Good JuJu

Isn’t this dress to die for? (Ha, see what I did there, a Halloween turn of phrase).

I wish I’d gotten a close up of the lace.  It is hauntingly gorgeous, but also delicate.  This gown is a display only piece, it would be in shreds if even tried on.  

Which is exactly what happened to this satin dress.  And it was actually in good shape, but someone in my booth was twisting herself into it over some bulky clothes without trying to be careful.  It was torn up under the arms.  Well durn.

This probably would’ve made a lovely witchy dress for the right person at Halloween.  Now it is also a “display only” a little before it’s time.  Oh well.  Vintage dresses are always just one tug over the head away from doom.

Plus, there is always breakage in retail.  And now it is marked down to reflect its new status.  Hopefully someone besides me will appreciate both black beauties for their qualities as is.

For September’s sale, my spot was over the top, nonstop, Spooky Season.  I planned on two months of Halloween/fall goods, and that seems to have worked out well.  

About half of my inventory that sold was the scary stuff.  Since I was in the middle of a remodel in my studio at home, I thought I’d simply plop some fall merchandise in to fill holes and not do a flip like I try to make happen each month.

Because my talented boy got my floor redone in record time, I was able to replace everything in the studio much quicker than I could’ve dreamed of.  So that gave me time to give my booth a shake up after all, instead of the refill I’d thought I’d be doing.

And since I am insane     I enjoy the redos, packing everything in tubs, setting it aside, moving furniture, puzzle piecing it back together, adding in more.  As soon as I am done, I get impatient for this month’s sale to be over so I can move onto my next planned design.

I was able to do half of the booth black with elements of October and the other side of my space in Autumn.

There was even enough time to add a delicious, fruity, fall, vintage wallpaper.

Then to fill that wall with what seems like a few hundred thousand knicky-knacky things.  I might have done too much here…

This cabinet is stuffed with a Thanksgiving theme (I did it again, get it? Stuffing!)

I have jewelry at the front on my space.  I didn’t get a photo of that.

And owls! More owls.  I’d been collecting them all year just for this season.  I know owls are popular and sell all year long, but for me, they seemed fitting for this time of year. Plus, I like saving up until I have a collection to display, groupings look good.

I was in the process of redoing this door on the end of the wall when my new neighbor came in and asked whose space it was meant to be.  Well, since it had been there the whole time I was renting this spot, I figured it was mine.

It jutted out 10” or so onto her side, and she had hung items on that slice of the back of it, and my things were on the front.  It was on a walkway between our two spots.  I always used the tiny hallway to hang miscellaneous bits and pieces that didn’t match the themes I had going on, which was handy for me because they were often items that would’ve stood out too much if displayed with my other things.  It had been a place for my hodgepodge stuff.

One of the owners was in, and told me that I should move it fully into my area to make it fair, and of course, she was right.

But it would’ve impeded walk space a smidge and that required moving furniture a couples inches and since I was set up, that was a step too much at the point, so I took it down.  I have a more narrow shutter to bring in later, a better fit, half the size of the door.  That door had been added by the previous occupant, and actually wasn’t my space after all, I just thought it was.  

Apparently it was never mine to use, I just assumed it was.  Although, after adding the shutter, I’ll still have half of it. And it will be legit this time.

 A month ago, the front border of my booth was moved back 18” on one side and if you see how tightly I pack every inch, you know how much that hurt too.  I’d always been extremely careful to never, ever go one tiny smidge over the marked line that I had been told was my border when I started. There had been tape on the floor which left a ghostly mark, so I could check myself.  I was a bit shocked to find that the whole time, the taped off line had not been as straight as it should’ve been and when measured, it was incorrect.

I am trying to be a big girl (at 65 this shouldn’t be an issue) and telling myself, “Wow, wasn’t I lucky to have some bonus space for over a year?”  But my inner, whiny little bitch says,  “MINE!”

Working on acting like a grownup at any age isn’t easy, even after all of these years of making the effort. (Atthough, I almost wonder, is it even harder as a senior?)

I need to let go that I’ve lost some of my beloved space and act my age, making the 8-1/2’ I have look as good as I can, not complain about what I don’t have.  I took myself for a walk around the block, calmly removed the door, vented to my bestie who always listens and gives a good prospective, then went on with my day.

Oh, but then I vented to you too.  I guess I’m still a little whiny.  I’ll get over it and hush up about it.  

Nobody wants to hear an old lady sounding like a spoiled child.