Indie I Do

I've been following the lotus events blog for a while now, and recently became aware of the Indie I Do show that they are producing in January. As "Vancouver's First Alternative Wedding Show," Indie I Do is setting up to be the most interesting indie show in Vancouver over the next little while. I'm not engaged (yet! hint hint Karlo are you reading this?), but I will definitely be attending this show.

From their Facebook event page:
"Indie I Do is an alternative to the cookie cutter wedding where one size does not fit all. The first show of its kind in Canada, Indie I Do revolutionizes an industry that is dominated by commercial products and provides couples with the opportunity to think outside the box.

The indie wedding market is almost non-existent as couples often have to search high and low to find the products and services that will help create a wedding day full of personal touches without an unnecessary price tag to go with it. Indie I Do is a one-stop show featuring the non-traditional alongside the traditional.

While the show will naturally attract couples looking at completely non-traditional weddings, the intent is to also introduce those couples with more traditional events to unique touches and alternatives that they can incorporate into their events.

Tickets are $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door. Please visit www.indieido.com for more information or email info@indieido.com"

I'm sure this show is going to be fantastic, so if you're getting married or know someone getting married, spread the word about this alternative to the normal, run of the mill wedding show. Supporting Indie culture all the way!

Fave goes FAB!

3 more weeks until the FAB Fair. I'm super excited about it, even though there's stiff competition that weekend (if you're into indie/handmade products, then you know which shows I am referring to!). If you're free for a bit on either day, Nov. 22 & 23, stop by the Heritage Hall on Main St. You won't regret it! Even though I'm vending there the entire weekend, you better believe I'll be shopping too!

Have a happy Handmade Christmas!

Last year around this time, I decided that I wanted to buy local for all of my Christmas shopping. I figured it would be easy enough, with all of the wonderful local shops and markets that showcase Vancouver designers and artists. But I left it all to the last minute and wasn't able to find something for everyone on my list, simply because I only gave myself a few good shopping days. In the end, I was not successful in my quest to give all locally handmade gifts; I am ashamed to say that I even ended up giving some very NON local gifts such as Future Shop gift certificates and mass produced clothing items from stores that will remain nameless. But this year will be different. This year, I will succeed in my quest to buy local. This year, I am armed with a much larger arsenal of markets, websites and resources for handmade, locally crafted items and I am going to share them with you in the hopes that you will take the same vow that I have, the vow to buy handmade.

I know what some of you may be thinking - "why the heck is she blogging about Christmas right now?? It's only October!" Well, yes it may be a tad early to be thinking about Christmas shopping, but again since I went through the whole ordeal last year and wasn't able to achieve my goal, I am starting now to ensure that it will not happen again. Also, since I will be sharing my resources with you all in the hopes that you'll also have a happy handmade Christmas, now is as good a time as any to start with

Tip #1: Check out etsy, "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade."
I have found and earmarked dozens of amazing items/sellers on there already, and I haven't even spent a lot of time on the site yet. In order to make sure that you are truly buying local, use the shop local option by plunking in your location to view the etsy sellers in your area.

I'll admit, the reason I originally checked out etsy was to sell my bags on there at a discount off of regular retail price (gotta get rid of some of my inventory to make room for the new line which will be coming out any day now=P), but I ended up finding a wonderful resource for my own shopping needs. I hope you'll do the same!