It's Show Time!

It's Show Time! When life get's tough, get creative, & keep the show rolling on!

This time last year, I released the "It's Yam Time" tee shirt, in advance of our October county fair. Along came 2020... In June, it was announced that this years county fair in October would be cancelled all together. My heart hurt for all the youth involved with FFA and 4H projects. You see, many of the animals are raised or purchased many months in advance. Some possibly back in 2019, before all the current events. I was one of those youth in the 90's raising animals and there was just a month or so out of the year that we didn't have a calf in the barn, getting it ready to show at the fair. With the proceeds from the livestock show and sale, I put that money towards my first vehicle and college expenses. Due to my involvement in both organizations and my animals, I was awarded several scholarships, learned responsibility, and leadership skills that have made me who I am today. 

The county fair was where we had our first booth for this business, that led to so many more opportunities. In 2019, the Yamboree was our best show to date and we were looking forward to it again this October.

The very night (in June) I learned of this year's fair closing and the possibility of a new show being organized, I drew up this design. My first thought was that I would create and sell t shirts, with a portion of the sales going to the youth showers. This week, it was announced the there will be a new Upshur Co Youth Expo to be held the third week of October 2020. A show will keep rolling on, with modifications and safety precautions in place. Therefore, I am now releasing this set of tees and will use a portion of the sales to purchase or add on money (depending on how many shirts we sell) to youth projects that make the sale. (when purchasing animals at the fair, it is more of a donation type event as the purchaser doesn't usually keep the animal they bid on.) I am so happy to see that an organization has been created to allow the show continue for the youth. 

The design features all the animals that will be a part of the livestock show - dairy heifers, steers, rabbits, pigs, goat, and chickens. There is also a basket of fall leaves and sweet potatoes and a pie - things that are symbolic of our fall fair season. It's powerful what can happen when we get creative and choose to keep the show rolling on! I truly hope that together we can all make a difference in the youth of our county. 

You can find the two shirts on our website (bleached or baseball), by messaging us, or we will have some available at the Gilmer Area Farmer's Market on September 12 from 5-8 (please note different times for the final farmers market of the season - food trucks and live music as we conclude the farmer's market season.) While you are on our website, be sure to check out all of our other tees and flannels that have a rural / county fair / animal theme going on - such as The Farm that Built Me, Hangin' with my Heifers, I Goat This, or the new Christmas on the Farm. 

Texas 4H Agents Conference Repurposing Workshop

As previously mentioned, we held a workshop Monday at the Texas State 4H Agents conference. We held a repurposing session plus my niece Brenna went along and worked a mini booth for us.

Participants brought a project to work on plus I provided supplies (not knowing what they would be bringing) and a things to complete a separate project. I was nervous beforehand. For one, I really wasn't sure how to prepare, especially since I didn't know what project they would be bringing to work on. Would we need a drill and screws, a pop rivet tool, or ____?  

I gathered up a smorgasbord of supplies from my workroom at home and took them with me, along with a  few examples of some items I've repurposed. My supplies included pieces of lace, ribbon, silk flowers, twine, cotton stuffing, newspaper, tape, Bingo cards, paint, paintbrushes, scissors, wire cutters, hot glue, wooden spools, corks, brooch pin backs, feathers, and thrift store skirts.

Tip: skirts can often offer large pieces of fabric for a fraction of the cost of new material.

We ripped up skirts and stained 4H tees to make pumpkins and even used a wine bottle for the stem on one. Painted stools, tool boxes, made brooch pins, masks, and decorated over a jar that had a near impossible to remove label. If you can't remove a label, cover over it!  One lady is working on converting an old ice cream freezer to a hanging basket covered with a crochet table cloth. 

Considering I had no idea what they were bringing, it all turned out really good and they acted like they really enjoyed it.

Two of my fabric pumpkins were "stuffed" with unusual objects, so everyone had fun guessing what was inside them. (Stay tuned for another post on them.)  One lady brought in a wine bottle and we used it for the center base and stem of her pumpkin. I really wish I would have got better pictures of everyone's projects.... My niece, Brenna, went along with me and worked a small booth, so she had my phone (to run credit cards) while we were in the workshop. Our sales table was in the area where conference attendees arrived to registered and we thought our set up was going to be right outside the room were I was working, but that room didn't have any tables, so we got moved to another area in the hotel that did have space to work on projects. It all worked out though. 

One of the Agents even remembered me from my 4H days in the 90’s! It's an organization that I am proud I grew up in and happy to have the opportunity to speak with them now. 

All in all, a good day! I do look back and can think of a few things I wish I would have shown or told them, but it's ok.

💚🍀

You can read more of my blog post leading up to the workshop here: My Repurposed Life and my Ramblin's from the Back Roads discussing my outfit, which was all upcycled or from some of my favorite small biz girls.