No, I really don’t work for Michael’s craft store, but I did feel like it recently when I was scoping the isles for supplies for a new book proposal I’ve been working on. I had my little basket with an odd assortment of supplies since some items I had at home in my craft stash already, and this book is also a little different than other books I’ve done in the past, so anyone looking into my basket would probably not really understand what I was thinking.

Without giving away my book details (not ever a good thing to do and just plain bad luck to boot IMHO), I had a few products in my hands. One I examined and noticed a flaw in it (see why my DH calls me the Princess and the Pea, perfect example here), so I put it back and got another to examine and it passed mustard. A woman next to me noticed, turned, and said, “Excuse me, but what do you plan to do with those?” pointing to the items in my hands.

Of course, Mrs. Smarty-Pants-Teacher that I am, I explained the project to her, which is super duper quick and easy. I had noticed her earlier too and she had that look in her eye that told me this was probably her first venture into a craft store, while here I was the equivalent to a gourmet cook in a grocery store.

She loved the idea and ended up purchasing similar products to make her own version of my project. So there! La dee da, I knew it was a good idea! I knew my book idea in general was good too, and I had this wonderful stranger validating it all for me. In fact, I finished the proposal and mailed it off to an editor today, and I included this narrative in it because this woman is my audience. What better way to underline this fact to a publisher? Thank you, dear lady, wherever you are!