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!

  

The SoWA Vintage Market

I took a trip to Boston a few weeks ago and I'm sharing with you a few of my finds. Yesterday, I told you about the SoWA Open Market. 

Aside from a Farmer's Market and Craft Market, you'll also find a Vintage Market. Unlike the Farmer's and Open Markets that are only in business from May to October, the Vintage Market is open year round. 

It's held indoors allowing sellers, buyers and merchandise to be safe from weather changes. It's open from 10 am to 4 pm...take your time and get ready to hunt for treasure!

Here are some of the lovely things I saw:

Shabby meets industrial chic! If I had a
craft room, I would use this to store
my tools and supplies.

I wonder how many Grandmas' sewing
kits were raided to come up with this
collection. Oh, the stories they
would tell!

Floral dishes and intricate jewelry

Vintage fashion -- I'm fancying the bags!

Pins and brooches

Letters and numerals that I want to turn
from blah to TADA!

Postcards from all over the world

This makes me nostalgic. "Annie" was one of the
first movies I saw {and thoroughly enjoyed}.

I want to own one of these and really use it for travel.
Then I can use it for storage and as a decorative piece
in my living room.

I love this desk and the footstool {it needs some
new upholstery, though}.

This was one of my favorite booths, Recycled SilverWear by
John Atkinson {he doesn't have a website}. He fashions
rings, bangles and earrings out of vintage silver cutlery
like spoons and forks. For a closer look at his
creations, you may go here and here.
They're beautifully made...blah to TADA! indeed.

Thank you for indulging in my fascination with markets!

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!