This past Friday, I loaded up the car after school and headed up to my friend Stacey's place in Hull, MA. It served as the perfect home away from home for the weekend because on Saturday I was participating in
Arts Fest Beverly. Grace Napoleon of
Folk Couture was also staying with her for the weekend since she was exhibiting at the
Arts Festival in Cohasset. It was nice to be greeted by two friendly faces after the long drive in. On Saturday, I got up bright and early for the show. Cabot Street quickly became lined with tents and amazing artists. I was set up in front of the beautiful St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish and the day proved to be a bit chillier than expected. My first customer saw me a-shiverin' in my shorts and quickly retrieved a polar fleece blanket for me to borrow. Her kind gesture kept me warm for the day.
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| Arts Fest Beverly |
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| wrapped in the warmth of kindness |
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| Twitch and Whiskers |
Just a few steps away from my booth was
Chikako Designs. Born in Tokyo and raised in the states, Chikako Mukai elegantly blends her two cultures together in handmade bags and accessories. Chikako Designs offers a wide variety of beautiful and colorful Asian prints that Chikako finds at textile shows from LA to New York. She has a nice array of bag shapes and sizes to fit different occasions and purposes. My favorite had to be her compact
Hana zipper pouches, which are perfect for summer travel. Visit Chikako Designs'
website to see which bag you like best and to browse through her clothes, belts, neckties, and other items.
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| Chikako Mukai of Chikako Designs |
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| Yuko reversible totes |
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| Hana zipper pouches |
The visitors at Arts Fest Beverly seemed to really enjoy opening up all my tin and rouge compact lockets to discover their surprises inside. Many happy customers left with lockets, Thimblism necklaces, Fun 'n' Games rings, REcap bracelets, and a great variety of one-of-a-kind pieces. It was a busy day for me and I really enjoyed meeting lots of enthusiastic folks from the Beverly area. The night ended perfectly with a great gathering of artists at Jen Gubicza's home (of
Zooguu). We got a look into her fabulous studio/home, art collection, and saw some of the magic that went into her incredible plush critters. Plus, we snacked on treats from some of my favorite food groups: Nutella, gummy, crispy salty things, and gooey cheese.
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| Point in the Right Direction |
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| Lip Chick - left |
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| Polly's Follies |
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| Zooguu! |
On Sunday morning, Stacey took us for a jaunt around Hull before noon, when Grace would be going back to Cohasset for the last day of her show. We started off the morning with a short walk to
Toast for an amazing breakfast (You have to check this place out if you're ever in the area. Best breakfast for miles). Next, we went for a leisurely drive down Jerusalem Road, to look at the gorgeous homes and scenic ocean views. On our way back to Stacey's home, Grace suggested we travel down a side road. Within a few turns of our detour, we came across the most incredible site: Leo and Marilyn's house.
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| one Hull of a house |
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| Leo and Marilyn |
Dozens of potted geraniums lined the well-groomed front lawn and vines snaked around curious structures of all sorts. A menagerie of metal and wooden creatures, plush animals, and knick knacks covered the
lawn, porch, and back sitting area of the house. Multiple handmade wooden homes, easily three times as big as traditional dollhouses circled the house and upon closer look
you would discover figurines and toys peeking out at you from behind the
windows. The front of the house showcased a blue castle-like structure covered in plastic Mickey Mouse toys. Around back, we met the man himself - Leo. Three friends
busily tended to the garden and were hurriedly dragging new pots of flowers onto the lawn as we approached the king of the castle. Leo wasn't much of a conversationalist and would give short answers to my questions but I got the sense that he didn't totally object to our visit. His wry responses eventually lead to one little grin before we left, which made the whole trip worth it!
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| Leo |
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| big bird |
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| rowr! |
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| mouse house |
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| hello kitty |
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| handmade by Leo |
Soon after our morning adventures, Grace ventured back to Cohasset to set up for the show. Stacey and I decided to visit her soon after. We drove down the scenic roads of Cohasset until we got to the green where the event was taking place. The show had a lovely variety of fine arts, live music, food, and a tent filled with juried art. Grace's
Folk Couture clothes were very well received at the event and her racks were pretty sparse by Sunday. While walking about, Stacey discovered
Two Son Jewelry. Lisa Cutler of Vermont, creates colorful necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings out of fanciful glass beads. Stacey purchased a necklace and bracelet featuring pink glass floral beads and colorful drops. She looked dazzling!
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| hello from Folk Couture |
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| Stacey in Two Son Jewelry |
By late afternoon, I jumped in the car and headed back to Connecticut. On the way home, I stopped by an antique store and found the perfect 1960's dress in peach, olive, and silver. Between the show, visiting with friends, great food, and sightseeing, my weekend in Massachusetts really felt like a mini-vacation. Lucky for me, I get to do it all again next week in Brooklyn!
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| my weekend souvenir |
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