Each aisle was occupied by exhibitors hawking old and new, country and contemporary goods. The opening day seemed slow, a sentiment echoed by vendors.

Many said that retailers were busy working, as it was Saturday, and that they'd show up on Sunday. The vendors were right; business was brisk the next day. I took advantage of the first day's liter traffic. here's what I found.

It seems that there's never enough items to make baby baskets, so I made sure to stop and check out Taggies. It's the name of a company hat makes security blankets and pillows for infants and toddlers. These soft, cuddly items have ribbon tabs sewn along the edges, which are said to encourage motor skill development. The ribbons are of various colors and widths.

The blankets are either a soft, lemon yellow or sky blue color in six patterns, mostly with moons and stars. Small ($9.50) and large ($12.00) sizes are available. there's also a crib Taggie ($29.50), pillow ($14.50), Take-A-Long Taggie ($4.50) that attaches to strollers, and a complete Taggie set ($53.00). Eac blanket is rolled and wrapped with a paper Taggies sleeve in the middle.

I admit that this is a pricey line, but it may appeal to friends and family members who believe that price is no option when it comes to pampering a newborn.

Can't pass up the Carmie's Kitchen booth without tasting some of these wonderful dips. Tommy, and owner's son, introduced me to the brand new cheese ball mixes.

First, the Key Lime mix, which coated my palate with the taste of fresh lime juice. Its soft, mint green color was reminiscent of a cool drink on a summer's day. Next, the Lemon Cheese Ball mix. Lemony and lovely, not super tart. Then the Mexican Cheese Ball. Nice and mildly spicy, but not hot. My favorite.

Don't overlook the Crab Cheese Ball, which had a very nice crab flavor. Skip dinner, let's just have appetizers and desert.

Each mix is packaged in clear plastic attached to a beautifully-logoed header card. $1.45 each.

If you're looking for containers to add to your basket line, check out Maine Line Products' assortment of gift crates. Made of natural, unpainted wood, these crates are terrific for men's, housewarming, holiday, and office giving. Company owners, Rich and Ellen, gave me the grand tour.

Crates are available with and without handles, squared (non-handled) and with rounded edges (with handles). I used three of these crates at my show seminar and loved how easy they were to use, whether making a flat or tall design.

I cushioned each crate with tissue paper which kept the shred in place while surrounding the snacks and gifts. The crates are also Sahara friendly.

Prices can't get much lower than $1.00 and up. The crates I used were priced around $1.70 and held from give to 10 items each. Hot stamping and crates with slotted lids (think corporate) also available. Consider the hot stamping for your Made in (your state) or Welcome to (your state) baskets.

Even their display racks are reasonable ($60.00 and up). These are great for storing ribbon, picks, enhancements, and other small items.

I'm a sucker for good preserves and stopped to taste a line made by Gormly's. I started with the Pepper Jelly - wow, fruit and pepper rolled into one. Made my taste buds happy. It's a blend of sweet and spice with pepper. Onto the Fancy Fruit & Berry. Yum, sweet and fruity. This is the only preserve available in a 4 oz. jar ($2.00). The rest are packaged in 12 oz. jars ($3.50). Before leaving, I tried the Vermont Apple Cider Jelly. You can taste the cider. Tart and yummy.

Other preserve flavors include Hot Pepper Peach, Brandied Black Cherry (tangy and nice), Blackberry Peach, and Tart Apple Raspberry Pure Fruit. The hexagon jars sport white labels and are topped with gold-colored lids. Simple and elegant for all baskets.

Gormly's also makes scone ($3.00 for 12 oz. bag) and pancake ($2.50-$2.75 for 24 oz. bag) mixes, both packaged in white bags with a watercolor home design on the label. Grilling sauces ($2.50), dipping pretzels ($1.25), dipping mustards ($1.75-$2.75), and jellies ($2.75-$3.50) round out the line.

It didn't feel right to rub my hands on a bar that resembled soap and not have my hands immersed in water. But this wasn't soap; it was lotion.

The Honey House manufacturers the Bee Bar, a solid bar of lotion made with natural oils and emollients. I passed the bar over my hands twice, then rubbed the oils between my fingers and on my wrists. Soothing, smooth, non-greasy, and a pleasant vanilla fruit fragrance. What a delight.

Ruth Ingles, the brains behind the business, appears just minutes after her husband, Rick, drew me over to try the lotion. He showed me the bar's large $5.00) and purse sizes ($2.75) and pointed out that it was also available in a natural scent. Love the packaging: a round, gold-colored (scented) or silver-colored (unscented) tine with a bumble bee design stamped into the lid.

The company also sells Lip Butter ($2.50) in six flavors (mango, peppermint, lemon, tangerine, pink grapefruit, unscented). Fabulous for housewarming baskets or pamper baskets for men and women.

Bag Ladies Tea was represented by a distributor. I didn't have time to speak with a rep, but I did like the tall silver tine packaging covered with a whimsical label. The tins contain 24 bags of English breakfast tea, and each tea's tag is printed with a humorous quote that parallels the container's theme. I counted nine themes including Working Girls, O Christmas Tea, Girlfriends, Oh, Baby!, and Well Hello for ages of 30s, 40s, and 50s.

The tins are pricey at $5.00 each but would be great for an all-ladies office. Try combining it with a tea cup and saucer and some tea spoons inside a Maine Line Products' crate.

Cape Cod Provisions debuted their new Harvest Sweets, three flavors of milk chocolate-covered fruits: cherries, orange, and blueberries. Each flavor is in its own visually-simulating package emblazoned with the designed fruits. The box also has a round cut-out window to see the product. Tasting was a pleasure, especially the cherries which were tart as though just picked. One year shelf life.

NOTE:
Information in each Show Report provides details on products displayed at trade shows. It does not constitute 1) company or product endorsements or 2) prevailing products or prices.

Read the intro