I Woke Up Bright and Early!
This is the daytime view from my 19th floor room at the Minneapolis Hyatt, Downtown. I’m looking right on the Nicolette Mall (which is a main street running through downtown — full of restaurants, bookstores, and, well … you name it).
I ventured out to find a cup of coffee and was taken by the abundance of quiltspriational art, fountains and public places.
This amazing sculpture is in front of an old Presbyterian church (the one you can see from my hotel window). It’s spectacular!
Look who I ran into . . .
I ran into Vic Dadika and his son, Craig. Vic is a big-wig Northcott sales person! He’s an amazing man and I think so very highly of him. He hosts very popular (and lucrative) “VIC DAYS” at shops. If you own a shop, you should schedule an appointment for a “VIC DAY.”
… And he bought me breakfast! LOL
On the way back to the hotel, I noticed that even the manhole covers were art in Minneapolis. Very quiltspirational, turnips!
This plaster work was above a window on a downtown building. Wouldn’t you love to see this in applique? I sure would!
Thursday is Market Day in Minneapolis
Nicolette Mall is LOADED with tons of vendors — food, art, herbs, freshly grown produce. The locals were going WILD.
There is street entertainment EVERYWHERE … Here is a “play” that was going on in a park.
You know I’m loving Tea Tree Oil soap. I found a woman who had a homemade soap stand and bought some of my fav! The homegrown company it’s made by is called The Soap People. To link to them, click ———-> HERE
And since I am going to be here for awhile, I bought some flowers for my room. I love fresh flowers and even a small bouquet warms up a hotel room. I always buy flowers for my hotel rooms. It makes a difference in how the day turns out!
Window Shopping
I found this shirt in the window of Brooks Brothers. Hate it. I think it’s great quiltspiration for a calico quilt but the shirt? Yuck.
But Look At THIS?!?
Also in Brooks Brothers! I don’t even know any screaming, flaming anybody who’d wear this get up.
And the pants should clearly be filed under WTF?!?
WHO ON EARTH WOULD WEAR THESE?!?
Mark Lipinski's Blog 
What a fun start to my day – you always give me a laugh and those pants are something else! ROTFLMAO
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Good morning Mark. I love seeing the places you visit. I was eagerly awaiting you to post some pictures from your Procession of the Species parade in Olympia, WA. Isn’t that all you have to do is keep us posted? I’m beginning to wonder when you have time to do things at home. I’m assuming the pants have palm trees on them but they also look like it could be asparagus! Isn’t that part of a Michael Jackson song, I’m a vegetable, I’m an alien? HA, I think that’s what most people think he’s saying. The pants and shirt are too funny! You crack me up! Thanks for the manhole cover pictures. I love that you can find beauty in many things. I hope all is well and you are getting closer to finding a donor.
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There are no words for those pants. The shirt would make a nice picnic blanket/quilt. But the pants?? There are almost no words for them…..
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“Aren’t daisies the friendliest flowers? They’re my favorite.”
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Thanks for sharing. I used to go to Quilt Markets, had my photo taken with you in Portland. I miss going to the ocassional market but I am sure twice a year is a bit much. Thanks again, from those of us who can’t be there.
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That outfit is perfect for anyone golfing in Palm Springs!
Have fun at Quilt Market. Keep us posted on the happenings!
SewCalGal
http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
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OMG … those pants are hysterical! I am glad you included the close-up so that I could see the palm trees. In the first pic I thought it was broccoli! Lovin the quiltsperation, have a great time at market! 😉
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Mark, I hate to admit it, but our local weatherman would be caught dead in them, he wears the most wtf”s I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing your good times. I really need them.
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Oh the pants! My father-in-law would have worn them. He was a golfer. He had these lime green pants with LOBSTER’s on them, embroidery similar in size to those palm trees. They were a hoot, but no one else would be caught dead in them.
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I thought those green things were jellyfish, no kidding! And the patchwork shirt – didn’t the PM of Japan just take a beating over a colorblock plaid shirt? He was ahead of the times. There are some things from the 70s that just do not deserve a rerun!!!
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Vic’s son is an unusual-looking youngster.
Hey, I hope you run into my darling friend Monica Solorio-Snow who has a new line for Lecien and her buddy (and mine) the world-famous Pam of pamkittymorning.blogspot.com, and also Rob Appell who is with Michael Miller showing off his new Endangered Species quilts. I am sooooooo jealous of you all!
