handmade by stefanie

The final SOAR (Spin Off Autumn Retreat) took place in St. Charles, IL last week; though I didn't get to take any classes, my pal Lauren and I did shop the vendor marketplace on Saturday. It was a small, well-curated affair that had temptation at every turn. I really wish I had remembered to pack one of the "good" cameras, because all I was able to take was a few instagrams; luckily Lauren had packed her camera and could fill in some of the gaps. The Marketplace Floor Sara Natani spinning with a Navajo spindle I love small shows like this - for one, they aren't nearly so overwhelming (and I get easily overwhelmed since most of my days are spent in my home office with only the cats and my husband for company). Another bonus is that they often have a mixture of small and medium-sized companies with a few larger ones to balance out the mix, while larger (read: more expensive) shows are usually comprised of the bigger companies with a few medium-sized ones scatt...