Thanks for a great 2022 Bazaar!

A word from Betsy

When we decided to bring back the Betsy & Iya Bazaar I knew it was a big deal, but I didn’t realize how much of a big deal until Suzy and I were in Tucson together. It felt like a major victory to even get to the airport, much less spend some time inside with strangers and hop on a plane for the first time in 2 years (rather literally for me, I hadn’t flown since we last went to Tucson to bring back Bazaar goods in 2020). Prior to purchasing tickets and planning our trip, we went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth again until we decided the rewards definitely outweighed the risks and it was time to take a step (cough/puke: leap) forward. This all happened about 3 weeks before we got on the plane.

We were both unsure of what it would be like to travel again, to be in large spaces with people again, to see our long-time vendor friends, to shop with all of you in mind. While there were moments of stickiness and discomfort like around differing Covid protocols––“we’re not in Portland anymore, Toto…”––the vast majority of our experience was… delightful.

It felt exhilarating to be around a bunch of people again, the buzz of our shared experience, the inherent hope in reaching for common goals. It felt connecting to see vendors, like Ebrima and Alhaji and Astou, from whom we’ve been purchasing shop goods for years and years and hear a little about how they’ve been through this time warp of existence, this test of resiliency. It felt invigoratingly rebellious, nay giddy, to stay in the same room with Suzy maskless, something I’ve been isolated from doing outside of my little 3-person family for the last 2 years. Everyone has had their own limits, boundaries, experiences and losses through this whole life-altering ordeal. Like the relics of early pandemic hope signs still say, faded but true: we are in this together. I respect the decisions and sacrifices folks have had to make and I relate so deeply to those who have had to play it very very safe for whatever reason… for us it was keeping our 3-5 year old safe, our staff healthy, and our business alive for two whole years.

To me this trip and this Bazaar are both a signal for and statement of joy and finding it against all odds. It’s not the kind of joy to be felt from victory. It’s the kind of joy to be felt from endurance and acceptance, even pain. It’s the kind of joy, uncovered for me through two years of deep self reflection and growth, that life, like real true living, cannot be without––unfettered, pure, buoyant, full of hope, free and yours if you’ll take it.

That delightful experience with Suzy in Tucson is at the heart of why we started the Bazaar in the first place: to share that feeling of joy, the beauty, awe and genuine human connection with you. To help you find objects that resonate with you, remind you of special moments in your lives, or simply act as a reflection of who you are and how you feel on the inside.

With these shared experiences grounding us and the celebration of joy guiding us, we pulled the most beautiful colors and patterns and pieces I’ve ever seen. We have new categories like hats and beautifully woven doormats, more African beads than ever before, bigger baskets, did I say color? WAY more color. We did not hold back, folks!!

If you’ve never been to our Bazaar before, you’re in for a treat. If you’ve been every single year before, you’re in for a treat. I cannot wait to share these things with you. And the real purpose of this is to bring us together, to connect, to share and celebrate the things that bring you joy and make you feel most at home, outside and in.