Craft Show Wrap Up (a mini novel)

Hello! How was your weekend? Did you have any holiday fun? I made it through my first official craft show. Yay! My husband and my little guys all got up early to help me cart my stuff over and set up my space at the show. My two oldest sons helped my husband attach my business cards to some decorative card stock (someday I'll make more professional ones but they seemed to fit the whole handmade vibe) while my littlest stacked my decorative boxes on the bottom shelf of my cart. They told me that everything I made was the best in the world and tops everything else. So sweet. And let me just say that my husband rocks because he not only helped me set up for the show but he's taken on so much at home so I would have time to get everything ready. Yup. He's a super star.
As they left and I got settled in, I met the folks at the booths to either side of me. To one side of me was a mother/daughter duo who were selling a variety of things from military stockings to mini scrapbooks to the daughter's photographs. The mom, who is a lovely Christian woman, and I just chatted throughout the day and she shared so much from her experiences from doing craft shows. On the other side was a husband and wife team who were there selling the husband's silver jewelry and woodworking creations. They were super encouraging (and my best customers!) and fun to talk to. The wife shared with me about taking care of her mom who has Alzheimer's. She and her sisters all take turns spending the night with their parents and cooking/caring for them. It was a really touching glimpse into their lives. She's also back in school to become a surgical tech and is looking forward to beginning a new career now in her later years. But my day was made not only by meeting these new people but by the familiar faces I saw. My friend (incredibly supportive friend whom I now lovingly refer to as my manager), Tessie, came by for a visit and she even brought me some tasty gluten free crackers to snack on. Isn't that so thoughtful? Another sweet lady I know came by to support me. It was really encouraging. I sold a number of items, handed out my business cards and found it to be a worthwhile experience.
The pictures below are some of the ways I displayed my jewelry and hair pins. I put most of my items out on vintage plates, arranging them into like items or color schemes. The bottom photo (not great but really all I could do at the show) is of my table. I've started adding some of my newer items to my Shop and will be adding more this week.