Craftsmans Fair and Artifa-cation

My mom, my sister and I went to the Craftsmans Faire in Sunapee this weekend. I'm a little jealous I couldn't join them for breakfast, because the place they went makes DELICIOUS breakfast sandwiches and I'd just about bite someone right now to get one, but had fun anyway.

I got a new Purse and wallet from a craftswoman there who makes fantastic stuff. Every time we go we look at her stuff. I love my leather bags, they smell so nice, and I've always been a Leather person. It's wonderfully resilient if you handle it right, and good Leather Work just ROCKS.
I admit I was almost swayed by another purse maker I hadn't seen before because of some astonishing bead work... but Nericcio Leathers are tried, true, and pretty, and I got a really awesome purse for no where near the 950$ the beaded one would have cost. ((It was gorgeous, but I can't justify that for a PURSE.))

I also bought ((Well technically I'll pay my mother back for it.)) An original etched plate from an artist who makes etchings. She retired the plate, and had it matted and framed in black. With the picture in black against the copper of the plate ((Which glows in the sun)) and a black mat and frame ((A thin white edge accentuates the mats that pin down the plate)) It. Is. Gorgeous.

Tilmani doesn't think it's 'His Thing', but I think it's one of the most beautiful things we saw. I did make him chuckle though and will try and get him to go see another Wall hanging we saw, a quilted wall hanging shaped like a Fish. I didn't spot the Artists name but they had a couple of them. I was ((Surprise)) kinda taken with the vibrant red one. It was just so much FUN.

I also bought, after years of stopping in and drooling, two necklaces from Luann Udell. I have a 'charm' necklace with a tiny soapstone fish, an round disk, and a greenish freshwater pearl, hanging from a silver ring on an leather cord, and a small Soapstone horse on an dark beaded metal chain.

I also got a glass heart necklace, very pretty and swirly colored, it looks kinda like a slice of fruit or a flower petal, with three little swooshes like apple seeds or stamens. ((MiniMonster I guess figured it looked like Fruit. He tried to eat it.)) Again, sorry folks, didn't catch the artists name for this one.

The last few years we went it was kind of a bust at the fair, and felt like it was the same stuff over and over. This time there was plenty to drool over, or maybe it was just looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes. Anyway we had fun, though as usual the band was WAY. TOO. LOUD. We all joked about having localized hearing damage from having one ear pointed toward them when we got a snack at the concession tent.

Good times, had by all. Well... Tilmani had his hands full with the Mini Monster. He was mostly well behaved, took a nap, had some food, but apparently kept demanding me when Tilmani tried to feed him. Poor Tilmani. <:/ Hard to feel appreciated when your young charge keeps looking around and demanding "Mama??" I gave him a big hug when I got back.

And now for something completely different. I figured it was about time to annoy everyone with some new pictures and video. I scored some great video of the Mini Monster trying to eat out of his bowl... and skip the spoon. ((That predictably ended up with mashed bananas all over the floor)) but it seems to be too long to load. So instead you get this sappy one... and a short video of what happens when I leave my Croc's unattended.

Yes I have Croc's. They make good house shoes. House Shoes: because no one gives a shit if they're ugly, as long as they don't kill the floor. ((Turn on the sound for this one.))
Needless to say I took them away from him once I stopped recording. ((And laughing.))

Heatwave

It's supposedly a Record High outside there today, but I'll be honest and say I haven't ventured out much. Mini and I have shut ourselves indoors with Cake Boss, Old National Geographic episodes, AC, and the laundry. He's taking a nap right now having exhausted himself playing earlier, and eating himself into a stupor. ((his favorite pre-nap pastime.))

He had a blast earlier taking a few assisted steps across the floor, he grinned like a lunatic and loved it. I guess that was a lot more fun than trying to crawl, which he's still struggling with. He'll nail down some form of locomotion eventually I'm sure. He already knows he can get around on his back, so the fact he doesn't just flip himself over and get around that way suggests he's not ready to give up on belly-down locomotion.

We've also got an upcoming BBQ with Tilmani's family to go to, so I'll have to at some point go get pie making supplies. I think I'm gonna go with ye old default apple pie. Apparently my Blueberry-Struedel is also pretty yummy, but I know everyone likes the apple, including me. Besides, Apple Pie is kind of a summer standard.

Bear With me

So apparently I've lost another Suet Cage. Last time was early in the spring when a small bear ate three of my feeders and trashed one of my two suet cages. I waited a while before eventually re-hanging the surviving cage, and only the cage, and for a while, everything was kosher.

As of this morning: It's trashed. The 'door' was completely ripped off and it was on the ground, I'm kinda peeved about this. I'll have to go back to not having the feeder up, though even more fun, we do still have a six foot blueberry bush in the back yard. This also makes things not very promising for my hopes and plans about having a small vegetable garden someday.