Gypsy Getaway

I am currently lazing around in rhinestone yoga pants and sipping hot tea.  Why?  Because I'm a tired little gypsy who just got back from a whirlwind weekend of driving, touring as much of a beautiful city as possible in one night, crashing at the home of a generous local rock star, setting up at a lovely craft show, and heading back to Oklahoma with a head-full of new memories to store away in my mental scrapbook (and my digital one too, I suppose.  HELLO, blog readers!  I have a cool story and pretty pictures to share with you).  Off we go...

On Friday morning, I  headed over to my friend Sam's house after work for a crafty excursion.  Sam is a steampunk artist, blogger, and generally wonderful person to be around so I was excited to carpool with her to a fun show we decided to attend in Kansas City, the Gypsy Market Royale.  The two of us were meeting Somer (who you may remember from this post) the next day to set up in a little row of crafty folks and represent the craft group we're members of, Make:Tulsa.

We didn't think we'd be able to pack all our tables, tents, and displays in a single car but we wanted each other's company for the ride, so Sam and I decided to split the cost of a rented SUV to transport our things- which turned out to be a solid decision based on how full we packed it.

We were greeted by a tremendous amount of kindness and hospitality in Kansas City.  Leading up to the show, Jessica of Cart Wheel (pictured below on the right) worked with us on securing our booth spaces, ensuring all three Tulsa makers were next to each other at the show, and acquiring a generous host for Sam and I.  On the left is the co-producer of the Gypsy Market, a multi-talented artist named Garnet (she's got a website, an Etsy shop, and a band!) who was nice enough to let us stay with her.

Before we set up, Sam and I grabbed breakfast and coffee at the nearby Genessee Royale Bistro.  I have to meander away from my crafty chatter for a moment to say that these were definitely the best waffles I've ever had in my life.  And trust me, I'm a connoisseur of fine breakfast foods.  They were served with fresh blackberries, toasted almonds, a dusting of powdered sugar, and warm maple syrup.  We were both raving about them for hours after we ate.  If you are ever in the Kansas City area, I highly recommend this restaurant!

Once we got our booths all ready and I looked around me, I was happy to see a lively little caravan of friendly faces and interesting creations- exactly the kind of show I love to attend.

We were placed so that shoppers could get a taste of what Tulsa has to offer all in one little strip of the market.  First, we had Somer who put together a booth full of goodies from five different Make:Tulsa members.

I was situated next to Somer, looking like "a cute little bee" as Sam informed me.

Sam's booth was located next to mine, drawing in lots of intrigued visitors with her steampunk designs and cohesive, intricate setup.

We had a fun day partaking in great conversations with Kansas City locals and fellow vendors.  Once the show ended and we started to pack up for our trip back home, we snapped a quick photo with our awesome host, who took time out of her night when we arrived to give us a tour of the downtown area and the local art scene by walking us to the city's First Friday event.   She also provided me with many of these photos because I forgot my camera.  We are so thankful for this new friend we made!

Thanks for being so nice to us, Kansas City!  ♥