Fangirling.

Jeanne and I were long past due in making some solid decisions about several fall events that have quickly approaching application deadlines.  (Even though it is 100 degrees out and having a legit conversation about whether it will be chilly by late September requires a fair stretch of imagination.) First up, we've been thinking a bit about participating in Taste of St. Louis in mid-September.  Held in Chesterfield, this event promises to be a haven for every foodie in a 500 mile radius.  And honestly, I was more intrigued by the event than Jeanne ever was...but probably because I thought more about how much fun it could be, while she sobered me up by reminding me that somehow we would have to get a lot of pies from PJP Buttonwood to PJP Chesterfield over the course of three days and that probably wouldn't be easy.  Also, the participation fee is $2,000, so the stakes are high to succeed at an event that we've never been to before.  Great event, but not for us this year.  But next year...

Just a few weeks later in September is the Roots N Blues festival in Stephens Park.  Deciding to participate wasn't even a question because we had great success (and so much fun).  But the festival organizers ask for a drawing of our proposed booth and also a proposed menu, so Jeanne and I had to put a little early thought into our plan for this year.  (Knowing a little more about what to expect this year because it is our second time to participate is a huge help.)  Now I only have to figure out a) how to woo Jason Isbell to the PJP booth that weekend, and b) how to not massively fangirl if it happens.

And finally, in the most difficult decision to make...Holiday Festival (formerly known as King's Daughters).  We've participated in this annual shopping event at the Holiday Inn Expo Center for the past two years and well, we sorta love it.  We sell a lot of pies, make a lot of new friends, and get to shop for ourselves (because, priorities).  So imagine my dismay when the application hits my inbox and it is scheduled for THE WEEKEND IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THANKSGIVING.  Gah.  Could we make hundreds of tarts and jars and baby pies and sell them over the weekend AND do all the prep work to make over a thousand pies on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday?  And not be dead by Thursday?  The old us would say yes (and in fact, the old us actually did because that was the exact schedule our first Thanksgiving).  But the more wise versions of us are quick to recognize that agreeing to do that is crazy...even beyond our realm of crazy.  And so it pained me to respond and say that we couldn't participate this year because of the scheduling, but I did it.  Let's all have a cheer for burgeoning entrepreneurial maturity.

But if Jason Isbell was performing at Holiday Festival...well...