In my years in higher ed, I loved doing ‘table work’ – staffing events and supporting students, faculty and staff to promote services or provide quick meditation or deep breathing lessons for stress relief – on the spot. Doing programs for parents was a highlight, too. So much so that the textbook I wrote with my dear colleague Linda was often used by parents and the parent blog that I wrote was featured in a popular book at the time, “The Happiest Kid on Campus” – a book intended to comfort parents while arming them with info when their college-bound kids departed to begin new adventures.
But that was then…and this IS now. I’ve written another book – this time a soul-baring memoir about my mom’s complicated life, “Surviving Sue”.
This time, the outcomes are entirely on my shoulders. Writing, by comparison is far easier than the promo work. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy it. Visiting with readers and thinking of ways to creatively showcase my book is fun but it taps an entirely different side of my personality. It plays to my sense of design AND my love of people. A great tandem two-fer, but still a bit of a head-scratcher.
As I’m doing the creative work, I’m mindful about my underlying motivation and purpose; my desire to help others by highlighting the power of resiliency in the face of familial nonsense. I’m grateful for the wisdom I’ve picked up from fellow writers – folks who’ve walked the promo path and made it further down the trail, leaving precious breadcrumbs in their wake.
Given that lengthy lead-up, here’s the point. 😉 I’m gearing up for the big Printer’s Row LitFest next week and I needed to get my ‘tablescape’ figured out. It will be such a honor to be there alongside fellow authors and I want to do well – both in terms of my excitement to talk to readers but also drawing folks in with an engaging display. Here’s what I mean:
Candy. We need candy. But it’s still summer and the forecast calls for temps in the mid-80’s for “showtime”. Chocolate? NO. But hey…what about some namesake-ish peanut butter candy? Made with love (she said presumably) by “Atkinson’s”, although no relation to hubby’s side of the family. They taste a little like a petite Butterfinger, sans chocolate coating. Printer’s Row perfection! So I bought about 300 of the little morsels, all individually wrapped:
Step 1 Completed. Step 2? Do I want to just plop a big bucket of candy on my table? Next to my welcome sign? No. I’ll put a few in a small basket, so folks can see what they’re getting, but I figured making small goody bags was an entreating (wink) idea. So I made a ton of those:
In order to pull that off, I bought mini kraft paper bags and some burlap twine and used my business cards/calling cards with my visage on the front and “SS” info on the back as a hangtag. Each bag holds three Atkinson bars.
Step 3 – after I made the test bag? I needed to make many, many more. Was 50 enough? Will 100 be enough? I’ll let you know…I’m still filling those little buggers. And laughing. As I hole punched card after card and strung the burlap twine through each (measuring as I cut each strand – 12” proved perfect to get the right loopy-ness when tied) I was faced with a sea of spaghetti-like horror. Too many “Vicki faces” in one small space. Nightmarish! Is it Halloween yet?
Step 4 – fill those bitty bags with three candies each. Tie them off – carefully – to avoid tearing the fragile little bags and ripping the hole-punched cards. I’m still working on filling the last batch but here’s what I’ve got now. Thanks to my friend Kathleen for giving me a sweet picnic basket. I think it’ll work well to hold all the goody bags at LitFest:
Come on over if you’re in the area…I still have supplies and bags to fill:
Now that I’ve spent all this time thinking about the candy, I’d better remember to load up books to sell and sign as well. Thank goodness for the hubster Paul and daughter Delaney. I’ll need extra hands for sure.
If you’re in the Chicago area next Saturday, I’d love to see you. I’ll be at LitFest as the event opens on Saturday, September 9 from 10 am – 12:30 in the Chicago Writer’s Association Tent. Thanks for all of the support about “Surviving Sue”. Much appreciated! I promise to fill you in with all the details and pics after.
Vicki 🥰
Victoria Ponders 
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