Back by popular demand, here’s Lacey in Places to share the story of how a holiday two years ago led to one of her most random purchases to date – the Quillow.
Back in November 2010, I decided I needed was some winter sun. So where better to go that’s warm and close to home than Morocco…
I HATED IT. Highlights include getting scrubbed red raw by a half-naked lady (sold as the ultimate spa massage experience?!), non-stop torrential rain and a guy on the tour bus who’d pretend to be asleep to cop a feel of the ladies. However the whole experience bought six girls together in mutual hatred for Morocco; two from Oz, one from New York and three from London. Fast-forward two years and ‘Team Maroc’ has now been to India, Italy, Prague and Island hopping in Croatia.
Next on the list in 2012 was a trip to visit Team Maroc member Jessee in NYC for New Years Eve – where we decided to add on a mini road trip.
So after a brilliant New Years spent in a bar in the lower east side, adorned with an excessive amount of tacky decorations, a near encounter with Jake Gylenhall and doing shots til 4am with some bearded fisherman – NYC the obvious place to find fisherman! The next morning after an almighty American Breakfast we commenced our five day road trip, stopping off in New Jersey, Deleware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and finally – Pennsilvania – home to the second largest Amish settlement in the US.
We arrived at night in the town of Bird-on-Hand, Lancaster and it felt a little eerie…like I was in an episode of X Files (I had done my best Scully impression walking out of the FBI Headquarters the day before!). The Amish do not believe in modern technology therefore no electricity, so instead every house was lit by a single candle in the centre of every window.
We got up early the next morning for a traditional Amish breakfast. This consisted of cheese sauce with ham, an apple strudel and some other deep fried items things. We then clambered on the tour bus, first up was a stop at a general goods store. We saw a sign there which said: ‘A women’s place in life is to be obedient and make her man happy’. That might explain why we saw only women working the land in -2C, as the men were at home sitting by the fire! I ruled out there and then converting to an Amish way of life.
Back on the bus we drove past a school, we had been told before the tour started that every time you took a photo of the Amish it takes part of their soul. But it was fine to take pictures of school children.
We then stopped at a farm and quilting shop. They showed us the most beautifully embroidered quilts; the cheapest starting at $600 US Dollars going up to well over $1,200. I was determined not to buy anything on the tour however I am a marketers dream and when she pitched the’ Quillow’ I was reaching for my purse.
She showed us a beautiful collection of hand embroidered origami cushions made from a range of pretty fabrics. Then posed the question what to do when you felt a bit cold sitting on your porch? The ANSWER – pop your Quillow out and it turns into a quilt and the square that makes the cushion is the perfect place to pop your feet in – genius!!
So had I have not gone to Morocco and met Team Maroc, I would now not be the proud owner of a Quillow!!
Here’s my Quillow and how it works: It may look like a pillow…
It pops out and the cushion front turns inside out and now you have somewhere to put your feet or a bear!!
Now you are nice and toasty!!
We stayed at The Bird-in-Hand Family Inn and took the free tour from the inn. For more details, visit www.bird-in-hand.com.
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