Another day, another craft fair win! Yes, as you may remember I recently won two tickets to Circle Craft Market and had a fabulous time. My latest win took me out to Squamish and the Refresh Market. Many thanks to Miss604 for offering the First Dibs Access contest. The prize included the following for myself and my husband:

• Early entrance to the market before the public (1 hour before opening)
• Two cocktails
• Two goody bags including coffee and wonderfully fragrant bath salts

Refresh Market: A Special Setting

One thing that makes the Refresh Market unique is its location. The event is held in the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish. Thus, there are many vintage trains and historic buildings that transport you back in time. We went on one of the railway cars, which a fortune teller was using, to see what was inside. Passenger cars with opulent bedspreads, a galley fully equipped with food stuffs like Dainticuts macaroni, and an office with a vintage typewriter; all this made me want to come back and explore the 12-acre site further.

Finds at Delish General Store

Delish General Store is always a favourite for me at any craft fair I visit. They always have interesting items you haven’t seen anywhere else. This time, I bought these handbag rescue wipes and used them immediately upon returning home. My purse had been in need of some care and attention for some time. I was really impressed with the results. Quickly and with no mess, my purse has been restored to an almost like-new condition. This product is well-worth the $10 I spent, especially given that there are still plenty of wipes left in the box.

Also, I thought I’d give this stain remover stick a chance. For only $5, I thought it might help restore a couple of tops that have been looking rather forlorn in my dresser drawer. Fingers crossed that the results will make me as happy as the handbag wipes did!

Refresh Market Offers Tasty Treats

Food sampling at the Refresh Market is truly enjoyable. And, of course, we could not resist purchasing a couple of delectable offerings. The first came from another familiar favourite Coconama. This North Vancouver company makes Japanese chocolate ganache truffles that are little morsels of pure joy. This time we went for their most popular flavour, salted caramel. Definitely a great choice.

For the long drive home, we selected fruit jellies from North Shore Candy Company. This new candy start-up uses natural fruit flavours and colours in their products, and the taste is impressive. The flavours are strong and evocative of the summer fruit they were made from. These are not the store-bought, waxy gummies of your childhood. No, these are something entirely different, and perfect for an hour-plus drive home on a Friday evening.

 

 

 

A Footnote from the Refresh Market

I couldn’t finish this post without mentioning Annie Axtell‘s lunar calendars. Though we didn’t buy one, I couldn’t help, but appreciate the quality work and creativity that went into creating them. So, if you’re looking for an affordable, eye-catching gift for the stargazer in your life, I think she may have that perfect present you’ve been searching for.