It’s going to sound like a cliché, but I think the highlight of my trip to the Country Living Fair was the people I met.  I connected with some friends and acquaintances I’ve known online for years, a few I haven’t seen in a long time, and some familiar faces I’ve bumped into regularly over the years.  As I’ve shared before, running a business based out of your home, shared primarily online, can be lonely at times.  These events give me the opportunity to experience this creative community in person when I usually engage through scrolls, likes, clicks, short comments, and emojis.  It reminds me that the connections made online aren’t enough for the human heart.  We need those IRL (in real life, as the kids say) events to see, speak with, and hug each other.

I met a lot of lovely blog readers and social media followers.   It became almost comical that I couldn’t make it through a barn without being stopped several times.  I wasn’t complaining in the least, though.  As the online landscape shifts, and I grow older and change, I sometimes doubt my place and feel a bit like Norma Desmond falling into obscurity.  (I’m not wearing turbans or feathers, and I (hopefully) haven’t completely lost touch with reality!)  Walking through this event showed me that the old blogging/social media community is still there.  We might be drowned out by TikTok-style videos, clickbait, and algorithms, but we’re still there.  It warmed my heart and gave me the boost I felt like I needed.

I wish I wrote down all the people I met, because it was a lot!  I had beautiful conversations with vendors, fellow shoppers, people buying my books, fellow panel members, artists, and dear friends.   I was all talked out by the time Mom and I went to the inn for dinner.  I ate my Dutch pot pie mostly in silence, just trying to process it all and rest my voice.

So, here are a few people I met and things I saw…

One of the first people I recognized was Sean of Kabinet & Kammer.  I have his gorgeous books and have followed him online for years, so there was a little tickle in my brain when I took in the display.  I think I recognized the stuff before I recognized him.  My eyes fell to the stack of books and then to his face and his signature mustache.  I pointed to the book, “Is this you?”  I actually knew it was, but I know him as “Kabinet & Kammer”, not Sean.  I actually think of him as “Kabinet and Kramer” because I misread his name for years!

It was nice to let him know how much I’ve enjoyed his books and style.  I wish I knew he was going to be there, and I would’ve brought my books to sign.

I realized I caught myself in the mirror, and you can see him standing off to the left.

From there, I also met his booth neighbors, two of my fellow paint/painter friends – Jennifer Lanne and Annie Sloan.

I’ve never met Jennifer, so that was a delight, and it was so nice to see Annie again.  We got to know each other over a decade ago when our stories became intertwined through paint and the blog world.  I haven’t seen her in years, so it was nice to say hello, briefly catch up, and give each other a big hug.  My mom took a few photos, but they were all blurry.  That was my fault, though.  I gave my mom my Nikon camera, thinking I had it ready to shoot, and it wasn’t.  Anyway, it was a sweet moment.

I also got to meet Kerri of The Cotton Shed!  I was roaming around her booth and told her that I love all of her stuff.  Then, I saw her podium.  “What?!  You’re Cotton Shed?!”  She was adorable, and I loved giving her a hug, too.  (As a side note, I’m not usually a huggy person.  When you’ve been online friends with someone for years or when someone comes up to you and says they’ve followed your story for years, it just seems like the appropriate thing to do.  A handshake feels silly when you’re both gushing over each other.)

I wanted to buy so many things in her booth, but I tried to stay focused on frames, easels, and pieces for art display.

This booth belonged to Bluegrass Market.  I had a nice chat with the owner for a bit, and we had a lot of mutual friends.  Usually, when I take photos in a booth, the owner ducks out of the way.  He posed, which made me laugh.  “You really want me to take your picture?  I will post it online.”  Well, I took two great photos…that were also blurry.  That one was all me, and I don’t know what happened, but it’s what I get for deciding to take pictures with a real camera instead of just my phone.  (Another side note: a couple of people commented on what a fancy phone I had, but it was not a phone at all.  It was my Nikon Zf camera.  What an interesting age we live in that it’s hard to tell if a device you’re using is a telephone or a camera.)

Here are some shots that weren’t blurry of things that caught my eye…

I took the next three photos in the South Porch booth.  Their styling was top-notch.

I even got to visit some of my old ironstone when I spotted a familiar vendor, Barn Fresh Designs, who purchased pieces from me last year!

I also met Paula of Hill House Vintage and, of course, she was lovely and elegant even on a hot & humid day.  It’s hard to like people who have that ability, but there is nothing about Paula that is unlikable, so you just have to like her and appreciate that she can be effortlessly beautiful when the rest of us are flushed and frizzy.  I was very uncool at our meeting and blurted out, “I know your face!”

I also met Melissa of Tilly’s Nest.  I knew of her and had heard of her blog in passing.  We know a lot of the same people, but our paths didn’t cross as often as some other old school bloggers I’ve met over the years.  She was so delightful in person, though, and I’m glad I’m following her on Instagram now.

I also made a new friend, Karla of Karla Jean Fine Art.  I bought a chunky gold frame from her, and that kicked off a conversation followed by a string of voice memos to each other that have been going on since.  You can tell a lot about a person by the art they make, and I instantly knew that her art and my art come from the love of similar things.

And I met so many other wonderful people.  I knew this post would get out of control.  I got to spend time with my dear friend Diane Day, who let me shop her truck and acted as our local guide, and meet Anna of Skylark House Lifestyle, Jenni of I Spy DIY, and Rachel, the editor of Country Living Magazine.

I found several things on my shopping list (thanks especially to Diane), and I’ll share all my goodies in another post.