shelf or clip to any corkboard. Browse Vaughn’s other items, including note cards to stick in your child’s lunch box, gift tags or thank you cards for any occasion.
Print Smitten | www.etsy.com/shop/PrintSmitten
Sugar Spice and Everything Nice
Do you have a sweet tooth for gingerbread? Check out the Gettysburg Festival’s Fourth Annual Gingerbread Celebration on Dec. 6 and 7, where local residents and businesses show off their baking skills by creating highly decorated gingerbread houses for prizes. All entries will be judged through “people’s choice” voting. Gingerbread houses will be auctioned Friday night during a ticketed reception from 5-7 p.m. The reception will provide guests an opportunity to sample from prestigious local chefs for a price of $20 per individual and $35 per couple. All the proceeds will benefit the Gettysburg Festival and Survivors Inc. Gettysburg Festival is a nonprofit organization focused on providing families with an affordable accessibility of music, visual and culinary arts. For more than 30 years, Survivors Inc. has been providing services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through its 24/7 hotline service, counseling, support groups, shelter and housing services. So satisfy your sweetest cravings for some festive fun and charity.
Gettysburg Festival Gingerbread Celebration | Dec. 6 and 7 | Harrisburg Area Community College | 1 HACC Drive, Harrisburg | www.gettysburgfestival.org
Sweet Spot
Local confection connoisseur Miesse Candies has been a part of the Lancaster community for more than 135 years. Over the past century, this sugary staple has been producing first-rate favorites, like chocolate mint meltaways, coconut bud clusters and dark chocolate truffles, right here in the Susquehanna Valley. There’s even sweeter news, however. Miesse Candies has recently relocated its retail outlet and factory to a convenient Lancaster City location, just behind Gallery Row. It’s the perfect spot to check out some new additions to its offerings, such as sea salt caramels, espresso candy bars and peanut butter marshmallows. Did you know that Miesse also offers tours of its chocolate factory throughout the year? Take a break from winter’s cold weather to walk through its new factory and see how these local luxuries are made. Plus, don’t miss First Friday each month, with extended factory hours until 9 p.m.
Miesse Candies Retail Outlet & Factory | 118 N. Water St., Lancaster | www.miessecandies.com | 717-392-6011
Swing Into The Holidays
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing! Get your seasonal swing on for West Coast swing and blues dancing on Sunday nights at the Carlisle Arts Learning Center. Each night has a beginner lesson at 7, and an open dance from 8-11 where you get the opportunity to meet and to dance with new people. Sunday Swing opened in late September just a few blocks away from the swing dance club venue, the Green Door. Alyssa Arter, the founder of Sunday Swing, is a disc jockey and the primary dance instructor at the Green Door for East Coast swing. “In a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, we use an element of humor to help you acquire new skills and new friends,” says Arter. “Our goal is to make social dancing accessible and affordable for everyone.” Arter plans to host a few local bands and DJs and also start a West Coast swing daylong workshop starting in February.
Sunday Swing | Every Sunday | 7-11 p.m. | Carlisle Arts Learning Center | 38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
Reader’s Lens: Susquehanna Valley Snapshots
We asked readers to submit photos of their children enjoying the winter weather. York resident Shawn Fink contributed this photo:
“These are my twin daughters, Jadyn and Liana,‘my little Eskimos.’”
From our Facebook Fans:
What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
“Reading ' 'Twas the Night Before Christmas’ on Christmas Eve and opening one present each.” - Myles Miller
“My cookie exchange!” - Tonia Witman