Archive for October 2015
The Board Chronicles is an ongoing series of articles about the adventures of Mrs M’s Handmade as a vendor at community festivals & craft fairs. Mrs M’s subsidiary, Mr M’s Woodshop, has been approved to create this chronicle for the good of vendorkind.
Granada Hills is in the northern San Fernando Valley, and is a good demographic match for us. Seems like a nice town; a commuter suburban community. Mrs M is in the community (and on the street the event is on) every week as a part of her “real” “job.”
This was our 8th event of 2014 (so, our 8th event ever). It was our 22nd event of 2015. It would appear we’ve picked up the pace a bit.
We were very happy with our sales last year of $577 (we were so young then!). That was not our goal for 2015. Not nearly. Also, this was only the 3rd event that we have repeated for 2 years running. More of those to come in the 4th quarter, of course, but this presented only our third opportunity to directly compare results year to year.
This was the 11th annual Street Faire, sponsored by the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce. It had a bunch of vendors (150?) spread over 3 city blocks. There was a car show, stage entertainment, pony rides … it was a Street Fair. Or, Faire. Those Granada Hills folks do put on airs. I mean aires.
New Ideas
- Last year, we had a single booth (we were so young then!). This year, it’s a double booth.
- Mrs M took delivery of her new custom aprons (her boothwear) from the delightful Theresa of Heart Strings Creations. She was ready to rock it today!
Observations
- I hate being lied to. Vendor instructions were very clear we could not get on the street before 8am. We were in line at 7:50a … and a host of vendors were already set up when we got on the street at 8am. Apparently, people were getting on as early as 6am. We didn’t need to be there at 6, but we would have certainly been there earlier if it had been a known option.
- Hot. It was hot. 102*, Velda said. Hot.
- We were next to a Chinese merchandise vendor (defined here as a booth selling very cheap kid-oriented merchandise almost certainly made in China). Lowered the property value of our booth.
- Our neighbors on the other side and in back were local concerns, such as the booth for a state senator (they left early) and an air conditioning vendor (who didn’t have working models: bad plan).
- It was hot.
- When you’re hot and business is slow so you have nothing to think about but the heat, it’s really hot.
- Conclusion: I don’t like 1 day events. We travel so heavy … it’s a 2 hour set-up and a 90 minute tear down. Easier if that work gets spread over 2 or 3 days.
- I expected weather to impact some 4th quarter events, but I was expecting Godzilla El Nino. I never expected heat. But, it was hot, and the buyers stayed away in droves. Traffic was significantly down from last year, regardless of what our booths were offering.
- Some of our vendor friends had better days than us (there were some buyers in the small crowd, just not enough of our buyers). Comparisons to last year aren’t fair … but we had a bad event.
- Foreshadowing, it’s called. This day shall forever be known as The Lost Weekend: Part I. Tune in tomorrow for ….
The Food
Saturday Breakfast: Bagels & cream cheese.
Saturday Lunch: Velda found a new deli on this downtown street, and bought some salad and a couple of wraps. Better than fair food, but ultimately forgettable, IMHO.
Saturday Snack: Velda got an ice slush sugar thing. It was blue (which she gave me bites of) and red (that she ate exclusively). No clue what that means.
Saturday Dinner: Leftover meatloaf. Mmmmmm.
The Facts
- Total miles driven: 86
- Booth cost: $250
- # of people we met during the event from the producer: 0
- Total sales: $390
- # containers of product taken: 25
- # boards available: 115
- Saturday alarm: 6am
- # transactions:11
- # soap & lotion vendors: no clue
- # woodworking vendors: no clue
- Edge grain vs. end grain: 4:1
Boards sold: 5
Small Board # 15 – 052. Black Walnut, Hard Maple & Padauk. Edge grain. 8″ x 12″ x 1″.
Sous Chef # 15 – 30. Hard Maple, Padauk & Black Walnut.
Medium Surfboard 15 – 06. Cherry, Hard Maple & Black Walnut.
