HEY GUYS!

Long time, no posting!

First of all, I am so sorry for that.  I got a BIT overwhelmed with moving out of the LocalShops1 space, trying to shove myself back into my apartment, getting REALLLLLY unhappy with how cramped I was, and then trying to reorganize it into a more organized chaos rather than just... well... *motions with hands/arms* BOOM.

So, now I have it a...little... more under control and so I went and kinda messed myself up for future shows - I checked on Florida CraftArt to see if they wanted more product - THEY DID. WOO!  and also, OH LORD WHAT HAVE I DONE. hahahaha

Then I went and got more dumb and asked a Mermaid Bay Mercantile if they were interested in my items, and the owner LOVES my broken china jewelry! Cool! EEP! There went more inventory!

SO, instead of typing up a blog entry (I tried several times and all I could type out was a list of what I needed to get done *Facepalm*), I just hit the ground running and making as many items as I can in between shows.

SPOILER ALERT - I have a show EVERY WEEKEND (except the first weekend in December) between the first week of November and Christmas! I am NUTS.

So, as of typing this out, I have done ArtPool Gallery's November Craftsy Fest (WOO!), Tierra Verde's Market in the Park the next week, and then I need Et Cultura in Downtown St. Pete!

AND TOMORROW IS SHOPAPALOOOOOZA in South Straub Park from 10am to 5pm and I am SO STINKING EXCITED! Last year was my first Shopapalooza ever, after being SO in love with the show and wishing I could work one and I was NOT disappointed!

SO much fun and so many cool people and SO many people came out to supper Small Business Saturday - which is AGAIN what tomorrow is!

In case you are not aware of what that means, here's a quick and dirty rundown for you:

Small Business Saturday falls on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is no mistake because what else falls immediately after Thanksgiving and involves shopping (and more often now, ON Thanksgiving as well).

That's RIGHT.  Black Friday.  Black Friday is more commonly coorolated with what we smaller people call "Big Box Stores" because that's what their buildings general look like, a big box with lots of generic/name brand/usually made in another country/can find them at alllll the same type box stores, products. 

Shopping locally on Small Business Saturday looks to combat that.  Instead of your money going outside of your community and into pockets of national brands, we look to build up our own community - your neighbors, your friends, your family - because we're shopping within our own community and therefore strengthing our small economy.

You need a new dress for that big work dinner?  Look local first!  Find the people in your community who either sew or resell gently used dresses!  The people that own those small businesses put the all of that purchase back into the community, they replentish their stock by purchasing their fabric from the shop down the block and make a new item themselves, or purchase from a neighbor when that person is down with their dress and it goes back into their shop.  The "profit" goes to their household where they will purchase food for their own family from a market or local deli.

It all gets put back here.

That's why it's so important to BUY local, SHOP local, and to SHOP Small Businesses this season!

SO, for Small Business Saturday I am going to be (for the SECOND year in a row, thank you) at Shopapalaloooooooza in St. Pete!  There's going to be a TON of different vendors, small businesses, and artists alike!  

You can find ANYTHING from awesome food, to PHOTOGRAPHERS, to event planners, spa treatments, artists, and SO MUCH more and they are ALL local to the Tampa Bay area!  Nothing from big boxes, nothing from another country; just your community showing you so much of what we have to offer you right from your backyard!

ALSO - because this is also the season of trying to gift things that are meaningful, handmade, and awesome - we are all trying to give you the best savings possible (and still have our own lights on)!

If you shop with me, Creative Chaos online - you can save 20% OFF my entire stock today and tomorrow AND SUNDAY by using the code, "BlackFriday16"!

If you come see me in person at Shopapalooza, not only will everything be 20% off, BUT if you tell me the secret phrase, "The Cheerio is in the bowl", you will get an ADDITIONAL 10% OFF - That's 30% OFF THE ENTIRE STORE O_O!!

PLUS - I will have some clearance items available - they are 60% OFF the sticker price - both paintings AND jewelry ANNNNND some remaining crocheted and knitted items!

WHEW!!!

That's a LOT O_O

Hopefully, I will see you there! I am SO EXCITED!! AHHH!!!

See you after Shopapalooza! WOO!

~Elizabeth <3