3 Things NOT to Do At a Craft Show

With the Craft Show season upon us, I thought it might be a good time to have a good laugh and discuss "Craft Show Etiquette."

This year Little Branches isn't participating in the craft show season, but most of my sweet maker friends ARE!

Let's start with pointing out the obvious. Craft shows are a TREMENDOUS amount of work, y'all! Whether the maker is working solo, or has (many) helpers, there is simply a lot to do.

Think about it... one person (or one + helpers) has to :

Buy + Plan for Supplies
Price everything.
Plan the booth setup. Make props if necessary. Allow for adjustments, because the booth is never what you think it's going to be.
Pack up said supplies + booth props.
Set up the booth up. Make sure you have cash on hand. Make sure your Square is working.
Work the show. Answer the sweet questions. Remind yourself to smile and say thank you and be beyond friendly. (Because even if that is you naturally, after the tenth time of having the same conversation, it begins to feel fake - even though it's actually not!)
Clean up after the show.
Inventory. Ship. List.

And this doesn't even include MAKING THE STUFF, y'all!

I cannot express to you in words how much joy it gives me to be a maker. It is a true blessing, and it fills the weary parts of my soul. God created me like that. The shows are honestly my very favorite part! They are where are customers have faces and names and we get to have conversations. Craft shows make the process beautifully personal for the maker and the customer. So if you didn't know this before, although I'm sure you did, now you can appreciate the work even more when your eyes lay hold of the beautiful handmade products at the local craft show!




And oh, gosh, I know that none of y'all would ever say anything like this, for obvious reasons, but let's just go ahead and get it out of the way anyway, just in case. I want to talk about what shouldn't go on at a craft show.

1. Saying, "I could make this."

Even if you can, y'all. In fact, I bet you can! I bet you can make signs and knit sweaters and paint clay pots! I bet you could make completely beautiful things, but again, these makers - whatever they made - put time and effort into their craft so that someone - maybe even YOU - could appreciate it, love it and buy it. They are hoping you might say "oh - this is exactly what _____ would LOVE for Christmas!" So, please don't say I could make this... even under your breath, or to your neighbor, because that sweet maker will hear it.

She knows you could make it, but the fact is that she did make it... and put her own spin on it. These items are more than likely her heart and soul in physical form, so be gentle, friends.

2.  Directly asking the maker "How did you make this?"

This just puts the maker in an awkward position, y'all. Of course they are excited about their product, but the reality is that they probably failed many times before coming up with whatever final product there is. If you have a specific question - for example, what kind of yarn do you use in these sweaters - I know would have loved to answer that. But asking what pattern they used and how they frame up their sign is just tough for someone to answer. It's like you asking Kentucky Fried Chicken what the recipe is for their batter. You just don't do it.

***Note : If you have a question about starting a business, or how they got started making _____, please ask those questions! I know that I loved talking about my heart on our business!!

3. Take pictures - especially when you are trying to act like you aren't taking the pictures.

I know you would never do this - but this is just a reminder. There are too many people copying other people's work these days. Don't even look like you're one of these people.

***Note : If you do want to send it to someone to ask if they'd like it for Christmas, or if they would want to buy it for someone else for Christmas (because we all do that) just ask the maker. The likelihood is that they would never say no to that. And mostly, they'll appreciate the ask! I promise!

Above all, if you attend a craft show of any kind this fall, be overly complimentary to these sweet ladies (and gents) that pour their blood, sweat and tears into these weekends. They love being there, but what makes it over-the-top fun is when their are fun people that love their items, love their craft and love their story. Make conversation - even when you know you aren't going to end up buying something! It will make your day far more interesting than it would have been just going from booth to booth!!!

Here's to the Craft Season, y'all!!!

Snow {ICE} Days are for ___________________.

Ice Snow days are for Lego building, lemonade mixing, bread baking, fireplace hovering, littles cuddling, tent making, cookie eating, tea sipping, book reading, movie watching, bath taking and the like. Can we have another one please?

What IS Little Branches?

I realize that a lot of y'all are new to our little handmade business, so I thought I'd spend the week re-introducing myself!! You can read the intro here. And you can read 10 random facts about me here. 

