MayDay Parade 2011-'Out & About' in Minneapolis

I am trying out something new on my blog, and calling it 'Out & About', where I will feature upcycled wear or upcycled things that I see while we I am out and about. I would like to make this a regular weekly feature, however, for now I will post from time to time as I make new discoveries.Today we ventured up to the MayDay Parade in Minneapolis. I won't elaborate too much on this since there are people who can write much better about such an event than i could and you can probably find oodles of photos and articles on the internet by just typing in a few key words. But let me tell you...what a feast for the eyes, such a lively celebration and wonderful way to welcome and celebrate Spring. Coming from the small town that we live in now, I just LOVE seeing all the eclectic people that the MayDay parade brings out. I personally think the people watching is as good as the parade watching. If you want to read more about MayDay Parade, visit HOBT.org.

Happy May Day!!

One block into our hike towards the parade after parking our car, we spotted this...

You can see the inside of the car vaguely in this photo. the seats were heavily decorated with pins all over. Since i was taking the photos i didn't have a lot of time to really look carefully at all the detail on the car. I also didn't notice the sign in the window until viewing my photos later. artcarparade.com

I could've spent a really long time studying all the detail of objects adhered to the car.

Cora spotted one of two little pet shops found on the car.

I spotted these legwarmers from a distance walking through the crowds of people. I suspected that they might be sweater sleeves, though they looked convincingly handknit, and had me wondering...she confirmed that they were indeed sweater sleeves.

Close-up on the legwarmers...I love the earthtones and subtle stripes in these.

How's this for "up-cycling"?

A jackelope made from cardboard boxes...

This kind hearted and artful woman obliged twice for photos, once, when I spotted her awesome patchwork scarf, which she handmade as a gift for her husband...upcycled from felted wool sweaters...

and later, I spotted her unique patchwork hat. I had a chance to learn a little bit more about her and found out that she is the artistic director for Procession of the Species in Madison, Wisconsin. Here is a link to their webpage, www.madprocession.org, and an interesting article on Laurie's involvement in being the founder of the Madison Procession of the Species, here.

From what I could tell the hat was made up of felted sweater pieces that were zig zagged stitched together which she also handmade, and which I am now inspired to make something like this for my own noggin.

What a great day to be surrounded by such vibrancy and individuality. The weather was biting cold, but back home after and hour and a half drive, our rosey red cheeks flushed from the cold, reflected a day well spent, enduring the elements and gaining new appreciation for the beginning of spring.

That's all for this weeks 'Out & About'...hope you've enjoyed the content as much as i enjoyed pulling it all together.