Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

On Grief and Joy

03.05.25 | Life

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Small Goals // September 2018

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Can anyone else believe August has come and gone? I definitely can’t. Let’s dive in and see how my small goals look.

  1. Pick up an astrology book. Nope! Maybe it was all the retrogrades that made this month difficult to get much done.
  2. Make my up north reading list. Done! I read six books!
  3. Bring a new game up north. Well, I brought up Unstable Unicorns, but my family couldn’t get the hang of it. But I tried!
  4. Brush up on my composting knowledge. Well, we started composting! It’s not perfect, but we’re working on it!
  5. Host (or at least plan) a party. Michael and I had a long chat about this one. We decided to skip a big summer blow-out and save the party for spring since the yard still needs a bit of work and Michael’s schedule isn’t party-friendly right now. I’m disappointed in this one, but I know that it wouldn’t be a party without a proper Jart field (a highlight for a lot of our friends). So I’ll save it for spring. However, I’ve got a Tupperware party slated for later this month, so at least all my mom’s friends will see my nice perennials! For that reason, I’ll check this one off the list.

4/5. That’s not too bad. I’m disappointed that our party got the boot (after three months of being on this list!), but onto new goals and a new season. Summer has been a lot of work this year, so I’m looking forward to settling into fall and focusing on smaller projects (and just relaxing).

  1. Get some California-cool pieces. I’ve got a super fun business trip to California wine country coming up fast! Can I find some fall transitional pieces that don’t make me look like a Midwestern simpleton in time? Let’s see!
  2. Check out Cedarburg’s Wine & Harvest Fest. I love this fest. Crafts, art and wine all wrapped up in a fall day? Sign me up!
  3. Host my Tupperware party like a pro. I’ve got my party scheduled for this month. Time for a good deep clean. And time to try out some party-friendly apps, too! I might be taking some tips from Taste of Home for this one!
  4. Hit the gym six times (or more). I’ve fallen off the regular workout wagon. I chalk that up to a chaotic August. Let’s see if I can get to the gym a half dozen times (though I’d love to hit ten!).
  5. Finish up all my stitching to-dos. I’ve got three custom hoops to complete plus a handful of new designs to finish up. I need to clear out my stitching queue so I can get moving and grooving for my next show (more about that soon!).

Honestly, I’ve got a lot more to-dos on my mind than these five, but let’s just start with these! Here’s to a productive (and chill) fall!

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Going Native

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Photo via Ebert’s Greenhouse Village where I got all my plants!

When we started reimagining our yard, the part I most looked forward to was planting. I love plants and flowers. I don’t keep any houseplants (thanks to our cats), so outdoor plants are my bread and butter.

At the beginning of the summer, I thought I’d made my plant decisions (it was a goal of mine all the way back in May!). With the help of my mom and a few ideas from a landscape designer, I scoped out beautiful hydrangeas, boxwoods and mock orange. They all seemed so elegant, plus I’ve dreamed of having hydrangeas for ages. But as the summer went on, my plant order (yet to be placed, thank goodness) didn’t sit quite right with me. So I started making a few tweaks. And a few more. And I started to notice that the only plants that I felt really confident about were the native plants I had selected.

That’s when I decided to go 100% native with our plantings.

Really, it made the most sense to Michael and me. These plants would naturally thrive and wouldn’t require a lot of extra care the way something exotic forced to grow in Wisconsin would. So now, we’ve got a small garden full of native plants, most of which are very attractive to pollinators, butterflies and birds. It looks great and it’s good for the environment, too! That last part was pretty major for us. If you want to improve the world – even if that just means making life better for bees or helping a tiny lot in the city become more natural – you gotta start at home.

Here’s what we planted this year:

I’m hoping to add a few more perennials next spring to fill it out. I’ve got my eyes on lupine especially – we saw so much in Bayfield and we fell in love with it.

If you’re interested in planting native species at home (and home is Wisconsin), the DNR has great resources like this guide!

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Small Goals // August 2018

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For July, I tried to set some non-house related goals hoping I’d have some success. Let’s find out!

  1. Finish my biggest ever hoop (+ stitch up a few Queer Eye-inspired ones). Done! That big hoop was pretty darn big! And I stitched up a handful of other fun ones to stock my shop.
  2. Read at least two books. Done! I finished both The Art of Gathering and The Woman in the Window. I also started Florida by Lauren Groff – one of my favorite authors.
  3. Make an icebox cake (or another summery dessert). Nope! I made some banana bread but I wouldn’t say that’s a summery dessert.
  4. Give Lively bras a try. Did it! I definitely ordered the wrong size (helps to measure yourself more than once every five years), but I really liked what I got so I’ll be reordering. You can get $10 off whatever bra you want if you click here!
  5. Squeeze in two (or more!) date nights. Sad to say it, but nope.

