Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market

I'm a sucker for gatherings. I love crowds.

There is such energy in the surroundings of an event that brings together all different types of people, in one place, for a common interest.

I'll bask in pretty much any kind of happy crowd, but my favorite gatherings typically include several components: canopies, vendors, and music. Lucky for me, Utah seems to be growing quite the variety of these outdoor markets.

The Downtown Salt Lake City Farmers Market seems to be the grandfather of all the other markets I see popping up. With 20 years of history, this market is definitely one of the coolest things I've been to in the city. We're talking mind-blowing street performers:

Look closely below - this guy's piano is almost naked. At first, I thought it was a cool visual effect but I then realized it was on a homemade trailer hooked to his bike. I'm guessing stripping it down makes it possible for him to drag it around town. (p.s. - he was great)

I wanted to hug this old guy - I refrained myself, but I wanted to. 

In addition to the performers - there was food - refugee animals - local produce - art - crafts - and products galore. 

We donated a few dollars to the local avian rehabilitation organization so my bird-loving kids could sleep that night.

I admired the genius of local artist, Kat Martin via Retro Interventions, that buys old landscapes paintings and 'enhances' them - Seriously - STOP EVERYTHING you're doing and check out her link above....

and last - but certainly not least, the fooooooooood:

For years I've wanted to make the trek down from Utah County, but just never quite pulled it off. Now that I've attended, I'm certain to make this a tradition for our family.

The Downtown Market is open Saturday mornings, June 9th through October 27th from 8am to 1pm. 


Be there.
 Market H

Bleach, T's, and a Rare Quiet Night

When the bleach pens came out a few years ago I started some experimentation with their magical powers on cotton-knit clothing items that belonged to my kids. Over time, I've messed up quite a few projects thinking that the pens would be as easy to use as my extensive collection of 80s puff paints.

Tonight I had a rare splash of time to myself and whipped out a shiny new Clorox bleach pen and a cheap t-shirt I bought at Target the other day. I've refined the procedure and was pleased with tonight's results.

Now that Pinterest has exploded you see more and more projects like this. Most of them tell you to wash and dry the shirt first. Do they know who they're talking to? That's the same sort of madness I hear from my husband when he tells me to tape off the windows prior to painting trim. Not gonna happen.

It takes some practice to get a steady hand because the bleachy goop comes out in bubbles sometimes. I generally have a straight pin on hand and clear those up as soon as they appear.

Directions you'll see will also instruct you to trace your design with chalk first. While I see how that could be a good idea - also, not my style.

The one thing you WILL for sure want to do is put something sturdy AND flat inside the shirt while bleaching (I used a large manilla envelope because it's what I had on hand) You may think your design will soak all the way through and make the back of the shirt equally as cool. It won't, so don't.

Lastly, different color shirts take longer to process. Keep an eye on it. If you wait too long, the bleach bleeds too far and the overall design is compromised by a huge bleach halo. This shirt processed for about 40 minutes.

Once I felt the design was bleached out enough I took the shirt to my kitchen sink and used the sprayer to remove all the bleach gel. I did this quickly so there was no residual bleaching from the run off.

After rinsing repeadetly, I wrung out the shirt and popped it right into the dryer.

From start to finish I had a hand drawn bleach art shirt in about an hour+.

Happy Bleaching!

How 'Bout Me?

As you may or may not know, in college I studied the fine arts. I took a core art history class wherein the professor requested the raise of hands of everyone that was an artist.

We all sort of glanced around, knowing we were all in the same major, and hands slowly started darting up around the room. He thanked us for our half-hearted participation and the asked a follow-up question. "How many of you have a favorite print up - one from your favorite artist, in your apartment?" This time, slightly more hands went up - and most of the room was represented. He gazed around the room and his smile turned downward. What followed is something that while initially rubbed me the wrong way - has stuck with me ever since.

"Look around the room. You're surrounded by talented artists. Why are you putting PRINTS up on the walls of your home. Support art - buy it - trade it - share it. You shouldn't' have art on your walls unless it's original."

I rolled my eyes, of course. For years I'd admired the Salvador Dali print shown above, as it hung in my room - among other favorites of well-recognized paintings. It even has a catchy name that just rolls off your tongue: Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters becomes a Portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Say that 10 times. I left the class and didn't think much of it.

Days passed and I found this professor's words sticking in my brain and I was annoyed with my realization that he really was right.

I'll spare you the boring details. I changed my ways, and to this day avoid putting prints (unless they're lithographs or typography) on my wall.

Why tell you all this? I guess I shouldn't assume you're even still reading....

I was watching the most random documentary on PBS the other night. It was interview style, but flashed between commentary from famous people that were answering random questions.

I couldn't even piece together what it was all about, but got sucked in right about the time that some comedian was going on about Social Media. I don't recall all the details of what he said, but his whole point was that social media isn't really all that social at all - but more than anything it's just an elaborate way to indulge each of our own narcissistic sides.

I rolled my eyes, of course. Social media was my (total and absolute life-overtaking) career for some time, and it's a topic I tend to think I have some expertise in.

I'll be honest - this guy's social media blabber has stuck with me all week.

Don't get me started - there are obvious benefits of social media - the list goes on and on and on - but why should I assume that anyone cares that I died my hair brown? (I did by the way - I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it.)

How presumptuous of me.

Now this guy has gotten into my head.

The moral of the story for me is simple - I can't always assume I have one single stance on something.