Christmas is 

Right Around the Corner

Is Christmas coming twice a year now....or does it just feel that way. Can't believe it was just a year ago that I finally got a booth at Sleepy Poet, thanks to Jamie Moore and Jason. I feel very lucky to be a part of two of the area's finest shopping experiences. 

This has been an incredible year and I have had more fun than I can remember. A perk of having booths at The Depot and Sleepy Poet, that I didn't anticipate, is all the great new friends I have made, how full my life is and how this totally feeds my creative spirit. I feel like I am drawing on every experience of my life from majoring in Art in college and working after college in Austin, Texas at Eichenbaum's Display, designing and doing the displays and windows at Goodfriends on Congress Avenue, being a craftsperson in Knoxville, Tennessee and Charlotte, and finally directing and teaching in the Continuing Education program at Queens University of Charlotte for 20 years. Wow, have I been lucky in my work life.

This week and last, after gathering (the most fun part) and pricing a gazillion things for The Depot and Sleepy Poet, I have bought Christmas to my three booths. My beautiful horse is now ensconced at The Depot, surrounded by colorful ornaments and woodsy trees. Three goofy looking reindeer will surely get people's attention. It is fun to try to keep my "look" while still celebrating the holiday season. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year...I know I plan to. 

Great Weekend at Metrolina Antique Extravaganza

Took a real chance and rented a small booth at the annual event at the Metrolina Expo, October 31-November 5, 2012. After attending the monthly antique fairs since the 1980's, I finally got up my nerve to participate as a vendor and it was well worth the effort. I met a lot of really wonderful people and actually sold quite a few things!

I couldn't have done it without my friends and husband Dick. Thanks to friend Ulrike Miles for helping me haul stuff and set up on Wednesday. She has a good eye and really helped me create a unique look for my booth. I received some fantastic comments from vendors and customers and it was very gratifying. Friends Becky Sippe and Jane Hadley are fantastic at engaging customers and helping me sell things and also keeping me company. 

A real commaraderie ensues with other vendors who surround your booth. The guy beside me was selling very fine, unusual collectibles. I learned a lot listening to him tell people about his beautiful art and collectibles. At one point, he looked over at my booth and said "why don't you just buy one $1,000 item and sell it for $2,000 instead of all that stuff?" I thought that was pretty funny. I met three other vendors from The Depot and we had a lot of fun laughing and carrying on.

When I asked two of the vendors (not the Depot vendors) where they lived, they said they were living in their trucks. One said he was homeless. Both were starting their winter circuit of antique fairs in Charlotte, then on to Scott's in Atlanta and then several events in Florida. What a life....selling and buying along the way. It sounds like a hard life to me. I thought it was interesting that both guys ate really healthy stuff. None of the expensive food sold by the food vendors for them. They would come back from their trucks with fantastic sandwiches, fruit and raw vegetables, washed down with gallons of coffee.

On Sunday, Dick and I packed up and were in line to exit the grounds before 5:00 pm. We were both worn plum out. 

Well, now I am hooked. I have booked a larger space in Building B for the Spring Extravaganza. I will be on a front corner booth near the entrance. I am looking forward to it and especially the planning and buying to fill my booth with great stuff. Hopefully I can rope my great friends into helping me again!