Some of my favorite things...

I posted some photos yesterday to the AmaniDC blog and linked them from my previous post. Along with those visual glimpses of the weekend, I also wanted to post some of my favorite moments.

These little morsels of goodness include:

...overhearing comments from pleasantly surprised passersby about the beautiful products at our sidewalk display.

...little Adelaide walking into the shop and marching straight over to the "Watoto Nook" meant just for our younger visitors. She knew exactly what to do with the chalkboard wall and was enamored of the illustrated African folk tale books.

...catching up with supporters and friends who came by to check out the new space.

...hearing stories of Amani spreading through word of mouth and the visitors who trekked into DC just to visit the shop.

...meeting some of the girls and volunteers from Restoration Ministries who came to check out Amani. We got to share with them about internship opportunities at our shop.

...looks of recognition from Amani friends who have visited the centers in Africa when they saw photos of their friends now displayed in the shop.

...reassuring a small group of teenage boys that there was free food inside as their mom paused mid-step and declared, "Sorry guys, I've got to stop in here for a minute," upon eying a necklace on display.

...chatting with neighbors about how much we love Mt. Pleasant and our hopes to see it thrive.

...many bags full of products being carried out by happy visitors who helped us clean out our sale section!

Thanks to many of you who stopped by to see us and the newly-debuted Amani boutique. If you haven't had the chance to check it out yet, you're most welcome to come see us any time. We love visitors and often have some tasty treats to share!

Photos courtesy of Lou Ann Aepelbacher (www.angazaphoto.com).