every year in the town where i grew up there is an arts & crafts fair.
and it's a big deal.
hillsboro has a population of about 3000 and on this day
20,000 people women swarm into go crazy for crafts!
seriously.
i am happy i have grown up and no longer
have to sell pork burgers all day with my cheerleading squad.
(i still don't know even know what a pork burger actually is!)
my family comes in for the fair to shop and see old friends.
my sister didn't make it this year and i missed her.
(lorel i thought of you many times…I LOVE BASKETS!)
i used to be a big buyer but my tastes have changed.
there were a few booths i loved but that was it.
i loved this one.
she was so much fun.
her booth was my favorite.
but i didn't buy because it was so crowded and i felt overwhelmed.
i wanted it all so i bought none.
but i intend to study her website and shop in peace & quiet right here at home.
really really good stuff.
and there was so much more.
my grandma bought a sassy new sun visor.
what? no WAFFLE?
what kind of dog place doesn't have a WAFFLE collar on display?
GB…do you see what i see?
princess lasertron please translate.
my mom bought me one of these switchplates for my craft room.
super cute.
this was a great booth also but she has no website!
how can that be in 2008?!
crazy.
then there were these girls.
i know them and i had no idea they made these cute things!
if i had a baby…i'd be buying it all up.
sooooo cute.
if craig would ever set foot in town on craft fair day….
this is what he would buy.
he loves Grannie's mustard.
a lot.
and now even grannie has a website.
go grannie.
jackpot.
i love molly's antiques…a store in town…not a booth.
that wire basket thing was already sold.
that was good for my budget.
i would have had to have it.
i have wanted this display cabinet since they opened this store.
i don't know where i'd put it but it would find a place.
oh the possibilites….
(it's not for sale)
i bought this rusty turquoise wire basket.
after we'd shopped for 6 hours and seen every booth and
stuffed ourselves with pie, noodle soup and cinnamon nuts
we called it a day.
oh wait…just one more stop.
this chicken coop thing was also sold.
bummer.
how cool would that be as cubbies?
any farmers reading this have a chicken coop thing to sell me?
yes i am serious.
hi.
there's my mom peeking over my shoulder.
we were ready for dinner and meeting up with the kids.
the kids begged mike to go fishing again.
he's the best.
this is me yelling at one of my kids.
most likely i am yelling "BE CAREFUL!! You'll get a hook in someone's EYE!"
another year of successfully conquering the fair.
last year kicked my butt.
mom…i am glad you came.
you know that you & nancy & carolyn are influential women in my life….
even without the pictures!
Kelly - I am looking back over some of your old posts to get inspiration for planning out my crafty space in our new house and as I looked at this post I realized that I *just* saw that lemonade stand lemon driving down the highway the other day! I wonder if it’s the same one or if there are a million bazillion of them in the world. Kelly
Tracey Young - LOVE the Hillsboro craft fair! I haven’t been in at least 14 years though! Good to know it’s still going strong!
(just found your blog btw). We are from KS too-well, dh is, and we did live there for years. We are in NE now, and it is great to read your blog!! Great memories!!!
Thanks!!!
wheeler - Can you post some more pics of this craft fair… I would love to see more..
robin bird - now that was a fun jto come along for a ride on that journey. you have a great commentary style dear. very conversational. i ike going places with you. i don’t even have to leave the house or spend any money to feel like i’ve really “been there’.
i want to see that rusty turquoise in situ when you decide it’s location.
xo
Jesse - Looks like so much fun at the craft fair! I would love to do something like that!
Nichole - You are the cutest mom with your glitter shoes!!! From Target, yes? :]
carissa - 20,000 plus 1… get me there!
drooling!
chris - That is my kind of day ,looked like fun .
The sweeper how fun would that be !
Have a great walk I just did my 3 miles for today , I sure hope it starts to pay off in my wiehgt though awful lot of work for nothing , well my heart will get stronger, right, I want to get into smaller jeans who’s kidding who.
Chris
Suzanne - important post today on my blog…PLEASE come check it out!
kristal @ aksarbenlove - I want that mustard. It looks SOOOOOO good. I am a huge fan of unique mustard and the color of mustard. Yum yum!
kristal @ aksarbenlove
kristal @ aksarbenlove - I want that mustard. It looks SOOOOOO good. I am a huge fan of unique mustard and the color of mustard. Yum yum!
kristal @ aksarbenlove
Lorilee - Wow, Soooo much cool stuff to look at! I bet it was hard not to buy, buy , buy!
Blessings,
Lorilee
emily - Looks like such fun.
My hubby hates stuff like that and refuses to go.
I just drag Ben around and he hates it too.
I think I need to have a girl now.
Staci - WAAAY too much fun! Hillsboro, KS? My High School sweetheart went to Tabor…I believe that was in Hillsboro…ahh, good times 🙁 What a great fair! And isn’t your Grandma so cute in her snazzy visor! I so want to try to make one of those tin/bucket holder thingies that had the pretty paper around it! A little modge podge please! And it looks like your kids missed you oh so much :O
Art Cant Hurt - What fun the ladies had!
Thanks for sharing all the color in this post – I think I got a ‘craft fair high’!
Makes us moms appreciate everything more when we get a little “me” time, doesn’t it?
Take care, Meg!
Laura @ the shorehouse - Oh, yay! That was a fun fair. And I SO would have bought that turquoise basket. 🙂
Jen - Sounds like a perfect day to me!!!!! Thanks for taking us a long.
