You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. ~Wayne Gretzky
I woke early on Sunday and readied my arsenal for the MADE fair. It felt like I was preparing for a marathon, my race number laid out next to my shoes and timing chip. A bagel and hot coffee with pre-sunrise stretches. Except the ritual involved many obstacles like two and four-legged animals scurrying underfoot, rogue matchbox cars and spilled milk.
To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself. ~Soren Kierkegaard
Andy was my muscle, my advocate, my rock through the effort. Together we hauled piles of clothing and display pieces up and down stairs. I felt nervous. I put a lot into this. A lot. I spent money, I spent time away from my family to sew for hours and hours. What if people didn’t like my stuff and I came home with the same piles?
When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap. ~Cynthia Heimel
Again, like a marathon. You pour your heart into the training and then into the race. Maybe you land a PR, maybe you bonk or pull a quad. Maybe it’s even and steady. You never know. There are just too many external obstacles to place a bet on anything.
I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. ~Pablo Picasso
But isn’t that the excitement? Why we run marathons? If it was for sure, the appeal wouldn’t be as rich or rewarding.
I take risks. It’s not that I am not afraid of risks. I am terrified. But I am addicted to the reward in worthwhile risk-taking. It’s why I gave up a full scholarship to follow love to Montana. It’s why I had kids. Even the flops are fulfilling. No matter what, risks and their outcomes are defining, they shape the next step.
I dip my pen in the blackest ink, because I’m not afraid of falling into my inkpot. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
This might all sound like a bit intense language for a craft fair and, of course, I am not only talking about the craft fair. I am talking about my work, my sewing and writing, my career shift. My whole family is invested in the making of my clothing and the time I need to write. It was, is a risk.
A ship in harbor is safe – but that is not what ships are for. ~John A. Shedd
When I was a kid I ski raced. Everyday after race team practice, my dad would ask, “How was your day? Did you fall?” I always wanted to be able to say yes because he would smile at my effort and then I would describe the gnarly details of my cartwheel face plant, how I got back up, dug my ski out of the snow, hiked up to my goggles and skied out having known I gave it my all.
The MADE fair was wonderful. The marathon is over and I have a new PR. I actually cried four times but I am chalking a bit of that up to this unexplained holiday sentimentality (Kelle? Did you sprinkle unicorn poop in my toothpaste or something?). Although, the tears really were valid: I met some of you; I saw the ICU nurse who transformed my pile of bones and tears into person again and again ONE YEAR AGO; I carried loads of handmades up flights of stairs with dozens of other artists who did the same thing, were there for the same reason, had taken the same risks; I witnessed thousands of people make the choice to support those efforts for their holiday gift giving. It was good, heartening (and tiring!) stuff. It was a worthwhile risk.
Dare to be naive. ~Buckminster Fuller
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i did a holiday craft fair as well all weekend (www.bittersweetonline.net is what i do) – exhausting isn’t it!! i think next year i’ll bring a chef’s mat to stand on, haha!
A chef’s mat is brilliant. I am actually sore! Um, chocolatier? Hello. And you have a cocktails collection? Divinity!
Sounds like it was well worth it!
Sending smiles to you and yours – as you finish and run across your fisnish-line!
smiles from afar,
CB
The preparation and anticipation are hard, aren’t they? I don’t craft the way you and many others I know do – but do know I am sufficiently awed and amazed by the strength it DOES take. 🙂 So thrilled for you!
,,,i’m guessing by your humble words you didn’t return home with one piece of clothing,,,thank you for these nuggets, love your writing style, never too word-y, or fluff-y, just the right stuff,,,almost 1 year ago i started reading blogs for the first time in, the beginning i read about 5 blogs each day, i since have eliminated 4 and now i read just your blog because it’s plenty to feed my craving, not too much that makes me feel as though i’ve over-indulged, just the right amount of words on a page to feed my soul,,,thank you
Oh my gosh…you have no idea how much I needed to read your blog today. You gave me massive doses of courage, lady! I’m glad all went well at MADE!
,,,p.s. now that my nuggets are digested i’m going to take a walk in the new fallen snow,,,just like margot,,,(she is so stinkin’ cute!,,,
Yes tears this time of year go hand in hand with holiday sentimentality but my tears right now are because I am the proudest mother in the entire world….I love you so.
I’m proud of you, too, and I don’t even know you. the metaphor of running strikes a familiar chord in me — I’m a distance runner (although a 20 mile race is the most I’ve run as I’m not a true marathoner)– and just trying to be the best mama I can. So your life makes me proud of all of us just trying to do our best by ourselves and our children. I love your quotes and your sentiments. congratulations for taking the risks and for your accomplishments.
Oh Nici, so glad MADE Fair went well! Awesome! I’m doing a batch of MI-Ties today… suddenly my inbox is full of requests!
Love the snow walk picture. What a darlin’! I’m ready for the storms to stop missing us! That ginormous one that hit Minneapolis (how’s it going there TRB?! Hope YOUR roof held up!) went just north of us. We still have nearly bare ground.
*sigh*
Hopefully by next week Saturday…
Your set-up was awesome but I promised myself that I wouldn’t buy anything for Sulli (I should say anything else for Sulli) at the fair so I had to give your booth, that pulled at me like a super magnet, a wide berth. Congrats on the achievement!
Way to go! Who could possibly not be in love with the darling stuff you make?
….lovely day!
