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August 17, 2010

Inspiration for Booth 188

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  
Live the life you have imagined.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Booth 188, which Martie, Beth & I rented last week, is starting to take shape.  After painting the booth, the fun begins.  I have dreamed of having a booth somewhere and furnishing it with things I have found along the way.  It's wonderful to have such wonderful partners who share the dream.


We are bringing in a few things at a time.  The first day the booth was fairly naked.  Yesterday, Martie and I brought in more and it's worth walking into.

It's in serious need of larger pieces.  Until we get those in, our booth will look less substantial.



The prices are really great at Rockin' B.  That's both good and bad.  It's good in that there's a steady stream of customers and a good turnover of merchandise.  Bad in that booth owners have to hustle to keep plenty in their booth and need to sell more to make a profit.  Still, it seems a perfect place for us.  And everyone is so nice. 

Over the years I have looked at plenty of booths and plenty of displays.  Lately, I have been paying close attention to what I like and don't like.  I have tried to be attentive to what draws me into a booth and what might keep me from walking in.  Hopefully, it won't be long til our booth is attractive and draws people in.

I wish I had been diligent about taking photos of booths I love.  I do have a few in my collection.

The last two times I went to Scott Antique Market (in June and July), I certainly came across some inspiration.  The most inspiring was the Mended Ways booth.  She is especially talented at using a somewhat limited color palette to create an area you want to browse through.

The background is always fairly neutral with lots of white.  She includes a good bit of white pottery, silver or tin metal objects, and glass. Then she adds a different pop of color each month.

 In June, she added blues and browns.


In July, she added gold and black.

Blogs are another source of inspiration.  It seems that a good many of the blogs I'm drawn to are created by women who own shops or rent booths.

One of my favorites is Tracey of Notes from a Cottage Industry.  It's a good thing she lives on the other side of the country because I could become a stalker.  I'm a fan of everything she does.  She lived in Texas (where she rented booths and did shows and now she's moved to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to her daughter and she set up shop there.  I have seen pictures of her displays for almost three years now and everything she does is inspirational.  She is so talented.  If you aren't familiar with her blog, then you are missing out.

Notes from a Cottage Industry

Notes from a Cottage Industry

Notes from a Cottage Industry
Every time I look at one of displays, I notice something new.  She is so talented.  She's a bit of a Superwoman, though she insists she's not.  Her only flaw is that she doesn't realize just how special she is.

Now here's where my organization suffers.  I have a few inspiration photos that I have no idea where they came from.  Please, if anyone recognizes these, let me know.  I try to always give credit.  

I love the setup in this booth.  The rustic white display shelf on the wall adds such a special touch.  This one definitely pulls you in.

Here's a more elaborate booth display.  The wood awning is really an eye catcher.  I also love how the chippy white shutters flank the mirror.  

I look forward to the day when our booth will provide inspiration for someone.  Meanwhile, we sure are having fun.

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Market Yourself Mondays at Sumo's Sweet Stuff