(no subject)
Okay, So I'm total slacker and haven't posted here in months. I'm still reading, but I just haven't had the energy (or anything to report!). So here's an update for you about the Indieana Handicraft Exchange:
The *best* show I've done so far! I had a blast despite an 11 hour show length, commute time and load/in out. I left the house at around 7:30 and stopped at marsh for some coffee, water and a folding chair because our only one is like a recliner and horribly uncomfortable for long periods of time. I hit the road around 8 and made great time to Indy. I took 37, which was a nice change as we're usually on our way to the west side and so take 67. It was a really pretty drive, with wisps of fog burning off as I got closer to Indy.
I found a great parking spot and got loading in and set up with 30 minutes to spare before show start. I enjoyed some provided donuts (from Longs! cake with chocolate frosting! score!) and coffee and then settled in to work on beading Natalie's dress, which I brought along to keep my hands busy and to keep myself relaxed.
I was in the second gallery, which last October had almost no signs and very little traffic. This year there was yet another room as well, really great signage and non-stop traffic all day long. My fellow vendor were very helpful and even sat in so I could take bathroom breaks (T was planning to come and had to have last minute oral surgery earlier this week - she's fine but wasn't up to the drive and the long day after her dental trauma). The doors were left open all day, but as the room was air conditioned (unlike the main gym) I comfortable all day. The only down side was the bass from the outside bands (which played *all* day) sort of seeped inside. It was band most of the time, but it did disturb some of the babies that were being carried around and depending on the band could be a little grating. I popped advil all day and chewed mint gum when the advil wasn't working to prevent headache and keep myself feeling well. They were also hard to talk/hear over so my throat is a bit scratchy, but that's nothing that doesn't happen after a night at the club.
The other wonderful thing the organizer on this show does is provide a meal. Last year we had pizza and there were a few problems with it, but this year were treated to delicious burritos. They were messy and I ended up eating my hunched over to avoid being covered in burrito juice for the rest of the day.
I met lots of really neat folks - some people from Santa Fe, who knew all the professors from my now non-existent college, a group of Senegalese guys who I chatted with about my boss and all the africans I know in bloomington, got lots of compliments and questions about the designs, met some bloggers, a guy who took a pic of my shoes (the fivefingers), some friends from last year, some friends from bloomington (natalie suprised me at the end of the day, and it was lovely!) and some new friends from the internet.
I managed to make 5x my booth fee, which hadn't happened before - part of having a young consumer audience, they don't always have the money to purchase right away, usually 3x is a great show for me, so this was stupendous. And FUN! Did I mention FUN! I will definitely do this show again, though hopefully with a buddy or 3 so I can shop around and enjoy all the other events going on at the same time. I didn't even get to see the third room of people and never made it back to purchase some of things I really liked, Though I did end up trading a tee for 4 dozen cookies from The Hot Cookie out of Caramel, IN. I had an amazingly decadant homemade Whoopie pie, as well as enjoying their St. Louis Specials (a kind of cream cheese sugar cookie). We haven't tried the other 4 or 5 kinds, but they all look amazingly tastey, even the oatmeal raisin ones, which for me are the gremlin of cookies - serviceable but not ideal.
Now it's back to sewing - I have to hem natalie's dress and finish a custom steampunk skirt and enjoy my Taryn. We're planning to make indian food and watch Torchwood! Does anyone know how to make Naan? I think it may be my next culinary adventure.
The *best* show I've done so far! I had a blast despite an 11 hour show length, commute time and load/in out. I left the house at around 7:30 and stopped at marsh for some coffee, water and a folding chair because our only one is like a recliner and horribly uncomfortable for long periods of time. I hit the road around 8 and made great time to Indy. I took 37, which was a nice change as we're usually on our way to the west side and so take 67. It was a really pretty drive, with wisps of fog burning off as I got closer to Indy.
I found a great parking spot and got loading in and set up with 30 minutes to spare before show start. I enjoyed some provided donuts (from Longs! cake with chocolate frosting! score!) and coffee and then settled in to work on beading Natalie's dress, which I brought along to keep my hands busy and to keep myself relaxed.
I was in the second gallery, which last October had almost no signs and very little traffic. This year there was yet another room as well, really great signage and non-stop traffic all day long. My fellow vendor were very helpful and even sat in so I could take bathroom breaks (T was planning to come and had to have last minute oral surgery earlier this week - she's fine but wasn't up to the drive and the long day after her dental trauma). The doors were left open all day, but as the room was air conditioned (unlike the main gym) I comfortable all day. The only down side was the bass from the outside bands (which played *all* day) sort of seeped inside. It was band most of the time, but it did disturb some of the babies that were being carried around and depending on the band could be a little grating. I popped advil all day and chewed mint gum when the advil wasn't working to prevent headache and keep myself feeling well. They were also hard to talk/hear over so my throat is a bit scratchy, but that's nothing that doesn't happen after a night at the club.
The other wonderful thing the organizer on this show does is provide a meal. Last year we had pizza and there were a few problems with it, but this year were treated to delicious burritos. They were messy and I ended up eating my hunched over to avoid being covered in burrito juice for the rest of the day.
I met lots of really neat folks - some people from Santa Fe, who knew all the professors from my now non-existent college, a group of Senegalese guys who I chatted with about my boss and all the africans I know in bloomington, got lots of compliments and questions about the designs, met some bloggers, a guy who took a pic of my shoes (the fivefingers), some friends from last year, some friends from bloomington (natalie suprised me at the end of the day, and it was lovely!) and some new friends from the internet.
I managed to make 5x my booth fee, which hadn't happened before - part of having a young consumer audience, they don't always have the money to purchase right away, usually 3x is a great show for me, so this was stupendous. And FUN! Did I mention FUN! I will definitely do this show again, though hopefully with a buddy or 3 so I can shop around and enjoy all the other events going on at the same time. I didn't even get to see the third room of people and never made it back to purchase some of things I really liked, Though I did end up trading a tee for 4 dozen cookies from The Hot Cookie out of Caramel, IN. I had an amazingly decadant homemade Whoopie pie, as well as enjoying their St. Louis Specials (a kind of cream cheese sugar cookie). We haven't tried the other 4 or 5 kinds, but they all look amazingly tastey, even the oatmeal raisin ones, which for me are the gremlin of cookies - serviceable but not ideal.
Now it's back to sewing - I have to hem natalie's dress and finish a custom steampunk skirt and enjoy my Taryn. We're planning to make indian food and watch Torchwood! Does anyone know how to make Naan? I think it may be my next culinary adventure.