Dog Leashes and Easel Legs Don't Mix

This past weekend I had a booth at two separate fantastic events. On Saturday I was at the Mutt Strutt Dog Walk from 10am-1pm which was a fundraiser event for the Wake County Animal Care Control and Adoption Center, and Sunday I set up shop at the inaugural Suite Paws Costume Contest from 1pm-4pm. Both were very successful events for their respective hosts.

The Mutt Strutt event began with a one-mile dog walk. Some dogs were in costume, all were in top form. :) There were dogs of all sizes from teeny-tiny Yorkies to massive Great Danes. Here I am ducking under my booth to pose for my very helpful assitant, my husband Matt. I never realized those tableclothes were so wrinkly! This was my fourth time setting up my booth at an event and I learn new things every time. My layout and presentation is constantly being tweaked. For example, I learned that there can be a dog owner who doesn't pay attention to the fact that their pooch has wrapped it's leash around the easel shown above. Said owner and dog then try to walk away, taking the easel with them. Thank goodness for my sprinter reactions from my swimming days which enabled me to catch the display before it hit the ground. My hand-painted resin pendant necklaces were a huge hit at this event! I really enjoy making them, but I'm even more thrilled that other people like them. I've just now started to make some holiday and seasonal pieces. You can find the pendant necklaces in my Etsy shop. I also talked to several people about pet portraits and gave out numerous cards. There were so many good-lookin' dogs there begging to be painted! ;)

The next day I set up shop at the Costume Contest at Suite Paws in Raleigh. The turn out for the event was great and it looked like all the dogs in costume and their owners had an enjoyable time. Me and a few fellow members of the K9 Circle were chosen to judge the costume contest which came as a surprise to us all. It was a lot of fun. :) Kasey, our German Shepherd mix, decided to pose with me under my tent for a photo op. Kasey is in the process of getting more exposure around children and people in general. She tends to be a bit protective of her daddy and I, however, I think it's her daddy and I that need the training to know how to act with her around new people and kids. This event was great exposure for her. Here she is, probably looking at some children running and thinking about how tasty they would be. Mmmmm, children.

And finally I'd like to take a moment to thank my wonderful husband for all his help this weekend, and at all shows. He sacrificed watching the majority of the Miami Hurricanes football game to help me break down my booth on Saturday. I don't think he would do that for anybody else. ;) He is fantastic and I am very fortunate to have him. Look at how cute he is. ;)