craft fair tour + vintage notions (awesome book)

I'm going to try and go to most of Portland's holiday craft fairs. I want to get inspired. I want to meet other Portland artists, mama crafters, and support local artisans. And I want to get out of my house (can I get an amen, other work from home moms?). Oh yes, and I want to introduce you to some pretty awesome people who are creating some pretty awesome goods.

Last weekend I headed to the All Saints Bazaar, the Abernethy Elementary School Craft Fair, + Milagros Crafty Mama Bazaar. SO MUCH FUN! I am constantly stunned at how many creative people live in this city. Here are a few that caught my eye last weekend (their etsy/online shops are indicated below!):

Magpie Ethel. Oh my, loved her vintage, quirky, whimsical christmas creations. I went home with a couple of handmade trees, birdies, and flower tree clips. She's got a blog, and an etsy. My kind of lady.

A crafty mama makes these adorable owl hats. The minute True saw these, he said "whoo whoo!" They come in adult sizes, too! Here's her etsy site. And blog, too.

Um, yes please. We're stocking up for Christmas gifts over here and this one was a must.  Loved her creatures. Every one of them. Dolls For Friends.

Luna - She makes amazing clothes for kids and women. I bought the cutest, most comfortable birdie skirt ever from her last week. When True was a baby baby (above - chuckle!), we bought a few onesies from her, including the owl one seen here. Love, love. Man, I can't believe how quickly he's grown!

Other fun finds from the crafty show weekend:
-Seriously loved her ceramics. I think they would make lovely housewarming gifts or wedding, too. Super sweet.
- Her paintings were fresh and I loved her colors.

One more thing:

Do you know Amy Barickman? I met her at The Creative Connection a couple of months ago when I stumbled upon her booth at the market. She was selling the cutest clothing patterns ever (I bought this one and this one) from her Indygo Junction line as well as her book, Vintage Notions. I've been stalking her ever since.

In the last many months of my life I've been wanting to learn more about home arts: cooking, sewing, crafting, decorating, needlework, mending. When I say home arts, I'm thinking about slow, deliberate, meaningful work that we do with our hands, crafts often learned from those before us - our mothers, our grandmothers, our elderly friends + neighbors - and crafts that hold so much history and story that we pass them down to our children and to our grandchildren. I want that kind of art+craft in my life, in my family's history. Since becoming a mama, I think about these things. I really do!

And it's why I LOVE Amy's book.  As I continue to read through Vintage Notions, I keep coming back to what Amy herself says: As I researched this book, I was struck by the idea that “everything old is new again.” We are once again interested in the domestic arts our grandmothers practiced daily. We take pride in thrift through refashioning and recycling. We look to live contentedly and graciously. 

I couldn't agree more. This books gives me permission to slloooowww down and get cozy + crafty inside the nest of my home. And the best part? Each chapter represents a month of the year so you can work your way through, month by month, with generations old recipies, projects, and tips. It's like having a really savvy yet gentle grandmother tell you everything you need to know while illustrating it all with the most lovely drawings and sharing the history of it all through meaningful stories.

Friends, if you purchase one book this year, this is the book to purchase. It is beautifully done. I mean, beauty-full. Not only is the content awesome, but the cover is gorgeous, the inner pages are beautifully curated, designed, and showcase so many details -  a perfect gift for moms, grandmoms, and the younger generation that is interested and inspired by all things vintage + craft + home.