On the Road - The Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg

It was officially "stuff made out of stuff" day at the Brooklyn Flea. Grace Napoleon of Folk Couture and Napoleon's Retreat and I were were sharing a tent. Grace offered both her hand stitched "clothes made out of clothes" and a nice variety of vintage treasures and I displayed my upcycled jewelry. I always enjoy showing with Grace because our goods really compliment each other and boy, do we have a lot of fun!

stuff!

dynamic duo

A view of the Manhattan skyline provided a picturesque backdrop to the bustling market. 

a flea with a view

more stuff

walkin' through Williamsburg

Before the crowds arrived, I did a quick go-around to see the other vendors. As soon as I saw bunnies and cats, I had to check out the t-shirts by Vivian at Valt Line. I flipped through the racks of adorable apparel and knew I just had to walk away with something. It was an easy choice for me. I got a ringer t-shirt in the best shade of purple with a Brooklyn kitty cat on it. I was a happy camper with my new shirt! Valt Line carries t-shirts and onesies with dogs, bees, and a whole variety of animals. Check 'em out!

love my new shirt

make a bee line for Valt Line

I enjoyed getting to know our neighbor Taliah Lampert of Bicycle Paintings. I was mighty impressed that she biked her tent, display, and goods over to the flea on her custom made bicycle with a cart built into the frame (especially on such a hot day).  I found the perfect birthday gift for my dad at her tent. Being an avid cyclist, I knew he would appreciate her bicycle prints, cards, and clothing with bold bike silhouettes. I ended up getting my dad a fabulous matted print and greeting card. I enjoyed hearing about Taliah's work, her boyfriend's bike shop, and bike events where she shares her artwork. If you are into cycling or need a gift for someone who love bicycles, I highly suggest checking out her unique OOAK paintings and prints on her website.

Talia of Bicycle Paintings

shirts and onesies

I got my dad a smaller print of this fabulous image.

Some may say it's difficult to eat on hot days, but not for me -  especially when surrounded by such great food! For lunch I had my favorite go-to meal from the Brooklyn Flea: chicken and cod papusas. Grace noshed on a lovely slice of crusty bread topped with freshly carved prosciutto, olive oil, herbs, and creamy ricotta from Salvatore Bklyn. Of course there's always room for a few snacks. At four for a buck, we couldn't resist the light and sugary donut holes from Dough. I later cooled down with the most delectable apricot salted caramel popsicle from People's Pops and of course I couldn't leave the flea without one bite-sized strawberry cupcake from Kumquat Cupcakery. I guess you could say I didn't leave hungry.

Grace displayed some newly-found vintage toys that had folks reminiscing and playing, including vibrant a green tin gun in pristine condition and a lovely old box of wooden ten pins. As always, people were impressed by her hand-stitched OOAK dresses and tunics. A nice variety of her playthings, clothes, bags, and vintage wares went to very happy homes.  

all fun and games

and a hat at that

I met so many great local artists/designers who were walking about the flea, including Jennifer Rae Beck, the vintage-inspired interior designer from Chalk Farm Home and "chaos conqueror" Jeanie Engelbach of Photo/Apartment/Party Jeanie. I especially loved meeting shoppers from abroad. I had several pieces go off to Australia and Japan including two of my favorite art supply inspired necklaces: Esther-onomy and A Fine Fineline.

Esther-onomy

A Fine Fineline

After loading the car back up, Grace and I recharged our batteries before heading back to Connecticut. We stopped by Il Porto and shared the most delectable white pizza, a Cesar salad, and a wholesome bowl of pasta bolognese. With full bellies and a full day behind us we hit the road back home. What a fabulous day at the flea!