Chicagoland is silly with markets and bazaars.

One one hand, you have the city attracting nationally-known shows like Renegade Craft and the International Vintage Poster Fair. On the other, you have the rest of Illinois, where self-reliant folk have amassed generation upon generation of vintage goods and have honed traditional skills (I'll bet a dollar every Illinoisan reading this has gone to Amish Country at least once). This creates a crafty/vintagey apex to feed my constant obsession with "things".

Over the 4th of July weekend I took a trip to the Randolph Street Market in Chicago. 
Considering Chicago is a mere 30 minute drive and my friends live there, I have no excuse for not going more than I do. It was great. I was so focused on finding good stuff that I forgot I was supposed to be taking photos for the first half of the trip.

Here are a few camera phone shots gussied up by Instagram:

Oh, look: jars of things. I love jars of things! I almost bought one with screws in it, but JB talked some sense into me. I sort of still want one.

More after the jump...

I finally finished the snake table! It only took me a sixer of Kirin Light, the entire Firefly series, and a Sunday afternoon. 
Here it is, all scratched in. I am pretty proud of how the head came out: 

More after the jump...

Sometimes I find things I know I like but have no apparent use for. I found a fancy bottle one day while thrifting and I decided I must have more fancy bottles. After accumulating a number of fancy bottles I realized I had no use for or place to put them so they sat on an end table for a while, getting in the way. Then Autumn struck and I decided I must have bubble bath.

Stella getting in the way of my fancy bubble bath bottles:

Bottles in my very yellow bathroom:

Have any of you ever taken something pointless and made it useful? 

Tell me about it or send me photos and I may just post them.

Your Sister in Craft,

LB