Handmade Holly Mart + Gift of Fab, Saturday in Mount Pleasant

Handmade Holly Mart; one of two local, indie shopping events this Saturday.

Saturday is shaping up to be a busy day in Mount Pleasant! And that's a good thing. 

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Saturday is the first of a two-day tree sale at Bancroft Elementary School. That's from 10AM-4PM Saturday & Sunday or until the trees sell out. 

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Past Tense Studios is once again hosting the Gift of Fab, right in the studio space. Saturday 2:30PM-6:30PM. Gift of Fab has grown into a nice little tradition of three years young this year. Past Tense --at 3253 Mount Pleasant St NW-- will play host to other small, independent, local businesses offering both services and retail products. Think of this as an alternative to last week's "Black Friday" ridiculousness. If you're like me, the holidays mean more gift buying for...... myself. Aaaaand of course close friends and family. Past Tense will have its own booth at the event; and here are the other vendors (via Past Tense website, thanks!):

bLuGrn design: Jewelry created using elements of sky, earth and water. Sterling and 14kGF jewelry pieced into unique and fun vignettes.

EngeryThreads: Quality handmade yoga accessories, using organic materials and local talent. Currently producing a Deluxe Yoga Mat Backpack and a special Third Eye Pillow. Will have the new hand dyed collection in time for the holidays.

Mirasa: Makes contemporary, handmade and eco-friendly toys. Looking through the eyes of a curious child, Mirasa products are built on the dual theory that tactile stimulation is crucial for infant development and that child-directed pretend play helps develop children’s early cognitive development.

Mt. Pleasant Massage: Enjoy a chair massage at the holiday sale or purchase gift certificates for table massage, chair massage, pregnancy/post-partum massage, infant massage training classes, and more.

Simple Girl Designs: Offers handmade, unique jewelry by local designer Nadine Naskoviak. Girly and sassy, made with quality gemstones and vintage trinkets to make truly one of a kind designs.

Skincando: Handcrafted organic skincare with products made for everyone with an active to luxe lifestyle. The new Miracle Cream (think organic La Mer) is the must-have hydrating face cream of the season.

Yinibini Baby: Handmade clothing and accessories for little ones. Handmade out of 100% cotton and cotton blended fabrics, some pieces are reversible, offering babies stylish flexibility

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In addition to Gift of Fab, Nana boutique is hosting its first Handmade Holly Mart, Saturday from 11:30AM-7:00PM. Nana opened earlier this year at 3068 Mt Pleasant St NW. This Saturday they're hosting a small group of DC crafters, designers, musicians and  artists. Some are veterans of the wildly successful Mount Pleasant Temporium, which was hosted in the Nana storefront, before the retail operation had actually opened. 

There will be a total of 10 vendors, selling a variety of art (wearable and not), screen print pieces, jewelry, handmade plush (they better have squirrels!) and more. I don't have the full list of vendors at this time, but if the Temporium was any any indication, you'll want to swing through this mart. We do know that music will be provided by the Felt Tips (awesome name!) and Nana is being nice enough to offer refreshments, too. Pretty awesome event.

There you go. Two awesome events organized by owners of businesses right here in Mount Pleasant. They're not just asking you to support their respective stores, but they're acting as a vehicle for other creative small businesses and individuals to get their great ideas, products and services out there. If you have to shop at this time of year, do some of it at one of these events. I will. And yes, I'm mostly shopping for other people, but am really liking the idea of being able to get a good massage in the neighborhood. I really need one! Ok, see you there.