Handmade Goodness

In search of a little inspiration, the fall has brought some handmade creations of a different sort.

With my mom's help, the Lambretta got a (much-needed) new blue seat cover along with more cush for my tush.

My second round of glass blowing classes has been challenging, but the things that have survived to bring-it-home-stage are looking more interesting.

And a trip to the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore for Sock Monkey Saturday brought a new addition to our family--I call her Esmeralda.

Up next, my new favorite bit of greenery--moss!

Make It Your Own

One of the things I love about a good scooter rally is the opportunity to admire everything that folks do to make a bike there own. Walking down a line of scooters and seeing the things--great and small--that folks have done to make their bike more comfortable, functional or fabulous is just plain fun.

See what I mean?

Old School Lambretta, Old School Photo

An ode to blue

Blown glass. Fresh from the garden. Series 3. Shiny and new. Italian patina.

Maryland, My Maryland

Maryland's state flower looks lovely with a scooter (or two).

I <3 the Visionary Arts Museum

So, Artscape was loads of fun last Saturday. A steady stream of people from 11:30 am 'til after 10:00 pm meant I didn't have a chance to explore even a fraction of all there was to offer, but there was still plenty to see and experience.

From the DC Craft Mafia's booth, we heard live music, were tempted by yummy food and experienced some great people watching. What does this have to do with the Visionary Arts Museum (as the title of this post implies)? Well, they brought an art car parade down the thoroughfare in front of our booth. Here are a few of my favorites:

Anybody got some butter?

Pop Art that pops

We all live in a Yellow Submarine

Make a joyful noise

Go Herbie, go!Anybody got some film?

See you Saturday at Artscape!

If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, make a date and head out to America's largest, free arts festival--Artscape in Baltimore.

I'll be sharing my handmade scootery goodness (debuting some new belt buckles, cards and anything else that gets done in the next 24+ hours) and hanging with fellow peeps from the DC Craft Mafia on Saturday in the Artscape DIY Pavilion, booths C-6, C-7 and C-8. The DC Craft Mafia will be there all three days--be sure to check stop by and say hey.

Hope to see you there!

Finding your scoot in a crowd

It's always fun to see how scooterists make their ride their own. Thought I'd share a few spotted at rallies this year in Pittsburgh, D.C. and Philadelphia.

Another Good Rally!

Polly Scoots is excited to serve as a sponsor again this year for Philadelphia's Independence Day Scooter Rally. In addition to being a fun rally, a portion of the proceeds for the raffle go to local and national charities. For the past two years, the Hostile City Scooter Club has chosen the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia to be the primary focus of their donation energies.

So, if you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, head on up to Philadelphia for another good rally!

Best Scooter Shop Slogan Ever

So I had the pleasure of hanging out in downtown Minneapolis over the past few days. As with any trip to a new (to me) city--and in this case--state, checking to see if there was a scooter shop in the area was definitely on the list.

I hadn't made it there yet, when, on a stroll through downtown, I stopped to read the "tag" on a Buddy parked on the sidewalk. With a slogan like, "Get Chased by Better Looking Dogs," I knew that I had to make it to Scooterville. Luckily for car-less me, they were just a block from a stop along the light rail.

If you're in town, it is well worth the trip. They are well-stocked with new scooters by Vespa, Genuine, Kymco and Piaggio along with some used of other varieties and a vintage here and there. They also seemed to have a good selection of riding gear and some fun extras (I brought home a really cool book outlining the history and restoration specs of Lambrettas). To top things off, the people were super-nice.

If you find yourself in Minneapolis, be sure stop in at Scooterville! 'Cause who doesn't want to get chased by better looking dogs???

Washington Times: "Crafty comeback with indie edge"

Hear what fellow DC Craft Mafia member Erica Burns has to say about a "Crafty comeback with indie edge" in the Washington Times.

Summer? Really?

The water is still pretty frigid along the banks of the Chesapeake, but that didn't stop me from dunking a toe (well toes and ankles) in this weekend. It was great to spend an afternoon at the beach trying out my new kite during the "official" start of summer.

Back home, I could tell it might actually be summer because it was finally warm enough for more than a few hours at a time to successfully pour resin and finish a few of the belt buckles I started months ago. Now I usually try to space out adding new items to Polly Scoots, but I was sooooo happy to have these ready that I couldn't resist sharing them all at once. Enjoy!

Wonder how they'll ship that...

Shrink wrap. Lots and lots of shrink wrap.

Brought to you by the friendly UPS man.

Scooter Ride!

Okay, I know this isn't the most thrilling video you ever saw, but in case you're wondering what it's like to travel with a pack of scooters, here you go! Ride along with some guys from NOS (a Washington area scooter club) on the road to the British and European classic motorcycle show. And in case you're wondering, that's a Vespa Rally in the lead, a Vespa P200 in the middle and a Lambretta DL 125 bringing up the rear.

what's that?

I said it last year, and I'll say it again this year. It's fun to head out to a classic motorcycle show on a kind of gray day and come across something that makes you say, "what's that?".

This year, it was a three-wheeled machine that had me saying it...the Lomax.


In addition to the oddity, I couldn't resist adding a few more fun emblems and badges to the photo collection...they just don't make them like they used to. Here were a few of my favorites:





Luckily for the ponies in our stable, seeing all those shiny bits inspired us to go home and give them a much needed bath...

Show some love

Scooter News has a poll on its Web site that lets you vote for a scooter shop of the month. I'm sure the competing shops in Alabama and Arizona are nice, but show some love for a great east coast shop and cast a vote for Scoot Richmond!

They've gotten my Stella on the road, added some pep (in the form of more cc's) to Ryan's P200 and made me the proud owner of a Lambretta. Not to mention an assortment of parts...go vote!

Arts Festival--this weekend!

Looking for something to do on Saturday? Come on out to the Hyattsville Arts Festival! Live performances, yummy foods from local favorites like Franklin's and arts and crafts from more than 30 exhibitors--sweet!

And don't forget to stop by the DC Craft Mafia booth and say hello! Polly Scoots will be sharing some space with fellow DC Craft Mafia members Erica Burns Designs and Ninnycat Crochet.

See you there!
When: Saturday, May 16, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Where: Baltimore Ave & Longfellow Street, Hyattsville, MD
Click here to learn more.

A few good rallies

Polly Scoots is excited to serve as a sponsor for two great upcoming scooter rallies. Rides, raffles, scooter peeps and tons of awesome bikes...what are you waiting for--register today!

Tornado R'Alley V in Kansas City May 15 to 17.

Scootergate 4 in our nation's capital June 5 to 7.Alas, I won't be making it to Tornado R'Alley V in person (one day though!), but Scootergate is definitely on the calendar!