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Buffy, get the Range Rover, the new spring line is out at Brooks Brothers!
Sue in NJ
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Brooks Brothers… I thought they were for women at first glance since there’s no “bulge” in the crotch… yes, I notice things like that. Nevermind.
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i thought they were shamrocks, but that is a South Bend, IN native for you. everything here is shamrocks for notre dame.
when will you have the applique done????????? can’t wait to see it. love the manhole covers. would make great reverse applique.
plst pics when they are finished.
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I know women who would wear pants like that…
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I love seeing the pictures of your travels, but why haven’t seen any from time in Calgary?
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I’m waiting for the Calgary photos too!
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dropped his broccoli?
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As usual, I love traveling vicariously through your posts! Maybe you should take up travel writing too? LOVE the manhole covers! Thanks!
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I love seeing the beautiful things you find on your travels. I had no idea Minneapolis had a terrific downtown mall. I’ve only seen it from the air on the landing path to change planes at the M/StP airport. wonderful fountains, manhole covers, market…. About the clothes,
I guess if you’re going to make it with their weather, you have to have a sense of humor.
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Thanks Mark for the great scenic tour of downtown. Would love to visit, and I agree, what’s up with those pants, you would probably see them on Worth Ave. in Palm Beach. Very Snobbish!
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The sculpture you saw in front of the Presbyterian church is a Paul Granlund sculpture. His works are fantastic! He’s a well-known Minnesota sculptor. It was really fun to see one of his works on your blog. He was the artist-in-residence at the college I attended, so I am familiar with his work and noticed it right away!
Have fun at Quilt Market! And enjoy my home state!
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Old men on Cape Cod wear those ridiculous pants from Brooks Brothers, but they buy theirs on Newbury Street in Boston.
Thanks for all the photos of Minneapolis. I’m now looking forward to my own visit there next month.
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It is fun to see Minneapolis through the eyes of an “out-of-towner”. We tend to take thing for granted when they are local. The market day is even better com mid July as the produce is more apt to be home grown. Mark, you have hit some of Minnesota’s best weather. For a while it looked like April and May had switched places. April was above average and may started out cool and wet. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. Hope to get down to Market, but I have a sewing group to get ready for. We have requests for 12,000 Christmas stockings to go to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Check us out at http://www.operationsupportfordeployedmilitary.org.
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Oh my God the shirt and pants were a scream. Now put them together and you have one great Halloween costume! By the way I thought Brooks Brothers was very conservative aka pin striped shirts was a wild as they would go, so what happened?
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Carson Kressley would wear those pants. I suspect he may have designed them.
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haha yeah carson would wear them
and ted knight would have also
while golfing at bushwood
hahaha
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I am like someone up higher on the list–thought the spotty embroidery on the pants was broccoli. She cleared that up for me–palm trees. Palm trees on seersucker pants–and the shirt is a scream!
Love your pics–people and city!
Maggie
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I guess I’ll scratch those pants and the shirt off the father’s day gift list. 🙂
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No, no words for the pants and checked quilt??? WT……no checked quilts either. Love the new fabric line. Can’t wait to see it.
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Love Minneapolis! My youngest son & wife live there, love to visit! His bands, play all over Mlps/St Paul if you like jazz, look up http://www.zaccharris.com. The palm tree pants…what can I say! California & Florida golfers would wear them for sure. Golfers will wear the weirdest clothes. I think their wives buy them so no other women will look at their husbands! ;p Have fun Mark!
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I am thoroughly convinced that clothing designers have a private competition amongst themselves, to cut the boredom of making all that money; who can come up with the most bizarre piece of clothing and sell the most of it.
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Hi Mark, I too am visiting in Minnapolis from WV. My beautiful granddaughter is a syncro swimmer for Richfield High School (a subburb) she will be in the state meet at Univ of Minn this week end. But I had a chance to go to the show on Sunday and had a blast. Just not enough time to look and buy. She also graduates in 2 weeks, so next year if it is in Minnapolis I will be there all 4 days with bells on and no other commitments. Keep on Keeping ON.
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Living here in preppy-ville Fair Haven, NJ of course I’ve seen those pants. They’re almost the Rumson Country Club’s summer uniform. There are many reasons not to be a member.
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Those are totally Shag-wear pants. By that I mean people who dance the shag, not the Austin Powers definition of shag.
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