Renegade!

So in true Susannah fashion, I took a handful of photos right when we set up, and didn't take any other photos for the rest of the festival. Here are the few that I have...
Renegade was such an amazing experience. I am so truly thankful that Beca asked me to share a booth with her, and that she gave me enough confidence to do it!

There were three awesome aspects to the weekend. The first one was (obviously) selling my stuff. It's the coolest thing ever to see people walk up to the stuff you've toiled over, and to see them get excited about it and try it on, and make the decision to take it home with them. That's not something you get to experience when you sell online. I loved hearing people's thoughts and seeing their reactions. I will admit, there were a few times where people were really not into it or said something like "I could make that myself". Beca and I both struggled with that the first day, it was hard to remember the dozens of great responses when there was one bad one in the mix. I think the first day, we were both so full of nerves and excitement that we wore down pretty easily. Chris and I were up until 1am finishing stuff up, and then woke up at 5am to get ready and leave, so we were running on fumes (Beca and Doug had it even worse!). But by day 2, we were feeling loads better. The nerves were gone and the day was way more fun.

The second totally awesome thing about this weekend was getting to meet bloggers and friends from the internet. Janna, Moe, Kaylah, Elycia, Shelby, Julia, the lovely ladies from Louisville who's names are escaping me right now, and the handful of other friends I'm forgetting. Beca and I just kept talking about how weird and rad it is to meet internet friends in person. She and I "met" for the first time on Saturday! We've texted like crazy and Skyped once, but meeting face to face is a different ballgame. But seriously, I'm so so thankful for all the sweet friends that came out to visit.

The third awesome thing about the fair was the confidence it instilled in me. I've never really felt all that confident in my shop. It's not that I don't think I make good stuff, but it's never been something that I'm super serious about. I just like to make stuff and try to sell it because I think other people might like it too. But this weekend made me feel so professional, and accomplished. I'm really proud of all the work I put into it (and Chris too!), and I think it really paid off. I loved my display, and my sign is one of my favorite things I've made to date. I also finished everything I wanted to finish. I would have made more product if I had time, but I was happy with the amount I was able to finish. I made cute tags and labels for everything, too! I didn't forget anything either, I was really nervous I'd show up and would've left something important at home, but I remembered everything I needed!

All in all, it was a pretty fabulous weekend. I'm hoping that I can get into the holiday show, and who knows, maybe this will be a regular thing for me!

I want to end with a big thank you to Beca and Doug. Beca is the queen of pep talks, and her support has seriously changed my outlook on my business. Doug is incredibly rad, and kept us caffeinated throughout the weekend. I'm so thankful to have met these two incredible people, and I'm so happy to be able to call them friends.

I also need to thank my wonderful boyfriend Chris. He tolerated so much craziness from me in the weeks leading up to the show! He stamped, he built, he painted... All while dealing with yarn bits covering every square inch of our house. What a guy!

And thank you to all of you for supporting me and cheering me on! It really means the world to me. This was a huge event in my life, I know that seems a little dramatic, but it really was a weekend I'll remember forever. So thank you!! xo

Red, white, and mint.

// Skirt: thrifted // Top: Forever 21 // Belt: H&M // Shoes: Target // Rings: Forever 21 and Pitaya //

These pictures are from a few days ago. I haven't done too much this past week besides work, run errands, or work on Renegade stuff, so if I make it into jeans and a t-shirt I call the day a success. I did take some time out today to dye my hair, and once Chris got home we went out to get my nephew Emerson's first birthday present! He turns one on Tuesday, but his party is tomorrow. I'm super excited for it, but I'm having a hard time believing he's one already!

Renegade is officially in one week, and I'm feeling pretty good about it! Chris made my main display the other day, and other than the fact that we bought less-than-stellar wood that's a little crooked, they're absolutely perfect! I wanted to whip up a few more things, but I think I'm at a point where I'd be cool if I didn't finish anything else. I do have lots of ~finishing kind of stuff to do, like sewing, labeling, tagging, and finishing my sign. I'm getting excited though! My nerves are less "holy crap I'm gonna puke" now. Are any of you local friends planning on stopping by the show?

