It was a learning experience.

My first craft show wasn't all I hoped it would be. We got there an hour early to set up and we were originally told there would be 75 spots reserved and that the craft show was going to be in one side of the park and a fleamarket on the other side. Then we found out that there were only going to be 35 crafters total. After all was said and done, only 12 spots were filled with crafters and then 3 with fleamarket stuff. It ended up raining half the time so I don't know if people cancelled because of the rain or what.

There was a historic home tour going on during the time of the craft show, which brought in people but most of them had white hair and weren't interested in the kinds of crafts I brought. That may sound bad but it was true. I only had one younger girl come by and she thought the frames were cool but she didn't have any money cuz' she didn't have a job. (She was someone that was there selling fleamarket stuff.)

I had a booth with my cousin and she ended up bringing a ton of garage sale items, which I didn't know about. When we had originally talked about the setup, I was going to bring a card table for my stuff and she was going to have a couple card tables and a long table for her stuff. She said she was going to have one box of garage sale items and that her long table would go lengthwise so that we'd share the front of the booth. When we got there and looked at the setup, she decided to put her long table along the front, which seemed okay at the time because I could put my card table on the side and I figured I'd get traffic from that side and people would see my stuff when they were walking by the front.

She ended up having huge displays on the front table that blocked my stuff pretty much completely. (Pic below.) She had three sides of the booth and two of the sides were along the sidewalk so they got most of the attention. All in all, I had maybe 10 people walk on my side to even see my stuff and a few of those were fellow crafters. Most people that walked by our booth didn't even know I had a side.

A couple hours into it when some people started coming through, I mentioned to my cousin that people couldn't see my stuff and she offered to swap sides with me. Well, the other side had a big tree blocking half of it, so it didn't look like a good option. It was actually so obvious that I wasn't getting people that the crafter next to us came over and suggested that I put a couple things on the front table. After that, my cousin gave me a small bit of room to put two picture frames and a bookmark up front but by that time, our "rush" was over and I was ready to pack it up. When I do a craft show in the future, I'll be sure to stand up for room in the front because that's always the most reliable spot to bring people in.

I ended up selling one frame...to my cousin, which was nice of her. I told her that if she really wanted one, I could make one customized for her but she really liked one of them already made so she bought that. She ended up selling jewelry and a scarf to a couple of her family members that came by and she sold one necklace to a regular customer. The rest of what she sold was books from her garage sale pile and food that she had brought (pop and cookies). I looked around and none of the crafters were doing well. Looks like most of the sales went to the fleamarket items, which I guess I can understand in this economy. Us crafters aren't selling our stuff for dirt cheap because we're factoring in our time, effort, and cost.

There was a guy there selling homemade wooden bowls, etc and it was his first craft show too. We talked for a bit about our experiences and we're both going to try again in September. Since I'll have so much time to prepare, I'm going to come up with a whole smorgasbord of stuff and I'll be damned sure I get a decent display area. : )

So what went wrong? Here's what I think:

• Not many crafters so we didn't attract much of a crowd.
• They combined crafts and fleamarket stuff, which made the craft value go down.
• I didn't get a decent spot to display my product.
• The age of the crowd.
• The weather. Most people don't go out to craft shows when it's raining.

Now some pics for your viewing enjoyment. : )
The below pic is of my product where you can see that the view from the front was obstructed.

The below fountain was across the street from us. It's such a cute park.

This was a gazebo also across the street on the other side of the park. You can tell the craft show was in a small town!

This was a monument in the middle of the park side that we were in. Behind that is one of the historic homes that was on tour. Normally this home is an adult foster care facility.

UPDATE 6/25/2009: My cousin and I talked about the booth set-up and she ended up giving me some cash back from what I had paid for my portion of the booth. We now know better how to do things for next time!

Rain rain, all the day.

