Destination Dallas market

I have written before about how expensive attending wholesale markets can be (11/15/13).   Many  shopowners are from small towns, so when we reach the market city we want to really experience it.  You seek out wonderful restaurants and look for your special interests-- I look for book stores.  If I'm in San Diego I go to Balboa Park where there are many small museums adjacent to the San Diego Zoo.  I used to look for bead stores until I locked my beads away and refused to allow myself to purchase more.  (Note--a large box was retrieved when I closed the Needle Nicely storage unit this spring, but I haven't been allowed to open it!!).

Sunday night, June 7, I made my reservations to attend Destination Dallas in September.  Since the show is being housed in a Hilton hotel that was already booked;  and I am a Hilton Honors member, I managed to obtain a reservation in a nearby Hilton hotel for roughly $190 for 4 nights.  What a deal.  I used my Hilton Honors points to obtain that cost.  Then I made my reservations to fly on Delta.  It was a toss-up whether to use my Delta miles or purchase my ticket with a Capital One credit card and then redeem it later.  I opted for the Capital One card because I still entertain thoughts of going to Europe on Delta miles.  Once the charge ($250.) is entered on the card, I can call and have my points credited against the charge.  So my stay in Dallas will cost Needle Nicely $190 plus what I spend on food and drinks.  Then I need to add the cost of the ride to and from Melbourne airport. I thought there was a hotel shuttle, but wound up taking a regular taxi from the Dallas airport to my hotel.  There was to be a shuttle from the Embassy Suites to the other hotels, but it took about 1 1/2 days to really get it going smoothly.  However, the trip was really a cheap date for something that usually costs a minimum of $2200.

This market was different for me.  Due to the neuropathy in my feet and my recently diagnosed
 asthma, I am exhausted after walking a market for several hours.  This time I decided to rent an electric scooter.  I did well on the straightaway, but getting into the elevators was a trial.  I had to have someone hold the door--and then I had to pray I had judged it correctly and didn't hit the back plexiglass wall.  The first day, I encountered a very nice gentleman who thought I should turn around inside the elevator.  Talk about a nightmare!  He appeared twice.  The second day I decided to go straight in and then back straight out.  Much better, and definitely easier on my nerves.  The third day I only had spot orders to make so I left the scooter at the hotel front desk! And I must mention that I had it on tortoise rather than hare.  No one would have been safe  had it been on hare!!  The market took up 4 floors of the hotel, so there was a lot of elevatoring.  Sigh.

I had to laugh every evening when I returned to my hotel room.  There was a king-sized bed with 4 down pillows.  I love pillows and pile all of them up to sleep on.  But here's what the maid did each day:

Here's a sampling of canvases that I brought home from market:

This is one of two Sandra Gilmore mermaids I brought home.  The other is holding a turtle.

 These two canvases are from Creative Needle.  The first is reminiscent of William Morris.

 The second is an attractive shades of blue design.

More wonderful buys Saturday!