We're Back!!!

We got home around 3:30 p.m. today.....it would have been earlier, but those damn Hokies fans held up traffic in VA yesterday. We didn't get as far as we had hoped on Saturday, but the hotel room was really nice....Holiday Inn Express in Hillsville, VA. It was nice to visit with family, but I'm glad to be home. We pick up Baccus from the kennel tomorrow.....Clark misses his dog. We had to hit the commissary this evening....oy...spent a butt load...most of it was replenishment of things we let lapse because of our trip. I've reopened the store...finally...I know. Since I only mail on Saturdays.....I didn't want people to have to wait weeks for their purchases. I'm home now...shop to your heart's content and mine. :) I'm hoping to list new things and SB rejects this week. I've just got to finish unpacking my SB box.....I got one done before we left. I only got to hit two thrift stores in MD...blah and they both kind of sucked. Wendy and I got our craft on Friday night....we both hit a creative block about the same time...12:45-ish and packed it in a little after 1:00 am. We started little board books...something new to both of us. She is making hers into a picture album. I am just putting nifty things in mine...lots of vintage lace pieces. I didn't bring a lot of ephemera....stupid on my part...I did have one piece in the bottom of my Scotty Dog suitcase from SB. It looks perfect in the little book...it's a menu card...perfect for me...I do love food. :) I think I'll go have some coffee, snuggle under some blankets and veg out in front of the tv with two Sunday papers....I love Sunday papers.....I got two last weekend and two this weekend....bite me, Tom (brother-in-law who made fun of my papers, but took them to burn in the fire place...I heated your damn house for the week).

Happy Gobble, Gobble Day from Churchville, MD

I know you are wondering where in the hell is Churchville?? It's between Baltimore and Deleware....in the sticks. :) The only shopping I've done since getting here is for food...which I really don't mind. I did manage to help my sister reorganize her closet....I've sent her two big rubbermaid boxes full of crafting stuff in the last few years...oy. She's cut off. We went to Greensburg, PA yesterday...my Father's hometown. We went by his childhood home and saw how diffferent things look. :( The house seemed so much bigger when we were little...it doesn't help that most of the big trees have been cut down. We got to stop in at the Hostess Bakery Thrift shop...our Grandfather used to take us there to get a treat.....so now my Dad got to take his grandkids. Clark, Wendy, and I were like mad people rushing through there....we got three bags worth....for 8 people tp share...hey, I've got a thirteen year old and a 36 year old. :) We stopped in to see our Aunt and one cousin...we got roast beast and smushed potatoes. Dr. Donnie (our beloved little brother) is coming up from VA this morning. It should be fun. ...we are nuts when we all get together.....our husbands start to wonder why they married us. I hope your Gobble, Gobble Day is a grand one. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

