Shadow Art Fair, Summer 2011

Sorry I haven't yet had an opportunity to share these pics! There's a local arts & crafts show held twice a year near me called  
The Shadow Art Fair
and I got a chance to go last weekend before heading up north to see my family. One of the best parts about the event is that it's held in a brewery with a huge outdoor area to sit & chat with friends while listening to music from a few local bands. And of course it's always fun seeing what sorts of things creative people are up to!

My favorites of all were the framed Mittens of Michigan, and the photography of fellow Etsy seller Stephanie Bracciano. (see last photo) Her shop, Deep Within the Armoire is here. It was neat to meet many other Etsy sellers at the fair this year! It's always inspiring learning about the interests and talents of so many locals too.

Inspired by Skittles?

I confess I have been eating my share of candy lately! My shop seems to be reflecting that too this month, that's for sure. Skittles and Starbursts come to mind when I look at all of the colorful items I've been posting.
Again, here I am inspired by edibles. :-P

I'm just sorry that I don't send along a bag of sweets with every order. heehe!

{Visit the SHOP}

Dance till you Drop (literally)

As much as I *love* to dance, I don't believe there is any amount of money that would ever persuade me to do what desperate couples were doing in the 1920's & early 1930's. 
During an awfully difficult economic era, The Dance Marathons were endurance competitions that became a fad in which couples danced until they dropped (literally) for a chance to win cash prizes if they were lucky to be among the last of the contestants on the floor. Times must have been tough for people to be dancing in these contests for as long as they did (some lasted months, yes, MONTHS) to beat out their competitors. The marathons also served as a form of cheap live entertainment for the many, many people who made up the audience. Kinda disturbing, isn't it?



Dancers were automatically disqualified if either partner's knees touched the floor.





Dancers were usually given 15 minutes every hour for rest/bathroom use/etc. I cannot imagine how many people must have felt like they were going crazy after such an odd sleeping pattern. The exhaustion must have been unbearable!



I'm on a history kick lately, and this is the library book (below) I found myself absorbed with this week. This youtube video makes me sad to watch, but it shows actual footage of some of the marathons that were held in the U.S. I couldn't believe the parts where dancing couples would just suddenly FALL DOWN, sometimes toppling over their partners. How horrible! There's also a movie based on the marathons called "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" starring Jane Fonda. Find the trailer here.

PC: flickr

Dollop o' Cream

Just a little Tuesday morning shop update, featuring some pale colored items, a few just recently added to the shop. That first dress has a lovely bow back, and the beige romper I listed last week just below the first dress is a linen blend, and has the cutest lace trim. I was just noticing by the title of this post how easy it is for me to associate everything with food! What does it mean? heehee ;)

{Shop Lola}

The Red Rose Girls

We've been taking many trips to the library during these summer days as a result of Lukas being off of school now. Last Thursday we spent nearly 4 hours there after I became lost in this beautiful {true} story of the 3 women known as The Red Rose Girls. Some of their names sounded familiar to me because they're artists, but I never knew the story behind their work.

Elizabeth Shippen Green, Violet Oakley, and Jessie Willcox Smith were three artist friends who made a pact with each other to live together forever. During the time of their lives together at the Red Rose Inn, (the early 1900's) the women were highly prolific and created some of their BEST work. The woman "tending" to the roses in the picture below is Henrietta Cozens, another friend of the three, and the keeper of the house and all other domestic responsibilites. Love this picture!

I found the story particularly interesting because of the pact they had made with one another. What if one of these women wanted out eventually? That very thing happened when Elizabeth Shippen Green met a young man and married. But it wasn't without grief that she moved away from the close friends she thought of as her sisters.

Violet in her studio (below) became famous for her murals and work in stained glass, while Elizabeth and Jessie were both appreciated for their illustrations.

I couldn't help getting caught up in the story of these three women! I found the unconventional way they chose to live most of their lives (especially for the era) very interesting. Imagine having no domestic responsibilities and being able to be creative all the day long, all while having the support and inspiration of a few creative dear friends! 

P.C. Villanegativa, wordpress
Smithsonian