The DC Big Flea

The Flea, what can I say, it was just better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. What do people want? Actual fleas? Free fleas? It wasn't that bad but it's sooooooooo much work that you really have to sell more than a couple of cheap fleas to break even dollar wise, not sure you can ever make it worth all the work. That's not true-I just don't remember how it feels because it's been a while.

The really good thing about it was that it made me rethink my whole business and where I want to do from here. Suffice to say I'm downsizing and going back to my original idea from eight years ago that I just want to do my art. I do love painting and playing with furniture but, now that I've given up all but the closet space at the shop, I have no outlet for it nor do I wish to.

Carrying the furniture around is what makes all us dealers cranky. Actually it's the carrying back out and packing back into the truck to take home makes us really cranky!

I can't stop making art and playing with small pieces; I might as well check into the local rubber room and start drooling as a career. Art is my sanity-no comment-it just is.

I like it and eventually someone else comes along who "gets" me and I keep agoing. I hope to open a web store before the end of the year and keep my little closet going.

I do enjoy the setting up and rearranging, etc. but I might be able to get that another way...working on ideas.

There was the cutest girl with the cutest booth there. Every single thing was pink-how could you go wrong? You can't! You can check her out at Rustiqua.com

Great stuff.

Of course I scooped up a couple of pink treasures from here, durrrrr! See the pink polka dots on the dresser mirror? OMG!

Long time fave, Stacey Bear, was there. She does the show twice a year and her booth is always a candy store for grown ups. Yum! Snail with sea shell shell, bunny, and beehive pin cushions.

Beehive close up.

Cute booth overview.

Oh, wrap me in ribbon!

I met two new cute girls from Luckett's. Their booth was so great. As soon as I can find/remember their info I shall share.

See, cool booth, ey?

And so much this and that like this cute scooter on the little white bench...

...antique Jack-in-the-box...old and still scary!...

...bottle top purse, Mickey, and sweet girl. Popeye was there too but I didn't get him in this photo. There is so much to see, so many cool things. I may not love the outcome of selling there but I can always call buying something a success. I'll show pics of my bestest purchase soon. Stay tuned...

Pre-Flea shopping

One day before the flea I snuck out on all the boys and went to The Queen's Ink a short way down the road to Savage Mill to make sure I was using all the newest art papers and accessories on the things I was making last minute to take with me.

It's the only true, locally owned, art shop we have here; the rest are the big name places with a lot of the s.o.s. The Queen's Ink always has the latest of the latest. They also have classes there with big names-Tim Holtz, Catherine Moore, etc. along with the latest techniques.

If you are running low on inspiration before you get there your tank will surely get full after your trip. They have the latest, greatest supplies plus lots of artwork to fuel that artistic fire.

These are just a very few examples of what they have for inspiration. No way to show all the fab stuff you can buy to make them or other things that come to mind while there. It's called The Queen's Ink because it started out as mainly a stamp shop. They still have a plethora of totally cool stamps and inks but oh so much more to add to that. Google or MapQuest it...The Queen's Ink, Savage, Maryland-hurry!

Back it up...in between...

So I left out a post which should be between Bermuda and the DCBF. Right after we got home from Bermuda, Cedric (above left) called to see if we could meet them in Williamsburg to go to the swim park. These are The Tanksleys-if you need remembering, they were our next door neighbors and closer than most of our family other than my boys. We love them and they moved back to Georgia last December. If you remember my post, it was like loosing an arm. Anyway, Matt and I had little colds and weren't feeling well so we said we weren't up for meeting that we'd just get well while they were there and be ready for them by the time they got here. Missing us as much as we missed them, they decided they couldn't wait to see us so they blew off Williamsburg and drove straight through landing on our front porch at 3 a.m. So it was the group above minus Uncle Allen (between Matt and Alec) plus Sean (not pictured above but below).

It's a little daunting when they unpack though I love having them here so much that I just box up all my little "perfect house" feelings and set them on a shelf and choose to enjoy and soak in every moment that they are here. Laundry, dishes, bodies, and mostly electronics everywhere.

Matt and Alec, bff's and just like brothers. They should be together full time; definitely two peas in a pod. Pod peas.

Sweet, sweet C.J., here watching the movie of the hour...

...cousin Sean cruising the net...

...Cedric cruising the net...

...Alec and Matt PSPing...even Paul was swinging the controller around on the Wii. Cedric got a great deal on big flat screen t.v. from his cousin so we had to big t.v.s-one with Wii and the other with a loud action movie, 4 laptops, a P.S.P., and everyone a cell phone all in one area of the house. Come bedtime bodies were everywhere. Seriously, you had to be careful where you walked in case someone had moved during the night somewhere or another. I could not live like this for more than a limited amount of days at a time but I loved every minute for four days. They are better than family or visitors because they come and go as they please, I cooked one evening meal-eat it or not, no expectations from each other except to enjoy each other as much as possible. There our arm went down the road again and it's been too quiet and boring since. The only things that started to make me antsy was the flea coming up, that was the only bad timing-I had to start thinking about getting it together for that. And even then, on the day I felt I had to get down on the floor and put together some new things for the flea, Andre' and C.J. spent hours on the floor with me talking about life, love, love lives, and anything and everything else. Don't get me wrong, we did go outside. Lots of time at the pool, movies in theaters and a trip to Andrews Air Force Base-that was exciting, I hadn't thought about it before we left but then it hit me at the entry about who flies in and out of there-wow, it's just a neat feeling to be where that action is. Plus the PX, my first trip to one. I don't know what PX stands for but it should be G&C, Good and Cheap. Loved it! One of these days I hope we'll end up living a little closer to each other again...maybe in Texas...