I have been going to Christmas Made in the South almost every year with my mom for many years now. It has become one of my favorite holiday traditions. Here is a list of ten of my favorite shops from this year and others.
Time in a Bottle: Linda makes really cool, vintage-inspired pieces from loved ones’ jewelry and trinkets. I spent a good, long while talking to Linda both this year and last and really enjoyed our conversations, and was excited to hear that she now has gallery space in Daytona Beach.
Saorsa: This was my second time buying from Saorsa. I really enjoy chatting with them, and had just been getting into bar soaps last year when I first met them. Unfortunately, the soaps I had tried from other vendors had irritated my skin, so I was a little nervous, but their soaps are very gentle on sensitive skin! I especially love their pumpkin spice scent, which is delightfully heavy on the spice, and the scent is long-lasting on my skin. I actually bought a bar of this from them last year, and it didn’t completely run out the very morning of the show this year!
Summa Salts: I looked forward to seeing them since one of the owners is a friend of mine. They make some tasty salts in their garden. I went over with my mom and asked if Tim was there and Sarah said, “Oh, are you Carrington?” I was taken aback at the recognition. “Yeah, people love your recipe!” she said. “Her what?” my mom said, even more taken aback. “Her recipe! She’s a foodie blogger,” Sarah said. “A what? She’s a <i>what</i>!? Are we sure we’re talking about my daughter?” my mom said. I had to chuckle. It is true; I am not typically known for my cooking prowess, but darn if I didn’t have some good luck with this one!
Mountain Momma Organics: Speaking of cooking, I was excited to find these soups that come in a bag and are easy to make and contain no added sugar!
Romantic Treasures: My favorite thing here was that you could buy pendants made from preserved marble paper from 19th-century books. I made myself two necklaces out of some patterns I really like!
Montana Antler Craft: This guy makes crafts (such as long-lasting dog chews) out of naturally-discarded antlers from Montana. I bought my boyfriend, who lived in Montana for a few years, a stein with an antler for a handle as one of his Christmas presents.
Deedy’s Creations: I haven’t had the chance to buy from them yet, but they make some really cute bags that I’ve been stopping to look at the last couple years. The ones on their Facebook I especially love are the Christmas patterns 196 and 200, the vintage-inspired 185 and 187, the blue paisley (85) and deep blue/black (133), the American-themed 107, and the more subtle 5 and 152. (Filing away for future reference.)
Butterflies ‘n’ Things: I don’t know that I would ever end up actually buying one of these (maybe one of those beautiful bluish-purple butterflies that reminded me of Veronica Speedwell mysteries), but these were all really fun to look at and the whole shop had a great Victoriana vibe that I loved. I did briefly joke about buying a random person a bat skeleton, like a colleague or someone, and the confusion said random colleague might feel at such a gift.
County Argyle: There is one guy who has been going to this for many years, who makes jewelry out of antique silverware. I saw him the very first year I went with my mom and immediately wanted some of his wares (pun intended), but couldn’t justify the purchase for myself. Finally I went last year with the intention specifically of buying from him. I got myself a really cool necklace and bracelet! (I also know that at some point he and Saorsa teamed up on some Scottish-themed scents, but I don’t know if they’re still doing that.)
Wildlife Plastics: Giving them honorable mention even though they weren’t there this year, because I have been stopping by and usually buying something almost every single year, and this year was the first year I didn’t get to see them.
