Software, Sales & Sunshine

I don't know if I'm happier about the sun shining today or the fact that I finally, actually, truly, got my computer to recognize my camera. (By doing nothing different than I've done 3 times before, I swear.) Oh! And yesterday I installed the Palm Pilot software (that started my whole computer snafu a couple of weeks ago) and it works flawlessly. I think I might be whole again, computer-wise. It's surely a good day in the neighborhood.

I sold 3 cards Friday afternoon and gained one name for my email newsletter. It doesn't sound like much but it made me very happy.

Saturday, I went out to the show and stayed from around 9:30 to 1:00 I think. It was pouring rain the entire time and we had maybe 5 customers. It was dismal. The first customer that came in told us about the Canandaigua garage sale at their civic center so Connie printed more postcards and I drove them to the garage sale to ask if we could set a stack of the postcards on each of their checkout tables. Yes!

I picked up two frozen pizzas on the way back, as requested, so the four of us ate pizza and talked about wildlife we've seen in our yards. I really like Connie. She's exactly my age, funny, talented - and she talks faster than I do! I feel like I've made a friend and a new contact for the biz besides.

I told you my display was very small! But I think it's just fine, for what I'm paying to be there especially - and the experience and exposure. At art shows I go to, I always enjoy browsing through a box of prints or whatever. I feel like maybe I'll find the treasure everyone else overlooked. Maybe I'm over-justifying this but I honestly do feel just fine about it.

This is Connie's work - my table is in the dining room with her stuff - and the refreshments - always a good draw. (Can you say perfectly baked snickerdoodles??) Those scenes on the right are of area villages - I know you can imagine the detail, even just based on this picture.

This is MJ's painted glassware, in the living room. There's a display on the coffee table and in several other locations throughout the two rooms.

This is one of Kathy's displays, also in the living room. She and Connie are good friends and have been doing this show together for years. Her company is "Grandma Hattie's" I think it is. The above pieces are platters and plates, made into mirrors. She had lots of outdoor stuff too which I hope to photograph today since it's not only not raining, it's sunny!

I wasn't sure how much time I was going to spend at the show today but I'll be there when it opens at 12:00. We're obviously hoping all the customers that didn't venture out in the pouring rain yesterday will stop by today.

It's really been a lot of fun. It's very nice to be in a place where "artisans" as Connie calls us, matter. She introduces each of us to her customers. She made a point of telling me that the two people who bought my cards, raved about them. I've met two more nice, artsy people. I can take the leftover cards to The Wine Trek tomorrow and get going on that venture. Next I need to get some pieces framed for The Wine Trek - stuff that Pam said was too nice to sell as cards.

After I came home, I was feeling kind of headachey so I took a short nap on the bed, with my loyal beagle and black cat by my side. I ate some popcorn when I woke up. (Helpful hint: Don't ever pop popcorn in the microwave without the glass turntable in place. The heat distribution must not be right because not that much corn popped and what did, burned. Twice. You're welcome.)

After a while Steve and Simon and I went to Celebration Gifts to clear out my inventory. My card rack fit in Steve's Explorer - whew! I had serious doubts but they got it in there. Now I'll have to figure out what to do with that stuff - I feel another section of the basement re-org coming on.

The first two weeks of April, I took my Stefani cards out of the store and marked all the wholesale product down 25%. Regular sales the first week. Second week: $1.63. I kid you not. That was the week I had the blues - see why? The last two weeks, I marked the product down 40%. That's cost for some of that stuff because I don't always feel comfortable marking up what I pay, 100% like you're "supposed to". I could tell by the empty spaces, that I sold quite a bit. I picked up the check yesterday. That check was my second highest check, second only to Canal Days. Too bad sales and profit aren't the same thing. At least I got rid of a bunch and didn't lose money on it.

I lost my email address book and my backlogged and saved email when my computer malfunctioned. So I lost the name of the woman in Tennessee that wants to buy some of my wholesale product for her store. I'm going to try to Google around, based on what I remember - but consider this a shout out (I'm so incredibly hip, aren't I?) - by chance, if you are reading this - please email me! Diane, I think it was?

Lesson learned - print or back up that important stuff too! I am very diligent about backing up most everything else, never considering how much valuable information I had in saved email. Actually, that was probably the only thing. It's been kind of fun creating a new address book - kind of spring cleaning, if you will.

After Celebration Gifts, Steve and I read for a while. (The Unmistakable Touch of Grace is Cheryl Richardson's best book!) Since I had not done the grocery shopping as intended due to staying at the show longer than I thought I might, plus the headache - we ended up eating Taco Bell for dinner. I rarely eat fast food but Taco Bell (and Arby's) are two places I can tolerate. Nachos Bell Grande - it's a good thing.

I also needlepointed for a while and we watched Mystic River, from Netflix. Good movie. All good actors, for sure.

That's yesterday in review. Can't wait to see what today brings.