roadside scholar

stuff i found on the highway of life

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renegade craft fair chicago 2008: highlights

conditions were pretty intense at the renegade craft fair in chicago earlier today. the rain started in the morning and continued for hours and hours today. and it wasn’t a drizzle either; i am talking torrential downpours that left me soaked to the bone. i am happy to report that the shopping was absolutely terrific though, with plenty to see from vendors old and new. my camera survived thanks to the macgyver-styled ziplock bag cover i fashioned, and i came home with a big messenger bag filled with crafty goodness. i’ll be showing you the highlights in a few posts, starting with this one…

charming prints and sweet stuffies from denise simon

pretty porcelain jewelry from sofia masri

 

handmade boh bon soaps

 

berkley illustration wallets and prints

whimsical plush from kinderfluff

vintage typewriter key jewelry from the weekend store

elegant textile designs from maramiki

 

prints from the talented artists at charmingwall

the fair is on from noon-10 pm tomorrow (sunday), so if you’re local come on down and get inspired by some fabulous artists! if not, stay tuned for more highlights and links to the artists.

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best of the week on roadside scholar

as many of you know, i’ve been rehabbing my dog and over the past few weeks and i want to let you know that he has improved immensely. he continues to sleep most of the day and is reticent to climb stairs, but now is able to stand up and walk around with minimal assistance. this is tremendous progress and a really huge relief for us. it has been a difficult road and our routines have been tossed to the wayside so we can help him recover. next week the experiment of leaving him for a few hours at a time will begin. since i did not leave the house for ten days straight, this is going to be a welcome change for me. i have missed being able to go out and take my photographs, play my sports and see people. i’ve also missed writing any best of the week posts for a while now, so let’s get back up on the horse and take a look at some of the most popular posts from the past week or so. as always, feel free to click around on the photos or links for more info on these great artists and items:

orange beautiful’s new prints and miranda meilleur’s silver creations

matthew woodson illustrations and lisa widén‘s cloud chair

bill fantini’s terrific photography

in a strange way i think my being housebound helped me to focus more on writing here. when i am able to go out and run this household it tends to keep me away from the computer and the number of posts falls down, much to my chagrin. this website is as much of a creative exercise and commitment as anything else, and i don’t like it when that happens, but you know how it goes. if i am anything, i am thorough, so hopefully i will be able to balance it all next week. we’ll see. in the meantime i wish you all a happy weekend and thank you for stopping by and writing your comments and emails. i have enjoyed hearing from you this week. a lot. stay tuned for some great interviews with fascinating people and more lovely things next week!

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best of the week on roadside scholar

wow friends, what a week i have had. between my doggie who this week needed constant care and attempting (ATTEMPTING) to put the finishing touches on my big creative project, i am wiped out. physically, mentally and emotionally. ever have one of those weeks? i think we’ve all been there. i can’t believe i managed to crank posts out in between all of that too, but as i have mentioned before, for me this website is satisfyingly therapeutic. here are some highlights of the week. click on them, read about them, say hi to them… you know, whatever you feel like doing.

brilliant illustrations from chris applehans

spooky snowglobes from martin and munoz

fun facts about sara kirkpatrick, aka the blueberry bandit

thankfully things are perking up. i am sacked out today and watching this is spinal tap in HD. i know most of the lines in the movie, all the words to all the songs, and seriously (and recently) contemplated opening a bakery named cups and cakes. if you’ve never started out a weekend by watching this movie, i highly recommend it. you will wet your pants, in a good way. life is a balancing act as they say so i think, starting now, this coming week will be more restful. we are going up to michigan early in the week for the 4th of july holiday and the goal is to be in a relaxed state of mind by the time we get back. next week though, this space is going to be chock full of deliciousity. we’ve got a let’s chat with some funky card makers, a miniview with a fabulous artist from maryland, my big creative endeavor reveal and lots more lovely things. as always thanks so much for stopping by and saying hello during your busy week — i love hearing from you. I LOVE IT! and now, i leave you with a taste of classic tap:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WXGbwIkvh38

