Monday, July 23, 2018

Soapy Stories II - Rain Rain Go Away!

Soap and water are only a good combination in the bath or shower... read on for more about this past weekend's soapy adventure! 
This past weekend, I participated in a 3 day event, Christmas in July, at the Helen Arts and Heritage Center in Helen, Georgia. If you've never stopped in the center, you should! They have an awesome display about the history of Helen and how the town was designed to look like an alpine village. They also feature works from local artists and offer art lessons from painting to jewelry making to pottery.
The weekend started out like any other weekend in the middle of July in Georgia... H.O.T!!! I would say it was horrible... but I might be exaggerating just a little. But it was hot!
The crowds were great all weekend. People from all over were in Helen, enjoying summer. I really do like doing events because I get to meet people and introduce them to Crescent Mountain Soap.
Each night it rained, but my products were safe and dry because I put them inside the Center for safe keeping. There was a threat of rain each day, but it was just hot and cloudy. That is until Sunday... the clouds threatened in the afternoon. But my weather app said that it would not rain and the satellite map even showed all the rain going around us.
The event organizers decided to end the show an hour early at 4 pm, because of the threat of rain. However, around 3 pm, suddenly the bottom fell out of the sky! I had removed the front of my tent earlier in the day because it wasn't supposed to rain, people can see in the tent better when I don't have all the sides up and it's much cooler without all the sides! Well... let me tell you! That was the fastest rain I have ever experienced during a show. I couldn't even throw the side wall over my soaps fast enough! 
Once the rain slowed down a little, I pulled up my big girl panties and I packed up my tent and went home... a little sad. It had been a great weekend... until the rain.
Once I got home I unpacked my truck and partially set up the soaking wet tent in my garage because rain was threatening at my house too! I then had to unwrap all the wet soap and set out products with wet labels to dry. I also had to set out all my crochet items because they felt damp too. 

Well... I guess that's the chance you take doing outdoor events. In the 4 years that I've done events, this is only the 2nd rain that has really been bad. I am thankful for the great weekend and for the friends who stopped by to say hello! I'm even thankful for the rain... we really needed it in our area.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Soapy Stories I

While setting up and selling at craft shows and events throughout northeast Georgia, I often have things happen that make me chuckle or I get to appreciate the beauty of our area. I've decided to devote a part of my blog to Soapy Stories. Stay tuned for more adventures of Crescent Mountain Soap! Here's the first Soapy Story...
This past Saturday started like any other Saturday... I woke up with the roosters and groaned a little as I got out of bed. It was a Saturday after all! I got ready, finished loading the truck, and I was off to Dahlonega, GA. Did you know that gold was discovered in Dahlonega in 1828. Some say that it is the site of the the first gold rush in the United States but others say it was in North Carolina... but back to my story. It's a nice drive to Dahlonega with curvy roads and hills and I love to sight see along the way. As I am unloading my truck and setting up my tent and display, I can feel the sweat starting to drip... no let me change that to run... run down my back and off my forehead. As I'm thinking about how hot and muggy it's going to be under the July, Georgia sun, I start to hear a noise. At first I ignore it, thinking it's an ambulance or some other kind of emergency vehicle. But the sound doesn't quickly go away, it just keeps going on and on. I then realize that it's a tornado siren. Now let me back up here. I grew up where there were no tornado sirens. This is a new thing for me. So I'm not real sure about the procedures when a siren goes off. I know that I'm supposed to go seek shelter, but where at this craft show do I go? I quickly grab my cell phone and go to my weather app. Dahlonega comes up and there is not a tornado warning flashing on the app. Now I'm really confused. Then I hear someone a few tents away saying that it's the monthly test of the tornado alert siren. OH MY! My heart started beating again. All I could see was my tent and soaps flying through the air in a tornado and there would be nothing I could do about it! I was so relieved that this was only a test... 
Stay tuned for more adventures and Soapy Stories from Crescent Mountain Soap!