4th Annual Local Craft Brewfest

Beer. Local Beer. Drinking In A Courthouse. Free. Well if that doesn't sum up a perfect event for me I don't know what is. ;)

On a whim I retweeted Eventbrite Boston's tweet about winning a free pair of tickets (value $85) to a local brewfest...

...and I won! Woo!

I invited my dad to join me and he happily accepted. I don't think he could pass up spending a night out with me ... or it was the free beer. Either way he was excited.

We scored a free ride from my mom - can we pretend it was a stretch limo? Does that sound better?

We arrived at the Moakley Courthouse, which I hadn't actually been inside before, just after 6:30 (fashionably late) and headed through security. Nothing like going through some medal detectors to set the tone for the night. :P

We received a pamphlet, a golf pencil and a plastic cup at the entrance. The pamphlet listed all of the breweries, distilleries, cider/meads, artisan beverages and local foods that would be at the Fest.

I am not a huge distillery, cider or mead fan so I knew I would be sticking with just the breweries, which was okay with 16 breweries in attendance. I would be a-ok! :) My goal was to have at least one sample from each brewery.

Thankfully I used my Untappd app and the pamphlet to record which beers I tried and whether we liked them or not. I take my beer tasting seriously. ;)

We walked into the main area of the Courthouse/event and it was packed. It was a great crowd in attendance.

Then the big decision had to be made: where to start?????

We headed to the Blue Hills Brewery (Canton, MA) table and sampled the OktoBrau - their Oktoberfest brew.

As we sipped the OktoBrau we headed over to score some of the American Flatbread pizza. I could smell the Tomato Sauce & Three Cheese Pizza and I needed some ASAP. Thankfully they had one coming out of the oven right as we walked over. Thanks perfect timing.

This natural frozen pizza was pretty tasty and I will definitely be looking for it in my grocery store.

As I was enjoying my pizza, I saw some people sporting pretzel necklaces which I thought was genius and I had to have one.

Yelp Boston was giving away the necklaces to anyone that checked into the event on Yelp. So I obviously went ahead and checked in - I was going to do it anyway.

This was a HUGE help and will now be bringing my own pretzel necklace to any future Fests I attend.

Since each brewery brought 2-4 different brews there were plenty of options to choose from, which was great.

Here are some of the other beers I tried:

*Battle Road Brewing Company - 1775 Tavern Ale (Pale Ale) - Ipswich, MA

*Baxter Brewing Co. - Stowaway IPA (West Coast Style India Pale Ale) - Lewiston, ME ... It got an extra :) in my rating system - a high tech system of emoticons.

*Clown Shoes Beer - Genghis Pecan (Porter) - Ipswich, ME ... I am starting to like Porters more and more & the pecan gave it a nice kick.

*Down The Road Brewery - Patchwork Kilt (80 Schilling Scottish Ale) and Protean Torpedo (American Pale Ale) - Newton, MA ... I have never had a Scottish Ale before, but it was rich and deep and I will definitely be trying it again. Plus the two guys working the booth were a riot!

*Harpoon Brewery - Harpoon IPA (Indian Pale Ale) and Winter Warmer (Spiced Ale) - Boston, MA ... Harpoon's IPA is one of my staple IPAs so that was a given to have, but I learned I am not a Spiced Ale type beer drinker. I did not like the spice flavor at all.

*Mayflower Brewing Company - Mayflower Porter (Porter) - Plymouth, MA ... Delicious. I wish I had had time to try their Oatmeal Stout.

*Narragansett Brewing Company - Narragansett Lager (American Style Lager) - Providence, RI ... Light and fresh taste that would be good on a summer afternoon.

*Peak Organic Brewing Company - Winter Session (Winter Wheat Ale) and Pale Ale (American Pale Ale) - Portland, ME ... The Winter Session will be added in to my winter rotation.

*Portico Brewing - Sett Seven (Scottish Ale) - Cambridge, MA ... As I said earlier this was my first sampling of a scottish ale and I enjoyed this one as well. It would be perfect with some nice BBQ. Mmmmm!

*Rapscallion - Porter (Porter) - Sturbridge, MA ... I had no idea Sturbridge had a brewery, but now I can't wait to head out that way (Western Mass) and check out their brewery tour.

*Samuel Adams - Black Lager (Lager) - Boston, MA ... I've never met a Sam Adams brew I didn't like and Black Lager wasn't any different.

