Butterdome Craft Sale.

I was like a kid in a candy store. I haven't been to the Butterdome Craft Sale for a few years but decided I was going to go because of this bread my friend Dave brought over to my house a couple of times. Evidently he and his girlfriend got it as a gift last year from her parents. It's this focaccia bread mix where all you do is add a room temperature beer, stir it around, and throw it in the oven. It's so delicious. When I heard this bread mix was procured from said craft sale, I knew I had to go seek it out.

I found it! And the guy who makes the stuff told me all about the different flavours and also hooked me up with some great spice mix and advice on mulled wine. I've also discovered that the little company is Edmonton based. They don't have a retail outlet but they do have a phone number and an email where you can place orders and just pick it up. They're called Ultimate Gourmet and the people behind this operation are wonderful. I'm in heaven.

With the Christmas season, I can already sense many posts coming up about shopping exploits and holiday fervor.

I got lots of other goodies too. Currently I'm typing with this heating pad with flax seeds wrapped around my shoulders. After we got rear ended Don and I are both suffering from painful whiplash. We're going to physio and doing stretches, but it doesn't totally cure feeling tense, stiff and sore while I'm teaching and taking care of Dexter. While I was browsing the stalls at the craft sale this grandma lady asked if I wanted to sit down and try her heating pads. I said sure. Then I was sold. Not only is it handy and oh-so-comfortable on my messed up back and neck, but it's supporting this grandma's little business. Awesome.




I also got these new mitts. Praise! Last night I biked to have dinner and drinks out in -12/10 and my hands were suffering big time. Because I need to take off my mitts to use my iPhone, I seem to be missing the right one for both pairs I have. All I had for hand covering last night were my leather gloves. Perfectly adequate on most days but not with winter settling in. These new Hides in Hand deer skin mitts are glorious. And they actually come in x-small so I can shake hands with people without them grabbing a hand full of fabric. They were also selling thick fur insoles that you stick in your boots. I didn't get any but the more I think of it the more genius it is. Imagine having lovely soft fur cushioning your feet while they're inside your winter boots?




I also had to get this fantastic faux fur wilderness hat by Molly and Me. I walked by and just tried the hat on display on for fun. The other stuff at the stall was very non Miss Sarah, but the hat looked cute. Then this old grandpa wearing a santa hat came and started showing me other ones to try on. One of them made me look like a leopard. Another one made me look more like vermin. It was just so much fun and I love the way the ear flaps wrap around my head. Covering everything. And hey, I have no problem going around looking like some wild thing. It appeals to my infantile tendencies towards things that are whimsical. On my walk back to the train this woman was raving to me about how cute my hat was and my students had a pretty good time taking turns trying it on this afternoon. Again, it was sewn by some grandma. Can you tell that there is a theme here about how I am so into handmade things by old people?




Speaking of keeping warm. I was all set to ride the Dahon the 10 minutes or so that it would have taken me to get to the craft show, but as I left the house I realized I had a coffee in a go cup. Usually I'd ride my Amsterdam with my coffee in hand, but on the ice and with the foldy (my balance usually requires two hands on that bike) I thought it was likely a recipe for disaster. I'm glad I walked and took the train, even if it was just for one stop. It was much easier to carry the bags of stuff I had than to put them on Dahon's little rack.

On the way there these ladies on the train were looking really confused about which stop to get off at and I saw they had reusable grocery shopping bags with them. I ventured a guess and inquired whether they were going to the craft show. Indeed they were. I told them to get off at the stop with me and we walked over to the butterdome together. It was only about 5 minutes outside, but this one woman kept complaining about how her coat wasn't warm enough and that it should all be connected underground. She also wasn't wearing a hat, scarf, or anything covering her hands. And her coat was only to her waist. She and her friend did a park and ride. Is it just me or does excessive travel in a car make people forget about how to dress appropriately for the outdoors? It's Edmonton, people! Get a coat. And it's ten degrees below freezing... hat and gloves/mitts are a must. My point is that driving around all the time means forgetting how to be outdoors. Even for five minutes. Sucks to be her.

Anyway, I also bought some honey from this guy who told me all about his bees. Absolutely adorable. Crystal got me some of this honey last year for Christmas. I just finished the jar last month and it was so delicious.




Finally, got some great stone earrings from Wire Works. I bought two pairs of earrings from them about 4-5 years ago and I still wear them regularly. Figured I had to pick up a few more pairs to add to the rotation. She uses all real stones, gems, crystals, and makes her own silver hooks. Her designs are simple, but I guess that's why I end up wearing them so often.




What a lovely afternoon, talking to all Canadian purveyors about their goods and businesses. There were so many other things I would have loved to get but don't need. One stall had these beautifully designed and sewn baby carriers. If I didn't already have several I would have gotten one for Dexter. Lots of booths had cute baby things and also dog accessories. Again, would have indulged if I didn't prefer for Dougal to be "natural" most of the time. Some of the pottery looked great, and the candies and other food items were delicious if the samples were any indication. I would have gotten more but they were all in bottles and I was already carrying a lot of loot. I also saw well-made leather purses/satches/bags, nice body products, cute aprons, reasonably priced wooden toys for kids, and lots of independently designed clothes.

If you're in Edmonton then consider stopping by at the craft show. It's on until Sunday and guaranteed to have good gift ideas.

Next weekend I'm going to check out Make It! and I've heard that Handmade Mafia is wicked too.

Happy Christmas shopping!