Simply put, the Chicago Renegade Fair was a blast and a half. So much so, that I find myself saying things like blast and a half and as predicted last Friday, here we are wishing we were back in the frenzy of it all. This year, we found ourselves with ol’ Grampy Pete of Wood House Pipes in the main room – which if you’ve been to the Chicago Fair, you’ll know this means pretty, soft lighting, domed ceilings, chandeliers and roomy aisles. Not that the roominess mattered, you see, because the place was hoppin.’ (Again, with the dorky phrases and what have you.)
Like last year, Pete and I split our booth right down the middle. We may have spilled on to his side in the beginning (and light hearted tiffs may have ensued), but holy geez it wasn’t long before all you dachshund loving folks cleared off some of that precious table space! Behind our tabletop, you’ll see our pop-up backdrop, crafted by my handyman and Pete, seen right here.
And yup, that frame temporarily held our namesake over the weekend, but it’s back in our hall and if we can get our ducks in a row around here, it’ll be back to sporting our Piglet.
Our kiddo, Jackie, was a hot commodity – but no one was willing to pay the few million we requested when they asked how much? While many claimed to have gorgeous pups that looked just like our little man, he was only there to show some custom-work-love alongside a mini portfolio and the gift certificates. He did a good job, too.
And if you thought we were kidding about the whole hoppy-ness of the Fair, here’s how things looked from our side of the booth. People, people everywhere. And we loved it.
There were three rooms on the main floor and two upstairs. Of course the ladies’ restroom was on the second floor (silly men must have planned this space), and during a quick break, I took a moment to snap these views from up high. Can you spot us down below, there on the left?
Ooh, and we were surprised and thrilled to meet Laura Basiden of bison print fame (see her work here, above our bed), after finding out she came up from Nashville to be a vendor at the Fair! Not only is she crazy talented, but she’s definitely one of our most requested artists from all of you – many, many emails have inquired about that bison print, and she’s just recently set up shop online! We’ve since updated our source list, and you can find out more about Miss Laura right here.
To sum it up, we couldn’t have been happier to meet some of you (and you’re all really, really awesome, by the way – broken record, we know, but it’s very true), re-unite with vendors and friends from across the country (hi, Rick!), chow on chili, soup and brews, man our stations, and spend the entire weekend with some of our closest pals and boothmates. The weekend was a great success, and we feel so lucky to have been a part of it.
Of course we snagged some goodies (for ourselves, mostly. Tisk, tisk. We barely made a dent in our shopping-for-others list; oy!), and you know we can’t wait to show you – soon. For those of you that made it to Renegade, did you find anything? Or if you’re not from the Windy City, maybe you did a little holiday shopping elsewhere? Perhaps you can let us in on what you found… we’re at a loss for a few tough pals, and we’re nearing in on crunch time.
Wowee, that place really is hoppin’. :) I’m glad all your hard work paid off. And, I can’t wait to see what you came home with. So much fun! If you’ve got a few people on your list, I’d be happy to help by making some art for you. I’ve recently added a Love print: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87222139/love-heart and the Carved Initials cut outs are usually a hit, too. ;)
Wow! What a crowd! Looks like a great fair!
Amanda, some art may be the way to go! Hmmm…
wow looks amazing!!
Congrats on the success at the show!
It was so great to bump into you both at the booth!! I can’t wait to meet up again next Tuesday.
Your display looks gorgeous! Congrats on the success, I’m so glad you guys had such a good time!
Looks like so much fun! I wish I lived closer! :)
Thanks, everyone!
Hi, Do you have any portraits of Lhasa Apsos?
Hi Leila, we don’t have any stock paintings or prints of Lhasa Apsos, but gift certificates are available in our shop if you’re thinking of giving a portrait as a gift this holiday season:
https://yellowbrickhome.com/shop/
Otherwise, we’ll be taking custom orders as usual in early January!
Yay for you and so glad it was yet another success!! Next year I’ll be there!
Your both looks totally fabulous. No surprise it was a great success – you clearly put a lot of work into it.
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