Its Not Always Sunny in Sterling
"Windy Pods" by Annie of DwellinStyle on EtsyI spent most of last week in flip-flops, enjoying the warmth of the spring days and dreaming of my soon to come summer vacation. But, Mother Nature does not like Midwesterners to get too complacent or too comfortable, so by the weekend, things turned downright nasty.......Just in time for my outdoor show!
I was awakened on Saturday morning by the howling of the wind. I looked out the window to see drizzle and gloomy, gray skies. Awesome! Despite the awful weather and frigid temps, Matt and I made the hour long trek down to Sterling to set up for May Fest.
Nothing about setting up my booth went smoothly. Even though the I had zip-tied sand bags to each leg of the EZ-UP tent, the gale-force winds were knocking it around. I put up the tent sides to block the wind, which did seem to help for a time. Every time I got part of a table set up, a gust of wind would push against the tent side and knock it all down. I was frustrated, but determined, so I would try again. Eventually I just tried setting things up on the side of the tent opposite the direction of the wind. The last straw was the overturning of an entire table, busting 2 frames and denting several others!!!
My booth neighbor Rebecca, of Rebeccabags on Etsy was nice enough to help me pick up the pieces of what once was my booth. (She's got adorable floral themed wristlets and bags in her shop. Check her out!) I didn't foresee the weather getting any better or having much of a crowd showing up, so without as much as one customer, the day was over for me! Matt and I repacked and were on the road just minutes after the show was supposed to start.
I was pretty disappointed, but have to admit, it was a learning experience. I will be wary about signing up to do an early May event again, unless its in Arizona or somewhere else warm. For my next show, (Art on the Lawn, June 13th) I will have everything securely hung up on some sort of wall and not deal with easels. I also know that I have to find a heavy-duty method to weight down my tent. Any veteran outdoor vendors have any tried and true suggestions?
Have a good week friends!
