Home Sweet Home

As with every show, there is always a good story.  This one was no exception.  About an hour into the show a parking space opened up right in front of the tent.  A perfect space for a potential customer I thought.  About that time, an old truck with a make-shift camper wheels in.  The man hops out with some dirty clothes and goes into the laundry mat next door. He was gone for a bit, I presume he started a load, and when he came back out he lifted the sides of the camper up (looking much like a concession stand).  As we stared with curiosity, we witnessed the back doors fling open and a piano revealed.  He promptly climbed in and began playing (Mikelle identified it as Ragtime music).  At first it was pretty neat, 5 hours later we were wishing we had some eggs for throwing.

Just when it seemed as though he was wrapping it up, an audience gathered.  Shortly after the shot above was taken, the girl on the right began a solo (Mikelle identified as the Charleston) that seemed never ending.



  Other than the piano man, I couldn't have asked for a better day.  I had a great help (the husband & Mikelle), lots of visitors (including my precious nephews), great customers, and BEAUTIFUL weather.  The biggest event of the day was bidding farewell to "The Pear".  It's been a staple with me at all the shows, but I was happy to send it home with it's new owner because she absolutely adored it.

Thanks for coming out everyone!!!

Mark your Calendars!

The

2^nd Annual

5points Artfest.......

is this weekend!  It's from 2-7 in, you guessed it, Five points.  This is my first solo show (my partner is now a proud home owner & will be moving in this weekend).  What softens that blow is that I'll be in my home town.  Not only the town I love, but my favorite part of town.  There is a good reason why this is the most expensive real estate in Athens........
 .... beautiful old homes

  You could feasibly never have to get in a car.... everything you need is within walking distance.
 And, the memories.... I'm one of the Athenians that came here for college & just couldn't leave.  There are a lot of us.... even if you didn't stay after college, this is a place that you're always happy to come back to & reminisce on the good 'ol days.  Prior to being a homeowner, I always lived in 5 points rentals, so I take sutto- ownership of the area.  I'll be happy to hang out there on Saturday (and I hear there is a great new pub housed in the old Mean Bean).

(all images are from Google)

Defining Success.

The sermon at church Sunday was about having an agenda.  The gist of it was how we (people) so often say "when this happens (fill in the blank) I'll be happy".   Upon examining what's important in our life... we know that's not right, it's simply not what God intended for us.  BUT, it's so easy to completely forget that.  To ignore it, really.  It's the way our society operates.

Ouch.  The whole reason I was even sitting in church was because we ditched the Marrietta festival a day early.  The festival wasn't exactly what one would define as successful.  Sales weren't great and the storms were tremendous (of course).  At one point our tent became dangerously close to functioning as a box kite and we were ankle deep in water.  I think we can really empathize with how Ginger (Wendy) and Mary Anne (me) must have felt on the S.S. Minow.

This might sound dreadful (also comical, I'm sure), but if that were truly the case.... then why am I in such a great mood as I type this?  Why would it be possible for me to have had a GREAT weekend... a memorably fun weekend?  My heart swells with joy as I reminisce.  We had such a good time, laughed more hours than not, so enjoyed the historic Marrietta Square, met wonderfully interesting people, and became life long fans of Johnnie MacCrackern's.  

Here's my point: this artist is having a great journey.  As cliche' as it may sound...life is good.  If success where measured by happiness...... I'd be a millionaire.    

"Deep thoughts by Lauren" would be boring without pictures, so here are a few highlights:

Bringin' in May with a Bang!

It doesn't make much sense that I live in Georgia since I don't like the heat.  I didn't exactly welcome last week's early heat wave with open arms.  BUT, this week is really making up for it... the weather is amazing & much more suitable for April.   With that being said, I'm going to rejoice in the high chance of rain this coming weekend... it's forecasted to bring a little cool spell with it.  I'll keep reminding myself of that while sitting under a tent selling art this weekend: 

May-retta Daze is an annual, two day Arts and Crafts festival held the first weekend in May. The festival draws artists and craftspeople from many southern states, as well as local Georgia artists. In addition to a wide variety of arts and crafts items, the festival also includes children's activities and free entertainment on the stage.

In all honesty, Wendy & I don't know how to do a festival without a little inclement weather.  We just don't have any experience in that!  This will be the closest festival we've done, so we'd love for you to come visit if you're out & about this weekend.  The festival is located in the historic Marietta square on Saturday & Sunday.

I'm also not mad at the rain because it will help all of my new plants to:

  I'm enjoying watching my beloved hostas curl out of the earth and grow.

I'm cheering on my new confederate jasmine as it grows and hopefully starts wrapping around the porch railing soon.  I can hardly wait to smell its sweet fragrance as it's yellow blossoms grow.

 

I've already been thrilled at how fast my vibrant petunias have grown.  I'm no longer anti-annuals.... they are so resilient & deliver so much through the summer that they really earn the right to only live one season.

While I'm away this weekend would be the perfect opportunity for Trent to plant my wildflower seeds.  Or even just get the ground ready.  They're ready to get out of the package and GROW!

At what point are you no longer a rookie?

Wendy's 'Sad Fish'

Two festivals down.  I'm happy to report that the St. Simons experience was much more enjoyable than Forsyth.  The weather was gorgeous (until Sunday afternoon), the location was amazing (a block from the ocean & under old oak trees draped with spanish moss), and there was no one selling leather belts or corn dogs.  We were able to set up on Friday at a leisurely pace, which was a huge blessing, and do the set up we originally planned to do in Forsyth.  