Small Board # 15 – 037. Cherry, Black Walnut & Hard Maple end grain. 11″ x 12″ x 1-1/4″.
Large Surfboard # 15 – 25. Hard Maple.
How can they call it Badlands when the views are just so good? Badlands National Park in South Dakota draws visitors from around the world with its rugged beauty and rich fossil beds. It’s a place to explore the unique landscape while imagining the ancient mammals that once roamed here. Sunrise is a particularly good time for contemplation and reflection. Photo by Harlan Humphrey. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 10/8/15.
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Badlands National Park
Shouldn’t this be on your bucket list? Wild Goose Island in Montana’s Glacier National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/7/15.
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Glacier National Park
Grinnell Formation
Grinnell Lake
Ninaistako
St Mary Falls
Two Medicine Lake
Which Is Prettier?
A magnificent sunrise at Blue Ridge Parkway. This stunning photo was taken by Eric Allen Van Tassel at the East Fork Overlook on the North Carolina side of the Parkway. Feeling lucky to stumble upon the overlook at the right time, Eric is still hesitant to show it off because “I felt the product does not reflect the overwhelming beauty and the excitement we experienced watching the sunrise that morning.” We know the feeling, but think this photo is definitely worth sharing! Photo courtesy of Eric Allen Van Tassel. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/17/15.
The first rays of sun hit the top of Mount Rainier and are reflected on the mirror-like surface of Tipsoo Lake. It’s an incredible sight and easy to experience. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington has hiking trails ranging in difficulty from easy to very challenging, so no matter your level of commitment, you can still get some amazing views. Photo by Bob Kim. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/24/15.
Sunrise over Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is definitely worth getting up early to see. Steven Hirsch captured this incredible photo from Navajo Point – the highest overlook on the park’s South Rim. Just a few minutes west of the Desert View Watchtower, this viewpoint offers panoramic vistas to the west and a view north up the Colorado River. Photo courtesy of Steven Hirsch. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/4/15.
Sunrise over the Tetons. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 9/27/15.
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is a place where creeks flow freely, wildlife thrives and visitors can find solitude and astounding natural beauty. Located in southwest Montana, the refuge is bounded by high mountains, wildflower filled meadows, grasslands, marshes and forests. This rich system nurtures many mammals, waterfowl, raptors, songbirds and a wide variety of fish. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 9/30/15.
Sunrise & moonset make for a wonderful setting in Death Valley National Park. Photo by Andrii Iasynetskyi. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/5/15.
In the mid-1800s, artists and painters of the Hudson River School flocked to Mount Desert Island in Maine and glorified its natural beauty with their brushstrokes, inspiring patrons and friends to explore the area. Undaunted by crude accommodations and simple food, they sought out local fishermen and farmers to put them up for a modest fee. As more people came to savor the fresh salt air, beautiful scenery and relaxed pace, the fame and popularity of this gorgeous coastline grew. After years of preservation efforts, this lovely landscape became Acadia National Park in 1929. Photo by Michael Rickard. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 10/6/15.
Yosemite Valley, in California’s spectacular Yosemite National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/4/15.
Although some may quibble with the details, here’s a very interesting perspective on the net worth of some of our Presidential candidates, and how they might fit into history.
Time will tell if money really can buy love on the political side of our equation.
Sources used by PersonalCapital.com:
The Hill
Politico
Forbes
Open Secrets
The FEC
ABC News
CNN Money
Time Business
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PersonalCapital.com: Net Worth?
InsideGov.com: Richest US Presidents
Grand Canyon National Park. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 10/5/15.
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Grand Canyon National Park
A Grand Sunset
Bright Angel Trail
Inversion
The Board Chronicles is an ongoing series of articles about the adventures of Mrs M’s Handmade as a vendor at community festivals & craft fairs. Mrs M’s subsidiary, Mr M’s Woodshop, has been approved to create this chronicle for the good of vendorkind.