3/5. This summer has been pretty trying to me with goals. I’m sure it has to do with all these planets that are in retrograde right now. Or unrealistic expectations. Whatever the case, making goals and going after them (even if it feels like slogging through mud) is something I want to keep doing.

So let’s get on with the show for August! After some real hard times with our yard project (don’t even talk to me about this), I actually just want to spend some time living in the moment and trying to enjoy myself. So for August, I’m only making fun goals!

  1. Pick up an astrology book. I like to think of myself as Taste of Home‘s low key astrology expert. I write astrology content, tell people how they are so [insert sign here] and I point other writers in the right direction when it comes to all the zodiac pieces I don’t write. But all my astrological knowledge comes from The Hairpin’s “Zodiac Truths” series, @notallgeminis, Astro Poets and reading my horoscope regularly. This is all great, but time for some concrete things like books!
  2. Make my up north reading list. I do a lot of reading when I head up north with my family. I think it has a lot to do with zero cell service, no internet and no TV. This is fine. So I just inhale books up there. Time to make my list and head to the library!
  3. Bring a new game up north. When we’re not reading, we’re probably playing a game. I think it’s time to find a new one and give it a go. We can’t play dominoes and Taboo forever.
  4. Brush up on my composting knowledge. Lisa, I thought you said fun goals. This one is for me! After years of mulling it over, I finally bought a composter. I’ve been trying to reduce waste at home and this is a big part taking the next step with this lifestyle. But you can’t just toss in apple cores and eggshells and call it a day; there are some finer points.
  5. Host (or at least plan) a party. As I write this, my patio is finished (YAY!) and plants are being ordered. Whether or not the grass seed gets planted and the finishing touches put on, I’m going to have (or plan) a party!

Let’s see if I can slog through these goals this month and end the summer on a high note! And if you’ve got goals, let me hear ’em!

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On Embracing My Aries Energy

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I’ve always been reluctant to label myself as an Aries, despite by April 4 birthday (smack dab in the middle of Aries season). Everything you hear about Aries is competitive this, fiery temper that, and I never really related to those traits (or many other Aries signatures outside of impatience). Instead, I read my horoscope for my moon sign (Pisces) and generally considered myself to be an astrological reject.

But not anymore. I decided that whether or not I seem like an Aries, I am one, and I should embrace the energy that comes along with it. After all, as my sister tells me all the time, Aries is the superpower of the zodiac. Who wouldn’t want that?

Now, you might be thinking Lisa, first it was tarot, then you dabbled in numerology and now we have to hear about your zodiac opinions? Yeah. It’s the Pisces moon in me.

This dawned on me as I was walking into work the other day. I was dealing with some contractor issues which caused some conflict between Michael and me. Admittedly, I spent the ride to work crying to my mom and feeling sorry for myself, insisting there was nothing I could do to make this project go right. But I had to pull myself together. So I ditched the sniffling, walked inside and thought You are a bad bitch and a problem solver and you are going to make things go your way. That is some Aries thinking if I ever heard it.

So now I’m thinking that I shouldn’t shy away from the take charge, go get it energy. I need to embrace it and channel it in a way that works for me.

Plus, Jonathan Van Ness (of Queer Eye fame) is an Aries with a Pisces moon (thanks to @notallgeminis for that intel!). So if I can embody one percent of that energy, I’m down!

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A Bayfield-Adjacent Haunt [Spooky!]

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One last Bayfield post for you folks! Yeah, it was only a four-day trip, but we did a lot and why not share it! Now, let’s get into my last little story.

You ever have those moments when you just know you and your partner are a good match? Maybe they get you the gift you’ve always wanted or you both say the same thing at the same time. I had that moment as we were driving home from Superior and I saw an old schoolhouse. I thought that it would be cool to slow down and look at it, but I didn’t say anything. But I didn’t have to – Michael was already pulling over in front of it. Talk about soulmates, right?

Anyways, we got out of the car and poked our heads in pretty cautiously. I’m all for exploring weird places, but I didn’t want to barge in just in case it was a part of someone’s property nearby or other weirdos were also taking a look around. But as we peered around the corner, we saw the coast was clear. And I was pretty shocked to find that the place wasn’t empty!

