Weekend Update

I'm supposed to be mountain biking right now - but alas, I'm instead being quasi-business like.  "Quasi" because I'm actually playing on the blog, but *then* I'm going to go do business type stuff, so that counts.  I'm not on my bike because the universe wanted me to restock Woolworth Walk.  It expressed this to me by giving me a mild case of asthma upon awakening.  I almost never have asthma problems, except when I exercise hard in cold weather, but today the universe decided I should work.  Or maybe it decided I should stay off my foot.  Either way I decided to heed the warning.  When biking, I often find it useful to have full lung function.  I'm picking up some Singulair today, to go with my almost-never-used inhaler, and then all will be right with the world again.

Speaking of Woolworth, Southern Highland Craft Fair is in town today - which is not a non-sequitur, because the Southern Highland fair is held right down the street from Woolworth, and thus lots of people interested in craft tend to wander their way down the street to Woolworth also.  I had forgotten this when I went to restock Woolworth yesterday, and didn't bring enough stuff.  So I've got to go back today.  This is a good problem to have.

And speaking of restocking, we're also back at the Asheville City Market on Saturdays from now until the end of time.  Or maybe just Christmas.  I have to say, it was funnnnn going back for the first time last Saturday.  We've been doing that market for so long now that it kind of feels like home.  We do have a different spot - because they've got a bunch of artisans and crafters coming now and we're all in one spot - a critical mass of good design and interesting art, if you will.  But it turns out I like my new neighbors, so we're happy.  Except that Anomaly and her amazing cupcakes have been MIA the last couple of weeks, so when she shows back up all will truly be right with the world.  Or at least the market.

The rest of the weekend includes: the corn maze (we've never done it - I'm totally planning on having fun.  Or else I'm calling 911), Sam's last baseball game of the year (kind of ready for that one), some mountain biking, and dinner with an old friend who's in town.  Yay!

Exciting News - Woolworth Walk!

I actually have two pieces of exciting retail news, but I'm going to take them one at a time. The second part comes tomorrow.

But for the first part - I now have a space at Woolworth Walk selling my botanical beeswax candles! Funny aside about Woolworth Walk - it's in the building that housed the Woolworth department store many, many moons ago. And lo those many moons ago, when I was a little girl, I can remember my mom taking me shopping in there. My main memory is that the toy department was downstairs - and now so are my candles. Something about that appeals to me.

Here are a few examples of said candles:

Violas - more of these coming soon, now that it's gotten cold enough to grow them again.

Maple leaves.

Ferns and larkspur. Probably one of our most popular combinations.

I got the big idea of trying to get in to Woolworth Walk because my friend Jennifer (Kung Fu Clay - super cool, slightly twisted stuff) got a space there and I went to check it out. So I was walking around and it hit me that not everything there is totally fine art, there's a fair bit of artful craft as well. So I inquired with the (very nice) management, and they gave me a list of what I needed in order to submit my work.

The most interesting requirement was an artist bio. WTF?? How am I going to come up with that? I definitely don't consider myself an artist - an artisan perhaps, but definitely not an artist. And I don't exactly have the "I got my BFA in 20xx, and am represented in the following galleries." My bio's a little more like "here are all of my degrees that in no way pertain to this endeavor," and my one overriding attribute is probably curiosity - I like to know how to do things, or make things. Which means I can pretty competently ride a horse, run hurdles, ride a mountain bike, make pizza dough from scratch, cut a little boy's hair, knit a coat or grow flowers. All of which entertain me, but none of which imply I belong in an art gallery.

So after thinking about it for a few minutes, I took the bull by the horns and decided there was no point in trying to fake it. Here's the first paragraph of the bio:

Sumner Smith is the owner and operator of Spotted Dog Farm, and these botanical beeswax candles are the answer to one question: What happens when a corporate lawyer returns to her family farm, starts growing organic flowers, and then wonders how to preserve their beauty once the growing season is over?

Not the usual artist's bio, for sure, but apparently it worked - because I was expecting to be on the waiting list at Woolworth for approximately ever, but it turns out there aren't that many people making botanical beeswax candles, so they got me in within the week. (yowzers! wasn't expecting to be moving in quite so quickly) And so far it's fabulous.

Stop by and check it out if you're walking around downtown - and if you're hungry I'll also highly recommend the soda fountain. Good veggie burgers, and Sam (the family carnivore) was highly impressed with the hotdogs.