“Every day I live I am more convinced that the waste of life lies in the love we have not given, the powers we have not used, the selfish prudence that will risk nothing and which, shirking pain, misses happiness as well.” -Mary Cholmondeley
So glad to hear it was a wonderful day!
This is such a beautiful post about life, love and hope. Perfect for this season and economic climate. Reposting on FB and Twitter.
Hope you have a beautiful holiday season!
Hooray! & congratulations. Risks are the greatest.
I am so glad you took that leap of faith and everything went well! I am sure your stuff sold like hot cakes! I am and have always been one of those safe, take no chances kind of people. Your post has me seriously reconsidering that.
On a much lighter and weird note, I was reading a book on Sunday (The Vampire Academy, yeah I know lol) and it takes place in Montana and at one point they go shopping in Missoula. Thought about you immediately lol
Excellent! I’m glad the fair went to well.
Great inspirational quotes – thanks!
So, what’s with all of us Big girls melting into sniveling messes without a moment’s notice? I’m so there. Lately I say, “I’m not really much of a crier!” but yesterday I realized, “Huh. Maybe I am a crier after all”.
I’m proud of you. I wish I coulda helped you carry your handmades up the stairs.
Yay! Sounds like all that marathon training was well worth it!!
And speaking of running…I ran our local Jingle Bell 5k on Saturday morning and all I could think about the whole time was PUNCH IT, lol 🙂
Hope that made you smile 🙂
XOXO,
Angie from Ohio
Your post touched my heart and made me cry. (and I, am not a crier- oh! alright! a closet crier…) I feel proud that you are showing the world this part of yourself. Congratulations
And I loved the picture the sweet child in the red coat in the snow. Beautiful!
Mary
woohoo! I know exactly how you feel about putting your handmade things out there-just hoping people will like it. Its like having a birthday party and nobody coming. so glad it went well-but those of us on the outside looking in at your blog-we knew it would-your stuff is so loveable.
Totally 100% impressed with your efforts and HELLO your products! I love my hoodie and my postcards and my godkids will love their Arizona shirts. I’m glad you’re going out on that limb, taking a chance. It’s good for everyone around you, too.
One of my favorite sayings came to mind reading through all of yours – If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.
Whether that’s the exact quote or just the gist, it reminds me constantly to take chances to make good changes because sitting still and not trying new things isn’t going to make anything better.
I loved your stuff! It made me wish desperately for a baby or a friend’s baby that I could dress 😀
Keep up the amazing work!
I took my mom, who is visiting from midwest, to the made fair. We split up to do some Xmas shopping. Later she came running up to me & was holding two red tshirts, she was grinning from ear to ear. I was like how can anyone be so excited about tshirts? She flipped them open to reveal your MT applique and screeched about my girls having matching Ts to proudly represent! Then I said Dig This Chick?! Mom says…”YES and I do she was so sweet, she actually took time to chat while her booth was bursting with people,you don’t find genuine people like that anymore…i love MT! “.
So happy to hear your fair went well… it is such an effort to put it all together, but well worth it. (Now imagine doing that process nearly every weekend!?! We used to do 3 antique shows a month… lots of work, but great for the validation when people love our stuff.)
My boys love their shirts & my youngest has already requested to sleep in his Clyde shirt (who is now re-named Penguin) a sure sign he loves it.
Hope you can relax for a bit now & enjoy the holidays unicorn & rainbow style. 🙂
xo
Kate
p.s. That Cynthia Heimel quote is one of my favorites… haven’t thought of it in a long time.
p.p.s. Finally started reading “The Help” this weekend – loving this book!
Dude, you rocked the MADE fair! Punch it, punch it!! =)
Nici – Awesome post! Thanks for sharing your talent of writing and sewing! Can’t wait to buy a skirt once you have in the shop!
Also, question/suggestion you can take or leave. Really love your hats. For example, love the idea of getting a hat with gender neutral colors (like Oliver) that my daughter can use and then pass down to my son. I feel what makes the hat (for a girl) is the swirly do…love,love! But, not sure if masculine enough for my toddler son. He is sure picky these days! Ever sew in straight or diagonal lines across the pattern? Okay, I know nothing about sewing. Just always looking for things that can be used for both daughter and son!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday break!
Jill B (Overland Park, KS)
Congrats on a successful fair, Nici! I’m thrilled with the tiny hoodie and Montana onesie for our nephew Cyrus (who’s getting ready to enter the world ANY day now). Was thinking of you as I sat down a while ago to sip some wine and work on…special orders. Ha! I talk a good game, but am a total sucker for peer pressure! Best of luck reaching your own special-order finish line and enjoying some fo’ real holiday down time 🙂 -Kim W.
Nice post. I grew up skiing, not racing, but skiing every weekend.
I always thought I wasn’t trying hard enough if I wasn’t falling down. I think that’s what made me a good skier. I was willing to take the risk that falling down (a lot) would teach me to get better.
I was a risk taker…skiing, camping, mountain biking, I was willing to try just about anything and pretty darn sure I would be good at it. I also used to be a dreamer. I also never set a goal that I didn’t achieve. Somewhere, the last 5-10 years, I have lost a lot of that. I am trying to get it back.
Thanks for your post…it gives me inspiration.
Yay for you and Yay for your community making the choice to support you and the other artists. I had a stall at our community market on the weekend, and while not a raging succuess, I loved it! Your words are perfect. Mine – and yours – feelings fear, excitement, thrill and exhaustion all captured beautifully!
Have a wonderful day, Dee x
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