Meeting David at Terrain

 I have known David Pantoja for approximately 20 years. We 'met' when I was writing for SaveMartha.com in 2002. He wrote to me to say he enjoyed my columns and we've kept in touch ever since. David has always been very supportive of this blog and I consider him to be the foremost expert in the collection of Martha by Mail items: he has an enormous selection of goods that were sold through Martha's famous mail-order catalog and he knows everything about everything he has collected. He even created a Martha by Mail Cookie Cutter Index, which I feel is invaluable to collectors. David has a beautiful blog called Good Things By David. Longtime readers of this blog will know it well. Please be sure to visit it!

When my husband and I decided to travel to Philadelphia this month for my nephew's high school graduation, I knew I had to set some time aside to meet David, who lives just outside the city. We decided that Terrain at Styers was the place to meet; I had always wanted to see Terrain, since it is affiliated with Anthropologie, where I work. It is the company's garden concept store, selling trees, plants, flowers and  home decor items, such as dinnerware, glassware, candles and planters. Martha also encouraged me to visit Terrain during our conversation on her podcast. It seemed like a no-brainer! 

When I met David, we felt immediately comfortable together, even though this was our first time meeting face to face! We share a similar, somewhat dark sense of humour and like so many of the same things, with similar tastes in many areas of life. We hit it off instantly. It was as if we had spent years together - and I suppose in some respect we have.

David made these beautiful "Martha Moments" cookies for me and my husband, plus two lady-bug cookies not shown for members of Tomas's family, who met up with us a little later. David is the best baker and decorator of cookies that I know of and I was honoured to be given such a special treat. 

We had lunch at the Terrain cafe, in the greenhouse, surrounded by climbing vines and beautiful sunlight. He recommended I order the harvest bowl, which I readily agreed upon. It was filling, but healthy and so delicious. 

I loved how the bread at the Terrain Cafe is baked and brought to the table: in a terracotta flower pot! Ingenious! 

The Terrain store itself is a wonderland, full of treasures to discover amid all manner of greenery. It was a spectacular space and so inspiring. I've included some of my photographs of Terrain below. If you ever have the chance to visit this location in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia, please do! There are several other locations around the United States, including one in Westport, Connecticut. 

I'm still amazed how this blog and its social media branches have created such a strong community of friendships across so many thousands of miles. Thank you, David, for a beautiful day at Terrain! Looking forward to next time!