Tis the Season!

Saturday found Michael and I browsing through a few Christmas Bazaars.  First off was the Red Lion bazaar, which I remember being large and filled to the brim with a variety of gifts and decor.  My friend Jan had a booth there so I was anxious to view her wares.



Jan and her friend Connie
offering their wares

The bazaar, which wasn't as large as what they've had in the past, was filled with knitted hats, jewelry, hair clips, quilts, and Christmas wreaths.  Jan was selling handmade jewelry, which keeps her busy in her retired life.  Newer items for sale included duct tape headbands and rolled older book page wreath.  A few $2 holiday ornaments along with an Avon catalog was my score from this bazaar.

We then ventured over to the Longview Christian School, which was holding a Christmas Store bazaar.  There was live music, hot cider and coffee, and happy atmosphere.  We ran across friend Amanda, who was selling recycled goods - bowls made from vinyl records, earring holders made from chicken wire and frames, and blackboards using older cabinets as the base.  One booth held a multitude of hanging, beaded chains; inside one of the wired baubles included a piece of sponge used as a receptacle for scented oil.  Thus, a car freshener was born!  These were way over-priced but provided me with inspiration to make my own, which I may just do on this soggy Sunday.

After lunch at our hometown favorite, the Cow Deli, we made a final bazaar stop at the Cowlitz Expo Center.  More wreaths, more jewelery, and some commercial booths but nothing to write home about.

These Christmas bazaars made me long for the Portland Expo World's Largest Christmas Bazaar, which begins the day after Thanksgiving.  Tons of booths, chocolate samples, and rum cake make for a much more memorable event than what Kelso/Longview offered yesterday.