Today, I'm answering the question ::

I've struggled for quite some time with being who I think I'm "supposed" to be. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Before i had the littles, I was a designer at a large architecture firm in downtown Dallas. I loved my job, loved the work, loved the people i worked with & loved all of the beauty that I was exposed to while working there. With that said, I struggled with what the design of my home was "supposed" to be since - you know - I was a "designer". Shouldn't it be modern, classic & clean? I was exposed to ALL different designs at work;  the latest & the greatest was always sitting on my desk in some shape or form. This all made for a confused design aesthetic at my home. I was trying to be something that i wasn't... I'm not talking about being a designer. I'm saying I had a hard time appreciating everything but being comfortable with making choices for myself.

When I quit my "grown up" job & stayed at home, I had a picture all lined out for myself of what a "stay at home" mom looked like:: involved, organized, good at time management. In my mind, my home would always smell good, the toys would be neatly lined up in matching baskets with tags, I'd always wear makeup & have something yummy on my stove when the hubbs got home for dinner. 

Can you say it with me:: "How's that working out for ya?"

Y'all. I'm flawed. In a big way. I'm messy. Scattered. Disorganized. I'm actually a pretty decent cook, but I'm a piler & i don't ever put away laundry. Like, ever.

  I could get totally stuck on this. Some days i do. Actually, for years i did. 

Then when the hubbs ran for office, I decided I needed to fit into this "politician's wife" mold. To be honest, I felt a little like I was banging my head against a wall when I just didn't. I was so discouraged because I felt like I kept falling short of what i thought the Lord wanted me to be.

But the Lord gently reminded me that He made me in His own image. He reminded me that He blessed me with the strengths that I do have & allowed my weaknesses because His power is made perfect through them.

He didn't want me to be anything but what He created me to be. Messy and disorganized? Maybe. But maybe I needed to start looking at myself from His perspective. 

  I will never be politically minded like my husband. I just won't. There are things that are dear to me but I won't ever run for office. I do not wear suits. {I wore ripped up jeans & my Zooey Deschanel look alike glasses out to dinner with some of our constituents}. I love the people I have met but i will never know all the issues and you will never see my name on a campaign sign... well, my first name anyway. And I do not need to do or be any of that in order to support the husband that the Lord blessed me with.  That is the key here.

i am a creative. Whatever that means to you, it means a lot of different things to me. Recently it went from meaning "I am a hot mess" to "I am a child of God who is blessed with creativity" {and happens to be a hot mess once in a while}. What a revelation!

Out of that revelation,  Little Branches was born. It was out of an earnest desire to be exactly who the Lord created me to be; to use the talents & gifts He has bestowed on me. I wanted to reach out & bless someone else with the work from my hands, because of His hands. What I have long thought of as a hindrance, has now become something I am incredibly proud of.

It is also such a blessing to contribute a little extra to the financial load in our household! If you wonder if it's 'godly' to be a business woman {of any kind}, just read Proverbs 31. She's a role model for the modern day business woman.

Are you in business? Are you thinking about starting a business... or a career?? I'd love to hear about your journey!!!

counting our blessings.

november 1st was the TWO YEAR anniversary of our handmade shop, little branches. 

i am beyond grateful that God placed this on my heart {and my hubby's} a little over two years ago. 

in two years the Lord has sent little branches to.... 

bradbury lane in richardson, where we had our very first show and an amazing fundraiser for a mission trip that we would take. 

He sent little branches to africa, where we had the awesome privelage of speaking to a group of women about starting their businesses and surrendering their dreams to the Lord. it was beyond anything that i could imagine. 

He placed us, beyond anything i even dared to try, in weirs country store in dallas, plano + southlake. 

He took us to kansas. 

He has given me sweet + meaningful friendships with people i have met through networking our business from new york to california to georgia and everywhere in between. 

He filled us up to the brim by allowing us a space in Waco at our beloved Spice Marketplace. 

it has been a joy, privelage and honor to bless you with the gifts + passions that the Lord has given me. YOU are the reason that we are still here. YOU are the reason that i do this and i am so grateful. the honor of running a little shop from home is not lost on me. i hope i always mostly do it with grace and humility. it is a joy. 

thank you!

{watch for an instasale THIS thursday!!!} 

xoxo.

