Report from The Flea

I knew it was going to be a good weekend but hoped it was also a sign of success when the Holiday Inn ran short of rooms and had to put me in their best room! Top floor suite with living room, bar, big screen t.v., balcony, hallway, big bathroom...

...king size bed with another big screen t.v. At first I thought, "Should I just bag the show and spend the weekend lounging in this room?". Of course I'm just responsible and reasonable enough to just fantasize about it. I got my butt back in the truck and drove my stuff over to the show and unloaded and set up. I did spend more time in my room than I ever have, no partying over the weekend-only relaxing when possible.

Here's my stuff. Since I was last minute in signing up I was lucky to get in and in our usual isle. Several booths down but in the hood. It was like old home week. It had been about a year since I did my last show (alone then too, I remembered) and seeing everyone was lots of fun. As Paul Wolfgang would say, it's like carny folk or jail mates, unusual but close friendships that would be unlikely to occur under "normal" circumstances. It's what makes them particularly special. Plus friends who come as buyers who I know from blogging, ect. who are fun to see any time but this is where we happen to run into each other.

I thought I took lots of stuff but I forgot how many folks have their booths jammed and stacked but I felt good by being manageable.

My primary motivators were "adopted" Saturday morning-yaaaaaaahooooooooooo! It was all a downhill ride from there. I sold the set of lockers and the very heavy but beautiful Victorian sofa I had rescued on a whim from going over the wall at the dump. A guy was going to dump it and I couldn't stand it. I had it recovered and the beautiful wood with hand carving refinished and then...umm...had no where to put it. It needed a formal living room which I don't have. It was at Nene's for a while staging their home for sale but, fortunately for them, the house sold right away but the sofa had to go live in the garage again. It was a win-win-win deal; the woman who bought it loves it and got a GREAT deal and I got the money out of it that I'd put into it and a beautiful historical piece of furniture was saved. Whew!

As I said, I liked my set up being manageable; I needed the money but I didn't want to kill myself getting the merchandise there-it was just enough. There have been times where I/we felt overwhelmed with merchandise and the customers seemed to also.

I had several of my new genre of necklaces I've assembled and sold out...another yippee! Even the mannequin went bye-bye when it was no longer needed. Saturday was like the good old days with the isles full most of the day but Sunday was pretty snoozy. By then I was so tired I spent very little time in my booth as I was afraid I'd fall asleep if I sat too long. Still I made enough sales to feel responsible and in real need of the dough-reality. After I'd sold several small pieces I asked friends, Paul and Julie if I could borrow their pretty little black wood table with two shelves and sweet spindles and they said yes. By the time I got back to my booth there were Paul and Ron, below, rolling a cart with Linda's (Linda sitting) naugahyte bar and stools towards my booth instead of the cute table. At first I wanted to take their faces off then I pop some flowers and other things on it, Ron gave the "bar lean", Linda took a seat, I took a photo, and I was in love. It's so not me that I thought it was perfect and fun. And below is me, at least the part that shopped. I'll give you the most special part which is what I brought that was mine...my dad's nail belt from...as you can see...

CHECK OUT the pin that was hiding at the booth DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM MINE. OMG, I will be attaching it to my grandmother's pearl necklace in solidarity to both my grandparents and A&M. And below, at the same booth, there was a button that seemed to speak to me...still trying to figure out what the appeal is...hardy, har, har.

I told the promoter, Joan, that I'd never seen the building look better. I'd never seen so many beautiful booths in one place. I was really tired after setting up Friday night but I couldn't resist, for the first time in years, to walk up and down every isle of that huge building with jaw slack. There were many photos I made a mental note of taking the next morning since I'd forgotten my camera in the room. Above, friends, Betty and Ron's, fun booth.

I was so anal about the alarm Friday night, like the Jean Paul episode of Seinfield, but something happened to the radio station because the alarm had gone off but with so little sound it didn't wake me. Thank goodness for Julie calling and waking me an hour after I had intended to get up but in time to walk in right before opening. Soooooooooooo, I got a lot fewer photos than I had planned but still a few. It probably saved me some money that way too, I couldn't shop since I was alone and had to stay in my booth most of the time, getting friends to help me with breaks.

Above and below, some sweetie friends' booth, one of the more fab and swanky...candy for adults only!

Below, two photos of a lovely booth belonging to a lovely couple. I could have just moved in. The large framed piece below is a western themed NEEDLEPOINT in a beautiful wood frame...drool...thank goodness it was $700...a non-brainer.

And more fun stuff...

...this assemblage was called "Mary and Baby Jesus", it was unbelievable and I wish I could have gotten more details but it would have to be its own post.

I got to meet Ted who makes these robots that I've been seeing in a lot of magazines lately. He's gotten pretty darn popular with good reason, these are so wonderful and, of course, unique.

I know you won't want to miss it next time!!!!