I love a Country Market ...

Gigaree is a small country town in Northern Victoria. You may not have even heard of it before, but it has the most delectable country market on the 2nd Sunday of every month. Its kind of nestled between Stanhope and Tongala/Kyabram, but well worth a visit to the market if you are in the region this particular weekend of the month.

The entire vibe of the market is so relaxing and you can't help but stroll at a leisurely pace and enjoy all the different stalls available to delight you. More so, its' not just about the stalls, its' also a very social occasion, the people that you meet and are able to have a leisurely chat with, whether this be someone known to you, or just another person enjoying the atmosphere of the market alongside with you. These are about bringing the wider community and region together, as well as highlighting the many talents of local providers.

I had been meaning to go for quite some time, so I spent the morning out with my parents and young Jaxon at my side, and found that stallholders were quite happy to have their merchandise photographed (I always ask, I just believe it is a common courtesy to do so.)

My first stop naturally is for fresh fruit and vegetable produce, I couldn't resist the apricots grown locally over at cobram and of course pink lady apples fresh from the orchard, as well as strawberries from a local strawberry patch. There is just something extra special about "fresh" fruit grown locally. I was amazed at the amount of people, the produce was just fantastic and prices straight from the farm, that's one amazing benefit of living in the country, farmer's markets. Its' a good "fruit break" week in this household this week!

Spring is a beautiful time in this area for commercially grown protea flowers and other native flora. I was just in awe of these giant protea's, aren't they divine. Its' a pity that these lovely natives aren't flowering around Christmas time in this region because they would make such a beautiful Christmas table centre-piece.

Then there are the children's tee-pees. This is a gorgeous stall and I often see them at our local country market in Echuca/Moama as well. I find the material is very eye-catching and of course always a favourite with the kids. Helen also sews divine aprons and embellishes baby singlets with gorgeous crocheted' flowers with button centrepiece. You can read more about here at her own site chickaboo8.webs.com or if you feel inclined to do so, I love the Child-Size Teepee Tent tutorial at Sew Mama Sew

Another stall that capture my eye was the artistry work on these saw blades. Jeannie Woodward is and original saw blade artist and is located in Shepparton, Victoria (0415 677 139) Her work is captivating and very inspiring.

Of course it's always nice to spy a quilt or two,or three. The lovely ladies from this stall are friends from Shepparton who enjoy getting together to quilt and socialise. They were having great success today with their tea cup pin cushions, which were very quaint!