The SoWA Open Market

Have you ever been to Boston, Massachusetts? It's a gorgeous city with lots of things to do whether you're a history buff, a shopaholic, a foodie, a lover of the great outdoors, or a young family looking for a quick getaway.

One of the things I like about Boston are their parks. They are small enough to negotiate and spending some time there leaves you calm and collected. Here are some of the ones I visited:

Boston Common

The Public Garden

I don't remember the name of this park but I loved the 
sculptures. It's located near the Federal Reserve Bank.

One of the things I made sure to do while in Boston was to visit the SoWA Open Market, consisting of a farmer's market, a food truck park and a craft market. They're open yearly from May to October and I was able to catch one of its final weekends.

The open market is a series of tents in an empty parking lot where artisans showcase their handmade goods. Most of the time, the makers/artists themselves are selling the goods -- it's always fun to learn about the stories behind each piece. I think this is such a TADA! way to spend a Sunday.

Here are some of the shops that stood out to me:

Fiber and Water creates wall decor made of burlap and I
think these would make nice wedding or anniversary gifts!

I've been a fan of Shara Porter's work since I saw them
in a Brooklyn craft fair. She finds vintage leather goods
and adds quirky prints on them for a young, fun touch.

 Hoist Away Bags turns old sails {from boats} into bags.
Hooray for crafty recycling!

Suzie Automatic sells decals for Mac Books with witty
images that play with the Apple logo. Docksmith, also
in the same booth, carries iPhone and iTouch docking
stations made of drift wood -- a union of function,
design and eco-friendliness.

Edie and Fin makes and sells these cute reusable
sandwich bags.

They make these cute booties...

...and these shoes for babies, too.

Pawblo Picasso is a shop that makes and sells custom
made pet portraits. Have one made for your pet and
have some made to give away to pet parents.

Here is the owner/artist of Pawblo Picasso,
Melissa King, hard at work.

Abby Berkson crafts these ceramic pieces
with whimsical hand illustrations.

Frames with a History turns reclaimed wood into
furniture and small home accessories.

The SoWA Open market is closed for the season but you can visit the on-line shops of these crafters. You just might find that perfect holiday gift and you get to support independent shop-owners, too.