Category: Greek Festival and Bazaar

Almost Back to Normal

We pushed, pulled, tugged, packed, unpacked, yelled, laughed, ate the wrong things, sometimes didn’t eat, couldn’t fall asleep, woke way too early, and did it all over again the next day for four days. No, scratch that, five days including the Monday clean up.

Wait, scratch that again-every day since Memorial Day! Whew!

That flea market job at our church’s Greek festival is grueling work, but fun at the same time. All weekend we marveled at the crazy people and the general craziness of the whole thing. A couple of new volunteers said they had the best time with us and will be helping again next year.

I don’t even want to think about next year right now! My body aches all over.

Most of my Greek dance students

Want to see some happy faces? Just look at these kids! These are most of my Greek dance students at their final performance on Sunday afternoon. I can’t be sure if they are smiling because they’re happy or that it’s finally over, but they certainly are adorable. They performed so well, too.

Now that the festival is over I can get some sleep, get back to the easel and some normalcy.

Photos for Friday of Craziness

When I recovered my brain last night, I remembered to take a couple of photos of the insanity in the Greek festival flea market just after we opened the doors.

I know it doesn’t look so busy from these pictures, but I can assure you it was madness. At 6:01 PM we opened up after hearing the clamor of the long line of people just outside. So okay, we were one minute late opening up! Keep your shirt on!

As I welcomed the shoppers, who were giddy with delight, they rushed in like the tide on the beach-whooshhh.

The craziness has hit it’s stride.

New Finished Watercolor Painting

Yes, friends, another watercolor painting is off the block. And it’s a happy day. 

Sunburst ©2012 Dora Sislian Themelis
14×20 Watercolor, Arches 140lb cold press
Let me tell you what I’m not sure about. I’m not thrilled with my photo taking skills. I have tried bright natural light, and sometimes it’s too much light. 
Then I tried softer daylight, with a sheer curtain, still no good. Today I took this photo with the flash on, all quite by accident, and it’s not all that bad. I think I lost some color in there somewhere, but the photo without flash was dull. Am I going to need to take a course, or what? 

Almost finished photo, no flash, bright desk lamp

A photographer at the art event asked me if I knew how to take photos of my work by zooming in on the painting first. Yes, I knew that, but I should’ve asked more questions. Better yet, I should have asked him to take the photos. I wonder if that would be a good idea? Next time, my brain needs to work faster.

This might be the only work I get done this week. Our big, fat Greek festival is happening this weekend, and you know what that means? Craziness. I’ll try to update you.

Don’t Steal my Dessert Please

Turquoise and Howlite bracelet
Design by Dora Sislian Themelis
The weather has changed in New York. Cloudy and rainy days are here after the great summery warmth of a few days ago. There’s nothing anyone can do about it, but put on a sweater and go with the flow. Ok, so I don’t go with the flow so easily. I could almost be wearing my winter coat now.
Winter weather makes me want to stay indoors. That said, I could be doing plenty, but am I? No. Visiting with Mr. Resistance again and it ain’t fun I’ll tell you that. Distractions abound. Luckily Gorgeous told us they were going to be at the last Greek festival of the season and if we felt like it we could meet up. We did.
It just happened that Sunday turned out to be a beautiful warm day and the evening was just as comfortable. The festival was busy with people, food, music and vendor shopping. Gorgeous showed me a bracelet she liked which I had similar beads at home. The next day I whipped it up for her, as you can see in the top photo. 
Towards the end of the evening we decided to treat ourselves to some Greek pastries and frappes. Small balls of dough drenched in a honey syrup called “loukoumades” is a treat because most people don’t make these at home. We found a spot to park our dessert and we all enjoyed our treat and each other’s company.
Gorgeous turned to spear a honey puff and remarked that they were almost gone. Did we really eat all of those puffs so quickly? Do you see that little lady sitting across from our tray of loukoumades? She had a fork in her hand and so did her friend. Did she sneak in on our pastry and steal a couple or what? 
None of us caught her in the act, but doesn’t she look guilty? I mean, really? Well, we all started laughing. I remembered my camera and took a snap. I just had to do it which made us laugh more. Nothing like a good laugh on a summery night to hold off the winter blues.

The Long Weekend is Finally Over

Finally, the big, fat Greek festival is over and my job is done. Now I can breathe. Can you just pinch these little kids’ cheeks? These are my Greek dance students. They were so amazing, cute and worked really hard to pull off their year end performance of traditional Greek dancing. Look how proud they are. It is really hard to remember which foot is left and which is right!

