The weather was perfect on Saturday for the August Ballston Arts & Crafts Market. I was very happy since we got rained out last month. The market is always a lot of fun, well-attended, and full of great artisans.
My next door neighbor this month was the amazing Valerie Williams, owner of Holland Cox. A couple of years ago, Valerie left her lobbying job and now she dedicates all of her time to her beautiful, colorful fabric creations. My favorite Holland Cox item has been her eye masks, which are fashionable and practical. At Saturday’s market, I discovered her newest item, a Japanese obi-style, reversible, wide belt.
And Melissa Lew, whom I met at the 2009 Falls Church Holiday Craft Show, shared the good news with me that she will be displaying her jewelry in the Style Lounge at this year’s Emmy Awards. I have a maneki neko necklace that I bought from her, which I love. She combines Asian iconic imagery with clean modern jewelry designs for a uniquely beautiful look.
Jessica Blaszczak, the wonderfully energetic coordinator of the market, and owner of This Little Piggy, brought cascarrones with her to share with the vendors.
I introduced several new products at this month’s market. They were very well received. The natural herbal deodorant was a big hit, and will become a regular part of my offerings.
Guapo, who is a member of bLuGrnDesign, took a much needed rest after running around checking out all of the vendors as they were setting up. He is a regular attendee at the market, always keeps an eye on what’s going on.
herban lifestyle 