More Tales from the Road

This past weekend, I sold my wares at the fabulous Habana Outpost restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. This was my second time there and if I can possibly arrange it, I plan to spend most of my summer weekends in that spot.

Habana is a popular outdoor restaurant that brings patrons from all over the area and beyond. I've heard mixed reviews about the food, but the atmosphere cannot be beat. Vendors line the outside fence in a very busy mixed commercial and residential area while music of all kinds, Caribbean, Spanish, disco, old-school R&B, is pumping in the background. The sun can get a little intense so some vendors bring umbrellas to shield them from the rays throughout the day. This time around, I brought sunscreen and shared it with my fellow vendors. I forgot to pack my camera and I sorely missed it. My mind's eye captured the image of three women of color sitting behind tablecloths of various bright hues, each carrying a different color umbrella, each displaying her creative wares in her own style. Would have loved to get a snapshot, but I will definitely remember to bring the Kodak next time.

Sales were slow on Saturday but still, it was a great day for me. Aside from the terrific music, wonderful atmosphere, and camaraderie from fellow vendors, several members of my family came by to visit also. They all live in the NYC area where I'm originally from, and though we keep in close contact via phone and email, it's terrific to be able to see them more often and to have them come out to support me. In fact, my brother was the one who gave me the umbrella! We were sitting there, baking in the sun, drinking bottle after bottle of water and iced tea when I remarked that it would be great if I had an umbrella. My brother carries a backpack everywhere, so he immediately replied, "Wait, I think I have one." Yay! After spending a couple of hours with me, he got up to go and as I started to hand over the umbrella, he said, "Keep it."

Even my 79-year-old mom came out and baked in the sun with me for a little while. She's used to the heat because she loves to fish and has been doing it since she was a kid. She's lucky enough to live right near a bay that feeds directly into the Atlantic Ocean so while visiting her, I've spent several long afternoons under huge sun hats and umbrellas reading a book while she threw out her rod. (My siblings and I learned to fish when we were young also but I'm a little rusty and I hate baiting the hook!) After a few hours, the heat got to be too much even for her so after a quick hug and wishing me good luck, she disappeared down into the cool of the subway.

Sunday's sales were much better. The heat was still overbearing but the music was still flowing, the atmosphere was still pleasant, and this time around, the passersby were more in a buying mood. And wouldn't you know it, for the first time ever, I sold a pair at the show and came home to find I'd sold the exact same pair online. I don't usually duplicate my designs, but luckily, this time around, I made two. :-)