This month our National Stationery Show (NSS) prep falls into all three categories! Read on for a look behind the scenes.
THE GOOD. We bring our own hard walls to NSS. So far we've built or patched up all of the walls. We have also measured and cut our shelving and pre-drilled holes in the walls for easy hanging during setup. Eric and I truly love working together, and this kind of project is a fun change of pace.
Pre-drilling shelving
We have to work in our garage because it's been pretty rainy here. When it's cold we set up space heaters and wear winter jackets. It's pretty glamorous, obviously.
Measuring and cutting shelves and display pieces
There are so many pieces to this big puzzle. We work from the 2-D booth layout using a scaled ruler to measure and place everything correctly. As we place shelves on the wall I label them and make notes everywhere—sometimes directly on the shelves!
My notes on the shelf that will hold our new jotter!
Wes, age 4, helps by handing us tools and by providing comic relief
The back wall is 20' long but we can only set up 12' at a time in the garage!
Clayton's 3-D model has really helped us visualize the booth, which is awesome! If you haven't yet, go check out his great post about designing the booth layout!
It's also been wonderful knowing that my team can hold down the fort at the office while I'm working on the booth. It makes this process so much easier. Go, team!
THE BAD. There's still so much left to do. Every night Eric heads out the garage for an hour to work on the booth. We're currently preparing to paint everything—the walls, the shelves, the furniture (that we have yet to build!). Wish us so much luck.
THE UGLY. The pile of tissues on my desk right now is pretty ugly! Season allergies are attacking with a vengeance right now.
(image: select 2-D renderings of our NSS booth)
(image: 3-D model of our NSS booth)
I marched with a group of friends and my dad carrying signs designed by 
SARAH. The Boston Women's March was beyond inspiring and an important reminder that everyone's voice matters. But more than that, it was a powerful reminder to me to show up and be an ally for people whose voices aren't being heard. To that end I look forward not just to participating in more marches and protests, but also doing my part by calling and writing to local and national elected officials. As one of the speakers said, "we've come so far but we have so much farther to go." On a side note: the signs were amazing. And I was happy to read that 
CLAYTON. I honestly didn't hear of the Women's March until a couple days before when I began to hear office chatter of people attending. Sarah invited me to join her Smithie group, and with that invitation, I decided go. It was my first protest ever. I went because: 1) there are a number of strong women in my life that I love and admire and 2) being there seemed like a good way to voice my discontent with the newly elected alongside many others that feel the same. It felt good being there. The sun was shining. And despite the many fears and much unhappiness amid the newly rising political and national climate, that day, amid the thousands, it felt like everything would be okay.
ERIN. I was excited and nervous for my first march. I really didn't know what to expect. I went with a group of some of my favorite nasty women, and we were definitely fired up listening to Elizabeth Warren and Maura Healy speak. It was very encouraging to be surrounded by so many people and know that we're standing up together. Though it took us at least an hour to even get out of Boston Common to start marching, I left feeling hopeful for the first time since the election.
GEORGE. I am not a protestor. As a rule, I don't speak out. I avoid conflict at all costs. But there comes a time in life where we have to ask ourselves where the line is—what is too much? What will it take to push us to speak out? Having the rights of those around me challenged by the highest office in our land is well beyond my line, so far beyond that I could find no justification for staying home while my wife marched. To paraphrase my favorite sign of the day, the concern is so high that "even the introverts are here." My favorite moment, the one that made it worth the claustrophobia, was hearing an older woman telling her friend that "it's different this time" because so many men were there.
My eldest daughter, Abigail, recently turned 8 years old. Sometime early in September, I asked her if she wanted to have a party (yes), and what she might like the theme to be (don't know). So we brainstormed, brainstormed some more, and then took a break for a couple of weeks. Later that month, we visited the 
I figured the folks at the shelter had done this before but as usual I wanted to include some sort of DIY craft project (which I found online 
With craft time over, a volunteer at the shelter named Holly quizzed the kids on animal trivia, educated them a bit about the shelter and animal adoption, and then gave them a tour. The "loud" dog room was not loved by all, but they all got to see some really cute puppies along the way. The majority of the available cats and kittens had been adopted, so while there weren't many felines to be seen, it also meant those animals had found a home, which is the point after all!
After some hand washing, dinner, and kitty cat cupcakes (made in the image of our recently adopted kitten), Holly brought a few heart-meltingly adorable puppies in for all the kids to play with. Turns out we didn't have trouble filling the afternoon l like I had thought we would; the party went a half hour late.
One of my favorite parts of the party was that we requested no gifts. Instead kids could bring a donation to the shelter (if they chose), such as old towels, pet food, waste bags, etc. I was pretty psyched and proud that my daughter was completely on board with a "no gifts" party ... and in the end, it was a win-win for her, as her cousins and other family friends ignored the request. 
How is it already December? Sheesh! We've been printing like mad over here at Smudge Ink HQ. And in between I've been busy preparing for some upcoming holiday craft/art markets. I thought I'd pass along more info in case anyone's seeking out products designed and made by local artisans (or just want to come and say hi!). You'll be sure to find some great crafts, art, jewelry, records, baked goods, handmade toiletries, vintage clothing and more to stuff those stockings with!