A summer tradition I'll miss

Many of our Saturdays in the summer start like this. A walk downtown to the Farmer's Market.

We always stop to throw a few pennies in the fountain. 

Then it's onto the market. I love this building. It's big, airy, kind of dark, and always bustling.



And the variety of foods and plants you'll find inside is pretty impressive.  

There's also antiques and vintage do-dads.

 
I buy veggies, herbs, meats, cheese, bread, flowers and more at the market. I love going without a list, just buying whatever inspires me that week. Once this summer it was homemade gnocchi one week. Last week, we brought home a locally produced spicy chorizo that I used this week to make delicious egg and chorizo tacos. I also bought a pint of cherry tomatoes that were so sweet, they were like candy. I snacked on them all week and am now daydreaming about them, they were that flavorful. And we bought basil to make pesto. So tasty.

Sigh. I can't believe this is the last weekend of summer. Where did it go? I know the market stays open through some of the fall, but it's really a summer thing in my mind.

What summer things are you going to miss as the fall comes? And did you shop your local farmer's market this summer?

Up, up and away

See this? Little guy is pulling up his own a bit. Oh yes.



Oh. And he's crawling some, too.

And he's not even seven months until tomorrow. He's an over-achiever if you ask. I wouldn't mind if he just slowed down a bit and stayed my little baby a while longer.

We first saw him do those thing on Saturday night, when we drove about an hour away to go to a balloon festival. I need these sorts of diversions in my life -- little adventures like that, where you hop in the car and go somewhere and see something you normally wouldn't. 

It was a beautiful Michigan summer evening. There aren't too many left. I am trying to soak up as much of them as I can.

We ate dinner on a blanket in the grass. Luke played on a playground and ran to catch marshmellows thrown from a fire truck.

It was serene.

And soon, the balloons started to fill the sky.

A lot of photos, I know. Aren't they pretty, though?

It was a really lovely night in what has been a really lovely summer and an even lovelier year. I know this is filled to the brim with cheese, this post. But I want to be thankful and notice these days. They're amazing.

Linked at...

Spending money I don't have at DIYpsi -- and a giveaway!

BootsNGus

My Marigold

Sparrownests

I spent part of my Saturday afternoon in Ypsilanti supporting the local handmade community at the DIYpsi indie craft show. I just love these craft shows. There's always something on almost every table that I want to take home. I walk in with the best intentions to buy just one thing, and gah, I walk out with a bunch of cute, locally made items that I apparently can not live without. It happens every time. Maybe it's time to call it what it is -- an addiction.

Let's see what caught my fancy this time.

Aisle 3 Etsy shop

I loved everything on the Aisle 3 table. It was all upcycled goodies made from vintage buttons, curtains, neckties, linens, etc. The artist was very sweet, and is from my almost-home-town, Flint. And I just learned on her blog that her son's name is Milo, which was my favorite name -- alas, not my husband's -- this last pregnancy. JEALOUS!
I guess we have similar taste, because I wound up buying this cute guy....

And when I selected it, she picked up her own identical pouch. It's the one she carries herself.  I feel extra cool now. The pouch is simple in design, but I love the vintage-ness of it and the cheeky animal-cut-into-portions print. The lining is lovely, too. It has a nice sheen. I think I'll use the pouch to carry my essential makeup, since I usually put it on in the car. I'm sick of carting my big travel carrying case around! This size is perfect for my lip-gloss, eye concealer, tweezers and mascara.

I also like her cute tag:

It's the little things, right?

What else?

Etsy shop: cefische.etsy.com

Also loved all of this jewelry. The artist, Courtney, was so sweet and we figured out we live like less than a mile away from one another. She does "vintage inspired jewelry with a natural element." I could see myself wearing almost any of these. What did I pick?

These dangly earrings! Love them. Have worn them twice already.

 Web: amepix.net

I was also quite delighted by these magnet sets.I wound up buying an ABC's in sign language set.

These are cool, don't you think? Now I just need to brush up on my sign langeuge skills, so I can use em correctly. 

I brought many cards home with me. If you're looking for something unique, creative and handmade, here are a few other Michigan-based people to check out.

sparrownests.com

sloeginfizz.etsy.com

bootsngus.etsy.com

miodiocollection.com

tumbledown.etsy.com

chubbylove.etsy.com

bettula.etsy.com

sparklepants.etsy.com

sandwichseat.com

lovenicolet.etsy.com

So, to celebrate my recent milestone of hitting 100 followers, I did a little shopping at the DIY fair for one of you. Tough decisions. I hope you like what I nabbed.

A fun vintage sewing-pattern coaster AND another one of those cute pouches by Aisle 3! (Yup, I bought two, one for me, one for you.) One winner will get both of these prizes. Here's the rules:

-- Leave a comment on this post before noon on Friday, Aug. 19. Tell me what item you saw in this post that you think you'd have wanted to buy.
-- I will use random.org to select one winner. Must be a US shipping address -- sorry!
-- Make sure your address is linked with your account, or leave it in the comment.
-- If you're a follower, you get an extra entry. Just leave a comment telling me how you follow and if you're a new follower. Thanks!