I have a booth!!!

For years, many many years, I've thought about renting booth space in an antique mall, but never acted on it. Timing wasn't right. Never found a mall that had the right feel. Worried I wouldn't have enough to keep a space stocked. Wasn't in the cards financially to commit to monthly rent payments with no guarantee on making a profit, much less breaking even. And then came last week.

Got a call from a local thrift store run by a gal I've come to know by first name. Whenever I pop into her store, to either drop off goods or shop, we chat. She recently mentioned that she was thinking about expanding her nonprofit shop and having half of it be an antique mall. Would I be interested, she asked, in renting space. Yes.

Last week she called and prefaced her reason for calling by saying that it would be awhile before she looks at expanding. In the meantime, a huge family-run furniture store close to where I live had recently gone out of business. And the space had become an antique mall and thrift store. She just rented space there and thought of me. Okie dokie. This is feeling very very right.

Called the mall, talked to a dear of a gal (Tasha), and within a day was the proud renter of a teeny tiny space. This Sunday, joined by my parents, I set-up shop. Met more employees and other renters. The space (my own and the overall store) has the best chi EVER. A decision hasn't felt this right in a very long time.

Faced with a house long overdue for some purging, I began collecting and pricing items. The booth is cozy but still a bit bare. Will add more merchandise this coming weekend.

When I met with Tasha, there were no small spaces left, and bless her heart, she cut a larger space into two for me. The square space initially appealed to me but I love the wonky one. 1) Like the square one, it's viewable from two sides, but mine also happens to hug a walkway turn and can be seen from the far end of the walkway, 2) this wonky space has a ceiling joist for hanging things, 3) because part of the space is into the hallway, I have two additional wall spaces for hanging things, and 4) it has a built-in bookshelf. It's perfect.

Here's the before:

And the after:

I made cute price tags, all with ric arc trim. 

And they're tied on with the selvage strip from a bolt of blue seersucker I had bought. 

I plan on filling the space with a mix of vintage finds and crafted pieces. 

There really is no time for sleep. And the weekend can't come fast enough; 

a chance to go