Sisters in Kalona, Iowa.....

We've always loved this shop.  It sets in an old farmhouse (now 2) on highway 1 on the outskirts of Kalona, Iowa & not too far south of Iowa City.  It's an amazing, creative store that always inspires us and sends us home with both merchandise and ideas.  The pictures that I took this time seemed to be centered around their little glass house behind the big house that was made from old windows and doors and has a metal roof.  It is soooooo cool......I want one!

 I love a bottle tree.  It's hard to see this one but it was great setting out and in front of the old tree.

 This is a picture inside the front door......yes, it had electricity!

 Can't decide if these would be called chargers or placemats.  So cute under the old ironstone plates.

They must have just had a special event on the lawn.  These old Mason jars had candles and various other things in them.  So cute hanging from the clothesline.  Have a feeling they were hanging all over for the event.

 These were so cool hanging at the backdoor.....my battery candles at Leola's would be perfect in these jars.

 This was the view behind the shop.

 ....down the driveway.

We had such a good trip to Iowa but it wouldn't be complete without going to Barb Conner's shop in Fairfax, Sisters and The Rug Cottage in Kalona.

Our stay in Bonaparte.....

We spent our last 2 nights &1 day in Bonaparte, Iowa.  It's one of the villages of Van Buren, located in the southeast corner of Iowa on the Des Moines River.  We stayed in one of our very favorite places -- The Bonaparte Inn.  It was previously a glove factory but it's been painstakingly restored into a beautiful inn.  The women who work there take care of you like you're truly a guest.  They make certain coffee is ready outside your room when you awake, then they fix a yummy breakfast in the dining room that looks out on the river.  Appetizers are served in the afternoon.  Can't beat that!

On Friday we headed out to some of the other villages to do some sightseeing & shopping.  It was a gorgeous day.  After shopping in a huge Mennonite store in Cantril, we headed to a little cafe in town to have a pork tenderloin about the size of a dinner plate.  After lunch & taking in a little more of the scenery, we headed back to the Inn & took a walk.  It was such a good day.