Today I drove over to Atlanta so that I can help my sister-in-law Janie for a few days in her booth at gift market. I’ve heard of “market” all of my life but have never been, and so this afternoon when I walked into Building 3 for the first time and saw the sheer volume of merchandise in front of me, I seriously had to pause for a few seconds to try to take it all in.
My mind, it boggled.
Specifically, it boggled at the sight of so many plates and crosses and decorative boxes and Christmas decorations and tote bags and luggage and rugs and backpacks and jewelry and purses and crystal. SWEET MERCY there’s a lot of product.
Janie’s here to sell her JJs, and her booth is adorable. In fact, I have a picture of the booth to show you, mainly because I think you’ll appreciate all the pink and brown cuteness.
And that is where I’ll be for the next two days.
If any of you internets happen to be at market, come see us. Email me and I’ll tell you specifically where we are in Building 3. And if you come by to visit, just know that I’ll be the one who’s trying not to devour the cute pink and brown M&Ms that Janie bought for her customers.
Like me, she’s a fan of a color scheme. Even chocolate is no exception.
By the way, we had one of the best meals of my whole life tonight at a place called Il Localino. That’s a blog post in and of itself, mainly because I am a bit of a hillbilly when it comes to fine dining, but oh my word we had such a great time.
And if you’re worried about my fellas, don’t. They’re having a little father / son weekend at the beach with David’s brother’s family. When I talked to them a few minutes ago, they were basically the happiest two people alive what with all the sand and sunshine and surf and swimming. I’ll miss my boys, but it’s going to be such a fun trip for them.
It’s gonna be fun here in ATL, too. I’ll keep y’all posted.
Provided that I’m not too busy eating those M&Ms.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
Wish I could hop in the car right now and head that way! Sounds like fun!
That is some extreme cuteness! Love Pink and Brown together!
Also, glad to hear they are enjoying the beach. I’m sure they are missing you tons though :D
We are headed towards the Sand and Sun tomorrow as well, CAN’T WAIT! Hope you have a great weekend!
I am in love with the pink and brown! Even have the paint all ready for my daughter’s room! Just need to find the time for the actual painting part. Your weekend sounds fun!
I used to work in the home decor business and the Atlanta market is great! I miss it actually. Have a great time! What a cute booth!
Oh, I just love pink and brown! Blue and brown are yummy colours too. That’s what I painted the boys’ bedrooms in.
I’ll be right over. Pink and brown M&M’s are the best! I’ve never had them but any color is the best with you!
Cute, sassy booth! I love daddy, son time. Such fun memories for them. Hope you get some great girl bonding in too. And now I’m REALLY craving some m&m’s.
Love the booth! I checked out her website, too, and those are awesome! I’m sure she will do very well and how fun for you to be there with her!
Loved your post about your life before children. Yes, I remember those days well, even though my children are 17 and 19.
Have a great time! God bless you ~ Julie
The Atlanta Gift Mart was once of my most fav places when I was working in licensing! Some sweet frineds were reps with a presence there, and we always looked forward to going and working the gift show each year.
That booth? Oh my- what a beauty! Enjoy and good luck on sales :)
Pink and brown M&M’s………I am so there!
Now that’s adorable! I was at the Atlanta market myself in March, helping my cousin at My Vintage Baby. It’s in the apparel mart on the kid’s floor (13). If you’re over there at all (don’t know if it’s even open at the same time as the gift mart), you should just walk by their showroom. Oh my goodness, it’s cute!
Have fun and may it be an amazing market for your SIL!
Oh I do love the pink/brown combo!! It’s my all time favorite!!
The M&Ms are a nice touch!!!
Oh fun! Love her booth!
Do you get to shop while you are there?
Have fun!
Just so you know…if I were at that Market, I would be drawn to that booth…the sophisticated cuteness is just beyond something my will could keep me from.
Have fun!
I have heard of market my whole life but the furniture market. :) My father was in the furniture business for over 40 years. I had a friend last year who went to market. She sells jewelry. Fun times. If I were in the area I would come by for a visit and you and I could eat the cute m&ms together and people watch.
Have a great weekend!
Love,
Patty
That booth is just precious!!!
I too have longed to go to Market, but never had an inside scoop! ;) Next year I volunteer to come and work in the booth!!!
THe booth looks great, I fully expect to see these in several little stores around here!
Have a great weekend here in Atlanta!
I’ve been to market a couple of times and, oh my word, you must wear comfortable shoes.
