Saturday, September 11, 2021 was the annual Shop 'til You Drop fundraiser in Houston at the Berry Center. The event started at 9 AM and lasted through 5 PM, and man, did I underestimate the "'til you drop" part of this event. The event is organized by the Cy-Fair Women's Club in Houston, Texas and the money raised from the event is donated to their sponsored charities, as well as used to fund their scholarship program for high school students.
Per the Cy-Fair Women's Club website, "Our event is the first major show of the fall season and includes almost 300 vendors with a large variety of manufactured and handmade items including clothing, jewelry, food products, home décor, and many other unique products and services. This show has something for everyone and draws close to 7000 shoppers each year." And this is no exaggeration. There is literally every vendor you could imagine, all with handmade goods for sale. A large portion of major east Texas cities were represented, as well as people from other states, showing that vendors come from everywhere to be present at this major event.
I met a few of these creative entrepreneurs and found many goods I couldn't resist, so above is the haul I left with after sending 3 hours at the Shop 'til You Drop Event. My absolute favorites and highly recommended vendors are below. Pictured from left to right above are products from Bennie Ann Designs, Purrs N Barks, Lilla Rose, Holly Glenn Arts, Nola Leigh, and Rose's Natural.
Nola Leigh is a New Orleans based company that supports their local artisans by selling crafted goods made in their home city. The women I talked to at the event were very passionate about their mission and the products they sold. A portion of their proceeds went to support people affected by Hurricane Ida this year, which made landfall as a category 4 on August 29th (the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina). Hurricane Ida claimed 109 lives in total, 31 of which were in Louisiana, and left the state with power outages expected to last up to a month. Their noble cause and quality product make this store a must try. I bought a headband in blue with mustard accents (perfect for fall) from Passion Lilie, and a Rose + Neroli Toning Spray by Oxalis Apothecary. I also learned the company sells a monthly subscription box service that comes in 2 different sizes and a number of payment options. Based on the goods I sampled, this subscription box is a must-try! I do not think any beauty experts would be disappointed in the goods offered by Nola Leigh.
If you're looking for handmade crystal jewelry and other goods, look no further than Holly Glenn Arts. From Austin, Texas, Holly sells her goods on Etsy and makes everything herself. There is a high saturation of crystal jewelry on Etsy, making it hard to tell which vendors are going to get you a timely and quality order, especially with the wide range of pricing. Holly's items are both affordable and quality. I bought a beautiful raw quartz stone necklace on a rose gold chain, which I wore immediately after buying it. All her jewelry is beautiful, and intentionally, crafted to get the most out of the stone she uses. She also makes prints and paintings, available for sale on her Etsy page. I highly recommend giving her store a try for your next jewelry purchase.
Roses Natural, based out of Katy, Texas, is an all-natural cleaning product company that sells non-toxic, hypoallergenic handmade products. I bought a 9 oz lavender linen spray for $20 (often a price this affordable will get you half that size). I was impressed by the linen spray because I have owned a few different lavender scents to spray on my pillow to help me relax before sleeping, and the scent often isn't strong enough. Rose's Natural spray had a beautifully balanced scent that I knew I had to have. I also bought the lavender shower steamer that had an equally natural but concentrated scent that impressed me. Nothing was overpowering, but it far out performed the watered down and "subtle" versions of these products. There are a number of other cleaning products on her site including dish soap, laundry detergent, and dryer balls, as well as skin products like face oils and lotions. Everything is also extremely affordable, making this brand a product worth trying.
If you know me, you know my hair is my pride and joy, and I only buy the cutest hair accessories. If you really, really know me, then you also know that I love everything leather. Lilla Rose has a number of hair products, my favorite of which is a leather 8 with a wood pin that hold a twist or bun in your hair (pictured on the right). The reason I prefer these and U-pins over some claws and hair ties is because they offer the same hair security with out the damage that those traditional hair items can create by being too tight. There are a number of different mix and match hair pin option, as well as a sports version, plus some softer silk scrunchies that are also easy on the hair.
Texas Fairy Hair was the reason I originally went to this event. My sister received a business card from a women while she was at work who explained that she does 'hair tinsel'. The reason I use quotes is because the company is Finklepott's Original Fairy Hair that has a trademarked fairy hair (similar to the idea of tinsel, but with more stretch and give) and a unique attachment method that allows the fairy hair to stay in longer than traditional tinsel. I know this isn't everyone's vibe, but I love my pink hair with my 'dragon fly' tinsel color (as it's called by Finklepott's). So when my sister shared this card with me, I immediately made an appointment. They only do events and parties, so this was the first event I was able to find them at. So far, I am impressed with the overall appearance of the fairy hair. I have brushed my hair twice since and constantly run my fingers through my hair, and nothing has fallen out.
Other really fun vendors included Purrs N Barks (cute, healthy dog treats), Bennie Ann Designs (handcrafted macrame planter hangers in a variety of colors and sizes), and Alb Butzke Custom Vintage Lamps (lamps made out of anything from an old typewriter to an electric guitar).
Overall, the event itself was exciting and well thought out. It is definitely something I would attend again next year and recommend others to attend as well. I love meeting and supporting local vendors over chains, so this is a great way to shop things that normally only are found in small shops or online. You can see a full list of vendors at the Cy-Fair Women's Club website here.
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