You may remember Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Bill and Ted were from San Dimas … and that’s where we headed last weekend.
It was not an excellent adventure for us, unfortunately.
This was the 48th Annual San Dimas Western Days. They have a Street Fair-styled event run by the Chamber of Commerce, and there’s a rodeo happening at the same time. There were about 80 vendors … perhaps 30 were handmade. The rest ranged from chiropractors to financial planners to the local water company.
This was actually our third choice event for this weekend. We weren’t accepted into our first choice (the horror!), and were then too late to apply to our second choice. We took the third option.
Unfortunately.
New Ideas
- We added a second awning this week for shade in front of the booth. Given the weather, we were giving protection from the rain, too, in front of both booths.
- We had rain overnight on Saturday, so we had to deal with waterproofing the booth for overnight, and rain protection needed throughout Sunday. We survived with no rain damage at all!
Observations
- The Chamber of Commerce really angered our next door neighbor that thought they had the first booth in our line. In the new secret configuration, though, they had the third booth. Lots of anger in the 6am air.
- Do the Western theme in your booth, we were told. Then why is the music from the stage all rock & roll?
- Do not close your booth early, we were told. But on Saturday, the Chamber of Commerce closed their booth 30 minutes early. This was not a well run event from ANY perspective.
- The neighbor across the way had a booth that looked like a homeless encampment, Velda thought. It was a sportscard/memorabilia dealer, and he had a pipe frame with tarps clipped to it for his booth. When the rain came Sunday, the booth just added more tarps/blankets/whatever for rain protection. Didn’t help the property values in our section of booths, and Mrs M was annoyed.
- Lots of dog walkers at this event. The angry neighbor had his dog with him and prompted him to talk all day. “Rur-rur-rur,” the owner said. “Rur-rur-rur,” the malamute replied. All. Day. Long.
- Many vendors did not return on Sunday; perhaps they were scared off by the rain forecast. This is Southern California, after all: rain scares us.
- We spent all day Sunday waiting for the big rainstorm that never came, fortunately. We had sprinkles; it was definitely wet for an hour or so. But, in the end, Sunday’s rainy sales exceeded Saturday’s hot weather sales. Go figure.
- Most Embarrassed Dog Award goes to the poor terrier that had to wear a yellow raincoat on Sunday. His mistress? No rain protection required.
- I’ve said you can’t have a bad day if you sell the most expensive board on the table … but we did on Sunday. Nice sale, but the day really was long, wet and boring.
- The Tandy leather retail booth next to us had total sales of $220 for the weekend. A jewelry retailer that had sales about like ours said this was their 4th year, and that sales had gone down every year. I’m not interested in seeing if there is a 5 year trend next year….
The Food
Saturday Breakfast: McDonald’s # 4 for me, # 1 for Mrs M. Sound familiar?
Saturday Lunch: Cheese & crackers. Sound familiar?
Saturday Snack: Too hot. Too bored. Not interested.
Saturday Dinner: Mediocre Chinese Food to share: Cashew Chicken for me & Shrimp & Snow Peas for Mrs M.
Sunday Breakfast: Holiday Inn Express biscuits & gravy. Mmmmmm.
Sunday Lunch: We shared a dry BBQ chicken sandwich & Mac & Cheese. Not exactly high living.
Sunday Snack: Peanut M&Ms. Thank goodness there was a grocery store nearby.
The Facts
- Total miles driven: 255
- Booth cost: $325 for a premium 10×20 crafters booth, open on 3 sides
- # of people we met during the event from the producer: 0
- Total sales: $991
- # containers of product taken: 23
- # boards available: 110
- Saturday alarm: 4:30a
- Sunday alarm: 6:30a
- Home on Sunday: 7:10p
- # transactions: 26
- # soap & lotion vendors: just Mrs M!
