Made in America

I hope you are enjoying the trip to Boston with me. 

Another thing I love about the city are the 

views of the water:

The lake at the Public Garden

Another side of the lake, this time with a pretty footbridge

Sunset at the River Charles

Apart from exploring the sights, I'm also discovering the creative side of Boston. We've visited some artists and a few entrepreneurs. Today, we're still at the SoWA Open Market that takes place annually, from May to October.

One of the highlights of the market are the food trucks, basically fast food on wheels. Due to the amount of participating food trucks, a designated "Food Truck Court" {Trolley Building at 540 Harrison Avenue} has been established.

Here are some of the trucks beginning to set-up.

Just next door to the food truck court is an enormous warehouse that was transformed into a pop-up market/trade show that Sunday. Such sweet serendipity!

It was called "American Field" and the theme was "Made in America". 

When I hear the term, "Made in America", I know it's of good quality, in both materials and  craftsmanship. These days, however, the frequency of "Made in America" is muddled with outsourced manufacturing to keep costs low. When you're at a department store, how often do you still see the label, "Made in the USA"?

One of the keys to a strong economy and a spike in employment lies in small businesses, that's why it's important that we support them. The goal of "American Field" is to raise awareness for these quality American brands, and to inform consumers so that they can make educated decisions about how to spend their money.

While most of the shops and merchandise were for gentlemen, that didn't stop me from taking a look:

Ball and Buck is a lifestyle brand selling clothing, shoes,
accessories. They're made in Boston, Massachusetts.

 They also have a Ball and Buck barbershop.

Shwood make gorgeous sunnies with natural wood frames.
They're made in Portland, Oregon.

Almanac Industries is a bookbinding and letterpress
studio. They're based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Stormy Kromer makes headgear and outerwear for
men, women and children. These are handcrafted
in Ironwood, Michigan.

Hellbrand Leatherworks create these buttery bags,
wash bags, wallets and watch straps. The company
was established in Central Florida. 

Ursa Major is a line of skincare products for men.
They're made in Stowe, Vermont.

Hudson Sutler makes duffel and outdoor bags.
They are based at the foot of the Hudson River. 

Frost River creates these sturdy bags for work and
recreation. They're made in Duluth, Minnesota. 

Bailey Hat Company handcrafts hats that
have Western and Hollywood-inspired
designs. It was founded in Los Angeles,
California.

I have a soft spot for Project Repat. Their business is
to turn old t-shirts into blankets {blah to TADA!}.
This is especially cool for those who are sentimental
and want to save their old t-shirts, turn them into 
something new, but are not crafty or sewing-savvy.
They'll put the blanket together, just mail them
your t-shirts! They also make scarves and tote bags.

Here is one of the t-shirt blankets modeled 
by the Project Repat founder.

How wonderful that in this day and age, "Made in America" still equates to beautifully-designed, quality-made products! 

Have a relaxing weekend!