My favorite corner.

So it's not really a corner, but I really like this little area. I've hung some of my favorite embroideries and a little wall art I made, and my collection of afghans is on our spare dining room chair below. (The blanket on the bottom was made by Chris's late grandma Ruth, and it's my favorite). The "unique and irreplaceable" wall art is a snippet of a quote from my favorite book of all time...

"The highest function of love is that it makes the loved one a unique and irreplaceable being."
-Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume

I officially have 11 days before Renegade, and last night I took an official count/inventory of my product to see where I'm at and how badly I need to panic. I have more than I thought I did, though I do wish I had a bunch more headbands made just to be on the safe side. I'm pretty pleased though, and it's giving me time to work on some of the extra stuff I wanted to do for the show. I still have a billion and one things to do, including making my displays and signage, sewing and labeling, tagging... I don't even want to type everything else because it's giving me heartburn. It's gonna be awesome, I know, but my goodness! It's a lot of work :) 

Tumbleweeds.

Sunglasses: Tumbleweeds

Tee and shoes: Target

Skirt: Forever 21

Belt: Thrifted

Are you guys tired of my mirrored pics yet? Hope not, 'cause I like them :) A few weeks ago I pre-ordered my very first pair of my dear friend Beca's amazing sunglasses, and they arrived a few days ago! If you've been living under a rock, you may not know that Beca and Doug of Tumbleweeds Handcraft make the coolest sunglasses in town, and on top of that they're my partners for Renegade this fall! I had to snatch a pair of these pretty ombre glasses, but I'm already eyeing some Lolitas since Chris has basically stolen these from me :) Head over to Beca's blog and shop to check out how awesome she is! 

The other night (or early morning, it was like 2 am) I decided I need more skirts in my life, so I impulse-online-shopped for some at Forever21. I got the one in this outfit and the same thing in brown, plus a yellow chiffon one to add to my closet. I love love love this skirt, but both this one and the brown one have a weird imperfection on my left hip that makes me look deformed. Eh, I don't mind though. The other thing is that it's super prone to wrinkles, but I'm cool with that too. Just adds character, yeah?

I'm gonna spend my night crocheting (what else is new), cleaning, and drinking coffee (we just got Starbucks Via instant coffee and I'm a little obsessed already). Hope your day is rad to the max! xo.

My new stamps!

I just wanted to start by saying thank you for all your wonderful comments on my last post. It's so reassuring to post something personal like that and then get so much positive feedback. So, thank you! (PS- I'm working my way through responding to all your comments on that one, too!).
So in preparation for Renegade in September I'm trying to get all the odds and ends of my shop in order. I've always sorta had a theme with my packaging and tags, but it didn't really ever look intentional, so I'm trying to get a new look going. I ordered these custom stamps from my friend Ashley of Under Those Neon Lights a couple weeks ago, and they turned out so good! I can't wait to show off the whole shebang, I'm just waiting on a few more things to arrive.

Right now I'm wasting time before heading in to work for the night, watching Parenthood and crocheting on the couch :) Hope you're having a wonderful day!

Some exciting news!

A little over a week ago I got some of the most exciting news I've ever gotten, and I'm psyched to be able to share it with you... This September, I'll be a vendor at Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago! A few months back, Beca asked me if I was interested in sharing a booth with her and Doug, and I was instantly beyond flattered. I admire their work so much and it was really cool that she thought of me! I of course said yes, but I have to admit I was pretty nervous that I wouldn't be approved. I guess I don't really see myself as a professional crafter, it's my hobby and my passion and I like to sell a little bit of stuff on Etsy, but I've never done a craft show, let alone one of the biggest ones in the country! But on June 14th we got our emails saying we were in! Pretty awesome birthday present, right?? So now, naturally, I'm freaking the eff out about everything I need to do. I have lots and lots of stuff to make, I know that one for sure, the rest I'll figure out as we go along :) I know it's pretty far in advance, but if you're gonna be in the Chicagoland area September 8th and 9th, I would love love love if if you stopped by to see us! I'll have more info as we get closer to the fair, and you better believe I'll keep you posted!!