For those who couldn't make it to the show....... .....here is a look at some of the booths I snapped when I got a chance to take a quick run around before the gates opened...... ...and these are the ones that turned out the least blurry! (Whew! So much to see--so little time!)
I was completely overwhelmed by the awesome and wonderful people who stopped by my booth, and the awesome and wonderful new and old friends I was able to visit with. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your kindness and patience.....you are appreciated so much more than I could ever express!
Early morning light = not so great pictures! Everything just sorta got thrown together the best way possible in the short amount of time! We brought 4 truckloads over two days and most of the time was spent driving and unloading..... .....so there just wasn't time for perfection! I have not made it out to see any other booths yet!! Hopefully today I can get some pics of the rest of the show.....all I have seen so far is the path through the woods to the restrooms!
IT'S FINALLY HERE!! Tomorrow the gates open at 8:30 for the BIG show and I have almost finished setting up after 2 long days.......and I have almost survived so far....... ....although I was questioning the survival thing while trying to get in the first day..... ....since I wasn't even close to the gate when I hit this mile long line of dealers also waiting to get in (and the line wasn't moving at all)...... (*above booth pic is of how everything just gets thrown everywhere in the beginning--no matter how much you plan, and plan, and plan to do this in an organized way!)
.....and then seeing my little booth set back in the trees with the lovely sloping slant throughout (I had to wire everything together and then wire it all to the tent--which I hope is still standing when I get there tomorrow!) not to mention muddy ground underfoot (TGF straw!)..... (*this booth pic is of that tricky slant.... and beginning stages of trying to make a stark white tent look interesting!)
....and then having to wait as long to get back out (someone was blocking the road out for a very long time) which was really frustrating......this is the hardest work on the planet for sure!! (and I don't know how I managed to not take out everyone else's booth while negotiating those tight corners!)
I always aspire to be bright-eyed, energized, dressed nice, and ready to rock and roll when the show opens, but reality is more like this: total sleep-deprivation, worn to a frazzle, clothed in 'bag lady' finest (for comfort ya know), and ready for a nap!
So now that all the challenging, yet inevitable, behind-the-scenes show stuff is revealed....
~It's all about the thrill of the hunt and cruisin' backroads searching for rusty gold. Rummaging for cool pieces of antiquity is only part of the adventure. Next comes the challenge of re-purposing into new creations with updated functionality. Favorite finds are architectural iron, wood salvage, industrial, lighting fixtures, automobilia, farm salvage, and old hardware. But the real story, which always transcends the pickin', is about the interesting people and the unique places discovered along the way!~