Saturday, May 14, 2011

tug-of-war...

 It has been a tug-of-war of sorts
should I or shouldn't I?
To sale or not to sale?


my barn sale
that's what I'm talkin' about


This is my fourth year of doing them.


to describe them in 1 word

incredible


incredible sales
incredible customers


and 

incredible WORK


paint, paint, paint
cause i 
gotta have  inventory



empty the barn for the vendors
empty the shop for my display


that means put everything in the driveway 
sort it, price it, display  it


then at 5:00 on the friday of the sale
if it's  not done
STASH IT!
(i'm never ready)


somewhere. anywhere. i don't care where.


 there's the inside of the house
total disaster


Do I sound stressed?
the family tells me that I  stress
a bit lot


and then there's the fear?
can I do it?
can i pull it together in time?
will i have enough cool stuff?
can i live up to my expectations?


we (the 3 of us)
 have talked, thought, talked some more, prayed, talked a lot more and finally reached a decision.
We need to do the sale
to recover financially from the winter of scarce work


but we are setting some goals.

1. commit it to the Lord
    all for Him... proverbs 3:5
2. play nice because nice matters.
3. adjust my expectations
    if you've been here long you know I have a thing for presentation
      apparently, it makes me cranky
4. sacrifice quantity but not quality
5. keep talking to each other
6. stop painting by the sunday before the sale
      I've said this before...let's do it this year
7. start pricing early
      like now
8. have fun








 These are all photos of my stuff from past sales

and  these below are  from my other vendors.





*all of this has been sold*

I am finally excited and ready to get started 


Miss Gracies and Friends
vintage barn sale
spring
twenty eleven

june 17 and 18




~Let the fun begin~

31 comments:

Trisha said...

You don't even know how excited I am about your sale! I have been *patiently* waiting for this! And I would totally come help you get ready if you asked me to...it would really be a dream come true! So seriously, let me know if you need help...I am an 20 minute drive away! I am coming to the sale and can not wait! I have been saving a little mad money so that I can buy something from the fabulous Miss Gracie!

~Trisha

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

Oh, I would love to be there! It will be fabulous!!

CeCe said...

I think we all have these tug-of-wars through life...
I think we all have things to reveal about ourselves..
which is a late Thank You for your post about your needing to organize your stuff ( your beautiful stuff ) inside your home...
Do TrY to maintain your list of goals for this sale...
We ALL put too much pressure on ourselves and whatever our challenge is in life...we tend to so easily fall right back into the same path we have been down before and we don't even recognize the road signs...
Sending you positive everything for you and your life and your SALE!

Diane said...

Being faced with a mountain of work like that (and the mess!!!) makes me terrified anymore. I like to have things peaceful. But I think you handled it really well, your list of how you're going to do it sounds like a great plan, beginning with #1. Blessings, Rene

Blessed Serendipity said...

Oh I really want to go! What fun you will have and I know that those sales are a ton of work but what a wonderful way to lighten up your inventory and make lots of customers so happy.

xo,
Danielle

Comeca Jones said...

Things are lookin great!

Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. said...

Well your sales look absolutely amazing! Looks like a dream shopping experience. And I am so jealous of your space and your paint sprayer. But just so you know, I have been in that very same tug-of-war for the last year. It is such hard work and totally exhausting - both physically and mentally. But it is so exciting and rewarding at the same time. The tug-of-war continues...

Faye said...

I know you can do it! It will be so worth it...if I could be there I would probably try to buy almost everything!!! Hugs~
Faye

YONKS said...

Wow, I am exhausted just reading about it! Wish I could come but a long way to travel from the UK for a sale, even though some of your things look lovely. GOOD LUCK!

sherry said...

oh. wow. and again this year it's my desire to attend your sale. reality though? ... sigh. i'll look from afar.

it's going to be a success. your barn sale. rene', it'll be a success!

hugs,
jAne

Sue said...

Incredible, TOTALLY incredible photos! I just sat and studied each of them. Thanks for they "eye candy", I truly enjoyed it!

Take care, Sue

Adrienne said...

Oh, I wish I lived close enough to help you. You have the best plan, especially the first thing.
~Adrienne~

Sweet Magnolias Farm said...

