I went to the Yellow Daisy Festival over the weekend, but I didn't take a camera.
Bubba had my little camera with him in California, and I'm still not used to toting my new (big) camera around with me yet*.
However, I'm going to attempt to talk about Yellow Daisy anyway...
I went to the Yellow Daisy Festival over the weekend. It is billed as the largest craft fair in America. I'd believe it, the crowds were huge...
(I started to make a comment here about "both in number and in size." But that just seems a little mean-spirited...)
I always feel like going to YDF is my dirty little secret.
In real life I'd admit to going - if you asked me.
But only if you asked me.
I'd probably not volunteer that information to any of the hip, chic, way-cooler-than-me women that inhabit this very odd little socio-economic bubble of MidTown where I live.
Amy, of 3 To Get Ready, and I both sniggeringly refer to events like this as "crap fairs".
I mean, really - how many hand painted plaques with cutesy sayings like "When I Die, Bury Me At Wal-Mart So My Wife Will Come Visit Me" does anyone really need?
There is a whole lot of junk, a w-h-o-l-e lot, and much of it, to my eye, is tacky as all sin.
Yet, one woman's tacky is another woman's treasure - as there seems to be no end to the purchasing that goes on at this thing. This year, I noticed a really annoying trend: shoppers bringing all sorts of jerry-rigged "shopping carts" to haul home their booty.
Seriously - plastic milk cartons on little dollies, with intricate networks of bungee cords to hold down the loot. I saw more than one woman using actual luggage, the kind on wheels, to carry purchases. And don't even get me started on the number of baby strollers that didn't have a child in sight, but were burdened down with parcel after parcel.
To my way of thinking, if you have to bring luggage to carry all your stuff? You're probably buying too much...
But I digress... even though I'd say 90% of the stuff is not to my taste, I still go year after year. And I have one heck of a good time. Even the stuff that I would never want, I still appreciate. I mean, someone actually took the time to make that thing - and although the question of "why?" might linger in the back of my mind, I do admire the drive to craft that is behind it.
Also - it's a fun atmosphere, a party of sorts. 85 % of the attendees are women, and they are there to have. a. good. time. And believe me, they do.
I like the people watching, I won't lie. I'm always a little wistful at all the mother/daughter shopping tag teams that I see (even though I know that my mom and I don't have that kind of touchy feely relationship, and that a joint visit to something like this would be a recipe for disaster...)
And, as if you need any other explanation for my infatuation with this mammoth event, let me leave you with two words:
Really, do I need to say more??? I had you at "butterfly fries", didn't I...
Let's not forget the 10% of the stuff which I think is pretty cool. I didn't need luggage, but I did buy a few things...
Hopefully I can get some pictures up soon. Bubba is back home with my little camera. Yay! And, now he can help me find the photo downloading software that has been MIA since the Great Computer Rebuild of August07...
So - stay tuned for some (hopefully) photo-y goodness soon!
*OK - you all give such good housekeeping advice, that I'm going to hit you up for more advice. Talk to me about camera-totin'...
I'm so spoiled by my "shove it in my pocket and forget about it" Point-and-Shoot - and that makes the new SLR seem like a behemoth!
I'm guilty of not taking it places and using it. If the weather looks the least little bit gray, I don't want to take it out for fear it might get a raindrop, or something, on it. If I'm going to be out for a long time, I don't take it because I don't want to have to be stuck hauling it around, and I don't want to leave it in the car... You get the idea.
I've not gotten any sort of bag for it - the few that I've looked into look huge and bulky in their own right. So all you photographers out there - how to you tote that thing? Or do I just need to put on my big girl panties and deal with it**?
**A very, very popular saying to put on things at
6 comments:
Daggonit! Can't believe I missed it this year. Friday was nuts and then on Saturday we were too busy soccering, footballing, and then soccering again. I completely forgot!
On a happy note, we want some pictures of what you did end up buying! (Especially if it's cheezmo!)
Seen wayyyy too many crap fairs in my time. What I really want to do is go to the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago next weekend - I've looked at the vendor list and I'll bet there won't be any crap in sight!! And I could see the Piddleloop Sewing Team live and in person! But alas,more out of town guests are coming. sigh. huge sigh.
Hmmm. I'd have to say, take your own advice and put on your big girl panties -- and have a great time. I don't have a camera bag. I got all motivated when I saw Donna Downey's camera bags and bought fabric to make one. But it's still sitting in a pile. I just haul mine around. Sometimes it's a pain, but it's better than having it stolen out of the car. The only time it was really a pain was when I was in NYC and had to haul my laptop around too -- the two together were just too much weight. Someday I'll get a bag. So...the moral of the story is not to let the lack of bag keep you from taking it with you!
Crumpler bags are pretty nice for carrying around an SLR camera, although they are a bit more expensive than some other bags. I actually just bought one for my dSLR, I figure it is worth the price if it means I can carry my camera around wherever I go:) (I already have a large camera bag for all my camera stuff, but wanted to just be able to take my camera out on walks and such... My new bag works pretty well for that.)
http://www.crumplerbags.com/
Listen to me I sound like an ad for their bags:)
lord. people and their empty strollers. they do that at the apple festival in erwin. ever been to that?
i tote my big ass (may i curse? sorry?!) SLR around in my bigger ass purse. it's almost the size of a tote bag, really. i have the hard-shell case-thing that slips over it, to protect it.....where'd it get to though? like i ever use it.
this weekend past i took camera along to US Botanic Gardens in DC. no clue that they have all these misters going off all over the place, so i "protected" my camera by holding it toward the small of my back.
not a great solution. i know. wish i was more help. but i seek the same solution. hope you report back when/if you find something suitable.
LORD. there is a horse trotting across the screen of that crumpler bags website. and human neighing, too. i'm intrigued.
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