Medium Sized Blessings

Hi Everyone,

After a full weekend, two shows and three bridal orders and a whole lot of exhaustion, we are trying to get ready for more bridal orders and heading to Indianapolis this coming weekend. See under the heading, way too much to do in a way too short period of time. 

We had a really great Harbor Market in Benton Harbor Michigan on Friday, where we saw a nice crowd of local folk and over 50 vendors that were there to show off their stuff. It has really grown and we are so proud to be associated with this venue. And as promoter Julie Montgomery says, Buy Local. The Harbor Market is every Friday from 11 - 4 and this week there were loads of early summer fruits available and a fresh pasta vendor. This place is just too cool. We will see you all next month, wish it could be sooner.

We headed north towards Allegan for Saturday, busy business day, a great meeting with our website designer. I have finally found an intelligent, non-condescending artist to work with, (more on him later) and then we traveled on to set up at our beloved Allegan show.

Truth be told, we arrived a bit tired from the one day setup and teardown in Benton Harbor and a busy and entertaining morning at our friends, the Gryzbowski home, earlier. 

We laughed and smiled and had such a great visit with all 10 of them and they too were getting ready to leave for set up at Allegan. So we said our farewells and headed off to the fairgrounds.

Shortly after arrival at Allegan, we started unloading, very slowly I might add, when we saw three of the young ladies from the  G family bounding into our booth. General Victoria, she puts orders out to the younger ones, who quickly move to do as dispatched, soon vanished from my sight inside the tent. As I looked around the end of the tent, I spotted this

and then this 

next time I look, I see this

and with a few minutes, our trailer is completely empty. They pitched in, moved items so fast and before we could turn around, we were unloaded. Such a huge blessing!

Ignore the fact this pic is sideways, they were so happy to have helped

Brian and Michelle are raising such great young ladies, self confident, charming, very feminine and each a delight to hold a real conversion with. They just pitch in and never expect anything in return, which makes a form of payment a bit difficult. But this time, I got around that. Ha, Michelle! They deserved so much more.

When we were packing up and keep in mind their family is packing at the same time, when their said duties for pack up was finished at their booth, I would see them running down towards our booth, all smiles and eager to see if they could help. I can not express how grateful we are for all of their help and the laughter they bring us.

I think the pictures are a bit cloudy because they were shot through their little angel wings. Just pure, innocent joy, each and every one of them.

So to Victoria, Sarah Grace, Isabella and Isaiah, who also popped in a couple times to help, you have our undying gratitude and thanks for making things so much better for us. George and I love and cherish each of you more than you will ever know. To Brian and Michelle, thank you for sharing them so freely. They are truly indispensable to us. 

I am still trying to figure out how to smuggle a couple of them home with us the next time we see them.

On the road, still:

July  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage Market,  Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN 

July  14  2013 - North Shore Flea,  428 Green Bay Road, Highwood IL

July 20 - 21 2013 - Michigan Antique and Collectibles Festival, Midland MI

July 28  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

More later,

Suze
the Muze

106 degrees of definite separation

Greetings and Salutations,

After spending entirely too much time recuperating from a nasty bout of strep throat, (hence the 106 degree reference),I am attempting to re-enter the work world tomorrow in Benton Harbor MI at our beloved Harbor Market. 

I may die there.

Just saying, slight chance that has yet to happen but I have felt like that for going on 13 days days. It doesn't help that it so humid and hot outside that you want to die anyway. This will be entertaining to say the least. Stay tuned.

The staff here has been so supportive of my recent illness

You know they sleep for 22 hours a day with no prompting? Oh yea, great encouragement for taking multiple naps a day.

So we will attempt to get up, get dressed and start toodling down the road about 3 AM, hate that hour lost between here and Michigan. Then on to Allegan and a full day Sunday. Two of my dear friends, Becky and Shari will be bringing their handmade jewelry to show with me in our booth so I guarantee a good time will be had by all. I will try to take pictures.

Don't bother looking for me, I will be sound asleep at the ironing board/desk as I will be long over due for a nap by then,

Till then,
Suz
the Muze

Indy MIchigan recap

HI Everyone,

As promised, here are a couple of highlights and wind lights from our recent world tour.

At least that's what it felt like to us.

