Penrod

Penrod. Also known an Indiana's Nicest Day. Though that could be argued this year - it got kind of muddy overnight, I think. But never the less, I think it's one of the better art fairs out there. Especially if you go to the VIP event the night before, An Evening with Penrod.

Okay... so it's VIP only in that they sell a limited number of tickets to it, as it's a fundraiser for the Penrod Society. But never the less, it's a fun event. Eric and I went last year, too, and really enjoyed ourselves. There's little one-bite foodie tents all over to nosh on, it includes drinks, and while not all the artists are open, a large majority of them are. And it's not overcrowded like the day event can sometimes get. Which makes for a more comfortable environment, where you're ready to buy, which the artist like. Last year, we found a beautiful painting that we gave my mom for Christmas. This year, though, I found a little something for myself. A cool purse.

It's much more than it sounds. We found this guy who salvages seatbelts from old cars and turns them into a realm of bags, from coin purses, to messenger bags, and everything in between. The guy (Clay Bush) who started it was pretty cool to talk to - very passionate about his start-up called Salvage, which is pretty cool. It's not like some of the seatbelt bags you probably seen out there, either... you know, where they weave the belts or something. He actually busts out an industrial sewing machine and sews the things together. So if you're at an art fair and see this guy, definitely check it out. It's totally worth your time (and money if you like them).

To give you an indication of how on trend this even is, we went by Eric's fashion store, Pattern, and showed them. They liked it enough that they're in talks with the guy to sell the bags out of the store. How cool is that??