"to Market, to Market...

Saturday afternoon, as I pulled into the parking lot at the Lexington Convention Center, this is what I saw. Sadly, this is not why I was there.

No, I was there to join Mom and Dad for a day at the Market. Which was a lot of fun, but seriously, not quite as fun as a Brad Paisley concert would have been that night (with The Band Perry opening!). Oh well.

The YardBirds display was one of the first booths we saw as we began our walk, and it's always so neat to see the creativity found in piles of scrap materials.

Another artist I found super talented had lovely softly-colored landscapes done in such intricate detail. Mom and I both really liked her work.

One of the best things about the Market? The exposure to small-scale local companies that are making awesome products - like this letterpress company that had a quirky assortment of posters, notecards and ephemera.

I also was very excited to purchase a miniature art piece from an artist I saw last year. She had these little square pieces for sale at a great price as a "Market special," and it made it more sensible for me to acquire one. I haven't figured out just where to tuck the little canvas, but I am looking forward to having the beautiful piece of inspiration in my scrapbook room.

And after walking through aisle after aisle of craft and art, it's fun to arrive at the food aisle. Yes, we intentionally save that for last.

Sampling the different snacks, sauces, candies and such from small, local companies is a great treat, and I ended up buying just as much in the food aisle as I did the craft and art booths. My purchases included this tangy garlic sauce that I'm looking forward to serving with steaks.

It's the fudge people! I didn't try any of this Caramel Apple Pie fudge, but I did buy three slices - chocolate, chocolate peanut butter cup, and amaretto. I was tempted to buy more, but somehow, I found restraint.

Mom was also happy to see that, this year, the fudge people had caramel apples (a favorite of hers).

This was such an amazing gesture to see after the devastation caused in some parts of the state by Friday's weather.

The last booth we stopped at was a well-established publishing press that does books and stationery. I had purchased a couple of cards last year, and when I saw these two, I had to have them.

After spending a few hours at the Market, we went for lunch and then we headed to - what else? - a craft store so Dad could pick up some things. While we were there, Mom and I browsed through the special occasion fabrics for wedding dress inspiration. This overlay fabric has potential.

And to round out the crafty day, I was excited to try on the Mobius scarf Mom knit for me. The color was a perfect shade of red, and it feels easy and comfortable to wear.

Admittedly, this year's Market felt like less. The move from Louisville to Lexington meant a smaller space than last year, which meant not only fewer vendors but also a more cramped feeling among the booths that were there. So I didn't spend as much time in some booths as I might have, and in fact, there were a couple of booths that I just walked right on by because I couldn't deal with how crowded they were. However, spending time with Mom and Dad was fantastic, and it's always inspiring to surround myself with such creative energy and motivation.

Where I am: home
What I'm re-reading: The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks