On the Market.

Love your dog? Then show him (or her) just how much with some yummy treats from Blue Ridge Dog Bakery. Andrea Dillon, the owner of this very doggie friendly business, sells her treats at the Roanoke City Farmer’s Market every Saturday, weather permitting. Her dog treats are made with only all natural ingredients. They contain no artificial colors or flavors, and no salt or sugar. These biscuits come in four flavors: beef, chicken, peanut butter, and banana. Dogs love them, and apparently people do too! Andrea’s favorite flavor is the peanut butter which she often takes a taste test of when they’re fresh out of the oven. Although Andrea just began selling her dog treats on the Roanoke Farmer’s Market at the beginning of this year, her doggie delights have already become a big hit with local dog owners.

For special occasions, Andrea bakes her dog biscuits into fun shapes with color themed icing. For St. Patrick’s Day she offered flower shaped biscuits with fun, green “icing squiggles.” For Valentine’s Day patrons discovered heart shaped treats with pink decorative “icing.” Be sure to check out Andrea’s goods the next time you visit! And don’t forget to bring your best friend!

There were three potters on the market over St. Patrick’s Day, each with their own unique style. Brian Seckinger, of Roanoke Valley Clayworks, was present with his assortment of both stoneware and Raku pottery, including several new horse hair Raku pieces trimmed in gold leaf (left.) Brian offers both functional and decorative artwork as well as stoneware beads. You can find Brian at the Roanoke Farmer’s Market several days throughout the week by chance, as well as most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Brian also sells framed photographs of Roanoke landmarks, including the Roanoke Star, the H&C Coffee Sign, and the Dr. Pepper Sign.

Jayn Avery, of Blue Heron Pottery, was back downtown after taking some time off during the winter cold. Jayn was selling an assortment of her functional, hand built, lace pressed pottery which included her tea sets, mugs, goblets, vases, pitcher, bud vases, planters, butter dishes, and soap dishes. All of her functional pieces are food safe, dishwasher safe, and microwave safe. In addition you can also find Jayn’s unique free form heron vessels that make a beautiful addition to any home. Expect to find Jayn most Saturdays on the market.

A new addition to the market is the work of Sonya Fortè, owner of Studio 43. Sonya is a Bedford native with ten years experience in creating pottery. Sonya creates unique and expressive works of primarily functional pottery including jewelry, mugs, platters, bowls, candle holders, and wall decor. Many of Sonya’s pieces present interesting textures and warm, pleasing colors. You’ll find Sonya at the Roanoke City Farmer’s Market on most Saturdays or during the week at her studio in Bedford.

White Night by Jim Butcher

A recent series my husband discovered while browsing buy 3, get 1 free books at Books-a-Million is The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This faced paced series is both easy to read and hard to put down. Dresden is a wizard with a good heart, and is a sucker for a woman in distress. He fights everything from demons and vampires to werewolves to save the damsel as well as his own hide. He’s normally paired up with Karen Murphy, a saucy police offer in charge of SI, the Special Investigations unit of the police force. Murphy gets all of the “strange” cases, and Dresden is often paid as a police consultant to help with solving these unusual crimes. As you proceed through this series, you’ll find yourself becoming completely enamored with the lives of all the players in these stories as well as the mysteries that seem to constantly surround them. This is paranormal fiction at its best, pulling you through a full range of emotions from page 1 to the very end. It’s also the only series that both my husband and I can agree on that we like. Adam, the husband, is typically more of a history buff, leaning toward books about either World War I or World War II, code breaking, and I guess what you would call P.I. novels. I reluctantly started this series at first, then zipped through all six books within a matter of weeks. Jim’s newest addition to the series is White Night due out in bookstores April 3rd. But you’ll want to start with the first book, Storm Front.

