'Twas a wonderful Thanksgiving!  My daughter and family were with us as well as my sister.  The turkey, potatoes and gravy couldn't have been better.  We tried a salt rub on the turkey between the skin and the meat instead of brining.  The meat was tender and succulent. 

We went to see "Frozen", the new Disney movie.  The pre-movie short by Disney was fabulous and totally worth the price of the ticket by itself.  The use of technology was amazing as the characters moved back and forth through the old black and white shows and the new color animation.  I don't know if the kids appreciated the finesse that went into this creation, but the adults sure did.

The holiday bazaars are getting into full swing.  I will try to attend a few more between now and Christmas, looking for vendors who might be interested in our Seaview Manor Bazaar in Seaside next year and ideas for displays. 

Broccoli and Mashed Potatoes - Ugh!

I went to a few more arts and crafts shows this weekend.  I know when I walk in the door whether I'm going to be dazzled.  I am not dazzled by knitted dish cloths.  I am not dazzled by crocheted Christmas ornaments.  I am not dazzled by odd smells of broccoli and mashed potatoes accompanying me through the rooms.

On the other hand, I am dazzled by a nice display of  artistic laser cut wall hangings, a lovely display of frames, or a variety of photos available in different media so that I have choices.

 

 

 

 

Now when I come across some unusual and beautifully made pot holders, I am ready to buy.  The crafters have become artists too.

 

 

 

I found this lady who makes the most beautiful folded cards.  Can you see the folds?  I do hope I can talk her into joining us next year at our Seaview Manor Bazaar.  I am constantly scouting for the very best.  Maybe "juried" is the key word.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



A Good Laugh

I have to take a break today from talking about the bazaar. 

I'm a teacher.  I'm interested in what my grandchildren are learning in school.  I just spent a couple days with my daughter and family and went with her to pick the girls up from school.  The conversation on the way home went like this:

Grandma:  What did you learn in school today?

10-year-old granddaughter:  (Heavy pause)  Well, I know this sounds strange, but did you know that my bangs are long enough to stick up my nose?

Focus on Honey Perkel, Author

Seaside author, +Honey Perkel, joined us in 2013 as a vendor.  Her trilogy, A Thousand Summers, Secrets at the Cove and A Place Called Paradise, takes place in Seaside, Oregon.  Her newest book, Just Breathe: A Mother's Story details the life and death of Honey's son, Brian, and how, as a mother, she made sense of his struggle with mental illness. 

I read this last book; it's good.  I haven't read the trilogy, but she sold lots of them.  Maybe a reader of this blog will tell us what he/she thought.  Books make great gifts.  We hope Honey returns with a new book every year.

As a child, Honey spent her summer vacations in Seaside with her mother, grandmother, and uncle.  She always made sure she packed a writing pad to jot down story ideas. Those notes have been the inspiration for her stories.

Honey believes in things that go bump in the night, past lives, spirit guides, and angels, and those beliefs touch her writing.  "Seaside is my paradise," Honey says. “It’s the only place I want to write.”  She is at work on her fourth novel, The Faithful Daughter.

You can learn more about Honey at www.honeyperkel.com
                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+A Cash Register can be a Mysterious Beast

 
Our Thursday evening presale gives us practice with the cash register and credit card machine.  That's because our strong points are arts and crafts, not running a cash register. My daughter-in-law +Rikki Fernald came all the way from Bend to help and even started teaching her daughter Moriah how to ring up purchases. We use hand-written sales slips as a back-up.







+Carolyn Anderson, our financial wizard, manages to unravel the errors at the end of each day, often working 'til midnight so that our records are perfect, and we can get a fresh start the next day.  A glass of wine is just the ticket to get through those final hours. Adding a second cash register to handle only credit cards helped, but not enough.


2012 and 2013 the +Clatsop County Women's Resource Center sent wonderful volunteers who run the cash registers at their thrift shop.  These people know what they're doing, so we had many fewer errors and much less stress on  us!    I told you the Women's Resource Center was great!!

Key People

I'd like you to meet some of the key people who are so instrumental in making this bazaar go smoothly. 

My sister, +Billi Odegaard,  didn't even hesitate in giving her blessings when I brought up the idea of hosting a bazaar at our beach house.  She was director of the Multnomah County Health Department in Portland, OR, for many years, and is now retired.  She has been a faithful vendor since the second year, making the most fabulous macadamia nut shortbread cookies and selling out every year.

+Carol Allen has been co-chair and main sounding board since the bazaar began.  She has retired from her jobs in public health and lives in Beaverton, OR.  She loves her cats and most recently has provided a variety of cat and dog toys and supplies.  Customers love her reasonably priced items.  2013 was her last year as co-chair of this bazaar as she is now involved in her home owners' association as president, which is taking way more time than she had anticipated.  She says she will continue being a sounding board and will likely continue to participate.

 

 

+Carolyn Anderson, a talented artist and a wizard with finances, is taking on the duties of co-chair.  She has been keeping us on financial track since 2008, making sure we balance to the last penny.  Carolyn comes to us from Aberdeen, Washington, where she owns and operates an apartment building and spends many hours volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, among other charities.  Her beaded jewelry and sun catchers are very popular and are also sold in an art gallery in Gig Harbor, WA.  Carolyn donates the profits from her art work to Relay for Life, a community fund-raising event of the American Cancer Society.

 

Louise Hankenson, mother of four and former employee of Lewis and Clark College, loves to spend time with her family, travel, and help our bazaar.  That first year she walked up and down the prom in the rain trying to get people to come see the beautiful arts and crafts.  She has stepped in wherever she was needed since then, but keeping the kitchen going has been more to her liking.  She has worked tirelessly to keep us organized during the party and the lunches provided for the vendors.



Finding the Right Item to Sell

I'm an organizer, not an artist; I'm a casual crafter.  But I had been coercing my friends to participate, so I needed to do my part.

My family loves to spend Christmas at the beach, so I thought what fun it would be to decorate the tree with a beach theme.  However, finding "beachy" ornaments was not easy, so I thought I would make my own. That led to many happy hours combing the beach for perfect shells. My first attempt at making something to sell looked like this.  My friend +Beth Gilmore (who had some experience with selling said, "You need to have more than 20; make a hundred!") So I did. I only have 85 left.  I guess not a lot of people wanted shells as ornaments.

My next idea was to sharpen my sewing skills after many years. The person who made blankets had opted out of the next bazaar, so I thought I could probably make blankets. All I had to do was sew 4 sides on the wrong side and turn it inside out. Turns out you have to have lots of blankets for customers to choose from in order to select the one they want.  I had made 10; I only have 8 left.

Moving on...my great (!) friend Janice Graves graciously sent me a recipe for almond toffee that she said was exceptional. I tried it, then tried it again, then experimented with how to package it. After lots of searching for the right container, I felt like I had a winner. Janice was right; the toffee is exceptional, and after checking with the health department, I felt comfortable offering it for sale. I make about 35 pounds a year and sell out every year.  People love food!

More about attempts to find marketable items to come.