The flea market was a success and all the people who worked with me and my co-chair really knocked themselves out trying to hawk our wares. Customers would ask us for a price and if they didn’t like it some would just walk away, others would look at me in disbelief (at .50!) and others didn’t mind a fun haggle.

If I had the idea they really wanted a thing, but would jump at a haggle I would say “Make me an offer and if I like your number I could say OK.” Then we would play a back and forth with numbers and when I’d say Yes! we’d all laugh and smile. Then I’d say “Wasn’t that a lot of fun?” Smiles all around!

Believe it or not, we have yearly customers. Some have purchased from us and we had fun in the sale, they return year after year like old friends. Then we have the crazy customers that return year after year. Those people want to take home bags of items for .10. Give me a break already. And they tell us their tales of woe. Hey, we all have a story, just pay the $1.00 and get going!

Late on Sunday we hold a bag sale. Whatever anyone can fit in the paper supermarket bag is $5.00. You’d be amazed at what people put in that bag and are thrilled to pay at the checkout. All manner of item is in that bag and it’s fun to watch the customers swarming with their bags.

I had my fun and now the weekend is over, thank goodness. Now I can get back to painting.

The Long Weekend Begins, Again

Today begins the longest weekend in history, for me at least. A year has passed and it’s time once again for our church to host their big Greek festival. That means I will be spending my free time, that which it is, setting up the huge flea market. For that I am extending to all of you my apologies for possible spotty posts, posts of all the items both next to new, vintage, and junk, posts about the ensuing madness, posts devoid of art. Mea culpa.

Actually, the madness began yesterday. Every year we sell so much stuff parishioners donate and now there’s more stuff. Where does it all come from? Where do people keep it all? What constitutes a valuable item or garbage? One’s garbage is another one’s treasure as they say.

Amid the junk we have found beautiful and valuable items. It’s fun to see people light up with glee when they find a thing they love in all that heap. People have fought over the stuff, I’m not kidding.

We who work the flea market look at it like a task on Donald Trump’s TV show The Apprenctice. We have a task and we see how well we execute it, solve problems, manage the workers. Last year we managed to bring in big numbers and we are planning to do the same or, hopefully, surpass last year.

It’s a big job, but somebody has to do. Watch for updates from the junk heap right here.
(If I can I will post a photo of the gym-sized room of stuff later.)

Two Words for Wednesday-Disappointed and Thankful

Yes, the words for Wednesday are Disappointed and Thankful.

First-Disappointed.  The arrangements I made with the Big Brothers organization were kind of a bust.  They were supposed to show up on Monday to take the items we carefully boxed and clearly labeled with B.B. so the driver knew what to take.  I arrived at the church around 10A.M. with the other ladies to clean up and organize the items.  I called the manager’s office and confirmed the pick-up with his secretary and tried to pin point the time of the truck’s arrival.  She said he’d be there between 1and 2 P.M.  I had to leave so I left my cell number with the church and told them to call with any problems.  I dusted myself off and went home happy to be done with my job.

Tuesday I planned a relaxing day.  Tuesday before noon I received a call from the church office that Big Brothers never made the pick-up and the basketball court needed to be empty and clean for the volunteer’s dinner later on in the evening! Yikes!  I called Big Bros. and ran to the church to see for myself.  When I arrived the caretaker told me the truck came, the driver took one of the 20 TVs, a couple of bags, a box and left because his truck was already half full with other stuff!  That was NOT supposed to happen!  I called B.B. again and spoke to the manager telling him I was not happy with their service.  They did this to us last year too, but I had decided to let them try again.  He said he spoke to the driver and that he did come, and picked up boxes outside the building, that they looked rifled with, and certain items like ironing boards were too big for their truck!  Well, he must have taken garbage because we stacked the boxes inside the building!  He then said he’d send the truck again later in the day.  I told the caretaker and he hurriedly said they would stack the boxes and items outside so the truck could just pick up. Fine.  I packed my own truck with whatever I thought they might not take and drove with all of it to the nearest Salvation Army.

Later in the afternoon I received a call from the B.B. manager saying they were able to pick up the boxes but the 20 TVs were no where.  So where did they go?  I’m thinking the caretaker didn’t feel like moving them and tossed them in the dumpster.  Who knows what else went in the dumpster!  You know what?  It was out of my hands by then, I did what I could.

Second word-Thankful.  You bet, I’m so thankful it’s over.

