Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie, and Made in the USA!

My husband and I have been caught up in the World Series these past few days and as avid Red Sox fans are relieved that the Sox have tied it up 2 to 2. We are hoping that they will go ahead in the next two games and prove to the world that they are the best team in baseball!!!

As I was reflecting on this and how to tie it into my blog for this week I thought about how American baseball is. That got me thinking about the jingle, "Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" which got me thinking about adding "Made in the USA".

Now that you understand my train of thought let's explore this Made in the USA concept.

Our economy is gasping for breath; it is stagnant. Many will argue their theories as to why this is so; however, I think we can all agree on one thing that will help our economy regain its strength and that is by patronizing businesses that make their products in the USA. 

Finding items made in the USA can be a daunting and time consuming task, unless you follow my solution. Shop at craft fairs and art shows where you can be assured that the items you are buying are made by the people who are selling in their booths. Now, I am not talking about vendor shows where someone buys items at wholesale and sells at retail. I'm talking about craft shows where the people selling are usually the people making the items right in their own homes. What better way to support the small business owner who is just trying to eek out a living just as you are than to purchase directly from him or her?

The fall season provides the most opportunities to patronize these hard working artists! Check out the local craft shows in your area. If you are in the Albany area please consider spending some of your time at the shows listed in the Upcoming Events section of this blog. You will be amazed at the talented people that live in your area who spend their time creating and selling in a medium that they love!

Our next event is on Saturday, November 2, 2013 at Schalmont High School, 1 Sabre Drive, Schenectady, NY. Schalmont is just off exit 25A of the NYS thruway. The event runs from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Cruisin' Creations will be in the high school lobby, space #24. Stop by and check out the variety of loomed beaded necklaces, bracelets, eyeglass holders, ID badge lanyards, scarves, necklace and bracelet sets, and the best Christmas cards you will ever send featuring our resident Santa.

Can't make the craft fair? Check out our website - www.cruisincreations.etsy.com

You can also visit the Shaker Heritage Society Christmas Craft Fair at the Shaker Heritage Society, 25 Meeting House Rd, Albany, NY. The fair runs Monday - Saturday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm, October 26 - December 14. Stop by and do your Christmas shopping. This is a major fundraiser for the Shaker Heritage Society! 

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A Good But Frustrating Day!

On Saturday, October 19, 2013 I participated in the Community Human Services Craft Fair at Burnt Hills Ballston Lake High School. I had heard that this was a good craft fair to get involved with so I gave it a try. While it was a good day for me I found the traffic to be spartan with very few buyers. 

At the end of the day I discovered that this show is usually held on a Sunday. I then was informed that at least one of the signs near the school listed the show for Sunday, October 19. When one crafter mentioned this to one of the organizers she was told that people know which day October 19 is. Given the amount of traffic I'm not so sure and think that sign created a lot of confusion for people. I'd bet many people stopped by on Sunday to find a building locked up tight and no craft fair.

My frustration with this is the attitude represented by the organizer. They had our money so they had nothing to lose with the light traffic; however, many of the crafters had a lot to lose. For many this is their livelihood so when they invest a good amount of money in a craft fair and people don't show up they lose out. 

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After each fair I like to feature a few of the talented crafters I have have met during the show. This show had an abundance of talented crafters and a very nice selection of high quality crafts!

To my right was Ray Summers, a highly talented photographer! His photos, which are of scenes that extend from Maine to Florida, are so crisp and clear and the colors are so vibrant! People couldn't help themselves from purchasing several items at a time. You can check out Ray's work at www.raysummers.com.

Behind me was Quilts by Marie. Marie's hand quilted placemats, table runners, and scarves in 9-patch, Log Cabin, and Ohio Star patterns were nicely done and VERY reasonably priced. Marie does this for the love of quilting and to keep herself busy. It is obvious by the quality of her work that this is a labor of love.

Fraiser Country has been at several of the craft fairs I have been at recently; however, this is the first time they have been set up near my space. Paul and Sandra use antique items to create unique one of a kind lamps. Their designs created a nostalgic feeling as I watched several people admire and purchase their pieces. While they don't have a website you can find them at several area craft fairs including HVCC November 22, 23, & 24 as well as Harmagreal Craft Fair, Delmar December 7.

Have you heard of Stinky Dog? Apparently he has been around for about 15 years, but since I don't have children who would be interested in Stinky Dog I wasn't aware of him. He has made quite a name for himself and had several people visiting his space all day. You can check out Stinky Dog at www.stinkydog.com.

I featured Winniesoriginals.com a couple of blogs ago; however, I need to mention Winnie again! I recently ordered a purse from her. She was very easy to work with and accommodating, met my wishes for a particular sized bag, and I am very impressed with the quality of her work. 

