My "Fair Share" (photo heavy)

Well friends, I outdid myself at the MS A&CF today! First, let me set the stage. (cue the song birds) It was a beautiful morning drive through the foggy mountains of WV. I arrived at the fairgrounds around 9:30ish, Starbucks ingested and in full gear, shopping bags over my shoulder. The temperature was perfect, humidity low for the first time in months, gentle breeze blowing and plenty of clouds to buffer the summer sun. Deep breath in..........Aaaaaahhhhh.

Now, let's get down to business. THE HAUL (btw, before you see these pictures and think I've gone off the meds and my OCD has hit warp speed, I buy duplicates for presents for my all-too-fortunate sister and others):

The FOOD STUFF

ThistleDew Farms honey products, yummy fudge, award winning BBQ sauce

The WOOD STUFF

hand crafted cherry wood from Allegheny Treenware, LLC

The POTTERY STUFF

mini bowls intended for doll houses but make great beading bowls for stitchers!


The EXQUISITE STUFF

lacquerware plate by Linda Tong
This square plate really dazzles the eye. 24 carat gold, silver leaf and black lacquer. A little elephant, owl and hummingbird begged to come home with me also. How could I say no?

The MISC STUFF

luxurious soaps, lampwork bead, Literary Calligraphy cards

sleigh bells for the front door during the holidays, and more gifts for b/d's and Christmas

As you can imagine, I spent the better part of 5 hours shopping, grabbed some crawfish nuggets (don't judge until you've tried them) and fresh squeezed lemonade before departing the fair grounds......with 2000 other people. It took 100 minutes to go 3 miles, seriously. Oh well. Small price to pay for such good stuff. Speaking of price to pay, you know how the calories you consume on vacation and on your birthday don't count? Well, while I was waiting to merge into traffic and adding receipts, I decided that money spent on handcrafted things doesn't count either. Suffice it to say, I've had a superb day!!!!

Yes, but what's for dinner? How about a little tossed salad, grilled chicken, sugar snap peas, and Kim Crawford sauvignon blanc. And for dessert? Super sweet black cherries.....YUM!