Yummy Autumn Apples . . .

Last week I had some help taking care of 60 or so pounds of jonagold apples. 

We had a good system with three people working.

In about an hour we had all of the apple slices in three different dehydrators.

Now I have to try and make all those yummy apple pieces last for some length of time.  The Arcitect would eat them all day long if I let him.

The Holiday Craft Fair . . .

Two years ago the Professor participated in a kids craft fair at the library.  It was a great experience all around.  He was the only one selling pot holders that day and he did well. 

This year when he asked me about selling the ornaments he was making I was sure he could sign up for the library one again.  I was mistaken. That one happened in August this year and not December.  I think the month of December is better than August for holding a craft fair

I was not excited about trying to find a craft fair in my "spare time."  Thankfully an email popped into my inbox about a month ago from the Whatcom Homeschool Association, advertising their homemade holiday craft fair.  Wonderful I thought, except for the idea of trying to fill a 6 foot table with his small amount of craft items.  Thankfully the Bergeron family had 2 teens who needed to sell some items to raise funds for a mission trip next summer.  I proposed the idea of sharing a table and it was a go.

I spent the next two weeks trying to brainstorm with the Professor how to display his ornaments.  I knew we were stepping into a higher level of crafting.  He needed to meet the people at eye level with his crafts.

 This was my first idea.  Some type of wire tree to hang them on.

 It worked ok but seemed to serve more as a decoration.

This little Christmas Tree was the best eye catcher.  I found it at the Hardware store and thought it would work well in my house as a holiday decoration as well as a great display for the Professor's ornaments.

 As soon as the doors opened at 8:30am he had customer's.

Those kids did great selling for 8 1/2 hours.  On the way home I asked the Professor what he learned. (I was only going to pay the $20.00 table fee because it was a learning experience and so I wanted to know what he had learned.)    

His first nugget of wisdom was, "It pays to smile."  "I sold more when I stood up straight and smiled at people."  

Then we talked about what animal shapes sold best.  The cats, dogs, dolphins and fish sold well.  The octopus did not sell well, nor did the little snails.

I was very impressed with him during the whole day and it was $20 well spent.  He ended up making $32.00.

One shape that did not sell well was the circles.

I put those to good use when I got home.

I think they look awesome lit up on the tree.

Next Saturday !