11/20/2023
Update on my craft sale:
The craft sale was yesterday and it was a success! I am so pleased and ready to do it again, but give me a year to rest, cuz I am beyond tired!
The sale was organized by myself with a lot of help from Darren, Hadley, and Sophia.
I was nervous Friday morning, but once I got everything set up, I could see everything falling into place and looking like a craft sale! We were suppose to have LifeShare mobile blood donation unit there, but they cancelled on Tuesday saying they didn’t have anyone sign up online to donate and needed to go elsewhere where there was more traffic. I had talked to people who planned to donate blood, but said they didn’t intend to sign up online. I also intended to donate blood. I was a little disappointed when they canceled the blood drive, but I picked myself up and shook it off. On Friday I got a message from one vendor that they were not going to make it. I had a waiting list of vendors that we didn’t have room for, so I contacted someone and quickly filled the space. On Saturday morning, I had 2 vendors that submitted an application and paid for a space in July , but didn’t show up. I called them to see if they had problems with directions, but didn’t get an answer. I was able to move around some vendors and fill the spaces. Other than that, everything went smoothly.
Darren was in charge of the kitchen. He served sausage, gravy, and biscuits for breakfast, and hamburgers, hot dogs, and nachos for lunch. Hadley was our main counter worker in the kitchen, taking orders and collecting money. I think he is ready for his first fast food job! Sophia had her own little table of crafts she was selling. She sold out and got to take a nap in Darren’s truck! LOL!
All 4 of us were at the building late Thursday night setting up tables and taping off the floor. Then we were there most of the day Friday setting up. I came home Friday night and made sausage, gravy, and muffins and went to bed about 2 AM! Darren was back at the building at 5:30 AM to start getting breakfast ready, and the kids and I came about 6:45. The vendors started arriving at 7:00 to set up.
The sale went good. We had a good steady crowd of shoppers all morning. It slowed down quite a bit after lunch, but every craft sale I have ever went to is busier in the morning and slows down after lunch. I knew it would probably slow down in the afternoon, so to encourage the vendors to stay all day and not pack up early, I had an incentive. Any vendor who stayed all day and didn’t start packing up early would be in a drawing to receive the cost of their booth rental back. Kelton’s Cookie Jar won the drawing. All the vendors
stayed for the entire show except one who told me she needed to leave because of health problems.
I didn’t just organize the sale, but I had a craft booth of my own, The Robin’s Egg. I was running my booth alone because Darren and Hadley were running the kitchen and Sophia had her own craft table. I was busy making sales and visiting. I met so many new people, customers as well as vendors. I apologize to anyone if I didn’t get to say hi or visit with you! I was pretty busy at times. I intended to take more pictures and do a Facebook live, but I didn’t get around to it. This was my best booth set up, and I didn’t get a pic of my entire booth. I wish I did! I took some pics of individual items, but not the whole booth. The Murfreesboro newspaper was there and took a lot of pics, so maybe they got a good one.
I want to thank so many people for helping make this first craft sale in Murfreesboro a success. First, I thank Darren, Hadley, and Sophia. They had to live with me and put up with me over the last few months! LOL! But really, I couldn’t have pulled it off without their help. They helped with advertising, helping put up signs around town, taking flyers to school, work, and every business they visit. And they were my muscles! They have carried heavy boxes and moved around so much stuff! They have suffered with quick suppers, missed ball games, and early mornings and late nights helping! Hadley and Sophia helped some of the vendors with loading and unloading. When the sale was over, Darren and the kids stayed late with me helping to clean up, pack everything (both of our vehicles were completely full!), clean the kitchen, put up all the tables and chairs, sweep, and get the building back to how we found it.
I want to thank my vendors! You made up the show! We wouldn’t have had a show if you didn’t sign up and trust me.
The city of Murfreesboro - you were so easy to work with as far as reserving the community room. I know a larger venue would help us to have more vendors, but this place was perfect as far as being indoors, having a kitchen to serve food on site, being able to load and unload at the door, plenty of close parking for customers, and being in town and easy to find. I have been looking for a larger venue for next year, but many have said they liked where it was and wanted to keep it at the same place next year.
My friends from church, school, and around the community - so many of you came out to support me and purchased crafts from me and other vendors. You have heard me talk about the sale for months and given me feedback and ideas. Many of you have shared my posts and let me place flyers at your place of employment.
The Murfreesboro Diamond newspaper and PJ Tracy - you made advertising a breeze! I put an ad in the Murfreesboro, Nashville, and Glenwood newspapers. I simply gave PJ the information and he designed an ad and took care of getting it in all 3 papers. He wrote a story last week featuring the craft sale and that was very beneficial to getting the word out to the community. The story was in the Murfreesboro paper as well as the Glenwood paper this past week.
And I am so glad my grown up girls, sweet grandbaby Harper, my mama, and my sister came. Bailie and Harper came from Bryant, and Marlie, my mom, and my sister came from Jacksonville. My girls and my mom have helped me with many craft sales over the years, so it was good to have them all come to the first sale I organized! They know how much I love craft sales and knew it was a goal to organize one. I was also excited to show off my family to all my new friends where I call home now!
And yes I want to be like the people at the academy awards and thank God most of all! I have stayed awake so many nights thinking about the sale, trying to think of anything I may have missed, hoping everything will go smooth, and hoping I would not disappoint the vendors. I would just have to ask God to help me slow down my mind and go to sleep, and just trust it to HIM. I asked HIM to give me the strength, guidance, patience, knowledge, and compassion to do this job well. And He did. Thank you!
Murfreesboro Holiday Craft Sale