Once you’ve read the series, be sure to check out the new television show, The Dresden Files, on SciFi, Sundays at 9pm. While I’ve found the tv series can’t compare to the books - the books are still leaps and bounds better than the show - they’re fun to watch regardless just to see the changes they’ve made to some of the prominent characters. Oh, and did I mention Harry has a spirit, named Bob, who lives in a human skull and who feeds him information, helps him with spells, that sort of thing. In return, Harry keeps Bob well stocked with Victoria’s Secret catalogs and trashy romance novels.

Me? I can’t eat a grapefruit unless it has sugar on top. Lots and lots of sugar. So when I got requests for a grapefruit soap, I figured why not make it sugared grapefruit?! My new Sugared Grapefruit Soap smells just like pink grapefruit. It also contains real sugar to exfoliate your skin in the same way a sugar scrub would, but in the convenience of a handy bar. Moisturizing shea and cocoa butters are added to help make your skin soft and smooth as the sugar sloughs off dead skin. And it’s great for feet too! Can’t plunge those tootsies into sandals unless they look good enough to be shown off, right?

Check my website, Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen, for a list of dates you can find me on the market with my grapefruit soap. Or, just order a bar or two.

I don’t get along with most laundry detergents. They tend to irritate my skin because of the harsh ingredients in them. So I’ve taken to using unscented detergents. The best detergents I’ve come across, however, are natural. I can stray away from unscented detergents when it’s an all natural brand, as they don’t irritate my skin. Not to mention they clean just as well as the big name brands, and are better for the environment. One of my favorite natural brands is Seventh Generation’s Natural Laundry Detergent. It cleans extremely well, and for about the same price per load as national brands that use not so earth friendly ingredients. Seventh Generation offers not only scented detergents and softeners, but unscented as well for those who may be allergic to fragrances.

Even more recently, I’ve tried a handmade laundry detergent by Gaias Rose, and found that I absolutely love it. It leaves my clothing and linens feeling soft, even without the use of fabric softener, and is great at removing stains and odors. Tasha’s laundry powder is made with her own blend of borax, washing soda (Sodium Carbonate), baking soda, and handmilled soap. You can choose from a variety of scents when you buy her custom made laundry powder, scented with your choice of essential oils or fragrance oils. In fact, her latest batch of pure natural laundry powder in Sun Dried Linen is made from my own Sun Dried Linen Soap. Since this soap already smells like fresh, clean laundry, it makes a perfect addition to Tasha’s line! All of Tasha’s laundry soaps come in re-usable sacks, each containing 1-1/2 pounds ( 24 oz. ) of laundry powder. This will clean 52 regular loads of laundry or up to 104 small loads. A wooden scoop for measuring the detergent is included in every bag. Be sure to give this detergent a try. At just $10, it’s too good to pass by. While you’re there, be sure to check out the natural hand scrubs, face care, bath care and foot care also available at Gaias Rose.

Farmers and artisans are starting to return in greater numbers to the Roanoke Farmer’s Market as the weather grows warmer. But the magic date for everyone’s return seems to be St. Patrick’s Day. The market is expecting most of the long lost farmers to make their spring return on that day. And to add to the excitement of overalls and the best do it yourself-ers around, a parade is scheduled for the green, magical day from 12noon - 2pm in an effort to lure you back into the fold. There’s also a Celtic Festival at the downtown Railside Ampitheater from 11am - 5pm, and Market Square will feature a Celtic band from 11am - 2pm. In all likelihood, you’ll also find that most of the vendors will be sporting “groovy green hats” compliments of Downtown Roanoke, Inc. (Our dear market manager ordered them for us, so like good little school children, those of us not wanting to be cast out in the cold will be submitting to the embarrassment of the accessory. I mean, the joy of the occasion! ) There will also be free gold covered, chocolate coins for the kids, and Saturday evening, there’s a micro-brew fest being held at the Jefferson Center at 8pm. (Take your husband and offer to be his designated driver. He’ll thank you for it later when he catches you eying that cute pair of shoes at Dandelion Feet.)

