A River Runs Through...... My Booth?

So I am back from War and what a War it was! Friday set up was a nightmare. We got there early hoping to beat the rain. There had been tornadoes, yes tornadoes in Southern California, on Thursday and the weather reports said the conditions were ripe for more of the same for Friday so to say we were worried was an understatement. So we hurried and about halfway through the heavens let loose. Here is a link to the video I took of the inside of my booth.
Video
Are we having fun yet? NO!!!
Saturday was not much better in term of weather, but we are SCA, are we going to let a little thing like water get us down? Definitely not. People were out in droves and they were buying in droves. I have amazing sales and made new friends and had a wonderful time all while shivering so much I nearly came down with hypothermia! Thank god medieval and renaissance clothing consists of wool and multiple layers!



I sold many wool Irish dresses and one of my customers kindly posed for this picture. Doesn't she look amazing!

Then the gods took pity on us and Sunday we had glimmers of sun. It almost got warm. Notice I said almost? I am sure it would have been considered a fine Summer Day in Elizabethan England. They were in the middle of a Little Ice Age at that time! All in all it was quite the experience. You can click on my Facebook link on the right to see more videos that I took, we did manage to have fun, I swear we did!

I am looking forward to warm weather now. I promise not to complain when I am sweating in my garb, I cross my heart and hope to die!

Remembering..... WAR!

Next week is coming up fast. So fast I am almost breathless! It is WAR! Yes, time for Potrero War again. I am not ready, I am soooo not ready! I have too much to still sew and there are things to be packed and orders to be finished and, oh my. I am NOT READY! So I am sitting here remembering the years gone past when I was not ready for War and how great it all turned out.



Here is Chloe at a War gone past, eating her handchurned ice cream!

I have been doing this War since 1996 and it is a homecoming to us. A place where my kids have grown up almost. Tarah was only 6 when we started doing this event and now she is 18. The other merchants are my friends and we have had the same spot the whole time so my customers know where to find me. I guess Potrero is the one event I would mourn the loss of like I would an old friend if it ever folded. It means more than a place to make money, it means family, and memories to us.



Alex and Ian tied to a tree by the side of my booth by Tarah and her friends in 2005 at Potrero.



Moiren, my youngest granddaughter from last year.

On the Wings Of Faeries

So we went to Tulare. Yes this is a wonderful faire for us. We did not vend there this time, but we still had fun. We brought our granddaughter as we usually do. She is of that special species, the "faire brat". Now that may sound like a derogatory term, but to those of us who do faires it is anything such. Faires brats are those children born and raised to the Renaissance Faire life. She is such as was her mother before her.
She goes to most events with us and charms everyone she meets. There is something fae about her look. Almost as if the faeries left a changeling child here for us to raise. I love her dearly. I remember one clear Potrero night as the gypsies played their music how she danced in front of our booth. She was only three, but her rhythm and grace was spellbinding. Soon we will be going back to Potrero again. I can't wait to hear the music and to see her dance. She will be wearing her faerie wings!

When it Rains it Pours

So faire season is in full swing and the sewing is too. I have been working on my website as well. It seems there is a never ending list of things to do between family and work. I did manage to get new pictures taken of some of the new items I made. I think they turned out pretty nice! Tarah was the model this time and she did a wonderful job. I also put a shop on my facebook page along with a nice little slide show. It is looking really spiffy. I will have to make sure I add a button with a link here so everyone can check it out. New pictures taken at Tulare Renaissance Festival and a video were added too. The video is pretty silly. My husband is not the greatest when it comes to cinematography!

So life is continuing on under the onslaught of orders and now I must get back to that dreaded machine. People count on me for their costuming needs! Just make sure I get out for a little fresh air and sunlight now and then will ya?