The Homeplace Feels Like Home

So, in keeping with this weeks theme of everything being out of order, I'm going to finally post about the little road trip Jody and I took to Harcourt, Iowa last weekend, to attend the first big market at The Homeplace.

The Homeplace is owned by Angie, and houses her studio and occasional marketplaces as well as other events(a visiting yoga instructor gives lessons, for example). Angie makes all sorts of neat, upcycled goods. Especially popular are her owls. I came home with FOUR of them!

I bought three, one to represent each member of our family, and then Jody, that sneak, surprised me with another! I told her that if I ended up pregnant(because she sent me home with an extra owl), it would most definitely be her fault. Because you know, that's exactly how pregnancy works and all...

The market was super fun. There were all sorts of neat vendors and everybody was just so laid back and friendly. We were already making new friends as we set up our booths.

Here's Jody's-

And here's mine.

Booth setup is always difficult for me, as it is one area where I am just NOT creative. At all. Not one bit. But, I thought this one wasn't too bad. Better than slapping everything on a table in a naive fashion and making people sift through it all. No, I have never done that at any of the previous craft shows I have attended...(fingers crossed behind back).

Of course the best part about any market(besides making new friends) is always the shopping. It doesn't matter how much money I make at a market, I don't make ANY money at all because I always go shopping at my fellow vendors' booths. Supporting handmade/small business is a serious passion of mine.

In addition to my adorable owls, I also came home with this fun upcycled, crocheted tote by 3D Smudgie Co.

Made of plarn and crocheted by Daisy(who is still a teenager, by the way) THAT DAY, as we sat at our booths vending no less, this bag is fun, responsibly made and just the most handy little tote around. I was super impressed by Daisy, who has been running her business WHILE pursuing her education at such a young age. She really has it together, and her products really rock. Talk about inspiration for the days when I feel like I can't do it anymore. Daisy,  you are my hero!

I also picked up some truly unique hand turned pens, made by Angie's daddy, for The Husband's upcoming birthday.

Can you guess what these are made of?

Here are your answers.

Cactus! Crotch Maple! And GRAPE NUTS!!!

I admit, I bought the crotch maple for the name alone, but it is actually a beautiful and gorgeous piece of wood.

Ahem. Moving on.

Grape Nuts! Cereal! In a pen! This one was all about the novelty value. I mean, I've seen plenty of sprinkles, glitter and candy in resin, but never Grape Nuts. That's just too cool.

And the cactus one, aside from being beautiful, was chosen as a reminder of our early dating days. The Husband was a sculpture major and had this huge piece of dried out cactus in his room that he used for all sorts of creative purposes, like rubbings on fabric and printmaking. That cactus is gone, but every time I see this pen, I'll be reminded of that tiny one room apartment where the seeds of love were planted and began to grow and bloom.

Barf. Let's move on.

So, The Homeplace. If you are lucky enough to get a chance to go and check it out, DO IT. You won't regret it. Angie is sweet as pie and her studio, work and markets really reflect that. I can't recommend her events enough. Having grown up in the Webster County area, I think it's fabulous that she's attempting to breathe some new life into the area by creating new community events and  showing support for the handmade and small business movements.

But heck, even if you don't care about any of the ideologies or social and economical movements that I find so important, just go for the shopping.

 I mean, who doesn't like shopping?

Pyrex, Pink Elephants and Pins

My friend Jody, of PaJama Love, came down from Metropolis(hahaha, small town humor there) to stay a few days with us last week. I am terrible about remembering to take photographs, so I only have a few to share with you. Boo me. I know.

Jody is super multi-talented and makes all sorts of neat things. I was so excited to receive this adorable felt pin(inspired by a fun book on felt) and retro headband made by her two lovely hands.

The Kid, photobombing my ugly mug.

She also made these fancy little crochet lovelies for me to use as embellishments on future necklaces or bracelets.

She also made The Kid a pink elephant to go along with the gray one I brought back from the last Sycamore Craft Market.

My gosh, how lucky am I to have such a friend?! All I gave her in return was homemade cream cheese stuffed french toast, strawberry apple muffins, cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham, meatloaf soup and soft peanut butter cookies. I mean, it was good food(sorry no pics, too busy enjoying it!), but nothing of lasting value.

I did sketch this drawing for her and her hubby though.

It is wonderful to have friends that enjoy receiving such an odd gift and do not recoil in horror at the weirdness.

I was not nearly as productive as Jody was while she was here, but I did share my plump pillow with her.

Jigglypuff. We think she is a Norwegian Forest cat. Or has some in her d.n.a. somewhere at any rate.

Jiggy and Thor both lovvvved Jody. A lot. Maybe too much. I was tempted to send spazzoid Thor home with her.

The Husband kept busy by working on a perch for the kitties. It isn't done yet, there's a bunch of finishing left to do, but Thor is enjoying it all the same.

We went thrifting a couple of times together and found a few neat little odds and ends.

I fell in love with this super chunky, super kitschy nautical necklace. I'm going to wear it with everything. I don't even care if it matches.

A bright, lemon yellow, square Pyrex bowl won both of our hearts over. I'm telling you-I am suddenly a Pyrex magnet!

Jody helped me pick most of these toys from a "10 cent toy bin". We think they will make fabulous centers for pins!

We also found a stash of TWENTY FIVE CENT embroidery hoops. Talk about a steal! I'll show you a piece I made with one of those hoops in my next post. It's adorable.

And last but not least, we came across a Burberry London shirt for seven dollars. SEVEN DOLLARS. I don't even care for designer brands, but I know what that shirt is worth to people who do. I was going to wear it as a tunic, since I like the feel of the material, but it happens to fit The Husband quite nicely, so I gave it to him, on the condition that I can borrow it.

I debated whether or not to buy the shirt since I wasn't sure it would fit, but Jody assured me that if it didn't, it was a nice enough material that I could cut it up and make something cool from it.

I know that statement would make some of my friends cringe in horror at the thought, and that absolutely delights me. DELIGHTS ME. Yes, Jody and I would totally cut up an expensive designer shirt. That's what friends are for.

Spending an extended amount of time with such a creative and kind friend was definitely good for my soul. I am not someone who really allows people into my domain, since I don't need the hassle of judgements and the burden of impressing them with my "stuff". My house in unimpressive. If a person shows up expecting to be impressed, they will be disappointed. Sorely. So, having a friend who doesn't care that I don't decorate, that my kid is a typically annoying(at times) toddler and that my laundry is never caught up, is a true blessing.

If you have a friend like that, you should be sure to let them know just how grateful you are for their friendship. Some people are definitely not so lucky.





And, if you are ever in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Little Mexico restaurant is a nice little place to eat. And if you need to use the bathroom but your waitress doesn't speak English, use the phrase

¿Donde esta el baño?

Yep.