I’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on the market by offering my new green Sage & Citrus Soap. This new soap contains a delightful blend of top notes of mandarin, tangerine, ruby red grapefruit, and lemon rinds, with base notes of fresh sage leaves. And like all of my other soaps, it’s rich in moisturizing oils and butters for happier, healthier skin. Plus, don’t forget, the thick lather is just just perfect for shaving! You can catch my full schedule of market dates each week by visiting my website.

So what else will you find on the market?

Well, Kyle of LunarScapes is back and offering her handmade cheese platters. These great little dishes are made from flattened wine bottles and decorated with fun bead and wire designs. They’re perfect for cheese trays, sushi, olives, and whatever else you can come up. They make a addition to your kitchen and work well as gifts for newlyweds and housewarmings. Kyle is also offering her handmade salad servers and unique nail art.

Cheryl Dolby, of Cheryl Dolby Originals, has recently introduced her new line of Magic Goddess Creams. These luxurious creams are great for pampering both your body and face, and contain all natural ingredients including shea and cocoa butters, avocado oil, glycerin, and lavender essential oil. Customers of Cheryl’s who have tried her cream have said it tightens facial pores, significantly softens the skin, and it even works great as a conditioner for dry hair. What makes this cream so unique, however, is Cheryl’s own touch of her artistic talent. Each Magic Goddess Cream comes packaged in a reusable glass container. The lid features a hand built clay face designed by Cheryl. Every face is a unique creation with no two being exactly alike. These useful treasures are just $32 each. Cheryl also sells her own spirit women statues and Goddess pendants, as well as Native American and Old World Sculpture in mosaic, bronze, and clay. You can find her on the Roanoke Farmer’s Market on most Fridays and Saturdays.

Dana James returned to the market just this past Saturday after taking two months off for the worst of the winter weather. Dana creates original, artful stained glass, mosaic glass, and fused glass jewelry. Her fused glass necklaces (left) are especially fun, and her stained glass is a stunning mesh of Dana’s artistic eye and craftsmanship. She does custom work as well. The custom stained glass horse my husband and I gave my mother-in-law for Christmas this past December was very well received.

Steve, of Little Blue Woman Candles, is back with his wife, Chloe’s, hand crafted candles. Scented with pure essential oils and boasting bright colors, these lucky little lights are sure to please. This season Little Blue Woman Candles will be introducing all vegetable wax candles in addition to their current line. Expect to find Steve on the market Saturday’s through May. Once the heat turns up, Steve won’t be back until fall.

Farmers already making a grand entrance back to the market include Walter’s Greenhouse. Jan’s been coming the past two weekends with a truckload of flowers and herbs. Tim, of Rolling Meadows Farms, has also announced his return with quite a number of succelents, herbs, flowers, ferns, and even blueberry bushes. Not everyone is staying though. St. Patrick’s Day will be Charlie Lavinder’s last day selling his apples until June when his peaches come in. If you see him, be sure to let him know you’ll miss him! (And never admit to ol’ Charlie you buy anything but American made.)

For those with a sweet tooth, I asked Tony of Thomas’ Market to stock some Twix. You’ll now find both Caramel and Peanut Butter Twix Bars in the vending machine beside the store. (What can I say? I’m a sucker for Peanut Butter Twix.) You’ll also find the usual produce and Kara’s smiling face.

And last, but not least, the kettle corn guy has returned with his addictive slightly sweet, yet slightly salty kettle corn and freshly squeezed lemonade. You’ll catch him most Saturdays somewhere in the parking lot.

Husbands really aren’t so complicated. You just have to remember that husbands usually say and do exactly what they mean. It’s women “reading into” what men are saying that causes the communication break down. You’re upset because whatever you’re thinking he said is really about ten blocks off from what actually came out of his mouth. Neither men nor women are really going to change much on this issue though. My solution? Beer. 99% of men love beer. And if you grab your man a few good beers, any misunderstandings are instantly resolved on his end. Plus, your hubby is probably now going to be receptive to some of that elusive cuddle time. He’ll forget what he’s doing after a beer or two, and you can sneak in with a hand on his thigh, or your feet draped across his lap. So, just what kind of beer is going to make your man drool?

