prickly pear cactus, Buxton, NC

Good morning everyone!

I had a great photo of my latest painting for this morning, but realize I have left my camera in a container at the show.  Which makes me a bit nervous.  They close the sides to the tents and night and have a watch person – and there aren’t that many tents, so hopefully I haven’t done anything silly like losing my camera!

Yesterday there were a lot of lookers at PRAD, and several lookers bought the new prose tiles.  So they’re working – at $22.00 each they are $4 more than the word tiles, and slightly larger but don’t take anymore time to make and the material cost is no more than a penny or two more, so that has been an excellent addition to my line!  I also had out an old, odd (circle) word tile marked $10.00 – I do that to see if price makes a difference.  I saw several folks actually look at it (I think people don’t zero in on the price until they respond to the piece; I keep doing these "free" or $10.00 pieces to prove that theory, and so far I’m correct), but no one bought it.

I sent one person to Room with a Brew to look at a mermaid there, and talked to another about doing a commission sign for her (although I told her my expertise isn’t in sign making – painting; ceramics outside – that I’m good with).  There was a woman who fell in love with a torso that she wants for her 50th birthday/anniversary and took a card (I can’t remember if I got her name, but I was very good about trying to get interested parties to leave some kind of contact info in my book). And got home to a phone call from Trisha at the Bead Boutique that she sold the torso (left) hanging on her wall.  So all things taken into consideration, it was a very good day.  Sundays are always better, at least in this neck of the woods.  I don’t know why – some theorize that Saturday is look day and then Sunday folks come back and buy.  I also think we get more tourist traffic, and vacationers are always ready to spend a little something.

The sun was very hot and I was wearing 45 lotion sunscreen but I still got burned on my shoulders and back of my neck – I haven’t been burned in a very long time.  I burn very easily, and am very careful, but didn’t have Husband to slather the lotion on my back and I guess I went too light in areas.  My face did okay, so I know the lotion worked where it was applied properly.  It’s supposed to go to 88 (!!!!! – it’s October!!! geesh!) today so I’m planning to spend more shade time.  By the end of the day yesterday I’d found a spot where I could be in the shade and still monitor my area of the show and talk to folks who seem interested in my pieces.

Here is something to think about:  Both One Coach work and a home Feng Shui kit start with the inner self before they move to the outer work (i.e., increasing your business and creating a healthy environment).  Isn’t that interesting?  How often do we move stuff around on the outside without ever moving stuff around on the inside?  And then wonder why nothing changes?  You know what I love?  I love that quantum science is proving all the things philosophers have been telling us for thousands of years.

Am out of business cards, so must be off (surprisingly, not many people took postcards yesterday.  And they’re free! ).  Wish me luck and may your Sunday be relaxing and refreshing.

thought for the day:  Using your physical sense to assess your options is kind of like driving while looking in the rearview mirror.  Not too swift, unless you want to go backward.  Mostly, the physical senses show what has been, not what will be.  For direction, look within.  To your feelings, your heart, and most important, your dreams.  Mike Dooley, Notes from the Universe:  New perspectives from an old friend