Phew! In desperate need of a break from Google Sketchup tutorials, I am sharing a fun find here in downtown Annapolis. This weekend, my oldest daughter & I spent a special ‘Mommy & Me’ day at the “First Sunday Arts Festival.” Even with the heat, it was a nice post derecho diversion. Speaking of which, our prayers go out to those of you who are still dealing with the aftermath of power outages and damage! With the intense and rather unseasonal temperatures in our region, it’s not a time that you want to be without A/C! What a crazy & unexpected mess!!!
KeyLime Designs by Mollie Dennis
(click here to learn more about this artist)
So in spite of the recent tribulations, the crowd and the vendors seemed to be in good spirits, the music was lively and the breeze was just right… I wanted to share a few pictures of some of our favorite vendors of the day. Probably one I liked the most was a table of beautiful children’s artwork by KeyLime Designs. Artist, Mollie Dennis has a degree in Art Education and has focused her talents on these charming and cheerfully colored collages.
Decorative pieces by Art Sea
(click here to find out more about her seaside decor)
Another table we enjoyed was covered with inventive creations by Art Sea… and who wouldn’t love the name! 🙂 Her specialty was a collection of lovely sailboats she crafted from driftwood and grommeted decorator fabrics. What a great idea for repurposing natural materials into something, oh, so very Chesapeake Chic!
There were clothing vendors, jewelry, housewares, whimsical garden ornamentals, natural soaps… everything you can imagine, and some gorgeous fine art displays. It was a textile paradise!
And then there was the food! My feeling is that it’s just not a festival until you have a taste of the town. Living in Maryland for around 12 years now, you get used to the usual crab claims of the locals and frankly, I was up for something a little different. As we turned the corner of West Street and found another row of tables down Calvert, we were drawn to a tent bearing the sign, “Mad Flava Catering.” The grill was flaming, the aroma of Caribbean jerked chicken was wafting and my mouth was watering! One taste, and we knew this was the real deal! The chef, Andre Sherwood, is Jamaican born and bottles this amazing sauce. I bought 3 jars, got home and cooked up a batch of chicken for my — and I don’t use this term lightly — highly flavor-critical family. It was a unanimously HUGE hit, which, for our 4 kids is practically unattainable… many of you parents out there know my pain! So 12 thumbs up here, Chef Andre!!! We will be back for more soon, I’m sure!!!
Click here to visit his website & find out more about Chef Andre’s awesome food!
Fitztopia 