Evolution of a shop update

Last week I mentioned that my shop, Life’s Candy is participating in our first ever handmade market, in what is now less than two weeks.

(Cue panic attack.)

In preparation for the show/to restock the shop/to get ready for the upcoming holiday shopping season, we had a photo shoot last weekend. Photo shoots for napkins and pillow covers are known the world over to be exceedingly glamorous, and I thought for sure my readers would love a behind the scenes glimpse of how it all goes down.

So here you go, the anatomy of a Life’s Candy photo shoot:

Step 1: Move all the junk from the end of the dining table by the windows to the end of the dining table by the kitchen. Realize how long it’s been since you went through all the old newspaper down here. Feel guilty. Remind yourself you’re saving newspaper for craft projects and finger painting. Feel better. Move on.

Step 2: Locate all your product. Don’t forget the pillow covers that have been done for 2 months but that you’ve been waiting to shoot until you had more stuff ready because it’s a pain to haul all this out for a couple sets of pillow covers.

Step 3: Find all your big heavy books for to make your super professional backdrop.

Step 4: Go back to your office/studio 3 times to pick up the pillow forms. Then the lint rollers. Then the scissors.

Step 5: Set up the tripod and remember why you hate your tripod and the fact that you always misplace that little thing that screws on to the bottom of the camera that makes the tripod work. Take deep breaths. Find ipod. Check the clock to see how much of naptime remains. Get a move on.

Step 6: Summon your shop assistant.

Step 7: Go back to the office for the cocktail napkins.

Step 8: Finally take a photo of an actual product.

Step 9: Remember you need to use the end table by the window for the shots with the plates and such. Move the yak.

Step 10: Get annoyed with your super fancy professional backdrop for the millionth time and remember to implement super high tech solution for keeping fabric from pulling forward around product by pinning it to the table.

Step 11: Realize it’s 3:30 and you haven’t eaten since this morning’s beignets. Reset for napkins. Stare at messy kitchen contemplating snack while waiting for clouds to move.  Go looking for more beignets. Realize husband has already eaten all leftover beignets. Eat leftover sun dried tomato pasta in retaliation while lint rolling everything.

Step 12: Finally get some more shots done before the clouds come back. Get frustrated staring at messy kitchen again. Start putting books away. Get distracted by cute picture of your mom from some Christmas long ago that falls out of the bookcase. Decide to show it to the internet. Eat more pasta.

Step 13: Finally get all pillows and full size napkins done. Get ready to move on to cocktail napkins when camera battery dies and naptime ends simultaneously. Realize it will be another week before you have everything ready to list. Pour wine. Gather toddler. Start dinner.

And there you have it! The evolution of today’s shop update. There are about 15 or so brand new items available today so check it out here! Oh and uh, spoiler alert: I did get those cocktail napkins shot the next morning, so these little guys are in there too. Hint: Those are jack-o-lanterns. O Yes they are.