The New Leaf Market Tour has come and gone and we have recovered. We counted over 500 on Saturday and 271 on Sunday. The hayride was full and going all day long and the corn hole game sparked some fun competition. Both were sponsored by Farm Credit of Northwest Florida. It all takes a lot of planning and the weekend is hectic. You know how it is when you have a party and jobs finally get done that you have been putting off. So with the jobs done and the party over, we are already thinking about how to improve for 2016.
Meanwhile we’ve started a new project.
Wool Christmas Ornaments by Charissa & Bobbie
Charissa and I have started a new business. Talk about Made in America! How about Grown and Made in Jefferson County and sold in Monticello, Florida!
I’ve talked about the wool that has been sheared in the past. I’ve tried learning ways to use it including spinning and weaving on a loom. However, these things didn’t use the volume of wool fast enough for my disposition. Recently we’ve discovered felting.
We wash the sheared product, color it and card it to make batts. Now we felt the batts of wool into ornaments or free standing Christmas decorations. We started by making some for our own entertainment and everyone that saw them oohed and awed. Our capitalistic instinct reared its head and we checked out the local market to see what we could do.
This lead us to a unique shop in Monticello called TWO SISTERS. We took our little wire tree full of ornaments and one of the two sisters, Sandy, encouraged us to prepare them for sale. So they are at the store now. Folks are buying five or six at a time and we are so thrilled.
TWO SISTERS sells locally created handcrafted items. The shop is located downtown within walking range of the Jefferson County Courthouse. They open at 10 AM Tuesday through Saturday during the holidays. There are other specialty shops and places to eat. So come and stroll around our great town and support local small businesses.
Family members, son, daughter and husband, have come up with suggestions about marketing, however, these are handmade and one of a kind items. What if someone wants 1000 at once. Love the confidence in our skills, but do you think everyone will jump on that production line? Yeah sure! So for now we will stick with our little dining room operation and keep on being creative and having fun.
In fact, you can make a day of it. Browse Monticello’s local shops, have dinner, then join us in the town Christmas celebrations.
Bethlehem in Monticello
The first weekend of December in Monticello is a busy night with these two celebrations.
I, Charissa and Mimi, along with some of our sheep will be part of the Live Nativity Scene, and in the market place. Take a step back in time as you walk through the ‘city of Christ’s birth.’ Experience different biblical scenes recreated with live characters and animals.
Download the PDF Flyer HERE.
Downtown Community Christmas Celebration
All through downtown, there will be special activities, then at 5PM, will be the Annual Lighting of the Community Christmas Tree, carolling and the arrival of Santa Claus on a fire truck.
For more details, download the flyer HERE.