We started our little adventure heading to Zionsville Indiana for Nikki Winkles, A Vintage Farmhouse, Enchanted Spring Market on that first Friday and Saturday.

When we arrived on Thursday to set up, it was windy and sprinkling. Poor Nikki was a little undone and my best advice to her was, "Breathe, as long as no one is bleeding and nothing is on fire, everything will work out just fine".

I was right. The first day of the show was really good and the people that came out to see us, were so appreciative as everyone brought their A game and there was a ton of lace, pink, vintage everything and lots and lots to look at down each aisle.

We had asked Nikki if we could scoot out a bit earlier than the 4 PM close as we needed to drive over 4 hours and get into Allegan Michigan and get set back up for the second show in three days. Nikki's family had us packed and loaded in record time and we were back on the road.

After a slight mishap, missing car keys in Kokomo IN, thanks honey, we finally pulled into Allegan after 10 PM, just exhausted. Our friends Mark and Christian from Lost and Found, the best shop in Grand Rapids, MI, just saying, had called because we were not in our space and they were worried about us. They hung around and help us set up and close up for the night. Bless their hearts, such good, good friends to have.

Bright and early the next morning after 3.75 hours of sleep, 5 AM, we headed back into Allegan. put our tent back together and had our usual, busier-than-a-one-armed-paper-hanger-day! After closing, we packed up again and headed into Midland for our 8 day, work your backside off, show up set for The Shabby Experience and Industrial Way Pavilion.

By the way, we got to sleep in Monday morning, it was divine.

I don't know if I mentioned last year, but the location of our special tent pavilion is directly inside Gate 3 at Midland to the left. I was told by powers to be that this was the worse location because for 44 years folks had been coming in Gate 3, about 89% of the crowds and they ALWAYS turn to the right to start their show experience.

I changed that in one single show last June, much to everyone's surprize and much relief to me when my idea worked! Whew, what a few tense moments waiting for that crowd to start making their way down our section.

My secret? Give them something unbelievable to see.

Last year was our bed of roses, literally an entire pillow covered in full bloom gorgeous roses, remember this guy?

Well, this year I decide on doing something a bit different and it started like this . . .

Take 16 different chairs and add 16 cans of different colors of Krylon paint and you get . . .

Seriously Blogger, get your act together!

They look so much better right side up.

Then take your drop cloth

Why is this one straight up, argh!

I wanted the design student to use it as a piece of artwork, really!

After they finish drying, take them on a ride to their new home . . .

Four golf carts loaded to the brim, all with these beauties, interesting to say the least.

I will post later and show you how they ended up. Basically cuz I can not find said pictures right this second and the SOB's are probably upside down anyways.

I am so tired and need to rest a bit before we go play at the new North Shore Flea up in Highwood on Sunday. Two shows in one weekend, we are definitely certifiable . . . 

Here's the schedule:

June 9 2013  -  North Shore Flea Market, 428 Green Bay Road, Highwood IL

June 28 2013  -  Harbor Market, 519 south Main Street, Benton Harbor MI

June 30  2013  -  Allegan Antiques Market, Allegan County Fairgrounds, Allegan MI

July  6  2013  -  Indie Arts and Vintage Market,  Glendale Shopping Center Parking Lot, Indianapolis IN 

Night . . .

Suz
the Muze

Update for Michigan

Hi Everyone,

This is a two second post as we are headed out the door AGAIN to Benton Harbor MI for the kick off to the Harbor Market there Friday  from 11-3 at 510 Main Street Benton Harbor MI.

Our trip to Indiana and Michigan was entertaining to say the least and I will leave with this picture to ponder on.

You know you are in huge trouble when you show up to build a show in the middle of nowhere and the local inhabitants are looking at your property to build a new residence because there is SO MUCH water everywhere.

And yes the flipping picture is sideways. I have sent it to myself four times and same results everytime. I give up.

In the background of the picture you might notice tent frames on the ground. This was Tuesday, tents were supposed to be up long before that. I knew I was in deep poo-poo -ka-ka as we were running out of time quickly. 

And it kept raining.

I will post in a day or so to let you know what happened,

Til then, see you in Benton Harbor at the Harbor Market on Friday,

Suz
theMuze