Congrats to Janie, her booth looks adorable! And I know exactly what you mean about the overwhelmingness of market…I went to four gift market shows since January for my mom’s new gift shop, and by the time I left I couldn’t see straight. The worst was the stationary show- all paper products. My eyes started bugging out of my head after about 39 minutes of that. So exhausting!
Enjoy those M&M’s :)
Power up! The booth looks Beautiful! And the M&Ms – perrrrrrrfedt. Ya’ll have fun! Tell Janie Hi.
My aunt took me to Dallas to market for my high school graduation trip. I’d been working in her children’s clothing store and ladies’ clothing store after school and Saturdays since I was 16 years old. I had an absolute blast. I remember it well. Well, pretty well. That was almost 24 years ago.
The *chocolate* and pink booth looks adorable. Have a ball!
I’m only an hour away!! But, I’m working and can’t make it…ugh… have fun though…
I am extremely jealous right now, I have always wanted to go to market. My sister has been and oh, the jewelry, the bags, the sheer wonderfulness of it all! Please “write” about it when you get back and I will live vicariously through your experience. The booth looks fabulous. Have a great time!
Mr. Right and I went to market one year selling Ten Thousand Angel pins. We never made a lot, but we sure did enjoy the travels to CA and AR. And the people! Goodness you can meet some mighty fine people there.
Have fun and don’t spend too much of your hard-earned money at the rest of the market!
How exciting! For you and all your people!!
Welcome to here in Hotlanta! I’ve always wanted to go to market. Enjoy yourself and don’t eat too many M&Ms (or can you actually eat too many?).
Welcome to the ATL!
A few other fabulous places to eat while you’re in town:
-Mary Mac’s teahouse on Ponce de Leon Ave. (www.marymacs.com) and is not far from Market at all
-the OK Cafe is a bit of a hike almost up in Marietta but MAN do they have some awesome comfort food (www.okcafe.com)
-and for some of the best bbq you’ve ever had (plus fried pickles!) come to my neighborhood and go to fox brothers (www.foxbrosbbq.com) which is also not too far from Market
I hope you are enjoying your time at the Market. I read on my friend Faith’s blog that she met you there. If I blog about her blog post, does that mean I met you too???
How could I forget to tell you about Doc Chey’s? It’s kind of a Thai-based Asian fusion noodle house – in the Virginia Highlands. Very cheap and delicious :) (www.doccheys.com)
oh, to be at market seeing all the cute ideas and displays and visiting with people. I’ve always heard about ‘market’ in Atlanta, even when I lived in Florida… I wish I had a way in there, to just walk around and look! I’m not a buyer, but do live here in Atlanta now (soooo close, and yet. so far away).
Instead, I’m still in my pyjamas at 12:30 in the afternoon, trying to peel, pry, and scrape silly putty out of my son’s best pair of shorts. (He’s 11 and over it already.) My 7 yr old daughter and I have taken it on as our personal challenge of the day to not let the silly putty beat us.
Enjoy your day! and if you happen to see a boutique silly putty vendor, please ask them how to get it out of clothes. :)
Stop it right now — My mom is at the market right now shopping my aunt. My aunt has been going for years and for the first time, my mom drove down from VA to go with her.
I am going to call her and send her your way. I love those adorable little JJs! And she can get me one!
Hope you enjoy it — From what I hear, it’s a purse/jewelery lover’s dream come true!!!!!!!!
Praying that Janie’s idea does really well there in Atlanta! And I hope you two have so much fun, just so much fun, JUST SO MUCH FUN, Y’all!
Praying also for your boys, as they enjoy some fun on the beach! Are they at my favorite place (Destin)? If so, do not tell me :) Hee hee!
That sounds so fun! Do you have to have some sort of card or membership or be a business owner to get in that “market”. Years ago, you had to have a business license to get in and that’s what made me wonder.
Oooo… I love Market. Well, I haven’t been as an adult. But my grandparents were distributors at Apparel Mart in Dallas. And my mom used to go to Market when she had a gift store. My favorite was getting the samples from my grandparents. I had all kinds of flouncy dresses with petticoats and matching hair bows.
Cute, cute, cute!
that booth is adorable. my best pal is havinga little girl and is using those colors to decorate. doing shower stuff now. have fun!!
My friend, Nicole is at Market today with her sister and I have called and told her to look you up. Hope you have a fun day and don’t eat too many M&M’s!!!!
Mandy
GA
http://www.madelinegracefoundation.com
I have been to market in Dallas. So fun. So hard to ever pay retail again.
