In October 2019 my husband and I bought a pop up consignment business. Twice a year we set up in a gym and consignors bring items for us to display for sale. The public has 10 days to shop. We then sort it and give what didn’t sell back to the consignors. We just finished our 8th sale. Next spring will start our 5th year in business.
We have learned so much and meet some amazing people who have become our friends and family. It is fulfilling my dream of owning a business. It hasn’t been easy. Some times it is down right exhausting. Especially when it is 100 degrees outside in September. The past month has really put me to the test. Putting all the equipment up, displaying all the items people bring to sell, having to sort it, sell it (which is the easy part), give it back, and then tearing down the equipment is a huge undertaking. None of this would happen with out the help of our children, friends, and volunteers. Like raising a child it takes a village. I am so proud of my village. The people who step up every time to help are the driving force of what makes this business successful.
People bring a wide variety of items like clothing, shoes, purses, wallets, belts, jewelry, baby gear, toys, games, home decor, books, and kitchen accessories. This past sale we had 138 consignors drop off. Each consignor brought at least 40 items. Some brought much more. It is exciting to organize it and see what they drop off displayed for the public to purchase.
We get positive feedback from consignors and customers. Some times not so positive. That is all part of it. We are learning to take it in stride and do the best we can. It seems like with every sale we learn something and tweak a few things to try to make the sale a better experience for everyone involved.
Our goal is to one day have a permanent location and stay open year round. We will see how it goes. If it is meant to be it will happen.
I hot glued some pockets from old jeans that I had cut up for scraps onto a clipboard. I cut cardstock into strips and wrote down all the recipes that we typically eat. I choose 7 for the week. They go in the left pocket. Today’s recipe goes at the top and once it is made I move it to the right pocket. There is a pocket on the back for the leftover recipes that I didn’t pick from. Of course we usually have a left over night so typically it is an 8 day rotation. It has worked out great for me and really takes the stress out of trying to figure out what is for supper. We hardly ever eat out and I know the options are better for us.
It was like taking a trip down memory lane for me. We spent a lot of time with my grandparents and aunts in Ft. Myers. It was nice to see her family pictures and think about the times we spent together when I was growing up. My how quickly time passes by. Even though it was a simple pattern it was by far the most challenging quilt for me. Mostly because of fear. The fear of messing it up or not getting it done in time. It turned out beautifully. I am so thankful that Brittany asked me to make this for her mother.