Humility

I am pretty sure that the universe was trying to show me some humility today.

I'll admit it. I was feeling pretty darn good about myself.  I was featured in real, honest to goodness newspaper. Multiple people stopped me and said it was a nice article.  I was  feeling pretty good. Thinking about this weekend's shows (I was in TWO) I was thinking... whew!  I am going to make some MONEY! lol  I had it in my head... well... at the least I should make such and such at this one... and such and such at this one.  Right?  So life was good. Christmas shopping here I come.  :)

On Wednesday evening I dropped off my items to Beneath the Tree. It is a local Home Tour style show that has artists inside a series of homes. This is my third year. My first year I sold one purse, lol. Ouch. But there wasn't a booth fee.... they simply take a percentage, so I returned the next year.  Last year I did quite a bit better and was pretty darn happy.  This year I was hopeful... but expecting about the same income as last year. So I set up my stuff on Wednesday... then returned on Friday to do some touring/shopping. I was really disapointed to find that there were several other vendors with key fobs. Some of whom didn't tell the committe they were bringing the item. That's okay though. Mine are beautiful... they'll sell anyways, right?  Then I noticed some tissue cozies too. Sigh. Okay... I only brought purses, tissue cozies, lanyards, a few wallets, key fobs and my mixed media.  (Which is about half of what I have, lol).  So I started to get kind of punchy. Okay, I was downright feeling sorry for myself. I just KNEW I wasn't going to sell anything. 

Enter 8 am this morning.  I'm all set up at my show for today.  I got there and was surprised to see a very confined space to set up in. I made it work, with the help of my friend Celene. She's awesome. :)  Enter 9 am this morning. One hour into the show and $0 sold. Hmmmm... this was supposed to be the show with the HIGHER sales.  Uh oh. Enter 10 am.  One lanyard sold. Panic started to set in.  Celene came to see if I needed a potty break and and I expressed my concern. Normally I have sold the majority of my total sales for the day by 10 am.  By noon I was downright grumpy. I'll admit it. I kept trying to look at the bright side... but frankly couldn't find one.  Then after lunch it picked up a little.  I had  made my booth fee back. Phew.  But had JUST broken even.  Then a little more came in. Okay... end of the day.. I'm thinking that it was a bad day... but at least I came home in the black, right?

So I headed over to my Beneath the Tree house to get  my remaining product. I walked in and noticed there were a couple of purses gone. Hmmm... that's a good sign, right?  Then I look over the key fobs are all but gone.  Hmmm.... maybe I shouldn't have been so grumpy about all of those other key fobs. :)  Turns out I did about double there than I thought I would!  So basically... I just flip flopped the shows. The 'big' show became the 'little' show, and vice versa.  Phew. 

Are you still with me?  Yeah, I know, that was a really long post, lol.  Thanks for sticking with me. ;)  Anyway, all of this to say... sometimes I think I just need a little reminder to not sweat the small stuff.  I was so stressed, so bummed, so... just UGH.  And then I go and there is a sweet little surprise at the end of the tunnel.  :)  Sure would have been nice to have a flashlight, huh? ;)

Want to see some pictures of my house at Beneath the Tree?  Good! :)

Here's my tissue cozies... and some very popular mittens. :)

Some of my wallets. :)

I fell in love with these little wooden figures. He had a nativity... one that your kids could actually play with. LOVED IT!!! You do to?? You are so in luck. He has an etsy shop. :)  You're welcome. ;)

Oh, and this GORGEOUS arwork. I wanted it. Like.. really wanted it. I just loved everything this artist made.  Someday...