We even scored that little Sam Adams tasting glass on the way out! :)

*Smuttynose Brewing Co. - Finestkind IPA (Dry-hopped India Pale Ale) and Old Brown Dog (Brown Ale) - Portsmouth, NH ... I had a great time chatting with the Smuttynose guys about their yearly marathon/half marathon. I would take the drive to NH to run a half or full marathon to enjoy their IPA at the end.

*Watch City Brewing Company - Black Walnut Nut Brown Ale (Ale) - Waltham, MA ... For me, the walnut overpowered the beer and I am not a walnut fan. If I was a walnut eater, it would've been a different experience for sure.

All of the local brewers were a joy to talk to and answered any questions you had. Many offered mailing lists and have tasting rooms on site at their breweries. I am seeing a road trip in my future.

As we made our rounds through the different brewers, we made sure to stop a the local food booths as well. There were actually two Somerville shops there.

*Q's Nuts - 349 Highland Ave - We tried the Sweet and Sassy Almonds and the Rosemary Sea Salted Almonds ... Ohhh they were ah-may-zing!

*Taza Chocolate - 561 Windsor St - I've actually met the founder Alex Whitmore before and he was such a joy to talk to. Taza Chocolate crafts stone ground chocolate from bean to bar and uses many Mexican chocolate traditions. It is a unique taste that you don't find anywhere else in the States (in my opinion).

Overall, it was an amazing event that I was so happy we were able to attend. I tried so many beers that I hadn't heard of before, but will definitely have again.

Make sure you...

***

Have you attended a beer fest before? Do you love to drink local?

Hey Boston, looking for a trainer? I have one for you!

I've always been terrified of the weight area/floor/domain at the gym. So terrified that I've avoided it at all cost. The judging eyes. The guys kissing muscles (yes I have HONESTLY seen that in real life).

Now in reality this is probably all in my head, but either way I haven't been able to really break it just yet.

As a result, I usually do workout DVDs in the safety of my own living room. Well, the only judging eyes there would be the dogs and well I can laugh that off since they judge me all the time. ;)

But, I have always wanted to try a personal training session. So many of my friends are personal trainers and well, they don't scare me or make me feel unworthy of strength training.

Enter Kristen from BeFitWithKristen.com!!

Image from Be Fit With Kristen

Kristen is a fellow Fitfluential Ambassador and a member of the Slumbrew running team, which is how we met. She listened to my worries about the gym weight area and my desire to give a personal training session a try and offered to meet with me for a sample session.

Awesome! I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Kristen works out of the Somerville and Chestnut Hill areas. With the Somerville location about a mile from my house, it was an easy choice. ;)

I arrived at Corpbasics (where she trains out of) in Union Square in Somerville with ENERGYbits in hand. I needed all the extra energy I could.

I bound up the stairs in order to cover my nerves ;) and was immediately greeted with Kristen's warm and reassuring smile. Nerves slowly started to fade ... note: slowly! :P

Kristen and I headed into a side office so I could do some paperwork and she could learn a little bit more about my fitness and injury background.

After about 10-15 minutes, it was time to get started. Many of the exercises she had planned for the session where ones that allowed her to evaluate my strength, balance and fitness level. Oh but at the end she threw in some TRX floor exercises to push me out of my comfort zone. Wasn't that sweet of her. :)

We headed over to get this party started on the treadmill. Oh hello old friend. The goal was to run for 5 minutes as a warm up and a time for her to evaluate my running form.

Alright for starting off with a strength of mine. Sweet!

Of course that 5 minutes seemed to fly by as we were just chatting away. And then it was time to get it going.

Kristen set up the TRX, which is something I have always wanted to try, but never had access to. As Kristen set up the straps, I looked around the studio to realize we were the only people in the studio. Woo! Talk about privacy and putting me at ease.

We did 8 strength exercises (3 sets of each, 10-15 reps per set).

*Squats (with jump squats during the final set to add in some cardio)

*Chest Press

*Lunges

*Low Row

*Single Arm Power Pull

*Bicep Curls

*Tricep Press

And I was already feeling it after that ... and we were only 1/3 of the way through. But thankfully I had been able to complete all of the exercises with the TRX so I was happy. Also, Kristen did a great job gently correcting my form and encouraging me as we went along.

Next up was balance. Now since my back surgery in January 2011, my balance has never been 100%. It is something the doctors told me would happen with a herniated disc and how severe mine was. But, I still try to improve my balance as best I can.

She had me do a single leg dead lift with a sandbell grab. Translated to: you stand on one leg, you drop the 10 lb sandbell to the floor, you bend over still on that one leg, pick it up and stand back up.

