{fall} fun

its november and fall is in full swing. i'm trying to fully enjoy my favorite season before its completely eclipsed by the madness of the holidays next week. weather wise, it has been quite mild so far, but we've gotten a few cool days and even had our first frost of the season and the leaves have finally changed colors. i picked up a few of my favorite vegetables the other day and tried out a few new recipes, butternut squash with sage & shallots and pumpkin cupcakes... both successes {pumpkin oatmeal cookies... not so much}.

fall foliage in the back yard

pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese icing {loves}

i'm kicking off the holiday show season this weekend at {The Durham Artwalk} i'll be in the Arts Council building from 10-5 on saturday and 1-5 on sunday.

Durham Art Walk

you can find me this weekend at the Durham Art Walk. this is my first year as a vendor at this show and i'm very excited. the weather is going to be perfect and there are sites spread throughout downtown durham. most are within a 5 min walk of each other.
in addition to around 200 artists there will be food, music and a scavenger hunt. there is also a shuttle that runs from the parking areas to the main sites in the walk. i will be in the Durham Arts Council building on Morris St. the show runs saturday from 10-5 and sunday from 1-5. for map and list of artist locations check the art walk website or this pdf.
hope to see you there!

designers downtown market

designer's downtown market is tomorrow. the weather forecast was a little scary yesterday but is looking much better this morning and i am keeping my fingers crossed that the majority of the rain and thunderstorms will decide to stay away.
if you haven't been to this show you should definitely check it out. its a fun outdoor market in downtown raleigh with tons of local designers. i was happy to see that Knockabout will be there with her Peculiar Pets. i bought one of the night owls at Brand Fandango over the holidays and i absolutely love it.
there will also be a popcorn vendor! yum!!! popcorn is my favorite snack food and i foresee a repeat of the time i was next to a funnel cake stand and had funnel cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
today, its busy, busy, busy, work, work, work, as i finish some last minute designs for the show and attempt to dig my tent and then rest of my show display stuff out of the storage closet. earlier this week, before the rains came, i managed to get a few photographs of some of the new pieces that will be for sale at the show.

holiday hoopla

well, the 2009 holiday season is in full swing and as busy as ever. this past weekend i participated in {holiday hoopla} hosted by {circa gallery}, one of my amazing stockists, in asheboro, nc. i went up a little early and turned the trip into a much needed mini getaway.
if you've never been to asheboro, i highly recommend making the drive and spending the day or the weekend. in addition to the nc zoo, which makes for an amazing day trip, there are several great antique stores and other fun shops in the downtown area. i loved the antique mall. its huge (don't forget the upstairs) and the staff is super friendly. i stocked up on supplies for some new designs as well as picking up some amazing christmas gifts for friends and family. i've already made plans to go back in the new year when i have more time to spend searching for treasures.
i made the trek to seagrove, which is just a few miles away, and is a major hub of traditional and contemporary potters. i have been wanting to make it up there for some time and this trip was the perfect opportunity to do so. the area has a long tradition of pottery making that began over 200 years ago. there are two small museums the exhibit regional work, historical pieces, and educational exhibits. you can just pick up a map at the nc pottery center and spend the day visiting your favorite potters studios. while i was out, i stopped at the pisgah covered bridge. it was cold so i didn't stay long but if the weather is nice this would be a great place to stop for a picnic or a hike along the walking trails.friday night was {christmas on sunset} in downtown asheboro, so i went down to check it out and to scout out the area for the following day (my sense of direction is not very good at 6:30 in the morning). it was a fun event and put me in a festive mood, there were carolers, horse pulled wagon rides, cider & gingerbread stands, and of course santa was there. it was a quite cold so i went back to the hotel to relax in the hot tub and attempt to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
after a fun and relaxing day it was time to get to work. saturday was a cold and we were outside, so everyone was bundled, gathered around the heaters and drinking tons of coffee, cocoa, & cider to stay warm. there were some great vendors and i was able to finish the last of my christmas shopping. some of my favorites were paintings and collage by {cori cagle}, jewelry by {bSIDES metal}, ceramic tile panels by {jessica capps} and pottery by {michael kim burroughs}. thanks to amy and mandy at {circa gallery} for all their hard work putting the show together. make sure you stop by and visit their lovely shop if you're in the area.
this week i'm getting ready for the {rock & shop} on december 19, at all saints chapel in downtown raleigh. come out and finish your holiday shopping, enjoy live performances by {schooner}, {starmount} and {dj melissa york}, and grab lunch or a beer which will be provided by {only burger} and {aviator brewing co.} if you can't make it out there is still time to catch {brand fandango} at {design box} until it closes on the 23rd and to grab a coffee or bakery treat from {shot box}.

november news

:: so far november is shaping up to be quite a busy month. yesterday was The Handmade Market which is always a fun but exhausting day. i was lucky enough to have two helpers this time which allowed me to walk around, enjoy the market and to do a bit of shopping. i got this amazing print, "Tengu" from Jamie Zollars which is going to hang beside the reading chair in our bedroom as soon as i get a frame for it.below is a picture of my booth and a montage of shoppers (i appologized for the poor quality of the photos, as usual, in the mad rush to get everything packed i forgot my camera and had to resort to using my phone)

:: be sure to come out tuesday evening for Handmade on the Hill. get a start on your holiday shopping or a treat for yourself and help support a great cause, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC. Shoppers are asked to bring a non-perishable donation for the Food Bank or to make a monetary donation and each vendor is donating a portion of their sales. The show runs from 6:30 until 8:00 and each guest will receive a glass of wine compliments of the West End Wine Bar.

:: in other news i have a few pieces in Garth Johnson's new book, 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse which is out this month. i already got my copy and its beautiful and filled with tons of inspiring pieces. i am numbers 330, 378, 379, & 385, you can check them out below.

Handmade Market

I participated in the 3rd semi-annual Handmade Market this past Saturday. It was held from 11-5 at Vintage 21 on Oberlin Rd (between Cameron Village and Hillsborough St). There was a great turn out, the weather was good, and some really amazing vendors, about 40 in all. They also had a soft pretzel stand and free chair massages, I was too busy to take advantage of this service, but Jackey could not pass it up. I took some pictures of our booth before the event started. You can catch a glimpse of Jackey, and my coffee cup, which I forgot to move out of view, in the background.

For more information on the market visit thehandmademarket.com.

I also got this truly amazing ring from Ashley Brodie Jewelry, as an early birthday present. Its made from an old key and piano ivory. Check out her website at ashleybrodie.com.