True to our last experience, we made fast friends with fellow crafters.  "Lil' Wayne" (the name we gifted him with) explained the importance of weights when by the ocean.  He was so kind to let us borrow his while we went & rounded up our own.  The couple next to us (who claimed to cast their jewelry, but I'd be willing to bet they order it straight from China), suggested that we open the booth on two sides so customers could walk through.  That was a really nice touch.  "Soul Shine" (name gifted) provided us with LOTS of company....we're pretty sure he was heavy in the libations most of the time.  There were many more colorful characters not mentioned here, but it was very interesting to see just how different two festivals can be.  

The weather was a bit wishy-washy Sunday, but not too bad.  We did end up having to close shop a bit early when a tornado warning was issued and lightening was cracking all around, but not big deal.  We are now completely prepared for rain & wind.  Our next show is in May...we won't be surprised if there is some sort of crazy weather or a natural disaster.  If we don't continue to do festivals we're going to have one heck of a tailgate setup for football season.  

I must say, my favorite part of the weekend was getting to hang out with Wendy at my favorite place in the world.  We managed to eat 24 servings of cheese dip (no kidding) while enjoying the amazing view from the condo (that the Blackmons graciously allowed us to stay at).

Side note: my Sweet Georgia Peach is now available! 

Gettin' back on the horse.

Not to be deterred by the inclement weather we encountered at our first festival, Wendy & I are tackling another this weekend.  This one is on St. Simons Island, so we are taking solace in the fact that it will it least be above 55 degrees if we get rained on there.

A great way to get our feet wet- literally.

 Before I get started on this detailed account of our first festival, I need to preface.... the festival was a great learning experience, great fun, and allowed me an entire weekend with one of my favorite people on the planet.  BUT...the truth of the matter is..... it rained the entire weekend.  Not only was it rainy, but it was extremely cold.  I don't know about you, but an outdoor festival isn't exactly the first thing on my mind under those conditions.  

Even though the forecast predicted gloom & doom, I packed the wagon to the gills & hit the road Friday with a positive attitude (thanks to the husband's pep talk).  Wendy met me at my parent's house for a trial run.  We had never put our work together, had to figure out how we wanted our tables, and had a new tent to put up.  The run went smoothly & we felt pretty good about things.  Wendy ordered our tent a good while back & wanted to order side walls.  I ensured her that they weren't necessary.  And they wouldn't be on a lovely spring day.  After we did the breakdown we hit the store for 7 plastic shower curtains, a ball of twine, sandbags, large garbage bags, and lots of snacks.    

Saturday morning we headed to Forsyth right before 6 am.  The 'real setup' took a bit longer than the trail because of the shower curtain rig, but by opening time the place was looking pretty good.  Though more people than I actually expected, there was by no means a crowd.  We made a few sales here & there, but the folks in camo & the teenagers with those oddly tight pants & big shoes didn't seem too interested in what we had to offer.  The Lions club next door sold the heck out of their boiled p-nuts & the guy who made leather belts across from us was surely the top seller.  It seemed as though he was stamping people's names into their new purchases nonstop.  As some point during the day he managed to get a break long enough to suggest that we apply for some home & garden shows.  He said that tons of ladies go to them & love to buy things like handmade candles.  His next line, verbatim, was "these rednecks don't know what your stuff is.  Hell, I don't know what it is".  We got a good laugh out of that & enjoyed meeting all of our neighbors.  We got lots of great tips from them & I was simply intrigued by their lifestyles.  Most of them hit the craft circuit for a living.  They travel to festivals every weekend & make their crafts during the weeks.  The ones around us had been doing this for 20-30 YEARS.  Someone needs to make a reality show about this... its a really odd subculture that I had no idea existed.  When my grandpa was alive he often referred to 'carnies' and this would be my closest encounter to that.  Don't get me wrong, these people were GREAT.  I almost wish we had an RV just so we could hang out with them at night.  

The festival closed down after a few hours today.  The rain just never let up & no one came out.  By the time we got everything loaded up there wasn't a single stitch of our clothes that was dry.  I'm happy to now be dry & armed with experience for our next venture.  We're heading to St. Simons Island the first weekend in April... I can't wait to see what it has in store for us.

(the booth looks a lot cuter in person than it photographs)


All smiles... even though we were soaked to the bone.

Under Pressure...

The title is meant to be sung ('Under Pressure'.... you know, David Bowie). Meaning, I'm not stressed... just really busy. I'm enjoying what I'm doing. I've never really thought of myself as one to work well under pressure, but I guess I am where festival prep is concerned. I'm a one man assembly line. Every possible surface in my house is covered. Music is loud, coffee is strong, and the phone is being ignored.

Though busy, I'm still taking breaks to count my blessing & enjoy the beautiful taste of spring in my yard......

And admire the works of the talented artist that inspire & motivate me. I'd like to spend a day with Patience Brewster (another artist Mot introduced me to). This illustration says it all (and is probably how I'll feel by Monday):

Busy Bee

Wendy & I cordially invite you to join us at the Forsythia Festival in Forsyth, GA this coming weekend! We're excited to be participating in our very first festival together. This week we are busy producing our last pieces, organizing inventory, and figuring out the business end of things.

Speaking of bees... my mom bought me the most wonderful book for my birthday by Mary Woodin. 'The Painted Garden' is an artist's documentation of a year in her English garden. Her illustrations are truly inspiring. I'm particularly taken with her watercolor bees. I haven't been able to find any pictures of them online, so you'll just have to buy the book!

Meet Lorrinda...

Aka Wendy. Not only is she one of my best friends, but the girl has many hidden talents. Basically out of no where, she started painting beautiful brightly colored canvases. With her prompting, we began applying for spring markets and festivals. We've been accepted to 2, so mark your calendars! We'll be at the Forsythia Festival March 14-15 and the SSI Spring Festival April 4-5. (btw... don't forget to vote for my handmade valentines!).