asking for trouble

Day in the Life

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Back in the day, a few of us used to do a regular thing where we blogged about the same day in excruciating detail. Always interesting to read what people really get up to. Catherine spurred us on to do it again so here is my Saturday 28th November. If you ever wanted to know what it’s honestly like doing a craft fair, well, read on. I forgot to take any pictures, sorry.

8:00 – My alarm goes off, which actually just means Radio 4 comes on at a volume that makes it almost impossible to hear what anyone is saying. I turn it off and think about getting up, but don’t.

8.15 – My iPhone tells me to get up. I do. Alarm clock probably sulking now.

8.30 – Washed and dressed –  I am the best at getting ready in 15 minutes.  Make a packed lunch and then drink some peppermint tea and eat some biscuits as I can’t face anything sensible this early, while also  checking emails and tweeting about market.

8.45 – iPhone tells me to leave. I do. Carry enormously heavy suitcase down stairs and drag it all the way to Dennistoun with little event. It’s all uphill this way so I am boiling to death by the time I get to Dennistoun, despite only wearing a thin jacket.

9.15ish – Arrive! Drag suitcase upstairs and start setting up. I get to use my new banner today for the first time (see above) – it is incredibly exciting (for me).

10:00 – An announcement – the heating is broken. Oh joy. Sadly my walking warmth has faded entirely and I dig out the cardigan and scarf.

10.05 – All set up and ready for customers, of which there are none so far. Go buy secret surprise Christmas presents and chat to other crafters.

10.30 – Realise I haven’t put any prices up yet. Duh.

10.45 – Give in and buy a cup of coffee to warm me up. It’s just 20p, what a bargain.

11:00 – Check Twitter on my iPhone and remember it’s day in the life today. Hastily type up notes on my iPhone – how did I manage without it?

11.05 – Start cutting out badges to make this evening.

11.40 – It’s still freezing. So much so, I have to stop and put on my legwarmers.

11.45 – Finally make my first sale – some cards, woo!

12:00 – Now actually shivering – go for a quick look round stalls to warm up – it doesn’t work.

12.30 – Badges done. Eat half a pack of Oreos. Start cutting out paper heart shapes for book hearts

13:00 – Small boys and badges – it’s a match made in heaven. These two go a bit mental over them. Smallest boy also loves my Cakeify coaster, showing it to everyone and shouting MUFFIN! Aw.

13.15 – Normally, leaving my stall unattended to go to the bathroom is an annoyance – today I am probably going more than usual just to use the hot water to warm my hands. Then back on book hearts.

14:00 – Lunch time! I get another cup of coffee. I am never going to sleep tonight after all this caffeine but it seems preferable to freezing to death. I’m not ashamed to admit I hold the cup against my face to warm it up. Eat my (English) MUFFIN – for the first time in craft fair history this doesn’t immediately bring 10 people to my stall while I have my mouth full. Shame, as I am not doing that well yet.

15:00 – Drop all my cut out hearts on the floor. SIGH.

15.10 – Sell some more stuff including 2 one of a kind brooches and feel smug as I use my iPhone to login to my online shop admin and delete them. Hah!

15.30 – Finish cutting out book hearts. Celebrate with the rest of the Oreos. iPhone automatically capitalises Oreos – worrying.

15:50 – Everyone has started surreptitiously packing up. I go very slowly and am rewarded with another brooch sale, hurray.

16:15 – all packed up and wisely leave on my cardigan and legwarmers then add gloves and hood. It is FREEZING outside, as in literally, with fog everywhere. Every time I do the Dennistoun market, I discover a slightly better route and this time is no different as I go down the wrong road which turns out to be way better paved than my usual. Sadly my dodgy knee (I have a real actual printmaking injury) decides now would be a good time to play up which makes the walk home doubly painful.

16: 35 – Standing at bottom of stairs willing my suitcase to walk itself up 3 flights of stairs. No such luck.

16:40 – Finally make it to our front door and it is SO WARM inside, hurray. Also a stack of mail which is all for me, though only half of it is interesting, being a card from my mum and a ‘sorry I couldn’t be bothered bringing your parcels’ card from Royal Mail which informs me I have “6+” parcels to collect. I have no idea how this is possible. I guess I will find out on Monday.

17:00 – Delete final sold brooch from shop, check email, tweet, think about making dinner. Tot up sales and add to my accounts – did better than I thought, yay. Try and email my notes to myself from my iPhone but it doesn’t turn up so I use my WordPress app and paste it into this draft post you are reading. I’m quite clearly living in THE FUTURE. My flatmate comes home.

17:40 – think some more about making dinner. Instead, faff on internet.

18:00 – have a chat with flatmate in kitchen about our new cheaper faster internets. Look in fridge and I’m so glad I bought lasagne at Tesco the other day as that is exactly what I want and I would never have had the energy to make it. Stick in oven and make some sprouts to go with it.

18:50 – the phone rings! I answer it and it’s flatmate’s mum. Normally he answers it and it’s my mum. Then my iPhone rings and it’s my mum :)

18:55 – dinner finally ready. Eat it while watching Fringe. I’m rewatching S1 and amazed at how much of the mythology stuff I had forgotten about. S2 making a lot more sense now.

19:40 – working on a surprise Christmas present. Shh.

20:50 – Cup of (decaf) coffee. I am still a bit shivery – if I get ill because of this market I will not be happy. Have a minor panic that I haven’t made any of these badges/book hearts for Mono market tomorrow, but hey it’s not til midday.

23.25 – Uhh, where did the last few hours go? Oh yes, I was doing some work for a freelance client and then some secret Christmas present gift designing. This is a bad time of year for Day in the Life. Most notable moment – remembering how to do dotted lines in Illustrator. They do hide these things away.

23:30 – off to bed now methinks, even though I haven’t done anything for tomorrow or answered any of these emails. Oh well.

This post is sponsored by Apple iPhone and Oreos. Please check the Merulapie blog later this weekend for links to all the other Day in the Life posts. Hope this was even slightly interesting.

marceline

Hello! I’m Marceline Smith, the designer and owner of Asking For Trouble. I create illustrated stationery, accessories and gifts using my cute characters inspired by Japanese kawaii. This is my business and personal blog where I write about my creative doings, inspirations, travels, Japan trips and daily life. Read more »


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