It's That Time of Year

 It's Fall.........officially.....and as we eye our calendars most of us are filled with a sense of  invigoration this time of year brings ,coupled with a vague sense that things are about to get a "little bit crazy".  The Holidays are careening toward us ,causing us to long to savor a few of the crisp, nostalgic days of Fall that hint at promises of football games, chilly nights, pumpkin pie and apple cider.

 Here in the South Fall is a fickle thing... teasing us with crisp days here and there, then sending the temperature back up into the  80s to remind us that perhaps it's a little premature to be packing away the shorts and breaking out the sweaters. But we live for those cool, crisp, sunny days that are sprinkled through the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.  

A special "treasure" of Fall is the festivals and markets that occur in surrounding towns throughout the region.  Any vendor of handcrafted items looks to this time of year to choose the right ones to market their goods.  And so do we. 

This weekend we'll be participating in a local festival near us in Atlanta.... Fall Fest In Candler Park.  http://fallfest.candlerpark.org.

 So while the sawdust has been flying... we've also been in a whirl of tagging, packing and planning.  We're looking forward to showing our products, talking to folks and hopefully finding new homes for some of our cutting boards, pepper grinders, trays, pen blocks, etc. 

Just like the "fickle" Fall days in the South, we've learned that these markets are not wholly predictable, require a lot of work and preparation, and aren't necessarily for the fainthearted.:)  On the other hand, the experience of engaging with people as they examine your creations is always rewarding and teaches us something new each and every time.

We've talked before about our "learning curve" for selecting the right markets. We're not experts, but we have learned that doing your homework, asking around (which markets/festivals do people like and look forward to) and even looking at how vendors are chosen ( are all who will pay allowed? or is their a juried application process?) to determine if your target market is drawn to the event is important.  

So here's to "Fall" and festivals, and burning the midnight oil in preparation.

 Now excuse us while we grab a pumpkin spice latte and dig out a sweater.  One can always hope... Right?