Over the past few years, it’s become tradition that my family spends Mother’s Day together in the city. While we change up our brunch destination every year (though, come to think of it, it’s always Mexican food), the main focus of our trip is the Art Star Craft Bazaar. Held at Penn’s Landing and featuring 125+ vendors piled high with unique jewelry, kitschy paintings, and tons and tons more, it is a shoppers’ paradise. And while my dad keeps busy with things like this meat parfait, my mom, my sister, and I come ready. to. shop.
The best thing about the Craft Bazaar, 14 years and running, is that seriously, everything is good. The stands are not all Philly-based, and there may be some things we come across that aren’t really our style, but the number of stands selling chachkies is pretty much 0. I was lucky enough to find some gifts for pals’ upcoming occasions, but because they’re loyal HP readers, I’ll just share what I got for myself.
Greeting Cards
In a habit I totally grew up watching my mom do and now do own my own – I keep a nice big box of greeting cards for all types of occasions just stored up in my house, waiting for the right time to arise. My collection is pretty overflowing at this point, but I couldn’t have left the craft fair without a few additions. This bunch from Philly-based exit343design made me really LOL (check out the rest of them) and I already have a few recipients in mind.
Chokers
So I’m really trying to be cool and hip and in on the whole choker trend, but in the most uncool and unhip way, some of them really bother my neck. I saw these cloth babies at New York-based Cloth&Curious and tried to decide for ~15 minutes which one I wanted. I ended up getting both. #storyofmylife
Snooze Mask
I am one of those unlucky humans that really can’t sleep late on days I’m able to. The only thing I can do to even slightly help my cause is to create complete darkness. I never purchased a sleep mask for myself, but my current one was a freebie for a melatonin drink that reads “Great in bed.” Not very airplane appropriate. I saw this one from New York shop Lucends and immediately identified with it (because I say that phrase all the time). Still not the most airplane appropriate, but it’ll do.
These. Prints.
Ah, these. As soon as I walked up to this booth, I said aloud, “I have a feeling I’m going to be spending a lot of money here.” I’ve been recently/forever working on my apartment, and I have hung exactly 0 pieces back up on the walls. As we all know, I have a thing for za, fries, ice cream, etc., but even more than that, I love art showcasing curvy ladies. These prints are by a Baltimore-based artist named April Alayna. She calls them the Plumpettes and they’re my new favorite things.
Oh, and this print, also by April, sold with the Plumpettes, and titled “Manatease,” just deserves its own call out right here.
Art Star will be hosting pop-up craft shows all summer at Spruce Street Harbor Park, and if you ever want a dose of quirky art, check out Art Star’s permanent shop (623 North 2nd Street) in NoLibs.