The Lost Weekend is Over

My Friday class of Greek Dance students performing!
The lost week and weekend is finally over!  We flea market workers are exhausted and our bodies are aching.  Mind you, my co-chair and I are younger than our much older helpers and we’re feeling it so I can just imagine how the others are doing.  Making a huge Greek Festival happen is hard work.  Our flea market is like ten big garage sales all together.  From the planning to the set-up, the selling, the yelling, the organizing, the crazy people, to the clean-up, it’s no joke.  Except for the fun, that’s the good part.
Let me say right now that the flea market is ridiculously hard.  Other volunteers like to complain that their stations are the hardest, but they haven’t helped run the flea market.  Unless they’ve worked it they can’t talk about it!  Besides, we start setting up the room on Monday of Memorial Day weekend and keep going until today, Monday after it’s all over.  I’m writing this early because when I’m done I have to head over there to oversee the pick-up I arranged with the Big Brothers organization.  Yup, I can’t see good items get thrown in a dumpster so I called them to make a donation.  They’ll take most of the items so I make it a point to tell them to come with an empty truck!  Why throw things out when Big Brothers can use it?  Recycle, repurpose or reuse, I say.  Another friend owns a book store and donates to needy people so he’s coming this morning to take the tons of books we couldn’t sell. 
This year we had double the donations from last year and most of everything sold, even big ticket items like a large, ornately framed mirror and antique silver plated items.  We have a supermarket bag sale where the shoppers can fill a bag for $5.00 the last two hours of operation and it’s very popular.
During the shopping I overheard someone saying to their companion, “I’m having such a good time in here!”  Hearing that made me smile.  Last night another shopper told me she was so happy she found out about our festival and overjoyed to stumble upon such a big flea market.  She was so excited and said she was having a blast.  I was thrilled!
Like I said, this flea market is huge.  It’s a regulation basketball court big.  People donate their cast off items and we get everything you can think of from all over their homes, in and out.  You name it, we have it.  My co-chair and I try to think how to set up the items to be very visible and look best for the best price.  It takes plenty of planning.  Take a look at my photos from Friday and you’ll get an idea. 
The shoppers line up early and are like race horses chomping at the bit to get in.  Once we open the doors they rush in thinking they’re getting the best items before anyone else.  Some try to sneak in by saying it’s hot outside and they want to sit in the air conditioning-we don’t buy it!  Some people try to buy a $10 item for 50 cents.  Others want an item and say they don’t have enough money to buy the $1 item and then pull out a $50 for change.  There are those who have fun bargaining with us and those who throw the item on the table when they find out it’s 50 cents and walk away angry!  The shoppers I get a kick out of are the ones who start telling us their sob story, “I just want this for my sister” “I spent too much money this week”  “I just like this for my kid” “My husband is tired and wants to go home” “I don’t speak English” –you know, stupid stuff.  We roll our eyeballs and sigh!  Some of these people are well to do!  They want to get away cheap!  It’s already cheap! Come on! We’re talking 50 cents for brand new boxed crystal vases or a platter!  And you know, Macy’s doesn’t care if you spent alot of money, you’re tired, or you don’t speak English. Give me a break.
Okay, now for the laugh of the week!  This place is pandemonium! Stuff is all over, piled here and there, especially the kid’s section with stuffed animals, games, baby stuff, you name it.  Strollers, carriages, play pens, cribs, jumping things, legos, action characters, all strewn across the area by kids and shoppers. Our last night was a mess with the stuff.  One shopper bargained with me on a stroller. among the many we had left, and a folded up playpen thing.  We agreed on a price, she paid and took her items.  She was also a volunteer working in the souvlaki pit.  About twenty minutes later, another shopper starts screaming someone stole her stroller.  We’re in shock!  I start looking around at the strollers. My co-chair said she sold a stroller and I said I did too.  The woman is flipping out saying how could someone in the church steal her stroller.  She brings security.  We can’t believe it and are trying to think what happened.  Another shopper overheard the action and tells the souvlaki person.  She finds me and said maybe she bought the woman’s stroller?  Well, it ended up she did, but by that time the upset woman had left screaming.  We get the stroller, give her a refund, found the now calm woman and returned her stroller.  She was thrilled.
Later, the security guard came to ask what happened.  So I told him we sold the stroller!  He started laughing so hard he was crying!  We laughed too.  He told me whatever business I’m in to forget it and sell stuff because he couldn’t believe I sold someone’s personal item!  Well, look, if you leave your things unattended in this flea market, you run the risk of losing it to a sale!  Then I told him how I sold a guy’s personal tools that he left behind a few years ago.  Hey, listen, you have to hold on to your stuff in that flea market!  This poor security guard left laughing hysterically and shaking his head.
We laughed too!  Thank goodness it’s over.