Well, I wanted to get to this earlier but I’ve been laid up the last couple of days with a really nasty bout of food poisoning. Fortunately, the worst has subsided and I seem to be on the mend.

I had a wonderful weekend at Renegade SF. It was perfect San Francisco weather– brilliantly sunny but with a refreshing breeze– and even though the fair was indoors, I think the lovely weather just lightened everyone’s spirits. Getting to Fort Mason on Saturday morning threatened to be a bit of an ordeal. I don’t have a car or access to one, so finding a cab willing to take me, three tables, a large chunk of driftwood and a shopping cart full up of products, packaging and display was a process, but eventually a very friendly driver picked me up. Curious about all the stuff I was hauling, we got to talking about jewelry and crafts and life in general in his home country of Thailand. After listening to his descriptions of weekend markets, not to mention beaches, I am now really intrigued about traveling to Thailand and would really like to go. I think I may have caused a little bit of a scene, getting out from a yellow taxi to unload my burdens . . . apparently, it’s kind of unusual to show up at a craft show by cab, although as a lifelong city-dweller, I’m not sure why– even if I’d taken cabs to and fro all weekend it still would not have cost as much as renting a car for the weekend. But, lucky girl that I am, I ran into Leslie of Feisty Elle in the afternoon and was grateful for a ride home in the evening and back in the morning. We got a chance to catch up and I got a chance to check out the beautiful laser-cut earrings she’s been making.

Once settled in, the day moved along quickly and smoothly. I shared booth space with the lovely Mimie of MiSpa (and picked up an amazing Beer Shampoo while I was at it!). The days themselves both chugged along amazingly fast, and I was pleased to see a number of familiar faces stop by and say hello. I saw a number of friends I didn’t know would be coming, which really made my day. I even ran into a college friend, Anne, who as it turns out has been working on a really lovely and funny blog called The City Sage. I reconnected with some customers who recognized me from other fairs and was introduced to some new face. All in all, I had just a lovely time. My only real regret is that I didn’t get a chance to leave my booth and walk around to see what was the what and say hi to friends at other booths. Though, in case anyone was worried about me getting fed, rest assured I came supplied with a large reserve of trail mix and chocolate.

Like other craft fairs, Renegade feels fairly marathon-like. It’s long and I’m on my feet all day, talking and scurrying and smiling. But it’s the best kind of exhausted, leaving me feeling happy and exhilarated at the end. And coming home to a delicious burrito and a good night’s sleep after a long day of selling has got to be the best feeling my bones and belly know.

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