I would also like to give a shout out for Teaman Beverages on Etsy.com. I recently purchased a selection of decafeinated teas from the Teaman and am so pleased by the quality and flavor of the teas as well as the cost. His prices, even with shipping, are a steal especially when you compare them to the prices for flavored teas in the grocery store. Look him up at www.teaman.etsy.com! BTW - he also sells a line of flavored coffee.

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We are taking a week off from the craft fair circuit to get some things done around the house. Our next stop will be Schalmont High School, 1 Sabre Drive, Schenectady, NY 12306 on November 2, 2013 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. You can find Cruisin' Creations in space #24 in the high school lobby!

If that date isn't convenient for you my scarves, necklaces, bracelets and other items will be available for sale at the Shaker Heritage Society Christmas Craft Fair from October 26, 2013 - December 14, 2013. Shaker Heritage Society is located at 25 Meeting House Road, Albany, NY 12211. It is right near the Albany International Airport. The fair runs Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. This is a very important fundraiser for the Shaker Heritage Society. Please patronize them!

See you November 2!!!

Whatever Happened to Customer Service?

It seems that customer service has all but disappeared in many businesses. Many more times than I can count in the past couple of years I have been shopping and searched for someone to provide help only to find them incompetent, impolite, or difficult to understand. At other times they were too busy having personal conversations with their coworkers, texting, or talking on the phone to assist a live body in front of them. I was becoming very discouraged over the state of customer service in business.

Then I came in contact with a business that has taken customer service to a whole new level. They want each of their customers to be 100% satisfied and will go to great lengths to achieve this. What is the name of this company, you ask? Cafepress.com!

We learned about Cafepress.com from our daughter who has ordered many items from them. She spoke very highly of them so when it came time for my husband and me to purchase novelty cellphone cases for our new phones we, naturally, went to Cafepress.com.

Shortly after my cellphone case arrived I received an email survey from Cafepress. I noted in the survey that the edges of my case were starting to wear and perhaps they should look into another process for printing the pictures on the cases. Within a very short period of time I received an email from Maura about my comment. I won't bore you with all of the details, but Cafepress is replacing the case at no extra charge. 

It is so refreshing to me to find a business that understands the importance of happy customers. Happy customers generate the best type of advertising, word of mouth. Happy customers will always send their family and friends to businesses generating many more sales for those businesses. Unhappy customers provide word of mouth advertising as well - negative. One unhappy customer can provide negative advertising to at least 100 people in a very short period of time causing a drop in sales.

So if you are a business reading this blog, please train your employees to provide the best service possible. It will pay off!

Check out all of the unique items they have available at www.cafepress.com!

Key West and All Its Finest

My husband and I just returned from a few days in Key West where we celebrated my recent retirement from teaching. Between my career and our children it has been 37 years since we were able to travel in October so we thought it would be a perfect time to head south. 

We arrived in time to walk to Duval St. for lunch and stopped by Jack Flats for some pub food and to toast retirement! Yummy and liberating are the best ways to describe that lunch! 

Our first impressions of Key West were that it is a very lush, quaint, quiet island. We quickly realized while it is lush, it is anything but quaint and quiet...

The weather was very hot and humid for October in Key West, but that didn't stop us from strolling down Duval St. We also toured the island by trolley, visited the Little White House, Earnest Hemingway's Home, enjoyed sunsets at Hot Tin Roof, and Sunset at the Top, cooled off in the water at Smathers Beach, visited the winery, and, of course, shopped.

We found Key West to be a very artsy community. There are several shops filled with the creations of local artists. We were especially taken by Alan S. Maltz, whose photography lined the breakfast area of our hotel. He does an amazing job of capturing the beauty of Key West and its landscape. You can check out his work at http://www.alanmaltz.com

We stayed at The Silver Palms on Truman Ave. This hotel is about 3 years old and offers clean large rooms with balconies, free parking, and a very nice pool. Its location was ideal for being close to the events on Duval St.

Our few days in Key West were very enjoyable, but we both decided that it was too unconventional for us to spend much time there. As we waited in the airport for our flight we caught a caption in the local newspaper under the photo of the "Citizen of the Day". This person has been living in Key West for quite some time and loves it because he doesn't know of any other place where he can run down the street with nothing on but a coconut on his head and no one cares. Really!!! This is what makes Key West a great place??? This comment is what makes this person a citizen of the day??? After our initial shock we just shook our heads and said, yes, that's Key West.

While we really did enjoy ourselves and were glad to get away for a few days I am very happy to be home living my "normal" life, back into my routine, and healthier eating habits. 


Craft shows for October include:
Oct. 12 - Rotterdam Senior Center, Rotterdam, NY - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Oct 19 - Burnt Hills Ballston Lake High School, Burnt Hills, NY - 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

There are still a few exclusive sets available. Mention this blog and receive 10% off of your purchase at these shows.

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