The big St. Louis show is this weekend and I’ve been getting everything together over the past couple of weeks. Stacey and I have been working in the studio since July getting inventory made and I feel pretty good about that. The past few weekends Steve and I have taken time to get the display out of storage, price all the inventory and put together office supplies. I have several piles around the house but everything feels organized. Today I picked up the credit card machine and some cash at the bank, finished all the pieces still on my workbench and ordered more display pieces to be delivered on Thursday. I still have a few things on my list, but I think it’s all coming together.
Still, doing a show out of town is nerve-racking. Not only is this an outdoor show, but I won’t have the luxury of popping home if I forgot something. Plus, I don’t have any extra help except for Steve. The Best of Missouri Market at the Botanical Gardens is a big show with around 27,000 people expected to attend. I have no idea if I have enough product, or even the right product, but I worked my butt off getting stuff made so I’m hoping for the best. The vendors are all under four huge tents in the parking lot. The good news is that I didn’t have to secure a tent and being on asphalt means the ground should be fairly stable. The bad news is that it’s still outside which means we’re hoping for good weather. We’ve tried to plan for most problems – uneven ground, cold weather, etc. – but it’s impossible to predict everything. I’m just going in with the attitude that I’ve done all I can and I’ll figure out how to deal with problems should they arise. If all else fails, I’ll just start drinking (kidding).
While I’m not a fan of traveling, I do like planning the trip. I like thinking of the shopping we’ll do and the places we’ll eat. Traveling with Steve is always nice because he not only likes to travel, but takes care of the details I don’t like (driving, for instance). I’ve been saving my November issues of my magazines for the past two weeks just so I have something new to read in the car. I guess the main reason I don’t like traveling is the inconvenience. I like having my entire wardrobe available should the weather (or my mind) change. I like sleeping in my own bed. I don’t like paying for a hotel or for breakfast or lunch. I do like the adventure, shopping, eating a nice dinner out and the fact that no one knows me in the town I’m visiting. I feel like I can let down my hair and relax.
Another reason I like to travel can be summed up in two words: travel size. I love the travel size aisle at Target! It was all I could do today not to spend a fortune on tiny tubes and bottles of lotion, face scrub, toothpaste and mouthwash. I had to remind myself that I really didn’t need any of those items, but they sure were fun to look at. Ok, I did break down and got Steve and I each our own toothpaste and a couple of bottles of hand sanitizer, but those were necessary.
Tomorrow is a work day and Thursday I’ll be scrambling around to pack and get the car loaded. We’re heading out as soon as Steve gets home from work so we’ll be ready on Friday to set up at the Botanical Gardens. If you’re in the St. Louis area this weekend stop by and say hello. If you introduce yourself to me and tell me you read my blog, I’ll give you a nice discount on your jewelry purchase!
Pretty Pretty Bang Bang 