How did I not know about Provo’s artisan scene? With spring right around the corner, I am itching to get out, have a little fun and discover some new stomping grounds. Can anyone else relate? I realized, I have gotten far too comfortable in my sweats and leggings lately. First things first: a shower, a hairstyle and an outfit that does not have a stretchy waist. 

Hopping in my car, I set out to have an amazing artisan experience in historic Provo. Along the way I picked up a couple of friends to come along because honestly, the last year has been a bit lonely on the friend side of life. We set off to discover the artisan scene in Provo. 

 

As we enter Gem Studio, we are greeted with beautiful orange slice garlands hanging from the windows, a cozy creative space with benches, tables and the work space needed to create a gorgeous piece of jewelry. The employees add a special touch with their willingness to help and their expertise. 

Our excitement was building as we imagined all we could make. We were especially looking forward to soldering our own jewelry and being part of the process from start to finish, something we have never done before.

 

Our first step was to choose stones for the focal point of our work. This sounds much easier than it was. There are so many pretty stones to choose from. I found a gorgeous green and sky blue stone and knew this was my ring. 

 

We then enclosed our stone with silver, soldering it together as we went. The back of the ring came next. The employees helped with the torch and instructed us on how long to heat the silver so the solder will take. We then formed the band from our chosen metal to fit our finger, hammering it into a circle. After soldering everything, the rough edges were ground smooth and we cleaned the black off the silver. When the stones were placed, I was ecstatic at how beautiful our rings turned out. 

 

The whole experience was amazing and sentimental. Every time I wear my ring I think of my lovely friends and how much fun we have together. I think of our laughs and our tears. This will be something I will always treasure. If you follow me at all, you may know that my hope is to inspire others to create meaningful experiences together. Experiences that will be remembered, that push our comfort levels to help us grow and that bind us together as friends or as family. This is one of those experiences. Mother and daughter, friends, birthday parties, brides and grooms, girls night out, dates, so many opportunities to try it out for yourself. I quickly scheduled a session with my sisters and mom having loved it so much. 

Determined not to let my day end, I simply mentioned the word “food” and my husband and son were in the car ready to go in no time. There are several local artisan food restaurants and I knew just where to go. 

 

Mozz Pizza has a fun atmosphere, great customer service and the food is to die for. They have creative pizza combinations made from fresh ingredients that are locally sourced here in Utah which helps support our local families. We ordered the caesar salad, garden salad, meat pizza, white pizza and the asparagus pizza. Yum! Everything had a fresh taste from the in-house sourdough crust (my new favorite pizza crust) to the delectable chocolate chip cookies and everything in between. 

 

For an idea on portion size (can you tell I come from an all boy household?) my husband and I could have easily split a salad and a pizza. My 14 year old however, gobbled his up in no time. 

 

After eating, we wandered to the back where Mozz Pizza features local artists’ work. Mozz rotates the artist frequently giving the community an opportunity to learn about other local artisans. How cool is that? The fact that they brew yummy colas in-house is the cherry on top. Artisan, focus on local ingredients, highlighting other artisans, what’s not to love? 

After dinner we took a stroll around downtown Provo in search of painted murals and found ourselves at Fillings and Emulsions. Something about the chocolate croissant I saw through the window spoke to me and I had to stop in. I loved the sign out front that says “Stressed spelled backwards is desserts''. I actually stopped because I cannot believe all these years I have never noticed this. No wonder I love desserts :). Is a mural hunt calling your name? Pick up your map at Pioneer Book and be sure to have your camera or phone handy.

 

Fillings and Emulsions is a delicious and beautiful artisan dessert shop on Center Street that sells gelato, baked goods such as chocolate croissants, macarons and yummy cakes. Next time you are wondering where to get a good dessert, look no further. 

 

 

All in all I had an amazing day filled with artisan experiences and food. Just what the doctor ordered. I can’t wait to get back to downtown Provo and do some shopping in locally owned shops like Modern shoe. My husband wasn’t too excited about that until he realized that while I shop he can visit The Man Barber for a straight razor shave, his favorite thing and we can catch a show at the Covey Center or Dry Bar Comedy to top the evening off. Is it just me, or do you also love that the restaurants along center street are all locally owned? 

The Utah Valley artisan scene keeps getting better and better and I can’t wait to share my new finds with you next month so stayed tuned! In the meantime, I have added a few more Provo favorites down below. Enjoy!

Other recommended favorites: 

Artisan: an individual who is skilled at making something by hand. 

Artisan Food: food prepared in non-mechanized ways using high quality ingredients. 

For more ideas on what to do in Provo check out our Top 10 Things to Do in Downtown Provo and Escape to Provo articles!