The Dotters go to the Utah Arts Festival

 

Every year in June our family looks forward to going to Salt Lake City to attend the Utah Arts Festival. It is a fabulous festival that the dotter's and I have attended for 4 years. It features exciting artists who show and sell their work. It also has music, food and a wonderful children's area. It is the children's area that get the dotter's most excited. I love living in a state that knows the value of art in our society. The festival gives the dotter's a chance to see the world through different eyes and to experience the way others view life and the world around us. I was most excited and impressed by the random acts of art featured throughout the festival. There are always interesting people and stimulating conversation is generated by the dotters observing those interesting people.......

We found this car at the festival. Obviously some knitters were really busy.

A random act of art!

Dotter #2 found this lady in the car.

Dotter 1 is loving the dog.

One thing we do every year at the festival is go to the Mad Hatter booth. Here the girls get to make a crazy hat. This year it was wizard hats.

 Some other great pictures of the day......... if you live in Utah, mark your calendars for next June. Have a artful experience!

Summer at the Shell

We are so lucky to live in a community that loves the arts. Being a family that relies strongly on the arts for our livelihood I wanted to tell you about a gem of a community arts center. It is called the SCERA Center for the Arts and it is located in our hometown. My husband also happens to be the Technical Director and Resident Designer for SCERA so it is at times our home away from home. The SCERA has many programs, it has a indoor theatre season that features musicals, children's shows and dance shows. It also has a movie theatre that features most family friendly movies. It has many programs for youth including dance, choirs, art classes and theatre (a lot of theatre). But perhaps one of the most fun parts about the SCERA is it's huge outdoor amphitheatre located about 1 block from the center. The outdoor season consists of 3 big musicals and a concert series. It also has fun outdoor movies. The other night we went to the outdoor movie of one of our favorites, The Princess Bride.

If you talk to anyone who has grown up around here, most people have some memory of spending time at the SCERA. There is nothing else like it. A beautiful night surrounded by ones you love and the gorgeous mountains that surround our valley. To me this is what summer is about.

Hope you are enjoying your summer and able to find fun things to do with your family.


What fun summer things do you do with your family?

Dotter 2 and 3 are ready for the evening's performance.

I needed to show you how the theatre is surrounded by gorgeous mountains.

My hubby is thinking....I spend all day here, now I have to come in the evening too?

Friends Paula and Scott joining us for a performance of "Singin in the Rain"

We celebrated Grandma's birthday before the show, the flag cake is because she was born on June 14 (Flag Day!!!)

Happy Birthday Mom! I love you!

My Farm Chicks Haul

I loved this old, old pink door. It is now residing on my front porch.

As promised I wanted to show off the awesome goods I scored from our little Farm Chicks trip. Now some of the stuff I got at antique and thrift stores along the way. We got in early Monday morning and met up at Wendy's house to go through all of our stuff. Some stuff I got for myself and some stuff I got to sell.

Okay let the picture show begin.......

This was a pic of our loot at the end of the show. And we had already made a trip to the trailer.

The dotters came with me to pick up my goods. Lots of cool stuff in my pile. My friend Wendy's cool house is in the background. I'm going to put some pics of her house on my blog. She has amazing collections.

My birdhouse that I love! One of the best deals I got at the show. It now sits proudly on my porch.

Got this fun children's doll cradle. Thought it would be a perfect planter.

Got this sweet old garbage can at a great antique store in Butte. Again, a great flower planter.

The one thing we all bought at the show. Cool old letters. We all love the graphic statement they make.

Fleaologists Head to Farm Chicks

I am a self confessed lover of all things vintage, junky, old and unique. And believe it or not there are actually other people in this world who are just like me. Thrift stores and up cycling are making a comeback!!! I have been so lucky to find friends who love it just as much as I do. So when we were together a while back we decided to go to the Farm Chicks show in Spokane this summer. I was so excited! I couldn't think of 3 people I would want to go with more.

Now you have to understand that I have been wanting to go to this show for years.....years (well maybe like 4 years). You know how you build something up in your mind over time....you just fantasize about how good it will be.....and a lot of times you are disappointed when you actually go......

WELL..............

This was not the case with me and Farm Chicks! It was everything I had hoped it to be and better. And you could actually get some killer deals there. I wasn't sure about that since it is such a nationally recognized show. The booths were amazing, inspiring and pure eye candy! The show was summed up in the one word that greeted you at the entrance.... 

We left on Thursday morning and the idea was to stop at antique and thrift stores along the way. Cathie had done her research and we had lists of stores.

First stop was Pocatello ID where we found a few great thrift stores and a really fun antique mall. I found some great stuff there. My friend Cathie (who also is a really good photographer) took some awesome pictures. Look at her blog here to check them out.

We stopped in Shelley and went to the really overpriced junk market I know about, got a couple of things. By this time it was 6pm and we were still in ID. The plan was to make it to Butte, MT so we powered through and didn't stop anywhere else. (Mostly because things were closed. :)

Friday we got up bright and early and checked out the great city of Butte, MT. They had a wonderful thrift store and I got some great stuff. Also found a fabulous antique store with amazing vintage clothing. After a few hours we headed to Missoula, MT where again we found some great stores. Now we were in Cathie's suburban and pulling a trailer and it was starting to fill up....we left Missoula and decided not to stop until we hit Spokane.

Up bright and early the next morning for Farm Chicks. Got in line around 8:30am, the show opened at 10:00am and closed at 6:00pm. We left at 6:30pm. We closed that first day down. It was great. I felt I got to see almost everything, but I could have gone back again.

I'm going to share some of my favorite things I saw at the show. I wished I had taken more pictures, but it was hard to do both (shop and photograph).

Some really darling Farm Chick vendors I met.

Love this, Love this, but my dotters would think it is creepy. (I'm going to make one)

Love her too! So clever.

One of the first booths I went into. I loved everything in it. I bought a amazing birdhouse from her.

Lot's of clever and cute displays.

We had a long ride home (long story) but it was such a great trip. I can hardly wait until next year. On my next post I'll reveal my goodies that I bought......stay tuned.