- # woodworking vendors: one turner, one carver and me
- Edge grain vs. end grain: 7:1
Boards sold: 8
Lazy Susans: 2
Cheese boards: 2
Cutting boards: 2
Large cutting board: 1
Small surfboard: 1
Small Surfboard # 15 – 10. Hard Maple & Teak.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 025. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Cherry & Yellowheart. 17″ diameter x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 035. Black Walnut, Yellowheart, Bloodwood, Padauk, Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Canarywood & Honey Locust. Edge grain. 9-1/2″ x 9-1/2″ x 3/4″.
Cutting Board # 15 – 103. Cherry, Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Padauk & Yellowheart. Edge Grain. 13″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″.
Lazy Susan # 15 – 024. Black Walnut & Yellowheart. 17″ x 3/4″.
Cutting Board 15 – 053. Black Walnut. Edge Grain, Juice Groove. 15″ x 18″ x 1-1/2″.
Cutting Board # 15 – 102. Purpleheart & Hard Maple. Edge Grain. 12″ x 16″ x 1-1/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 028. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Jatoba & Canarywood. Edge Grain. 8″ x 11″ x 3/4″.
The boards that I create are almost always symmetrical … because in my mind, they must be. I’m driven that way.
Velda, on the other hand, can see boards in an unbalanced, but pleasing way. That’s why she designs chaos boards.
Here’s some of both. Which do you prefer?
Cutting Board 15 – 080. Hard Maple, Padauk & Yellowheart. Edge Grain. 14″ x 11-1/4″ x 1″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 031. Black Walnut, Hard Maple, Bloodwood, Red Oak, Yellowheart, Cherry, Purpleheart & Padauk. Edge grain. 9″ x 10″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 035. Black Walnut, Yellowheart, Bloodwood, Padauk, Hard Maple, Purpleheart, Canarywood & Honey Locust. Edge grain. 9-1/2″ x 9-1/2″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 032. Balck Walnut, Hard Maple, Yellowheart, Cherry & Padauk. Edge grain chaos board. 9-1/2″ x 9-1/8″ x 5/8″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 037. Black Walnut, Cherry, Yellowheart & Hard Maple. Edge grain. 10-3/4″ x 9-3/4″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 033. Hard Maple, Canarywood, Yellowheart & Black Walnut. Edge grain. 11-1/2″ x 9″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 15 – 040. Jatoba, Hard Maple, Canarywood, Purpleheart & Yellowheart. Edge grain. 11-1/2″ x 9-1/4″ x 3/4″.
Cheese Board # 14 – 040. Hard Maple, Cherry, Black Walnut & Padauk. Edge grain chaos board. 11″ x 8-1/2″ x 3/4″.
Engraved board # 15 – 36. Black Walnut, Cherry & Hard Maple. Edge grain. 11″ x 8″ x 3/4″.
Small Board # 15 – 057. Purpleheart & Hard Maple. 12-1/2″ x 7″ x 1″.
Small board # 15 – 057. Hard Maple, Padauk & Yellowheart. Edge grain. 11-1/4″ x 8-1/4″ x 1″.
Velda’s cutting board is nearly 2 years old … and it still looks just like new when it’s treated well. This is the 2nd resurfacing I have done on this board that gets daily, heavy use.
I spent 5 minutes sanding (only 5 minutes!) and then re-applied a few coats of mineral oil over 24 hours. As with all of my boards, Velda’s cutting board was then finished with a topcoat of Velda’s own Mrs M’s Board Butter, which is locally-harvested beeswax mixed with mineral oil.
Velda’s Cutting Board. Goncalo Alves (Tigerwood), Black Walnut, Honey Locust, Jatoba & Cherry. Edge grain, and 2 years old as shown. 16″ x 21″ x 1-1/4″.
More
The Cutting Board (12/26/2013)
KNX’s Melinda Lee On Beeswax & Cutting Boards
Granada Hills is in the northern San Fernando Valley, and is a good demographic match for us. Seems like a nice town; a commuter suburban community. Mrs M is in the community (and on the street the event is on) every week as a part of her “real” “job.”
