Tag Archives: festival

Faire Play

Renegade Craft Fair Chicago 2012: A Few Friends & Old Favorites

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Brian West, Jonathan Thomason, Laura Bock, and Sarah West Ervin

{ I stole this photo from Debbie Carlos }

The Renegade Craft Fair came to Chicago the weekend before last, and it was, as expected, the crafty highlight of my year. Brian and I grabbed some comfy shoes and our buddies Jonathan and Laura (pictured above), fueled up at the Milk & Honey Cafe, and got our shoppin’ on!

Renegade Craft Fair Chicago 2012

There was quite a crowd to navigate through, but we kept our heads down and pushed through to the goods.

Labrabbit Optics at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago 2012

One of the first booths we stopped at belonged to our old favorite Coyote of Labrabbit Optics, flaunting his awesomely curated collection of affordable new and refurbished vintage frames. With our powers combined, I think Laura and I must have tried on ever pair of glasses he had. I vowed to come back this winter for a new pair!

vintage eyeglass frames from Labrabbit Optics

Lady Faye Jewelry at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago 2012

Then we found Katie of Lady Faye Jewelry and I got the kitty ring I’ve been wanting all summer!

handmade czech glass rings from Lady Faye Jewelry

Right Brain Drifts at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago 2012

We also stopped to say hi to Steve & Michelle of Right Brain Drifts.

bright, geometric wall art from Right Brain Drifts

handmade jewelry from Michelle Starbuck designs

But Laura and I probably spent more time drooling over Michelle’s jewelry (Michelle Starbuck Designs) than chatting! That little macaroni necklace was one of my favorite necklaces I didn’t buy that day. I’m gonna get one eventually.

Debbie Carlos and bf/gf at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago 2012

Finally, we ran into our new friend and guest blogger Debbie Carlos with hubby Devin at the booth she shared with BF/GF.

handmade jewelry by Debbie Carlos

We also spent a lot of time ogling Debbie’s beautiful jewels and posters.

photo posters by Debbie Carlos

Laura Bock and Jonathan Thomason with their new Dino Planter

But are you wondering what all we bought? Well, Laura and Jonathan brought home a new bundle of joy—a triceratops planter from The Plaid Pigeon!

bright aqua triceratops dinosaur planter with succulent

silver teardrop ring from Ship & Shape

Laura also got the sweetest dainty ring from Ship & Shape.

handmade loot from Renegade Craft Fair Chicago 2012

While there were a million things I wanted but didn’t get (I’m not made of money, people), I did make out with quite a bit of loot. In addition to my Lady Faye ring, I snagged clay bead earrings and a set of ceramic cups from Ship & Shape, a temporary tattoo from Burrowing Home, and cards from A. Dub Designs, Kate Funk, and Bison Bookbinding.

temporary cat tattoo from Borrowing Home and cat ring from Lady Faye Jewelry

handmade ceramic cups and earrings from Ship & Shape

These shops and killer handicraft weren’t the only things I discovered at Renegade, though! On Friday, I’ll share some of my new favorites and a few more quirky items we found.

Faire Play

The Vintage Bazaar

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The Vintage Bazaar in Chicago's Aragon Ballroom

In addition to our Dose Market outing, we recently visited the The Vintage Bazaar with our beloved summer brunch club. This monthly market occupies Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom and spills over into a nearby lot with many vintage and antique vendors, as well as a few food trucks and stands.

a vintage camper at the Vintage Bazaar

We started our adventure in the lot, where we were greeted by a cute, retro camper and a plethora of vintage clothing. I found a beautiful blue floral dress on the cheap (maybe I’ll show you later…), and Caitlin snagged a cool pair of tan woven shoes for a pretty good deal. I think our other partner in crime, LB, made out with a sweet vintage slip for a few bucks. I’d say were were fairly happy with our finds!

a crowd at The Vintage Bazaar

There was a good sized crowd — not too busy, but not dead.

a vintage ethiopian dress at The Vintage Bazaar

This is my favorite thing I didn’t buy — a magnificently embroidered, vintage Ethiopian dress. It was, very sadly, a tad too small and more than a tad out of my price range.

antique elegance: chandelier and ceiling at The Aragon Ballroom

One of my favorite things about the Vintage Bazaar is the setting. The exquisite details of the historic Aragon — the intricately adorned ceilings, the mosaic tiled floors, the chandeliers — were quite distracting in the best possible way.

the "Ladies Lounge" at the Aragon Ballroom

I saw several other attendees stop to take pictures of the space.The entrance to the women’s bathroom (aka the Ladies Lounge) appeared to present the most popular photo-op. I think I’m going to start using the term ‘Ladies Lounge’ to refer to all restrooms. “Pardon me… I need to powder my nose in the ladies lounge.”

a travelling barbershop at The Vintage Bazaar in Chicago's Aragon Ballroom

And fitting with the old-timeyness was a traveling barbershop, complete with a retro “tiled” floor mat. I tried to get Brian to sit down for a shave, but he wasn’t havin’ it. I don’t think he trusts anyone else with his prized beard hairs…

Laura Bock, Sarah West Ervin, and Caitlin O'Meara at The Vintage Bazaar in Chicago

After snapping a few ridiculous photos at the Smilebooth (who is that dude?!), it was time for our summer afternoon naps…

If you’re in the area and want to experience The Vintage Bazaar for yourself, the next one will be Sunday, August 12th!

Out & About

Out & About: Homer Harvest Days

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As we mentioned yesterday, Brian and I made a trip out to Homer Glen, IL (with the rest of the West clan) for the annual Homer Harvest Days. Why, you ask? Because we’re not couch potatoes, dammit! (I have to keep reminding myself.) But the real reason was to check out the band we might have at our wedding. More on that later! And somewhere between dragging myself out of bed on a rainy Saturday morning for a 1 1/2 hour drive out of the city and plopping my tired rear on the couch for an Angry Birds marathon, we had quite a bit of fun. Old school fun. Like, outside. With other people.

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