My First Market Day!

     I did it! Fun Little Things and I successfully had our first day at a farmer's market.  After all of that waiting and waiting, and slightly obsessive email checking, I got the word last Tuesday that there was a spot for me at the North Park market on Thursday afternoon!!!!

     All of my frantic preparation from the week before really did help out in getting ready for this market.  This is obviously not to say that there was not much more frantic preparation for this market too - up until the minute I arrived to set up.  But it was definitely worth it all!

     Here is my amazing table and set up.  The onesies are all displayed on the custom rack built for me by my amazing husband Kyle!  I texted him a picture I drew (no dimensions included, obviously) and asked "can you build this?" With no questions and no complaints he said of course and got right to work making it happen as soon as he got home from work.  He did eventually make me give him some dimensions and specifications, but I can't complain too much as there is no way I could have done it with out him!

He also convinced me I needed to make some beans bags
to hold it down, which definitely saved the day on a
windy afternoon!

     I appliquéd the shop name on my table cloth out of all of those fabric scraps I have been saving for some very important future use!  The top of the table is covered with bibs.  The baskets are holding my leaf print clutches and swaddling blankets.  My baby shower decorative bunting is strung around the top of my tent and the diaper bags are hanging from a funny little hook purchased for 3 dollars at goodwill by my incredible assistant!

Incredible assistant!

     Shelly was definitely an incredible assistant last week.  She volunteered to come help me set up, sell and clean up (1:15 - 7:30 - that is a good friend!).  She also saved the day after a frantic "Do you have brown thread?" text sent about an hour before set up began while I was at the bank getting cash for change, determined to finish one more swaddling blanket before heading to the market.  Rushed right over, brought the thread and even helped me load the car.

     Although long and exhausting, the market went great!  Okay, so I may have needed a little help from the nice market manager in setting up my tent (despite having practiced one whole time in my back yard the day before) and the wind really did try to take down the onesie rack (but thanks to the incredible assistant again and the rope she brought with her, a definite crisis was averted).  My market neighbors were all very friendly and welcoming.  They also make and sell great things worth checking out while you are there visiting me.  The girl selling necklaces can get seriously chatty though, so be ready!

     Throughout the day I made some sales, chatted with a lot of nice people, handed out almost all the business cards I brought with me, had some delicious samosas and lemonade and bought beautiful veggies from 2 of my favorite farms.

     Most importantly, I really started to believe that I can actually make this adventure work as a new life plan.  I can't wait to go back to the market this week and keep chatting, shmoozing and making sales!