The forecast for tomorrow was for partly cloudy and a high of 75. Now it's a high of 69 and thunder and rain. The rain is supposed to start around 5am and continue through either noon or 5pm depending on the weather report. Hmm. So it'll be raining while we're setting up, through most of the craft show and maybe even through the end. Lovely. While it will be a good energy boost for me, the outlook of the show isn't looking so good. We shall see!

I've been tagged!

Diane over at Good Mourning, Glory! tagged me for a meme. Thanks, Diane! I'm starting to get hooked on these meme things. : )

What is your current obsession?

I had this same question on my Stealing Sunday meme so I'd say the same thing...reading, tea, and the occult. But I'm going to add crafting and Diablo to that.

I went to three different craft stores today looking for my Mother's Day project and settled on a cross-stitch pattern. I always make my mom something for Mother's Day. I better get started on it tomorrow if I want it done by then! I might even post a pic of the finished product. Mind you, it won't be gothy or anything cuz' it's for my mom. We are complete opposites!

I'm sure you've heard of Diablo before but I'm referring to the game. It's the best game EVER. They're going to come out with Diablo 3 and I cannot wait. Yes, I'm a gamer nerd. This is the version I've been playing a lot of since I no longer have the 9-5. : )

I guess the question was "obsession" singular but I just can't limit that to one thing!

What is your weirdest obsession?

Gosh I have a lot that could be considered weird. I guess all the occult/paranormal stuff that I'm interested in would be "weirdest", although it's not to me, obviously.

What are you wearing today?

Well now that it's almost midnight, I'm in my jammies, which consist of purple pj bottoms with stars on them and a blue t-shirt. Doesn't exactly match. : )

When I was out and about today, I wore a black sweatshirt hoodie and dark blue jeans with black shoes. It was a bit chilly around here.

Why is today special?

Thinking of things that happened today that don't normally happen, I would say that today was special because my brother and his girlfriend had their first ultrasound of their first kid together. OMG I'm going to be an aunt. I'm really not a fan of children but I'm happy for them. : ) I was told that if it's a girl, they're naming it after me. What can I say? I took care of my brother A LOT when we were growing up.

What would you like to learn to do?

I would love to learn how to play the piano and how to sew. I can cross-stitch and do embroidery like a mother f***er (AKA I'm really good) but I've never "sewn".

What is the last thing you bought?

I had a craving for nachos so I bought sour cream, shredded cheese, an avocado, and organic chips. I already had the salsa so when I got home, I just had to whip up the homemade guac and lunch was served. Delish!

What are you listening to right now?



What's your favorite weather?

I'd have to go with a storm on a day/night when the weather is in the 70's.

What's your most challenging goal right now?

It's the goal I always have...to constantly better myself.

What do you think about the person who tagged you?

I think she's awesome! I sense that she has a beautiful soul and that's hard to come by.

What's your favorite guilty pleasure?

Again I'm going to have to go with my Sunday Stealing answer. Naughty food...which basically means anything creamy, cheesy or buttery.

Favorite vacation spot?

I don't have a favorite go-to spot but if there is a body of water, I'm so there.

What would you like to have in your hands right now?

A buyer's agreement saying that they want to buy my condo!

What would you like to get rid of?

Family issues! Some days I just want to get in the witness protection program and run away.

If you could go anywhere in the in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

This one was tough cuz' it's only an hour. I'd have to say Dracula's castle.

Which language would you like to learn?

latin

What super power would you like to possess?

I would choose immortality because I think it would be so neat to see how the world changes over time, to see what we create.

What's your favorite thing about the city you live in?

My favorite thing is being so close to Lake Michigan. Tulip Time starts this weekend and it's going to be a mad house! People come from all over. People that don't know how to drive on our Michigan turn arounds. That part I'm not such a fan of. If you're going to be in town, let me know...I'll show ya' around!

What's your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?

My soft fuzzy black zip-up sweater.

What's your dream job?

To work on a police force.

If you had $150 now what would you do with it?