Inside, there weren’t desks or anything like that, but it was pretty full. There was an old kitchen with a very vintage fridge, a few chairs, a pool table and a very spooky piano with broken keys. Obviously, Michael had to play it. He plunked away and had a little boogie going for a minute. On our way out, we gave the old iron merry-go-round a spin. Very Are You Afraid of the Dark?

The next morning we started to get our stuff together to leave, and Michael turned to me and said, “So what if we went back to the spooky schoolhouse so I could record a song?” I know Michael and this came as a very unsurprising surprise. So we packed our bags and headed back to Cloverland (I keep wanting to call it Cloverfield because it’s spooky).

The second visit was equally spooky but with way more bugs (just setting the scene here). Michael settled in pretty quickly and belted out an entire song he had written sometime in the previous 12 hours. I don’t know how he does it.

Truthfully, the song is too scary for me, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Anyways, these are the fun things we do on our trips: bookshops, islands, lighthouses and recording songs in spooky locations. We know how to have fun!

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The Best Bayfield Haunts

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You may have read my love letter to Bayfield already. Michael and I visited for our anniversary and absolutely loved the place. Northern Wisconsin is weird and wonderful, so when I make it up there – be it Bayfield or Hayward or wherever else – I really like to embrace all the fun townie and touristy things that make the place special.

While Bayfield isn’t very big (fewer than 500 people), we still found a lot of places to love there. Here are our favorite Bayfield and Apostle Island haunts.

Apostle Islands Booksellers

Heading up to Bayfield, Michael and I didn’t have much of an agenda besides see lighthouses and go hiking. Well, that and visit Apostle Island Booksellers. We did minimal research on our destination, but this was one shop I knew I wanted to visit. Michael and I love books, so why not pop in?

What we found was, in my opinion, the perfect bookstore. Apostle Island Booksellers is fairly small, but the collection there was wonderfully curated and displayed. Right up front in the store, there were Native and Wisconsin authors, plus plenty of Great Lakes-related literature. Michael and I immediately picked up three books from this half of the store: Tracks and The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich (an Ojibwe author who is one of my absolute faves) and The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan.

I was equally happy with the rest of the store, too. My heart was warmed seeing Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis’s books in the kids’ section. And then I was intrigued by pretty much the entirety of the fiction selection. In fact, I made Michael take me back to Apostle Island Booksellers on our way home because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I bought another book, of course.

Learn more about Apostle Island Booksellers.

Seven Ponds Winery

Before we even got into Bayfield proper on our first day we stopped at Seven Ponds Winery. It’s situated in the Fruit Loop which is what locals call the string of orchards on the hills surrounding the town; I obviously love this name.

I was so impressed with this winery! I was very much expecting something along the lines of the Cedar Creek Winery in Cedarburg, Wisconsin or the Door Peninsula Winery in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (both nice and worth a visit, but I’d consider them mom stops) but instead, it was so much more and so much better!

First off, walking inside it was stunning – crisp and clean like a modern farmhouse – but then we went out on the patio and I was awestruck. We were sitting amidst the orchards and vineyards where all the fruit is grown for the wines. I consider this very cool.

I’d also consider their wine list to be very cool. There were the mom wines (I’m talking strawberry-rhubarb, apple and cranberry) but there was also an impressive selection of other wines. We each ordered a flight and got an amazing cheese plate to share. I loved that cheese plate with its fancy mushroom dust and dandelion coulis and best-ever goat cheese.

In the end, we took home a few bottles for our moms, a few for us and one for a friend. I’d highly recommend the Moonlight, a dry but fruity white, and the Sea Breeze, which had a hint of grapefruit.

Learn more about Seven Ponds Winery.

Morty’s Pub

If you’re looking for something a bit less fancy than a slick winery, I’d send you to Morty’s Pub on the main drag in Bayfield. Michael and I stopped in here to kill some time (and because we love Rick & Morty which, of course, has nothing to do with this Irish pub), and we had a great time. Is it a basic bar? Absolutely. But the bartender there was really invaluable to us. She had some great recommendations! Plus, we enjoyed some tasty local beers.

Learn more about Morty’s Pub.

The Fat Radish

My favorite food the whole trip was a late dinner at the Fat Radish. This felt pretty serendipitous since I had my eye on the place but when we walked by previously, they weren’t set to be open for dinner during our stay. But wouldn’t you know it, when we went to peep the menu, it was open!