AAR on Vendor Night

That is after-action report. I wanted to wait until I got my boxes unpacked (okay, one is still sittting in the kitchen). It was an amazing experience. I was horribly nervous and tired, but it was worth it. I had way too much stuff for my tiny table.....6x3' sounds big, but in reality with as much stuff as I had....very, very small. :) A lot of my merchandise got overlooked, because there was just too much to take in. I didn't have a camera with me...too busy to take pictures anyhow (and the lack of sleep made me whacky...ask Kim Kwan). I think my sister might have taken a picture of my table. I actually did sell quite a bit. I stressed so much about the look of my table...I should have just thrown a few of my UPS boxes on the table and let people dig. I ended up letting people dig through a large box of things because I didn't have room for them in my display. They had more fun digging through that box. :) My vintage Xmas decorations went over the best, I think. Oh, and the $2/pair vintage earrings. My prices were good for an event like this. I had nothing over $20.....if people had been able to see that better....it might have gone as well. I should have posted my price signs up higher.....but I wasn't sure I could use the back wall. I wasn't in the best spot......I was in the very back corner, near the kitchen door.....so it was hard for people to dig for things. At one point, I had three or four women digging at the same time....crazy. :) Crazy good. Some people didn't even get to my table. My prices were good in part because it seems a lot of the ladies were on a tight budget. I was joking with people...."Come back to my table with your last $20....you can get a lot from me for $20"...it was true. Let's see other things that went over well....vintage millinery birds. I was so honored....Mary of Sweetpeas & Snapshots loaded up on birds for a Valentine's kit she wants to make. Another highlight...when Andrea of "One Hundred Wishes" came by my booth, looked and my prices and bought stuff. :) This post is all over the place...kind of like that night. If think I would like to be a vendor again next year......just the shopping to get ready for it will be a blast. I loved selling to all these wonderfully crafty women and hearing what they were planning on using things for later on. I would spend less time fretting over a tablescape...for the type of things I sell and the prices I sell them at...they are not expecting a table like Karla's, Heather's, Analiese's, Carol's and any of the other well-established vendors. I'd do a little something, but nother too extravagant. I would start putting things away and pricing months earlier. I would add the .07 sales tax in the prices.....it was too late for me to do that this year. It wasn't horrible...just a little time consuming. I think I would splurge and get two tables instead of one....that way people wouldn't have to dig on the floor. I would get there at least a day early, so that I could do the unpacking, last minute pricing and fretting before opening night. That way I'd be awake for my classes and vendor night. It doesn't hurt that I'd get to see more of Second Chance Antiques as well. I only got to shop for half an hour and you have to dig there. A place after my own heart. Back to vendor night.....I'm glad I brought bags....I was giving them to people who didn't buy anything as well....Clark had stamped my shop name on both sides of the bag and we slipped business cards inside as well. I did put out a stack and some people who didn't buy, took one. Always have a stash of those at your table. Most of what sold for me was things that they could use in their mixed media art later on. I want to thank everyone who came by my booth (whether you bought anything or not). I had a grand time. If you have any questions..just ask and I'll try to answer them. If you get the chance to do a vendor night/craft fair....do it. The experience alone was great. Yes, I made back my table fee and shipping costs there......shipping for my two boxes back...don't know yet.....Fedex hasn't charged me yet. A lot of the ladies are having problems with FedEx right now. I wish them luck getting it all sorted out. Well, later today we are leaving for MD. I'll try to blog while I'm there.....not promising. Have a great weekend and enjoy Thanksgiving!

Oh, woo hoo.....

my two boxes with the rejects arrived today. I told the Fedex guy to leave them on the porch. I told him I doubt anyone here would want any of what was in there......there are no artsy-craftsy people in this neighborhood. :) I need to go out and open them up...blah. So I was inspired by Ms. Inspire Co herself to get off my ass and start cleaning up my studio/office. You can almost walk in here....of course, you could always walk in here.....at your own risk. It's looking much better. I still need to unload the two boxes though....ugh. On a really happy note...Lili sent me a box...happy day. :) It was just what I needed...full of European goodies....yummy...mine, all mine. Until the boys get home....then I'm screwed. I need to start another load of laundry for our trip on Saturday.....I cannot believe how quickly this week has flown....it still feels like I just got off the airplane. If you live in the MD/DC/VA area....maybe Wendy and I can see you guys....let me know. We leave on Saturday, arrive on Sunday and have until next Saturday. There is a really cool looking shop in Bethesda that I'd really like to try to hit. I just need to talk Winnie into it. :)

Damn, I'm so tired...still

I'm finding it hard to get motivated. I so need to clean up my office....it isn't much of a happy place right now...oy. Egads....it looks like hell in here. I'm still waiting on my two boxes of rejects from Vendor Night. I'm hoping to figure out a way to offer it up for sale at my bottom of the barrel prices. :) Marian, I will work on my pricing...just for you. :) The others may hate you for it, though. I did finish up my Prada Schmada bag last night....I had lcae that was half-sewn to the bag. I'm not sure if I'm going to embellish it much....it has to be the right embellishments....baked good related. :) I'll try to get Clark to snap a photo tonight....if not, Charlotte (house wren studio) was nice enough to post a picture of the back of my bag on her blog today. It's the one with the potato-stamped cupcakes. I must give a shout out to Ms. Amy Powers for the idea of how to go about it....you rock, Amy. I just love all the ladies I met....the best group of artsy-crafty angels you'll ever meet. I don't know what to work on next...I'm dreading finishing anything...liek the spell will be broken once they are all done. I'm thinking of packing some of it to go to MD this weekend.....that way Wendy and I can continue Bella crafting at her house. We had three of the five classes together. I've got all sorts of fragments of ideas in my head for my Etsy shop. I'm hoping to find some treasures in MD as well....if I get a chance. I'll be able to leave the boys with my parents....woohoo. Well, my brain just blanked out on me....I'll be going now. :)