Well, first off, if your guy prefers lagers over all others - you know, those wussy boy beers that are yellow colored water - then I can’t help you. However, if your guy is a true man at heart (and a man is really what you should have) and can’t stand lagers, then I can offer a few good beer buying suggestions. My husband’s most favorite beer of all time, and sure to fall very high on your own man’s list of true loves, is Darwin Brewery’s Flag Porter. The Flag Porter is not any ordinary beer. It’s a beer with a long history, and it’s also a beer that my husband thinks kicks ass whether he drinks it warm or cold. The Flag Porter is created from an original 19th century British beer recipe. Not only that, but it’s created from the original yeast from the original recipe. The story goes that beer from a ship that sank in the English Channel in 1825 was salvaged, completely intact, in 1988. These bottles of beer from that ship, when uncorked, still contained living yeast from over one hundred years prior. This yeast was then extracted and grown, then used in an original recipe for porter. The result was the 1825 Original Flag Porter. Anyhow, this is one beer you must bring home. No excuses.

Other great beer suggestions I can offer are: Flying Dog Brewery’s Gonzo Imperial Porter, Smutty Nose Brewing Co.’s Old Brown Dog Ale, and Young’s Luxury Double Chocolate Stout. And, if your husband is just a complete jerk that never seems to get it, grab him a bottle of Arrogant Bastard. You can find all of these and other great micro-brewed beers locally at Sumdat Farm Market located at 209-A Market St., Roanoke, VA.

I recently have become addicted to little works of art. I love art, but unfortunately, I can’t possibly purchase works by every artist who grabs my eye. I simply don’t have the money for original works, but more than that, I just don’t have the wall space. Maybe one day when I’m fabulously rich, I can buy a house with an extra room or two that I can dedicate as gallery space. (Um, right. Like I’d really want two extra rooms to clean. ) In the meantime, I’ve “solved” my art addiction by purchasing tiny works of art that I can store in an album. ACEO’s (Art Cards Editions & Originals), also known as ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards), are just that. Tiny works of art on a “canvas” the size of a baseball card. Measuring in at just 2.5 x 3.5 inches, ACEOs are sold both as an original art work and as prints, making art both affordable and collectible. Most ACEO’s are priced starting around $3 and can go up in price to $20 or more depending on whether it’s an original or a print.

The first thing I looked for before beginning my ACEO collection was an album to keep them in. Any baseball card album will do, but I took things a step further and bought a hand bound book instead. I chose a beautiful little chiyogami notebook from Obol Books. A piece of artwork itself, this book measures 3.37″X5″, is coptic-bound with natural colored linen thread, and boasts decorative Japanese stab binding. It lays completely flat when open making it great for sharing my collection with friends. (For your own hand bound book, be sure to give Obol Books a peek. Obol Books ships worldwide and accepts commissions for custom bound books.)

There are many artists out there who create ACEO’s. Many of my favorite artists are on Etsy. My collection is still growing, but here are a few of my favorites:

This original “Chirp Watercolor” was created by PrintMakerJenn of Portland, OR. She also produces watercolors, stationary, and altered tags, with altered art collage being her medium of choice.

“SISTER Anna Maria-NUN With Big EYES” is an original acrylic painting by Bastet2329. Bastet2329 creates one of a kind creepy dolls, art, and ACEO’s.

This “Brown Bird, Pink Flowers ACEO” print was designed by Crooked Little Studio. You’ll find a nice collection of pretty pastel ACEO’s on a regular basis in this shop.

For more intriguing ACEO’s, I recommend the following shops and artists: Art Gallery by Kluska, The Merry Muse, Backroom Treasures, Nakisha’s Animal Art, Serpent Mandalas, Time2cre8, Julie Zarate, Moth to Flame Studios, Cindy Couling, Black Lily Pie, Erica’s Everythings, and Meredith Dillman.

