MSU Craft Show Spring 2009

I took some pics of my booth at the Michigan State University Spring Arts and Craft Fair that was on May 16-17, 2009

This is a pic of my booth - in the background is the MSU Union.

This pic shows some of my bibs and flannel rag edge quilts.

This pic is of some of the different product selections that I have.





This is my Sock Monkey - people always want to buy him - he is my mascot. Plus he is beat to hell - I got him at the flea market in Hartsville, OH for something like 50 cents. He has no tail - my niece Mikayla ripped it off a few years ago. Also, his poor arm is hanging on by a thread.

The pics below just show how I hold down my tent when the mighty wind gust of Spring try to topple my poor canopy tent!

I spotted one of my quilts while I was out and about this afternoon!

I was at the Meijers off of Riley in Holland. I had just pulled out of my parking place. I pulled by a mini-van. A lady was taking an infant out of the van - I noticed that she had dropped a small receiving blanket. I slowed the car and let her know that. I then started forward, stopped, pulled back - I had spotted a rag edge quilt - or at least I thought I had - that is why I had backed up. I said to the lady - I think that is one of my quilts - she said - it was if I had been at Tulip Time a few weeks earlier. I told her I had - she said that the baby was 2 days old and was about to get her picture taken. I told her thanks and good luck.

I thought that it was really neat that I happened to spot a quilt that I had made. I think that is the 2nd time in over 4 years of selling stuff that I have had that happen.

The first time was at Penney's at the Chapel Hill Mall in Akron, OH (I used to live in the Akron area) - this little guy had a Linus and Snoopy taggie that I had made.

It was just a nifty moment.

Invasion of the Rug Rats

Next week, my two nieces Mikayla age 4 and Vivianna 2 yrs are coming to stay with their Aunt Janice for 4 days.

Their Grandma - my Mom is having surgery on her hand. My sister and her family live with my folks. For a variety of reasons - the kids are coming to stay with Aunt Janice. I have not told my cats yet - please don't tell them. They will be rather upset to have two loud small children running wild through the house.

I am hoping that the weather is nice. We can go visit the Dutch Village here in Holland. Other possible activities are Crazy Bounce, a playground, maybe the beach but the water will be too cold to go in. Hopefully, they can play with the little girl across the street. She is a bit younger but I think she will like to play with Vivi.

We will blow bubbles - one of our favorite past times. Mikayla can chase the birds in my backyard - she loves to chase them - do not know why. Ride their bikes. Draw with chalk on the cement. We can even walk over the the farm and feed the pigs.

I need to find ways to keep them busy and from running up and down my steps. That seems to be hands down the favorite thing to do when they are here. It freaks me out that they do it. Unfortunately Grandma had let them do it when they were all here. Grandma trumps Aunt Janice's house rules when Grandma is around.

Wish me luck! Any suggestions for things to do with them? I welcome any ideas!

Thanks,
Janice

We are not in Kansas anymore Toto

I am going to bitch and bitch I must. It was a miserable weekend. I drove to St. Johns on Friday afternoon - I did not get lost this time - I got miserably lost driving to Vermontville 2 weeks ago. Driving there was fine. My mom and I had decided to set up the booth the night before the show. It was a good thing we did. It is a good thing that I stopped by Lowe's and got those big old dog stakes - the ones that corkscrew down into the ground. Those things saved my poor canopy tent!

It had rained Saturday morning before we got there. I am happy to say that was the only rain of the day and for most of the weekend. It started to rain at the end of the show on Sunday - I LOVE to pack up in the rain - great fun!

The biggest problem was the wind. Just gusting wind - I called it gale force winds but I think that they were a slight bit under what those would be but let's for fun's sake say gale force.

It just sucked since it was windy and pretty cool out the entire weekend. When it is windy and cold people tend to stay home. It was so slow that I let my mom play her Freecell handheld game in the tent. I never let her do that. I also told her to go to the car and take a nap since she was tired. Usually the booth is so crowded that we both are helping out customers - not the case this weekend.

The good thing about the show is that I did sell a few quilts to happy customers. I had a repeat customer for my crayon rolls - they had bought one last weekend in Holland from me and bought another one this weekend.

