Parking Spot 22 looks a little empty in this photo, doesn't it? Every Saturday morning this empty spot gets filled with tables, tents, and all the girls' market wares.
After market morning is over, Spot 22 looks just like this again! Empty! It's amazing to think of all the conversations, sales, and enjoyment this little piece of pavement gives.
I've written many times on the blog about market setup, and here's a review of what Spot 22 looks like once everything is in place for customers: 
But have I ever told you about Saturday morning breakdown? Now, that's a lot of work, too!
All the soap must be put back into the designated boxes to keep the fragrances separated and then loaded back into the van: 
Everything off the tables first and then tablecloths folded: 
Recently Uncle Steve (Tom's brother) came to visit us from Connecticut, so we put him to work, too: 
Legs must be unscrewed from the display shelving and packed away. Everyone tries to grab something to make the job go faster: 
Sometimes when you put two heads together it helps solve the problem: 
Okay, all set with the tables. Now it's time to take down the tent: 
All the market vendors know the routine well. What goes up, must come down.
Sarah's mini-fridge and cart (on the left of the photo) is the last to get unplugged and packed away. She pays for electricity each week and plugs into the city's power to keep her cheesecakes cold: 
And back in the bag the tent goes until next week when all the setup and breakdown will begin all over again: 
There are two remaining Saturday markets for this year, as market season closes the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
Temps for this Friday night are predicted to be 22 degrees. It will be a very COLD Saturday morning market. [Edited to add...the temperature Saturday morning actually was 13 degrees downtown!! Brr!]
If you're local, come out and see the girls...right here at Spot 22: 
~Deb
I sure hope folks will come out to the market on Saturday. It's going to be cold, but where else can you buy homemade items that are not full of chemicals? I hope Sarah and Hannah do well at market. It is a lot of work. We had the same type setup when I sold soap at festivals twenty years ago. When it's all over you are exhausted. Wishing y'all good sales. :)
Posted by: Toni | Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 12:08 PM
Brrr. Hope the girls stay warm and sell lots of stuff. Maybe the could add some hot chocolate to their sale items!
Victoria
Posted by: victoria | Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 02:01 PM
Oh yes, we did a few markets in the past so I know that unpack.pack up routine. The more hands the better. I was thinking 22 degrees is very pleasant for a market, that's the temperature here right now but you mean Farenheit! Brr, that's below zero!
Posted by: Rose | Thursday, November 13, 2014 at 04:42 PM
Great post Deb! Loved all the photos and the commentary was "fun" to read...I think I giggled, groaned and OHHH several times. :) Love Sarah's clogs btw. :) Keep warm tomorrow...are you going with the kids or staying in your nice warm jammies and ...S E W I N G ?????!!!!! :)
Posted by: Chris | Friday, November 14, 2014 at 12:16 PM
such a blessing to see y'all's family's efforts! thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: erica | Friday, November 14, 2014 at 08:42 PM
Thanks for sharing on how you put together the table and prepare for the big day.
Posted by: Tammy C | Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 11:50 AM
The market spot looks utterly charming!
Posted by: Diane | Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 07:05 PM