My manicurist is going to be mad!

This weekend I sorted cleaned my trailer, getting it ready for our first show in a couple of weeks. My manicurist hate's it when I do this!

See, every time I work on my booth, I come back with short, broken, chipped nails!  

My trailer has been parked in our carport all winter long. I've gone into it a couple of times, but it was only to grab some business cards, or pull inventory. Otherwise, I've let it sit. 

But this weekend, I pulled everything out and started working to get it ready for our first show, April 21-23rd in Menlo Park. ​

The first item on my list, spiff up my tables. ​

I originally found this table at the second hand store, and knew I wanted it for my booth. I took off the locking mechanism underneath, added to legs to each half, and voila, it's two beautiful display tables. 

But after banging around in the trailer for a year, being pulled out and put back in after each show, they are starting to show signs of wear and tear. 

Minwax Walnut stain did the trick!

The scratches are still there, but they aren't glaring like they used to be. Doesn't it look beautiful!

​Next up, the book 'n pipe displays.

I noticed, at our last 2016 show in Napa, the the nuts on the bottom of the book 'n pipe display pieces were loose and a few were missing. So I spent some time tightening them all up using this. . .well. . I'm not sure what this tool is called but it worked, whatever it is! 
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​Now, I'm on to my trunks!

I have four trunks that I use in my booth. Not only do they provide a great display surface, they carry my tent walls, mirror, and display pieces. But after the 2016 season, the trunks were starting to get heavy!

So, my first step was to sort thru all the display pieces I carried around in the trunks. It turns out I had so many things in there that I didn't use! That should lighten up the trunks!

During our first show, the Menlo Park Sidewalk Art Show, I won't be using my normal 10x10 booth. I'll be setting up in a much narrower space. I've done shows with this type of set up before. I just have to do things a little differently. 

I attached two 1/2 galvanized flange's onto the top of my trunks, and screw in 3' pipes, which allow me to hang my mirror and signs from. You can see in the photo above, how I put it together. 

But I noticed that the flange on the trunk was loose. And looking closer I realized I was missing two screws! Oops!

It took me all afternoon, to sort thru and clean things up! I was tired, I was dirty, and really needed to sit in the garden for a moment, with a beer of course!​

Then I looked down at my nails. Oh goodness, Sydney is going to laugh when she see my hands! "You should wear gloves when you do this type of work," she's said in the past. "You should be more careful!" she tell me.

​I try, but sometimes chips happen!