A Fair of the Arts Market Day Recap
Hello my friends, welcome to another blog!
I have some wonderful news to report: the market went very well!! With it being my first market, I envisioned it going well while also acknowledging I didn’t know how any of it worked. Thankfully the artists and their friends were kind and helpful, starting with pointing me in the direction of where to sign in that morning and ending with helping me close my canopy at the end of the day. There were many kind words and encouraging smiles throughout the day as well. Overall, it was an amazing experience!
Right when the market opened, a mother & daughter came into my booth and wanted a cat toy. This was exciting for multiple reasons, 1. somebody shows interest in my work immediately 2. I made the cat toys the night before in a last ditch effort to add smaller items to my inventory 3. my first sale was to a little girl and her cat . A perfect first interaction! And then it came time to ring them up. This was less than perfect. I completely forgot to add the item to my shop, as I only decided to make them a few hours previously. No big deal, I just typed it in manually and would add the item to my system when they were done with their payment. Now the item was ready to move forward with payment, guess what: tap to pay was not working. Not working?!?! I’ve used that feature plenty of times, what could be going on? Turns out my phone updated the night before and it reset the tap to pay. My heart was racing at this point. The mom looked at me with understanding and said “It’s okay, don’t stress! We’ll go browse and come back.” So they left, I took a moment to breathe, and then figured out how to solve the problem. The girl came running back a few minutes later and we got it all sorted out, so now she and her little kitty can play with the toy I made with my own two hands and heart. It’s truly magical to know something you have put your energy into is moving to a new home to continue spreading its love.
The next group that came in gave me one of my favorite compliments: “Wow, it smells amazing in here!” I try to make the entire experience of Rest Now feel like home, and it makes me happy to hear it does. Scent is a massive part of feeling comfortable in a space and I’m thrilled to hear I made that happen for them.
Another interaction of note was a gorgeous woman looked at me a stated “It’s all so adorable… You’re adorable!” How sweet of her! The amount of love that I was feeling from every single person was wonderful. Give love and receive love, they go hand in hand.
The number of people I spoke with who also crocheted was so exciting! They all kept saying how my stitching was great and how they could never and I’m like wait a second, don’t put yourself down! We need to speak more highly of ourselves and to ourselves. We don’t have to be “perfect” in order to be of worth. I just encouraged them to keep trying and to do it because they loved it. Each person said they could tell I loved it, just by looking at my pieces. They said, “you can tell when somebody creates from love.” And that’s what RNFA is all about! I hope to encourage self love to those I speak with. The fact that you made anything with your hands is special and deserving a praise. Remember to give yourself credit, you are worthy.
Throughout the day, I had a brother and sister come to my booth multiple times. The boy had begged his mom for the large leggy frog I had hanging in the front. The mom said no and he was not taking no for an answer. They left, but I had a feeling he would be back. Guess who I see running over at the end of the day: the sweet child and his sister! They said he bargained with his mom and he would have to pick up sticks for a week and pay it off, but he was not going to leave without that froggie. I hope he has that froggie with him as he’s picking up those sticks and they have a wonderful time together. It still brings a tear to my eye thinking about him. This child would bargain with his parent to get something I made? Yes. Again friends, you are worthy. I am worthy. That boy is worthy. May that energy find him and find you.
I am incredibly grateful to have been able to be a part of the opening day of A Fair of the Arts 2026 season. The people I met will hold a special place in my heart and I will not forget the way I felt on that day. For that to be my first market is something magical and I can’t wait for my next opportunity to meet my neighbors in this way.
For now, enjoy these photos of my booth and as always, stay well. 💜💛
