Kate had another kind of break last week-a break in her water pipes, all nicely buried under ground, resulting in no running water in her house. CRAPSTIC! Thankfully the water has been fixed, but her yard is…well, not so yard-like right now. So instead of sitting in front of the computer blogging, she’ll be spending the week raking, filling, and landscaping. Cross your fingers for nice weather, peeps! (And thanks for understanding.)
Thursday Shout Out: It’s Grill Time
We don’t know about you, but one of our favorite things to do in the summer is hang out in the back yard, watch the kiddies spray each other with the garden hose, and grill up some good eats. Whether your old school charcoal or all stainless steel and propane, we think we can all pretty much agree: the weather is warm, the sky is blue, the grass is cut, and it’s grill time, baby.
BBQ or Pig Roast Invite by bbinvitations. $2.25. The first thing you need for a successful bbq? Well, that would be meat, really. And a grill. But after that you need peeps to enjoy that meat (that you cooked on your grill). Whether you’re going hardcore with a pig roast or just throwing on some burgers, these invites will get your friends to where they need to be: your back yard. The colors and wording are completely customizable, and please-you need to check out the back of these awesometown postcards, which may be even better than the front. No matter what, these are a definite win, and your guests will be talking about them long after the beer and heartburn have worn off.
The Grill Guru Gourmet BBQ Blends by purposedesign. $16.25. Come on now. Just looking at these amazing rubs is making our mouths water. With killer spice combinations such as Memphis BBQ, Java Love, Southwest Chipotle, Tropical Citrus, Ancho Chili, Creole Shrimp, Tuscan Rub, and Cafe Pasilla Rub, you’ve beaten the Jones’ at the grilling game before the meat even hits the grate. Each rub is hand blended, and if they taste even a fraction as good as they look, you know you’re in for a treat. (And PS-the set totally comes with serving suggestions, so if you’re freaked out that you’ll somehow ruin things, no worries. You’re covered.)
25 Silverware Pouches by LeilaAndLace. $12.50. A truly memorable bbq needs to have style too, you know. We love the print of the fancy silverware in contrast to the rustic brown bag, and these adorable silverware pouches are an unexpected but absolutely perfect touch. Make sure your guests have everything they need, right on hand-fork, spoon, knife, napkin-so there’s no running back to the buffet table while your potato salad gets hot in the sun.
BBQ Chef Apron Vintage Gasoline by PointGraphicInk. $34. Don’t let the founder of the feast go unnoticed-or unprotected. This kickass full length apron will not only protect the head chef from spills, splatters, and spices, it will let everyone know without a word that things around this grill get hot, hot, hot! (In case the flames didn’t tip them off.) The worn vintage graphic is modern and yet retro, making this bbq apron a cut above all the rest.
Boo.
Sad news, friends: due to unforeseen circumstances we have to cancel our Schoolhouse Sale. We know, we’re totally bummed about it too. But no worries-you can still find us on Etsy, or, if you’re local, feel free to contact us (meatbagz at yahoo dot com) to set up a time to come on over and peruse the bagz in person!
Thursday Shout Out: For the Love of Mom!
Where would we be without our moms? We’ll tell you one place we definitely wouldn’t be: on Earth. Because we wouldn’t be born. Because like it or not, you need a mom to birth you. And feed you. And clothe you and teach you to say “please” and “thank you” and “excuse me”. That’s all pretty important stuff, and even though we need to let our moms know how much we appreciate everything they’ve done for us far more often than once a year, this Sunday isn’t a bad day to give her a little reminder of just what an awesome job she did for you.
Mom Coffee Mug with Love Tattoo by hughespottery. $30. Moms-even hardcore moms-need caffeine. That’s a fact (just ask her and watch her struggle to keep her eyes open long enough to answer). And while those mugs you made in art class in grade school are cute and all, this is a grown up mug for an awesometown mom. Beautiful green glaze, unexpected heart tattoo touch, and plenty of room for her energy juice of choice, you’ll make sure Mom knows how much you love her-and how kickass you think she is.
Gemstone Stacking Rings Set of Three by OhKuol. $155. Mother’s rings are everywhere these days, but we’ve never come across any as stylistically unique and striking as these before. Available with twelve different stones and up to four different cuts all framed in absolutely stunning in vermiel gold settings (some also in sterling silver!), it’s easy to put together a set as individual as your family is. So get those lay-about siblings of yours, get them to pick one out, and put a set together for your mom. You know she deserves it (after all, WHO did all your dirty laundry for the first 18 years of your life?) and she’ll appreciate you all the more every time she looks at these on her finger.
Mom Rock Ticket by a favoritedesign. $4.50. You know who rocks? YOUR MOM. (And seriously, if you didn’t guess the answer to that question, you haven’t been paying attention.) What better way to tell your mom that she rocks than with her very own rockin’ ticket that says as much? Whether you frame it for her or slip it into a card, she’ll cherish it as much as her ticket stub from that AC/DC concert she went to before you were even born.
Initial Heart Necklace by untie. $27. This is so simply sweet and understated, it kind of makes us tear up a little bit. Listen up, boys-nothing-and we mean nothing-will make your mom cry faster (in a good way) than if you present this to her on Mothers Day. Same goes for you, husbands-with your babies (however old they are) initial stamped in beautiful script on this little heart, your lady will never doubt your intelligence, taste, or good looks. And girls-as long as you can manage to part with it and give it to Mom on her big day, she might even let you borrow it once in awhile. No promises, though.