I think your smart for having it ! However I feel the pain. We do a marketplace event out here every 3 months ..and just a small 10 x 10 space ..the time it takes to get everything ready and then hauling and setting up etc. etc. it really is alot of work ..sometimes I don't think our customers even understand the depth of it all ..and I'm sure if they did they would think we were absolutely stark raving crazy !

But it's a love .. we love our work ..and it beckons us to keep on keeping on !

I love your list of expectations ..especially play nice. Boy can the grouches come on can't they ! Sometimes we just get so tired, worn out, frazzled and frustrated it all comes out of us like a steam engine ..

By the Grace of God and his might I'm sure you will accomplish all he knows you need to do.

He will bless the work of your hands for giving it all to him..

I can't wait to see pictures and wish I were closer to attend !

Blessings ..Sara

Karen said...

Good luck with your sale,I hope all goes as you wish. Can I just tell you that I'm drooling over here...so much gorgeous stuff. I wish I lived closer *SIGH*

mary pernula said...

Good luck it will all work out for you. Hugs Mary

Pamela Gordon said...

I sure wish I could be there for your sale but it's just a few hundred miles too far! All the best with it. You can do it! Blessings, Pamela

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Sweet Gracie ~ What a lovely post. The verse that came to me when you mentioned committing the project to the Lord was this one ~ Psa_37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

I wish you well with this show. You and your husband have done a lot of work and the love of what you do shows.

Hugs ~ FlowerLady

Gail Griner Golden at Gail-Friends said...

I am drooling....heart palpitating...and wishing with all my heart I lived close enough to come to your sale. You have the prettiest stuff.

Oh, I hope and pray ya'll do really well at the sale.

Blessings and shalom,

Gail

Stacy's Shabby Shoppe said...

I know EXACTLY where you're at right now, but on a smaller scale! I am in the midst of pricing for my FIRST solo antique show coming up this weekend in the Salt Lake area. I've been doing this for over 10 years and have never done a show by myself so I am going crazy right about now! My booth is 10" x 16" and I'm hoping I have enough cool stuff to fill it up! Wish me luck! You'll have to let me know where your sale is...you're in Idaho right? I might have to make the trip up for it! Could be fun! ~Stacy

Sandi~A Cottage Muse said...

Oh Happy Day!

You were a HUGE inspiration to me and my fellow shop girls for our at home with white tent sale at our shop...I am so happy that you'll be doing it again so we can be inspired and energized for our show next year!

Keep Calm and Carry On!!

Ruffles n Raspberries said...

Oh my gosh!! I wish I could come to your barn sale!! WOW!

I don't think you need to stress about it all, although, I know the feeling. Everything is just gorgeous!

Sherri

skye said...

Oooh!! Wish I were closer!! And yes, I fully support you in having fun at your business~~it's all illusion anyway, so as long as we can remember to help make the illusion a peaceful one, we are way ahead of the game! :-)
Have a great time!

Sheila Rumney said...

Oh, how I wish I lived closer! Looks like an event not to miss!

Myrna said...

Well, good for you!! But, oh, what hard work it is to put on a sale!!
I will be praying hard for you this next month as you prepare..
Blessings,
Myrna

Leah C said...

Wishing you lots of success with the sale!! I don't think you have to worry about having "cool stuff"...you do:)

Passionate for White said...

And yet with all you have going on you still find time to blog...you ROCK!!

mudderbear said...

Well, I wish I could buy lots of those pretty things. It is fabulous. But it obviously a ton of work too. Good luck with it. I hope you make a million.

mudderbear said...

P S and thank you for stopping by to see me.

podso said...

You have a good list there. And pretty stuff, Hope it goes well>

Emily Fisk said...

My sister bought me that adorable little picnic set that you have pictures of last year! I love it!

Holly said...

I am SO glad that I found you! What an inspiration you are! I can remember years ago reading in a magazine (Victoria?) about someone who had a sale once a year of just white things and loved it! I wish that I could come to your sale. I am going to go and sign up now to be your newest follower.
Thank you for making my day! We never know when we will touch someone and you did!
many blessings!