The Comfort of Home

            The smell is irreplaceable. It is a rich, organic smell of popcorn that reminds you of the comfort of home.

From the moment you step into the gymnasium, you are overwhelmed with a maze of vendors with all types of crafts and artistry. The sight is wonderful with all the colors, textures, and unique pieces scattered around the show tables.

Everywhere you look, there is great a chatter; not of loud, open-air food market bargains but of soothing, conversations that explain the product.

“We come here every year to find those little unique items that will make an excellent Christmas present”, said Stacy Cohen.

The Brookline Marketplace Crafts Fair is an exclusive, once a year exhibition of an array of 90 juried artisans and crafters. The exhibitors made their way from all over New England to attend the 13^th annual event.
Strollers and family groups walked up and down the aisles trying to make the most of that chilly, early afternoon.

From the moment the doors opened till late 3pm, the event had an even flow of attendees of about a thousand people.

This year, there were 50 new exhibitors that were selected based on design, originality and presentation.

The “Absolutely Creations” was a new exhibitor this year with its unique, artisan creations of botanical jewelry. There was Moss, grass and plants, hanging from pottery bowls off the exhibition table. The really strange but refreshing sight were the carefully handcrafted pieces of living jewelry.

“Living jewelry” is what Julia Ledoux, the owner and crafter of “Absolutely Creations”, focuses on making.

“I rather have nature stuff”, said Ledoux about the materials she uses for her extraordinary work.

With bases of copper scraps or industrial metal chains, each piece uses industrial runoffs and hardware components.

All the jewelry was rare and alive. Just like vase plant or garden flower, the necklaces, bracelets and earrings need to be watered every other day.

It is not mainstream production. None of the exhibitors had items that could easily be found as a knockoff or amazon.com.

“I find it boring”, said Ledoux about mainstream jewelry, “It’s not stimulating”.

Although the prices are a little out of budget for some people, it is well worth the money to support a home/family owned business that has perfected a special craft for a useful purpose.

All exhibitors consider themselves artists before vendors. Some of them like Judy Dobai, crafter and owner of the “Shade Tree”, said they had reached their top for increasing their business.

As a Connecticut home based and family business, the “Shade Tree” is a refreshing look into basic hardwood kitchen products.

Each cutting board is individually handmade by Dobai and her husband.

“We both have our specialty on what we make but yes, we are the only artisans”, said Dobai about her husband and her splitting the work.

All of the cutting boards are beautiful and unique in their own way. They are a practical and functional crafts that are original and useful at the same time.

“We started our business in 1996 and we have been growing every year” said Dobai, “we didn’t have any prior training but we liked working with our hand and actually make something, so with trial and error we have perfected our craft”.

When asked about expanding even more and going into mainstream production Dobai explained they wanted to stay small and not have any employees.

It is their passion for their work that encourages them to stay a home-based business and sell hand-made, hardwood kitchen products that are better quality.

“I’m going to make an order for my sister as her Christmas present”, said Katie Johnson, a shopper at the fair.

This is her second year coming to the fair. A mother of one and expecting a second, Johnson comes to the fair to find those special products that will wow everyone.

“It’s great how unique every booth is”, said Johnson, “I didn’t know where to start when I first walked in, and everything looked so interesting”.

The smell is definitely one of the strongest characteristics upon walking into the school. At the entrance there were a variety of baked goods all made by the parents association. All proceeds of the bake sale, entrance fee, and grill supported the PA academic enrichment and community service program.

Aside from the baked goods the popcorn smell overtook the whole gymnasium. It lured shoppers into this table exhibit of a variety of popped kernels made out of all organic flavors.

Corn and Co. is owned by six families that decided to make popcorn. The idea came from a friend of a friend in Canada were the main treat in any area is a popcorn store.

With its all-natural ingredients and 150 flavors it is a clear alternative to the frosted, processed treats that dominate the marketplace.

Michael Lowe, the vendor at the stand, explained how the variety of flavors is based on the periodic table. “The basic elements like cheese, salt and caramel, are at the top of the table. The more complicated and mixed ingredients are at the lower part of the table”, said Lowe.

“We want to be different, you know?”

Although it is hard to consider popcorn an art, its creativity of flavors, non-allergens and eco -friendly packaging stand out as unique characteristics that make you question what it is.

Corn and co. is not mainstream popcorn but it does reach out to the appeal of a wide range of customers that will enjoy a simple bag of home cooked popcorn.

“You don’t know until you try it”, said Lowe

Every day, consumerism is bound to barriers of price, fast productivity and delivery.

This past Saturday, November 9^th, at the Brookline Park School, artists and crafters showed their unique products that pushed the barriers of mainstream consumerism.

All home/family owned business use new and odd materials to create functional and practical products that will appeal to everyone.

These exhibitors upheld the standard of a good handmade product and “smart made” efforts.

How to begin

Warning notice to the reader This is the first time I put my thoughts in writing other than a childhood diary.
Bear with me as a try to make sense of what’s around us. It's usually a tough thing to do right? Experience something unique, put those thoughts into an idea, and then actually think thoroughly about it.
I have usually considered myself an extrovert. I have always been very talkative and well, I pretty much tell everyone everything. It was my way of dealing with the different experiences and making sense out of them. Talking did its purpose but I realized it takes a bigger effort and thought to put those ideas in writing. As a broadcast journalism major, writing is the main outlet for putting concise and clear ideas onto paper. After much thought and realizing that I am halfway through college, it made more sense to start writing and make better decisions for myself other than just going on rants about what is in my head.
Beflügelt is a wonderful German word I fell in love with this past spring semester while studying abroad. My friend Helena, who lives in the south of Germany was welcoming enough to invite my friend Lauren and I up to her aunts house in Münster. And there it was, beflügelt.
At the corner of a very quite and residential street was a crafty and unique store that had wings for a sign. Everything in this store is handcrafted and made to perfection from baby clothes to accessories to toys and knick knacks that you never knew even existed. I fell in love with all of it. We didn't buy anything at the store but I took something more valuable, the meaning and idea of the word beflügelt.
The dictionary defines it as, to spur on or give incentive. To inspire or to fire. The word just says it all. As cool as it sounds, it also carries a great meaning that lifts your spirits up and well, lets you fly towards any goal you have.
That is why I have named this blog beflügelt; to attempt to reach its meaning through daily life experiences that sometimes we're too busy with the burdens of it, to actually stop and think about them.
Enjoy