Rock & Shop Market

Christmas shopping. A task that few look forward to. Hurrying through a loud and crowded mall is not how I want to spend my Saturday afternoons leading up to the holidays. My ideal type of Christmas shopping would be from local, handmade artisans, while sipping a refreshing local beer and being serenaded by my favorite local bands.

If you haven't heard, the ideal situation exists! It's called the Rock & Shop Market. Rock & Shop is being held at Durham's own Fullsteam Brewery this year. It will be on December 4th from 12-6 and Flutter will be there jamming out to some of the best local music and feasting on the best selection of local food.

Come ENJOY!

totally smitten.

GRANT HAMILTON. at the mall.


GRANT HAMILTON. peppermint.




GRANT HAMILTON. banana cream pie.

I believe I may have found my new favorite artist today. Grant Hamilton captures colors with a Polaroid camera unlike anything I've seen. I'm a sucker for some Mark Rothko, and I find Hamilton's photographs equally as inspiring. I love color field paintings because of the inexplicable feelings they evoke; it's like looking at an emotion. And somehow, looking at these Polaroid photographs on my computer monitor, I am filled with the same excitement I feel when I am standing in front of a Morris Louis painting at the NCMA. Discovering these photographs at the end of a wonderful day at work, while listening to some feel-good music, as I patiently wait for my lovely man-friend to come home to me.... best Tuesday in a long time.

If anyone is looking for the perfect Christmas present for someone, you can find it here. or here. or HERE!

Website, round two!

So Emily and I are not technology people. That being said, you should check out our updated website. It's pretty darn good for people who don't have a lot of experience with creating websites! Any feedback is always welcome on how to make it more user friendly. We currently have the purchasing page set up to link our etsy shop. This week we will add more items for sale in our shop and will keep it stocked from here on. Hopefully sooner than we are planning for, we will have our website set up with a shopping option. Less clicking for you, more sales for us!

A Dog in the Director's Chair?

Rainn keeps us on track as we prepare for The Handmade Market!

bazaarSPARK

We couldn't have asked for better weather this weekend! Saturday was tons of fun with all the artSPARK chalk artists running amok, smeared with pastel war paint. It was a weekend full of creative energy and great artists and designers, of course. Some of our favorites: Liz Bradford, Haden Designs, Raleigh Denim, LLLavendar... just to name a few.

Up next for us, Morning Times Market. October 1st, outside of Raleigh Times and Morning Times on Hargett Street. Come by and check it out!

In Raleigh next weekend?

Head downtown for SPARKcon next weekend! And while you're out, come visit us in bazaarSPARK on Saturday, the 18th from 10am-5pm and Sunday, the 19th from 11am-4pm on E. Martin Street.

Wisdom from Grandma

My grandma died almost two months ago, and the week before, she gave me some valuable advice. She said, "Work hard, but not too hard." What she meant by this is to work hard enough to make a living, but still allow yourself to have fun.

I got an email from my aunt today with a picture attached. She found it when she was going through Grandma's photos. I thought I would post it to inspire all of us to keep having fun.

(I am the poor little girl on the right with the blonde bowl cut. My cousin, Susan, is on the left. Sorry, Susan.)

Grandma's note on the back: "Steve Urkel" Thanksgiving 1991