Festival of Discovery 2010!

Thanks to all of you who commented about my signs on Friday!! I am so excited and will be starting an Etsy shop this week or as soon as I can.  I will keep you posted on my progress!

I sold 10 this weekend at the Bar-B-Q festival.  Not as many as I had hoped...but more people were just interested in buying the food...which was completely understandable!  We were also told a storm was coming at one point, and it got really windy, so I put everything up for a couple hours (went home to check on my baby) and the storm never came.

Selling my signs

My father-in-law was in the BBQ competition this weekend.  He was making Hash...which is a Southern food similar to barbecue.  My father-in-law's is a beef hash.  It is shredded and then cooked in a big black pot and onions are added.  (You can't even taste the onions... I am not an onion eater at all, but love his hash!)  You will find many different recipes and types of hash out there, but I truly think his is the best!

Selling the Hash

This is what my father-in-laws hash looks like...

I don't like the way it looks, but it sure tastes good!

I feel like I sound really Southern saying that...:)

He won first place last year, and ended up in second this year.  I wish it had been the other way around.  He was a little disappointed.  But, I thought it was great that he still placed!

Not too happy about second place

Team Picture

There are so many entertaining Bar-B-Q names that compete...Rubbin' Butts, Full Rack, Blind Swine...just to name a few :)

Anyway, I saw a couple of youth boys from our church (around the age of 16) with two of their guy friends at the next BBQ stand.  I went over to them, gave the twins a hug, and said, "I know y'all are going to come try some hash over here.  Do y'all like hash?"  One of the friends whispered something (not knowing who I was).  I said, "I'm sure you just said something inappropriate."  He said, "Yeah, we like hash.  We like to smoke it!"  

One of the boys I know said, "Shut up! Do you know who she is?"  I said, "Nice to meet you.  I'm their pastor's wife." He quickly turned and walked away.  The twins said, "You know he was kidding!"  I smiled, they went their way, and I went mine :)  

Hope you have a great week!

Baby W waiting at the front door for his Grandma!

Trying Something New!

Okay, so now that I am a stay-at-home mama, I am trying to find some things to do that might help us bring in a little extra income.  I am thinking of doing some home-bound teaching when the school year starts again...I could do that on my husband's day off or even in the evenings after Baby W is asleep...but, I am also going to try and start selling some hand-painted signs!

I took some very amateur photos of some of the first signs I made this week:

 This would hopefully prevent someone from ringing the doorbell during naptime!

Something sweet to hang in baby's room

For a sweet baby girl

Customizable for a family

For Clemson fans...

(I'm a Tarheel, but living in SC...so I thought this would sell better)

Had to make one for the Gamecock fans too!

(I would add black ribbon to this...didn't have any at the moment)

This would be for a little boy's room

(This one's for my nephew!)

My husband's idea was to take bible verses and make them funny

(The bible passage here is "Honor thy mother and father")

And this is the story of David and Bathsheba...haha :)

Let me know what you think!

And of course, since there are "messages" painted on the signs, I figured I would go ahead and call my business "Mama's Messages."  :)

These are all wood plaques that are hand-painted with acrylic paint.

As I mentioned yesterday, there is a BBQ cook-off this weekend in my town, and my husband's dad is entering the Hash category (which he won last year and it was his first time competing!)  Anyway, he got a vending license this year to sell his hash and since I will be in his tent, I can sell too.

I am hoping this weekend goes well, and if it does, I might find some other venues to sell my signs.  I may even consider Etsy...and I would love your input.

I am also planning on doing a giveaway soon for a custom sign of your choice! :)