button ring .

We are finally seeing summer here in Oregon- this past weekend was absolutely beautiful (and a very welcome change from the chilly rain of the week before). My good friend Anne was visiting from Indianapolis, and we spent a good amount of time hanging out in the sun, checking out great brunch spots, and hiking around Mt. Hood (where there was still a good amount of snow on the ground despite the warm air).

Mike and I took Anne to the Saturday Market downtown, which was full of people enjoying the nice weather. We stopped at one of the stands in the market where a woman was making rings out of buttons. How cool is this ring? A few years ago, she inherited her grandmother's button collection and had the idea to connect her skill of wire wrapping to make rings with the buttons. Some of the buttons are so intricate- she said that most of them are from the 1850s and would have taken well over two hours to hand make. It was neat for us to talk with her while she made us each a ring from the buttons we had chosen. So many of the vendors at the market are so fascinating- its amazing just to hear their stories of how they learned their crafts, their passions for their art, and to see what they can make. Hope you had a great weekend!