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best of the week on roadside scholar

hi pals. sometimes, i think i talk about the weather too much here. can’t help it right now. i think i mentioned that i am declaring myself on semipermanent summer vacation until further notice? and i am sticking to my story. i gotta hold onto this breezy state of mind before it evaporates, because inevitably it will. the feeling is elusive to me, which makes it all the more delicious when i am under its carefree spell. it is time to kick off your shoes and dig your toes into the grass, or sand, or carpet, or wherever you enjoy spending time when the weather turns warmer but isn’t oppressive just yet, take a fresh look around the joint, and enjoy all that you see around you. while you prepare to do that, let’s have a look at the highlights of the week. good stuff house here. click, click and click away to find out more info and read the posts…

magical artwork from milo white and wee needlefelted birdies from leanne pendleton

adam normandin paintings and tough decisions from the mind of jamie wieck

a nice q & a with mixed media maven michele maule

i am working on a big creative project right now that i plan to reveal to you before the end of the month, and i am really excited about it! hopefully this week will be the big reveal. as always, please know that i am so grateful to have you visit and provide that great mental support that we all need. i hope you are still having a good time doing it, and i hope to see you again next week with lots more terrific stuff!

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best of the week on roadside scholar

hello beautiful people. did you have a nice week? as for me, whoops! i didn’t post anything yesterday. i am still in the outer banks and chilling with friends. even though we only live 90 minutes from each other we still find it challenging to get together, so this is great bonding time right now. it is so very pretty here. the beach is all sand and a pleasure to walk, and the ocean is a natural sound machine for sleeping. 🙂 anyway here are some highlights from the week, in case you missed it… click on the photos to read the articles and the hyperlinks to get to the artists and products.

jordy fu’s pretty paper lampshades and a kooky vending machine by yarisal kublitz

a fun q & a with the pillowmonster lady and bricolagelife’s cozy sweater rings

sculpture work made of confiscated airport items by michele pred

thanks so much for stopping by this week. we had fun, didn’t we? next week we will too, even if there’s no more sand between my toes. see you then!

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best of the week on roadside scholar

i had a really good time writing this blog this week. more than other weeks. sometimes i hit snags, and other times it just flows like a breeze. i like breezy thank you very much. maybe it’s because i am stepping into a summery state of mind. i keep telling myself that i am on semipermanent summer vacation until further notice, with no end date. i tell others too but i am not sure if they believe me. 🙂 but it really goes toward maintaining a positive state of mind, even if it isn’t the case.

we have gone from 60 degrees during the day to near 90 in chicago this week. i guess the summer season has arrived. my flowers out on the deck are in bloom and rich with vivid colors. it definitely was a rich colorful world here at roadside scholar this week too. check out some of the highlights below, and click on the photos to read the posts and hyperlinks to find out more about the artists and items…

four questions for photographer-designer tony forte and the clever permafrost design collection

doshi levien’s beautiful backside and dusty drawings from scott wade

the fantastical imaginative world of reina mia brill

thank you all for the terrific feedback this week — i am so grateful that you come over to see what is happening here when there are so many choices out there. i had a good time finding things to show you this week too! the fun continues next week with a slew of stylish, original and humorous quality goods — see you then!

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best of the week on roadside scholar

here we are up in michigan for memorial day weekend, it’s late in the evening and i am just now getting the best of the week post up — oops! i have spent the day freestyling, antiquing, visiting friends and have been enjoying my non-schedule. there is a certain luxury in having no plans and nothing to do in my humble opinion. anyway, please enjoy a recap of the some popular posts this week. click on the photo to read the article and the hyperlinks for more artist/designer info…

lichen’s ewetube vases and thaddeus erdahl ceramics

chatting about art with tellie finley and shalene valenzuela

rj lee’s elegant ceramics and rich illustration work

i have been tagged by four fabulous blog writers now, so i think the time has come to reveal a little more info about myself… that’ll come next week, along with some cool artists interviews and other happy and random things. thanks for stopping by to say hi as always, i wish you a nice weekend (a long one in the us of course) and i hope to see you again next week!

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best of the week on roadside scholar

hi dee ho friends, how are you doing today? i am up in michigan in the screened in room trying to relax. it is cold and i have a cold and did i mention that i am doing it anyway because it’s relaxing (when the wind isn’t tearing through you). here are some of the most popular posts from the week. as always you can click on the photo to read the article and click on the hyperlinks for more info about the artists, items or designers…

andrea moneta’s street photography

an interesting interview from canadian photographer jennifer squires

the runny bunny’s fun ceramics

thank you for taking time to click around and visit. i love it when you come over. i really do! next week will be as fun as this one if not more, so i hope if you have some time you will check in again!

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