Welcome back for part 2 of our NSS journey. If you missed part 1, find it here.
After months of planning and days of set-up, the show is the fun part! We were thrilled to see the. It was so exciting because we really saw Clayton's 2- and 3-D models come alive. 
Hanging out in the booth is always fun because we have such a great team. Sunday and Monday, Erin and George helped out in the booth for the very first time. They both did great and got to meet lots of customers. Additionally, Melissa Wert, the owner of Print Therapy, was kind enough to fill in for several hours when we needed an extra pair of hands. When they headed back to our studio, veterans Clayton and Sarah stepped in and worked the show like the pros that they are.
We were lucky to be super busy during the show. It was hard to even step away to grab lunch! I always love chatting with customers, reps, and other exhibitors because it's really wonderful to catch up in person and put faces to familiar names.
Every year we dream up a fun giveaway for booth visitors to take home. This year, Clayton turn our birthday dachshund into a paper doll complete with a fanny pack!
We made a serious effort to display almost every non-holiday card on the walls this time around. It was pretty impressive to see them all lined up and looking so colorful together.
This was the first time the April May for Smudge Ink line was shared at NSS!
The E.B. Goodale for Smudge Ink section of the booth was super sweet and drew a lot of attention. Seriously adorable!
Here's a first look at our 2018 Wall Calendar Journal and our Animalia Mini Calendar. They'll both be available soon.
Have you seen our new gift wrap styles yet? They're super fun -- shop for them here!
I obviously couldn't resist getting my photo taken with our ostrich!
When it comes to blowing bubbles, Clayton and I have got skillz.
As you can see, we had a blast at the show. But by the end of day 4, we were very ready to head home.
Sarah and Clayton helped Eric and me pack everything up and take down the walls. Then we had to navigate the escalator (it was off) and cram everything back into the minivan. We worked quickly and were on the road about two hours after the show officially ended! We hit lots of traffic, but by 8:45 pm the minivan was empty and everything from the show was back in our garage. BAM. DONE!
Next week I'll be back with our final post about NSS where the team will share some photos of their favorite booths.