My mom and I went to the One Of A Kind craft show and sale today. Man, that thing has gotten HUGE. There were 450 vendors in an enormous hall, the size of an airplane hangar. We stayed for around 3 hours and only managed to see half of the booths. There was even an IRL Etsy section. Kind of weird; it's the first time I've seen an online business make the leap into bricks-and-mortar(-ish) retail, as opposed to the reverse. I guess it's a sign of the times.
There were all the usual items on offer that one might expect: handmade soaps, pottery, jewellery, knit-wear, etc. I was on the lookout for an interesting handbag, because the one I'm using now is starting to look a bit chewed-on at the edges, but surprisingly I didn't see any that I wanted. I didn't have anything else particular in mind; my plan was to browse. Although I did allow that I might buy myself a piece of handmade silver jewellery, if I found one that was calling my name. Ooh, shiny things...
My mom was on the lookout for some gifts, and managed to find a couple, but she was looking for stuff that could easily be transported overseas in a suitcase, and there wasn't a lot that fit the bill. We saw a lot of handblown glass vases, sink-sized wooden serving bowls, metal-and-rock sculptures, and large paintings.
I was tempted by hats. There was an average of one handmade hat booth per aisle. I stopped to try one on, (lime green raffia with two bows at the back) but was put off by the rather sour saleswoman. I turned up the brim, which made the hat look cute. She came over to me and turned the brim down, just to show me that it was adjustable, but that made the hat look bad. Then she tried to bond with me by asking "Parlez-vous français?" but when I answered "Oui" she didn't seem to have anything further to say to me in either language. She would have had a better chance at selling something to me if she had just left me alone to try things on without harassment.
In the end I decided to treat myself to a pretty ring. YOLO, right? The name of the design is "bubbles".
I was pulling my wallet out when my mom stopped me and insisted on paying for it. Aw, mom! Are you sure? She was sure. And so the ring became that much more meaningful, because it is a gift.
To be honest, the best part of the afternoon was when we stopped for tea and had a good chat, and now I have the ring as a souvenir. :-)
9 comments:
Score on the YOLO ring, and on being able to wear shoes. I'm sure being barefoot this long, arduous winter has been hard on your wi'w tootsies. ;)
I do not know which is my greater nemesis, a goofy salesperson or having to wear shoes. Sparkling jewelry is my joy and turning my selection into a treasured gift from my mother is definitely icing on the cake. What a memorable day.
Cute ring and I'm very pro-shoe. And why are stone sculptures vetoed off the list for cross country travel?? If early man can build Stonehenge then it seems a way can be figured out to haul a giant stone sculpture across country.
Were your feet confused by the lack of boots? We had rain all weekend, so the trees here should be ready to leaf out now!
Cute ring!
DarcKnyt: Yes, it was terrible. Every evening found me picking rock salt from between my toes.
Granny Annie: There are quite a few salespeople out there who could use a refresher course in basic human psychology.
Ron: Tell you what - you find an early man and send him over here to do some hauling, and I'll talk my mom into buying a giant wrought-iron birdbath for the relatives in Israel.
Jenski: I feel almost naked without my boots on.
Gotta love it when the warmer weather hits.
That's a unique ring - just perfect for a souvenir.
I agree about pushy salespeople. I had a woman follow me around in a shop at Christmastime and I finally left, although there was something I might have bought there if I had been left alone.
Nice weather and a great day with your mother. Hard to beat that!
What a cool ring! A nice memory AND bling. For the win. :)
Awesome comeback for Darc, lol.
Glad you had a nice time with your mom. :)
Post a Comment