Which way am I going?

I swear I have been a glutton for punishment lately & then throw in some additional things that were unexpected & you might say I'm headed for a nervous breakdown. LOL!! Just kiddin - I think?

It has been really crazy buzy for me lately & I think I'm going to lose it any minute, but I've managed to muddle through with pretty good success, if I do say so myself. I'm not done yet, so the rest remains to be seen, but I can breather for a moment today, although it will might be just a short breath.

We went on a 3 day camping trip on the first weekend of Oct. to mid/southern Indiana for the Covered Bridge Festival near the Turkey Run State Park location. We didn't camp there, but instead stayed in the Shades State Park. It was our fist time there, but really enjoyed it. We checked out a few new places to us for the Covered Bridge Festival (CBF) & found some really great flea markets for future trips. We also checked out a couple of the old stand-by's because we love them so much. We headed to a tiny town called Veedersburg & spent most of the day at that flea market. Got some great finds & deals! I bought some Persimmon pulp in hopes of making some Persimmon cookies or some other baked good with it. I had a persimmon "cake" a few years ago that was sooooo yummy & then I bought some Amish persimmon cookies this year & they were delicious too! I should have gone back & got her recipe, but I'm gonna have to wing it now.

then we went a little further south of Veedersburg to another tiny local called Steam Corners. This was a good sized flea market that we did not manage to get all the way through, but will hit again in the future.

Of course, you can't go to the CBF without hitting the town of Mansfield. OMG! This place is huge & totally packed! The guy that has the biggest lot with the cheapest parking fee ($3) has to be making his millions during that festival alone. Wow!! It was the perfect week for this festival the entire time, so there had to be millions of people coming. The weather was gorgeous, the leaves were turning & it was just so picturesque! We had an amazing time!

Then, upon our return home, my DH decides that if we're going to do a hayride for our DD's birthday party, we should have it the very next weekend! That wouldn't be too bad, BUT I promised Brooke that I would make her party invitations & she had chose the cut of Ariel on one of my Cricut cartridges. So now, I have to pump out 12 detailed invitations & try to figure out how to get them passed out to her friends & a few children I don't know their parents to even call & give a heads up to. Well, her teacher somewhat begrudgingly (it's against school policy) handed out the invitations & we ended up having a great turnout & another perfect day for an outdoor party! The kids had a blast just playing in the leaves & just running around after the hayride, which was a hit too! I guess the worst part of the whole thing was the wasted $20 cake that the kids barely ate, even after they were all fighting over who was going to have a piece with frosting flowers on it. Kids...whatever. It didn't bother me as much as it did my husband. He really hates waste. I don't care for it either, but it was this one time.

Well, now I'm onto getting ready for our next camping trip & parent teacher conferences were tonight. So far, my little kiddo is doing exceptionally well, not quite as sure about the big kiddo that is officially a legal adult as of Sunday, the 17th. When did THAT happen???

God Bless & have a great day!

So busy!!!

It is getting to be my very busy time of the year & it's not even Christmas yet!! October is such a crazy month for me. First, we are cleaning out the garage of all the remaining garage sale stuff. Done. Next, we are planning on going camping, so we have to get everything ready for that. Started. Then, DH thinks I should do our daughter's birthday party for the weekend of the 16th. What? Ummm....ok. Then, we're going camping again. Fun! Then, there's Halloween. More fun! After that, I have one craft show & then another the next week. I am not even close to being ready for 2 shows. I have so much stuff laying around waiting to be worked on, it's not even funny.

Here's the scenario as it will unfold....my husband will expect me to work on the things that HE feels are the priorities now. Then, when it comes to crunch time for my shows, he'll be saying stuff like, why weren't you working on this stuff a few weeks ago? WHAT??!! Gee dear....you thought other things were MY priority first.

Oh, and I can't forget that it's getting to be crunch time for helping my son fill out all those college applications & all that good stuff. He had a college fair the other night, so there was more time lost. Not wasted IF my son gets into where he wants to go cheaper than what it actually costs & he actually becomes a Dr. in Physical Therapy. I never thought I might be able to say I'm the mother of a doctor! Any who... I'm getting sidetracked.

Now mind you, I HAVE been working on stuff for these shows since the beginning of the year in Jan. Then, one show was in question of even happening & then it was officially canceled only to be officially on again a month later. Oh, Heaven help me!

So, in between all the other stuff that's been going on, I've been forcing myself to still fit in time to get my stuff ready. I don't make the progress I wish I was, due to design issues or creative block that results in wasted product. Did I mention that that really irritates me?

I have really gotten quite a bit accomplished, just not in the manner I wish I was. Take hand sanitizer & soap bottles, for instance. I have tons of these waiting to be decorated, but I only have one of each made. How do you go to a show & only show up with one hand sanitizer bottle & one soap dispenser bottle? Sell them as one of a kind? Hmmm...I don't think that works for stuff like that, do you? No. It doesn't.

So anyway, in case you're looking for craft show inspiration to use, here may be a few ideas. I just hope you're NOT doing the same shows I am.

Home Decor style Plate



















Winter/Christmas Decor Plate




















Baby wipe containers, still working on the tractor one tho.



















I have other things that I've finished for the sale, but those items are top secret, because I feel that they're very unique & I do not want to risk any competition for those sales. I had something last year that I made the mistake of posting online once & sure enough, someone else at the show made something so very close (almost identical) you know they had to copy it thinking they'd be the only one at that show, but ah, that was not the case. So, when it comes to something that I think is a hot seller, I wait to post any pictures until it's all over. Other stuff, doesn't bother me as much, maybe. It's tough enough to make someone want to spend their money at these shows during tough times, so you have to be EXTRA creative & cheaper than the rest if you want them to spend their hard earned money at your booth.

So here's keeping my fingers crossed that I get all my stuff done when it needs to get done!

God Bless & have a great day!