I want to thank the queen of glitter

Teresa Mcfayden totally rocks. Thank you for putting on such an amazing event. I had the most amazing time. I cannot even put into words what it was like right now. I'm still star struck, paint covered (it is not coming out of my nails and I don't care), dog tired, but still so excited. The teachers, the women I got to meet, the ART (not crafts) we got to make (and still need to finish) ....still blows my mind. I am not ashamed to admit I creid in the shower yesterday, because I was so sad it was over. I needed that break in the worst way and never knew it. I'm so brain dead right now...I'll try to write more later and I'll get Clark to take pics of my stuff. I even won two things (I shared with my sister). How totally friggin cool is that?? :)

I leave for Silver Bella tomorrow....

in the wee hours of the morning. :) I've been busting my butt all day trying to get everything together...oy. I did get distracted and decided to create some art....I made some more ATCs. They just need a little extra touch, but I can't find my friggin glue gun. My happy place is a huge mess.....not looking forward to cleaning up this dump when I return. :) I got my swap done....big sigh of relief....the first one ended up as a run through....in other words, I bit it big time. The second one is much nicer. Thank goodness.....the foul language that was coming out of this room was not pretty....ask my sister....we were on the phone at the time. I'm almost done packing....the suitcase I dug out is broken though.....I'll wait and let Clark help me dig out the other one. :) I got my Moo cards in the mail today...I'll try and remember to save a set to show you....they are packed already. Well, dinner needs to cooked. I shut my store down for a little bit...until after the 1st of December. We are going out of town for Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd take a little break. I hope you all have a great weekend....I cannot wait. Excited and nervous.....but the glitter is going to fly and we will all probably be drunk when it does. :)

I've been working on the railroad...

not really.....just ATCs. I decided for sanity's sake (mine) and time that I'd just make extra ATCs for my teacher gifts. I got the jewelry together, made my swap sign (very plain), finished up three vintage chocolate boxes filled to the brim with treats, started my swap project....I ran out of natural sunlight (I prefer to sew in it), made a price sign for my table for items not individually marked, and finished re-filling the crack bottles. I had quite a productive day.....now I'm going to take the evening off and watch Chuck. Just two more days til I fly......eek....what to wear?

Good weekend

I got to go to two thrift stores, one antique mall, and an estate sale this weekend....woohoo. I didn't find much at either thrift store, but I did find some treasures at the antique place. I found some things at the estate sale today as well. Vintage stationery....Xmas themed. I scooped up the whole bunch.....I hope the guy behind me didn't want any. :) I got a package from my parents.....coupons and other fun things. I've started gathering supplies in one place....I had to get two things today.....black staz-on stamp pad and a potato. I finally got copies of the two new Stampington magazines...Winter Artful Blogger and Where Women Create....B&N didn't have either the other day and wasn't planning on getting WWC in at all. Thank you, Michael's. Let's see what else have I done that I can bore you to tears with.....I got about half the crack bottles fixed. :) Don't worry, Alisa....I'll save you some crack....it might not be the color you want...just teasing...I'll hold a whole set of 28 under the table until you get to me. Oh, I bought some treats to share in my classes today at the commissary......every year CONUS commissaries get international foods in for Xmas time.....so those of us that are homesick for a country we've lived in can get our fix. I'm bringing some European cookies and gummi candies. Well, I need to go work on dinner and SB projects. Just a few more days......so excited.

She lives and loves UPS

We just got back form the UPS store here on post...I am so glad they have one in the PX. The PX is a short ride form the house....woohoo. I was bad and used their "pack and ship" thing...they packed my boxes.....I just couldn't...my eyes are just so tired. Clark get off early today and he helped me bring it all in. It almost looked like I raided some old relative's house....see if you can imagine my table now. :) I got the last display piece in the mail today and did a quick run-through on the bed...no picture..no time. There are still things to price, but I'll do those Thursday night at the hotel. It involves price tags, safety pins and a brain....I figured I shouldn't hurt myself. i have to take my crafter's crack on the plane with me...on the ride over I realized some of the sequins had settled (a little too much and I'd look like a cheap bitch trying to sell bottles that aren't full)....so back home with me they are.....woohoo, shoving tiny ass sequins into tiny ass jars....my weekend is going to rock! I picked out what jewelry I'm going to bring and that will come on the plane as well....I was lucky I had the brain power to pick out pieces. I've got 10 ATCs (actually 12...making one for Wendy and one for myself), one swap project, six teacher/hostess boxes, 7 swap boxes for my participants, sign for my swap, assorted price tags to put on containers of like items and I think that is it....well, gathering and packling clothes and supplies. Clark was a sweetheart and helped me last night....he stamped 125 bags on both sides with my new stamp and painted stripes on six lids and six round containers for me. The stripes on the boxes were perfect...it was that little extra something that I was lacking. I like how my table looks....happy, happy, happy. We get to go to Opelika tomorrow.....spending/vending cash for SB....the bank is 30 miles away....that is okay....there are two thrift shops and an antique mall on the way. Who knows....maybe I can talk Clark into stopping by...I might find something else for SB or the shop.....that would kick ass. Well, the boys will be home soon and I need a break. Have a great weekend and all you Sb procrastinators....I hear your call and I'll respond later. :)

