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Life Update: Where in the World Have I Been?

You guys. Every time I have updated on here in the last year, it has started off with, “So it has been forever since I’ve posted…” and I suppose today is no different! In the last year, I have only posted about five times, and the last time was all the way back in January! I have been slacking to say the least. Things around here have been a little crazy and unpredictable, so I thought I might give a little quick recap of the last year or so.

First, if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we are expecting our first baby this fall. So that alone is enough to have me freaking out. I was feeling pretty sick for a while, and just generally not like myself. I’m feeling much better, and I’ve been able to get back into running and not having to slowly eat pretzels in bed before standing up. 🙂 Now all I can think about is the fact that I am totally and completely unprepared for all of this!

Secondly, because of the baby coming this fall, I won’t be able to do any fall shows. For the last two or so years, I have done several shows per season, while working my full time job. I’ll be taking the fall season off, and after that, I’m not too sure what the future holds. Having a baby will definitely make doing shows a much bigger endeavor, so we will have to see how things go. Meanwhile, I have been selling most of my inventory that I’ve had from my booth, so if you’re local to the North Texas area, shoot me an email or IG message and you can come shop my workshop!

Third, since I’m taking a temporary step back from doing shows, I’ve got my etsy shop back up and running. These hymnal pages have always been my top selling item at my shows and events. I’ve listed them on etsy, because I’ll easily be able to work on them from home, even when I’m home with a newborn. These are my absolute favorite things to decorate with, and they are also my go-to baby and wedding shower gift garnish. If you’d like to check out the shop, click here. 

And, lastly, the thing that has me in the biggest slump is our current living situation. Let me give you the most up to date info. So, we’ve lived in our current rental for just under two years. In fact, our lease ends in just a couple weeks. Since early this year, we have been looking to purchase a home. Our first home! So exciting! Well, it was. And then we found out we were pregnant, and it was even more exciting. We started looking and looking, and well, maybe you need a little backstory. The area we live in is rapidly growing. Which means one thing: the housing market is. out. of. control.

There are so many historic homes in our area, and we would absolutely love to purchase an older home that needs work and slowly bring it back to life. But here’s the thing. Houses sell within a few days. The area is growing faster than homes can be built, and so most homes have multiple offers within a few days, driving up the prices. We’ve lost out on a few houses that we’ve had our hopes set on, because the sellers have chosen other offers.

So, what started as an exciting time has quickly become stressful and disappointing as we loom closer and closer to the end of our lease, and the baby’s due date. I can only plan in theory what the nursery is going to look like because I have literally no idea what the room is going to look like. And I’m a planner. So, it has been incredibly hard not to start working on nursery projects.

Knowing that we’re going to be moving “soonish” but not knowing any type of time frame has put me in a creative slump in our current house. All I’ve been doing is purging, organizing, and throwing things out. I haven’t been doing projects or working on decorating certain areas in new ways because I’ve just been viewing it all as temporary. When we do finally move into our new house, I plan on bringing you all along for the ride! Of course, I’ll still be sharing small decorating DIY projects, but for a while, I’ll be focused on large, full scale projects. I’ll finally be able to do things like paint! I have been waiting SO. LONG.

So, all that to say, who knows what may change before the next time we chat. I’ll try to keep you posted. That’s all for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

June 20, 2018 by
Personal

Five Things I’ve Learned Running a Vintage Booth

Hey y’all! I am just coming out of a great weekend, and while it’s fresh on my mind, I wanted to share with you everything! This weekend I had a show with Vintage Market Days, which is my favorite event, both as a shopper and as a vendor. This was my second show with VMD, and I have continued to learn so much now that I have two shows under my booth. I still would consider myself a novice by all means, but I’d love to share the top five things I’ve learned, should you ever consider running a booth yourself!

Style the booth like a room. 

The first thing you want to do is think about your booth as a room. You don’t want to just randomly place furniture around a room in your house and call it a day. You think carefully about walkways, flow, and how you decorate. Think carefully about how to piece things together. I added walls to the back of my booth, a portable faux shiplap backdrop that I could hang things on. This created not only the feeling of being in a defined space, but also gave me vertical space to display things on. That is huge! Your house has walls where you hang things, so should your booth! You may be placed up to a wall, but chances are, you’ll be backed up against another booth or an ugly wall. Put something up so you can make your booth look homey! The shiplap walls were a big hit, and I am so impressed with how Ethan made these!

Think big! (But also small.) I would consider myself to run a redesigned furniture booth. However, not everyone who walks into a market is going to be in the market for (or have money for) a large furniture piece. I don’t know how many times people walked by my booth to admire my farmhouse table but walked away saying but I don’t need a table. People won’t usually spontaneously purchase a large furniture piece, but they will buy something small. Have items at all price points! I had pieces ranging from three to five hundred dollars. Make your items mass appeal. This doesn’t mean you have to offer things that aren’t true to your style, but bring things in that can match anyone’s price point. Even though I have furniture in my booth, I made most of my sales on small items.

Constantly rearrange. 

Things will sell. Even if you have your booth perfectly styled before the market starts, things will sell and leave gaping holes in your booth. You have to be quick on your feet and be able to move things around to constantly make the booth presentable. Another vendor gave me some great advice this weekend and told me not to be afraid to rearrange during the show. It will make shoppers less intimidated to come in and check things out, plus it brings different items to the attention of shoppers if they walk by more than once. Someone may think they’ve seen everything, but when you rearrange, they may notice something they haven’t seen the first time around. They’re much more likely to stop and shop!

Make friends with other vendors! 

Other vendors are a wealth of knowledge. Everyone has different experiences and expertise, and they all have something to offer. And the best part is that if you’re warm and friendly, they’ll be warm and friendly in return! As someone just starting out, this is huge! They are so generous with advice and tips, especially those who have been doing things for a while. You never know who you’re going to be set up next to, so make sure you learn everything you can from those around you!

Be mindful of logistics. 

Lastly, don’t forget about the logistics. Bring canvas dropcloths if you’re on a dirt floor. Bring change for cash buyers. Be prepared for shoppers to pay with card. Bring tools, because something will invariably go wrong. Bring chairs for sitting during the show. Have a plan for load in and load out, whether that means a truck, trailer, or strong muscles. Make a list and check it more than once, because you’ll always forget something.

These are just some of the things I’ve learned, but I feel like I’m way more experienced than I was before! Each show is a learning experience, and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to continue to grow this little side business I have. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and exciting at the same time. Creating the pieces for these shows and seeing my ideas come to life is an indescribable feeling. Have you ever thought about becoming a vendor at a craft fair or antique market? I hope these tips help you out!

Well, that’s all for today friends! Have a fabulous day!

April 4, 2017 by