My First Craft Fair!

As I mentioned in some previous posts, I set up my very first booth ever for my HeartAdrift products at the Naval Officers Spouse Association Craft Fair on Saturday. The set up time was from 6:30am-8:30am and then the fair began at 9. Since this was my first one, I really wasn't sure how much time it would take me to set up my booth, so I arrived promptly at 6:30 and began unloading my car. Ultimately it only took about an hour to set up, but that left me with plenty of time to check out some of the other vendors and chat with some incredibly sweet ladies who were running the show. 

I think my favorite part of this whole experience was getting to talk to the shoppers who came by and hear their stories. Since the craft fair itself took place very close to the gates of the Mayport Naval Station, most of the shoppers who came by were military families and spouses. It was so interesting getting to chat with them and find out how long they've been in the military, where they've lived, and what their experiences have been. It just encourages me so much to hear about their lives :) Anyway, this experience also honestly filled me with so much confidence. Growing up I always absolutely loved going to craft shows with my mom... heck, I still love going to them now too! I never really imagined I'd ever have a booth of my own at one some day, and although this was a relatively small craft show, I felt such a sense of accomplishment just simply from setting a goal to participate, preparing for it weeks in advance, and ultimately finding success in the end. 

When it was all said and done, I was exhausted! I was really thankful that it was only for a day ;) I think that was a great way to "get my feet wet" in the world of craft shows... I can't imagine how truly exhausted I would have been if it had lasted for two days! Heck, I went home and was completely crashed in bed by 6:30pm that night!! It was completely worth it though and I do hope to do it again in the future!