By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES - More than 75 booths of crafts will pack the gymnasium of St. Mary's school in Niles on Saturday, April 1 for the annual Spring Bazaar.
Part of the weekends proceeds will go directly to the Christian Service Center of Niles for food goods.
Some of the crafts on hand will include dried floral arrangements, painted garden flower pots, Easter baskets and puppy treats.
Ann Lyons of Lyons' Purr-fect Creations will have an exhibit to show her hand painted flower pots, vases and watering cans. Lyons said she uses acrylic paint to cover the pieces with flowers, hummingbirds and other garden-type scenes. Lyons said she also creates bird baths by stacking the pots.
Each one of Lyons' creations is also covered with a clear coat for protection from mother nature. Lyons said she originally gave the crafts out as small gifts before making the hobby into a side business.
Sandie Slav said she has a candy for every season. The South Bend, Ind. resident will be showcasing her homemade candies inside the Easter baskets she plans to have at the bazaar. Slav said she packs each basket a little different from the next, but all of them are packed with candy to fit the season.
She fills chocolate-covered eggs with raspberry and white marshmallow, as well as coconut. They are then displayed in the baskets on beds of coconut, which Slav said she dyed green to give the look of Easter basket grass. Also available to ease the sweet tooth craving will be Slav's chocolate covered pretzels.
People can also grab a bag of treats for their favorite pet. Susan Staszewski of the dog bakery Bone Appetite is also a South Bend, Ind. resident and will be selling her line of ‘Snickerpoodles', ‘Fido bites' and ‘Fido Big Bones.' The treats are made with all natural ingredients and contain no preservatives, said Staszewski, who is licensed by the state of Indiana to make and sell the treats.
Staszewski said the business started when she introduced her new dogs to the neighborhood by baking some of the treats for the pets next door.
Staszewski said Bone Appetite also features clothes and paw-shaped ornaments.
St. Mary's Spring Bazaar will run on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Refreshments and a light lunch will be available at the event.