It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Aah... Autumn...  I love Autumn.  It's been a mixture of unseasonably warm and dropping temperatures that leave a lot of us Chicagoans shocked (and wearing puffy coats? really?), but Autumn is finally here, pumpkin-flavored everything, plaid and sweaters and thick socks, and it's glorious.  I LOVE this time of the year!

Autumn also means it's time for me to make my annual trek to Virginia to visit family, which actually didn't even happen last year.  I can't believe it's been two years since I've seen the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains, and the red dirt roads, and the cars that drive slowly and give each other the acknowledgement wave as they pass on a tree-lined road.

But the point is... because I've been excited about this trip, and because I've been working harder to pay for it, I've been seriously slacking over here in blog-world.  So I'll give you all of the quick updates I can, and get out of here quickly, so that by the next post I can pretend like I never missed a beat.

I started making dream catchers, and other wall-hangings and home decor items:

Lace & Sticks Bohemian Dream Catcher

Black Bohemian Dream Catcher Wall Decor

It's fun to be working on something new!

I also started working on some coin rings, but I don't know if I'm really getting what I want out of them.  My next project is going to involve silver rings, but everything is an experiment, so I don't know long I'll have to practice before I'll be happy enough with them to start listing them.

I also rearranged the working half of the studio, to make a better space for my office/workspace (next to the window, finally!), and to make a nice space for the dining table, and my high hopes for future spaghetti dinners with friends.

This Sunday I did the last Chicago Flea MKT of the season -- it was rather quiet, but I'll take quality over quantity any day.  I'm really looking forward to this market next year -- not just because it's only a few blocks from my studio, but because the people who shop and the other vendors at this one are fantastic, and I love being that close to the awesome food trucks.

So I'll let you know how my attempts with making silver rings go for sure, even if it's just a "Pinterest fail" moment, and I hope you're looking forward to pictures from my lovely home state of Virginia as much as I'm looking forward to taking them.

New Pieces, Upcoming Shows, and Non-stop Action!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Things are hoppin' around the studio (and around the city) these days!  Saturday and Sunday I set up shop at the Randolph Street Market for the first time.  I'm ashamed to say that I had never even visited as a customer, but now I really wish I had -- one booth was even selling a real human skeleton!!

Oh yeah, and he's even got a name.  I had half a mind to put this guy up next to my table, wearing my necklaces... but alas, he was a little out of the budget for me.

I was in the lower hall, which was a little slower than outside or the ballroom, but things got pretty busy around 1pm each day.

I haven't decided yet about next month, but I think it would be fun to try my luck outside!  Especially because I (finally) ordered my festival canopy tent today, and I'm sure I'll want to show it off.

I premiered my terrarium-style pieces this weekend, and they were a hit!

I've just started listing them in my Etsy shop, you can see them in the Nature Girl // section HERE

This weekend, you can find me at the

Off The Beaten Path SOHO market on Saturday, and the

Chicago Flea MKT on Sunday!

You can always make appointments with me in my studio by emailing me at

vanessa @ thebigcitybumpkin.com

and of course there's a good chance you'll catch me on Waveland and Kenmore, outside of Wrigley Field on game days.