Summer Time Crazy

Hey Mom! Look at this!

Hey people! Things are just busy and crazy and I'm running here and there. I am so behind on blogging, I just haven't been in the mood. I haven't even created anything for weeks. I have been reading some instructional books and am plenty inspired but not taking time to do anything. I don't know where the time is going.

Summer gets here and I'm outside so much and swimming lessons for Asher 3 days a week, the Farmers Market the other 2 days plus Saturday! I really can't use that as an excuse though... I've only been going to the one on Thursdays. I took my little man with me each time. He has mixed emotions about it... haha. He was actually trying to sell my magnets this last time, so cute. He tells me that it was sorta fun, but if his daddy asks him then he says it wasn't very fun. No choice though due to schedules. It won't kill him and hopefully he'll inherit my entrepreneurial spirit.

I am so unorganized that getting everything together has been a chore and my husband doesn't want me to leave my things out, where getting it all back in the van would be so much easier! Instead I have to trudge it all back upstairs, boxes and bags this and that. I really ought to streamline my booth. I'm about done selling the tomato plants, they take up so much room and are a hassle to take back and forth to the markets because they've gotten so big but I can't hardly give them up, they're like my babies... haha

1st Day of Farmers Market in Wadesville and my little salesmen

I had a scare this weekend with Asher. We all went out to eat Saturday night and my husband was rubbing on ASher's neck and discovered a lump. I freaked out. This kinda shit always happens on a weekend doesn't it? I had to wait to this morning to call the doctor. She got us in this morning and eased my mind right away. She asked if he recently had a tick and he had. In fact it worried me because it swelled up the next morning quite a bit and stayed swollen for a about a week. I never linked the two. His lymph nodes were swollen and they are just basically doing their job. What a relief.

We have lots of ticks around here and it's rare that he comes in at night when he's outside all day to not have one crawling around on him. I've picked plenty off myself including a few in areas I'll not mention! I'm a bug smorgasbord. I've currently got chigger bites, mosquito bites and tick bites. Oh well, I'm just happy it's summer!

who's this cute little guy?

So what's going on with you all? Are you staying as busy as I am??

cute little guy

Farmer's Market Today

2010 New Harmony - First Day of the Farmer's Market

This morning I drug my tired butt out of my cozy bed to get ready for the first day of my local Farmer's Market in New Harmony. It was gonna be a steamy day with the "feel like" temperature 100 degrees and boy oh boy was it ever. I had sweat rollin' down the crack of my butt by the time I had the car loaded at 7:45 am. Oyi. 

There were just four of us this first day but we all knew each other and laughed and complained about the heat together. One lady, Becky, has an orchard and sells homemade jellies and jams, one friend, Kathy, whom I wrote about the other day  - the fiber artist, and another friend, Kay, who makes beautiful handmade baskets. Our market allows handcrafted items and the town is attractive to tourists. None of us really have any homegrown goodies to sell yet, but I did offer my heirloom tomato plants and flowers as well as my artwork. We have a baker, Gloria, that comes regularly and a couple that makes honey and all things related to it but they weren't able to make it this time.

My Booth

I love the people at the market, they are so friendly and helpful and we all just get along great. It makes me feel like a part of something, which I like because I don't really belong to anything. It went by fast as our hours were 8-noon and I had to rush home to cook because my husband had to work today and he was leaving at 1. I managed to make some chicken fajitas after the 15 minute drive home and unloading the car! sing with me now *I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan...*  ha ha

After cleaning the kitchen up I had enough energy to take Asher and myself off to Henderson for in the park blues music. He played in a fountain to cool off and splashed me enough to keep me wet and not as miserable. The music was great. Two of the bands were Blues 4U and Velveeta Jones. We stayed a couple of hours. I love to listen to live music outside. Next starts the W.C. Handy Blues Festival... my favorite!

I did manage to sell a framed print of a colored pencil drawing of a dragon and several tomato plants and flowers. It was fun and I will probably sporadically go again, I have some ideas for some things that may appeal to the tourists. It's always more fun to actually sell stuff ;)  Oh, and my pots I painted earlier this week, well I didn't get them finished and so they didn't get to go. Hopefully, I'll have them ready next time. I always plan too much and my time management skills suck... I'm working on that :)

Sweaty Farmer's Market today

Well today started out sweaty and stayed that way all day. Thank God for Secret and Dial soap! First thing we tried to tie up our sweet corn that got knocked down from the straight line winds we had here yesterday. It even knocked over a couple tomato plants and my zuchinni. It was like a hurricane! After that and then making breakfast for lunch I loaded up my car for the Mt. Vernon, IN Farmer's Market. Did I mention it is being held in a concrete parking lot? it felt like over 100 degrees and humid. Traffic is kinda slow since it's just the market's second week. Hopefully traffic will pick up. I did sell some plants and artwork and got some orders for my custom made scratch pads though... so I'll call it a good day :)

Wednesday

gonna be a hot and humid one today! I've put off getting groceries as long as possible. guess I'll be hitting Wal-Hell today. ugh.

Well I got some work done on some of my art projects I've got going right now, just need to make sure I finish them.  I think I'm going to paint some poppies on the pots that I primed and paint faces on the plant markers my husband cut out for me and I painted yesterday.

I'm getting ready to go outside and transplant some flowers to sell in the Farmer's Market this weekend! (even though the moon is in Aries, not a good planting sign) but, this is when I have the time. :)

Rainy Monday

I'm working on a new idea for plant markers. My husband just made a wooden piece for it, will post a pic when finished. I also am painting on terra cotta pots. Coming up with some cute stuff to sell for the Farmer's Markets I attend.

Speaking of Farmer's Markets... the rain just keeps coming! I hope I'll be able to attend the Mt. Vernon, IN market tomorrow. I've got some plants for sale (heirloom tomato plants, pepper plants, cypress vine, and others) along with my artwork and I'll be taking Daryl's handmade bird houses.

Here is a link to Daryl's Woodshed website: http://www.darylswoodshed.com

blogging

so I'm trying to think of something terribly interesting to say and must admit, I'm at a loss. what is interesting enough in my life that someone else would want to hear about? 

i've recently signed up for a site called linkreferral.com recommended from my friend, Roxie ( http://www.wix.com/rdon47630/RBR ) and it's interesting so far. I guess that I'm getting some hits at least. if you have any kind of site that you want to draw some traffic to, check it out. too early to give an opinion as to if it is generating buying customers.

i'm thinking of trying on ebay, not sure. so busy now that i'm not sure i've got the time. starting up this week are 2 farmer's markets that i'll be attending as much as possible - mt vernon, IN and New Harmony, IN

my show last saturday turned out bad. descent turnout, but i had a loss because a big gust of wind came up and blew 5 of my pieces to the ground shattering them and busting up the frames. very upsetting. one step forward, two steps back... that's the way it goes.