Yay Baltimore!

Wouldn't you love to have a box of these chocolates?

Trust me, I think that you would. We were driving to our annual wholesale show and stopped in Jonesborough, TN to meet with the buyer for the gift shop at the International Storytelling Center. We here at Terra Cottage think that Michael's work is a great fit for a  storytelling center. Now we just have to wait and see if the buying committee agrees with us. We had some time to wander about town and happened upon a chocolate shop. Earth & Sky Confections is a delight and we had fun talking with the father/father-in-law of the owners. Michael and I new at once that this husband and wife team had studied at The French Pastry School in Chicago. We had taken a tour of the school years ago with the girls and we recognized the chocolate design sensibility right away. We knew we had to try some because the chocolates that we had at the school were outstanding. We were not disappointed. We saved our treats for the hotel that night. In our house we like to share our chocolates. First one person will take a bite and then the next. We love to watch each others expressions to see how much they like what they are tasting. It can get rather comical when it's the four of us! Michael and I had a great time sitting in the hotel catching up on cyberspace stuff and trying our boxed chocolates. These chocolates have a great 'mouth feel' and the flavors are wonderfully complex. We know exactly what were getting our best friend Andy for Christmas (he loves good chocolates just like us).

The next day we drove into Baltimore to set up for The Buyers Market of American Craft. In the biz we call this wholesale show 'The Rosen Show' because it is put on by The Rosen Group. We've been doing this show for about 6 years now and we've made a lot of friends. I always look forward to going and seeing everyone. At a wholesale show all the mediums are groups together in rows. So we are in the midst of clay people all weekend. It's nice because there are other husband & wife teams and I get to talk to other spouses that do what I do for a living. We get to kibbitz  about shows and about how to find the best hotel deals & how to better promote our spouse's work. 

Last year the summer Rosen Show was moved from Philadelphia to Baltimore. Which is fine by us because we've got some good friends that live there and we can visit and stay with them. Now I don't know about you but when I think of Maryland I think of crab! And what is more fun then a pitcher of beer, good friends, and pickin' crab?!

This is our very dear friend Peter of Mudpuppy Pottery.

And look at all these yummy crab.....

The Rosen Group is always real good to their artists and there was a party at the American Visionary Art Museum. Very cool museum. This is Peter and Michael getting ready to stuff their faces:

And these are sculptures outside of the museum:

I could totally dig a mirrored tree in my front yard. 

The show went extremely well for us. We had our best show ever. Retail or Wholesale. EVER. The folks at the Uncommon Goods catalogue put in a big order for 'Writer's Block's' and three different 'Reading Glasses: thera P, N spire, & carpe DM'. We are very excited and have hired some local artists and clay people to help with the production. So keep your eyes peeled for the Holiday edition of the Uncommon Goods catalogue. 

It was so worth 16 hours in the car to get there. Besides we had each other for company. 

Yay Baltimore!