There's a lady in the bathroom selling goat's-milk soap out of the sink.
In the dining room, another woman readies a wall display of homemade digital cards. Back in the bedrooms -- even the closets -- other crafty women are setting up displays of lacy scarves, chunky jewelry and colorful fabric bags.
No nook or cranny is empty at Mindy Mae's Market, a traveling craft boutique that's been setting up shop in various Top of Utah model homes during 2009.
Today, you'll find "Mindy Mae" herself -- Nikki Weekes -- sitting at the kitchen counter tackling last-minute details like how to get change for the cash register or how to heat up the cold garage (there are vendors out there, too).
Weekes, a Layton mother of three, is the creator and organizer of this in-home marketplace as well as a cyber marketplace of the same name. Since April, Mindy Mae's Market has taken over houses from Farmington to Pleasant View.
But the shows, like this one held in early December in a new Clinton subdivision, bear the name of an entirely fictitious person. "Mindy Mae" was born, Weekes says, simply because she loved the sound of the name.
"It's different enough that people will remember it and there's a spunk to it somehow," she says.
"Spunk" and "sass" are words that pop up in Weekes' conversation while she describes her new business and its goal of helping other women -- and a few men, too -- get their own small businesses off the ground.
"We always get a kick out of people who take a risk, who go beyond the beaten path," says the graduate of Bountiful High School and the University of Utah.
'Christy the Crafter'
When times are tight, it seems that interest in buying decorative doodads might dry up.
But Weekes, an economics major, says she discovered that cottage industries thrived during the Great Depression. That led her to think the same phenomenon might occur in today's economic climate.
"In the Great Depression we had Rosie the Riveter; we now have Christy the Crafter," she quips.
A stay-at-home mom, Weekes says she was thinking of ways to put her economics skills to work earlier this year, perhaps by creating an employment agency for other stay-at-home moms interested in telecommuting.
Then she was approached by a representative from Destination Homes, a Layton-based home builder, about hosting boutiques in the company's model homes to generate foot traffic in new subdivisions.
"It's just too great a coincidence," the Pocatello native thought when she got the call.
So in she jumped, organizing five shows thus far, with six more planned for 2010. The first show of the new year will be in March, about the same time Weekes' fourth child is expected to be born.
Baubles, bangles
Part of the appeal of her boutiques is the in-home atmosphere, Weekes says. Many similar events are held in warehouse-type locations, she says, so "There's a different warmth that comes from a Mindy Mae's show."
Vendors come primarily from Davis and Weber counties; most are women, but there are a few men. Featured items run the gamut, from the hair bows and frilly tutus popular at many boutiques to more unusual items like watchbands made of fabric or embellished home tassels.
A new vendor in the Clinton show was 14-year-old Sarah Harris of Bountiful, who sews drawstring bags. The teen saw Weekes on a recent "Studio 5" segment and contacted her about participating.
"I was very impressed by her tenacity," Weekes says. "You don't get very many women who have the audacity to step into the arena like that."
Boutique participants get the chance to swap ideas and share tips on how to make or sell their products. It's very much a collaborative effort, Weekes says, which is another reason she didn't want to give the market her own name -- "It's not just me."
Taking off
Artists can also take part in Mindy Mae's Market online (www.mindymaesmarket.com) where they can find advice on how to set up a Web site, obtain a business license or create a company logo.
Many of today's crafters aren't working online and people can't find their products, Weekes says, "So we're trying to show them the steps to do that."
Weekes says her intent is to create a safe environment for folks to try out their ideas and learn from one another. More important than the bottom line -- Weekes gets no payment from Destination Homes -- are the feelings of accomplishment and validation for herself and the participants, she says.
"It's neat to watch people take off," she explains.
Targhee Child, marketing manager for Destination Homes, says the arrangement is a win-win. Weekes receives a free location to hold her boutiques; the builder gets new visitors to its homes and the communities they're located in.
"The biggest influencer in purchasing a home is typically the female of the house, so to get them in the home is the key accomplishment for us," says Child, whose company has also done in-home boutiques in South Jordan. Once at the house, women can envision, "Oh -- I could live here."
A welcome boost
Kelly Treadway says being part of the boutique has increased exposure for her digital design company, Modern Blitz Designs, through greater Web traffic and even media appearances.
"(Weekes) has a natural talent mixed with education and I think it's perfect ... people gravitate to Nikki," says Treadwell, of West Haven, who adds that she enjoys the friendships and camaraderie of the boutiques.
Megan Sevy, of Kaysville, says this was her first Mindy Mae's Market, but she's been selling her embellished home tassels for about a year in other boutiques. Weekes is personable, enthusiastic and passionate about what she does, Sevy says, and the home setting is appealing.
"There's definitely a lot of wamth, it's personal ... you can take your time looking at everything," says the owner of Megity's Handmade.
No gluey fingers
So far, the boutiques have had a "great run" and are building momentum, Weekes says. Ironically, this mastermind of Mindy Mae's Market says she isn't much of a crafter herself -- just a "total wannabe."
Weekes does enjoy sewing and embroidery -- she learned the latter from her great-grandmother. Such basic skills are finding new value during the recession, she says, citing a vendor who crochets headbands with an "urban spin" and another who knits hats inspired by 1940s hat designs.
"Handmade was never as cool as it is now," says Weekes, who plans to become a lawyer someday.
This boutique organizer isn't much of a shopper, either. Yes, she visits other boutiques to see what's there, but she's choosy about her purchases.
"I like the environment, I like the prettiness, I like to see all the bold colors and the new products," she says. But, "I take it all in -- and then I go home."
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