[autumn} shop update.

our shop is constantly evolving. it's a roller coaster of emotions, and as much as i try to not let the highs get too high and the lows get too low, they inevitably get the best of me and leave in a puddle of tears some days. this handmade business thing is not for the faint of heart. it's just not. 

don't get me wrong, i never thought it would be easy. i never did. and the first year we were in business, it took off beyond my wildest dreams. only God can take it where you didn't even know you wanted it to go! i got to experience wonderful things like making dear friends via social media, i had weirs {a local to-die-for country store} contact me about wholesale and we're still enjoying a blossoming partnership that i am forever grateful for. i've been blessed to sponsor craft weekend {which i still love} and even had the privilege to go. it was amazing.

all of it was amazing. 

but in the midst of all of the good, there is hard. just like in any business. there are those VERY rare customers that you can't make happy - and it kills me when that happens. there are people who steal - ideas, merchandise, words + so on - and that is just NOT nice. and if i don't watch myself, i end up focusing my thoughts on the negative. on all of these little tiny negatives instead of the vastness of the wonderful blessing my business has been.

and so in this season of thanksgiving - i am choosing to take my thoughts captive - each + every one - and i will be focusing on all of the wonderful aspects of being a handmade business owner. because there ARE so very many - and they greatly outweigh the yucky stuff. a wonderful friend of mine who has her own kind of business told me she felt the Lord speak to her that she is to be grateful for EACH and EVERY sale. each customer. each product sold. each sweet and kind email. each positive comment. each 'like'. 

and that is the best advice i've been given in a long time. and it's changed how i look at my business. and i hope it changes how you look at it too. i hope you know that you are loved and prayed over with every order you place with little branches. i hope you know that we are grateful for new business and blessed three fold by return business. i hope you can feel the love that was put into each and every product that we make and that you are blessed and it fills your day with love, life and encouragement.

"the words I have spoken to you - they are full of the Spirit and of life" {john 6:63b} 

that is our hope.... that the words you find within little branches will be full of the Spirit and of life, just as Jesus's words always were. 

blessings today.

baby love {free printable}

 

we are so excited about the new line that just came out in our shop! and as a thank you to all of our loyal customer we made this free printable for the nursery or playroom in your home!  

it's easy to frame it - but it looks super cute with these DIY clotheshangers! The clotheshangers are available at target and then we just used an old paintbrush and some elmer's glue to paint on some glitter! i have a feeling these will be making appearances throughout our home! especially at christmas!

to get the 8 x 10 printable, click here.

also - today is the LAST day to use code BABYLOVE for 15% off your order of $20 or more!

happy shopping!

saying yes // a guest post + a giveaway

***GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***
***WINNER IS DANIELLE R. CONGRATULATIONS!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING BROOKE SO MUCH LOVE + FOR SUPPORTING OUR SHOP!!***

y'all. i could not be more excited to introduce you to my sweet friend brooke! we've known each other for years through our high school youth group + at baylor, but just reconnected over the last year or so through social media and our common love for africa and trying to live on fire for the Lord! she is awesomesauce, y'all. and she's dreaming big dreams of going overseas with noonday as the extra special blogger that gets voted to go by YOU!!!

you can vote here. all you do is click vote. you don't even have to put in your email!

be encouraged today. her post will bless you! and stay tuned for a little giveaway at the end of the post!

Hi friends, my name is Brooke.  I'm married to Freeland & we have 3 kiddos: River, Wylder, and Chapel. I just became an ambassador with Noonday and I'm really excited to see what the Lord is going to do through it! I blog about our life over here. We are also currently in the process of adopting through the foster care system here in Ohio.  I'm so excited to be doing a guest post with Becky! (because she is the sweetest EVER) She asked me to share my heart on saying “yes” to the Lord because we both deeply feel that the Lord is calling so many of us to start saying YES.
 
I feel so passionate about the way I see a movement of the Lord awakening desires, dreams, and passion in people. Its incredible and I'm so encouraged. But I also feel like He is going deeper and calling us to press in actually say YES to those dreams and passions too! I feel like I see Him calling us to know who we are as women, wives, mothers and friends and to also feel secure (that means-let go of your insecurities!!) and walk in freedom to know He created us a certain way for a certain purpose. The gifts, talents, passions and dreams we have are for a reason! The restless feeling we have is for a reason! The place we live and relationships around us are for a reason! Its as if He is sitting and waiting for us to just say yes.. and then pull open this curtain to show us all He has and then display His glory in all new ways.

I'm not a writer and I definitely don’t have the gift of teaching so all I know to do after praying about it, is to share what saying yes is currently looking like for me and my family!