An interesting spin off on small, affordable art works that I found, is the Photo Palm created by Sparks Fly. Photo Palms are basically “pint sized versions of coffee table books.” These unique little books are filled with dramatic black and white photos, bound into a handcrafted book. They’re perfect for anyone who wants artwork that’s both easy to show and easy to store! The mini chip board books fit perfectly on a bookshelf so you can create your own little library of art without a lot of effort. Sparks Fly’s Photo Palms are available for worldwide shipping with free gift wrapping upon request. You’ll also find a collection of photos, ACEO’s, and pregnancy and baby books at Sparks Fly.

Okay, so I’m 31 heading into 32 in a matter of months, but I have a thing for tasty treats. Not just tasty treats to eat, but tasty treats you wear. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, even rings. All of them designed so that I adorn a cake, a donut, or some other delectable sweet on my person. Normally I purchase such goodies made from polymer clay, which is fun but also affordable. One of my favorite shops to purchase from is Aoi’s Art. Every food craft within this shop is created by hand without the use of molds or pre-made canes, and yet the end result closely represents real food in both look and texture. Even better, they’re all calorie free. Choose from sweets, salty snacks, and even fruits and veggies. Some of my past purchases from Aoi’s Art include a Rose Cupcake Cell Phone Charm, a Post Modern Adjustable Cake Ring, and Minature Cream & Roses Cake Earrings. Aoi’s Art ships worldwide, and her fun creations make great gifts for the nieces and cousins, but also for myself. Other miniature polymer clay food artists I’ve purchased from include I Love Vito, Mack, Stitcherx, and Island Pixie.

By far, however, my most adored purchase is also the most expensive. It’s also made out of glass!

This Sweet Treat Charm Bracelet from Bead Brains is created from lampwork beads all handmade by Bead Brains founder and artist, Cathi Milligan. The beads are made with Moretti/Effetre or Vitrifond glass, and the chain and findings are sterling silver. I really think the end result is stunning! (My husband, of course, does not even remotely feel the same way. But seeing as how I allow him his “hobbies” of buying $400 color touch screen remotes that he programs from his laptop, he doesn’t really get a say in the matter.) Should you desire to own one of Cathi’s mouth watering creations for yourself, you can check out her shop on Etsy. Bead Brains ships worldwide.

I love tasty scents. Just about anything that smells like food, I want! I recently tried some of the demeter fragrances, but the scent just didn’t last for any amount of time. And Bath & Body Works no longer carries the Tutti Dolci fragrances. So, I’ve found some very fabulous, and extra yummy alternatives. Prairie Luxe has a wonderful variety of 1/8 oz. scents for just six bucks a pop. Shipping is a mere $1.25 within the US and all orders come with a free sample. The scents are oil based and last all day. Currently my favorite of Jodi’s scents is her Confection fragrance. It reminds me of an expensive and delicious, chocolate-y treat. Confection is, quote: “inspired by artisanal chocolatiers who incorporate unusual ingredients into their candy, this perfume is a tantalizing blend of genuine cocoa absolute, nutty Belgian chocolate, two luscious creamy vanillas, a little jasmine, a little neroli, a little peppermint, some milk sweetened with honey, and a whole lot of sweet orange.” I’m also a fan of Fez by Prairie Luxe, and I hope to try Taxeem soon. You can try four Prairie Luxe sample sized fragrances for just $4, shipping included. Just check out her shop.

Another great shop for scents is Modern Atelier. Modern Atelier carries a full line of sweet and bakery inspired scents including, but not limited to, Amour de Cacao, Poundcake, and Blackberry Crisp. I’m personally a sucker for the Strawberries and Cream, and most especially High Tea at the Jefferson - a “perfectly brewed tea, with spicy undertones of mint and cardamom, a hint of sweetness, and a scone!” You can view all the scents offered by this perfume artisan by visiting this seller’s profile. Scents are just $12.50 an ounce with shipping to the United States, Canada, and Europe starting at $2.50.