Buy Local!!

Early this morning I drove to a local fruit and vegtable stand and purchased fresh produce for the week. I love the smell of cilantro! When I buy it at the grocery store I can barely smell it, but at the market the smell lures me toward it. The fresh strawberries filled my car with a sweet scent all the way home! I filled two grocery sacks to the top with fresh fruits and vegtables for $19.50. Thank you farmers! Tonight I will make stirfry for dinner with a fresh salad!

Later in the early afternoon I visted the Village of the Arts community. It is a community of brightly colored, craftsman era homes that serve as live/work spaces for local artists. It was such a wonderful treat! These people are so creative!

As a designer I have always tried to fill the spaces I do with local art scenes by local artists. It gives each space a unique, one-of-a-kind feeling.

I found so many different art mediums. There were welded metal sculptures with local underwater themes, framed photographs of beach scenes and crustacians, folk art with unique sayings such as "I'm from Florida, I can drink with the best!" Or, "I see drunk people" - it was pretty funny. There was also watercolor and oil paintings, and one artist was painting a 4 foot long gecko. One gallery showcased the works from students at the Ringling School of Art and Design.

We also discovered a small restaurant that has theme dinners ranging from Ethiopian to Peruvian to fresh made pizzas!

So be a tourist in your own town and buy from the locals. Walking through this small village churned the creative juices in me and inspired me to follow through with some of my artistic ideas.