Does anyone else think Gabby Douglas looks like baby Oprah?

Boom.

Our first festival

Well we did it.

Drew and I completed our first outdoor festival for Lady Lee & Drew Jones.

I'm not going to lie and say it was cake, because well, it was straight crazy there for awhile.

Our first challenge was it was wiiiiiiindy. From the time we put up our tent we were one wind gust away from our tent and everything in it blowing away to Oz or just busting in half. The wind was constant and strong and when there were particularly crazy gusts I would stand there hands over my head clutching the frame of our tent for dear life. All this while trying to hold Westley and set up by myself while Drew was unloading. At one point a few men walked by and they all were staring at me and one of em' yells, "You aren't going to be able to hold that all day you know." And I put on my dirtiest cuss look and yelled back, "Does it really look like I am going to hold this up ALL DAY?" I usually think those things but don't say them. Woowee. I mean really? Three able bodied men and the only thing you can do is mock me? How about being gentlemen and coming over to help me out? Bleck.

So anyway...

Our frames and products were blowing over so I couldn't prop stuff up and make it look appealing and pretty.

Westley cried the entire time Drew was unloading stuff from our cars so I couldn't set up while Westley hung out in his stroller like we originally planned. This set us way back and we were still setting up a half hour into the festival. Thank the good Lord a couple of friends came right when the festival started and immediately saw stress written all over my being and said "What can we do?!" so they went to work hanging up necklaces.

Both of our chairs we brought to sit in? Broken.

The chain necklaces we hung on our stand? Blown in the wind and knotted up into a terrible ball.
                                    

When it was time to take Westley home for a nap I walked the long hot haul to the parking garage sweating and carrying Westley. I got to the elevators and pushed the button and a bunch of people came in and cut in front of me. I knew I wouldn't be able to fit on the elevator that came so I took the three flights of stairs up to where our car was supposed to be. I got there and couldn't find the car Drew Jones parked. So I call him and he is all "Oh hey I forgot to give you the ticket to get out." I almost sat down on that dirty garage floor and cried. Instead I laughed like a maniac and trudged on back to our wind blown tent.

So it was a rough start. But, when Westley and I came back things got better. More of our family and friends came and we just sat in the grass behind our tent laughing and eating. That was my favorite part of the entire day.

Plus when we were packing up to leave some old friends of ours showed up and helped us pack up our cars. I literally have no idea how we would have done it without them. Drew Jones said the same thing.

So I think we had a huge learning curve to overcome. We learned A LOT.
Will we do another festival?
Maybe.

But if we do, we will only apply to ones that are specifically craft or art festivals.
Ones where people are actually there wanting to buy.

We'll set our tent up differently.
Pack things differently.
Check our chairs and make sure they aren't broken before we leave.
Pack our lunches.
Get a tent that can withstand wind gusts.
Enlist some help with Westley.
And so on.

But in all this honest talk that is feeling debbie downer I want to say this:

Our friends and family couldn't have been more supportive and sweet. Those of you that emailed, texted or showed up in the flesh and bought/helped/encouraged...ya'll are the best.

All you wonderful strangers that came and bought from us? You are awesome.

And of course, Drew Jones. I could. not. have. done. this. without. you. Obviously you are the Drew Jones to my Lady Lee. BUT also because I just couldn't have. No way, no how. We had to get this done as a team, and we did! I'm proud of us and thankful for you.

Food Truck Fest!

Lady Lee & Drew Jones are going to be at the Columbus Food Truck and Cart Fest!

It is the place to be this Friday in Columbus!

 Come out, stop by our tent and say hi! 

And then get me a funnel cake.

Just kidding.

No I'm not.

I love funnel cakes.