Trinkets galore: a glance back at the 2023 Holiday Bazaar

_{Marcela Vargas, a world traveler and artist, displayed her abstract art pieces at her Holiday Bazaar booth. Since her childhood , Vargas has always been passionate about art but in the last 20 years she has been mastering her craft at various art schools in Europe and the U.S. As of right now, she is a member of the Boca Raton Museum Art Master Studio where she is able to produce her paintings and mixed media pieces that reflect vibrant colors, movement and emotions with changing seasons. Because Vargas collects inspiration mainly from her surroundings, her art is reflective of all the different places she’s lived too such as Paris, Madrid and Miami. At Vargas’ booth she displays her art, depicting vibrant and diverse colors which appeal to viewers’ emotions. She even includes her children in her artistic process. One of the largest pieces she completed was with her children in Portugal in 2018. (Photo/Lauren Wong)}

_{Socami, a small family-run business, creates handmade soap bars, air freshening sprays, body creams, shampoo bars, shower steamers and massage oils. Their mission is to make products that are both safe for the skin and healthy for the environment. Some of their most popular scents include those with citrus notes and “beachy” vibes. At the booth, shoppers got to freely test their air freshening sprays. “My favorite scent was the White Tea because it was sweet, floral and clean,” senior Esther Oyetunji said. (Photo/Lauren Wong)}

_{Elizabeth Ann of Elizabeth Ann Boutique sold her jewelry at the Winter Bazaar. The jewelry is made from sterling silver, plated with gold, rose gold or rhodium. Different jewels can be added as well. Her wares all vary in style and prices range from $20 to $50. Ann’s jewelry is especially bought by or for sisters and mothers. She has been selling at the winter bazaar for the past three years . “We’re very happy to be back and hope to come back again next year,” said Ann. Located near the left side of the gymnasium, Elizabeth Ann Boutique sells a variety of necklaces, earrings and rings. (Photo/Sadie Loughlin)}

_{Gabriella Santimone of Sukimuki Perfume Bar sold a variety of fragrances at her booth. Designed from scratch, the brand is made up of 24 different scents and displayed in bottles of all sizes. Santimone and her employees experiment with the raw materials before producing and bottling it themselves. This is Sukimuki’s first year at the bazaar. Sukimuki Perfume Bar sells 24 numbered fragrances, varying from floral scents to earthy ones, at their booth. (Photo/Sadie Loughlin)}

_{Color My Life Accessories works with Mexican artisans to preserve their handicraft styles by selling them in South Florida. Jenny Cancio founded the company in 2020 when she saw how COVID-19 hurt the artists back in her home country; as business slowed, her uncle sent over some hand-painted hats and she was able to make 40 sales in one week. Now, she has expanded her business to include items that she paints herself as well, even taking custom orders for unique designs. An architect by profession, Cancio saw the joy that painting could bring—even regarding it as therapy—which motivates her work. “I think, sometimes, when you’re out of your home country is when you connect the most with it. I never bought these items when I lived in Mexico, but now I love them because I know that other people from outside the country appreciate them,” Cancio said. (Photo/Anya Pinto)}

_{Spillz, a booth run by Ryan Quinn, sells gag gifts of fake spills such as coffee or wine bottles. He introduces his gags as unique decorations to put around the house. (Photo/Cara Xie)}

_{Rachel Collin has been in business for about two years, and she sells an assortment of gifts. During COVID, she began selling coffee table books and eventually expanded to a business locally. (Photo/Cara Xie)}

_{Michael Oliver of Oli’s Bakeshop started out baking with his mother, constantly “experimenting with everything” he could get his hands on. After “everyone loved” the homemade cheesecakes he made for a friend’s graduation, Oliver realized he could turn the hobby he loved into a career. In the future, Oliver hopes to “get a food truck and… maybe rent a small space so [he] can bake wholesale type things.” If you check out his shop, he recommends you try his homemade spice caramel apple cake, which sold out at the Holiday Bazaar. (Photo/Ella Gohari)}

_{Retired high school counselor Penny Tuzio turned her love of crocheting into a business with Off the Hook, selling handmade blankets out of her home. After restarting her hobby during the pandemic, Tuzio began selling her blankets. While she has no plans to expand her business, revealing that she “just [does] it for pleasure,” Tuzio can often be found at markets around South Florida. Regarding her process, Tuzio explained she “look[s] to see what yarns interest [her]” in the yarn shop to inspire her next work. (Photo/Ella Gohari)}