Peggy Smith

The Stowe Farmers Market is open every Sunday starting May 16th through October 17th from 10:30AM – 3PM rain or shine. The Stowe Farmers Market offers an array of fresh produce, local crafts and prepared foods. Whether you’re in the mood for Asian or BBQ, you will find it here.

Not only is the farmers market a great place to pick up locally grown produce for the week, it also offers entertainment with live music. It’s a great way to spend a few hours with the kids outside on a warm summer or fall day. Your kids can even enjoy a horseback ride while you’re there.

The Stowe Farmers Market is located right off the Mountain Road in the field next to the Red Barn shops, directly across from the Stoweflake.

This is my current piece in the Exposed! show at the Helen Day Art Center. It is my Beehive. In the last number of years I have been working with materials that are not biodegradable. My goal is to figure out how one can create art from these items that are not typically used and are commonly discarded without much thought.

In the past I have created art using grocery bags. This year I decided to work with k-cups form Keurig machines. The cups reminded me of a beehive, it gave me the theme for the piece. Over a year I collected over, 350 k-cups, yes we drink a lot of coffee, and formed them into the inside structure of the beehive. The outside of the beehive is covered with expansion foam which was originally gray. You’ll see it has taken on a yellow hue due to pollen and sun, as I had been storing the piece outside on and off while I worked on it.

It will be interesting to observe it over the next few months, where it will live full-time outside, to see what the patina does. The artistic question is do I keep it true to the color of the beehive or allow the environment to effect the piece. Only time will tell.

You can view my Beehive hanging near the Helen Day Art Center now through October. Join me and the other artists in the Exposed! show tonight for a walking tour of all the works. Click here for more information.

HGTV has decided on it’s 2011 Dream home and it will be at  Spruce Peaks at the Stowe Mountain Resort.  It will be the first home they’ve selected in Vermont. The Stowe home is a custom built home nestled in the trees with a direct view of Mount Mansfield.

For more information visit the HGTV site by clicking here.

The Stowe Land Trust just release an informational video about their cause. The idea was to show what it is they (and we all) love about Vermont and also to showcase a number of the properties they’ve been able to protect over the years.

In honor of Earth Day they released the video in order to raise awareness about the Earth’s environment! Go to their website to check it out and learn more about the Stowe Land Trust. (Stowe Land Trust Video, Click Here)

This year the Helen Day Art Center’s annual fundraiser, ARTitude, will be a more refined event that ‘09. They have planned a  great auction and live music from the local band the Eames Brothers.

You will also find plenty to eat and entertain you, with gourmet Hors d’Oeuvres, artisan chocolates & desert, complimentary wine, jazz piano by Grammy nominated Anthony Geraci, silent and live auction of Fine Art, Getaways, Gifts, Services and Equipment. Tickets are $75/person and well worth the price of admission.

To find out more about the ARTitude event that takes place at the Helen Day Art Center Saturday May 1, 2010 at 6PM, click here.

The best part, he’s my Step-son, Shapleigh Smith Jr!

Last week I attended Shap’s swearing in at the Vermont State House. I was accompanied by my Husband, Shap Smith Sr, my other Step-son Chapman, along with Shap Jr’s wife Melissa and children, Eli and Mia and his half brother Spenser Weppler. Listening on the radio were:  Michel and Stuart Weppler (Shap Jr’s Mother and Step-father), his step-siblings McKee and Maggie Macdonald and half-brother Coulter.

Gathering together with the mishmash clan we call family, to mark this momentous event, made me realize just how great an accomplishment it was. We are all so proud of Shap, he’s had a goal of being successful in politics since his youth and he’s managed to do just that!

Click here to listen to Shap’s acceptance speech for Vermont Speaker of the House

Click here for the WCAX’s coverage on Shap’s nomination as Vermont Speaker of the House

Congrats Shap, we are all so proud of you.

Shap with son Eli, Photo taken from Burlington Free Press article Jan 6 2008

The Stowe Mountain Film Festival kicks of it’s 6th Annual this Saturday. Held in a number of local Stowe venues this is a week-long celebration of mountain sports and culture. You can’t beat the price since more than half the events are free and the rest only have a $5 cover charge, which includes Piecasso Pizza. The week long event has something for everyone. For more details check out their site here: stowefilmfestival.com

Winter on Mt. Mansfield

This is what it looked like in Stowe this week-end. The mountain is open and from all accounts has great skiing. I am going to take a tour of the new base lodge this week and get my season’s pass. It seems that Stowe Mountain Lodge is rented for the holidays and from all accounts the rental properties are filling up with holiday rentals. Gas prices are down, the airlines are impossible to travel on and Stowe is getting dressed for the holidays. I can’t think of a reason not to come to visit us. Oh and should I mention, THERE ARE THE BEST REAL ESTATE DEALS TO BE HAD SINCE THE 90′S.

Check out the conditions at the Stowe Mountain Resort here!

The Smuggler’s Notch road has been closed for the season. This is one of the first signs that winter is just around the corner. Of course reaching this conclusion is not much of a leap when it’s already snowed enough for a few brave skiers and riders hit the hill. Along with that, temperatures have been cool enough for the Stowe Mountain Resort to have the snow guns going. You can see the mist raise off the top of the Mountain like fog.

The surest sign is my daughters constant praying for snow and praising of her new skis. Oh and how she’ll need a helmet this year, so she doesn’t knock herself out upon her return to downhill skis from teley after 18 years.

Yes, winter is knocking at the door in Stowe, Vermont. And if the early snow is any signal, we’re in for another good year of snow!

Last weekend my son & daughter-in-law came up for the weekend. For something different to do, I took the whole family to see Indoor/Outdoor at the Waterbury Festival Players. It was a funny little play about the relationship between an indoor cat (Samantha) and her owner. The play-write throws in a savvy outdoor cat for Samantha to fall in love with and the events that follow remind me of having a 13 yr old daughter!

The play was hysterical, the second act did outshine the first act, but overall it was a fun way to spend an evening. Of course my son & his wife had already seen the play in NYC, but it still got them chuckling out loud! It is still playing through tomorrow, so if you are looking for something fun to do check it out.

You can get all the details here: Waterbury Festival Players, Indoor/Outdoor

Enjoy!