Nancy - I’ve never been to the Hillsboro craft fair but I’ve heard many wonderful things about it. We have a family that lives behind us that moved from Hillsboro; she was quite active in the organizing of the craft fair. Sue Woods….do you know her?
I go to our annual craft festival, the Tulip Festival, but I rarely buy anything besides a funnel cake. It’s fun to look but I don’t need most of what they have. However, I would have spent some dough at Molly’s Antiques. I think I better plan a road trip to visit that store with my girlfriends!
Rachel - That is sooo special! You and your mom had a great day it seemed by your pics and your post…awesome!
Jenn Thomas - I told Russ on Saturday that it was craft fair day – he said we should of gone – yeah right with a baby and 3 other kids – what is he thinking?? Probably of the food. Great pictures and what a perfect day! beats those days when it has been rainy and freezing cold. Glad you had a great time with everyone. Acorns . . . . I will be over to get some.
Suzanne - if we ever have to move, “your town” is the place on my list! even your craft fair is way cool…LOVE that jewelry booth…gotta check out that site! we have a “fair” called Turkeyfest every October in our hometown & all they have at the craft show is J-U-N-K!!!
just love your taste w/the things you chose to shoot!
Marla - I really, really want those chicken nesting boxes. I looked and looked for an old set to use in my chicken coop with no luck.
I love little town craft fairs.
Jennifer Peterson - Wow! That was a long post but I loved every picture/word of it! SO fun!!! That booth will all the jewlery was AMAZING! I plan on paying a for sure visit to her website.
I’m not Princess Lasertron, but I was a German major. I’m trying to remember exactly, but I believe it said : coffee house, come in and drink in your heat.
You can pay me for my mad translation skillz at a later date 🙂
Thanks for the great post
~Jennifer
Liz - Oh whoa. Craft fair = money shortage at end of month. I always get in trouble.
lorel - I had a nice time at my friend’s wedding – her boyfriend’s family is some branch of Mennonite (about half the women there were wearing bonnets, and I overheard someone introducing someone else as ‘so-and-so who works with Mennonite Central Committee’, etc.). So anyway, it has probably been since you guys got married that I went to a wedding with nothing but cake and punch! No alcohol and no dancing (awww, my favorite part!) but it was very sweet and touching, and I was glad I was there for my friend. But I missed the fair, and seeing everyone. Next year I hope to be back. I [heart] baskets!
Sharla - I was at the craft fair too – like you, I didn’t buy very much but the good food and weather was worth the 2 hour drive. Too bad I didn’t know about Molly’s antiques, that looked great. Next year!
PamperingBeki - I did pictures of the craft fair on my blog the other day too. 😉
I didn’t take as many as you though.
I was a bit disappointed that there was not much to really catch my eye. The one frou frou booth you showed *was* a good one. But there were only a handful that I really loved. Most of the time I was thinking “isn’t this the same stuff that was sold 10 years ago at craft fairs?” bleh.
I liked the drive as much or more than the show.
Krista - that looks like sooo much fun! jealous. i could use some hometown tradition right about now… 🙁
Aby - What fun!! Can I go next year? I’ll bring you a chicken coop thingy!!!! I don’t have one personally, but there’s a place down around me that sells them.. they have TONS of them. I have no idea where they got so many… but there’s a lot!! My sister uses one in her laundry room above her washer and dryer to hold all of her laundry supplies… it’s really cute.
traci - what an awesome day. i would have jumped at the turquoise basket too. great buy!! we are farmers, but sorry we don’t have one of those chicken coop things for ya. wish we did, then i could deliver it to you. have a great day.
Heidi - Eeeeek, so much eye-candy!!! I wish I could jump into the pics with fistfuls of money in my hands! What fun!
that girl - We have Alameda Antiques here in my neck of the woods, very similar! Thanks for reminding me it’s about time to get over there!
princess lasertron - “come in and drink it hot.”
Count me in with all the jealouses…what an awesome craft fair. now THIS is something we don’t have much of in omaha!
amy d - it sounds like you restrained yourself pretty well, i hope craig appreciated that!! glad u had fun, maybe one of these years i will try it again, i just got so overwhelmed the first time i went that i haven’t been back, i think canton has conditioned me enough to try it again though! oh, and i cannot for the life of me believe they didn’t have a “waffle” bling collar on display…shame on them! BTW, i think your acorn problem has returned. 🙂
angela WIlliams - All I can say is I am jealous. What an awesome craft fair. The pictures were too much. Next year, I want to place an order 🙂
Christy - Color me jealous! We have nothing, nada, zilch like that here in Phoenix.
Funny how the few things you showed are what caught my eye too, the chicken coop thing, the large wire basket, the type writer key jewelry & I love that basket you got too! I was just searching ebay last week for some. And also like you, no idea where it would all go, but I would make it work! 🙂
a thorn among roses - ok…i am sooo jealous! where in the world do you get to see such awesome things at a fair? it is super fabulous! i love the pics..and the green cage is fab! i have a hen crate i got a garage sale…the lady laughed when i asked to buy it…so she gave it to me!!! i use it as a coffee table in the great room!
Kara - Molly’s antiques booth might be the best thing I have ever seen.
wow. I love it.
Also, I love pork burgers 🙂
Deb - Oh, I LOVE fairs like this! Looks like you had a great time. And I really dig that turquoise basket.
Shanan - I could go CRAZY there! I wish we had something like that close to where I live. What fun pictures.