Probably nothing because I have to watch my pennies due to the "no job" situation. If I was working, then I'd use the money to buy things off of my wish list.

Do you admire anyone's style?

No one in particular but I admire goth/industrial fashions.

Describe your personal style?

Basically anything black or blue. I'm one giant bruise. I wear a lot of comfy slip-on shirts. Not really a fan of buttons.

Who's fashion show would you want tickets to?

I can't think of anyone in particular. If Gothic Beauty magazine put on a fashion show, I'd be interested in seeing that.

Who's closet would you want to raid?

Geesh there are a lot of clothing questions. I'd raid anyone's closet that had goth/rivethead clothes.

What are you most proud of?

My ability to overcome emotional pain.

If you could choose one person who has passed to have lunch with, who would it be and why?

My great-grandpa because I think he had a secret life.

Who left when you arrived?

I was making my blog rounds today and Creepy Cupcakes had a cool post that I had to steal. : ) Click on the image below to be brought to a Web site where you enter your date of birth. It tells you who else died on your birthday (various years) and if there were any natural disasters that occurred in your birth year.

138,685 People

Natural disasters in 1980
1. Grand Island, Nebraska tornado outbreak
2. Kalamazoo tornado (K-zoo is an hour away from where I was born. I didn't even know about this until now!)
3. "More Trees Down" derecho (wind storm)
4. eruption of Mount St. Helens
5. United States heat wave
6. western Wisconsin derecho

Tons of people died on my b-day in various years but the only names I recognized were:

1999: Shel Silverstein - American poet & composer
1994: John Wayne Gacy - American serial killer (executed)
1977: Joan Crawford - American actress
1863: Stonewall Jackson - American Confederate general
1818: Paul Revere - American patriot
1774: King Louis XV of France

People who died in 1980:
John Lennon - Shot to death by a mentally ill fan. For those who grew up under a rock, he was in The Beatles. : )
John Bonham - Choked to death on his own vomit after consuming a large amount of alcohol. He was the drummer for Led Zeppelin.

I'm going to making another "death" post sometime this week. Stay tuned.

Old man winter took a vacation!

I live in Michigan where they say if you don't like the weather, wait a minute, it'll change. Boy is that true! Today we had a high of 60, which broke the record from 1946 where we got up to 58 degrees. Our normal temperature around this time of year is 31. Since it felt like spring, I had to get to the beach and see what was going on. The picture was taken at an inlet from Lake Michigan. The water did have a nice coating of ice but the weather today broke that up. I love the sound of melting snow/ice. : ) This December has been crazy. We've had close to 50 inches of snow already (although the weather today melted most of that - whoo hoo!) and a day last week where the temp was 9! Of course the warmer weather we had today isn't lasting and we should be in the 20's tomorrow. Ugh! I seriously need to get the heck out of here by the time the next winter rolls around. I'm debating between Tennessee, Georgia and California. Who knows where I'll end up?

Winter winter everywhere!

I'm sure most of you have read these diary entries before but I live in a state where we get too much snow for my taste so I just had to post it here.

December 8 - 6pm

It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window, watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9

We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the Whole World? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had. Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snow plow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

December 12

The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14

Snow, lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.

December 15

20" forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

December 16

Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17

Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20

Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22

Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white crap fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to pee. By the time I got undressed, peed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he's too busy. I think he's lying.

December 23

Only 2" of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts??? Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's damn well lying.

December 24

6". Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a gun who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for the damn snowplow.

December 25

Merry Christmas. 20 more inches of the @#$%^& slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch It's a Wonderful Life one more time, I'm going to kill her.

December 26

Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27

Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze. Plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him. He only charged me $1,400.00 to replace all my pipes.

December 28

Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in. My wife is driving me crazy!!!

December 29

10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30

Roof caved in. The snow plow driver is suing me for a million dollars for the bump on his head. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted.

December 31

Set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling!

January 8

I feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?