05/31/2026
Market : The final step. Cleanup!
(Yes I know I missed some steps, but I was so busy, I couldn't post! I'll catch up later)
Anyone who knows me knows how much I absolutely HATE to clean. After days of prepping, boxing, loading, unloading, unboxing, and displaying items.... the last thing I want to do is put those same things back in a box again. 😵💫
I start cleanup by... Running away. Literally. 🤣 I leave the building while many vendors scurry around, frantically packing, maneuvering vehicles and trailers together in small spaces so they can leave ASAP and hopefully get home for dinner. Good for them; they can handle it. That chaos sends my anxiety thru the roof, so I go chat with other vendor friends. 🤭 We decompress about how well sales went, what items sold, etc. I picked up some new yard art from Henry's Kin & Martin Frieden, like always, and some beautiful wall decor from Abbey Road Creations.
Once the noise dies down a bit, I go back to my space, lay out the totes and boxes, and start deconstruction. The one will take a while bc I'm sorting some things for a market next weekend at Old River Valley Antique Mall , other things to go to Clermont for M & J Storage 's next sale in June, some stands were borrowed and items sold on commission for Hawkeye Coffee Company that have to go back, and there's always a pile of things to go back to the house.
So much sorting. 🫣
To help me relax, I switch modes, musically. While I choose hard rock or 90s pop to drive my energy during setup, teardown requires soothing background music. Sometimes it's classical orchestra, or calming piano, but tonight, it's instrumental jazz. Just enough pep to keep me going, but no words to distract me and plenty of smooth, soulful vibes to ease me out the door.
What a lovely day it's been. Congratulations again to Melanie Jencks, Mark, & crew on celebrating The Market at White Barns 's 10-year market-versary. 🙂 Thanks for letting me be a part of things. I've now been in more than half! 🙌🏼 Here's to many more...