Meatbagz Booth, Thy Name Is Awesome
Last week we mentioned how we were spending some time giving Ye Olde Meatbagz Booth a fresh face. It’s been awhile since we really and truly looked at it, and while the old design worked on a number of levels, we had outgrown it and needed a cheap (and easy) new set up.
Here’s one version of the booth set up. As you can see, we had reached the point where we had some issues that we wanted to remedy: Our banner, which was originally a table skirt, wasn’t the most professional thing we’ve seen in our lives. While we enjoy burlap as much as the next person, we were ready to take the next step. We discovered that, upon reflection, we didn’t really need a table at all-in fact, the main use was to hide bins and our cash box. Our bags look best hanging, and really lose something when they’re just laying flat. So that needed to be sacrificed. And our shutter screens, which worked so well the first few shows as our primary display space, had gotten to the point where they were just bulky and cluttered looking. Bella, our Meatbagz model, is still awesome, though, and her pink tutu and come hither crown attracts more customers than she’ll ever admit. She stays.
First step: Our new eye catching and totally awesome banner. We decided that we wanted to do something a little different than normal (surprised?) and went for a vertical banner instead of the classic horizontal across the tent top. We had a grommet kit already and Kate’s super handy with a hammer, so that saved us some bucks. It’s already better than our patched burlap, even though the ink they use stinks and kind of smells like a dead animal. Don’t worry, we’ve been through this before: a little airing out and people won’t think we’re actually selling bags made out of rotting meat.
Step two: Since the bagz look best hanging, we wanted to optimize our space for just that. Hooks, stands, and hangers would have worked against us since we wanted a cleaner, less cluttered look. Enter a trip to our local home improvement store, where we bought two rolls of reed fencing from the garden department. Trimmed to size, zip tied to the tent poles, and a little adjustment later, we have display space up the wazoo…and it looks pretty neat, too. Add a set of our original shutter screens in the corner and suddenly we’re looking like we know what we’re doing.
Step three: We are digging the cleaner lines of the set up so far, but hey, we’re still Meatbagz, people, so obviously we needed a little of that Meatbagz je ne sais quois. Kate had grand visions of a crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the tent, cheerily twinkling in the “Pyramid of Power” triangle window in the roof, but since neither one of us had a spare chandelier lying around we had to improvise. So we dug up an old brass bird cage covered in glittered butterflies to hang there instead (obviously). We’re going to put a crown in it with a battery operated LED light in the center, which we can turn on if the day is over cast (since most of our outdoor shows don’t have power hook ups) and it will make our booth a little funkier and a little more inviting.
Step four: Check it. Our newly designed booth, looking impressively professional and-just as importantly-still super easy to set up and tear down. Our bagz hang quickly and securely using S hooks, our banner gives a solid first impression, and we still have storage space for empty bins and extra bagz behind our remaining shutter screen. We’ve got our bulkier bags in our vintage Swiss wicker baskets, Bella’s still bringing interest while simultaneously modeling Meatbagz of different shapes and sizes, and we feel like we’ve got a good mix of funky and sophisticated. After all, folks, this ain’t no amateur hour-we’re here to sell Meatbagz, and sell Meatbagz we shall!
Thursday Shout Out: Be Craft Fair Prepared
Whether you’re a craft show pro or a newbie, you know that being prepared is half the battle. Or maybe that’s if you’re GI Joe and you’re talking about knowledge. In any case, you need to have yourself together, have all the right supplies, and at least look like you know what you’re doing before you can sell all of that fabulous product you’ve worked your fingers to the bone on. While this Shout Out won’t get you everything you need, it will give you a start, and hey, let’s face it-buying handmade to sell handmade just makes good karma all around.
Craft Show Boot Camp E-Class For Beginners by moonlightjourney. $4.99. Headed for your first show? Not sure what you need to bring? We may not have gotten this e-class ourselves, but hey-any tips for your first show are good tips. The .pdf includes seven pages of advice on everything from how to get licenses to sell, to where to find shows, to how to set up displays. Sounds like it’s worth five bucks if you ask us!
Tangerine and Smoke Damask Utility Half Apron by Foodphyte. $26.95. With six pockets, style to spare, and double lined so it can take a beating, this apron is all about being smart while looking smart. Ditch the bulky cashbox and keep your change, receipts, pens, business cards, and, well, pretty much anything else in there as well. Instead of digging around behind your table, you’ll have what you need on hand-and you’ll have those customers lining up.(And by the way, you seriously need to check out the rest of Foodphyte’s shop because there are approximately a gazillion other fabric options to choose from. Just sayin’.)
Business Card Holder by ArtisEverything. $21.90. Cute? You bet. Eye catching? Yup. As unique as your product, perfect for your booth, your table, and your business cards? Nailed it. This business card holder is anything but ordinary, which means it’s exactly what you need. And the best part? There are plenty of designs to choose from so it will fit you and your set up perfectly. The end.
Two Custom Canopy Banners 12″x 9′ by SquierDesign. $150. We all know that the first impression is a pretty darn important one, and what better way to grab the attention of potential customers than with two super sweet, professional looking custom banners. Get your name out there, get those peeps into your booth, and get ready for an awesome show!
An (Official) New Look For The Official Meatbagz Blog
Well, folks, as promised, the blog has a new look. We’re digging it. It was time for a bit of a fresh start on here, and after spending hours (as promised) tearing her hair out over the perfect font color, details that no one will notice (nor care about), and other super important details, here we are. It’s still the same old Official Meatbagz Blog, but now it feels a bit cleaner.
So, feel free to tell us what you think.
In the meantime, we’re working in the shop on a new booth design and set-up; it’s time for a fresh start there as well!