I was pretty much sold on the place since it focused on using a lot of local and fresh ingredients. Not to mention that the atmosphere was really cozy. I got a tasty salad and a “stupid-good,” as the waitress called it, mac and cheese with broccoli and asparagus. After a long day of hiking, it really hit the spot.

Learn more about the Fat Radish.

The Beach Club

After a three-hour boat ride and a run through the museum on Madeline Island, Michael and I were pretty famished. We stopped by the Beach Club for a late lunch (this was recommended by the bartender at Morty’s). The place is pretty casual but it had some stellar views of the lake. We grabbed a table inside and faced the huge windows and just enjoyed watching the boats go by. As for the food, I expected standard bar food, but it was really one of our best meals on our trip! I got tacos which were simple but totally hit the spot. Michael got a trout fry (seriously local, the trout is caught right there in the lake) and it was good. I don’t like fish and even I was feeling it.

Learn more about the Beach Club.

Tom’s Burned Down Café

OK, so as we were strolling around downtown LaPointe, Michael and I saw what I assumed was the city dump. It looked like a junkyard – tents, car parts, metal sheeting. Then we got closer and realized that it was a bar. We walked in, and honestly, I can’t describe it to you; it’s a mess but in a good way. It looked like the kind of bar you’d build after getting shipwrecked on an island. But we settled in for a drink and had a good time chatting up the locals.

But really you just need to see the place for yourself.

Learn more about Tom’s Burned Down Café.

Pinehurst Inn

Last, but in no way least, I’d highly recommend the bed and breakfast where we stayed. It’s always difficult to book a place based on a few pictures and some reviews (no matter how glowing), but I’m so glad Michael and I choose this inn.

The owners were so inviting. They brought our bags to our room (this impresses me always) and gave us all the scoops on the best local hikes and eats. And every morning we were served an incredible three-course breakfast. For long days of hiking, a good breakfast is a must, so we definitely appreciated them! Also – this honestly made the stay for me – every afternoon we got fresh-baked cookies as a snack. They were some damned good cookies.

And the rooms? Well, they were gorgeous. We stayed in one of the smaller ones, but we got some nice perks, like a private patio. I also think it was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. Truly. In fact, I loved the place so much, I’m actively campaigning for my parents to visit (they are already 90% convinced).

Learn more about the Pinehurst Inn.

• • •

At this point, I think I should be the spokesperson for Travel Wisconsin. Even if that dream doesn’t come true, I hope these recommendations are helpful to you!

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Bayfield Bound

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This winter, as we sat home in the midst of another snow storm, Michael and I dreamed up our third-anniversary vacation. After spending our first all the way in Jamaica (so much fun) and our second just over in Madison, we decided we’d stay closer to home but visit somewhere entirely new to us. Within an hour we booked a stay in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Neither of us had ever been to Bayfield or anywhere near it. In fact, neither of us could remember visiting Lake Superior before, so as Great Lakes-loving folks, it seemed like a good fit. Plus, from what the Travel Wisconsin website showed us, it seemed very much like a Door County Junior with all its lighthouses and shoreline and quaint little town atmosphere.

What we found instead was, yes, lighthouses, shoreline and small-town vibes, but we found so much more there! And we absolutely loved it.

I’ll get into all the charming local haunts in another post, but I wanted to dive in right away with how downright beautiful Bayfield and the Apostle Islands are. As we cruised down the hill into the town, we saw Lake Superior and Michael and I were truly in awe. Living in and growing up near Milwaukee, we are both very familiar with Lake Michigan and how it can definitely feel closer to a sea than a lake. But, honestly, from the second we got up to the shore, there was a major difference in how different Lake Superior felt. It’s massive and dark, and while the waters are churning, there’s definitely a sense of stillness around the lake. My friend told me prior to this trip that when he visited Bayfield, he felt like something was watching him. I didn’t get those vibes precisely, but there’s definitely something unique about the atmosphere.

To fully take it all in, Michael and I snatched the last two tickets on a boat tour of the islands. It’s the only way you can see them, so we felt like this was pretty essential. You can’t go to the Apostle Islands and then not see the islands, right? This tour was incredibly fascinating to me. We got to see almost every island (there are 22 in total) and their unique landscapes – I’m talking cliffs, caves and impossibly tall pines – all the stuff I love. Being on the water was also really soul soothing. Nature-wise, I give this tour 10/10.

But, I’ll be honest, what I loved the most were the lighthouses. I’ve been interested in lighthouses since I was young so indulging in a lifelong curiosity was pretty fun. We got to see the Raspberry Island and Devils Island Lights from the boat, and I really really loved it. And I loved how Michael shares my enthusiasm for them (we’re thinking about visiting again for a special tour where you get to go inside!).

After the tour, our interest in the islands was really piqued. Right after we disembarked, we turned around and got on the ferry to Madeline Island, the biggest of the Apostle Islands (and the only one with any inhabitants). We poked around in La Pointe, the village on the island, for a little bit before we made our way over to Big Bay State Park for some hiking.

This felt a lot like Cave Point County Park (for you Door County folks), but ten times bigger and a hundred times more serene. Michael and I spent a lot of time just listening to the waves and the loons. It was a good place to meditate or at least have a few moments of introspection. But it wasn’t the only state park we were visiting on this trip.

Since we don’t make it all the north that often (or ever), Michael suggested that we take a drive to Superior and Duluth the following day. On our way there, we stopped at Amnicon Falls State Park for a hike (it’s not far outside Superior). This was a really nice way to start out our anniversary day. The second you get out of the car, you can hear the falls, and we just stood there watching for a while before moving on. It turns out that there are a lot of little falls throughout the park, so it was a lot of fun to follow the river and see them all (or at least a lot of them).

Also on this little jog, I got to see two more lighthouses – Wisconsin Point (in Superior) and Duluth Harbor North Breakwater Lights. That’s four lighthouses in one trip. Pretty darn good.

Taking in all these breathtaking views and monuments were really grounding, even though we spent much of this trip on the go. I can’t recommend Bayfield and the Apostle Islands enough!

• • •

P.S. I’ll be back soon with some recommendations of where to eat, stay and shop!

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Small Goals // July 2018

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Another month gone if you can believe it!

  1. Create an all-new wedding hoop. Done! You can check it out here.
  2. Explore Bayfield and the Apostle Islands. Done! More soon!
  3. Polka at Polish Fest. Sadly, no. It was unbearably hot on Father’s Day, so we stayed home with some AC. I did, however, bring my dad some Tyskie, vodka and polka music.
  4. Host a patio party (or at least get one on the books). Don’t even talk to me about this one. The patio is not even started and I’m more than a little upset.
  5. Plant a small garden. Nope.

2/5. This hasn’t been a great month for goals or landscaping, and, honestly, that’s really got me down. I thought our landscaping was pretty much good to go once I called and scheduled it, but the situation got pretty complicated and chaotic. So as of this moment, I don’t know when I’ll have a normal yard again. This really has me in a bad way, so I’m going to try and set some lighthearted, non-yard-related goals this month so I don’t have to dwell on the failure. So let’s get going.

  1. Finish my biggest ever hoop (+ stitch up a few Queer Eye-inspired ones). Not too long ago, I got a DM asking me to make a monster-sized (well, 12″) hoop. I’ve never made one so big before (most of my hoops are just 5″), so I’m curious to see how it turns out! Also, I made this fun Struggs to func hoop not that long ago and sold it instantly. Time to get some inventory!
  2. Read at least two books. I’ve got a lot of library books at home that are dying to be read. I’m paging through The Art of Gathering and The Woman in the Window now. I’ve got a few others lined up at the library, too.
  3. Make an icebox cake (or another summery dessert). I saw this recipe on Broma Bakery and it really got me thinking that I need to give it a try!
  4. Give Lively bras a try. TMI? Nah. I saw some Instagram ads for this brand lately and I was compelled by the nice price point (three bras for $75!).
  5. Squeeze in two (or more!) date nights. Michael and I are not good at date nights. We both love being at home, so going out sometimes just doesn’t occur to us. But it’s the height of the summer! We should get out and appreciate it.

I’m crossing my fingers that some landscaping happens in July! But until then I’ll bide my time with some fun, summery goals. Until next time!

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Cheers to My Dad, the Biggest Unsolved Mysteries Fan

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Photo via Hulu

Happy Father’s Day, folks! I thought on this day, I’d share one of my favorite memories of my dear ol’ dad.

Dad, I doubt you’ll ever find this website, but if you do, hi!

• • •

Picture it: small town Wisconsin 1995…

My dad calls me: “Unsolved Mysteries is on!” I rush down the wooden basement stars, clunking as I go. If I was lucky, I’d catch the super spooky intro music.

At this point in time, the show was running previous seasons on Lifetime: television for women, as the tagline went. My dad did not care that this was the network’s tagline because he watched Lifetime regularly, and that was how he had his finger on the pulse of these reruns. I, however, perceived their airing to be totally random which is why they seemed like such a big treat.