For me, this has looked like such a journey and process of learning & knowing who I am & it is also knowing what the passions and dreams that I have are. Its taken me pressing in, paying attention and asking the Lord to show me those things or remind me of them. Then I think it is a matter of being brave enough to believe they are there for a reason and begin to speak them out loud and share them with people! The thing that has amazed me the most is how as I have begun to ask the Lord what He desires for my life and what my dreams and passions are, He has begun to mold my passions for the things that stir His heart and the things He is passionate about. I believe as we do this He begins to reveal His scripture and passions to us in such a new way! He opens our eyes to the world around us and breaks our hearts for the things that break His!

Saying yes, at times, has been an emotional moment of hearing from the Lord and surrendering and then saying yes.. but its not always this radical moment of hearing His voice or its not like there is always a burning bush in front of me. Sometimes saying yes is just simply walking in faith and obedience to what I read in His word or to the small nudge I feel. Through asking & submitting, He has birthed so many new desires in my heart. He had given me a desire to advocate and seek justice for those in poverty. He has given me a heart to give a voice to those who don't have one and share other peoples stories. He has given me a heart for our neighbors and for relationship with women all over. I just wonder what if I hadn't said yes? I know last night I would have been missing out on the revival happening right in front of me in our neighborhood.. and in the next few months Id be missing out on loving another child and seeing God restore my son or daughters life. Most days it feels like He has lit a fire in us. 

Here is the deal though, just to be real with you guys, sometimes saying yes for me also looks like this: being willing to let go of my comfortable and ‘easy’ life and allow the Lord to come all up in it and wreck it. Knowing that even though I may no longer be comfortable or have the simple life I once did - my life will now be filled with so much more joy and passion than I ever imagined. It does sometimes feels like I could easily say “never mind my life is just fine how it is” though and turn around and go back to it being simple. Instead I choose to know I was created for more and I choose to remember what the Lord said and be obedient to what He is calling me to.

I'm learning that I also have to make room in my life so I can say yes to the Lord... so it means that I have to know what to say no to as well. Saying yes doesn't mean I never doubt or question what the heck I'm doing. Honestly, I often question and doubt myself probably at least 80% of the time. It feels so much easier to believe lies most days than to know the truth. I constantly have to go back to the word and remind myself why I'm doing what I'm doing, and remember that God is who He says He is and God can do what He says He can do. I'm also finding that for me, its easy for me to say yes to the big things and believe God in those...but in the little things or in the things that make me uncomfortable its so much harder to be faithful! He constantly reminds me that my faith is not in myself... its in Him. This really has very little to do with me.

I'm so passionate and excited about this! I wish I could sit and share my testimony in person with each of you and hear all of your testimonies of how the Lord is moving in your life too. But I can encourage you and testify that God doesn't call certain people to say yes.. He calls ordinary, tired, lazy people like me to say yes! Saying yes to the Lord and the dreams He has given me is what has restored my life and my joy and relationship with Him! Its made my relationship with the Lord adventurous and real. I'm not sure what it looks like for each of us...maybe its saying yes to a job, a mission trip, taking care of your neighbor, finally getting together with that friend, forgiving someone, staying home with your kids, or maybe its saying yes to getting on your knees and praying for someone or even serving your husband better! Sometimes I feel like we just need to start somewhere...and that's half the battle! Even if its simple .. just say yes and move forward. Are you restless and unfulfilled? (like I was) Then go ask the Lord what to do...and then get even crazier and DO IT! Whatever it is or may be, I encourage you to say “yes” to that nudging you have from the Lord because when you do, I believe you will find it to be such an adventure you will wonder why you waited so long!

My favorite part of all of this is that us saying yes will allow someone else to be brave enough to say yes. Us saying yes will give your kids the ability to say yes one day!  I absolutely believe our dreams and passions will leave our children with greater destinies.  I cant imagine what the Lord will do with our generation of women (an Esther generation!) once we all start saying yes to our part and running our races that are put before us! It makes my heart pound when I see this vision of what He is doing all over. I feel like most importantly and one of the things I get the most excited about is cheering each other on.. and getting on our knees and praying for each other! I'd love to hear dreams and desires and passions each of you have that you've already said yes to or that you're about to jump in and say yes to! Lets all do it .. and lets all cheer each other on!

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thank you so much, brooke, for following God's call for your life! you lead by example and i love following your journey!

you can find brooke here and you can VOTE FOR HER to go to rwanda with noonday HERE.

and in honor of her journey, i thought it would be fun to do a little giveaway from our therefore go collection!

today little branches is giving away this little 8x12 sign! enter to win using the rafflecopter entries below! **Winner will be announced Friday!!!** Good luck and remember to go give Brooke some love!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway