Mission Mission

If you have ever been to Indie Mart, read The Bold Italic, or experienced a class at Workshop, you probably know who Kelly Malone is, and found that she is a creative force to be reckoned with. Kelly has recently been diagnosed with an advanced stage cancer, and needs our help to pay for the expensive treatments that she needs. From the Workshop website:

Originally dropped from her previous insurance because of the cancer diagnosis, Kelly has had no chance of obtaining new health insurance due to this pre-existing condition. Through this all, Kelly keeps a smile on her face and continues to give back to San Francisco, often devoting much of her own income and sweat to continue businesses that enrich the city. As a successful small business owner, designer, artist, event planner, part of the Treasure Island Music Festival & Noise Pop, Kelly has been able to keep up with medical bills through the ongoing treatments, surgeries, and chemotherapy schedules. But this latest diagnosis requires a treatment path that will exceed her financial abilities, and most likely require her to take a hiatus from her businesses. So she is now asking San Francisco for a helping hand.

Over the next few months, several fundraisers and donation drives will help raise the funds to pay for surgeries, chemotherapy, hospital stays, medication and care. Though Kelly has taken on the task of superhero in past bouts with cancer, always working during her treatment schedules, this time she needs to take a few months off so that she can go heavier on her treatment and kick cancer for good. If you’ve been to an Indie Mart, if you have been to a class at Workshop, if you have been to a Kelly Malone event, or if you are simply a fan of Kelly’s mission, and willing to help out, we ask that you help out.

We adore Kelly, and have been chronicling her comings and goings for ages, and we wish her a quick and easy recovery. You can click here to donate, and any amount is greatly appreciated.

[Photo via 7x7]

Fellas, you really shouldn’t miss Indie Mart. I am in full support of any event where you can get a kick-ass bloody mary (from thee Parkside) and walk around while beautiful, fashionable ladies are obliged to introduce themselves to you and excitedly hand you their contact information on creative stationary. Plus, for the gals: Broke Ass Stuart will hook you up with as many stickers as you can stuff in your organic tote bag. Flickr’r joda36 has a great photo set of the festivities.

Looks like the next one is going to be in Alamo Square on August 21st. Table fees start at the low, low $30, so sign up early. Details here.

More photos of hott crafts after the jump.

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With a forecast calling for mostly pleasant weather, there is no shortage of fun things to do outside in the sun this weekend.  First up on Saturday, the Mission Creek Festival reconvenes for a free outdoor concert at McLaren Park from noon to 6pm.  Local products The Fresh & Onlys and Grass Widow headline a melodious offering that also features Brian Glaze & the Night Shift and Ganglians.  Remember to bring a sweater just in case because we live in San Francisco.

Sunday marks the 2nd summer session of the indie mart at thee Parkside.  As I’ve said before, it’s tough to beat a Sunday spent leisurely strolling along a closed-off city block while sipping a Zeitgest-tier bloody mary and scoping the latest offerings from local fashion designers, such as the custom sized 1960s bikinis from newcomer Lacombe Lingerie.  The design-your-own-terrariums will also be returning this time around, joined this time by a life-size terrarium where you can hang out and drink some beers while you kick it with Pauly Shore.  PBR giveaways, dog and cat adoption, Heavy Metal Aerobics, and a slew of musical acts round out the action, which also happens to run from noon to 6pm.  Don’t forget the sunscreen!

[Photo by hummingbirdheart]

Fresh off its lengthy winter hibernation, Indie Mart is finally back!  I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday:  leisurely strolling along a closed-off city block while sipping a bloody mary (on par with Zeitgeist’s) and scoping the latest offerings from local fashion designers.  The fact that the weather is supposed to be hovering around the 80s seals the deal.

Indie Mart has evolved since its humble beginnings into an all-day block party extravaganza, and this Sunday’s 3 year anniversary promises to be the biggest yet.  Over 100 designers will be strutting their stuff, and it’s not just clothes–you can find art, crafts (I scored an awesome wallet a year or two ago that I still use today), baked treats for the foodies, puppies for adoption, and even terrarium construction!  PBR is helping to sponsor the event, so be on the lookout for all sorts of rapaciously evil corporate giveaways as well.

Dress stylishly enough and you could even wind up on fashioni.st!  Or, dress metal enough and receive patches and goodies from the roving metal girls on hand from Heavy Metal Aerobics.  Or, just hang out and watch some of the cool bands that are performing like Music for Animals and Jonesin’. 

The fun happens this Sunday from 12-6pm at Thee Parkside and thee adjacent Wisconsin (between 16th and 17th St).  See you there!

[Photo by Owen Geronimo]