By: Cassandra Travis, Artist

Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse. -Winston Churchill

I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember.  I’ve always enjoyed going to the Virginia (VA) Boardwalk Art Festival and coming home excited and giddy with a thousand new ideas.  Everyone always asked me after seeing my work why I hadn’t done an art show and so I finally did.

However “doing an art show” isn’t as nearly as easy as it sounds.  First you have to be accepted into the art show, then there’s the entrance fee, tent rental, having enough work to show.  The details are exhausting.  Another problem I had was the logistics of getting tables, art, display cases, a chair, cash box…..and much, much more to the site.

At this point I didn’t have a lot of room or a lot of money left.  So I was really pleased when I found the pancake flat wagon.  It was fairly inexpensive for something so sturdy and rugged.  It was also the only wagon I could find that folded flat.  The wheels literally fold under and hide up inside the wagon making it only 7 inches.

The wagon is constructed of metal so it’s sturdy and I was able to secure some of my bigger art pieces with bungee cords.  With the seagulls cartwheeling overhead I towed my first load of art out onto the boardwalk and it was smooth sailing the rest of the weekend.  I finished off the show with several large pieces sold and tired but happy.  Once again my little lovely wagon helped me get everything back to the car and loaded.

A bunch of other artists asked me that weekend where I got the pancake flat cart by pancake wheel, this newest piece of essential artist equipment.  I told them that they can order online from www.foldflatworld.com or find it on Amazon Marketplace as well as at a couple of Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) Taylor Do-it-Yourself centers

By: Justin West Jr.

You don’t have to be a soccer mom or  soccer coach for that matter to need a little help carrying sports equipment around.  Cheerleaders need mats, football players need pads, and baseball players need bats, balls, gloves and the ever important cooler of sport drinks.  Getting the hideaway pancakeflat wagon was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done to haul my sports equipment.

I do happen to be a coach, recreation league soccer to be exact.  Our soccer fields are booked solid in the afterschool hours and weekends are equally as popular.  I was getting ready for one of the last games of the season.  The leaves had already turned and the brisk morning air had everyone wearing a sweatshirt.  

We got to our side of the field and started practicing drills.  After about thirty minutes I looked up and noticed the other team wasn’t here yet.  If they didn’t show up soon it meant a forfeit.  Suddenly one of our parents came racing across the field with a red face and out of breath.  

“You’re on the wrong field, if you don’t get over to the orange field in the next 3 minutes we’re going to have to forfeit,” he said.  In a matter of minutes we had to get all the kids and our equipment to the other side of the sports complex to the orange field.  

“Throw everything in the wagons and run,” I yelled.  What I didn't mention, is that I got two of the pancake flat wagons, which are new fold-up carts that fold down totally flat so I can leave not one but two in my SUV.  Most people that see this pancake flat wagon/cart have no idea what it is till I set it up in a few seconds.

What a sight we were- parents, kids, my assistant parent coach and two pancake flat wagons leading the charge across the complex.  I’m sure somewhere there’s a Youtube video or facebook post of us hauling butt across the fields. We got there with only seconds to spare but in time to play the game.

Some of the team parents (and a parent from the other team!) wanted to know where I got the amazing pancake flat wagon that folded to seven inches flat.  That was the easiest part of the whole day.  I was quite proud to say www.foldflatworld.com,”  Of course you can get them at some Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) Taylor Do-it-Yourself hardware stores and online at  amazon.com .  I’m just glad I had them or my Kempsville team may never had made it to our first place finish.