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I love a good craft show. People can be incredibly clever and creative and I like coming home with handmade treasure.
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So when I heard there was a show at Laudholm Farms on the Wells Estuary we took a drive down the coast even though it was overcast, drizzling rain and foggy.
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It was an amazing show and all the craftspeople were under cover, be it tents or barns.
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The problem?
I was expecting to find crafts and what I found was art that usually resides in galleries. There was amazing jewelry, fabulous paintings, unique pottery, intricate woodworking and stunning metalwork. Unfortunately I didn’t plan on spending $1,800 on a pair of silver earrings or $6,000 for some stained glass.
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The artists have a very strict no photography rule so these giant outdoor pieces were the only things I could sneak a shot of.
And while the items we saw were beautiful, the cost of the things I wanted reached $15,000 before we were halfway through.
Needless to say I left empty handed.
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No, I didn’t even consider pickle body lotion.
Our next stop was for a late lunch/early dinner at a local landmark, the Bull and Claw.
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This restaurant has been in operation since 1973 and to be honest I don’t think it’s been redecorated since the 1980’s.
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Plastic tablecloths, plastic duck decoys, artificial flowers … I wasn’t holding much hope.
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But my cranberry margarita was decent and cheap and the menu was large.
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Husband attacked the soup and salad bar with good results.
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And we were pleasantly surprised to find our meals flavorful, well prepared and more than amply sized. Medium rare prime rib and stuffed shrimp with baked potato and broccoli for me, turkey dinner with mashed potato, stuffing and broccoli for the husband.
Our bill was well under a hundred dollars and though the atmosphere was dated and more than a little kitschy, I honestly wouldn’t mind going back.
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Looks like the type of place that still offers loaded potato skins as an appetizer.
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Two different kinds! Cheddar and bacon or Italian with mozzarella and marinara.
🤣
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Ha! Shocking. 🙂
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I would go back! It’s all about the food. Plus kitschy can be fun.
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The food was worth another try. Even if I was the youngest person there…
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Welcome to our neck of the woods!
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So was that vendor’s name Pickle? Or is this another case of the extraneous apostrophe?
We have an annual art fair here (not billed as a craft fair) that is like the one you describe. I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything…but I’ve heard several stories about the owner of Epic (big electronic medical record company) buying out an artist’s entire stand and having her assistant write a huge check on the spot. Their HQ is an amazing place.
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I’m afraid I didn’t get close enough to the pickles to answer that question.
😉
And there were quite a few booths here I’d have loved to purchase in their entirety.
Ka-Ching!
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So sad there were no pictures of merchandise, but the internet is a hotbed of thievery.
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I understand their concern, but it makes for a dull blog post…
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Yes. We want to see the pretties!
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And now I need to get me some potato skins…🥔
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Wow…i don’t think I have ever attended a pretentious over priced art show pretending be a craft show. I feel for you.
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Serious artisans. I wouldn’t even call it crafts…
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Definitely NOT
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At the last art & craft show we attended, here in Naples, they had those large outdoor sculptures too. I was attracted to the dogs and the birds, but not the price.
Ok, I’ve not had Prime Rib since the 80’s! Girl, do I miss a salad bar though; I wish those would make a comeback!
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I love a good salad bar! This had a separate soup station as well, throw in some crusty French bread and that’s a meal right there.
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