Hi everyone!
Last week was all about Christmassy stuff! My dad and I went on our annual Christmas market trip, the gift shopping frenzy begun, and we had a photoshoot with my sister-in-law and her family.
My dad and I usually visit a market in Germany, but this year we decided to visit one closer to home and went to Valkenburg. It is a small historic town in the south of the Netherlands and a popular tourist destination during summer and the Christmas holidays. Usually Christmas markets are held outdoors, but in Valkenburg the main markets are held inside the tunnels of old stone quarries. The environment is lovely, it’s decorated with tons of trees and lights, and you can see some of the artwork made in last century.
The market itself was disappointing, unfortunately. They charge a steep entrance fee of €7 per adult, per market (there are two or three) and the stalls themselves didn’t offer much of interest. Several stalls were selling these “wonder products”, like creams, magnetic jewelry and massage products which are all supposed to cure almost any complaint you have at high prices. Others were selling cheap Christmas decorations, phone covers and many other things which had nothing to do with Christmas, or gift shopping. I saw nothing at the market that I`d consider buying as a Christmas gift, which in my opinion, should be the main focus of these markets. A place where you can find unique gifts, quality products, and where artists and makers can sell their handmade goods. My dad and I decided not to visit the other markets, since we were expecting to see more of the same. Next year we are definitely going back to Germany!
Meanwhile we completed our gift shopping, and I have finished and shipped all orders for my shop. Now it`s time to sew some things for family, as I wanted to gift a set of Christmas placemats to both our parents. Only 3 days left!
See you next week!
DayzeesStudio 