Swap!

I had such a great time at the swap last night! This one was much bigger than the last one I attended and it was held at the Armory for the Arts in Somerville, a wonderful castle-esque white building that hosts everything from Arabic calligraphy classes to open mic nights at the little cafe in the front. It was the perfect venue. There were tons of clothes and I scored some pretty amazing pieces as per usual including an Ungaro jacket, some snakeskin print platforms, duck boots, a few nice wool sweaters, a J Crew button up shirt that actually fits me, and a stack of yoga pants to name a few of the things that came home in my three reusable shopping bags. Books were included in the swap as well this time so I picked up some great cook and design books as well. My sister joined me for her first event of this kind and stumbled upon a Betsey Johnson sweater dress with the $290 price tag still attached. It was a wonderful evening. To find out more about swapping, check out the Swapaholics.

The Latter Half of 2010 Recap

And the moment you've all been waiting for... Part Deux of the 2010 Fidget Finds Recap!

The blog front started to quiet down a bit starting in August while Brian and I prepared to move into a new apartment. I was busy every weekend minute with markets where I sold a whole bunch of my famous Rachel skirts. I also enjoyed a nice summer night with friends on the beach, made a local and organic dinner, thought back to the wonderful birthday gifts from Brian, and attended Caitlin and Jeff's rehearsal dinner.





At the beginning of September we moved into our awesome apartment in downtown Bristol. Needless to say, it took up so much of our time painting, cleaning, packing, and moving. And then once you complete all that, the months long process of unpacking and setting everything up begins. We still haven't finished that part! During this hectic time we attended a friend's wedding in Newport and had the time of our lives at Caitlin and Jeff's woodsy nuptials. I also moved out of my studio in Fall River (short lived, I know) but into a spare room in our apt. I love my new commute!





In October, when market season began to wind down, Fidget Finds began a new and exciting life online. I continuously worked on stocking the etsy shop's inventory and blogging as much as possible. I realized how truly awesome it is to have a working studio in your own home! I also assessed my owl collection, enjoyed a delicious dinner with Julie in Providence, explored my new neighborhood, attended Calico's anniversary party at the whaling museum, dressed up as Tetris at a Halloween party, and carved pumpkins at Caitlin and Jeff's.







November was a time to get cozy. We spent lots of time with friends in our new home and being domestic. I took tons of photos of awesome vintage finds for etsy, attended my first ever clothing swap in Boston, explored the Providence winter farmer's market, gave you a behind the scenes look at a Fidget Finds photo shoot and posted about my futile effort to take photos outside. However, it's been my most popular blog post to date!






And here we are back to December again! My, my, how fast time flies! This past month was spent enjoying the colder air in Rhode Island, time with my childhood girlfriends, baking cookies, thinking about the holidays, preparing thoughtful gifts, and playing in the first heavy snow of the season! I was also immensely inspired by the photography of Andi Flax, the knitwear of Yokoo, and the absolutely amazing clothing and accessory designs of I Heart Norwegian Wood. I tried out a new blog idea, Style Experiment, and thought about the future of Fidget Finds.









2010 was an absolutely fantastic year and I am so looking forward to 2011! Stay tuned for a year full of blog posts, including an informative guide on fibers, fabrics, and fashions, an etsy shop choc full of vintage, and a new and modern spring collection of original designs by yours truly. It's sure to be an exciting year and I hope you'll join me for all of the Fidget Finds adventures!

Free Clothing and Rhody Farmer's Market

Phew, what a hectic last few days! As previously mentioned, I headed up to Boston on Thursday evening for my much anticipated first Swapaholics clothing swap. What an adventure! My evening started out getting stuck in traffic heading up there and then getting wicked lost in downtown Boston during rush hour, what a mess! It is definitely time for me to upgrade to a gps from my current driving directions system of scribbling notes from google maps on a scrap of paper before I leave the house. Luckily Brian was able to help me get there via looking at maps on his computer and guiding me over the phone. When I finally pulled into the parking garage I realized that it was in the same building as his cousin's wedding that we attended in June, ha! Unfortunately I wasn't able to help set up as much as I would have liked but the event was great nonetheless. I got to meet some really interesting people and I even scored some pretty awesome clothing including a few cardigans, a lovely Velvet black knit dress, and some Joe's Jeans with $200 tags still attached. I'm sure you'll be seeing these items in future outfit posts!


A swapping bunch including Julie from Orchid Gray and the one and only Amy from Punky Style and the Swapaholics. I'm wearing a thrifted tee, an altered vintage skirt, black tights I've had forever, and thrifted vintage everything else. The top two photos are courtesy of Amy Chase.


On Saturday morning, Brian, Caitlin, Jeff, and I went up to the Winter Farmer's Market in the Hope Artist Village in Pawtucket. It was really wonderful and the place was totally packed! I just love seeing all the delicious local veggies, breads, and seafood in one place and it's so nice that others appreciate it too. The small boutiques that are in this old mill building were open as well including this amazing handmade violin shop. I wouldn't know what to do with a violin if you handed me one , but I can certainly appreciate the sculptural beauty of these music making objects. I wasn't planning on getting anything but we left with a loaf of seeded sourdough bread from Seven Stars Bakery (Brian ordered it as "sweet and sourdough bread" because he though that was what I said, but honestly, not a bad idea...), some handmade pasta and bolognese sauce from Venda Ravioli, a block of queso fresco from Narragansett Creamery, and a collection of small cacti and succulents that I can't wait to see grow!

New on Etsy and Excited Events!

First things first, check out these amazing silvery necklaces that I posted on etsy this morning. Click here.



Second things second, I am so excited for the Swapaholics Clothing Swap in Boston tonight! I can't wait to get there early and help Amy and some other fellow bloggers set up before the chaos really ensues. It's really quite simple; bring a bag of used and unwanted clothing and walk away with a bag full of fun new (to you) items. A great way to refresh your wardrobe without breaking the bank. Click here for more info and to purchase tickets. I will tell you all about the event and my new found treasures tomorrow!

And lastly, come visit me this Friday evening at the yearly Downtown Bristol Holiday Preview. I will be setting up shop outside Bristol Looms at 49 Bradford Street in downtown Bristol, RI with some other immensely talented local artisans. In addition to my usual awesome array of vintage wearables I will also be selling some select vintage accessories for your home and vintage sewing notions and fabrics, perfect for gift giving and stocking stuffers! The event runs from 5-8 and we will also be serving up some delicious home baked goodies and spiked hot apple cider. Yum and yum! I can't wait to see you there and please let me know if you are a blog reader, I love meeting you all!