After a good September weekend, I returned to Shops at Don Mills in October feeling more confident and more prepared.

I had already made small upgrades to my booth setup the previous month, and this time it felt a little more refined. I also added something new to the back wall of my booth — a proper(ish) sign featuring my logo and tagline for my brand. It may seem like a small addition, but it made a difference. Having my logo clearly displayed helped the space feel even more intentional and professional.

And then… rookie mistake.

Even though I technically am still a rookie (this was only my sixth market), I somehow left my entire admin box at home — the one that holds my float, signage, and most importantly, my Square payment machine.

Cue mild panic.

Thankfully, my husband stayed behind to continue setting up while I drove home to grab it. I made it back just in time for the start of the market, but it definitely wasn’t the smooth setup I had hoped for.

Because of the time crunch, I wasn’t able to hang my curtains, which made me a little sad. But I did swap out the scarf in my booth for a blue one that tied in even more with my brand colours, which felt like a small win.

October weather can always be unpredictable, and by the end of the day the wind definitely reminded us of that. I brought out my Christmas ornaments to this market and unfortunately, the display unfortunately took a fall and I lost about five ornaments. It was upsetting, but thankfully they’re pretty sturdy and the rest held up and were okay.

This weekend also marked another new experiment. I introduced mystery bags for the first time (which I was so excited about)… but didn’t sell any this round. Still, it felt good to test something new.

On a much sweeter note, I made a new vendor neighbour friend who does the cutest live drawings. She ended up doing a portrait of me and Yann, and it turned out so sweet. That moment alone made the day feel special — a little reminder that markets aren’t just about sales, but about connection too.

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Even with the hiccups, I made my booth fee back again — and still walked away with profit 🙌🏾

Returning to the same location gave me a clearer sense of what works for my products and what doesn’t. Shops at Don Mills was beginning to feel like a place where people genuinely connected with what I create.

Markets are such a mix of factors — weather, placement, timing, and audience. I’m still learning how much each one plays a role. But each weekend there continues to feel like progress.

I’m still tweaking, still adjusting, still experimenting — but I’m also seeing growth.

And that’s encouraging.

Until next time ♡