Gingersnap

In the midst of selling art at the first ever Handmade Dayton Festival at Peace On Fifth in the Oregon District. It was a lovely Friday morning- not too hot with a a slight modest chill in the air as I walked the twenty minute trek to the Oregon District, feeling confident in 2 1/2 inch heels and purple black heart tights. At Peace On Fifth, a unique retail shop/boutique selling goods, clothing, and accessories strictly from slave free parts of the world that has been in Dayton for nine months now,  London Coe, the lovely, vibrant shop owner has transformed her store into Handmade Dayton Festival. Five locally owned shops of art, jewelry, handmade soaps, and more, each vendor is separated by a leisure amount of space, not large enough that one feels divided, but enough so that we all could have conversations and get to know each other and our personal wares. I had a long wooden table and rolling rack, taking only a few moments to have art displayed and quickly got acquainted...

An incredibly fun night for the last First Friday spectacular in downtown Dayton. From jewelry to handbags, paintings, and ornaments galore- many amazing potential gifts from local artisans were on display. The jewelry was to die for! All of this popping bling for the ears and neck at prices lower than an upscale retail jewelry store. After sightseeing at DVAC, I explored one of my favorite downtown places, Cachet G, an upscale international boutique/gallery- where I got this necklace so long ago! Yvette Louise Walker Dalton, the artist for the month was inspired by her trip to South Africa. Look at the shapes and bold colors of these expressive faces! One customer was mighty pleased with his purchase of a beautiful King Tut statue. There is such a great downtown spot! The kind shopkeeper sells masks and objects from various parts of the globe- notably Africa as well as fashionable wear, jewelry, shea butters, soaps, and the Carol's Daughter line! Batiks! And before leaving out of ...

This past Friday's "First Friday" was beautiful- weather wise! Colorful leaf piles were something to treasure, especially walking around in the lovely neighborhood of the Oregon District- that perfect, historical strip of classical architecture near downtown Dayton. Leaves! Yes! I jumped into a bunch of crunchy madness, skipped on through, and photographed like a crazy madwoman. Short, bittersweet autumn simply brings out the childish relish in me! Saw amazing paintings, handmade vintage product, and tasted delights from local artists. Ah, little old Dayton, your surprises always astound me.... I went inside of a neat place called Grassroots. It's not entirely new, having been opened since July, but they have started joining in on the First Friday craze sometime ago. In the boondocks of the Oregon District, it was a place I missed on previous occasions. Glad to have spotted this cozy down/upstairs business that not only features a gallery and DIY shop, but has after ...