My hubby is there at the Namebeads booth and my SIL is in jewelry at HaleyHill! I hope you have fun!
Welcome back to Atlanta! I am pretty sure that I’d LOVE to know what this market is that you speak of. And your specific location, in case I can get away on Sunday for some serious shopping.
Welcome to Atlanta. I know you are going to enjoy the market. I also know you are not going to enjoy the traffic. I heard on the local news this morning gridlock was anticipated with all the construction on the interstate, the market being in town and some kind of sporting event in town as well.
shoot girl. you and some shopping i wish i could. i am right up the street about 20 mins. will miss meeting you. you must come back soon!! if you happen to still be here sunday you should head over to buckhead church. you could see me and LOS!!
Sounds like fun! I love the market. Except here we call them craft fairs. I grew up going to them. My grandma and 2 aunts have always had booths and made fun stuff for the fairs! Have fun!
LOVE the pink and brown. I have a couple friends heading that way Saturday. I’ve heard some great things about Market. They have such fun. Hope you have a bunch of fun, too!
I always wanted to be one of those “market” girls! :)
Hope you are having a complete ball!
Hugs,
Fran
I will try to drop by tomorrow afternoon. This is going to be a true adventure. Can’t wait to see you and the JJs.
I saw your tweet wondering (I think) if they had wi-fi at Market; then I wondered if you were at THE Market, and oh, dear…YOU ARE!
It’s a mysterious thing I’ve always heard about, wanted to attend, but never have. You’re in a girlieQ Nirvana! And cute chocolates? Bonus!
Darlin’ booth so I hope she sells the hang out of ’em!
:)
Hey, Sophie, can’t believe you are there all weekend. I was there ALL day Friday & would totally have come by to see you in that booth if I had seen your post before I left. I’ve been before, but this time we stayed all day & it was totally exhausting. I spent a lot of time in Bldg. 3 with some of my girlfriends who have a monogram business.
Then I went to Bldg. 1 all afternoon which has all the accessories & home accents that I LOVE so much. I got in for the first time with my new busines credentials, so that was really fun for me! I hope to go back later on. It was a blast. I know you’ll be exhausted when you come home.
You’ll have to check out my pics on Sunday…I ran into an HGTV celebrity & had my pic taken with him, LOL!
Rhoda
Shucks I wish I could go!!! Wish I was not so far away. The shopping sounds great, and JJ’s even greater.
We just returned from a fam vacation with virtually no cell/internet. Am soooo happy to be back to civilization to check in on blogs. Here’s my link to our vacation if interested:
http://sharingnotes.blogspot.com/search/label/Idaho
Blessings,
Roxanne
Wow, I wish I lived close so I could come. Talk about some wonderful retail therapy!! Have a blast!
Sophie, HAVE YOU SEEN THE SHOES KATIE COURIC IS SPORTING IN THE BLOGHER VIDEO ON SHANNON’S BLOG???? Wow, SO cute. Thought of you immediately!
That IS very cute. But I must say, when it comes to chocolate, I’m no respecter of colors.
The JJ’s are so cute!!! Is she looking for places to sell them in Texas? My husbands grandma has a prailine and gift shop and I think she would LOVE them!!
I would certainly buy a product from anyone willing to color-coordinate M&Ms for the sake of continuity. She’s a business woman with fine taste.
Oh, and I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I love the design of your blog every time you redo it. You have such a flair!
Wow! That’s awesome. I’m totally loving my JJ.
Gosh I’m so jealous! Rhoda went too.
Love that booth in pink & brown, it’s so pretty.
DebraK
Hmm…I lived in Atlanta for a year about 7 years ago and I don’t remember the Market. Looks like I missed out!
I love JJ’s design. I may just have to order one. I do a bit of traveling and taking jewelry along is a mess.
Have a good time!
Isn’t market amazing? My aunt works the Dallas market and I used to get to help her with it when I was younger. My mother-in-law is actually attending the Atlanta market this weekend. She said it is awesome!
Her booth is precious! Have fun and try not to eat all the M&M’s!
Oh, crud!
I TOTALLY wasted a weekend laying on a couch watching Hope Floats and X-Men when I could have gone to Altanta’s Mart, shop and maybe even meet the too cute for words BooMama! :(
So I tried to stop by Market and visit, and then I found out that it isn’t open to the general public. A security guard shooed me out. :-) Oh well. Next time you’re in Atlanta let us all know. I’d love to meet you! :-)