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.

The SoWA Farmer's Market

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

This week, I'm taking you on a trip to Boston.

I've fallen in love with this historic city in Massachusetts.

It's easy to get around by car, public transport, on foot

and even on a bicycle:

Baby blue bicycle

Rent-a-bike

Bikes with baskets

One of the fun neighborhoods I checked out was South of Washington Street, also known as "SoWA". It's known for its emerging artists, specifically at 450 Harrison Building and 500 Harrison Avenue, brimming with their studios. 

On Sundays, from May to October, people flock here to visit the SoWA Open Market. It's a bunch of markets: farmer's, vintage and crafts! I think I just hit the jackpot!

Today, I'll show you the farmer's market selling locally grown fruit and vegetables, as well as food products made in New England.

Freshly made bread

Flavored butter and specialty pesto

Herbs and spices

Fresh produce

Seasonal gourds and blooms

Jams and preserves

Ruby red cranberries

Maple products {I bought some maple sugar}

This guy was selling different varieties of nuts. I really
liked how he used empty clementine boxes to
organize his products...blah to TADA! in action.

Tomorrow, I'll show you the vintage market. 

Have a fabulous day!

A Trip to Boston

Hello there! As I write this, we still have no electricity where I live, the blah result of Hurricane Sandy. But we have running water, gas for cooking, enough food to last us a few more days, a place nearby to charge our phones and connect to the internet. These are what I consider TADA! because I know many people are experiencing worse. I hope you guys who have been affected by Sandy are slowly getting your routine back to normal.

Today, I'd like to tell you about my recent trip to Boston.

The drive was beautiful -- Autumn's colors were on display.

But then, the bus broke down. We waited for a new bus to arrive, which took two hours. Instead of arriving Boston at 11:00 am, we got there at 3:00 pm.  

It was also raining hard which made exploring a little challenging.

But the blahs of the day were soon forgotten after yummy cocktails and a scrumptious dinner at Myers and Chang.

Plus a decadent cookie from Flour to end the night.

The next day, I ventured off to Fort Point, a waterfront community with many warehouses, the address of many artist studios.

The Fort Point Arts Community Inc. {FPAC} was having their 33rd Annual Open Studio Tour that weekend. The FPAC is one of the biggest and oldest arts community in New England, composed of over 300 artists like photographers, textile artists, sculptors, painters and performance artists.

It was a treat to see Boston's artistic side.

Getting to meet the artists and seeing their creative 

space was an added bonus.

Guests were also allowed to purchase the art!

I liked this interactive piece called the "Dance Spot" by Elisa Hamilton, turning a blah sidewalk into a dance floor. It was a bit intimidating doing it by yourself {you need to scan the QR code on your smart phone for the music and dance instructions}...

...good thing the artist was there to teach the steps!

All year round, Made in Fort Point, the FPAC's 

store, is open. 

It exhibits and sells the works of its members at affordable rates.

Here's something that caught my eye. It's blah telephone wire hand knit into a TADA! wire dress sculpture by Jenifer Paulousky. There were many more works of art that I enjoyed which will require a separate post.

Aside from Made in Fort Point, here are two shops that are worth stopping for:

Front/Bob's Your Uncle

They carry delightful gifts, home decor and stationery.

Another adorable shop in the neighborhood is 

called Twelve Chairs.

They carry meticulously selected gifts and home furnishings, 

and offer interior design services.

More about my trip to Boston tomorrow!

In case you're interested, here are a few links and addresses:

Myers and Chang: 1145 Washington Street (South End) Boston, MA 02118
Flour Cafe and Bakery: 1595 Washington Street (South End), Boston, MA 02118
Fort Point Arts Community: 300 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
Made in Fort Point: 30 Channel Street, Boston, MA 02210
Front/Bob's Your Uncle: 25 Channel Center Street, Unit 101, Boston, MA 02210
Twelve Chairs: 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210