I didn't fall completely over - WIN! I had to reset my footing a couple times, but overall I was really happy with how well I did.

I was pretty proud of myself. 2/3 of the way through and I was able to complete all the tasks she had asked and didn't feel uncomfortable.

I was also very open about asking questions about form and how certain moves would affect my back. She was open to answering anything I threw at her, which was comforting.

And then she pulled out the big guns - the TRX floor exercises. Hello core work!! The TRX floor exercises work full body strength, core and cardio. You put your feet in the TRX straps and your body dangles. It seriously was an entire body workout in a short period of time.

We did 4 different exercises for 20 seconds at a time with a 10 second rest in between. We then repeated the circuit twice.

*Mountain Climbers

*Hip Abduction

*Pike

*Pendulum Swing

This was a true test for me as it was out of my comfort zone. I gave it my 100% in all of the exercises and know that if I did it more regularly I would be more comfortable with the straps. I wish we had the pendulum swings on video as I definitely had myself cracking up over how I looked.

I untangled myself from the TRX straps, did a little cool down and it was time to wrap up the session.

Kristen went through her assessment afterwards and gave me some great feedback. Always a good feeling when someone tells you you aren't as weak as you think you are. :P

Sooo Somerville, Boston, Cambridge, Medford or any other area in Greater Boston, if you are looking to give a one-on-one personal training session a try or looking to try a small group training (4 participants) atmosphere, check my girl Kristen out. You can contact her through her website.

Oh and tell her I sent ya! ;)

Big Bad Wolf 5-Miler

Trail running isn't something that ever really entered my realm of possibility ... until Eddie O and the VERT Race Series. Last year I ran my first-ever trail run - the VERT Sasquatch - a 2.35 trail run through the Fells in Stoneham, MA. It was a fun experience so when Eddie told me he would be expanding to a 5-mile trail run I was in.

The Big Bad Wolf Trail Race in Ipswich, MA was born. It would be held at Wolf Hollow, a wolf sanctuary, with proceeds benefiting the Wolf Hollow Foundation.

Eddie, as usual, secured some great local craft brewers to pour post-race: Slumbrew, Ipswich Ale, Notch and Clown Shoes.

Since Slumbrew would be in attendance, I would once again captain our team. We had an amazing 36 person team. Way to represent Slumbassadors! ;)

Ipswich is about 45 minutes from my house in Somerville, but with a Noon start it didn't require an early wake-up call. Yay!

Tori and I hit up Dunkins and hit the road just after 9:30 or so.

Since it was a Saturday morning, there was little to no traffic as we sailed down the highway then through the beautiful side highways/streets to get to Wolf Hollow.

There was no assigned parking lot, but we knew we were at the right place as we saw all the cars lining the street.

I picked up my bib - #82 - and Tori and I headed to see the wolves. They look like big puppies. Well at least one did that turned out to be 60% wolf and 40% dog (or something like that).

I headed to the Start area to wait for Jeff from Slumbrew to drop off our team shirts and for all the teammates. Due to traffic, the shirts were delayed, but thankfully all were handed out ON TIME for the Start. Who doesn't need a little adrenaline in the morning. ;)

With a 15-miler on schedule for the following day, I wasn't going to push this race. I wanted to perform and have fun, but come out uninjured. My usual M.O. for races these days. :)

Before I knew it it was time to start. We headed out on the street for about a 1/4 of a mile or so before taking a right into the fields. It ended up being 2 2.5 mile loops through this large field.

Thankfully most of the path was gravel and cleared, but when in the depths of the large field - you were navigating through thick grass, normal dips in the land and horse poop. Oh the horse poop.

It was kind of funny to see all these city folk taking in the "country." :P

And for those that think I always take amazing race photos ... False! I just usually post the nice ones.

Here are 2 not so fun photos:

Thanks? VERT for posting these. 

There were some folks ROCKIN' the wolf-themed costumes out on the course.

Once you completed both loops, you headed back to the street to finish the last 1/4 back to the Finish line.

I ended up 83rd overall out of 515 ... so close to #82 coming in 82nd.

Normally I would've been happy with this time, but as the fastest girl on Team Slumbrew I felt as if I had let the team down. A team score is a combination of top man's time, top female's time and 2nd fastest time overall (as long as someone not top male or female). Make sense. Well I had been at a nice low 7 min/mile pace at the beginning, but as the sun shone brighter I was just getting tired.

I gave it all I had, but knew I also had a 15-miler the next day.

