Beach Rocks Came in Handy Today....

New banner!!!

My shady, windy corner display..

Looks like a geology table!!!

Hey, it's all natural!!

The strings, ropes, and bungee cords hold up the display!

A peek down the street.

My tent neighbor didn't show up...but, the street was full.

The gifted young people from the RI Kung Fu Club

Drumming out the beat...they were terrific!

Today was the 'Whole Foods 3rd Annual Block Party' on the East Side of Providence. It was everything you would think a block party would be...lots of families, dogs, people with their bicycles, some with babies attached to the front of the handlebars, a great D.J., lots of hamburgers and hots dogs, plenty of water to go around. Doing an outdoor event is always a gamble. Will the weather hold out, will it rain, be too cold or too hot, will there be a gusty wind? The vendors are checking the weather reports very carefully all week. Well, I knew that it was going to be a hot one today...sweltering, in fact. BUT, I was assigned a spot under a tree, completely shaded from the blistering sun. WOW, somebody up there likes me, in fact, loves me...this was great. However, the wind was so gusty, that I needed my beach rocks to hold down the cards...many of which did blow down the street before I had a chance to get everything in place. Jimmy and I rigged up 'something', with string, rope and bungee cords, tied around (and around and around and around ) a tree, wrapped on a leg of the tent, all to hold up the framed pictures on the display. Glory be, it worked!!!! We were very impressed with ourselves. So, it was a good day of sales, the entertainment from the Rhode Island Kung Fu Club was energetic and colorful. A perfect addition to our day. Thank you Shawna for a well run event....and on to the next project, as they say.

It Rained, It Poured....

Miss Monarch butterfly, was most definitely the 'star' of the show!

Monarch butterfly, laying one on Matthew!!

Pretty fairy girl...

Whole Foods, well, food....

The flowers were happy...

Liz, and her imagination...awesome!!

Some of the framed pieces, display...

'Gift in February' and 'Dairy Cow, Gal'

'In Full Bloom'

'Lush Field, Schartner Farms, RI'

We woke up at the crack of dawn..although we could not see it through the clouds. The weather was looking grim, the forecast called for rain. And so it did. As my husband and I were driving over to the Garden City Center at about 8:15am, it rained, it poured!!! All the while, I was thinking about my 'paper goods'....yes, the cards are protected by plastic sleeves, the matted pieces are protected by plastic sleeves, and the framed pieces, well, there is glass, but the backing does not like heat or humidity. The challenges started very early on, w/ the setting up of 'the tent'. One of the connecting pieces broke, so w/ the help of my new friend, Dave, we improvised. The ground was wet (large parking lots don't have 'drainage'), it was cold. However, everybody forged ahead w/ their displays and the festivities began!!!!

It was amazing at how many people came out, umbrellas in tow, rain gear, or not. The very young to the very old, strolled through the many aisles of vendors showing their wares, from sea glass, to handmade jewelry and soaps, plenty of artwork, photography, local farms, (just to name a mere few) and food, there was plenty of food!!!! My husband, bless his heart, went home and brought me my winter coat, I was that cold!!!! I love talking to the people who come to my 'tent'. One woman was so excited to be sending 'Milk in Progress' to a friend who lives on a farm in England, another almost had her eyes popping out of her head when she bought a matted 'Dahlia Center' (my top seller of the day in cards!!) for her bedroom. One woman spent time, patiently deciding how she was going to hang the 3 framed pieces she bought!

I wish I had been able to freely roam the aisles as well, but I did get to spend time w/ my tent neighbor, Matthew. He is an author and illustrator, he lives in Mystic. He too, had the same internal dialogue while taking the hour drive from Mystic in the rain, to Rhode Island, '...to set up, or not to set up', but he did. We had some good conversations in between all the action. All in all, it was a good day and we were happy to be part of Festival Fete! We showed up, and that was the important thing.

A hearty thank you to Jennifer Neuguth, from Festival Fete, and Holly Dion, from Whole Foods, Garden City for their tremendous work to bring such a big event to pass!!!

Whew...and on to the next project....

Aspray Boathouse Holiday Sale

The weather was perfect for December 11th. Sunny, 45 degrees. The Aspray Boathouse was a very busy place in the 1700's; now a refurbished and most lovely waterfront venue. The vendors were all ready to roll by 10:30AM. The shoppers were non-stop for a good part of the day as the Aspray show was planned in conjunction with a historic walk around Pawtuxet Village (founded in 1638 by Roger Williams). Some people left and came back with more cash in tow. I had my best day of sales to date...and for me, the thrill was that I was just selling the photos. Over 50 different cards, framed 4x6's, framed 5x7's. All the gluing, pressing, signing, dating, labeling, stuffing, matting and gluing some more, and framing (whew) paid off!! We were even treated to a live operatic performance at 5PM. I hope you can get a feel of the warmth of the venue, along with some of the gifted vendors from the photos!!

A hearty thank you to all who came out!!