**This post was written by Stacy (we were experiencing some technical difficulties, which is why her name doesn't show up as the author of this post).**

Last year, following my first experience with the Bead&Button Show, I blogged about some of my rookie mistakes. Now, as the show approaches again (May 31 – June 7), I’m digging up my former list of do’s and don’t’s and revisiting the basics of Bead&Button Show survival.

Last, year…

1)    I turned my back on a strand of beads I was thinking of buying. I never saw them again. Some of my coworkers have suggested making an initial circle around the show floor, marking interesting booths on your show program, then going back to the booths you marked. That way, you get a sense of all the cool stuff out there, and you have a better idea if that strand of beads is a must-have or just a maybe compared to everything else you saw.

2)    I didn’t bring enough cash. Most of the show vendors take major credit cards, but only if your purchase is more than $20. Since I was just picking up a strand here and a finding there, I often had to pay in cash, which quickly dried up. One of my Bead&Button magazine friends says she decides beforehand how much she’d like to spend at the show, then brings that in cash. Not only does that minimize overspending, but you won’t have to quibble with vendors who won’t take your plastic.

3)    I carried around my class supplies, including a task lamp, in a tote bag while shopping. My shoulders quickly became tired, and I was walking lopsided for a few days. This year, there will be none of that. True, walking to my car takes time and energy I could spend on shopping, but an overflowing tote will sap both a lot faster. Also, there are lockers you can rent, or you can turn your rolling luggage into a veritable shopping cart.

4)    I wore fashionable rather than comfortable shoes. Not only were my feet screaming sore while I was shopping, but standing around booths and teachers during demonstrations was unbearably painful. When I say wear comfortable shoes to the show, I’m not talking about your most comfortable pair of sandals or your least painful pumps. I’m talking athletic, orthopedic, therapeutic – the most comfortable shoes you own! I’m already devising ways to work my running shoes into a professional outfit where they don’t look out of place, but if I can’t, so be it! In a way, wearing ultra-comfy shoes to the show is one of the most professional moves you can make. I’ll be wearing gray and blue New Balance running shoes – if you see them in the crowd, come say hi!