Slumbrew ended up 5th out of the 18 teams and I just wish I had done more. Our crew has never placed, but maybe someday. But the most important thing when it comes to our team is the fun. We have so many people who join our team to run their first race or their farthest distance  - and I welcome that!!

If you enjoy Slumbrew and want to give running a chance, come aboard some race! :)

Aren't we one sexy group?

As our shirts say: First to the Finish Beer.

I would definitely check this race out again next year. It was fun to get out of the city and explore a new part of Massachusetts.

Eddie did a great job with shuttle buses to the Commuter Rail so people had an easy time getting out from the city if they didn't have a car.

***

Have you done a trail run? This has peaked my interest in attempting a more terrain filled trail...

First Annual Race To The Row 5k

Sometimes a race is more than a race. Was that deep?

No?

Okay. I'll skip the poetic opener and get to the good stuff. ;)

I love being a part of inaugural races AND uber local races.

The Race To The Row 5k, which took place on August 18, fit both those categories.

How local?

Well it was directly across the street from my neighborhood.

Short commute for the win! :)

I actually had the honor of giving away a free entry to the race thanks to the organizers - Somerville Road Runners - and was excited to meet the winner, Shimmy, on race day (it was her first 5k race).

On Saturday, August 17, we headed over to Assembly Row to pick up my bib/t-shirt at Sports Authority, peek around Assembled (weekly artist market) and have the wife get some grub from the food trucks!

Saturday night I took my first stab at applying the KT Tape myself. I had used it on my last two marathons and loved it, but always had a professional administer it at the race expo.

Thankfully the videos on KTTape.com were very helpful and easy to follow.

I thought it looked pretty darn good. I even gave it a try on my ailing wrist.

The other half said I looked like a Power Ranger. Agree? :P

The race started at 9:30am on Sunday which meant we got to sleep in ... as best as possible with the 2 pups. ;)

As always I had laid out my outfit the night before so I didn't have to think at all that morning while getting ready.

We set to leave the house by 8:45am so we could hit Dunkin' Donuts before the race.

I actually had the coffee before my run for one of the first times ever. It was risky to change my pre-race routine, but I was okay with it - I set low expectations for the outcome of the race (which I'll touch on later).

We arrived at the starting area just before 9, which was perfect since the little kid Fun Run was happening at 9.

I was happy to see some familiar faces at the race including my friend and fellow Weight Watchers Leader Heather and my Tedy's Team running mate Meg and her husband Josh.

Heather and I pre-race

We all chatted until we heard the warning call to line up. I quickly hit up the table to get my "hell yes I am 21 and will be having a beer post-race" wristband. ;) Priorities!!

I kept glancing around the crowd to see how many folks were participating in the run-walk and it looked to be about 200. Great turnout for a first-time local run.

The race director gave a countdown through his makeshift megaphone and we were off.

It was a looping pattern so we would run part of the course twice, which was fine by me.

I didn't put any pressure on myself for this race. Since I have been focusing more on my long distance running/Dopey Challenge training I haven't been doing so much speed work. This would be the first time I would be testing the legs in a 5k race since May.

As we headed out on the course, I caught a glimpse of my average pace time about 1/2 a mile in and there was a 6:45 starting back at me.

Excuse me!

Did I read that right?

I was in shock! But tried not to get too excited. There were 2.6 more miles to go. :P

The organizers did a great job keeping the run within the Assembly Row Marketplace and the surrounding streets. We didn't have to cross any huge intersections, there were plenty of volunteers and not multiple water stops. Bravo folks! Bravo!

My Garmin buzzed off for Mile 1 and flashing back at me was indeed a sub-7 pace.

I shook my head and kept going.

It couldn't be.

I had to keep my focus so I picked one person in front of me and made a pact with myself that I HAD to pass her by the end of the race ... and then stay in front of her.

As I passed her heading to the Mile 2 marker, 2 other women passed me. Agghh! I kept those two women as close to me as I could, but they were darn speedy!

We hit Mile 2 and according to my Garmin I was still sub-7 pace. Holy heck.

I decided that no matter what I would give it all I had for the last mile. Since it was kind of a loopy-out and back situation going on, I was able to cheer for friends as I raced to the Finish.

I looked down and we were at 2.6 miles. Okay legs give it all you have ... and that is exactly what I did.

Can you tell by the pic? This is me coming into the Finish Line thanks to the wife.

I clicked the Garmin as I crossed the Finish. There it was 6:56 average pace.

HOT DAMN!

