How wonderful to be back at Toronto’s One of a Kind Winter Show and Sale at the Enercare Centre! This year’s theme is “Gifts of Wonder.” And I’ve chosen my ten favourite gifts from the show [most of them well under $100!].
Here are SSJ’s Top Ten Gifts from the One of a Kind Winter Show & Sale 2022:
[Pricing is approximate and subject to change. Many vendors provide show discounts for multiples.]
- Rising Star Hoi Yi Lai of Kotoba Jewelry makes these lovely Bloom Earrings in both gold and silver colourways. And her new collection features a chapter-by-chapter line of bespoke pieces outlining the maker’s journey as an independent artist. This is my only pick over $100. I’ve never seen an earring shaped like it before! [Kotoba Jewelry, Bloom Earrings ~$120, Booth G-50]
- Mckenna Bisson of MAS Montreal creates beautiful garments in eco-friendly fabrications. As a sewist, I couldn’t help but be drawn to her timeless, flattering designs. The gorgeous ribbed velvet of her Tofino Tee had my name written all over it. I went home with the black colourway. Do run to booth P-55 to support this fabulous BIPOC designer! [MAS Montreal, Tofino Tee, Booth P-55]
- Homework Letterpress Studio offers an array of bespoke holiday cards. Their Happy Hibernation Card caught my eye because of the light shining out of the darkness. It’s perfect for holiday wishes of all denominations and for stayer-inners of all kinds. [Cards, ~$8 ea or 5 for ~$35, Homework, Booth M-05]
- Having conquered the difficult feat of installing an invisible zipper in a garment, I’d wear this gorgeous Five-Ten Mixed Metals Zipper Bracelet and Necklace in One from Triple Z as my sewist’s badge of honour. You can wear this piece several different ways around the neck and as many iterations of a fierce looped bangle. I’m putting this on my “looks naughty in all the best ways” list this holiday season. [Five/Ten Zipper Bracelet and Necklace, Show price of ~$75 each, Triple Z, Booth P-52]
- Rising Star Natlie Ortiz of Oliva’s explores both her Ojibwe and Peruvian backgrounds in her creative process. I fell in love with these dangly earrings which mix Ortiz’s bead-work with the soft deer skin she uses in her mocs, whose earthy scent you may catch when you wear them. [Earrings #O012, ~$65, Oliva’s, Booth H-41]
- The fabulous makers behind LOHN are women in STEM who share their obsession with scent and its transformative powers via their carefully formulated line of candles. And, as women with engineering backgrounds, they actively hire and lend support to young girls and women in STEM. It’s hard to choose between their well curated collection, but I’m leaning towards the Winter Candle, with its festive emphasis on Balsam Fir & Cedar. [Winter Candle, Show Price of ~$42 each, LOHN, Booth E-03 ]
- If you like Booze and Maple Syrup, you’re going to love the barrel aged trio of Rye, Bourbon, and Rum Maple Syrups created by Sève de Mars, which translates into English as March Sap, as March is the month of sugaring off. SdM’s premium Canadian maple syrup is sourced in the pristine Gaspé peninsula and slowly aged in ex-spirit oak barrels. It’s during this aging process that the real magic happens. Of course, my favourite is the Rye, but I can’t stop thinking about all three flavours. I can’t wait to try them in cocktails! The cheeky bottle looks like the great Canadian Mickey. [Rye, Bourbon, and Rum Maple Syrups, ~25 for 1, ~$72 for the 3-pack, Sève de Mars, Booth B-19]
- Bouti Verre creates exquisite blown glass pieces from existing glass bottles. Their upcycled water and whisky bottles become rocks glasses, decanters, and these fantastic Maple Syrup Bottles. I really like the small pour spout at the lip of the container beside the cork. I’m not sure if I’d want to place my Séve de Mars Rye Syrup in here or if I’d want this bottle filled with dazzling red homemade grenadine and displayed on my cocktail cart. [Maple Syrup Bottle, ~$58, Bouti Verre Booth I-04]
- Déjà-vu? That’s right, the Lovefresh all-natural dish bar and scrubbie are back on my most-wanted list this year! The soap has a hint of a fresh citrus vibe and the wooden and bristle dish scrubbie is the cutest! Lovefresh doesn’t sell this to their vendors or online…So, it’s a show-only deal!!!! P.S. I love their Lemon Verbena scented products, particularly the body wash. [Dish Bar & Scrubbie Set, Show Special ~$20, Lovefresh, Booth G-41]
- A really good friend of mine served this Hot Mango Spicy Pepper Spread with some cheese a while back and everyone at the table went nuts over the magnificent flavour. When she said she’d gotten the jar on a recent trip to B.C., we all thought we were out of luck. How happy was I to see the Salt Spring Kitchen Co. booth at this year’s Show? Here’s a good way to make a stocking heavy and its recipient very happy indeed! [Hot Mango Spicy Pepper Spread, ~$12, or try the Spicy Collection of Hot Mango, Blueberry Habañero and Peach & Pepper for ~$25, Salt Spring Kitchen Co., Booth C-32]
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