MowryJournal.com   Life's Passions

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.

The Church on the Way hosts an annual community event that includes snow, a live nativity, Santa … and vendors. Their flyer is my absolute favorite for this holiday season, too.

New Ideas

• In the “we’re still crazy” department, we are doing this event on a Sunday in December. It’s a 3 hour event … so I’ll spend as much time setting up and taking down as I will, uh, eventing.
• The cost for the event is a voluntary contribution. Happy to tithe from our sales, as is suggested.
• Given the forecast and the short window for the event, we downsized to a 10 x 10.

Observations

• After last week’s Best. Event. Ever., this week promised to be a comedown. Zero expectations for this event, actually. It will be what it will be.
• Rain was forecast throughout the event. It never rains in Southern California, but girl, let me warn you….
• Last year’s event was a success, I was told. But this year’s forecast….
• It started misting at 4:30, and it rained more every hour. There was no saving this event. No one’s fault … but it was raining. No shoppers.

Worst. Event. Ever.

• No one’s fault, really. But, it was raining. We were done before we started. Setting up was a mistake, in the end.
• Broke down in record time with Velda’s help, and then we came home with wet containers, a wet shade structure, and wet table cloths. We don’t think that any product was damaged, but it may have been. Only time will tell.

The Food

Sunday Dinner: A ham & cheese from The Grilled Cheese Truck. And tater tots. Mmmmm.

The Facts

• Total miles driven: 16
• Booth cost: $1
• # of people we met during the event from the producer: 1
• Total sales: $11
• # containers of product taken: 15
• # boards available: too many
• Sunday alarm: No problem. Load in was at 3:30p
• # transactions: 2
• # soap & lotion vendors: just us
• # woodworking vendors: just me
• Edge grain vs. end grain: 0

Boards sold: 0