Now, in retrospect, I should've known it wouldn't be sub 7 since my watch had us at 3.16 miles instead of the 3.1 for a 5k. Logic should've set it, but I was too darn happy ... and too ready for beer. :)

Either way I had PRed (previous PR 22:20) and THAT was one pleasant surprise. I was more excited talking to my friends who had done amazing things during the run

Meg & I post-race in the beer garden

AND meeting up with Shimmy, the giveaway winner.

She had set out 2 goals: 1) finish in under 33 minutes and 2) give it all she had. And you know what? She did both. Way to rock it Shimmy!! :) :)

Big thanks to Burger Dive for providing great post-race BBQ and for Harpoon Brewery for donating the delicious post-race brews.

Overall, it was one amazing morning. I can't wait to participate next year too!

Oh and those final results were:

I finished in a PR of 21:59.2 (7:05 min/mile). I was 38 out of 208 overall, 9 out of 115 females and 4 out of 55 in my division.

How could I not be proud with those sorts of numbers?

Little 'ol me posted those. I have certainly come a long way since my first 5k in Somerville in March 2005 when I posted a time of 38:21.

And either way: I got to cross the Finish Line of yet another race. The best moment of it all.

My Latest Tattoo!

Tattoos - to me - tell a story. Every tattoo I have means something different to me and has its own back story. Now many people say they ended up with their tattoo after a night of drinking with friends or on a dare. That's Not Me! A ton of thought went into each thing I put on my body.

Hello! These things last forever.

Or until you have thousands of dollars to get them removed. :P

I promise there will be a whole different post explaining the meaning behind these 5 tattoos, but today is all about #6.

Since early 2013, I knew I wanted to get another tattoo on my left foot. I needed my tattoos to be symmetric. What can I say? :P

I had a general idea of what I wanted, but told myself I would get it following the Boston Marathon. I knew the tattoo would pay homage to my fitness/weight-loss journey to date.

But what exactly to do was eluding me. I had a few ideas, but not a concrete plan.

With the events of the Boston Marathon, the tattoo idea kind of went by the wayside. But, once the triathlon became my main focus, I knew the tattoo would have to happen soon after that.

A triathlon had never been on my radar so completing that would take my fitness journey to a new level.

The week after the tri (which was August 4) the design came to me. I knew exactly what I wanted on my left foot. I turned to the best designer I know - my wife - to get the idea from my mind to paper.

She didn't disappoint. She showed me what she came up with and it was SPOT ON! :)

Once I had the design, which I kept a secret, I had to find the right tattoo parlor to go to.

I reached out to 3 or 4 shops before I found the one.

Empire Tattoo in Somerville, MA - just a mile or so from my house.

Photo Courtesy Empire Tattoo

I actually found them when they liked a picture of mine on Instagram - thanks Social Media!!

After emailing back and forth, I went in for a consultation with tattoo artists Amanda Abbott on Sunday (August 11) and knew immediately that this was the right studio and artist.

Amanda actually shed over 70 pounds herself recently ... Hello instant connection!!

We showed her the design and she was on board. We made an appointment for just over 48 hours later - Tuesday (August 13) at 3pm.

I was PSYCHED. I would've done it right then and there if she had had time. :P

On Monday (August 12), I made sure to get a nice fresh pedicure. I mean I was really doing it for Amanda. No one should have to endure staring at "runner feet."

Did I convince you all that the pedicure was a necessity? Good!

Before I knew it, it was Tuesday and I was walking through the door of Empire Tattoo. The shop is clean and each tattoo artist has their own little booth (with a door) to work in. I liked not being so out in the open like some tattoo parlors set-up.

I was calm, cool and collected which let me know this was exactly what I should be doing.

Amanda was a true professional and made the whole process painless.

Her booth was really warm and inviting with walls covered in artwork she did herself. There were some truly gorgeous pieces. The tattoo only took about 45-50 minutes to do and we chatted the whole time.

So are you ready to see the finished product?

IT'S PERFECT!!!!

Now you probably want to know I came up with it?

I used to watch The Biggest Loser religiously back in the day and there was a specific episode where Bob Harper told a contestant to "Stand Up And Finish What You Started." Ohhh boy did that stick with me.

So when I started my weight loss and running journey, I used that statement over and over again. It really became my mantra. I even added it to my GoSportID bracelet as a reminder.

I knew that I needed "Finish What You Started" as the centerpiece of the tattoo.

