August 29, 2008
Scavenger Hunt Items: August 31
More good stuff for you treasure-seekers this week. Happy hunting!
When you find the item, which can be hidden in any vendor booth, it's yours, absolutely free! Only one winner per calendar month. Items posted every Friday at Noon.
Happy hunting!
From left:
1. Classic Jamaican cap, in beige. New
2. Antique brass key fob, set with vintage brass horseshoe charm.
(Keys not included, but vendor will have them for sale). Vintage/Refurbished
3. Balm of Gilead face and body moisturizer: 100% natural, shea and almond body butter. New
August 28, 2008
What's New?
The calm of new vendors this week portends the post-Labor Day storm in store for Sept. 7. Look out for fall at ze Flea!
We love having Pascal Benichou among the Flea vendors--a real honor. Pascal displays his groovy handmade mosaic and steel tables alongside a rack of country-style artifacts (above), all of which are worth a look. But a chat with Pascal is also worth it: he's a former dancer with the Joffrey Ballet (among other companies), a sculptor, photographer (he has an opening in the E. Village in September), and a painter. Stop by and say "bonjour." E11
Susan Blank is the latest veteran of the 25th St. Antiques Garage to enjoy her Fleadom in Brooklyn. On a recent visit there Senor Flea especially loved her affordable picture frames, which fill a nice nook at the market. Welcome Susan warmly, she's old-school! V8
Ben Dzamba is a swell addition to the Flea's stable of next-generation collector/vendors--a nice young fella whose dad has been in "the business" for years. He's got great paintings, oddball treasures, some nice records, and a fun attitude. V7
Cuban-born, self-taught painter and mosaic artist Jorge Valdes (aka "JAVA") makes his debut this Sunday, and his work is unique and soulful. E21
Brooklynite David Markel will be selling mid-century decorative glass, mostly Italian items from the 50's and 60's (right). Looks like nice stuff. L9
Blue Marble + Rwanda = "Sweet Dreams"
So our pals Alexis and Jennie from Blue Marble Ice Cream--which sells their yummy grass-fed ice cream at the Flea every Sunday--are working on a humanitarian project that the Flea is down with: helping open an ice cream shop in Rwanda.
Following the genocide there in the previous decade, one of Rwanda's remaining resources is its many cows, and when Blue Marble's Jennie met Kiki from Huye, Rwanda, at a Sundance theater workshop earlier this month, the plan was hatched to bring happiness and joy to a nation in sore need of both by turning those cows' milk into yummy ice cream.
Recently the gals learned of an American Express funding initiative that the project is eligible for. If you have 30 seconds, please nominate "Sweet Dreams: The Power of Ice Cream" on the AmEx site by this Sunday, August 31--the top 5 vote-getters in 5 categories are eligible for the $2.5M in funding. The nominating process is really simple, takes less than a minute.
Just click here.
Thank you!
August 27, 2008
Wafels Are Back
Our fine friends from Wafels + Dinges make their long-awaited return to ze Flea this Sunday. Summer heat + Wafels wasn't a good combo, but now that fall appears to be upon us, let those irons be unshackled and let doughy, syrupy, creamy goodness reign over the Bishop Loughlin yard!
Follow your nose to that yummy wafel scent, or just head to the yellow tent in the back row by the school. Monsieur and Madame Wafel have promised an olfactorily stupendous new dough in the coming weeks--so keep those tastebuds standing at attention.
Power to the People's
Word to our brothers Joel and David from People's Popsicle, the Flea's biweekly purveyor of yummy/healthy pops and shaved ices made only with Greenmarket ingredients, for receiving a shiny spotlight in today's Daily Candy.
Twas the Candy that shifted the pre-Flea buzz into high gear, so here's hoping the People's stay cool as their rep heats up.
We couldn't resist sharing this pic (right) of our little pal Jones preparing to devour a strawberry pop.
August 26, 2008
Flea On!
Fear not! The Flea is open as usual this Sunday, Aug. 31, over Labor Day weekend.
The only date we won't be open is Sunday, November 2, when the NYC Marathon goes directly past the Flea making access impossible for both vendors and customers.
As of now, the tentative last date for this year is Sunday, December 21--but that date is subject to change and we may be open deeper into the winter depending on weather and how many folks show up. We'll be back in mid-March/early April, date TBD.
This Sunday's shaping up nicely already, see ya there!
August 25, 2008
Finders/Keepers Week 7
A slightly stealthier approach by this week's Hunt vendors finally pushed scavengers past the noon mark--a new record!
Smiles all around, as per usual.
Check back Friday at noon for this week's items.
Here are this week's finder/keepers:
At 11:49a, Matt Malvezzi from the East Village spotted the movie-camera tote bag from Charlie and Sarah's booth on the Clermont fence. Here's Matt with his gal-pal and the eponymous Sarah (right). (They're around C10 or so every week.) Top left
Amy Bzdak of South Slope finally found the vintage plaid blanket in the Tutek booth at 3:12p. (The vendor is camera shy, despite his dashing good looks (and locks).) Here's Amy with her friend Michael Bender. Stay warm! Top right
Lesley Wheeler finally found the awesome salt-and-pepper shakers that Kyle from Sit and Read Furniture had hidden with such aplomb at 3:34p--our latest winner ever! Kyle sells about once a month, and when he does it's a doozy. Bottom right
August 22, 2008
Scavenger Hunt Items: August 24
Some great items this week, for which we send out a note of appreciation to our lovely vendors for their generous donations every week. (Remember: only one winner per calendar month.)
Happy hunting!
From left:
1. Plaid blanket, pure wool. Exact providence unknown. Pulled from a collapsed shot gun shack 50 miles outside of Duluth. (Quirky description is this quirky vendor's own.) Vintage
2. Canvas tote with hand-silkscreened vintage-camera image. New
3. A set of 2 un-used hardwood salt-and-pepper shakers, in the original box. Vintage
Green Flea
Just a quick note that Liz Pulver is back in W1 this week with her really cool array of house plants (left), including succulents, perennials, and of course black-eyed susans in martini shakers.
Senor and Senora Flea picked out a nice array for their back deck (right), and Liz has plenty of affordable plants and flowers in converted coffee cans and the like.
We love the floras and the faunas at the Flea, let's keep 'em comin'!
August 21, 2008
Cake Truffles for Cancer
This Sunday Christina Ha debuts her Lemonade Stand baked-goods booth (E7), featuring her trailblazing "cupcake truffles." Their base is chocolate bark and their top is candy melt (like M&Ms), with a cake middle. Yummers.
We do have a stellar mini-cupcaker already with Kumquat Cupcakery, it's true. But Lemonade Stand sends 25% of its profits to the Alex's Lemonade Stand fund to fight childhood cancer, which is pretty rad.
Oh, and Christina is bringing her 2007 Miss Teen New Jersey younger sister Catherine (right), in full pageant regalia. That's marketing.
Eat a cake truffle, save lives, do more good.