I hate being sick

I actually had to call Clark at work yesterday and ask him to come home.....I had thrown up four times by that point. I slept most of the day...I never sleep that much. I was so dehydrated this morning that I think my kidneys hated me. I've been sucking down a glass of water an hour all morning. I need to drink this hour's glass. My lower back area no longer hurts, but I'm still feeling a tad yucky. Clark called me "Typhoid Mary" yesterday afternoon when I stole a bite of his brownie....I got the last laugh....dumbass is sick today. :) I was making such good progress on SB and now I've lost more time. Argh. I'm hoping to get a little done today after I get Billy to school. It's mostly pricing and attaching said price tags to items. My head just hurts and I know that will make it hurt even more. Oh well....off to drink more water....woohoo. Happy Birthday, to my Jr...today is his birthday...13...he's a teenager....blah. He was supposed to stay little forever.

Crafter's crack and birthday dinner

The birthday dinner for the boys was nice. The Steak N' Shake was really neat......kind of like a low key Johnny Rockets...which was one of their favorite places to eat in Birmingham. Billy got his fill of french fries, then decided to fill up on my fries and shake (even though he had his own little shake). I got a turkey club, Jr got a bacon cheeseburger and cheese fries, and Clark got the double Steakburger platter. The food was good and no one minded that Billy stood in the booth the whole time. :) I got some SB stuff done before we headed out yesterday...Clark accused me of running a crafter's crack den from my office. :) I was filling little bottles with vintage French and Belgian sequins.....28 different colors. He asked if I had any dime bags as well. Smart ass. I'll show him....I do have some other vintage sequins and such to put in little bags. I make have to mark my price sign at SB....Crafter's Crack $3.00/bottle. :) I finished up all the "cotton candies" last night....I made 35 sets of six (but I will let the ladies pick which six they want...not unlike the tiny candy jars they can fill with loose vintage beads). I've got some cool German sandwich/pastry bags for the candies. I bought them years ago (when we were stationed in Augsburg) I thought they'd come in handy at bake sales. I've still got tons....I've used them for multitudes of goody bags and for tag kit bags. They are just plain white, but I like them. My to do list is dwindling......I love that. I've hit my groove and I am having fun with it all now. It turns out that my bed is almost as long as my table will be.....so I did a run through on my bed the other day. I'll do another one when the boys are in school this week. I've just got jewelry and textile/fun things to price (and a few more Xmas things...I had to stop and make more tags). I'm working on little kits to sell.....they are in vintage chocolate boxes from England. I know what I'm going to do for my ATCs for class and have an idea of what sweet treat I'm going to make.....I had to dig out my felt. I've got to assemble goodies for my swap particpants and I figured out what to give my teachers. A lot of the gals are making art for them....I'm going with what I know best...supplies. I got the neatest Xmas goody boxes from Martha's Xmas line at Michaels...it has four compartments in the box....nifty. I can stuff all sorts of fun things in there...woohoo. Don't worry I don't just have SB on the brain...I started some neat, little crafting kits for the store.....there will only be ten of those.....I only had ten of one thing I wanted to use....limited edition. :) I've got a Cinderella kit that is photographed....I just need to figure out shipping cost and find a box to ship it in. Well. back to the grindstone....see how much I can get done before "The Amazing Race".

It's my Monkey Baby's birthday

He's four today!!! Happy, happy. He's had a pretty good morning so far. He gets to go out and about later, so that will be even better. Silver Bella preperations are going well....I've been making up for lost time. I'm hoping to wrap it all up in the next few days, so that I can concentrate on some arts & crafts I need to complete. Well, I need to hit the shower....I've got Etsy packages to mail and time to spend with my birthday boys (Jr's birthday is Wednesday...so we are going out for both of their birthdays tonight). Yes, Jr has to wait til Wednesday for his presents. Have a great weekend!