Every time the show was on, my dad and I had a fairly standard procedure. First and foremost, we’d have to watch it in the basement because no one else was interested in watching reruns with us. Relegated to the downstairs TV, we’d set up camp: Dad on the ugly blue couch, me on the ugly pink recliner (which STILL sits in the basement today). The other component to this ritual was snacks. My dad is a big candy person, so it’s not surprising that Unsolved Mysteries time was synonymous with treats like button candy, Skittles and – most notably and importantly – grape Laffy Taffy. I also drank my fair share of grape soda.

Snacks in hand, we’d settle in and watch Robert Stack in his trench coat tell us about all sorts of spooky stuff. As a kid, I loved hearing about stuff like aliens, ghosts, buried treasure – all those really fantastical tales. But the most iconic story to me was one about Billy the Kid. The story, as presented on TV, isn’t that great of a mystery. Some old man in Texas claimed he was Billy the Kid despite the common knowledge that Billy the Kid died in New Mexico at the age of 21 (and their photos looking nothing alike!). The mystery itself doesn’t really matter; what matters is that this was my dad’s and my favorite unsolved mystery. It became our favorite by repetition alone – we probably saw that same episode six or seven times. And that’s how I know how great my dad really is: He saw this same lame mystery a half dozen times and never once did he suggest we watch something else. Instead, we’d open our bag of licorice and watch the whole darn episode. I loved every minute.

A quick aside: Unsolved Mysteries had plenty of family-friendly cases, like the couple that found $20 bills raining from the sky or people reconnecting with their adoptive siblings. The show was also packed with really grim and horrible stories, like people who were found murdered or kids who were kidnapped. In retrospect, this wasn’t a great show for a six year old. I don’t really recall any of these horrible stories and definitely was not scarred by them in any way. I do find it odd though that my dad found this to be appropriate TV for me but also forbade me from watching Rugrats during this same time period. Um, OK.

My dad and me circa 1991 (pre-Unsolved Mysteries).

So on Father’s Day, I’d like to say cheers to you, Dad! Our Unsolved Mysteries TV time is one of my fondest memories. That and so many more!

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Craft Fair + Pub-Crawl // A Recap

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Back in May, I participated in my second ever craft fair – the Madison Makers Market + Pub-Crawl – and it was a blast! I ate, drank, sold some crafties and made a cool trade with a new maker friend. But let’s get into it.

Prepping

Last show, I was stressed to the max stitching up 50 different hoops. Since it was my first one, I had zero idea what to expect. This time around, I was a bit more confident. Plus, I had about 35 hoops left in my inventory for the selling which meant I didn’t have to spend every spare minute stitching. Instead, I stitched up 18 over the course of about four weeks which was a pretty good schedule. I also had friends giving me some A+ hoop recommendations. Oh! And a lovely gal PM-ed me before the show asking about RuPaul’s Drag Race hoops and I was happy to oblige. I’m thinking a not today, Satan, not today hoop will become a new standard.

The Show + Bar

Like last time, I brought my mom to be my helper. She’s very patient and calm, which was good because as an anxious person, I was low key freaking out that morning.

Unlike last time, though, this show wasn’t held in a single location. Instead Madison Makers Market had the most amazing idea of having crafters set up booths in a few bars on Madison’s East Side. Eat, drink, buy crafts – it’s the perfect day. I was lucky enough to get a space in the new-ish Old Sugar Distillery where the light was phenomenal and the other vendors very kind. Prior to opening for the day, I got to meet Sarah from Gypsy Adornment in person (had been following her Instagram for a hot minute), and we had a little swap. She nabbed a Queer Eye hoop and I got a witchy lariat necklace in exchange. My only regret is that I couldn’t steal away to see the other makers in the other bars.

Once the doors opened, though, I was pretty surprised with how steady business was! Lots of folks were browsing around with their Dark & Stormies, picking up grad gifts and last-minute Mother’s Day presents. The energy of the space was definitely right and the bar was hopping all afternoon. I was 100% into it, and I think people were into me too! I sold about 18 hoops by the day’s end, which felt great!

Now that I’ve got two fairs done and dusted, I’m feeling a bit more confident about my pieces. Once I’m done with my pal’s wedding hoop, I’m going to start stocking up again. You never know when the next fair might be!

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P.S. You can find my hoops at my Etsy shop always! PM me for custom orders!