Oakdale’s River Oak Grace Community Church served as the host site for a festive holiday bazaar on Saturday, put together through the MOPS/MOMSNext organization that meets at the church.
The wide variety of vendors offered up something for every shopper, whether they were looking for unique gifts for the holidays or something special for themselves. Jewelry, candles, metal sculptures, crocheted and knitted items, handmade crafts, books by local authors, all had a place at the bazaar.
Some eye-catching items were displayed by Ricky Nelson of Hughson, who uses old ‘junk’ to create new sculptures.
“I follow recycling and re-purposing,” explained Nelson. “I use old tools and chains, sockets, wrenches, kitchen utensils, I don’t throw it away.”
From a fly fisherman to bookends and spiders made out of old pocket watches, Nelson’s decorative art pieces are truly one-of-a-kind.
“It’s fun, I enjoy it a lot,” he said.
Many of the vendors also provided attendees with some samples of their wares, such as the Cowboy Toffee Co. serving up bits of their confections and Chari Caglia providing taste tests of her Velata fun fondue line, dipping cookies and pretzels into a variety of melted chocolates, from Belgian to white to dark chocolate. An outgrowth of the ‘scentsy’ air freshening warmers, the Velata fondue uses the same system, with a light bulb providing the melting power for the chocolate.
The Gold Canyon candle booth run by Rose Burks was a popular stop for bazaar visitors, and BeautiControl consultant Sonia Neubaum offered information and tips on taking care of your skin during the cold winter months and beyond. Jamberry Nails, purses, and homemade wind chimes were a few of the other offerings, with booths taking up the entire sanctuary at the church.
Also on hand was Jennifer Foster with her PartyLite line of candles and accessories.
“During the holidays I do two to three (shows) a month, I love the church ones because they are usually smaller and more quaint, you can talk to people longer,” Foster said.
Along with the booths, there were drawings for prizes, pictures with Santa and a bake sale.
