Tag Archives: local shopping

The Dancers’ Bazaar – Thank you!

Halyma, , , , , , , , , ,

Click on the pic to see more shots by @wtl

Tracey/Halyma (The Dancers’ Bazaar Organizer) flinging her hair in her booth with Linda, originally uploaded by WTL-Ottawa.

Sunday, February 22, 2009 brought out over 20 vendors with oodles and oodles of belly dance wares, music, chocolates, health make-up, and more to the Knights’ of Columbus Hall at 260 McArthur.

It was the 19th Dancer’s Bazaar organized by me, and run with the help of a pile of fabulous volunteers, and my wonderful partner/husband/floor manager extraordinaire, Tom [ aka @wtl] .

The Hall set’s up the table, and then we arrive at about 8:45 am to survey their work and re-arrange based on specific vendor requests. And signs go up outside, and balloons are blown up and attached wherever they will look effective and eye-catching.

By 10 a.m. the main onslaught of vendors begin arriving, though a few arrive earlier and help with the pre-set up. And the volunteers get to pre-shop and help the vendors as they set up.

It is a crazy and fun morning setting up for the potential of 100s of shoppers coming through the doors starting at noon.

We had over 300 patrons come through for this one, and many bags were seen dangling of their arms as they left, so we know that some serious shopping was done! Yay!

Upcoming events were advertised, photos were taken, door prizes given out and Zahra Haddad graced us with a wonderful drumming demo and our favorite Bazaar floordancer, Mel, came through and provided some energy feedback as she usually does!

Thanks to all of the volunteers – I feel like I am being a slacker by not mentioning you all by name, but you know who you are – so thanks! And Congrats to @elkae as she won the volunteer door prize!

Thanks to the vendors who make the trip to join us for the day – some coming from as far away as Montreal, Sherbrooke, Mississauga and Barrie. And the local folks are providing gorgeous stuff too – so I am glad to provide a place for us all to showcase our stuff!

Plans are in motion for the next one, but I’ll focus on other things for a few weeks!

Dancers’ Bazaar: Almost 10 years of shopping fun!

Halyma, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Just a view of the hall...
Just a view of the hall...

The Dancers’ Bazaar has been an event that I have been organizing since June 1999. It began with 7 tables in the community centre that I teach at in the Byward market, expanding to two room, then moving to a larger, and larger hall for the first 5 years or so.

Since I cannot make costumes for everyone, and I knew of teachers who were importing and making pieces themselves, it made sense to bring us all together and let the students and pros see everything in one place!  And so it began.  I have seen many of my friends and colleagues give it a go in one form or another, from selling hip scarves to jewelry to cleaning out their closets!

It is one of those projects that I do because I see the benefit of it to our belly dance community. It helps me feel l can be a part of something larger, which is important when self employed in my cozy home studio during the day!

The events I organize are always done with the intention of creating a “win-win” [ I apologize for the cliche] situation, and I learn a lot through producing them. I won’t get into all of that right now, but maybe a future post will share my learning!

This time around, on February 22nd, we’ll have new vendors coming in from all over the area, as well as many of our favorite exhibitors. I am pleased that there are so many new faces to show their wares – and many non-belly dance products coming to light for our shopping pleasure!

Chocolate is a big thing these days at markets, and a new vendor will be coming with specialty chocolates. Hoping the kids who frequent the Bazaar will not get too much in their little hands!

This one will help me warm up a bit more to the development of my Eco-TAV line – sharing this concept with those in my main community face to face will help get the word out of their existence!

 

Eco-Tav Food Napkins and Pouches! Saving the planet, One Napkin at a Time!
Eco-Tav Food Napkins and Pouches! Saving the planet, One Napkin at a Time!

 

 

While I could rave on and on about how fabulous the  Dancers’ Bazaar is, I am thinking that you’ll just have to come see it yourself to enjoy the community atmosphere, social aspect, shopping frenzy and belly dance spirit in action!

Come join us for the afternoon! 260 McArthur, Doors open from 12 noon to 4 p.m.!img_4517img_4515img_4514img_4513

While I should be doing housework…

Personal time, , , , , , , , , , ,

Instead of doing the laundry, I slept in. Instead of exercising, I couch surf. Instead of washing dishes, I dirty more by trying some new recipes.

Well, that’s only because it’s the last week off from classes and I will need to get myself in gear by the end of this week in order to be ready to start teaching again next week!  Actually I need to get myself in gear by this afternoon as I have a huge list of to-do’s for this week in regards to all three of my businesses [ well the three that I can count today – there are more when I break it down!]

What’s on my lists, you ask? Or not – depending on how busy you are with your own lists!

Beadwork done a few years back

TAV Creations has a lovely January wedding on the roster!  Yay!  I don’t always get January weddings but for the past two years I have been blessed with them!  Nice for the alleged “downtime” to not be downtime!  3 bridesmaid dresses plus the wedding gown means I need to get my space cleaned up, vacuumed, and ready for action!

 

Halyma’s Belly Dancing For Fun has a couple of events to prep for next weekend – January 17th brings us to The Bay at Bayshore for the “Beauty @ the Bay Beautiful Skin Event.  This event is all about wellness and beauty in 2009.  There are several components to this event, skin care regime, sun care, health and diet, fitness and well being.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHmbIcEphgo]

 

Then Halyma will be performing later that evening as part of the multi-dancer show: Uncle Louis’ Restaurant Belly dance show/Hafla Still room to book a table and come out I am sure for a fun evening of Lebanese food and dancing!

Halyma at Uncle Louis' - 2002

But before that, my classes resume on January 12th, 13th and 15th at all of my usual haunts, and I am looking forward to getting moving again!  I really do use the classes as my own personal workout time since the rest of my days seem to be involved with sitting and typing or sewing.

And the new baby: Eco-TAV has lots of work waiting for me to do for it as well!  I  will meet with a co-op this week to see about sewing help.  

mmm snackies!

I need to contact a list of stores regarding carrying the products in house – but I need to make more stock first so that i have it on hand when I approach the stores!  I still have a good amount of cotton and some hemp available [hint, hint] !

I also want to/need to do some major tweaking on the website and am looking at setting up my products on an online market place – but I need to get photos and descriptions organized for that before I go much further!

 I am supposed to be working on that lovely wedding, my time can only be split amongst so many projects before workmanship suffers!

That’s an exaggeration of course, workmanship never suffers!  Organization skills and phenomenal talents are my magical powers!  At least that’s the illusion I like to keep up!  and only as long as I schedule in fun time, rest, relaxation and time with hubby!

We won’t even get into the sewing videos, newsletter look update[ not done yet!], DVD3 [ not happening anytime soon, kids] or any of the other creative endeavors that I happily explore when I have a spare moment!

So, now that I have listed off most of what I want to do, I should really check on the soybeans I have cooking on the stove. I am trying a variation on the wontons that my friend S and I made back in December, but a vegan version with soybeans and mushrooms as the filling.
Maybe some other veggie stuff in there too – we’ll see! I was able to get the wrappers at a little chinese store in the market, so I am ready to go once the filling is !  
Hope your own lists for the upcoming year are fun filled and creative!  
Or healthy and beneficial!
Blessed be!
T/H