National Capital Cat Show 2009 in Review

I promised an update of the show this past weekend, and probably I'm a bit more rested now (hehe)...

When we checked in on Friday we discovered that due to some vendor changes, we'd been given a corner booth (surprise!) right next to the space we'd always had. This was a cool upgrade, but at the same time, it meant totally rethinking the booth setup as now there were two entrances, instead of one. After much discussion, and realizing that two entrances meant we really had LESS space, we did away with one table and a lot of fabrics (anything that wasn't a cat was repacked and stayed in the car in the parking lot - available if someone could be spared to run out to get something, which did happen, tho' not a lot)...

Here I am in the booth right before opening on Saturday morning:

And Big Sis, getting a short rest before the onslaught!

The traffic was brisk. We remember looking at the clock at 11:20 a.m. and thinking it was almost time to get our lunch, but it was after 2 before we broke out the sandwiches! It was really busy! Judging ran until almost 6:30 on Saturday night (and while no one was allowed into the hall after 5, there were still lots of folks in the building waiting for the judging to end, so we were busy right up till then...

On Sunday, we decided enough stock had found new homes, that we could do away with one of the racks, and reorganized the booth to allow a bit more walking space. Whew! It was really appreciated....

In this shot, you see both Sis-in-law and Big Sis working with customers and the new shape of the space sans second rack! Sunday was as busy (I guess really it was busier!) that Saturday...Amazing.

We were late getting out again on Sunday night as judging ran late again. Vendors aren't allowed to pack up until judging is complete. But once it was, we headed back into Old Towne (Alexandria) for dinner again. Saturday was our regular La Madeleine's and Sunday's was Cosi - a new spot for SIL and me. We loved them both...and Cosi is a block from my favorite DC knitting store (which, of course, was closed both times we were nearby)

Still I got a shot of their window:

From the street, I thought perhaps the wedding dress was knitted, but no, just the lovely shawl. The photo is lousy, I'm sorry, as it was after dark (yes, way after dark).

So there you have it the show in a nutshell...and yes, it was a good show!
:)