Youngsters sell their wares at Bazaar

It's been common to see some children selling gifts at the Bazaar on Apricot and Lime from time to time. But co-owner Kim Livengood recently decided to dedicate an entire day to the children and hosted a Young Entrepreneur Market event in the bazaar's courtyard on Jan. 23. More than 20 young vendors set up shop and sold their wares that included pastries, artwork, and much more.

Douglas Hanna, 14

Douglas Hanna is no stranger to markets and fairs — he's been selling his Googly Shells creations for three years. 

It started when the young businessman was given a small shell with googly eyes as a gift and sparked an idea to sell other shell creations with googly eyes attached. He combs the beaches in Sarasota, Venice and Bradenton for shells and artifacts that he then assembles into pelicans, parrots and fish.

He's done a handful of markets and selling spaces in his time, and business has been relatively booming. Hanna brings in around $150 to $200 every time he puts his creations out for sale, and he says he's been saving the money for his future. 

"Some of the money I put back into the business, but most of it I save," he said. "It's good practice."

Sofia Sanchez, 11

Sofia Sanchez  but has fond memories of cooking up quesadillas, omelets and other treats with her mother Regina when she was just a young girl. Regina learned to bake at a young age — she grew up wanting to be a chef — and passed the skills down to her daughter as soon as she was able. 

The duo have baked together many times in the past, and when Livengood invited Regina and her daughter to the market, they knew they had an opportunity to share their baked goods with others. The  duo spent Saturday morning passing out carefully made vanilla cupcakes to hungry families. 

Sofia has always had fun decorating the cupcakes, but it's been a great way for her to enjoy time with her family as well. 

"You can spend time with your family (baking) and learn more about each other," Sofia said. "You can have fun cooking and learning new foods to bake ... I feel really happy and proud of myself that I can make a cupcake that's good."

Jade Moon, 17

Jade Moon specializes in acrylic mini-paintings with a focus on tropical landscapes, bamboo and plants that she's typically sold online. Saturday's event, though, was the first time she's put her paintings out in such a big way. 

"I've been into art my whole life and wanted to try to make some money doing it" Moon said. "Mini-paintings are really cute and easy to paint."

She's been hand-painting each creation and has been building up inventory to have on sale at the market — each painting takes around an hour to an hour-and-a-half to create. 

"Painting is relaxing and fun," she said. "At the end of the day you have a good product and you feel accomplished."

Adriano Tolino, 12

Adriano Tolino loves Lego and says he's been playing with the toy bricks for as long as he can remember. They're a good distraction that can let him unwind and focus on constructing figures, shapes and worlds. 

The problem with that is that as he's kept buying sets — Star Wars-themed are his favorite — that he's ended up running out of space in his room. Which is a problem when new, more exciting X-Wings and AT-ATS are being released every year.

He's found his solution with his new Lego-selling business, where Tolino offers up starter packs, vintage characters and framed portraits to buyers at the market.

"My philosophy is 'Get rid of Legos to make room for more Legos,'" Tolino said. 

Business has been good. Several children, along with their grandparents who fondly remember the toys, have picked up his sets. 

"I don't use these much anymore, and I have an abundance of them," Tolino said. "I thought some kids could use them."