valentine's week of bazaar, 2012

as some may know, my sister and i decided to take up a bazaar during the valentine's day week. well, after some "complications", although we planned for only 2 days, we ended up with 4 days of bazaar! 13th and 14th of feb AND 16th and 17th of feb.

being the over-ambitious me, i thought it would be a piece of cake. here's my self-rationalization:"after all, it's not the first time you're doing a bazaar...just sell what you have... don't set your expectations too high and just enjoy the process...." sigh. i always end up proving myself wrong.

perhaps it's good to walk you through the phases that one undergoes in the preparation of a bazaar.

Phase 1: Brimming with confidence. It's just a bazaar. What's the big deal?

Phase 2: Oooh... I'm starting to get excited. Better start preparing...

Phase 3: Oooh, I'm excited. Why am I not preparing?

Phase 4: I MUST PREPARE NOW!!!

Phase 5: (probably 2 days before the bazaar) preparing like mad and overcome with doubts, fears, exhaustion and grouchiness :/ constantly telling myself, " i must be crazy i must be crazy...why am i doing this to myself?!"

i must say that PP has bore the brunt of my emotional instability in Phase 5... where i bombard him with questions/statements like, "I'm sure no one is buying this. It sucks. Why are you not helping me?"

sigh. thank YOU so much PP. you are definitely my better half when you remind me of God's goodness and assure me to just commit it all to God. and indeed, God's goodness was revealed to me through the bazaar. Also, a big THANK YOU to the lovely customers and people i have met. When you look at fitw products and smile, i feel warm in the heart because that means that something in it has "spoken to you".

here's a glimpse of Phase 6:

phase 7: now that i am in phase 7, looking back and reflecting, i can only say that God is good, as He has always been. How He gives me beyond what i deserve! All canvas products have been adopted by their special owner and i hope you are liking them and they continue to bring smiles to your, and others', faces :)

there have been many enquiries of whether i sell online or not. perhaps it's good that i clarify here. i prefer not to take custom orders and my online shop: www.fitw.bigcartel.com is largely a portal for me to sell what is left-over from bazaars. hence, it is seldom updated. i prefer selling my products in bazaars because i get to put a face to the owner and interact with my customers :) moreover, as i would like to keep prices low and affordable for many, selling my products online will involve too much logistics and effort, which i don't wish to transfer to my prices. perhaps, just perhaps, i would explore focusing on the online avenue one day and that would mean that fitw has taken a new shift in focus ;)

Lord, show me thy will...