All posts tagged: shop local

good morning, lakeshore.

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I love being a local tourist! Here’s a quick Saturday morning guide to the Lakeshore neighborhood in Oakland as explored by me and my crafty friend Angel and her littles! There are a number of food places in the area, but we brunched at Shakewell for some Mediterranean cuisine. They’ve got fun things on their menu like fried chicken and churros, chilaquiles, and shakshuka. Just a short trot south is the Grand Lake Farmers Market, where there is a bounty of fresh produce, prepared foods, music and dance, and knife sharpening services! And what maker friend weekend hangs would be complete without a trip to a shop that carries locally-made items? We visited Bay-Made which is filled with lots of plants, art, and home and body goods. We even spotted some of our maker friends’ goods in the shop. There’s lots more to see and eat in the area; you can discover and enjoy a lot of fun finds in just a couple of hours!

wunderfaire.

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Another show in the books! I’m on fiah this craft season, and it’s getting easier and easier for me to just pop in somewhere with one cartload of goodies, meet all the fun people, then roll out. One of my favorites – Wunderfaire – was last week at IDEO. They went with a wonderland theme for their 10th annual event! This year was my second year participating. The show is open to the public, but it’s largely an event for IDEO staff to shop small for the holidays. Plus, the booth fees that are collected are always donated to a local organization. This year all the booth fees went to Rebuilding Together San Francisco, an organization that provides safer and healthier living situations through home repair and renovation programs. My booth! I set up so fast I had some time to visit maker friends and meet new ones ~ Timmy Mays (I met her at a West Elm Local event!), Moonwalker Things (I totes Instagram stalked her! :)), and Batsu/Maru! (we met and even did a crafty …

pigment.

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Next up in my San Diego tour guide is Pigment, a shop located in North Park – really close to Artelxia (OMG, go to both!). Everything at Pigment is beautifully made and merchandised; you could say there was too much too look at, but the tones were inviting and organized by color palette (You know how much I love when things are organized by color!) so it was easy on the eyes. Look around and spot housewares, accessories, shoes… …candles, so many plants and pots, … …cards, pillows, clothes and toys for baby and kid, and party goods. They have a succulent wall where you can build your own terrarium. Genius. And a living wall backdrop / in-house photo booth. Hi! I love, love, love the modern boho vibes with quirky colorful feels. I’m pretty sure I didn’t see everything because there was so much in the shop. It really felt more like an experience than a store; I could hang out in this corner and people watch on their cool chairs all day (until I …

have it your way.

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I’ve been getting some fun requests for custom projects. Here are a few of the felt funs I’ve been working on… My friend Tally Sue of Shweet Shtuf had her first craft pop-up and asked me to make a sign for her booth. She chose mustard yellow, grey, and white felt. Per usual, each letter was hand cut and I added some cute scallops. Thoey of Ecomonster asked me to make a matching set for her DIY workshop events: a garland, a pennant, and a wall hanging. She chose a color combination of mustard yellow, light pink, green, and white – plus colorful sprinkles! And scallops! I worked on a bachelorette party pennant pack in the bride’s favorite colors, complete with felt diamond. Bling, bling, y’all! I got a request for a birthday garland for a two-year-old’s dinosaur celebration! The red balloons were added to match the cake design. The balloon “shine” was Hubby’s idea. 🙂 Nina of Gooseberry Designs requested a garland for her show booths. She asked for blues and greens to match her …

gouda day to you.

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My last work trip to Palm Springs was a quick one, but I did manage to squeeze in one touristy visit disguised as a lunch run – a local market! The staff at On the Mark are super welcoming, and they kept offering me samples of yummy things. Also, they didn’t think it was weird that I was taking photos (or they were good at hiding the fact that they thought it was weird 😂). They have a deli filled with all kinds of meats and cheeses. I ended up ordering a veggie sandwich (because fig jam!) with a side potato salad (both delicious and I would come back for more!). As I waited for my lunch I perused. They carry a wide variety of wines, chocolates, sauces, crackers, jams, all the things. A lot of stuff is imported from around the world, as well as from around the US. But you know me, I love looking for some locally made goodies so off I went flipping every package to see where it was made. …

bouquet.

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Hubby and I headed to 4th Street in Berkeley for Bouquet Market. It was our “wherever we want to go” date day and I picked an outdoor market for obvious reasons, but also because it would let us enjoy the fresh air and walk a bit after lunch. Bouquet was held in the north parking lot, which is usually where I park when visiting 4th Street so I was only a little upset I actually had to look for street parking. Ha! In any case, the market had a mix of handmade and vintage finds. There was mostly clothing, jewelry, and home goods. I enjoyed seeing all the textile prints and colorful displays. I saw my friend Roxanne of Roxanne Roxanne Designs, but everyone else was a new-to-me vendor. There was music and a food truck, and we went home with a pumpkin & almond candle by Tule Fog. Yay, shopping small!

west coast craft.

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Going to a craft show when you’re not vending is so relaxing! You get to shop and chat without having to run back to your booth, and take your sweet, sweet time. Last weekend I got to do just that at West Coast Craft with with my friend Joy. We visited with some maker friends and met new-to-me makers. Featured above: Zena Segre / Corrin Ceramics / Cute Circle Bag Lady / Case for Making Featured below: CA Makes / Baggu / Zelma Rose In true maker status, I brought pennants and crowns. 🙂 I made the Lit pennant for my friend because she makes soy candles, but then it also paired well with her big purchase of the day. I also waved around an I Luh You pennant. Our flower crowns were a hit – people kept asking if we bought them at the show. Perhaps I’ll need to apply to be a vendor next time…but I just wanna shop! 🙂 There was a free custom tee making station with my friend Sam of …