Potential Christmas gifts were begging to be bought from every direction Thursday night as Dazzle Daze, the annual holiday shopping event, kicked off with Girls' Night Out at the Conway Sports Center.
Dazzle Daze is a fundraiser of the Conway Regional Women's Council, and proceeds will go toward upgrading the Women's Center's infant security system, purchasing additional Well@Home remote monitoring units for Conway Regional HomeCare's telehealth program, and expanding the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center's assistance program for low income families.
This year's Dazzle Daze was bigger than ever, boasting 78 vendors selling everything from jewelry to John Deere paraphernalia.
Nancy McGraw of Little Rock is the owner of Just For Pearls. She travels to China twice a year and purchases pearl jewelry directly from a pearl farmer's daughter, she said. By doing this, she eliminates the middle man and is able to offer high-quality pearls at reasonable prices.
"They farm pearls like we do soybeans and rice," she said.
Her pearls are varied. They can be almost any color imaginable shades of white, pink, peach and black. Some are dyed to be blue or other bright colors.
"China has hundreds or thousands of shapes, colors and styles of pearls," she said. "Some are the finest you can get. There's a tremendous variety in availability."
Also among the vendors Thursday was David Owen of All American Classics, which produces sports memorabilia. The company takes sports photographs and places them in custom frames along with custom mats. Owen said the company has all the new Razorbacks, including Peyton Hillis and Darren McFadden.
"This is the designated male booth, " he said. "This is where all the guys come hang out while their wives are shopping."
Vickie Buckner of Conway said she was enjoying her first time at Dazzle Daze.
"They have a good variety of vendors," she said. "A lot of it seems to be reasonably priced, too."
Leslie Shofner of Damascus said, "A lot of it seems to be local. It's good to know what is available here locally."
Lou Jane Wills of Wooster was manning her booth, Rockwood Crafts, where she sells homemade bath and body products.
"It's a hobby gone wild," she said.
Wills said she used to do woodworking at a craft fair at Six Flags Over Texas. A friend at the fair demonstrated how to make soap. The friend died, and she was asked to take over the soap making demonstration, she said. The hobby grew from there.
Some of her soaps have herbs in them, others are various scents and colors. She has an aromatherapy line for sinus trouble, headaches and sleep aid, she said. She also offers sea salts.
"This is my first year (at Dazzle Daze)," she said. "I've heard good things about it. It seems like there's a good crowd."
Alice Reed of Little Rock makes dough art for her business, Alice Reed Designs. She had a variety of ornaments on display Thursday night. She said she makes a colored salt dough, forms it into the ornaments, bakes it in an oven and covers it in epoxy. She customizes the ornaments on site for customers.
"We've done this show either four or five years. We've developed a following," she said.
Carolyn Mullins of Wooster was among those shopping.
"We've seen so many people we know. I'm picking up some stocking stuffers," she said.
Linda Linn of Conway said, "It's a wonderful event. You see all your friends and find lots of pretty things for Christmas. I've already got part of my shopping done."
(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
