03/12/2026
Long post incoming. Last weekend I participated in Unglued Craft Fest, and it had me reflecting a lot.
When I first moved to North Dakota, the idea of restarting my small business here felt pretty daunting. I would follow Unglued and the Craft Fest account and honestly dream about being a vendor one day. Like any show you apply to, when you don’t get in you know it’s not personal—and that so many amazing makers apply—but it can still feel a little personal.
This year marked my third year participating, and if the silly smile on my face for two straight days didn’t say it all, I absolutely love being part of this event and the Unglued maker family. Looking back, it makes me so proud to have reached a point where I can participate in these shows and truly feel like a legit business.
Now let’s talk about my booth. This is something my husband has heard me dream about for years — “I want it to look like this” or “I wish we could do that.” I never quite had the time or the budget to fully bring those ideas to life.
Running my wedding planning business opened my eyes to a whole new world of design and event production, which sparked the idea to rent my booth setup from one of the absolute best rental companies in town, Gathered Boutique & Rentals. They worked with me on my vision and executed it flawlessly to create a literal dream booth (one I honestly wish I could live in forever).
To top it all off, Unglued awarded me the “Most Kick Ass Booth” award. It means so much more than just a ribbon—it was incredibly special to see people walk by all weekend, smile, and feel a little spark of joy from the space I created. That was the goal.
The last photo is my friend capturing the moment I received the award and hugged the rockstar behind Unglued, Ashley.
I guess all of this to say: keep going. Make the goal. Build the vision board. You truly never know what five years can bring. ✨
