Oh, how we love The Flea! It was great to be back. We got to see many old friends and make some new ones. The comradery among the vendors is one of our favorite aspects to selling our cards there. They were excited to meet Conroy and very encouraging about running a business with children.
For this winter The Brooklyn Flea will be indoors in Williamsburg along with all the good eats of Smorgasburg. We were excited to kick off the season with them at 80 N. 5th Street. Since we decided to ease back into the flea market scene after having Conroy, we lucked out and scored an amazing location right up front as soon as you enter the building! We loved greeting everyone as we watched them see the venue for the first time.
As expected, it was two days of getting to know our customers and finding out what cards they loved the most. We have to give a shout out to Mike, who works for The Flea. He just might be our newest, biggest fan! It’s people like him that drive us to continue making unique cards that say exactly what you’re thinking.
Conroy was a champ and by far the MVP of the weekend. Between napping, eating, and taking strolls around the revamped warehouse he was very happy and in a great mood. It would have been a much different experience if he did not want to be there. Thankfully, my husband Chad enjoys keeping Conroy happy as much as I enjoy selling cards.
Our three closest neighbors were Gowanus Furniture, blankframes, and Bicycle Paintings by Taliah Lempert.
Gowanus Furniture makes gorgeous cutting boards and other household items out of exquisite wood. Their instagram account is a must see. It gives you a peek inside their studio and how they create such beautiful pieces of functional art. Owner Pete Raho started this company with the mission to make furniture people could live with forever. His well-designed, locally-made creations are much more than something you cut your vegetables on.
Directly in front of us was Taliah Lempert and her products created from her bicycle paintings. We picked up a super cute t-shirt for Conroy that Georgia wanted to wear while we wait for Conroy to grow a little bigger. We think it will look great on both of them!
You may remember blankframes from our time at The Flea last year. Dennis purchased one of our cards for his grandson and framed it for him. It was a collaboration that resulted in the perfect gift! His daughter is now pregnant with her second and we send her lots of well wishes her way for an easy and happy birth experience. We know this grandbaby will be equally as loved.
Lunch on Saturday was our absolute flea favorite Rice & Miso, but Sunday we also made sure to try the infamous ramen burger! Let’s just say…it does not disappoint and we may or may not be buying ramen next time we’re at the grocery store instead of hamburger buns!
The Flea customers did not disappoint and we very heart warmed by the generous response we received for our good friends’ baby Leni Hsiao. Leni is now 7 months old and is battling cancer like a champ! She was diagnosed at 3 months with an acute form of leukemia. It has not been an easy road and she still has a long way to go. We donated all the sales of our “Spread Love It’s The Brooklyn Way” card to her family as well as held a raffle to win a pack of “The Cards You Need When You Need Them.” We were feeling the love from complete strangers all weekend and we hope Leni and her family were as well. For more information or if you would like to help the family directly visit LoveforLeni.com.
When 7 o’clock came on Sunday night it was bittersweet. Chad dropped Conroy off with my parents and brought Georgia back to surprise me. As she came running into my arms I was filled with complete happiness. To have a family that supports your dreams is such a gift. I have to thank my parents and brother for all their help over the weekend and, of course, my husband for just being the amazing man he is. We will see how life continues to play out and hopefully we will be back at The Flea before you know it.