One of my favorite little guys this weekend was this little boy whose Mommy bought him a camo quilt. She showed it to him and his whole face lit up. I thought he was so cute that I gave him a mini-tag blanket that was made out of green camo fleece. Almost every show I give away a mini-taggie to a special little person. Sometimes they have bought something - a lot of the time they did not. I just like to give them out. One of those spontaneous acts of fun (kindness).

I am in the quilt/blanket making business to make people happy and I receive happiness when I know that one of my quilts or something that I have created with my own two hands makes someone happy.

I have a corny saying - Comforting the world - one blanket at a time.

I myself am a blankie girl - so who better to make blankets for others!

I like this so much better than being an accountant - I will take sitting under a canopy tent in gale force winds than working for a Fortune 50 Automotive company. Hands down anyday of the week!

I am getting a new bed on Thursday. It is my first new one since probably 1991. I like my old bed but the biggest problem is that since I sleep in the middle there is a big dip there. Not a big problem to me but if anyone else were to sleep there it would.

I guess the 2nd thing wrong with the bed is it is the one that I had when I was with my ex. I think the bed has bad karma. It was mine before I met him and it has been something like 9 years since he slept in it. I should have gotten rid of it long ago just for the reason that a horrible human being had slept in my bed.

I guess that I never got rid of it since I really liked it. It was a good mattress - Stearns and Foster.

My new one has a pillow top on it. I got it at a local furniture store that is going out of business. I guess the original price was around $1600 for the set. I got it for $749. I used tax return money to buy it.

I hope that I like it. I have a difficult time sleeping in strange places - even at my parents house. It will be odd to sleep in a new bed tomorrow night.

I am keeping the old one. I currently only have a twin as my guest bed. I will be able to put my old queen into the spare bedroom and guest can sleep on it.

This was probably an extremely boring post but it has been on my mind.

They are suppose to deliver the bed between 9 and 11 am. My luck they will arrive while Regis and Kelly are doing the first 20 minutes of their show. I also want to see Regis with Lil Kim. She is suppose to be on tomorrow morning.

much love

World's Greatest Mom

I really do have the World's Greatest Mom.

She is helping me out with my craft business. She is going to most of the shows with me. We are using her Tahoe to haul around all of the stuff one needs at a craft show - crap loads of totes, a canopy tent, chairs and a bunch of other stuff that you need.

She for the most part puts up with my crap. I get testy/bitchy while setting up or packing up from shows. She is spending her weekends out and about with me going to shows all over hell's half-acre which in this case is the LP of Michigan. (lower peninsula) for those who don't live in the Great Mitten State.

She helps me out with doing the setup and all of the other fun stuff that goes along with doing craft shows.

My Mom - her name is Karen - she is my best friend and the greatest Mom there is. I love her so much.

My ears are bleeding and everyone is wearing wooden shoes

I have a craft business. It is called 2 Crafty Chix. Someday I will explain the name.

This weekend I am a vendor at the Tulip Time Art and Craft Show in Holland Michigan. I currently live in Holland Michigan. Lived here for 2 years.

My booth this weekend is located directly under the only loud speaker in all of Centennial Park. I am only being slightly bitchy when I say that my ears bleed.

I am really digging all of the tulips and half the population of Holland running around in their Dutch outfits. It is really neat and really involved what goes into these outfits. A real source of pride that you can see on their faces. They rock it!

It just really sucked not to be able to talk to customers without shouting at them when the announcements are going on. Or the dance music playing. It was off and on all day.

On the happy side - I was doing dances in my booth and on the sidewalk in front of the booth. I jigged, I did the macarena (sp) - heck I was having a good time. Gotta do something when one's ears are bleeding. I loved the lady who stopped and took my hand and started to dance with me. Very cool. Also the ladies in the booth across from me where dancing and being silly too. I love that!!!

I think tomorrow I will take ear plugs with me. The other option would be to go back there tonight with wire cutters and snip a wire on those speakers. I am not condoning vandalism but my ears are still slightly ringing. Also, bleeding ears is not an attractive thing to have when you are trying to sell baby quilts!!!!

The show does not start until 11 on Sunday. I am happy! I can sleep in and watch most of Sunday Morning on CBS. I love that show. Not sure why but I really love to watch it. Tomorrow is the last time I will get to see it for a few weeks. More 2 day shows the next two weekends.

Time to go do some suduko, brush my teeth and snuggle with my body pillow and dream dreams of dancing wooden shoes!

Much love! Janice