I owe huge props to a blog reader that actually noticed that the font for it is actually the same as the blog header font. I'm sorry to admit I didn't pick up on that. My wife is one clever lady isn't she? ;)

I think the top of the tattoo is pretty obvious - they represent the half marathons (13.1), triathlon (swim, bike, run) and marathons (26.2) I have conquered ... and will continue to conquer thanks to the changes I have made over the past 4+ years. :)

And finally the date - 4-15-13 - a date that will forever be engrained in my mind. For those that don't know it is the date of this year's Boston Marathon. I was lucky to cross the Finish Line that day just 1 minute before the bombs went off so I was able to Finish What I Started that day. Yet so many of my friends were not.

Oh! And to answer the biggest question - it really didn't hurt. The only spot that really hurt would be the little biker and runner dudes right on the top of my foot. The rest of the tattoo just felt kind of annoying rather than painful. Does that make sense?

There it is. My 6th and probably most meaningful tattoo I have.

And now I am symmetrical - 2 wrists, 2 ankles and 2 feet. ;)

So if you are in the Boston-Somerville-Cambridge area, I cannot recommend Empire Tattoo - and Amanda Abbott in particular - enough if you are looking to get some ink done yourself.

Tell 'em I sent ya!

***

Do you have any tattoos of your own? Does it hold a special place in your heart?

Have you checked out #Assembled in Somerville?

Are you in or around the Somerville, MA area? If so, I highly recommend coming over our way and checking out the uber-local Assembled, the Handmade Arts Market at Assembly Row. It offers local artisans, music and some pretty darn delicious food trucks - if you ask me. ;)

Did I also mention free admission??

I have the pleasure of living right across the street from the Assembly Row area, which most people know as the area of Somerville that has the Christmas Tree Shops. :P Whatever landmark you need to use is fine, but I think that gives most people an idea of where in the city this is located.

Assembly Row is nestled between the Sullivan Square and Wellington stops on the Orange Line, but does offer ample free parking if you are stopping by while out and about.

There is a booth (pictured above) where you can catch what Assembly Row should look like when it is completed next year with outlet shops, restaurants and a movie theater. They are even getting their very own orange line stop (Yes closer to my house!)

They actually shut down a portion of the through street to hold the event. The info booth sort of acts as the separator between the artist booths and the food trucks. It makes it flow nicely.

One one end of the street are all the amazing vendors - think Etsy type products! :)

I am always impressed with such creative people so this area of the market always inspires me. There are folks out there selling art work, clothing, bird feeders, hand painted stemware, woodwork, home-made delicacies and so much more.

I loved this wine rack, but unfortunately we do not have the decor to pull it off.

Can you tell there was a theme to my shopping? ;)

Books made in to pocketbooks! How creative. I wish I was cool enough to come up with things like that. I'm just glad there are people out there than can ... and do! :)

And then I caught the cutest dress in the corner of my eye and knew I had to grab it for my 'niece' Joanna.

The booth was adorably designed all around ... I mean hello great use of sidewalk chalk!

 Sarah Joyce Designs and company easily won for cutest booth of the day! (She was sharing the booth with another designer)

The Black and Red Lady Bug Pillow case Dress would be mine!!

How freakin' adorable will Joanna look in this? I didn't care that it was a size too big. I had to buy it. :)

Then as we continued around the booths my other half spotted something she just had to have.

There were a lot of cute things at this booth, but the thing she had to have was a piece of stemware.

Yup,  a beer stein with a painted mustache on it ... and matching shot glass!

The big decision then was ... which mustache to pick! The tough choices in life... :P

The booths were all amazing and I made sure to stop at each to really appreciate all the time and hard work that went into these pieces.

After seeing such amazing artists and passing tent after tent of yummy fudges, popcorn and BBQ sauces,

it was time to hit up the food side of the market!

They had about half a dozen picnic table set up in the middle of the street with the 4 food trucks spread out on either side.

It was wicked hard to decide which truck to try, but we finally picked the Away Cafe!

We decided on the Sausage Basil Onion (left) and the Smoked Pulled Pork (right).

Boy was the decision tough - drunken chicken sounds pretty fantastic - but these were DELICIOUS!!!

And we were lucky that on August 3rd the Dock Dogs were performing!

The pups were adorable and some were making jumps for the first time. A little stage fright for a few, which made it even cuter when they finally did get in the water.

Do you like the pup I had the honor of standing next to during the performance?

Jealous of his hair, right?

***

So make sure if you find yourself in the Somerville area on a Saturday between 11-4 be sure to stop on by Assembled ... I promise it won't disappoint. Plus, it feels good to support, shop and eat local!!