To market, to market we go!

The car is loaded and we look ALOT like the Beverly Hillbillies...except we're "bound for Nashville"! For the past 16 years, we've made the trip to the Nashville Needlework Market.  When the kids were young (and Alan worked at other jobs) we flew in and out of Nashville as quickly as possible!  Now that we are empty-nesters, we make the 12+ hour drive to Nashville and stop to see family and friends along the way.  We also allow a little extra time to hang with our needlework buddies while we are there. People in the needlework biz (mostly women, a few patient men here and there) are the BEST people...and it's a treat to see them once or twice a year!

Our friend Debbie, who owns our local needlework shop Heart's Desire in Wichita, KS, helps us out by carrying alot of our inventory.  Then, hopefully and thankfully, we sell that inventory and she has room for her purchases on the way home. We load OUR car (above) with all the displays, office supplies and strangely important stuff (high watt light bulbs, candy!) that are essential for a good showroom display.  This stuff magically multiplies to fill the entire car every time.  This photo was taken BEFORE we loaded the suitcases! We make a last minute stop by the library for books on CD and Nashville...here we come!